GHOST IN FLESH

The scene opens in Sophie’s living room. She paces, her nerves on edge, the letter from Marcus clutched tightly in her hand. The door slams open, and Harris strides in, his face hardened with worry and frustration.

Harris: “I came as fast as I could. Where’s the letter?”

Sophie hands him the letter, eyes wide with disbelief. Harris scans the paper, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he lowers it.

Harris: “This is insane. It’s a hoax, Sophie. Someone is playing with your mind.”

Sophie: “But what if it’s not? What if Marcus is really alive?”

Harris crumples the letter in his fist, stepping closer to Sophie, his tone growing darker.

Harris: “Listen to me. You can’t fall into this trap. Marcus is dead. We watched him die. You need to move on.”

Sophie: (voice shaking) “But the handwriting… it’s his.”

Harris: “People forge things all the time! This is someone trying to mess with you.”

Sophie pulls away, retreating to the corner of the room, her hands trembling.

Sophie: “I just… I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

Harris: “You believe me! You have to trust me!”

Sophie: “Trust you? After everything? How can I?”

Harris’s eyes narrow. For a brief moment, his frustration turns into something colder, more calculating.

Harris: “You don’t have a choice.”

Before Sophie can respond, her phone rings. She stares at the screen—it’s an unknown number. Hesitating, she picks up.

Sophie: “Hello?”

A familiar voice comes through the line. Deep, rough, but unmistakably his.

Marcus: “I told you, Sophie. I’m not dead.”

Sophie’s heart stops. Her legs buckle as she collapses into the nearest chair.

Sophie: “M-Marcus? Is that really you?”

Marcus: “You’ve been lied to. I’ve been watching… and I’m coming for you.”

The line goes dead. Sophie drops the phone, her face as pale as a ghost.

Harris: “Who was that?”

Sophie: (barely a whisper) “It was him. It was Marcus.”

Harris freezes, eyes darkening. For a second, fear flickers across his face before he quickly hides it.

Harris: “What did he say?”

Sophie: “He’s… coming.”

Harris’s phone buzzes next, and his face drains of color when he checks the message.

Message: *He knows. You need to get out. Now.*

Sophie: “Who is that? Who’s texting you?”

Harris quickly puts his phone away, forcing a calm smile.

Harris: “Just work. Look, Sophie, we need to get out of here. Now.”

Sophie: “Why? What aren’t you telling me, Harris?”

Before Harris can answer, a loud crash comes from the back of the house. Sophie’s heart leaps into her throat.

Sophie: “What was that?”

Harris pulls her toward the front door, his grip tight, his voice tense.

Harris: “We need to leave. NOW.”

As they rush outside, they find two black SUVs parked across the street. Several men in tactical gear are approaching, guns drawn. Harris pulls Sophie behind a car, whispering harshly.

Harris: “Stay low. Don’t move.”

Sophie: “Who are they? What’s happening?!”

Harris: “They’re here for you. For us.”

Sophie: “Why?! What’s going on?!”

Harris pulls a gun from his jacket, scanning the street.

Harris: “We don’t have time. Just trust me.”

Sophie: “I can’t trust you, Harris! Not after everything!”

Before Harris can reply, gunshots ring out, shattering the windows around them. Harris drags Sophie to the ground as bullets fly overhead.

Sophie: “Oh my God!”

Harris: “We need to run!”

But before they can move, another voice cuts through the chaos. Cold. Calculating.

Marcus: “You’re not going anywhere.”

Sophie turns, eyes wide as Marcus steps into view. He’s alive. He’s real. And he’s aiming a gun directly at Harris.

Sophie: “Marcus… it’s really you…”

Marcus doesn’t look at her. His eyes are locked on Harris, his voice like steel.

Marcus: “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

Harris: “Marcus, listen to me—”

Marcus: “No. You don’t get to talk.”

Harris raises his gun, but Marcus is faster. In a blink, he fires, the bullet grazing Harris’s arm and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Sophie: “Marcus! Stop! Please!”

