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   "Three Kings", shooting draft, by David O Russell



   






                          THREE KINGS





     a screenplay by
     David O. Russell
     Story by
     John Ridley and David O. Russell




                                                  Draft Date: 6/22/98




     FADE IN:

     EXT. IRAQI DESERT - DAY

     WIDE ANGLE POV of wide open desert, flat grey sky.

     THE CAMERA is running forward, toward a big sand berm in the
     distance. There are O.S. sounds: SOLDIER'S EQUIPMENT
     CLANKING, BOOTS RUNNING ON SAND. Hear a MAN's BREATHING.

     The back of his helmeted head and his uniformed shoulders
     APPEAR in the BOTTOM of the FRAME, running. This is TROY
     BARLOW, Sargeant, U.S. Army, 25 years old. On his helmet is
     a photo-button with a photo of a newborn baby.

     Suddenly, on the sand berm 100 meters ahead, an IRAQI SOLDIER
     stands. Troy stops in his tracks, out of breath, and stares
     at the figure on the berm. The Iraqi flutters a white flag
     over his head, then puts it down and picks up a gun. Troy
     turns around, we see his face for the first time.

                         TROY
               Are we shooting people, or what?

                         SOLDIER #1 (O.S.)
               Are we shooting?

                         TROY
               That's what I'm asking you.

                         SOLDIER #1 (O.S.)
               What's the answer?

                         TROY
               I don't know the answer. That's
               what I'm trying to find out.

     PAN TO THREE SOLDIERS 40 yards away -- ZOOM IN --

     SOLDIER #1 unwraps a stick of gum and puts it into his mouth.
     TWO OTHER SOLDIERS put out their hands and get pieces of gum.

     PAN TO 100 yards away -- ZOOM IN -- SOLDIER #2 stands with
     his head tilted back while SOLDIER #3 looks into his eye.

                         SOLDIER #3
               It looks like a grain of sand, but
               I don't know how I'm gonna get it
               out--

     CAPTAIN VAN METER, 37, crab-like, is in the far distance.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               If they surrender, don't shoot, if
               they don't surrender, then shoot.

     PAN BACK TO Troy, faces the CAMERA, CLOSE, scared, then turns
     back to the dune and runs a few yards.

     Stops and stares, raises his rifle.  He aims at the figure on
     the horizon.

     POV THROUGH RIFLE SCOPE

     The Iraqi soldier in the cross hairs. Hear Troy's breathing,
     loud, as he pulls trigger slowly.  Slow motion RIFLE sound.

     Silent pause. The Iraqi soldier stands there, then his neck
     explodes like a sack of blood. Silent, except for sound of
     Troy's LOUD BREATHING as he walks toward the big berm, and up
     to the crest. All we hear are his footsteps and breathing.

                         SOLDIER #3 (O.S.)
               That guy just shot a towel head.

                         SOLDIER #4 (O.S.)
               Bullshit.

     YOUNG IRAQI SOLDIER

     lies on the ground. A piece of his neck is blown away. He is
     rasping, a flag is clasped in one hand; a rifle in the other.
     He is looking up at Troy, who looks down at him.

                                              SMASH CUT TO

     FANTASY - INT. HOSPITAL, TORRANCE, CAL. - DAY

     A WHITE BABY GIRL, covered in blood and placenta, is pulled
     from between the legs of Troy's WIFE, DARLENE. THE NURSE
     holds the SCREAMING BABY aloft, proud and happy.

                         VIG (V.O.)
                      (deep southern accent)
               Congratulations, you got yourself
               a rag head, my man.

     EXT. IRAQI DESERT - DAY (PRESENT)

     The rasping Iraqi dies.

     PAN TO CONRAD VIG, 18 or 20, wiry, intense, deep south,
     wearing Army issue glasses, out of breath.

                         VIG
               Dag.

     Troy turns, upset, murmurs "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys.

                         TROY
               "Gettin' bugged drivin' up and
               down the same old strip, gotta
               find a new place where the kids
               are hip, I get around --"

                         SOLDIER #1
               I didn't think I'd see anyone get
               shot over here.

                         VIG
               It looked like the guy's head blew
               three feet into the air --

     FANTASY SEQUENCE IN SLOW MOTION

     The Iraqi's head pops three feet into the air.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         SOLDIER #1
               Bullshit, that's not what happened.

                         VIG
               I said it looked like that
               happened, but then we got here and
               he was still breathing.

                         SOLDIER #2
               Oh, my God, it's just like
               'Predator,' where the guy, the
               black guy --

                         SOLDIER #3
               Carl Weathers. His arm gets shot
               off.

                         VIG
               And when it hits the ground, his
               hand keeps on firing.

     SCENE FROM 'PREDATOR'

     Carl Weathers arm is shot off and keeps firing.

     BACK TO THE SCENE.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Take my picture.

                         VIG
               Do you still want to sell pictures?

                         TROY
                      (distracted monotone)
               For twenty.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Twenty dollars, man, what's the
               meaning of life?

                         TROY
               You're lucky you got to see
               anybody shot in this war.

                         VIG
               War's been over five days, Jim,
               ain't gonna be much more of this.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Bobby, take my picture.

     He holds the camera out.

                         SOLDIER #4
               If he shot the guy, it's up to him.

                         SOLDIER #5
               It's not like he shot a fucking
               deer. It's the enemy.

                         VIG
               Troy's enemy, yours for twenty.

     Soldiers get their cash out, Troy takes it.

                         TROY
               Accept no substitute, this is the
               real thing, oh, Jesus [winces] --

                         VIG
               What's wrong?

                         TROY
               I got a really bad headache all of
               a sudden--

     SOLDIER #7 bends next to the corpse and holds his camera out
     at arm's length.

                         VIG
               No free pictures, motherfucker.

     Vig shoves the soldier away and the two wrestle as they roll
     down the sand berm.

     "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth comes on LOUD.

     Troy walks away holding his temple in pain; SOLDIERS gather
     to stare at the dead Iraqi, getting their cameras out.

     EXT. IRAQI DESERT ROAD - AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN COMBAT GEAR

     dance on a road in the desert. "I Just Want to Celebrate"
     BLARES as the CAMERA DOLLIES THROUGH the soldiers.

     DOLLY INTO TENT TOWN, past bare chested soldiers pumping free
     weights; jogging in formation; sunbathing on big water
     storage mattresses; DOLLY OUT OF THE TENT TOWN, past a
     soldier taking a makeshift foxhole desert bath, past a dead
     Iraqi on the road, a chopper hovering in the distance, to
     MORE DANCING SOLDIERS, as music continues --

                         BILL SMITHSON (O.S.)
               Spirits are high and the music is
               boisterous as these young troops
               celebrate -- Shit. Let me try that
               again.

     DOLLY AROUND the dancing soldiers to see: hundreds of
     stripped Iraqi soldiers lying face down in undershorts.

                         BILL SMITHSON (O.S.)
               Spirits are high and the music is
               fucking motherfucking sand in my
               eye --

     PAN PAST CNN REPORTER BILL SMITHSON, 45, in white safari
     jacket over Desert Storm fatigues, cleaning his eye; nearby
     a cluster of ROWDY SOLDIERS who are mugging into the camera.

     DOLLY TO ARCHIE GATES, 55, Lieutenant Colonel, Special
     Forces, wearing sunglasses, talking to HAVICHON, a FRENCH
     Special Forces Captain on CRUTCHES with a broken leg.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Is that what you got from this
               experience? A goddamn watch?

