THE RUNE-BEARER
ACT THREE
By DragonWriter17
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer/Spoilers/Pairings: Not applicable. This is an all-original piece.
My Website: http://www.dragonwriter17.net/
Feedback: Yes, but only if it’s of the non-flamey variety: DragonWriter17@aol.com
Distribution: Only here. (If you are interested in posting this on your site, please contact me first for permission.)
Author’s Notes: This story is in screenplay format, not in fiction format. NOTE: This screenplay is protected by registration with the Writers Guild of America, East: R14442-00.
Number of Chapters: 7
Complete: Yes
Summary: The Rune-Bearer is a two-hour Movie-of-the-Week that can also serve as the pilot for a one-hour weekly fantasy/drama series. It features a female private detective who is suddenly bestowed with supernatural powers after a chance encounter with the dying victim of a serial killer. She uses her skills and her new powers to fight evil and to solve mysteries in Memphis, Tennessee. It's like Witchblade, only lighter and funnier.
ACT ONE
ACT TWO
ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
ACT THREE
INT. WILSON INVESTIGATIONS - CASEY'S OFFICE - RESUME
In a slightly flustered way, Casey glances around her office. When she calms down, her eye catches a picture on her desk; it is a photo of herself with Jack. She picks it up and looks at it. Then she returns it and goes back to her computer work.
EXT. LOUIE'S TATTOO WORLD - DAY
Liz and Pete are outside Louie's, leaning against their car, waiting for Louie to open up.
The neon sign reading "Open" is dark.
Liz is drinking cappuccino. Pete is standing next to her, eating a barbecue sandwich loaded with coleslaw.
LIZ
So, this murder weapon.
Double-edged,
tapered, about an inch wide, 8-10 inches
in length. What are
we looking at here,
some kind of dagger?
PETE
(mouth full)
Mmmm-hmmm.
Pete desperately tries to eat his sandwich without making a mess, but he fails miserably. He drops a big dollop of barbecue and coleslaw on his suit.
PETE
Damn it!
Liz rolls her eyes as Pete tries unsuccessfully to wipe his suit clean. Liz sets her coffee down, opens her purse, and pulls out a moist towelette. She hands it over with a teasing frown of disapproval.
PETE
Thanks.
Pete puts down his sandwich and begins cleaning his suit. When he's done, he poses before Liz for inspection.
PETE
How's that?
Liz straightens Pete's tie and then pats his arm.
LIZ
You'll do. Come on. Louie's
open.
Liz leads Pete toward the door of Louie's, where the neon light is now lit up.
INT. LOUIE'S TATTOO WORLD - DAY
Liz and Pete enter the tattoo parlor. Louie is not visible.
LIZ
(in a booming voice)
Yo! Louie!
Louie comes out from the back of the shop. He's lean and wiry, forty-ish, dressed in ragged jeans, black sleeveless t-shirt, black combat boots. His hair is shoulder-length, slightly wavy, thinning on top. His arms are covered with multi-colored tattoos. He's carrying a large mug of coffee.
LOUIE
(heavy southern accent)
Liz, puh-lease. Ah ain't even
had mah
first drank of coffee.
Louie takes a big drink of his coffee then sighs.
LOUIE
Ahhh. Now then. Whatchya'll
need?
LIZ
We got a weird mark found on the
body of
a female murder victim. We were hoping
you could identify it.
LOUIE
Lemme look on it.
Liz hands Louie the autopsy photo of the remnant mark. Louie looks at the photo intently.
LIZ
The ME said it was sort of like a
tattoo
that had been removed. He had to take
that picture under special
lighting just
to get the mark to show.
PETE
We couldn't figure out what the
mark was.
Any ideas?
LOUIE
It's a Rune.
PETE
A what?
LOUIE
A Rune. R-u-n-e. Runes were
part of an
ancient Scandinavian alphabet.
Louie goes behind the counter and searches for something.
LOUIE
They used to carve 'em into wood
or etch
'em into stone or metal.
Louie comes out from behind the counter with a book and hands it to Liz. Liz takes the book from Louie.
The cover lists the title "Runes" in a large angular text.
Pete comes to Liz's side and peers over her shoulder at the book as she leafs through it.
