Wrath of Night Chapter 5

INT. KINCAID'S CAR - PRESENT DAY - NIGHT

Kincaid is driving with James. Kincaid speaks, "And that's been my life for the past forty years. Finding and killing monsters, demons, sorcerers -- everything you were always afraid was under your bed, but hoped wasn't real. Now I'm here, in LA. Hell has taken over the City of Angels, and it's up to us to stop it."

James scoffs, "Great story. I'm really glad you're finding redemption as some kind of half-zombie demon hunter. But guess what? I don't want to be part of your war. You can let me out here. Thanks, but no thanks."

Kincaid pulls over, and James gets out of the car. He walks towards his home.

Kincaid whispers after him, "Nobody asked me, kid."

EXT. JAMES'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

James enters his parent's house. He looks around suspiciously.

James calls out, "Mom?"

A sickening feeling takes him over when he enters the living room.

Krillan is there, smiling. He says, "James, welcome home. We've been waiting for you." He is flanked by two more demons, standing behind him on either side. They seem angry, and ready to fight.

Krillan stands above Anne, James's mother, whom he has tied to a chair. She has been tortured, and her face is bloody.

James grits his teeth, and speaks, "You!"

Krillan responds, "Yes me. You left so quickly at the hospital that I didn't have time to introduce myself. I am Krillan. Not my human name, of course. But I left that behind when I left this world."

James feels the rage building inside of him, "I don't care who you are. You've hurt my mother. You're dead."

James rushes Krillan, and tackles him to the floor. James's fists fly in a flurry of fury. As James punches Krillan, a kind of lightning generates from James's hands. The speed increases until the strikes are a blur.

Krillan lies in a crater in the floor. James stands up over top of him, breathing hard. He looks at his smoking hands, confused.

Krillan calls out to the other two Demons, "What are you two waiting for?! Get him!"

The two demons grab James by the arms on either side, and force him to his knees. Krillan gets up, and wipes blood off his mouth. "You're going to pay for that," he threatens.

Krillan grabs a hot iron fire poker from the roaring fireplace, and brings it slowly toward James's face.

Suddenly, two shots ring out, and GOON 1 on James's right drops. He turns to dust.

Kincaid stands in the doorway, lowering his handgun -- an antique revolver loaded with silver bullets.

Krillans yells, and plunges the poker towards James. James kicks it upward and to the left, causing Krillan to strike GOON 2 in the throat. He releases James.

James summersaults backwards, as Kincaid fires at Krillan. Krillan is able to dodge the bullet, and takes cover behind Anne. He wraps his arm across her chest, and holds the poker right up to her neck.

Krillan warns, "Drop the gun, or she dies!"

Anne stirs awake in the chair, regaining consciousness. She sees James first, "Honey?"

James responds, "It'll be okay Mom. I'm here. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Kincaid lowers his firearm, and speaks to Krillan, "Let her go!"

Krillan replies, "Drop it!"

Kincaid drops his weapon.

Krillan shouts, "Kick it over!"

Kincaid says, "Kid, we only have one shot at this."

Kincaid kicks the revolver to James, and runs at Krillan. Krillan pushes the chair over, and drives the poker into Kincaid's flesh -- hitting him just below the collarbone on his right shoulder. Kincaid calls, "Now!"

James fires the gun, and a bullet sails through Krillan's head. He turns to dust.

Kincaid removes the poker from his body, and heals almost instantly. He sighs with relief, "30 more seconds and the sun will be up. Then I don't heal anymore. Sorry I took so long, kid."

James rushes over to his mother. He unties her, and carries her to the couch.

"Mom, can you hear me?" he asks.

Anne replies, "James, I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

James smiles, "Mom, it's okay. Just stay with me."

Kincaid dials 911 on his cellphone. He speaks to dispatch, "Yes, I need an ambulance to 426 Cordona Blvd."

He hangs up, and speaks to the two others, "EMS is on its way. Damn it, hang on Anne!"

"Mom, please..." James pleads.

Anne smiles back, "I love you."

She coughs up blood, and slowly fades. She dies.

James screams, and turns to Kincaid. He shouts at him, "You can bring her back! You have the amulet. She'll heal, like you did."

Kincaid shakes his head, "It's daylight. The spell won't work. Besides, you're talking about black magic. Dark forces you don't understand. I know it's hard, but you have to let her go."

James cries out in anger. He flips the table over.

James says, "This is your fault! I should have been here."

Kincaid responds, "I'm sorry. Demons are usually single-minded. They don't torture people for information. I thought he would give up once he lost you."

"Well you were wrong!" James yells at Kincaid, "Now get out! I don't want to ever see you again."

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

At the funeral it rains lightly. James stands at the head of a group overlooking two closed caskets. He glances up, and his gaze lands on a beautiful girl across the crowd, holding an umbrella. She momentarily locks eyes with him, but then quickly looks away. She is AMY SINGER --Adam's girlfriend when he died.

The caskets are lowered into the ground. James throws a handful of dirt onto the coffins, and walks away from the graves.

On the outskirts of the cemetery, Kincaid watches from a distance. James approaches from behind and stands beside him.

James speaks, "That bastard took my mother from me. My brother is dead. My entire family is gone."

Kincaid nods.

James continues, "What do you want me to do?"