                         HAVICHON
               Ees a great fucking watch.

     Close up: portrait of a sheik on a Rolex.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               There's 700 million in gold out
               there and you're fucking around
               with a watch?

                         HAVICHON
               Bon dieu de merde, that's a lot of
               gold, man.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               One bunker of gold and we retire
               from this horseshit, Hashy--

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Gates.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Just a second. The problem, Hash,
               is how do you find it?

                         HAVICHON
               Like one sowsan bunker out sair --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Maybe two sowsan bunker out sair,
               Hash, how do you find Saddam's
               bullion?

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Could I have some help over here,
               for Chrissakes?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               My goodness, Bill, what seems to
               be the problem?

                         BILL SMITHSON
               I'm trying to do a story here and
               the fucking sand is blowing in my
               face --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You want me to stop the sand? I
               can't do anything about that.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               No, you're too busy talking about
               the fucking gold, which by the way
               makes a great story if you'd get
               me a goddamn lead on it --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I think the Saddam story goes more
               for the jugular, journalistically
               speaking, I mean, he's still here
               beating the shit out of his
               country.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Would you just be my guide and not
               my fucking producer? You're my
               guide.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               OK, go do your celebration story,
               Bill.

     SMASH TO: Rowdy soldiers mug for Smithson's camera.

                         SOLDIER #5
               We're number one.

                         SOLDIER #6
               Waaaa-hooooo--

                         BILL SMITHSON
               You're heroes.

                         SOLDIER #6
               We're heroes.

                         SOLDIER #7
               Give war a chance.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               You've exorcised the ghosts of
               Vietnam with a clear moral
               imperative --

                         SOLDIER #5
               Is that what we did?

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Where the hell are you going?

     Archie is walking off with CATHY DAITCH a young reporter.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I'll be right back.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               I don't want you helping other
               reporters, goddamn it.

                         SOLDIER #1
               We kicked ass.

                         SOLDIER #6
               We didn't get rid of fucking
               Saddam --

                         SOLDIER #8
               Which totally sucks a big dick.

                         SOLDIER #6
               Those people are getting reemed --

                         SOLDIER #7
               Bullshit, we saved Kuwait, man.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Who's getting reemed? The Shiites?

                         SOLDIER #8
               I don't know who they are, man --

                         SOLDIER #6
               We got big firepower but we ain't
               saving them --

                         SOLDIER #5
               Fuck that, we liberated Kuwait.

                         SOLDIER #1
               Weehaaaaaaa.

     Five soldiers chant Lee Greenwood's anthem, "Proud to Be An
     American" into Smithson's camera --

                         SOLDIERS (CHANT)
               'If tomorrow all the things were
               gone that I worked for all my life
               and I had to start again with just
               my children and my wife--'

     WIDE, HIGH ANGLE DOLLYING CRANE OF BIG TENT CITY

                         SOLDIERS (CHANT OS)
               'I'd thank my lucky stars to --

     Dissolve to POV from chopper - night - of twinkling lights of
     vast U.S. Army camp below.

     "Proud to Be An America" blasts. CHOPPER PILOTS sing off key.

                         CHOPPER PILOTS
               '--be livin' here today because
               the flag still stands for freedom
               and they can't take that
               awayyyyy --'

     INT. LARGE ARMY TENT - NIGHT

     "Proud To Be An American" BLASTS on as

     Troy, wearing a checked Arab headdress is paraded on
     shoulders. He holds up a Coke can in one hand and a Bud can
     in the other, like torches.

                         TROY
                      (screaming the song)
               And I'm proud I to be an American,
               where at least I know I'm free.
               And I won't forget the men who
               died, who gave that right to me.
               And I'd gladly stand up; next to
               you and defend her still today.
               Cause there ain't no doubt I love
               this land, God bless the U S A --

     Soldiers scream and go nuts.

     Beer is sputtered from soldiers' mouths.

     "I Can't Do Nothing For Ya Man" by Public Enemy blasts.

     WALTER WOGOMAN, 19, quiet, tall, Southern operates two
     parallel boom boxes like a DJ.

     A Soldier rapidly peels down one Bruce Lee poster on top of
     another, like a flip-book animating Bruce Lee. Vig wearing
     a bandage across his nose from the fight on the berm does a
     series of cheerleader-like karate arm movements.

     Soldiers whip brightly painted toy footballs at Troy. He
     whips the balls back, is tackled over a table, crashes.

     Soldiers -- Vig, Walter, others -- scream viscerally as the
     music blasts.  Two soldiers fire their fingers like pistols
     at Troy on the floor screaming like a fierce animal.

                         TROY
               Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

     Vig screams into Troy's face at point blank range.

                         VIG
               Rahhhhhhhhh.

                         TROY
               Rahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Goddamn it, where the fuck did
               this beer come from we gotta take
               more Iraqis prisoner tomorrow.

     EXT. IRAQI DESERT - DAY

     WIDE SHOT -  HUNDREDS OF IRAQIS walking in the desert, hands
     raised above their heads.

                         TRANSLATOR (MEGAPHONE)
               Hasnala shi aluno quibaan --

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               We will not hurt you. Lay down
               your weapons, get on the ground --

     TWO IRAQIS with bad face wounds get medical help.

     FIVE IRAQIS

     on their knees, plead for mercy in Arabic as they disrobe.
     They grab and kiss Troy Barlow's hand, as he holds his M-16
     on the begging Iraqis.

                         TROY
               It's cool, no one's gonna hurt
               you --

     Vig whips out his big Thunder 5 pistol and points it in their
     faces.

                         VIG
               Did you rape and torture anybody
               in Kuwait, Abdul?

     The Iraqis wail for mercy. Troy pushes Vig's pistol away.

                         TROY
               You're making them all hysterical.

     Vig points the big pistol at an OLDER IRAQI OFFICER who is
     the only one not taking his clothes off.

                         VIG
               Take your fucking rags off, take
               this off. No comprende English,
               motherfucker?

                         TROY
               What is your fucking problem,
               Conrad?

                         VIG
               I'm trying to git him to obey the
               spirit of things but he won't take
               his rags off.

                         TROY
                      (leans down)
               Sir? We need you to disrobe like
               all the other towel heads, OK?

     The Officer does not move, Troy punches his head once. Vig
     and Walter forcibly pull the Iraqi Officer's pants off. Troy
     takes out a bottle of aspirin, eats two.

                         VIG
               Whoa, it's a freaky thing, Troy.

     Vig points to the Officer's bare buttocks, where a rolled up
     piece of paper is sticking out --

                         TROY
               There's a document in that guy's
               ass, Conrad.

                         VIG
               That's the freaky thing.

                         WALTER
               Do you think he ate it?

                         TROY
               It wouldn't come out perfect like
               that if he ate it.

     Troy pulls out a latex glove out of his pocket.

                         TROY
               Go get it, Private.

                         IRAQI OFFICER
               Hasa man timal!

     The Officer screams in protest and is forcibly subdued by
     Walter as Vig, wearing the glove, slowly pulls the rolled up,
     greasy paper from the Officer's ass -- Troy looks disgusted.

                         TROY
               Open it up.

                         VIG
               You only gave me one glove.

                         TROY
               I'm sorry I don't have another,
               but you gotta open it up. That's
               how the chain of command works.

     Vig takes out a U.S. Army pen and uses it to unroll the
     greasy paper and lie it flat on the sand.

