Killer in the Wind - Chapter Six

With zero hour approaching, Tripp focuses his efforts on a Halloween festival where he suspects the deadly gasser might strike. But as things take a lethal turn, all hope seems lost…until an unintentional search leads Tripp to stumble onto a culprit he could never have expected. It’s the thrilling conclusion of Killer in the Wind.

Transcripts - https://www.NocturnumCollective.com/kitwbonus

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Transcript

NOCTURNUM COLLECTIVE – SEASON ONE

Killer in the Wind – Chapter Six

Written by Karl White

NARRATOR (OPEN): There are constants that endure in the known world. Space, time, energy, matter. Physical and scientific laws constraining us to this existence. But there's a current below the surface. Contrary to the explainable, it's where the unknown resides, where meaning and form collide with the abstract, where shadows hold dominion…Enter the Nocturnum Collective.

(MUSIC – opening sequence)

NARRATOR: And now, the finale of Killer in the Wind, Chapter Six, written by Karl White.

(MUSIC – mysterious)

NARRATOR: Points on a road map, stops along the way. A journey to somewhere, the final destination is unknown. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. A pinnacle, a zenith, a culmination, a nightmare. At the sheriff's station, Tripp stands in the briefing room, staring at all of the evidence of the case laid out in front of him…The sketch artist's rendering of what young Finn saw…The still of something leaping across the county road from Duane's dash cam…The clear image of Nightshade at the Jewel Theatre…Photos of the deceased, Kevin and Jenna Sullen, Adam and Maggie Marsh, Dave Thatcher…Links to other cases, Embry Fisher, Judge Cooper, the flowers Ava identified in the poison the killer used…Photos of dead animals, rotted crops, Polygon. Cases from the past. The Mad Gasser of Hickory from 1969. Lieutenant Breslin and the Night of the Tempest in '86…The names of potential suspects, everyday citizens that have been considered. Fire Chief, Phil Corbin, who possesses a seething dislike of just about all of the victims. Raj, the mailman, known to not like the Sullen’s. Mr. Boseman, who had dealings with the Marsh’s. Cass, who worked under Adam Marsh at Polygon. Oscar Oaks, he shared a property line with Adam and Maggie, and also Polygon. There's Tilda Vetter, who threatened Embry Fisher. And of course, Brian Dobbs, whose brother died under the mysterious circumstances of a probable corporate cover-up…It could be any of them, or none of them at all…Questions abound. These are chapters of a story, already told, but Tripp is waiting for the end, wishing he could read ahead and solve the damned thing once and for all…He examines the photo of Nightshade, and a still of Lieutenant Breslin's homemade suit. He focuses on the similarities between then and now…Arlo steps in the room.

ARLO: You about ready? Best to be at the park before the festival opens.

TRIPP: I know. I'm just...

ARLO: Obsessing is what you're doing. We've got all the bases covered. Deputy Liston is on Brian all day, and Chief Baker just showed up. He said he's got a man tailing Tilda Vedder.

TRIPP: What sense does any of this make? How can we not see who's doing this?

ARLO: We'll get Nightshade. We got cops from all over helping us out today. Zero hours approaching. If that SOB tries anything, there's no way we won't get him.


(MUSIC – halloween)

NARRATOR: October 31st. Stanfield's Pioneer Park. There's a carnival atmosphere, food, midway games, rides. Given its Halloween, people are dressed for the occasion in costumes. And despite a chill in the air and the threat of a monster on the loose, townsfolk revel in merriment. But it's easy to see the places crawling with cops.

(MUSIC – polka)

NARRATOR: At a stage on the far side of the park, a local polka band plays. Wearing a dark jacket and red scarf, Lark stands vigilant with fellow Chicago officers keeping a close eye on Greg Galen who just arrived. He's dressed in his navy blazer and red ascot, shaking hands with sponsors of the festival. He's flanked on all sides by personal security…Lark gets the word out via radio.

LARK: Galen's here. Be advised.

(STING – transition)
 

NARRATOR: Stationed at the main gate of the park, Arlo sits on an ATV observing everyone who filters in. Chief Baker from Grand Prairie checks bags and masks of those entering.

ARLO: Copy that. Entrance is looking good. No trouble here. How's the Midway?

(STING – transition)

NARRATOR: At the Midway, Tripp, accompanied by Weaverville Police Chief Earl Stark, watch from the perimeter of the festivities. They're situated in a prime spot, between the front and the bandstand.

TRIPP: Clear so far. Over.

NARRATOR: The mission. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Tripp watches faces in the crowd. Individual dots, passing one another in fluid unison, like a George Seurat painting come to life. Everyone seems to be having a good time, enjoying themselves…But one visitor piques his interest…Cass, the former Polygon employee and vocal critic of Adam Marsh, watches Greg Galen at a distance. She wears a black hoodie and has a scowl on her face. Tripp, with an eagle eye on her, studies Cass' body language, her disposition. She seems anxious and ruffled…After a moment of observing Galen, she starts towards the bandstand, as if undertaking a task. Tripp turns to Chief Stark.

TRIPP: Hey, I'll be right back.

STARK: Everything all right?

TRIPP: We'll see. Keep your eyes peeled.

NARRATOR: Tripp breaks off following after Cass, she walks quickly, hands in her pockets. Tripp calls out to Lark on the radio.

TRIPP: Detective Diaz, be advised. I've got eyes on a person of interest. Heading your way, white female, in a black hooded sweatshirt.

LARK: (over radio) We'll keep a lookout.

