Post by fenris on Mar 9, 2006 20:14:48 GMT
Note: the events in this episode continue straight after those in Episode #4.
Episode #5: Faster Faerie! Kill! Kill!
Previously on Hex: a clip from episode #3 - Thelma saying "Speaking of contacts, I've been approached by someone inside the New Church."
Brief clips from episode #4 - Graham the late-night worker being confronted by Alex; Corvide transforming from raven to human; Ella, Leon, Thelma and Midge watching the footage of the ritual; Jo and Corvide throwing the runes, which then remain suspended in mid-air; the incubus telling Jo "We've received an e-mail"; Adrian Sellars saying "Can I assume that whoever carried out this download was after the Church’s financial records?”; Jo talking into her mobile phone "Perie, I've got something for you"; Perie declaring "back to doing what I do best."
Ella’s flat. Ella is sitting at the desk, re-watching the footage that was e-mailed to Leon's website, showing a ritual that took place at the New Church's London headquarters a fortnight earlier. Leon and Midge are standing behind her. Thelma watches from the kitchen counter.
“I had several reports confirming that Jo was in Vancouver two weeks ago,” comments Leon, “overseeing the New Church’s North American interests. Otherwise I suspect she would have been taking part in…whatever it is they’re doing.” He vaguely points at the screen.
“Can you make out what Malachi’s saying?” Asks Midge.
Ella pauses, then nods: “It been altered slightly. There’s various words, phrases and some entire passages that I can’t quite place. But essentially it’s a ritual to locate the pages of the Grand Grimlore.”
“The what?” Asks Thelma.
“The Devil’s Bible.” Says Ella, “The book that Lucifer wrote in his own hand as he stood alongside God during the Creation. It consists of over a dozen scrolls of parchment, and because they were themselves created as the Creation unfolded, it’s impossible to destroy or damage them. It’s said the scrolls fell to Earth eons ago during the War in Heaven, and after several millennium were eventually unearthed by a group of holy men. The scrolls can only be read and understood if all of them are together. If just one is missing, then the contents of the others becomes meaningless. Realising it was too dangerous to let the scrolls remain together, each member of the group of holy men took one and then travelled alone to one of the furthest corners of the Earth, avoiding all human contact until the day they died, and keeping their scroll hidden in the remotest place they could find.”
“I’m guessing that Malachi getting his hands on these scrolls wouldn’t be a good thing.” Says Thelma.
“I should have guessed that would be his plan.” Murmurs Ella. “It all makes sense.”
“So, Malachi needs to collect all the scrolls and reassemble the Grand Grimlore to make the End of Days happen?” Asks Leon.
Ella shakes her head: “No, he can bring that about as soon as he obtains enough power.” She explains, “He wants the Grand Grimlore for something more ambitious.”
“More ambitious than destroying the world?” Exclaims Thelma.
Ella nods sadly: “Lucifer wrote the Grimlore as the Creation occurred. It’s basically a how-to guide to creating the universe. So whoever has the Grimlore can also perform the same procedure in reverse.”
Leon grasps what Ella is saying. “So what you mean is -”
“Yes.” Interrupts Ella, “It’s the Nephilims’ ultimate revenge against God. Destroying the world isn’t enough. They want Malachi to uncreate the universe.”
Opening titles.
Cut to a front hallway in a small suburban home. The walls are covered in modestly patterned wallpaper, the only furniture is a hat-stand, a small table on which a white telephone sits, and a chair next to the table. Four suitcases stand against the opposite wall. There’s knock at the door. After a few seconds, an elderly grey-haired lady emerges from one of the doors leading into the hallway, a black cat following at her heels. The lady makes her way to the front door and opens it. Perie stands there, a pleasant smile in her face.
“Hello Mrs. Finch.” The faerie says in her exotic accent. “I am a friend of Graham’s, from work. I have brought some papers that he needs, that he left behind at the office. May I come in?”
“Of course, my dear.” Smiles Graham’s mother, opening the door wide.
Perie steps in, and bends down to stroke the cat, which is curling itself around her leg and purring. The faerie is wearing an unzipped black leather motorcycle jacket, a dark brown top underneath, and black leggings. Mrs. Finch closes the door.
“I’m afraid Graham’s not in at the moment.” She says. “ But he shouldn’t be long. You can wait for him, if you like.”
Perie casts an eye over the suitcases lined up by the wall.
“Are you and Graham going on a trip?” She asks the old lady.
“Oh yes.” Declares Mrs. Finch. “Graham’s treating me to a surprise holiday. He only told me last night. He’s such a good boy. He had it all planned. He’s already arranged for a friend to look after Alfie.” She indicates the cat, whom Perie is tickling behind the ears.
“You said Graham would not be gone long ?” Asks Perie.
“No dear.” Replies Mrs. Finch reassuringly. “He’s just gone to collect the travellers’ cheques.”
“Really?” Murmurs the faerie. “Do you happen to know precisely where from?”
Cut to a close up shot of a pair of elegant, female hands peeling the ring-pull lid off of a can of cat food, then using a fork to empty the contents into a food dish (the dish is placed on a kitchen counter). The camera then follows the dish as the person lifts it off the counter and puts it down on the floor, where the waiting black cat starts tucking in. Now at floor level, the camera pans across, leaving the cat behind and allowing us to see the high-heeled black boots that the person is wearing. As the camera keeps panning, we hear a number being tapped into a mobile phone.
