ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. PANIC ROOM - NIGHT

Lindsay opens her eyes, staring at the ceiling. A pillow has been put under her head and she's covered with an angora blanket.

ANA (O.S.)
I don't know. She's been out since
I talked to that guy.

LINDSAY
Ana? Who are you talking to?

ANA (O.S.)
She's awake! Who are you?
(to Lindsay)
Stella. She answered the phone
number you called before. Are you
okay?

Lindsay sits up, pushing the blanket off. She grabs the edge of the kitchen table and pulls herself into a chair.

LINDSAY
Did you take the man's pictures?

ANA (O.S.)
Yeah, but Stella said they were too
fuzzy for the software. She said
they think the monitors in here are
too old and causing it.

Lindsay lays her head on an arm on the table.

ANA (O.S.)
Are you okay? You're so white.

LINDSAY
Blood loss.

ANA (O.S.)
Blood loss? What does that...
(beat)
Stella says you need to lie down.
She said there might be head trauma.

Lindsay looks at Ana. She has changed into jeans and a T-shirt. She's pressed into the call corner.

LINDSAY
Don't use up the battery, Ana. We
may still need it.

ANA
I gotta hang up, Stella. We'll call soon.

Ana hangs up and walks over to Lindsay, laying her hand on her arm. Lindsay looks up at the worried teenager. Ana reaches out, pushing her hair back from her eyes.

ANA
I'm sorry your head hurts so bad.

LINDSAY
Thank you.

Ana sits down on a chair next to her, staring at the phone in her hands.

LINDSAY
Did the man touch you or anything
you brought in here?

Ana starts to shake her head. She suddenly jumps up, runs across the room, and comes back with the metal case. Lindsay sits up, looking at it.

LINDSAY
What is it?

ANA
I don't know, but that guy blew up
the safe to get to it. Then he
started... shooting.

Lindsay pats the teenager's arm.

LINDSAY
We can still figure out who the guy
is without a photograph.

Ana looks at her.

ANA
How?

LINDSAY
I need you to go look around for a
paintbrush, some clear tape, white
paper, and a pair of scissors.

Ana trots off on her scavenger hunt. Lindsay goes into the kitchen. She searches the cupboards until she finds a can of hot cocoa. She tests the powder -- it will pass as fingerprint powder. She grabs a roll of aluminum foil and returns to the case.

Lindsay carefully covers one side of the case with foil. Ana comes back with a large makeup brush and the other items. Lindsay picks up the brush.

LINDSAY
Was there blush with this?

ANA
No. What's the aluminum foil for?

LINDSAY
To preserve the prints on the other
side. It has to be processed with
real forensic tools to be accepted
in a trial. Help me tape the
tinfoil down.

When they finish, Lindsay gives Ana the makeup brush back.

LINDSAY
Wash this out and dab it on towels
until no more water comes out.

While Ana does this, Lindsay starts cutting pieces of paper for fingerprint cards. Ana returns with the brush, handing it to Lindsay. The CSI opens the can of hot cocoa, turns the case around, and powders the side.

Fingerprints appear across the surface. She lays the case down on the tinfoil side, picks up the tape, carefully lifts a print, and presses the tape to a piece of paper. She hands it to Ana.

LINDSAY
While I get these off, you take pictures.

Ana grabs her phone and starts taking photographs.

Lindsay begins having trouble with her vision and it's progressive. Two dozen prints later she grabs the edge of the table to keep from falling out of the chair. Blood has started soaking through the bandage on her head. Ana stops, staring at her.

LINDSAY
Take photographs of the rest of
these, then call Mac before you
send the photos. I... I'm going to
lay down.

ANA
There's more prints. Do you want me
to get them? I was watching. I can.

Lindsay looks at her. She pats Ana's shoulder.

LINDSAY
Yeah. You do that, okay?

Ana nods. Lindsay staggers to a couch to lie down. Ana watches her a moment, then turns back to the case. She continues lifting prints just like Lindsay had been doing.

EXT. PRESERVE - NIGHT

Thick woods hide the surrounding homes from view. Stella and Mac stand together, watching workers using equipment to try breaking down the bomb shelter door.

The shelter was made to withstand a nuclear blast and proving it can withstand a few puny humans too. Stella's phone starts to ring and she answers it, putting her finger in her ear.

STELLA
Lindsay or Ana?

ANA (ON PHONE)
Ana. I have pictures of fingerprints.
She said to send them to Mac, but
she doesn't know you said to call
you. What should I do?

STELLA
From who?

ANA
The guy outside the panic room.

STELLA
How did you two get fingerprints?

Mac looks at Stella.

ANA (ON PHONE)
A case that the guy touched.
Lindsay said you could figure out
who he is with them so she used hot
cocoa and tape and paper to get
them. I took the photos. Who do I
send these to?

