"you've all been found worthy and have accepted our invitation into the Order." "Remove your blindfolds." "All men are alike in death." "Death is the great equalizer." "You men all come from different backgrounds, but you will all be equal in the Order." "Each of you, take your shovel and dig where you stand." "Many distinguished men, men of accomplishment, have become before you and died as you will die tonight." "Reborn, they become leaders in every important sector... of American society, taking positions of influence and power." "Few men know what it is to dig their own graves." "You are among them now." "And now you will all die-- die and be reborn into the Order." "It is a great honor to be tapped by the Order." "We are the elite of the elite." "This is just the beginning of what we call... the "revealing process"." "Over the next 14days, you will undergo a series of trials... to prove your worthiness." "Prepare to be tested." "Tell no one what you see and hear within these walls." "No outsider shall ever know the work of the Order... or the composition of its membership." "Thanks." "Boo!" "Ali, you scared the crap out of me." "That's so bad." "Well, I am a very scary person." "Really?" "Mm-hmm." "Scary is not exactly... the word I would use." "If you want to see my soul" "Where it's at" "You know, Sommers, if we weren't still in the honeymoon phase of dating," "I would be so gone." "Listen, I was gonna call, but... it's just not the kind of thing you plan." "Ryan, were you tapped?" " Was tonight Tap Night?" " You know it was." "Quit playing dumb." "Who was it?" "Was it Snake and Skeleton?" "No." "Like I'd accept that." "Come on." "Who then?" " Wolf and Scroll?" " God, no." "They're even weaker than Snake." "Ryan, was it the Skulls?" "Listen, Ali, even if I had been tapped by them, I'd be sworn to secrecy, right?" "I knew they would take you." "What?" "Why can't you just admit it, Ryan?" "You were tapped by the Skulls." "Why can't we just drop this?" "Because it was our three-month anniversary tonight, and you completely blew me off." "I think you owe me an explanation." "And being tapped by the Skulls would somehow make everything all right?" "Maybe." "And I know that you will always be there for me" "Oh, oh, oh, oh" "I am not alone" "I am not alone" "Not alone" "I am not alone" "Not alone" "I am not alone" "Alone" "Don't stop feeling it" "You won't know howit feels" "Sweet, Ryan." "That's it!" "All right, everybody over here." "Jeff!" "Jeff, nice assist." "Okay, pay attention." "That was a good shot today." "Yeah, I know." "Don't let it go to your head." "Too late for that." "It was a good shot." "Good pass." "What do we have here?" "Ahh." "How can you be so casual?" "We're almost Skulls, and you know what these guys can do for us, for our future." "Listen, Jeff, I gotta tell you, the money, the cars, the girls-- doesn't really rock my world that much." "Yeah, right." "No, I'm serious." "It's been two weeks of initiation, which means two weeks of blowing Ali off." "And now this?" "She's not gonna be happy." "Okay, you're not into it for the material benefits, of which there are many, and it's gonna screw up your love life, so why accept?" "I guess you'll meet him tonight." "You're a legacy?" "Yeah." "Who-- your father?" "No." "My brother Greg." "But ever since Dad died, he acts like it." "He's got this thing about me being irresponsible." "Me." "Imagine that." "Anyway, he thinks if I become a Skull, it will somehow" "Legitimize you." "Yeah, in his mind, anyway." "So, did he let you in on any secrets?" "Yeah, a few." "Any idea what tonight's all about?" "Tonight?" "Yeah, I got a vague idea." "Oh." "Vague idea." "Feel like... telling me what that's about at all?" "Hey." "Hey, Kelly." "Is, uh" "Ali's not here." "Is she gonna be back soon?" "Uh, I don't know." "Do you wanna come in and wait?" "Yeah." "Do you mind?" "No, come on in." "All right, thanks." "So, Kelly, how you doing?" "Not bad." "That's good." "What are you doing?" "Uh, Goethe." "What is that, cheese?" "Oh, they're making you read Faust." "Kelly, that's terrible." "You know, what's worse is in Goethe's version," "Faust doesn't go to hell for selling his soul to the devil, God saves him." "How boring is that?" "Wait a minute." "You read?" "Yeah, occasionally." "What, does that surprise you?" "Yeah, kind of." "Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think." "Speaking of which, rumor has it you've been tapped." "It's just a rumor." "Not according to my lonely roommate." "You know, I've been busy." "Yeah." "Yeah, really, really busy." "And, uh, you know, if I was stupid enough to blow her off again tonight" "You'd be kicked to the curb and single and depressed forever and ever." "Between you and I, the forever single and depressed guy is not all that great." "Sorry." "And why would you be forever single and depressed?" "Because, honey, I'd be a fool if I didn't, you know, redeem myself after last night." "Hi." "Hey." "Hey, why don't we have dinner right now?" "Ryan, it's only 4:00." "What, you never had an early dinner?" "All right." "Give me a minute." "Okay." "So I've got this economics paper due on Wednesday on Keynes." "And I'm behind 20 pages." "Really?" "Yes." "Ryan." "So this is how you redeem yourself?" "With a trip to the cycle store." "No, I'm just looking." "Just..." "looking." "The Ducati 996-S." "This is 30 grand, easy." "For a motorcycle?" ""Motorcycle?" This is not just a motorcycle." "There's like 200 of these in the entire country." "This is like the Holy Grail of motorcycles." "If I had one of these, I would have to be buried with it." "Oh, well that is so romantic." "Yeah, I know." "Ryan?" "Ryan?" "Huh?" "Can we go?" "Oh, yeah, sure." "Um, so this paper sounds like a lot of work." "Nothing I can't handle." "Yeah, right." "It's not." "So, you gonna work on it tonight?" "Mm-mm." "No, actually, I wasn't planning on it." "No?" "Why?" "Because I was planning on spending time with you." "Well, cool." "You don't sound too enthusiastic." "No, no, no." "I am." "I am." "It's just, uh" "I just thought you working on your paper tonight wouldn't be such a bad thing because, well, I kind of, sort of have something to do too, so" "You kind of, sort of have something to do again." