alights.
She makes her way to the Ferry ticket office and the waiting lounge. A sign announces all Ferry’s Cancelled.
Passengers mill around waiting for further instructions.
Sam evaluates the scene and walks back outside.
In the torrential rain Sam walks down the wharf, as she passes the waiting room window, she nods to a young boy staring at her.
She continues on.
The young boy tugging on his mother’s clothes, to get her attention.
A bolt of lightening breaks and the roll of thunder is milliseconds behind startles everyone, as the whole building shakes.
Samantha now at the end of the wharf stands precariously out in the open.
Inside the boy now has his Parents attention and is pointing to Samantha.
Samantha turns and smiles at him.
The next lightning strike is so close to Samantha that it drops her, unconscious, to the ground.
Richard hobbles into the trees and finds Bryce's bike.
EXT. 27 ELGIN ST - CONTINUOUS
Staggering back out.
RICHARD
(Yelling)
Bryce! Bryce! Bryce!
The Neighbour comes down to investigate.
NEIGHBOUR
What's the matter?
RICHARD
The boy you scared off yesterday was my nephew. His bike is in the bushes.
NEIGHBOUR
What's his bike doing..
RICHARD
It doesn't matter! He's missing and this is our only clue. Can I use your phone?
NEIGHBOUR
Sure.
The neighbour leads Richard back to his house.
INT. YAMASHIRO BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Samantha is regaining her composure, getting her bearings.
She launches at the Admiral.
A seaman restrains her.
SAMANTHA
It’s all about honour and family! Well, where’s the honour in killing my brother?
The Admiral is shocked.
SAMANTHA (CONT’D)
We’re all trying to help. But no you just want to rage down on everyone.
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA
Girl. I am........
EXT. WATERFRONT WHARF - CONTINUOUS
Samantha is being revived by the young boy’s father.
The mother is holding her son tightly.
The Father stops mouth to mouth and checks for a breath.
He smiles.
Now he pinches Sam’s earlobe, nothing. Now using his nail he squeezes his fingers ‘til they’re white.
Sam moves.
INT. YAMASHIRO BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Sam feels her presence waning.
Sam interrupts the Admiral.
SAMANTHA
Leave my Brother alone, tell us where he is and then help us!
EXT. WATERFRONT WHARF - CONTINUOUS
Sam is getting irritated at the pain being inflicted on her ear lobe.
She flinches.
Now a grimace comes across her face and she pulls at the hand.
Finally, she opens her eyes, she’s not happy at being pulled off the Yamashiro’s bridge.
A Medic is pushing her way through the crowd.
INT. NEIGHBOURS HOUSE -- LATER
Richard is on the phone to Jack.
RICHARD
No. I'll go and look. But I thought I'd let you know first.
Richard hangs up.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Thank you.
Richard exits the house.
EXT. PARK -- LATER
Having searched the park Richard puffing and panting drags himself up the footpath to where the park's path meets Elgin Streets path. Flushed and looking exhausted he sees Jack and Marie pull up.
Marie quickly walks over to Richard, followed by Jack.
MARIE
Any sign of him?
Richard shakes his head.
JACK
Where's the bike?
Richard points to where the bike still lays hidden. Marie goes and peers into the bushes, While Jack leads his brother to the vehicle.
JACK (CONT’D)
Here sit in here for a while. The Police are on their way and you look knackered.
Richard manages a weak smile and he climbs into Jack's 4x4.
INT. 4X4 -- CONTINUOUS
Richard lays back into the seat and gently closes his eyes, while Jack heads back to Marie.
The effort of the physical search combined with the emotional stress, due to his weakened state, take its toll and Richard drifts off.
INT. BRIDGE SUNKEN BATTLESHIP -- MOMENTS LATER
Richard storms up the darkened, narrow, companion way on board the ship and burst on to the bridge. Quickly sailors start to close in on him.
RICHARD
(stressed and yelling)
Where is he? What have you done with him?
The Admiral holds up his hand. The sailors stop.
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA
Ah Dennisan. You have problem, neh?
