Survivors (1975) s01e06 Episode Script

(VEHICLES APPROACHING) We've all been in contact with the disease.
We might be carriers.
Have you been exposed to it? I'm sick with it.
-Well, that's all right -Now, wait a minute! Are you armed? There are guns in the Land Rover, but we're not carrying any.
JOHN: What do you want? We met some people about 20 miles back.
They said there was a man and a boy living here.
Is there a boy here? Why do you want to know? I'm looking for my son.
Is there a boy here? Yes.
Sorry about the gun.
But it's better to be careful Well, can I see him? Of course, I'll call him.
Peter! Peter! He's up in the woods collecting logs.
Hello.
(CHILDREN LAUGHING) That's enough.
Drink this.
Peter and I haven't moved around much at all.
Seemed safer to stay put.
What's it like, generally? Are things beginning to get organised? Oh, here and there.
A few places.
People getting together forming small communes.
That's what we plan on doing eventually, getting a farming commune going.
Well, at least that's Abby's idea.
What about you? Are you going to stay here? Oh, for the moment at least.
Peter? When things have settled down a bit, we'll have a look around and decide who we'll throw him with.
Well, you're more than welcome to join us.
Thanks, I'll bear it in mind.
Shall I take a cup out to her? No, no.
I think she'd like to be left on her own for a little bit.
-I'll go out to her.
-Has she been searching for long? Yes.
On and off ever since it happened.
-Thank you very much for the drink.
-My pleasure.
Hey! Give me that! Hey! Hey! What's all this? There's some boys about my age at Waterhouse.
Waterhouse? Uh, it's a big country house, an estate, about 40 miles from here.
I'll show you on the map.
Come on, Peter.
All right, move it.
(CHILDREN GIGGLING) Uh, come on, Peter.
Go outside and play.
That's a good boy.
Come on.
Come on, you two.
Out you go.
LIZZIE: Hey! Hey, look, the fog's clearing.
Now, uh That's us there, and there's the house.
Ah, is it a settlement? Yes.
In the region of 20 adults.
We were there for an hour or so.
They said we could stay if we wanted to, but quite frankly, I didn't like the way they were doing things.
Too organised.
They were reasonably friendly, -but a bit threatening.
-Threatening? Yes.
When we said we were leaving, they told us not to take anything from any of the shops or houses, not to stop and shoot game.
We weren't even allowed to camp anywhere within a radius of 20 miles.
Just drive straight out of the area, they said.
And that's what you did? Well, I had the feeling if we didn't, they might cut up a bit rough.
(GREG CLICKS TONGUE) Yeah, well, thanks very much for everything.
-I think we ought to be on our way.
-Yeah.
Well, it's been nice meeting you.
Take care of yourselves.
All the best.
Thank you very much.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING) Don't say anything to Abby about this Waterhouse place.
Well, later, perhaps.
But let's let her get over this before we start raising her hopes again.
Hmm.
GREG: Come on, you lot.
In the bus.
(CHILDREN SHOUTING) You all right? (CAR ENGINE STARTING) -JOHN: Bye-bye.
-Bye.
JOHN: All the best.
Take care.
-JENNY: Bye.
-Bye.
Bye.
JENNY: Bye.
Bye.
JENNY: Come on, bedtime.
Hey, come here.
Didn't I tell you to go in the tent? Go on.
Now, you stay there while I get the other one.
John.
Come on.
Come on to sleep.
Come on.
(GREG SIGHING) (CHILDREN GIGGLING) JENNY: Snuggle down in your sleeping bag.
JENNY: Goodnight, sweetie.
CHILDREN: Goodnight! JENNY: Sleep well.
JOHN: You too.
Silly, isn't it? Going on like this.
Searching.
I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that he's Today, when that man called Peter's name, I was certain.
I was sure it was him.
And then Anyway, tomorrow we look for somewhere to settle.
Somewhere permanent.
I think that's the right thing to do.
We should have done it before.
But while there was a chance, I had to go on looking.
Yes, of course.
Anyway, now there's nowhere left to look.
