Black background. No music. Title shows on black screen: Homeland\remix\Man on Fire. As title begins to fade a female scream rings out. And a male voice yells NO. Black fades.
Scene opens with the sky just starting to get light. Desert. A young male and young female are sitting next to each other. The camera is on their backs. He is tall and skinny, with light brown hair. She has long dark hair and is quite small. They both look dirty. Like they haven’t showered in a while.
MALE
Hey Ange are you ready?
ANGE
Yeah.
They rise and gather a few belongings before starting to walk. The camera follows their backs.
ANGE
Gosh, Burning Man had been so much fun. But I couldn’t sleep at all after seeing her last night. After seeing her just take Masha and Zed like that. I am really ready to leave now. Get back to our lives.
-pause-
They were just stolen from the night. No one but us even knew they were still alive, and now we don’t even know that. Marcus, I am worried.
MARCUS
I am too. I think we need to be careful from now on. The Department of Homeland Security is supposed to be defunct. And she wasn’t even wearing her uniform. It looked almost like some sort underground action. Let’s just try and stay safe.
They walk for a moment, before coming close to an older car. There is no one around.
MARCUS
This doesn’t feel right.
ANGE
No. I think we need to go.
MARCUS
Let’s find somewhere to hide.
The two young adults run over to a hill where they sit again.
ANGE
Something feels off.
MARCUS
Okay we are a bit early. Let’s just stake it out right here and see if he comes to meet us. I am really getting kinda anxious to leave.
ANGE
Yeah…[She trails off]
The camera angle switches from looking at Ange and Marcus to looking out in the distance.
A figure in the distance comes into view and stands next to the car. It is a woman with a short hair cut and sun glasses. She doesn’t seem to see Ange and Marcus at first and then she focuses in on them and gives a small smile.
MARCUS
Carrie…There she…OOF.
Screen goes black.
ANGE
[fearfully] Oh…
Scene opens up slowly. Like coming out of a fog. We see the ceiling of a bathroom. Then Marcus sits up; he in a bathtub. He gets up and tries the door handle. It is of course locked. He knocks a few times.
MARCUS
[starts] HEY…
A scream. The door opens as Marcus is about to raise his hand to pound on the door and yell.
CARRIE
Hello again Marcus. It’s just great to be reunited. And once again, you have something I want. Come. We started without you.
They walk down a hallway toward a door that is cracked open. They appear to be in an old house.
I had hoped I wouldn’t have to wake you. You know after our last encounter, I had hoped I wouldn’t have to see you again.
They walk into a room. Female wimpering can be heard, but the source of which cannot be seen.
MARCUS
[Demanding] Where is she?
CARRIE
Don’t worry about Ange. She was quite unhelpful so we are putting her away soon.
MARCUS
You can’t do this, the DHS is under completely new leadership and you and all of your friends were fired! I honestly can’t believe you’re not locked up.
CARRIE
[laughs] Sit down. [Marcus does not sit] God you’re so naïve Marcus. Do you really think that the DHS is “all cleaned up” as the newspapers have been saying? You people still don’t know what is good for you. Just cattle. No Marcus. The DHS is still alive and well, in all its former glory. Maybe we don’t have the uniforms or the guns, but we still have the directorship, the resources, and the power. And we still watch you Marcus. You and your girl friend have had quite a magical little life, haven’t you? We know the kind of troublesome groups you run with online. And we know that someone got to you a couple days ago. We know what you have. And that’s why you are here. Now sit down or we will bring your girl friend back out here. [Marcus sits]
[Carrie pulls out a USB Stick]. I need you to seed this file Marcus. I know you know the encryption.
MARCUS
No way.
Carrie hits Marcus immediately.
CARRIE
See the great part about not wearing the DHS uniforms is that the rules for interrogation tactics are a bit, shall we say, fuzzy? I don’t want to ask again Marcus.
MARCUS
It will never happen. I am not as weak as I was before.
CARRIE
[Raises her hand to hit him again and pauses] What is that? [Sniffs]
MARCUS sniffs
Fire.
CARRIE and MARCUS start coughing and MARCUS uses opportunity to get up and run. As he runs out of the house he sees an unconscious body on the ground. CARRIE is yelling after him. MARCUS runs outside where ANGE is waiting. The house is on fire.
ANGE
No time, start running.
The two run. Scene changes to a dark alley. ANGE and MARCUS are sitting against a wall.
MARCUS
What the hell did you do back there??
ANGE
Don’t worry about it. Marcus, we have to get into hiding.
We need a plan.
Scene blackens. “To be continued” comes on screen. Credits roll.
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