Announcement

**Heather** · 29-07-07, 10:56 PM

ACT I

FLASHES OF New York City stock footage appear and then stop on the outside of an apartment complex. It's a brick building with a set of metal gates blocking the entry. A pool and a garden are set within a rectangular cutout in the center of the building.

CUT TO

INT. APARTMENT ? LIVING ROOM ? NIGHT

ANDY enters through the front door, which slams shut behind her. A vase on the top of a shelving unit rattles and starts to fall. ANDY quickly reaches back towards the shelf and grabs the vase while steadying the shelf. She then returns the decorative piece back to it's original place.

ANDY: Natalie?

ANDY opens a door and we

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT ? NATALIE'S ROOM ? NIGHT

The lights are off and we see ANDY standing in the doorway looking in. Her silhouette shrugs and closes the door, casting the room in darkness.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT ? KITCHEN ? NIGHT

ANDY opens the refrigerator door, whistling a tune vaguely. She shuts the door with a bottle of water in hand. The front door clicks and opens and NATALIE, a young woman in her mid-twenties with blonde hair and a thin physique, enters with GREGORY, her date ? blonde hair, British accent, average height and muscular build. NATALIE turns to see ANDY and her eyes widen and, in turn, ANDY stops drinking but keeps her bottle to her mouth.

NATALIE (Angrily): You shouldn't be here. You should be out.

NATALIE makes a motion towards the door with her head while GREGORY closes the door. ANDY removes the bottle from her mouth and just stares at NATALIE before finishing.

ANDY: I'm not here; I never was and never will.

ANDY quickly scurries out of the kitchen and down one of the hallways towards her own bedroom.

ANDY (O.S.): Don't do anything Invisible Andy wouldn't do!

We hear a door close and NATALIE takes GREG to the couch. The two sit down and NATALIE tries to hide her blushing.

NATALIE: Sorry about that. Roommates suck and don't seem to really get the messages you leave on the refrigerator every day since you were asked out by an amazing guy. (Closes her eyes). I did not just say that.

GREG laughs and places his hand on NATALIE's.

GREG: It's quite alright. I've had my own fair share of roommates and know exactly what you mean.

NATALIE smiles and leans in closer to GREG. The two prepare to kiss each other, eyes closed and all, before GREG jerks backwards and looks down. He raises his hand and we see that he's holding a wooden stake. NATALIE's smile drops and her eyes widen.

GREG (CONT'D): What is this?

NATALIE quickly grabs the stake from GREG's hand and puts it behind her back.

NATALIE: You really should be going. Something's come up.

NATALIE stands up with GREG and quickly ushers him to the door.

GREG: But- Call me.

NATALIE: Will do! B'bye!

She then shuts the door on him and turns towards the hallway leading towards ANDY's room ? stake in hand. She stalks down the hallway, anger spreading across her face.

INT. APARTMENT ? ANDY'S ROOM ? NIGHT

She bursts open the door and screams before throwing the wooden stake at ANDY ? who quickly reacts and holds a large and thick book up to defend herself. The stake jabs into the book and remains sticking out. ANDY lowers the book and looks at the stake before realizing why NATALIE was mad at her.

ANDY: Uh-oh! I swear it was an accident!

NATALIE turns and stalks back out of ANDY's room.

NATALIE: Next time, keep your freakin' weapons of death away from me!

The door slams shut and ANDY simply looks down at the wooden stake protruding from the cover of her book.

FLASH TO FLASHBACK

INT. WAREHOUSE ? MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

The coloring is, again, a bluish-gray color signaling that we are viewing a flashback. We are in the same warehouse as before and during the same time and year as the beginning flashback. We are, basically, continuing the same flashback as before.

ANDY takes a blow to the jaw from the CRIMINAL and stumbles backwards. She retaliates with a kick to the abdomen and a crack over the neck, which sends the CRIMINAL sprawling across the floor.

ANDY: This could really have gone a lot easier if you just cooperated with me. But that chance is gone now, bucko.

ANDY's feet are grabbed from underneath her and she falls to the floor. She rolls onto her side and raises her gun so it rests against the back of the CRIMINAL's head, who lies next to her.

CRIMINAL: You won't kill me, lady. If you do, you'll break "code" and probably end up out on the streets without a job. And we both know that that's not what you want, now don't we?

ANDY: Shut up and get on your stomach. Glad to know I wore you out enough to have you willing lie down for arrest. Your sweetness won't do a thing, though.

ANDY pushes the CRIMINAL onto his stomach and begins to put the handcuffs on him. Before she can finish, the CRIMINAL head butts her and knocks her off his back. Quickly, the CRIMINAL scrambles to his feet and runs towards the large window that is set on one of the four walls. ANDY raises her gun once more as she, too, gets to her feet. She fires a warning shot that grazes the CRIMINAL's ankle, but does no harm.

ANDY (CONT'D): You might wanna stop before the next bullet actually hits something you want to keep intact.

CRIMINAL: Whatcha gonna do, lady? You won't kill me ? we've been over this before. Too much is on the line that you won't just give up. Why haven't you called for your "backup" yet, huh? Arrogance too much for ya?

ANDY: You really need to stop talking now.

CRIMINAL: You're too blinded by your own ego to actually remember what I'm saying, so threatening me that everything I say "can and will be used against" me is total bull. Give up, lady. You're not taking me in.

A gunshot is heard and a spurt of blood appears over the CRIMINAL's heart. We pan upwards towards the darkness in the corner of the ceiling, which fades into?

END FLASHBACK

INT. APARTMENT ? ANDY'S ROOM ? MORNING

We're back in present day. ANDY lies asleep on the floor with a book resting on her chest. The sun shines through her open window and the alarm clock on the nightstand goes off. ANDY shoots upwards and opens her eyes, hair disheveled and the book landing on the floor.

