EXT. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE - EARLY MORNING
Five individuals break into the agricultural college. Close to dawn. They are organised; with keys to the various rooms. Three men (NORMAN, TOM and NEIL) and two women (KELLY and SUE) all dressed in dark clothes. Their faces are covered up. SUE and Tom split off into another building which is set aside from the main building. The other three run quietly into the breeding pens. Kelly and Norman carry bolt cutters.
INT. BREEDING PENS. EARLY MORNING
They enter the building. There is a lot of noise coming from further inside.
NORMAN (Whispering harshly): What a fucking stench!
KELLY: Shut the fuck up. Keep talking to a minimum! We want to be out as soon as possible!
They can see eight cages in front, all full of mink. The mink are hissing and writhing, aware of the intruders. Their backs hunched.
NEIL: Why are they so quiet? Surely they should be squealing?
SUE: They all had their vocal cords cut; it’s more peaceful that way.
Sue walks to one of the cages, urges the other Norman to take the other pair of bolt cutters. They open seven of the cages. After opening each cage they step back and allow the mink to run out into the wild. As they attempt to open the last they hear a scream and shouts of horror coming from the other team.
The remaining mink leaps at the metal of the cage, stunning the two men. One of them bites Sue's hand. The other mink escapes, making it hard for the men to help Sue. The two men struggle. The mink finally releases its jaws and runs off. There are still shouts coming from the other building and the two men run off. Sue looks at the opened cages and then at her hand.
CUT TO:
INT. LABORATORY - EARLY MORNING
A makeshift laboratory in a renovated farm-building. A large cage; the type of desks found in a college laboratory. There are bags of feed; tubs of chemicals.
The two men run inside and see the mangled body of Kelly. Her throat has been torn out and there are bloodied furrows ripped into her body. The opened cage is covered in blood and Tom is cowering in the corner, staring at bloody footprints. The bottom of the door has been torn to pieces.
In the distance the sun can be seen to start rising.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
TITLE CARD: A TOUCH OF MINK
The song: Good Morning Freedom by Blue Mink starts playing.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. CAMPSITE - NIGHT
A family of three share a Lichfield Challenger tent. Mum and dad in their own sleeping bag, the young child in its own, reading a “Scream” horror comic. A small WH Smith Radio Cassette CR208 can be seen and is playing the final bars of “Good Morning Freedom”. There is a Coleman light next to the radio. (All of which should scream ‘1980’s’.)
RADIO ANNOUNCER: And that was Good Morning Freedom sung by Peters & Lee. Next up…
The radio is turned off by the mother.
MOTHER: We’ve got a big day tomorrow, dearest. Off to sleep!
CHILD: Night, night mummy. Night, night, daddy.
Both the parents say goodnight and the mother turns the light out. Silence. Complete silence. Rustling sounds are heard. Then chittering and hissing are faint but rapidly get louder. A mixture of squealing and squeaking is then heard, closer. The child wakes up the mum and dad as shapes press on the canvas of the tent. They hear screams coming from outside. The tent is RIPPED OPEN and their screams join the others.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMPSITE - MORNING
Parts of the campsite are a complete mess. Tents torn to bloody shreds whilst others are untouched, empty. There are lots of police. Lots of the police tape and a line of demarcation around the entire area. By-standers and local journalists jostle against the tape.
Two of them are WOOD and BYRNE. Wood is stern, thin, but looks vulnerable with sandy, wispy hair; badly coiffed. He wears small, round John Lennon style granny-specs. Byrne is a larger fellow with short, dark frizzy hair. He’s keen, sharp and disarmingly humorous.
They are talking to one of the locals, an old man, by the cordon.
WOOD: Did you know anyone in the campsite?
LOCAL: I’d seen one of them last night. They had a lovely daughter. Crying shame!
BYRNE: What happened, do you think?
LOCAL: Not a clue. Haven’t seen anything like this for a…
The local stops himself. A police officer notices the two reporters and motions to them.
POLICEMAN : We don’t want you stirring things up round here. I know you’re just doing your job but now is not the time to do it. There will be an official statement later on. For now, just leave us time to process everything.
Byrne has been watching over the policeman's shoulder. He can see a couple of tents in the distance that haven’t been touched.
BYRNE: So why do you think this maniac chose those particular families to attack? Was this a series of random killings or was there a more arcane motive behind it?
POLICEMAN: That was no fucking maniac. That was an anim…
2ND POLICEMAN (SHOUTS): That’s enough, constable!
1ST POLICEMAN: You’ll have to wait for the official statement. Now clear off, the pair of you otherwise I’ll have you done for obstructing a Police Officer.