Marcus’s cold eyes flicker to Sophie, and for a moment, his hard exterior softens.

Marcus: “This is what he deserves.”

Sophie: “You don’t know everything! You don’t know—”

Marcus: “I know enough.”

Harris groans in pain, clutching his bleeding arm, but he looks up at Marcus with defiance.

Harris: “You think you can come back from the dead and play hero? You’re nothing but a ghost.”

Marcus steps closer, gun still trained on Harris.

Marcus: “No. I’m something much worse.”

Before Marcus can pull the trigger again, a second round of gunfire erupts, this time from the men in tactical gear. Marcus dives for cover, grabbing Sophie and pulling her with him.

Sophie: “Marcus, what’s happening?! Who are they?!”

Marcus: “The people who tried to kill me. And they’re not done yet.”

They run through the streets, bullets whizzing past them as Marcus leads Sophie through dark alleys, his every move precise and calculated.

Sophie: “Where are we going?!”

Marcus: “Somewhere safe.”

Sophie: “What about Harris?!”

Marcus: “Forget him.”

Sophie: “I can’t just—”

Marcus: “He betrayed you. He betrayed me. He’s not worth saving.”

Sophie stops in her tracks, yanking her hand from Marcus’s grip.

Sophie: “I need answers, Marcus! Why did you leave me? Why are you doing this?”

Marcus turns, his face a mask of pain and anger.

Marcus: “Because everything you thought you knew was a lie.”

Sophie: “Then tell me the truth.”

Marcus’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, he says nothing. Then, his voice drops to a whisper.

Marcus: “They tried to kill me, Sophie. The people I trusted. The people you trusted. Harris… he’s been working with them from the start.”

Sophie’s heart races as she takes a step back, shaking her head.

Sophie: “No… that can’t be true…”

Marcus: “It is. And if you don’t believe me, they’ll come for you too.”

Suddenly, a black SUV screeches to a halt in front of them. The doors fly open, and men in black tactical gear step out, guns drawn.

Man 1: “Reed! Surrender now!”

Marcus pulls Sophie behind him, gun raised, his voice steady.

Marcus: “Not happening.”

Man 2: “You’re outnumbered, Reed. You can’t win this.”

Marcus glances at Sophie, then back at the men. His voice is cold.

Marcus: “Watch me.”

In a blur of motion, Marcus opens fire, taking down two of the men before they can react. The rest scatter, returning fire as Marcus pulls Sophie into the alley.

Sophie: “What are you doing?! We can’t outrun them!”

Marcus: “We’re not going to outrun them.”

He kicks open a door, pulling her into an abandoned building. Inside, the air is thick with dust, the windows shattered, but it’s quiet. For now.

Sophie: “What’s the plan?!”

Marcus: “We wait.”

Sophie: “Wait for what?!”

Marcus: “Backup.”

Before Sophie can ask more, a deafening explosion rocks the building, shaking the ground beneath them. Marcus grabs Sophie, pulling her deeper into the shadows.

Sophie: “Marcus—”

Marcus: “Shh.”

The tactical team storms into the building, sweeping their guns across the room.

Man 1: “He’s in here. Find him.”

Sophie holds her breath as Marcus presses a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent. The men fan out, searching every corner.

Sophie’s heart pounds in her chest. She can feel Marcus’s body tense beside her, ready to strike.

Man 2: “Clear this area. He can’t have gone far.”

Just as the men pass their hiding spot, Marcus springs into action, taking down one of the men with a swift punch to the throat. The other turns, but Marcus is faster, disarming him and knocking him unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Sophie watches in awe as Marcus moves with lethal precision, a man who’s been trained for moments like this. But there’s no time to admire him. More men are coming.

Sophie: “We need to go!”

Marcus: “Not yet.”

He grabs a radio from one of the fallen men, listening carefully as the remaining team coordinates outside.

Voice on Radio: “Target still inside. We need reinforcements.”

Marcus smirks, tossing the radio aside.

Marcus: “They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”

Sophie: “Marcus, this is insane! We can’t take them all on!”