MAN: You sleep heavy.

ANDY spins around quickly and stares up at BRETT, a man with dark hair, muscular build, handsome, and in his late-twenties. He sits on her bed with his head resting against the wall. BRETT moves forward and looks down at her.

BRETT: Aren't you going to ask me who I am and why I'm in your room?

ANDY: I was actually planning on jumping to the next step of whooping your ass, but unless you can give me a reasonable explanation as to why Natalie let you into my room, then you're all fine and dandy.

BRETT: Natalie? (Beat) Oh! The blonde chick, right? Yeah, I told her that I was your boyfriend and that I needed to talk to you ?cause we're breaking up. (Beat) We're broken up.

ANDY: Oh, well now you're just back on my bad list. Who are you?

BRETT: The name's Brett. Brett Stewart if you want to be all formal and whatnot. My friends call me "Slick."

ANDY: I'm not going to even bother asking why you have that nickname.

BRETT: I deal with the distribution of "merchandise" ? if you know what I mean.

ANDY: You're a drug dealer? Sorry not interested and you're really not helping yourself by continuing to talk.

BRETT: Let me get to the point, shall I ? some of my clients ? umm ? they're aware of a certain Vampire Slayer who is located in New York City and goes by the name of ?Andrea Sullivan.' Ironically, that's your name too.

ANDY: So you're here to sell me drugs in an attempt to kill me so your vampire clients can live with addiction? What a nice guy you are.

BRETT: I'm not a drug dealer. I distribute weaponry, talismans, powders, herbs, whatever you need, I can get. Trust me. Since you're the Slayer, I figured that you'd need some pretty powerful mojo to back you up when you're going up against some demons or vampires.

ANDY stands up from off the floor and grabs BRETT by his shirt, dragging him across the room and opening the door to throw him out. Swiftly, she tosses him out of her room and into the hallway before shutting the door. ANDY opens the door again and glares at BRETT.

ANDY: How do I reach you?

BRETT: I knew you'd break eventually. Tough girls never stay tough for long.

BRETT hands ANDY a business card and grins. ANDY surveys it and notices a crimson heart in the top right corner of the paper with a sharp, wooden stake through the center.

BRETT (CONT'D): Call me.

He turns and heads down the hallway towards the living room. NATALIE is awake and sitting on the couch drinking coffee with the TV on.

NATALIE (flirting): Breaking up sucks, doesn't it.

BRETT: Yeah sure.

He smiles, nods in her direction, and leaves through the front door. NATALIE frowns, stands up, and walks towards ANDY's room. She knocks on the doorframe and opens the door before entering.

NATALIE: I like your drug dealer. Can I keep him since you're done with him?

ANDY squints at NATALIE as she tries to figure out what she's talking about.

ANDY: I'm lost. What drug dealer?

NATALIE: So he wasn't a drug dealer? I had to run away from the door at that point so I couldn't keep on eaves dropping. I had to make my casualness convincingly casual.

ANDY: You were listening to our conversation? (Beat) Better yet, you actually believed he was my boyfriend?

NATALIE: Yeah, I was hesitant at first considering how sexy he was, but I told myself: "Hey, miracles happen everyday. Who's to say this isn't one?"

ANDY grabs a pillow and throws it at NATALIE who catches it and laughs.

NATALIE (CONT'D): If he's gonna be helping you out with your almighty Slayer duties that always tend to screw my life up, I'm so in.

ANDY: What about Gregory?

NATALIE: He's boring. British men never did do anything for me.

ANDY: You're a sad, sad little girl, Nat. Besides, you can't even fight.

NATALIE: I do Yoga.

ANDY hangs her head and laughs as NATALIE exits the room.

NATALIE (O.S.): Don't mock skill!

ANDY looks over at her clock. It reads "11:33 AM." The screen brightens and we

FADE TO

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER - CONFERENCE ROOM ? DAY

BRETT sits alone at a long, wooden table complete with a black phone and at least 9 other chairs situated around it. He has his head rested in one hand while the other works its way along the edge of the table, drumming an unrecognizable beat. The phone rings and BRETT jumps up to press the speakerphone button. The VOICE that answers is mixed ? thus making it unrecognizable whether it's female or male.

VOICE: Are you alone?

BRETT: Yeah, using speakerphone secretly would be really hard.

VOICE: Your tone isn't getting you on my good side, Mr. Stewart. (Beat) Did you infiltrate the Slayer's home?

BRETT stops drumming on the table and folds his hands together before sitting up straight.

BRETT: I was let in, yes. She has my card and I can expect to be getting a call from her within a few hours.

VOICE: Good. I will be waiting for your call that the job is done.

BRETT: I won't do it. I can't do it.

VOICE: Then you will die for your treason. (Beat) Goodbye Mr. Stewart. Do not disappoint me.

The line goes dead and BRETT turns off the speakerphone. He runs his hands through his hair and sighs before getting out of his chair and heading for the door. He opens the door, steps out, and it closes behind him as we

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT I

**Heather** · 29-07-07, 10:57 PM

ACT II

FLASHES OF New York City appear on the screen before we

FLASH TO

EXT. CENTRAL PARK ? NIGHT

ANDY and NATALIE walk side by side. NATALIE is holding a long, sharp stake close to her chest. She's rolling her eyes and playing with her hair.

NATALIE: You know, for something you actually do for a living, slaying vampires and patrolling Central Park isn't really eventful. (Beat) Besides, the pay sucks.

ANDY stops and slowly turns around.

NATALIE (Cont'd): Did I insult you or something?

