Episode 2 - Scene 3 An Assassination Attempt

Cut to
INT - AN INTERNET CAFÉ - EVENING

JOSEPH walks inside the building. There are some people quietly working at some individual computers. He walks towards the back of the room, where a SHOPWORKER, early thirties, is standing behind the till.

SHOPWORKER
Alright, mate?

JOSEPH (politely)
Hi. Is it okay to use a computer?

SHOPWORKER
There’s a spare computer by the printer. You have to pay for a minimum of thirty minutes usage.

JOSEPH
That’s fine.

JOSEPH goes to take out his wallet.

SHOPWORKER
Pay me once you’re finished using the computer.

JOSEPH puts the wallet away. Hr then walks over to the computer by the printer. He sits at it. He loads up the internet. He types in the web address of the music show. The website loads up.
He sees that the auditions are now over and that the finalists have been chosen to appear on the live shows. He sighs. The SHOPWORKER stands next to JOSEPH. He looks at the screen. JOSEPH is unaware that he is there.

SHOPWORKER
I never figured that would be your cup of tea.

JOSEPH faces the SHOPWORKER, then he looks back at your computer screen.

JOSEPH
Err, no. My sister watches it. She missed last week’s episode, so…

SHOPWORKER
Ah, right. She didn’t miss a lot.

The SHOPWORKER walks away.

Cut to
INT – A HOTEL ROOM – EVENING

KAT is sitting down on the edge of the bed. The bag is also on the bed. KAT opens it, taking out a dagger. She holds it in her hands.

Cut to
INT – A BAR – EVENING

PADDY and NATALIE are still sitting at the bar, talking to each other. PADDY has a pint of beer in front of him. NATALIE has a glass of wine in
front of her. Some music is playing in the background.

PADDY
Come on. Let’s dance.

NATALIE
No. I don’t dance.

PADDY (insistently)
Come on.

PADDY gets to his feet. He holds his hand out, and NATALIE takes it. He leads her onto the dance floor, where some other people are dancing. They both begin to dance.

Cut to
EXT - OUTSIDE THE INTERNET CAFÉ - EVENING

JOSEPH walks out of the building. He has his hands inside his trouser pockets. He begins to walk down the street, in the direction of the hotel. He passes an alleyway. LINK steps out of it. He grabs hold of JOSEPH’S arm, who struggles.

LINK
Don’t struggle.

JOSEPH stops struggling. LINK lets go of him.

Cut to
INT - A CAFÉ - EVENING

JOSEPH and LINK are sitting at a table. JOSEPH has an opened can of drink in his hands. There are some people sitting at other tables around the room. LINK looks at them all. He turns back to face JOSEPH, who takes a mouthful of drink.

LINK (whispering)
You need to have less trust in the people you’re working with.

JOSEPH
What do you mean?

LINK
Edwin has people working on the inside. How do you think he found you in the first place?

JOSEPH doesn’t answer him. LINK brings out a brown envelope from his jacket. He places it on the table.

LINK (continued)
Open it.

JOSEPH picks up the envelope. He opens it, bringing out a photo of ACE and EDWIN secretly meeting together.

JOSEPH (shocked)
That’s not possible.

LINK
We never met.

LINK gets to his feet and he walks away, leaving JOSEPH sitting on his own.

Cut to
INT - THE PENTHOUSE SUITE - EVENING

PADDY and NATALIE burst inside the penthouse suite. They are kissing
passionately. PADDY kicks the door shut. He also switches the light on.
They move across to the bed. NATALIE pushes PADDY onto the bed.

NATALIE
Wait here. I need to get something from my room.

NATALIE walks out of the room. She closes the door behind herself. PADDY sits on his own. KAT comes out of the bathroom. PADDY faces
her. She suddenly takes out a dagger. PADDY gets to his feet.

PADDY (shocked)
What the hell is this?

KAT throws the dagger at him. It gets stuck in his arm. PADDY looks at his arm in shock.

PADDY (loudly)
Ow!

PADDY takes the dagger out of his arm. He drops it onto the floor. KAT takes out another dagger. PADDY picks up a chair. KAT throws the
dagger at him. It gets stuck in the chair. PADDY begins to move closer towards her. KAT takes out another dagger. She throws it at him.
It also gets stuck in the chair. PADDY hits her in the face with the chair. She falls onto the bed. PADDY throws the chair onto the floor. He
gets onto the bed. He grabs hold of KAT, holding her onto the bed. She tries to get free, but she can’t. She groans.

Cut to
INT - THE FLOOR BELOW - EVENING

An OLD MAN and an OLD WOMAN are sitting in bed. They are each reading a book. They hear the bed squeaking from inside the penthouse suite, and KAT groaning. The OLD MAN chuckles to himself.

OLD MAN (smiling)
That reminds me of the good days.

The OLD WOMAN glares at him.

Cut to
INT - THE PENTHOUSE SUITE - EVENING

PADDY is still holding KAT onto the bed. She stops struggling.

