INT. MAYOR'S OFFICE – NIGHT
The mayor sits in his chair, watching a plasma screen TV. Governor Terrence is pacing and several police officers stand at the ready. They're watching live, as the escaped prisoners tear up Downtown Woodsboro and begin to move into the more rural neighborhoods. The National Guard has put up roadblocks. Townspeople have formed militias and are driving around shooting at anything that looks slightly suspicious. Confrontations between the National Guard, PANTHYR, the criminals and the civilian militias are exploding all over town and are now spilling into the neighboring communities.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: This is an outrage! I have never, in my entire career –
MAYOR OSBORNE: With all due respect – the prison was your idea.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: - and I –
MAYOR OSBORNE: Those PANTHYR operatives were hired by you too.
An aide approaches.
AIDE: Governor Terrence – the President is on the line. The VP is with him.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: (exchanging glances with the mayor) Crap. (He takes the phone) Helllooo, Mr. President! Yes, I'm watching it live. Yes, I'm here in Woodsboro with Mayor Osborne. What? Comparing it to COVID? I don't think it's as serious – yes, I see the news! Yes, okay Mr. President. I'll call you in a half hour with an update.
He hangs up, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
MAYOR OSBORNE: It's getting worse. The entire nation is watching us … and …
The mayor flips the channel. Reports from across the nation are coming in. Stories of other sickos – inspired by Ghostface – have taken the up the ghost mask and are committing random murders across the country. He puts on CNN.
CNN ANCHOR: We now have another report from South Dakota. A man has been arrested in a Ghostface costume for killing his ex-girlfriend. This makes the total nationwide count of 66 in less than four hours! Inspired by the madman in California, many across the nation are now taking up the familiar ghost mask –
The mayor puts it on mute.
MAYOR: It's like he's started a movement … a Revolution!
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: You cannot blame me for that! You cannot!
MAYOR OSBORNE: All the talk shows are calling for your resignation. The governors of New Jersey, New York and several other are demanding you step up or step down!
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: I already called in the National Guard! Declared a State of Emergency! What more can I do?
MAYOR OSBORNE: Washington, Oregon and Arizona are offering assistance.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: (not hearing him) I'll be the laughingstock of the nation.
MAYOR OSBORNE: And now Trump is making a live statement.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Why me?!
The door opens – Cyrus and Angelique storm in, followed by Ned.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Tell me you have good news!
CYRUS: The National Guard isn't cutting it. You need us.
MAYOR OSBORNE: With all due respect – that prisonbreak happened on your watch!
CYRUS: That prison break happened because we were under strict orders not to kill. (turning to the governor) But those orders can be revoked. Just say the word. Give us the free reign we should have had from the beginning and I promise – those streets will be cleared by morning.
MAYOR OSBORNE: Governor – you aren't listening to this? You surely won't give a mercenary army free reign to kill in the streets? Let the National Guard do its job!
A SCREAM comes from the office next door. The news networks are all showing new footage leaked by the killer – LESLIE AND TANYA'S CORPSES, GUTTED, ARE HUNG FROM TREES ON THEIR FRONT YARD, SWAYING IN THE WIND!
CYRUS: (pointing) You want more of that, Governor?
Terrence stares at the two girls' corpses. He lowers his eyes.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: You have free reign. Whatever it takes.
Cyrus smiles and turns to leave – the governor grabs his arm.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: If any civilians get in the way –
CYRUS: We'll be discrete.
INT. TOWN HALL – NIGHT
Cyrus, Angelique and Ned exit the mayor's office into the atrium of the town hall.
NED: What's the plan?
CYRUS: Disperse the entire security force. I don't care if any of those prisoners return alive.
ANGELIQUE: What of the killer?
CYRUS: (walking forward) He'll stop when he gets what he wants.
NED: Sir?
CYRUS: We have a new priority. Tatum Riley and Billy Loomis. We deliver them to the killer – and force him to show himself.
ANGELIQUE: Use them as bait? I like it!
NED: You can't hand those two kids over to him!
CYRUS: I thought I was working with PANTHYR guards – not pussies.
NED: Angelique – you can't –
ANGELIQUE: We follow orders, Ned. Put out the word to the rest of the force. Billy Loomis and Tatum Riley are now Priority #1.
CUT TO:
INT. MAYOR'S OFFICE
Governor Terrence continues to pace as Mayor Osborne flips through the channels. His Aide enters again.
AIDE: The President is back on the phone again. He's requesting a … private … conference call.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: (nodding) I'll take the call in a private office.
INT. PRIVATE OFFICE – NIGHT
The governor enters a private office and picks up a cordless phone.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Hello, Mr. President.
GHOSTFACE: What a tangled web we weave when we spin to deceive. (Beat) Amiright?
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Who is this?
GHOSTFACE: For all intents and purposes, your new President! Look what I've done to this nation in a matter of hours! You're all just putty in the palm of my hand and not even your little gang of super-troopers have made so much as a dent in my plans!
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: They're gonna find you, and they're gonna –
GHOSTFACE: Do what per se? They don't exactly have a good track record in dealing with me. I broke all those murderers out of your little Alcatraz right under their noses and it wasn't even dinner time! Like I was saying – you and the President and National Guard and everyone else are powerless! I'm running the show now!