NARRATOR: From his vantage point, following Cass, she's glancing around, cautious, as if searching for something, or seeing who might be watching. But the crowds are getting thicker. He's having trouble keeping up. Suddenly, there are loud pops.

(SFX – bang snaps)

NARRATOR: Tripp instinctually goes for his sidearm, searching around for the source of the sounds. It's two young kids throwing bang snaps on the ground to scare people as they walk by. A stern look from the sheriff and the kids straighten up. But with the distraction, Tripp has lost sight of Cass…He picks up the pace, head on a swivel…He searches for her. But rounding the corner at the concession area, Tripp stumbles on to Cass, having a somewhat animated conversation with her boyfriend. The immediate impression is they're fighting. The boyfriend begging for forgiveness with a funnel cake…She spots Tripp and gives a friendly wave.

CASS: Hey, Tripp…I mean, Sheriff Ellis. How's it going?

TRIPP: Good. You guys enjoying the festival?

CASS: Kind of…

NARRATOR: With a dubious look at her boyfriend, Tripp sees he may have overreacted, and he can't very well just stand and stare. So he continues on, keeping a covert eye on the couple…After a moment, and more groveling from the boyfriend, they share a hug and walk off, hand in hand.

TRIPP: False alarm, but stay vigilant, everybody.

(STING – transition)

NARRATOR: Well, into the autumnal equinox, and the Earth's axis has tilted away from the sun, causing October days to shorten. Night has fallen on the festival with the picturesque lights from the midway rides, games, and food trailers, giving the park a nostalgic glow. Backstage at the bandstand, Mayor Kwan and Greg Galen wait in the wings, as Stanfield's Citizen of the Year ceremony is about to get underway…Lark and the Chicago Police hover behind them, closer than Galen's own security. He peers back, not liking their presence, especially Lark's.

GALEN: She's not going on stage with us, is she?

NARRATOR: The Mayor glares at Lark.

MAYOR: No, she's certainly not.

NARRATOR: The stage manager motions, and the Mayor hurries on stage, taking her place at the podium.

MAYOR: (over speakers) Each year, I'm tasked to select someone who exemplifies what it means to be a model citizen of our great town.

NARRATOR: As the Mayor rambles on, Tripp and Chief Stark patrol in the crowd. On the other side of the park, kids play a shooting gallery game at the edge of the midway. The youngest of the group jockeys for position but is left out. Off on his own, he's looking for something else to play…In the shadowed fringe of the fair, what looks like a slot game sits alone, emanating with an inviting glow. Quarters in hand, the kid looks the game over, but he's unable to find the coin slot…

(SFX – metal clanks)

NARRATOR: Suddenly the machine comes to life, transforming from a testudo-like shell as large metal plates that overlap, wildly unfold, and extend, to reveal Nightshade. The armor on the monster's suit has been upgraded and heavily fortified. Nightshade, standing taller and ghastlier than before, looks down at the boy with its glowing skeleton face.

(SFX –screams)

 
NARRATOR: The parking lot has quieted, and the entrance consists of more people leaving than filtering in. So Arlo has let his guard down, posing for selfies with some out-of-town butcher groupies…Chief Baker takes a break heading inside a porta-potty…A moment later, the calm is broken as the young boy, frightened by Nightshade, barrels out of the exit…More screams erupt.

(SFX –screams)

CITIZEN #1: It's the Phantom!

CITIZEN #2: Hurry!

CITIZEN #3: Run!

NARRATOR: Arlo fumbles for his radio.

(STING –transition)

NARRATOR: At the bandstand.

MAYOR: (over speaker) I'm pleased to introduce our Citizen of the Year, Mr. Greg Galen.

NARRATOR: With the sounds as Galen comes out on stage, Tripp, deep in the crowd, barely hears Arlo over the radio.

ARLO: (over radio) He's here. I repeat, Nightshade's here.

NARRATOR: As Tripp grabs his walkie to respond, terrified screams erupt in the distance. He and Stark turn to see people fleeing the Midway.

(SFX –screams)

NARRATOR: Standing next to the blaring loudspeaker, Lark doesn't hear the radio chatter or the commotion.

(SFX –gunshots, multiple)

NARRATOR: Near the Midway, cops fire at the rampaging Nightshade as people clear out, but the bullets bounce off the monster's armored shell. Aiming a gloved hand, Nightshade unleashes a new tool, shooting a stream of fire at the officers, then uses its blaster to emit a thick blanket of fog that's hard to see through…The smokescreen works as the cops lose the lumbering terror in the haze. It escapes into the darkness of the perimeter of the park.

(SFX – screaming)

NARRATOR: At the bandstand, people run by, screaming, breaking up the crowd gathered for Galen's ceremony. Lark and her Chicago cops finally on to something, hurry out on stage along with Galen's security. Guns drawn, they huddle around Galen and the mayor.

LARK: Mr. Galen, Mayor Kwan, stay down.

NARRATOR: Smoke canisters fire onto the stage and into the crowd from beyond the darkness of the periphery of the park grounds. The air quickly fills with noxious gas. Lark and the others cough and choke, the gas making them ill, and the plume is too thick to navigate -- They're all trapped.

(MUSIC – eerie)

NARRATOR: Beyond the pavilion, on the ground, and inside the growing murky nebula, Tripp, Stark, and other gathering cops spot a dark mass moving on the fringe. But there is too much chaos around them to engage as citizens flee.

TRIPP: Hold your fire!

NARRATOR: Back on stage, Lark prompts everyone to cover their faces. Galen pulls his red ascot, tying it over his mouth…But suddenly, Nightshade emerges through the fog, climbing the stage, aiming the blaster primed with poison, coming for Galen. His security attempts to intervene but are taken down quickly with deadly gas…In a craven move, Galen grabs the mayor to shield himself from danger. She takes a face full of poison vapor.