Marcus: “I’m not leaving until this is

The air in the abandoned building grows thick with tension. The footsteps of the tactical team outside echo faintly through the broken windows. Marcus keeps a tight grip on Sophie’s wrist, pulling her behind a stack of crates, his eyes darting between the exits.

Sophie: (whispering) "Marcus, they’re going to find us. What’s your plan?"

Marcus: (calmly) "They won’t. Not if I don’t want them to."

Sophie: (anxiously) "But you can’t fight all of them! What’s this really about? Why are they after you?"

Marcus tightens his jaw, glancing over his shoulder toward the entrance.

Marcus: "Because I know things. Things they don’t want anyone to find out."

Sophie: (frustrated) "That’s not enough! You disappeared for five years, and now you’re back, playing the hero in some conspiracy? What the hell happened, Marcus?"

Marcus: "I didn’t disappear. They made me disappear. I had no choice."

Sophie stares at him, anger flaring in her eyes.

Sophie: "You left me! You let me think you were dead!"

Marcus turns toward her, his voice lowering to a barely audible growl.

Marcus: "I had to. It was the only way to protect you."

Sophie: "Protect me? By abandoning me? By leaving me in the dark?"

Marcus: "If I hadn’t, you’d be dead by now."

Before Sophie can respond, the sound of heavy boots echoes from outside. Marcus pulls Sophie close, flattening her against the wall. His eyes meet hers, burning with urgency.

Marcus: "Stay behind me. No matter what happens, don’t move."

Sophie’s heart races as the door to the building creaks open. Three armed men step inside, sweeping their guns across the room.

Man 1: "We know you’re in here, Reed! Come out, and maybe we’ll make this quick."

Marcus slowly draws his gun, his body tense, ready to strike.

Man 2: "You’ve got nowhere to run."

Sophie can feel Marcus’s heartbeat pounding through his chest, but his expression remains calm, focused.

Man 3: (laughing) "Guess the great Marcus Reed isn’t as tough as they say."

Suddenly, Marcus moves. In one fluid motion, he steps from behind the crates, firing off two shots that drop the first two men instantly. The third man barely has time to react before Marcus slams into him, disarming him with a brutal twist of the wrist and shoving him into the wall.

Man 3: (gasping) "You think this changes anything? More are coming… you can’t outrun them forever."

Marcus: (coldly) "I’m not trying to."

With a quick strike, Marcus knocks the man out, his body crumpling to the ground. He turns to Sophie, who is staring at him, wide-eyed.

Sophie: "You just—killed them."

Marcus: "They would’ve killed us without a second thought."

Sophie’s breath catches in her throat. She had always known Marcus as a soldier, a protector, but this? This was something different. Something darker.

Sophie: (whispering) "What happened to you?"

Marcus holsters his gun, his expression unreadable.

Marcus: "I became what I had to be."

Before she can ask more, the faint sound of more vehicles approaching fills the air. Marcus grabs Sophie’s arm, pulling her toward the back exit.

Marcus: "We need to move. Now."

Sophie stumbles after him, her mind spinning with questions she can’t even begin to form.

Sophie: "Where are we going?"

Marcus: "Someplace they won’t expect."

They slip out the back of the building just as more armed men arrive at the front. Marcus leads Sophie through a series of narrow alleyways, his grip on her never loosening.

Sophie: "Marcus, please—slow down! I can’t keep up!"

Marcus stops abruptly, his eyes scanning the street. They’re in an empty lot behind an old warehouse. He turns to her, his voice barely above a whisper.

Marcus: "You need to trust me, Sophie."

Sophie: (breathing heavily) "Trust you? After everything?"

Marcus steps closer, his eyes locking onto hers.

Marcus: "I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. But everything I did was to protect you."

Sophie shakes her head, tears stinging her eyes.

Sophie: "You keep saying that. But all you did was leave me to fend for myself."

Marcus’s expression softens for the first time, his voice heavy with regret.

Marcus: "I’m sorry."

