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Lesson 8
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PETER FELIZ : THRILLER PLOT<div>
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY I’m still unclear as to both Lucky’s and Cuichi’s motives, but I’ve enjoyed using (or abusing) SAVE THE CAT as my structure. Also the real villain is murky here.
ASSIGNMENT
<div>1. Opening Image:</div><div>In a Arizona desert cemetery reminiscent of Boot Hill Lucky Lunes at his mother’s funeral tries to dodge the funeral director.</div><div>Lucky’s funeral check bounced </div><div>Instead The mortician assured Lucky that an anonymous benefactor paid for his mother’s funeral.</div><div>The mortician gives Lucky an envelope addressed to Lucky. It has no return address and the envelope is empty.</div><div>But the postmark is Cumaripa Hermosillo MX.</div><div>
</div><div>2. Setup:</div><div>One of the funeral attendees, a local rancher notes that Lucky’s mother had no money for an elaborate funeral, because she like the rancher were scammed out of lots of money by Lucky’s estranged friend Antonio “Cuichi” Valenzuela. Accuses of being in cahoots with Cuichi.</div><div>The rancher warns Lucky if he doesn’t money back, Lucky is going to pay for Cuichi’s crimes.</div><div>
</div><div>3. Theme Stated: </div><div>As Lucky says of himself he always acts against his better judgment, whether it’s spouses, financial decisions or his choice of friends: and Cuichi Valenzuela is a lifelong and continual example. Ever since they were children Cuichi has either betrayed Lucky or saved him.</div><div>But the final straw for Lucky Cuichi scammed Lucky’s mother and many other Arizona retirees out of their life savings. Cuichi escaped prosecution hiding out in Mexico.</div><div>Why did Cuichi pay for the Lucky’s mother’s funeral?</div><div>Perhaps as atonement Cuichi has anonymously paid for Lucky’s mother’s illness and passing.</div><div>Which causes Lucky even further grief.</div><div>
</div><div>4. Inciting Incident:</div><div>Lucky, who can’t speak Spanish to save his life flies to Sonora to find Cuichi (pronounced KWEE-chee).</div><div>He has no real plan beyond finding Cuichi?</div><div>He is being followed. By whom,?</div><div>He has trouble with his passport?</div><div>
</div><div>Over drinks, Calloway tells Holly Martins that his friend Harry Lime was involved in racketeering and is a murderer. Martins is forced to see Harry in a new light, and his reaction is to instantly side with his friend as he tries to hit the policeman for the accusation. He vows to prove Calloway wrong about Harry Limes.</div><div>
</div><div>Learn more about inciting incidents: The Inciting Incident: Definition and Case Studies</div><div>
</div><div>5. Debate:</div><div>Lucky arrives in Hermosillo and though he’s been there before (he’s a popular food blogger) his poor Spanish skills become a giant roadblock.</div><div>Getting transportation to Cumaripa is like getting a ride to Castle Dracula.Why?</div><div>The Villain caused a police action in Cumaripa </div><div>All hotels are booked </div><div>Lucky is being tailed again. By whom</div><div>Even Lucky’s favorite food cart from a past visit has disappeared.</div><div>The person tailing Lucky (a very large man) confronts Lucky at a Mercado. Insists Lucky comes with him.</div><div>Lucky is taken to a small but bustling restaurant.</div><div>
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</div><div>6. Break Into 2:</div><div>Who is the very large man and what is the significance of this restaurant?</div><div>Santos C. Vega Jr. The current owner of Chilorio Vega.</div><div>Several years prior Lucky raved about a food cart Chilorio Vega in his blog. The review was a boon that led Santos Sr. to open a very successful restaurant.</div><div>Santos Jr gives Lucky the “Mi casa es Su Casa” treatment. He even tries to fix Lucky up with his sister</div><div>But Junior is hesitant hesitant to take Lucky to Cumaripa.</div><div>What’s happening in Cumaripa?</div><div>Does Junior know Cuichi Valenzuela?</div><div>Claims not</div><div>