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Well, um" "Thanks." "It's just this... last-minute thing I gotta do with Jeff." "You know what?" "Actually, that is not a bad idea." "You're right." "I should not go anywhere until my paper's finished, so it's fine." "Right." "And it won't take that long, and I'll come over as soon as I can." "Okay." "Whoa." "What?" "It's no good?" "Oh, it's good." "It's definitely, definitely good." "Gentlemen," "I am Winston Taft, class of'72." "Tonight you will be given the final trial in the revealing process." "Tonight, you will be given a soul mate." "My name is Greg Sommers, class of'93." "We are all brothers in the Order, but the bond between soul mates... is even stronger than the bond of our brotherhood." "You will be responsible foreach other's every word... and every deed." "Mr. Neal." "Thank you, Greg." "My name is Parker Neal, and I'm acting chairman of the senior council." "My soul mate is Matt Hutchinson." "These daggers represent your responsibility to each other." "Gentlemen on my left, hold out your right hand." "Now, look at the man facing you... and remember." "If you have enough trust... in the Order, you and your soul mate... will come out of this experience unscathed." "If not, one of you will be dead." "The other, a murderer." "Kneel." "Standup." "On my order, the gentlemen holding the daggers will stab their soul mate." "Your target-- the medallion your soul mate wears over his heart." "Three, two, one" " Do it!" " Do it!" " Now!" " ( Boys Screaming )" "Gentlemen, remove your blind folds." "It was just a test." "Ryan?" "Ryan?" "Oh, my God!" "Ryan?" "Somebody screwed up here!" "He's bleeding!" " Ryan?" "Ryan!" " Ryan!" "Oh, God, I'm sorry." " I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to do that." " Call 911!" "Call 911!" "It's all right, boys." "It's just a little scratch." "Don't worry about it." "Thanks for your concern, though." "Is it a little hot in here, or" "That was really stupid." "What would Dad think?" "The Order is built on tradition, gentlemen-- traditions that are not meant to be mocked or ridiculed." "What you did this evening is unacceptable." " Sir, it was my idea." " That does not absolve Mr. Colby." "You will both be punished accordingly." "Follow us." "I know he's your brother, Greg, but telling Ryan about the ritual betrayed the trust of the Order." "I made a mistake, and I'm willing to accept the punishment." "Let's let it go, this time." "Make sure there's no encore." "You have my word." "Respect and remember the first truth." "A Skull above any other." "Well, this is great." "This is just great." "I thought you said they'd get it." "There'd be no problem." "I'm sorry." "I knew they were uptight, but I didn't know they were this uptight." "Well, especially your brother." "You think this hurts our chances at getting in?" "No, no, it's just a lesson." "Don't worry about it." "These guys seem to be big on lessons." "I don't know about you, but this place is giving me the creeps." "If it weren't for the benefits-- Jeff, let me tell you something." "All this is, is just a glorified reason to get drunk." "Forget about all the ghost stories and the self-important gothic setup." "It's just a load of crap." "I look at it as more crap." "There's no party going on." "There's no girls or beer or anything like that." "It's just tooth brushes and a cold floor." "What are you doing?" "Hey, Hutch is up here." "He's probably checking up on us." "And would it kill you to come down here and help me out a little bit?" "No, he's not checking up on us." "Then he's probably just looking for a place to get wasted." "What are you talking about?" "What, you mean I know something you don't?" "Hutch got busted last year for possession." "He almost got kicked out of school." " Guess who pulled some strings." " Another benefit of becoming a Skull." "Looks like you andl are not the only ones who break the rules around here." "Hutch is about to become a member of the "Skull in the Sky" club." "Really?" "I-I can't stand on" " Shh." "Quiet." "I'm sorry." "Not enough room." "Oh, man, you're missing it." "She's doing, like, some kind of striptease up here." "Do you know how much this would cost on a spycam website?" "It's not a bad idea-- "Skullcam."" "God, this girl is good!" "Wait." "Something's happening." "Shit." "Let me guess." "She's wearing a schoolgirl outfit." " Just shut up, man." "This is serious." " Well, what is it?" " I-I think she fell off the roof." " That's not funny." "Oh, man, this is bad." "This is really bad." "Ryan, calm down." "Just tell me what you saw." "Ryan?" "Bad, bad, bad." "Hey!" "Hey, open the door!" "Come on!" "Help!" "Will you just stop and think for a minute?" "Look, if she did fall, then Hutch already called 