     CLOSE UP - THE RUMPLED PAPER

     is a handwritten map, with scant Arabic writing, a few spare
     roads, numbers, and three small boxes.

                         VIG
               What the hell is that?

                         TROY
               Important enough to squeeze your
               cheeks for.

     INT. TELEVISION TRUCK - DAY

     In the half-light of dozens of TV monitors playing Iraqi news
     from around the world, Archie Gates madly humps CATHY DAITCH
     on a lawn chair which is slamming into the monitors.

                         CATHY DAITCH
               You are a trained warrior, trained
               warrior, trained warrior, Jesus
               Christ, Colonel!

     TV monitors crash to the floor as she climaxes. Archie lays
     on the floor catching his breath, stares at a sideways
     monitor of soldiers celebrating; she stands, dresses.

                         CATHY DAITCH
                      (breathless)
               What's Bill got?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Just the celebration story.

                         CATHY DAITCH
               That's it?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's it --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               How about you? Did you find
               anything?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               It could be another bullshit lead
               but I need you to help me find a
               guy who might have something on
               the gold --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Who's the guy?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               Somebody Barlow, maybe in Company
               B--

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Barlow.

                         CATHY DAITCH
               Got a map out of a prisoner's head.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Out of a prisoner's head?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               Or his ear, or his ass, or his
               dick, and they got like a fifty
               page full-color mini atlas of
               Saddam's bunkers --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Out of a guy's dick?

     The door explodes open and two MPs grab Archie, pants around
     his ankles, and drag him from the truck.

     EXT. TELEVISION TRUCK - DAY

     Archie is faced by an OLDER TWO STAR GENERAL (GENERAL PYE),
     a YOUNGER ONE STAR GENERAL (GENERAL HORN).

                         GENERAL PYE
               This is not the way we service the
               media, Major. Stop her --

     WHIP PAN TO Cathy runs away as she dresses, MPs grab her.

                         MP
               You are in violation of code 37D,
               grinding Major Gates.

     They let her go. Soldiers in gas suits laugh.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You guys have no manners
               whatsoever --

     Bill Smithson runs up, agitated.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               I told you he was with her --

                         GENERAL PYE
               We're handling this, OK?

     The MP pushes Smithson away.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               I wanted help with the gold story,
               and he took off on me--

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's a lot of bullshit.

     Smithson is walked away. Archie pulls his pants up.

                         GENERAL PYE
               I give you a prestige job in the
               media war of the century and the
               guy feels neglected.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I'm helping him plenty with his
               big celebration feature -- Where
               did you get this fucking star?

     Archie suddenly reaches out and grabs the corner of General
     Horn's collar, with its one star.

                         GENERAL HORN
               They made me a general, pal.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               For what? I don't even know what
               we did over here, but Schwartzkopf
               gets a book deal, you get a star,
               Powell gets to be fucking
               president--

                         GENERAL HORN
               Are you high? This is a huge win
               for us.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Running the press pool's a real
               big win for me.

                         GENERAL PYE
               You want us to kill more Americans
               to occupy Iraq?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I'm just saying it's ironic,
               that's all.

                         GENERAL HORN
               What the fuck is ironic?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We got the biggest army in the
               world here but Iraq still has the
               d-bag dictator in power, but
               that's how the world works I guess.

                         GENERAL PYE
               Just take care of Smithson and
               maybe he'll hook you up to consult
               on movies.

                         GENERAL HORN
               It's either that or be a security
               guard when you retire.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Fuck you, Ron.

                         GENERAL HORN
               I'm a general now, you can't say
               fuck you to me.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               OK, sir, but there's another thing
               I'd like to say, if you don't mind.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Go right ahead, Colonel.

     Archie leans wild-eyed into Horn's face and whispers --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Fuuuuuck yooouuuu, Ronnnnn.

     INT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAY

     SPLASH -- rubbing alcohol is poured over Vig's extended hand
     by DOC ELGIN, 25, stocky, black, no nonsense.

                         TROY
               You've washed your hands like a
               thousand times, Conrad.

                         VIG
               Lord knows what vermin live in the
               butt of a dune koon.

                         DOC
               Why do you let this cracker follow
               you around?

                         TROY
               He's a good kid.

                         DOC
               He's a wall-eyed cracker.

                         TROY
               He's got no high school, man, he's
               from a group home in Jackson --

                         DOC
               I don't give a shit if he's from
               Johannesburg. I don't want to hear
               dune koon or sand nigger from him
               or anybody.

                         VIG
               Captain uses those terms.

                         TROY
               The point is, Conrad, 'towel head'
               and 'camel jockey' are perfectly
               good substitutes.

                         DOC
               Exactly.

                         VIG
               I'm sorry, man, it's a little
               confusing is all.

                         DOC
               What can I do for your headache?

     Doc Elgin opens a case full of pill bottles.

                         TROY
               Got any Vicadan?

                         DOC
               All gone. How about Caffergot?

                         TROY
               Excellent. Let's translate my
               Iraqi ass map.

     Troy pops the pills, Doc pulls a document from a folder and
     opens it as he hovers over a table with Troy and Vig.

                         TROY
               Van Meter's at the big pow wow?

                         DOC
               We're cool for at least three
               hours, but keep Walter on the door.

     Walter stands by the door wearing night vision goggles.


                         TROY
               Would you take those fucking
               things off?

                         WALTER
               I never got to use night vision.

                         TROY
               They don't work during the day and
               stand outside the tent.

     Doc unfolds a big aerial-photo map of the Iraqi desert, next
     to the rumpled ass map.

                         DOC
               These are definitely Saddam's
               bunkers near Karbala.

                         TROY
               What's inside?

                         DOC
               According to Intelligence --
               Picasso, Armani, Rolex, Mercedes,
               Sony you name it --  Kuwait was
               Muslim Beverly Hills and Saddam
               sacked it.

                         VIG
               Man, get an awesome stereo system
               with like ten BOS speakers  --

                         TROY
               Silver Lexus convertible.

                         DOC
               Lexus doesn't make a convertible.

                         TROY
               Yes, they do.

                         DOC
               Infiniti has one coming.

                         TROY
               You're wrong.

                         DOC
               You can't get a car home from here
               anyway.

                         TROY
               If I get enough Rolexes I could
               buy one when I got home.

                         VIG
               One gold Rolex, I get a very fine
               split level outside Jackson.

                         TROY
               My one problem, see, is the risk
               here --

                         DOC
               What risk? We already did the
               risk. I signed up last year to
               bank some computer training--

                         TROY
               Tell me about it.

                         DOC
               Next thing I know I'm sitting here
               waiting to get hit by a Scud. I
               put my life on the line for what
               purpose I'm not sure, and now the
               good Lord puts this map in my
               path --

                         TROY
               He could put a land mine in your
               path if we try to find this
               place --

                         DOC
               You're safe with me.

                         TROY
               Cuz you have a galactic plutonium
               forcefield.

                         DOC
               I don't talk about it. But I do
               have a ring of Jesus fire.

                         TROY
               You have a ring of Jesus fire.

                         DOC
               I was fire baptized.

                         VIG
               I was baptized in water.

                         DOC
               I'm fire baptized.

                         TROY
               I don't even know what water
               baptism means.

                         DOC
               For those who understand, no
               explanation is necessary; for
               those who don't, no explanation
               will suffice. You can benefit from
               my Jesus ring if you do right by
               me, you got that?

                         TROY
               OK.