</div><div>7. B Story:</div><div>Lucky lounges at Chilorio Vega under the amorous eyes of Junior’s sister.</div><div>As he updates his food blog he sees an email from “Freesoul62” The message is “Visit me at the Hermosillo Hilton”</div><div>Junior insists there is no Hilton in Hermosillo.</div><div>Lucky accuses Junior of hiding info from him. Confronts Junior about Cumaripa and what’s happening there.</div><div>”Google It” Junior insists.</div><div>Lucky sees news articles about an uprising in Cumaripa. With pictures of people in handcuffs. Among them Cuichi Valenzuela under an alias.</div><div>Junior’s sister recalls that the high security jail outside of Hermosillo is called “The Hermosillo Hilton.”</div><div>8. Fun And Games:</div><div>Junior’s sister offers to take Lucky to the jail. Junior won’t have that.</div><div>The next day a stranger claiming to be a migrant whom Lucky’s father once sponsored in Arizona offers to drive Lucky to the jail and briefs Lucky on what to expect and whom to bribe for the visit.</div><div>Is the migrant genuine?</div><div>How did the migrant know Lucky was holding up in Chilorio Vega?</div><div>Junior’s sister doesn’t trust the migrant</div><div>Lucky, against his better judgment accepts the Migrants’ offer.</div><div>Before sunrise the migrant drives Lucky to the jail. The migrant instructs Lucky to meet him at a designated area </div><div>Lucky follows the migrant ‘s instructions for arranging a quick visit with Cuichi. All goes smoothly until:</div><div>The convict brought in to see Lucky IS NOT CUICHI VALENZUELA!!</div><div>Lucky realizing he best play along with the ruse, presents it’s Cuichi,spits in the convict’s face yelling expletives and charges out of the jail to where the migrant designated. </div><div>Lucky sees the migrant drive off with someone in the truck.</div><div>Guards are chasing Lucky as he’s running away. </div><div>A car drives up and scoops him up.</div><div>It’s Santos Junior’s sister </div><div>
</div><div>Lucky theorizes Cuichi has devised a plan that makes Lucky a convenient patsy. He also knows he’s probably targeted by the Federales. Also Santos’ sister warns him he’s probably not welcome anymore at Chilorios. </div><div>Lucky seeks asylum at the American Embassy.</div><div>Lucky is told Cuichi is dead</div><div>The doctor at the jail is missing</div><div>The American Embassy kick Lucky out</div><div>Lucky spots the migrant on an Hermosillo backstreet and tails him into a brothel.</div><div>Somewhere here Lucky uses his food blogger celebrity at a mercado food court to stymie his stalkers </div><div>
</div><div>9. Midpoint:</div><div>Lucky in the brothel tries to keep an eye on the duplicitous migrant but is forced “to buy some time” from one of the prostitutes. </div><div>He tries to fend off the prostitute.</div><div>He hears a gun shot. He tries to run out of the brothel but collides into the dying migrant.</div><div>Cuichi shot the migrant? Or was it someone else </div><div>Of course Lucky is accused of killing the migrant.</div><div>At some point through all of this he sees Cuichi Valenzuela is Alive!</div><div> </div><div>10. Bad guys close in:</div><div>The Federales nab Lucky. Lucky tells them everything he knows about Quichi… including the fact that Quichi is alive. The Federales are uninterested in Lucky’s blather. They are preparing to torture him… but they’re interrupted by some “higher ups”. As the Federales and the “Higher Ups” violently debate custody of Lucky, he makes a run for it. But is knocked unconscious.</div><div>Lucky wakes up in a beach house.</div><div>He staggers about the beach house. He comes to a locked bathroom door. Is it Cuichi? Lucky calls out Cuichi’s name. No answer. Lucky hears toilet flush and the bathroom door open. It’s not Cuichi!.</div><div>
</div><div>11. All Is Lost:</div><div>The REAL VILLAIN reveals himself?;Jorge Villarreal a man of great political influence in Sonora.</div><div>Until recently he considered Cuichi Valenzuela a minor annoyance until he discovers Cuichi has something Don Jorge desperately needs: Cuichi’s bone marrow. </div><div>And Lucky has something Cuichi desperately needs: I HAVEN’T FIGURED THAT OUT YET DAMMIT! </div><div>But whatever it is Villarreal intends to use Lucky as bait to lure Cuichi out of hiding.</div><div>Villarreal demonstrates his ruthlessness and cruelty to Lucky </div><div>Also this is where Santos C Vega Jr or his sister die or their restaurant blows up.</div><div>
</div><div>12. Dark Night Of The Soul:</div><div>Lucky tells Villarreal that when as child Lucky and Cuichi played “Hide & Seek” Cuichi would always hide in plain sight.</div><div>Ergo Cuichi is hiding in Cumaripa. Villarreal’s goons drag Lucky to Cumaripa.</div><div>
