PANEL 1

COMMANDER

IT’S CALLED A NUFBUFF AND IT’S PRETTY GOOD. IT’S GOT CHOCOLATE, PEANUTS, COCONUT-

SPOOKY JONES

I…

PANEL 2

SPOOKY JONES

I KNOW.

IT’S… IT USED TO BE MY FAVORITE.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

WELL, THAT’S VERY COOL. MINE TOO.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

HOW ABOUT YOU PICK WHICH HALF YOU GET?

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

THAT WAY YOU CAN MAKE SURE I GET THE POISONED HALF.

PANEL 6

COMMANDER

HEY, IT’S WHAT I WOULD DO IF SOME STRANGE CHICK WERE OFFERING ME CANDY.

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

RIGHT.

SO… DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?

PANEL 3

COMMANDER AND SPOOKY.

COMMANDER

FAIR ENOUGH. WELL, I’M GOOD AT READING PEOPLE — REALLY GOOD, ACTUALLY — AND I CAN TELL YOU’RE TIRED. AND THIRSTY. AND HUNGRY. AND THAT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING. BUT I CAN’T REALLY TELL MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

YOU’RE PRETTY USED TO HAVING YOUR GUARD UP, HUH?

PANEL 6

COMMANDER

I CAN BE A BIT LIKE THAT TOO. I’M SURE YOU HAVE GOOD REASONS. LET’S FACE IT — I’M ACTUALLY PRETTY AWESOME, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW ME.

PANEL 7

COMMANDER

AND TO BE HONEST, I DON’T KNOW IF I’M GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU, BUT I AM GOING TO HAVE HALF OF THIS CANDY BAR.

AND IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN HAVE THE OTHER HALF.

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

I DON’T THINK I WAS SCARED OF THEM, BUT I WAS CERTAINLY A BIT NERVOUS, Y’KNOW?

AFTER WHAT I’D DONE, I EXPECTED THEM TO TREAT ME LIKE SOME CRIMINAL, LIKE SOME DELINQUENT BAD-ASS. LIKE YOU SEE ON T.V.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

BUT THEY DIDN’T. INSTEAD THEY TALKED TO ME LIKE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL. ANOTHER SPOILED ARMY BRAT FROM THE BASE JUST ACTING OUT.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

DIDN’T MATTER WHAT I SAID. DIDN’T REALLY MATTER WHAT I’D DONE. TO THEM, I WAS JUST SOME DUMB KID.

I WAS A WASTE OF THEIR TIME.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

AND FOR SOME REASON, THAT FELT A HELL OF A LOT WORSE THAN THEM THINKING I WAS SOME KIND OF REAL CRIMINAL.

BUT IT ALSO FELT… FAMILIAR.

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM FEEL SAFE.

BUT THIS ISN’T A SAFE WORLD, IS IT?

PANEL 6

PANEL 6

SPOOKY JONES

NO.

IT’S NOT.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

WHEN I WAS 14, I HAD A RUN-IN WITH THE LAW.

I STOLE A CAR.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

IT’S A LONG STORY, BUT BASICALLY I NEEDED THE CAR TO HELP SOME PEOPLE IN TROUBLE.

PANEL 5

CAPTION

BUT THE COPS DIDN’T KNOW THAT WHEN THEY PULLED ME OVER. AND THEY CERTAINLY WEREN’T GOING TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

I MEAN, WHY WOULD THEY, Y’KNOW?

PANEL 6

CAPTION

SO, ANYWAY, THEY TOOK ME IN AND I WAS SITTING THERE JUST LIKE YOU’VE BEEN SITTING WHILE A BUNCH OF THEM ASKED THEIR QUESTIONS.

MY MOM WAS OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE OF WORK AND THERE WASN’T REALLY ANYONE ELSE. NOT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I’D DONE THIS CRAZY, UNEXPLAINABLE THING THAT I FELT I HAD TO DO AND NOW I WAS IN A POLICE STATION, ALL ALONE, TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.

PANEL 1

PARKER

YOU’RE WASTING YOUR BREATH, TUTT. THE COLONEL HAS JURISDICTION HERE.

PANEL 2

PARKER

AND I BET YOU’LL JUST TELL US THAT YOUR LITTLE GIRL HAS CLEARANCE ANYWAY, RIGHT?

PANEL 3

CHARLEYBOY

NO, DETECTIVE PARKER. I’D TELL YOU THAT I TRUST MY DAUGHTER’S JUDGMENT.

PANEL 4

CHARLEYBOY

YOU’LL BE OK, RIGHT, AMANDA?

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

YEAH. I’LL DEFINITELY BE OK.

I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE’RE DONE.

