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Malevolence By Cathleen Faye & Melinda MacCaughtry
TEASER 1 EXT. DESERTED BEACH - NIGHT 1 A young couple CAREFULLY picks their way down a rocky trail that leads to the beach below. Holding on to each other, they're giggling, being silly, and unsteady on their feet having had way too much to drink. The young man carries a beer bottle that he continues to drink from. They reach the beach and begin to walk the water's edge hand in hand. 2 ANGLE VIEW FROM WATER THEY ARE BEING WATCHED 2 MICHAEL Oh man, my head is spinning. DAWN That's because you forgot to "Just say no." (beat) To anything. MICHAEL (playful) But the groom-to-be is supposed to get wasted. There's a rule somewhere. DAWN That's at the bachelor party, this was just the engagement party. You're getting an early start. Michael puts his arm around Dawn and nuzzles her neck. MICHAEL How about we start that honeymoon thing early too? He kisses her deeply but loses his balance with his eyes closed. Dawn steadies him though she is none too steady herself. DAWN (laughing) How about we just see if you can walk upright for a bit? Michael grins and drinks from his bottle as they walk again. He gazes out over the night ocean. 3 ANGLE FROM WATER. STILL WATCHING AND MOVING WITH THEM AS THEY 3 WALK THE SHORELINE. DAWN I called the travel agents today. They can get us a condo in Hawaii for a month for a good rate because it's the off season... Michael is looking intently out at the water only half listening. He cranes his neck slightly as though trying to see to see something. DAWN (CONT'D) ...We can just surf, eat & make love for 30 days. Just you and me. I can't wait-- MICHAEL (interrupting) Did you hear that? DAWN Hear what? Michael doesn't answer. He stops walking and looks off over the water. He takes a step towards the surf. DAWN (looking the same direction) What did you hear? There is only the sound of waves, the wind and ...something else? MICHAEL (almost to himself) Don't you hear that? Michael takes a few steps into the water but Dawn catches his hand and pulls him back along the beach as she continues to walk. DAWN I don't hear anything. Come on. You're too wasted to go swimming. Michael allows her to pull him along the beach again, but he continues to stare back out at the ocean. 4 ANGLE FROM WATER. WATCHING AND FOLLOWING. BUT CLOSER IN NOW 4 Dawn and Michael are approaching a tall rock formation. There is the loud sound of a large wave smashing into it and Michael's head suddenly snaps up. He drops the beer bottle and pulls away from Dawns hand again. He moves towards the rocks. MICHAEL (a whisper) I'm coming... He climbs over the rocks. Slowly at first and then with increasing haste. Dawn watches him a moment, irritated. DAWN Where the hell are you going? He ignores her and she becomes concerned as a wave splashes over Michael as he clambers over the rocks. DAWN (CONT'D) (worried) MICHAEL! COME BACK! MICHAEL!! Michael doesn't respond or even look back. He is scrambling wildly and drunkenly over the rocks, rushing now to where ever he's going. Dawn now chases after him. 5 ANGLE TO WATER. THIS DESPERATE HASTE IS BEING WATCHED CAREFULLY 5 FROM THE WATER NEAR THE ROCKS. Dawn closes in on Michael only to see him disappear on the other side of the rock. Panicked now, she also scrambles over them as best she can in the dark and in her condition. DAWN Michael? Listen to me. Stop screwing around, it's too dangerous. Michael! As she comes over the edge of the rock in the moonlight, she sees: Michael's back as he kneels on the edge of the rocks, oblivious to the water that splashes against him. In the darkness, Dawn can make out that he is holding on to something and she comes closer. It's a woman with long hair that Michael has pulled partially from the sea. Dawn stops moving a moment in shock. DAWN (taken aback) What the hell....Michael what's happening? Suddenly, Michael leans in and kisses this woman hungrily, pulling her against himself, his arms holding on to her as though he is the one drowning. DAWN MICHAEL!! What the hell are you doing? Michael doesn't even turn at her call, he continues to caress the woman, sliding his hands through her wet hair to hold her lips to his. DAWN MICHAEL! TURN AROUND AND LISTEN TO ME!! Dawn breaks off suddenly when the woman moves her lips to the side of Michael's neck and turns her gaze up to DAWN. In the moonlight, the woman's eyes are luminous green, glowing incandescently; startling beautiful and dangerously evil at the same time. Like emeralds on fire. DAWN (scared to death now) MICHAEL... LISTEN TO ME... PLEASE.. Dawn moves towards them and suddenly, the woman's lips bare back from her teeth as she makes an unearthly hissing sound at Dawn. Dawn screams at the chilling sound and involuntarily takes a backwards step, stumbles and falls back against the rocks as a wave breaks and covers her with water. She hears a malevolent laugh. Dawn struggles to get back to her feet and looks back. Michael and the woman are both now gone. There is only the bright neon blue of phosphorescence sparkling in the water as Dawn stumbles to the water's edge and continues to scream Michael's name. FADE OUT: END OF TEASER ACT I 6 INT. FBI HALLWAY - MORNING. 