Um, I've made up a bed in the bus.
You must be very tired.
Yes, I am.
Come on then.
Thanks for sticking by me, Greg.
You told her, didn't you? Jenny.
You told Abby.
What? What's happened? You told Abby about Waterhouse.
Now she's gone off.
Now, we agreed we wouldn't say anything about it.
Well, I had to, Greg.
She was in an awful state last night.
All that chat about coming to terms with the fact that Peter was dead, none of it was true.
She'll never believe that.
She'll damn well have to! You know the odds against him being alive, millions to one.
Millions.
Now you've raised her hopes again.
You've got no right to do that.
No, I had no right not to.
She has a right to make her own decisions.
Yeah, but all you've managed to do is give her a lot more grief.
Well, I still say that she had to know.
Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Just sit around here waiting for her to get back? Then go traipsing around the country every time she hears about some kid somewhere else.
Look.
She's never asked us to go with her, it's always been our own choice.
Oh, all right, all right.
I know.
Well, at least she's been the only one with any sense of purpose.
Yeah, well, she shouldn't have just gone off like that.
Should have told us.
Are we going after her? What's the point? Not likely to catch up with her now.
Well, if everything goes all right, she should be back before night.
Yeah, and I suppose she knows how to take care of herself.
(GUNSHOT IN THE DISTANCE) Here he comes! (GUN FIRING) Come on.
Kill him! Halt! I've got him.
Over here.
I've got him.
Sit down.
Don't do that.
I said, sit down (MAN GROANING) (GUN FIRES) Come on! Over here! This way! There he goes! (GUN FIRING) Bring him down! (MEN CHATTERING) MAN 2: Hold him.
(MAN GRUNTING) MAN 3: Shoot him.
(GUN FIRING) (VEHICLE APPROACHING) (BRAKES SQUEALING) Drive, quickly! Drive on! Drive through! (ABBY WHIMPERING) (MAN THUDDING) (GUNS FIRING) (CAR WHEEL RATTLING) You better stop.
He must have got a tyre.
(CAR ENGINE STOPS) Well, that won't take this any further.
-Would you like a cigarette? -Oh, please.
(BOTH PANTING) GARLAND: I'll do it.
Thanks.
(ABBY SIGHING) You know, I thought I'd given these up.
(GARLAND SIGHING) Well, what was that all about? Well, that was the first time they'd organised a proper search to try and catch me.
They did it pretty well, too.
They've had me on the run since dawn.
Well, why? Well, I suppose you could say we don't see eye to eye about a few things.
So, as far as I'm concerned, we're at war.
War? Historically, that's what it's always been called.
Two groups with conflicting ideas who resort to force of arms.
That's war, isn't it? Well, how many of you are there? There seemed to be an awful lot of them.
-How many with you? -Oh, just me.
-You're on your own? -Hmm.
I'd better get a dressing on this, it's not particularly deep but it's rather uncomfortable.
I'll change your wheel and let you get on.
There's no point in hanging about.
Have you got a spare? Oh, it's in the back somewhere.
Doesn't seem to be one.
Never mind.
I'll pick you up another car.
There's plenty of them about.
In the meantime, I think we'd better push off from here.
They're bound to follow us up.
You'll be quite safe at my place, if you don't mind walking.
(HESITANTLY) Oh, I don't know.
Some people are expecting me, I should get back.
All right.
In that case, we'll make a car the first priority.
Oh, incidentally, where were you heading? A place called Waterhouse.
Oh, do you know it? Yes.
What did you want there? I'm looking for my son.
I heard there were some boys about his age there.
Well, I might be able to help you, but I really do think we ought to be pushing off.
Those people back there are really very keen to catch me.
And seeing you helped me, they won't be too well disposed towards you either.
Now, look.
I don't want to get involved in your war.
Well, I'm afraid you are.
Until I can get you out of the district, anyway.
Oh, by the way, my name's Jimmy Garland.
Abby Grant.
I know this must be very disagreeable for you, but it is exciting, isn't it? You really are enjoying it, aren't you? Absolutely.
