Zoo (2015) s01e04 Episode Script

For centuries, mankind has been the dominant species.
We've domesticated animals, locked them up, killed them for sport.
But a series of recent events seem to suggest all across the globe animals have decided "no more.
" And so we were hired, a team of people from different backgrounds, with different specialties.
An expert in animal behavior, a journalist, safari guide, foreign intelligence agent, and a veterinary pathologist.
To find out what is happening with the animals, why it's happening, and how to stop it.
Your suspicions over the last few weeks are correct.
The global pandemic your father believed was about to emerge, it has arrived.
Sorry.
His father? Professor Robert Oz.
We're all here because you believe that the scientific theories of a notorious crackpot - are now coming to pass? - Watch yourself, scrawny.
So it has begun.
The awakening of the animals' cognitive acuity.
The defiant pupil is a signifier that the way the animals see the world is now changing.
What used to be a friend is now an enemy.
You are thoroughly obsessed with Reiden Global, aren't you? - Yeah, I am.
- What'd they do to your hometown? They murdered it.
But I need the truth, Mr.
Hartley.
Did you kill my husband? But all the answers are right here.
Growing up, I never understood my father, and now Now I understand him even less.
You know, when I was 12, he asked me if I wanted to buy his soul.
Who says that to a 12-year-old? What does that even mean? - How much did he want for it? - We never got to prices.
Maybe we just need a fresh pair of eyes.
Perhaps those of another scientist.
Who, Mitch? I wouldn't ask that guy for directions to the men's room.
I remember my Uncle Tebogo's old African saying: "Once you get off on the wrong foot, you land on an even wronger one.
" You don't have an Uncle Tebogo, Abe.
If I did, I am sure he would have said that.
Can we go home now? See, this is the problem with obsession.
No room at all for the happy little gray areas.
The world has plenty of happy little gray areas, Mitch.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the legalization of marijuana, Taylor Swift's move from country to pop.
All right, if Delavane is right, if what he's saying is true And I'm not saying that it is, but if, then this goes way beyond what we saw with the lions in L.
A.
What if the animals that led the attacks in China, in Europe, Africa, were all infected with the same thing? This could be the beginning of a worldwide event.
I'm sure there's a reason they're called Reiden Global.
They have their tentacles in everything, from pesticides to genetically-modified crop seeds.
It's a one-stop shop for the animal apocalypse.
Coffee? Oh.
Thank you.
You read my mind.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Does any of this make sense to you? Interesting penmanship.
Who wrote this, a 7-year-old on a roller coaster? My father.
Right.
Well, I don't have a clue what's going on in most of these pictures, but this, "Felidae," "Carnivora," that's Big Cat taxonomy.
Panthera pardus.
- Leopards.
- Leopards? You have any idea why leopards would be so important to your father? - No.
- Guys, change of plans.
We're going to Mississippi.
Mississippi? What happened to Beijing? There's been a prison fire at Biloxi Penitentiary.
It appears no one survived.
Not guards, not prisoners, no one.
What does that have to do with us? Because at the time of the fire, the prison was under attack.
By wolves.
So, Jackson, we'll take the sedan.
You guys take the SUV.
You shall need the extra room.
- I shall? - Yes.
Wait, why are we taking two cars? Uh, you, Jamie and I will be going to the prison.
A French national was being held there.
We are representatives from the French embassy coming to discuss dealing with his remains.
French embassy? You're DGSE, right? French FBI? Why the false credentials? Because from this moment on, we have no agency, no government affiliation.
- We're on our own.
- What about Delavane? Yes, Delavane is funding our operation.
But beyond that, we're How do you say confidentiel? Off Off the books.
Should I presume the reason Mitch needs extra room is because of me? Heh.
If I wasn't such a nice guy, I might be offended.
No.
I need you two to trap a wolf.
- S Wha? Sorry? - Yes.
I expect studying a wolf will provide answers to what may have caused the pack No.
But I don't know the first thing about trapping a wolf.
Which is why Abraham will be going with you.
Wait, why don't I just go with Abraham? Genius recommendation.
I second that.
No.
I need you with me at the prison.
It was ground zero for the wolf attack.
- We will need supplies.
- Yes.
There's a hunting supply store down the highway.
And this should cover the cost of purchases.
Okay? Let's go.
Are you coming? Yeah.
You know, I like this Chloe.
She's what you would call "peppery.
