Category: Episode 2

COMING UP!

Work will commence this month on the publication of the Knights of Earth Book 4. This includes a full-redraft. This should be completed by the end of the year!

Work will soon commence on the website for a Knights of Earth Wiki. This will re-invent the character profiles currently on the page with more information provided on key events. There is currently no completion dates for this and it will be a continuous work in progress.

If you would like to catch up with the Knight of Earth saga. The first three books are available on Amazon now!

Vengeance of the Gods now available on the Amazon store.

Vengeance of the Gods

Knowledge lost is available to buy now in the amazon store. Check out the link below.

Knowledge Lost

Mark is at his desk looking dejected. Anni comes in.

Anni: David wants to see you?

Mark: I didn’t think he was here.

Anni: Sophie just rang down, he came in to speak to Mr Hartwell.

Mark: It’s over then.

Anni: The show?

Mark: No the network deal. Who else does he want?

Anni: Daniel and Louise. Should I fetch them?

Mark stands up, grabs his blazer and starts putting it on.

Mark: I can do it.

Mark walks out of the office, camera follows him as he walks into Daniel’s he knocks on the door.

Mark: David wants us.

Daniel and Louise stand up and walk with Mark up the stairs towards David’s office. Sophie let’s them in. Beth, Hugo and Sarah are already sat at the table. David is on the phone. He puts his hand up to Mark. They all take their seat.

David: I understand. Thank you for your call.

David hangs up, places his phone on the table and rubs his cheek.

Hugo: He’s pulled out?

David: yeah

Mark: Because of Andrew or me?

David: I think it’s a combination of all those things. We’ve been amateurs but one thing is for sure, you will never be talking to the press again.

Louise: shouldn’t have pissed of the press officer.

Everyone looks shocked at her but then David laughs and shakes his head. Everyone smiles looking at eachother.

Beth: What do we do now then? How long can we keep the project going?

David: Peter still has enough for us to operate

Mark: I have a few contacts, people who will be after merchandising rights. That will be enough to keep us rolling for a while.

David nods.

David: We just have to do things differently.

Hugo: Yeah we scale back, we are struggling for actors anyway so we pool from unknowns so we don’t have to pay them much.

Mark: If we go for more studio sets we can scale our budget back as well.

David: Can you handle that Sarah?

Sarah: Sure but it will push us back filming.

Daniel: Give us time to finish the script.

Mark: No this is good. We scale it all back and get filming. We don’t leak anything, we keep it all in house and only start showing the networks once we have some substantial filming done and a real working project.

Beth: They won’t be able to resist.

David: I want everyone on this table working together tomorrow and I want to see a re-vised time table and plan by the end of the day. Now get to it.

Everyone stands up, Mark looks at Daniel

Mark: Can you finish scene twenty three and get it to me by the morning?

Daniel: Sure thing.

Mark lingers in front of David while the others leave.

David: What do you want?

Mark: What a set of circumstances?

David: What? us losing our press officer a day before having a major PR disaster?

Mark: Yeah, I’m sorry about that.

David: It’s the least of my worries today.

Mark nods turns to leave but then turns back around.

Mark: How was Abi’s appointment?

David: Its cancer like we feared.

Mark walks towards David.

Mark: Oh, David I am so sorry. Is there anything you need?

David: Yeah. You to step up and help lead these people.

Mark: are you going to take some time off during treatment?

David: Not much.

Mark: We can handle it if you need to be there

David: No Mark, I need the distraction.

Mark: Okay. I promise boss. No more disaster’s, we will get it done for you.

David nods, zoom in on his face then zoom out scene has changed to David sitting in his armchair. Camera pans around to show the TV. It is showing the news.

Reporter: There seems to be no end to Mark Wilson’s belligerent attitude towards the Incel community and a lot of us here wonder what this means for the Lockheart TV series.

David turns off the Tv, sits forward with his head in his hands, Abi can be heard coughing from off stage.

End scene. End episode.