The two journalists look at each other, shrug their shoulders and walk off down the hill.
CUT TO:
INT. BYRNE’s CAR - MORNING
Byrne is driving, Wood looks at his notes.
BYRNE: I still don’t know how you get away with it!
WOOD: Pure charm, my friend.
BYRNE: Right from the school of Columbo, no doubt.
WOOD (Mimic’s Peter Falk): Now, there’s just one more thing… They do think it’s an animal related attack.
BYRNE: Rats?
WOOD: Could be. We must be due for another James Herbert book soon… but I don’t think it’s likely.
BYRNE: What do you think that old man was going to say? I thought it sounded like it had happened before.
WOOD: Hang on a minute. You might have something there. It should be in the research notes I made before we came out.
BYRNE: Swot!
WOOD: Four eyed twat!
They both laugh as Wood rummages through the notes in his small knapsack.
WOOD: Here we go. Edith Foyle. She doesn’t live that far away, near Amberley. She complained a while ago of her sheep being attacked.
BYRNE: Amberley here we come!
CUT TO:
INT. COTTAGE KITCHEN - MID MORNING
Edith Foyle’s cottage is remote, on a hill just outside the Amberley Chalk Pits. There is no neighbour within a mile or so. Wood and Byrne sit with Edith, drinking in her kitchen. A few empty wine bottles sit on the work top.
EDITH: It was never the same. No one believed us, even when they saw the sheep. We were accused of making it all up. Burt couldn’t take it, drove him to an early grave: heart attack.
WOOD: I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs Foyle. What did you say killed your sheep at the time?
EDITH (almost whispering): Mink.
BYRNE (caught off guard): MINK?
Edith nods once
BYRNE: Attacked your sheep?
Edith nods again.
WOOD (sees the wine bottles): Why don’t you tell us what happened?
EDITH: They were in the pasture. The field just beyond, over there.
(Points north)
EDITH: And it was late one evening. We could hear the sheep bleating in panic. We thought a fox was worrying them, trying to kill the lambs. Burt got dressed and went out with the shotgun. All I could hear were the sheep and Burt yelling! When I finally sees what’s happening I can’t believe it. Their fur was like bloodied silver. They ran for it after Burt tries shooting at them but they were too quick.We were lucky, they only killed four of the flock but it were never the same after that. No one believed us, and neither do you.
WOOD: We want to believe you, truly we do Mrs Foyle but we need proof.
BYRNE: If it ever happens again; and I hope to god it doesn’t; then you need to take a recording of it. Have you got a cassette recorder you can use? If not, we have a spare portable you can borrow. Here’s my telephone number. Please use it day or night should anything happen.
EDITH: Yes… I understand. Thank you for coming…
CUT TO:
EXT. NEXT TO BYRNE'S CAR - MORNING
Wood and Byrne shrug their shoulders and look back to the cottage
WOOD: It was worth a try.
BYRNE: Foiled again.
CUT TO:
INT. BYRNE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The telephone rings. BYRNE fumbles for the light. It’s on the small bedside chest of drawers next to the bed. He finds it and turns it on. He then finds the telephone and drags himself into a position where he can answer it. It is a chunky ‘80’s phone
BYRNE: (rubs his eyes whilst answering) H… hello? Who is this?
There is an almighty ruckus from the other line. Lots of squealing; clawing and scratching sounds. Very loud.
EDITH (Whispering but bordering on hysterical): You’ve got to come and get me, Mr Byrne. They’ve come back; all those months and they’re breaking into the cottage again. It won’t be long now. You’ve got to come and get me. Save me, please. You can hear them, can’t you? They’re right outside. It won’t be long at all. I’ve recorded them, just as your partner asked, Mr Byrne. I just hope it’s of…
Sounds of wood smashing. Loud squealing now, mixed with the screams of Mrs Foyle. The line goes dead.
CUT TO:
EXT. MRS FOYLE’S FARM - EARLY MORNING
Wood and Byrne arrive at the farm. The bottom of the farmhouse door is chewed to bits. They walk inside. Mrs Foyle has been torn to shreds, blood everywhere. She has only been partially eaten. They’re both almost sick and have to put handkerchiefs over their noses and mouths. Wood looks around cautiously. Byrne finds the cassette recorder in the sink. The tape is still inside it. Just then they hear a police siren in the distance.
WOOD (Whispering urgently): Is it there?
BYRNE: Yeah. What’s that fucking stench? I thought she drank wine not fucking horses urine!
WOOD: Who cares what it smells of! Hide the tape; we might need it!
BYRNE: Where?
WOOD: Down your pants, they’re big enough.