“I am at the target’s home address.” We hear Perie say. “He is planning to leave the country.”
The camera, still panning, has come across Mrs. Finch, lying on the floor, her eyes staring lifelessly directly at the lens. The camera halts and stays on Mrs. Finch, and we see the boots again as Perie walks past the old lady’s body.
“No, but I have his current whereabouts.” We hear Perie’s voice receding. “I am heading there now.”
Cut to a corridor in the New Church’s London headquarters. Jo is taking a call on her mobile phone, Corvide standing next to her. The camera suddenly cuts to a Point Of View shot, representing what someone is seeing. The camera edges around a corner and we see Jo and Corvide from behind, about twenty feet away.
“Tell me the location.” We hear Jo say into the phone.
As Jo listens to the reply, Corvide turns her head slightly, glancing in the direction of the camera, and the camera darts back behind the corner, giving us a close up of the wall. We can still hear Jo talking, but can’t clearly make out what she’s saying. After a few seconds the camera cautiously edges around the corner again. Corvide is looking at Jo, as her mistress finishes the call.
“We think we know where Finch is.” We hear Jo say to Corvide.
Cut to Ella’s flat. Leon and Midge are replaying the footage of the ritual. Ella is stood behind them and Thelma is laid out on the sofa, leafing through a copy of ‘Maxim.’ She holds the magazine aloft and starts turning it one way and then another, studying a photo layout at every angle. The theme tune to ‘Rhubarb & Custard’ can suddenly be heard. Everyone glances towards Thelma. Without taking her eyes off the magazine, Thelma reaches for the mobile phone she keeps in a clip-on waist holster.
“Hello?” She says.
After a couple of seconds Thelma drops the magazine and covers the phone with her freed-up hand.
“It’s my source at the New Church.” She announces.
The next shot is in the street outside Ella’s flat. A few minutes have clearly passed since the previous scene. Ella and Thelma are exiting the house, Leon and Midge remain in the doorway. Ella has put her leather arse-kicking coat on. Leon throws her the keys to his battered Corsa.
“We’ll check this out.” Says Ella. “If it’s genuine, and this man Finch really does have all the dirt on the New Church’s finances, we’ve got to get to him before they do. You two stay here and keep trying to transcribe that ritual. We need to know what those altered passages are.”
Leon nods, and Ella and Thelma climb into the Corsa.
Cut to a large shopping centre, complete with escalators, small groups of teenage girls wandering round, the expected high street brand stores, etc. We see Graham Finch (the man Alex encountered in the pre-title sequence of Episode #4) walking through. He’s dressed casually, and is wearing a dark blue jacket. About thirty feet behind him, two men in dark suits are subtly following, but he hasn’t noticed them. Elsewhere in the centre, we see Ella and Thelma enter from the street outside, through automated sliding doors. Both girls look about, then hurriedly walk further into the building.
“It would be a lot easier if we knew what the hell this guy looks like.” Mutters Thelma.
“We’ll just have to wait until the New Church move on him.” Replies Ella. “We’ve got no choice.”
Elsewhere, Finch is still making his way through the centre. Ahead of him, various shoppers are walking to and fro, and the mass of people clears to revel Perie, standing in the middle of the concourse and seemingly gazing at the floor. The faerie raises her head, catches Finch’s eye, and grants him her uniquely un-nerving smile. The computer technician goes white and takes a gulp of air – he’s never seen Perie before, but he’s in no doubt that the New Church have sent her – then he runs into the nearest store. Perie follows. Finch has run into the ceramics and glassware department of a large department store. There are display cabinets – both tall and waist height – everywhere, and two columns of mirrored pillars running the length of the department, each approximately thirty feet apart. Perie pauses and watches Finch running amongst the maze of cabinets, desperately looking for an exit. She is about to go after him when suddenly she sees in the mirror on the nearest pillar the two dark-suited men entering the store behind her, both reaching into their jackets and producing revolvers. Crossing her arms, Perie likewise reaches into her biker jacket then spins round to face the two men, pulling out a pair of large handguns as she does so. Before the men can react, she simultaneously fires a single shot from each gun – and both men collapse with a bullet hole placed neatly in the middle of their foreheads.
Nearby, Ella and Thelma jerk their heads round upon hearing the shots, then run in their direction.
Back at the store, Finch has gone to ground. Three sales assistants and a couple of customers are cowering by a sales counter, frightened, and looking fearfully at Perie. One sales-girl, still in her teens, is whimpering and crying. While scanning the store for any sign of Finch, Perie glances towards the group and regards them with disinterest.
“You may leave.” She tells them.
A sales assistant and one of the customers start to edge nervously towards the exit, but the others are too scared to move. Perie fixes them wth a stare and speaks again, adding a harder tone to her voice;
“Now.” She says.
It does the trick, and the group all hastily scatter, practically running out of the store. The faerie returns her attention to the task at hand, and starts to quietly make her way through the department, carefully gazing round, guns held at the ready, listening intently for any sound. The smile hasn’t left her face since she first spotted Finch on the concourse. Spotting the fleeing customers and sales assistants, Ella and Thelma head into the store that the group are running away from, and abruptly stop as they come across the bodies of the two dark-suited men.
