Status: Slow, but hopefully steady.
You'll Never Take Me Alive
But honey, what are you gonna do?
Jennifer walks into a large very well kept building with floor to ceiling windows and a bright white, furniture included, interior. Her kitten heels echo on the marble floor. The reception area is all but deserted besides her and two guards place by the main door. She goes past the man at the reception desk who acknowledges her by nodding in her direction, she smiles softly at him.
She reaches the elevator, swipes a white plastic card on the reader and types in a five digit code making the red light turn green and the doors pin open. Once inside, the doors close, Jennifer presses “3” and the cabin goes skyward.
After a few moments the elevator indicates she’s on the third floor and the doors open smoothly. Just as she’s about to walk out she’s pushed by inside by a tall, blonde man. He’s dressed in a perfectly fitting navy blue suit, bright white shirt and a sky blue silk tie which dreamily matches his eyes.
CHARLES: Jennifer! I have been looking all over for you!
JENNIFER: I’ve just finished work.
CHARLES: I know, but I thought you would have been back by now.
JENNIFER: I was on patrol. What’s the matter?
Charles types in a five digit code on the elevator pad, the doors close and the little button showing “B” lights up. The cabin starts do plummet down.
CHARLES: Matter?! Jennifer darling – everything is wonderful!
JENNIFER: I don’t understand-
CHARLES: He cuts her off. Beaming like a child. I’ve done it! I’ve finally done it!
JENNIFER: Done what?
The elevator door opens to a long, dimly lit corridor. Charles leads the way to the end, passing closed, windowless doors on either side. They go through a door, leading onto a small corridor, this one is brightly lit and feels more like a hospital.
JENNIFER: Charles, where are we going?
CHARLES: All shall be revealed!
They come to an open hallway. A woman walks out of a room and closes the door behind her. She’s wearing a shite knee length skirt with a white blouse, she could be easily mistaken for a nurse.
WOMAN: Mr. Spencer-
CHARLES: Is he awake?
WOMAN: Not yet. But his stats have improved-
CHARLES: Is he hooked up?
WOMAN: Yes Mr. Spencer. 250mls, every 20 minutes, and has been hooked up for over 3 hours.
CHARLES: Fantastic! That’ll be all.
The woman nods and walks away. Charles opens the door to go in, but Jennifer stops him.
JENNIFER: Charles, wait. Tell me what I’m going to find in there.
CHARLES: For the last eight months we’ve been trying to find a base camp for the Killjoys. We discovered there was one place all the ringleaders were hiding. We found it! Last week! So last night we go permission to investigate-
JENNIFER: You mean raid?
CHARLES: No. Jennifer darling, we never would attack. We went peacefully.
JENNIFER: Oh come on Charlie-
CHARLES: Don’t call me that!
Charles goes into the room, Jennifer timidly follows him.
The room is lit by the two soft wall lamps. It’s strikingly like a private hospital room. There is a regular beep, beep, beep of a heart monitor and a man lying in the bed, hooked up to many machines.
JENNIFER: Who is-?
CHARLES: Party Poison!
She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.
JENNIFER: What are you going to do?
CHARLES: Put him on trail-
JENNIFER: You can’t-!
CHARLES: And why not, Jennifer?!
She quickly looks at him, panic in her eyes.
JENNIFER: Er…he’s not well.
Charles visibly relaxes.
CHARLES: Darling, we’ll wait until he’s ready.
JENNIFER: When you said ‘ready’…?
CHARLES: When he understands the wrong he’s done.
She frowns, knowing exactly what Charles means by that statement and sits at the bedside.
JENNIFER: The famous Party Poison. I thought he was a myth!
CHARLES: So did we-
JENNIFER: Then how do you know it’s him?
CHARLES: Years of research.
Charles sits across the bed from her.
They sit for what must be hours, watching him slowly breathe, and a tube emptying a clear dose of ‘fly ones’ into his right arm every twenty minutes. Jennifer doesn’t take her eyes off it when it does.
