Dark Quests (Three Screenplays) Read online

DRAKEN

  Leave no witnesses.

  (a beat, grimly)

  Burn the house to the ground.

  INT. SMALL OFFICE – NIGHT

  BLACK SCREEN. We hear a startled gasp, followed by heavy breathing. In and out, in and out.

  We see the flare of a match. The pretty face of a woman is illuminated. The woman appears hungover. This is our heroine, EVE FRIDAY.

  We hear a click and a dim lightbulb flickers to life overhead. A beaded chain swings back and forth from the light. Eve sits up, rubs her face. Her tank top is soaked through and through with sweat. She scans the empty room, blinking hard. We see what she sees: a cluttered desk, an old-fashioned safe, a vanity mirror and toiletries. We realize she’s in a storeroom that doubles as a makeshift apartment. Her eyes finally settle on the safe.

  Eve stands and pads over barefoot to the safe. She fumbles with the combination lock, and after a few tries, she gets it right. The tumblers fall into place with a small click, and she turns the handle and pulls open the heavy door. Inside, we see a few small bundles of cash, various papers, and a leather satchel.

  She reaches inside the safe and removes the satchel and carries it over to her desk. There, she pulls open a leather drawstring and turns the bag upside down, tilting the contents into her open hand.

  TIGHT SHOT on yet another Judas Coin, as it tumbles into her hand, glowing softly as if with its own inner light. It sits squarely in the center of her palm like a silver stigmata. This coin clearly has some kind of power over Eve. The ghostly hint of a fire blazes just behind her irises. Similar to the fire we had just seen in Draken’s eyes. She shoves the coin back into the satchel and returns it to the safe. She slams the heavy door shut. At her desk, she opens a drawer and removes a bottle of vodka, unscrews the cap, and takes a long pull from the hard stuff.

  INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

  A match FLARES brightly in the center of the screen. The match rises and touches the tip of a blurred cigarette. Blurred eyes, nose and mouth are briefly illuminated.

  MAN (V.O.)

  He’s waking.

  The camera shifts and moves around as light slowly reveals the surrounding room, which we are seeing from the point of view of a man awakening from a deep black out. More light floods into the room. The screen briefly darkens, then brightens again, simulating blinking eyes. Two blurred shapes materialize into two men, both seated in chairs.

  Smoke fills the small room. It looks like a cell, complete with bars embedded in a nearby window. Finally the room comes into full focus.

  TIGHT ON TREY JORDAN, who looks like hell. He rubs his eyes and tries to sit up, then grabs his head.

  TREY

  Ah, shit...

  The two men seated before him are CAMERLENGO ANTONIO and CARLO FRANZINI. Both are dressed immaculately. Camerlengo is wearing a black Catholic cassock. Franzini is in an expensive Italian suit. When they speak, both do so in heavy Italian accents.

  CAMERLENGO

  Welcome back to the land of the

  living, Mr. Jordan.

  Trey looks up, squinting through the pain. The first man offers him a cigarette. Trey accepts. The Camerlengo lights a match for Trey Jordan.

  TREY

  Where am I?

  FRANZINI

  In prison, where you belong.

  TREY

  Oh, God. Not the good cop/bad cop routine.

  CAMERLENGO

  No, Mr. Jordan. We are not here to extract

  information from you, nor are we here to

  arrest you. In fact...we are here to offer

  you a job.

  Franzini looks away, frowning, disgusted by this whole scene. Trey pauses—smoking, thinking—trying like hell to get his throbbing head to kick into gear.

  TREY

  Who are you?

  CAMERLENGO

  I’m Camerlengo Antonio of the Vatican.

  Camerlengo motions toward the scowling Franzini next to him.

  CAMERLENGO

  And this is Carlo Franzini, head of

  Vatican Intelligente.

  TREY

  Vatican Intelligente? You’re a spy?

  (a beat)

  A spy for God?

  Franzini ignores the question and hands Trey a sheet of paper from a briefcase.

  CAMERA TIGHT on the sheet of paper, as we see a large blow-up of a silver Roman coin with the profile of an eyeless Caesar.

  FRANZINI

  Do you know what this is?

  TREY

  It’s a Judas Coin.

  FRANZINI

  How do you know this?

  TREY

  I make it a point to know my treasures,

  Mr. Franzini. Especially the cursed ones.

  CAMERLENGO

  Judas Coins around the world are being stolen,

  Mr. Jordan. Individual collectors are being murdered,

  museums looted, and coin shops burglarized.

  FRANZINI

  The theft of the coins sparked our interest.

  We investigated, and one man’s name kept

  coming up. A man who has made searching

  for the coins a lifelong obsession.

  TREY

  Hey, we all need our hobbies.

  FRANZINI

  His name is Preston Draken.

  TREY

  Senator Preston Draken?

