Cult (2013) s01e04 Episode Script

1 Just tell me what the problem is, Nate.
I made contact with them last night, and I think they're after me now.
You made contact with who? Uh, the TV show.
It's called Cult.
But it's not just a TV show.
It goes beyond that-- you have no idea how much I don't want to get you mixed up in this.
Nate! You work on Cult? Yeah.
A researcher.
I mean, is there any reason for me to believe that my brother's disappearance is related to this show? I'm really sorry I keep involving you in this.
I'm already involved.
JEFF: Nate hid it in a place he knew only I would find.
SKYE: The ones who watch this show seem to have some sort of sick connection to what we're doing.
What, you've seen messages? In the show? I pulled the audio track from Episode 12.
Now, listen, if I play it faster.
(distorted audio): True Believer.
True Believer.
True Believer.
We need to keep digging to find out the truth.
Find Nate.
And the final subject of tonight's podcast is the dangerous movement known as The Blood and its charismatic leader, Billy Grimm.
Now, why did this decorated soldier exile himself from mainstream society? His followers believe that Grimm's gospel of unconditional acceptance provides the meaning they seek in their otherwise meaningless lives.
I believe Grimm is nothing more than a messianic charlatan.
I've nearly finished my book on the subject of Grimm and his followers (thump, door opens) Who's there? Kelly.
Hello, Professor.
What are you doing here? And who is this? Billy isn't gonna stand for this, Kelly.
You know that! Quiet, Rebecca.
KELLY: Her husband was one of Billy's people who kidnapped my sister.
He blew his head off before I could get him to tell me where they're hiding her.
But before he died, I bet he told Rebecca here where they're keeping her.
Is she under arrest? She wouldn't be here if she weren't.
She's never going to talk to me.
Not to anybody.
But you can change that.
You presume a lot, Kelly.
I don't presume it, Professor.
I know it.
You're the reason I'm free of Billy.
You deprogrammed me.
You know how I hate that phrase.
I know.
(laughter in distance) (laughing) Get back.
You should have been more careful, Kelly.
Quiet.
You thought I was in that mall all alone, but I wasn't.
Quiet! (clattering) Get down, get down! (Taser clicking) What do you want from me? Where are you taking me? (moans) Kelly.
Kelly! ANNOUNCER: A whole new episode, this week on the CW.
(message chime) Skye.
The research on ballistic trauma you asked for.
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Oof.
You always know what gets me in the mood.
(phone rings) Is there anything else you need? Because if not, I've got to run.
Oh, what, you mean, um, duck out for another research trip? AKA hook up with this Jeff guy you're always sexting? How do you know about Jeff? (laughs) You're kidding.
You're on with him all the time.
"Um, hey, Jeff.
I'll meet you there, Jeff.
" Well, I-I thought I was being more discrete than that.
You're kidding.
Crew of a TV show, 12 hours a day together.
Hell, we are primed for any scrap of gossip.
Okay, Lexi.
I go through the same thing.
I say something meant to be private, ends up being tweeted everywhere.
Nobody is sneaking out or sexting anybody.
Uh-huh.
Uh, Lexi, do you know if there's any more bottled water? Do you mind? Yeah, sure, no problem.
LEXI: Hold up, Skye.
Don't go anywhere, though.
I need to finish that.
Okay.
Careful.
Hate this location.
So, um this Jeff.
What's he like? (sighs) It's not like that.
We just, um, have a shared interest.
Shared interest-- that sounds like a good start.
Believe me, it's not like that.
(phone rings) (laughs) Hi, Marty.
SKYE: Hey.
I repeat: hey.
Yeah, hi.
Hi.
So, this woman you called me about, you met her on a Cult fansite? Yeah, she said her husband's missing.
The way she described it sounds almost identical to what I'm going through with Nate, so she agreed to meet me here, but that was half an hour ago.
(sighs) Contacting a stranger online and arranging to meet It's crazy? Yeah, I know, but so is my brother's disappearance.