</div><div>13. Break Into 3:</div><div>On the drive to Cumaripa Villarreal ‘s goons stop at roadside elote cart. Lucky has his “aha” moment when he realizes what Cuichi needs from him. He goads the goons by challenging them to a pepper eating contest.</div><div>He escapes them and steals a cell phone</div><div>Who does he call?</div><div>Lucky in a stolen Jeep Cherokee with the search engine light going off is driving up a narrow mountain ridge road at night. He is stuck behind a slow moving noisy van that he can’t pass.</div><div>He tries to honk the horn. It doesn’t work.</div><div>He almost goes off the winding road several times. Finally the van lets Lucky pass.</div><div>14. Finale:</div><div>Lucky runs into a roadblock policed by three machinegun toting teenagers dressed in combat fatigues. They torment Lucky until they are called off by a police whistle.</div><div>The whistle blower is Cuichi Valenzuela. </div><div>Lucky and Cuichi have a showdown. As Cuichi gets the upper hand, a helicopter swoops in lighting up the area. It’s Villarreal’s men. Lucky pins Cuichi to the ground. Villarreal’s men nab him. Villarreal drives up in an SUV. </div><div>Cuichi spits in Lucky’s face as he’s taken away.</div><div>
</div><div>15. Final Image:</div><div>A year later: Tucson AZ. Lucky is with his new girlfriend at the Food City meat counter as he orders chorizo. The butcher wraps it up but is interrupted by another butcher who hands Lucky another package saying, “This one is fresher.” The other butcher is Cuichi Valenzuela.</div><div>
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</div><div>Subject Line: (Your name’s) Thriller Plot!</div><div>
</div><div>Deadline: 48 hours</div><div>
</div><div>Give yourself the freedom to do this without any criticism. In future lessons, we are going to add many key components that will have this thriller be amazing. But for the moment, we want to get your M.I.S. sequences built into the plot so you can work with it.</div><div>
</div><div>Have fun creating your Thriller Plot!</div></div> -
ASSIGNMENT
<div>1. Opening Image:</div><div>In a Arizona desert cemetery reminiscent of Boot HillLucky Lunes at his mother’s funeral tries to dodge the funeral director.</div><div>Lucky’s funeral check bounced </div><div>Instead The mortician assured Lucky that an anonymous benefactor paid for his mother’s funeral.</div><div>The mortician gives Lucky an envelope addressed to Lucky. It has no return address and the envelope is empty.</div><div>But the postmark is Cumaripa Hermosillo MX.</div><div>
</div><div>2. Setup:</div><div>One of the funeral attendees, a local rancher notes that Lucky’s mother had no money for an elaborate funeral, because she like the rancher were scammed out of lots of money by Lucky’s estranged friend Antonio “Cuichi” Valenzuela. Accuses of being in cahoots with Cuichi.</div><div>The rancher warns Lucky if he doesn’t money back, Lucky is going to pay for Cuichi’s crimes.</div><div>
</div><div>3. Theme Stated: </div><div>As Lucky says of himself he always acts against his better judgment, whether it’s spouses, financial decisions or his choice of friends: and Cuichi Valenzuela is a lifelong and continual example. Ever since they were children Cuichi has either betrayed Lucky or saved him.</div><div>But the final straw for Lucky Cuichi scammed Lucky’s mother and many other Arizona retirees out of their life savings. Cuichi escaped prosecution hiding out in Mexico.</div><div>Why did Cuichi pay for the Lucky’s mother’s funeral?</div><div>Perhaps as atonement Cuichi has anonymously paid for Lucky’s mother’s illness and passing.</div><div>Which causes Lucky even further grief.</div><div>
</div><div>4. Inciting Incident:</div><div>Lucky, who can’t speak Spanish to save his life flies to Sonora to find Cuichi (pronounced KWEE-chee).</div><div>He has no real plan beyond finding Cuichi?</div><div>He is being followed. By whom,?</div><div>He has trouble with his passport?</div><div>
</div><div>Over drinks, Calloway tells Holly Martins that his friend Harry Lime was involved in racketeering and is a murderer. Martins is forced to see Harry in a new light, and his reaction is to instantly side with his friend as he tries to hit the policeman for the accusation. He vows to prove Calloway wrong about Harry Limes.</div><div>
</div><div>Learn more about inciting incidents: The Inciting Incident: Definition and Case Studies</div><div>