911." "Hey, come on!" "Which means whoever else is in the Tomb... is gonna be down there now trying to help her, right?" "Right." "Now look, the last thing on anybody's mind... is a couple of bonehead taps who are supposed to be cleaning the attic." "Banging yourself bloody on this door is not gonna change anything." "Yeah, you're right." "Okay, let's go." "What?" "Your punishment's over." "Let's go." "Listen, Greg-- I don't wanna hear it." "I just don't want you to ever pull a stunt like that again." "You hear me?" "You say you want respect, then you turn around and you do something stupid." "Is everything okay with Hutch?" "What?" "Is he okay?" "What does Hutch have to do with you screwing up?" "Nothing." "It's just" "I think something might have happened." "I saw him on the roof with a girl." "Hutch knows the rules." "No nonmembers allowed in the Tomb." "I know." "Greg, I saw a girl up there and I think she might have fallen into the courtyard." " What are you saying, Ryan?" " I'm not sure." "I just saw Hutch a minute ago." "I think he would have said something if he saw a girl fall off the roof." "Would he?" "Ryan, this isn't about Hutch." "All right?" "It's about you." "It's late." "I'm tired." "My kids are sick." "I'm going home." "This is messed up." "This is-- This is really messed up." "Did you actually see her fall?" "No, but I swear to God, I think she did." "But you didn't see it." "You didn't actually see her fall." "Come on." "Let me drive you to Ali's." "Hutch did something he wasn't supposed to do." "He took a girl on the roof, and he got busted." "He's probably rounding third right about now." "Yeah, maybe he is." "So, what are you gonna do?" "Go to the cops?" "With what?" "Yeah, it's nothing." "Hey, listen." "Can we make a couple of stops before Ali's?" "Yeah." "I gotta change and stuff." "Booty call?" "Did you order a triple chocolate suicide cake?" "You better stop bringing me cake in the middle of the night." "I'm gonna get huge." "Well, I figured you already were a little cake eater, so a little more wouldn't hurt." ""Cake eater"?" "Yeah." "Now, what is that supposed to mean?" "You never heard that before?" "No." "Means you're a spoiled, little rich girl." "Oh, really?" "Yeah." "Granted, I might appreciate the finer things in life." "But spoiled?" "I think not." "Take it back!" "I won't." "Take it back right now." "You are a cake eater." "Take it back." "I won't." "You're a cake eater." "Oh, no." "You" "Please, please don't tickle me." "Please, please." "Oooh." "Ow." "Doof." " Ryan." " I'm sorry." "I'm really sorry." "I can't believe you did that, Ryan, and you called me a cake eater." "I didn't mean it." "I'm gonna get some ice." "Ow." "Okay, well I feel overdressed." "Oh." "My eye." "Oh, my gosh." "What happened?" "Ryan kicked me." "I accept no responsibility." "She was tickling me and I can't handle tickling." "Oh, sure." "It hurts." "It stings." "What's it look like?" "It's turning red." "He called me a cake eater." "Oh, well, in that case tickling was totally justified." "Ryan, the ice?" "Yeah." "How are the huevos rancheros?" "Awesome." "You still owe me big-time for flaking on me and kicking me in the head." "All right." "Let me see." "Ow." "Listen, if it's any consolation, the sunglasses are really sexy." "Shut up." "Hey, do you know this girl?" "Oh, yeah." "That's Diana Rollins." "She's captain of the field hockey team." "Actually, I have an Econ class with her." "Why?" "Uh, I think Jeff has a thing for her." "Yeah, well, he's not the only one." "Matt Hutchinson has been trying to get at her for months." "You know Matt Hutchinson?" "Who doesn't?" "Is he really a druggie like they say?" "Well, if you believe every single campus rumor, sure." "But he is in your little club, so why don't you just ask him?" "Ali, stop it." "I'm sorry." "I shouldn't have said that." "It's all right." "Truce." "Truce." "She's not here." "A lot of people miss practice." "You ofall people should know that." "Yeah, I know." "It's just..." "I got a feeling." "You have a feeling?" "Yeah, something's not right." "Well, so what?" "You're letting your imagination get the better of you." "Really?" "Yeah, I think so." "Yeah, hi." "New Haven, Connecticut, please." "Do you have a listing for a Diana Rollins?" "She's not in, Ryan." "(Dog Barking)" "Let it go." "Where do you think you're going with this?" "We'll go to the police." "We'll tell'em what we saw." "What you think you saw." "What I saw." "But you were in the attic with me." "I need you to corroborate that she was at the Tomb." "If I'm wrong and Diana's fine, then there's no harm done." "Bullshit!" "What if the Skulls find out we went to the police?" "They won't." "You don't know that." "You don't know anything." "You didn't see anything." " I'm just trying to do the right thing here." " Yeah, for you." "Listen-- Maybe the Skulls mean something to some of us." "Did you ever stop to think about that?" "You know the rule:" "A Skull above any other." "It's not that hard to get." "I'm not gonna throw my future away because of this." "I'm not even gonna blow off any more classes." "Wait." "What if I asked you..." "as my soul mate?" "We're just taps." "We're not soul mates yet." "Remember?" "Do you want some advice?" "Get some proof." "Maybe then someone will listen to you." "Whose is that?" "My girlfriend's." "Flavor of the week?" "No, a couple of months now actually, but thanks for the interest." "Wow." "New record." "New record for you too." "What, go eight seconds without taking a dig at