EPISODE 120 - The Longest Night

Ray walks into the bar at the Hilton Hotel in Waco, where he takes a seat at the bar.  "Bartender," he says to the young man working the bar. "Gimme a bourbon.  On the rocks."

 

"Yes, sir,"  the bartender says.

 

A moment later, the bartender placed Ray's bourbon down on the bar in front of him.  Ray quickly takes a sip, then his mind flashes back to his earlier visit with Peyton Allen at the Waco Police Department.....

"This whole conversation is ridiculous, and since it's obvious you don't have a point to all this, I'm leavin',"  Ray says, standing.  "Have a nice life spendin' the rest of it in prison, Allen."

 

"Oh, but I do have a point, Ray,"  Peyton says, looking up at him.  "The reason Heath looks nothin' like me is because I aint his daddy.  You are, Ray.  You fathered Mary Lou's bastard son back in '78."

 

Ray's mouth drops open in shock as he looks at Peyton, completely caught off guard by the revelation.

 

"What the hell are you talkin' about?"  Ray asks, looking down at Peyton, seated at the table.  

 

"Ya heard me.  Heath is your bastard son."

 

"You're lyin', Allen."

 

Peyton smiles.  "No, Ray.  I aint lyin'.  I KNOW I aint Heath's daddy.  And Mary Lou always swore to me you were the only other man she was with durin' that time.  Didn't ya see the resemblance between yourself and that boy, Ray?"  Peyton leans forward and looks up at him.  "If you don't believe me, then why don't you just have a DNA test done?  Prove I'm lyin'."  Peyton's smile grows wider as he looks up at a frustrated and stunned Ray...

"Well, it sure didn't turn out the way I thought it would,"  says Ray.

 

"What do you mean?"  Bobby asks.

 

Ray looks at him.  "Allen dropped a little bombshell on me."

 

"A bombshell?  Was it about Michael's kidnapping?  Or about Bo?"

 

"No,"  replies Ray.  "Allen told me that I have a son.  The kid he raised as his own.  Mary Lou's son."

 

"Mary Lou?  She was......

 

"Mary Lou was the girl I hooked up with that night J.R. and I spent here in Waco all those years ago.  The night that started all this."

 

"Well he's gotta be lyin'," Bobby says.  "Ray, you can't possibly believe Peyton Allen is telling the truth."

 

"I dunno, Bob.  I really don't know.  I suppose it's possible he's tellin' the truth."

 

"Ray, come on.  Peyton Allen is not only a con artist, he's also a kidnapper and an extortionist.  I wouldn't believe one word that comes outta that guy's mouth."

 

"Bob, I MET Mary Lou's son, Heath,"  Ray says.  "He reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger.  Even looks a little like me."

 

"Ray, you can't seriously be thinking that you're the father of Heath Allen,"  says Bobby.  "A lot of people have vague resemblances to each other, but it doesn't mean they're related."  

 

"Bob, as I said, I don't KNOW.  But somehow, I have to find out.  I have to be sure, one way or the other."

 

"Are you sure that's really it, Ray?  Do you honestly believe Peyton is telling the truth?  Or do you just WANT it to be true?"

 

Ray looks at his brother.  "Just what do you mean by that?"

 

"Ray, I know how much you've always wanted a son.  And I know how hard it was for you when Lucas found out that I was his real father."

 

"Look, I don't wanna talk about this anymore,"  Ray says, anger in his voice.  

 

"Alright, FINE,"  Bobby says.  "So what exactly are you gonna do?"

