Created February 9, 2000
Fade In
Cruz glances back over his shoulder to the waves crashing against the rocks hundreds of feet below. He quickly returns his gaze to Willoughby, standing several feet below him, his arrow aimed steadily at Cruz's chest.
Willoughby smiles; "It doesn't appear that you have very many options Cruz. A horrific demise below, crashing against the rocks; or a certain, relatively painless option. This arrow will penetrate your aorta, resulting in an instantaneous death from massive hemorrhage. In either event, death will be imminent." He starts to laugh; "I've been waiting for this moment for so long! It has carried me. For more than ten years I've waited."
Cruz takes one step backwards, inches from the edge of the cliff, his eyes dart down checking his footing but quickly return to Willoughby's hand poised on the quiver of the arrow.
Willoughby: "I find it hard to believe that you and your wife didn't chose to die together. Having heard Mr. Cranston speak insufferably about this great devotion, this undying love the two of you share."
Cruz: "I would think that my death would be enough of a thrill for you."
Willoughby: "I really don't think I owe you any explanation. You can rest assured the hunt will continue and that Mrs. Castillo will also be casting off her mortal coils. I will try to make it as painless as possible. Christina, of course, will remain here with me on the island. I can give her everything she needs." Noticing Cruz move closer to the edge of the cliff, he pulls the bow taut. "Now Cruz, I must demand that you stop. I really didn't intend for you to actually have a choice of how you were going to die. And I do so want to see your eyes when I kill you. Goodbye Cruz."
Cruz seethes through clenched teeth, "Damn you to hell!" and turns to leap from the cliff as the arrow is released.
The arrow strikes him as he jumps, but not with the precision Willoughby intended. The doctor scrambles up the embankment to peer below screaming; "You're dead! I killed you!"
Fade In
Hanging precariously to a vine he had grabbed as he jumped over the side, his presence obscured in a crevice on the face of the rocks, Cruz waits. The arrow has penetrated his right shoulder and he grimaces in pain, while listening to Willoughby's ranting several feet above him.
"You're dead! I won! I won JOE!" Unable to see his kill, Willoughby slides down the embankment laughing. "My men will find you. For now, the hunt continues for the lovely widow." The wind picks up and starts to howl as dark storm clouds have moved in; Willoughby's voice thunders through the woods: "Oh, what a wonderful trophy you will make!" He laughs and wipes the dirt from his pants. Walking away, he begins to speak in a calm disconcerting tone; "Coming, Mrs. Castillo."
Cruz, hearing Willoughby's voice fade as he walks away, attempts to climb back up but discovers the impossibility due to his wounded shoulder. He then begins to descend the face of the cliffs. "Eden baby, I hope you stayed put in that cave."
Fade In
CC's yacht has reached the perimeter waters of the island.
Pearl has been standing on deck with binoculars scanning the shore. When he spots Cruz on the cliffs, he begins to yell, and soon Rosalie, Quinn, Henri, CC and Sophia, join him at the railing.
CC: "What is it? What did you see?" He raises his binoculars to look in the direction Pearl has fixated on.
"It's Cruz Mr. C! I know it's Cruz! He's climbing down those cliffs there, on the left side of the island." He drops his binoculars and points toward the area.
"Where's Eden? Do you see Eden?"
Looking back through the binoculars, Pearl looks up and down the shoreline: "I don't see nobody. Just him."
CC orders the Captain to take the yacht toward shore, and for the crew to lower a skiff.
Pearl: "Mr. C, Quinn and I will fetch Cruz."
"It is that maniac Willoughby!" CC covers his face with his hands in exasperation, "I was hoping we were wrong. I don't know what's going on, but I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch."
Sophia lays her hand on CC's arm reassuringly. "I'm going to tell the Captain to notify the coast guard."
CC slams his fist onto the railing; "We should have had them come along with us."