Well, he can't be that far ahead of us.
We'll never find him in that lot.
He knows those woods like the back of his hand.
Yeah, but he's wounded now.
We keep pushing him, it won't take long.
Even if it takes days, we're not giving up now.
Keep him running.
It's a good snare, this.
I get a rabbit practically every day.
All right, just hang on here a minute.
I've got something to show you.
I'll just check there's nobody about.
That's Waterhouse.
Oh, isn't it lovely? Ancestral home and country seat of the Waterhouse family.
Now the property of the 14th earl, James Lord Waterhouse.
Or less formally, me.
-You mean that's your house? -Yes.
And you have the title? Well, it's perfectly meaningless, of course.
And I was the fourth son, I never would have inherited, but Well, then, this plague thing and Now I'm the last of the line.
Come on.
Well, aren't we going down there? No.
No, I live in somewhat more modest circumstances.
You see, the gentlemen we had the tussle with down there have taken over Waterhouse.
And I am disputing their right to stay there.
That's That's what my little war is all about.
We go this way.
-Did you get him? -No.
Knox is still searching.
But we're going out again later.
Anything happen here? Yeah.
Betty checked the storage shed.
It's been broken into.
Quite a lot of stuff's missing.
-Garland? -I reckon it must have been.
-Last night some time.
-Yeah.
Well, he won't be so damn cocky in future.
I got a shot at him today and I'm certain I hit him.
Good.
We'll get him this time.
Careful.
(CAN RATTLING) Alarm system.
In here.
(LEAVES RUSTLING) (ABBY SIGHS) You've been living in here? Yeah.
My brothers and I used to use it when we were kids.
It was our den.
And I've been living here ever since that lot took over Waterhouse.
Look, can I get you something to eat? Hot drink, perhaps? Shouldn't you do something about your leg? Yes, I'm going to.
I've got some dressings over here.
Can we boil some water? -Over there.
-No, no, I'll do it.
I'll do it.
(GARLAND GROANS SOFTLY) Look, I'm awfully sorry I got you into this situation.
Well, I do promise I'll do my best to find you a vehicle and put you on your way as soon as possible.
I'm not going anywhere until I've had a chance to see if Peter's at that house or not.
-Oh, yes.
Of course.
-Let me have a look at that leg.
Well, it's still bleeding.
Look, you'd better take your trousers off.
MAN: Knox? Over here.
Eh, the rabbit's not been dead long.
So the snare must have been fairly newly set.
None of our people have been setting traps up here.
-Not that I know of.
-No, then it must be Garland.
Well, it makes sense, wouldn't it? He would be setting traps -near to where he's hiding out.
-You think we're near him? Haven't had sight nor sound of him in a couple of hours.
He's probably gone to ground somewhere.
(SIGHS) Yeah, it'll be getting dark soon.
Will we turn it in, then? No, we keep going.
Send Ken back for lanterns and flashlights.
If he's hiding, we'll find him.
If he's running, we'll push him.
Keep him on the move.
Push him.
Wear him down.
Pass the word.
Mmm.
That was good.
-Brandy? -(CHUCKLING) Yes, please.
It's single year.
It's rather good.
I got it from the sellers of Waterhouse on one of my little forays.
I must say for a man living in a cave, you seem to do quite well.
(CHUCKLES) Oh, I've had plenty of practice.
And I've probably spent more nights sleeping rough than I have in bed.
I don't understand.
Oh, I used to be one of those "expedition people".
I started at university.
Whenever some loony planned a trip in the name of science, I was always the first to sign on.
I had done the Sahara and the Congo by the time I was 20.
And then, like all good fourth sons, I went into the army, which was great fun.
Always bits of wars going on.
And in between we'd organise little walkabouts.
Like what? The Amazon.
(CHUCKLING) South America's an amazing place.
You can always dream of a good excuse for taking an expedition there.
I've been there three times.
And then there was the Zaire River trip.
A polar walk, which I wasn't too keen on.
But wherever white man had not trod before, I was there.
(CHUCKLES) But my kind were rather running out of world.