" Yeah, I was never a big fan of peppery.
- Reports of wolves inside the prison.
- Right now.
- Right inside this building We're here to see Deputy Kraft.
We're from the French embassy.
He's expecting us.
And who are these two? They're with me.
If the French embassy is full of gals like you, maybe I should go work there.
I'll be sure to get you an application.
Follow me.
I'll bring you to the deputy.
The wolves came in through that door? Far as we know.
We don't have a complete picture since some of our security footage was destroyed in the fire, but according to the medical examiner, whoever the smoke and fire didn't kill, the wolves did.
Do you know how many wolves were involved in the attack? Specifically, no, but, uh, you don't have to be a scientific genius to figure a hell of a lot.
I knew that Americans enjoy hunting.
I had no idea it was this popular.
Uh, excuse me.
What's going on? The county announced a wolf cull, because of what happened.
What is a "wolf cull"? That's when a bunch of men go out into the woods to hunt wolves, armed with beer and high-powered rifles.
Because, you know, what goes better together than guns and drinking? Do you have any traps or snares? We are looking to catch a wolf.
Catch, not kill.
We might have some net guns in the back.
You wanna catch and not kill? What are you gonna do with a rabid wolf? Take it to dinner and a movie? Those wolves aren't rabid.
See, rabid wolves don't travel in the pack.
They're ostracized and forced to move alone.
Rabid or not rabid, it doesn't really matter much.
- Either way they'll be dead.
- You don't have to kill them.
I'm not sure if you're from around here, friend.
I'm betting not.
We got farms and we got families to protect, and that's what we're gonna do.
Actually, I'm after the same thing you are.
I just don't think slaughter's necessary.
- Don't let him talk to you like that.
- Thank you, sir.
Let's go get that net gun, Mitch.
Go back where you came from, son.
I understand who you are now.
You're the kind that pokes the beast until the beast bites.
I had that under control.
I don't think so, my friend.
I think in another five minutes you would have replaced the wolf as the focus for tomorrow's hunt.
Those cameras should have seen something.
It's what I'm not seeing that's bothering me.
- What's that? - Scat.
I don't see it anywhere.
- Scat? - Wolf feces.
See, the wolves are pack animals, so the alpha, or leader, leaves scat for the rest of the pack to follow.
But I don't see scat anywhere.
So not only do we have an unmotivated wolf attack, we have a leaderless wolf attack.
- So wolf poop is called "scat"? - It is.
Wow.
You learn something new every day.
Deputy Kraft, I'm Chloe Tousignant.
I believe the Consul General spoke with you about my arrival.
Yes.
This is Agent Ben Shafer, the FBI.
He's helping coordinate federal resources as we identify the dead and try to understand what happened.
Oh, if you don't mind me asking, what business does the French embassy have here? A French national, Carl Babineau, was incarcerated at this prison.
I need to verify his death so next-of-kin can be notified.
That's a three-person job? I assume you have some papers for me to sign.
Yes.
Unfortunately, identifying the dead has proven to be a bit more tricky than we anticipated.
- This is all in French.
- Oh.
I should have an English copy.
You know what the mayor of Paris said to the German Army when they entered the city during the Second World War? "A table for 100,000 monsieurs.
" You'll have to excuse Agent Shafer.
He's a bit of a - An idiot? - Uh, that's an accurate assessment.
My apologies.
There was supposed to be an English copy.
Fine.
Come back tomorrow.
Perhaps we'll have a more definitive answer about your prisoner.
Hey, excuse me.
Excuse me.
Can you? Can you rewind that? Yeah, just a second.
You don't mind, do you? Okay, stop.
That's it.
- Who is that guy? - That's Evan Lee Hartley.
He was on death row.
If anybody deserved to be eaten by wolves, it was him.
Thank you, Deputy Kraft.
We'll see you tomorrow.
What was that about? Why the interest in that prisoner? Do you remember what I said about wolves having an alpha leader? - Yes.
- The way those wolves acted with him, I can't explain it, but they were submissive, and Evan Lee Hartley was their alpha.
- Did you put the fuel conditioner in? - No.
Well, if the fuel line freezes, it's not my fault.
Four more months and this horribly-planned experiment is over.
"Horribly-planned experiment" is too kind.
How about "disaster from start to finish"? Let's see, there was the Edsel, the Hindenburg, the Vietnam War.
All trumped by "Wendy and Margaret Go to Antarctica for Two Years in the Hopes of Saving Their Marriage.