Sophia strokes CC's arm, speaking in a reassuring tone; "We don't know what's going on, Eden and Cruz are the only ones who do. We had no idea if they were even here. What were the chances that we'd find them so easily? If it weren't for the phone call we wouldn't have had a clue. That's why we came out here. And thank God we did, but it's not too late CC, The Coast Guard will get here, Cruz and Eden will be safe, all this will be over."
Fade In
Breathless, Willoughby enters his house to discover his two men holding a struggling Eden. He claps his hands together happily; "Perfect! This is just perfect!"
Lisa struggles against the men's hold on her arms, "Thank God you're here. Tell these idiots to let me go! I'm not Eden!"
Willoughby reaches in his pocket to retrieve a key he uses to unlock his gun cabinet. He removes a pistol and levels it at Lisa as he speaks to the men. Carefully observing Lisa for reaction: "I'll stay here with.." Pausing, he waves his gun casually in the air. "Whoever you say you are at the moment," quickly pointing the gun back to her, he continues; "I want the two of you to head to the reefs below Dante's cliff. Bring Mr. Castillo's body back to me. I'm sure you'll find him easily enough," He chuckles, "Pieces of him anyway, if he hit the reefs before hitting the water."
Lisa glares at him, incredulous of what she's hearing.
Fade In
Cruz sees CC's yacht coming toward the island. With a great deal of pain, he attempts to break the arrow, then pulls it all the way out. Close enough to the water now, he releases his grip, falls into the ocean and starts to swim toward the boat.
With his last bit of energy, he reaches the skiff and Pearl and Quinn pull him onboard. Breathless, "I have to get Eden. She's hiding on the island. Willoughby's hunting her"
Pearl: "How many men are on the island?"
Cruz struggles to rise up, but in a weakened state, falls back. Quinn reaches to hold him down. "Eden's in a cave, there's a stream..." His words fade as he loses consciousness.
Quinn: "What do we do?" He places a handkerchief to Cruz's wounded shoulder.
Pearl: "You have to get away from here, tell CC to move the yacht back out and wait for the coast guard." He leaps into the water, yelling back as he swims toward the island; "Take him back. I'm going to find Eden. I'm going to see what's going on."
Fade In
Lisa stares at him blankly. "Oh, you're saying that her husband's dead?"
"Not upsetting to you?"
"Well, for one thing, I don't believe you. Maybe you're telling me that to see if I react, to prove I'm Eden."
Laughing, "I'm going to kill you no matter who you are. It really makes little difference to me. I will, however, let you live long enough to see your husbands corpse." Speaking to the men, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go find the body!"
The men release Lisa and run out of the room. Lisa starts to rub her arms. "Why would you want to kill me? All I want to do is leave peacefully with my daughter. And besides, I don't think Kirk would approve, you know how devoted he was to Eden."
"Kirk's no longer in the picture. I have no use for you, except to fulfill my promise to your dearly departed husband."
"What promise is that?" Lisa replies sarcastically.
"To offer you a painless death."
Lisa casually walks over to a chair and sits down. "I don't know how long you plan on carrying on this charade. But, I'll play along. Tell me 'Bungalow Bill', how did you outwit the inspector? How did you manage to trap your prey?"
Keeping the gun on Eden, Willoughby reaches to pour himself a Brandy. "Don't patronize me. You'll see his body soon enough."
"Whatever.. So, where's my daughter?"
Willoughby: "I have no intention of letting Christina see you. As far as she's concerned, you're never coming back for her. I will raise her as my own. She will become 'heir presumptive' to everything I have." Lisa laughs and he pulls the hammer back on the pistol. "I'd like to enjoy my Brandy, so you need to shut up now, or you won't be waiting around to say your last goodbye to Mr. Castillo."
Fade In
Quinn returns to the yacht with Cruz. He informs them of what Cruz said before he passed out, and CC instructs the captain to move the yacht further out.
Rosalie is working on Cruz's wound when CC enters the cabin.
CC: "Has he said anything?"
Rosalie, dressing Cruz's shoulder. "I believe he is coming around now."
Cruz moans as his eyes flutter open. "Eden!"
Rosalie pushes him back as he tries to rise. "Lie still. I'm putting a bandage on your wound."