RICHARD
Don't play dumb with me Admiral. You know why I'm here. Where is my nephew.
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA
Ah. You have lost family?
RICHARD
Damn right I've lost family!
Richard is stopped by his words.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Now where is he?
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA
He is alive. You have my swords?
RICHARD
No. I'm only just getting over our last conversation. Bryce was working on that, until you.
The Admiral raises his hand to stop Richard.
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA
OK Dennisan. You have a sense of urgency now and also you see I am capable of extreme measures.
Richard nods his head quietly.
ADMIRAL SHOJI NISHIMURA (CONT’D)
Your family can be found downstream from the house. Follow the stream.
The Admiral bows and as Richard lowers his head, returning the bow, his vision blurs.
INT. 4X4 -- CONTINUOUS
Richard stirs from his doze, restless to become fully conscious.
He throws open the car door.
EXT. 27 ELGIN ST -- CONTINUOUS
Struggling out of the car Richard drags his disheveled self down the path and into the park with some urgency.
EXT. PARK -- CONTINUOUS
Running now following the footpath along the drain.
RICHARD
Bryce, Bryce!
At the entrance to the pipes, where the drain disappears underground, Richard stumbles into the drain. Knee deep in dirty water and struggling for breath.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Bryce! Bryce!
Coughing and breathing hard Richard waits for a reply...
Nothing. He calls again.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Bryce! Bryce.
JACK
What! What's happening?
Jack having heard the yelling has run over to the drain.
RICHARD
He's down here.
Marie and the Neigbour are following and arrive shortly.
MARIE
How do you know?
Richard looking up from the muddy drain survey's the faces.
RICHARD
I just do.
Richard moves to go follow Bryce's path down the meter diameter pipe.
NEIGHBOUR
Wait!
Everybody looks to the old man.
NEIGHBOUR (CONT’D)
It's too dangerous. You may get caught in another flash flood.
He points at the still dark sky.
JACK
He's right Richard. It's too dangerous.
Richard looks confused.
NEIGHBOUR
Follow the manholes. I'll go and get something to lift them with.
The neighbour runs off as fast as his old legs w
ill carry him.
Jack is on his mobile phone.
JACK
Rescue!
JACK (CONT’D)
Yes. We believe a child may be trapped inside a storm water drain.
Richard scrambles up the side of the drain, further covering himself in mud.
He quickly moves above the drain and starts to move away. His head slightly down concentrating on not missing any of the cast iron manhole lids, in the grass.
Stopping on a solid black circle he kneels down and taking a coin from his pocket he strikes the lid. Pressing his ear to the manhole lid Richard listens for a response.
Nothing.
He tries again.
Standing Richard strains to see the next one. Following what would be the continuing line of the stream Richard runs a hundred meters. Stopping he erratically searches for the manhole cover, that should be in close proximity. Richard stamps among the long grass until he strikes something hard.
The neigbour turns up with a large screwdriver and a hammer.
NEIGHBOUR
(out of breath)
It's the best I could do.
Richard takes both the hammer and screwdriver from the neighbour and strikes the lid with the hammer. A resounding ring can be heard.
But no reply
They continue the search.
The four; Richard, Jack, Marie and the neighbour, continue tracking carefully through the grass. They try two more manhole covers before the drain resurfaces. The drain runs into the Upper Waitemata, Richard drops the tools and runs, stumbling down the bank into the tidal mudflats. Knee deep in black ooze he struggles to get to where the drain disappears under the road and out to sea.
RICHARD
Bryce! Bryce!
Jack picks up the tools, totally oblivious of the traffic, he runs into the center of the road to the final manhole.
Marie covers her face in shock as cars narrowly miss her husband. She heads quickly up the road to warn traffic of the hazard.
Richard has struggled to the mouth of the pipes and a grizzly view greets him. The end of the pipe has a heavy steel grill across it, dammed by nature's debris; in the way of tree branches, silt, along with Aucklanders rubbish. Among the garbage, that half blocks the pipe, Richard spies a shoe. Bryce's shoe.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
(screaming)
Bryce......!
Nothing.
A Cough.
Richard's unsure of what he heard.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Bryce?