ANDY makes a motion with her hands, signaling for silence. NATALIE complies.

ANDY (Through her teeth): On the count of three, turn and duck.

NATALIE nods, eyes widened with fear, and breathing deeply. We hear the growling of a vampire in the distance.

ANDY (Cont'd): One? (The growling gets closer) Two? (The noise stops) Three!

NATALIE ducks and ANDY leaps over her and tackles a VAMPIRE that's appeared behind NATALIE. ANDY is kicked off of the demon and she rolls to her feet before smashing her foot down into his stomach.

ANDY (Cont'd): This is when you use the pointy piece of wood in your hands, Natalie!

NATALIE gets up and runs over to the VAMPIRE. She kneels and holds the stake over his heart, but hesitates.

NATALIE: Do I just stab him?

ANDY: Stab him, dammit!

The VAMPIRE hits ANDY's leg off of him and she falls. NATALIE begins to lower the stake, but he grabs her hand.

VAMPIRE: If you kill me, you'll take my message down, too.

ANDY sits up and glares at the VAMPIRE

ANDY: What message and from who?

VAMPIRE: First let me get up, and then you get the message.

ANDY looks to NATALIE who pulls the stake up a little higher. The VAMPIRE gets to his feet and holds both hands up.

ANDY: Now spill.

VAMPIRE: My Queen has sent me to give you fair warning. She's been watching you rather closely. Though she also wanted me to give you the offer of joining her in the battle that will soon ensue.

The VAMPIRE holds out a card. ANDY accepts it and looks it over. She then holds a hand to her mouth and looks down at the card hard.

NATALIE: What is it?

The camera pans down over ANDY's shoulder and we see the card. It has the same heart and stake logo in the top right corner as the one BRETT had given her earlier in the day.

VAMPIRE: Goodnight!

He then makes a run for it and dashes down the sidewalk path and around the lake. ANDY hands NATALIE the card and reaches to her belt. She retrieves a handgun and takes aim.

ANDY (To Natalie): Cover your ears.

NATALIE holds her hands over her ears. The gun clicks and ANDY pulls the trigger. The VAMPIRE, across the lake, explodes into a poof of ashes.

ANDY (Cont'd): Yay for wooden bullets and a stolen gun.

NATALIE (shocked): You stole a gun? From who? I always knew you were a klepto.

ANDY shakes her head and just stares at NATALIE before taking back the card. She looks it over again before putting it in her pocket. The pair turns and walks into the distance.

FLASH TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER - CONFERENCE ROOM ? NIGHT

BRETT reenters the conference room from before, but this time a young, red haired woman follows him. Her name is ELIZABETH HOLLOWAY. She's dressed in a brilliant, red dress and has a black purse strung over her shoulder. BRETT takes a seat at an end of the long table and ELIZABETH does the same except opposite him. She reaches out to the phone, dials a number, and hits speakerphone.

ELIZABETH: You're screwed. This is the second time you've messed up this operation. You'll loose your job if you're lucky.

BRETT: I'd rather worry for myself. I don't need your input.

A VOICE answers the phone on the other end. It's the same VOICE as before ? mixed to disguise the gender and identity of who it is.

VOICE: Miss Holloway, Mister Stewart. Is there a specific reason as to why you have contacted me?

ELIZABETH: There was an issue with today's original plan

VOICE: I am aware, Ms. Holloway, though I am not sure why you're the one approaching me over Mr. Stewart's failure. I would much rather speak to him than you.

ELIZABETH motions towards the phone and BRETT leans closer to it.

BRETT: Good evening.

VOICE: Mr. Stewart, may I ask what went wrong with your plan? From the debriefing I assumed all was going well and that there wouldn't be an issue.

BRETT: I sent in a gang of vampires to attack the Slayer during one of her regular patrols. (Beat) Only one vampire showed up and ended up killed.

BRETT looks across the table at ELIZABETH who nods.

BRETT (Cont'd): Through the surveillance footage we received from local, demonic allies in the area, we discovered that the vampire gave a card to the Slayer. An even closer take on this footage is that he said something to her that we had no idea about.

VOICE: And what was that, exactly?

BRETT: He said that the card was from his ?Queen.'

There is silence in the room after BRETT finishes what he had to say.

VOICE: Find out whatever you can about this ?Queen.' Do it fast. We can not risk loosing more allies to whoever it is.

The line goes dead. BRETT sighs in relief and stands up. ELIZABETH does the same.

ELIZABETH: And you needed me for that? I would've had more fun if the Big Boss cut your head off right through the phone.

She smirks at him and leaves. BRETT rubs his face with his hand and closes his eyes then leaves and closes the door. The room is cast into darkness as we

FADE TO

FLASHBACK

EXT.HOSPITAL - AMBULANCE - NIGHT

It's a continuation of the previous flashback, except a few minutes later. The coloring is, yet again, distorted. ANDY sits in the back of an ambulance with a PARAMEDIC. The CRIMINAL lies on the stretcher that separates them, blood pumping out of his chest wound where the bullet entered. The ambulance comes to a halt and, a moment later, the doors open. The PARAMEDIC jumps to his feet to pull the stretcher and the CRIMINAL out of the back.

PARAMEDIC: We've got a caucasian male in his late twenties with a bullet wound in the chest.

A DOCTOR comes out of the Hospital and helps take the stretcher inside. ANDY slowly hunches over and steps out of the ambulance. She closes the doors only to jump backwards a step when she sees SERGEANT CHARLES GOODMEYER, 50's and dressed in a cop uniform complete with dazzling gold medals, standing on the other side of the door.

CHARLES: We need to talk.

CHARLES motions with his hand for ANDY to follow him. He guides her to his car which sits several yards away.

