THE WILL
(By: Marc Adrian Reyes)
Chapter 1: Episode 7 - "THE ALPHA AND THE BETA: Chasing Prey"
---
INT. COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
The squad is battling inside the lab. General Alvin Geronimo stands by the command table, sweat on his forehead, tension in his voice.
GENERAL ALVIN (into radio)
We've got contact yet?
LEAH
Not yet, sir...
GENERAL ALVIN
Goddammit! What the hell is going on down there?!
(beat)
Leah... reach my daughter.
LEAH
Yes, sir.
(radios) Lieutenant Kyla!
KYLA (radio)
I'm here.
LEAH
Your father wants to talk to you.
KYLA
Go ahead.
GENERAL ALVIN (radio)
Kyla, something's wrong with your squad. We've lost all communication.
KYLA
What?! How long?!
GENERAL ALVIN (radio)
Since they entered the lab. We've been blind since then.
KYLA
What do you want me to do?
GENERAL ALVIN (radio)
Go! Help them! Now!
KYLA
Roger that!
(She rushes forward despite her wounds, breathing heavy and determined.)
---
INT. LAB - CONTINUOUS
Major Santos, bleeding and limping, stumbles down a dark corridor. On the monitor, Doctor Sotto watches him closely, fury burning in his eyes.
DOCTOR SOTTO (into mic)
Where the hell do you think you're going?
(He slams a button. A steel door locks in front of Santos.)
MAJOR SANTOS
What the-?!
(He pounds the door. The speakers crackle to life.)
DOCTOR SOTTO (over speaker)
You can't escape, Major! I won't let you!
MAJOR SANTOS (gritting his teeth)
Damn you, Doctor.
DOCTOR SOTTO
Your evil ends here!
MAJOR SANTOS (smirking)
We'll see about that...
(He spots something - Anna, tied to a chair. He drags her up and points his gun at her head, turning toward the security camera.)
Doctor! Look who I've found.
(He KICKS Anna - she falls to the floor, snarling like a feral beast.)
Open the door, or I'll put a bullet in your precious little monster's head!
DOCTOR SOTTO (eyes wide, trembling)
Don't! She's not gone yet... I can still save her!
MAJOR SANTOS
I'll count to three. One... two-
DOCTOR SOTTO
Wait!
(He panics and unlocks the door.)
MAJOR SANTOS (grinning)
Dumbass.
(He SHOOTS Anna in the head and bolts out.)
DOCTOR SOTTO
NO!!!
(Falls to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.)
My baby... my Anna...
---
INT. LAB - ROOM 3 - SAME TIME
Captain Marc Sandiego is surrounded by a horde of infected. Blood smears the walls. His bolo drips with gore.
MARC (grunting)
Come on, you freaks!
(He slashes one infected - its jaw splits open. Another lunges from behind - Marc elbows it hard, smashes it against the wall, then cuts through its skull.)
Damn... so many of you!
(From above, Agatha jumps down, guns blazing. She lands beside Marc.)
MARC (panting)
Sophia... or Agatha?
AGATHA (reloading, smirking)
Agatha.
(She shoots two infected in the head.)
MARC
So... you switched sides now?
AGATHA (grins)
Let's just say I picked the winning one.
---
INT. CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
JEROME
Where the hell's the doctor?!
JOMARI
I told him to wait here!
ARNEL (pointing at monitor)
There! Room 5!
JEROME
I've got him!
(He rushes out.)
JOMARI (checking another monitor)
Captain! He's still fighting!
ARNEL (frantically pushing buttons)
There's no control for that room!
JOMARI
Then we go manual. Follow me!
(Jomari and Arnel sprint down the corridor.)
---
INT. ROOM 5 - MOMENTS LATER
Jerome bursts in and freezes. Doctor Sotto kneels on the floor, cradling Anna's lifeless body.
DOCTOR SOTTO (sobbing, whispering)
Oh no... Anna... my sweet baby...
JEROME (kneeling beside him)
Doctor, we have to move-
(He sees Anna's face)
Who is she?
DOCTOR SOTTO (tears falling)
My daughter...
(He kicks a briefcase toward Jerome)
Take it.