What do you mean? (GREG CLICKS TONGUE) Well, you'd scale some unconquered peak, get to the top and like as not find a television camera.
Hack your way through darkest jungle and come face to face with a film crew shooting nature pictures.
(BOTH CHUCKLING) There just wasn't much left.
You should have been born 200 years ago.
Oh, no.
No, now is the time to be alive.
Now is the best time of all.
Now? With things as they are? I'm made for a time like now.
I can use everything I've learnt, everything I've been trained for.
I couldn't have invented a better time to be alive.
-You really mean it, don't you? -Yes.
Well, there's millions of people who have died.
Don't they mean anything to you? If I'm being perfectly honest, no.
The limit of pain and suffering is what one person endures.
Now, that suffering isn't magnified simply because millions are inflicted with it.
And it's the same with grief.
You can't mourn for a whole world.
I'm I'm sorry.
I must have shocked you.
Oh, no.
Well, yes, perhaps you did.
It's just that I hadn't seen it that way, that's all.
Well, it's a way of staying sane.
And anyway, that That world that ended wasn't one I much cared for.
I was a misfit.
But now Now this is my time.
And what are you gonna do with your time? Take over my house again.
Teach others.
Lead.
What my family's been doing for generations.
Well, people who have taken over your house don't seem inclined to let you.
Oh, well.
Good leadership's always in dispute.
That's a healthy sign.
Wouldn't it be better just to join them? I mean, do you have to be the leader? Yes, I suppose you do.
(GARLAND CHUCKLING) Oh, where are you going? I'm going to pick up that car for you.
Should be dark enough now.
And then in the morning, I'll try and get you close enough to the house to have a look at the kids.
There are about four of them your son's age.
But, I must admit, from that picture you showed me I don't think he's amongst them.
Perhaps.
But I have to know for sure.
Of course.
Well, you rest up here for a couple of hours and I'll see you soon.
Hmm? Bye.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING) (FOOTSTEPS) -Ken? -Hello? I've got some tea.
Oh, ta! Oh, cold tonight.
Yes.
The others going to stay out all night, you think? I don't know.
-When you on till? -Oh, hours yet.
BETTY: I suppose I better get back.
Don't go in for a bit.
It's cold.
-Is that better? -I should go back.
(KEN CHUCKLES) No hurry.
(CANS RATTLING) (MOANING) (CANS RATTLING) KNOX: It's an alarm system.
If he heard that, he may decide to make a break for it.
Well, one thing's certain.
We must be near his hideout.
We could have him this time.
Right.
You go back.
Bring the others.
I'll keep watch here.
Tell them to keep quiet and to keep their eyes on the ground.
There may be more trip wires.
Let's get in the car.
(BETTY GIGGLING) (CAR DOOR CLOSES) (CAR ENGINE CRANKING) (CAR ENGINE STARTING) (BETTY PANTING) -Garland? -Must be.
Knox will murder me for this.
He'll murder me.
-Are they all right? -Mmm.
Lizzie was dreaming and it woke John.
They're worried about Abby.
There's nothing to worry about.
Oh, she should have been back ages ago.
No, not necessarily.
Forty miles? She's been gone all day! She's had an accident or broken down or something.
Or found Peter.
And if she found Peter, she wouldn't come back here.
She'd stay the night.
You don't believe that.
Greg, she's in some sort of trouble, I'm sure of it.
Look, it's pointless following her now.
I think we should just turn in and get some sleep.
And as soon as it's daylight, we'll make a start.
Hmm.
(CAR BRAKES SQUEALING) (ABBY MOANS) Oh, you're back.
Did you get the Your boy's not here.
I'm sorry.
Mrs Grant, we must talk.
We'll be more comfortable in here.
(DOOR OPENING) Am I a prisoner here? -No.
-Then I want to leave.
I brought you here 'cause I thought you might be able to help.
-I want to go.
-That young man, Garland -Going to get himself killed.
-Isn't that what you want? Heavens, no! What do you think we are here? Some sort of bandits? He's been shot.
He's wounded.
