Leverage Transcripts derived from the closed captions available online and formated by slaysvamps. Feel free to download and share, but please give credit and a link back to me here.
Leverage Main | When Darkness Falls

5x12 The White Rabbit Job
[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

(two days ago)

Dodgson: After that, we scale fabrication output by 20%.

Liddell: This will mean more downsizing. There are 60 names here

Dodgson: 10 this week, 10 the next, and so on. Call their names, send them to H.R. Any backchat, Mr. Carroll can assist.

Liddell: Maybe if I cut some work hours, we can save someone --

Dodgson: No one is saving anyone, Alex. Just do it.


[Dodgson Energetics, Floor]

(Liddell is on the floor of the factory with workers around him. Dodgson and minion are on upper level, watching)

Liddell: All right, all right, nearly finished, people, just a few more. (looks at clipboard) Number 462, 809, 791,

(workers murmur, and leave when their numbers are called)

Liddell (looking sadly at Edith): and 20.

(Edith steps forward, clearly upset)

Liddell: Edith, I am sorry. If there was any—

(Edith slaps Liddell’s face. A security guard steps forward, but Liddell stops him as Edith walks away)

Liddell: All right, that's it, people. Back on the clock.


[Brew Pub]

Liddell: Half the workforce has been cut in the last six months. Entire sections have been closed. What Charles is doing makes no sense.

Eliot: Who's Charles?

Liddell: Charles Dodgson III. He's the "Dodgson" in "Dodgson Energetics."

Nate: I don't mean to be harsh, Mr. Liddell, but companies do die.

Liddell: D.E. isn't dying, Mr. Ford. It's being killed. A-and if the factory dies, Oxford dies. The factory is the town's life's blood.

Eliot (softly to Nate): We could just get rid of him.

Liddell: What? Good Lord! No, I don't want Charles hurt. My God.

Nate: No, no, no, what—what, what he means is that we could, we could take him, ah out of play.

Eliot: Like a forced retirement.

Nate: Yeah.

Liddell: Y-you have to understand, his father ran D.E. like a sweatshop. When Charles took over, he stopped all that. He was like his grandfather again. He was so full of energy and new ideas for the future.

Nate: You don't want him taken out of play. You don't want him removed from the company or anything like that. You got to just tell us what you want.

Liddell: He was once someone we all loved and admired. I want you to fix him. I want you to make Charles the way he used to be. Can you do that, Mr. Ford?

(Nate looks at Eliot)

Hardison (voice over): “Yes.” You said…


(later)

Hardison: …"yes" to the man? Nate, are you out of your damn mind?

Nate: We are running the white rabbit.

Hardison: The white... what? No, Nate. No, that's not what we do.

(Eliot joins the table with snacks)

Eliot: That's what I said. All right, listen, we wreck the bad guys. We don't turn one kind of guy into another kind of guy.

Parker: Wait, what is the white rabbit?

Hardison: It's the ungriftable grift. It's impossible.

Parker: Yeah, but we do impossible.

Hardison: No, Parker, not like this. For this, you have to get inside the mark, like inside their head, inside their dreams.

Eliot: It can't be done.

Nate: That's not true. There's a grifter sitting right here among us who has successfully pulled off the white rabbit; Sophie.

Sophie: It's possible.

Nate: There you go. It's possible.

Sophie: A bit of NLP, some mesmerism…

Nate: Yeah.

Sophie: … some of Eliot's special sedatives.

Hardison: Eliot's got sedatives?


[Flashback, Hospital Room]

(Eliot lying on table, a black handprint over his face. Three men are standing nearby, talking and laughing)

Eliot (voice over): It's just a little psychotropic I picked up outside of Bogota. Puts you under fast, keeps you dreaming for days.

(Eliot wakes up and pulls the restraints off. He pulls free of the IV and lunges across the room. We hear the sound of fighting and glass breaking)

Eliot (voice over): Unless you take a stimulant before they dose you.

(Eliot returns to IV stand and takes the bottle with the drug in it)


[Brew Pub]

Nate: See? Possible, griftable, doable.

Eliot: This guy hasn't broken any laws, all right. He's not skimming. He's not mobbed-up. Why are you thinking of doing this?

Hardison: Look, we're not God, Nate. Why do we get to choose what kind of person he gets to be?

Nate: Guys, if you think about it, every job that we do, every single job, we're kind of playing God. We're not doing it for payback. We-we help people. We save people. And I think this guy can be saved. I think the town can be saved. So, we're gonna do this.


[Leverage Headquarters]

(news clip is playing on monitor)

Dodgson: Uh, what comes to me when I think of D.E.? Uh, history, excellence.

Naomi: Charlie really pumps life into this place. I mean, he's the one that really keeps it going.

James: Yeah, he's like a mad genius. He-he makes coming to work really exciting.

Dodgson: But most of all, family. I mean, all this happens because D.E.'s a family. I mean, everybody who works here... (to someone off screen) Hey, man. (to interviewer) Is invested in our future, so we're just moving forward together.

Hardison (pausing playback): Well, that guy's changed. Now, that's Charles Dodgson five years ago. Four years ago, his pop hands him the keys to the family biz. Now, D.E. used to make high-end batteries for military drones, hybrids, laptops.

Eliot: I'm sorry... "used to"?

Hardison: Well, three years ago, they were hip-deep in developing the Alpha Broadcast Battery, and then all of a sudden, Dodgson started making cuts. Departments, personnel, clientele.

(Parker raises her hand)

Hardison: Yes, question from the sexy stuff in the front row?

