Six Times Deadly: A Lawson Vampire Story Collection (The Lawson Vampire Series) (17 page)

PANEL FIVE
:
 
ANOTHER KICKS HIM IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

1. 3.
   CAP:
    
   I heard bells again.
    
   These two moved too fast to be human.
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
LAWSON PUNCHES ONE IN THE STOMACH.

1. 4.
   SFX:
    
   Oof!
   

1. 5.
   CAP:
    
   Score one for the dude with the headache.
   

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
ONE OF THE GIRL’S GRABS LAWSON’S WRIST AND ATTEMPTS A JOINT LOCK.
 
HIS PISTOL CLATTERS AWAY.

PANEL EIGHT
:
 
LAWSON TWISTS HIS BODY TO ESCAPE THE LOCK.

PANEL NINE
:
 
LAWSON MANAGES TO FREE HIMSELF.
 
BOTH GIRLS BACK AWAY.

1. 6.
   GIRL ONE:
    
   Who are you?
   

1. 7.
   GIRL TWO:
    
   We’ve never seen a human move like you.
   

PAGE SEVENTEEN

PANEL ONE
:
 
LAWSON’S FACE – A WRY SMILE.

1. 1.
   LAWSON:
    
   I’m not human.
   

PANEL TWO
:
 
BOTH GIRLS FOLD THEIR ARMS.

1. 2.
   GIRL ONE:
    
   We found Shannon’s body.
   

1. 3.
   GIRL TWO:
    
   And decided to wait here for you.
   

PANEL THREE
:
 
LAWSON NODS.

1. 4.
   LAWSON:
    
   Well, here I am.
    
   The name’s Lawson.
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
THE GIRLS MOVE CLOSER, SNIFFING AT LAWSON ALMOST.

1. 5.
   SFX:
    
   Sniff – sniff
   

1. 6.
   CAP:
    
   I felt like a side of beef.
   

PANEL FIVE
:
 
THEY MOVE CLOSER TO LAWSON:

1. 7.
   GIRL ONE:
    
   We are Tella.
   

1. 8.
   GIRL TWO:
    
   And Stella.
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
BOTH GIRLS ARE INCHES AWAY FROM LAWSON.

1. 9.
   CAP:
    
   Twins of death.
    
   Lucky me.
   

1. 10.
   TELLA:
    
   What do you want with the microfilm, Lawson?
   

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
LAWSON’S HANDS FORM FISTS – LIKE HE EXPECTS TO BE ATTACKED AGAIN.
 
HE’S TENSED.

1. 11.
   LAWSON:
    
   Friends of mine are on that film.
   

PANEL EIGHT
:
 
SPLIT FRAME AS THE GIRLS LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND THEN BACK AT LAWSON.

1. 12.
   STELLA:
    
   You are one of us?
   

PAGE EIGHTEEN

PANEL ONE
:
 
LAWSON SHRUGS.

1. 1.
   LAWSON:
    
   I don’t know what you are.
   

PANEL TWO
:
 
MULTI-SPLIT-PANEL AS THE GIRLS SHAPE SHIFT INTO HAIRY WEREWOLVES, UNRECOGNIZABLE FROM THEIR HUMAN FORM.

PANEL THREE
:
 
LAWSON SEEMS DISAPPOINTED AT THE BEASTS BEFORE HIM.

1. 2.
   LAWSON:
    
   Werewolves?
   

1. 3.
   TELLA:
    
   We prefer lycanthropes.
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
LAWSON GRINS.

1. 4.
   LAWSON:
    
   I liked you guys better as hot twins.
   

PANEL FIVE
:
 
THE GIRLS CHANGE BACK INTO HUMAN FORM.

1. 5.
   STELLA:
    
   And you would be…what?
   

1. 6.
   LAWSON:
    
   Vampire.
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
THE GIRLS CHUCKLE.

1. 7.
   TELLA:
    
   What kind of vampire uses a gun?
   

1. 8.
   LAWSON:
    
   What kind of lycanthrope uses a crossbow?
   

PAGE NINETEEN

PANEL ONE
:
 
THE GIRLS AND LAWSON FACE EACH OTHER.
 