CHARLES: I think we should go home – it’s getting late.
JENNIFER: When do you think he’ll wake up?
Charles helps Jennifer to her feet, puts his arm around her shoulders and starts to lead her out the room.
CHARLES: We don’t know. Tonight – hopefully.
JENNIFER: Will he be alone?
CHARLES: The nurse will be here.
JENNIFER: Can they be trusted?
CHARLES: Of course. They work for The Industry.
JENNIFER: You’ve found spies and sympathisers working for The Industry before.
He stops opening the door and looks at her.
CHARLES: Do you think I should stay?
JENNIFER: Yeah, I do.
CHARLES: I have to meet the President of The Industry in the morning. I need to rest…
JENNIFER: Opening the door.You’ll have to trust the nurse then-
CHARLES: Wait-
He puts his hand on the door, closing it again.
CHARLES: Will you stay?
JENNIFER: Where?
CHARLES: Here.
JENNIFER: Why?
CHARLES: Encase he wakes.
JENNIFER: Me?
CHARLES: Oh course, Jennifer! I trust you.
JENNIFER: I have to work in the morning.
CHARLES: I can arrange it. Please?
She signs heavily and looks at the bed.
CHARLES: Please?
JENNIFER: Oh alright.
CHARLES: Embracing her.Thank you! I’ll be back at seven. I’ll tell the nurse to get you something to eat.
JENNIFER: Chicken pasta?
CHARLES: With cream cheese sauce.
JENNIFER: Sounds yummy.
CHARLES: See you in the morning.
He leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Half an hour later, Jennifer is sitting back in her chair besides the bed with a bowl of pasta. She isn’t really eating, just pushing bits of chicken around in the sauce. She checks her wrist watch – 21:30 – the drip is still pumping his body with the mind washing drugs.
Time passes and Jennifer finally falls asleep, her hand resting on Party Poison’s. She is jolted awake when his hand moves in hers. She jumps to her feet, looking at him. His eyes still closed, but his head turns as he groans.
Jennifer looks again at her watch – 01:17.
PARTY POISON: Jenny?
She reaches the elevator, swipes a white plastic card on the reader and types in a five digit code making the red light turn green and the doors pin open. Once inside, the doors close, Jennifer presses “3” and the cabin goes skyward.
After a few moments the elevator indicates she’s on the third floor and the doors open smoothly. Just as she’s about to walk out she’s pushed by inside by a tall, blonde man. He’s dressed in a perfectly fitting navy blue suit, bright white shirt and a sky blue silk tie which dreamily matches his eyes.
CHARLES: Jennifer! I have been looking all over for you!
JENNIFER: I’ve just finished work.
CHARLES: I know, but I thought you would have been back by now.
JENNIFER: I was on patrol. What’s the matter?
Charles types in a five digit code on the elevator pad, the doors close and the little button showing “B” lights up. The cabin starts do plummet down.
CHARLES: Matter?! Jennifer darling – everything is wonderful!
JENNIFER: I don’t understand-
CHARLES: He cuts her off. Beaming like a child. I’ve done it! I’ve finally done it!
JENNIFER: Done what?
The elevator door opens to a long, dimly lit corridor. Charles leads the way to the end, passing closed, windowless doors on either side. They go through a door, leading onto a small corridor, this one is brightly lit and feels more like a hospital.
JENNIFER: Charles, where are we going?
CHARLES: All shall be revealed!
They come to an open hallway. A woman walks out of a room and closes the door behind her. She’s wearing a shite knee length skirt with a white blouse, she could be easily mistaken for a nurse.
WOMAN: Mr. Spencer-
CHARLES: Is he awake?
WOMAN: Not yet. But his stats have improved-
CHARLES: Is he hooked up?
WOMAN: Yes Mr. Spencer. 250mls, every 20 minutes, and has been hooked up for over 3 hours.