Parker: How do we break into his head?

Hardison: Well, dude keeps a tight schedule. I mean, work, home, work, repeat. No friends, no family, groceries are delivered. He doesn't even drive his own car.

Nate: Okay, there it is right there, car service. It'll be easy to swap Eliot out with his regular driver.

Eliot: Swap Eliot out for what reason? I still don't see an in on this guy.

Hardison: That's because you didn't hack three months' worth of satellite data to track Charlie boy. (shows map on monitor) He drops in here once a week, behavioral therapy. Now, at first, I thought it was O.C.D. Turns out they're panic attacks. And he's keeping these little visits a secret, just between him and his driver. Wait-you know what? Give me a week, a warehouse, some digital projectors, Eliot's cocktail. Yeah, we can put this guy in wonderland.

Nate: All right, Sophie. Now, you're gonna take point on this, and you'll decide whether or not it's a go. All the way through it.


[Nemich Medical Group]

Dodgson: Ah, I'm sorry. Dr. Polito's office?

Sophie: Emma Rauschenbaugh. I'm looking after Dr. Polito's patients while he's away. He had a medical emergency. You're his, ah, 7:00, Charles Dodgson?

Dodgson: Yeah, the thing is, I really only came down here to terminate Dr. Polito.

Sophie: Oh. But I've studied your file, and I-tell me, did you never discuss your dreams with Dr. Polito?

Dodgson: It was enough of a-a chore to come down to this place. My family, we don't do this.

Sophie: Yes, I have given it quite a lot of thought, and please, what would you say if I just suggested that I could solve your panic issues in 10 days?

Dodgson: 10 days?

Sophie: 10 days. So, your dreams.

(Sophie gestures toward the seating area and they sit down)

Sophie: In guided dream therapy, you and I enter your dreams even when you're not here at the office.

Dodgson: My father had this, he controlled it. He controlled himself. If he was able to do it, I'm sure I can take care of this myself.

Sophie: Well, he probably had help. Dream architectures can be quite complex.

Dodgson: Yeah, you didn't know him. (stands) Thank you for your time, doctor. (walks out)

Sophie: Nate, I lost Dodgson. He quit therapy.


[Warehouse District]

Nate: No. No, you didn't. No, he's not. No, Dodgson is about to have a panic attack. Parker, you're up.

(Parker nods and hands Hardison the phone she was using)

Nate: Eliot.


[Car, Interior]

Eliot (driving): Yeah, I'm good to go.

Dodgson: Sorry, what was that?

Eliot: I said, it's good to know that there's, uh, that these little towns like this Oxford place exist. (turns to look at Dodgson in the back seat) Man, I used to drive 18 up 35 from Dallas to Oklahoma City. And right past Oklahoma City, you jump on the old 66…

Dodgson (sees Parker start to walk in front of the car): Hey!

Eliot: …and there's little, small towns littered all the way...

Dodgson: Look out! Look out!

(Eliot turns to look, sees Parker, and slams on the breaks. The car strikes Parker and throws her forward onto the street)

Woman: Oh, my God!

(Eliot gets out of the car as bystanders hurry over

Eliot: What are you doing? That was way too close. (helps Parker up)

Parker: Had to make it look real. Was it good?

Eliot: You all right? You okay?

Parker (bends over hood and looks inside car): I'm okay.

Eliot (chuckling as he opens the back door of the car): Everything's good. It's all right, sir. Girl's gonna be fine. (reaches in)

Dodgson: Don't touch me. Don't touch me! Don't... just drive.

(Eliot closes the back door and gets into the front of the car)


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

(Dodgson enters room and sees Liddell waiting for him)

Dodgson: What are you doing here, Alex?

Liddell: Well, uh, I did an extrapolation of the effects the cuts you've made will have on the company. (breathing hard and sweating) If you keep this up, D.E. will go under in a year.

Dodgson: Six months, and it's not going under. I'm selling it out. A year of cuts kills us, but six months makes us lean and attractive to buyers.

Liddell: Selling out? What, is that what this is?

Dodgson: Every chip, every cable, every hard drive. But to do that, I need to trim D.E. down, cut the dead weight, which now includes you. You're fired.

Liddell: What?! No, no. Mr. Dodgson...

Dodgson: You're done.

Liddell: Charles!

Dodgson: Alex, you're done. I will make do with Mr. Carroll. At least he doesn't think.

Liddell: What's happened to you?

Dodgson: Get out.

(Liddell moves to the door but turns back to see Dodgson taking medication. Liddell leaves and Dodgson takes out his cell phone to make a call)

Dodgson: Dr. Rauschenbaugh, this is Charles Dodgson. I've reconsidered.


[Nemich Medical Group]

Dodgson: The attacks seem to come at random. If I could just figure out what's causing them.

(Sophie walks behind him and places a blue patch on his neck. Dodgson immediately relaxes)

Eliot: All right. Blue patch makes him loopy. Red patch knocks him out. (picks up Dodgson across his shoulders)


[Warehouse District]

Eliot (voice over): Headed your way, Hardison. E.T.A., 10 minutes.

Hardison: Come on with it, Eliot. Dreamnasium is a go.

(car pulls into warehouse. Nate opens door and helps Dodgson out)

Hardison (over intercom): Welcome to the dreamnasium. Please bring the heavily sedated guest to the first virtual set.

