Midnight Nation 3 Synopsis

"Wait For Me"

Detective David Gray sits on a curb smoking a cigarette and reviewing his situation. His soul has been stolen, and he has slipped through the cracks into the world of ignored people and discarded objects. If he doesn't recover his soul in less than a year, he will become one of the Walkers unless Laurel kills him to prevent that fate.

Laurel announces that it's time to go after the guy who stole David's soul. She lets him guess where they would find a soul-stealing man. He guesses Washington D.C., but she says that's too obvious. David's second guess is correct: New York.

Unfortunately, they must walk from Los Angeles to New York. The only vehicles that operate in the place in-between are driven by the Walkers. Laurel promises that they'll find what they need along the way, and they set off.

The dispossessed people along the street notice Laurel and David and become excited when they realize that she is "taking the long walk". They cheer them on and wish them luck. David asks how many other people she's taken on this walk. She says a few, but none of them got their souls back.

David and Laurel meet Laz on the street and he asks if he can walk with them. Arthur told Laz that Laurel was going on the walk, and he figures that by going along he might find what he's looking for. David asks what that is, and Laz says, "Death". David asks about the derivation of Laz's name. Laurel says it's short for Lazarus. David asks if he's named after the biblical Lazarus, but Laz says he is the biblical Lazarus.

Lazarus tells his story...

Lazarus lived in Bethany with his sister, Martha, until he got sick. Finally he let go and died. He thought that would be the end of his problems until he heard the voice of Jesus Christ commanding him to come forth. He had been brought back to life and was completely healthy. Many of his friends were happy he was back. Some were afraid of him. Others wanted him killed to maintain order.

As those who would do Lazarus harm plotted outside his house, they were frightened off by a figure holding a flaming sword. Lazarus was safe.

Soon Lazarus discovered that he was never hungry, thirsty, cold, sick, or tired.

Lazarus asked Jesus what he should do with his new life. Jesus told him to await his return. So he waited. The years turned to centuries and millennia as he watched cultures rise and fall. He waited for Jesus, and he waited for death. Eventually he realized that people stopped noticing him. He had fallen through the cracks.

Lazarus concludes that he was the first inhabitant of the place in-between. David asks Laurel if she believes Laz's story, but she says it's not for her to say. She avoids further questioning. As they walk on, Laz tries to bum some gum or chocolate and finally hits upon something David does have: cigarettes.

That night, Laurel suggests that they rest and eat before moving on. David asks where everyone is. Laurel say's she'll find out and lets loose a shrill whistle. David is surprised and covers his ears. "Jesus!" he shouts. "Where?" Lazarus asks. A woman peeks out a window and warns Laurel to be quiet because of the Walkers.

The three travelers go inside and find out from the locals that the Walkers are hungry and hunting. David learns that when the Walkers need to feed, they come in force to take whoever they want. Some adults are taken for junk food, but for nutrition the Walkers need innocent children.

David is shocked to hear that there are children in the place in-between. Laurel reminds him that many children are lost, forgotten, or abandoned. The residents hide the children from the Walkers, but the Walkers still manage to capture some from time to time.

David insists that they must rescue the children. One of the locals reminds him that the Walkers do whatever they want. Laurel asks David why he is concerned. She wants to know what difference it makes to save one bunch of children when the Walkers will just come back and take more after they leave. David says that the difference is that he is here now and he won't let it happen. Laurel seems nonchalant to David, but to Laz she confides satisfaction that David is finally acting like himself.

David wants to know where he can find the children. The locals are still hesitant to confront the Walkers, but Laz speaks up. He asks David what abandoned gathering place can be found anywhere in the country. It hold hundreds, but homeless people can't use it because it isn't roofed. David guesses the answer: a drive-in.

The Walkers' black vans fill the drive-in. An animal control van holds their latest victims: three children and one woman. They have set up playground equipment in front of the dilapidated movie screen as if they expect the children to entertain themselves until the Walkers are ready for them.

The Walkers pull the woman from the van. As she screams for mercy a half-dozen fiends begin to claw at her. Another Walker looks through the van window and drools at the children inside. David Grey picks up a metal rod and smacks him across the head. The Walker recovers easily and is pleased that someone new has added himself to the evening's menu. He moves for David, but David's next strike is much stronger than his first. The Walker goes down with a shattered jaw.

Laurel climbs into the front of the van. A Walker advances on this new victim, but he stops with a look of fear on his face when he recognizes Laurel. She kicks him away and shuts the door. David jumps into the driver's seat, and Laz climbs into the back with the children.

David crashes the van through a fence and flees onto the street. The Walkers leap into their vans to pursue. There is nothing left of the woman they took from the van.

Another black van pulls out of an alley and hits the animal control van. It topples over and rolls on its top. David asks if everyone is all right. Laz says yes and adds that there's no sign of it yet, apparently referring to death. They run into an alley, but the children are too slow. Laurel doesn't think they'll make it.

Lazarus offers to stay behind and stop the Walkers. David doesn't want to leave him, but Laurel says it's OK and urges him on. The Walkers advance on Laz as he calmly tries to bum some gum, chocolate, or cigarettes from them. The cringe in fear as they see a figure holding a flaming sword behind Lazarus.

After reuniting the children with the locals, Laurel and David set off again. Laurel says David did well, and asks if he did it because he's a police officer. He says he did it because he's a human being. David says it's his way of knowing what he's doing. He's used to knowing what the rules are, but he doesn't have that luxury in the place in-between. He doesn't know what's going on here. Laurel says that his not knowing what he's doing means that there's hope. David finds no comfort in her analysis.

Laz stands on a rooftop looking for death. There's no sign of it yet, but maybe soon he hopes.