LOUIE
Ah do Rune tattoos ever' now an'
then.
They ain't as popular as the Chinese
characters, though.
LIZ
Can we borrow this?
LOUIE
Sure.
INT. THE PEABODY HOTEL - FREDERIC'S SUITE - DAY
On the table, the dagger sits next to the laptop. The dagger has Runes etched into the blade. The surface of the blade reflects the light emanating from Frederic's laptop screen.
On the screen of the laptop, a password decoder program is running.
Frederic watches the screen. Then his eyes shift to the dagger. He picks it up and rises.
He moves to an open area in the room. He removes his robe, leaving him in only his silk pajama bottoms.
He starts working out with the dagger. When he reaches a stopping point in his routine, he holds the dagger in front of his face and smiles.
INT. POLICE STATION - HOMICIDE DIVISION - DAY
Liz and Pete are at their desks. Pete is perusing the book on Runes. Liz is on the phone, listening.
LIZ
(to phone)
Okay. Let me know if we get a
hit.
(hanging up, smiling)
Guess what?
PETE
What?
LIZ
Forensics found prints on the
basement door.
PETE
Usable?
LIZ
Yep. They're sending them
through AFIS now.
The phone rings, and Liz picks it up.
LIZ
Homicide. McMahon.
(listening)
Hey, Ross. What's up?
(listening again)
Okay. We'll be right there.
(hanging up)
Ross's got something for us on
the security tape.
PETE
The one from the hallway?
LIZ
No. The one from the autopsy
room.
The one we didn't show to Callahan.
INT. POLICE STATION - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
ROSS HAMPTON is playing a video tape from the autopsy room and watching it carefully, the remote in one hand and a pen in the other. A man can be heard screaming "No" and then crashing metal.
Pete and Liz enter the conference room.
Ross looks up, then pauses the tape.
Pete and Liz join Ross on the far side of the table where they can see the screen.
LIZ
Hey, Ross. What ya got?
ROSS
It's German.
PETE
German?
ROSS
Yeah.
LIZ
What's he saying?
ROSS
Here, let me play it again.
Ross rewinds then plays.
ON THE SCREEN:
Frederic enters the autopsy room. He finds the refrigerated drawer holding Mitzi's body and pulls it open. He grins maliciously as he pulls the sheet back. His smug expression changes quickly to shock.
FREDERIC
(in German)
Wo ist es? Wo ist es?!!!
The image is frozen as Ross pauses the tape.
BACK TO CONFERENCE ROOM:
ROSS
Here, he's saying, "Where is it?
Where is it?"
Ross presses the play button.
ON THE SCREEN:
Frederic touches Mitzi's body above her heart. He begins frantically searching her body.
FREDERIC
(in German)
Wo? Wo?!!!
Again, the image is frozen.
BACK TO CONFERENCE ROOM:
ROSS
There, he's saying "Where?
Where?"
Ross presses play again.
ON THE SCREEN:
Frederic drops his head to his fists on Mitzi's body. He begins throwing his head from side to side.
Then he straightens in a sudden fury. He places his arms under the slab and lifts it with savage strength, ripping it out of place and throwing Mitzi's body onto the floor.
FREDERIC
Noooooo!!!
Once again, the picture is paused.
BACK TO CONFERENCE ROOM:
ROSS
(smart-alecky with much drama)
And there he's saying, "Noooooo!"
LIZ
Very funny.
ROSS
Wanna watch it again?
LIZ
Please. And without the dubbing
this time.
Ross rewinds and plays the tape again. Pete and Liz watch the tape intently as it replays Frederic's movements in the autopsy room.
PETE
It almost looks like --
LIZ
Like what?
PETE
Like he was looking for that
mark.
LIZ
But that doesn't make sense. Why
would he care about this mark?
PETE
I don't know.
INT. POLICE STATION - HOMICIDE DIVISION - DAY
Liz and Pete are back at their desks, going through all the evidence and paper work the case has generated so far. Pete appears energized, while Liz groans and slumps over her desk.
LIZ
I think I'm gonna have to go home
and get a few hours of sleep. I can't
see straight anymore.
PETE
I didn't think you did anything
straight.
LIZ
Very funny. Hear me laugh. Ha,
ha.
(getting her purse)
You should probably take a break
too.