 

"I really don't have any idea right now.  That's what I'm sittin' here tryin' to figure out.  All I know for sure is.........somehow, I have to find out whether or not Heath Allen really is my son."  Ray looks down at the glass in his hand, contemplating ordering another bourbon as his mind races.

over at Steven, who is sleeping, his head resting on his jacket against the passenger window of the car.  Tripp then turns and looks in the backseat, where Cliff and Mitch are sleeping.  "Jones?"  He calls to Steven rather quietly, receiving no reply.  Once he's sure the other men are sound asleep, Tripp quietly opens his driver side door and slips out of the car.  He closes the door ever so quietly so as not to wake the others.  He then sneaks away from the car to the edge of the hill, where a wooded path leads down to where the cabin is situated.  Steven had wanted to wait until daylight to make their move, but Tripp's wife is being held captive in that small cabin by a psychopath, and Tripp is bound and determined that Pamela would not spend another hour in that place.   He makes his way down the path, his way dimly lit by the light of an almost full moon.  As he reaches the end of the path, he is near the cabin.  The lights are out, and the only audible sounds are the crickets and frogs in the distance.  There is no sign of life at the cabin, but Scott's SUV is parked on the side of the building.  Before proceeding, Tripp pulls back his jacket to reveal a hand gun in his belt.  He takes the gun out, making sure it's loaded and cocked, then slowly makes his way to the cabin. Once he reaches the place, he creeps over to a window, which is locked.  Peaking in, the room inside is dark, and he can only faintly make out what appears to be the living room.  Seeing no one, he quietly creeps to the side of the cabin, where he comes to another window.  Peaking in, he can see Afton sleeping in a bed on the far side of the room.  Now, to find Pamela.  As Tripp begins to move on to the next window to see if he can find his wife, in his excitement he is careless and steps on a branch on the ground, which makes a noise as it snaps in half.

Tripp slowly turns to face Scott, but fails to raise his hands as Scott had ordered.  "Where the hell is my wife, you son of a bitch?"  Tripp asks angrily.

 

"Pamela's inside.  She's just fine, but unfortunately for you, you'll never see her again."

 

"If you've hurt her, I swear, I'll......"

 

 

"Scott, you're just getting yourself deeper into this, man,"  Steven says.  "You don't want anymore blood on your hands."

 

Scott looks at him and laughs. "Deeper, Steven?  How is it even possible for me to get into this any deeper than I already am?  All I wanted was to be close to Afton.  For us to be left alone to have a life together, but people just couldn't let us be."

 

"A life together?"  Cliff asks.  "You really are outta your mind."

 

"You shut the hell up, you old bastard!"  Scott says.  

 

"Scott, just let McKay go,"  Steven says.

 

"No way,"  Scott says, shaking his head.  "Gentlemen, we are going for a little walk.  Beautiful night for it."

 

"We're not going anywhere with you!"  Cliff says adamantly.

 

"Yes, you ARE, Mr. Barnes,"  Scott says.  "Unless you wanna see your son-in-law die right now."

 

"Come on, let's do as he says,"  Steven suggests.

 

"That's very good advice, Steve,"  says Scott.  "You always were the voice of reason in our little partnership."

 

"Partnership?"  Steven asks.  "Is that what we had?  I sure thought so.  I also thought we had a friendship.  But all that time......two whole years of working together, and I never even knew you at all."

 

"Just shut up and start walking,"  Scott says.

 

"Walking where?"  Cliff asks.

 

"Down the hill.  Just walk, and I'll let you know where to go.  And if any of you try anything funny......McKay dies, then the rest of you.  Then Pamela.  So move!"

 

The men all exchange  looks, then, left with no choice, do as Scott ordered and walk down the hill.  A few minutes later, they come to a shed a short distance beyond the cabin.  

 

"Steven......open the door,"  Scott orders.

 

Steven looks at his former partner and takes a lock off the door, then opens it.  

 

"Now go in,"  says Scott.  "All three of you."

 

"What about me?"  Asks a frightened Tripp.

 

"No, just them.  I've got another use for you, McKay.  Now......you three......inside......NOW!"

 

Steven steps into the shed first, followed by Mitch, then Cliff.

 

"You......Barnes......hand me that shovel,"  Scott says.  