                                              CUT TO

     POV WALTER'S NIGHT VISION --

     BLURRY IMAGE OF ARCHIE WALKING right up to Walter.

                         WALTER
               This tent is restricted --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Get the fuck out of my way.

                         WALTER
               May day, may day --

                                              CUT TO

     Troy and Doc scramble to put the maps under the table.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Good afternoon.

     He walks up to them.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Would this be the proctology tent?

                         DOC
               Yes, sir, I mean, no, sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Then maybe it's the urology tent.

                         TROY
               Captain's at a staff meeting.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's OK, I'm not looking for a
               proctologist or a urologist I'm
               looking for Sargeant Barlow.

     Archie fixes his gaze on Troy, walks up, reaches under the
     table, and takes the map, smells his fingers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You're on the path to truth when
               you smell shit, isn't that what
               they say?

                         VIG
               I don't recognize you, sir. Are
               you in this division?

                         DOC
               He's not in this division. He's
               Special Forces.

     Troy and Vig are impressed.

                         DOC
               He's the guy taking Bill Smithson
               around.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               And you would be the Three Wise
               Men, right, Mappy, Slappy, and
               Pappy -- 

     He points in order to Doc, Vig, and Troy, who picks up his
     family photo button.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That leaves Cappy outside.

                                              CUT TO

     Walter, outside the tent, practices blocking positions.

                         WALTER
               Damn. Freeze. Do not pass. Hold
               it, freeze. Stop. Freeze.

                                              CUT TO

                         VIG
               His name is Walter.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Did you good soldiers present this
               map to Captain Van Meter?

                         TROY
               Not yet.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Then I'll take it to him.

     Troy stands and grabs the map.

                         TROY
               We'll take it to him. Sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It won't do either of us any good
               then, will it?

                         TROY
               He's our commander, sir. We'd have
               to tell him you took it.

     Both Troy and Archie hold the map, staring at each other.
     Everyone is tense.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It could be nothing but a sandy
               love letter from one Eye-raqi to
               another --

                         TROY
               It's a series of bunkers near
               Karbala.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Maybe.

                         TROY
               Not maybe, definitely. Recon
               photos match the map.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               May I look at the goddamn map?

     Troy lets go. Archie holds the map up to the light. He then
     pours some of Doc's rubbing alcohol on the map, and holds it
     to the light again. He puts the map on the table, turns the
     light off and clicks on an infra-red flashlight he pulls out.
     A completely different map appears in green markings.

                         VIG
               Dag.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's what makes Rangers badass,
               we get the best flashlights.

     They stare at the new map in the infrared glow, captivated.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Still looks like a series of three
               bunkers in three villages. A bit
               farther to the west.

                         DOC
               Seventy-five klicks north.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               More like 65.

                         TROY
               Much closer to Karbala.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Leave at dawn, back by lunch, not
               a big deal. Of course --

     He turns the overhead light back on.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               -- there could be nothing inside
               but starving Arabs and stolen
               watches, but I think it's worth
               checking out, even if I have to do
               it with clueless reservists like
               you.

     They look at him.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I mean, I could take the map, but
               you could talk, it starts to
               become a pain in the ass for me,
               so we'll do the gold together.

                         DOC
               What gold?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You don't even know what's inside
               these bunkers, do you?

                         VIG
               Rolexes.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Rolexes are swell, but I'm talking
               about Kuwaiti bullion.

                         VIG
               You mean the little cubes you put
               in hot water for soup?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No. Not the little cubes you put
               in hot water for soup.

                         TROY
               Gold bricks.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               5 kilos each, $50,000 in today's
               market.

                         VIG
               For one gold brick?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I'm sure Mr. Hussein has divided
               his bricks. into many different
               hiding places, but just one hiding
               place should be easy to take, and
               that would be enough to get us out
               of our day jobs. Unless the three
               kings are in love with their day
               jobs.

     Dolly: Troy, Doc, Vig stare at Archie.

     FANTASY - EXT. LOS ANGELES - DAY

     SILENT - Troy walks in white shirtsleeves, dark tie, pulling
     a cart with a salesman's black case on it over a curb.

     FANTASY - INT. OFFICE

     SILENT - Troy kneels at a disassembled photocopier, tools and
     parts all around him, opens a bag of toner, which spills
     black dust all over his white shirt

     FANTASY - INT. KENNEDY AIRPORT

     SILENT - Doc is a red cap. He lifts suitcases from the trunk
     of a black Mercedes while a rich white father (mother and two
     small children behind) tells him to be careful.

     FANTASY - EXT. MISSISSIPPI WOODS

     Vig fires his pistols with fury at a series of stuffed
     animals on logs -- blowing the stuffed animals to
     smithereens.

                                              BACK TO

                         VIG
               I don't really have a day job.

                         TROY
               What about the risk of taking a
               Humvee and all that --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We do this shit all the time.

                         VIG
               What else did you do, sir?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               In Panama we went sailing in
               Noriega's boats.

                         TROY
               Wow.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               In Vietnam, we got a big gold
               Buddha, which we unfortunately
               dropped in a swamp by accident.

                         DOC
               What about Iraqi soldiers?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let's see. They had the shit
               bombed out them for two months,
               they're deserting all over the
               place, and they've completely
               surrendered to us. That's a beaten
               army in every sense of the word.

     He looks at them.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You are now under my command,
               salute --

     They salute him. He straightens Troy's salute.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What's the guy's name outside?

                         TROY
               Walter.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Cappy.

     Walter comes in.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You will take Bill Smithson on a
               special mission to find the gold
               story, but it will be a
               meaningless ride that lasts all
               morning and takes him nowhere near
               Karbala, is that clear?

                         WALTER
               How am I gonna get out of the
               company?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Your captain will be detained by
               a friend of mine.

                         VIG
               Is it true you got to take an
               enemy ear to be Special Forces?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No, but if you talk to anybody
               about this, I'll kill you.

     Vig smile fades as he looks into Archie's cold stare.

     EXT. DESERT CAMP - WIDE SHOT - DAWN

     Three figures in fatigues crouch low to the ground as they
     run to a motorcycle and side car. Walter kickstarts the
     motorcycle. PACO the cameraman sits behind Walter with a
     video camera. Walter's face is painted beige and brown with
     camouflage spots, so is Bill Smithson's, as he crouches in
     the sidecar and dramatically gives Walter the thumb's up.

     EXT. VAN METER'S TENT - DAY

     Cathy Daitch stands next to a cameraman filming Van Meter
     while another man holds a boom over Van Meter's head.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               How about if I lean on it, like
               this?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               Very dashing.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Does it look too posed?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               Would you ever stand like that?

     Van Meter tries a couple of poses.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               I think I might, Jesus, this feels
               stupid.

                         CATHY DAITCH
               You'll get used to it. First
               question: did you dream as a boy
               you'd be commanding an infantry
               company in a desert war?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               As a boy, I wanted to be either a
               veterinarian or a CIA
               sharpshooter --

     EXT. DESERT - MOVING HUMVEE - MORNING

     Bach's Gloria, from Mass in B Minor plays as

     Pow pow pow, Vig fires his big pistol into the desert.

                         DOC
               Pull.

     Troy throws a painted football into the desert. Doc fires the
     M-16 and blows the ball to pieces.

     Archie drives and moves his hand to the Bach.

     The convertible Humvee is loaded with weaponry and gear, a
     mounted 60 mm machine gun, a Bart Simpson doll on the grill.

