Below we present the complete text of Gang War; episode 3 of The Alligator Menace.
THE ALLIGATOR MENACE
EPISODE #2 – EXTORTION
An original audio drama and fun dinner party idea
by Philip Craig Robotham
Cover Illustration by Miyukiko
Edited by Margaret Wilkins
Copyright 2013 Philip Craig Robotham
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.
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Series #1: The Alligator Menace
Trent Stone and Tess Carter are in Star City to participate as junior members in the League of Adventure Seekers annual dinner. However, when the dinner — and a number of other key events throughout the city — is broken up by a horde of remotely controlled albino sewer alligators, Trent and Tess are launched into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an insane genius bent on controlling the city’s underworld. In order to overcome this villain, our heroes must navigate a dangerous world of organized crime bosses, gang war, exploding alligators, and weird science. Can they locate the villain before his plans reach their fruition? Tune in to “The Alligator Menace” and experience this exciting adventure for yourself.
Episodes in the Host Your Own “Old Time Radio Drama” series are designed to provide a fun dinner party experience for 6–8 participants. Read along, taking on the role of one or more of the characters in the story, and listen as the exciting drama unfolds. This is the theater of the mind, where the special effects are only limited by your imagination, and your participation will build a memory that you’ll treasure for years to come.
THE ALLIGATOR MENACE
CAST LIST
NARRATOR: The Narrator
TERESA CARTER: Our heroine and reporter
TRENT STONE: Our hero and adventurer
RICKY (THUG #1): Thug employed by Jerry Falcone
GAUCHO (THUG #2): Thug employed by Jerry Falcone
RUDY (THUG #3): Thug employed by Jerry Falcone
JERRY FALCONE: Mob boss
CINQO TAVOLI: Thug employed by Dillon Tremere
CLAIRE TEMPLETON: Crime Reporter
TOMMY BOSCONE: Traitorous lieutenant to Falcone
DILLON TREMERE: Mob boss
THE TECHNOMASTER: aka John Whistler (Villain)
THEO TYRONE: Coroner
SFX: 1 SFX artist required
SCENE 18: INT. SOMEWHERE IN THE SEWER TUNNELS — LATER
(TERESA, TRENT)
342. MUSIC: [80] (BRIDGE) OPENING THEME MUSIC — LET IT FINISH
343. NARRATOR: Our heroes (Trent Stone and Tess Carter), press-ganged by the Falcone Crime family into handling the ransom drop aimed at recovering the Crime Boss’ daughter from her kidnappers, have just been betrayed by a small-time crook named Cinqo Tavoli who has absconded with the ransom money. The kidnap victims have plunged to their deaths into an alligator pit while Cinqo has retreated into the sewer tunnels where our heroes have given chase.
344. TERESA: [CUE] Stone, where did he go?
345. TRENT: (FROM A DISTANCE) He’s not down here.
346. TERESA: Damn it. Who’d have thought the little scumbag could be so slippery.
347. SOUND: [43] DISTANT SOUND OF TEARING FABRIC
348. TERESA: Hey! What’s that noise?
349. TRENT: Look, Tess, up there. It’s Tavoli. He’s climbing a ladder up that shaft. He’s nearly at the surface.
350. TERESA: But the strap on that bag of his doesn’t look like it will hold.
351. SOUND: [44] DISTANT RIPPING AND CRY OF “NO!” FROM TAVOLI
352. TRENT: In fact there it goes. The whole bag is dropping.
353. TERESA: But he’s still got the other one and… aw, he’s gotten away.
354. SOUND: [45] THUMP OF HEAVY BAG FULL OF MONEY HITTING GROUND
355. TRENT: Well, at least we’ve recovered Falcone’s money. I hate to think what would have happened if we’d come out of these sewers without his daughter and without the money.
