Relic Hunter (1999–2002): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Put Back - full transcript

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

SHAMAN: Each year,
at the winter sun,
we honor Woot.

We call him to give
life back to our land.

We call on him now.

[CHANTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

[WIND BLOWING]

The god has answered
our prayers.

Praise be to Woot,
giver of life.

I return Woot
to his place of honor.

And let any who dares
disturb Woot,

until we call him again
be cursed.



Where was
this one taken?

Oh, that was at the headwaters
of the Nile, two years ago.

You and Ross look
rather chummy.

I helped him through
a nasty series of pit traps

that guarded the mortuary
temple at Aghada.

We didn't smile our way
through them as I recall.

Aghada, one of the great
lost wonders of Africa,
until he found it.

Incredible.

ROSS: As I recall, I saved
your life there, Sydney.

Ross?

I need you to return
the favor.

SYDNEY: What happened to you?

The aging started
right after I liberated
that idol

from the temple of Woot
near Kolwezi,



Slowly at first, but then
the last couple of days,

it's, it's turned
into this.

And you believe
removing the idol
is causing it?

I'm 35 years old.
I don't look like this.

No, of course.

Every year
at the winter solstice,

the Kuba shaman
and tribal elders

perform a ceremony
of regeneration

where they pray
to their god, Woot.

That's in two days.

We'll return
the idol for you, Ross.

It's not that simple.

You see,
the inner chamber

where the idol is kept
between rituals...

is sealed until the next
winter solstice.

I didn't know that
when I took it,

nor did I know
about the curse.

If they find
that idol missing,

legend has it that
the god Woot will be angry.

How angry?

He will destroy them
with a plague,

and their land
will wither and die.

You really believe
this will happen?

I'm living proof it will.

These are instructions
to help you get
into the temple.

When you get to Zaire,
contact my man in Kolwezi.

He'll take you from there.

[GROANING]

Get the idol back

before they reopen
the temple. Please.

My God.

CLAUDIA: my kind of book.

What part have you
been reading?

Just the part
that interests me.

How are the travel
plans coming?

Everything's fine.

Except the borders
are closed.

The borders are closed?

Yeah, due to the war
breaking out and all.

Is Ross going with you?

No. What else?

The militia's barred all travel
in and out of Kolwezi.

What else?

I can't get you papers.

Oh, well.

But I did find a railway
that you can us to sneak in

by crossing the border
at Angola.

A railway?

That doesn't sound
very prudent, does it?

Good work, Claudia.

Thanks.
But it's heavily guarded.

Two Belgians without documents
were executed there last week.

We'd be sitting ducks
on that train.

You're only a sitting duck
if you look like one.

You know,
when they arrest us,

we're gonna be executed
for spying, treason,
and blasphemy.

We are not
gonna get arrested.

We're gonna get off
in Kolwezi

and find Ross's contact,
Fritz, as planned.

And if we get
separated,

look for a sign
with a red fez.

MAN: Something to eat?
Snack?

Are you hungry, Father?

No, thank you,
Sister Regan.

Lent. Fasting,
you know.

MAN: Snacks.
Something to eat.

Lent is in March.

Militia aside,

if these cutthroats knew
that we have the idol with us,

they'd slit our throats
for sure.

You can count on that.

What are you doing?

Studying Ross's
instructions.

They don't make
much sense now,

but I'm sure they will
when we get to the temple.

Look.

Papers!

Papers.

What are we going to do?

Act natural
and say a prayer.

Papers!

Stop!

[MACHINE GUN FIRING]

What?

Nigel, would you act
like a priest?

Bless you, my son.

The village is over there,
I tell you.

Nigel.

Let me show you.
I'll show you.

[GRUNTS]

Ah, let's not go
this way.
Good idea.

I think we can use that alley
to get around the checkpoint.

Straight back
to the train station?

Nigel, we're here
to find Fritz, remember?

Have faith.

CAPTAIN: Papers.