CHARLES (Cont'd): Get in.

The two enter the car.

INT. HOSPITAL - POLICE CAR ? NIGHT

ANDY sits down nervously and shuts her door. CHARLES does the same.

ANDY: What is this about?

CHARLES takes a deep breath before reaching to the backseat and retrieving a folder that he opens in his lap.

CHARLES: Andrea, earlier tonight we discovered several, suspicious files on your computer at the Station.

ANDY: What? Why would you go through my computer without my permission?

CHARLES: Today was the monthly cleaning day for the enter staff. Everyone's computer and files were double checked for flaws or inconsistencies ? to make sure that things were running smoothly.

ANDY: W-what was in these files you found?

CHARLES: There were viruses and several sets of spy ware equipment. (Beat) We traced these files back and discovered they entered your computer through several sets of emails sent from someone by the name of "Auricle."

ANDY: And you think I put this stuff on the computer to eat away at the station's computers? You don't believe that do you?

CHARLES: You know as well as I do that we don't believe this happened on purpose, but what's done is done and we can't change that now. (Beat) The case is being sent to the commissioner. He'll decide what happens from there.

ANDY puts a hand to her mouth and feels her eyes begin to let tears fall.

CHARLES (Cont'd): Until then, I need to suspend you from work. Especially after what happened tonight. What did happen?

ANDY wipes her face and looks down at her legs as she tries to recall the events of the night.

ANDY: I was forced to chase a criminal down into the warehouse district. There, he put up a fight and I had to use force.

She looks up at CHARLES.

ANDY (Cont'd): I did not shoot that man.

CHARLES: Then who did?

END FLASHBACK

EXT. APARTMENT ? NIGHT

ANDY stands on the doorstep to her apartment, alone and waiting for someone. A car pulls up outside the gates that enclose the apartment complex. A man gets out, opens the gates, and enters the complex. We see its BRETT. He walks up the stairs and meets ANDY.

BRETT: I see it's never too late to call people, huh?

ANDY reaches into her pocket and holds out the card she was given from the VAMPIRE.

ANDY: Can you explain to me why a vampire tried to kill me tonight and gave me a card that looks identical to the one you gave me this morning?

BRETT looks speechless as he shakes his head.

ANDY (Cont'd): Oh and who is this ?Queen' that the same vampire mentioned he brought the message from?

BRETT pauses; a little taken back that ANDY had called him because of this.

BRETT: I'm not exactly sure who she is or why the vamp had this card, but I'll be sure to look into it.

ANDY (Glaring): You better. (Beat) Shouldn't you be leaving now?

BRETT nods and heads back down the stairs. ANDY opens the door and enters the apartment. Once inside, she stops ? shocked at what she sees. The large glass door that leads out onto a balcony is shattered on the floor. ANDY steps in further.

ANDY: Natalie? Nat, are you alright?

There isn't a reply. ANDY begins to panic before heading right back out the front door and dashing down the front steps towards BRETT's car ? which remains on the side of the street. ANDY gasps when she sees BRETT lying on the ground with a large, bleeding gash across his eyebrow. ANDY kneels down next to him and puts a hand across the cut to apply pressure to it. She looks around the night, afraid and confused.

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT II

**Heather** · 29-07-07, 10:57 PM

ACT III

FADE IN

INT. APARTMENT ? LIVING ROOM ? NIGHT

BRETT lays on the couch, unconscious with a torn piece of cloth taped tightly over his wound. ANDY sits opposite him, assembling a bag full of weaponry. BRETT slowly comes to.

BRETT: Oww. (Beat) What happened?

ANDY pushes the bag aside and stands up.

ANDY: I don't know, you tell me.

BRETT is breathing heavy and closes his eyes to try and recall what happened several minutes before.

BRETT: You went into your apartment and I walked out to my car. I went to open the door and someone?hit me. (Beat) It was dark, but they were holding someone.

ANDY: Natalie. (Beat) You couldn't see what the person looked like?

BRETT looks up at the ceiling while he thinks.

BRETT: It was a woman. (Beat) What women want to kill you?

ANDY: Don't get me started.

ANDY is hit with an idea. She reaches towards the coffee table and grabs the calling card she received from the vampire earlier that night.

ANDY (Cont'd): The ?Queen' certainly doesn't have me on her good list. (Beat) Though there was that whole job offer bit.

BRETT: Job offer? You didn't tell me that. (Beat) Even if it is her, how would we find her? Are you sure the list is too long of women who want you dead? I mean, you kill vampires and demons for a living so that's understandable and all.

ANDY places her hands on her hips and paces.

ANDY: No, I don't get paid for it; hence it's not a living. Besides, can't you just ask around among your little friends that you've got after selling them weapons?

BRETT shakes his head.

BRETT: No, it'd take too long. By that time, whoever has Natalie would've killed her already.

ANDY: Well aren't you bursting at the seams with happiness and optimism?

ANDY takes in several deep breaths and puts a hand to her forehead.

ANDY (Cont'd): If anything happens to her, I swear I'll chop the head off whoever's responsible.

BRETT: Okay, okay. No need to be violent over it. I'll go to a guy who gets the general know-how about all things going on in the evil underworld. If I'm not back in a half hour, you can take my head instead.

BRETT slowly stands up and leaves through the front door after examining the broken glass on the floor. ANDY puts a hand on the couch to steady herself.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? NIGHT

BRETT opens the door slightly and is shocked to see the lights on and a small group of people headed by ELIZABETH at the far end.

BRETT: I see you've all been eagerly awaiting my arrival, huh?

ELIZABETH: Sorry about the hit, hun. I hope it didn't hurt too badly, but we had to make the extraction look realistic. (Beat) Speaking of which, is she playing along?