me?" "Congratulations." "You have no idea how much trouble you almost got me into." "Listen, Greg, I don't wanna hear this right now, all right?" "Not right now or not ever, Ryan?" "Get it into your head that you're my brother, that's all." "You're not Dad." "I'm not you." "So let's just drop it, all right?" "Listen, I'm just saying, are you sure what you need this for is worth the risk?" "Yeah." "If they find out about this, I won't drag you into it." "They'll already know, Ry." "They know more than you can imagine." "I believe you have a key that doesn't belong to you." "I don't have a key." "That's unfortunate." "Your brother won't be happy to hear that you lost it." "He had nothing to do with this." "I took it without his knowledge." "Really?" "That's not what he says." "Greg?" "I called Parker... for your sake, Ryan." "Let me get this straight." "You're accusing my soul mate of murder?" "I don't know." "But what I do know is that Diana Rollins was up on that roof, and now she's missing." "What would you think?" "You're absolutely right." "She was up there." "But I can assure you that you're wrong about everything else." "Diana Rollins is very much alive." "Then she must be the Bionic Woman because I saw her fall off that roof." "Did you... really?" "If after you've heard what I have to say... and you still wanna go to the police, I'll drive you there myself." "Whether or not you wanna believe it, we're trying to help you here." "So for once in your life it'd be nice if you could acknowledge that you don't know everything." "All right, I'm listening." "I'm all ears." "A few years ago, the Skulls tapped a promising young man." "When the active council found out he wasn't taking membership in the Order seriously, they decided that he needed a lesson in humility." "For this, they arranged a fairly elaborate hoax." "It took considerable amounts of planning and capital, but... the council was actually able to fake his roommate's suicide." "So what?" "It was just a test?" "This hoax... tested his allegiances under extreme pressure when it would really count." " Did you hear about this?" " Yeah, Winston Taft told me the story." "So you had his roommate fake his death in order to test his allegiance to the Skulls?" " Is that what you're telling me?" " It sure is." "And Diana Rollins, this is just another test as well?" "Come on, Ryan." "Your little joke, the fake blood-- that was a complete red flag." "Membership in the Order is forever." "We need to be sure that our membership is taken seriously." "There was a concern, which I shared, that you weren't taking the Order very seriously." "Because of me, because you're a legacy." "You know, this-- this all makes sense." "It does." "But I got one question for you." "Go ahead." "Where is Diana Rollins?" "Diana's fine." "She took a few days off from school." "She's in New Hampshire skiing, having a really good time." "Well, I guess I failed this test, huh?" "On the contrary." "One second." "I'm pretty sure that this is in your size." "We should all get dressed." "We're late." "No." "W-W-Wait, wait, wait." " What do you mean, I'm in?" " Yeah, bro, you're in." "Well, that's great." "But why?" "Two reasons." "One:" "You didn't bring any outsiders into this, although I wished you would have come to me or Hutch first." "And two-- most importantly-- your brother." "He went out on a limb for you." "Don't let him orthe Order down ever again." "Congratulations to all of you." "This is the conclusion of the revealing process." "One of our most distinguished alumni, George Milford, has graciously freed himself from the rigors of the campaign trail... to be with you on this most important night." "Gentlemen, the rules." "We live by the rules." "We die by the rules." "Read your rule books from front to back." "A thorough knowledge of these rules... will be very, very beneficial... as you begin your lives in the Order." "Trust no one with these secrets... but a member of the Order." "A Skull..." "above any other." "A Skull above any other." "Would you please present your wrists?" "Let this seal the bond between us." "Be silent as you endure." "Greg Sommers is the most profitable partner in my law practice." "I do not want to lose him over something he thinks his brother witnessed." " Is that clear?" " It is." "You're positive Ryan understands what actually happened on the roof?" "It was a test of loyalty." "This is an exploitable situation, Parker." "Something an enterprising young man like yourself should seize." "Use it." "Demonstrate to the council your leadership abilities." "Wield the power that you possess." "I understand." "Steps have already been taken to ensure Ryan's continued cooperation." "Excellent." "Greatness only arises in moments of crisis, Parker." "Consider this your crisis." "Oh, I won't let the Order down, or you, Winston." "We are a special breed." "Only the best." "As we say," ""Elected by God"." "Did you have a good time?" "Yeah, yeah, it was a pretty impressive party." "Yeah, it was." "So, what do you say?" "New start?" "Yeah, sure." "Hey!" "Don't forget your key." "I got it." "It's right here." "Not that one." "What's this?" "It's your key." "All right." "See ya, man." "See ya." "Who is it?" "Hey, it's Ryan." "Kelly!" "It's great to see you." "Is my lovely girlfriend here?" "Um, Ali's not here." "What are you talking about?" "Her class isn't till, like, 11:00." "Yeah." "Um, I think she went out early this morning." "Really?" "I think she was having breakfast at Gypsy Co-op