My people were trying to take him, they had guns, they got excited and they used them.
I didn't want that.
I can't allow him to go on terrorising us.
One man, terrorising? Yes.
He's acting like a character out of some Boy's Own adventure story.
Well, he's burned down a barn.
He's driven off our stock.
He's raided our food store three or four times.
Some days, he sits up in those woods with a rifle just sniping at any of our people who go out to work in the fields.
No, admittedly he's not shooting to kill, but he's got them all running scared.
He says he wants his house back, that's all.
Oh, no.
That's not all.
Mrs Grant, there are now We've got the beginnings of a good community.
We can make this place work and become self-supporting.
We laid claim to this estate because it's essential to our survival and anybody else who would care to join us will be very welcome.
-Then -But we can't allow one man to jeopardise it.
Then why not allow Garland to join you? -Let him be the leader if he wants to.
-(CHUCKLES SARCASTICALLY) Oh, yeah.
Hmm.
Or aren't you prepared to give that up? Have you heard his conditions? -No.
-No, right.
Well, everybody moves out of the house for a start.
They can live in the farms and cottages, he says.
They must pay rent in food and services.
They'll owe total allegiance to this house and its laws.
He wants his people as his subjects with a right to administer life and death.
You said you thought I might help.
How? Well, he obviously trusts you.
Talk to him.
Make him see sense.
Tell him we'll call a truce if he'll just discuss things with us.
We don't want a war.
-I'll try.
-Thank you.
-But how do I contact him again? -Oh.
I think I know Garland's character well enough by now.
If he thinks we're holding you prisoner, he'll be contacting us.
(ROOSTER CROWING) (BETTY GRUNTING) I've searched all around for her.
Nothing.
What time did she go out? Anybody know? -Oh, about 7:00, they reckon.
-Yes.
Any sign of a struggle? No.
Her basket was by the cabbages.
That's all.
-We checked the stables.
No sign of her.
-Hmm.
Well, put the men around the house.
The women and children stay inside.
(KNOX SIGHING) Now you see what we're up against.
He's crazy.
Well, perhaps he's taken her because you've got me.
(KNOX SIGHING) -If he's harmed her -Oh, he wouldn't.
Yes.
Well, I have things to see to.
Would you stay in the house, please.
He's somewhere up on that hillside.
(CRASHING) -I'm going out.
-He'll pick you off just like that.
Look, if he was aiming to kill, you three wouldn't be in here now.
Leave it to me.
Stay back.
Garland! Garland! Garland, do you hear me? Over here.
I'll release the girl when you free Mrs Grant.
She can go any time she wants.
Look, we must talk.
I want to see her.
Things can't go on like this.
Ask her to come out.
For God's sake, try and get him to come and talk to us.
No harm will come to him.
I give you my word.
GARLAND: Come on.
Abby! I'll release the girl when we are safely away from here.
No, let him go.
-But he's still holding Betty.
-He's given his word.
That's one thing we can depend on.
They said you burned down a barn.
That was months ago.
Then you did do it.
It was before most of the settlers came here.
There were plague victims in the house and in some of the cottages.
That barn was their funeral pyre.
Well, Knox didn't say that.
Well, he wouldn't, would he? I probably get the credit, or rather the blame for anything that goes wrong on this estate.
Well, there you are.
You can be on your way whenever you want.
Would you like a cigarette before you go? They want to talk to you.
Try to come to some sort of an agreement.
-They know my terms.
-Mmm-hmm.
That you want run everything.
Like some sort of feudal baron.
-It's not quite like that.
-Well, that's what they think.
I just want to see Waterhouse functioning again.
As a self-supporting estate.
People living in the houses, working on the land.
It could be a society that worked to the benefit of its weakest and its strongest members.
A real life.
With you as Lord of the Manor? I am better equipped and trained to administer the running of an estate than any of them.
There would have to be rules, discipline, some arbiter to settle the inevitable quarrels.
Yes, I suppose it might sound paternal.
But it would always be benevolent.
I'd put as much into that society as anyone else and they'd all have a say in what went on.