(SFX –gas spray)

NARRATOR: The Chicago cops fire at Nightshade, forcing its retreat into the murk. The mayor vomits, convulsing. She grips onto Galen's navy jacket as she falls to her knees, dying. But he slips out of his coat as he makes a cowardly escape through the side of the stage. Lark sees and follows, but the gas is still thick. She pulls her scarf, similar in color to Galen's ascot, using it to cover her mouth as she pursues.

(SFX – coughing)

NARRATOR: Back in the crowd, and hearing the commotion on stage, Tripp and the others move through the haze. He spots Lark going after Galen and breaks off to follow. Past the bandstand, through thinning smoke, Galen flees in fear, Lark's trailing…Behind them, Tripp sees a shape on the edge of the darkness, moving parallel with Lark, with her dark jacket and red scarf -- Nightshade thinks she's Galen. Tripp clocks the Terror's movement, stalking Lark. He yells out…

TRIPP: Lark!

NARRATOR: She slows and turns to see Tripp. Nightshade bursts from the shadows, spraying Lark with a massive dose of poison.

TRIPP: No!

NARRATOR: Nightshade pivots towards Tripp as he cries out, giving Galen a chance to slip away, unseen. Tripp fires multiple shots, bouncing off the monster's fortified armor, but only causing it to stumble back.

(SFX –hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: On the ground, Lark chokes. Her scarf absorbed most of the poison. Tripp at her side. Nightshade hovers, seeing for itself the wrong person has been gassed. It looks in every direction, seeking Galen.

(SFX –gunshots)

NARRATOR: Shots ping off the exoskeleton as more cops catch up, forcing Nightshade to retreat with pounding steps.

(SFX –hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: Moments later, Arlo slides to a stop on the ATV. He jumps off, rushing to Tripp's side. Seeing Lark, he calls out on his radio.

ARLO: Officer down. Eastside Pioneer Park. We need an ambulance.

NARRATOR: He looks at his son with an unwavering resolve.

ARLO: Go get that son of a bitch!

NARRATOR: Needing no other prompting, Tripp hops on the four-wheeler and peels out in the grass.

 
(SFX –ATV)

NARRATOR: Tripp's hat flies off as he tears through a freshly harvested field. Not far ahead, the silhouette of nightshade is illuminated by the bright moon heading towards the railroad tracks where a train is stopped at the new grain elevator to be filled with cropped corn and soybeans.

(SFX - ATV)

NARRATOR: Throttled down, the ATV can catch up with the supernaturally fast assailant. Tripp has to act before it reaches the tracks. He aims his gun and fires.

(SFX –gunshot)

NARRATOR: A shot rips through a tank on nightshade's back. The force sends the titan tumbling. The mist used as the smoke screen gushes from the punctured canister, filling the field with thick plumes of smoke.

(SFX –gas sprays)

NARRATOR: Heading straight for the growing cloud, Tripp breaks but loses control on the soft terrain. He bails as the ATV flips.

(SFX –ATV crash)

NARRATOR: Picking himself up from the dirt, Tripp's surrounded by the blinding mist. Head on a swivel he can't see in any direction. The eerie absence of sound makes it impossible for Tripp to know what's in front of him…Feet away, nightshade with the light-sensitive goggles watches as his pursuer stumbles through the smoke and as the lawman nears, floodlights on nightshade's suit blast Tripp's sensitive eyes blinding him.

(SFX –lights power on)

NARRATOR: But now with a target to shoot at, Tripp fires errant shots at the light. One bullet punctures a hydraulic on the suit. Another cracks the brute's helmet, the lights power down as nightshade lurches back.

(SFX –hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: Regaining footing, nightshade again tries to escape into the smoke. But as the wind in the field pushes the fog away, Tripp spots the monster, heading for the tracks, albeit markedly slower, with part of its suit disabled. Tripp pursues on foot, but catching up to nightshade, reality sets in. He's alone, his heart races, but he can't let the brute get away.

TRIPP: Stop, or I'll shoot!

NARRATOR: Surprisingly, in a vulnerable state, nightshade complies, back turned to Tripp.

TRIPP: On your knees!

NARRATOR: Tripp's cautious on his approach.

TRIPP: Hands on your head.

NARRATOR: Nightshade does as he says…Tripp sees blood on nightshade's collar, a rip in the back of the mask. The shattered plexiglass from the helmet cut them. He also notices weld marks on the new pieces of armor affixed to the suit and seams in between. It's easy to be distracted being this close to the vision of terror that Tripp's been hunting all these many months…But back to the moment, he needs to secure his prisoner, then he can see who is under the facade. Rightly nervous, Tripp's shaking hands fumble with the cuffs.

(SFX –handcuffs)

NARRATOR: Somehow knowing of the sheriff's inexperience, Nightshade, waiting for a moment just as this, spins, spraying Tripp in the face with some kind of irritant. Tripp falls to his knees, gasping for breath, and through swelling eyes sees Nightshade standing over him, possibly staring down death once again…Tripp cowers. The brute leans down, staring through red glowing goggles, and over a gravelly microphone, speaks.

NIGHTSHADE: I don't want to have to hurt you, Tripp.

NARRATOR: The fiend turns and takes a few leaping bounds, up onto a stationary train car, then over. Tripp looks through the cars to see the direction the monster is fleeing, but his vision is blurry, only making out that the shape is disappearing into anonymous darkness…Unable to pursue, Tripp collapses into the dirt, defeated.