probably." " And?" " She wasn't alone." "Who was she with?" "Ryan, what's going on with you two?" "Kelly, who was she with?" "Ali, what's going on?" "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Slow down." "Maybe, you know, we should talk about this outside." " Sit down." "Ali" " Ryan, you hit me!" "That was an accident." "You know that." "You hit my girlfriend?" " Your girlfriend?" " You hit me because I'm going out with Hutch." "Don't deny it." "Going out with Hutch?" "What are you talking about?" "You are scaring me." "You need to just leave." "Go." "I think it'd be for the better, man." "Shut up!" " Ali, what is going on?" " She wants you out." "Just back off, all right?" "Then stop spreading those rumors about me." "You got something to say to me, Ryan?" "Say it to my face." "Get out of here." "Ryan!" " Is that the way you deal with all your problems?" " I barely touched you." "It is over." "Now just get out of here." "I said go." "Hey." "If you don't leave right now this instant, I'm calling the cops." "Ali?" " Go." " Go." "Get out of here." " This is crazy, Ali." ""Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light."" "Now, in Milton's Paradise Lost, this is a literal passage about heaven and hell." "But Dante is talking more about... everyday experience-- the hell of personal relationships, the hell of responsibilities, the hell of staying awake through a particularly boring lecture." "Mr. Sommers?" "Is this the part where I amaze you and the rest of the class... by rattling off some incredibly astute comeback, proving that I was paying attention all along?" "No." "No, this is the part where you're given an "F" in group discussion." "So, you see, hell is very much apart of our everyday experiences, as we have just proven with our very own Mr. Sommers." " Thank you." " You've reached Ali and Kelly." "We're not here right now, so leave a message after the beep." "Ali, it's me." "I know this is the hundredth message I've left for you, but I need to talk to you." "Call me back." "I need to know what's going on." "I'm missing something here." "All right, I'm on my cell." "Oh." "And hey, Kelly." "Sommers, get your head into the game!" "A lot of stuff's gone down in the last few days." "Is that right?" "Yeah." "Listen, what are you doing now?" "Let's go for a beer." "Uh, I'd love to, but I'm late for Statistics." "I gotta get going." "Next time." "Yeah." "What's happening, man?" "Hey." "What are you doing?" "Just, uh-- just some research." "Don't study too hard." "You might ruin our reputation." "Right." "The past 24 hours must seem like a roller coaster, huh?" "Last night, the initiation." "This morning you get this beautiful bike." "And just hours later, you lose your girlfriend." "I heard what happened at the restaurant." "A lot of people thought that you looked... violent, even dangerous." "That isn't what happened." "Did you really hit Ali?" "No." "Well, that's a nasty-looking bruise" " Hey, I didn't hit her." "All right." "But all I'm saying is... we'll be there for you." "What do you mean, you'll "be there" for me?" "Don't worry about it." "I'm sure between Hutch and I we can talk Ali out of pressing charges." "What?" "Pressing charges?" "Ryan, trust me." "Look, you'llsee how we can help here, how we can make your problems just, you know, disappear." "We'll be there for you no matter what." "Just like I know you'll be there for us." "Right?" "A Skull above any other." "Ryan." "Hey." " Is she here?" " No." "Look, I heard what happened at Gypsy." "You gotta tell me what's going on." " You heard about that?" " The whole campus is talking about that." "When was the last time you slept?" "It's been a while." "Why don't you come in?" "I just don't get why Ali's acting like this." "She left me a message saying not to even let you in the house." "It's the Skulls." "They must have scared her." "Ali doesn't exactly scare easily." "Maybe they bribed her." "I don't know." "Yeah, but why?" "Exactly." "Why?" "I mean, if this thing on the roof... with Diana Rollins is just a hoax, then what's the big deal?" "It's like on one hand, they give me the bike of my dreams." "But on the other, they coerce Ali, they turn her against me, and then they threaten to charge me with assault." "I don't know." "It's like-- it's like they're trying to tell you something, give you a message." "It's like a warning, but it doesn't make any sense." "Nothing's happened." "Maybe it's for something that's gonna happen." "You got any ideas?" "Well, I got one, but-- I don't know." "Well, Ali has to come home sometime." "I'll see if I can talk to her." "That's great." "Appreciate that." "Well, um" "Yeah." "I'll see you." "Give me a call." "Okay." " Yes?" " Mrs. Beckford?" "What do you want?" "My name is Ryan Sommers, and I'd just like to talk to you about your son, Will." "What is it, dear?" "We don't want any trouble." "Please." "I just wanna find out what really happened to your son." "Sir, I'm not here to threaten you." "I'm here because I don't wanna see this happen again, and..." "I need your help." "Thanks." "We fought for as long as we could until the money gave out." "Getting an attorney to represent us was nearly impossible." "He dropped the case after a month." "But what about the New Haven police?" "You have no idea what you're getting yourself tangled up in, do you?" "The Skulls are everywhere, in everything." "I know, but surely there could have been someone who could have helped you with your case, just by the sheer nature of it." "I mean, the student