Between court and this case, we've both
been up for thirty-six plus
here. Besides,
we've got a name for our suspect now, thanks
to AFIS, and
we've got an APB out for him.
We can start fresh in the morning.
PETE
Sure. I have a few more things I
want to do
first. Then I'm outta here too.
Liz hangs her purse over her shoulder then holds up her cell phone.
LIZ
I'll see you tomorrow morning
then. Call me
if anything comes up.
PETE
Okay.
Pete watches as Liz walks away. As soon as she's out of the office, Pete pulls out a piece of paper with Casey's cell phone number written on it. He smiles.
INT. JACK'S GYM - THE WEIGHTS ROOM - DAY
Casey enters and scans the room until she sees Jack. Jack is circling a bench press machine, where ZACHARY, a small nerdy wimp of a man, is struggling to lift the bar of weights.
JACK
Come on, Zachary, you can do it.
Just
one more lift.
Casey walks to the bench press machine. Jack glances up and sees her and smiles then returns to his work.
JACK
Remember, you're a bloody animal!
Jack roars in encouragement, and Zachary finishes the lift. Zachary laughs in excitement and relief, and Jack helps him set the bar down. Zachary sits up, and Jack pats him on the back.
JACK
Good work! Now move along to the
next
set, and I'll be right with you.
Zachary moves to the next weight machine. Jack and Casey walk off a ways to talk privately.
JACK
Well, if it isn't my favorite
lovely
lass. What can I do for you?
INT. JACK'S GYM - THE WEIGHTS ROOM - DAY
Jack and Casey slowly walk away from the weight machines.
CASEY
I was hoping I could pick your
brain
about something.
JACK
About what?
CASEY
What do you know about Runes?
JACK
Runes?
Casey pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket and shows it to Jack. It's a printout of one of the web pages on Runes.
CASEY
Yeah. It's the writing that the
ancient Scandinavians used.
JACK
Ancient Scandinavians? And what
would I
be knowin' about something like that? I'm
a Scotsman, girl, not a
bloody Viking!
CASEY
I know, I just thought that
maybe...
I'm desperate, okay?
JACK
Now why would you be desperate
about a
thing like Runes?
CASEY
It's a long story. I'm not sure
you --
Casey's cell phone rings. She looks apologetically at Jack, then pulls out the phone and answers it.
INTERCUT - TELEPHONE CONVERSATION - CASEY (WITH JACK) & PETE
CASEY
Hello?
PETE
Casey? This is Pete.
CASEY
(smiles)
Oh hey, Pete.
Jack sees Casey's face light up, and Casey sees Jack see her reaction. Casey turns matter-of-fact.
CASEY
What's up?
PETE
Oh, I've got some new information
about the
case. I thought maybe we could meet for
dinner, and I could ask
you a few more
questions.
CASEY
Dinner? Yeah, sure. Where and
when?
PETE
How about Cafe Night, seven
o'clock?
CASEY
Okay. Sounds good. See you
then.
Casey hangs up.
INT. JACK'S GYM - THE WEIGHTS ROOM - DAY
When Casey looks up from her phone, she sees Jack standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
JACK
Well, it's about damn time.
CASEY
What?
JACK
You getting back in the dating
game,
as they say.
CASEY
It's not a date. It's an
appointment.
For a case.
Jack just stands there, smirking smugly. Casey tucks her head, embarrassed, then strengthens her resolve and meets Jack's eyes again.
CASEY
I gotta go.
JACK
I imagine you do.
Casey glares at Jack, but he is unrelenting in his teasing gaze. She puts up the piece of paper and stalks away.
JACK
Have fun on your date!
CASEY
It's not a date!
INT. CAFE NIGHT - THE HOSTESS STATION - NIGHT
Casey enters the restaurant. She has changed clothes. She is now dressed in a nice pair of slacks with a button-up-the-front blouse; she's even wearing some jewelry and the slightest hint of makeup. Her hair is down. She's carrying a purse on her shoulder.
Casey looks around the restaurant until she sees Pete at his table. He waves at her. She smiles and waves back and heads in his direction.