(SFX – ventilator)

NARRATOR: At the hospital in Champaign, Tripp is hooked to a ventilator struggling for breath. Arlo stands at the door, talking with the doctor.

DOCTOR: He's suffering from acute respiratory distress, not unlike smoke inhalation. He shouldn't have any trouble recovering, but we need to keep him overnight for observation. As the doctor leaves, Arlo comes over, taking a seat at Tripp's bedside.

ARLO: Larks, critical but stable. Mayor Kwan didn't make it…Deputy Liston was on Brian all night. We can rule him out. Same with Tilda Vedder…We had the numbers. The festival was locked down. I don't know why we couldn't stop what happened.

(SFX – ventilator mask)

NARRATOR: Tripp pulls the ventilator mask away, and in a hoarse voice, Nightshade knew my name, but I couldn't make out the voice.

TRIPP: He had a cut from a shot to the helmet. If there's glass or DNA in the field, we can ID him.

NARRATOR: Through his exacerbation, Arlo tries to calm him.

ARLO: Save your strength. I'm proud of how strong you've been.

TRIPP: I'm not strong. Back on the side of the road, when Gino Corso had his gun in my face, I didn't want to die, but I was helpless. With Arthur Leary threatening to blow me up, I froze. When Nightshade had me, all I could do was cower. Faced with death over and over, it's made me feel like there's no control in my life.

NARRATOR: Tripp’s eyes well, struggling to put his feelings into words.

ARLO: You've been rolling your eyes at my stories since you were ten, but there's one I've never told anyone. The chase with the Butcher…When I cornered Carver in the barn alone, he got the drop on me. He stabbed me. I was down. He was about to slip my throat. I just married your mom. I was so scared begging and pleading with him not to kill me. And for some reason, he let up. I was able to get the upper hand and hold him until backup got there…There's no controlling life. You just do your best. In these situations, you've survived, how you do it doesn't matter.

NARRATOR: Arlo looks down, his eyes glassy with tears.

ARLO: There's something I need to tell you, Tripp…I found out I have cancer.

TRIPP: Dad, I'm so sorry.

ARLO: We caught it early, so I got a good fight and chance. But I want you to know, I love you, son.

TRIPP: I love you too, dad.


(MUSIC)

NARRATOR: It's nearing midnight. Portable lights are set up around the edge of the field, and railroad tracks where Tripp had his run in with Nightshade. Scores of police officers, including Chicago cops and state police, scour the field for evidence, while Phil and the local firefighters walk the tracks and the gravel embankments, searching for any indication as to where the sinister Nightshade went…Oscar, wearing a hat, looks somewhat peaked. Maybe it's the late hour, but he's out helping. And with flashlight in hand, he searches the ground near the newly constructed grain elevator…But he continues walking back and forth, in the same pattern, covering the same spot, and every so often looks back at where the old elevator sits. It's a week from being demolished, in bad shape. Several of the tall silos are cracked and crumbling. The immediate area around it is cordoned off with caution tape and signs that read, Restricted Area, Keep Out, and Condemned…Another round of surveilling the same stretch, and this time, when Oscar looks up, he spots a state trooper breaching the tape, straying towards the entrance of the old grain elevator…He hurries over.

OSCAR: Hey, you can't go in there.

STATE: TROOPER: My captain told me it needed to be cleared.

OSCAR: There's no chance anyone is hiding out in this old building.

STATE: TROOPER: That thing disappeared into thin air. No prints passed the tracks. It went somewhere. I'm sure there are a lot of places to hide in a big hollow structure.

NARRATOR: As the trooper tries to push past, Oscar forcefully steps in his way.

OSCAR: It's crumbling inside. The place is gonna be detonated next week. The demolition company has already set some of the charges. Only authorized personnel are allowed inside.

STATE: TROOPER: I don't care. I've got orders. Get out of my way.

NARRATOR: Phil, seeing the rigid exchange hurries over.

PHIL: What's going on here?

STATE: TROOPER: Your man is impeding my search.

OSCAR: Trying to tell him this place has fallen apart. It's too hazardous for him or anybody else to go in.

PHIL: Oscar's right. He's been helping the engineers ready this place to be brought down.

STATE: TROOPER: Regardless, it needs to be searched and cleared.

OSCAR: Why don't I go in? I know where all the soft spots are. There's no reason for you to get needlessly hurt, Officer.

NARRATOR: Oscar looks to Phil, who looks to the trooper, who nods at the seemingly reasonable compromise.

(SFX – keys)

NARRATOR: Fishing a set of keys from his pocket, Oscar opens the rusty entrance. Alone, he enters a short hallway, leading into an expansive opening next to the four, tall, hollow silo tubes of the crib towers. He makes his way past disassembled machinery strewn in haphazard piles, ready to be hauled away. To his left, a rickety service elevator with an accordion-type scissor gate. Above it, an old painted sign that reads, “Head House”. There's caution tape across it and an out-of-order notice on the handle of the gate. To Oscar's right, a winding staircase labeled “Gallery” hugs the contour around the farthest silo. Going left, Oscar pushes past the caution tape opting for the lift.

(SFX – elevator door)

NARRATOR: Climbing in, he heads up. The elevator seems to be in fine working order, though loud.

(SFX – freight elevator)

NARRATOR: It's a slow go, but finally reaching the top, he steps off the lift to the sound of a strong wind that creaks and groans through the heart of the old building, where the arteries of pneumatic conveyor belts converge. 

(SFX – wind)

NARRATOR: The sound is like a mournful dirge.