BRETT wipes his forehead with his hand when he feels the eyes of the 6 other people in the room on him.

BRETT: Yeah, like a moth to a flame. What do we do now? Where's Natalie?

ELIZABETH lets out a single, airy laugh.

ELIZABETH: "Natalie?" You're referring to her by name now? I see you've spent too much time with the Slayer. (Beat) The girl's fine. We've got her locked up somewhere real nice with one of our professionals on the job.

BRETT: When did we decide to hurt her? The original plan said that Nat?the girl will remain harmless to get the Slayer's trust.

ELIZABETH: Plans change. Like I said, we have to make this look realistic. (Beat ? changing topics) Has she gotten any kind of contact with this ?Queen,' yet?

BRETT closes her eyes and puts his hand to his forehead to think back to what ANDY had said.

BRETT: She said the ?Queen' offered her a job.

There is a mess of small discussion amongst the four other EMPLOYEES, but ELIZABETH sits still and fixed on what BRETT said.

ELIZABETH: This could cause a problem, the Big Boss won't be happy at all. We'll have to speed this plan up if we want to keep the Slayer hooked.

She looks to BRETT.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): Time to reel her in for the catch.

BRETT nods and heads for the door.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): Oh, and Brett, refer the rest of the reports or questions through our professional who's currently with the Girl. I'm going to be busy with another operation. You're the last direct factor to have control of the operation. Don't blow it.

BRETT exits the scene and closes the door behind him. ELIZABETH stands and walks towards the door.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): Well boys, it's been fun. Don't leave marks on the seats, please. We need him to play along.

ELIZABETH presses a button underneath the end of a table opposite where she last sat. The men sitting down first vamp-out, revealing vampire faces, before combusting into flames and disappearing into ash.

ELIZABETH flicks the lights off and leaves the building, dragging one hand along the wall. Beneath her hand as she touches the wall, the painted plaster and metal pipes transform into dirty brick and dark stone. As she exits the building and walks towards her car, we pan behind her to see that we were just in a large mausoleum complete with two large gargoyle statues on either side of the glass doors that swing shut and transform into stone.

CUT TO:

INT. SHED ? NIGHT

NATALIE lays unconscious on a metal table, her hands and feet chained to the wall and her mouth covered by a thick piece of cloth. Her face is scratched and her lip is bleeding. Slowly she opens her eyes and blinks. We faintly hear her gasp when she sees where she's at and looks up into the single light hanging over her.

The silhouette of a head then appears over her and blocking the center of the light. The darkness over the face fades into one that's familiar to NATALIE and the viewers: it's GREGORY CARLISLE ? her date from the night before.

GREG: Good evening, Natalie. I hope you aren't hurting too bad.

NATALIE tries to scream, but it's muffled by the cloth gagging her. GREG reaches to take it from her mouth.

GREG: Oh, I almost forgot. Promise to be a good girl?

He removes the cloth and NATALIE takes in many deep breaths.

NATALIE: W-why are you doing this? W-who are you?

GREG: I'm exactly who I said I was, Gregory Carlisle. Only flaw with that was my introduction.

NATALIE: What a surprise, you're not really a banker?

GREG: In a sense I am, but I don't bank money. My line of work is? (Beat ? searching for the right words) more brutal. Thankfully I get to see you again.

NATALIE: So was our date just one big joke so you could kidnap me?

GREG: On the contrary, I actually liked you. Which is a bad thing for someone like me; I shouldn't ever get attached to the victims. Also, I wasn't the one who kidnapped you; rather I'm the lucky man who gets to watch over you.

NATALIE rolls her head away from GREG to look at the wall due to her disgust for the man standing over her. Tears start to roll down her face from the betrayal and shock at her current state and location. Something comes to her mind.

NATALIE: Why?

GREG looks at her, a little shocked as to why it took so long for her to ask this question. He runs a hand through her hair and tries to look into her eyes, despite that she's avoiding him completely and is struggling to get him out of her hair.

GREG: It's all for the job. I got contacted by my boss and was told to hold you here while some "Operation" was done during your absence from the Slayer. What is her name? Andrea, I believe. (Beat) You really would've made it easier for yourself had you not met the woman or moved in with her 4 years ago.

NATALIE is a little taken back after learning GREG knew about her and ANDY's current friendship.

GREG (Cont'd): I did my research after being called.

NATALIE: Are you gonna kill me?

GREG: No, actually. That isn't part of the plan.

NATALIE: Then go against the plan. If you don't do it now, then I will.

NATALIE rolls her head back and glares at GREG who moves away from the table.

CUT TO:

INT. CONDO ? NIGHT

The front door opens and ELIZABETH steps in to find the lights on in the kitchen. ELIZABETH, still in her dress and wearing her purse, steps inside and looks around the corner into the kitchen. A red haired woman in her early forties, LYNN HOLLOWAY, stands there over the stove, stirring a wooden spoon in a pot. LYNN is ELIZABETH's adoptive mother.

LYNN: Hi, honey! What took you so long? (Beat ? looking to the pot) I figured that since you weren't home when we originally planned that I'd make dinner for us instead. Who needs professional, Chinese chefs to serve us when we can cook ourselves?

ELIZABETH walks into the kitchen after slinging her purse off her arm and onto the table.

ELIZABETH: I'm sorry mom, work's a bitch lately. I guess this new dress went to waste anyway.

LYNN looks up to her daughter and kisses her cheek, smiling.

LYNN: No it didn't. We'll go out on Friday. I'm sure your job can't keep you tied up for that long! Just sit down and I'll give you some pasta.