And so is a television show with hidden messages in it.
Oh, okay, but we're not just dealing with regular fans anymore, Jeff.
What if this woman's a True Believer? We know how dangerous they are-- people are dead.
How could I not take the chance? What are we supposed to be looking for? JEFF: Uh, she said she'd be wearing a blue jacket.
I told her I'd be wearing I know.
It's all very Jason Bourne.
(quietly): That guy over there keeps staring at us.
Jeff.
Can I help you with something? Interesting notebook you got going there.
What of it? You a fan? Yeah, I'm a fan.
Nah.
You're obsessed.
But I don't think you're one of them.
Who are you? What do you want? (quietly): Is he okay? Yeah, I've been watching him.
He's no threat.
Are you the man with the missing brother? If you're the woman with the missing husband.
That's my husband.
That's Rami.
He's an engineer.
We live in Indianapolis.
We both watched Cult right from the start.
We loved it.
It wasn't long before Rami started staying up all night watching episodes over and over, going on all kinds of Cult Web sites.
Then he started getting these strange calls at all hours of the night.
Wouldn't tell me who was calling.
But I heard him talking about Cult.
So when did he go missing? Ten days ago.
He got one of those calls.
And then in the middle of the night, people broke into our home.
He went downstairs.
I heard voices, and I saw him leave in a car.
Did you go to the police? Yes.
But it seemed like Rami may have gone voluntarily.
And the minute I mentioned a TV show What about him? His name is Terrence Ross.
A friend put me in touch with him, and he finds people who are lost to cults.
He's the first person willing to listen to me.
SKYE: Do you mind if I Most of that makes no sense.
At least to me.
But in the last entries, Rami keeps referring to Los Angeles and some people called True Believers.
Mr.
Ross and I came here trying to find where Rami might have gone.
We started to make connections in the TV show's chat rooms, but we were getting nowhere until I found you.
How long has your brother been missing? About two weeks now.
I am sorry.
SKYE: Jeff.
You know this disc? Yeah, my brother had one just like this.
Have you used it? What happened? Nothing.
It just flashed a number of very unpleasant images.
You know, from the show.
It didn't compromise your data? I used a computer at work.
It didn't do anything.
It just flashed those images.
A networked office computer.
No personal data for it to steal, unlike what Nate's disc did to your laptop.
Are the images still on this disc? As far as I know.
If it didn't steal her personal information, maybe it didn't erase itself.
There still might be answers on this disc.
What do you mean? This could be a lead.
This might give us some idea where Nate and Rami could be.
Do you mind if we take this? Check it out? This disc isn't going anywhere without me.
Yeah, E.
J.
I got the disc.
All right, meet me at my place in 20 minutes.
You know, if you keep the circle tight Well, she knows everything I suspect about Nate and the show, most of it anyway, but we can trust her.
No, ycan trust her.
I have no idea who she is.
We'll follow you.
Yeah, I'll be sure not to lose you.
You won't lose me.
What's Sakelik doing here? I don't know.
We say as little as possible.
Don't worry.
Mr.
Sefton.
Ms.
Yarrow.
Detective.
So, do you have any news on my brother? No.
I don't.
But it looks like you've got something to tell me.
How do you know Terrence Ross? I just met him.
I'm I'm doing a profile on him for my newspaper.
Why? What's your interest in him? Well, if you're doing an article on him, you must know, Mr.
Ross is notorious in law enforcement circles.
When he travels, local departments let each other know.
He's been implicated on charges ranging from assault, concealed weapons and even kidnapping.
He likes to play the role of cult expert and some sort of self-styled deprogrammer.
But he's really just a thug for hire, and I will not have him misbehaving in my backyard.
Strong word of advice, Mr.
Sefton.
Stay clear of Terrence Ross.
Let us do our job.
If your brother's in trouble, we'll find him.