     The Humvee rolls into the vast desert, littered with burned
     out tanks, black craters, overturned vehicles, no people.

                         DOC
               Pull.

     Troy throws another ball, Doc blows it away.

                         TROY
               Pull.

     Doc throws a football from the moving Humvee, Troy fires a
     pistol and misses the ball as it bounces to the desert.

                         TROY
               I gave you a better arc, Doc.

                         DOC
               What are you talking about?

                         TROY
               I threw the ball in a higher arc
               that was easier for you to hit.

                         DOC
               Bullshit.

                         VIG
               Blacks make better receivers than
               quarterbacks.

                         TROY
               Stop speaking right now, Conrad.

                         DOC
               Warren Moon is an excellent
               quarterback.

                         VIG
               The Oilers have gone nowhere
               behind Warren Moon.

                         DOC
               Randall Cunningham.

                         TROY
               Don't get down in the mud with
               him, Doc.

                         VIG
               The Eagles will never get to the
               Superbowl with him.

     Archie moves his hand to the Bach.

                         DOC
               Doug Williams took the Redskins to
               the Superbowl and won, OK?

                         TROY
               We can all agree there are many
               excellent black quarterbacks.

     Doc throws a ball. Vig fires his giant pistol twice and
     misses.

                         DOC
               Hit it, you sorry-assed cracker --

                         VIG
               This gun's too heavy to shoot
               one-handed like a movie star --

     Vig fires: blam, blam, bam. The Humvee stops abruptly.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Shut the fuck up.

     They sit in embarrassed silence; the joyous Bach choir plays.

     EXT. DESERT DAY

     No more music. Troy, Doc, and Vig stand spread apart. They
     wear white anti-gas suits and hold pistols and drink from
     plastic water bottles. A bomb crater is nearby, a wrecked,
     burned truck to the side, a SKINNY COW meanders.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               When we pull up to the bunker, the
               approach is something called
               violence of action, which is
               standard in special operations. It
               means your movement is so fast and
               decisive that the guards are
               frozen and we haven't fired a
               single shot.

     Troy kicks at something in the sand -- and a decayed human
     arm springs out, attached to a body with a half-rotted face.

                         TROY
               Shit.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We dropped a lot of bombs out here
               and we buried some guys alive --

                         VIG
               What do you mean?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Bradleys with big plows cut
               through the berms and covered the
               trenches --

     FANTASY - A HUGE PLOW

     on the front of a Bradley pushes sand right TOWARD THE CAMERA

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               They had the option to surrender,
               but they chose to die for their
               country.

     DOLLY INTO five terrified Iraqis, eyes open with fear, as the
     sand rolls over them.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let's rehearse.

     EXT. DESERT - LATER

     They sit in the Humvee and hold their pistols ready.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We'll say the cow is the primary
               guard outside the bunker. We pull
               up fast, and stop short.

                         TROY
               Got it.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               And -- Go.

     The cow stares as the Humvee pulls up to it fast. Troy and
     Doc jump out, pistols drawn, flank the cow --

     The cow steps back, and explodes.

     Troy and Doc stand splattered with cow entrails. The cow's
     head lands with a thud on the hood of the Humvee.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Who's hurt?

                         DOC
               It's all cow, I think.

                         VIG
               Yeah, it's all cow.

     He picks cow entrails off himself.

                         DOC
               They said this was swept for mines.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Mines are forever, Doc. They never
               get all of 'em.

                         TROY
                      (low murmur)
               'If you could, help me Rhonda,
               help help me Rhonda --'

     Archie watches Troy.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Did you guys see any action at all?

                         VIG
               Only night bombing on CNN, except
               for Troy's supercool shooting that
               guy in the neck--

     Archie takes Vig's BIG PISTOL and EMPTIES THE SHELLS and puts
     them into his pocket.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Is sepsis cool?

                         VIG
               What's sepsis?

                         DOC
               Infection of the blood.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               As in septic tank, because that's
               what happens when a bullet hits
               you. The lead tears in there --

     FANTASY - INT. STOMACH MUSCLE AND TISSUE

     Slow motion, a bullet pierces flesh, makes a cavity --

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               Makes a cavity of dead tissue that
               closes down in a convulsive motion
               typical of all gunshot wounds. The
               cavity fills up with bile and
               bacteria and you're fucked.

     Bile fluid fills the cavity.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         ARCHIE GATES
               But other than a wound that
               blinds, paralyzes, or castrates,
               the worst wound I've ever seen is
               something called tension pneumo
               thorax --

                         DOC
               I heard something about that --

                         VIG
               Tension pneumo what?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               A bullet, or a blade doesn't kill
               you, but makes a little hole in
               the lung, so every time you
               breathe, a little air leaks into
               the chest cavity, which starts to
               fill up like a balloon. And that
               balloon starts to push your organs
               to the side, crushing your lung,
               your liver, your heart. Your own
               breathing kills you, one breath at
               a time -- kinda like a job you
               can't stand or a bad lie you once
               told.

                         DOC
               That's not fatal, they can stop it.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               If you know how to make another
               little hole in the chest to let
               the air out, just like you would
               with an overinflated tire.

     They look at Archie, scared by this.

                         TROY
               Can we play the Beach Boys when we
               go in?

                         DOC
               The goddamn Beach Boys.

                         TROY
               I'm not ashamed of liking the
               Beach Boys. It calms me down.
               Better than Mozart.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Bach.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY - HIGH WIDE SHOT

     'I Get Around' by The Beach Boys BLASTS as the Humvee speeds
     along. A big American flag flaps in the breeze from a pole at
     the back of the Hummer.

     The Humvee drives fast into the central square of a small
     village of low, sand-colored stucco buildings and shanties.

     Vig drives as the Humvee speeds around the town square,
     zooming past scared Shiites in black robes, a few skinny
     dogs, a few bewildered Iraqi soldiers.

                         VIG
               Where's the bunker?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It should be right --

     He studies the map and points to a decayed green building.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               There.

     Vig jerks the wheel right.  They drive fast.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No -- there.

     Archie points left. Vig jerks the wheel left, drives straight
     toward a low cement building with two Iraqi soldiers in front.

     Iraqi soldiers look scared as the Humvee drives up, like it's
     going to hit them, and stops, flag fluttering in the breeze.

     Vig stands and speaks into a megaphone.

                         VIG
               We are the Army of the United
               States of America. We are here to
               protect you. Remain calm.

     Troy and Doc leap from the Humvee with pistols drawn and
     their free hands held up in a 'halt' sign. The TWO IRAQI
     GUARDS look stunned as Troy and Doc simply take their machine
     guns and put the Iraqis face down on the ground. Troy and Doc
     pull out plastic twist hand-cuffs, as used in urban riots.

     Archie bounds forward holding up a thick white document.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Orders from President Bush, step
               aside.

     Troy finishes handcuffing one of the Iraqi soldiers, as a
     gaunt mother, with a baby in her arms, opens her blouse,
     revealing her small breasts. Other peasants gather.

                         IRAQI MOTHER
               No milk. Baby milk.

     Troy looks shocked until Archie suddenly pushes him past the
     Iraqi mother and to the door of the bunker, which Doc holds.

     INT. BUNKER - DAY

     Five IRAQI SOLDIERS look disoriented and scared as they hold
     their hands up in the air.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Do not panic.  Step outside --

     EXT. BUNKER - DAY

                         VIG
                      (into the megaphone)
               We are here for your protection
               and safety.

     Iraqi women and children kiss Vig's feet.