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Then what the hell do you want with me?!
GHOSTFACE: Remember what I said. Every hour. On the hour. I've picked my next target. And let's see, it's been about fifty-eight minutes since I ripped open Leslie and Tanya so that gives you an extra two minutes of life! Say a little prayer and just take the time to savor the good memories because where you're going there'll be nothing but misery and fire and –
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: I'm in a room filled with bodyguards. There's no way –
THE POWER GOES OUT! The backup generators in the town hall flare on, leaving all the rooms in a dim grey, flickering light. All throughout the town hall, employees bustle into the hallways, confused at the power outage.
GHOSTFACE: For so long, you've been the man in charge. You called the shots. How does it feel to see all your power stripped from you in a matter of seconds. I literally hold every aspect of your life in my hand and can snatch it all away at mere will!
Outside, Governor Terrence's bodyguards are banging on the door.
BODYGUARD: Mr. Governor! MR. GOVERNOR!
They turn the automated lock –
IT LOCKS AGAIN ON ITS OWN!
GHOSTFACE: This building is mine. I control every doorknob. Every hallway. Every security camera. I am God now!
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Why are you doing this to me?
GHOSTFACE: Well – there is a little personal matter between you and me. Sidney Prescott! You remember Governor – you were the one who sealed her records after her murders and removed the documents from her files that I so desperately needed! You set me back a little ways, but no matter. All was rectified. I learned what I needed to. But you – trying to keep the truth about her parentage from everyone, well that's a tough one to swallow. Not even Roman knew the full story. But don't worry – you can tell him all about it in HELL!
The bodyguards are banging on the door. THE BACKUP GENERATOR GOES OUT! The governor stands there, the cordless – now with an empty dial tone – still pressed to his ear. He hears shouts from his bodyguards, screams from employees, gunshots, the sound of steel slicing flesh.
A KNIFE PENTRATES THE DOOR, BLOOD SEEPING AROUND IT AS A BODYGUARD IS PINNED UP AGAINST IT!
Terrence chucks the phone and throws off his outer jacket. He looks around – sees a screw loose on a ceiling tile. He looks – the knife slides out of the door and there's the thud of a body hitting the floor. The automated locks suddenly UNLOCK. The doorknob begins turning.
Terrence grabs a chair, stands atop it and twists the loose ceiling screw. The ceiling tile comes off and he tries to pull himself up into the ceiling vent.
The door to the room flings open and GHOSTFACE storms in. The governor spares a glance through the doorway – it's A MASSACRE in the hallway! Employees and his bodyguards lie on the floor, blood pooling around them and splattered onto the ceiling and walls.
The governor grabs the ceiling hole and pulls himself up into the ceiling vent, his feet still on the chair. Ghostface KICKS the chair out from under the governor. Terrence cries out as he almost falls – his triceps keeping him up in the ceiling, his legs dangling down.
Ghostface SINKS his knife into the governor's ankle. He cries out, the blade penetrating clean through to the other side. Ghostface RIPS it out, raises it again.
Terrence musters his strength and pulls himself up into the vent. He's now in the ceiling - the air conditioning ducts. He crawls onward on his belly.
Below, Ghostface listens for the sounds of the governor. He cocks his head, before grabbing another chair, standing on it.
Terrence crawls forward – A KNIFE PENETRATES THE BOTTOM OF THE DUCT RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE – missing it by centimeters. The knife shakes, then is yanked out. Terrence picks up speed, crawling faster.
THUNK!
Missing his face again.
THUNK! THUNK!
THUNK!
This time it catches him – right in the leg! Terrence cries out. He pushes forward, sees a grate at the far end of the duct leading to the mayor's office. He reaches it, scoots onto his butt and kicks out with all his might. The grate collapses and he jumps through into the mayor's office.
He lands with a sickening crack. The lights in the mayor's office are flickering grey. He limps – MAYOR OSBORNE'S HEAD HAS BEEN SHOVED RIGHT THROUGH THE TV SCREEN! Blood drips from it –
He staggers back out into the hallway – we follow him. He looks around – all of the employees around him and his bodyguards lie dead, stabbed all over. The lights continue to flicker. He limps towards the atrium of the town hall –
An emergency door SLAMS SHUT in front of him. He turns – nothing is there. The hallway lights continue to flicker, but now all is silent.
He staggers through a side door to an emergency stairwell – GHOSTFACE IS THERE! Terrence doubles over as a knife penetrates his gut. He grips the killer's robes and stares up at the mask as Ghostface lowers him to the floor of the stairwell. Terrence's hand slowly rises and grasps the mask. Ghostface lets him slide it off – Terrence's eyes widen. He recognizes the killer.
TERRENCE: You! How … how did I miss it …?
We don't see the killer's face – we see the knife rise – and PLUNGE one final time!
EXT. TOWN HALL – NIGHT
The camera pans along to the front of the town hall – to the flagpole. We pan up – GOVERNOR TERRENCE'S BODY DANGLES FROM THE TOP OF THE FLAGPOLE!
Viewers across the nation gasp and cry out in horror as their televisions are filled with the grisly display …