JEROME
What? No! We're leaving together!
DOCTOR SOTTO (breaking down)
I can't! My daughter... she's everything to me!
JEROME (grabs his shoulders)
You think she'd want this? For her father - the man who started all of this - to just give up? You think she'd be proud?
DOCTOR SOTTO (voice shaking)
Does it even matter? She's gone!
JEROME (firmly)
Then fix what's left. Don't let her down again.
(Doctor Sotto stares at him - broken, but determined. He lets go of Anna and stands up.)
DOCTOR SOTTO
Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get the hell out of here!
JEROME (smiles faintly)
That's the spirit. Come on!
(They run down the hallway. A deafening roar echoes - dozens of infected charge after them.)
JEROME (yelling, shooting)
Go! Go! GO!!!
DOCTOR SOTTO (clutching the briefcase)
This way!!!
(They sprint as bullets and screams fill the air, the infected closing in fast.)
MARC & AGATHA POV
[The Horde Closes In - Dark hallway, surrounded by infected.]
Agatha:
(struggling, shoves an infected away and shoots it in the head)
Hey!!! Captain!! I don't think we're gonna make it-there's too many of them!
Marc:
(swings his weapon, decapitating one of the infected)
Then don't let them get us easy!!!
(A gunshot echoes from above. Agatha and Marc look up - it's ARNEL and JOMARI on a platform.)
Jomari:
(firing down at the horde)
CAPTAIN!!! RUN!!! I'LL COVER YOU!!!
Marc:
(grins)
That's my old pal!!!
(He swings one last time, then grabs Agatha. They dash toward the door as Arnel hits a button - the door slides open. Once they're through, Arnel slams it shut again.)
Marc:
(catching his breath)
I'm going to find Major Santos. You coming?
Agatha:
I have to find my sister.
Marc:
Okay... Santos is mine.
(They split up, each running into different corridors.)
---
JEROME POV
(Jerome and Doctor Sotto are sprinting through a blood-smeared hallway, chased by infected.)
Jerome:
(struggling, one infected grabs him)
Ah-!
(A shot rings out. The infected drops. They turn and see Agatha, gun smoking.)
Agatha:
Run!!! (fires again)
(Jerome and Doctor Sotto rush into a nearby room. Agatha slams the door shut behind them.)
Jerome:
(panting)
Thank you, Sophia! (grabs her and kisses her on the lips)
Agatha:
(shocked, blushing)
That's... okay...
Doctor Sotto:
Come on! We have to get out of here!
(They start running again. Agatha suddenly veers off down another hallway.)
Jerome:
(noticing the scar on her cheek)
Wait-where are you going?
Agatha:
To find my sister!
(She disappears down the corridor. Jerome stops in confusion.)
Jerome:
(muttering)
Shit...
Doctor Sotto:
What?
Jerome:
I kissed the wrong girl...
Doctor Sotto:
Do we have to talk about that now?!
Jerome:
You're right-come on!
(They keep running. A moment later, they spot SOPHIA at the end of the hallway. Doctor Sotto looks baffled.)
Doctor Sotto:
Didn't she just pass us?
Jerome:
Confusing, right?
Sophia:
Jerome! Have you seen my sister?
Jerome:
She's heading that way-she's looking for you!
Sophia:
Thanks! (runs a few steps, then stops and turns back) Wait...
Jerome:
What?
Sophia:
(runs back and kisses him)
Please be safe...
Jerome:
(blushing, stammering)
O-okay... you too.
(They both run off in opposite directions.)
Doctor Sotto:
I'm super confused-who the hell are these girls?
Jerome:
(smirks)
I've got twins.
EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP - NIGHT
Wind howls through the fog. The blades of a helicopter slice the air, spinning faster and faster. Blood stains the rocks.
MAJOR SANTOS
(shouting, bleeding, voice rough)
Start the chopper!!!
The rotors spin. He staggers toward it, pressing his hand to a gunshot wound.
MARC
(bursts through the metal door, covered in blood)
SANTOS!!!
MAJOR SANTOS
(pulls his gun-click! empty)
Damn it!
He throws it aside, climbing into the chopper.