(SFX – squeaky floor)

NARRATOR: Keeping his flashlight down, he walks through the darkened head house, expertly weaving between temporary support posts that are set up all over the room to keep the roof from caving in. Heading for a door on the other side of the space, it leads to the gallery, a long hall-like corridor the length of the silo tops. A defunct conveyor belt spans the middle of the room, once used to carry grain from the head house to the silos for storage. He shines his light around, on the lookout.

(SFX – squeaky floor)

NARRATOR: Back through the head house he goes, but his path to the elevator deviates, making his way to a darkened corner where he flips on work lights…

(SFX – lights power on)

NARRATOR: …revealing Nightshade suit. He looks over the damage it took hours before in the chase with Tripp. There's a jumble of other equipment. Hydraulics, a welder's torch and helmet….Oscar goes for his radio.

OSCAR: Hey, Phil, tell that trooper it's all clear up here, and let's keep everybody else away. We don't need the liability of somebody getting hurt.

PHIL: (over radio) Yeah, I'll spread the word.


(MUSIC)

NARRATOR: The light of the moon fades, turning dusk into dawn as the hunt for clues, and the killer continue. In the daylight, the search has expanded. Dozens more officers from different jurisdictions have arrived, walking Pioneer Park and the surrounding fields, scouring for evidence. Volunteers go street to street on the west side of town, trying to help pick up any sign of the monster's trail. But as the hours of the day tick away, there are more questions than answers…The locations where Tripp and Nightshade had their confrontation are sectioned off, marked with flags. State CSI crawl on hands and knees, scrutinizing every rock or piece of dirt that looks out of place. Arlo watches on with Chief Stark from Weaverville and Chief Baker from Grand Prairie.

STARK: No glass, no blood, nothing, and we're gonna lose the light soon.

ARLO: I'm not sure how much more thorough we can be.

BAKER: Some cases are like that, Arlo, but we'll crack it. We gotta.

ARLO: Let's pack it in for now. We reconvene tomorrow.


(MUSIC)

NARRATOR: At the hospital, Tripp is getting dressed. Cell phone to his ear.

TRIPP: How to go?

ARLO: (over phone) Not great.

TRIPP: If it's any consolation, Doc says I'm fine. I'm being discharged.

ARLO: (over phone) I'll leave here in a few. I'll be there in 30 minutes or so.

TRIPP: And a bit of a silver lining in all this. My sense of smell is back.

ARLO: (over phone) We’ll take it. Any word on Lark?

TRIPP: I saw her earlier. She's awake, doing better.

ARLO: (over phone) Good. See you soon.

(SFX – car driving off)

NARRATOR: In Stanfield near the tracks, Chief Stark is the last to drive off. Arlo gives him a wave as he hangs up with Tripp…Alone, Arlo makes his way to his cruiser, taking his gun belt off and putting it in the car.

(SFX – car door)

NARRATOR: As he goes to climb in, he spots something in the distance by the old grain elevator. Wanting to check it out, but with the sun ready to disappear on the horizon, he grabs a headlamp from the trunk.

(SFX – trunk)

NARRATOR: Making his way past the caution tape, Arlo moves in. But the thing he saw is just a red tarp flapping in the wind. It covers an abatement pile, wood, and sheetrock, covered in flaking blue paint, the work Oscar's been doing to prep the elevator for demolition. The debris is sectioned off with safety signs and the tarp, which has come loose as the wind has started to pick up…But as long as he's there, Arlo decides to search the ground around the pile for good measure.

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: As he walks the shadows, he turns on his headlamp. But it doesn't work.

(SFX – button click)

NARRATOR: He takes it off, checks the batteries, he hits the on switch again…This time, it illuminates. As he puts it on, light streaks across the grain elevator. And about ten feet up, on the outside of the structure, he sees what appear to be scrapes of boot prints…He cocks his head, as the light from the headlamp trails up. More prints, five feet apart, ascending the building, like someone or something has scaled the cracks in the side.

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: The sound of footsteps, and Arlo turns as Oscar, in a ball cap and jacket, rounds the base of the elevator, surprising each other.

ARLO: Jeez, Oscar, you scared me.

NARRATOR: Thrown, all Oscar can muster is...

OSCAR: What's going on?

ARLO: Were you canvassing? Everybody else is left.

OSCAR: I was on the search team last night. Phil and I cleared this area.

NARRATOR: Oscar's nervous, coming across weird. It's hard not to notice.

OSCAR: How's Tripp? Heard he went to the hospital. Is he okay?

ARLO: Uh, yeah. Where are you headed?

OSCAR: Got to finish prep in the elevator.

NARRATOR: He mimics it falling, hand-gesturing a big explosion. Arlo answers with an apprehensive smile, then points to the anomaly on the side of the building.

ARLO: Do you see those up there? What are they?

NARRATOR: Oscar steps forward, looking, but a sudden stiff gust of wind blows his hat off. Arlo's headlamp catches bloody bandages on the back of Oscar's head. Arlo's mind races with colorful expletives. He goes for his gun…but it's not there. Oscar chases his hat down, putting it back on. He turns to see Arlo's rigid look as he's spinning around to head back towards his cruiser.

ARLO: You know, I gotta split and pick Tripp up at the hospital. I'll let you get to it.

NARRATOR: But Oscar knows that he knows.

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: As Arlo walks away, he pulls his phone and fumbles, texting the first number to pop up, Chief Stark.

(SFX – texting clicks)

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: Hearing steps behind him, he types Oscar and hits send.

OSCAR: Hey!