 

Looking around, Cliff sees a shovel standing in one corner near the door.  He picks the tool up and hands it to Scott very carefully, as Scott still has the gun at Tripp's head.  

 

"You guys just get comfortable,"  Scott tells them.  "I'll be back to deal with you later."  

 

"Scott, come on, don't do this man,"  Steven says.  "Let's go somewhere and talk, just you and I."

 

"No, thanks, Steve old buddy.  I've done all the talking I'm going to,"  Scott says, then closes the door of the shed.  He hands the lock to Tripp.  "Go ahead, McKay.  Lock it up good and tight."

 

Tripp places the lock on the door and locks it.  "What are you gonna do with me?"

 

"We're gonna take another little walk.  Let's go."

 

Tripp turns and walks ahead of his captor.  As the two pass by the cabin, Tripp stops and turns back to face him.  "I'm gonna tell you something, Van Buren.  You're never gonna get away with this.  None of it. There is a nation wide manhunt out for you, and as soon as the cops find out where you are......."

 

Scott begins laughing.  "Oh my God......thank you, McKay.  Thank you for that bit of information, there. So, you guys really were stupid enough to come up here without help from or knowledge of the police? Wow, I'm honestly shocked at Steven for being so dumb and unprofessional.  So now we know.  You four stooges are IT.  No one else is gonna show up here to the rescue.  This is PERFECT."

 

"Unless your old man talks to the cops, like he talked to us."

 

I have a friend in Alabama.........someone I can call on for ANYTHING.  He'll shut that old son of a bitch up real fast if I ask him to."

 

"You'd have your own father killed?"  Tripp asks, stunned at Scott's coldness.

 

"Father?  FATHER?  Harrison Van Buren was never much of a father to me.  And after what he did to me.......I should've killed him with my bare hands years ago."

 

"What?  What'd he do to you that was so terrible?"

 

"You really care, McKay?"

 

"No,"  Tripp replies.  "Frankly, I don't give a damn about you."

 

"Just shut up and start moving."

 

"No.  The way I see it, you're gonna kill me anyway, so it may as well be right here."

 

Scott raises the gun to Tripp's face.  "You are REALLY trying my patience, Tripp.  Now MOVE!"

 

Tripp turns and acts as if he is about to start walking, but suddenly, he turns and lunges at Scott, grabbing for the gun.  Tripp forces Scott's gun hand into the air as the two men wrestles for possession of the firearm.  Scott drops the shovel to the ground.

 

Meanwhile, locked in the shed, Steven is angrily pacing.  "Damn McKay," he says.  "He got us into this."

 

"How do you figure this is Tripp's fault?"  Cliff asks.

 

"Because it's obvious he tried to get into that cabin and got himself caught, and now we're all screwed. I asked him to sit tight until morning, and then we'd make our move."

 

"The kid's wife is in there,"  says Mitch.  "You can't blame him for wanting to do something."

 

"I am a cop, trained to handle situations like this.  That guy is my former partner.  If this had been handled right....."

 

"Ya know something, Jones, I'm getting sick and tired of listening to you claim you know how to take care of situations like this.  You did a helluva job in handling this one!"

 

"Because your son-in-law decided to play Rambo and go off on his own.  And he may just get himself killed as a result, not to mention the rest of us."

 

"Alright, just stop it,"  Mitch says.  "We're in enough trouble here without turning on each other."

 

Cliff and Steven look at each other angrily.

 

Back outside of the cabin, Tripp and Scott continue to struggle over the gun, and suddenly, the gun goes off, firing straight up into the air.  Scott quickly knees Tripp in the groin, bringing him to his knees in pain.

 

In the shed, Cliff, Mitch, and Steven hear the gunshot and are horrified, afraid that Scott has just shot Tripp.

 

Meanwhile, in the cabin, both Afton and Pamela are startled from their sleep by the loud sound of the gunshot just outside of their bedroom windows.  In their separate bedrooms, both women quickly get out of bed and rush to their windows.  