ELIZABETH smiles back and sits down at the table, pulling her purse closer to her. It's half open and we see the gleaming blade of a silver knife sticking out of it. ELIZABETH notices this too and quickly pushes it back inside. She then puts the purse on the floor next to her to keep the knife away from LYNN.

LYNN (Cont'd): Hopefully it tastes good. I haven't cooked like this in forever!

LYNN sets a plate in front of ELIZABETH and sits down across from her with her own meal. The two begin to eat their late dinner quietly.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT ? LIVING ROOM ? NIGHT

The unlocked front door opens and BRETT steps in to find ANDY still pacing back and forth.

BRETT: You pace anymore and you'll burn a whole in the floor. And I'm sure that'd cost a hell of a lot more than fixing that door will. (Beat) That was less than a half hour, right? Because I realized that I really like my head.

ANDY glares at BRETT.

ANDY: Did you find out anything?

BRETT: Quite a bit actually, and all of it is mighty helpful for us. I know where they're keeping Natalie. Problem is, I don't know who's keeping her. All I know is that it's a "Professional."

ANDY: I don't want to know who it is, I just want to get in there and get back Natalie. Do you know if they hurt her?

BRETT looks away from ANDY. She begins to panic again.

ANDY (Cont'd): Where exactly is she?

BRETT: Whoa, I'm going with you. It's kind of my fault Natalie's not safe considering I could've done something to stop the people but instead I just get punched and knocked out.

ANDY: Where is she?

BRETT: My contact said she's "locked up somewhere nice." There's only one place that I can think of that is where she'd be and that's the only place my contact takes people.

ANDY: And where is this "nice" place?

BRETT: A shed underneath the Washington Bridge.

ANDY: You've been helpful, Brett, you really have. I can do the rest from here. I'll call you if I need anything else from you, but right now I don't. I will find and save Natalie.

ANDY snatches up a bag from the table and escorts BRETT out the door which she locks on her way out.

FADE TO

FLASHBACK

INT. NYPD POLICE STATION ? ANDY'S OFFICE ? DAY

The coloring is tinted blue, signaling a continuation of the flashback from before. There's a head shot of ANDY, who stands over her desk, looking at it blankly. There's a knock at the door and CHARLES walks in, looking depressed.

CHARLES: I'm sorry, Andrea.

ANDY looks over her shoulder, a small smile on her face.

ANDY: I know. It's not your fault.

CHARLES: It's not yours either, we both know that. Neither was the shooting in the warehouse. You said it yourself and I trust you.

ANDY: Sadly your trust doesn't mean affect my job. You're like a dad to me, Charlie, and I don't want to have to go, even though I respect your trust in me, but it can't keep me here.

CHARLES: I know I'm old enough to be your father. (Beat ? laughing with Andy) I will continue to fight for you, Andy. No matter what, I will. We'll find out how you got those emails and who shot the guy in the warehouse. You'll be back on the force before you know it. I can promise you that.

ANDY turns around, revealing that she's carrying a box full of her stuff that was formerly in the office.

ANDY: I'll miss all of you here, I honestly will, but you can't promise me that. Goodbye, Charlie.

ANDY kisses CHARLES on the cheek before heading out the door and into the main portion of the station.

CHARLES: Goodbye, Andy.

He nods in her direction out of respect and turns away quickly as he feels himself becoming emotional.

INT. NYPD POLICE STATION ? MAIN ROOM - DAY

ANDY waves goodbye to the coworkers who wave to her or wish her well as she passes. All except one says their goodbyes, that one sits in the corner packing up his desk ? he plans to take ANDY's desk with her gone. His name is MICHAEL WILLIS, a dark skinned man who always came second place to ANDY in the "Officer of the Year Awards." ANDY nods in his direction and he just glares coldly at her.

ANDY turns around and smiles one last time at her former coworkers before pushing open the door and exiting with her belongings in hand. The door closes behind her and there is silence.

END FLASHBACK

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT III

**Heather** · 29-07-07, 10:58 PM

ACT IV

FADE IN

INT. SHED ? EARLY MORNING (2 AM)

It is still dark outside, though it's past midnight. GREG sits in the corner, staring at NATALIE, who remains on the table. We pan up her arm, revealing slashes in all directions up her hand, wrist, and forearm, but they stop at her shoulder despite that her shirt is ripped in case the cuts were to continue. NATALIE has her eyes wide open, blinking every now and then so she can keep watch in case anything else happens.

GREG: You should get some sleep. This kind of torture can't be good for someone in your current condition. Sleep will ease the pain. (Beat) At least, it should.

NATALIE looks down at GREG, who stands and turns out to be holding a bloody butcher knife in this hand. He disposes of this knife in a small sink in the opposite corner to him, rinses it off, and dries his hands.

NATALIE: I actually think it'd be the opposite. Sleep would make me tired and wouldn't let me concentrate on pain; I'd drift off as you cut me like you did before. (Beat) Speaking of which: why'd you stop? I thought the party was actually starting.

GREG walks over to NATALIE and kisses her forehead. She spits blood on his shoe in reply.

NATALIE (Cont'd): Burn in hell.

GREG: Trust me, I will. But right now I'm here with you. I figured you'd be happier.

NATALIE turns her head away from him. GREG hangs his head and goes back towards where his seat was to retrieve a new knife.

GREG (Cont'd): I wish there was another way, but the people who hired me want me to do this and I must comply with the costumers' wishes.

He grabs NATALIE's leg and slices through the fabric of her jeans to cut her leg. NATALIE screams.

CUT TO:

INT. ROAD - CAR - EARLY MORNING

The streets are empty and very rarely does a car drive past ANDY as she rides through New York City towards Washington Bridge. She has one hand on the wheel and the other is busy opening her bag and retrieving her handgun. She looks at it, satisfied, and puts it on her belt before putting her attention back on the road. Her cell phone rings from the cup holder in front of her. She reaches for it and answers the call.