“Do you think one of them is Finch?” Thelma asks.
Ella shrugs: “Do they look like computer geeks to you?” She says.
Hearing their voices, Perie moves back towards the store entrance. As Ella crouches down to quickly search the corpses for any ID, the faerie emerges from behind one of the pillars. Thelma spots her.
“Oh crap!” Thelma exclaims, her jaw dropping, “The bitch is back!”
The faerie raises her guns and opens fire. Ella instinctly dives behind a pillar a couple of feet away, while a still surprised Thelma remains standing. Perie’s bullets pass straight through Thelma and shatter a glass display cabinet immediately behind her. Thelma gazes down at herself, running her hands over her chest and stomach.
“I felt that!” She gushes. “Now that was weird.”
Perie looks momentarily puzzled as to how Thelma’s still standing, but then she smiles.
“Dead person.” The faerie murmurs in recognition, then she ignores Thelma and fires another shot which strikes the edge of the pillar that Ella’s sheltering behind, knocking off a large chunk.
Still standing in plain view, Thelma glances back and forth between Perie and a crouching Ella;
“Guns?” Says Thelma, “When did they start using guns? We don’t do guns! We use spells, swords, magic daggers, and other..mystical..stuff! What’s going on? When did the forces of darkness get modernised?”
Ignoring Thelma for the moment, Ella spots one the dead mens’ revolvers lying next to their bodies.
“Thelma.” She hisses, jerking her head back as another shot dislodges a fragment of the pillar. “Throw me that gun.”
Thelma looks at the revolver and then at Ella;
“Do you know how to use one of these?” She asks
Ella glares at her as Perie shoots way another piece of pillar;
“THELMA,” She yells in exasperation, “JUST THROW ME THE GUN!”
At that moment Finch breaks cover and runs towards a door in the far wall, marked ‘Staff Only.’ Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, Perie turns her head in time to see him vanish through the door. Thelma reaches down, grabs the revolver, and tosses it clumsily to Ella as Perie looks back towards her. Ella steps out from behind the pillar, catches the revolver one-handed, clicks off the safety catch with her thumb and opens fire in one smooth split-second movement. Perie dodges back behind her pillar and Ella does likewise.
“Thelma, go after Finch.” Whispers Ella.
Thelma nods and sprints off. She goes running past Perie, who – knowing that she can’t stop Thelma - doesn’t even try to interfere. Instead, the faerie turns her attention back to Ella.
“You have good reflexes, Anointed One.” Says Perie, raising her voice, her rich accent making each word sound as though it’s been dipped in honey; “When did you last handle a gun?”
“Spain.” Ella declares, ejecting the clip to check how many rounds are left, before slamming it back into place: “The Civil War.”
“Really? That is a strange coincidence. I fought in Spain for nine months, in 1937.” Comments Perie.
“Fighting for the fascists, no doubt.” Ella mutters loudly.
“Actually, I was with the communist partisans.” Comes Perie’s reply.
“Well, who knows, maybe we fought alongside each other and never knew it.” Ella concludes.
In one smooth movement, Ella rises, turning, and steps out from behind the pillar – as Perie does the same. Facing each other across the store, the two immortals open fire, loosening off round after round, running sideways across the shopfloor as they do so, keeping pace with each other whilst trying to avoid the return fire from their opponent. Behind them, around them and in front of them, glassware, pottery, ceramic figurines and display stands shatter, burst and explode as they are caught in the crossfire. Both women reach the next pillar in their respective columns and duck behind them. Perie uses the opportunity to reload.
“Your turn.” Ella shouts to the faerie, “When was the last time you shot someone, before today?”
“Laos in 1968.” Perie replies. “An employee of the Agency wanted more than he had paid for. He was not prepared to take ‘No’ as an answer.”
Both immortals emerge from behind their respective pillars and open fire on each other, moving across the shop floor as they do so. After a couple of shots, Ella is out of bullets. She dives behind a sales counter as a shot from Perie shatters the electronic till sitting there. Reaching the far wall of the store, Perie runs through the ‘Staff Only’ door.
Ella waits a few seconds, then cautiously rises from behind the counter. The shop floor is littered with debris. Fragments of exploded glassware and ceramics, shards of mirror glass, and shattered display stands.
“Décor by Perie.” Ella muses ruefully, looking round.
Cut to an underground car park beneath the store, filled with vehicles. Thelma wanders along a line of cars, looking and listening for any sign of Finch. Suddenly a gunshot rings out and she runs in it’s direction. Thelma rounds a corner in time to see a dark saloon car pull away at speed, with Finch lying spralled out on the concrete. With a screech of tyres, the car disappears up the exit ramp. Thelma walks up the computer technician, who’s lying on his back, and looks the blood blossoming over his shirt from a chest wound. Crouching down, she tentatively tries to touch his face, and makes contact.
“Dead then.” She murmurs, then she reluctantly but resignedly starts to go through the man’s pockets.
As Thelma fruitlessly concludes her search, she hears approaching footsteps and looks up to see Perie walking towards her.
“He’s dead.” Thelma tells the faerie. “Whatever information he had on him must have been taken by whoever killed him.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I check for myself?” Enquiries Perie.
“Suit yourself.” Shrugs Thelma, as the faerie crouches down and searches Finch’s pockets.
