Act 7: Rogue operative

  Setting: Haven’s end

  Thursday, May 4th, 1995?

  (The piercing glares once looking towards, now instead flicking nervously between each other. Muffled conversations rising in the air as a sense of urgency filled the camp. Members running from tent to tent, carrying supplies from each, while others sulked with a somber look in their eyes. No one even bothered to look at the dangerous newcomers sitting in their camp’s center.)

  Alex: I thought you said we were safe here.

  Grant (grim): Safe is a relative term down here. This place is a hell, but you’re standing in the middle of its one oasis. If you walk outside, you’ll see just how hot it can get.

  John: Outside? There was a monster that just walked into your own territory to kill one of your men?

  Grant: No boy, don’t worry about the monsters. We’ve built our numbers up for a reason, but not the reasons you think. The danger doesn’t come from the things that belong down here, but the things that don’t.

  John: What makes you so confident this kill was done by human hands?

  Grant (shaking his head): Cuts along the back of the knees, bruises to the arm. Monsters have claws, teeth, and no hands. They’re not capable of something clean like this.

  (As Grant continues to speak, he slowly pulls out a few pieces of papers from his pocket. They’re wrinkled, and marked with rough lines. He stares at them for a few moments. Silently. Eyes narrowing, before turning back to face them.)

  Grant: And not just any human. One that we’ve been unfortunate enough to have been struck by before. The way that bastard mutilates their victims afterwards. You’d never mistake a sight like that again…

  John: So you’ve got an idea of what did it, but not who.

  Grant: You’re expecting too much of us. A monster’s one thing. You can tell what they are by just a glance. A person? Only way to tell the difference between a friend and a foe is by which way the knife is pointed. If you’re lucky, you’ll realize before it’s lodged inside your back.

  Rachel (sad): Grant…

  John: Grant I’m sorry to say this, but we need to leave. There’s a killer on the loose without a face, or a name. Us staying here any longer puts Lily at risk.

  Grant: Don’t worry about her, she’s not the target. The only one in danger here is you two.

  (He glances between John and Alex. Turning to John afterwards.)

  Grant: Maybe just you actually… the killer, whoever they are, seems to only kill our capable men.

  John: How can you be sure about that?

  Grant: Because they’ve left witnesses… they’ve attacked a few times when our members were in groups. Always going after the fighters, and always leaving whoever was with them alone to report back. A child, an old man, a cripple. They’ve never once been a victim. All of them reporting the same thing. They’re skilled. They let the weak live, and most importantly… they’re wearing a hazmat suit.

  (Grant’s words are filled with anger now, causing Lily to tremble. Clutching Alex’s shirt. John positions himself between the two groups.)

  John: So you’ve figured out who they strike, and what they wear. Do you have any other leads besides that?

  (Grant relaxes a bit. Trying to ease the tension out his shoulders with a stiff sigh, before continuing.)

  Grant: The hazmat suit alone is enough. The only ones down here that wear those are MEG members. There’s a chance that someone managed to sneak off with a uniform. But with how tight a shift they run around there I doubt it.

  John: I’ve heard of MEG, but I’ve never seen them myself. Who are they?

  Grant: They’re a group of researchers that walk around this place taking notes, and mumbling to themselves. They’ve always been harmless, as long as you stay off their land.

  (Grant starts to pace around the group. His hands behind his back as he looks down at the floor.)

  Grant: It all started as a rumor from distant travelers. Then it turned into one of our men getting confronted. After that, we lost a few men on deep supply runs. Now they’re on our damn doorstep. Once that happened, we got fed up and went directly to that base of theirs. But instead of answers, we got guns pointed at our face, and a load of excuses. “They’re not under our control”, and “They’re a rogue agent”. But considering how little they care about us I doubt they’re telling us the full truth.

  John: What’s your plan then? Go with a larger group, with more weapons? Seems like the only way to get answers at this point.

  Grant (shaking his head): No that’s just going to get us all killed. They have numbers, and weapons on their side. But, I can’t give up. I promised my people I’d protect them from danger, and right now danger’s knocking on their doors…

  (Grant stops in place, shoving the paper towards the two of them.)

  Grant: But luckily, there’s a third option. We’ve got a lead. Now all we need to do is get our hands on them, and hope it leads us in the right direction.

  Rachel (voice trembling): First Eric. Then Michael. Now Paul…

  (Grant’s fingers ball into a fist hearing those names.)

  Grant (yelling): Listen up boys. We’re tightening up security. No wandering without a partner, keep a weapon on you, and don’t wander farther out of the camp than the campfire’s light reaches. This bastard’s got on my last nerve, and if you feel the same way then don’t let yourself turn into another easy kill. Make them work for it.

  (A few of the members of the camp stop what they’re doing to nod, before disappearing to the other end of the camp again. The camp is abuzz with storage being moved, weapons being picked up, and gossip being told. In front of Alex, a group of armed guards shepherd a pack of frail elders into a tent, their rifles held tight as they scan the surrounding shadows.)