     The five Iraqi soldiers exit the bunker with their hands
     raised, and the starved Shiite civilians spit and throw
     stones at them while 'I Get Around' keeps playing.

                         VIG
               Ya'll be cool now, this is the
               U.S. Marines in charge here.

     INT. STAIRWELL - BUNKER

     Archie runs down the narrow stairs of the bunker, followed by
     Troy and Doc.

     INT. BASEMENT OF BUNKER - DAY

     Doc lashes an Iraqi's hands behind his back and cuffs him.

     Troy shoots the door lock with his pistol.  Then backs up and
     gives it a running shoulder. The door doesn't budge.

                         TROY
               Shit.

     He holds his shoulder in pain.  Archie kicks the door
     repeatedly.  Troy joins him, it finally flies open.

                         TROY
               Freeze.

     Troy is embraced by an Iraqi soldier, about 25.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               I am love United States of
               Freedom. I am hate Saddam.

     Troy tries some karate moves, jerking his elbows to dislodge
     the Iraqi from the bear hug --

                         TROY
               Ya -- ya -- ha --

     Doc points his pistol in the Iraqi's face.

                         DOC
               Let him go.

     The Iraqi throws his hands in the air.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               No problem, my friend.

     Archie goes to a series of WOODEN CRATES the size of file
     cabinets, where Doc helps Archie take off his back pack.
     Archie pulls out a bolt cutter and a pneumatic saw, both
     attached to a small air tank - and opens the crate, which is
     filled with hundreds of Kuwaiti passports.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               You look for the chemical weapon?

                         TROY
               No. We look for the gold.

     They use the power tools to open the second crate -- also
     filled with hundreds of passports.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Where's the gold?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               They move the gold.

     Archie pulls out the infrared map and shows it to the Iraqi,
     who says nothing.

                         DOC
               Kill him.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Not yet.

                         TROY
               Kill him now.

     They point their guns. It's a show. Archie holds the map.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Where?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
                      (points to map)
               This bunker. I'll take you.

     EXT. BUNKER - DAY

     FOUR NEW IRAQI SOLDIERS, armed with rifles, run from the far
     side of the square and start shooting.

     30 rock-throwing Shiite scatter at the gunfire. TWO MEN fall
     to the ground as they are shot.

                         CHILD
               Ma-Maa.

     Vig looks terrified as the crowd scatters, leaving him alone
     as he points his big unloaded pistol. The soldiers point
     their rifles as they come towards Vig, when suddenly two of
     them look to the side and shout.

                         ARMED IRAQI SOLDIER
               Ganan azwar!

     PAN TO a shiny METAL TANKER TRUCK three hundred yards out,
     bearing down fast on the village square.

     The soldiers open fire on the truck.

     INT - THE CAB OF THE TANKER TRUCK

     The Shiite riding shotgun fires back, as the windshield
     shatters on the truck. The driver is dead. The other Shiite
     grabs the wheel.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

     Archie bursts out the front door, followed by Troy and Doc.
     They freeze as --

     The tanker truck careens sideways toward them, 50 feet away.

     An Iraqi soldier fires a grenade-launcher off his shoulder
     which explodes the container on the back of the truck --

     Milk explodes everywhere, gushing around the wheels of the
     Humvee and the feet of Archie and the others.

     Shiite women with plastic containers and ceramic jugs rush
     out from alleys and try to scoop up the milk. Other Shiites
     crowd the Humvee and climb in.

     Iraqi soldiers drag two bodies from the cab of the truck.
     Troy and Doc point their guns in the crowd.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Move. Out of the way.

     Archie shoves Shiite peasants out of the Humvee.

                         SHIITE WOMAN
               Hos-pital.

     She holds a SHIRTLESS BOY of 7 with a bandage around his
     entire chest. Doc pushes her off the Humvee.

                         SHIITE MAN
               America help.

     He grabs Archie. Troy shoves the man off the vehicle. Vig
     starts the engine.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Give them MRE's.

     Troy rips open a large duffel and starts handing out Army
     Meal Rations to the crowd -- Vig leans on the horn.

     The friendly Iraqi jumps into the rear of the Hummer as it
     starts to pull away. Archie shoves the friendly Iraqi out,
     and he lands on his ass in the swarm of chasing Shiites.

     Archie and Troy look back at the debacle as they pull away.

     EXT. DESERT MARSH - DAY

     Raging oil fires, 50 feet high -- billowing black smoke.
     Walter drives the motorcycle through the smoke. Paco the
     Cameraman sits on back. Bill Smithson sits in the sidecar.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               This is boring, I already did this
               damn story, goddamn it, where the
               hell is the gold?

                         WALTER
               How about rare pelican migration
               out by the marshes?

                         BILL SMITHSON
               What?

                         WALTER
               These brave pelicans are migrating
               in spite of massive pollution --

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Fuck that. Stop the bike.

     Walter keeps driving.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     Doc gets out of the stopped Humvee, shaken, and walks around.

                         DOC
               I'm all right, I'm cool.

     He lies down and breathes heavily with a hand on his chest.
     Archie gets out and walks around, agitated, clearly upset.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What is the art of war, because it
               is not for killing people, it's a
               stratagem to give life to many by
               killing the evil perpetrated by a
               few -- I am burning up in this
               goddamn suit --

     He angrily takes off his gas suit; boxers and sweat-drenched
     green T-shirt underneath.  Troy and Vig guzzle water.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Discriminating use of violence as
               a last resort, and even then,
               carefully, surgically, that's what
               I learned, that's what I'm good
               at. But now they underestimate all
               this, bomb the same towns for six
               weeks  and still leave the scumbag
               dictator to starve and butcher his
               own people.

     The others, all drenched in sweat, take off their gas suits.

                         TROY
                      (agitated)
               I don't even know what happened
               back there. Civilians were
               spitting on their own soldiers;
               the soldiers were shooting the
               civilians and ignoring us --

                         DOC
               They already surrendered to us.
               Now they're after Shiites.

                         VIG
               What exactly is a Shiite?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               They make up the ethnic majority
               but they don't have any power.
               When Bush pulled us out, he told
               them to start a civil war to bring
               Saddam down, and now they're
               getting wasted.

                         VIG
                      (totally puzzled)
               The civil war? How could it be the
               civil war?

     FANTASY - STOCK FOOTAGE: UNION SOLDIERS FIGHT DIXIE REBELS

     BACK TO THE SCENE

     Vig looks puzzled.

                         TROY
               It's a war inside the same
               country, Conrad. That's a civil
               war.

     Archie chucks each of them MARINE UNIFORMS without name tags
     which everyone puts on, except Troy.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Put these on, we are now U.S.
               Marines.

                         TROY
               I can't do this, OK? Because I've
               got a family and if I shit in a
               bag the rest of my life cuz I got
               shot after the war's already over
               that would be pretty fucking
               stupid, wouldn't it?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What is the most important thing
               in life?

                         TROY
               What the fuck are you talking
               about?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What is it?

                         TROY
               Did you hear anything I said.

                         VIG
               Respect is the most important.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Too dependent on other people.

                         DOC
               Money.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Comes and goes, man.

                         TROY
               What is this bullshit?

                         DOC
               What's the most important thing?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Necessity. That's what dictates
               what will happen at any given time
               in life. Necessity says we don't
               spend American lives taking out
               Saddam,  which leaves Saddam the
               necessity of taking out the
               Shiites so he can stay in power,
               which leaves us to take the gold.