PADDY
Who sent you to kill me?

KAT doesn’t answer him. PADDY takes out a dagger from the chair. He is about to stab her in the leg, but she squirms.

KAT
Edwin.

PADDY
How did he find me?

KAT
I don’t know. He got a tip-off. That’s all I know.

PADDY lets go of KAT. She gets up.

PADDY
Get out of here. And if you try to come back, I will kill you.

KAT gets off the bed. She quickly runs across the room. She runs out of the room, closing the door behind herself. PADDY looks at the cut on his
arm. It is bleeding. NATALIE comes back inside the room a moment later. She has her handbag in her hands. She sees that PADDY’S arm is bleeding.

NATALIE (shocked)
Oh, my God! What happened to you?

PADDY
It’s nothing to worry about.

NATALIE walks across the room. She sits down on the bed. She looks at PADDY’S arm.

NATALIE
I can get that sorted out for you.

PADDY
I’m fine.

PADDY faces her. They both begin to kiss.

Cut to
INT - THE PENTHOUSE SUITE - NIGHT

JOSEPH walks inside the penthouse. He closes the door behind himself.
He has the envelope in his hands. He switches the light on. He sees PADDY, who is sitting on his seat. He gets to his feet.

PADDY
Where have you been?

JOSEPH
I went to check on the show. I didn’t know if it had begun yet.

PADDY
You shouldn’t have gone out.

JOSEPH
I know. I’m sorry.

PADDY sees the envelope in JOSEPH’S hands.

PADDY
What’s that?

JOSEPH
You need to see this.

JOSEPH hands the envelope to PADDY, who opens it. He brings out the photo of ACE and EDWIN meeting together. He faces JOSEPH.

PADDY
Who gave you this?

JOSEPH
Some guy. Apparently he works for Edwin.

PADDY takes out his phone. He rings OWEN, who answers the phone a moment later.

PADDY
Sir, I have something I think you should see.

Cut to
INT - ACE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

ACE is sitting on the settee, watching the television. He is using the remote to flick through the channels. He switches the television off. He gets to his feet. The apartment door suddenly bursts open. Several armed police officers come inside the apartment. They surround ACE.

POLICE OFFICER
You’re under arrest! Put your hands in the air!

ACE puts his hands in the air.

ACE
Who authorized this?

OWEN steps inside the apartment.

OWEN
I did. You’re being investigated for treason.

ACE (surprised)
Treason?!

OWEN
Take him away.

Some police officers grab hold of ACE and they begin to take him across the apartment, towards the door. ACE struggles with them.

ACE
I haven’t done anything wrong! You can’t do this to me! You can’t do this.

ACE is taken out of the apartment. OWEN follows them out of the apartment.

Cut to
INT - AN INTERROGATION CELL - NIGHT

ACE is sitting at a table on his own. His hands have been handcuffed together. The door opens. OWEN steps inside the room. He closes the door behind himself. It locks. He has the photo of EDWIN and ACE together in his hands. ACE faces him.

ACE (relieved)
At last. Are you gonna tell me what the hell’s going on?

OWEN
I think you should tell us what’s going on.

ACE
I don’t understand. What am I meant to have done?

OWEN
Take a look at this. There’s photographic proof that you have been in contact with Edwin.

OWEN hands the photo to ACE, who looks at it.

ACE
That’s fake. I’ve never met him in my life.

OWEN
Well, obviously you have. This was taken last Summer. And at the time, you were on leave.

ACE
I’m not a traitor.

OWEN
Then what were you doing with your time?

ACE (reluctantly)
I… was seeing someone.

OWEN sits down in front of him.

OWEN
We’ll soon know the truth. CJ is tracing the source of the photo.

ACE
Look. I may be many things, but I’m not a liar or a traitor. You know this.

OWEN
There’s one thing I’ve learnt over the years and that’s you can’t trust anyone. Especially those who work with you.

OWEN’S phone begins to ring. He takes it out of his jacket and he answers it. ACE sits there, watching him.

Cut to
INT - THE PENTHOUSE SUITE - NIGHT

JOSEPH is sitting at the table. He is watching PADDY, who is standing in
the middle of the room, talking to OWEN on the phone. He finishes the phone call. He then turns to face JOSEPH.

PADDY
That was Owen. The photo was fabricated.

JOSEPH
I’m really sorry. I didn’t meant to cause you any unnecessary trouble.

PADDY sits down at the table.

PADDY
You did the right thing. You weren’t to know. I fell for the photo as well.

JOSEPH
I feel really bad. Ace is such a nice guy.

PADDY
Don’t beat yourself up over it. It was only a mistake. An easy mistake.

PADDY pauses.

PADDY (continued)
You better get yourself to bed. It’s really late.

JOSEPH gets to his feet and he begins to walk towards the spare bedroom. He stops by the door.

JOSEPH
Goodnight, Paddy.

PADDY
Goodnight.

JOSEPH walks inside the room. He closes the door behind himself. PADDY sighs.