The Devil’s Breath

Logline: Burandanga, also known as scopolamine or the devil’s breath, is a potent hallucinogen used by thieves mostly in Colombia. They say that even a small dose will leave it’s victim helpless, prone to suggestion, and at the mercy of the attacker. Adam Froyd, a young attorney heads home for the last weekend before his life turns to chaos. On monday his case goes to trial: suing the multi-billion dollar corporation Reed pharmaceuticals. His last moments are spent on the sidewalk outside his building before a masked assailant appears, killing Adam and escaping on foot. Dean Tonetti is a young detective ready to take on his first big case. His partner, Rick Perkins, is a veteran of the force and wants nothing more than to do his job right, and go home. Adam’s take no prisoner nature is reinforced by a childhood trauma that haunts him, and his straight line mentality is often at odds with Rick’s casual presence. The two detectives diligently search for suspects but find out very quickly that nothing in this case is as it seems.A Reed Pharmaceuticals scientist, Mark Vicic, implicit in the creation of the questionable drug at the target of Adam’s inquisition, secretly works for an unknown company, harnessing the power of scopolamine to be distributed covertly to unwilling victims. His test subject, Jacob Laurent, hides on the fringes of the case outside of the police eye.Dean and Rick slowly begin to unravel the mystery during the interrogation of Mark. However his story doesn’t seem to add up, whether it is misinformation or too unbelievable to fathom. From Adam’s legal partners, to Mark’s boss, everyone seems to be hiding something. Rick believes that the conspiracy is in Dean’s head although Dean seems to think the answer is just outside his reach. The two detectives butt heads as Dean pursues the truth. Dean and Rick must ask themselves if Mark’s secret work is implicit in Adam’s murder, or if Mark is telling desperate lies to escape justice.