NARRATOR: Reaching the car, Arlo turns…Oscar's closer than he thought. He rushes him and sprays Arlo in the face with a hand-held canister of knockout gas.

(SFX – gas spray)

 
NARRATOR: Outside the hospital, Tripp waits for Arlo, but he should have been there by now. He tries his father on his cell.

(SFX – phone ringing)

NARRATOR: It immediately goes to voicemail.

ARLO: (voicemail) You've reached Arlo. You know what to do.

NARRATOR: Tripp hangs up. He's sure it's fine, and that there's some reasonable explanation for his father not to answer. But just shy of worried, he dials another number.

(SFX – phone ringing)

NARRATOR: At the Stanfield Sheriff's Station, Deputy Liston, working dispatch answers, 

LISTON: Stanfield County Sheriff.

TRIPP: (over phone) Hey, it's Tripp. Have you seen my dad?

 LISTON: He was with the search party, but he called it an hour and a half ago.

TRIPP: (over phone) He was supposed to come get me, but he's not answering his phone.

LISTON: Try Chief Stark. They were the last two I saw there.


(SFX – driving)

NARRATOR: In the back seat of a rideshare, Tripp's anxious on his phone with Chief Stark.

STARK: (over phone) I'm not with him. I just got home, but I got a text from him. Says, “Oscar”, who is that?

TRIPP: He's a guy in town, one of the firefighters.

STARK: (over phone) Figured it was Arlo texting who I'd be on search duty with tomorrow.

TRIPP: Thanks. I'll check with Oscar.


(SFX – car door)

NARRATOR: The driver drops Tripp off at Oscar's, a small bachelor's bungalow, just a block or so from downtown. There's a row of them, old workers' quarters, from when the railroad was being constructed. Now they're rented, listed in advertisements as cozy, and close to nightlife. Restaurants and the Jewel movie theater…Tripp hurries to the door, knocking.

(SFX – door knock)

NARRATOR: But the place is dark, and with no answer, figures no one is home…Looking up and down the block, trying to figure out what to do next, Tripp looks back at the bungalow, catching sight of a glow emanating from a basement window. Tripp walks back and leans down, trying to peer in, but the window is crudely boarded over…He knocks on it.

(SFX – window knock)

TRIPP: Oscar, are you in there?

NARRATOR: Still no answer…Tripp makes his way around the cottage, trying the back door, first knocking, then tries the knob.

(SFX – door creaks open)

NARRATOR: It's unlocked…Stepping in the house, but not wanting to intrude, he heads straight to the basement door, cracking it.

(SFX – door creaks open)

NARRATOR: There's light.

TRIPP: Oscar?

NARRATOR: Still no answer, so Tripp figures he's overstepped enough and turns to leave…When a distinct smell, wafting up from the basement, hits him -- It's floral in nature.

(SFX – footsteps descending stairs)

NARRATOR: Curiosity pulls him down the stairs, into the basement…There, Tripp finds hydroponic LED growing stations, giving life to rows of bright and exotic flowers. As Tripp takes it all in, he quickly realizes the blooms are an identical inventory of Ava's forensic list of plants used in Nightshade's poisons.

(STING – terror)

NARRATOR: And in the musty corner of the basement, beds of mushrooms in dark, dank soil. As Tripp's mind runs the gauntlet of connecting, deciphering, and reconciling Oscar, a man he's known for nearly all of his life and considers a friend, is a stone-cold serial killer…It happens quickly, now time is of the essence. Tripp morphs into investigator mode, looking around, taking everything in. There's a lone doorway on the other side of the room, wondering what other mysteries he'll find.

(SFX – door creaks open)

NARRATOR: Tripp opens the door to the bungalow's utility room. He jumps, coming face to face with an early iteration of the Nightshade suit. It's on a mannequin, complete with a mask painted with the glowing skull.

(SFX – sounds upstairs)

NARRATOR: Upstairs, sounds of the front door and footsteps hurrying through the house. Tripp quietly sequesters himself in the utility room, watching through a crack in the door.

(SFX – footsteps descending stairs)

NARRATOR: Oscar runs down the stairs, quickly grabbing supplies. He's in a hell of a hurry…A moment later, he rushes back up, with sounds of him leaving again.

(SFX – sounds upstairs)

NARRATOR: As silent as can be, Tripp hurries up after and makes it to a window, where he sees Oscar quickly walking away with purpose.

(MUSIC – tense)

NARRATOR: Along the outskirts of downtown, Oscar does all he can to stay out of the radiance of the streetlights. Not far behind, Tripp cautiously sticks to the shadows, following at a distance…Oscar disappears around the corner of a building…Tripp, not the most well-versed in tailing someone, prudently waits a beat at the edge of the establishment before peering out…Oscar, further ahead now, is making his way toward the darkened shadows of the old grain elevator. His gaze drifting up, Tripp spots lights on at the top in the elevator's head house.

(SFX – door creaks open)

NARRATOR: As Oscar goes in, Tripp makes his move, but off to his left sits Arlo's cruiser. He hurries to it and through the window spots his dad's gun belt and weapon.

(SFX – freight elevator)

NARRATOR: Inside the old grain elevator, Oscar boards the lift, going up…Outside, ear to the door, Tripp listens, tracking the noise of the service elevator. When the sound fades to nothing, Tripp slips inside.

(SFX – door opens)

NARRATOR: He can't take the lift. Retrieving it would be a dead giveaway. So Tripp has no choice but to hit the stairs that lead to the gallery.

(SFX – ascending stairs)

NARRATOR: Taking steps two at a time, Tripp climbs. Months of morning cardio paying dividends. But about halfway up, he makes the mistake of looking down.