Papers?

Passports,
travel permits, papers.

Show him
our papers, Father.

Our papers?

Well, as you fully
well know, sister,

we don't have
any papers.

We are missionaries
doing God's good work.

Papers.

Let's pray.

[NIGEL PRAYING IN LATIN]

[SPEAKING IN HEBREW]

Show me your papers now.

God, deliver these men from evil
as he hath delivered us.

Take them away.

In the name of the Father
and the power invested in me

by the state
of New York City...

Nigel, now!

Amen.

Nigel.

May I be of service to you?

No, no, just browsing.

MAN: No browsing.

I think we have time
for a quick look around.

MAN: Please.

CAPTAIN: Search the area!

How much for this?
That is 6,000 shakars.

Six thousand?

MAN: It is a very rare
and original piece.

It's made in Taiwan.

Six thousand,
or you leave now.

It's $4, sister.

I will not be
taken advantage of.

Outside the window.

Two thousand.

For the love of god.

If I give in too easily,
he won't respect me.

Who cares?

MAN: Four thousand
is my last offer.

They're moving out.

MAN: Where are you going?

You're much too good for me.

Yes, I know, and that is why
I'm going to let you have this
for 3,000 shakars.

Two.

Deal.

CAPTAIN: Let's move!

A red fez.

Fritz's.

And not a moment too soon.

Hello?

Fritz?

SYDNEY: Fritz?

[TIRES SCREECHING]

Locked.

Break it down!

Go on!

Open up!

I said, open up!

CAPTAIN: Break it down!

Please, please.

Who are you?

I'm Abdulla,
at your service. Please.

CAPTAIN: Break it down!

The militia's gonna be
through that door
in ten seconds.

You have that much time
to decide whether
I kiss you or kill you.

What kind of nun are you?

Wrong answer.

[DOOR BANGING]

You think I did this?
The only ones killing here
are militia.

The man has a point.

I know why you have come.

Let me take you to safety.

I will avenge my partner
another day.

[DOOR BANGING, GUARD YELLING]

Come.

Come, come.

Come.

There must be a way out.
Search down there.

I can take you
to the temple myself.

That wasn't the deal.

I know you are looking
for something valuable
in the temple of Woot, yes?

No offense, Abdulla,
but Ross sent us
to find Fritz.

[THUD]
[GASPS]

CAPTAIN: Look behind there.

They have to be here!

Pull those out of the way.

I can take you
just as he would,

for the same fee,
of course.

Overcome with grief
as you are.

He was good man.

These are treacherous times.

We'll need travel papers.

Leave it with me.

CAPTAIN: This was
the only way out.

They have to be here.

Search more!

Over here.

NIGEL:
Colonel Rodney Richardson Reeves
of the Royal Household Cavalry?

Are you out
of your mind?

They are the best
I could do.

With the roads I am taking
and the plan I have,

you will not need them.

Nigel, out of those clothes.

They'll be looking
for missionaries.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Just in time.
My pants are ringing.

Slow down.

Step on it.
We've got six hours

to get Woot back
into the temple.

Hello?

Ross has been
calling for news.
Anything I can tell him?

Yes, Ross's contact,
Fritz, is dead.

His partner Abdulla
is taking us to the temple.

I'll handle it personally.

Claudia, there's something
you should know about Ross.

Nigel? Nigel?

He's mad.

He is?

No, no, no. Not him.

Sydney, we are approaching
a checkpoint.

I've got to go.

Papers.

Nothing here.

GUARD: Okay.

I told you
I could get you
to Woot, no problem.

SYDNEY: More soldiers.

Quick, back under the truck
just in case.

What's the matter?

It's stuck.

SYDNEY: Abdulla, stall.
We can't get the door open.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

Pull harder.
I'm trying.

Yes, yes,
it would be an honor

to light a cigar
for our fine militia,

fighting for such
a great cause

to help our people.

Yes.