356. TERESA: And I’m pretty sure Tavoli will live to regret this day once we tell Falcone what happened.
357. TRENT: I guess we’d better get out of here then.
358. MUSIC: [76] (BRIDGE) RESIGNED SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 19: EXT. CNR OF CUMBERLAND AND FOURTEENTH STREETS — MID-DAY
(TERESA, RICKY, TRENT, GAUCHO)
359. TERESA: [CUE] (COUGHING) Daylight at last, hey, where’d everybody go!
360. RICKY: What took you so long? The Tremeres took off shortly after you went down into the underground. It’s only me and Gaucho here now. Did you find the girl?
361. TRENT: Yes. But she’s dead. We nearly got her back but Tavoli tried to steal Falcone’s money. There’s nothing left. She was eaten alive.
362. RICKY: That rat Tavoli! The boss’ll go nuts.
363. GAUCHO: And Tavoli was working for the Tremeres?
364. TRENT: Yeah. But the Tremere kid died as well. My guess is Tavoli’ll try to pin it on us.
365. GAUCHO: This’ll mean a gang war.
366. RICKY: Great! It’s about time we taught those Tremeres a thing or two.
367. GAUCHO: No. You dummy! A gang war’s bad for business. Nobody wins except the undertaker.
368. TRENT: (MUSING) I wonder if that wasn’t the kidnapper’s aim all along.
369. RICKY: What? Aw, come on. We better get you two back to Mr. Falcone.
370. MUSIC: [73] (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 20: INT. FALCONE HQ — EARLY AFTERNOON
(FALCONE, TERESA, TRENT, RICKY, GAUCHO)
371. FALCONE: [CUE] Dead? My little girl is dead? And that insect, Tavoli, is responsible? The Tremeres are responsible?
372. TERESA: We brought your money back, Mr. Falcone.
373. FALCONE: What? Money? I don’t care about the money! I want my Jocelyn… But you’re right, I’ve got to start thinking straight. The Tremeres are probably moving already. We need our boys here, now!
374. TRENT: Mr. Falcone, a war isn’t going to bring her back.
375. FALCONE: You think I don’t know that? The Tremeres are going to be coming for us whether I act to protect my interests or not. Tavoli will have told them that you caused this by now and Eadie Tremere is going to hold me responsible. Eadie loved nothing in this world like she loved that boy of hers. He was all set to take over the business from her when she retired. She’ll send everything she’s got at me.
As for you… well, she’s going to want you two bad. I’m almost inclined to give you up to her except it wouldn’t change anything — and I owe you for coming back and bringing me the news.
376. TRENT: I guess we could have run.
377. FALCONE: Yeah, but you didn’t. I owe you some thanks for that. I’ll get you out of town. There ain’t nowhere in this town that Eadie won’t find you, so I’m going to send you to the railway.
Boys! Take these two to Grand Central and see they get on a train. Then get back here right away.
378. RICKY AND GAUCHO: Yes Boss!
379. FALCONE: In the meantime, I need to get hold of Tommy.
380. TERESA: Tommy?
381. RICKY: Yeah, Tommy Boscone. He’s the number two guy around here. Answers to no one but the boss. They’ll be wanting to have a war council.
382. GAUCHO: And before you ask, Eadie does her own planning. That idiot brother of her dead husband, Dillon, is officially the second in command over there, but everyone knows the title’s just for show. Eadie calls all the shots. Come on, we gotta get you outta here.
383. MUSIC: [77] (BRIDGE) TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 21: INT. GRAND CENTRAL STATION
(TRENT, RICKY, TERESA, GAUCHO, RUDY, CLAIRE, TOMMY, DILLON, TECHNOMASTER)
384. SOUND: [9] WALLA — SOUND OF BUSY STATION NOISES — FADE IN AND UNDER
385. TRENT: Thanks, boys, we can take it from here.
386. RICKY: Don’t thank us. It was six to five we was going to be takin’ you out to the country with some shovels in the trunk — what with the news you brought the boss. Still might, if you don’t get out of town fast. Mr Falcone has a long memory.
