Line of Duty Page #3

(CONTINUED)

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123 CONTINUED:

Dryden goes behind the screens that shield the aftermath of

the ambush from public view.

Dryden gazes at the wreckage, the human cost in police lives.

This is the worst kind of tragedy for police and he’s

entitled to feel emotionally affected by it.

Dryden exits back through the screens.

CUT TO:

*

*

*

*

124 EXT. LONG LANE. CONTINUOUS.

Dryden steps up to the TV cameras. *

(CONTINUED)

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124 CONTINUED:

JO:

(To Press.)

Deputy Chief Constable Dryden.

Cameras and eyes all focus on Dryden. He looks very sombre.

DRYDEN:

There’s been an attack on the

Police. Three of our colleagues

have lost their lives in the line

of duty.

CUT TO:

125 EXT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. MAIN ENTRANCE. NEXT DAY.

A city scape lies beyond the main entrance of a major

hospital. Steve and Kate stride in purposefully.

CUT TO:

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126 INT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. ITU CORRIDOR. MOMENTS LATER.

The lift door opens. Steve and Kate exit to find SUPT. TED

HASTINGS waiting.

HASTINGS:

This way.

They walk along the corridor. Ahead, two armed police

officers guard a door. They come to attention.

ARMED OFFICER:

Sir.

HASTINGS:

Morning, as you were.

Hastings signs a clipboard dangling off the wall, logging his

name, Steve and Kate’s and times of entry.

Hastings washes his hands using the wall-mounted detergent

dispenser, while the armed officer checks over what Hastings

has written. Steve and Kate follow Hastings in rubbing a gob

of detergent between their palms.

ARMED OFFICER:

Very good, sir.

They stand aside and Hastings leads Steve and Kate through

the door.

CUT TO:

127 INT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. ISOLATION ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

This is a single room with intensive care facilities.

Hastings leads Steve and Kate into a small anteroom. They

peer through a glass partition (with BARRIER NURSING signs)

at the man (middle-aged, average height and build) brought

out of the safe house and put in the back of the police van.

He’s badly burned all over his body, making his face

unrecognisable. He’s ventilated and on monitors.

An ITU nurse -- STAFF NURSE CLAIRE TINDALL (20s) -- changes

an infusion in the room. She wears an apron and surgical mask

and gloves. She has striking blonde hair that’s either collar

length or tied back in a pony-tail (as per regulations).

Hastings cracks open a file labelled CLASSIFIED and speaks in

a whisper.

(CONTINUED)

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127 CONTINUED:

HASTINGS:

He’s been under Witness Protection.

New identity, relocation, the

works. For some reason his handler

called 4th Street Station out of

the blue with an urgent request for

assistance in moving him to a place

of safety. The transit convoy was

ambushed. Two 4th Street officers

were shot dead. The witness and his

handler were in the back; the

gunmen assumed they were fatally

wounded as well. The vehicle was

set alight, causing the witness and

his handler critical burns. The

handler was pronounced dead shortly

after arrival. We’ve been assigned

to investigate if a police officer

or officers tipped anyone off.

STEVE:

Who carried out the ambush?

HASTINGS:

Two gunmen. Yet to be traced. Major

Violent Crime are after them.

KATE:

Who is he?

HASTINGS:

Classified.

Steve chews his lip. This isn’t ideal.

KATE:

How is he, sir, the witness?

HASTINGS:

Critical but stable.

Claire with the Striking Hair come out through the partition,

dropping the mask and binning the gloves and apron.

STEVE:

Can I ask you a question?

CLAIRE:

Depends on the question.

She walks out. They follow her.

CUT TO:

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128 INT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. ITU CORRIDOR. CONTINUOUS.

Claire crosses to a door signed AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY.

STEVE:

“Critical but stable” -- what does

that mean exactly?

CLAIRE:

He’s been lucky. His chances are

good.

STEVE:

He doesn’t look very lucky.

She grins wrily then goes into the room -- an equipment

store. Hastings signs them out.

HASTINGS:

I’ll set up an alert. Soon as he

comes round, we’ll be banging on

his door.

(To Armed Officers.)

Thank you.

ARMED OFFICER:

Sir.

They head back towards the lift.

KATE:

You said it was a convoy. Who was

in the other vehicles?

HASTINGS:

Just the one vehicle, driven by our

only other survivor, DI Lindsay

Denton.

STEVE:

When can we talk to her?

HASTINGS:

I’m chasing. She’s in counselling.

STEVE:

Are we allowed to know the names of

the deceased officers?

Hastings reopens the file.

(CONTINUED)

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128 CONTINUED:

HASTINGS:

From 4th Street Station: Sergeant

Alex Wallis and PC Vincent Butler.

The last victim’s name is being

withheld from the public as she was

from Witness Protection: DS Jayne

Akers.

The name hits Kate hard. She struggles to keep her composure.

She heads towards the Ladies’.

KATE:

Sorry, sir, see you downstairs in

five.

HASTINGS:

Sure.

Kate slips into the toilets as they hit the lift call button.

CUT TO:

129 INT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. TOILET. CONTINUOUS.

Kate comes inside to pull herself together. She takes a few

big breaths to calm herself down, but it’s clear something

very shocking and distressing has occurred to her.

She goes into her phone menu and keys the missed call from

Richard Akers. She stares at the name, doesn’t know what to

say, what to do.

CUT TO:

130 EXT. GENERAL HOSPITAL. MOMENTS LATER.

Kate, Steve and Hastings come out and head towards the car

park. Kate wears a pensive look.

KATE:

Got a minute, sir?

Kate lingers; Hastings stops. Steve is curious but doesn’t

push it.

STEVE:

See you back at the office.

Exit Steve to the car park.

(CONTINUED)

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130 CONTINUED:

KATE:

This one’s not for me, sir.

HASTINGS:

It’s going to be a high-profile

case and I need my best team.

KATE:

I’m flattered, sir, but I knew

Jayne Akers. We went through Ryton

together.

HASTINGS:

Half the Job went through training

together, and we’re not

investigating Akers.

KATE:

Not yet.

HASTINGS:

Three of our own are in the morgue

-!

KATE:

There you go.

HASTINGS:

Excuse me?

KATE:

Am I meant to be angry, sir, is

that it?

HASTINGS:

You ought to be. And if a police

officer’s responsible, even in the

slightest, I’ll be livid!

KATE:

I’m not. That’s the problem.

HASTINGS:

Problem?

KATE:

I’d rather not investigate the

death of a former colleague. I like

keeping a distance.

HASTINGS:

Have you talked to Steve?

(CONTINUED)

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130 CONTINUED:
(2)

KATE:

No, sir.

HASTINGS:

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