(Nate, Sophie and Eliot walk Hodgson further into the warehouse where projections screens are set up. Eliot grabs a sword from a clothing rack)


[Control Room]

Hardison: I got digital projectors to change the landscapes, plus stuff he can touch, like chairs, tables, anything like that. Now, section 1 mirrors the shrink's office. Section 2, anything we want. And the hallway, which is in the middle, that's like neutral ground. It's like base camp.

Sophie (voice over): We're ready in here.

Hardison: All right, Hamlet is a go in five, four, three, two...


[Dreamnasium]

(Eliot stands in snowy castle scene, dressed in medieval clothing and holding a sword. A distorted voice speaks as Dodgson looks around, putting his hand on a castle battlement)

Eliot: Propose the oath, my lord. Propose the oath, my lord!

(Dodgson looks around, confused. Eliot approaches)

Eliot (stage whisper): "Never to speak of this that you have seen." That's your line, man!

(Dodgson breaks away and exits through a door into a long white hallway. Sophie enters from the other end)

Sophie: It's all right. Everything's fine. You're dreaming. This is where we'll confront the cause of your panic attacks.

(she takes his hand and leads him out the door he just came in through. The room is now the medical group office)


[Control Room]

(Nate and Hardison are watching on the monitors)

Nate: We're in. Let's go steal a dream.


[Dreamnasium]

Dodgson: I'm dreaming?

Sophie: Yes.

Dodgson: I'm dreaming right now?

Sophie: Yes.

Dodgson: Well, why does it feel so...

Sophie: Solid? This is a lucid dream, Mr. Dodgson. You have the dream experience, but you're aware so it can do you some good.

(Dodgson pulls aside the curtain and is blinded by a bright light)

Dodgson: Aah! (lets curtain fall) There's... nothing out there.

Sophie: Because your subconscious doesn't want you to be out there. If it did, there'd be something to see. Come with me.

(Sophie leads Dodgson out of the room)


[Control Room]

(Nate, Parker and Hardison are watching the monitors

Hardison: Okay, factory floor is up. Oh, and remember, this is all virtual. You can't touch…


[Dreamnasium]

Hardison (voice over): …anything but the doors. None of this is real. It's just a digital illusion. And I Haven't worked out all the bugs yet.

(Sophie and Dodgson walk out onto the factory floor)

Dodgson: This is my factory. What are we doing here?

Sophie: This is your emotional landscape. What's important to your waking mind is reality here. (approaches closed doors) Oh, look.

Dodgson: Uh, wait. Th-that area's closed. We don't use that anymore.

Sophie: Who closed it, Mr. Dodgson?

Dodgson: Well, I did.

Hardison (voice over): The first section…


[Control Room]

Hardison: …that Dodgson closed was research and development. It's been chained up, untouched, for years.

Nate: Very important to him, all D.E.'s future projects are in there. Now we get him to reopen it in the dream, go inside, and see all the inventions he left to rot.

Parker: And then, what? He flips back to being a good guy?

Nate: Well, we get him thinking about the future, which will bring hope.

Dodgson (on screens): I mean, just open the door, right? Easy peasy?


[Dreamnasium]

Dodgson: This just doesn't feel right. I—can we come back to this?

Sophie: If we're here, it's because you want us to be here. What's locked behind that door is-is what's causing your panic attacks.

Dodgson: No, no. This is-I—what if something happens?

Sophie: It's a dream. You're totally safe. Just, just open it and see.

Dodgson (turning away): I—

Sophie: Where are you going?

Dodgson: I-I need a- (gestures with hand) my office. I need to take a break.


[Control Room]

Hardison: He can't go back to his office. We don't have that.

Nate: Hey, why not?

Hardison: You didn't ask for it. No request, no digital model.

Nate: N-no problem. No problem. U-um, can you get them back in the castle?

Hardison: Yeah, but he'll see the change.

Nate: It's okay. Just d-do that. Okay, Sophie, we're done for the night. Parker.

(Parker gets up and exits the room)


[Dreamnasium]

(the room shifts from the factory floor to the castle scenery)

Sophie: Mr. Dodgson, I urge you as your therapist to consider the ramifications of what you're doing.

Dodgson: What the hell is happening?

Sophie: You're in crisis.

Dodgson: This is insane.

(Parker opens the door of the castle and steps out)

Sophie: The chaos is being reflected in your dream state. (steps forward) If you'll just stop--

Dodgson (backs away): No, no. Just stop talking. Listen to me. I'm getting out of here.

(Dodgson turns and sees Parker, confused. Parker steps forward and places a red patch on his neck. Eliot catches him from behind as he collapses)


[Control Room]

Sophie: Look, I'm not saying we pull the plug, but we have to rethink this. The whole con hinges on him opening that door.

Hardison: He does not want to do that.

Nate: He wanted to go to his office. He was desperate to get there. Why?

Sophie: Sentiment. It was his father's office.

Nate: Then we should let him go there. He wants to take the long way around, fine, as long as he opens that door.

Hardison: I got the floor plans. All I need to do is get pictures of how it's set up inside.

Sophie: Yeah, finesse won't work with this guy.

Nate: No, no, we got to push him. Shorten the leash.

(Sophie nods in agreement)


[Dodgeson Home]

(Dodgson is lying on a chair, sleeping. Eliot reaches over and puts a blue patch on his neck)


[Dreamnasium]

(Sophie reaches over and takes the patch from Dodgson’s neck. He is lying in a chair in the medical office)

Sophie: Are you with us, Mr. Dodgson? (walks to chair and sits) Excellent. Welcome to stage 2.

Dodgson (site up): Stage 2?