(STING – dizzy)

NARRATOR: Vertigo gets the better of him. Tripp stumbles. His knees buckle. He nearly falls back. But he grips the handrail with enough force to keep him upright. His heart races, vision blurs, he can't breathe. A mix of dread and adrenaline gives him a dose of reality -- He's no hero. Why is he doing this? But looking up, he knows. Fear be damned. Tripp forces one foot in front of the other as he continues towards danger.

(SFX – heavy door open)

NARRATOR: Finally reaching the top, Tripp pushes through a heavy panel door, cringing as the rusted hinges squeal open. He sneaks across the length of the gallery, following the conveyor towards the lights in the head house.

(SFX – squeaky floor)

NARRATOR: The rotted floor creaks loudly under his feet. With every step, sound, and vibration he creates, Tripp prays he's not giving himself away…He reaches the head house door. Going through might be tricky, as he doesn't know what lies on the other side. So instead, he carefully crawls through the conveyor flap, staying as quiet as a mouse.

(MUSIC – tense)

NARRATOR: Off in the corner of the head house, the lights of Nightshade's workstation. Oscar, in the suit, minus the helmet, is perched at a worktable, mixing poison. His back to Tripp. Next to him is a large collection of canisters. He's prepping something big…On the far side of the room, Tripp spots Arlo, unconscious. He sneaks along the large conveyor, using it as cover to stay out of sight and undetected. Tripp readies Arlo's gun that he retrieved from the cruiser.

(SFX – readying gun)

NARRATOR: This is going to be one of the hardest things he's ever had to do, but Oscar must be stopped. Tripp takes a breath and springs into action.

TRIPP: Freeze!

NARRATOR: But much to Tripp's dismay, Oscar's chair is empty

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: Suddenly the conveyor explodes as Oscar rips through it, charging at Tripp like an enraged bull. Tripp fires wild shots that ping off the exoskeleton, then gets the hell out of the way, running to safety and hiding behind a support post. He calls out to Oscar.

TRIPP: You're doing all this because of Polygon?

OSCAR: A few years ago, Jeannie got sick. We traced it back to an aquifer under our property. Poisoned by Polygon. We were keeping it quiet, suing him. Then last summer, Jeannie was working in her garden and heard an explosion coming from Polygon's direction. Whatever the wind carried made her real sick, and she took a turn for the worse. Polygon is poisoning this whole town.

(SFX – hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: Oscar sneaks towards the post. Tripp can't peek out, but knows the brute is nearing. Oscar swings the suit's powerful fists, splintering the support.

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: Tripp barrel rolls away as part of the ceiling crashes down. Aiming, Tripp gets off a few more shots. Some bounce off Oscar. Others damage his already impaired shell.

(SFX – hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: As Oscar recoils from the shots, he inadvertently hits the button on the glove that shoots flames from his hand. One of the posts catches on fire.

(SFX – fire spreading)

NARRATOR: Setting his feet, Oscar charges again and hits more posts as he comes at Tripp. More pieces of ceiling fall, cratering through the floor. 

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: One hits near Arlo, rousing him. He sees Oscar in the suit, chasing Tripp through the room, the quick spreading fire. The head house won't last much longer.

(SFX – fire spreading)

NARRATOR: Beyond the work lights, Tripp weaves the labyrinth of remaining posts, getting behind another for cover. Oscar loses sight of him in the shadowy space. On the other side of the room, Arlo is on his feet. He and Tripp make eye contact. They communicate non-verbally. Arlo motions to the lift. Tripp can't make it. He prompts Arlo to go alone. Arlo resists. So much said between them without a word…Tripp calls out to Oscar as a distraction.

TRIPP: Oscar, what do you mean about Polygon?

NARRATOR: Oscar turns, following Tripp's voice, allowing Arlo to slip by undetected to the waiting lift.

OSCAR: This beautiful land that so generously provides us life has been contaminated by Polygon. Jeannie died of cancer. I've been diagnosed. I'm dying. Others are, too. It's a symptom of the sickness that big corporations bring, and Galen's pockets are deep enough to let him get away with it.

(SFX – hydraulic steps)

NARRATOR: As Oscar talks, he creeps around the room, searching for Tripp, who is quietly evading him.

OSCAR: He's paid off judges and lawyers and inspectors, even Maggie Marsh, who worked at the hospital, was manipulating medical records to keep Galen's hands clean. The epidemic is bigger than you think, Tripp.

NARRATOR: Seeing a shadow streak in the periphery, Oscar sneaks up on the other side of the post from Tripp, then punches it with enough force to crush it. 

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: As he does, Arlo activates the lift going down. Only a few posts remain…Tripp tries to stay one step ahead but miscalculates and sneaks out from behind a post thinking the coast is clear. Oscar lunges, grabbing Tripp and lifting him off the floor by his neck.

(SFX – mechanical sounds)

NARRATOR: Tripp holds on to the monster's powerful suit arms to stop from choking, but he needs to keep his friend-turned-adversary talking.

TRIPP: What about Dave Thatcher?

OSCAR: My farm was proof. Galen had the bank repossess my land, seized my assets as Jeannie was taking her last breath.

NARRATOR: Tripp covertly looks over Oscar's shoulder. The remaining lift cable indicates Arlo is almost to the ground floor.

TRIPP: Why didn't you come to me for help?

OSCAR: Because you were put in place so the powerful could get away with murder. That's what they do, exploit the vulnerable to get what they want. I grew up in a little town, and when I was a kid, I witnessed that firsthand.

TRIPP: Hickory!

