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Priest

Screenplay By Phillip Ghee (USA)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Storyline

CHAPTER 27

STORYLINE

Jared shuns the professor and pushes him away. DeBaptise takes advantage
of the situation. While the professor’s back is turned, DeBaptise quickly swoops
up the dagger from the floor and proceeds to tackle the professor to the floor.
All three men fall to the floor. Hearing the commotion, Braxton ventures downstairs.
He is witness to the chaotic scene in front of him.
He comes to the aid of the professor by introducing a clay vessel to the back of the detective’s skull. DeBaptise blacks out.

When DeBaptise regains consciousness he finds that he is once again binded, this time more securely and also, gagged. Braxton is still trying to ascertain exactly what is going on. He doesn’t understand why the professor declines to call campus security or the police. Jared remains silent and withdrawn.

The professor tells Braxton that DeBaptise is a member of a crew (robbers) who want to
rob him of money and artifacts. He takes Braxton off to the side. The professor is jittery. He takes a deep breathe, gains some composure and tells Braxton the following: he wants Braxton to go upstairs and remove from the professor's wall safe, 500,000 thousand dollars. He tells him the combination to the safe. He then wants him to drive DeBaptise's car to the Bus Station. He instructs Braxton to deposit the money into a bus locker and wait. He should be approached by a man. The man will strike up a friendly conversation
and then ask for the Key to the City. At this point, Braxton is to give the man the key and return back to campus by cab.

Braxton tries to coax more information from the professor regarding the complexities and purpose of such plan but is shushed.

A confused yet obedient Braxton embarks out on his task. The professor is now very nervous and not as self assured as earlier. The professor returns his attention to Jared.
Rather than try to win his confidence, the professor is straight forward and take an accusatory and stern tone with him. He tells Jared that they are in this thing together and whatever the case, that Jared is still an accessory to murder and to the cover-up of a capital crime. Upon hearing Braxton leave, the professor rustles the detective up to his feet.  He instructs Jared to fetch their coats. The Professor whispers menacing to DeBaptise.
                                   
                                                            Professor
(anguished)

“That little Bitch, that little demon, bitch. All of this because of her. Four lives changed forever because of her, damn it, damn it, damn it.”

(he stumps his feet in frustration, then make a plea as it were to DeBaptise)

“Jared is a good boy, but more than that, he is Chosen. He’s the one, he has the mind, the will, the determination. He will answer the call. He has the heart of passion. He can lead the church through the tumultuous times that we are headed for. He is Vatican Bound. The first American Pope. Can’t you see it man?”

(his pleas now become sobs once more)

                                                Professor (cont.)

(Damned witch, Jezebel spirit.)

[Jared returns, the professor collects himself and the men exit through the rear door. They travel down a muddy path into the woods. The rainfall is still heavy as they march through the bushy overgrowth and on unto a clearing at the edge of the woods.
 Now the three men stand at a summit overlooking majestic cliffs that tower dramatically over a roaring ocean. The high violent waves of the ocean below crashes against the rocky coast. Any resemblance of dignity has now left the professor, He eyes all ablaze, now reflect that of a lunatic or a crazed killer].

                                                Professor

“I don’t want you to die in ignorance, detective. I believe you are entitled to know the outcome. Jared will go on, to lead. He’ll save more than just your rag tag group of third world delinquents; he will save millions, changes the course of history, perhaps redeem this dying world.

 As for you, we will tell your policeman friends of your double life. Cop by day and international art thief by night. I will draw attention to your foreign allegiances and ignorant pagan beliefs. And how did you come to die?
 We’ll just say that the members of your crew didn’t trust you and your police connections. They gave you up as a sacrifice. Keep you quiet.”

 [He evaluates what he has just said and satisfied he continues].

“No doubt, they’ll believe us. You come from a country where Voodoo is the national religion. We don’t understand such backwardness here? We’re Americans.

“And look at you, all marked up and such. You see Detective, your culture is so strange and foreign to us that all involved will be happy enough just to be done
with this and to store this case away in some dark file room. Ignorance is bliss. Any last words detective?”

“Professor Stop! a plea echoes from behind the bush. Braxton steps out amidst the rain soaked foliage. He cautiously walks over to the Professor. “Professor, please stop”

                                                Braxton
                              (continued)

I don’t really know what’s going here. But, I now there is a right way to get things done
and there is a wrong way.  I started out as you told me but, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something is wrong here. Professor, this is not right, please tell me what is
going on?

Surprisingly, the professor points the gun, although not menacingly, in the direction of Braxton.

                                                Professor
Braxton, what I am doing, I am doing for you. Don’t you understand? You have great
destiny. Jared has a great destiny. I want let her destroy you boys.

                                                Braxton

Her who?

                                                Professor

You disobeyed me. I want you to do as you are told. Listen to me Braxton. I took note of
you boys because I see the great potential in you both of you. I gave you both and will continue to give you all that I have; you are like sons to me. Don’t you understand?
Braxton, you are never going to be a great priest, or even a good one. But you have power my son, you have command-ability. I am polishing you up, I am preening you to
become that man of power. You are going to be a leader, out there amongst the power elite, the captains of industry, the movers and the shakers.  But my son, You must learn to obey- obey even when you don’t fully understand what I am doing, you must respect the power from which it comes, that’s the staple of true power and business and money my son. No go. Do as you were told.

                                                Braxton
(to Jared)

Who’s trying to destroy us, I don’t get it, what the hell is going on?

                                                Jared

(attempting to mask anger)

Mele, she was mine, Braxton, you had some many why did you have to have her

                                                Braxton

Mele?  Esmele, the maid girl, man! I didn’t hit that… wait a minute…
You don’t mean that girl being killed had something to do with… oh shit!

(Braxton shakes his head in disbelief and drops to his knees. Jared has had all
the surprises he can stand, he goes for the Professor. They wrestle and in the fray
Jared falls to the side of the cliff. He is now suspended over the deadly drop, the professor catches him and struggles to keep him from the perilous
fall.

Although the professor’s grip on Jared appears adequate enough to hoist the boy back from hanging over the cliff, unbeknownst to both Braxton and DeBaptise, he allows his grip to lessen ever so slightly. “My son, my dearest Jared, he intones, you’re much too! beautiful for this world”  A gasping Jared issues a last plea “ Professor, please, please, don’t leave me, save me” and with these finally words Jared spends his last moments of life starring into the eyes of the man he loved as the ideal of the ultimate father. The professor totally releases his hold of the boy. Much to shock of Braxton and DeBaptise they hear the echoing cries of the now airborne Jared.

The professor remains prostrate on the wet earth bitterly weeping. He either does not notice or care that Braxton is undoing the bonds holding DeBaptise. Braxton walks over to the professor and with a new fond voice of authority says “Let’s go Professor, two lives lost is more than enough. 

FADE OUT

Continued next week...