6 Elevator dings, the door slides and off steps Scully. She's completely bedraggled. Wet hair, soaked coat, sour look. Carrying her briefcase she navigates the darkened hallway, dripping as she goes. She struggles to open the door to the office with her wet hands. CUT TO: 7 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE 7 Mulder is leaning back in his chair, feet on desk, phone pressed to his ear with his shoulder as he twirls the handset cord. He laughs at something said to him as Scully enters. MULDER ..You only wish! That line-drive jump shot of yours was as crooked as John Gotti. He glances up as Scully enters. MULDER (CONT'D) Hey Robert, my partner just got in....Yeah that one. OK. I'll give you a call when we get into LA. Mulder hangs up and takes in Scully's bedraggled appearance. This could work to his advantage. He comes around the desk to help her with her coat. MULDER What the hell happened to you? SCULLY (exasperated) I got rained on Mulder, that should be fairly obvious. She accepts the paper towel he's found and begins to dry off her face and hair. SCULLY (CONT'D) Who was that on the phone? MULDER An old friend. Dr. Robert August. He's a Marine Biologist who teaches at Pepperdine University at Malibu. SCULLY And what did I hear about going to LA? MULDER Robert tells me that there have been a series of weird deaths out his way and since we're the weird death experts he wanted us to come take a look. SCULLY What happened? MULDER There have been five deaths in the last two weeks. All male, all local surfers and all within the same stretch of beach. The apparent cause of death is drowning but Robert is suspicious that the deaths are due to some sort toxins in the water. He's interested in getting your opinion on the matter. SCULLY (surprised) My opinion? How does he know me? MULDER He's read some of your forensic pathology research papers I guess. And he knows that you're my partner. But there's another twist. SCULLY There always is. What? MULDER The last victim was the fiancé of Robert's teaching assistant. She says she saw him die, but the locals are dismissing her story. SCULLY Which is? MULDER (hesitating) She claims that he was murdered....by some sort of creature that came from the sea. SCULLY (blinking) A sea creature? MULDER (nodding) Like the others, he washed up on the beach. But since both she and her fiancé had been drinking the locals aren't putting much stock in her story. Which admittedly...is kind of strange. SCULLY Kind of. But this Dr. August believes it? MULDER (shaking his head) I don't think so, but he's worked with her for five years and says she's not given to hallucinations. He's concerned because all of the dead men were friends of his. At Scully's questioning look MULDER (CONT'D) Robert's a surfer too. SCULLY (bemused) He's a surfer....of course. Mulder comes around the desk. He stands near Scully and decides to be charming. MULDER Look Scully, it's 28 degrees here, its raining and snowing. The weather girl said it's 80 degrees in LA. SCULLY (aware she's being conjoled) Oh? Would that be the weather girl on the Spice channel, Mulder? MULDER Yeah, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, low pressure front. Come on Scully, it'll be a nice day at the beach. Bring your sunscreen. 8 EXT. LAX - DAY - PLANE LANDING (STOCK) 8 It's raining. CUT TO: 9 EXT. CAR - PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY 9 Still raining. Mulder & Scully are driving at a slow crawl, the agents having been unaware that Southern California drivers grind to a standstill in anything that remotely resembles actual weather. Mulder is on the phone. MULDER We're at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset. How much further? OK. We'll be meet you at the hotel. It's the Malibu shores. OK. Thanks. Mulder disconnects and looks sheepishly at Scully who fixes him with a hard stare. SCULLY The weather girl on the Spice Channel might not want to give up her night job. Scully idly notices all the surfers parked along PCH. Hearty creatures that they are, they are surfing in the rain. SCULLY So how long have you known this surfer guy? MULDER (a little defensive) This surfer guy is a graduate of Harvard and got his doctorate from MIT & the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Scully nods her acknowledgement of these impressive credentials. MULDER (CONT'D) I've known Robert since grade school. We played on the high school basketball team. (smiles now) He wasn't as good as me of