Cruz: "What happened? Where's Eden?"
CC: "That's what I'd like to know! Where's my daughter, why were you climbing down that cliff? What's going on?"
Cruz sits up abruptly. "The island! We have to go get Eden!"
Quinn: "Pearl is looking for Eden."
Confused, Cruz rubs his forehead; "Man, he won't be able to find her. He doesn't know where she is."
Quinn: "He's looking, and trying to find out what's going on. The coast guard is on their way. Don't worry."
CC: "Is Eden safe?"
Cruz: "Mr. C, she is if she stayed put. I told her to stay in a cave and wait for me."
CC turns around as the Captain enters the cabin: "What? What's going on?"
Captain: "Mr. Capwell, they've spotted two men down below the cliffs, they appear to be searching for something."
Quinn: "Do they see Pearl?"
Captain: "No, he disappeared around the eastern point of the island. We followed him as long as we could. And Mr. Capwell, there's a storm moving in."
Sophia: "How long till the Coast Guard get here?"
Captain: "The closest unit available is working on a disabled craft, with the storm moving in, they haven't been able to give us an ETA."
CC: "Dammit!" He takes a deep breath to calm down, "Thank you Captain, you can go back up now. Prepare for the storm; don't lose sight of what's happening on the island. I want to know what's going on."
Cruz: "We can't just sit here and wait!"
Sophia: "Cruz, you're hurt, now Pearl is going to bring Eden back. Please tell us what's been going on."
Cruz: "Kirk and Willoughby met in prison, they've been working together. Willoughby's the man who's had Christina. We were abducted by him and his men when we were in Hawaii."
Sophia: "Oh, my God!"
Sitting now on the side of the bed, Cruz stares blankly: "He wanted… he's waited.. All this time, to continue his game."
CC: "I'm gonna kill him!"
Cruz looks up to CC, his voice flat and emotionless. "No, Mr. C. He's mine."
Fade In
Willoughby's men return to the house. One speaks as he enters the room. "We can't find a body."
Outraged Willoughby stands: "Oh, he's there. Where did you look?"
First man: "Sir, we looked where you told us to look, at the reefs under Dante's point."
Lisa laughs, which outrages Willoughby more. Glaring at the men, "And how far up and down the shoreline did you search?"
The second man answers, stammering. "We just searched the reefs in the area you said."
Attempting to contain his temper, Willoughby lowers his voice and speaks slowly. "Common logic should tell you that when he hit the water, the current would not return the body to the same area. Try looking in a more extended perimeter."
First man: "Extended perimeter, sir?"
Quickly losing his temper again, Willoughby shouts: "Up and down the shore idiots. I don't care if you have to circle the whole damn island. Do not come back here without his body!" A clap of thunder is heard outside and soon raindrops begin to splatter against the window pane. Pearl appears at the window and watches, he is able to hear snatches of the conversation during lulls of the approaching storm.
The men disappear from the room. Lisa has sat quietly but speaks when they leave. "It's hard to find a body when there apparently is no corpus to habeas."
Willoughby turns to her. "You have a very cavalier attitude for someone who will die very soon. And you will die within the next hour, body or no body."
Lisa stands, "I have hope that my death will be as imaginary as Cruz's."
"Sit back down. I stood less than 20 feet from your husband, shot him with an arrow and then watched as he fell to his death 200 feet onto coral reefs."
"Hmm, Dumb and Dumber weren't able to find his body, he must have gotten up and walked away."
"Why do you suppose I've let you live this long, if I weren't waiting to show you my trophy?"
"I know he's not dead. He'll be coming for you. Oh, and I'm sure Eden's family are looking for you too."
"I'm not an idiot, I'm well aware of the cellular phone the two of you had on the plane. I'm prepared for whatever case scenario develops. It could prove quite explosive." He picks up a remote from his desk, his finger poised over a solitary button.
"I don't know what you're talking about. What about a phone?"