(scoffs) Who are we supposed to trust here? The deprogrammer with a rap sheet, or the cop we know is somehow involved in all of this? Maybe neither.
Rami had a wall like this.
In our basement.
So you find people lost to cults? Deprogram them? Are you pretty successful at it? Well, I wouldn't have a list of satisfied clients if I wasn't.
Is that your brother? Yeah.
Yeah, that's Nate.
It's just the two of you? Yeah.
But our parents died when he was ten.
SKYE: It takes a lot of skill to deprogram someone.
What's your training? You don't need a degree for what I do.
My training's experience.
JEFF: The last few months, I've had my own problems, and we just we just didn't stay close.
You couldn't have predicted this bizarre obsession of his, any more than I could have with my husband.
SKYE: But we're talking about people getting caught up in a TV show.
It's not exactly a real cult.
Well, somehow this TV show has Alma's husband missing and your friend's brother.
If it looks like a cult, acts like a cult I own you, bitch! What'd you find? Sly little piece of programming is what I found.
So there's still data on the disc? Oh, yeah.
There's this.
Looks like it's some kind of old-fashioned 3-D What can you tell us about that program? It's very sophisticated and very well-protected.
But not too well-protected.
Not from me.
Check it.
(typing) This is the raw data.
Looks like random cache data laying around, right? But it's not.
Not entirely.
(beep) Enjoy.
What is it? It's an IP address.
Yeah, it's an IP address.
Which means what exactly? Means I can tell you where this disc was burned.
(computer chirps) The disc was made there? No, burned there.
I actually know this place.
It's a hacker hostel.
SKYE: A super cheap crash pad for hackers.
Yeah, I've got friends who stay there.
It's cheaper than a motel.
Food's crap, but it's part of the price.
You think that's where Rami is? And Nate? The people there could lead us to them.
It's a long shot, but a step in the right direction.
Where is this place? Inglewood, near the airport.
All right.
If Rami's there, I'll let you know.
We'll let you know.
(grunting) Taking a life is a sacred act.
Knowing when and how is one of the most important things you will learn.
Killing to eat with respect for the animal is good.
Killing anything in vain is not.
(pig squeals) (squealing) (squealing) (clucking) (sighs) (grunts) (whimpering) You've had a rough journey.
Let us both wash up before we break bread.
(whimpering) (beep) (sighs) Just heard the wiretap on Terrence Ross's cell got approved.
Should be up and running inside an hour.
(phone ringing) Ugh.
Oh! Oh, damn it! Here.
That's not going to be enough.
Yeah? All right.
(keypad beeping) I'm listening.
MAN: We moved Nate Sefton to the new location.
(phone beeps off) (computer chirps and beeps) (knife scrapes) BILLY: Mmm! Delicious.
You should try some.
You won't get away with this, Grimm.
Ah.
Dandelion wine.
You certainly have to try this.
Oh, and as you know so well, everyone calls me Billy.
What do you want? Want? Hmm, nothing really.
I just thought it was time I met my biographer.
Or should I say, unauthorized biographer.
It's my manuscript.
Where did you get that? You've been writing about me, defining me, my life.
And here we sit, having never met until now.
Everybody knows I'm writing about you.
Anything happens to me, it will be obvious that it was you.
But in your own words, I'm nothing more than a charlatan.
An abuser of the disadvantaged.
Even you have no proof that I've ever harmed anyone.
So, what do you call what you're doing right now, hmm? Just having a pleasant chat with someone who seems to have an inordinate amount of interest in telling my story.
And I must say, I'm quite impressed by your rapt attention.
You've hardly moved a muscle.
(rhythmic music blaring) Any one of them could be a True Believer.
(music continues playing) You see that guy over there? (music continues) Excuse me, can I ask you something? Hey! Stop them! (grunting) (grunts) (groans) (gasps) Oh, my God! What the hell did you do? Don't sweat it; he'll be fine.
Fine?! It was a rock-salt load.
What, you actually thought I shot him? We need information from him.