course, but he'll tell you differently. SCULLY Ah, male-bonding at its most basic level MULDER (laughs) Yeah and when Manuela Carlson broke both our hearts in high school we discovered that we had a mutual interest in trying to comprehend the mysteries of life, like the inherent evil nature of the female of the species and their power over the male. SCULLY Inherent, Mulder? Inherent? MULDER (grins) OK - maybe not inherent. Maybe-- SCULLY Maybe just responsive to the male stimulus? MULDER (Deliberately looking up at the sky) Hey - Look, the sun came out! Mulder is quiet a moment, remembering. MULDER (CONT'D) Robert's a good guy. He was the only person who didn't treat me like a pariah in that small, small town after Samantha disappeared. Anyway, up until about five years ago he was a Research Specialist at Woods Hole. Then he came to California on a project. He fell in love with a woman and fell in love with the surfing culture. The woman dumped him but the surfing stayed I guess. (shakes his head) I think he took a teaching position mostly so he can surf in the morning, teach in the afternoon and have summers off. Scully considers this information as they head towards Ventura County and the bright sun breaks out. CUT TO: 10 EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - DAY 10 Up the road a battered vintage jeep speeds by, radio blaring. It veers sharply into the Malibu Shores Hotel and screeches to a halt in front of the open air lobby. Out of the jeep pops Dr. Robert August. Taller than Mulder, dark and angularly handsome, he looks more like a Quicksilver ad rather than a scientist. CUT TO: 11 INT. MALIBU SHORES LOBBY. 11 Mulder & Scully are checking in at the desk where they hear the commotion and look up. Scully casts a dubious glance at her partner as Robert bounds into the lobby. Spying Mulder, Robert approaches and embraces him. ROBERT Mulder, you dog -- How the hell are you? MULDER Good, Robert, Good. This is my partner, Dana Scully. Scully, Dr. Robert August. Robert focuses on Scully. He clearly likes what he sees as she shakes his hand. SCULLY I'm pleased to meet you Dr. August. ROBERT Robert. Pleased to meet you finally, Dana. He turns his attention back to Mulder. ROBERT (CONT'D) So, you ready for me to kick your sorry ass in some one-on-one? MULDER That might not be a good idea, I don't want to embarrass you in front of Agent Scully here. ROBERT You've gone soft, Mulder. You used to like showing off. But I guess wearing a suit, tie and wingtips will do that to you. Mulder and Robert smile at each other. The gauntlet has been thrown. Scully watches this exchange with amused tolerance. Robert turns to other matters ROBERT Seriously, I really appreciate you two coming all the way out here. Have you checked in yet? MULDER Just finished. So what's the story here? ROBERT Let's head out to Dawn's and I'll tell you on the way. Come on, I'll drive. Robert turns and heads back out to his jeep. Mulder and Scully exchange looks and follow. DISSOLVE TO: 12 EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. 12 The agents & Robert are in the jeep. Mulder is in the back. SCULLY So, Mulder tells me you think these deaths are related? ROBERT Yes. I've suspected that these deaths might have something to with HABS--. SCULLY HABS? ROBERT Sorry. Harmful Alga Blooms. MULDER You mean Red Tides? ROBERT (shakes his head) Not exactly. A Red Tide is where alga grows very quickly and accumulates into dense, colored patches near the surface of the water. Those usually aren't harmful. But a HAB is where a small number of alga species produce potent neurotoxins in sudden and unexpected bloom events. These toxins are transferred up through the food chain to higher forms of life. MULDER So what -- You think eating bad clams had something to do with all these deaths? ROBERT It ain't just clams, Mulder. Fifty Sea lions died in a single HAB event just up the coast. In Mexico, over a hundred and fifty dolphins died in another single event. HABs are rapidly becoming a world- wide threat and we don't know why. Some think it might be due to El Nino pushing marine life into places it usually isn't found and some extremists think it might be something that's being manufactured and released. Mulder and Scully exchange glances. SCULLY Which camp are you in? ROBERT (shrugs) The fish and mammals these events are killing are getting larger and more complex -- higher up the food chain. It's only logical that humans are next. There have already been a few isolated human deaths reported. MULDER But weren't those from consuming infected marine life? ROBERT That's what we thought. But I can't help but wonder about the effects on someone who spends hours every day in this increasingly toxic brine and in these more powerful bloom events. SCULLY Like a surfer? ROBERT (nods) And the truth is, we don't know when events will occur and we know pathetically little about these organisms. Robert pulls into a Gas Station. ROBERT (CONT'D) I need to get some gas here. MULDER I'll get it. Mulder climbs out of the back and starts to pump gas into the car before heading off to the bathroom. Scully looks over at Robert. SCULLY So you think evidence of the biotoxins are being overlooked by the coroner in these deaths? ROBERT Maybe. These marine biotoxins are some of the most potent chemical compounds known-- some are far more lethal than sodium cyanide. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning is one of the results of a HAB. Symptoms are purely neurological and their onset is so rapid-- SCULLY I know. The most severe cases result in respiratory arrest within 24 hours of exposure. ROBERT Yeah, but the toxicology is hard to pin down if you're not looking for it. And I can't get anyone even INTERESTED in looking for it. Then I remembered that Mulder has always told me that there's no one better than you at digging this stuff up. So I figured you were the one to call. Robert notices that Scully is contemplating him curiously. Off Scully's look ROBERT What? SCULLY (shaking her head) Nothing. You just surprised me with what you were saying. I suppose I was expecting... ROBERT (finishing her unspoken thought) Ah, you heard the word "surfer" so you were expecting a glassy-eyed knuckle dragger who says, "knarley" and "dude" a lot? Scully is embarrassed. This is exactly what she expected. ROBERT That's OK. There is often some truth to stereotypes. That's how they become stereotypes. SCULLY I'm sorry. When Mulder told me you left a Researching position at Woods Hole, I just don't see how someone can put aside all that training & education to ... ROBERT (interrupting) ....chase little green men with Mulder? SCULLY (slightly defensive) I think there's a difference. ROBERT (he laughs, but it's not rancorous) Dana, I surf because it makes me feel alive. I teach for the same reasons. And somewhere along the way I decided to stop looking at life's mysteries though a microscope. SCULLY (terse now) Well, I like to think I SOLVE life's mysteries by looking through a microscope. ROBERT (aware that he's tweaked her but enjoying it) Well, I'm hoping you can solve this one. But what makes you feel alive, Dana Scully? Any reply Scully might have made is interrupted by Mulder who has returned. As he gets in the car, he senses the tenseness, but mistakes it for something else. MULDER Ready to go? Scully nods and Robert peels out. MULDER So where does your Teaching Assistant's story fit in to all of this? ROBERT I'm going to let her tell you because I don't know what the hell to make of her story. But I'm sure you've never heard anything this strange. Mulder and Scully glance at each other and smile. DISSOLVE TO: 13 INT. DAWN'S APARTMENT - DAY 13 They've entered a simply furnished apartment. ROBERT Dawn, this is Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from the FBI. They're the ones I told you about. Dawn nods. She'd tired and hasn't been sleeping. They all sit. Robert sits close to Dawn. A comforting presence. ROBERT Tell them what you told me. DAWN (A bit wary) I already told the sheriff everything. He didn't believe me and now everyone thinks I'm nuts. MULDER (gently) Tell us. We've heard more than a few strange stories. DAWN. Michael and I had been at a party at Trace's-- SCULLY Trace? DAWN Trace Harris, he's a good (beat) he WAS a good friend of Michael's. Anyway, we were both pretty wasted so we decided to go for a walk on the beach for some air. Dawn is getting more and more agitated as she tells this story. She looks to Robert who nods to her. DAWN (cont’d) We were just walking and talking and suddenly Michael gets real distracted, like he's not listening anymore. He keeps asking me if I heard something but he wouldn't tell me what he heard. Before I know it he's running out over the rocks. I ran after him and that's when I saw it. SCULLY Saw what? DAWN (shakes her head) I thought it was a woman at first. I thought that she'd been swimming at night and had maybe ended up on the rocks, but, but ... Dawn pauses again and looks away. This is the unbelievable part and she knows it. DAWN (CONT'D) She was kissing him and Michael was holding on to her like she was the greatest love of his life. When I called out to him, he didn't even hear me. But that thing looked at me. Her eyes were luminescent blue, like glowing sapphires. Then she growled when she saw me. SCULLY (glances at Mulder) Growled? DAWN She made this ugly hissing growling sound. It was like nothing I'd ever heard in my life and it scared the crap out of me. And her eyes, they were so evil and cold. (beat) I saw it. I did. But no one believes me. MULDER What happened then? DAWN She kissed him again. I stumbled over some rocks and by the time I got to my feet they were gone. Dawn begins to