387. TERESA: Yeah, but it wasn’t our fault…
388. GAUCHO: Since when has life been fair, sister. Mr Falcone is giving you a break so you’d better take it. Once the bullets start flying you ain’t gonna wanna be in this town anyways.
389. RICKY: Ah, stop it, Gaucho. You sound like you’re at a funeral. We’re gonna cream them Tremeres. What could possibly go wrong?
390. SOUND: [46] DISTANT SOUND OF STARTLEMENT AND RAISED VOICES
391. RUDY (THUG #3): (FROM A DISTANCE) Hey Ricky, Gaucho. Over here. Quick.
392. GAUCHO: Ain’t that Rudy and the boys.
393. RICKY: Yeah, go check it out while I keep an eye on these two.
394. GAUCHO: You got it.
395. SOUND: [47] SOUND OF RETREATING FOOTSTEPS
396. TERESA: That doesn’t look good. They haven’t even bothered to hide their guns.
397. TRENT: (BEAT) Whatever it is, it’s happening fast. Gaucho’s coming back already.
398. SOUND: [48] FOOTSTEPS APPROACH AT A RUN
399. GAUCHO: (PANTING) Bad news. They killed the boss. A bomb at the house. It was packed in on the back of another one of them alligators. Tommy Boscone is calling everyone back there. I think he plans to raid the Tremeres.
400. RICKY: Aw, crap! C’mon then.
401. TERESA: Hey! What about us?
402. RICKY: We ain’t got time for you two anymore. Just get on that train and get outta here. We don’t wanna see your faces again, got it?
403. TERESA: Yeah, we got it.
404. SOUND: [49] SOUND OF RUNNING FEET MOVING AWAY
405. TRENT: Well, Tess. I’m not sure we could have made a bigger mess of things.
406. TERESA: What do you mean?
407. TRENT: I mean, first Martin, then those two kids, and now Falcone. We’ve been standing idly by while people are getting killed all around us. I don’t think this is quite what Miriam had in mind when she asked us to stay in the city.
408. TERESA: True, but you can hardly blame yourself. We’re new to this town. I’m not sure I even understand what’s going on yet.
409. TRENT: Perhaps! But we could’ve anticipated more of what’s been happening and we didn’t. It’s all just escalating out of control.
410. TERESA: We can’t just give up!
411. TRENT: No? If we stay we’re putting ourselves at the heart of a major gang war. The police won’t help us and I’m not sure where we should even begin trying to unravel this mess.
412. CLAIRE TEMPLETON: Maybe I can help you with that.
413. TERESA: What the…? Who are you?
414. CLAIRE: Claire Templeton. I’m a reporter for the Star City Tribune.
415. TRENT: Oh yes, I remember you! I saw your by-line a couple of times in the newspapers we found at the Rodriguez’. You haven’t had much good to say about the League so far, have you?
416. CLAIRE: Well, this is your chance to prove me wrong. I’m in a jam and need your help. I’ve been following you since you went to the gallery this morning.
I can’t go to the cops and I don’t know who to trust at the office. This news is just too big and if I don’t handle it right I’m likely to end up dead.
417. TRENT: Slow down, Miss Templeton. I think you had better start at the beginning.
418. CLAIRE: Alright, Mr. Stone. I’m a crime reporter for the Tribune and I’ve been looking into the blackmail epidemic which has been hitting the city, as well as signs that a gang war has been brewing. Up until now, I thought the two stories had no connection to each other.
First, I was aware that someone has been bringing in new weapons for the Tremeres. Really fancy guns. They don’t shoot bullets, instead, they fire some kind of weird electrical charge.
The police are denying they exist, but my contacts tell me the guns are real. It’s all been kept very hush-hush and only a couple of Dillon Tremere’s lackeys have been reliably seen to be using them.
The thing is though, unconfirmed rumor has it that one or two of Tommy Boscone’s guys have been seen with them as well.