INT. CAFE NIGHT - PETE'S TABLE - NIGHT
Casey walks to Pete's table. Pete immediately stands up and runs his hand through his hair. He's dressed in black jeans with a nice short-sleeved golf shirt. And he's cleanly shaven.
PETE
Hey.
CASEY
Hey.
PETE
You look nice.
CASEY
Oh. Thanks. I...ummm...you look
nice too.
PETE
Yeah, I...uhhh...had a close
encounter
with a barbecue sandwich this afternoon.
The sandwich won.
They both laugh and sit down. Casey sets her purse in the chair next to her. In the chair next to Pete is a soft-sided briefcase packed with folders.
PETE
So, can I get you something to
drink?
CASEY
That'd be great. Thanks.
Pete makes a motion, and the WAITRESS comes toward their table.
INT. CAFE NIGHT - PETE'S TABLE - NIGHT
The table is now covered with dishes of half-eaten food as Pete and Casey are at the end of their meal. The Waitress is removing dishes as they talk. Pete and Casey are both smiling, clearly enjoying each other's company. The briefcase still sits beside Pete, unopened.
CASEY
So, you got divorced and moved
all the
way down here. Leaving all of your family
and friends behind with
the ex-wife.
That's some pretty drastic decision-making.
PETE
What about you? Dumping a very
lucrative
law career to become a private investigator?
That qualifies as
drastic in my book.
CASEY
It does in my mother's book too.
PETE
She didn't approve, I take it.
CASEY
That's putting it mildly.
PETE
Do you regret your decision?
CASEY
No. I enjoy what I do. And I
help
people. What about you? Any regrets?
PETE
Only that I didn't meet you
sooner.
Flattered but embarrassed, Casey smiles uncomfortably, looks down, and leans back from the table. After a moment, she clears her throat and looks back up.
CASEY
So, you said you had some new
information
about the case.
PETE
Yeah, right. We've found out
quite a
few things.
Pete gets his briefcase and pulls out his stack of folders and sets them on the table.
PETE
The victim's name was Mitzi
Howard.
She's got a record for prostitution,
possession. No family that we
know of.
CASEY
Any leads on the attacker?
PETE
Yeah. Forensics lifted some
prints off
the basement door. When we ran 'em, we
got a hit. His name is
Frederic Johan.
He's German.
Pete pulls a sheet of paper out of the folder and hands it to Casey. She takes it and looks at it.
It's a copy of a newspaper article. A large photo of Frederic tops the article. He is in a business suit, sitting on the edge of a huge desk in a posh office. The headline reads "Computer Mogul, Frederic Johan, Changes the Face of German Manufacturing."
Casey looks at the article photo with a confused look on her face.
CASEY
That's definitely him. But why
would
someone like Johan be in Memphis killing
a prostitute?
PETE
I think he's a serial killer.
His
occupation takes him all over the world.
And there have been two
murders in Europe
that are very similar to the one here, both
unsolved.
CASEY
Similar how?
PETE
Here's where it starts getting
really
interesting. When the ME did the autopsy,
he found something very
unusual on Mitzi's
body: a mark.
CASEY
A mark?
PETE
Well, not a visible mark really.
It was
more like a remnant mark, like when someone
gets a tattoo removed.
Pete pulls the Rune book out of his briefcase and sets it face down on the table. Then he starts searching his folders for the photo of the remnant mark.
CASEY
Ummm...wh-where was it? On her
body, I mean.
PETE
On her chest, the left side,
right over her
heart.
Casey rests her hand over her heart and closes her eyes. She exhales a deep breath and lifts her eyes again, just as Pete finishes his search.
PETE
Similar remnant marks were found
on the
European victims. And guess what? The
marks were all types of
Runes.
CASEY
Runes?
Casey gets a worried look on her face.
PETE
Yeah. They're characters in an
ancient
Scandinavian alphabet.
Pete hands Casey the Runes book first. She takes it, touches the cover.
PETE
Here's what the mark on Mitzi
looked like.
Pete hands the photo of Mitzi's remnant mark to Casey. She puts down the book and takes the photo. Then she looks at it. Her face now shows total shock.
CASEY
Oh, god...
PETE
Casey, what is it?
Casey doesn't answer. She just
bolts away from the table toward the ladies' room, taking the photo with
her. Pete jumps up and follows, calling after her.