                         TROY
               We could've been shot.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Did you notice they didn't touch
               us?  We decimated their entire
               country. They're scared shitless
               of us. [looks at his watch]
               There's time to try another
               bunker. I say we go.

                         DOC
               Let's do it.

                         VIG
               Rock and roll.

                         TROY
               OK. And I'll be wearing
               fashionable kevlar. As a necessity.

     He pulls a vest out of the Humvee.

     EXT. MARSH

     The motorcycle is stopped by the marsh. Siberian pelicans fly
     all around. Many lie dead on the ground.  Bill Smithson paces
     with a cell phone.

                         BILL SMITHSON
                      (on cell phone)
               I'm at some goddamn marsh, all
               we've seen are Russian cranes.

                         WALTER
               Pelicans.

                         BILL SMITHSON
                      (on the cell phone)
               I think the Saddam story goes more
               for the jugular, journalistically
               speaking, Al. Let's grow some
               balls and do the Shiite uprising,
               for Christ's sake.

     Bill Smithson closes the cell phone.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               We're going north to do the
               Shiites.

                         WALTER
               I thought the gold was the hot
               spot.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Karbala's the new hotspot, and
               I'm driving.

                         WALTER
               Military regulations, you cannot
               drive.

     Smithson mounts the bike. The cameraman sits on back. Walter
     points his pistol at Smithson.

                         WALTER
               Get off the vehicle, sir.

     Smithson starts the bike.

                         WALTER
               Don't make me shoot you, sir.

     The bike pulls out, leaving him behind. He runs after the
     bike and jumps into the side car.

     EXT. COMPANY B CAMP - DAY

     Captain Van Meter strolls, handling an M-16.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               The M-16 is the basic weapon of
               the infantry. During Vietnam, it
               was fully automatic.

                         GENERAL HORN (O.S.)
               Doug?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Yes, General.

                         GENERAL HORN
               What the fuck are you doing?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Well, I'm giving an interview to
               CBS.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Do you have authorization?

     Van Meter pulls out a folded paper and gives it to the
     general, who looks at it.

                         GENERAL HORN
               No.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               No?

                         GENERAL HORN
               Who gave you this?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Major Gates.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Archie Gates gave you this? Jesus
               Christ, Doug, come with me.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               I don't get to do the interview?

                         GENERAL HORN
               No, you don't get to do the
               interview.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Faster.

     Bach's 'Gloria' plays loud as Vig drives and Archie stares
     straight ahead as the Humvee picks up speed.

     EXT. ANOTHER VILLAGE OUTSIDE KARBALA - DAY

     The Hummer zips into a bigger village piazza with an old
     fortress at one end, and races straight to the entrance to an
     underground bunker in the middle of the piazza.

                         ARCHIE GATES
                      (into the megaphone)
               United States Marine Corps. Put
               your weapons down.

     Troy and Doc leap out, hold pistols out at arm's length as
     they accost TWO IRAQI SOLDIERS pointing rifles at them.

                         TROY
               Drop your weapon.

                         DOC
               Put it down.

     Troy and Doc shove the two Iraqis face down in the dirt and
     cuff their hands behind their backs.

                         VIG
               Don't make me smoke your ass,
               Abdul.

     INT. SECOND IRAQI BUNKER - DAY

     Archie runs down a narrow cement corridor, pistol held at
     arm's length, white document in the other hand; followed by
     Troy and Doc, pistols drawn.

     An IRAQI SOLDIER steps into the corridor at the far end, sees
     Archie coming, looks terrified, and runs back. Archie and
     Troy run right past the scared Iraqi. Doc comes third,
     slamming the Iraqi face down and cuffing him.

     Archie kicks a door open and goes in, followed by Troy.

     INT. INNER ROOM, SECOND IRAQI BUNKER - DAY

     Archie and Troy burst in, pointing their guns aggressively.

                         TROY
               Freeze.

     A large room; walls lined with shelves full of brand new
     appliances: blenders, cuisinarts, CD players, small TVs. A
     huge portrait of Saddam Hussein covers one wall.

     A television plays a rerun of 'Happy Days' in Arabic.

     Another TV: CNN's first reports of the Rodney King beating.

     An IRAQI CAPTAIN sits in a chair in front of the TVs.

     TWO IRAQIS sit loading rifles. Two others sit at a radio.

     They all jump to their feet when Archie bursts in, except for
     the officer watching 'Happy Days' and CNN..

                         ARCHIE GATES
               By order of the cease-fire signed
               in Safwan, March 3, the United
               States Marines hereby confiscate
               all material stolen by Iraq from
               the Emirate of Kuwait --

     One of the rifle-loading Iraqis tries to run. Troy heads him
     off with his pistol --

                         TROY
               Down.

     The other rifle-loader stands looking scared.

                         IRAQI RIFLE-LOADER
               Isnam panan fatwa aznir --

     WHIP PAN TO Doc, who turns the shortwave radio off, pushes
     the TWO IRAQIS to the ground. One goes peacefully, the other
     resists; Doc smacks him in the side of the head with his
     pistol, which fires accidentally. Everyone grabs their heads
     and ducks -- except Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Never hit anyone with your pistol,
               Doc.

                         DOC
               Sorry about that.

     Archie is offered a cuisinart by the Iraqi Captain.

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               For wife.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I've been divorced three times.

     Troy has one rifle Iraqi on the ground, but the second is on
     his knees, putting a CD into a mini-stereo.

                         RIFLE IRAQI #2
               Newest and best.

                         TROY
               No, newest and best has better
               noise reduction.

     The Iraqi looks puzzled.

                         TROY
               Less distortion. Get down on the
               floor, OK?

     He pushes the man face down, cuffs his hands. Olivia Newton-
     John's "I Wanna Get Physical" PLAYS.

                         TROY
               This is bad music, understand?
               It's bad for you.

                         DOC (O.S.)
               Hey --

     WHIP PAN TO the resistant Iraqi struggles to break away and
     Doc punches him in the head twice, the Iraqi starts crying.

                         ARCHIE GATES
                      (to Iraqi Captain)
               Where's the gold, Captain? Tell us
               so we don't have to kill you.

                         TROY
               There's another room over here.

     PAN TO Troy pointing to a narrow door in a corner of the
     room. Archie kicks it open.

     INT. INNER ROOM - DAY

     A bound, naked SHIITE MAN IN GLASSES, clean shaven, sits on
     the floor in a five foot square shallow metal box, four
     inches deep, filled with water. There is an electric cable
     going into the water. The naked Shiite in glasses shakes.

     Troy watches Archie walk over and yank the cable out.

                         IRAQI SARGEANT
               I am just do my job, buddy.

     Archie pauses, then gives the Sargeant a backhand that sends
     him flying to the corner. Archie steps on the man's wrist,
     takes the pistol out of his hand. Troy watches.

     Archie turns and sees TEN SHIITES across the room: 3 MEN, 3
     WOMEN, 4 CHILDREN. The men and women are bound and GAGGED.

     Archie steps toward the Shiites, but the INTERROGATOR, 35,
     also a captain, steps in his way.

                         INTERROGATOR
               These Shiite. Iraq problem. United
               States is out now.

     Archie stares at the INTERROGATOR with contempt.

                         INTERROGATOR
               We take them outside, so it don't
               bother you, OK, sir? Kata fanam.

     The disarmed Iraqi Sargeant NODS and opens a small rear door
     and pushes the Shiites out. Archie walks back to the main
     room and points his pistol in the Captain's face.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Take us to the basement.