At the same time, a bunch of Star City’s richest families has been hit by scandals. And rumors of a blackmailing racket have been doing the rounds.
I wasn’t able to figure any of it out until I got my hands on this…
419. TERESA: A tape recording?
420. CLAIRE: Yes. A recording of a telephone conversation between Tommy Boscone, Dillon Tremere, and some mysterious third party who I think is supplying the guns, masterminding the blackmail scheme, and even directing the alligator attacks.
Hang on, I’ll turn it on.
421. SOUND: [50] CLICK THEN HISS AND STATIC IN THE BACKGROUND AS THE TAPE PLAYS — UNDER
422. TOMMY BOSCONE: I don’t like this at all. We’re using a damned party line.
423. TECHNOMASTER: Oh don’t worry, Tommy. I’ve taken steps to make sure this line is secure. I’m sure that by now you’ve seen just how far my reach has gotten.
424. DILLON TREMERE:(NERVOUSLY) Sure, sure. You’ve done everything you said you would.
425. TECHNOMASTER: Yes, and more. Dillon, you’ve tested the guns. I’m sure you will agree that they are more than satisfactory. I’ve also seen to it that some of your more vocal opponents have been neutralized by the scandals surrounding the revelation of some of their nastier little secrets.
426. TOMMY: Yeah. The guns are great. And getting rid of those society hypocrites was a good move. But what about the Rodriguez’. Those two do-gooders are squeaky clean. You won’t get a thing on them.
427. TECHNOMASTER: Don’t you worry. I’ve already taken steps to neutralize them. You just need to be ready.
428. TOMMY: So what’s the plan?
429. TECHNOMASTER: At tonight’s fundraiser, while the idiot police and League do-gooders are distracted with their own alligator issues, my pets will strike. I have a plan for dealing with the Rodriguez’ and before dawn, I will have Jocelyn Falcone and Marco Tremere safely caged. Their deaths a few hours later should be enough to spark the gang war you’re looking for.
430. DILLON: Yeah, but what about the rest of it. You promised I’d get control of the Tremere family back again.
431. TECHNOMASTER: Ah, poor Dillon. Passed over in favor of your brother your whole life. And then when your brother died and you thought you had it made, the organization passed into the hands of his wife.
Don’t worry, Dillon, Eadie will be dead before the sun goes down tomorrow, as will Jerry Falcone. You and Tommy will have sole control of the city’s two largest crime families.
432. TOMMY: Yeah, and then we’ll run this town our way. No more stupid rivalry. No more treading on each other’s turf.
433. TECHNOMASTER: Yes, and you won’t forget who handed you the keys to the kingdom, will you boys? I get twenty percent of your monthly take.
434. DILLON: And worth every penny. Assuming you deliver…
435. TECHNOMASTER: Don’t worry. I’ll deliver.
436. SOUND: [51] SOUND OF A CLUNK AS IF SOMETHING NEARBY WAS BUMPED
437. DILLON: Hey, what was that. Sounds like someone’s in my outer office.
438. TECHNOMASTER: Then kill them you fool!
439. SOUND: [52] SOUND OF SPINNING AND CLICKING TAPE REEL
440. TRENT: Oh, so that’s how you got this tape.
441. CLAIRE: Yes, I was hiding in Dillon’s outer office. When he heard me and burst in I jumped out the window. I’m pretty sure he saw my face and knows who I am. I’ve been hiding out ever since.
442. CINQO: But not real well, Toots! You’re not the only one who’s been following these bozos around town.
443. TRENT: Cinqo Tavoli. I might have known. Which rock did they turn over in order to bring you out into the sun?
444. CINQO: Funny guy. But you won’t be smiling soon. This is a gat in my pocket. And so long as nobody tries anything funny, no one’ll get hurt.
445. TERESA: The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter. What do you want, Cinqo?
446. CINQO: It ain’t what I want. It’s my boss. He wants that tape. Give it to me and no one gets hurt. But first, head up those stairs. We’re gonna talk somewhere a little more private. On the roof.