</div><div>5. Debate:</div><div>Lucky arrives in Hermosillo and though he’s been there before (he’s a popular food blogger) his poor Spanish skills become a giant roadblock.</div><div>Getting transportation to Cumaripa is like getting a ride to Castle Dracula.Why?</div><div>The Villain caused a police action in Cumaripa </div><div>All hotels are booked </div><div>Lucky is being tailed again. By whom</div><div>Even Lucky’s favorite food cart from a past visit has disappeared.</div><div>The person tailing Lucky (a very large man) confronts Lucky at a Mercado. Insists Lucky comes with him.</div><div>Lucky is taken to a small but bustling restaurant.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>6. Break Into 2:</div><div>Who is the very large man and what is the significance of this restaurant?</div><div>Santos C. Vega Jr. The current owner of Chilorio Vega.</div><div>Several years prior Lucky raved about a food cart Chilorio Vega in his blog. The review was a boon that led Santos Sr. to open a very successful restaurant.</div><div>Santos Jr gives Lucky the “Mi casa es Su Casa” treatment. He even tries to fix Lucky up with his sister</div><div>But Junior is hesitant hesitant to take Lucky to Cumaripa.</div><div>What’s happening in Cumaripa?</div><div>Does Junior know Cuichi Valenzuela?</div><div>Claims not</div><div>
</div><div>7. B Story:</div><div>Lucky lounges at Chilorio Vega under the amorous eyes of Junior’s sister.</div><div>As he updates his food blog he sees an email from “Freesoul62” The message is “Visit me at the Hermosillo Hilton”</div><div>Junior insists there is no Hilton in Hermosillo.</div><div>Lucky accuses Junior of hiding info from him. Confronts Junior about Cumaripa and what’s happening there.</div><div>”Google It” Junior insists.</div><div>Lucky sees news articles about an uprising in Cumaripa. With pictures of people in handcuffs. Among them Cuichi Valenzuela under an alias.</div><div>Junior’s sister recalls that the high security jail outside of Hermosillo is called “The Hermosillo Hilton.”</div><div>8. Fun And Games:</div><div>Junior’s sister offers to take Lucky to the jail. Junior won’t have that.</div><div>The next day a stranger claiming to be a migrant whom Lucky’s father once sponsored in Arizona offers to drive Lucky to the jail and briefs Lucky on what to expect and whom to bribe for the visit.</div><div>Is the migrant genuine?</div><div>How did the migrant know Lucky was holding up in Chilorio Vega?</div><div>Junior’s sister doesn’t trust the migrant</div><div>Lucky, against his better judgment accepts the Migrants’ offer.</div><div>Before sunrise the migrant drives Lucky to the jail. The migrant instructs Lucky to meet him at a designated area </div><div>Lucky follows the migrant ‘s instructions for arranging a quick visit with Cuichi. All goes smoothly until:</div><div>The convict brought in to see Lucky IS NOT CUICHI VALENZUELA!!</div><div>Lucky realizing he best play along with the ruse, presents it’s Cuichi,spits in the convict’s face yelling expletives and charges out of the jail to where the migrant designated. </div><div>Lucky sees the migrant drive off with someone in the truck.</div><div>Guards are chasing Lucky as he’s running away. </div><div>A car drives up and scoops him up.</div><div>It’s Santos Junior’s sister </div><div>
</div><div>Lucky theorizes Cuichi has devised a plan that makes Lucky a convenient patsy. He also knows he’s probably targeted by the Federales. Also Santos’ sister warns him he’s probably not welcome anymore at Chilorios. </div><div>Lucky seeks asylum at the American Embassy.</div><div>Lucky is told Cuichi is dead</div><div>The doctor at the jail is missing</div><div>The American Embassy kick Lucky out</div><div>Lucky spots the migrant on an Hermosillo backstreet and tails him into a brothel.</div><div>Somewhere here Lucky uses his food blogger celebrity at a mercado food court to stymie his stalkers </div><div>