David and Abi are sat in a hospital reception room. They are holding hands. They both look up as the doctor walks in and takes a seat opposite them.

Doctor: How are you feeling Abigail.

Abi: I’m desperate for results.

Doctor: I know it’s taken awhile but we wanted to be sure but we believe the early treatment we started was crucial.

zoom in on Abi’s hand as she squeeze’s David’s. Cut back to wide view.

David: What are we looking at?

Doctor: We don’t like to lie during these sort of appointments but this is something that sounds life breaking the first time you hear it. While scanning we found evidence of tumours within your thyroid.

Abi looks devastated.

David: That’s why you were desperate to begin treatment.

Doctor: Attacking this early is the only way we like to do things.

Abi: what will be the treatment?

Doctor: We are going to continue with radioactive thyroid treatment.. While we do that, we will consider other options.

David: Surgery?

Doctor: That’s what we will be looking at yes but the tumours are still small and I hope the iodine therapy will work. I have some booklets for you to look at and I will see you next week.

Abi: Thank you doctor.

Doctor: There are people here for anything you need.

David: Thank you.

Abi and David stand up. Camera follows them as they walk out of the room. Suddenly Abi chokes and begins to cry.

David: Hey hey.

David hugs her.David: We are going to get through this. They’ve been treating it for a while. Now they know what they are fighting, they will get on top of it.

Abi nods

Abi: Are you going back to work?

David: I told everyone I wouldn’t be back today. They know what they need to do.

Abi: Don’t you dare even think about leaving this project.

David: I will if you ask me.

Abi: never

David: Let’s go home and get you a warm bath

Camera pans upwards towards a TV screen as David and Abi walk off stage. The Tv shows Mark, scene changes to the press conference.

Mark: The incident in question does not show that Andrew is un-stable.

Reporter 1: You think Mr Johnson is unstable?

Mark looks frustrated

Mark: That’s not what I said. Now we as an organisation have full faith in Andrew and his ability as an actor.

Reporter 2: Is he going to apologise?

Mark: I don’t think there is any need to apologise.

Reporter 2: Why not?

Mark: He was clearly pushed by Chris Munroe, asking questions that were completely out of order.

Reporter 1: So are you saying that Andrew Johnson had every right to assault?

Mark: It wasn’t assault and lets be honest haven’t we all wanted to hit interviewers every now and again.

Stunned silence. Mark looks panicked.
Mark: Obviously I don’t mean that I have ever wanted to.

Reporter 3: I have a source that says Hartwell productions is pulling out of your deal

Mark: *whispers* I haven’t heard that

Reporter 3: Sorry?

Mark: I haven’t heard that but if it is true then it’s their loss on leaving such a great show and I think it shows the shallowness of network executives and their Hollywood guilt trip from past in-discretions.

Stunned silence again. Cut to show Daniel with his head in his hands and Anni looking shocked.

Mark: To conclude. Andrew Johnson deeply regrets what happened, but he is looking forward to taking a break from press work to Film beware the dark desire. Thank you.

The reporters begin to walk away. Mark walks back towards Anni and Daniel.

Anni: Oh my God.

Mark: That could have gone better.

Daniel: Do you think Mr Hartwell might have watched that?

Mark: for sure.

Anni: Is it going to be bad?

Mark smiles

Mark: No. Nothing we can’t bounce back from. Now let’s get back to work.

End scene

Andrew is sat across a desk from an Chris. It all seems very nice.

Chris: I can tell you the public are really excited to see you on our screens once again.

Andrew: And I can’t wait to be back on their screens. This is a very exciting project. Mark and David are going to produce something incredible, they are making art in their offices.

Chris: Of course your bookmaker will be happy as well.

Andrew’s face drops.

Andrew: Excuse me?

Chris: I mean with the money you will be making from the show, I’m sure your book maker will love the extra money you will be spending on bets.

Andrew: I don’t gamble.

Chris laughs.

Chris: I’m sorry Mr Johnson but your gambling addiction has been well documented. Is Mark Wilson a gambler as well, is that where you met?