 

In her bedroom in the cabin, Afton is frantically searching for something to use to pick the lock on her door, but finds nothing.  Finally, she remembers a nail file in the drawer in the table beside her bed that Scott had let her use when they first arrived at the cabin several days earlier.  Afton runs over to the table, opens the drawer, and the file is still there.  Scott obviously had forgotten that she had it.  She hurries back to the door and begins trying to pick the lock, but with no success.  Then another idea occurs to her that she had seen on television.  Taking the nail file, Afton begins working the hinge of the door, trying to remove the door. At first, she has little success in budging the screws that hold the door hinge in place.

Tripp looks at the ground, the spot where his deranged captor has ordered him to dig his own grave.  Tripp realizes that, unless some miracle occurs, this could very well be his last night on earth.  Unless Scott is somehow stopped, Tripp knows he will die tonight at Scott's hands.  Left with no choice, he begins digging.  He also realizes that this predicament is no one's fault but his own.  He regrets not following Steven's advice and waiting until morning. 

"How, umm, how did your father hurt you?"  Tripp asks, not really caring about the answer, but simply attempting to keep Scott calm by making conversation.

 

"A better question would be how DIDN'T he hurt me.  He hurt me in every way he could.  He hit me.  Made me do things I didn't wanna do.  Things no little kid should ever have to do.  It was different when Afton was around.  He wasn't so mean to me then.  But after she left.......that's what the whole thing really started.  But you don't really wanna hear about all that, do ya, McKay?"

 

"Yeah,"  Tripp replies.  "I mean, I really do."

 

"No, you don't.  You even said earlier you didn't give a damn about me.  People like you never do.  People who have everything they want in life.  Beautiful wife.  Beautiful baby.  All that money.  Why is it that SOME guys get so blessed in life and the rest of us.......it's like we're born to suffer.  To suffer abuse. To suffer confusion.  Well, never mind.  Because I'm about to take everything away from you.  Just the way my hateful old son of a bitch father took everything from me, beginning with Afton and Pammy.  We could've been a family.  But Harrison wouldn't have that.  He drove her off so he could have me to himself.  Or maybe he was afraid Afton would find out the truth."

 

"What truth?"  Asks Tripp.

 

"Stop digging now, that's deep enough,"  Scott says.  "Toss the shovel over there."

 

Tripp looks at him, then does as he's told.  "Okay, so now what?"

 

"There is no, 'now what,' Tripp.  I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you,"  Scott says, very calmly.  "Now, you die."

"Look, man, please, I'm begging you, DON'T do this,"  Tripp pleads.  "I have a wife and a little baby son back in Dallas.  I'll do anything you want.  But please, just don't kill me and for God's sake don't hurt Pamela.  Okay, if you wanna kill me, then go ahead.  But for the love of God, Van Buren, let my wife go back home to our son.  PLEASE!"

 

"Who's your kid with now?"  Scott asks.

 

"Why?"

 

"Just answer the damned question."

 

"He's with my Aunt Tracey."

 

"And I'm sure that she will take very good care of him for you and Pamela.  Tripp, you should've stayed out of this.  I had no intention of ever hurting Pamela or Afton unless they forced me to.  All I wanted was the family back that was taken from me when I was a little kid.  You had your son.  You should've stayed in Dallas and raised him, and not tried to come up here and invade my world.  I can't let you go, Tripp.  You have to pay for what you've done."  Scott points the gun at Tripp's chest.  "Lay down in the hole."

 

"Man, please don't do this,"  Tripp again pleads for his life.  "If there is any part of a human being left inside of you, you WON'T do this."

"Mom?"  Pamela says.

 

"Yes, baby, it's me."

 

"Did you hear that other gunshot?"

 

"Yes."

 

"How did you get out?"  Pamela asks.