Sophie: First, we got you acclimated to the dream state. (picks up silver sphere and rolls it in her hands) Now you have to take control.

Dodgson: That is the last thing that I've got. The panic attacks are even worse than before.

Sophie: Exactly. Panic attacks are about loss of control. Here is where you take it back. But you have to want it.

Dodgson: I do. I want it. (sighs) Let's get started.

Sophie: We've already begun.

Dodgson: What, I'm dreaming now?

(Sophie nods)

Dodgson: How can I tell?

Sophie (echoing): Like this.

(the sphere is hovering inches above Sophie’s hands and an electronic buzzing noise is heard. The room digitizes out and is replaced by a dreamscape of plans and clouds)

Man (distorted): Why, Charles? Why?

Woman (distorted): Why, Charles? Why?

(shapes of factory workers tied with ropes appear and move through the room)

Voices (distorted): Why, Charles? Why? Charles, why? Why, Charles? Why?

Sophie: Or that.

(the figures move closer, their faces covered with cloths. They continue to ask why as Dodgson falls out of his chair. The scene changes to a burning field, 50-gallon barrels everywhere. Dodgson dodges the flames as gunfire and explosions ring out. Dodgson hides behind a set of barrels. Sophie walks into his field of vision)

Dodgson (panting): Oh, God. Who are those people? What do they want?

Sophie (echoing): You, Mr. Dodgson.

(the workers reappear, climbing on the barrels and coming closer, asking why as Dodgson runs away. He finds himself before the locked factory doors and turns away)

Dodgson: No, no. No!

(a bright light shines on Dodgson)

Sophie (walking out of the light): You can't escape them, Mr. Dodgson. They're you. All of this is you.

(Dodgson runs past Sophie and into his office. He dodges behind his desk and sits against it, panting)

Sophie (standing over him): How will you ever get better if you don't listen to your doctor?

Dodgson: It's all in my h-head, right? This dream, I'm in my office, my dad's office. I'm safe.

Sophie: That's up to your subconscious. (someone pounds on the door) Can they get in?

(Dodgson is frantic, breathing hard. Sophie holds out her hand)

Sophie: Mr. Dodgson.

(he ignores her hand and turns away)

Sophie: Fine. If you think you don't need me...

Dodgson: No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no. You have to help me. You're the doctor. Okay, just... Just tell me what they want.

Sophie: That's not how this works. I'm just the guide. The hard work is up to you.

Dodgson: Well, why the R&D lab? What does it mean?

Sophie: My feeling is, once you open it, you'll know. Let's go and see, shall we?

(she leads the way across the room toward the doors. There is still the sound of people trying to break in. Sophie reaches the door and goes to open it)

Dodgson: No, don't. Don't. Don't. Don't let them in! Don't.

(Sophie opens the door and the voices quiet. There is no one in the hallway)

Sophie: Come on.

(he follows her into the hall)


[Control Room]

(Eliot, Parker and Hardison approach, wearing the workers clothing)

Eliot: She's good, isn't she?

Nate (watching monitors): Nobody better. But I'm not sure that...


[Dreamnasium]

Sophie (jingling keys): Mr. Dodgson.

Dodgson: I know. I know.

(he takes keys and approaches the doors. He comes very close to putting the key in the lock but can’t make himself do it)

Dodgson: No, I can't. I can't. This has to stay locked.

Sophie: This block is acting like an anchor. If you just open the door—

Dodgson: No. I-I am not doing this, okay? And you cannot make me!

(he turns and Sophie puts a red patch on his neck, making him sway)

Sophie (in his ear): I believe you. Nate.

(the lights come up, showing Sophie holding Dodgson up)

Sophie: I need a word.


[Control Room]

Parker: All right, Eliot brought Dodgson back home.

Nate: He was almost there, right on the edge. We got to find something that, that pushes him the right way.

Parker: Yeah, well, I'm not so sure pushing works so well.

Sophie: I don't know... there's just something about the way he's so resistant that's bothering me, and I can't say why.

Parker: Yeah, he's just really stubborn.

Sophie: To pull off the white rabbit, Dodgson has to buy into the idea that the dreams are real. On some level, he knows it's all false.

Nate: All right, if he needs it to feel real, let's make it real.


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

(Dodgson is standing at his office, typing. Carroll stands in front the desk)

Carroll: Mr. Dodgson, please. You're not making any sense.

Dodgson: Let me say this again in plain English. I want you to move up the sale.

Carroll: Yes, sir, of course, but next week?

Dodgson: I want this place done, gone. I want to forget all about it.

Carroll: Well, it's gonna take longer than a week. I mean, the termination paperwork alone is gonna take—

Dodgson: Uh, this is my company. Um, my father, ah, left it to me, not you, and I can close the doors whenever I want.

Carroll: Yes, sir, but if you want to make any money on the auction...

Dodgson: You think this is about money? My father would have sold this company in a heartbeat if he thought he could make a profit. Did I do that? No. I gave people time to make plans, to find jobs. I went slow for them because, you know, hey, we're a family here. Well, family time is over. Make it happen, John, or you're gonna get a pink slip instead of a golden parachute. Are we clear?

Carroll: Yeah. clear, sir.

(Dodgson leaves angrily)


[Car, Interior]

(Eliot driving while Dodgson broods in the backseat)


[Dodgson Home, Bedroom]

(Dodgson turns out light and settles into bed. Eliot enters and places a patch on his neck)


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

(Car approaches security stand)

Eliot: Hey, man.