Get up.
Come on.
Rock salt?! Probably didn't even break the skin.
I had to stop him, right? Come on.
What are you doing? We need to question him, and this isn't exactly the ideal place right now.
What is he gonna do with him? Yeah, we finally finally got us a possible lead.
Yeah, all right, Alma, I'll meet you there.
Hey, man, where are you taking him? Someplace to have a little chat.
Don't worry, he'll be just peachy.
This is kidnapping.
No, this is just borrowing him for an hour or so and then letting him loose.
This isn't right.
The guy was making those freaky little discs, the same ones that somehow got Rami and your brother hooked into all of this.
This isn't just some kid making bootleg movies for his friends, this is one of the bad guys.
Moment of truth, friend.
What are you willing to do to save your brother? (engine starts, revs) Jeff! (siren wailing in distance) What if I never get a chance like this again to find Nate, huh? You shouldn't come.
This is wrong Jeff.
But if you're going along with it, then I'm not gonna let you do it alone.
(indistinct radio communication) He promises we're only gonna question him.
No I.
D.
on him.
Says his name's Sean.
Does he know Rami? Whatever he knows, we'll know ourselves soon enough.
What the hell is that? Little A.
T.
cocktail.
Amobarbital Temazepam.
Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Sure, if you don't know what you're doing.
Need a little help here.
(whispers): Jeff.
If you cross this line Listen, he might know how to find Nate, Rami, put an end to this.
How's it going in there? Kid seems okay.
He's not saying much, even with the drug.
Jeff I know.
If this is the way it's gonna be, I don't know if Look, I have found myself involved in something the last two weeks that I I didn't think possible.
I've got to follow this through, Skye.
But you don't owe me anything.
(door opens) The guy definitely knows something.
Anything that could lead me to my brother? I took my best shot to get what I could out of him about Rami.
The kid kept talking about "under a tree.
" The best I could tell, it's like they got Rami buried somewhere.
(sighs) That's all he said? The dude's like a broken record.
Just keeps repeating the same thing over and over again.
(sobbing quietly) He'll crash in a couple minutes.
I'll get him out of here.
Let him sleep it off in a park somewhere.
(whispering): arms we shall return What's that he's saying? Can't really tell.
When I asked him about Rami, he told me about the tree, and then started repeating all this nonsense.
(whispering): to whose arms we shall return.
What is that, from the Bible? Not from the Bible.
It's from the show.
In many ancient cultures, the box is a symbol of the earth from whose breast we a born Is this the tree you're talking about? Under the tree.
Buried under Billy's tree.
SKYE: This tree? In the show? Not in the show.
At the show.
Wait, what do you mean, "at the show"? Nobody knows Rami's there.
Nobody at the ranch knows.
The ranch? From whose breast we're born, to whose arms we shall return.
My God.
What? I think I know where it is.
and to whose arms we shall return.
I buried my son right here in this land.
Your son Michael? Yes.
My son Michael.
His death was the catalyst-- all this is because of him.
I have grown The Blood, my family, nurtured them, because of him.
In honor of him.
Yes, I know about your son.
And yet you say nothing of him.
(sobbing): But my book is about you! But it cannot be about me.
You ignore the truth so you can portray me as a pariah, a madman.
When you speak of me, you must speak only of family.
Family is all to me.
How can you dare attempt to comment on my work, on my life, on me, and say nothing of family? Rosalie.
She's not only beautiful, but I'll bet just as smart as her father.
(panting) Jennifer.
She's been a good wife and mother all these years, has she not? Emily.
The first grandchild must be such an amazing blessing.
(trembling breaths) You will never write another word about me, never utter my name again.
I trust I am making myself exceedingly clear.
SKYE: In the show, this place is always referred to as Billy's compound, never as his ranch.
But this location is named Guthrie Ranch.
You think Sean was talking about here-- literally here.
He did say it was under this tree.
