SATANIC

Written by

Robert William McCormack

56 Gorham Avenue
Pembroke, MA 02359
(781) 361 1409
BLACK SCREEN:

Sudden, jarring, and very unsettling, the sound of SHATTERING

GLASS pierces the silence.

HARD CUT TO:

INT. WARNER HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Spilled wine oozed across a tiled kitchen floor, shards of

broken glass scattered every which way.

The sound of DRIPPING WATER is distant.

Somewhere, a CLOCK TICKS.

Then, a PHONE RINGS.

Fierce and fiery, exuding a stubborn desperation in the midst

of her messy kitchen, CATHERINE WARNER, 30, holds her hand in
a paper towel, blood seeping through.

CATHERINE
Shit.

The phone continues to RING.

Catherine stumbles from the cluttered counter towards the

sink. Quickly, she grabs a sponge and drops to the floor to
sop up the mess, just missing the phone.

Kneeling, Catherine is oblivious to the sliding glass door

quietly opening just out of sight, an INTRUDER entering.

A gun comes into range, aimed directly at Catherine’s head.

HARD CUT TO:

INT. KATZ HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT - (2 HOURS EARLIER)

Despite the pall of tension that lingers over the residence,

the Katz’s kitchen is immediately warm and inviting.

At the center of the room, seated at an old wooden table, is

Catherine, visibly frazzled. Beside her sits BETH KATZ, 59,
wife of WARREN KATZ, 61, who is seated farthest to the right.

Warren, dressed in his night clothes, still looks

distinguished and respectable. Beth appears just as refined.
 2.

Her anxiety slowly starting to manifest itself, Catherine

shuffles through her papers, piling them around the
manuscript for Warren’s novel, SATANIC.

CATHERINE
I don’t think you understand the
gravity of the situation, Warren.

The author seems unaffected, which further aggravates his

agent.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
These... threats are no longer
something we can just set aside and
ignore. You’ve seen the news. What
they did to Kenning over in Oslo
proved that.

Warren sips his drink silently.

BETH
(quietly desperate)
Warren. Please, just listen to what
she has to say.

CATHERINE
(suddenly intense)
This will not go away. You can
pretend it will, but in all
reality, it won’t. There are no two
ways about it. You either live...
or you die.

Warren, still seemingly unfazed, takes another sip of his

drink before setting it back down.

Beth, awestruck, sits back in her chair.

Catherine realizes she has crossed a line

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
I’m sorry.

She sighs, proceeding quietly.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
It’s just... it’s just this job. It
doesn’t usually entail the life or
death situations that we’re facing
here.

Warren leans forward in his chair, picking up the novel.

 3.

WARREN
I understand, I really do.

Warren looks towards Beth, taking her hand gently in his.

WARREN (CONT’D)
I am so sorry about everything that
has happened. But I refuse to give
in. I refuse to let them win.
For god’s sake, what ever happened
to freedom of speech?

Beth takes a sip of her drink, appearing almost hurt at what

is being said.

BETH
You pissed off the wrong people,
Warren. They don’t care about
freedom of speech. I just... I just
want it all back.

Catherine nods slowly in agreement.

CATHERINE
And I think I can help you get just
that.

She sighs, setting down the papers in hand and picking up a

pen to fiddle with.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
(pronounced)
I see it like this. We send you off
for a few months. Somewhere warm,
remote, a place they won’t think to
look at. You two can call it a
vacation.

Catherine looks at Warren, quickly realizing that she’s not

winning the argument.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
A working vacation, perhaps. We let
this thing cool off, let the book’s
success speak for itself in the
international markets. By Christmas
time, the world will be in full
support of Warren Katz, and we’ll
bring you back full throttle, maybe
have a book on the shelves by the
summer.
(to Beth)
Let the government do what it does
best and handle these people.
 4.

She gives a smile with the intention of appearing reassuring.

Warren leans forward in his chair.

WARREN
Has it really come to this? Running
away?

CATHERINE
(beat)
I’ll be honest, Warren. It doesn’t
look like there’s much else we can
do at this point, not unless you
want to spend the next two years
under constant police supervision --

WARREN
Prisoners in our own home.

Before Warren can continue, Beth takes a stand.

BETH
(growing agitated)
So you’re telling me to just drop
everything -- friends, family, work
-- and just go off on vacation?

She glares at Catherine, the reality of what has to happen

slowly setting in on her.

BETH (CONT’D)
How is that supposed to solve
anything?

Now noticeably upset, Warren stands to comfort his wife.

WARREN
Beth, it’s okay. It’s going to be
fine.

Beth pushes him away, starting to pace.

BETH
(anger intensifying)
You seem to have this misplaced
sense of security, Warren. It’s not
okay, and if you keep ignoring what
is right in front of you, it will
not be fine!

Genuinely hurt, Warren pauses, staring past his frantic wife.

 5.

WARREN
(to Catherine)
Catherine, could you give us a
moment?

Catherine stands, pushing her chair in at the table.

CATHERINE
I’ll just be in the other room if
you need me.

CUT TO:

INT. KATZ HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Warren holds the door to the master bedroom open, leading his
wife in. As he gently closes the door behind him, Beth sets
off.