 

"I'll explain later.  Scott isn't in his room.  I'm going to get you out of there, Pamela."  Unable to remove the hinges from the hallway side of the door, Afton begins attempting to use the nail file to pick the lock on Pamela's bedroom door.  As she is doing so, Scott unlocks the front door of the cabin and walks in.  Once inside the living room, he hears something, and immediately senses that something is wrong.  He quickly hurries into the hallway, where he catches Afton in the act of attempting to rescue her imprisoned daughter.

 

"AFTON?"  He yells.

 

Startled, Afton jumps, then turns to face him.  "Scott....."

 

"What are you doing?  How did you get out of your room?"

 

"I....."  Afton begins to say something, but Scott sees the nail file in her hand.  "We......we heard gunshots and we were afraid.  Scott, what happened?  What was that?"

 

"Intruders, Afton.  It was intruders."

 

"Intruders?"  Asks a terrified Afton.

 

"That's right."

 

"MOM?"  Pamela calls from inside her bedroom.  "MOM, WHAT'S GOING ON?"

 

"EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT, PAMMY,"  Scott calls back to her, causing Pamela to realize that they are now in more danger than ever if Scott has caught her mother out of her room.  "YOU JUST GO BACK TO BED.  LIKE YOUR MOTHER IS GONNA DO."

 

 

 

 

 

"Scott........what are you gonna do?"  Afton asks, frightened.

 

"You betrayed me, Afton,"  Scott says.  "You were gonna leave me, just like everyone else leaves me."

 

"No, I wasn't.  I was just worried.  Frightened by those gunshots."

"Scott, I'm NOT lying,"  Afton says.  "Please, don't hurt me."

 

"You were gonna leave me,"  Scott says.  "You're no better than the rest of them.  You're no better than Harrison.  You left me once, Afton.  Remember?"  Scott asks, now in tears, his mood changing from anger to sadness within a second. "Remember when you and my father split up?  I begged you not to leave me."

 

"Yes, I remember."

 

"But you left anyway.  Why didn't you take me with you? Why?"

 

"Because I couldn't,"  replies Afton.  "You weren't my child.  I had no legal claim on you."

 

"So you just left me there, with HIM.  You left me there for him to hurt me?"

 

"Hurt you?"  Afton asks.  "Harrison......hurt you?"

 

"Did he hurt me?"  Scott asks, now in tears.  "Every chance he got.  If he wasn't hitting me or yelling at me, he was making me do things I didn't wanna do.  Things no child should ever be made to do."

 

"Scott.......did Harrison.......did he sexually abuse you?"  Afton asks.

 

"Like I said......every damned chance he got,"  Scott replies, crying.  "I begged him to stop.  I was his son.  But that didn't matter to him.  All

those years I begged him to stop.  But he wouldn't.  And even that wasn't bad enough, he called me names.  Bad names.  I use to lay in my bed every night and just cry. I cried out and begged God to make it stop.  To take me to Heaven so my father wouldn't hurt me anymore.  Or, to make Harrison die so he couldn't keep doing what he was doing to me.  But God never answered my prayers.  Most nights I couldn't sleep, so all I would do is lay in bed and sob.  Until one night, Harrison heard me sobbing and he came into my room to, as he called it.......teach me a lesson.  Some lesson.  So after that, I'd still cry every night, but I had to make sure I cried silently so that bastard couldn't hear me.  Eventually, I stopped crying and just held everything inside.  The pain, the torture.  The loneliness I felt every single day of my life after you and Pammy left.  I couldn't even have friends over.  Not after what happened to my best friend in fifth grade, Jeff."

 

"Harrison......molested him, too?"  Afton asks, crying, her heart truly breaking over Scott's abuse at the hands of her ex-husband.

 

"Oh yeah.  Jeff never spoke to me again.  I lost the only best friend I ever had.  I mean, other than Steven Jones, and that's over now.  Hey, who'd wanna be friends with a guy who tried to kill him, right? So I have no one.  Even you were gonna leave me again."