After a few seconds Perie finishes, her search no more successful than Thelma's. As she straightens up, she hears something and points one of her handguns in that direction. Ella emerges from around the corner, revolver pointed at Perie.
“I seem to recall you running out of bullets.” Says Perie.
“I did.” Confirms Ella, “But this is the gun belonging to the other man you killed.”
Perie accepts this with a smile and a barely noticeable nod of the head. Stand off. Thelma glances nervously at both women, worried at how this is going to play out. Looking at Ella, the faerie tilts her head slightly.
“It would appear that today, neither of us has gotten what we wanted.” Declares Perie. She raises a quizzical eyebrow. “Truce?” She offers.
Ella, her face emotionless, considers the suggestion for a couple of seconds, then nods.
“Truce.” She agrees.
Still slightly wary, both women slowly lower their guns in unison. Ella walks over to join Thelma and Perie by Finch’s body.
“He was already dead when I found him.” Explains Thelma, bringing Ella up to speed, “There’s nothing on him.”
“It would seem those he was working for, double crossed him.” Comments Perie. “He was expecting a substantial payment, but instead…” Instead of finishing the sentence, she nudges Finch’s body with the toe of her boot, then looks up at Ella and Thelma;
“Would I be correct in surmising that you were contacted by someone offering to give you information about the New Church?” She purrs.
Ella and Thelma say nothing.
“I am going to assume your silence means yes.” The faerie continues. “I will also assume that this information was to handed over in a public place.” She pauses. “No doubt we” (she touches her chest) “would have been given the same time and location. Somebody wanted to pit us against each other, presumably in the hope that we would do great harm to one another.”
“Whatever gave them that idea?” Snorts Thelma, pulling a tiny shard of mirror glass out of her hair and flicking it at Perie.
The faerie ignores the interruption: “There is a third player in this little game of ours.” She concludes. “And I confess I find this intriguing. Don’t you?”
“As the Chinese are fond of saying, ‘May you live in interesting times.’” Murmurs Ella flatly in reply.
Perie smiles, then starts to back away.
“Farewell, Anointed One. Goodbye, dead person. I have no doubt that we will meet again soon.” She says.
“Can’t wait.” Mutters Thelma, as Perie disappears into the shadows.
“I hear sirens.” Comments Ella. “We’d better get out of here.”
The two of them walk off towards the exit ramp.
“So tell me,” Thelma asks Ella, “where did you learn to handle a gun?”
"It's just one of those things you pick up after living through several wars." Says Ella modestly. "And once you've learnt, you never forget. It's like riding a bike."
"Ahh," Smiles Thelma, "now you're talking my language!"
Final scene: the apartment that Jo has arranged for Perie. It’s large, with plush modern furnishings, top of the range music system, widescreen plasma television, minimalist kitchen with polished steel and glass appliances, etc. Perie is showing in Corvide and Jo. Corvide has a huge, wide suitcase, but she is easily carrying it one-handed, as though it’s weightless.
“Our high-placed friends in the police tell us several eyewitnesses reported that shots were fired by two young women,” Says Jo, “but apparently all the CCTV footage, despite being taken from more than one camera, shows just static whenever one of the alleged women is about to come into view.”
“The video technicians says it’s almost as though both women were surrounded by some kind of energy field.” Adds Corvide knowingly.
“Any news regarding the men I killed?” Asks Perie.
“They’re both been identified.” Says Jo. “One was an ex-Navy SEAL, the other formerly with Mossad. Such men don’t come cheap.”
“So, did we have any idea who this third party is?” Enquires Perie.
“Considering their interest in the Bloodline, there’s only one person it can be.” Declares Jo. “But we needn’t concern ourselves. We have more important matters to focus on. Speaking of which, I have something for you. Think of this as a housewarming present.”
On cue, Corvide places the suitcase down on it’s edge and clicks open it’s fastening clasps. One half of the case falls open, revealing Adrian Sellars painfully crammed inside, lying on his back, gagged, with his ankles and wrists bound together and his knees pressed up under his chin. He instinctly closes his eyes against the sudden brightness of the light, then looks about wildly, desperately, his eyes wide and terrified. He’s straining against the gag, making whining and pleading noises.
“Adrian here was also working for our new player.” Explains Jo. “Finch’s job was to steal the Bloodline file. Adrian was to stall and divert us. And yes, Adrian” she says, bending down, smiling sweetly, and looking him in the eye, “I am referring to you in the past tense for a reason.”
Jo straightens and turns to Perie: “He’s yours, to do with whatever you wish. The walls are soundproofed, the walls and furniture all wipe clean.”
“Do you want me to obtain any details regarding his employer?” Enquires Perie.
Jo shakes her head: “No need. Like I said, there’s only one name in the frame. And when you’ve finished, don’t worry about disposing of the body. Just call Corvide. Carrion makes up most of her diet.”
“Just one request,” says Corvide, handing Perie a card with her phone number on, “if you remove the eyes, could you try not to damage them too much? They retain more flavour when they’re intact.”
The camera cuts to Sellars’s Point of View. He watches from a low, tilted angle as Perie shows Jo and Corvide out. Then the faerie returns and crouches down over him, her face filling the screen in close up. She has an enigmatic, peaceful smile. Sellars starts making pitiful noises again. The screen goes black.