Guard: Hello.

(guard approaches car with flashlight, shining it in the windows)

Eliot: Just giving the, uh, boss's lady friend a quick tour.

Guard: Okay.

(guard goes to back window. Sophie is drinking wine, Hodgson leaning against her

Sophie: Hey! Hey, turn the music back on! I want to dance!

(guard, surprised, walks away)

Sophie (laughing): I'm really-I'm feeling it.

(guard opens gate and Eliot drives through)


[Dodgson Energetics, Floor]

(Dodgson wakes inside the factory, leaning against some pallets. Behind him Sophie and Hardison are standing as he turns around)

Dodgson: Uh... Dr. Rauschenbaugh?

Sophie: Sally Sparrow from Hatter Mercantile. This is my partner, Mr. Steed.

Hardison: You know, this is truly impressive. What you've done here, truly, it's a tribute to your grandfather's work.

Sophie: What was his motto?

Dodgson: Uh... "Keep-keep moving forward."

Sophie: That's the one. Oh, well, you've done a stellar job getting this place in shape.

Hardison: Yeah, hasn't he?

Sophie: Mm-hmm.

Dodgson: Uh... yeah. I mean, we've been t-trying to cut the fat.

Hardison: There's just one thing. In order for us to make a real decision, we're gonna have to see that Alpha Battery.

(Parker walks by holding a battery which is glowing on one end)

Dodgson: Um... The Alpha Battery? We actually never finished that. (turns to see Parker walking toward stairway door) Hey. (follows her) Hey. Um... (begins running) Hey! (starts down the stairs after Parker) Wait, stop! Please!

(Dodgson walks onto main factory floor, following Parker)

Dodgson: Hey. Hey, stop.

(Parker keeps walking)

Dodgson: S-stop. Who are you?

Parker: I work here. (places battery on cart) I'm a worker... working. (turns to push the cart across floor)

Dodgson: No. This is all wrong. You can't be here.

Parker: I'm taking the battery for a walk, sir. She needs to get out.

Dodgson: No, no, no, no. (grabs her arm) Come on. We have to go. Come on.

Parker: Let go! (pulls arm away)

Dodgson: You have to— (grabs her arm again) I have to get you out of here! Come on! (pulls Parker away)

Parker (into comm): Guys, a little help? (Parker pulls away)

Dodgson: Aah! Damn it! Patience, you never listen. (grabs Parker and turns her around) I've got to get you out of here!

(Parker breaks away and puts patch on Dodgson’s neck. Hardison and Sophie enter room)

Dodgson: Aah!

(Hardison catches Dodgson as he falls)

Parker (angry): Who the hell is Patience?!


[Dodgson House, Bedroom]

(Eliot places Dodgson on the bed)

Parker: He called me "Patience." Look for anything with that name.

(Parker, Hardison and Eliot begin searching the room)

Eliot: So, who the hell is Patience? Girlfriend, relative, what?

(Hardison plugs into computer and Eliot hands him Hodgson’s phone)

Eliot: It's not my department. (takes clock from mantle)

Hardison: Stop taking stuff.

Parker: Hey, what about this? (holds up shirt) Should I take this?

Eliot: Put it back. Damn it.

Hardison: Intel. We're not here to steal.

(Parker takes large box from closet)

Eliot (impatiently): Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

Hardison (disconnects computer): Done.

(Hardison turns off light and follows Eliot from room. Parker stands looking at Hodgson for a moment. Hardison comes back for her)

Hardison: Hey, what are you doing? Come on. Come on.


[Control Room]

(Hardison puts a laptop down on the desk with a woman’s photo showing)

Hardison: Meet Patience Mortell, Dodgson's second cousin.

Parker: She doesn't look anything like me.

Hardison: She's a little younger than Dodgson. They spent their summers growing up as kids, spent their college years backpacking in Europe. She's an Olympic-class party girl.

Eliot: And we're just finding out about this now?

Hardison: Well, she fell off the radar after Dodgson took over the family biz.

Eliot: So... you missed it.

Hardison: I didn't miss nothing. I wasn't looking for it. Anyway, after I did a search on her, all I could find was her obit.

Sophie: Patience is dead?

Hardison: Exactamundo. See, she spent a week partying in Aspen, drove herself back home, black ice, plus spin-out, car, plus guardrail, plus gravity, plus 100-foot drops, plus...

(Eliot says something low to Sophie)

Hardison: I'm sorry. You got something to say?

Eliot: I'm just saying, it's a pretty big piece of information for you to completely miss!

Hardison: I didn't miss it! I wasn't looking! And she fell off the rad— You know what, man? I've had my hands busy building a digital dream world, busy modding your jungle drugs so it doesn't fry Dodgson's brain. I've been bus— You know, d-d-don't you have some chauffeuring to do?

Sophie: Nate?

Nate: Hmm?

Sophie: A word.

(the two of them walk into the medical office set)

Nate: Don't tell me. I know. You said it was a bad idea, that we shouldn't do it. You warned me. I-I know.

Sophie: Nate, I-I never completed the white rabbit.

Nate: What?! Of course, you did. No, you're the only one who ev— It was just a rumor? So all this time, you've let people think that—

Sophie: Look, I did try it once, but then halfway through, it went bad. Friends started arguing. Seasoned grifters started making rookie mistakes.

Nate: So it got bumpy. I mean, not everything's a cakewalk.

Sophie: Do you understand what this con is? We're in a man's mind.

Nate: Yes, I know. Grifter, therapist, kind of the same coin, right? I mean, you're both inside people's heads.