" What the hell? What was that? Oh, my God.
What are bats doing in Antarctica? They're covering the solar panels.
The heat's off.
Since the French government is paying - Look, I know it's crazy - Of course it's crazy.
What are you saying? That this Evan Lee Hartley is somehow connected to the wolves? I don't know.
But I'm telling you, the wolves were in a submission posture.
You just need to sleep.
We've traversed too many time zones in the last week.
I keep wondering what my father would think if he saw what I saw today at that prison.
I think he would say, "Since the French government is paying" Room service.
They didn't have chamomile.
I got you mint.
That's perfect.
Thank you.
Okay, so get this.
That prisoner, Evan Lee Hartley, our alpha Mm-hm.
What about him? He worked in the biology lab at Wash U till 2008.
Upstanding citizen, no criminal background, but then, for apparently no reason at all, he stabbed an entire hunting party to death in the Pearl River Woods.
Uh, when he was apprehended, he said, "All hunters need to die.
" He was perhaps some kind of ecoterrorist.
That's the thing.
Not at all.
The case got a lot of local media attention, and in every interview, his family, coworkers, none of them could understand why he hated the hunters.
According to them, he was an outdoorsman himself.
Avid fisherman.
But that day in the woods, it's like he became a different person.
You're up late.
Beer, please.
Must be a French thing.
You know, I was only joking.
I love the French.
They're responsible for my three favorite things.
Let me guess, French fries, French toast, and French kisses.
Let me guess, not the first time you've been hit on - by an American in a hotel bar.
- No.
But I hold out great hope it will be the last.
Well, I, uh I could wow you with my conversational French, but I was always better at reading foreign languages than speaking them.
Like earlier with the paperwork.
I'm pretty sure those documents were about French tax law.
I believe you're mistaken.
Ah.
Something to do with fuel costs being a deductible expense.
Am I right? Your French is better than you give yourself credit for.
And you're not here about some dead inmate.
So who are you, really? French Directorate.
Okay.
Why are you in Mississippi? I believe that's what you would call "classified.
" - Fair enough.
- Can I have the check? Yes, ma'am.
So why are you up so late? I have jet lag to blame.
What's your excuse? I could give you the easy answer, say I've seen so much bad stuff in this line of work, so many evil things, that they haunt me, blah, blah, blah.
But, nah, that's not true.
Those of us that do what we do, we're just burdened with so much information.
We sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop, knowing how inevitable it is, and hoping that we can protect the citizens when it does.
Yeah.
So you gonna tell me what you're really doing here or not? Not.
You know, in America, we have this thing.
It's called interagency cooperation.
You should try it sometime.
Perhaps I will.
But not tonight.
Good night, Agent Shafer.
Good night.
- Yeah.
This looks like the place.
- Yeah.
Hold this.
What are you doing? Marking our path.
You want to find your way back, don't you? All right.
Let's do this.
You see that? There's multiple tracks.
The entire pack came out here.
How does an entire pack of wolves attack a prison - and then just disappear into thin air? - Hmm.
- What? - Maybe you're onto something.
I mean, maybe they just disappeared.
- I'm just messing with you.
- Ugh.
But, I mean, at this point, would magical wolves be that much crazier? How do you know so much about wolves? Can't be too many of them in Africa, huh? No.
But when I was a kid, I used to tag along with my father on his weekend expeditions, you know? One weekend we'd be, uh, studying red foxes in the Berkshires, and the next we'd be trailing coyotes in Acadia National Park.
Sounds like a great childhood.
Yeah, that's a word for it.
- What? - Well, I was also with him the weekend he locked himself in the motel room because he thought squirrels were trying to attack us.
I was 12.
What? What is it? Did you know there's evidence of animals covering their tracks? Grizzly bears, for one.
This is freshly filled.
Meaning the wolves dug themselves out from under the fence? Wolf tracks.
And also shoe prints.
Evan Lee Hartley.
Wait, what are you saying, that the wolves helped him escape? I mean, is it any more insane than them treating him like their alpha? But if I'm right, our man is long gone by now.
Sorry.
I didn't think to t I gotta take this.
Hey.
I know, I Look, if there's something to be done, we should do it.
Yes.
Look, I Just let me Let me Let me talk to a few people that I know, okay? All right.
Hey Hello? I'm turning this off now.
Is everything okay? That was my ex.