 

"No, Scott, I wasn't.  I was worried about you when I heard those shots.  Scott, what happened?"

 

He looks at her and remains silent for a few seconds.  "I killed your daughter's husband."

 

"What?  Tripp?"

 

"Yeah.  Tripp.  He found you and Pammy.  They were gonna take you away from me, so I had to do it."

 

"They?  Who are.....they?"  Afton asks.

 

"Pammy's father.  Your brother, Dr. Cooper.  And of course my old partner, Steven Jones."

 

"Oh dear God,"  Afton cries.  

 

"Don't worry.  The others are okay.  But McKay.........he's dead."

 

"WHY?"  Afton cries.  "Why did you have to kill him?"

 

"I told you.  He wanted to take you and Pammy away from me.  Afton, I couldn't let that happen.  But you?  YOU were going to make it happen.  You were leaving me.......again.......AGAIN when I needed you.  I'm sorry, Afton, but I just can't trust you anymore."

 

"What?  What do you mean?"  Asks a terrified Afton.  

 

"I'm going to have to deal with you, Afton.  Let's go.  Down to the basement."  

 

"Why?"

 

Tears running down his face, Scott again raised the gun toward her.  "Just move, Afton."

 

"MOM?"  Pamela calls from inside her locked bedroom.  "MOM, WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE?  ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

 

"Tell her everything is okay..  Or........things can get really ugly."

 

"Pammy, sweetheart, everything is fine,"  Afton tells her daughter through the door.  

 

"Now, let's go to the basement."

 

Fearing for her own and the life of her daughter, Afton walks ahead of Scott and to the basement door, located in the living room.  

 

"Open the door,"  Scott orders.  

 

Afton again does as she is instructed and opens the door to the dark basement.  Then she looks at Scott.

 

"Come on, get down there," he says.  

 

"Scott, please......"

 

"Down in the basement, Afton.  You're going to feel the same kind of fear in the dark I use to when Harrison would lock me in the basement.  So get down there."

 

"Scott, I'm begging you......don't hurt my daughter,"  Afton says in tears.

 

"I have no intention of hurting Pamela.  She's going to need me now that her husband has met such a terrible end."

 

Crying, Afton took a few steps down the stairs leading into the darkened basement.  "Scott, please....." Afton says as Scott closed the basement door, locking it.  

 

While Afton pounds on the door and begs to be let out, Scott turns and walks into the living room, where he takes a seat on the sofa.  He lowers his head and runs his hands through his hair as he contemplates his next move.  "It's all coming apart," he says to himself, over the sounds of both Afton and Pamela pounding on their doors and begging for release.  "Even Afton is gone.  She's left me alone 

again, just like before.  But....." Scott stops talking to himself and looks up, as if he's hearing voices in his head not present in reality.  A bizarre look comes over his face.  "Oh, yes," he says.  "That's it.  Pammy.  Afton is gone, but Pammy......I still have her.  And, that would be better.  Pamela is young.  And a widow now.  She's gonna need someone.  Someone like me.  Her little boy will need a father now.  This could be fate.  MY fate.  My chance to make right all the wrongs that my father did to me and to everyone."  Scott smiles.  "Yes.  Afton betrayed me.......not once but twice.  But Pamela is still here.  And she's not going to leave me.  I won't let that happen.  Not again."  Scott stands to his feet and walks down the hallway to Pamela's bedroom.  Taking a set of keys from his pocket, he unlocks Pamela's door and opens it to find Pamela standing in the middle of te bedroom looking at him.  He smiles.  "Hello, Pammy," he says.

 

"What's going on?"  Pamela asks.  "Where is my mother?"  

 

"Afton is fine.  But she's......gone away."

 

"What do you mean......she's gone away?"  Pamela asks, frightened.

 

"It's just you and me now, Pammy.  No one is going to bother us now, and no one is going to take you away from me.  Especially not your husband, because he can't."