</div><div>9. Midpoint:</div><div>Lucky in the brothel tries to keep an eye on the duplicitous migrant but is forced “to buy some time” from one of the prostitutes. </div><div>He tries to fend off the prostitute.</div><div>He hears a gun shot. He tries to run out of the brothel but collides into the dying migrant.</div><div>Cuichi shot the migrant? Or was it someone else </div><div>Of course Lucky is accused of killing the migrant.</div><div>At some point through all of this he sees Cuichi Valenzuela is Alive!</div><div> </div><div>10. Bad guys close in:</div><div>The Federales nab Lucky. Lucky tells them everything he knows about Quichi… including the fact that Quichi is alive. The Federales are uninterested in Lucky’s blather. They are preparing to torture him… but they’re interrupted by some “higher ups”. As the Federales and the “Higher Ups” violently debate custody of Lucky, he makes a run for it. But is knocked unconscious.</div><div>Lucky wakes up in a beach house.</div><div>He staggers about the beach house. He comes to a locked bathroom door. Is it Cuichi? Lucky calls out Cuichi’s name. No answer. Lucky hears toilet flush and the bathroom door open. It’s not Cuichi!.</div><div>
</div><div>11. All Is Lost:</div><div>The REAL VILLAIN reveals himself?;Jorge Villarreal a man of great political influence in Sonora.</div><div>Until recently he considered Cuichi Valenzuela a minor annoyance until he discovers Cuichi has something Don Jorge desperately needs: Cuichi’s bone marrow. </div><div>And Lucky has something Cuichi desperately needs: I HAVEN’T FIGURED THAT OUT YET DAMMIT! </div><div>But whatever it is Villarreal intends to use Lucky as bait to lure Cuichi out of hiding.</div><div>Villarreal demonstrates his ruthlessness and cruelty to Lucky </div><div>Also this is where Santos C Vega Jr or his sister die or their restaurant blows up.</div><div>
</div><div>12. Dark Night Of The Soul:</div><div>Lucky tells Villarreal that when as child Lucky and Cuichi played “Hide & Seek” Cuichi would always hide in plain sight.</div><div>Ergo Cuichi is hiding in Cumaripa. Villarreal’s goons drag Lucky to Cumaripa.</div><div>
</div><div>13. Break Into 3:</div><div>On the drive to Cumaripa Villarreal ‘s goons stop at roadside elote cart. Lucky has his “aha” moment when he realizes what Cuichi needs from him. He goads the goons by challenging them to a pepper eating contest.</div><div>He escapes them and steals a cell phone</div><div>Who does he call?</div><div>Lucky in a stolen Jeep Cherokee with the search engine light going off is driving up a narrow mountain ridge road at night. He is stuck behind a slow moving noisy van that he can’t pass.</div><div>He tries to honk the horn. It doesn’t work.</div><div>He almost goes off the winding road several times. Finally the van lets Lucky pass.</div><div>14. Finale:</div><div>Lucky runs into a roadblock policed by three machinegun toting teenagers dressed in combat fatigues. They torment Lucky until they are called off by a police whistle.</div><div>The whistle blower is Cuichi Valenzuela. </div><div>Lucky and Cuichi have a showdown. As Cuichi gets the upper hand, a helicopter swoops in lighting up the area. It’s Villarreal’s men. Lucky pins Cuichi to the ground. Villarreal’s men nab him. Villarreal drives up in an SUV. </div><div>Cuichi spits in Lucky’s face as he’s taken away.</div><div>
</div><div>15. Final Image:</div><div>A year later: Tucson AZ. Lucky is with his girlfriend at the Food City meat counter as he orders chorizo. The butcher wraps it up but is interrupted by another butcher who hands Lucky another package saying, “This one is fresher.” The other butcher is Cuichi Valenzuela.</div><div>
</div><div>Inside your structure, fill in the gaps with the Life Threatening situations, Mysteries, and Villain’s plan. Do this one at a time. That will keep you from getting confused.</div><div>Take a break for a few hours, then read it again and make any improvements. Remember, we are not writing scenes, just filling in the key components to create a compelling Thriller.</div><div>Answer the question “What I learned is…?” and put it at the top of your work.</div><div>Post it to the forums.</div><div>Post your assignment.</div><div>Subject Line: (Your name’s) Thriller Plot!</div><div>
</div><div>Deadline: 48 hours</div><div>
</div><div>Give yourself the freedom to do this without any criticism. In future lessons, we are going to add many key components that will have this thriller be amazing. But for the moment, we want to get your M.I.S. sequences built into the plot so you can work with it.</div><div>
</div><div>Have fun creating your Thriller Plot!</div> -
Leslie’s Thriller Plot
What I learned…having the mysteries and life threatening events thought up in advance makes the story much easier to fill in, or to brainstorm even better connections between events.
Introduction of Villain. Wealthy, Wild, Wanton party where tempers flare out of control and a woman drives off recklessly with some passengers, seemingly the pawns of the host.