Before Sophie can respond, the roar of engines fills the air. A convoy of black SUVs screeches to a halt at the far end of the lot. Men in tactical gear pour out, surrounding them in seconds.

Marcus: (gritting his teeth) "Damn it."

Sophie: (panicking) "Marcus, we’re trapped!"

Marcus grabs her hand, pulling her behind an old shipping container.

Marcus: "Stay low. Don’t move."

Sophie: "What are you going to do?!"

Marcus: "End this."

As Marcus pulls out his gun and prepares to step into the open, a new voice cuts through the chaos. Deep, commanding, and chillingly familiar.

Voice: "Marcus Reed. Always the hero."

Marcus freezes. Sophie watches as his face hardens, the color draining from his skin.

Sophie: "Marcus, who is that?"

Marcus doesn’t answer. He steps out from behind the container, his gun still raised, but his eyes are locked on the man standing at the center of the tactical team.

The man is tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black suit, his face hidden in the shadow of his wide-brimmed hat.

Man: (smiling) "It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Marcus?"

Marcus: (coldly) "Not long enough."

Sophie peeks out from behind the container, her heart racing as she watches the man step forward. There’s something about him—something dangerous. His voice sends chills down her spine.

Man: "I’m impressed. I didn’t think you’d survive after all this time."

Marcus: "You underestimated me. Big mistake."

Man: "Oh, I don’t think so. In fact, I was counting on it."

Marcus clenches his jaw, his gun trained on the man’s chest.

Marcus: "What do you want?"

Man: "What I’ve always wanted. The truth. And you, Marcus, are the key to that."

Sophie’s mind races as she tries to piece together what’s happening. This man—whoever he is—knows Marcus. And he’s not here for just revenge.

Sophie: (whispering) "Marcus, what is he talking about?"

Marcus doesn’t take his eyes off the man.

Marcus: "It doesn’t matter."

Man: "Oh, but it does. You see, Sophie, Marcus here wasn’t just a soldier. He was one of us."

Sophie’s breath catches in her throat. She steps out from behind the container, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Sophie: "What? Marcus, is that true?"

Marcus: (quietly) "I didn’t have a choice."

Sophie: "A choice? What did you do?"

The man chuckles, taking another step closer.

Man: "He was part of a special unit. A very secret, very dangerous unit. And now, he’s trying to cover it all up."

Marcus: (snapping) "That’s not true!"

Man: "Isn’t it? Tell her, Marcus. Tell her what you did."

Sophie looks at Marcus, her heart pounding in her chest.

Sophie: "Marcus, please… tell me the truth."

Marcus’s face is grim, his voice barely above a whisper.

Marcus: "I can’t."

Sophie: (desperately) "Why not?!"

The man smiles, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.

Man: "Because if he does, they’ll kill both of you."

Before Sophie can respond, the tactical team moves in, guns raised. Marcus tightens his grip on his weapon, but the man holds up a hand, stopping the soldiers.

Man: "No need for violence, Marcus. You and I both know how this ends."

Marcus: (through gritted teeth) "I’m not going down without a fight."

Man: (grinning) "Oh, I’m counting on that."

In a blur of motion, Marcus opens fire, taking down two soldiers before they can react. The lot erupts into chaos as gunfire echoes through the night. Marcus grabs Sophie, pulling her into the shadows as they run.

Sophie: (breathing heavily) "We can’t outrun them!"

Marcus: "We’re not trying to outrun them."

Sophie: "Then what’s the plan?!"

Marcus: "I end this. Once and for all."

They duck behind a stack of crates, bullets flying overhead. Sophie watches as Marcus reloads his gun, his face set in grim determination.

Sophie: "Marcus, please… you have to tell me the truth. I need to know."

Marcus meets her eyes, his voice low and filled with regret.

Marcus: "You deserve the truth. But right now, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Sophie stares at him, her heart torn between fear and anger.

Sophie: "I don’t know."

Marcus’s eyes soften, and for a moment, the cold, hardened soldier disappears.

Marcus: "I promise you