447. TERESA: (STAGE WHISPERED) You know he’s going to kill us, don’t you, Stone?
448. TRENT: Yes, he’ll try, but at least if we cooperate we can get him to some place where no other civilians will get hurt.
449. CINQO: Stop whispering you two. Go through that door and onto the roof, pronto.
450. SOUND: [53] SQUEAKY DOOR SWINGS OPEN
451. SOUND: [10] WALLA: LIGHT WIND — FADE OUT
452. MUSIC: [73] (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 22: EXT. RAILWAY ROOFTOP (MOMENTS LATER)
(CLAIRE, CINQO, TERESA, TRENT)
453. SOUND: [10] WALLA: LIGHT WIND — FADE IN AND UNDER
454. CLAIRE: Please, I’ll give you the tape. Just don’t hurt anyone.
455. CINQO: Sure, Toots! You’ll give me the tape. But first, we’ve got some other business to attend to. You ever see one of these before?
456. CLAIRE: What is that? It’s some weird kind of gun, but I’ve never seen anything like it before.
457. CINQO: What, you don’t recognize the guns you’ve been writing about in your articles? The boss calls it an “electrical disrupter” gun. I don’t much care what it’s called personally so long as it kills things dead… and it does. Doesn’t just kill ’em either. Burns ’em. Real painful like. See I am gonna have to kill you, Toots! The boss can’t have people finding out it was him that killed Eadie now, can he? And yeah, she’s dead. That ’gator had enough explosive in it that they’ll be pickin’ bits of her brains out of the stonework for eight city blocks.
458. CLAIRE: Oh! (SOBS)
459. TERESA: You coward. Leave her alone!
460. CINQO: Oh, your turn is coming, sweet cheeks. See, I like hurting women. And I can’t leave any witnesses.
461. TRENT: Why you…
462. SOUND: [31] SOUND OF ELECTRICAL ZAPPING NOISE
463. CLAIRE: (SCREAMS) Ahhh!
464. SOUND: [55] SOUND OF CLAIRE’S BODY HITTING THE GROUND
465. TERESA: (APPALLED) He shot her! In cold blood!
466. TRENT: He’s mine, Tess, while his attention is fixed on the girl.
467. TERESA: Look out, Trent. The edge of the building…
468. CINQO: (DWINDLING SCREAM) Ahhh!
469. SOUND: [56] SOUND OF CINQO’S BODY HITTING THE GROUND BELOW THE ROOFTOP
470. TERESA: Oh Trent, Cinqo stepped back off the roof. There’s no way he could have survived that.
471. TRENT: We’ll see to him in a moment. How’s Claire?
472. TERESA: She’s unconscious but I think she’ll be okay. The tape player took most of the blast.
473. TRENT: It looks completely ruined. So much for any evidence we could use.
474. CLAIRE: (COUGHS BROKENLY)
475. TERESA: She’s coming around. Claire… are you alright?
476. CLAIRE: (MOANING SOFTLY) I feel like someone hit me in the chest with a sledgehammer.
477. TRENT: That’s not surprising. You just took one heck of a jolt.
478. CLAIRE: (COUGHING) We need to get to the coroner’s office. Theo Tyrone’s the chief examiner. He’ll be responsible for examining the bodies.
479. TRENT: You mean the bodies of Eadie Tremere and Jerry Falcone. That’s a good idea.
480. TERESA: Yeah, but I don’t think Claire’s in any condition to come with us.
481. TRENT: You’re right, Tess, we need to get her an ambulance… and I want to see if we can recover that gun from Cinqo’s body.