body knew about it." "The dean of the school knew about it." "It doesn't make a difference." "No matter who challenges them, they have a way of silencing that person." "There are no exceptions." "I know." "I'm just-- I'm trying to get to the truth." "The truth is our son was taken from us... for an article in a newspaper." "He was caught inside the Skulls' Tomb and they killed him for it." "Mr. and Mrs. Beckford," "I'd be lying if I said I understood what you've been through... because I don't." "But the fact is... that these people are just going to keep doing whatever they want... until somebody stops them." " You can't stop the Skulls." "Best you can do is survive them." "Hey, Kel, what's up?" "I've been waiting for you, stranger." "You didn't come home last night." "I'm sorry." "I should have called." "Ryan came by." "Kelly, I told you not to let him in." "What did the Skulls promise you?" "You can't accuse Ryan of this." "You're gonna ruin his whole life." "Yeah?" "Well, if he's smart and he does the right thing, it'll never come to that." "God, do you actually buy into this high-powered uber-bullshit?" "I mean, they're just gonna use you like they use everyone else." "I loved you like a sister, Kel, and it hurts me more than you know that you have to turn on me like this." "So I guess you'll be moving out... since the lease is in my name, not yours." "And before you go, you still owe me money for the phone bill." "Try to be out of here by tomorrow night, okay?" "Yeah." "Hi, Ry, it's Greg." "What do you want, Greg?" "Turn on the TV." " What?" " Channel 7." "Just do it." "All right." "Hold on a second." " What channel?" " Channel 7." "Holy shit." "That-That-- Was that the girl on the roof?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Ry, whatever you do, be careful, okay?" "I'll callyou tomorrow." "All right." "Ryan, we've unfortunately had some bad news... and felt that you should know about it, involving Diana Rollins." "She's dead." "Evidently she was coming back from that skiing trip I told you about." "The one in New Hampshire?" "She hit a patch of ice and went off the road." "Well, that sounds like a terrible accident." "That's right-- an accident." "According to the coroner's report, there were no traces ofany drug or alcohol in her blood system." "It was just a case of the wrong place, the wrong time." "The council was concerned that we would look callous... if it was ever discovered that we staged an accident... as part of your revealing process." "They wanted me to make sure that your commitment to the first truth is solid." "A Skull above any other." "I know you were concerned for her safety before." "We'd all appreciate it if, out of respect for Diana, from this point on... you stay silent on the subject." "Well, there's nothing to tell, is there, Parker?" "Hutch, come here." "Now, I know there's been some tension between the two of you." "I'd like you to... shake hands and bury the hatchet." "No hard feelings, Ry?" "Ryan?" "No." "So." "You know that what they told us in there is just a total lie, right?" "Listen, I know what you're trying to do, but I am really scared now." "Okay, I'm really scared." "We gotta do something about this, Jeff." "I-I need your help, man." "I gotta go." "Kelly." "Hey." "Hey." " I talked to Ali." " And?" "Your couch available tonight?" "I just stood there-- took it." "Ryan, what else could you have done?" "I let Parker steamroll right over me." "You couldn't have fought them-- I mean, not there, not at the Tomb." "Yeah, but..." "I saw a girl die." "There's nothing I can do about it." "Ryan, what is that?" "Ryan, is that" "Can't talk inside." "They're listening to everything." "I don't know." "Maybe I should just go to the cops." "With what evidence?" "And don't forget, I talked to Ali." "She will press assault charges." "But I didn't do anything." "No, but she has a restaurant full of witnesses that saw you walk up... and seemingly threaten her and Matt Hutchinson." "So basically what you're telling me is that I'm screwed here." "Unless there's something we're not seeing?" "No, I've been over it a million times." "Okay, Ryan, just tell me again exactly what you saw." "Listen, there's no use." "All right." "Hutch was up there first, and he had a flashlight in his hand." "Then I saw Diana." "She was-- she was kind of shy at first, but then, you know, after a while wasn't so shy, if you know what I mean." "And then-- then she fell." "Well, did she have anything with her?" "A blanket." "Did Hutch have anything?" "She was drinking." " Wait." " What?" "Something Parker said tonight." "According to the coroner's report... there were no traces of any drug or alcohol in her blood system." "I don't know." "You know, it could be nothing." "Yeah, but it could be everything." "Yeah, but maybe he got it wrong." "I mean, how are we ever gonna prove it?" "The coroner's report." "What about it?" "The coroner's report-- it would have to state an exact time of death." "Right." "And I saw her fall, like, what-- Saturday night?" "Yeah, that was four days ago." "And they" " And they said the accident happened this afternoon." "Look, I don't know much about pathology, but I'm pretty sure... there's a big difference between a corpse that's four days old and a corpse four hours old." "Yeah, and I'm willing to bet there were traces of drugs and alcohol in that body." "We gotta see that coroner's report." "Tell you what." "Why don't I take this really comfortable couch, and you can have the bed