[THUD]

Out.

CAPTAIN: What is this?

NIGEL: Nothing,
just some notes.

Could you help me down?

Here, I'll help you.

[GRUNTING]

NIGEL: My God, Ross's book.

Leave it!

NIGEL: But we need
the other half.

Nigel! Nigel!

Nigel, come on!

Jump!

I'm sorry if I make you
uncomfortable.

No, it's just that...

I know what you
were expecting.

[COUGHING]

Let me get you a...
a glass of water.

If Sydney fox sent you,

please deliver your message
and get out.

Sydney and Nigel
called from Kolwezi.

They're on their way
to the temple.

Oh, thank God.

There was a small problem
with Fritz, though.

He's, uh... He's dead.

She'll never make it.

She needs transportation,
documents.

She'll make it.

They hooked up with Fritz's
partner, Abdulla.

He's taking them
as we speak.

[ROSS COUGHING]

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

Nigel? Nigel?
Can you hear me?

This breathing thing,
so not happening.

Nigel, I know it's you.

Listen, about Fritz,

he never had a partner.

He always worked alone.

The temple is close by.

We'll go the rest
of the way on foot.

Help me cover the truck.

The temple of Woot.

SYDNEY: How much time
do we have, Nigel?

Almost half an hour.

They're already starting
to gather for the ceremony.

NIGEL: It looks like
the only way to the temple
is through the village.

What are we going to do?

Well, if Ross's instructions
indicate another entrance,

it's not on the half
we've got.

We have to call Ross.

I lost my phone.

It must have fallen out
at the roadblock.

NIGEL: What now?

I have no idea.

Wait, I've got it.

What?

Let's go with the flow.

Go with the flow? That's it?
Go with the flow?

It's a plan. Not a fully
formed plan, but a plan.

We'll use the huts
as cover.

She is a whirlwind.
A force of nature.

He's drawn a man bent over.

Praying maybe?

No, wait.

That was the first test.

There are more?

Dozens.

CAPTAIN: Empty.

No one.

They cannot be far.

Ross's instructions say
that these panels

are the way
into the temple.

These could be older
than the Egyptian
hieroglyphs.

How do we use them?

We'll have to ask
our militia friends.
They've got the other half.

There is something
here, though.

It's a reference to the sun
and the moon

And a word starting
with "L",

four, five,
six letters long.

NIGEL: Lower.

Lover?
Lever.

Liar?
Lycanthrope.

BOTH: Legend.

It's a history
of an entire civilization.

What do they say?

Well, they're not
meant to be read
so much as told.

They were created by
the ancient tribal shaman.

It's a sky king.

SYDNEY: Falling to the earth.
Yeah, it's a creation myth.

The sky king brings light
and life to the earth.

Looks like
there's a door here,

An indentation
of some sort.

Looks like the stone's
been precisely cut.

What do you think
fits into it?

It's a good question.

Abdulla, bring your
torch over here.

Yeah, it looks like
this one's a door, too,

and there's another
indentation.

Sun, moon, on opposites,
opposing?

A lion, a symbol
of destruction.

A force opposing
creation?

And a new figure emerges.

Woot.

SYDNEY: This doesn't
appear to be a door
like the other panels,

but there's a place
for a key.

NIGEL: Which we don't have.

NIGEL: Twenty-one minutes left.

"Look to the urn
to unlock the mystery."

"Look to the urn
to unlock the mystery"?

Unlock the mystery.
Unlock with a key.
Brilliant.

"Put the keystone panel
where sun is over..."

There are words missing
where the page is torn.

Maybe there's
a clue on the idol.

You have the idol
with you?

Well, we're here
to put it back.

[RHYTHMIC DRUMS BEATING]

Ceremony's starting.
We'd better...

[GUN CLICKS]

Nigel?

Steady on, Abdulla.

The idol. Give it to me.

You killed Fritz.

He killed his partner?
He killed Fritz?