We hear Sellars’s muffled scream.
Episode #5: Faster Faerie! Kill! Kill!
Previously on Hex: a clip from episode #3 - Thelma saying "Speaking of contacts, I've been approached by someone inside the New Church."
Brief clips from episode #4 - Graham the late-night worker being confronted by Alex; Corvide transforming from raven to human; Ella, Leon, Thelma and Midge watching the footage of the ritual; Jo and Corvide throwing the runes, which then remain suspended in mid-air; the incubus telling Jo "We've received an e-mail"; Adrian Sellars saying "Can I assume that whoever carried out this download was after the Church’s financial records?”; Jo talking into her mobile phone "Perie, I've got something for you"; Perie declaring "back to doing what I do best."
Ella’s flat. Ella is sitting at the desk, re-watching the footage that was e-mailed to Leon's website, showing a ritual that took place at the New Church's London headquarters a fortnight earlier. Leon and Midge are standing behind her. Thelma watches from the kitchen counter.
“I had several reports confirming that Jo was in Vancouver two weeks ago,” comments Leon, “overseeing the New Church’s North American interests. Otherwise I suspect she would have been taking part in…whatever it is they’re doing.” He vaguely points at the screen.
“Can you make out what Malachi’s saying?” Asks Midge.
Ella pauses, then nods: “It been altered slightly. There’s various words, phrases and some entire passages that I can’t quite place. But essentially it’s a ritual to locate the pages of the Grand Grimlore.”
“The what?” Asks Thelma.
“The Devil’s Bible.” Says Ella, “The book that Lucifer wrote in his own hand as he stood alongside God during the Creation. It consists of over a dozen scrolls of parchment, and because they were themselves created as the Creation unfolded, it’s impossible to destroy or damage them. It’s said the scrolls fell to Earth eons ago during the War in Heaven, and after several millennium were eventually unearthed by a group of holy men. The scrolls can only be read and understood if all of them are together. If just one is missing, then the contents of the others becomes meaningless. Realising it was too dangerous to let the scrolls remain together, each member of the group of holy men took one and then travelled alone to one of the furthest corners of the Earth, avoiding all human contact until the day they died, and keeping their scroll hidden in the remotest place they could find.”
“I’m guessing that Malachi getting his hands on these scrolls wouldn’t be a good thing.” Says Thelma.
“I should have guessed that would be his plan.” Murmurs Ella. “It all makes sense.”
“So, Malachi needs to collect all the scrolls and reassemble the Grand Grimlore to make the End of Days happen?” Asks Leon.
Ella shakes her head: “No, he can bring that about as soon as he obtains enough power.” She explains, “He wants the Grand Grimlore for something more ambitious.”
“More ambitious than destroying the world?” Exclaims Thelma.
Ella nods sadly: “Lucifer wrote the Grimlore as the Creation occurred. It’s basically a how-to guide to creating the universe. So whoever has the Grimlore can also perform the same procedure in reverse.”
Leon grasps what Ella is saying. “So what you mean is -”
“Yes.” Interrupts Ella, “It’s the Nephilims’ ultimate revenge against God. Destroying the world isn’t enough. They want Malachi to uncreate the universe.”
Opening titles.
Cut to a front hallway in a small suburban home. The walls are covered in modestly patterned wallpaper, the only furniture is a hat-stand, a small table on which a white telephone sits, and a chair next to the table. Four suitcases stand against the opposite wall. There’s knock at the door. After a few seconds, an elderly grey-haired lady emerges from one of the doors leading into the hallway, a black cat following at her heels. The lady makes her way to the front door and opens it. Perie stands there, a pleasant smile in her face.
“Hello Mrs. Finch.” The faerie says in her exotic accent. “I am a friend of Graham’s, from work. I have brought some papers that he needs, that he left behind at the office. May I come in?”
“Of course, my dear.” Smiles Graham’s mother, opening the door wide.
Perie steps in, and bends down to stroke the cat, which is curling itself around her leg and purring. The faerie is wearing an unzipped black leather motorcycle jacket, a dark brown top underneath, and black leggings. Mrs. Finch closes the door.
“I’m afraid Graham’s not in at the moment.” She says. “ But he shouldn’t be long. You can wait for him, if you like.”
Perie casts an eye over the suitcases lined up by the wall.
“Are you and Graham going on a trip?” She asks the old lady.
“Oh yes.” Declares Mrs. Finch. “Graham’s treating me to a surprise holiday. He only told me last night. He’s such a good boy. He had it all planned. He’s already arranged for a friend to look after Alfie.” She indicates the cat, whom Perie is tickling behind the ears.
“You said Graham would not be gone long ?” Asks Perie.
“No dear.” Replies Mrs. Finch reassuringly. “He’s just gone to collect the travellers’ cheques.”
“Really?” Murmurs the faerie. “Do you happen to know precisely where from?”
Cut to a close up shot of a pair of elegant, female hands peeling the ring-pull lid off of a can of cat food, then using a fork to empty the contents into a food dish (the dish is placed on a kitchen counter). The camera then follows the dish as the person lifts it off the counter and puts it down on the floor, where the waiting black cat starts tucking in. Now at floor level, the camera pans across, leaving the cat behind and allowing us to see the high-heeled black boots that the person is wearing. As the camera keeps panning, we hear a number being tapped into a mobile phone.
