Chapter 12 (The White Shapes)

Chapter 12 is the twelfth chapter of The White Shapes. It was written by Donald Newton.

Plot
One of the Survivors is kidnapped by Wexler's gang and subjected to trauma.

Full Chapter
EXT. GROCERY STORE - PARKING LOT - DAY

Smoke fills the area from the damaged van in the aftermath of it crashing into a pole.

INT. VAN - DAY

Chris and Nicole are slightly injured from the impact. But they are okay.

CHRIS: Are you okay?

NICOLE: I think so.

Their car doors open. Murph pulls Chris out and Ernie pulls Nicole out.

EXT. GROCERY STORE - PARKING LOT - DAY

The two gang members drag the couple to their car. They stand them up against the car and point their guns at them.

ERNIE: Well, lookie what we have here. A pretty boy and a hot little number.

Nicole is disturbed by his comment.

CHRIS: Let her go.

ERNIE: Shut up, pretty boy.

Ernie bitch slaps Chris across the face, making him fall to the ground.

NICOLE: NO!

Ernie pulls Nicole away.

ERNIE: (to Murph) Let's put them in the car and take them to Wexler.

Ernie forces Nicole into the backseat before getting into the front. Murph is slower as he tries to help Chris up from the ground.

MURPH: Let's go, boy.

Ernie is starting the car as Chris sneaks out his pocket knife.

MURPH: Come on, kid. I don't have all day.

Murph aggressively grabs Chris and picks him up. Chris spins around, stabbing him in the shoulder. Murph screams out loud and drops his gun.

Chris pushes Murph and takes his gun.

INT. GANG'S CAR - DAY

Ernie has seen this and is shocked.

ERNIE: Shit!

He switches to gear.

EXT. GROCERY STORE - PARKING LOT - DAY

Chris takes Murph's gun and points it at the car, aiming for Ernie's head.

CHRIS: LET HER GO NOW!

But before he can do anything else -- Ernie quickly goes into reverse, attempting to back into Chris. But Chris jumps out of the way.

Ernie switches gears again as Chris recovers and grabs the gun again. Chris stands up and points the gun at the car again.

CHRIS: STOP!

But Ernie speeds off.

NICOLE: CHRIS!!!

CHRIS: NOOO!

Chris shoots the window. But this doesn't stop Ernie, who drives off with Nicole.

CHRIS: FUCK!

Chris quickly turns the gun on the injured Murph and uses his foot to keep him on the ground.

CHRIS: Where is he taking her?

CUT TO:

EXT. WEXLER'S CAMP - DAY

Ernie arrives to the camp with Nicole. He parks the car and pulls Nicole out. Wexler and the rest of the gang sees this and is intrigued.

WEXLER: Where is Murph?

ERNIE: Well, we found this hot number with a pretty boy at the store. Murph was being his usual weak ass and got himself taken down by the scrawny kid that she was with.

WEXLER: Is Murph dead?

ERNIE: He was still alive when I took off with her.

WEXLER: If Murph returns alive as her man's hostage...we kill her man, then her...and then Murph for his betrayal.

Ernie coldly nods in agreement. Showing no sign of loyalty to his "friend" Murph.

WEXLER: Take her inside my tent.

Ernie pulls Nicole to Wexler's tent.

EXT. EAGLE POINT NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

A car makes a turn to the Lopezes' neighborhood.

INT. CAR - DAY

We find an enraged Chris is driving with Murph, hands tied, sitting on the passenger side next to him. He turns his head to see;

MURPH'S POV.

The EAGLE POINT NEIGHBORHOOD sign. If anything, Murph knows the general area that he's being taken to.

BACK TO SCENE

Murph sighs as he knows that he's about to arrive somewhere to be questioned by Chris's people.

INT. WEXLER GANG CAMP - WEXLER'S TENT - DAY

Nicole is tied to a chair and is crying as she fears the worst. She finds that there is a cot at the end of tent, which is where Wexler sleeps.

Wexler enters the tent and gives Nicole a smile that further disturbs her.

WEXLER: Hello, there, sweetheart. I'm Wexler.

NICOLE: I know who you are. My brother's best friend has been searching for you.

WEXLER: Your brother's best friend?

NICOLE: Sheriff Anthony Lopez.

Wexler is surprised by this.

WEXLER: So do you belong to a group? Is he apart of that group?

Nicole doesn't think about the consequences of her words and just says what sounds right to her.

NICOLE: He, a group of cops, my father, and my brother who is good with guns. When they find out that you kidnapped me...they're gonna come find us and kill you.

Wexler chuckles. Amused by her threats.

WEXLER: You realize just by telling me this that you're making it easier on me. I know who we're looking for and what to expect from them. Where are they?

NICOLE: You won't have to find them...they'll find you.

WEXLER: Really? I take it that your boyfriend has my man. Probably took him to your guys' place. Maybe they're sweating him right now. And I know Murph. He's an idiot. He'll squeal. Which means it won't be long until they show up to come rescue you.

NICOLE: That's right. That's what's going to happen.

WEXLER: Okay, then. We shall wait for them. But until then...

Wexler pulls out his knife, which terrifies Nicole, as she thinks that he's going hurt her with the knife. However, rather using it to harm her, Wexler uses the knife to cut her wrists loose from the rope. Then he grabs her, scaring her even more.

WEXLER: Until then I'll just have some fun with you.

Wexler throws Nicole to his cot. She realizes what is about to happen to her.

NICOLE: NO! Please!

Wexler proceeds to rip her clothes off. Nicole screams in terror.

NICOLE: NO!! STOP!