upstairs." "Okay." "Thanks." "Listen, Kelly, um-- whatever happens, I hope we can-- you know, if it's cool with you, um" "I hope we can sort of stay, you know, like this." "Definitely." "Great." "Good night." "Good night." "It's only 8:00." "You sure he's even in?" "My brother Greg is at work at 7:30 sharp every morning." "There are few givens in this life, but that's one of them." "Hi." "Greg Sommers, please." "What?" "No." "Greg Sommers." "All right." "Thank you very much." " They fired him." " What?" "Oh, that must be him." "Yeah." "Hi." "Greg, is that you?" " Hello?" " We're watching you." "Who is this?" "Let's get outta here." "Shit." "Come on!" "You all right?" "Yeah." " Hey." " Hey." " Greg, this is Kelly." "Kelly, Greg." " Nice to meet you, Kel." " Ryan's told me a lot about you." " I can imagine." "So, why did Taft fire you?" "I mean, you were following along like a good little soldier." " It doesn't make sense." " I became a liability when I called you last night." "It was stupid." "I should have known your phone was tapped." "So they're using you to keep me quiet." "That's great." "Trying to." "They threatened to have me disbarred if I so much as talked to you about Diana." "Well, welcome to the party, because if I keep poking' around, they're gonna charge me with assault." "What?" "It's all bullshit, but if they've done their thing, the jury might just buy it." " I'm so sorry, Ry." " "Sorry?" What are you sorry about?" "After Dad died, I tried to step up." "I brought you into this." "I thought if you came through it, if you became a Skull, it would make you a stronger person." "I bought into the lie." "Look, they lied to both of us." "Don't blame yourself." "I'll tell you one thing though." "Diana Rollins did not die in a car accident." "This thing's been a cover-up." "They're not gonna stop, Ry." "You know that." "Then we won't either, will we?" "Security." "So, how well do you know him?" "I called him as a witness on the Bridgeport murder case." "Is he a good guy?" "He's, uh, okay." "So, long time no see, Greg." "How you been?" "I've been well, Phillip, thanks." "How 'bout yourself?" "Oh, I'm fine." "Just fine, if you know what I mean." "I appreciate you taking the time to see us." "I promise this won't take long at all." "No problem." "So, what can I do for you guys?" "We've got a couple of questions about a girl who was brought in yesterday-- Diana Rollins?" "Is this some kind of test?" "What do you mean?" "Well, you know, you're one of them, right?" "Both you guys are?" " One of who?" " Look, Greg, tell your people that I can be trusted." "Well, I'm very happy to hear that, because you know what would happen if that trust was ever betrayed." "Is this some kind of threat?" "You think I'm threatening you?" "Look, Greg, I'm telling you what I told your boss." "I'll deal with you guys, but don't think you can lean on me." "Remember, I've got the insurance policy." "Insurance policy?" "You know." "The real report, the one with the actual time of death, the one with what was really in Diana's bloodstream." "Uh, lthink this interview's over." "It's okay, Phil." "You can relax." "You were right." "It was just a test." "Oh, I knew it." "I knew it." "I'm sure you can understand how delicate our predicament is." "Of course." "We just needed to be sure." "I understand, Greg." "If I can ever be of service again" "I just hope the compensation was adequate." "She's great." "If that's my sandwich, you can leave it on the desk." "I'm sorry." "Um, my premed class is touring the building, and I kind a got lost." "Well, isn't that a shame?" "I was hoping maybe you could point me in the right direction?" "Oh, I think I can do better than that." "Uh, why don't I give you the V.I.P. tour?" "Oh, that's too much." "You must be so busy." "What's your name again?" "Um, Erica." "You can call me Phillip." "See that nameplate on the door?" "Uh-huh." "That's me." "You know what it means?" "No." "It means that I'm the big kahuna around here." "Come on." "I'll show you around." " Yep, this is where we cut 'em up." " Wow." "You get used to it, believe me." "Oh, damn it!" "What's wrong?" "My beeper." "I left it in the office." "I really should go get it." "But, um," "I thought you were the big kahuna." "Well, it's true, but you know there's always a bigger kahuna." "You'll learn that soon enough." "Hey, uh-- Hey, what the hell were you doing in my office?" "What were you doing with her?" " Huh?" " Sh-She" "Hey!" "We made it!" "We made it!" "You okay?" "Give it!" "All right, I got an idea." "This is Dr. Sprague." "Get me security now!" "Come with me." "Come on." "Come on, come on!" "Holdit!" "Get off!" " Ryan!" " Go, go!" "Have you got it?" "I got it." " Hutch, Winston just called." " What's up?" "His city hall source just tipped him off." "Ryan Sommers has been arrested." " Arrested?" "For what?" " Breaking and entering... at the morgue-- the coroner's office." " Did he get it?" " No." "He had nothing on him." "I want to finish this, now, once and for all." "Let's get Ali and press charges against that abusive son of a bitch." "All right." "Let's do it." "It's time to put your game face on, darlin'." "How's this?" "Let's go." "What's gonna happen?" " Well, it's about time." " Matt Hutchinson?" " Yeah." " You're under arrest." "Take him away." "What's goin' on?" "What the hell's goin' on, partner?" "Call my dad, partner!" "Hutch, say nothing!" "What's going on?" "I'm not the DA, but I think your soul mate is gonna be charged with murder in the second degree... in