“I am at the target’s home address.” We hear Perie say. “He is planning to leave the country.”
The camera, still panning, has come across Mrs. Finch, lying on the floor, her eyes staring lifelessly directly at the lens. The camera halts and stays on Mrs. Finch, and we see the boots again as Perie walks past the old lady’s body.
“No, but I have his current whereabouts.” We hear Perie’s voice receding. “I am heading there now.”
Cut to a corridor in the New Church’s London headquarters. Jo is taking a call on her mobile phone, Corvide standing next to her. The camera suddenly cuts to a Point Of View shot, representing what someone is seeing. The camera edges around a corner and we see Jo and Corvide from behind, about twenty feet away.
“Tell me the location.” We hear Jo say into the phone.
As Jo listens to the reply, Corvide turns her head slightly, glancing in the direction of the camera, and the camera darts back behind the corner, giving us a close up of the wall. We can still hear Jo talking, but can’t clearly make out what she’s saying. After a few seconds the camera cautiously edges around the corner again. Corvide is looking at Jo, as her mistress finishes the call.
“We think we know where Finch is.” We hear Jo say to Corvide.
Cut to Ella’s flat. Leon and Midge are replaying the footage of the ritual. Ella is stood behind them and Thelma is laid out on the sofa, leafing through a copy of ‘Maxim.’ She holds the magazine aloft and starts turning it one way and then another, studying a photo layout at every angle. The theme tune to ‘Rhubarb & Custard’ can suddenly be heard. Everyone glances towards Thelma. Without taking her eyes off the magazine, Thelma reaches for the mobile phone she keeps in a clip-on waist holster.
“Hello?” She says.
After a couple of seconds Thelma drops the magazine and covers the phone with her freed-up hand.
“It’s my source at the New Church.” She announces.
The next shot is in the street outside Ella’s flat. A few minutes have clearly passed since the previous scene. Ella and Thelma are exiting the house, Leon and Midge remain in the doorway. Ella has put her leather arse-kicking coat on. Leon throws her the keys to his battered Corsa.
“We’ll check this out.” Says Ella. “If it’s genuine, and this man Finch really does have all the dirt on the New Church’s finances, we’ve got to get to him before they do. You two stay here and keep trying to transcribe that ritual. We need to know what those altered passages are.”
Leon nods, and Ella and Thelma climb into the Corsa.
Cut to a large shopping centre, complete with escalators, small groups of teenage girls wandering round, the expected high street brand stores, etc. We see Graham Finch (the man Alex encountered in the pre-title sequence of Episode #4) walking through. He’s dressed casually, and is wearing a dark blue jacket. About thirty feet behind him, two men in dark suits are subtly following, but he hasn’t noticed them. Elsewhere in the centre, we see Ella and Thelma enter from the street outside, through automated sliding doors. Both girls look about, then hurriedly walk further into the building.
“It would be a lot easier if we knew what the hell this guy looks like.” Mutters Thelma.
“We’ll just have to wait until the New Church move on him.” Replies Ella. “We’ve got no choice.”
Elsewhere, Finch is still making his way through the centre. Ahead of him, various shoppers are walking to and fro, and the mass of people clears to revel Perie, standing in the middle of the concourse and seemingly gazing at the floor. The faerie raises her head, catches Finch’s eye, and grants him her uniquely un-nerving smile. The computer technician goes white and takes a gulp of air – he’s never seen Perie before, but he’s in no doubt that the New Church have sent her – then he runs into the nearest store. Perie follows. Finch has run into the ceramics and glassware department of a large department store. There are display cabinets – both tall and waist height – everywhere, and two columns of mirrored pillars running the length of the department, each approximately thirty feet apart. Perie pauses and watches Finch running amongst the maze of cabinets, desperately looking for an exit. She is about to go after him when suddenly she sees in the mirror on the nearest pillar the two dark-suited men entering the store behind her, both reaching into their jackets and producing revolvers. Crossing her arms, Perie likewise reaches into her biker jacket then spins round to face the two men, pulling out a pair of large handguns as she does so. Before the men can react, she simultaneously fires a single shot from each gun – and both men collapse with a bullet hole placed neatly in the middle of their foreheads.
Nearby, Ella and Thelma jerk their heads round upon hearing the shots, then run in their direction.
Back at the store, Finch has gone to ground. Three sales assistants and a couple of customers are cowering by a sales counter, frightened, and looking fearfully at Perie. One sales-girl, still in her teens, is whimpering and crying. While scanning the store for any sign of Finch, Perie glances towards the group and regards them with disinterest.
“You may leave.” She tells them.
A sales assistant and one of the customers start to edge nervously towards the exit, but the others are too scared to move. Perie fixes them wth a stare and speaks again, adding a harder tone to her voice;
“Now.” She says.
It does the trick, and the group all hastily scatter, practically running out of the store. The faerie returns her attention to the task at hand, and starts to quietly make her way through the department, carefully gazing round, guns held at the ready, listening intently for any sound. The smile hasn’t left her face since she first spotted Finch on the concourse. Spotting the fleeing customers and sales assistants, Ella and Thelma head into the store that the group are running away from, and abruptly stop as they come across the bodies of the two dark-suited men.
“Do you think one of them is Finch?” Thelma asks.