NO ONE SPEAKS.
 
IT’S A BATTLE OF WILLS.

PANEL TWO
:
 
TELLA WALKS CLOSER TO LAWSON.

1. 1.
   TELLA:
    
   We are what’s known as
   Burlchaktang
   .
    
   Like police.
   

1. 2.
   LAWSON:
    
   I’m a Fixer.
   

PANEL THREE
:
 
BOTH GIRLS LAUGH.

1. 3.
   STELLA:
    
   You fix things?
   

1. 4.
   LAWSON:
    
   Messes like what Shannon made.
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
THE GIRLS SHAKE THEIR HEADS.

1. 5.
   TELLLA:
    
   We’ve been on his trail for a long time.
   

1. 6.
   STELLA:
    
   You had to go and kill him.
   

PANEL FIVE
:
 
LAWSON’S EYES NARROW.

1. 7.
   LAWSON:
    
   Why were you after him?
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
TELLA POINTS AT LAWSON.

1. 8.
   TELLA:
    
   Isn’t it obvious, Fixer?
    
   He wasn’t just selling out your race.
    
   There are names of our people on it as well.
   

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
CLOSE-UP OF LAWSON’S FACE.

1. 9.
   CAP:
    
   This was not good.
    
   If I didn’t get the film back, revelations that the world had a race of vampire and lycanthropes would freak humans out big time.
   

PANEL EIGHT
:
 
LAWSON THUMBS OVER HIS BACK AT BARTOK’S CORPSE.

1. 10.
   LAWSON:
    
   No offense, but maybe wasting Bartok wasn’t the best move.
    
   Especially after you guys took out Rudi earlier.
   

PAGE TWENTY

PANEL ONE
:
 
BOTH GIRLS LOOK AT EACH OTHER.

1. 1.
   TELLA:
    
   We haven’t killed anyone –
    
   

1. 2.
   STELLA:
    
   - tonight.
   

1. 3.
   LAWSON:
    
   That wasn’t you in the alley outside of Rikki’s?
   

PANEL TWO
:
 
CLOSE-UP OF LAWSON’S RIGHT EYE AND THE FURROWED BROW.
 
THE TWINS ARE REFLECTED IN HIS PUPIL.

1. 4.
   TELLA:
    
   No.
   

1. 5.
   CAP:
    
   Something wasn’t right.
   

1. 6.
   SFX:
    
   Ha ha ha ha ha…
   

1. 7.
   CAP:
    
   Behind me…
   

PANEL THREE
:
 
WIDE SHOT OF BRILLIANT LIGHT FLOODING THE WAREHOUSE.
 
LAWSON AND THE GIRLS TURN AWAY.

1. 8.
   VOICE:
    
   FOOLS!
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
BARTOK SITS UP IN HIS CHAIR PULLING GOBS OF LATEX AND FAKE BLOOD OFF.
 
HE’S GOT A HUGE SMILE.

1. 9.
   BATOK:
    
   You know, it was never enough for me to have that silly microfilm.
    
   Who would have believed it?
    
   No, I needed something better.
   

PANEL FIVE
:
 
LAWSON POINTS TO THE DOOR.

1. 10.
   LAWSON:
    
   Tella – the door!
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT JUST AS THE TWINS REACH IT.

PAGE TWENTY-ONE

PANEL ONE
:
 
WIDE SHOT OF BARTOK’S CHAIR LIFTING UP ON SOME TYPE OF HYDRAULIC CRANE.
 
HE’S CLOSE TO THE CATWALK RUNNING JUST UNDER THE CEILING RAFTERS.

1. 1.
   SFX:
    
   Whirrrrr…
   

1. 2.
   BARTOK:
    
   I’m going to enjoy this.
   

PANEL TWO
:
 
CLOSE-UP ON LAWSON, TELLA, AND STELLA’S FACE.
 
ALL LOOK PISSED OFF.

PANEL THREE
:
 
BARTOK’S HENCHMEN CLAMBER ONTO THE CATWALK WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF WEAPONRY.

PANEL FOUR
:
 
BARTOK GESTURES TO SEVERAL CAMERAS.