Byrne ejects the tape from the recorder and shoves it down his jeans and into his y-fronts.
BYRNE: I’ll shove it up your arse if you’re not careful.
Byrne and Wood listen out for the siren but it’s more distant now.
BYRNE: I think we better get the flock out of here.
WOOD: That’s a little tasteless don’t you think?
BYRNE: Do you really want to stop and talk about morality and wait for the police, or shall we drive away from the scene of the crime?
Wood nods and they carefully make their way out of the cottage and to the car. It’s starting to get light. Wood is about to get into the car when he glimpses into the distance. There is slight movement by the border fence.
WOOD (points): What the fuck is that?
BYRNE (Looking in the same direction): Where?
WOOD: Fuck sake - there… Wait, it’s gone now. It was the size of a dog!
BYRNE: t was probably Lassie, then! Look, I really do not want to have to explain to the police what we are doing here amongst a slaughter-fucking-house! Can we go now?
Wood nods and they drive off.
CUT TO:
INT. WOOD’S HOUSE - MORNING
Wood and Byrne sit in the kitchen with a cup of tea. They’re both in shock.
BYRNE: I killed her. Me and my damn mouth. If I hadn’t asked her to record them then she might still be alive.
WOOD: Don’t be fucking daft. Neither of us believed her. She didn’t have to stay there. But we now owe it to her to find out what the fuck is going on.
BYRNE: Pound to a penny that those poor fucking campers suffered a similar fate; and the yokel knew something.
Wood finds a cassette player. Byrne throws him the tape. Wood looks at it and grimaces before putting it in the machine.
WOOD: So did the police too; they’re covering something up… Just how far back do these attacks go!
Wood presses Rewind and then Play. The sound is a piercing shriek; deep and powerful.
BYRNE (almost falls from his chair): What the fuck was that? Give me warning next time your voice breaks, for fuck sake!
WOOD: (Rewinds the tape to the start) Sorry!
High pitched and frantic squeals are heard, then Mrs Foyle’s frightened sobs and breathing as she dials the rotary telephone.
MRS FOYLE: You’ve got to come and get me, Mr Byrne. They’ve come back; all those months and they’re breaking into the cottage again. It won’t be long now. You’ve got to come and get me. Save me, please. You can hear them, can’t you? They’re right outside. It won’t be long at all. I’ve recorded them, just as your partner asked, Mr Byrne. I just hope it’s of…
Byrne and Wood stare at the cassette player. Her screams are heard amongst the squeals and banging, thrashing noises. There is the sound of the cassette player being thrown and rebounding in the sink. Mrs Foyle’s screams suddenly die down and all that can be heard is the squeals of the animals.
Then there is the frightening sound from earlier. The other squeals sound more frantic and then they suddenly get quieter before silence
BYRNE: I say again… what the fuck was that?
CUT TO:
INT. LIBRARY - AFTERNOON
Wood is sequestered in the local library, at the microfiche reader, scrolling through old local news headlines. He finds an article from 1974 about a break-in and theft from an agricultural college but few actual details.
WOOD (to himself): Break in or break out?
He scrolls further until he reaches another article. This is about a break-in of a mink farm in Surrey by The Animal Liberation Front who released all the mink.
WOOD (muttering to himself): What if something went wrong during the College theft? What if they wanted to hush things up?
CUT TO:
EXT. ARUNDEL WETLANDS - AFTERNOON
Byrne is with a conservationist, CLIVE, walking around Arundel Wildfowl Trust. They’ve both got waders on. Clive has got a backpack on.
CLIVE: …Protection… Look… I wouldn’t normally be interested in talking to the press, but I’ve also had run-ins with mink recently. They’ve been on the increase ever since those bastards at the Animal Liberation Front raided that mink farm. Hypocritical sods! Free one species but fuck all the others they come in contact with… and you can quote me on that!
Byrne does his best not to show alarm at this news. He’s made the same connection as Wood did and now is anxious to learn more.
BYRNE: I think we’re going to get along famously, Clive! I’ve got a recording that I want you to hear. It’s going to be distressing but it’s vital if you can identify the species.
Byrne plays the tape, with the volume low. Clive’s mouth drops and his eyes open wide in shock and horror. He’s deeply disturbed by the last thing he hears.
CLIVE: Mink… I’ve no doubt… I’d know that anywhere! But never that frantic before!
BYRNE: But what was that last roar?
There’s another series of squeals and shrieks.
CLIVE: You can turn that thing off now, thanks. I’ve heard enough!
BYRNE: (Looking at the tape machine) But it’s off… I turned it off!
CUT TO:
EXT. THE STREET - AFTERNOON
Wood knocks on the door of a terrace house. A man answers.