Ah.
You have an ex.
It's good to know.
Some might assume you were incapable of deep human contact.
Yeah, my ex would be one of those.
We have a daughter.
Wonderful.
How old? Thought we were supposed to be quiet.
- They're gone.
- Thank God.
Even if someone had received our call, it would have been days before they got to us through the storm.
What did you do? I siphoned fuel out of the Sno-Cat and used it in a chemical sprayer to make a little flamethrower.
I felt bad for the little critters, but they might be rabid.
- Wendy! - Oh! Oh! I think it's dead.
So is our backup power.
It's okay, guys.
It's over now.
At least the solar panel's back online.
No.
I saw each body found on the prison yard.
No Evan Lee Hartley.
I was hoping I wasn't right.
Okay, thank you for the information.
You guys, wait.
You're not gonna believe this.
But the last person to walk out of the Biloxi Penitentiary alive was the widow of one of Evan Lee Hartley's victims.
- What was she doing there? - Apparently she met with Hartley.
Well, you should go track her down.
This widow.
And talk to her.
If Jackson is right about him, he may know more about the wolves' aberrant behavior.
- Maybe he said something to her.
- Okay.
Call me when you find Mitch and Abraham.
- We will.
- Good luck.
What is it? There.
A den.
These tracks are fresh.
Which means the wolves will be back soon.
Great, hunters.
That's just what we need.
Just in case.
So how do we find them? This way.
Watch your step, there's a lot of undergrowth.
- I'm fine.
- I'm just trying to watch out for you.
Listen, I know you may find this hard to believe, since the girl you met in Africa was hysterical and running for her life, but I'm very capable of taking care of myself.
Come here.
Let's get you cleaned up.
Just a little What happened? Animals will do it.
They'll, uh, you know, tear open a prey species and soak themselves in the blood and tissue to hide a scent.
It's It's called a scent roll.
There are so many more disgusting things it should be called.
Hey.
These look like Hartley's prison blues? Perhaps.
Why? Maybe it wasn't an animal that did this.
Evan Lee Hartley rolled around inside that? Sure looks like it.
That's Jerome.
He was Daniel's favorite.
Daniel's my husband.
- There's something about the eyes.
- They're glass.
That's how you can tell a good taxidermist.
The more lifelike the eyes are, the better the stuffer.
But they didn't do such a good job with Jerome.
Those eyes are as dead as they come.
Um Uh, Mrs.
Blanchard, you, um You went to see Evan Lee Hartley.
Yes.
Apparently I left the prison just before the fire.
Before the wolves.
I got this.
That man said some awful things to me.
All I wanted to know was why.
Why he killed my Daniel.
Did he tell you? He said he was sick and looking for a cure.
I've been through all the medical records, the court documents.
There's no mention of any illness.
Why don't you just stay right where you are? I am a good Christian woman, Miss Campbell.
But the way he clutched that Bible and insisted that all the answers could be found within it? All what answers? Abe! Abe? "And the beasts shall stand in judgment of the wicked and the boastful.
" Shot by hunters.
- May I help you? - Yeah, I need to do a level three once-through on Evan Lee Hartley's cell.
A level three once-through? What the hell is a level three once-through? It's after a crime scene's been properly searched, tagged and verified.
Someone needs to just go through it one last time.
I remember you.
You're one of the gals from that French embassy.
Yeah, that's right.
How come you don't seem French? Actually, I'm on loan from Interpol.
I'm here to assist Miss Tousignant in whatever she requires, and today she requires a level three once-through.
I'm sending somebody down to you, Robson.
- Bring her to Hartley's house.
- Copy that.
- Go ahead.
- Thank you.
- Hey.
- What are you doing here? - We're looking for you guys.
- An inmate escaped from the prison.
We think he might be in these woods.
Yeah, we saw him just Just now.
- Which way did he go? - No, no.
It's too dangerous.
- I'll notify Kraft.
- What are you talking about? He's connected.
He couldn't have gotten far.
Let Kraft do his job.
When they capture him, I'll arrange an interview.
Oh, and if he says no? Wait.
While you two work this out, we still need a wolf to examine.
We saw one a hundred yards back.
It's just been shot.
Let's go.
No more bats.
At least not in here.
I'm gonna put you back inside, okay? Yeah.
You be a good girl.
Found the mix CD you made for our first road trip together.
We were fresh out of grad school and on our way to Dr.
Alston's lab in Arizona.