Sophie: No, I nudge people into doing something that they already want to do. I tempt them here and there. I help them access their greed. But no, no, this is different.

Nate: I-I don't see how.

Sophie: Because you're all plans and clockworks. This con is unpredictable. It can break a mark. It can break a grifter. It can break a team.

Nate: You're forgetting one thing, this is us, all right? It's our crew running it, okay? Nothing's gonna happen to this guy. We're not gonna break him, all right? We're, we're helping him.

Sophie: Look, I am telling you. As of right now, I cannot predict how this is gonna fall out.

Nate: You need to be confident about this. You're better. You're smarter. I mean, y-you can't feel guilty ju—

(he stops and cocks his head, then walks away)

Sophie: Why do I bother?

(they re-enter the control area)

Nate: Hardison, what's the date of Patience's crash?

Parker: 3:00 A.M., March 20, 2009.

Nate: Okay, can you put up the D.E. security footage from March 19th?

(Hardison pulls up footage on monitors)

Nate: There's Dodgson working in the R&D lab. Now, fast-forward one day.

(Hardison types on keyboard)

Nate: Stop. There.

(Hardison rewinds and replays the footage)

Nate: See? Door's closed and padlocked.

Sophie: That's it. Well done.

Parker: Wait, what's it? What's well done?

Nate: The call. See, Dodgson, he's got this troubled cousin, disappears into the jet-set party world, calls him out of the blue, but he's busy working on some sensitive project.

Hardison: The Alpha Broadcast Battery.

Nate: Yeah, so he sees who's calling, doesn't take the call because he's busy.

Sophie: The next day, he finds out Patience is dead. He blames himself.

Nate: Yes, hence the padlocked doors, the closing of the lab, the firing of workers, and trying to sell everything off that's left.

Sophie: It's not fear of the future that's causing the panic attacks, it's guilt.

Nate: Since we got here, every time this guy's gotten into a panic attack, Parker was in play.


[Flashback, Street]

(Eliot helps Parker to her feet)

Eliot: You all right?

Parker: I'm okay.


[Flashback, Dreamnasium]

(in the castle set, Dodgson turns to see Parker standing there)

(in the factory, Dodgson grabs Parker’s arm)

Dodgson: Patience, you never listen. I've got to get you out of here!


[Control Room]

Nate: Parker reminds him of Patience. So, I mean, no, I mean, the only way we're gonna flip this guy, right, is if we get him to stop being guilty about her.

Sophie: Right.

Parker: No.

Sophie: Come with me, young lady.

Parker: No.

Sophie: It's makeover time.

Parker: No, no, no, no, no.

Sophie: It's makeover time. (grabs Parker’s arm and pulls her away)

Parker: Wait, are we not doing the white rabbit?


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

(Dodgson looks exhausted, others around table look very professional as Carroll gives presentation)

Carroll: As of right now, these are the companies who will be participating in the auction. (shows company names on overhead) Now, there'll be some advance people dropping in to rate us and more security filings, and today, you'll need to— (sees Dodgson isn’t listening) Mr. Dodgson?

Dodgson (looks up): Yes, um, it's fine. Excellent.

(others leave the room and Carroll sits next to Dodgson)

Carroll: Sir, I know I'm getting near the line here, but you haven't been... your best lately.

Dodgson: I'm just-I'm just having some sleep issues.

Carroll: Yeah, well, as we've moved up the sale date, you've let yourself in on a marathon of conference calls.

Dodgson: You can handle those.

Carroll: You're the face of the company, sir, like yo— (gestures to painting) like your grandfather.

Dodgson: Uh, fine. I'll talk to them.

Carroll: I can push back some of the calls to later in the week, but the carmakers from Finland are waiting for a web conference. If I might suggest, (stands and puts a pill bottle on the table) this stuff would keep an elephant awake. It's time-released. Every five hours, you get a boost.

(Carroll leaves. Dodgson picks up the bottle and takes a dose)


[Dodgson Energetics, Hallway]

(Carroll talking to security guard)

Carroll: I don't know. There's something going on with him. Find out what he's been up to for the last few days. Anything unusual, you come see me first, all right?

Guard: Okay. Will do.


[Car, Interior]

(Eliot is driving Dodgson, who looks broodingly out the window)


[Dodgson Home, Bedroom]

(Dodgson is in bed, rubbing his eyes. He turns out the light and prepares to sleep. Someone puts a patch on his neck)


[Dodgson Energetics, Floor]

(Dodgson wakes and looks around, seeing Parker walk by)

Dodgson: Patience? (he gets up to follow her, losing her among the equipment) Patience? Patience? (he catches site of her and turns to follow) Patience.

(Dodgson runs to follow, and catches up with her outside of the locked room)

Dodgson: Oh, my God. It's-it's really you. (hugs Parker) I missed you so much.


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

(Hardison and Sophie watch the monitors, Dodgson and Parker on one side, Nate on the other)

Sophie: Parker, this is your show. Remember, just…


[Dodgson Energetics, Floor]

Sophie (voice over): …keep it simple.

Parker: You look sad. Why are you sad?

Dodgson: I'm in trouble. This place, the whole town, it's just-it's just too much now.

Parker: Well, I'm here now. (puts hand on his shoulder)

Dodgson: You look different. Why do you look different? (thinks for a minute) You're dead. (backs away) Patience, oh! What's going on!

Parker: Guys, I think something's wrong.


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

Hardison (holds up bottle to camera): Confirmed. Wrong, something is.