482. CLAIRE: (COUGHING) Well, at least take my keys. My car is in the railway parking lot. Bay twenty-seven C.
483. MUSIC: [71] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 23: EXT. CORONER’S OFFICE (LATE AFTERNOON)
(TERESA, TRENT)
484. SOUND: [57] SOUND OF CAR PULLING UP
485. SOUND: [11] WALLA: STREET SOUNDS — FADE IN AND UNDER
486. TERESA: Well, here’s the Coroner’s office. How’d you go with the gun?
487. TRENT: The weapon I recovered from Tavoli’s body is quite extraordinary. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, hand-cranked so you can manually recharge it, and carries an enormous payload of energy. I think I’ll hang onto it for a while. We’ve been unarmed in this city full of guns for too long.
488. TERESA: Do you really think we’ll get much help here? After all, we haven’t really been welcomed by officialdom in this town up to now.
489. TRENT: True enough, but we’re running out of options. Every lead we’ve uncovered has either resulted in someone dying… or it’s been destroyed. Besides, Claire seemed to think the Coroner could help us.
490. TERESA: Okay, Stone… and at least the formaldehyde will cover your smell.
491. TRENT: Hmpf. Two trips into the sewers in the last twenty-four hours hasn’t done your bouquet any favors either, you know?
492. TERESA: Don’t I just. I wish we could find an opportunity to get changed.
493. TRENT: Well, if we survive the day we’ll head back to Tegan’s place and see what we can find… If she’ll even see us.
494. TERESA: If we can get the guy responsible for all this, it may bring her some comfort.
495. TRENT: Hmmm. We’ll see. Come on. Let’s get off the street.
496. SOUND: [58] SOUND OF DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING; STREET SOUNDS DROP AND FADE
497. MUSIC: [71] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
SCENE 24: INT. CORONER’S OFFICE
(TRENT, TERESA, THEO)
498. TRENT: [CUE] Hello. Anyone there?
499. TERESA: Gee, these places give me the creeps. And they’re always so cold.
500. THEO TYRONE: Retards the decomposition process I’m afraid. I’m the Chief Coroner, Theo Tyrone.
How can I help you, folks?
501. TRENT: Ah, Mr. Tyrone, my name is…
502. THEO: Yes, I know who you are, but it would probably be best if we didn’t go shouting it out loud.
The commissioner has declared you persona non grata around here.
503. TERESA: And you?
504. THEO: I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Detective Wells speaks well of you, and that’s quite a recommendation.
505. TERESA: We seem to have won over Claire Templeton, too.
506. THEO: Claire? She sent you?
507. TRENT: Yes, she’s in hospital having narrowly survived an attack by one of Dillon Tremere’s thugs.
508. THEO: Is she all right?
509. TRENT: She will be. She said you would be handling the corpses of the crime bosses.
510. THEO: What? Yes, that’s right. And not just the crime bosses.
511. TERESA: What do you mean?
512. THEO: I mean, the bodies of the alligators which were used in the assassination have been recovered too.
You may find the results of the autopsies interesting.
513. TRENT: How so?
514. THEO: Well, come with me.
515. MUSIC: [71] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH
CASTING SHEETS — MAJOR CHARACTERS
NARRATOR: Hello, I am your narrator. I introduce the cold stormy nights on which our stories take place, the dark alleys, and darker personalities who inhabit the lonely city. It is my job to set the scene and establish the serious tone of suspense and intrigue that will carry the story forward. It is also my job to remind listeners of what came before in a calm, trustworthy voice, and ensure that everyone is oriented to where we are and where we are going.
TRENT STONE: Hello, I’m Trent Stone, Adventurer. I’m always in command of the situation (except perhaps, when it comes to Tess — who can easily throw me for a loop). I say things like “indeed,” “hmmm,” and “I see” a lot, and speak in a way that friends of Clark Kent would find very familiar. I’m smart, observant, and quick to use my fists when required (but never impulsive). I sound like Joe College but I’m blue collar through and through. My lack of higher education is something of an embarrassment to me (but I’d never let on).
I’m aware of Tess’s flirting, and occasionally I wonder if it’s more than just a way to keep entertained on the job — mostly I just ignore it and keep on working.