SYDNEY: If they ever
were partners.

Give me the idol.

Don't you want
to get inside?

There's enough gold in there
to make us all rich.

And be discovered
by the priests?

They'll rip the eyes
from your head

and feed your bodies
to vultures.

Give me the idol!

We have no choice, Nigel.

What about Ross?
What about the Kuba people?

It's only one idol.

And forget about
finding the gold.

Good luck.

We'll never make it.

Plaster.

You need another light?

Kill him.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

The others,
I will show you
where they are

in return for my life.
Please.

Ross didn't have
the instructions

when he came here
the first time.

He relied on intuition
and experience.

We're just gonna have
to do the same.

I hate to sound negative,
but Ross had a lot more
than six minutes.

All right, now,
Ross's notes stated

that the keystone should
be placed in the door
that depicts the sun.

It also said something
about the ocean
and the moon were traps.

All three doors
have the sign of the sun.

But only one is correct.

Every myth has seeds
of a truth.

In this case,
the myth is about Woot
and his creation.

But it looks like that panel
depicts the ocean.

Well, then it's got to be
this one or that one.

Ancient builders didn't
construct their traps

and then leave it
to chance.

More booby traps?

We're gonna have
to choose right
the first time.

I'm sure they're inside
the temple by now.

Five minutes.

Sydney will make it.

Thank you for staying.

Nowhere I'd rather be.

[COUGHING]

Everything in the myth
points to this panel.
It has to be it.

It has an ocean on it.
You said yourself putting it
would set off a trap.

The instructions were ripped.
I can't be sure if it said

there couldn't be
a moon and ocean
in the correct panel.

It just indicated
that one of the panels

with those elements
could be a trap.

Well, here they come.

Wish us luck.

[DOOR OPENING]

Sydney!

You do realize
you've just locked us in

and thrown away
the key, don't you?

I had to. The worshipers
can't get in without it.

That way.

You go first.

SYDNEY: Looks like Ross left
a counterweight on the pedestal.

About our
idol's weight?

I'd say so.

Grab my waist.

Why?

I have to lean
into the alcove

and make sure
I don't trigger
anything inside here.

Tighter. Tighter!

Too tight.

Sorry.

The sun.

[DOOR OPENING]

Steady, Nigel.

They are inside.

And treasure
befitting a god.

You will be rich.

Remember
our bargain.

All right,
why you stop?

CAPTAIN: What's going on?
What is happening?

What is happening?
Stop this!

No. Oh, no, no, no.
Oh, no! Oh, no!

Stop it.
We're going to crushed!

[SCREAMING]

I must have
triggered something.

The idol.

Someone has been here.

The key is out of place.

Pray the idol
is still here.

Each year, the winter sun
reminds us to honor Woot,

so he will give life
back to the land.

We call you now.

[CHANTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

The god has answered
our prayers.

Praise be to Woot,
giver of life.

It'll be tight, Nigel.

It always is, Syd.

Just go with
the flow, right?

I'm sure they'll call. I mean,
they have to call if they...

[GLASS BREAKING]

What's wrong?

They made it.

They made it.

Claudia, where are
my lecture notes?

In your folder.

I digitized
the transparencies
into an mpeg file.

ROSS: Sydney.

Ross.

I don't know if I can
ever repay you
for putting that idol back.

Well, the pre-Columbian
artifacts

you agreed to donate
to the university
were a good start.

For you.

What do you get for the girl
who has everything?

I remember you
admiring it in Aghada.

Persian?

Yes. It's 12th century.

You called it
a relic hunter's
Batman belt.

They were very clever,
the Persians.

You ready?

Ready.

BOTH: Ready?

Well, I'm taking
this angel out to dinner.

ROSS: It's not
a problem, is it?

BOTH: No.

Uh, have her back
before midnight.

Right.

I didn't know you knew
how to fire a crossbow.

I don't.

First time.

Why do I get the feeling
it won't be the last?

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]