ANDY: Yeah?

BRETT is on the other end.

BRETT: Are you there yet?

ANDY: I just left fifteen minutes ago, so how exactly could I be at Washington Bridge yet?

BRETT: I was just making sure. I want to find Natalie just as much as you do.

ANDY: I still don't get why you want to find her as much as I do. You don't know Natalie and it certainly wasn't you fault she got taken. It's not your responsibility.

BRETT's side of the conversation goes quiet.

ANDY (Cont'd): Brett? (Beat ? pulling up to the shed) I'm here, I've gotta go.

BRETT: I'm sorry, Andy. (Beat) Goodbye.

ANDY looks at the phone, questioning what Brett meant by what he said. She puts the phone back down and turns off the car. She exits the vehicle and slams the door shut.

EXT. WASHINGTON BRIDGE ? SHED ? EARLY MORNING

ANDY, one hand on the gun that's latched to her belt and hidden beneath her shirt, slowly walks up to the unguarded building. It is larger than average house sheds by at least two yards on each side. Slowly, she reaches out to the cold, metal handle.

CUT TO:

INT. SHED ? EARLY MORNING

GREG slices through the thigh of NATALIE's jeans and blood oozes out of the slashes on her leg. She screams.

CUT TO:

EXT. WASHINGTON BRIDGE ? SHED ? EARLY MORNING

ANDY turns the handle and opens the door and looks in.

CUT TO:

INT. SHED ? EARLY MORNING

GREG moves up NATALIE's thigh and begins to cut into her hip when the door opens. GREG looks to the person in the doorway.

CUT TO:

EXT. WASHINGTON BRIDGE ? SHED ? EARLY MORNING

Through ANDY's point of view we see the darkness inside the shed except for a single light in the center of the room and from it we see one figure on a table and another next to it standing up, though we don't see who they are.

CUT TO:

INT. SHED ? EARLY MORNING

GREG puts the knife at his side and faces the figure in the doorway. He grins.

GREG: It's about time you showed up.

NATALIE (Screaming): Help me!

CUT TO:

EXT. WASHINGTON BRIDGE ? SHED ? EARLY MORNING

ANDY steps inside and gets closer to the figures. The light gets brighter and we see their faces only to find out they're not GREG and NATALIE. ANDY yells in aggravation, then storms out of shed.

CUT TO:

INT. SHED ? EARLY MORNING

GREG walks up to the figure in the doorway, who steps inside to reveal it's BRETT.

BRETT: Sorry for the delay. Damn Slayer was a pain to shake off my tail. (Beat ? looking at Natalie) Luckily she won't be showing up anytime soon.

GREG: That's not what the deal was, however. You were to show up with the Slayer and retrieve the Girl. Then you would pay me my money.

BRETT: Plans change. I wasn't the one who came up with that plan. Hell, you weren't even supposed to be here.

GREG: What does that mean?

There's a gun shot heard and GREG collapses to the floor to reveal ANDY standing behind him with her gun raised.

ANDY: It means you die.

ANDY raises the gun on BRETT.

ANDY: Do you want to be next? You told me to go to the wrong place and risked Natalie's safety in the long run. Give me one good reason to spare you?

BRETT raises both hands while she speaks. After she finishes, he starts to explain.

ANDY (Cont'd): Shut up and move.

BRETT looks over his shoulder at a large, black shadow taking human form behind him. GREG appears when the shadow disappears. ANDY fires at GREG, causing the places where he's shot to poof with black smoke. BRETT runs out of the shed as ANDY continues to fire at GREG in all different places. NATALIE gasps.

NATALIE (Weakly shouting): Behind you!

ANDY spins around to see a duplicate of GREG wielding a knife. ANDY begins to shoot at the duplicate, keeping her eyes off of the one behind her. The original GREG rings ANDY around the neck, choking her. She gasps for breath just before an arrow whizzes through the air and cuts directly through the duplicate's head. ANDY moves her eyes over to see BRETT standing in the doorway with a crossbow loaded and taking aim on GREG.

BRETT: Now die!

The newly fired arrow zooms towards GREG, who quickly slides back into the form of a shadow and releases ANDY, and the arrow flies into the wall. She gasps for air and stumbles over slightly. ANDY then looks to NATALIE and dashes over to free her. Easily, she yanks the metal chains free and pulls them off NATALIE's wrists and ankles. ANDY then hugs her; smiling and grateful that she's alive.

NATALIE: Oh god! Thank you!

NATALIE starts crying in ANDY's arms. ANDY looks to BRETT.

BRETT: How did you get back here?

ANDY grins.

ANDY: I used common sense. I double checked my phone and realized that there's no way you got within 20 miles of my apartment by the time you called and pieced together this place and drove the two miles distance within a single minute. "Shed" used to be a hot club used for drug trafficking six years ago. When the cops busted the place, it was shut down and sold to a local company by the name of "Celestial Center." (Beat) Apparently they did nothing with the place.

BRETT starts to get nervous when he hears the name of his company coming out of ANDY's mouth.

BRETT: There's something I should probably tell you, though it won't go over well.

ANDY: What would that be? That you somehow played a role in this whole extravaganza? ?Cause if that's it; I just might have to chop your head off like I said I would before.

BRETT: You don't happen to have an axe of any kind in your Bag of Death, do you?

ANDY's eyes widen and her face becomes contorted with anger. NATALIE looks up at BRETT, too.

NATALIE: You didn't. If you did then I will chop your head off instead of Andy.