[Control Room]

Nate: Damn it. Parker, he took an energy shot. It's working against the sedative.


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

Hardison: So, Nate, we... I mean, we pull the plug, right?

(Dodgson bursts into office. Sophie and Hardison stand)


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

(four men get out of a car near the gates, including Carroll)

Eliot: Guys, I hate to pile on, but we got company at the gate. (approaches men) Gentlemen. How can I help you tonight?

Carroll: What are you doing here?

Eliot: The boss has a lady friend. Wants to entertain.

Carroll: Mr. Dodgson never entertains. And if he did, he wouldn't do it here.

Eliot: Well, I don't ask questions. I'm just the driver, man.

Carroll: No, I think you're a mole. I think one of the sharks circling this company sent you here to dig up scandal on Mr. Dodgson, lowball the sale price, yeah?

Eliot: What are you— (gestures at one of the guards) ask my boy here, man. I—He saw us all come in. We were all together just a min— (in comm) Need some options here, guys.


[Control Room]

Nate: Stall them. There's a situation inside.


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

Dodgson: What is this?


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

Eliot: So... pfft. That's... a hell of a theory, man.

Carroll: Look, I don't know exactly what's going on here, but I do know that someone canceled Mr. Dodgson's car for the last month. Whoever you are, you're no driver.

Eliot: I don't suppose we can forget about this and just call it a night, huh?

(Carroll turns aside and pats one of the guards on the back. The guards move toward Eliot menacingly)

Eliot: Look, (takes a step back) let me explain something.

(Eliot grabs the guard’s baton and hits him in the face with it. The guard looks at him, stunned, and Eliot hits him again)

Eliot: Oh, look out.

(Eliot trades blows with the other guards, batting away their fists and slapping one in the face)

Eliot: Ooh! That one connected, didn't it? Come here. (he knocks the guard down) Stay down. (he looks at the last guard, who has a gun pulled but not pointed) What are y—

(Eliot rolls his eyes and walks away. The guard lets him)


[Dodgson Energetics, Office]

Dodgson (frantic): Who are you—who are you people? (turns a laptop around to see the monitors) What the hell's, what the hell's going on? Huh. (he lifts a baseball and tries to get it to float)

Sophie: Mr. Dodgson...

(the ball falls)

Sophie: Look, t-this isn't what...

(Dodgson turns and runs for the door)

Sophie: Mr. Dodgson. Mr. Dodgson! Wait!

(Dodgson runs down hallway)

Hardison: I got him. He's in the west wing, headed north. Hey, rich dude!


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

(Eliot continues to fight guards)

Eliot: Nate?

(he knocks one guard into another, then to the ground. The third guard continues to hold his gun out)

Eliot: Anybody want to tell me what's going on in there?

(he turns to see the gun and knocks it aside)

Eliot (to guard): Stop.


[Control Room]

Nate: A little bump. We're handling it. I just need you to keep stalling.

Eliot (voice over): Fine.


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

(Eliot continues to fight the guards, grabbing a baton from one. He turns to see the third guard and takes the gun)

Eliot: Give me the gun!

(the guard walks away)


[Dodgson Energetics, Hallway]

Parker (running down hallway): Charlie!

(Dodgson falls through a door to the stairway, Parker follows, running up the stairs)

Parker: Charlie, stop!

(Hardison tries to follow them into the stairway, but the door is locked.


[Dodgson Energetics, Roof]

(Dodgson stands on the edge of the roof, looking down

Parker: Charlie! Charlie. (sees him on the edge of the roof)

Dodgson: No. Don't come over here, okay? Just stay right there.

Parker: Ch-Charlie, w-what are you doing up here?

Dodgson: The ball didn't—the ball didn't, didn't float.

Parker: Yeah, well, they usually don't. What are we talking about here?

Dodgson: I jus-I-I don't know what's real anymore. You don't, you don't look like you. Nothing feels... solid. Just tell me, (holds his hand out to her) am I dreaming now, or was I just dreaming then?

Parker: Which answer gets you down here with me?

Dodgson: You know, they say, they say you can't die in your dreams. It's just, you just wake up. I just want to wake up, Patience.

Parker (slowly moves closer): It's not actually always the case.

Dodgson: I am tired. I am so, So tired. (voice breaking) I just, I just want to wake up. (moves to jump)

Parker: No, wait! Stop!

Dodgson: Why?!

Parker: Because, because you're not dreaming, okay? If you step off that ledge, you're gonna die.


[Control Room]

Nate: What? What's the problem? I thought you were hacked into the security system.

Hardison (voice over): No, it's a machine lock.

(on monitor Nate watches Hardison approach the door with bolt cutters)


[Dodgson Energetics]

Sophie: What the hell are you doing?

Hardison: I'm hacking.

Sophie: Well, stop it! Just step back.

Hardison: She's on the roof with the guy we just spent the last four days driving crazy.

Sophie: Well, I'm not happy about it, either, but we just— we have to trust that Parker's gonna see it through to the end.


[Dodgson Energetics, Roof]

Dodgson: No. This is-this is a dream. It's my dream. It's a lucid dream. I can't get hurt.

Parker: Charlie, listen to me! You're not dreaming, okay?

Dodgson: I can't get hurt. It's a lucid dream. I can't get hurt.

Parker: Just step on down off that ledge. (moves closer)

Dodgson: Don't. Don't. Please don't! Don't come any closer.

Parker: Okay.

Dodgson: Please. I don't...