WOOD : Norman Glick? I’m sorry; I don’t have much time but I need you to tell me what happened on the night of the 15th June 1974 and why you were only prosecuted for burglary for a totally unrelated situation.
CUT TO:
INT. NORMAN GLICK’S KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Wood and Norman are in the kitchen. Norman is close to tears as he finishes recounting what happened that night.
NORMAN: How were we to know what was there? We were told to free the mink. So we freed the fucking mink! We’d been tipped off by someone who worked in the college. Someone who knew part of what was happening there and was disgusted by the rumours.
WOOD: Did you get his name at all?
NORMAN: I found out later that his name was… Robert, something… (shakes his head suddenly) But that… thing… I never even saw it, just saw what it did to Sue.
WOOD: Only three of you were prosecuted though. There were five of you. Even if Sue sadly died, there was still the other woman… (Checks his notes) Kelly Thrower. What happened to her?
NORMAN: She… she died before the trial.
WOOD: She died? How?
NORMAN: She was bitten during the escape.
CUT TO:
EXT. ARUNDEL WETLANDS - AFTERNOON
Clive and Byrne now hear screams as they run forwards. Clive takes his backpack off and hands Byrne a can of pepper-spray. He holds another. Clive also has a hand-held air-horn.
In front they see a bird hide covered in writhing, translucent, gun-metal grey shapes. So many of them. The screams are coming from within. They both stop, unsure of what to do. Clive rummages around in his backpack and digs out a smoke bomb.
CLIVE: It pays to be prepared! I did my own research, just in case.
BYRNE: Glad you did!
Clive throws the smoke grenade at the shelter. It explodes; the bang and smoke frighten off the majority of the mink and they disperse in all directions. Four of them run towards the two men, fast. Two of them leap up at them but Byrne is ready with the pepper spray and frightens them off. A third leaps up and sinks its teeth into Byrne’s hand. Clive uses the air-horn on it. It releases its hold on Byrnr’s hand and runs away. The last one hunches its back and hisses at them before running away too. Clive looks at Byrne’s bleeding hand.
CUT TO:
INT. NORMAN'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON
Norman is still telling Wood about the events following the break-in.
NORMAN: It all happened so quickly. It was deadly. Within a week she had organ failure; just wasted away. We thought it was rabies, a super-strain developed by the damn college but the Doctors swore blind it wasn’t. It was nothing they’d ever seen before.
WOOD: You ever find out what it was?
NORMAN: Yeah. I did my own research. I needed some kind of closure. It’s called Aleutian Disease, it was a parvovirus, whatever the fuck that is. Extreme weight loss, blood vessel inflammation and organ failure… and there is no known cure. All it took was one lousy bite.
FADE OUT:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD - EVENING
Wood rushes into the ward, after being told not to run in the corridors. He sees Byrne sitting up in bed, looking sheepish.
BYRNE: I really owe Mrs Foyle a huge apology. We were attacked by mink. MINK! They were swarming over a bird hide and if it wasn’t for Clive’s quick thinking. Clive was the Conservation chap… All of us would have been chopped meat! Sorry, I’m still high on the adrenaline. I can’t believe we survived!
Wood doesn’t respond. He can’t look Byrne in the eye. He just looks at Byrne’s wound, where he was bitten.
BYRNE: What? Who died now? What is it?
Wood tells Byrne what transpired with Norman, and what happened to the woman who got bitten in the mink farm raid. Up until now this has purely been in gesture and muted voices that are barely audible; then:
BYRNE: FUCK! Dirty little FUCKERS!
Everyone in the ward looks at him with dismay but Byrne is beyond caring.
BYRNE: How long have I got?
WOOD: I don’t know. Weeks, maybe?
BYRNE: We need to finish it. I don’t know how, but I don’t give a damn about the story any more. No one else should die because of this.
A man walks in; an overcoat covering most of his face. He pulls up a chair and sits next to Wood, facing Byrne. This is Robert.
ROBERT: I think I can help.
CUT TO:
INT. PUB. EVENING
Rob is talking to Byrne and Wood. Byrne is drinking heavily, a couple of empty shot glasses next to his pint.
ROBERT: I know I should have told someone before now. I did try but it was always hushed up by the college with my reputation and job at stake.
BYRNE (slightly slurred): People were fucking dying!
ROBERT: I only recently found out. All the other incidents were hushed up. They said they were conducting their own investigations. But I wonder now whether they really bothered. If anyone found out what they’d been up to; the lengths they’d gone to alter the fur yield, the college would have faced legal action!
WOOD: Fucking hell. Is that all; and all the people that lost their lives? What about them?
