Missing

"Missing" is the third episode of Season 1 of Rippled Water. It aired on Monday, 16th June.

Plot Synopsis
The episode begins with a flashback taking place immediately after the events of the second episode. James lies barely conscious on the beach floor. He hears Simon's screams, followed by another male shouting "stop", attacking the unknown silhouettes on the beach. Inside the hotel Robb attempts to calm the guests, with his flashlight providing the only source of light around the lobby. Elton exits his office, with blood pouring from his nose. He moves towards Robb, before collapsing to the ground.

The next morning, James is woken by the sun beaming down on his face, which is marked by a large bruise after being whacked by one of the men on the beach hours earlier. James quickly realizes that his hands are bound behind his back, and that they are on a small wooden motorboat. Simon, sits next to James, his hands also bound, although he remains completely still, clearly suffering from shock. Across from James and Simon is the girl who they had tried to rescue. Unlike the two boys, her legs are bound, as well as her hands. They quickly notice that their attackers are also on the boat, all appearing to be locals of an island within the peninsula, with the men talking in a foreign dialect which James isn't able to understand. The leader of the three men stands over James, holding an automatic rifle in his hands. The youngest of the three men is sat at the back of the boat steering, while the other is stood over Martin, Bryanna's boyfriend, who has also been captured. The man attempts to hold Martin down in order to tie him up, but Martin is able to hold him off, kicking him back onto Simon. Martin quickly arises, throwing the leader to the ground before attacking the driver of the boat, throwing him off the back where he collides with the small propeller. Before Martin can do any more damage, the leader holds up his rifle, firing several shots into Martin's back, causing him to fall onto the steering device, sending the boat out of control, allowing it to crash into a collection of rocks, where the wooden boat is easily broken apart, sending all those on board into the water. James attempts to swim to the surface, struggling due to his hands being bound. He notices Bryanna, who is sinking to the ocean floor, unable to swim due to all her limbs being tied up. James then reaches the surface, gasping for air. He looks around, before noticing the nearest land is the island of Panoi, a private island situated across from Malani. James realizes he has no choice, and swims as best he can towards the beaches of Panoi, hoping to find safety on its beaches.

Back at the resort, Monroe is caring for Elton inside his office, advising him to stay away from work for a while, stating that he needs to rest himself if he wants to regain his strength. Elton doesn't answer, and instead glares at Monroe as he leaves his office. Monroe briefly thanks Robb for controlling the crowd after the power went out, before the two walk out of the lobby, they are followed by Davey and Jackson, who had been talking about suing Phoenix Resorts for providing a bad experience for the two. Leon and Kam sit on the front steps of the hotel, looking out at the beach. Kam tries to get Leon to assure him that murdering Caleb wasn't a bad decision, and that it had to be done. Leon briefly mentions that he knows it had to be done, before asking Kam whether he thinks that James is ok, as he has been missing since the previous evening. Kam seems to be wary about James' disappearance, believing it might have something to do with Caleb's final words. Kam then suggests that the two of them set out to find James and whoever else is missing, wanting to get people back on his good side.

Those by the entrance of the hotel begin talking, with Kam quickly leaving for the beach after feeling animosity between himself and alpha-male Monroe. Leon begins to panic, asking Monroe to tell them what is happening, as Monroe had briefly mentioned he knew what was going on. After Monroe fails to admit to what he knows, Davey steps in, berating Monroe for his lack of honesty. Leon, Jackson and Cordelia begin to listen to Davey, who mentions that he knows what is happening on the island, and that they need to face the facts. Davey then mentions he is willing to give a detailed explanation in 'Bar 9', and that those who want to get off the island should all meet there to listen to him. Davey then exits, walking back inside the hotel, where he takes a small jab at Del by mentioning the wound on his head, which he received several nights earlier.

Down at the beach Dee and Heaven are seen searching around a set of footprints discovered hours earlier. Heaven suggests they go back to the main group, worried that James' disappearance wasn't his doing, as he wouldn't have gotten on a rescue boat without alerting the others. The two continue searching, with Dee condemning Joey for not helping them look, and instead sitting around watching. Dee spots Kam walking down, annoying her greatly as she had asked him to stay out of her way. Dee blocks Kam's path and begins to act in a hostile manner towards him, but the two turn upon hearing Heaven calling out. As they turn, they see Heaven holding a pistol, knowing that it has something to do with the disappearances that took place the previous night.

Leon and Monroe begin arguing over Davey's credibility, with Leon believing that they should at least hear him out. Cordelia agrees with Leon, wanting to head to 'Bar 9', as Davey is the only one offering a solution. Heaven and Dee reach the entrance, showing the group the gun. Monroe sighs, realizing that the same men he saw on the beach have likely come back, and this time taken James and several others. After a brief struggle breaks out between Monroe and Leon, the group are interrupted by Davey, who takes them over to 'Bar 9'.