You think these cult nutjobs may have actually buried bodies out here under this tree, chose this spot 'cause of the show? I'd say that's exactly where they'd do it.
All right.
The topsoil doesn't look disturbed.
Watch your step.
Whoa.
It's an old drainage pipe.
To a septic tank.
Looks damn old.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm totally wrong about this place.
Maybe not.
Before my parents died, we used to vacation on a horse ranch in Wyoming.
Next to it was a farm that had this old, abandoned septic tank that the local kids used to play in.
SKYE: Septic tank should have an opening.
Some sort of access.
I see where you're going with this.
Here! SKYE: This ladder.
It's practically new.
Yeah.
Thanks for getting me out.
Yeah.
So they dropped you at a park where you were picked up by a black-and-white.
Yeah, that's right.
This man dropped you there? Yeah.
There were others with him? A man and woman in their twenties? He's the one that gave me some kind of injection.
What did you tell them? I don't really remember.
Don't B.
S.
me, Sean.
It's best you tell me everything.
I may have told them about the ranch.
My God.
The show shoots right on top of this all the time.
Skye, look at this.
What are they? Prisoners? JEFF: Well, the Xs can't be good.
Looks like they've all been taken down here in this tank.
It's Nate.
Nate's been down here.
(animalistic scream) (gun cocks) What was that? Nate! Jeff! Nate? (grunts) Nate? Get out, leave me alone.
I'm not finished.
JEFF: It's Rami, Alma's husband.
TERRENCE: I'm going to get you out of here.
Get up! No.
No.
Don't! Please.
That's the last one.
TERRENCE: Hey.
Hey.
You're not going to need that anymore, all right? I do if I'm going to solve the puzzle.
Wait.
This isn't a regular glow stick.
This is UV, ultraviolet.
The lights-- turn 'em off.
(panting) (panting) You ruined it! How am I supposed to get to the next level without the answer? (engine revving) You hear that? Cars.
We got to go.
Let's get out of here.
Come on JEFF: Come on, Rami, hurry up.
Come on, let's go.
Come on.
(indistinct chatter) (muffled groaning) (muffled screaming) We got to book it, man.
Jeff, come on! They've got Nate.
What they've got is two-to-one on us.
I just want to get a look at 'em.
Look, I can't hold him much longer.
We got no choice.
Come on.
(muffled groaning and yelling) Stand clear.
Let me through.
Professor.
Are you all right? What happened? Nothing happened.
Your hands.
We'll get you medical attention.
I'll get your statement.
There's no statement to give.
Billy's people abducted you.
Did they? I saw no one.
No one I could identify.
Did you? Professor.
Just tell me what he did to you, and I promise, I'll make him pay.
Billy Grimm did nothing to me.
Nothing.
Nothing.
(camera clicks) Thanks.
I don't know how to thank you.
Well, I'm glad you got your husband back, and I hope he gets better soon.
You'll find him-- your brother.
I believe that.
He's lucky to have you.
Someone who won't stop looking for him no matter what.
Thank you.
Take care of yourself.
(sighs) You handled yourself pretty well out there.
Yeah, it's not my usual line.
The deeper you dig, the more it's going to change you.
And you're going to have to trust some people you may not want to.
Yeah.
I'll be in touch.
You know, I got to admit, this was a new one.
The whole TV show thing.
Got under my skin a bit.
Why is that? There's a TV in every home.
(engine starts, revs) SKYE: There wasn't anything I could do.
The tank was completely filled in.
They must have worked all night.
(sighs) The puzzles on the walls.
Rami was down there alone trying to solve them.
He said he was trying to get to the next level.
Is that some sort of initiation? So, what, you find messages in the show, you contact these True Believers through these fan sites, and then they send you one of those discs Yeah, and then they put you through some sort of test? What are the True Believers looking for? JEFF: All those photos were X'd out.
There's no X on Nate's photo.
Which means he made it through the initiation.
Which means he's At least still alive.
But where? Captioned by access.
wgbh.
org