  The Camerlengo and Franzini exchange a glance. They continue on.

  FRANZINI

  What do you know about the Judas Coins,

  Mr. Jordan?

  TREY

  What any good antiquities thief knows:

  The coins are considered the most cursed

  artifacts on earth, marked forever by an

  eyeless Caesar. After Judas returned them to

  the temple priests, the coins, now considered

  cursed blood money, were used to buy the

  Potters Field. They are never mentioned

  again in the New Testament. One assumes they

  were spread far and wide, creating havoc for

  their owners.

  CAMERLENGO

  Over the centuries, the Vatican has collected

  various prophesies. Many are correlated directly

  with the coins and the coming Apocalypse.

  TREY

  And if the coins come together all hell will

  break out. Yes, I’ve heard this bedtime

  story before.

  CAMERLENGO

  Additionally, we have on record documented proof

  that some of the greatest disasters in the world

  can be traced back to the Judas Coins. The

  Titanic, the Lusitania, the Hindenberg, the

  Twin Towers. Judas Coins can be traced back to

  all of them. In each case, a collector was storing

  or transferring such a coin.

  TREY

  I get it. They’re creepy as hell. So what do you

  want with me?

  CAMERLENGO

  We want you to find all the coins. Every last one

  of them.

  FRANZINI

  And do what you do best, thief. Steal them and

  return them to us.

  TREY

  And what do I get in return?

  CAMERLENGO

  Your freedom. We have made arrangements

  with the local authorities to release you

  to Vatican Security.

  TREY

  I’ve broken out of three prisons, Camerlengo.

  You have to do better than that.

  CAMERLENGO

  And ten million U.S. Dollars, paid when the

  coins are delivered.

  TREY

  To stop a homicidal maniac with supernatural

  powers bent on destroying the world, the price

  is fifty million. Anything less, and I’ll take

  my chances escaping from jail.

  Franzini and Camerlengo exchange a knowing look. The Camerleng
o nods.

  FRANZINI

  What do you know of your father,

  Mr. Jordan?

  Trey’s cockiness slips away. He snaps his head around and looks at Franzini.

  TREY

  He died in prison a dozen years ago. Why?

  FRANZINI

  What if I tell you he’s not dead?

  TREY

  Then I would say you’re a damn liar.

  The Head of Vatican Intelligente smugly removes a piece of paper from his pocket, opens it, and hands it to Trey. Trey reads the contents.

  CAMERA TIGHT on the piece of paper, where we see small, neat handwriting with perfectly formed letters:

  Tres,

  I am alive, although not well.

  Don’t give the bastards what they

  want, boy. Screw them all. And don’t

  worry about your old man, I don’t

  have much to live for anyway.

  D.J.

  Back to Trey, who looks stunned, dumfounded.

  TREY

  He always called me Tres. Spanish for three.

  Said I was more trouble than three boys

  combined. I was told by prison officials he

  had died of a heart attack.

  FRANZINI

  Some governments do that. Some prisoners

  just disappear. Especially the dangerous ones.

  And your father was the most dangerous of all.

  TREY

  Hey, I learned from the best.

  CAMERLENGO

  He’s dying, Trey. The doctors have given

  him just a few weeks to live.

  FRANZINI

  You help us, and we will make arrangements

  for you to see him before he dies. But you

  must hurry.

  Trey rubs his eyes, a bit overwhelmed with this remarkable news. He takes in some air.

  TREY

  Just a few weeks?

  The Vatican representatives both nod. Trey inhales, absorbing all of this.

  TREY

  Gentlemen, we have a deal.

  (a beat)

  And one other thing.

  CAMERLENGO

  Yes?

  TREY

  How did you find me?

  Franzini grins. This is his chance to be self-satisfied, having conned the great con man.

  FRANZINI

  We set a trap.

  (a beat)

  After all, who do you think posed as the

  Italian billionaire?

  TREY

  (stunned, shakes his head)

  And what became of the Staff of St. Patrick?

  FRANZINI

  Oh, it’s on its way back to the Vatican,

  where it will be safe. Even from the

  likes of you.

  Camerlengo motions with his hand and a guard opens Trey’s cell door. Light spills brightly into the dark room. Freedom.

  EXT. VATICAN CITY – DAY

  WIDE SHOT ON ST. PETER’S BASILICA as throngs of tourists flock to this Mecca of Catholicism.

  INT. DEEP BENEATH ST. PETER’S BASILICA – DAY

  An archaic elevator. The doors slide silently open, as three men step out: Trey, the Camerlengo and Franzini. Trey has a look of wonder on his face. Before them is a hallway filled with enough treasures to put even the best museums to shame. Trey’s eyes bug out as he tries to take in everything at once. Like a kid in a candy store. Except these candies are worth millions. Trey pauses, briefly ogling an original Michelangelo sculpture. He’s virtually drooling.