BETH
Hiding?

She stops for a moment, shooting Warren a pained look.

BETH (CONT’D)
Hiding! Oh my god, Warren! Is this
what it’s come to? Forced to fly
away to a tropical island to escape
our problems?

Warren chuckles tiredly.

BETH (CONT’D)
Is there something funny about
this?

Warren wearily rubs his temples, shutting his eyes for a

moment.

WARREN
It’s not as if I like it any more
that you do. But you heard
Catherine. Do we really want to
spend what could easily turn into
the next two, even three, years of
our lives locked down in our own
house? Is that any sort of life we
really want? At least with what
she’s offering, we can... we can
have some semblance of a normal
life.
 6.

BETH
(slowly cooling down)
Or as normal a life as we can have
at this point.

A weary Beth takes a seat next to her husband on the bed.

BETH (CONT’D)
(defeated)
You know I’d love nothing more than
to hop on a plane and be whisked
away for a year in the sun. But are
all our problems going to be gone
when we get back? And for that
matter, what about our lives? I
know you can pack up and go, but I
have the network -- the show! What
will everyone say?

For a moment, nothing is certain.

Husband and wife gaze deeply into each other’s eyes, all the
pain and uncertainty of the past few months boiling over.

WARREN
Beth, I don’t know. That’s all I
can say. For once, I don’t have an
answer.
(beat)
But Catherine does. She can keep us
safe.

Warren lowers his gaze from his wife for just a moment.

WARREN (CONT’D)
(softly)
At this point, I think that’s all
that really matters.

Warren looks back at his wife.

CUT TO:

INT. KATZ HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Catherine meanders restlessly through the living room,

glancing at an assortment of books, picture frames, and other
family items that clutter the shelves of the living room.

As Warren and Beth descend the stairs leading to the bedroom

hand in hand, Catherine jumps to attention.
 7.

CATHERINE
So, do we have a verdict?

WARREN
We’ll go. We just need a few hours
to prepare some things, and then
we’re all yours.

Catherine seems visibly pleased.

CATHERINE
(relived, even excited)
Okay, excellent! This is great
news! Start by packing only the
bare essentials. I’ll have the bulk
of your belongings shipped down
over the course of the next week or
so. I’ve spoken to a private
airline. They said they can have
you off the ground from Plattsburgh
by six. Antigua sound nice? I’ve
found a great little place down
there for you.

Warren gives a weak smile, but Beth isn’t so easily

satisfied.

BETH
What about work? The network will
be asking all sorts of questions!

Catherine scurries over to the table, pulling a manila folder

out of her bag, drawing from it a letter, which she quickly
passes to Beth.

CATHERINE
I’ve drafted a detailed letter
explaining the situation. Of
course, like most people, I’m sure
they watch the news and are pretty
familiar with what has been going
on. Still, I’ll make sure they’re
spoken to by the proper
authorities.

Beth nods anxiously, Warren taking the letter and scanning it

over.

WARREN
It sounds very good.
(to Beth)
How about you start packing some
things? I’d just like to have a
word with Catherine.
 8.

Beth sighs, feigning a sense of calm.

Warren looks to Catherine, motioning outside.

WARREN (CONT’D)
The porch?

CUT TO:

EXT. KATZ HOUSE - PORCH - NIGHT

Warren leads Catherine out on a screened-in porch, quietly

shutting the sliding door behind them.

Somewhere in the distant darkness, a CLAP of THUNDER seems to

bitterly reiterate the ominous tension that hovers over the
Katz’s household.

Catherine appears as tense as ever.

WARREN
I’ll be blunt, Catherine. I’m not
just worried about our safety here.
You and I both know what happened
to Paul Kenning. It was...

Warren struggles for words.

WARREN (CONT’D)
... savage. If they can get to an
overseas translator, they can most
certainly get to...

CATHERINE
... an agent.

Catherine looks Warren dead on.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Trust me, I’ve heard it all. You
know how protective Lucas and
Holloway can be, especially when it
comes to the well-being of their
top agent.

Catherine forces a smile, though Warren doesn’t take much

notice to her attempt at humor.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Anyway, it’s not my job to worry
about myself. I’m here to make sure
you and Beth are taken care of, and
that’s what I plan to do.
 9.

This time, she gives a genuine smile.

Warren nods hesitantly, placing a hand on Catherine’s

shoulder.

WARREN
Beth and I will never be able to
repay you for what you’ve done for
us. Just know we’re thankful.

For a fleeting moment, Catherine appears almost emotional.

CATHERINE
I know.

Another CLAP of THUNDER echoes in the distance.

Catherine ushers Warren towards the door.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Here, you better start packing now.

INT. KATZ HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS ACTION)

The pair step into the living room.

CATHERINE
I’ll go ahead and confirm with the
airline.

Catherine picks up her purse from on the table in the

adjoining kitchen and begins rustling through it for
something.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Shit. Shit. Shit.

Warren, en route to the bedroom upstairs, stops in his

tracks.

WARREN
(alarmed)
What’s wrong?

Catherine, distraught, walks back into the living room.

