Swords of Nishimura

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Swords of Nishimura Page 7

by Gordon Milburn

Running on the adrenalin from his successful deception, he gets his bike airborne over any rise he can.

  INT. YAMASHIRO BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

  Admiral Nishimura paces the bridge, frustrated at the lack of progress, focuses on Bryce.

  EXT. PARK - CONTINUOUS

  Behind Bryce, the sky is darkening, as the Admiral gets ready to motivate Jack, with yet another storm.

  The path now crosses a large drain where it disappears into an open culvert. He takes the next turn and heads upstream.

  He now pumps his legs as he climbs a short steep rise. Suddenly he emerges out onto a small tree lined street beside a large colonial villa. Bryce halts, breathing hard. He surveys the road and suddenly realizes he is beside number 27.

  He quickly spins the bike around and re-enters the park. Just inside the park, he hides in the trees bordering number 27 and the park.

  Leaving his bike hidden in the bushes, he travels under cover of the trees to scout the house. A car is in the driveway.

  Moving along the steep embankment he heads around back. All looks clear.

  The dark sky continues to build.

  He can't quite see up the other side. Slowly, cautiously he climbs the fence. He slips on the top, ripping his cargo pants and scratching his leg, he falls over the fence. Now inside enemy territory, he surveys the terrain.

  The boundary is heavily planted, allowing Bryce to get reasonably close to the house unobserved.

  Still, he can find no sign of anyone.

  He cautiously steps out from behind the flax and slowly creeps towards the house.

  Suddenly from the opposite side of the property the NEIGHBOUR, a snarly old man, sick of intrusions that come with living next to a public park, appears over the fence.

  NEIGHBOUR

  Oi! What the hell do you think you’re doing?

  Bryce startles takes flight towards the fence.

  NEIGHBOUR (CONT’D)

  Hey you! Come back here!

  Bryce bounds over the fence easily, helped by the adrenaline. He struggles back along the steep drain through the undergrowth towards his bike.

  The storm suddenly breaks unleashing a torrential downpour. In no time at all Bryce is soaking wet and the ground around him has become treacherous. Each step he takes is costing him as he slowly slips down the bank away from his bike. Covered in mud and tiring he finds a foothold, using a small tree.

  The tree gives up its grip on the sodden ground and Bryce finds himself sliding the six feet into the now ankle deep drain.

  Standing looking at himself, his torn pants, small cuts and abrasions, and recently acquired mud.

  BRYCE

  (to himself)

  Damn, Mums going to kill me.

  The flash flood bowls him arse over kite, hurling him down the drain.

  Bryce rides the wave scouring the bank with his hands. The vegetation that does not come away in his hands, cuts him as the water tears him from them. As Bryce rounds the bend in the drain the dark mouth of the open culvert, where the drain disappears under the road.

  Screaming Bryce disappears into the dark!

  INT. DENNISON'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON

  Marie is agitated. She paces the room looking from her watch to the phone.

  She crosses the lounge and enters their office.

  INT. DENNISON'S OFFICE -- CONTINUOUS

  Jack is putting the phone's handpiece back in its cradle.

  MARIE

  Where could he be? Should we..

  Jack interrupts.

  JACK

  I've phoned around. No one's seen him. The police are snowed under with the weather. But they've logged it. If they come across anything they'll give us a ring.

  Marie goes back into the lounge, she notices Bryce’s mobile on the floor. Picking it up she starts going through it looking for clues, all of the missed calls are from her and Jack, the phone is on mute. As Marie opens file after file she comes across the photos from Matai bay. Scrolling backward she starts to see the image of the Yamashiro. Faster and faster like a Nickelodeon, the Yamashiro punches through the waves.

  Marie stops, shocked.

  MARIE

  Bryce? Jack.

  She continues with the phone.

  MARIE (CONT’D)

  BRYCE? JACK!

  Now Marie has found the video of when Samantha and Bryce were on the Yamashiro’s Bridge.

  MARIE (CONT’D)

  BRYCE? JACK. JACK!

  Jack races into the room.

  MARIE (CONT’D)

  Have you seen this?

  Marie shows him the phone.

  JACK

  No.

  MARIE

  Where is he Jack?

  JACK

  Don’t worry we’ll find him.

  MARIE

  I can’t wait here, I'll go mad.

  Jack puts his arm around his wife.

  JACK

  Com’on let's go look for him, Sam can look after the fort.

  INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- MORNING

  Richard is dressed in civy clothes and about to be released but no one is there to take him home.

  DOCTOR

  Now you understand that it'll still be a few days before you'll be back to your full strength. So take it easy. Will you have help at home?

  Richard looks for the family.

  RICHARD

  Usually I'd say yes. But I'm not sure.

  The doctor doesn't know what to make of the statement.

  DOCTOR

  Well, if not let us know and we'll see about getting a nurse to visit.

  RICHARD

  (causally)

  Yeah, thanks Doc.

  Richard exits the ward.

  EXT. HOSPITAL -- MOMENTS LATER

  Outside the hospital the rain is constant. Richard hops into a taxi and heads home.

  INT. DENNISON'S -- LATER

  Richard arrives home. Samantha is the only one at home and is back working on the computer.

  RICHARD

  Hey, anyone home?

  Samantha comes out of her room into the lounge.

  SAMANTHA

  Hi Uncle. Everybody's out looking for Bryce. He didn't come home last night.

  Richard is shocked

  SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

  Mum's in a mess and I'm to wait here in case he comes home or rings.

  RICHARD

  When'd you last see him?

  SAMANTHA

  The night we came home from visiting you at the hospital.

  Richard's trying hard to think.

  RICHARD

  Was he still upset?

  SAMANTHA

  Probably. He went to his room and stayed there.

  Richard suddenly turns and heads towards the door.

  SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

  Where you going?

  RICHARD

  To the Antique shop.

  SAMANTHA

  I think Dad's already been there. What do you want me to do?

  Richard stops at the door.

  RICHARD

  Wait here for your brother.

  With that Richard exits.

  EXT. ALL SAINTS ANTIQUE SHOP -- LATER

  Richard is peering in the darkened shop's window. He then starts to bang on the glass.

  The people from the other shops come to investigate the noise.

  WOMAN 1

  (nervously)

  Can I help you?

  RICHARD

  I'm looking for the owner.

  WOMAN 1

  He hasn't been in for a couple of days.

  Richard looks surprised.

  WOMAN 1 (CONT’D)

  You’re not the only one looking for him a couple were here earlier today.

  RICHARD

  What about a young boy? Have you seen a boy? About this big.

  Richard uses arm gestures to show Bryce's height

  RICHARD (CONT’D)

  Blonde hair. With a bike.

 
WOMAN 1

  Not today. But yesterday a young fellah was here first thing in the morning. But he was wanting to buy a hat, he didn't have a bike though.

  RICHARD

  What'd he look like?

  WOMAN 1

  Yeah. He had blonde hair. He was really anxious to buy the hat, he sat here for a couple of hours and when Gerald didn't turn up, we went to ring him.

  RICHARD

  We?

  WOMAN 1

  Yes, we. I had to look his number up in the book, but it didn't do any good. There was no reply.

  The penny drops for Richard.

  RICHARD

  Do you have his address?

  It's the woman's turn to look confused.

  RICHARD (CONT’D)

  The phone book.

  The woman leads Richard into the shop to retrieve the phone book.

  INT. DENNISON’S HOUSE - DAY

  Samantha paces around the house looking from her phone, in her hand, to the house phone.

  A horn sounds outside.

  The Taxi has arrived, Sam exits the house, into the building weather

  EXT. 27 ELGIN ST -- LATER

  Richard pays the taxi driver and hops out of the cab. He heads up the path, past the car, to the front door and knocks.

  No answer.

  Now he goes around the back and tries the rear door. His loud banging brings the neighbour to the fence.

  NEIGHBOUR

  Can I help you?

  RICHARD

  Yeah I’m looking for Gerald.

  NEIGHBOUR

  He's away.

  The neighbour disappears from sight.

  RICHARD

  (calling)

  You haven't seen a young boy, have you?

  The neighbour pokes his head back over the fence.

  NEIGHBOUR

  There was a young lad snooping around yesterday. When I questioned him he just took off.

  RICHARD

  What time was that?

  NEIGHBOUR

  About eleven, just before the storm broke.

  Richard looks scared.

  RICHARD

  Which way did he go?

  NEIGHBOUR

  Back into the park, where they all come from.

  Richard scurries back around the front and turns into the park. He stands at the head of the path leading down into the park. Off to the side, some of the branches on the trees are broken and hanging limp.

  EXT. WATERFRONT WHARF - CONTINUOUS

  The taxi arrives and Sam

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