cry and Robert puts his arm around her protectively. DAWN (cont’d) It was like Michael didn't even know I was there, all he saw was her. Michael loved me. I know he did but she reached into his mind somehow and turned him away from me. It was like I didn't even exist and I couldn't stop him. I tried, I tried. Dawn covers her face with her hands as Robert comforts her. CUT TO: 14 EXT. STREET - DAY 14 Mulder, Scully & Robert are approaching Robert's jeep. ROBERT So what do you think? SCULLY Well, I can see why the sheriff discounted her story. It was probably just a swimmer that her boyfriend found. He could have been giving her resuscitation and they both got swept into the sea. MULDER Scully, I think this girl would know the difference between CPR and someone sticking their tongue down her fiancé's throat. How do you explain the glowing eyes? SCULLY Alcohol, Mulder. What are you saying? That some sea-nymph came and stole him away? MULDER Isn't it possible that the El Nino conditions have brought in some creatures not native to these waters? SCULLY Come on! Next you'll be telling me that Big Blue has migrated to warmer waters. MULDER I think someone would have noticed Big Blue hitching along Route 66. In any event, there's more going on here than simple drownings, Scully. You have to admit that all of these deaths are just a little too coincidental. Robert is watching the heated banter between the two agents, slightly uncomfortable, unaware that this is how they communicate. MULDER (CONT'D) There's something happening in these waters and my guess is that Dawn's not the only one to have seen something strange. We should talk out some of the locals. ROBERT (quietly) We could talk to Trace. Mulder & Scully both look over at Robert having almost forgotten he's there. ROBERT Trace Harris. He's kind of the local Kahuna. He's been surfing these waters daily for over 30 years. Everybody knows Trace, Trace knows everybody. MULDER Sounds like our man. CUT TO: 15 EXT. ON THE EDGE CUSTOM BOARDS 15 The agents walk the boardwalk leading to the storefront. In the side area, a shaggy young man in a motorized wheelchair is working on a surfboard, headphones on, rocking away to some tunes. Robert has to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. The young man looks up and smiles when he sees who it is. ROY Hey, Dr. Bob. Robert walks around the board making a whistle of appreciation. ROBERT Hey Roy. Wow, Trace has totally outdone himself here. Roy nods in agreement and then looks expectantly at Mulder & Scully for their reaction. Not knowing a quality surfboard from a child's paddleboard the agents nod appreciatively. Roy snickers derisively. ROY (aside to Robert) Barney. Robert laughs. Mulder and Scully exchange glances, vaguely aware that they've been insulted, but not quite sure just how. ROBERT (nodding) True. But they're friends of mine so cut them some slack. Is Trace around? Suddenly through the open door leading from the outdoor area into the shop, the sound of angry male & female voices are heard. ROY (sighing slightly) Oh yeah, Trace is here. So's Lenore. The voices become clearer as they approach. MALE VOICE Every time I turn around you're coming on to some guy, Lenore. I'm sick of it! FEMALE VOICE I can be outta here with no problem, Trace. I can leave tonight. Hell, I can leave right now! MALE VOICE You're not going anywhere except next door to get me a beer. And be back in five minutes. FEMALE VOICE I'll be back when I'm damn good and ready to come back! MALE VOICE That's not how it works, Lenore. Don't push me. Be back in five minutes or I'm coming after you. Out the door steps a young woman, not much taller than Scully, stunningly beautiful in a completely natural way, long dark hair, pale green eyes and smooth skin. Your basic walking wet dream. All the men follow this woman with their eyes, a fact not lost on Scully. Her eyes settle on Mulder. She holds his gaze as she approaches then passes closely by him. Within five seconds she has moved on down the street. For a second there is silence and then the men look back and glance nervously at each other. ROBERT (To Roy) God, I STILL don't get how Trace Harris managed to snag a woman like that. ROY (laughs) One the great mysteries of life, Man. A man now steps through the doorway. Late 40's, long hair, ruggedly handsome & weathered having done a lot of time in the sun before the sunscreen fad. He carries airbrush equipment which he sets on the workbench and approaches them, smiling when he sees Robert and seemingly unaffected by the fight he and the woman just had. TRACE Hey Robert. You didn't ding up another board did you? ROBERT No, but I may have to get you to make me one that looks just like this. Trace looks carefully at Roy's finishing work, running his hand smoothly and almost lovingly down the board's glassy surface. He nods his approval to