Del enters his room, finding a barely conscious and severely beaten Dana lying on the bed. Before he can go over to her he notices his needles and final supply of heroin have returned, and are lying on the bedside table. Del immediately blames Dana for taking his needles, believing that she had hidden them from him. Dana denies this, but is once again beaten by Del, who throws her to the ground after slapping her. He then takes his needles and heads into his bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Inside 'Bar 9' Davey begins his talk, with Leon, Dee, Monroe, Robb, Jackson, Cordelia, Dexter and Azure attending. Evie walks in the back, remaining disconnected to the main group. Davey mentions that Nigel Draft is behind the missing individuals, stating that if people go missing he can easily sweep it under the rug, paying off individuals to make it look like accidents. Davey then mentions that he found a dock towards the top of Malani, where he hired out a small boat to go across to Panoi. Davey then places several photo's on the table, showing armed guards around Panoi, along with individuals being held captive with bags over their heads. Davey states the captives are individuals who go missing, and that both islands are connected in this way. Davey then states that Caleb's arrival is the result of someone escaping from Panoi, and that whatever they (armed guards) did to him, they'll do to everyone else. Davey proceeds to say that he will take three others with him up the island to the docks, where they'll get transportation to get everyone off the island together.

After Davey's talk, Leon and Jackson volunteer to go with him, while Monroe seems less convinced. Cordelia and Dee begin to call out Evie, asking her to explain what is going on. Evie attempts to save face for herself and Draft, although she fails, with Davey telling her to cut out the "bullshit". Evie refuses to speak, walking off from the group.

Kam sits alone on the beach, but he is joined by Heaven, who requests that he comes to 'Bar 9' to join the group. Kam politely declines her offer, stating that he'll look for James on his own. Heaven tries to stop Kam, but he refuses to listen, stating he's heading into the jungle, believing James might have wondered off, and that he could use her gun, as he knows how to use it. Heaven states that she would go with him, as he could use someone who knows how to get around, and that overall it would help her get to her parents quicker. The two begin walking towards the jungle, with Dexter trailing behind, not wanting to stay at the resort any longer. Monroe and Dee spot the group heading into the jungle, with Monroe telling Dee to get something from Elton's office, and to come straight back. Dee obeys, running off to retrieve the item.

Over on the beaches of Panoi, James finally reaches the shore. He flops himself onto the sand, vomiting up some seawater which he managed to swallow while swimming. He struggles to move, with his hands still bound behind his back. He begins to walk the beach after finally getting to his feet, looking around for anyone else. He spots several planks of wood floating ashore, having come from the boat after its crash.

Before Kam, Heaven and Dexter are able to get into the jungle they are stopped by Monroe, who demands to know where they're going. Kam explains that they're going to help James, but Monroe refuses to let him go, stating that they cant let individuals walk off, especially ones that they don't know they can trust. Kam and Monroe square up to one another, before Dee appears behind the group, holding her gun up towards Kam. Monroe ends up restraining Kam, being forceful in how he handles him, getting Robb to help him move Kam back to 'Bar 9'. Heaven and Dexter are then forced back to the bar, with Dee apologizing to them on the way, having wanted to use a non-violent approach.

Over towards the bar, Cordelia is seen requesting to go with Davey, but he tells her that she will be staying at the resort, as he needs physically strong individuals to head off with him, as it'll likely be dangerous. He then advises her to "run" if anything goes wrong, which she agrees to do. Monroe and Robb enter, carrying Kam, with Dee, Heaven and Dexter behind them. Monroe begins to mention that he will be going with Davey, wanting to have someone there who has the groups interest at heart. Monroe requests Heaven goes with her, which she eventually accepts despite initially being cautious. Finally, they agree Dexter will go with them, as he appears to be willing to risk his life to help the others. Kam tries to argue his point as to why he should be going, but Monroe eventually convinces him to say, stating that they need some strong individuals to stay behind to protect the group. Robb and Dee head off to the front desk in order to collect a list of employees and guests for the resort, in order to find out who is missing and who is still present, allowing the group to know who they're looking for.

Robb acts awkwardly when looking through the papers by his desk, throwing several away in the bin before Dee can take a look at them. Eventually Robb finds the list, handing it over to Dee, allowing the two to return to the bar where Dee immediately gets to work looking at the list. Kam sits by Dee after she asks if he wants to help, which he accepts, despite clearly being uninterested in the task. Monroe, Davey, Heaven and Dexter set off, not saying goodbye to others, certain that they'll be returning soon with transportation. Elsewhere, Laura and Kris become aware of the missing individuals after talking to Cordelia, causing Kris to go into shock, distraught at the loss of her co-worker. Laura and Cordelia engage in a small argument, which makes the situation worse for Kris, who isn't comforted by either. Laura ends up walking towards Dee, offering to help, but Dee doesn't answer, causing Laura to lose it once again, going round the resort shouting for anyone willing to help her get off the island.