CHARLES: Fantastic! That’ll be all.
The woman nods and walks away. Charles opens the door to go in, but Jennifer stops him.
JENNIFER: Charles, wait. Tell me what I’m going to find in there.
CHARLES: For the last eight months we’ve been trying to find a base camp for the Killjoys. We discovered there was one place all the ringleaders were hiding. We found it! Last week! So last night we go permission to investigate-
JENNIFER: You mean raid?
CHARLES: No. Jennifer darling, we never would attack. We went peacefully.
JENNIFER: Oh come on Charlie-
CHARLES: Don’t call me that!
Charles goes into the room, Jennifer timidly follows him.
The room is lit by the two soft wall lamps. It’s strikingly like a private hospital room. There is a regular beep, beep, beep of a heart monitor and a man lying in the bed, hooked up to many machines.
JENNIFER: Who is-?
CHARLES: Party Poison!
She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.
JENNIFER: What are you going to do?
CHARLES: Put him on trail-
JENNIFER: You can’t-!
CHARLES: And why not, Jennifer?!
She quickly looks at him, panic in her eyes.
JENNIFER: Er…he’s not well.
Charles visibly relaxes.
CHARLES: Darling, we’ll wait until he’s ready.
JENNIFER: When you said ‘ready’…?
CHARLES: When he understands the wrong he’s done.
She frowns, knowing exactly what Charles means by that statement and sits at the bedside.
JENNIFER: The famous Party Poison. I thought he was a myth!
CHARLES: So did we-
JENNIFER: Then how do you know it’s him?
CHARLES: Years of research.
Charles sits across the bed from her.
They sit for what must be hours, watching him slowly breathe, and a tube emptying a clear dose of ‘fly ones’ into his right arm every twenty minutes. Jennifer doesn’t take her eyes off it when it does.
CHARLES: I think we should go home – it’s getting late.
JENNIFER: When do you think he’ll wake up?
Charles helps Jennifer to her feet, puts his arm around her shoulders and starts to lead her out the room.
CHARLES: We don’t know. Tonight – hopefully.
JENNIFER: Will he be alone?
CHARLES: The nurse will be here.
JENNIFER: Can they be trusted?
CHARLES: Of course. They work for The Industry.
JENNIFER: You’ve found spies and sympathisers working for The Industry before.
He stops opening the door and looks at her.
CHARLES: Do you think I should stay?
JENNIFER: Yeah, I do.
CHARLES: I have to meet the President of The Industry in the morning. I need to rest…
JENNIFER: Opening the door.You’ll have to trust the nurse then-
CHARLES: Wait-
He puts his hand on the door, closing it again.
CHARLES: Will you stay?
JENNIFER: Where?
CHARLES: Here.
JENNIFER: Why?
CHARLES: Encase he wakes.
JENNIFER: Me?
CHARLES: Oh course, Jennifer! I trust you.
JENNIFER: I have to work in the morning.
CHARLES: I can arrange it. Please?
She signs heavily and looks at the bed.
CHARLES: Please?
JENNIFER: Oh alright.
CHARLES: Embracing her.Thank you! I’ll be back at seven. I’ll tell the nurse to get you something to eat.
JENNIFER: Chicken pasta?
CHARLES: With cream cheese sauce.
JENNIFER: Sounds yummy.
CHARLES: See you in the morning.
He leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Half an hour later, Jennifer is sitting back in her chair besides the bed with a bowl of pasta. She isn’t really eating, just pushing bits of chicken around in the sauce. She checks her wrist watch – 21:30 – the drip is still pumping his body with the mind washing drugs.
Time passes and Jennifer finally falls asleep, her hand resting on Party Poison’s. She is jolted awake when his hand moves in hers. She jumps to her feet, looking at him. His eyes still closed, but his head turns as he groans.
Jennifer looks again at her watch – 01:17.
PARTY POISON: Jenny?