STELLA
Send them to me, I'll forward them
to the right person.

ANA (ON PHONE)
Stella, are you coming soon?
Lindsay is really white. Her lips
are turning blue and she won't wake up.

STELLA
Lindsay is hurt very badly, Ana.
You have to take care of her until
we can get there. Keep her covered
and put pillows under her feet so
they're above her heart. If she
wakes up, try to keep her awake as
long as you can. Can you do all
that for me?

ANA (ON PHONE)
I'll try.

STELLA
Send me the photos and then go take
care of her for me.

ANA (ON PHONE)
Okay. Bye.

The call drops and immediately pictures started coming through. Stella forwards them to the lab.

MAC
What's going on?

STELLA
Lindsay is going into shock. We
have to hurry.

MAC
That I gathered. What's with the
photos? I thought Hawkes and Adam
said the monitors were too old to
get photographs.

Stella smiles at him.

STELLA
Lindsay used hot cocoa, tape and
paper, and then had Ana take photos
of the prints.

Mac smiled, looking back at the workers.

MAC
I'll have to ask her how she
thought of hot chocolate. Wouldn't
have been my first choice.

STELLA
What would you have used?

MAC
I'm fond of powdered sugar, myself.

Stella smiles, looking up.

STELLA
You two will be swapping kitchen
forensics before the day is over.

He sighs.

MAC
I hope so, Stella.

INT. CSI - FINGERPRINT LAB - NIGHT

The APHIS computer is running fingerprints. On another, Hawkes reads an online newspaper. The APHIS computer beeps and he rolls over to it. Hawkes grabs his cell phone and dials.

HAWKES
Stella, I have a hit on the man and
teenager's prints.

STELLA (ON PHONE)
Just a second. Let me get Mac.

MATCH CUT:

EXT. PRESERVE - NIGHT

The bomb shelter door lays on the ground in pieces, revealing a stylish '70s bomb shelter inside. S.W.A.T. and several NY police, including Flack, are waiting at the door. The SWAT LEAD is giving them orders.

Mac stands back, watching and listening. He glances across the crowd of workers. Cusack leans against a tree, watching the scene. Stella comes up behind Mac with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She stops next to him, turning on the speaker.

STELLA
Go ahead Sheldon.

HAWKES (ON PHONE)
The man has been charged with
assassination and treason in
several states, Russia, and Tonga.
And he's supposedly dead.

Mac looks at Cusack. He has his earpiece pushed in, listening to something.

MAC
Why am I not surprised?

STELLA
What did you get from Ana's prints?

HAWKES (ON PHONE)
That's interesting too. She's
Princess Amanakie, daughter of King
Tuku'aho, and this gunman has tried
to kidnap her five times. All the
articles I've read never told why.

STELLA
That's why she looked familiar! She
was accepted to Yale and came to
America to finish high school.
Probably after the last kidnapping
attempt. And I bet she's the heirloom.

Mac isn't surprised.

HAWKES (ON PHONE)
Why would this guy keep trying to
kidnap her? The King has eight
other children.

Mac knows, but he's interrupted before he can answer. Four S.W.A.T. come out of the bomb shelter with Officers Jacobs and Raimes. The officers have been stripped to their underwear and T-shirts. Medics guided them away, offering them blankets.

SWAT LEAD
Okay. Let's go explain to this
asshole how we do things in
New York.

The group moves in. Mac walks over to an officer, grabbing his shoulder.

MAC
Give me your vest.

The officer complies without argument. Stella approaches closing her phone.

MAC
I'm going to get my CSI out.

STELLA
I'll be waiting with the ambulance.
Be careful.

He follows the group into the tunnel leading to the house.

INT. 14283 RHIANNA DRIVE - BEDROOM - MORNING

Danny stares at the floor. The gunman is folding more origami. A thin slice of light flashes across Danny's eyes, unnoticed by the gunman. Danny looks in the direction of the light, finding Flack standing just outside the gunman's view.

He signals to Danny: He'll count to three and Danny is to hit the floor.

Danny adjusts his leg, preparing to lunge from the chair. The gunman glances at him but does nothing. Flack peeks around the corner, signaling to someone out of sight to wait. The gunman looks back out the window.

Danny and Flack meet eyes. Flack holds up three fingers. Before he counts off the third one Danny hits the floor. The movement makes the gunman turn as officers and S.W.A.T. storm the room.

Flack puts himself between Danny and the gunman. The gunman aims his gun at the officers -- he won't abandon his treasure without a fight.

Danny tries to go to the panic room door. He looks back when Mac grabs him by the back of the shirt. Mac practically drags Danny into the hall.