Quiet.
A cough.
A groan.
Richard clambers up the dam of steel and debris, pushing a small hole in the wall.
BRYCE
(weakly)
Uncle.
RICHARD
Hang on mate. I'm coming.
INT. STORMWATER PIPE - CONTINUOUS
Bryce is tangled amongst the debris halfway up the wall, whilst Richard’s hand grasps at the air just above him.
Richard finally touches Bryce’s; tangled, matted, dirty ash blonde hair, and both are comforted.
RICHARD
You ‘right?
BRYCE
Am now.
Richard slides back down the wall, incurring more lacerations as he goes. Next, he clambers up the embankment to the road.
EXT. WESTEND ROAD - CONTINUOUS
Sirens are building as emergency services near.
The traffic congestion has grown and a group of bystanders are helping Jack remove the heavy lid, as Richard arrives.
RICHARD
He’s there!
Richard moves to enter the manhole.
JACK
I’ll go.
RICHARD
Nah Jack, this is mine.
Jack nods and lends Richard a hand.
JACK
(calling)
Marie! Marie. He's here.
The emergency services are arriving, all the whistles and bells going.
INT. STORMWATER PIPE -- CONTINUOUS
As Richard struggles to focus in the dark pipe, the sight of Bryce half buried, twisted like a pretzel, brings on a coughing fit.
JACK (O.S.)
You OK?
RICHARD
Yeah. You OK?
BRYCE
Yeah. You OK?
All laugh, easing the tension.
RICHARD
You alright? Where are you hurt?
Bryce points to his leg, which on top of the cuts and abrasions is at an unnatural angle. Richard holds his nephew close.
Carefully Richard extracts Bryce from his entanglement and carries him back to the base of the manhole.
EXT. WESTEND ROAD -- CONTINUOUS
The paramedics have all their equipment surrounding the manhole and one climbs down the ladder to tend to Bryce.
INT. STORMWATER PIPE -- MOMENTS LATER
Richard has crawled back up the pipe and holds Bryce's shoe while the paramedic straps Bryce's leg. The paramedic then secures Bryce into a harness and hoists him to the safety of family and sunshine, above him.
EXT. WESTEND ROAD -- MOMENTS LATER
Bryce is being strapped onto a gurney for his ride in the ambulance. Richard struggles out through the manhole looking worse for wear. Jack bends down and helps his brother to his feet.
JACK
Good work. You all right?
RICHARD
(smiling)
Yeah. Just a little tired.
JACK
You want to go to the hospital?
RICHARD
Nah... A hot bath will sort me out. How's my mate?
JACK
Medics say he'll be all right. Broken leg and mild hypothermia. Marie's going to ride with him to the hospital. So I'll give you a ride home first and catch up with them after.
Jack touches Richard on his shoulder before he heads to the ambulance, where they are loading Bryce in.
INT. SAMANTHA'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Samantha is using the Internet to look for Admiral Shoji Nishimura's relatives. The Internet has shown contacts from Hawaii to the USA and untold in Japan. Frustrated she heads out to the kitchen.
INT. DENNISON'S KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Samantha opens the fridge door and takes a carton of fruit juice out and pours it over some ice in a large glass.
Her attention is drawn outside to the engine noise in the driveway. Leaving her drink on the bench she races to the front door.
Samantha stares open mouthed at the mud-clad figure limping up the steps.
SAMANTHA
Uncle? Are you all right?
The adrenaline has worn off and Richard lifts his tired head and smiles. Jack comes around the corner and into view.
JACK
We found Bryce. He's going to be all right.
Samantha smiles at the news, then rotates out of the way so Richard can pass without touching her. She scrunches up her nose at the smell as he passes.
SAMANTHA
Phew. You stink.
Jack is shocked at what her daughter has just said. Everybody is still. Then Richard bursts into laughter, breaking the tension.
SAMANTHA (CONT’D)
(Laughing)
I thought you were the thing from the swamp.
Richard turns on her raising his arms, laughing
RICHARD
(growling)
I am.
He turns and continues to the bathroom.
