FADE IN.
INT. LOWER CABIN OF 'SEATTLE SOUND PRINCESS' - NIGHT.
There is a constant PURRING from the boat's less than perfect engine. A mobile phone is RINGING on the counter that separates the small functional kitchenette from the 'living area'. It consists of blue upholstered sofa units attached to the wall on two sides of a five metre square. There's a black wet suit thrown on top of one of them beside a medium sized tool chest. The last side is taken by a roll away bed and a well used square wooden coffee table sits in the middle on a worn patterned rug. There's a seascape nailed to one wall and an old print of the U.S.S. Constitution on another. Two electric unshaded lights hang one each from the kitchen and living area. It's still a bit dingy. Aligned with the counter is a small wooden ladder nailed to the wall leading up to a hatch. After a few RINGS the hatch opens and a pair of heavy black boots turn around and step down onto the first rung of the ladder. They climb down bringing into view a pair of dark grey combat trousers. It's very obviously a female body by the time the shoulders appear. She's wearing a similarly dark coloured halter top. Shoulder length dark brown hair is tied back in a ponytail. PHOENIX turns around and answers the phone with a very intent expression.
PHOENIX Yeah?
She listens for a couple of seconds, then nods.
Hi Benjamin. I'm going to put you on speaker.
She presses a couple of buttons on the phone and puts it back on the counter. She steps back from it.
Can you hear me?
The voice of BEN MURPHY comes from the phone. There's the slightest hint of an Irish accent to it but it is well disguised to anyone not knowing it's there. He speaks properly and coherently pronouncing every phoneme and keeping his accent as neutral as possible. It can be heard clearly.
BEN Yes. Where are you?
PHOENIX Well out of harbour, don't worry. There's no one on the water nearby. SO are we set?
She climbs a couple of rungs on the ladder, stretches up, and SLAMS the hatch shut. Coming back down she disappears from shot and RUMMAGES behind the counter.
BEN I had someone help your ID check along. The boat hire got in contact with the star thirty minutes ago. They're on their way to the marina as we speak.
She stands back up with a glass bowl containing a grey dough in her hand.
PHOENIX I'll be ready for them. Your friend did wonders rigging the mayday call. It'll go out only seconds before the explosion.
BEN And where is he?
PHOENIX Gone.
She pulls a piece of the dough from the bowl and roll to shape it into long strings.
BEN Good. I trust I need not ask that you know what you're doing?
She stops momentarily and smiles at the phone as she speaks.
PHOENIX Of course not. Why Benjamin, I didn't know you cared.
The answer remains in his deadpan manner with no traces of concern or otherwise.
BEN You're a good runner and I would hate to lose my percentage.
She nods briefly to herself then continues rolling out more dough.
PHOENIX If you can have everything I need waiting for me in 'Cago you'll have earned it.
BEN It'll be there. You just be careful getting yourself there. That SIN I provided for the journey will only stand up to so many checks. You don't look like a ninety year old retired librarian should they bother to look.
She starts to run long strips of the dough along the kitchen surfaces, mashing too lengths together when needed. She stops then and surveys her work, nodding satisfactorily.
PHOENIX Don't worry. I learned from the best.
She returns to the bowl and works on more.
BEN I'm not worried because I know you're better than the Chemist was. And speaking of which, it isn't public yet but word is Valera was hit last night.
Phoenix can't help but smile a self satisfied smug grin. She overplays at feigning surprise and innocence.
PHOENIX Really? Now who did that?
Ben ignores her tone and answers matter-of-factly.
BEN Too sloppy for Chimera.
He pauses for the smallest moment as if to imply something. Phoenix casts a glance at the phone and shrugs. Ben continues.
They suspect mob involvement.
PHOENIX Indeed? I suppose someone had to hire Moses to do the same job. I figured it for the Yaks. Can you find out?
BEN I'll do what I can. (Pauses) How are you, Phoenix?
She looks up from her work briefly then begins to line the living area with strings of dough.
PHOENIX Just fine. Why do you ask?
BEN Wet work isn't your thing.
PHOENIX This wasn't 'work'. You know that.
BEN Did you get what you wanted?
She picks up the tool chest from the sofa and comes back to the counter to open it up.
PHOENIX The bastard responsible for killing Frank has his head in a million different bits. Not quite the way I had in mind, but no matter. We can't expect everything to go perfectly now can we?
BEN It was far from perfect. I'd be far more worried if you weren't on your way out of here. I've heard a few things about these toxic shaman. If they're forming groups now it has to mean trouble.
She fishes out a couple of dark glass bottles and with her back to the camera, starts to work on them with what's left of the dough.
PHOENIX It's the Winter Night thing that bugs me. They had the kid eating outta their hands. Alright, sure, she's easily impressionable being such a basket case but there was genuine resistance to having that thing taken outta her head. Never mind that it's supposed to make magic harder or some shit like that.
There's the faintest trace of humour in Ben's voice.
BEN Now Phoenix, I didn't think you cared.
She shrugs her shoulders and sticks an electronic device on top of one of the bottles. She tests it a couple of times, making the lights blink, then puts it into a small cardboard box and into the microwave hanging from the wall above the counter.
