#I haven’t drawn anything to post until yesterday when I had to paint for camp

[artfartt]

[zrtranscripts]

Season 8, Mission 6: On The Hunt

Hidden depths

~

TOM DE LUCA: We've reached the red barn beside the old gun emplacement, Jane. Where do we go from here?

JANINE DE LUCA: Laird Reid informs me that the owner of a cottage north of you spotted zombies in its herb garden.

JODY MARSH: No sightings of Jones?

JANINE DE LUCA: None. But I gather news of his murderous intentions has spread. There's a great deal of unease.

JODY MARSH: At least you know his timetable now. Whatever he's planning will happen at the festival next month.

TOM DE LUCA: Although we still don't know why.

JANINE DE LUCA: Luckily, should he succeed, I will not be around to see Jones crowned king of the rocks. My expiration date is a week earlier.

JODY MARSH: Expiration date? Janine, don't talk like that.

JANINE DE LUCA: [coughs] Excuse me.

JODY MARSH: Janine's turned off her mic. How is she, Tom?

TOM DE LUCA: The nanites are doing something to her stomach. It's unpredictable. Yesterday, partial blindness. Today, nausea. Tomorrow? Who knows.

JODY MARSH: It's 20 days left today, isn't it? Jones can't keep hiding forever. After he killed the Macleans, there can't be anyone on the island who'd shelter him.

TOM DE LUCA: I hope he's been too clever for his own good. These zombie attraction devices could lead us to him.

JODY MARSH: How do you mean?

TOM DE LUCA: I don't want to jinx it. We need to get to that herb garden as quickly as we can. Let's run!

~

JANINE DE LUCA: Runners, I'm back. Please don't ask for details about my health! Just proceed with the mission. Cams indicate you're closing in on the objective. Sitrep, please.

TOM DE LUCA: Roger that. I have visual on the cliff path. No hostiles in sight.

JODY MARSH: [laughs] You guys! You're great, honestly. I'm just imagining you as kids. "Sitrep on the breakfast, Jane." "Roger that, Tom! The soldiers are advancing on the yolk. Expect contact at 0700!"

TOM DE LUCA: Actually, Janie never liked runny yolks. She said they looked like snot! Mum told her she couldn't get up from the table until she ate her breakfast. Five hours later, she was still there, her little arms crossed, pouting. Mum let her eat what she wanted after that.

JODY MARSH: Figures. Still stubborn as anything. Five, here's the zombie attractor in a rosemary bush.

TOM DE LUCA: Let me have a look. [foliage rustles] I was right! See here, about five yards away behind the mint?

JANINE DE LUCA: What is it?

JODY MARSH: A hole in the ground, really deep.

TOM DE LUCA: A blowhole from the cave systems below, I believe.

JODY MARSH: And there's something in it. Is that a spy camera?

JANINE DE LUCA: I see! Mr. Jones has been hiding in the caves. He's using blowholes and small cameras to ensure that no one is in sight when he plants his devices. Very clever.

TOM DE LUCA: Do you mean me or him?

JANINE DE LUCA: Both.

TOM DE LUCA: Most of the devices were planted in a three-click radius of the black barn, including this one. I'm sure Jones' base will be within that area. We've got him, Jane!

JANINE DE LUCA: Not quite yet!

JODY MARSH: Bother! That thing's drawn some zoms. They're coming up the cliff path. Stamp on the attractor, Five. [device shatters, JODY MARSH sighs] No use. They've got our scent.

TOM DE LUCA: That's good. There's a cave entrance on the beach. If the zoms follow us down there, they should cover the sound of our passage. With any luck, we'll be able to sneak up on Jones. Let's go!

~

JODY MARSH: We've reached the cave, Janine. It's on the damp side, and getting damper. The tide's coming in.

JANINE DE LUCA: I'm sorry, I just need to -

TOM DE LUCA: [sighs] She was up through the night vomiting. This could be all over today. If we find Jones, if we get the nanite controller from him.

JODY MARSH: There's no sign of Jones here, Tom. It's just a cave. Rocks, algae. It doesn't look man-made. I know you want to find him, but not all these caves are connected. If this one's a dead end, we'll be cornered by the zoms.

TOM DE LUCA: Janie would tell us to return to base so we can formulate a plan to take advantage of new intel.

JODY MARSH: So... back home?

TOM DE LUCA: Hmm. Jones has been one step ahead of us from the start. He managed to grab a walkie-talkie. He used zombie attractors to lure Five and Paula into danger. We have to accept someone on the island might be helping him, Jody. And this is the first time we could have the jump on him. We have to keep going!

JODY MARSH: Well, the zoms are right behind us, so if we're going, we go now. Run!

~

[water splashes]

JANINE DE LUCA: I've returned to my post. I'm adequate to perform my duties. Sitrep, please.

JODY MARSH: Do you want the good news or the bad news, Janine?

JANINE DE LUCA: I would prefer a detailed action report, Miss Marsh.

TOM DE LUCA: We've lost the zoms, but the water's a little deeper.

JODY MARSH: A little? It's almost up to my nostrils! And there's only about six inches between us and the cave roof.

TOM DE LUCA: Five's taking point to check that the floor doesn't fall away ahead.

JODY MARSH: And what are we supposed to do if it does? We can't turn back. There are zoms behind! This is horrible!

