The Relic Page #24

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INT. SECURE STORAGE AREA - NIGHT

Margo shoves Frock behind her, slams the door shut. Seconds later, the

beast throws itself against the storage door. They hear it outside,

growling in fury, claws lashing out. Margo and Frock press back in the

darkness, terror in their eyes.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

Pendergast runs forward in the echoing hallway, his gun drawn, his

flashlight on. A few more steps and he holds hard. His eyes go wide in

astonishment as his light illuminates the beast. It's tearing at the

steel door furiously with incredible force.

As the flashlight beam hits it, MBWUN roars and looks up. Now we see

it clearly for the first time. The monster is MASSIVE, putrid, rank.

Slit reptilian green eyes are rimmed in red. A ridge of stiff black

hair rises on the creature's buffalo-like humped back. The withers are

muscled and covered with plates. A forked TONGUE licks out as purple

lips draw back exposing razor sharp teeth. The claws raise up to fend

off the light.

PENDERGAST steadies himself with difficulty, takes a few seconds to

aim with the greatest care. Mbwun makes a move towards him and he

squeezes the trigger hard. The gun echoes in the hall. A split second

and a white streak moves right up the beast's cranium. A direct hit.

The shot echoes and Mbwun drops it's claws.

The flashlight continues to shine like a high beam right into the

beast's eyes. Angry and blinded, the creature turns and in a moment,

lopes off. Pendergast watches, unimaginably relieved. Realizing what

just happened, his knees start to buckle. He catches himself, wipes

one hand across his eyes. A voice comes from the storage room.

MARGO (OS)

Pendergast? Are you all right?

PENDERGAST:

No. I think I'm hallucinating.

The storage door opens slowly and Margo looks out.

MARGO:

You're not. Where is it?

PENDERGAST:

(shakes his head)

Gone.

MARGO:

Wounded?

PENDERGAST:

No. A chromium alloy tipped .45

caliber bullet bounced off that

thing's skull like a spit ball. I

think it was bothered by my light.

MARGO:

That would fit. It's nocturnal.

Quick. Come inside.

EXT. MUSEUM - NIGHT

As hundreds of the guests emerge into the pounding rain... crying,

terrified, unclear what exactly happened. These are the lucky ones.

Among them we find IPPOLITO. His walkie talkie is squawking. The

windows of the museum behind him are black.

D'AGOSTA ON RADIO

Ippolito! Where the hell are you?

We're trapped in here! We need help!

Ippolito! Come in, dammit!

Ippolito sits down on the steps in the rain, knowing the extent of

what he's done. The wheels are working hard now, trying to figure out

damage control. The walkie talkie keeps calling. He doesn't respond.

INT. HALL OF THE HEAVENS - NIGHT

Tables are overturned, food lies on the ground, people cower in the

darkness. D'Agosta crouches in some broken glass with his walkie

talkie. He shuts it off, rises, looks around. Light comes from a few

sputtering candles.

Most of the guests still trapped inside are grouped around the lowered

steel door. Among them are KAWAKITA and CUTHBERT. From the BODY of the

man crushed underneath the door extends a large puddle of blood.

Bailey is working in desperation on a brass panel by the door.

BAILEY:

Manual overrides aren't working. I'm

getting nothing, Lieutenant.

D'AGOSTA

Great.

Frank, the father of the teenage girl, Lauren, steps forward.

FRANK:

There's no power. The whole system's

down.

The crowd starts to murmur. One man yells.

MAN:

We're trapped! And there's a killer

in here!

D'AGOSTA

We'll get out safely if everyone

stays calm. Is anyone else hurt?

The MAYOR stands. His wife's forehead is bleeding.

MAYOR:

Yes. My wife.

D'AGOSTA

Is there a doctor?

The distinguished grey haired man with a cane comes forward. DR.

POUND.

POUND:

I'm Dr. Pound.

D'AGOSTA

Check this woman and see if anyone

else needs you.

Pound moves off. Everyone spins now at the incongruous sound of a DOG

BARK. D'Agosta pulls his gun. The door to a stairwell at the far end

of the room opens and Hobbes bounds into the hall! He's followed by

Jonathan, who is filthy and wild-eyed.

JONATHAN:

(calls)

Lieutenant D'Agosta! Don't shoot.

D'AGOSTA

Where's Pendergast?

JONATHAN:

(crossing, breathless)

Five flights down. We were lost in

the sub-basement. Something's down

there. It killed our two deputies.

When I left Pendergast it was coming

back. He sent me for help. We have

to hurry.

D'Agosta makes a quick sweep of the room with his flashlight. The

remote corners of the hall are so black the light seems to disappear.

In the center, two men are bending over a still form. One of them is

Dr. Pound.

D'AGOSTA

Both of you. Get back here.

POUND:

But he's still alive --

D'AGOSTA

Get back now!

The urgency in D'Agosta's voice gets everyone's attention. The Mayor

brings his wife over. Cuthbert comes too. They huddle apart from the

others. Cuthbert's white with fear.

CUTHBERT:

What's going on?

D'Agosta speaks low.

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