Mystery: why is she being provoked; if she is not in control of her car – who is?
Introduction of Hero. Celebration, comradery at a pub, and two men bid farewell to friends and drive away normally..
Life threatening: woman’s speeding car, Screeching, screaming, narrowly escaping crashes, like a missile being aimed at a target.
Mystery: Who are these men? Are they being targeted?
life threatening: Scenes cut back and forth from the woman’s car to the men’s car.
Inciting incident: terrible car crash, several dead, thanks to the villain hacking into woman’s car controls. Woman’s car bursts into flames. Why was she killed? Collateral damage to hero and his friend hurt by the crash. Villain delays police and ambulance to the scene.
Turning point 1– Hero’s friend dies in hospital.
Life threatening– police escort not really police. Hero jumps from car and runs off. Dodges the fake police looking for him as he makes his way to hotel.
Mystery – hero becomes a target, why? Was no one supposed to survive? Hero’s room is ransacked. American Embassy unsympathetic but can provide information for transporting the friend’s body back to the states. Family of dead friend react very badly to news of their son’s death and blame the hero. Approached by men claiming to offer help.
Life threatening– hero is drugged and kidnapped
Midpoint- awake in a strange mansion, no passport or wallet or phone
mystery – what is he doing there? who is responsible?
Life Threatening- tries to run away and is chased down by dogs.
Turning point 2 – hero pretends to succumb and play along or want to work for villain
mystery – will he be trafficed somehow?
Life Threatening – fighting off armed guards.
mystery – who is the hero…he seems really good at killing!
Climax – hero sets up villain to look like he has killed the guards and hero then kills villain staging it to look like it was self defense
Resolution – hint at the identity of hero ( a missing black ops agent?? a serial killer who has resurfaced in England?? A gay vigillante?? )
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Subject Line: Jim Thompson’s Thriller Plot!
Answer the question “What I learned is…?”
Each lesson get more difficult and the pressure to complete within the time limit increases the difficulty. The structure helps put things in perspective but I’m going to need to take more time to flesh out portions of each act but particularly Acts 2 and 3.
ASSIGNMENT
1. List out your structure using whatever structure you are comfortable with.
ACT I
Opening Image (0% – 1%)
Setup (1% – 10%)
Catalyst (10%)
Debate (10% – 20%)
ACT II
Break into Act II (20%)
B story (22%)
Fun and Games (20% – 50%)
Midpoint (50%)
Bad Guys Close In (50% – 70%)
All is Lost (75%)
Dark Night of the Soul (75% – 80%)
ACT III
Break into Act III (80%)
Finale (80% – 99%)
Final Image (99% – 100%)
2. Inside your structure, fill in the gaps with the Life Threatening situations, Mysteries, and Villain’s plan.
ACT I
Opening Image (0% – 1%)
Life Threatening Event 1 – Three police cars have a suspect trapped inside the house of a judge. The suspect fires on the cars disabling all of them. As the police get ready to breach the house, the Fargo courthouse explodes along with several business in downtown Fargo, ND.
Mystery 1 – Who is the person shooting the police?
Mystery 2 – Why have the buildings exploded?
Villain’s Plan 1 – The real reason for the attacks in ND and the killing of lawyers is more complicated.
Setup (1% – 10%)
Villain’s Plan 2 – Make the ND attacks the worse terrorist event in US history to have multiple Federal and State law enforcement agencies interact.
Life Threatening Event 2 – The courthouse and many other buildings are contaminated with Mustard gas/powder. In addition, the power structure for the city has been taken down with the substations contaminated with Mustard. This has resulted in hundreds of injuries of first responders and power company workers.
Villain’s Plan 2 – Distraction of the Federal LEAs through ruthless attacks and use of Mustard to injure and kill, increase pressure for a quick solution.
Life Threatening Event 3 – Fargo PD Detectives Jeff Peters and Jorge Robertson get video of the perpetrator’s escape from the uniformed officers. Using the video, they find a house where the perp may be located. When the detectives investigate with SWAT backup, they discover what appear to be improvised explosive devices protecting the property and back off for the explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) team.
Life Threatening Event 4 – Before the Fargo PD EOD team arrives, planes carrying the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) from the FBI and including members of DHS, ATF, US Marshall Service, and DoD investigators (includes members of Delta’s WMD squadron). This also brings Special Agent Jennifer Andrews part the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) advanced force who will prepare the ‘environment’ for the HRT squadron.