Roy who grins at the silent praise. TRACE No way man, this one's mine. Limited edition of one. It's for display in the shop. Pleasantries over, Trace glances up at Mulder & Scully. ROBERT Trace, this is a friend of mine, Fox Mulder, and his partner Dana Scully. Trace extends his hand to the agents. ROBERT (CONT'D) They're from the FBI. They're looking into what Dawn saw the other night. ROY Seriously? The FBI? MULDER Seriously. We're just trying to understand what she may have seen that night and we're tying to see if anyone else has seen anything unusual. Something that maybe they might be reluctant to mention to the local authorities. (to Trace) Robert tells us you know these waters. TRACE Surfed them almost everyday since I was a kid. MULDER Have you seen anything unusual lately? TRACE (hesitant) Unusual like what? Mulder opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by Scully SCULLY (cutting to the chase) Dawn claims that some sort of creature is responsible for her fiancé's death. Both Roy and Trace look at Mulder to Scully as though they were nuts. TRACE I'd heard that. But she and Michael were pretty wasted that night. You believe her? SCULLY We don't know what happened, Mr.Harris, that's why we're investigating. ROY I thought Michael drowned? MULDER He did drown, we're just trying to figure out what caused him to drown. Along with all the others. Did you know any of them? TRACE (quietly) I knew ALL of them. Hell, I even remember when some of them were born. I-- He breaks off when Lenore re-enters the shop area. She hands him a six-pack, smiles lovingly at him, and runs her fingers up his arm. Trace smiles back and for a moment there is just the two of them. Whatever animosity there had been is now gone. Lenore turns to Mulder and Scully and speaks for the first time. LENORE (looking only at Mulder) Who are your new friends Trace? TRACE They're from the FBI. They're investigating Michael's death. (beat) And the others. LENORE (extending her hand to Mulder who takes it) I'm Lenore. Her voice is low and breathy, and Mulder finds himself holding on to her hand a tad longer than necessary. MULDER Fox Mulder. (pause, then remembers) This is my partner, Dana Scully. Lenore barely deigns to glance to Scully, dismissing her and turning her attention to Mulder. LENORE I'm so pleased to meet you, Mr. Mulder. MULDER We were just asking if anyone had seen anything unusual along the beach in the last month. Lenore smiles again, just for him. LENORE Well, as a matter of fact--- TRACE (interrupting) As a matter of fact, Lenore just moved here. She doesn't surf or swim. She hasn't seen anything. SCULLY (taken aback) Can't she tell us herself? Trace looks hard at Scully then turns to Lenore. TRACE Tell the FBI lady if you've seen anything unusual Lenore. LENORE (parroting Trace's words) No. I haven't seen anything. Trace nods in satisfaction and touches her face gently as she smiles at him. TRACE Put the beer in the refrigerator, honey. Lenore takes the beer from Trace, squeezing his hand in an affectionate gesture as she moves to door. But behind Traces back, she turns at the door and meets Mulder's eyes. She holds his gaze a moment before she goes inside. TRACE Look, I've got orders to fill. So if you don't need anything else, I've got to get back to work here. SCULLY No, I think we've taken quite enough of your time Mr. Harris. Thank you. She turns to leave. Mulder and Robert nod their good-byes and follow. Mulder waits until they have moved out on the street before speaking. MULDER Well, my finely-honed investigational skills tell me there's something amiss with those two. SCULLY Well, I won't deny that I felt like I stepped into another century before the woman's movement, but I don't know that we have cause.... She breaks off when she sees that Mulder is not listening. Mulder's head lifts, as though he's heard something, he looks around listening. SCULLY What is it Mulder? Mulder doesn't seem to hear her. He steps towards the road, looking down it. Listening. We now hear the faint sound of a siren and then an ambulance pulls into view. Robert and Scully now hear it and watch as it passes them and turns on to the beach across the street. Mulder glances back at Robert and Scully, then heads off across the road and down to the beach as they follow. A small crowd has gathered around another body that has been pulled from the sea. Mulder & Scully approach the sheriff who is overseeing the removal of the body. They flash their badges. SCULLY Sir, I'm Dana Scully with the FBI, this is my partner Fox Mulder. The sheriff gives a brief glance at the badges and acknowledges them with a nod. SCULLY Can you tell us what happened here? SHERIFF Looks like we got ourselves a floater. MULDER Don't you mean ANOTHER floater Sheriff? Isn't this number six? SHERIFF What's the FBI's interest in a local drowning? &nbs |
