by Peter Ackers
zack (interrupting)
Quiet, mate. This is the way it’s done. You’ll live, like Eli said. And if you don’t, we’ll all get a Ouija board and apologise. Ice, hurry up and do this macho thing, big boy.
Ice stands in front of Nick. Nick is scared, but fearful of struggling, obviously, because Zack holds him precariously balanced on the railing. Ice grins at Nick, and looks back over his shoulder at the car again. He shifts his stance, making sure that he’s blocking any view Eli might have of Nick. But Eli’s busy tapping keys on his phone.
Ice lifts his shirt and pulls out a small length of bungee cord with a hook at each end. It’s normally used to secure luggage on a roof-rack, but for sure that’s not Ice’s intention here.
zack
What’s this?
ice
I’m gonna tie his legs.
zack
What? He needs his legs, you twat.
ice
Fuck him. He looked at me funny.
zack
The bastard. How dare he? You dickhead. You want the cops on us?
ice
Just hold him.
Ice holds the cord, brandishing it like a weapon for Nick to see. He grins, showing a gold tooth.
ice
Wish you’d had five kids, dickhead. That’d be a big pay day.
Ice bends, ready to tie Nick’s legs. Nick takes one look over his shoulder, down at the rushing black water, and makes an instant decision. He thrusts out his legs, both feet planted hard in Ice’s skinny chest, knocking him hard on his ass.
The blow pushes Nick backwards off the bridge, dragging him out of Zack’s grasp. He splashes hard into the water feet first. Gone.
Ice jumps up and he and Zack peer over the railing. Ice, CURSING, spits into the water.
zack (sarcastic)
Spit on him, good, get him wet. Twat.
Behind them, Eli exits the car. Holding up the hand with the phone in triumph..
eli
Three thousand and ten. Who’s the master? That was a quick Oscar-winning speech, Ice.
ice
The fucker escaped.
eli
What? Where?
zack (laughing)
He didn’t escape. He’s in the water as planned. This twat tried to tie his legs and this happened.
Zack tugs at Ice’s T-shirt, indicating the dirty feet marks. Eli looks at the marks and LAUGHS.
eli
I would slap you for that. But you looked pissed off enough. Beaten by a cuffed man.
ice
Fuck off. He didn’t beat me.
eli
Beaten and whooped like a scared puppy.
Ice CURSES and spits over the railing again.
eli
Good shot, I think you got him. Yeah, look, his hair’s wet.
zack
I made that joke already.
Eli looks over the railing.
eli
Result’s the same. He’s gone. Let’s go.
EXT. river - NIGHT
We’re some other place now. No bridge. No lights except for the moonlight. No movement except for a figure, Nick, tumbling in the fast-flowing water.
Where the river turns sharply, Nick is washed onto the collapsed bank. He lays, cuffed, soaking wet, mud-smeared, terrified, exhausted, amongst debris, cans and bottles thrown aside and cast ashore.
LATER
EXT. woods - NIGHT
Thick trees, thick dark. Uphill. Nick struggles, weaving, stumbling.
nick
Four, three, two one, home.
In time with his steps. At “home” he stops, takes a deep breath. The man is running on reserve energy, fumes, momentum. He starts walking again.
nick
Fifty, forty-nine, forty-eight…
LATER
EXT. WOODS, END - NIGHT
Nick stumbles out of the woods. The trees stop abruptly, almost as if a line had been drawn. Smooth grass lays beyond.
nick
Fifteen, fourteen. . .
He stops, realising, it seems, that he’s out of the woods, so to speak. He’s high up, on TOP OF A HILL, and down below we can see a BUILDING, two hundred metres down the slope. Big but low, two storeys, some outbuildings. Nick moves forward more quickly, not counting his steps now, not needing the mental momentum. He has a target in sight.
He stops abruptly as he collides with a CHAIN-LINK FENCE that was almost invisible in the dark. His face shows his distress.
LATER
Nick is stumbling along the fence, dragging along it. He has the face of a man who might believe he’ll follow this fence right around the world and never find the end.
Suddenly he falls through a gap and lands in a muddy furrow caused by the passing of tyres. The fence, it seems, has been cut here to allow the passage of off-road vehicles. The track runs right down the slope, aiming for the building at the bottom. And Nick’s staring all the way down it like a man seeing an oasis in a desert.
EXT. b&b - NIGHT
Remote but necessarily close to a main road. One two-storey main building with LIGHTS, and a single-storey building with eight doors in it - a line of rooms for rent. A motorbike is parked in front of room 6, a flash executive car in front of number 1. A couple of off-road 4x4 cars are parked near the main building. A sign near the lit entrance double-doors shows a picture of an eagle and says: “EAGLE B&B – Your Home Away From Home.”
Nick stumbles from the field surrounding the car park onto the tarmac and falls to his knees. A man reaching a marker, a destination. But he’s not there yet. One last heave to haul his body upright and he’s stumbling forward again, like a man drunk. He’s heading for the entrance.
INT. b&b lounge - NIGHT
Large, quaint. Old brick walls, an old jukebox, an old carpet. An area in one corner has dining tables. A Businessman sits here, working on his LAPTOP, collar and tie loose after a long day.
A Young Man and Young Woman play on a pool table, flirting. The other occupants are a man who looks like a Farmer sitting on a stool at the bar, and behind the bar two older people who look like the proprietors. The LANDLORD and LANDLADY. They look like posh people on a day off. These three CHAT.
Until, that is, the double doors CRASH OPEN and Nick stumbles in. He makes it five feet in the room and stops, swaying like a tree in a breeze. And everyone stops to look at him. The Farmer grabs his walking stick, maybe expecting heroic action will be needed.
Because the sight of Nick is something else. His feet are bloody, his clothing is wet and muddy. Mud smears his face and hair, his hands are cuffed behind his back, and his eyes are wide and wild. The scene is frozen, until:
nick
A tip for you all. Never let your fiancé's bitter ex-boyfriend arrange your stag night.
That seems to diffuse the situation. The Landlord rushes from out behind the bar.
landlord
You okay, young man?
The Landlord barely makes it to Nick before Nick collapses, caught in the Landlord’s arms.
landlord
Let’s get him in the shower.
landlady
Ian, what are you doing? He’s not going in our shower. He could be anyone.
landlord/ian
Bloody hell, Erica, get him some of my clothing.
No one moves.
ian
Woman, move.
erica
He’s not going into our house, Ian.
CUT TO:
bolt cutters snapping apart the chain holding Nick’s handcuffs.
REVEAL:
EXT. b&b, rear - NIGHT
insert:
Nick, topless, is kneeling by a wall, washing himself under an external tap. The mud and blood run into a drain. Ian the landlord watches.
Erica appears at the rear door, holding some clothing and a towel. She doesn’t look happy. Ian snatches the towel and throws it over Nick’s head.
INT. B&b lounge - NIGHT
&nbs
p; Ian leads Nick inside. Now he’s wearing tracksuit bottoms and a cheesy pullover. Erica follows, carrying Nick’s old clothing, still soaking wet and dripping into a bowl she holds underneath. The Farmer is still at the bar. The Businessman is still at his table. Both look over. The Young man and Young Woman are now cuddling at a corner table.
ian
Phone’s over there. Payphone, only phone we have. Dial eight-one-eight-one to get a free call.
He points. Far corner. Nick moves that way. He’s moving better now, with more energy. He grabs peanuts from a bowl on the bar as he passes.
insert:
peanuts in a bowl, knife beside the bowl
The Farmer watches him all the way.
Nick sees a clock on the wall.