TOM DE LUCA: I'm sorry, love!

JODY MARSH: No, I'm sorry. I thought you'd be the one panicking in here.

TOM DE LUCA: Well, I can't say I'm enjoying it, but... we'll get through, I promise. I have a hunch we're on the right track.

JANINE DE LUCA: Military operations don't run on intuition, Tom. You should turn back and look for a side tunnel. If I'd been at my post, I would never have allowed you to pursue this hunch!

JODY MARSH: Wait, look! I can see Five's shoulders. It's getting shallower.

TOM DE LUCA: Yes, I can feel we're heading upwards quite steeply.

JODY MARSH: Give me a hand, Five. The floor's dead slippy.

TOM DE LUCA: We're out of the water, Janie.

JANINE DE LUCA: [whispers] Oh, thank God. [out loud] Report please, Miss Marsh! What do you see?

JODY MARSH: We're in a cavern. A big one with a really weird roof. It's hard to tell, but it looks like someone's painted it red, and it's all bobbly like a giant egg box.

JANINE DE LUCA: Neolithic carvings, perhaps. Miss Maxted would have been able to tell us more.

TOM DE LUCA: Look, over here. I was right. It's a campfire.

JANINE DE LUCA: How recent?

TOM DE LUCA: The ashes are cold and wet. Jones must have used water to quench them. But the wall beside it is still warm. Jones was here recently, and there's only one other exit. We've got him! Five, Jody, let's go!

~

JANINE DE LUCA: Report, please. Have you sighted Jones?

TOM DE LUCA: Not yet.

JODY MARSH: We've been lucky so far, though. No branches to the tunnel. There's nowhere else he could have gone.

TOM DE LUCA: We'll get him. We'll have the nanite controller for you today, Janie. This afternoon. Soon!

JANINE DE LUCA: Please, Tom. Don't...

TOM DE LUCA: I know you don't want us to go after him just for you. But we didn't. He's a danger to the islands. He has the missing piece of the Edda. Finding him is mission critical! Don't blame yourself.

JANINE DE LUCA: No, I just... I can't hope it's over until it is. I cannot allow myself that luxury.

JODY MARSH: Look! There he is! Jones. I saw him, just a glimpse disappearing behind the bend in the tunnel. If we speed up, we'll catch him. Come on!

~

[bullet ricochets]

JANINE DE LUCA: What was that?

JODY MARSH: Jones. He's firing at us, but he can't aim properly while he's running. We've nearly got him.

TOM DE LUCA: Up ahead, do you see, Five? The tunnel widens into a cave and I can see a crate and other equipment scattered around. He's leading us right back to his main camp.

JANINE DE LUCA: Be careful. An animal's most dangerous when it's cornered.

[bullet ricochets]

TOM DE LUCA: Five and I brought guns, Jane. I'd rather take him alive, but I'll shoot him if I have to.

JODY MARSH: To the left! There's another exit tunnel. Jones is heading for it.

TOM DE LUCA: But he's slowing down. We've tired him out. Quick, Five, one last push and we'll have him.

JODY MARSH: Watch out! He's got a grenade! Get down, both of you!

[explosion, Runner Five's ears ring, JODY MARSH and TOM DE LUCA shout]

JANINE DE LUCA: What happened? Tom, can you hear me?

TOM DE LUCA: We're all in one piece. Jones must have had a stock of munitions. He threw the grenade at it and it all went up.

JANINE DE LUCA: And Jones?

TOM DE LUCA: Must have taken off down that tunnel. We'll go after him.

[cave rumbles]

JODY MARSH: We won't. Look, the explosion cracked the roof of the tunnel open. It's about to fall.

JANINE DE LUCA: Take what you can and get out.

TOM DE LUCA: But - !

JANINE DE LUCA: That's an order, Tom. You have his equipment. The roof may cave in at any moment. Capturing the man today isn't worth your lives.

TOM DE LUCA: All right. Five, you grab those rucksacks and whatever those bottles are. Jody, can you manage that wheeled trolley?

JODY MARSH: No problem.

TOM DE LUCA: And I can take the rest.

JANINE DE LUCA: Get out of there! Go!

[cave roof collapses]

~

[tunnel collapses]

JODY MARSH: We made it, Janine! The tunnel sealed behind us, but we're clear.

JANINE DE LUCA: Good! I'm glad you're safe.

TOM DE LUCA: So close to catching him! If I'd thought to arrange a pincer movement, Five, we'd have had him.

JODY MARSH: Yeah, but look at this! We've got all his stuff. Vials of blood just like he used for the Exmoor massacre. And all that stuff on the trolley. It's the components for the zombie attraction devices. And he blew up his own weapons cache. This is good. This is really good.

JANINE DE LUCA: What about the Edda?

TOM DE LUCA: He knows its value. I imagine he keeps it on him at all times.

JANINE DE LUCA: And the... nanite control box? It's not there either, is it?

JODY MARSH: No. We haven't found it.

JANINE DE LUCA: I see. There is little reason for Mr. Jones to keep that with him at all times. I suspect he no longer has it. In all likelihood, it's at the bottom of the Atlantic. There'll be no cure for me.

TOM DE LUCA: There will be! The nanites came from the Hebrides. There must be a way to cure them here. I promise you, whatever it takes, we're going to find it for you!

~