  FRANZINI

  Don’t even think about it.

  Trey pulls himself away and follows the two men through this Hallway of Treasures. We can almost see Trey’s mind working, perhaps puzzling out a way to break back into this secret hallway. The group hangs a left and then another, now taking some curving stairs down into the mysterious bowels of the Vatican. They come to another passageway, this one made of stone. As they move along polished stone floors, they pass priceless work of art after priceless work of art: paintings and sculptures and religious relics of all types. Trey, of all people, truly appreciates the wonders he’s beholding.

  Finally, the Camerlengo pauses before a heavy oak door that looks more like a drawbridge to a castle. The holy man utters a sacred prayer and the lock suddenly snaps open in his hands. Trey literally does a double take. Did he just see what he thinks he saw?

  TREY

  Neat trick.

  CAMERLENGO

  No trick, Mr. Jordan. As they say

  in America: You ain’t seen nothing yet.

  He pushes the door open—

  INT. CAVERNOUS ROOM

  Inside, near the entrance, as the heavy door groans shut behind them, the Camerlengo and Franzini each grab an unlit torch from the wall and proceed to light them from what appears to be an eternally burning candle set in the wall.

  TREY

  Is this candle, um, always burning?

  CAMERLENGO

  Yes. We call it Angel Fire.

  TREY

  How...?

  CAMERLENGO

  Honestly? We don’t know.

  (a beat, grinning)

  This way, Mr. Jordan.

  Torches raised high, the Camerlengo leads the way deeper into this seemingly forgotten chamber deep beneath Vatican City. Inky shadows crawl along the walls. The flickering lights reveal row after row of ancient suits of armor, which appear to loom out of the darkness as if awakened from a deep slumber. If Trey weren’t so tough he might be nervous. He swallows hard.

  He next focuses his attention on the many ancient weapons fastened to the walls: battle axes, swords, crossbows, maces. One sword in particular grabs his fancy. It’s a long broadsword, seemingly gleaming supernaturally. It’s mounted within a clear glass box.

  CAMERLENGO

  All weapons of the Crusades, Mr. Jordan.

  The sword in front of you was once owned

  by Richard the Lionheart. Surely a blessed

  sword, but not the reason we are here.

  Trey stares at the jaw-dropping relic in stunned silence. He finally forces himself to look away. He levels his stare at the Camerlengo.

  TREY

  And just why are we here again?

  CAMERLENGO

  (a small grin)

  You shall see.

  The trio head deeper into the gloomy chamber and soon come upon another door. The Camerlengo utters another prayer, a bolt snaps open, and they step through the doorway, into—

  INT. SMALL GALLERY

  The place is already lit, albeit gloomily. Mounted on the walls, standing oddly erect and with no hint of smoke, are a half dozen more eternally burning flames. More Angel Fire.

  CAMERLENGO

  Welcome to our “Special Collections.”

  Dozens of glass cases fill the small room. Swords, weapons and various artifacts of all types hang suspended within the cases. Trey moves eagerly to the first case.

  TREY

  What makes them so special?

  CAMERLENGO

  These are blessed.

  (a beat)

  Or cursed.

  Directly before Trey, suspended in mid-air by a force not readily obvious, is a sword. This one is very narrow and smaller than the swords we have seen up to now. The blade is pointed up.

  TREY

  This sword was made for a woman.

  CAMELRENGO

  Very good, Mr. Jordan. Joan of Arc, in fact.

  The thief’s mouth drops open. He tries speaking once or twice but words fail him. Finally, he finds his voice.

  TREY

  Why...why is it here? In Special Collections?

  FRANZINI

  Because it can lay waste entire armies,

  and change the course of history.

  CAMERLENGO

  In the wrong hands, Mr. Jordan, this

  sword is extremely dangerous.

  But we can see by the expression on Trey’s face, which said, in part: in th
e right hands—his hands, in fact—the sword would be extremely valuable. Priceless, in fact. The Vatican officials sense this as well. They move on. In the next case is an iron spear. Like the Sword of Joan of Arc, the spear points up and is suspended by supernatural means. The spear is rather crude, made of iron and attached to a blackened wooden staff.

  TREY

  Let me guess: The Holy Lance.

  CAMERLENGO

  Or sometimes called the Spear of Destiny.

  TREY

  He who controls the Spear controls the world.

  But I thought Hitler last had the Spear.

  FRANZINI

  He did, until we stole it from him.

  (cryptically)

  But that’s another story.

  Trey moves on to the next case. Inside, hovering in mid-air, is a rusted scalpel. This relic is pointed down. It also looks menacing as hell.

  CAMERLENGO

  The scalpel of Jack the Ripper. I’d

  rather not discuss the havoc it can

  wreak. It always gives me the creeps,