TERESA CARTER: Hiya. Everyone calls me Tess. I’m the take-no-prisoners sort who can hold her own in the man’s world that is the concrete jungle of Star City. I’m college educated but have a mean right hook. I’m a reporter by training and a stickybeak by inclination — this tends to get me in trouble. Curious, playful, and smart, that’s me! But I’m also painfully honest, easily moved by the troubles of others, and as protective as a tigress of my friends. I secretly have a thing for Trent (who’s a bit of a stuffed shirt and easily embarrassed by flirting). We both pretend it’s not there for the sake of the job, but I can’t help occasionally feeling a bit wistful.
MARTIN RODRIGUEZ: I’m a wealthy industrialist with a vision for the restoration and revival of our city. I am civic-minded and participate in all the philanthropy I can. I am an eternal optimist, always wanting to see the best in people, but this doesn’t mean I don’t understand money and hard work. I’m a sharp investor and I always do my “due diligence.” My financial wits have kept me from being swallowed up in the disaster of the depression and, despite everything, I have even been able to expand my business holdings somewhat.
TEGAN RODRIGUEZ: I’m Martin’s wife and extremely proud of him. He is running a business empire that provides goods, services, jobs, and hope to the people of Star City. He’s occasionally a bit soft-hearted and sometimes a bit too trusting, but no one’s got the better of him yet. For my part, I work with him as an equal partner. We discuss all his business affairs and I weigh in on all the major decisions. But this all happens in the background. In the foreground, I’m the dutiful wife and glamorous hostess of all of Martin’s major social functions. Be warned, however, while I can be extremely charming you don’t want to get on my bad side.
MIRIAM RIBBENSBERG: Good evening, I am Miriam Ribbensberg, the mysterious and beautiful President of the League of Adventure Seekers. While I display all the feminine graces, men are often surprised to discover I am a world-renowned aviatrix and coordinate an organization numbering almost 600 members. I am politically astute, unabashedly honest, and courteous in all circumstances. It is impossible to get me riled. If ever my enemies do succeed in killing me, I will die with composure and dignity.
TONY WELLS: I’m a detective in a city full of liars, cheats, killers, and con-men. You’d think that would have made me a cynic. And I guess it has a little. But underneath the hard-boiled exterior, I actually give a damn. I do this job because I want to keep people safe from the animals and predators who roam the dark side of the city. I believe in heroes, or at least I want to believe in them. I’m still not sure about Stone and Carter. They cross a lot of lines… but then so do I.
WALTER DOOGAN: I’m Walter Doogan, but you can call me Commissioner… or sir. I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I’ve had to boot a lot of heads along the way. There’s no such thing as a free lunch and, if you cross me, you’ll absolutely live to regret it. I’ve a mean streak a mile wide and I’m well practiced at keeping those mealy-mouthed politicians and bleeding hearts out of the business of protecting people from the low-life who roam the city. There are three things in this world that I hate: politicians, criminals, and vigilantes.
JERRY FALCONE: I’m number one in this town. The Tremeres and the Cordovas may think they’ve got outfits that can rival me, but I still control the biggest territory and the most mobsters, and that’s the way it’s gonna stay. I don’t take any lip and I’m old enough and cautious enough to see the value in keeping the peace. I’ve got a daughter. She’s got nothing to do with the family business and she’s the apple of my eye. Anyone hurts her and… well, it’s better left to the imagination what I’d do to ’em.
CINQO TAVOLI: So I like to hurt women, kids, and small animals? What of it? You think I care what the likes of you thinks. I takes my pay and does what I’m told. That idjit Falcone didn’t appreciate me. He thought I went overboard on one of my jobs — feels I “enjoy it too much,” that I “make too much noise.” What does he know? I like my job. I’m good at my job. And if getting the job done involves a bit of mess from time to time, well I deserve a bit of fun, don’t I? If you’re squeamish you shouldn’t be in this business.