the death of one Diana Rollins." " And, miss, I'll need to talk to you later." " Parker, I'm outta here." "And you might want to get an attorney, too, son." " What?" "Conspiracy, obstruction of justice." " That's crazy!" " We have the coroner's report-- the real one." " Really?" "Yeah, really." "And we have a witness who will testify that Diana Rollins... was at your little club house on Saturday night." "It's just Ryan Sommers' word." "Not anymore." "Mr. Colby came of his own volition." "He backs up Mr. Sommers' story regarding Saturday night." "Do you wanna make that phone call now?" "I'm on my way, Parker." "Don't even tell them how you like your coffee." "Where's the goddamned car?" "Edward, find out what the hell is going on." "Yes, sir." "Mr. Taft." "I'm Sean Beckford." "Yes, I know who you are." "What can I do for you?" "Based on our attorney's advice, we wanted to give you an opportunity to settle out of court." "I'm afraid I don't have time for this, Mr. Beckwith." "Beckford." "From what I understand, you can't get a decent attorney to represent you." "Now, if you'll excuse me-- We have an attorney, Mr. Taft." "Hello, Winston." " That's everything?" " Yeah." "Well, aren't you two the happy couple?" "Why'd you do it, Ali?" "What was the deal?" "We could have been the envy of the entire school, Ryan." "The perfect couple." "You were a Skull, but then you threw it away." "You threw away my future." "Well, they offered it back to me." "The "A" list, Ryan." "It wasn't a hard decision to make." "When I get a hold of Sommers, I am gonna crucify him." "I am gonna bury him" "Shut up, Parker." "You could still be in there with Hutchinson." "Just be grateful I managed to bail you out." "Shame and disgrace... has come to this Order." "This will not stand!" "My fellow Skulls, this evening... we are forced to make a very grievous decision... by expelling a member of the Order." "Senator Milford, I'm glad that you've assembled everyone... and that we're all on the same page." "This was precisely the action I was going to suggest that we use with Mr. Sommers." "It is grievous, as you say, but necessary." "Mr. Neal, the Skull I speak of is you." "As acting chairman of the senior council... you were given the responsibility of protecting the Order." "That was your charge, and you have failed." "No!" "I mean, with all due respect, sir," "I absolutely protected the Order." " This was not our impression." "Winston, please, tell them." "Tell them I wanted Sommers out but you said no." "Winston, tell them that you wanted to keep his brother in your firm, please!" "Mr. Neal, act like a man, and take responsibility for your negligence." "Mr. Neal, would you please join me?" "But this isn't right." "Sommers is the one who should be cast out, not me." "That's unnecessary, Parker." "I cast myself out." "Mr. Neal, you have shown yourself incapable... of being a man of high moral fiber and good character, hence your bond with this Order will be destroyed." " Will you remove your watch?" " No." " Mr. Neal." " No!" "You think you can just come in here and destroy my life?" "Is that what you think?" "No." "You did that all by yourself." "Don't you turn your back on me!" "You're nothing!" "No one betrays a Skull and lives!" "You hear me, Sommers?" "I'm talkin' to you!" "I'll kill you!" " Wait!" "No!" "No!" "I'm a Skull!" "Please, no!" " His watch." "This completes our arrangement?" "I'm a Skull, damn it!" "No!" "I'm a Skull!" "Please!" "No!" "Get off me!" "Please, no!" "No!" "Yeah, I'm done here." "Damn it!" "Get off me!" "I'm a Skull!" "Hi." "Wanna drive?" "No, thanks." "But it is a nice ride." "It's not that fast, but it's definitely got character." "Character's good." "Character's definitely good." "If half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven" "If half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven" "Dipping into swimming pools" "Speaking languages we learned to use" "To each other" "So soon we had to pack it in" "Swap our coins for paper bills" "And life as we left it years ago" "And I belong to you" "And you belong to me" "And easy was the way to love we shared" "And I belong to you" "And you belong to me" "And easy was the way we let it go" "If half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven" "If half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven" "If half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven lf half the world is saved" "And half gets washed away" "I'll meet you where the mountains turn to heaven" "My soul is open" "My eyes are wide" "Wheels are turnin'" "My spirit has come alive" "And sometimes the answers" "Get lost between the questions" "And right is clearly wrong" "But this time I'm feelin'" "The dream is worth believin'" "So won't you come along" "Won't you come along" "And now the road is open" "The sky is wide" "And though my head is spinnin'" "My troubles are behind" "And sometimes the answers" "Get lost between the questions" "And right is clearly wrong" "But this time I'm feelin'" "The dream is worth believin'" "So won't you come along" "Won't you come along" "But sometimes the answers" "Get lost between the questions" "And right is clearly wrong" "But this time I'm feelin'" "The dream is worth believin'" "So won't you come along" "So won't you come along" "Won't you come along" "And sometimes the answers" "Get lost between the questions" "And right is clearly wrong" "But this time I'm feelin'" "The dream is worth believin'" "So won't you come along" "Won't you come along"