Mystery 3 – Why did the attackers use Mustard in their attacks? How did they manufacture Mustard?
Mystery 4 – How did the terrorists place the Mustard in containers camouflaged as power transformers?
Catalyst (10%)
Life Threatening Event 5 – The perp’s house in Fargo has IEDs which will spread Mustard over more than a city block and the EUDs are sophisticated with anti-tamper devices which make the task of the EOD teams extremely risky.
Villain’s Plan 3 – Further distraction through attacks on Bismarck and Grand Rapids.
Mystery 5 – With the collection of data on the attacks, the Bismarck and Grand Rapid attacks have no surveillance video showing a perp, only the Fargo attacks show a perp. As Jeff and Jorge refine the Fargo homicide data, they find several deaths outside of the city of civilians who are not lawyers or judges. Why were they killed?
Debate (10% – 20%)
Life Threatening Event 6 – Jeff and Jorge take their findings about the odd group of civilian deaths to the FBI Assistant Director in charge of the CIRG and the Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF), Frank Walters but Director Walters does not agree and still believes these are anomalies.
Life Threatening Event 7 – Jennifer hears about the anomalous civilian deaths, she seeks out Jeff and Jorge to find out more. When her HRT supervisory agent, Robert Williams, hears of this, he orders her to stop this line of inquiry and focus on developing the ‘battlespace’ for the HRT follow on forces. Jennifer does her job but also works with Jeff and Jorge including allowing access to multiple Federal databases.
Villain’s Plan 4 – Start of the attacks on the Midwest power infrastructure to increase pressure.
Mystery 6 – The civilians killed are all part of the same family group or were members of a jury pool more than 15 years ago. Why were they killed? Does this have to do with a trial more than 15 years ago?
ACT II
Break into Act II (20%)
Life Threatening Event 8 – Frank Walters and Robert Williams receive direct pressure from the ND representatives and senators to find the terrorist group. They see Jennifer’s focus on a possible single perp as a threat and threaten dismissal or disgrace to Jennifer if she does not stop.
Villain’s Plan 5 – The safe house in Sioux Falls includes a chemical lab in the basement and SCUBA diving air generators to fill and mix gases.
Mystery 7 – The perp’s house in Fargo is destroyed through explosives and seeded with Mustard but using Site Sensitive Exploitation (SSE) procedures developed by the DoD SOF, the HRT finds evidence of a ‘safe house’ in Sioux Falls, SD where the Mustard was manufactured. Included in this SSE are indications of a terrorist group made up of Native Americans, ISIS, and possibly other groups working to tear down the US government.
B story (22%)
Life Threatening Event 9 – Jennifer travels to Sioux Falls as part of the reconnaissance advanced team to place surveillance on the house with a focus on what the HRT will need to know for their assault. As part of the assault, she is slightly injured but two members are killed and five members are hospitalized.
Mystery 8 – Who is the Lakota, Everett Dixon, whose remains are found in the Sioux Falls safe house?
Mystery 9 – The SSE found in Sioux Falls leads the CIRG/JTTF to a same house in the Midwest.
Villain’s Plan 6 – The use of fake cell towers leased by ‘Acme Mobile Access, LLD’ which is owned through multiple shell companies that eventually lead to an account in Lichtenstein.
Villain’s Plan 7 – The use of stolen military weapons for the attacks using the cell towers.
Life Threatening Event 10 – Prior to the assault on the Sioux Falls house, attacks begin on the power infrastructure in the Midwest by using cell towers with high powered military weapons, 50 caliber machine-guns, 81mm Mortars, and recoilless rifles. These take out the critical substations with very high and extremely high power transformers.
Villain’s Plan 8 – The use of cloud, advanced automation techniques, and artificial intelligence to pace the attacks as well as surveil the locations. The use of AI allows only necessary surveillance to alert Scott.
Mystery 10 – How can the terrorist strike dozens of power sites simultaneously?
Life Threatening Event 11 – Jennifer is sent to examine a ‘false’ cell phone tower with a small team of HRT operatives. When they arrive, they are under surveillance and when they arrive, the team and their vehicles are taken under fire by a 50 caliber machine-gun.
Mystery 11 – Do all of the false cell towers have terrorist surveillance?
Fun and Games (20% – 50%)
Life Threatening Event 12 – Jeff and Jorge bring more evidence to Jennifer that the attack on ND is simple revenge and not a more sophisticated terrorist group. Convinced, she goes directly to Frank Walters who listens but the pressure from executive and legislature branches who need these escalating attacks to be part of ISIS and not a single man bent on revenge. He threatens her with immediate dismissal and being black listing to prevent her from ever working in law enforcement.