Ella shrugs: “Do they look like computer geeks to you?” She says.
Hearing their voices, Perie moves back towards the store entrance. As Ella crouches down to quickly search the corpses for any ID, the faerie emerges from behind one of the pillars. Thelma spots her.
“Oh crap!” Thelma exclaims, her jaw dropping, “The bitch is back!”
The faerie raises her guns and opens fire. Ella instinctly dives behind a pillar a couple of feet away, while a still surprised Thelma remains standing. Perie’s bullets pass straight through Thelma and shatter a glass display cabinet immediately behind her. Thelma gazes down at herself, running her hands over her chest and stomach.
“I felt that!” She gushes. “Now that was weird.”
Perie looks momentarily puzzled as to how Thelma’s still standing, but then she smiles.
“Dead person.” The faerie murmurs in recognition, then she ignores Thelma and fires another shot which strikes the edge of the pillar that Ella’s sheltering behind, knocking off a large chunk.
Still standing in plain view, Thelma glances back and forth between Perie and a crouching Ella;
“Guns?” Says Thelma, “When did they start using guns? We don’t do guns! We use spells, swords, magic daggers, and other..mystical..stuff! What’s going on? When did the forces of darkness get modernised?”
Ignoring Thelma for the moment, Ella spots one the dead mens’ revolvers lying next to their bodies.
“Thelma.” She hisses, jerking her head back as another shot dislodges a fragment of the pillar. “Throw me that gun.”
Thelma looks at the revolver and then at Ella;
“Do you know how to use one of these?” She asks
Ella glares at her as Perie shoots way another piece of pillar;
“THELMA,” She yells in exasperation, “JUST THROW ME THE GUN!”
At that moment Finch breaks cover and runs towards a door in the far wall, marked ‘Staff Only.’ Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, Perie turns her head in time to see him vanish through the door. Thelma reaches down, grabs the revolver, and tosses it clumsily to Ella as Perie looks back towards her. Ella steps out from behind the pillar, catches the revolver one-handed, clicks off the safety catch with her thumb and opens fire in one smooth split-second movement. Perie dodges back behind her pillar and Ella does likewise.
“Thelma, go after Finch.” Whispers Ella.
Thelma nods and sprints off. She goes running past Perie, who – knowing that she can’t stop Thelma - doesn’t even try to interfere. Instead, the faerie turns her attention back to Ella.
“You have good reflexes, Anointed One.” Says Perie, raising her voice, her rich accent making each word sound as though it’s been dipped in honey; “When did you last handle a gun?”
“Spain.” Ella declares, ejecting the clip to check how many rounds are left, before slamming it back into place: “The Civil War.”
“Really? That is a strange coincidence. I fought in Spain for nine months, in 1937.” Comments Perie.
“Fighting for the fascists, no doubt.” Ella mutters loudly.
“Actually, I was with the communist partisans.” Comes Perie’s reply.
“Well, who knows, maybe we fought alongside each other and never knew it.” Ella concludes.
In one smooth movement, Ella rises, turning, and steps out from behind the pillar – as Perie does the same. Facing each other across the store, the two immortals open fire, loosening off round after round, running sideways across the shopfloor as they do so, keeping pace with each other whilst trying to avoid the return fire from their opponent. Behind them, around them and in front of them, glassware, pottery, ceramic figurines and display stands shatter, burst and explode as they are caught in the crossfire. Both women reach the next pillar in their respective columns and duck behind them. Perie uses the opportunity to reload.
“Your turn.” Ella shouts to the faerie, “When was the last time you shot someone, before today?”
“Laos in 1968.” Perie replies. “An employee of the Agency wanted more than he had paid for. He was not prepared to take ‘No’ as an answer.”
Both immortals emerge from behind their respective pillars and open fire on each other, moving across the shop floor as they do so. After a couple of shots, Ella is out of bullets. She dives behind a sales counter as a shot from Perie shatters the electronic till sitting there. Reaching the far wall of the store, Perie runs through the ‘Staff Only’ door.
Ella waits a few seconds, then cautiously rises from behind the counter. The shop floor is littered with debris. Fragments of exploded glassware and ceramics, shards of mirror glass, and shattered display stands.
“Décor by Perie.” Ella muses ruefully, looking round.
Cut to an underground car park beneath the store, filled with vehicles. Thelma wanders along a line of cars, looking and listening for any sign of Finch. Suddenly a gunshot rings out and she runs in it’s direction. Thelma rounds a corner in time to see a dark saloon car pull away at speed, with Finch lying spralled out on the concrete. With a screech of tyres, the car disappears up the exit ramp. Thelma walks up the computer technician, who’s lying on his back, and looks the blood blossoming over his shirt from a chest wound. Crouching down, she tentatively tries to touch his face, and makes contact.
“Dead then.” She murmurs, then she reluctantly but resignedly starts to go through the man’s pockets.
As Thelma fruitlessly concludes her search, she hears approaching footsteps and looks up to see Perie walking towards her.
“He’s dead.” Thelma tells the faerie. “Whatever information he had on him must have been taken by whoever killed him.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I check for myself?” Enquiries Perie.
“Suit yourself.” Shrugs Thelma, as the faerie crouches down and searches Finch’s pockets.