PANEL 1

TUTT

BOXER, THIS IS COLONEL CHARLEYBOY. FROM THE PENTAGON. SUPERINTENDENT LASLEY HAS EXTENDED HER OUR FULL COOPERATION.

PANEL 2

BOXER

AH. RIGHT. WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YOU THEN, COLONEL.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

I’LL NEED THE ROOM, MOM.

COMPLETE PRIVACY.

CHARLEYBOY

O.K. WE’LL CHECK BACK IN A LITTLE BIT THEN.

PANEL 4

TUTT

MA’AM! WITH ALL DUE RESPECT…

PANEL 5

TUTT

WE DIDN’T WANT TO TRAUMATIZE HIM ANY FURTHER BY USING RESTRAINTS, BUT I’VE BEEN ON THE FORCE FOR NEARLY TWENTY YEARS AND MY GUT TELLS ME THIS BOY ISN’T SAFE TO BE AROUND.

NOT ALONE.

PANEL 1

PARKER

MOSTLY WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A LINE ON HIS PARENTS. ANYTHING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THIS KID CAME FROM.

PANEL 2

TUTT

YOU’LL WANT TO TREAD LIGHTLY. HE’S OBVIOUSLY SUFFERED SERIOUS MENTAL TRAUMA. I GET THE IMPRESSION HE MIGHT LASH OUT IF PUSHED.

PANEL 3

PARKER

YEAH. THAT’S ONE WAY TO PUT IT.

YOU ASK ME? THERE’S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY NOT RIGHT WITH THIS BOY.

I’D BET REAL MONEY THIS KID WAS BORN WITH THOSE SPOOKY EYES OF HIS…

PANEL 4

BOXER

LOOK, KID, WE REALLY ARE THE GOOD GUYS. AND ALL WE’RE WANTING TO DO RIGHT NOW IS HELP FIND YOUR FOLKS. THEY’RE PROBABLY WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU, YOU KNOW.

FORGET ABOUT WHERE THE HEAD CAME FROM. HOW ABOUT JUST YOUR LAST NAME. AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU CAN JUST NOD.

WHAT IS IT? WU? LEE? WONG?

PANEL 5

CHARLEYBOY

WHY DON’T YOU GO GET YOURSELF A CUP OF COFFEE, DETECTIVE?

WE’LL TAKE OVER FROM HERE.

BOXER

OH, YOU WILL, WILL YOU?

PANEL 1

INT. POLICE BULL PEN – MOMENTS LATER

TUTT

HE’S IN THE SECOND ROOM ON THE RIGHT. EARLY TEENS. I’M GUESSING CHINESE. MAYBE CAMBODIAN.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

I’LL CATCH UP, MOM.

CHARLEYBOY

O.K.

PANEL 3

PARKER

I WOULDN’T GET MY HOPES UP ABOUT GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF HIM. ALL HE’S DONE SINCE HE’S GOTTEN HERE IS STARE AT US.

PANEL 4

TUTT

HE DOESN’T SEEM BADLY HURT, PHYSICALLY. SOCIAL SERVICES IS SENDING SOMEONE IN A FEW HOURS.

SINCE WE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE… LARGER ISSUES AT STAKE, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HIM TO OPEN UP SOME.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

NO. NOTHING.

CHARLEYBOY

O.K.

PANEL 3

CHARLEYBOY AND THE DETECTIVES.

CHARLEYBOY

THE BOY’S UPSTAIRS?

TUTT

INTERVIEW THREE.

CHARLEYBOY

HAS HE SAID ANYTHING?

PANEL 4

PARKER

SILENT AS THE GRAVE.

PANEL 5

CHARLEYBOY

PACK THIS UP TO BE SHIPPED TO WASHINGTON IMMEDIATELY.

PANEL 6

CHARLEYBOY

DRY ICE. BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2 PRIMARY CONTAINMENT.

PANEL 7

CHARLEYBOY

LET’S GO MEET THIS KID.

PANEL 1

BAKER

GOOD TO MEET YOU.

I WAS TOLD NOT TO TOUCH IT UNTIL YOU ARRIVED.

PANEL 2

PANEL 3

CHARLEYBOY

WELL, YOU ARE A BEAUTY.

WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?

PANEL 4

TUTT

UNIFORMS PICKED UP THE BOY NEAR THE DOCKS THREE HOURS AGO.

PARKER

HE WAS JUST STUMBLING AROUND, STARK NAKED, CARRYING THIS THING BY ITS HAIR.

PANEL 5

CHARLEYBOY

LIKE THIS?

PARKER

YEAH.

PANEL 6

CHARLEYBOY

ANYTHING?