CATHERINE
The company credit card. It’s not
in my purse.

She runs her hands through her messy hair.

 10.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
I ordered some software yesterday
from home. I must have left it on
the counter.

Catherine pauses to look at the kitchen clock.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Go pack. I’m going to have to go
back home and get the card. I’ll
confirm the flights from there.
(beat)
It’s ten past ten now, I’ll be back
no later than midnight. The ride
out to Plattsburgh is nearly three
and a half hours, so we need to
leave by two thirty at the latest.

Again, Warren nods.

WARREN
Be careful, Catherine.

Catherine just shrugs off the warning.

CATHERINE
Of course.

EXT. KATZ HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - NIGHT

Catherine, juggling her purse and a handful of papers,

unlocks her car and gets in.

QUICK CUT TO:

INT. CAR - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS ACTION)

Catherine slams the car door shut, tossing her mess into the
passengers seat.

Quickly, she starts up the car.

QUICK CUT TO:

EXT. KATZ HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS ACTION)

Catherine backs her car out of the driveway and pulls away.
 11.

Another CLAP of THUNDER is followed by the first drops of

rain.

QUICK CUT TO:

INT. WARNER HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Catherine pushes her way into the kitchen by way of the back
door, which she only lightly shuts.

Dropping her stuff by the door, she head to the counter where
a jumble of papers and manuscripts lie.

Catherine grabs her laptop from the mess, once again booting
it up, and dials a number on her cell phone.

A DIAL TONE precedes the answering machine.

WARREN (O.S.)
Hello, you’ve reached the Katz’s.
We can’t come to the phone right
now, so please leave a name and
number and we’ll get back to you as
soon as possible. Thank you.

An BEEP.

CATHERINE
Hi Warren, it’s me. It’s about five
after eleven and I just got in.

Catherine pulls a credit card from the mess on the counter.

CATHERINE (CONT’D)
I’ve got the card and I’m booking
the flights now. I’m going to
freshen up and I’ll be on my way a
little before midnight. Give me a
call back if you get this. My cell
will be charging, so call the
house. I’ll see you in a bit. Bye.

A click as she hangs up.

HARD CUT TO:

INT. WARNER HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT

Catherine splashes water over her face.

 12.

After drying off, she gazes into the mirror, a tired, worn,
and restless woman starring back at her.

CUT TO:

INT. WARNER HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT - MONTAGE

Catherine pours herself a sparing glass of wine before

sitting down at the counter with the laptop and mess of
papers.

Time drifts as she orders the tickets, eventually slipping

the card back into her wallet.

Her tasks completed, Catherine is engulfed by a moment of

quiet.

Silence.

She closes her eyes, letting herself, for the first time in
ages, unwind.

Suddenly, the PHONE RINGS, jolting Catherine back to reality,

her elbow knocking the wine glass to the floor.

Catherine gasps, dropping to her knees in an effort to pick

up the shards of glass.

In the rush, she slices her finger on a piece of glass.

As the PHONE RINGS one last time, Catherine rises, grabbing a

paper towel to absorb the blood.

CATHERINE
Shit.

Coming full circle, Catherine grabs a sponge from the sink

and begins to mop up the mess.

Oblivious, she fails to notice the back door slowly opening

behind her, a pair of feet quietly moving towards her.

A gun comes down from above, aimed at point blank range.

The trigger is slowly pulled back.

HARD CUT TO:

 13.

INT. KATZ HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

A light turns on as Beth jolts up from her slumber, only a

light afghan blanket covering her. Breathing heavily, she
looks around the room for her husband.

BETH
Warren?

CUT TO:

INT. KATZ HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Warren awakes, having dozed off on the couch.

He jumps to attention, nearly tripping over several small

suitcases stacked around the living room.

INT. KATZ HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Warren appears in the bedroom, relived to find his wife still

in bed.

WARREN
Beth, what’s wrong?

Beth covers her face in her hands.

BETH
(almost whimpering)
I just had an awful dream.

WARREN
Don’t worry, my love. It’s alright
now. Catherine’s on her way back. I
just missed her at the house.

BETH
Catherine was at home and someone
with a gun came in and --

WARREN
Shh... Don’t. It was only a dream.
We’ll be free of this mess in just
a few hours.

He smiles comfortingly.

WARREN (CONT’D)
You rest up now.

Beth nods, resting back down on the pillow.

 14.

BETH
(still slightly unsettled)
Right. Okay.

Beth gives a smile, as if trying to reassure Warren.

BETH (CONT’D)
Wake me when Catherine arrives?

Warren pulls the blanket up on his wife.

WARREN
Of course.

The author leans in, tenderly kissing his wife on the

forehead.

WARREN (CONT’D)
As soon as she arrives.

HARD CUT TO:

INT. WARNER HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

The PHONE RINGS again.

WATER DRIPS from the sink.

Catherine’s lifeless, outstretched arm is bathed in a growing

pool of blood on the kitchen floor, the title sheet for the
manuscript of SATANIC resting next to her, dotted with
speckles of blood.

Quiet. Just as unsettling as before.

FADE TO BLACK.