OSCAR: That's right. There the power of fear was wielded as a weapon to devalue a town and discredit an entire population. Then as I got older, I saw it again. Power used to silence a voice, calling out an injustice. So, I helped someone, and we used the same tactic to settle the score. Sometimes a monster has to be created to destroy other monsters.

TRIPP: Night of the Tempest?

OSCAR: Matt Breslin was my friend, and he taught me that when there's something in this world worth fighting for, you have to act. I wanted to turn the tables and pollute the blood of the wicked with the power of nature.

NARRATOR: But Tripp's questions, while answering long unknown mysteries, worked as a distraction.

(SFX –freight elevator)

NARRATOR: Hearing the lift reach the ground floor, Oscar looks, Arlo's gone. Seizing on the diversion, Tripp shoves his gun into a seam of the Nightshade armor.

(SFX – gunshot)

NARRATOR: Stunned, Oscar lets go of Tripp. Smoke from the shot seeps up from under his exoskeleton.

(SFX – footsteps running)

NARRATOR: Out of the titans' clutches, Tripp makes his getaway. Crawling back through the conveyor flap into the gallery, Oscar limps after him, wounded…But he hits the rotted wood wall with enough force to burst through.

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: Momentum sends them both tumbling down the conveyor belt. Oscar rolls but holds on. Tripp bounces off onto the floor.

(SFX – thud)

NARRATOR: Slow to get up, Tripp feels the weak surface under him. Oscar puts boots on the ground, slowly rising to his feet. But he's hindered by the shot, blood seeping.

OSCAR: Polygon must be stopped. I'm taking the battle to Galen's front door.

NARRATOR: Limping for the stairwell, Tripp tries to flee. But Oscar gains ground quickly with heavy, weighted steps. Tripp stumbles and falls.

(SFX – falls to floor)

NARRATOR: Standing over him, Oscar primes his blaster, ready to end Tripp with a dose of poison.

OSCAR: I'm sorry, Tripp, but there's nothing that's gonna stop me from this reckoning.

NARRATOR: But the weak floor suddenly gives way.

(SFX – loud crash)

NARRATOR: Oscar crashes out of sight…Tripp sees an eerie glow from the hole in the floor. Crawling to the edge, Oscar hangs onto a beam over the black abyss of an empty silo below. Tripp reaches out.

TRIPP: Give me your hand!

NARRATOR: Wounded, weak, weighed down by the suit, Oscar's struggling to hang on.

TRIPP: I'll help you. Just take my hand.

OSCAR: All I wanted was justice for Jeannie.

NARRATOR: Tripp can see Oscar's giving up.

TRIPP: Oscar, don't!

NARRATOR: But he lets go -- The glow of Nightshade plunges into darkness. A tragic end to a once gentle soul.

(SFX – fire spreading)

NARRATOR: Tripp looks up, smoke fills the room as the fire has spread from the head house to the gallery. He needs to fight to stay alive.

(SFX – descending stairs)

NARRATOR: Tripp hurries down the steps as everything above him burns.


(SFX – sirens)

NARRATOR: Outside, sirens and lights are everywhere as police gather. Phil and his firefighters gear up, prepping to go in. Arlo, wrapped in a blanket, is being attended to by an EMT. He nervously watches the door to the building, praying.

(STING – hopeful)

NARRATOR: Through the smoke, Tripp emerges. Arlo hurries to him, happily hugging his son, but has to ask the burning question.

ARLO: Oscar?

NARRATOR: Tripp shakes his head, “No”…Then Phil calls out.

PHIL: Everybody, get back. It's coming down.

(SFX – building crumbling)

NARRATOR: They all scatter as the old elevator, burning against the night sky, crumbles unceremoniously to the ground.

(MUSIC – pensive)

NARRATOR: In the days following, a paper trail found in Oscar’s bungalow would reveal the size and scope of the malfeasance taking place at Polygon. Highly toxic and hazardous waste leaching into Stanfield's soil, groundwater, and air, causing irreparable consequences that will take years to assess. And while the deadly actions of Nightshade shook the community to its core, Oscar’s crimes helped reveal a network of suppression and corruption between Greg Galen, the mayor, certain state reporting agencies, local courts, and area hospitals, all complicit in concealing negative environmental and public health impacts that Polygon had on the residence of Stanfield. In response, Tripp's first order was to open an official investigation into the death of Kyle Dobbs, hoping to assist the government in building its case against Polygon and to seek answers and justice for Kyle's family.

(MUSIC)

NARRATOR: Early on a cold November morning, at Greg Galen's mansion, FBI agents escort him out in handcuffs. The press waits in droves at the end of the drive. Tripp confidently stands, watching Arlo at his side.

ARLO: I was going to head to the hospital and check on Lark. Want to tag along?

TRIPP: Why don't you go ahead? I'll catch up later.

NARRATOR: As Arlo makes his way to the cruiser, Tripp approaches the eager press. They clamor for a quote.

REPORTER: Sheriff Ellis, the recent string of gas attacks, now a massive cover-up at Polygon. What message do you have for the citizens of Stanfield coping with the aftermath of these shocking developments?

NARRATOR: Tripp straightens his hat and thinks about it for a moment.

TRIPP: Well, a great man once said, crime can't hide from the long arm of the law.

NARRATOR: He looks over to his dad, who's still within earshot…Arlo smiles, knowing no matter what happens next, Stanfield is in good hands, with an Ellis wearing the badge.

NARRATOR: The end.

(MUSIC – outro)

NARRATOR: For more killer content, subscribe or go to NocturnumCollective.com