MAJOR SANTOS
Go! Go!!!
A single bullet whizzes through the fog - the pilot's head snaps forward. The chopper jerks, sputters.
MAJOR SANTOS
What the-?!
MARC looks toward the distant ridge - a faint muzzle flash glints through the mist.
MARC
(smirks through heavy breathing)
Good job, Kyla...
He signals with his hand.
KYLA
(over radio)
Anytime, Captain.
MARC charges forward, sword and rage in hand.
MARC
SANTOS!!!
MAJOR SANTOS
(turns, desperate, voice breaking)
Damn it...
---
INT. UNDERGROUND FACILITY - NIGHT
(DR. SOTTO AND JEROME POV)
Alarms blare. Red emergency lights flicker. DR. SOTTO runs through the corridor clutching a metal briefcase, his face pale, terrified. JEROME covers him with his rifle.
JEROME
Doctor! Keep moving!
DR. SOTTO
(panting)
We're almost-
A guttural snarl echoes. An INFECTED leaps from a broken vent, tackling SOTTO. The briefcase drops, clattering across the blood-slick floor.
DR. SOTTO
Aaaahhh!!!
It sinks its teeth into his legs. SOTTO screams.
JEROME
Doctor!!!
Jerome slams his shoulder into the creature, knocks it off, and fires point-blank. The infected collapses, lifeless. Another charges from the shadows, biting into Jerome's shoulder. He groans, smashing its face with his elbow and shooting it twice.
JEROME
Ahhh!!!
Both men stumble back, panting. The hall falls eerily silent.
DR. SOTTO
(voice trembling, hopeless)
It's... over...
JEROME
(defiant, blood running down his arm)
No. Not yet.
He grabs the fallen briefcase, opens it - two syringes gleam inside: one blue, one yellow.
JEROME
Which one's the vaccine?!
DR. SOTTO
(in shock, fading fast)
What...?
JEROME
(gritting his teeth)
Doctor Sotto! Which one!?
DR. SOTTO
(screaming through pain)
THE BLUE ONE!!!
JEROME
And the yellow?!
DR. SOTTO
(trembling)
Temporary... it only slows it down...
Jerome grabs both, hands shaking. He injects the blue one into Sotto's neck, the yellow one into his own arm.
DR. SOTTO
(cries out, realization dawning)
Ahhh! You- you injected the wrong one!
JEROME
(gasping)
How long do I have?!
DR. SOTTO
(stammering)
Y-you gave me the blue one... You've got maybe forty minutes...
JEROME
(steady, voice low)
Forty's enough.
He slams the emergency door release. The steel door groans open - beyond it, the forest glows under moonlight.
JEROME
Go! That's the woods! Get out of here - stay alive, Doctor Sotto!
DR. SOTTO
(hesitating, tears in his eyes)
Jerome...
JEROME
GO!!!
Dr. Sotto grabs the briefcase and runs. Jerome watches him disappear into the fog. His breathing slows. He wipes blood from his mouth, eyes burning with fury.
JEROME
(coldly)
Now... it's payback time.
---
INT. MILITARY BASE - COMMAND ROOM - SAME TIME
LEAH
Sir, the President is here.
GENERAL ALVIN
(standing)
Send him in.
President MENDOZA enters - calm, collected, almost too calm.
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
Sergeant, give us a minute.
Leah nods and exits the room. The radio crackles.
YNA (RADIO)
Sir!
GENERAL ALVIN
I'm here!
YNA (RADIO)
It's not nukes, sir... It's a human weapon!
GENERAL ALVIN
What?! Where are you?!
YNA (RADIO)
Outside. My husband's still hunting Major Santos!
GENERAL ALVIN
Santos? Why?!
YNA (RADIO)
Because he caused all of this! It wasn't the Chinese - it was him!
Alvin turns - and freezes. PRESIDENT MENDOZA is pointing a pistol at him.
GENERAL ALVIN
Sir...? You-?
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
(smirking)
Yes, General.
GENERAL ALVIN
B-but... why...?
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
(coldly)
You think I should protect this country? No, General. I hate this country.
He fires - the bullet tears into Alvin's leg. Alvin collapses.