CLAIRE TEMPLETON: I’m the crime reporter for the Star City Tribune. I know everyone in this town from the mayor down to the guys who pick up your garbage at four in the morning. I’m good at my job too, which is why I’m on the run and about as scared as I’ve ever been. I found out something — something I can’t print without ending up dead. I’ve just got to find a way to get myself out of this alive!
TOMMY BOSCONE: Second in command to Jerry Falcone, that’s me. But not for long. I’ve had my eye on the prize from the start and now it looks like I can get my hands on it. But I’m no mug. I know it’s gotta be done right. This Technomaster character reckons he can deliver… and so long as he keeps my name out of it, I’m happy for him to try. There are other ways to get to the top of the ladder. The daughter’s turned me down already — too high and mighty to choose a guy who’s come up through the ranks like her pop did. I guess she’ll get what’s coming to her though. Heh.
DILLON TREMERE: It ain’t fair! The outfit shoulda been mine. Instead, it went to that evil witch Eadie. My brother spends his life lording it over me and then he has to go marry some chorus girl who’s more ruthless than he is. He goes and dies, and she gets the organization. What do I get? Second in charge. I’ve been second fiddle for way too long. Still, she’s gonna get hers. You bet! And then, well, then it’s gonna be my turn to shine.
THE TECHNOMASTER: You think of me as a villain, but you know nothing of what I’ve sacrificed. I was on my way to greatness when the Great War came along, a research scientist and inventor par excellence. I did my part and signed up, but a bullet in the back put an end to my days on two legs. A bullet in the back, mind you! I was hit by a stray bullet from our own side. And when I returned? Well, I was an embarrassment. I received a letter of thanks for my service, a medal — in the mail — and a tiny pension. That was all the thanks I got from my country.
No one wanted to hire a maimed researcher. I lost my home, my lab, the respect that was rightly mine, everything.
But, I remain a genius! And compared to the brainless, worthless, peons roaming this pathetic little city, I am a god. I will have my revenge and everyone will be forced to grovel at my feet.
THEO TYRONE: I’m the impeccably dressed and well-mannered Coroner of Star City. That means I spend my time with dead bodies. The dead keep no secrets from me. What I do is intimate and unpleasant, and I am long past attributing any dignity to the corpses which cross my tables. I occasionally forget how traumatic it can be to encounter my workplace if you have spent your life sheltered from the ugliness of death and, even when I attempt to show sympathy, it comes off a little hollow and my natural impatience shines through. Try not to waste my time.
CASTING SHEETS — MINOR CHARACTERS
ALL THUGS: Life’s tough all over. Honest jobs are hard to come by. But I’m not like the saps who sit around doing what they’re told. I take what I want. So I break a few heads along the way? What of it? I’m good at it. I don’t have to think too much and… hey, what are you lookin’ at?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Philip Craig Robotham grew up in a house full of books and has held numerous jobs as a teacher, computer programmer, graphic and web designer, an e-learning consultant and, most recently, writer. He currently lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two sons. When he was younger and fitter he enjoyed martial arts, but in recent years his hobbies have tended towards more sedate fare (board games, movies, books, and role-playing games).
He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and in general make his life worth living.
Don’t forget to check out the free sample portions of our titles at https://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/.
This post and all its content is copyright © 2013 Philip Craig Robotham and has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. This play cannot be reproduced, shared, or performed commercially without the written permission of the author. The production of derivative content, merchandise, or creative works and materials is expressly forbidden under this agreement. However you may share, reproduce, and perform this play freely so long as authorship is acknowledged, no money changes hands, and the play is not modified in any way.
The Alligator Menace
- The Alligator Menace – Episode 1 – Hostile Reception
- The Alligator Menace – Episode 2 – Extortion
- The Alligator Menace – Episode 3 – Gang War
- The Alligator Menace – Episode 4 – Portrait of Villainy