Elton is joined by Nigel inside his office, who tells him that he isn't still at the hotel by choice, and that due to recent slip ups he has to stick around a bit longer. Elton appears confused by Nigel, who rambles on about Elton speeding up processes, and that no one will be leaving the resort. As Nigel leaves the office, Evie asks Nigel whether or not they can help Elton, as he wasn't meant to be part of it. Nigel tells Evie that Elton is simply "collateral damage", and that they should pack their things, as they'll be leaving on their own.

Davey, Monroe, Heaven and Dexter continue their walk through the jungle, with Davey letting them know that they will head to the runway first, in order to show them that the cargo planes have all likely gone, leaving the only true option to escape as the docks. Heaven offers to take some bags off Monroe, as he is carrying a majority of the groups supplies. Monroe declines, but Davey overhears this, immediately handing his bag over to Heaven, before walking ahead holding just his camera. Davey begins to tell Heaven about his career as a photographer, which angers Monroe, who believes Davey is taking them all round in circles. Davey shows Monroe up by walking ahead, revealing the runway to the group, which just like Davey said, is completely deserted.

Simon walks the beaches of Panoi, having survived the crash. His cheek is completely torn open, with blood pouring out from the gaping wound. Much like James, he walks carefully, not wanting to lose his balance as his hands are tied behind his back. Down the beach from Simon, James spots a figure out in the water. At first James is unsure as to who the individual is, but as soon as they reach the shore he recognizes them as the driver of the boat. The driver is clutching his side, which has been torn open, likely from his collision with the propeller. The two glare at each other for a second, waiting for the other to make a move. The driver suddenly pulls a knife from a cover tied around his waist, moving towards James while groaning with pain. James turns, attempting to run, but he is easily caught by the man, who jams the knife into James' thigh, causing James to throw himself back, landing on top of the man as they hit the ground. The man screams with pain, trying to grab the knife out of James' thigh, but James proceeds to whack his head backwards, feeling the mans nose crush beneath his skull, with the wetness of his blood covering James' nape. James then digs his hands (which are still behind his back) into the wound on the man's side, hearing the man's screams turn to a gurgling sound, before he finally stops moving. James then rolls off the man and onto his side, trying to get his breath back. Simon, who heard James' screams, quickly walks over, recognizing James from the resort. After a brief reunion, Simon lies down on his side parallel to James, with the two now back to back. Simon attempts to pull the knife from James' leg in order to use it to free their hands. Before Simon can do anything, he is grabbed by an unknown individual, and dragged off into the jungle. James calls out for Simon, unsure what is going on behind him, but he too is grabbed and dragged away.

Back at the resort, Dee is rummaging through Robb's desk, looking for more papers. Dee looks at several papers she finds in the bin, recognizing one as a photo of Caleb and Chrissy. Despite not knowing who Chrissy was, she recognizes Caleb as the man from the shed. Dee then looks up, noticing Robb and Manuel looking towards her. Dee waits for the two to leave, before running outside to the hotel entrance, calling over Kam, Leon and Laura. Dee begins to panic, going through staff policy with the group. Dee tells them that if after every term staff are replaced (with the exception of 'Bar 9' staff, Elton and Robb due to their managerial positions), then why is Manuel still present at the resort? Leon, Kam and Laura look at one another, quickly realizing that Dee has stumbled onto something big.

Appearances
• James Amazon • Heaven Chiaro • Leon • Diwata • Monroe Jones • Elton Yates • Robb Jarden • Manuel (no lines) • Kam Azar • Davey Westwood • Laura Miller • Jackson Hart • Dexter Alvarez • Cordelia Rey • Simon Corr • Kris Shepard • Nigel Draft • Evie • Jacob Newman (no lines) • Joey East (no lines) • Dana Vasquez • Del • Azure Jinks • Colin Jinks (no lines) • Martin Hudspith • Bryanna McLain (no lines) • Yusuf • Maznan • Jasni • La (uncredited)

Deaths
• Martin Hudspith • Bryanna McLain • Jasni

Trivia
• Manuel's sub-story wasn't part of the original plan for the show, as his character was created by Millzipede during the first episode in order to have more members of staff. In order to create an explanation for Manuel being the only member of staff it was decided that he would turn out to be undercover, working for the 'bad guys'. • The Manuel revelation is similar to the discovery that Ethan Rohm is an "Other" in LOST. • Originally La was going to appear in this episode with dialogue, but it was held off until the fourth episode. • Maznan was originally going to wash-up on the beach dead, but to confirm the fates of everyone on the boat felt unnecessary. To leave many of them uncertain felt more realistic. It isn't even certain that Martin and Bryanna died, but it is heavily implied, and very unlikely that either of them are still living. • Davey's group was originally going to consist of himself, Heaven, Monroe/Dee and Jackson/Dexter. It was only decided in the episode that Monroe and Dexter would be the two to go with them for sure. • This episode was going to contain more scenes with Del and Dana, but due to Janey's absence it was cut.