GENERAL ALVIN
People trusted you...
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
So what? People are stupid.
GENERAL ALVIN
You betrayed your people... your country!
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
(leans close, whispers)
No, General... I betrayed humanity.
GENERAL ALVIN
(shaking, furious)
Then finish it! Shoot me!
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
No. I want my pets to finish you all. You'll die anyway.
He turns and walks out.
LEAH
(in the cafeteria, holding a coffee, spots him leaving)
Sir? You're going already?
PRESIDENT MENDOZA
(smiling faintly)
Yeah.
He steps outside and boards the chopper. The rotors roar as he lifts off.
Leah returns to the command room - the coffee slips from her hand when she sees GENERAL ALVIN bleeding on the floor.
LEAH
Sir!!!
GENERAL ALVIN
Stop... the pres-
Screams echo from outside. The lights flicker and die.
LEAH
Sir, what's happening?!
GENERAL ALVIN
(terrified)
I... I don't know...
The room falls into silence - broken only by the distant, inhuman growl of something approaching.
EXT. LAB COMPLEX - NIGHT
CAPTAIN MARC SANDIEGO POV
Marc rushes forward and punches Major Santos.
MARC
You'll pay for what you've done to my wife!!!
Major Santos clutches his bleeding mouth, raising trembling hands in plea.
MAJOR SANTOS
Captain, you're not gonna end an unarmed man, right?
Marc swings his bolo, severing Santos's hands.
MAJOR SANTOS
Ahhhhh!
MARC
Now you're armless.
Marc raises the bolo to strike again. The sound of a chopper ROARS in the distance.
FROM THE CHOPPER (V.O.)
CAPTAIN, THIS IS COLONEL RAMOS. DON'T END HIM. WE STILL NEED HIM. ORDERS FROM GENERAL ALVIN.
Marc freezes. Santos clutches his bloody stumps and crawls toward the chopper.
The chopper lands. Colonel Ramos jumps down. Santos dashes toward the aircraft.
COLONEL RAMOS
(pointing gun at Marc)
Stand down!
MARC
You're-
Before Ramos can fire, a SHOT rings out. Kyla, from the ridge, fires. Ramos drops dead.
MAJOR SANTOS
Go!!!
The chopper lifts off.
MARC
Shit...
---
EXT. RIDGE - NIGHT
KYLA POV
Kyla hears footsteps. She slides down the ridge quickly, keeping low, and raises her sniper.
KYLA
Who are you!!
(Doctor Sotto, wounded, appears)
DOCTOR SOTTO
Please don't shoot...
KYLA
Who are you?!
DOCTOR SOTTO
I'm Doctor Sotto. (notices her uniform and wounded leg) You're with them... thank God.
KYLA
What?
DOCTOR SOTTO
The captain-you know him?
KYLA
You know Captain?
DOCTOR SOTTO
Yeah, but it's a long story. We need to get out of here now!!!
Kyla pauses as another chopper approaches, searchlight sweeping the ridge. They quickly duck into shadow.
FROM THE CHOPPER (V.O.)
KYLA!!! IT'S ME!!!
KYLA
Dad?!
JEROME - POV
(The radio hisses. Jerome's breaths come ragged and shallow. His body trembles; sweat beads on his forehead. The bite spreads a burning cold through his veins.)
JEROME
(into radio, voice thin, ragged - each word a fight) Sir...
MARC
(over radio, urgent, forcing calm) Jerome? Where are you? We have to follow Santos - now!
JEROME
(a broken whisper) Negative... sir.
MARC
(sharp, alarmed) What? Why are you holding up?
JEROME
(voice cracking, a fragile laugh that isn't a laugh) I- I'm bitten.
MARC
(stunned, then horror flaring) What?! Jerome, say that again!
JEROME
(tears sting; he clenches his jaw to steady himself) I'm going to destroy this lab. I can't let their experiments get out... I won't let them hurt anyone else.
MARC
(anger and pleading collide) No - you're coming back with us. We are not leaving you here.
JEROME
(a tremor of defiance through the weakness) I can't... I won't risk you. I won't risk the team.