Parker: Okay. I'm not gonna do anything. Okay? (holds hands up) I promise. I promise.

Dodgson: Okay. Okay.

Parker: I'm gonna sit down here next to you, okay? Hey. Look at me. I'm not gonna do anything, okay? It's all right. It's all right.

Dodgson: Just stay back.

(Dodgson moves wrong and falls from the ledge)

Parker: No!

Dodgson: Aah!

(Parker grabs his arm and holds him, trying to pull him back up)

Dodgson: Let me go. Just let me go.

Parker (strained): Keep squirming, it won't be up to me!

Dodgson: It's a dream. It's a dream. It's got to be a dream.

Parker: I swear to God, Charlie, it is not. I promise you, okay?

Dodgson: Patience, let me go.

Parker: I'm not doing that.

Dodgson: I'll fall, and I'll wake up, and maybe—and maybe you'll still maybe you'll still be alive, too.

(she braces her foot against the edge of the roof and pulls hard, bringing him onto the roof)

Parker: I'm not Patience! Patience is dead, okay?! (holds Dodgson down on the roof) She's dead, and it sucks, and that's the way it is! (pulls off wig) But you're alive! You're here!


Dodgson: You don't und-you don't understand. She was the only one who... I'm alone.

Parker: I don't understand? I had somebody. I lost someone once, okay? And I thought I was alone, too. But you know what? I wasn't. People thought I was crazy, but I never was. I-I never was, and neither are you. And you're not alone. Your own people sent us because they care about you.

Dodgson: I ne... I never wanted any of this. I just, I didn't want the business or the legacy. I just wanted... I just... I just wanted to make things.

Parker: What happened to Patience wasn't your fault. But what happens next is. It's your life, Charlie. It's your choice. Make something. (gets up and walks away)


[Control Room]

Liddell: But nobody's seen Charles for a week.

Sophie: Bright side, no one's been fired in a week, and the business hasn't gone up for auction.

Nate: Now, Parker was the last one with him. Um... (louder) Parker?

Eliot: She's not here.

Sophie: Yeah, we can see that. Where is she?

Hardison: Said she wanted to go see the Finns. I'll pull it up.

(he types on laptop, then points at a monitor, which shows Carroll getting out of a car with other executives)

Liddell (upset): He's doing it. This is it. He's selling to the Finnish car company.


[Dodgson Energetics, Exterior]

Dodgson (voice over): My grandfather founded this company in 1937.

Carroll: Welcome to Dodgson Energetics. Follow me, please.

(the group walks toward the building)

Dodgson (voice over): He passed it on to my father. When he died, it came to me. My grandfather's motto...

Carroll (opening door): Watch your step.

Dodgson (voice over): was "Keep Moving Forward."


[Dodgson Energetics]

(camera pans through various areas of the building)

Dodgson (voice over): My father thought that meant "keep moving forward to the bank." My dad was kind of a jerk. To him, this, this place was just a cash box. But to me, it was a playground. It was church.

(factory floor, workers stand looking up at Dodgson who is standing at the railing, speaking to them)

Dodgson: When I took over, well, I wanted to do a lot. And I kind of lost sight of that. And I hurt people, you. I hurt you. And I'm sorry for that. Believe me, if I could go back in time and change it, I would, but I guess we all have regrets. But recently, I had a, I guess you'd call it an intervention.

(Carroll enters floor with Finns)

Dodgson: Somebody reminded me... (sees Carroll and the Finns) Hey! The Finns! (walks down the stairs to meet them) Well, thank you for coming. You, uh, your timing is impeccable. Have I got something to show you. (walks to pick up bolt cutters) You're gonna love this.

(Dodgson walks to locked doors and hesitates a moment before he cuts through the chain. He unwraps the chain and opens the doors, leading the way in and turning on the lights)

Dodgson: Everybody, come in. Come on. Gather around.

(Finns and workers enter the room, gathering around. Dodgson stands at a station, turning it on)

Dodgson: So, someone reminded me that we can't change the past, but we can make the future. So, I would like to announce our partnership with Aurinko Motors.

(the crowd murmurs, Liddell smiles)

Dodgson: Because their new hybrid city car is gonna need something to make it go. So, (picks up battery) we need a lot more hands around here.

(the crowd cheers. Dodgson turns to see Parker standing in the doorway. She nods approvingly. People move between them and Parker disappears)

(on the upper floor, Hardison, Nate and Eliot approach Sophie where she stands at the rail)

Eliot: Why the long face?

Sophie: Oh, just sorting stuff.

Nate: Yeah, so, the con failed, technically.

Sophie: The con didn't fail. The con worked.

Hardison: If by "worked," you mean "completely fell apart."

Hardison: Huh? Sorry, which one of us is the grifter? I'm telling you, we pulled off the white rabbit successfully.

Nate: Pulled off the white rabbit, how so?

Sophie: Well, the white rabbit is about taking the truth, what's underneath, and-and-and bringing it out.

Nate: And not breaking the mark in the process.

Sophie: Every grift is an exchange. The trick is to give enough to hold them up, but not so much that you get pulled over with him.

(Parker rounds a corner, walking to join them)

Nate: Parker, huh?

Sophie: Parker.

Parker: We good?

Sophie: You tell us.

Parker: Yeah. We're good.

(they all turn and leave together)

The End

Content and graphic are copyright © 2011 When Darkness Falls. Scripts are under fair use and published for educational and entertainment purposes. No infrigment intended. This web site, its operators and any content on this site is not authorized by TNT.