Sherlock Holmes Page #28

87 87

OMITTED:

88 INT. QUEENSHITHE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - TUNNEL 88

Holmes walks towards Watson who stands in the doorway,

stopped in his tracks, spooked. Holmes catches up,

passing Watson into --

89 INT. QUEENSHITHE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - ANTECHAMBER 89

Shadows on shadows. Metal groans softly, like a

plaintive wail. The twisted blades of slaughterhouse

instruments glimmer in the darkness. A few RATS lay

dead. A truly creepy scene. Holmes and Watson move

through it.

As they go, Holmes notices rows of empty tables. He runs

his finger through a layer of dust, inspecting it.

Quiet:

HOLMES:

They cleared something out of

here, not minutes ago...

Holmes slows, picks up one of the dead rats. He inspects

it, sees something on its skin, some kind of dark spore.

WATSON (O.S.)

Holmes. You need to see this.

Holmes looks up, and sees Watson standing at a set of

doors.

(CONTINUED)

76.

89 CONTINUED:
89

Holmes pulls out a CIGAR-CUTTER, CLIPS off the rat's

TAIL, slipping it into his pocket, as he joins Watson,

stepping into --

90 INT. QUEENSHITHE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - FACTORY FLOOR 90

A massive space with a maze of machinery full of deadly

gears and blades and saws, lifeless and silent for now.

An automated butchery on a grand scale. This is the

killing floor. Huge hooks hang from chain belts on an I-

beam, the ceiling, swaying softly, whispering in the

wind.

On the high walls, a huge number has been scrawled: 118.

WATSON:

One-eighteen. It's a date, a

time?

Holmes shakes his head, his eyes narrow, ticking.

HOLMES:

It's chapter and verse.

Revelation 1:
18. `I am He that

liveth, and was dead.'

Another voice completes the passage, echoing from above:

BLACKWOOD (O.S.)

`And behold, I am alive

forevermore, and have the keys of

hell and of death. Amen.'

Holmes and Watson follow the voice to see: BLACKWOOD in

the rafters. Shadows hang heavy around him. Holmes and

Watson react:
this is the first time they've seen him in

the flesh.

BLACKWOOD:

I cautioned you to accept that

this is beyond your control. Now

you see the truth for yourself.

The hooks in the ceiling are shivering softly, strangely.

Holmes tightens. Blackwood continues, his voice echoes,

as the hooks move through the air, gliding on a track.

BLACKWOOD:

I want you to bear witness. At

noon tomorrow, the world as you

know it ends.

Watson pulls his gun, draws a bead on Blackwood, pulls

the trigger. Click. Misfire.

(CONTINUED)

77.

90 CONTINUED:
90

BLACKWOOD:

And because I appreciate your

help, Holmes, I have a gift for

you.

Holmes starts climbing up towards Blackwood.

BLACKWOOD:

(voice moving away)

She followed you. You led your

little lamb straight to slaughter.

Suddenly the whole machine starts up. Industrial-

strength loud, movement everywhere, empty hooks jerking

towards the processing line. Blades and gears and

grinders churn.

Watson's eyes go from Blackwood to --

A pig carcass as it comes swinging out of the killing

area, towards the SCORCHER (which scorches the carcasses

with live flame).

Then next carcass emerges --

-- not a carcass, Irene. She is alive, for now. She

hangs from two hooks on a track-line, her wrists shackled

above her, her mouth gagged.

Her eyes show terror until she sees them, then immense

relief for a moment, then determination.

Holmes looks up to see Blackwood's shadow retreating.

Decision time.

90A 90A

INT. QUEENSHITHE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - ASSEMBLY LINE

Holmes drops on to the machine and leaps from gear to

gear like stepping-stones. He heaves himself up to the

conveyor, where Irene is being pulled down the assembly

line towards the flames.

Watson sprints ahead, looking for a shut-off switch.

Holmes unties Irene's gag.

HOLMES:

It's your turn in shackles this

time.

Ahead of them, the pig carcass is scorched in an

overwhelming burst of flame. Holmes and Irene are next.

(CONTINUED)

78.

90A CONTINUED:
90A

IRENE:

But this time no key,

unfortunately.

Holmes notes that Irene's hands are shackled to separate

hooks. It's going to take two actions to free her.

The flame machine gurgles ominously, gearing up for the

next blast.

Watson sees a LEVER (PLEASE NOTE, NEW PROP!) that looks

promising, turns to head for it -- then his eyes focus on

a big canvas splatter cloth.

HOLMES:

I've been meaning to ask you

something --

IRENE:

Well, I'm a captive audience.

Watson rips down the splatter cloth, sprints to Holmes

and Irene, tosses the cloth across the conveyor belt to

Holmes --

-- who wraps them up in the thick cloth just before the

flames hit them.

The heat is excruciating -- but the cloth protects them.

Watson watches anxiously as the scorched cloth drops

away, revealing that Holmes and Irene made it -- just.

Relieved, Watson heads for the lever until "Oh Sh*t!" he

looks ahead --

-- sees the scorched pig carcass being dragged into a

long, conveyor-belt-wide SCALDING TANK OF BOILING WATER.

Decision time for Watson -- help Holmes and Irene, or try

the lever? He goes for the lever, reaches it, pushes it

all the way over --

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