1. 3.
   BARTOK:
    
   I’ve got video running.
    
   I’m anxious to see if you’re truly susceptible to the stuff of legends.
   

PANEL FIVE
:
 
LAWSON BACKS UP.

1. 4.
   LAWSON:
    
   You’re going to be disappointed.
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
BARTOK NODS TOWARD ANOTHER DOOR AT THE END OF THE CATWALK.

1. 5.
   BARTOK:
    
   We’ll see, I suppose.
    
   I’ll be right back – just have to wash up.
   

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
LAWSON LOOKS AT THE TWINS.

1. 6.
   LAWSON:
    
   Any ideas?
   

1. 7.
   TELLA:
    
   He dies.
   

1. 8.
   STELLA:
    
   Painfully.
   

PAGE TWENTY-TWO

PANEL ONE
:
 
LAWSON FROWNS.

1. 1.
   LAWSON:
    
   Tell me something I don’t know.
    
   You know he’s got the microfilm.
    
   This whole thing was a set-up to get us all here.
   

1. 2.
   TELLA:
    
   We know this.
   

PANEL TWO
:
 
LAWSON POINTS AT THE CATWALK.

1. 3.
   LAWSON:
    
   Any way you guys can jump up there?
   

1. 4.
   STELLA:
    
   We came in that way.
    
   It was easier getting down.
   

1. 5.
   BARTOK (OUT OF FRAME):
    
   Having a nice chat?
   

PANEL THREE
:
 
BARTOK IS CLEAN AND LOOKS PARTICULARLY PLEASED.
 
HE THROWS SOMETHING DOWN.

1. 6.
   BARTOK:
    
   Let’s start with something easy.
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
CLOSE-UP ON A STRING OF GARLIC CLOVES ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF LAWSON.

PANEL FIVE
:
 
LAWSON PICKS UP THE GARLIC.

1. 7.
   LAWSON:
    
   Garlic?
    
   You’re joking, right?
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
BARTOK SHRUGS.

1. 8.
   BARTOK:
    
   Supposedly, it’s quite loathsome to you.
   

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
LAWSON BITES THE GARLIC AND CHEWS.

1. 9.
   LAWSON:
    
   Only thing this does is make me yearn for my Nana’s meatballs and sauce.
   

PANEL EIGHT
:
 
BARTOK FROWNS.

1. 10.
   BARTOK:
    
   Very well, we’ll escalate thing then.
   

PAGE TWENTY-THREE

PANEL ONE
:
 
ONE OF BARTOK’S MEN RIPS A TARP OFF A GIANT HARPOON CANNON WITH A NASTY WOODEN TIP ON IT.

1.
 
BARTOK:
 
A stake through the heart perhaps?

PANEL TWO
:
 
LAWSON POINTS AT THE CANNON.

1. 2.
   LAWSON:
    
   You shoot anyone with that and they’ll croak.
    
   Doesn’t prove I’m a vampire.
   

PANEL THREE
:
 
BARTOK HOLDS A PISTOL.

1. 3.
   BARTOK:
    
   Fair point.
    
   How about this then?
   

PANEL FOUR
:
 
BARTOK AIMS AND FIRES A SINGLE BULLET.

PANEL FIVE
:
 
CLOSE UP OF BULLET GRAZING LAWSON’S LEG.

1. 4.
   CAP:
    
   Hurt like hell, but it wouldn’t kill me.
   

1. 5.
   LAWSON:
    
   Your aim sucks.
   

PANEL SIX
:
 
BARTOK AIMS WITH TWO HANDS THIS TIME.

PANEL SEVEN
:
 
CLOSE-UP ON LAWSON’S FACE.
 
HE’S NERVOUS NOW.

1. 6.
   CAP:
    
   Maybe I should have kept quiet.
   

1. 7.
   BARTOK:
    
   It has been a while since I shot.
   

PANEL EIGHT
:
 
BARTOK THUMBS THE HAMMER BACK.

PANEL NINE
:
 
LAWSON WAITS FOR THE SHOT, TENSING TO TRY TO AVOID IT.

1. 8.
   CAP:
    
   I had to time it just right –
    
   

PAGE TWENTY-FOUR