  Grant: I gave you three a choice before, but I’ve changed my mind. You two are coming with us to track this bastard down.

  Alex (worried): What? I don’t understand Grant. You’ve got no idea who we are, why we’re here, or what we’re even capable of. We could be enemies in disguise for all you know, and yet you’re taking us on a mission to deal with someone?

  Grant (tight): We’ve got no choice. We’re low on fighters, and you two boys still have life in your eyes. Most of my men would lie down and accept death if it confronted them, but both of you still have something to live for. Besides, you’re the perfect strangers to bring on a mission like this.

  (Grant’s eyes look towards Lily.)

  Grant (low): You’ve got precious cargo, and we’re just the people to make sure it stays safe. Let’s not shake the box, when it’s carrying some that fragile…

  (Grant smiles at Lily, who nervously returns it from behind Alex.)

  John (sigh): Didn’t take long for you to take away those choices from us did it?

  Grant: Choices are a luxury that you have to earn the right to have down here.

  (John’s face turns cold at Grant’s silent threat. Fingers twitching at his side, as though he were searching for something. Before John can move however, Rachel quickly steps in front of him. Arms raised, and smiling as she tries to diffuse the situation.)

  Rachel: You boys, didn’t even touch your food, let me grab you both a few new bowls.

  (She quickly pours two new steaming bowls for both of them. Placing one in front of each of them, before John can even say a word of protest.)

  Rachel (smiling): Hate us all you want. I won’t blame you if you do… but please. At least eat. Even anger feels better when your stomach’s full.

  (Grant shakes his head at Rachel’s motherly display. A shout at the other edge of the camp catches Grant’s attention. He yells something back.)

  Grant: You might hate me now, but it won’t last long. Soon enough, you’ll begin to understand the reasonings behind a man desperate to protect what he loves. Once you learn what it feels like to lose it… now get some sleep. You three look like you could use it.

  (Grant walks away, and begins to bark a coded set of orders again. A young boy dashes across the camp with a handful of weapons in his arms. Grant, seeing this, grabs the boy by the scruff of the neck. Yelling at him about the dangers of what he’s doing. The boy nods to Grant, stumbling behind him as he’s dragged behind the tent with Grant.)

  Rachel: I’ll give you boys a few moments to yourselves… and I’m sorry you boys have to deal with all this. No one should be forced to risk their lives for those they care about, least of all people they don’t even know.

  (Rachel makes her way back to the fire after those words. Sitting back down on her stool, and slowly returning to stirring the soup with a tired look in her eyes.

  Alex (whispering harshly): What do we do John? If we stay we get dragged into someone else’s battle, and leave Lily in their hands. We could try and run while everything’s hectic. There’s a good chance they don’t even notice us.

  John (whispering, softly): And what if they do Alex? They’ve got patrols all over this camp, and we don’t know their routes. There’s a bunch of emotional wrecks wandering this place with a gun in hand. If they see us running away? They might decide we’re the perfect targets to take out their grief on.

  (Silence.)

  Alex (whispering): But even if we do stay, they don’t need us for more than just this mission. And Lily… what if we come back, and she’s…

  (He trails off. Unable to even bring himself to say those last few words.)

  John (whispering): Then we live with that grief… but our best chance is to hope that they’re not evil, and we’re valuable enough to delay that if they are. They said it themselves, they’re low on fighters. Plus, we’re easy to control with Lily as a hostage. Once this is all over, we’ll see about getting out of here.

  (The two of them sit in a tense silence that stretches on, unbroken for minutes.)

  John: Get some sleep Alex. Might be our last chance for a good night’s sleep for quite some time.

  (John quickly lays down on the ground, and turns his back towards the two of them. A signal that the conversation had ended. Lily, however, sits up. Continuing to stare at Alex, with an anxious look on his face. Waiting to see his next move.)

  Alex: What’s wrong Lily?

  Lily (soft): You look… scared…

  Alex (laughing, softly): Is it too obvious?

  (She nods, pulling her knees up to her chest. Staring softly at him above them.)

  Alex: What about you Lily? Are you scared?

  (Lily silently nods again.)

  Lily: If you run away, please… don’t leave me…

  Alex: You never need to worry about that Lily. Not only do I promise to never leave you, but I’m also too scared to even try. John would strangle me before I even made it two steps. The monsters down here might look scary, but that’s nothing compared to an angry John… now get some sleep Lily. If you stay up too late I’ll get blamed for it.

  (Lily smiles at his words, before curling up to lay behind John. She quickly falls asleep as her breathing slows down. The sounds of the lively camp start to dwindle as the members start to head to sleep. Alex, doesn’t even bother to lay down with them. Instead continuing to stare towards the flickering orange light of the campfire. The camp is still, yet Alex is not. Something gnaws at him. At the other end of the camp, away from its sleeping members a few camp members attempt to drown their sorrow in a bottle of booze. Their hushed conversations, and drunken snickering stirring up something inside of Alex. Clawing its way towards the surface. Something that he desperately tried to hide from. But always managed to find him anyways.)