PHOENIX Hey, I don't. She's not my problem. But it doesn't mean I'm not pissed off about it. She's just a kid, you know? I swear, if I ever see Dumuzi again... it makes me mad that he'd get his own kid sister into this situation and then abandon her! She's got Neko looking after her - as if that's any better! That dumb ass really fucked things up for the lot of us.
BEN Also no longer your problem.
Phoenix takes the second bundle of C12 mix and starts to tape it to just below the hatch. She talks from her perch on the ladder around the roll of tape in her mouth.
PHOENIX I hope you got me a better team this time. I'm not looking to make friends.
BEN They're professionals. Best at what they do guaranteed. This is big. There's no room for anything else.
She comes back down the steps and sits down on the sofa. She starts to undo her boots.
PHOENIX That's what I want to hear.
She pulls the boots off.
Benjamin? What have you heard about Marlowe? Sloppy Larry says Chimera caught up with him.
The disdain in Ben's voice is unmistakeable.
BEN Why do you insist on listening to him? That idiot knows nothing and he can't be trusted.
Phoenix looks up.
PHOENIX So he's not dead then?
BEN I didn't say that. I haven't heard anything either way.
She starts to undo her combats.
PHOENIX Can you find out?
BEN If it means so much to you.
Once the combats are off she pulls on the wetsuit. The fading burns and scars on her legs are visible only for a brief moment before they're covered again. She starts to zip up.
PHOENIX For all his talk of 'not getting paid to be blown away' it's ironic that he bought it and the rest of us have escaped it so far. If he'd stuck around he mighta just made it. Pity, he was good at his job - if overpriced. But he knew the risks. No matter. Just if you do hear anything I'd like to know.
There's a definite warning tone to Ben's voice.
BEN Don't get involved in this Phoenix.
She gets her arms into the suit and finishes zipping up. She taps some of the electronics inside her hood to make sure they work.
PHOENIX Benjamin, in an hour's time Zara Hamilton won't be involved in anything anymore. I've done what I set out to do. What happens in Seattle now is somebody else's problem. Believe me.
BEN Glad to hear it. There's bound to be a few more people looking for you now.
PHOENIX Don't worry. There's no way anyone could survive this explosion. And someone has to send that mayday.
There's silence from the phone for a second or two.
BEN Good. So... any regrets?
She half smiles as she checks her gloves and flippers.
PHOENIX More than I could tell you. But we deal and move on, right?
BEN Are you sure this is the job you want? I can get you others in different cities.
She pulls on one glove and the flippers and walks a little awkwardly over to the counter.
PHOENIX It's good money. I need it. (Pause) And it's time to go home.
BEN With what's on the table chances are it's in the Zone.
She picks up the phone in her ungloved hand and carries it with her around the other side where she can better access the microwave control panel.
PHOENIX I'll just have to finish with my personal business before I go in then. Speaking of which...
BEN I'll have a meeting set up for you with someone who can help you. I'll have the details when you contact me next.
She sets the microwave for two minutes and takes the phone with her up the ladder, through the hatch, and onto
THE DECK
Where the lights of Seattle are visible a distance off but everything else is black. She closes the hatch very gently behind her.
PHOENIX Great. Well, this is it. Time to blow this place.
She smiles just a little at her own joke. Ben pretends not to notice.
BEN Good luck Phoenix.
PHOENIX Thanks Benjamin. I'll call you from my next life.
She turns off the phone and pushes it into a small waterproof bag on the deck beside her. She straps it over her shoulders and checks her oxygen canister. Once satisfied, she pulls that onto her back too and puts on her goggles. She sits up onto the side and is about to let herself fall backwards when she stops, looking intently at the Seattle skyline.
PHOENIX Well, Frank. It's done. You're avenged and I can finally go home. You'd be proud - another minute and the microwave goes in a minor explosion. It'll be mostly contained and smouldering. It would probably die out if not for the second charge on the door. When that goes we have a good old fashioned backdraft - with a little help. That'll set off the charges on the hull and that will be it. Nothing left. The fire and the saltwater gets rid of any chemical evidence - and even if it didn't, there's a few better suspects out to get me. You taught me well.
She takes a couple of gulps of air from the tank. The microwave BEEPS from downstairs and there's a small BANG.
Goodbye Frank.
With that, she falls over the side with a SPLASH. The water BUBBLES a little, then it is still. It remains that way for a full minute. A couple of SIRENS can be heard as a Lonestar boat approaches from either side. Then there's a very faint BEEP followed by the STATIC of the radio system as a message begins in Phoenix's voice.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, FIRE ON BOARD... CALLING ALL VESSELS IN VICINITY...
It is still playing when there's a second BEEP followed by the hatch door BLOWING OPEN. There's an almighty EXPLOSION and the whole boat bursts into a bright ball of orange flame. Everything is brightened, including the heavily armed Lonestar officers on the decks of the two vessels. They shelter their eyes and get down as bits of fiery boat start to fall from the sky.
PAN OUT across the water away from the explosion. It gradually starts to darken as the fire is left behind. There's a small fishing vessel and a middle aged man looking over the side. He lowers down his arm into the water with a grin and another hand grips his as we...
FADE OUT.
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