Andrew: That’s none of your business.

Chris: I think we all want to know your take on it.

Andrew: This show is fantastic. Seriously I’ve read parts of the pilot and its obviously award worthy.

Chris: Are you gambling on whether the show will win a bafta.

Andrew stands up.

Andrew: This is over.

He turns away but then turns back towards the Chris.

Andrew: You smarmy prick, having a go at someone just for cheap laughs. You’re not a journalist, you’re a clown.

Chris: And your not an actor Mr Johnson, you are a liability. I’ve got two to one that you blow it before the pilots even filmed.

Andrew runs over and grabs the Chris to his feet by his jacket before chucking him to the floor. Security quickly arrives. Scene changes to Mark with head against his chair his eyes wide. Anni suddenly walks in.

Anni: Did you see that?

Mark: Yeah.

Anni: I mean did you see that? There is going to be trouble.

Mark: That’s not trouble. Trouble is running down the stairs.

Suddenly David appears in the office doorway.

David: Mark.

Mark shoots up.

Mark: I know it looks bad.

David: Looks bad, this is bad.

Mark: I will handle it.

David: We hired him on your request Mark. On your request.

Mark: He was pushed, he was un-prepared with Liz leaving, no one briefed him.

David: And whose fault is that?

Mark looks hard at David who closes his eyes and looks opens them again looking apologetically at Mark.

Mark: I will sort this out.

David: How?

Mark points at Anni

Mark: Get some press here at once. I want to make a statement

David: I think we should let our office do it.

Mark: They will want someone high profile and we don’t have anyone in our press office. I will make this better.

Anni quickly returns. Anni: I’ve set it for one ’o’clock.

David: Sort it or he is out of the door.

Mark nods. David storms out. Mark sits back down in his chair with his head in his hands.

Mark is walking into his office looking exhausted. He stops to look in his office before continuing over to Daniel’s. Daniel and Louise are working.

Mark: Hey

Louise: Good morning

Daniel: Hey I wanted to show you this.

Daniel grabs some sheets of paper off his desk and hands them to Mark. Mark looks at them his face dropping.

Mark: This is scene twenty-three. Who told you to write scene twenty three?

Daniel: David came and saw me yesterday.

Mark: You don’t write scenes without me

Louise: We are screen writers.

Mark: I don’t care. This is my show, you write what I tell you to, not David.

Daniel: Sorry just doing as I’m told.

Mark looks up to the heavens. Then back down at Daniel.

Mark: Let me look at this?

Mark begins to read the script, pacing the room as he does. He stops and turns back to Daniel and Louise.

Mark: This is good. I will speak to David about roles but from now on write what I tell you.

Louise: Sounds reasonable.

Mark gives her a nod and walks back into his office. Anni isn’t there yet. He sits at his desk for a moment. There is a knock on the door and Andrew is stood in the doorway.

Mark: Hey, what are you doing here?

Mark stands up and shakes Andrew’s hand.

Andrew looks confused

Andrew: I came into see Elizabeth but the press people said she’s not here.

Mark: No. She’s got a new job, had to move on.

Andrew: Seriously?

Mark: Yeah surprised me as well. What did you need to see her about?

Andrew: She was meant to be prepping me on my interview with channel four news.

Mark: Oh right. I can handle that

Andrew: Really? I didn’t think you got on well with the press.

Mark: I don’t that’s why I’m the best one to know how to deal with them. He’s going to be confrontational you know that.

Andrew: Yeah, I guessed.

Mark: Don’t rise to it. Stay focussed on the show. If he pushes to hard jus throw some witty remark back at him and I’m sure he will back off.

Andrew: Sure I don’t need to go see one of the press people?

Mark: No you will be fine.

Andrew nods and goes to leave but stops as he turns back around to face Mark.

Andrew: You’re going to need to get a new press officer. Show won’t get off the ground without one.

Mark: We will work on it, now go and knock them dead.

Andrew smiles and walks out. Camera fades.