Mystery 12 – Who is Scott Miller?
Villain’s Plan 9 – Scott uses general aviation assets through multiple IDs for untracked movement around the country. He hires an actor ‘look alike’ for the ND attack timeframe. He kills the actor to remove the link.
Mystery 13 – Scott Miller has an alibi for the time of the attack in ND, he is working in Atlanta.
Midpoint (50%)
Life Threatening Event 13 – Jeff, Jorge, and Jennifer begin investigating Scott Miller but other than a generic US Army record in SOF and retirement as a CW4, they have very few details. They do find that he is a highly successful computer network engineer over the last 20 years. As they dig, Jorge is killed with Jeff and Jennifer both wounded – but Scott has an alibi for the time of their attack.
Villain’s Plan 10 – Scott created the initial war chest through attacks on drug houses in the Southeast region. He identified the houses through his county Deputy Sheriff’s access.
Villain’s Plan 11 – Scott increases the war chest by attacks on armored cars carrying diamonds and large amounts of cash from gambling.
Mystery 14 – If Scott Miller is the perp, how has he gotten the funding and weapons for an operation of this scope?
Mystery 15 – Could this all have been planned and put into place over the last 15 years without anyone realizing it?.
Bad Guys Close In (50% – 70%)
Life Threatening Event 14 – Jennifer is placed on suspension while in the hospital. She takes her findings to the DoD and Delta operatives on the CIDG/JTTF.
Mystery 15 – DoD agents find Scott’s ‘201 file’ heavily redacted and of not much more use than what Jennifer has already discovered.
Mystery 16 – The Delta operatives discover more since Scott had been in 1st SFOD-D for 12 years before going to the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) for 10 years. They reach out to the ISA to see if they can be ‘read on’ to some of the projects and activities. The query reaches up the ranks to the commanders of the units talking.
All is Lost (75%)
Life Threatening Event 15 – Frank Walters finds out that Jennifer has given the DoD and SOF operatives sensitive FBI information, he lets her know that her career at the FBI is now at an end.
Villain’s Plan 16 – Increase the number of attacks and pressure on law enforcement agencies.
Mystery 17 – With Scott under surveillance, the attacks in the Midwest, South, and Southeast continue and even increase in their pace and scope. More than a quarter of the nation is having brown outs or even black outs. More than 100 courthouses have been blown up to the point of being razed. How can Scott continue doing this with the level of surveillance on him?
Villain’s Plan 17 – Distraction by getting the FBI and DHS focus on other safe houses he’s allowed them to discover.
Mystery 18 – The other safe houses discovered have a mixture of Native Americans, Arabs, Black, and Hispanics with indications of their complicity in the terrorist attacks.
Mystery 19 – Even as the safe houses are rolled up, the attacks on the infrastructure continue.
Dark Night of the Soul (75% – 80%)
Mystery 20 – The commanders of Delta and the Activity place the full resources of multiple teams on Scott to figure out if he is the perp of the worst terrorist attack in US history. If he is, they will have him killed.
Life Threatening Event 20 – Jennifer is confronted by operators from Delta’s F Squadron who warn her off, hinting that they will take care of their own.
Life Threatening Event 21 – When Jennifer does not drop it, she is abducted a block from Scott’s home, taken to an unknown location with a black hood over her head and hands cuffed behind her back.
ACT III
Break into Act III (80%)
Mystery 21 – Does the DoD or Delta have evidence that Scott is the perp?
Life Threatening Event 22 – Released, Jennifer manages to get through surveillance to confront Scott at his home and question him.
Finale (80% – 99%)
Life Threatening Event 23 – Jennifer is picked back up when she leaves Scott’s house. Rather than threatening her, a DIA operative offers her an opportunity to switch from the FBI over to either the DIA or NSA with an increase in pay grade.
Mystery 22 – While Scott appears to be safe, he prepares to leave for South America. Why does he leave and why are the attacks continuing?
Villain’s Plan 18 – Finish and escape to live another day.
Mystery 23 – Scott leaves for Brazil.
Final Image (99% – 100%)
Scott is assassinated in Ireland (or Sao Paulo, Brazil?) by an IC contractor who once worked for Scott at the Intelligence Support Activity while Jennifer watches from a concealed position.
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