Outside the window, Pearl crouches as the men walk past him talking; "I don't want to be around here if he decides to push that button." The other man responds, "All we gotta do is find Castillo, there's no reason he should panic and decide to blow the house up, unless he gets antsy." Pearl follows as they disappear into the woods.
Back in the study
Lisa:"Oh, you have a backup plan? Maybe you're not as stupid as you look."
Willoughby continues to hold the remote. "If I suspect any problems, you will be placed in a special room, one designed for just such an occasion. With one click of this button, well, anyone would be lucky to find a few strands of your lovely blonde hair after the dust has settled."
Lisa laughs, "Oh, now I know what there is to all of this, now I know your motivation. It's hair envy! Is that it Q-ball?"
Willoughby laughs. "You know, I may have had reservations, however small, about killing Eden. But, I'm convinced you're Lisa now, and it makes the thought of ending your life so much more enjoyable. I'm waiting, because I want you to look death in the eye, I want you to experience the ultimate fear of seeing death, first hand, and knowing it's coming for you in a matter of seconds. I want to see that fear in your eyes."
Lisa: "Remind me to close my eyes."
Willoughby: "You're very funny. I suspect that this light-hearted mood will change when you see the bloody corpse of Cruz."
Lisa stares at the bookcase, then over toward the gun cabinet, pausing before speaking again. "You know, you're really nothing but a heartless bastard with this refusal to let me see my daughter."
Willoughby: "I'm not heartless, I feel genuinely for Christina. I will see to it that she lacks for nothing.."
"A mother's love?" Lisa stands again.
"She's never really known that." Willoughby examines his brandy, swirling it in its glass.
"Has anyone ever told you how obtuse you are?"
Willoughby laughs, "That's the first time I've been accused of that my dear."
Lisa seethes: "You know nothing about what there is between Hope and myself. How much we've been through together. How, regardless of what Kirk and you have done…. It's only made our bond stronger. You're clueless as to what's really going on with my child."
"What happened to your light hearted mood? You're not fun to be around any longer, Lisa."
"It is possible to lighten my mood. All it would take is to see you dead. That will cheer me up immensely. I can't wait until Cruz gets here and puts you out of your misery like the rabid dog you are."
"I suspect that very soon one of us will be getting what we hope for."
"Only if your plan is to bore me to death."
"I've had just about enough of you." He picks up a radio and speaks; "Leo, come escort Mrs. Castillo to the room." He sets the radio down and smiles. "Maybe you can use the next hour, the last hour of your life, to work on your one-liners, or you could pray."
Fade In
Pearl, soaked to the skin climbs aboard the yacht. Henri helps him up, then points below. Pearl runs below deck, stumbles into the cabin, and breathlessly proclaims. "Willoughby's got Eden!"
Cruz sits up abruptly, "What's going on?"
Pearl falls down into a chair, his hand on his chest, trying to catch his breath. Sophia walks over to him. "You saw her? Is she ok?"
Pearl: "Yeah, Mrs. C, she was ok when I saw her. Willoughby's men are looking for Cruz's body." Turning back to Cruz, "We have to get Eden, we don't have no time."
Cruz: "We can't wait for the coast guard."
Sophia: "This is dangerous, too dangerous for you Cruz. You're hurt, maybe we should wait for them."
Pearl squirms, with obvious unease: "We, we don't have any time to waste."
Cruz: "What are you not telling us?"
Pearl: "He told Eden he was going to kill her in an hour, he would prefer to show her your body first, but said he's gonna kill her either way. He's also got some type of booby trap set, some kind of Suicide plan of his. A mini Armageddon, he'll blow the whole place to hell if he gets spooked."
Cruz stands and turns to Rosalie; "Do you have any of that potion you used on Eden back in New Orleans? That powder?"
CC: "What the hell are you going to do?"
Rosalie responds calmly; a faint smile appears on her lips, intuitively knowing why Cruz has asked: "Yes, yes I do."
CC: "What are you planning?"
Cruz: "We've got to give those men what they're looking for."
Sophia: "What are you talking about?"
Cruz: "We have to give them my corpse."