BRETT: I work for Celestial Center. Or should I say "worked" for them. They're a black ops agency set below the CIA by hundreds of miles, literally. They create Operations for their workers to follow through with and it's headed by some guy on the other side of the world.

ANDY: And what exactly was your mission?

BRETT: To enter your life and get Natalie kidnapped by Greg, a supposed stand alone operative, so we'd end up saving her for you and gaining your trust. That was the plan until we found out that the Queen wanted you for a job. Then we were trying to get you to work for us instead. (To Natalie) The plan was never to hurt you. Elizabeth, a coworker, changed it before I could have a say.

NATALIE: Why? If they wanted Andy's trust they shouldn't have wanted to hurt me.

ANDY: No, if they hurt you and then they ended up saving you, they'd supposedly look even better in my eyes so I'd want to join them. (Beat) Good plan, actually. I would've been all for it had I not found out you were all against me.

BRETT: Greg will tell Elizabeth that I betrayed them, and she'll tell the Big Boss about me. They'll come after me and kill me. Chances are they'll kill both of you, too, since you now know about them.

ANDY: What do you want? My protection? Food and drink until you can get a job at a local restaurant to get enough money to buy your way out of the country and change your name?

BRETT: The first option was good enough for me.

NATALIE: How do we know if we can trust you? You already tried to get my killed.

BRETT: No I didn't; I tried to get her to change the plans back. She wouldn't listen.

NATALIE (To Andy): Can we kill this Elizabeth chick?

ANDY: Sure thing, Nat, and I'll even let you call dibs on her head. (To Brett) So? How do we trust a guy that is guilty by association?

BRETT: You can't. You'll never trust me and there's nothing I can do to make this all up to you.

ANDY: How ?bout kneeling down and kissing our feet? That's always good.

NATALIE laughs weakly.

BRETT: Is that a yes to the original offer?

ANDY: I never offered you anything. I said something and you took it as an offer.

BRETT: So that's a no?

ANDY: So that's a yes, as long as you get me one of those nifty crossbows to add to my Bag of Death.

BRETT: Thank you, and I mean it.

NATALIE: And you can't say it enough to make me accept it.

ANDY helps NATALIE off the table and too her feet. The two slowly walk out of the building and towards ANDY's car. ANDY helps her friend inside, closes the door, and looks back at BRETT.

ANDY: You know the way back?

BRETT nods and gets inside his car as the sun rises in the distance.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? MORNING

ELIZABETH and GREG stand at the end of the table as the speakerphone comes to life. The VOICE is back.

VOICE: Congratulations, Mister Carlisle. You are hereby appointed to second vice president of Celestial Center and replacing Mister Stewart. You have impressed me greatly with the events of the night and despite that we lost the Slayer, I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of her.

GREG: Thank you.

GREG lowers his head in invisible respect to his new boss. ELIZABETH is dressed in a gray, pinstriped work suit and steps forward.

ELIZABETH: What will we do about Brett Stewart? He's betrayed the Center.

VOICE: But as long as he's with the Slayer, the longer he's a useful ally with us. (Beat) We'll be in touch very soon.

The line goes dead and ELIZABETH puts the phone back on the receiver, filling the room with silence. She looks to GREG.

ELIZABETH: This should be interesting.

Slowly, she leans in and kisses GREG who returns the kiss as we

FADE TO

FLASHBACK

FADE IN

EXT. ALLEY ? NIGHT

Again, the coloring is bluish and it's a continuation of the previous flashback, but is set a month later.

ANDY dashes down a dark alley, pursuing a vampire. It leaps over a garbage can and tackles a young woman. To the ground, it goes to sink it's teeth into her and ANDY yanks him off of the girl and throws the vamp into the wall. She looks down and, over her shoulder, we see NATALIE laying helplessly and wide eyed on the ground.

NATALIE: How did you do that? Who are you?

ANDY: Be quiet and get out of here.

NATALIE: Hell no! I'm gonna stay and watch this!

ANDY rolls her eyes and huffs before turning back to face the vampire who's ready to attack. She chops the vamp over the shoulder with one leg that she raises quickly and brings down with brutal force. She then lets her foot rest across his neck and pushes down, hard, on his windpipe.

ANDY: Shouldn't you be dead or something?

ANDY pulls a wooden stake out of pocket and throws it down into the vamp's chest and he explodes into a poof of ashes and ANDY stumbles forwards since she no longer has a footrest.

NATALIE: So who are you again? I've gotta meet the girl who saved my life.

ANDY steps up to her and holds out her hand which NATALIE openly accepts.

ANDY: I'm Andrea Sullivan.

NATALIE: Can I call you ?Andy?'

ANDY nods.

ANDY: That'd be great, actually.

NATALIE: I'm Natalie Price. Just don't call me ?Nat' yet considering I just met you. (Beat) So how can I repay you for all of this? Come with me to get coffee! I know this great caf? down the street that I was actually heading to in the first place before?this. C'mon!

NATALIE pulls ANDY out of the alley and the two head down the street. We pan upwards towards the night sky which slowly fades into daylight before panning back down to earth.

EXT. APARTMENT ? DAY

?5 Months Later' appears on the screen and we find ANDY and NATALIE standing in front of NATALIE's apartment. ANDY's just staring at it with two suitcases in hand and a few boxes at NATALIE's feet.

NATALIE: I know it's not much, but I need a roommate to help pay the rent.

ANDY shakes her head.

ANDY: It's perfect.

Pan upwards towards the sun and?.

FADE TO BLACK

END OF EPISODE

Announcement

CHOSEN Episode 1.01 "Pilot"/"The Shed"

CHOSEN Episode 1.01 "Pilot"/"The Shed"

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