Samantha and Jack head to the kitchen, talking about Bryce. Sam leans with her back against the bench, while Jack fetches a glass of water.
SAMANTHA
Dad, I'm having trouble finding the Ghost's relatives on the Internet.
Without hesitation.
JACK
Phone the Japanese embassy.
Samantha perks up.
SAMANTHA
But Uncle said...
Jack's obviously thought this through and cuts his dau
ghter off.
JACK
Tell them that your holiday school project is on Admiral Nishimura and the Yamashiro.
He puts down his drink.
JACK (CONT’D)
I gotta go and meet Mum at the Hospital. Keep an eye on the thing from the swamp, will you?
Samantha smiles and with another avenue, she is rejuvenated.
Kissing her father.
SAMANTHA
Thanks Dad.
She walks buoyantly across the living room towards her room. As Jack reaches the front door Samantha calls out
SAMANTHA (CONT’D)
Tell that egg he's lucky he's hard-boiled.
Jack smiles and closes the front door.
INT. DENNISON'S -- LATER
The bathroom door opens letting the steam escape. Richard steps through the veil wrapped in a towel, looking better for it.
He limps across the lounge and knocks on Samantha's door.
INT. SAMANTHA'S BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS
Samantha is still at her computer.
SAMANTHA
Come in.
Richard pokes his head round the corner
RICHARD
How you doing?
SAMANTHA
Not bad. Dad said to try the Embassy. They're going to look into it for me.
Richard is a little setback.
SAMANTHA (CONT’D)
Don't worry. I'm doing a project for school on the Yamashiro.
Richard smiles.
RICHARD
Next, we got to find that shop keeper. Any ideas?
Smiling
SAMANTHA
A couple.
RICHARD
Cool. I'll go and get changed.
Richard shuts the door and leaves Samantha to it.
INT. HOSPITAL -- CONCURRENTLY
Jack and Marie stand at the end of Bryce's bed. Bryce's leg is in plaster and the bruising is now showing. He sleeps comfortably, warm and fed.
Jack and Marie listen to the doctor.
DOCTOR
He's a lucky boy. Not many come out of the Stormwater drainage system with such moderate injuries.
Jack pulls Marie closer.
DOCTOR (CONT’D)
We'll keep him in overnight as a precaution.
Jack shakes the doctor's hand.
MARIE
Thank you.
The doctor walks off leaving Jack and Marie to watch over their son.
INT. SAMANTHA'S BEDROOM -- LATER
Samantha's still on the computer, working diligently.
SAMANTHA
You sure your dad will let you?
A knock at the door. Samantha replies knowing Richard is the only one in the house.
SAMANTHA (CONT’D)
Come in Uncle.
Richard walks into the room.
RICHARD
You talking to yourself.
SAMANTHA
No.
She doesn't elaborate and moves so Richard can't see the monitor.
RICHARD
Well, what have you got?
SAMANTHA
I'll advertise on the net for Samurai swords for sale. Our greedy little merchant won't be able to resist and he'll contact me and we'll snap him.
RICHARD
OK. Cool. But won't he be a bit suspicious when he sees your address?
Samantha teasingly.
SAMANTHA
Of course. We'll have to reroute it, say through Malaysia. Yes, We'll send it through a company in Kuala Lumpur. So he thinks he's dealing with an international collector.
Richard is dumbfounded.
RICHARD
You can do that?
A giggling can be heard and it's not Samantha.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
What's that?
SAMANTHA
Not what. Who? Uncle Richard I would like you to meet Shafinaz.
Samantha rolls her chair away from the desk so Richard can see the screen. A young Malaysian face beams out at him.
SHAFINAZ
Hi.
RICHARD
Hi?
SAMANTHA
Sha's my E-pal. She lives in KL and her Dad is an importer. So we'll use her E-mail address.
Richard shakes his head.
RICHARD
You be careful..... Both of you. Nice to meet you Sha's.
Shafinaz giggles at Richard's astonishment. Richard heads to the door.
RICHARD (CONT’D)
Nancy Drew's got nothing on you two.
Swords of Nishimura Page 8