After a few seconds Perie finishes, her search no more successful than Thelma's. As she straightens up, she hears something and points one of her handguns in that direction. Ella emerges from around the corner, revolver pointed at Perie.
“I seem to recall you running out of bullets.” Says Perie.
“I did.” Confirms Ella, “But this is the gun belonging to the other man you killed.”
Perie accepts this with a smile and a barely noticeable nod of the head. Stand off. Thelma glances nervously at both women, worried at how this is going to play out. Looking at Ella, the faerie tilts her head slightly.
“It would appear that today, neither of us has gotten what we wanted.” Declares Perie. She raises a quizzical eyebrow. “Truce?” She offers.
Ella, her face emotionless, considers the suggestion for a couple of seconds, then nods.
“Truce.” She agrees.
Still slightly wary, both women slowly lower their guns in unison. Ella walks over to join Thelma and Perie by Finch’s body.
“He was already dead when I found him.” Explains Thelma, bringing Ella up to speed, “There’s nothing on him.”
“It would seem those he was working for, double crossed him.” Comments Perie. “He was expecting a substantial payment, but instead…” Instead of finishing the sentence, she nudges Finch’s body with the toe of her boot, then looks up at Ella and Thelma;
“Would I be correct in surmising that you were contacted by someone offering to give you information about the New Church?” She purrs.
Ella and Thelma say nothing.
“I am going to assume your silence means yes.” The faerie continues. “I will also assume that this information was to handed over in a public place.” She pauses. “No doubt we” (she touches her chest) “would have been given the same time and location. Somebody wanted to pit us against each other, presumably in the hope that we would do great harm to one another.”
“Whatever gave them that idea?” Snorts Thelma, pulling a tiny shard of mirror glass out of her hair and flicking it at Perie.
The faerie ignores the interruption: “There is a third player in this little game of ours.” She concludes. “And I confess I find this intriguing. Don’t you?”
“As the Chinese are fond of saying, ‘May you live in interesting times.’” Murmurs Ella flatly in reply.
Perie smiles, then starts to back away.
“Farewell, Anointed One. Goodbye, dead person. I have no doubt that we will meet again soon.” She says.
“Can’t wait.” Mutters Thelma, as Perie disappears into the shadows.
“I hear sirens.” Comments Ella. “We’d better get out of here.”
The two of them walk off towards the exit ramp.
“So tell me,” Thelma asks Ella, “where did you learn to handle a gun?”
"It's just one of those things you pick up after living through several wars." Says Ella modestly. "And once you've learnt, you never forget. It's like riding a bike."
"Ahh," Smiles Thelma, "now you're talking my language!"
Final scene: the apartment that Jo has arranged for Perie. It’s large, with plush modern furnishings, top of the range music system, widescreen plasma television, minimalist kitchen with polished steel and glass appliances, etc. Perie is showing in Corvide and Jo. Corvide has a huge, wide suitcase, but she is easily carrying it one-handed, as though it’s weightless.
“Our high-placed friends in the police tell us several eyewitnesses reported that shots were fired by two young women,” Says Jo, “but apparently all the CCTV footage, despite being taken from more than one camera, shows just static whenever one of the alleged women is about to come into view.”
“The video technicians says it’s almost as though both women were surrounded by some kind of energy field.” Adds Corvide knowingly.
“Any news regarding the men I killed?” Asks Perie.
“They’re both been identified.” Says Jo. “One was an ex-Navy SEAL, the other formerly with Mossad. Such men don’t come cheap.”
“So, did we have any idea who this third party is?” Enquires Perie.
“Considering their interest in the Bloodline, there’s only one person it can be.” Declares Jo. “But we needn’t concern ourselves. We have more important matters to focus on. Speaking of which, I have something for you. Think of this as a housewarming present.”
On cue, Corvide places the suitcase down on it’s edge and clicks open it’s fastening clasps. One half of the case falls open, revealing Adrian Sellars painfully crammed inside, lying on his back, gagged, with his ankles and wrists bound together and his knees pressed up under his chin. He instinctly closes his eyes against the sudden brightness of the light, then looks about wildly, desperately, his eyes wide and terrified. He’s straining against the gag, making whining and pleading noises.
“Adrian here was also working for our new player.” Explains Jo. “Finch’s job was to steal the Bloodline file. Adrian was to stall and divert us. And yes, Adrian” she says, bending down, smiling sweetly, and looking him in the eye, “I am referring to you in the past tense for a reason.”
Jo straightens and turns to Perie: “He’s yours, to do with whatever you wish. The walls are soundproofed, the walls and furniture all wipe clean.”
“Do you want me to obtain any details regarding his employer?” Enquires Perie.
Jo shakes her head: “No need. Like I said, there’s only one name in the frame. And when you’ve finished, don’t worry about disposing of the body. Just call Corvide. Carrion makes up most of her diet.”
“Just one request,” says Corvide, handing Perie a card with her phone number on, “if you remove the eyes, could you try not to damage them too much? They retain more flavour when they’re intact.”
The camera cuts to Sellars’s Point of View. He watches from a low, tilted angle as Perie shows Jo and Corvide out. Then the faerie returns and crouches down over him, her face filling the screen in close up. She has an enigmatic, peaceful smile. Sellars starts making pitiful noises again. The screen goes black.
We hear Sellars’s muffled scream.