BYRNE: But why now? Why us?
ROBERT: Because of what you said in the hospital… and I think I know how to get rid of them once and for all. I’ve got a plan.
CUT TO:
EXT. MRS FOYLE'S COTTAGE - NIGHT
The kitchen sits directly above the cellar. A reinforced door leads downstairs.Outside, another entrance leads directly into the cellar.
Montage of Robert, Byrne and Wood putting together a huge cage in the cellar. The police tape is still around and there is still the outline of her body in the kitchen. The rest of the cottage has been cleaned.
The cellar door leading outside has been reinforced, apart from a makeshift tunnel. This leads to a reinforced cage. Inside the cage are frog carcases and crayfish; mice and rat guts.Bait for the mink.
The three men sit in the kitchen. Wood and Robert try not to look at the chalk outline. Byrne toasts it with the bottle of whiskey he’s holding.
Robert has bought a camping gas stove and three canisters of gas. The smell of gas is pungent. Suddenly the sound scrabbling at the outside of the cottage can be heard. They all look at each other anxiously.
BYRNE: You sure they can’t get in here? You’ve reinforced the kitchen door? Not that I care for myself, mind.
The cellar door tunnel gives out and they hear the mink squeal. They then hear the thrashing of the mink against the cage itself.
BYRNE: Got the fuckers! You sure they can’t escape?
ROBERT: I learnt the hard way what those things can escape from. Those bars are double the strength of the last lot, at least.
The sounds intensify and become extreme. There is a crashing sound from the cellar door and screeches from the mink. The thrashing sound against the cage becomes more frantic and a nightmare growl and the piercing, powerful shriek Byrne and Wood heard before.
The three of them dash to the joining door to the cellar and open it, switching on the light. It’s a charnel house; a writhing, bloody mess. The mink are being eviscerated by something impossibly large. The size of an Alsatian but sleeker; teeth tearing indiscriminately into its smaller brethren.
ROBERT (horrified): No! Fuck, please no. It can’t be! I thought it was a myth, something they made up!
The giant mink turns to the new sounds and sees the three men. It lets out another shriek and throws itself at the bars. The three of them run out into the kitchen, slamming and locking the door behind them.
BYRNE: Locking the door’s a great idea. We’re lucky it doesn’t have pockets to hide the key!
WOOD: (Gripping Robert by the collar) What is it? What the fuck is it?
ROBERT: They wanted to create the perfect mink; gorgeous fur, denser and faster growing…
WOOD: How?
ROBERT: They studied nutritional science in order to accelerate its growth.
They hear the sounds of the cage being smashed.
BYRNE: What’s its favourite colour? Who the fuck cares! I say again: What are we going to fucking do?
Byrne looks around and sees the camping stove and canisters.
BYRNE: We cook the fucker! (points to the camping stove) Turn the gas on and light the fucking fire. The explosion should wipe the fucker out.
WOOD: And the cottage too!
There is a thump on the door. The giant mink is throwing itself at the door in frustration and frenzy. It can then be heard chewing through the cellar door extremely quickly.
WOOD: It’s not going to hold much longer. I’ll go out and secure the cellar door outside. Stop them from escaping!
BYRNE: I’ll stop the fucker from escaping. Give me one of the bottles. I’ll hide in the larder. I’ve got my trusty fire lighters here. As soon as it gnaws through the door BANG! Toasted Mink.
Wood looks at Byrne. Wood understands what Byrne is going to do. Byrne nods and grins an evil grin.
ROBERT: I’ll put the other two canisters at different points to maximise the explosion.
Wood turns to Byrne.
WOOD: Four eyed twat.
BYRNE: Swot.
Byrne walks into the larder with the gas canister and turns it on as Wood walks out the door.
Robert turns the valve on one and places it just away from the front door. He then runs back to the cellar door, releasing the valve on the other as he does so. He places it on the ground. The cellar door explodes outwards. The giant mink launches itself at Robert's prone body, knocking him over. It tears his throat apart. Byrne opens the door, sees the bloody mess.
BYRNE: Fuck!
Byrne slams the door as the giant mink leaps at it. It tears chunks out of the door as Byrne stares transfixed in the far corner. He grips the two ferro rods tightly. The gas seeps out from the canister. The mink charges through the splintered door. Byrne smashes the ferro rods together.
BYRNE: I ain’t afraid of no….
Huge explosion. Flames surge into the sky, consuming the cottage. There is no sign of Wood.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE COTTAGE - NIGHT
The fire is raging over the remains of the cottage. The blackness of the night is in sharp contrast to the purifying flames.
“Our World” by Blue Mink fades in as the credits roll.
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