EXT. WEXLER GANG CAMP - DAY

The entire gang is staring at the tent as they hear Nicole's terrified screams. We can also hear Wexler's hard breathing as he's doing something physical to her. We don't see what it is. But we know exactly what Wexler is doing to Nicole, who proceeds to sob as Wexler violates her off screen.

CUT TO:

WHACK!!

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - GARAGE - DAY

Murph, tied to a chair, is all bloodied up. He is now in the same position as the Beaten Man that Wexler killed in the previous chapter. Only this time, he's in the hands of our main group of survivors.

Murph is surrounded by Sam, Clay, Chris, and Anthony.

SAM: Where did they take my daughter?

MURPH: Fuck you!

Sam turns to Clay, who delivers another hard blow to Murph's face.

SAM: (angrily) WHERE IS SHE?!!!

MURPH: I'm not gonna say.

Clay pulls out his knife and puts it at Murph's face, which frightens him.

CLAY: If you don't tell us where my sister is...I'm gonna cut off a piece of your body...one by one...and then if you still don't talk...I'm going to throw you into a herd of Shapers and let them have at you.

Murph whimpers in fear over this threat.

CLAY: Last chance, Murph.

But Murph stays silent. Mostly out of fear.

CLAY: Alright.

Clay slides the knife down towards his genitals. He's about to slice it when --

MURPH: SHE'S AT REDBARN FIELD! We made a camp site just outside the Red Barn neighborhood on 130th PL and 43rd Ave.

The men glance at each other. They're familiar with this area.

INT. WEXLER GANG CAMP - WEXLER'S TENT - DAY

A distressed Nicole is handcuffed to the cot's front leg. Her soul is lost from being violated. She is suffering severe PTSD, triggered by the rape.

FLASHBACK

Wexler enters the tent and smiles at Nicole.

WEXLER: Hello, there, sweetheart. I'm Wexler.

We TURN TO Nicole. But she's NOT the full grown adult that we know. She's just an innocent and helpless child at thirteen years old. She is horrified upon seeing Wexler. However --

We TURN BACK to find NOT Wexler. But ANOTHER MAN (40s) with a CREEPY SMILE.

RAPIST: What's a sweet little thing like you doing out here alone?

We find that we're not in Wexler's tent. But somewhere else entirely. These aren't memories of Wexler raping Nicole. But rather that Wexler raping her triggered a TRAUMATIC FLASHBACK of the very FIRST TIME somebody had raped Nicole when she was a kid.

RETURN TO THE PRESENT

Nicole is sobbing. Devastated that history has repeated itself. She has become a victim for a second time. Once as a child and now as an adult.

NICOLE: (sobbing) Why me? Why?

Nicole continues to break down.

EXT. WEXLER'S GANG CAMP - DAY

A police van approaches the camp. Wexler's gang is alarmed by it's presence. They all pull out their weapons and point it at the van.

We find that it is Anthony who is driving the van. He pops into the back, grabbing Murph, and takes him out through the back. Anthony escorts Murph towards the gang.

Wexler steps in front of his gang and smiles with great amusement upon seeing Anthony, who is angry by his presence.

WEXLER: Sheriff Lopez. I figured I'd be seeing you again.

ANTHONY: I was hoping to never see you again. I was hoping that the Shapers would have killed you.

WEXLER: I thought maybe they had killed you, too. But it looks like we both survived.

ANTHONY: I want the girl. You give me the girl for your man.

Wexler laughs.

WEXLER: What makes you think I'm just gonna hand her over to you? I outnumber you and we got guns.

Wexler then realizes something.

WEXLER: Where's the rest of your group?

ANTHONY: They're around.

Then -- RED DOTS appear on Wexler and his gang members' foreheads. It's revealed that Clay, Amanda, Sam, Chris, Gage, Jackson, and Dani are in various spots within the large field and pointing guns at the gang.

ANTHONY: Move a muscle and all of you are dead.

Wexler smiles...admiring Anthony's offensive plan.

WEXLER: Smart thinking, Lopez. Okay. I can play along. Whats your game, Sheriff?

ANTHONY: You give me the girl, I give you Murph, and we never see each other again. You never bother us and I stop chasing you.

Wexler takes a moment to think. But immediately nods his head.

WEXLER: Deal. (turns to Ernie) Get the girl.

Ernie turns and walks into Wexler's tent.

WEXLER: How can I trust that you'll never bother us again? I mean you've been looking for me for years. You can just kill me now and get it over with.

ANTHONY: We're not you. We're not cold hearted killers. I gain nothing by killing you now. I'll leave that up to the Shapers. This is your chance to start over, Wexler. Take it.

Ernie comes out of the tent with Nicole.

WEXLER: Alright. (turns to Ernie) Let her go.

Ernie swings Nicole towards Anthony, releasing her. At the same time, Anthony also releases Murph. Both Nicole and Murph run to their respective sides. Nicole runs into Anthony's arms.

ANTHONY: (embracing and comforting Nicole) You're okay, Nicole. You're safe now.

Anthony takes Nicole to the van and places her inside through the passenger's door. After safely putting her into the van, he walks over to the driver's side. But before he can get in...

WEXLER: But Lopez...

Anthony turns to Wexler. What now?

WEXLER: If we do see each other again...one of us will die.

Anthony glares back at Wexler coldy. Wishing he could have taken the opportunity to kill him.

ANTHONY: (threateningly) You're right about that.

Anthony jumps into the van and drives off. The red dots disappear from the gangs' foreheads.

Deaths
None.

Trivia

 * First chapter where the main characters encounter Wexler.
 * It is revealed that Nicole was raped as a child. Her first rape will play a major part of her storyline in the sequels.