INT. 14283 RHIANNA DRIVE - UPSTAIRS HALL - MOMENTS LATER

Danny tries to go back in, but Mac pulls him back.

MAC (O.S.)
STAY DOWN!

DANNY
Lindsay's in the panic room!

Danny wrestles free.

MAC
Danny, get down!

Mac grabs both of his arms, throwing him to the floor seconds before shooting starts.

FADE OUT.

INT. PANIC ROOM - MORNING

DANNY (O.S.)
Lindsay, wake up. Look at me, Linds.

Lindsay opens her eyes, looking into his eyes. He smiles, gently stroking her face. She returns it with a weak smile.

DANNY
Hey there, Montana.

She looks at the paramedics passing the couch with a gurney.

LINDSAY
That for me?

DANNY
Yep. They're going to take you to
the hospital to get your oil changed.

She smiles more, taking his hand, but it's pulled away when a paramedic takes it to insert an I.V. Another PARAMEDIC comes around the couch and picks up her wrist, watching his watch.

LINDSAY
Where's Ana?

DANNY
Waiting for you in the hall.

PARAMEDIC
We have to move her now.

Danny gets up, moving out of the way. They move her onto the gurney and strap her to it. Danny limps over, taking her hand. She looks at his leg.

LINDSAY
How's you're leg?

DANNY
Just a flesh wound. Nothin' to
worry about.

She smiles. They leave the panic room.

INT. 14283 RHIANNA DRIVE - UPSTAIRS HALL - MORNING

In the hall they pass Mac. Danny moves aside to let Ana take Lindsay's hand. He and Mac follow behind them.

INT. 14283 RHIANNA DRIVE - STAIRCASE - MORNING

Ambassador Nasili reaches the top at the same time the group does. The paramedics start a slow descent with Lindsay. Mac and Danny hang back.

NASILI
Princes Amanakie, we have a car to take--

ANA
I'm going to the hospital with my friend.

NASILI
Princess Ama--

ANA
End of story.

They pass Cusack coming up. He stops on the stairs and watches the paramedics, Ana, and the ambassador go out the front door. Mac walks down to the same step Cusack stands on and stops. Danny stops behind them.

MAC
When are you or he going to tell
Princess Amanakie?

Cusack turns. He glances at Danny, but focuses on Mac. Mac looks at him unflinching.

CUSACK
Tell her what?

MAC
That the gunman was her biological
father and all the kidnap attempts
was a father trying to take his
daughter. I'm guessing her mother
is the King's wife, or something
like that. That would make Princess
Amanakie illegitimate, wouldn't it?
Probably not even a real heir to
the throne.

Cusack turns, starting down the stairs.

MAC
She deserves to know.

Cusack spins and storms up to him.

CUSACK
If you, or you--

He glances at Danny.

CUSACK
--so much as tells your dog, you
will be fired and find it difficult
getting a job at a fast food
restaurant. You will not be able to
travel on an airplane, boat, train,
ever again. You will never have
another credit card. Renting will
become a problem. Your driver's
license will be revoked. Do we
understand one another?

With a cold smile, Mac nods.

MAC
Thank you, Special Agent Cusack.

CUSACK
For what?

MAC
Confirming my theory about what was
really happening. You wanted us to
stop him, for good, because you
knew that if he shot at a New York
police officer, they'd shoot to
kill. You and those you're protecting
wanted us to cover this up so she
and the people of Tonga would never
find out the truth. Better to live
believing she's the King's daughter,
than to learn her real father was
an assassin.

Cusack backs down a couple of steps with a real smile.

CUSACK
Detective Taylor, if you ever get
bored with your job, call me. You
would fit in well with my team.

Cusack turns and trots away. Danny limps down to the step next to Mac. They look at each other.

MAC
So this flesh wound you have...

Danny shrugs.

DANNY
Hurts like hell. Give me a lift to
the hospital?

Mac nods. The two start a slow descent.

DANNY
You aren't thinking about that
offer, are you, Mac?

Mac grabs Danny's shoulder, stopping him.

MAC
Danny, you can't talk about this to
anyone. Not even to Lindsay.

DANNY
Yeah. I know. That's not what I asked.

MAC
No, Danny. I'm not going anywhere.

Danny starts hobbling and Mac follows.

DANNY
Good, cuz could you imagine Stella
coming in to rescue one of us? Her
aim scares me some days and she'd
shot an officer or something. Then
there'd be all the bad media. And
we'd all have a mountain of paper
work. The--

MAC
Danny, you need to get some sleep.

DANNY
Linds said I needed less sleep.
Everyone's confusing me!

Mac laughs as they go through the front door.

FADE OUT.

END OF EPISODE

WGA # 1274217

Written by A. Rhea King