 

"What are you talking about?"  Pamela asks.  "What do you mean by that?"

 

"Yes, Pammy, it is," says Scott.  "Don't you see?  It's fate.  And now, you don't have to worry about that husband of yours anymore.  And your little boy is being well taken care of back in Dallas by Tripp's Aunt, Tracey."

 

"How do you know that?"  Asks a very frightened Pamela.  "How do you know anything about my son?"

 

"Well, I wasn't gonna tell you this until after we made love, but.......your husband is dead."

 

Pamela's mouth falls open in shock as her heart sinks.  "What?"

 

"Tripp is dead, Pammy.  He's dead.  That last gunshot you heard.........that was Tripp dying."

 

"Tripp came here?"  Pamela asks, now crying uncontrollably.  

 

"Yes.  That bastard of a father of mine told him where to find us.  Just one more betrayal by that guy.  Tripp came here to take you and Afton away from me.  But I couldn't let that happen, Pammy.  I just couldn't.  You understand that, don't you?"

 

"I had to, Pamela," Scott says, moving closer to her.  "I had to do it for us, Pammy.  It was the only way.  Tripp was going to destroy everything. He and your father and your uncle, and that ex-so called friend of mine, Steven.  They came here to ruin everything.  to take you and your mother away from me.  But I stopped them."

 

"You.......stopped them?"  Pamela crying.

 

"Yes.  And Afton, she was gonna run out on me, too.  But I know you'd never do that to me.  You're not like the others."  Scott gently touches her face.

 

"No, stop, don't touch me!"  Pamela says, backing away from him.

 

"Pammy, just.........everything is going to be okay. I promise.  We're going to be SO good together.  And I will take care of you."

 

"Stay away from me......"

 

"No, Pammy........this will be good.  It will.  I'm never going to let anyone take you away from me, and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again.......no one."

 

As Pamela continues to struggle and scream, Scott is on top of her, removing her clothes.  He is too powerful for Pamela to fight off.  She struggles and fights as hard as she can, even though she realizes that without a weapon, she has no chance.....

"I sure hope so,"  Steven says.

 

Mitch and Cliff exchange looks, then both look at Steven.  "What do you mean by that?"  Cliff asks.

 

"A good bit of time has passed since Scott locked us in here.  We heard three gunshots......."

 

"Wait, just stop right there,"  Mitch says.  "I don't like where you're going with this."

 

"And neither do I, so let's get this damned door open and save Afton and my daughter!"  Says Cliff.  

 

Again, the three men continue their attempts to get the door open by ramming their bodies against it, to try and break the lock.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Pamela sits on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, and her clothes ripped off as she rocks back and forth and cries, deeply traumatized by what has just happened to her.  A naked Scott stands over Pamela, looking down at her.  "Wow," he says.  "That was everything I'd ever hoped or thought it would be.  And it was very fitting that my first time was with you.  Afton's daughter.  Afton's beautiful daughter.  Pammy, our lives are joined now.  Everything looks so much brighter now.  You'll see.  We're gonna have a good life together, and eventually, we'll sneak back into Dallas and get your son.  I wish we could go get him right now, but, well, that might not be such a good idea since the police there are looking for me.  But.......everything I did, I did for Afton, and for you. So we could have our little family.  The family I always should've had, and would've had if not for that sorry piece of crap who called himself my.........FATHER!!!!!"  Upon the mention of Harrison, Scott's mood suddenly changes from calm and serene to anger.  He reaches down and picks up his clothes, slipping on first his boxers, then his jeans.  "Pammy, everything will be fine," he says, nervously.  "I just have to.... I have to go and take care of some things.  Then, I'll be back."  He takes a seat beside her on the bed 

and begins stroking her hair as she cries.  "Shhhh, don't cry.  God, you are SO beautiful, even now with your face all wet from tears.  Hey, listen, I'm gonna go take care of those things I need to take care of, and then I'll be back.  And no one will ever bother us again.  I promise, Pammy.  I'm gonna take good care of you."