Then they haven't understood you.
Just give me a year.
And I could guarantee to have that place running to the benefit of anyone who'll live there.
Please.
Look, you must talk to them.
They think you just want to take over, rule them, like some sort of king.
Oh, no.
That's not true.
Well then, tell them what you've planned.
Make them understand.
Please.
Look, Knox swore he wouldn't harm you.
He gave me his word.
Let's go there.
Now.
All right.
But I ought to release that girl first.
Oh, she can wait.
She's all right, isn't she? Oh, yes.
Yes, I left her in that hut down by the river.
Oh, well, then, Knox will send someone to fetch her.
This is much more important.
You are a sort of a one woman United Nations, aren't you? (CAR APPROACHING) Tell Knox.
(CAR DOOR CLOSING) ABBY: It's all right.
Knox is in the house.
Come in.
Jimmy! (GARLAND GROANING) (MEN GRUNTING) You get off! Leave him alone! (ABBY PANTING) You gave me your word! -KNOX: He had to be stopped.
-You promised! Oh! To hell with promises.
Those are old standards.
A man's word being his bond, contracts, treaties.
Mmm? Things like that don't apply any more.
We just do or say whatever is expedient.
There are no Queensbury Rules for survival.
He wanted to help.
-KNOX: He was trying to destroy us.
-That's not true.
Just get out of here, Mrs Grant, will you? This is our affair.
We'll handle it in our own way.
Take her back to where we found her car.
-Well, the wheel's shot up.
-That's her problem.
-What are you gonna do to him? -Take her away! There's a lot of people here, Mrs Grant.
I have to look after their future and protect them in the best way I know how.
You'll have to put it on yourself.
They'll expect me back.
(SIGHING) (CAR DOORS CLOSING) (CAR ENGINE STARTING) (CAR DRIVING AWAY) Where are you keeping the girl? Where is she? Come on! Come on! All right, bring him over here.
Right.
Now, where is she? You find her.
(SCOFFING) You'll take us to her.
One way or another, you'll take us to her.
-ABBY: Jenny ! -Abby ! -What is it, Abby? What's happened? -Oh, thank God you came.
-They'll kill him.
-Abby, are you all right? They'll kill him.
We must do something before it's too late.
-GREG: Come on, Abby.
Calm down.
-I know they will.
Just calm down and try and tell us what happened.
Well, those people at Waterhouse.
They've captured a man, they're going to kill him and it's all my fault.
We must do something.
(KNOX GRUNTING) Tell us where she is.
All right.
-All right.
-You'll take us to her? -Yes.
-Yes.
Right.
On your feet.
Come on, move it.
You'll need a place to lock him away.
Shall I make one of the cellars secure? There's no need.
She's in there.
(KNOX CHUCKLES) Go on.
Try it, why don't you? What have you got to lose? Betty.
Betty? If you're trying something She's in there.
Go and check.
(MAN YELLS) Now drop it or I'll blow his head off! (GROANING) Who the hell are you? -Abby! -You won't get away with this.
I'll have everybody out after you before you've gone half a mile.
Shut up and get in the hut.
Come on, move.
And you.
On your feet.
(CAR APPROACHING) (WOMEN LAUGHING) It probably goes without saying, but thank you.
How did you manage to find the hut? Well, you mentioned it and I found it on the map.
And then I thought we might exchange the girl for you, but then we saw you coming.
So we waited.
-Do you think they'll come after us? -Oh, no.
Not now.
Well, I think we're going to have to mark this place as a kind of badlands on the map.
We're not gonna be very welcome here.
Anyway, I don't think it's wise for us to hang around.
Greg, Jenny.
Will you take the kids? -Well, come on.
-No.
No, I'm staying.
What? Well, nothing's settled yet.
The war's not over.
But you know very well that if you stay here, you'll get killed.
Look, I've told you.
Waterhouse is my responsibility.
I can't leave now.
Well, shall I see you again? (CHUCKLES) I'll find you.
I'll come for a visit.
Bye.
(CAR ENGINE STARTING)