I spent hours choosing this music.
Maybe they're here to I don't know.
Force us to let the birds free? What do you mean? Think about it.
The bats take out our electricity, they take out our heat.
Maybe we let the birds go, then they'll restore our power.
Dr.
Wendy Rhodes, are you suggesting that all winged creatures look out for each other? We were happy once, right? Very.
I never knew what any of them were talking about, the fools in love, until I saw you the first day of Professor Talcoff's Introduction to Integrated Biology class.
You were terrified to speak to me.
I was a nerd.
- And I had a boyfriend.
- Eddie.
Oh, no, no, I'm fine.
You keep it.
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I thought this could be our second chance.
Me too.
My soul slides away - But don't look back in anger - But don't look back in anger - I heard you say - I heard you say We should let the birds go.
Just in case.
Just in case what? Just in case you're right.
- Agent Tousignant.
- Hey.
Just got off the phone with Deputy Kraft.
Looks like we've got a manhunt on our hands, thanks to you.
- You're welcome.
- Which begs the question.
What were you doing out in the woods? Members of my team were engaged in a separate investigation when they saw Evan Lee Hartley.
I thought it was prudent to report the sighting.
We at the Bureau appreciate that.
Uh, if you catch Hartley, perhaps we could have a word with him? - Why is that? - I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you.
Interagency cooperation only goes so far, you see.
Uh, copy that, but are you at liberty to discuss that? You're not planning on interrogating somebody in your room, are you? I have no choice.
The banquet hall was occupied.
Is the wolf gonna be okay? - He'll be fine.
- Except for this.
When we opened the wound to remove the bullet Oh.
That's awful.
Sometimes infected blood can have an off smell.
Yeah, but this wound is fresh.
Which means he was already infected.
My guess is bacteria.
That's the most likely culprit anyway.
It also means that we may have found what was responsible for the wolves' aggressive behavior.
- The bacteria? - Possibly.
Want to help out? Come here.
That's the wolf's blood.
Just keep stirring that.
Don't let it thicken.
Okay, but what does this have to do with me pulling the battery out of the rental car? - Room service.
- I got it.
Hey.
I had to go to the market to get this.
- How's a hundred bucks? That okay? - Yeah, great.
Thank you.
The French government owes me a hundred dollars.
- Here you go.
- Excellent.
Those are perfect.
Think of the coffee pot as a wolf's brain.
Coconut water is chemically similar to the cerebrospinal fluid that flows through and around the brain.
So if our bacteria causes a reaction in our coffee pot brain, then there's a good chance it's responsible for the wolves' abnormal behavior.
So, what are we looking for? What happens to prove you're right? The current from the battery should stimulate the growth of the bacteria.
We're looking for some evidence that the wolf's brain was agitated.
For instance, if the liquid starts to bubble up a little bit.
- How long? - I don't know.
A couple hours? Or a couple of seconds.
- Look.
- Wow, that's Oh, no.
Yeah, I'd say we're onto something.
"Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not.
He is like the beasts that perish.
" Over here! Those are Hartley's clothes.
So where is Evan Lee? Okay, well, aside from a destroyed hotel room, we did good work here.
Little early for champagne, don't you think? We don't know anything about that bacteria.
Well, we've been here for two days, and already, we've discovered unusual bacteria inside a wolf that's behaving abnormally.
That's an accomplishment.
But just because it's inside the wolf doesn't mean it's inside the lions or the cats or the bats.
Hey.
Are you looking for me? - What are you and your team up to? - What do you mean? Before you lay out your baloney and your balderdash, you should know that Deputy Kraft is on his way over to question you.
He believes one of your team removed evidence from Hartley's cell.
- Deputy Kraft is wrong.
- No kidding.
But I thought I'd let you know in the spirit of interagency cooperation.
- How long do we have? - I don't know.
What are we going to do about him? I'm on with Animal Control right now.
- Hello.
- I hit the mother lode.
Don't come back to the hotel.
We'll meet you at the car rental agency.
What happened? Deputy Kraft didn't find Evan Lee Hartley and is looking for someone to blame.
I found this.
It's his Hartley's.
It was in his cell.
The guy underlined every reference to animals in the Bible.
- I mean, every single one.
- Well, he was on death row.
Bible comes in very handy on death row.
I also found this.
That's Evan Lee Hartley.
What is it, Jackson? Do you recognize the other guy? That's my father.