Scott gently strokes the side of Pamela's face, then stands to his feet.  He leans over and kisses her.  

 

"I'll be back soon," he says.  "Hey, it's almost 5 a.m.  Sun will be up in a couple of hours, so I'd better get busy doing what I have to do.  Why don't you try and get some sleep?  I'll be back in a little while and I'll make you some breakfast."  Scott picks his shirt up from the floor and slips it on, then grabs his jacket.  "Early morning, it's always cold up here.  See you real soon, darling."  

 

At that moment, the sound of Afton hammering on the basement door is heard.  

 

"What the hell?"  Scott asks.  "I'm gonna see what that was."  He turns and walks out of Pamela's bedroom, leaving the door open.  Pamela gathers her clothes and gets off the bed.  

 

Meanwhile, Afton has knocked a large hole in the basement door with the hammer.  Reaching through the hole, she finds the door knob, unlocks the door, and opens it.  As she steps out of the basement, she is met by Scott.  

 

"Afton, going somewhere?"  He asks, casually.  

 

Afton looks at him, her eyes filled with terror.

his strength, he pulls himself out of the hole, the pain from the gunshot wound almost more than he can bear.  Once out of the hole, he has to wait for a few seconds before he can move.  Then, he somehow manages to stand to his feet, and begins walking back toward the cabin, each step he takes almost unbearable, causing him to be in tears.  He struggles down the hill, falling once.  Were it not for Pamela, Tripp felt as if he wanted to just give up and die here, the pain almost too much for him to keep moving.  He was also getting weak from the loss of blood.  Again, he struggles to his feet and keeps moving.  As he reaches the cabin, he wonders if Cliff, Steven, and Mitch are still locked in the shed.  He realizes that in his condition, he would not be able to take Scott Van Burem on his own.  He needed help.  He struggled to walk to the shed, and he begins to hear the sound of the other men in their attempts to get out.  Tripp finally reaches the shed.  He knocks on the door.  "Cliff," he says, weakly.

 

Inside the shed, the men hear him.  "Tripp?"  Cliff calls.  "Tripp, son, is that you?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Tripp, we're locked in here,"  Steven says.  "Where is Scott?"

 

"I.....I don't know.  He shot me.  Left me in the woods to die."

 

"Tripp, can you get us out of here?"  Mitch asks.

 

"There's a lock on the door,"  Tripp says.  

 

"Is there anything you can use to break the lock?"  Steven asks.

 

Tripp looks around, and finds a rock on the ground.  But as he leans down to pick it up, he hears a woman's screams coming from the cabin.  "PAMELA!!!???"  He yells, dropping the rock.

 

"Tripp?  Tripp, what is it?"  Cliff calls to him, but outside, Tripp has began walking as fast as he can toward the cabin as another scream is heard from inside.......Afton's screams.

 

Back in the shed, the other men are worried.  "Come on,"  Steven says.  "Let's keep trying to break this door down.  Let's give it all we've got!"   Then men again ram the door with their bodies, the lock outside almost breaking....

 

As Tripp finally reaches the front porch of the cabin, he hears another scream from inside, and the sound of a struggle, of breaking glass, and stuff being thrown to the floor.  Using every ounce of strength he has left, almost super human strength provided to him by the adrenaline surging through his body, Tripp breaks the door in.  Another scream comes from down the hall.  Tripp makes his way down the hall....

 

Meanwhile, Steven, Cliff, and Mitch finally break free of the shed and burst out of the door.  The three men begin running toward the cabin.

 

shooter, blood running down his stomach from the wound, a second shot rings out.  Outside, Cliff, Scott, and Mitch hear the shot and pause for a second, then head on to the cabin.

 

Back in Pamela's bedroom, a wounded Scott falls to his knees, looking at his assailant.  

Scott looks across the room and attempts to speak, but can't.  His head falls backward and his eyes close.