MARC
(voice like thunder, an order wrapped in desperation) That's not a request, soldier. That's an order!
(Jerome's hands shake. For a beat he's frozen - fear, sorrow, and a soldier's resolve wrestling in his eyes. He swallows hard, grief and pride mingling.)
JEROME
(soft, with fierce, broken pride) Sir... I'm so damn lucky to be part of your team.
(He forces his fingers to move and slams them onto the console. An ear-splitting alarm tears through the room.)
COMPUTER
(cold, mechanical) Warning: self-destruct sequence initiated - T minus 20:00 and counting.
(The countdown's voice is clinical; the reality of it lands like a physical blow. Jerome exhales - a shuttering, final breath - and the radio crackles in the silence that follows.)
MARC
(raw, furious, running - every step an accusation and a plea) Goddamn it, Sergeant! (his voice breaks) Hold on - I'm coming!
---
INT. LAB - ESCAPE - NIGHT
YNA, JEFF, and ELLA have escaped the lab. Yna wears Ella's uniform.
YNA
Marc is still inside!!!
JEFF
He'll find a way out! Captain always does!
ELLA
Ma'am, this place is gonna blow! We have to get out!
The team rushes toward the chopper.
---
INT. CHOPPER - NIGHT
The team is aboard, shaken and silent. The chopper lifts off from the mountain.
Yna sits silently, staring ahead, unable to speak, overwhelmed by trauma after Santos's attack in front of Marc.
ELLA
Jerome got bit?!
Everyone is shocked. Ella trembles, visibly traumatized by Jerome and what happened to Yna and Marc earlier.
Jeff scans the land and spots Sophia and Agatha running toward safety.
JEFF
There!!
Yna remains completely silent, frozen in trauma.
---
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
ARNEL and JOMARI sprint through the woods.
Meanwhile Captain SanDiego bolts down the corridor, the sound of his boots swallowed by the blaring alarms. Jerome leans against the console, eyes distant but burning with purpose, every heartbeat a drumbeat toward the end.
MARC
Jerome!!! Where the hell are you?!!
JEROME (weak)
I'm here.
Marc picks him up.
MARC
Jesus! Come on, let's get out, brother.
JEROME
I've only got fifteen minutes before the temporary vaccine wears off.
MARC
We still have the vaccine, right?
JEROME
The doctor got bit too. I injected him with the vaccine...
MARC
Come on! We still have time. The doctor can make another cure.
Marc reaches the ridge carrying Jerome, waving at the chopper.
MARC
HEY! OVER HERE!!!
A HORDE of infected charges toward Marc and Jerome.
JEROME
Sir, you've saved my life twice now.
MARC
Don't say it now! We're getting out of here!
Jerome smiles weakly.
JEROME
Let me do the favor.
He PUSHES Marc into the chopper and charges into the horde.
JEROME
Get out of here!!!!!
MARC
No!!!!!
The chopper lifts off. Inside, Marc is held steady by Yna and the others. Jerome runs into the infected and is bitten.
---
EXT. MOUNTAIN - NIGHT
The lab EXPLODES. Jerome is consumed by flames and the horde.
Inside the chopper, silence.
SOPHIA
No!!!
Sophia lunges at Doctor Sotto. Agatha restrains her.
AGATHA
Sophia-please! Stop!
Marc fights tears, staring at the smoke.
MARC
I'm gonna find you, Santos. I swear you're going down this time...
Yna cannot speak. She stares ahead, frozen in trauma.
JOMARI
General, your leg...
GENERAL ALVIN
Yeah... guess who did it.
ELLA
Who?
GENERAL ALVIN
President Mendoza. He's the mastermind behind this-
MARC
I know. Santos told me.
Everyone reacts, realizing the President orchestrated the chaos.
MARC
We have to get back to camp, sir, and make a plan.
GENERAL ALVIN
We can't.
ELLA
We can't?
LEAH
The camp belongs to people-eaters now. President Mendoza sent those freaks. Only we escaped.
ELLA
What now?
GENERAL ALVIN
Don't worry. I have a place...
The chopper flies away from the burning mountain. Smoke and chaos stretch across the horizon.