     EXT. FRONT OF BUNKER TWO - DAY

     Vig keeps the TWO CUFFED IRAQI GUARDS on the ground at gun
     point as 15 SHIITES with crude clubs and sling shots encircle.

     One of the Shiites shoots a rock from the slingshot and nails
     a handcuffed Iraqi in the back of the head.

                         VIG
               Don't start this shit again.

     The Shiites back away as Vig motions with his big pistol.

                         VIG
               I know ya'll Shiite gettin' yer
               asses whipped --  Hey, what the
               hell is going on here?

     PAN TO the ten Shiites, and the naked Man with Glasses, who
     is getting dressed, exiting the side of the bunker, ushered
     by the unarmed Iraqi Sargeant.

                         VIG
               Git on the fucking ground, Arab.

                         IRAQI SARGEANT
               Prisoner stay. Gabar matan.

                         VIG
               What the fuck are you talking
               about?

     Suddenly a SHIITE WOMAN runs up to the tortured Shiite Man
     with Glasses and embraces him, sobbing. A LITTLE GIRL with
     dirty casts on both broken arms runs up and hugs his legs.

     The bound Shiite prisoners start to walk away from the
     bunker, and the unarmed Sargeant has a fit.

                         IRAQI SARGEANT
               Kinam vanir! Vanir!

     He chases the prisoners, pushes them back. The free Shiites
     shoot rocks and club him.

                         VIG
               Goddamn it everybody calm down.

     INT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     Archie runs down several narrow sets of cement stairs,
     followed by the Interrogator, the other Iraqi Captain, Troy,
     and Doc. (SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH)

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               It's my ass, donkey dick, Saddam
               will shoot me dead.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Saddam worries more about the
               Shiite than the gold.

     EXT. BUNKER - DAY

     The Shiite crowd curses and spits on the Iraqi soldiers. The
     Sargeant is beaten.

     Suddenly an Iraqi armored truck with a mounted machine gun
     races up and SEVEN IRAQI SOLDIERS pour out swinging clubs,
     followed by an IRAQI MAJOR, about 45. The Iraqi soldiers
     savagely beat the Shiites.

     Vig looks horrified as he watches.

     TWO SOLDIERS grab the Woman from the Man With Glasses, and
     drag her into a circle with three other soldiers; the ten
     year-old girl with dirty casts on both arms, screams and
     punches at them.

     The Man With Glasses is held down at knife point.

                         VIG
                      (into the megaphone)
               This is the United States Military.

     The Iraqi Major glances over at Vig, but the soldiers do not
     stop brutalizing the Shiites -- they round up eight more
     Shiites and make them lay face down.

     INT. BASEMENT

     Troy and Doc disarm TWO GUARDS outside a door in the basement.

     Archie goes through the door, followed by the Iraqi
     Interrogator and Captain.

     INT. ROOM OF BUNKER 2 - DAY

     Bright white cement, many overhead lights and a high ceiling.
     empty but for 15 brand new, jumbo-sized Louis Vuitton
     suitcases standing neatly in a row in the center of the room.

     Archie stands looking at the suitcases with Troy and Doc.

     Several of the big Vuitton suitcases are laid on their sides
     by Archie, Troy and Doc.

     The Iraqi Captain paces frantically punching and kicking the
     walls and talking (SUBTITLED in ENGLISH).

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               It's Saddam's gold.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Shut up, he signed the treaty.

     The suitcases are quickly unzipped. One suitcase is full of
     gleaming antique silverware. One suitcase is full of jewelry.

     Archie opens one full of hundreds of gold Cartier watches.

     Troy and Doc slip a handful of jewelry into their pockets.

     The Iraqi Captain goes nuts, throwing himself on Doc's back,
     choking Doc, who flails about. Troy punches the Iraqi in the
     head and rips him off Doc.

     Archie puts his pistol in the man's face.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Listen to me: we leave you alone
               to kill your Shiites, but
               everything you took from Kuwait,
               that belongs to us now, understand?

     He turns to Doc.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Put it back.

                         DOC
               Why?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Stick to the plan. The plan is for
               gold.

     Doc and Troy, out of breath, empty their pockets of jewelry.

     Archie opens another Vuitton suitcase and pushes it aside -
     it's full of Kuwaiti passports.

     When Doc opens the next suitcase, he freezes. Archie looks
     over and freezes. Troy closes cuffs behind the Captain's back
     and looks over his shoulder -- wide-eyed.

     The very large Vuitton suitcase is filled with five-kilo
     bricks of gold. They all stare. Troy picks one up.

                         TROY
               Is this five kilos?

     Archie holds another brick.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Yeah, that's five kilos.

                         TROY
               Five, six, seven, eight, there's
               sixty bricks in this suitcase.

                         DOC
               Times 50K each --

                         TROY
               Three million dollars.

     Archie opens another large Vuitton suitcase, and it is also
     filled with sixty bars. Troy opens another suitcase, there's
     another sixty bars. Doc opens another, another sixty bars.
     They frantically check all of the suitcases. The handcuffed
     Captain is crying.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Ten suitcases; sixty bricks each.
               That's thirty million dollars.

     Archie, Doc and Troy look at each other in shock.

     With effort, Doc and Troy help Archie pick up the heavy,
     jumbo-sized suitcase sideways, like a table top.

                         TROY
               I'm gonna get a fleet of Lexus
               convertibles in different colors.

                         DOC
               I told you Lexus doesn't make a
               convertible.

                         TROY
               I'll bet you a Lexus they do.

                         DOC
               OK, you're on for a Lexus, but it
               won't be a convertible.

     Suddenly the suitcase rips apart and gold bars fall to the
     floor; one lands on Troy's foot. He jumps in pain.

                         TROY
               Shit.

     Archie, Troy, and Doc hoist another suitcase sideways and the
     bricks rip through and fall to the floor --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               They didn't get it here in these
               bags.

                         DOC
               The tensilary strength goes to 200
               pounds.

                         TROY
               The what?

                         DOC
               Tensilary strength, it's what the
               suitcase can hold.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Why would you know that?

                         TROY
               He works at an airport.

                         DOC
               60 bars, 13 pounds each is like --
               800 pounds. The smaller Vuittons
               handle 65.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You got any more luggage here?

     The Interrogator looks at him.

     INT. BUNKER BASEMENT - LATER

     120 small, round, Vuitton overnight bags, laid out and
     opened, cover the entire floor of the basement.

     Troy and Doc finish putting 5 bars in each bag. Archie paces,
     sweating, speedy like he's on cocaine.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It's crazy to take it all, we're
               not prepared for it. It's crazy
               not to take it all, how can we
               leave it?

     Troy and Doc look nervous.

                         TROY
               What's the shipping plan?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I told you that's handled.

                         TROY
               How is it handled? You have to
               tell us now.

                         DOC
               Yeah, tell us now.

                         ARCHIE GATES
                      (pacing)
               I've got a friend, he's in French
               Special Forces. He's gonna put it
               in barrels filled with oil and
               bury it. In a few weeks, he'll
               drive it to Yanbu --

                         TROY
               Where's Yanbu?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It's a port in Saudi.

     SILENT FANTASY

     Havichon talks to an EGYPTIAN MAN in Lacoste sportswear

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               Where another friend will ship it
               on a Turkish boat up the Red Sea
               to Perpignan, where a French boat
               will take it to Baltimore --

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         TROY
               I don't know about getting them to
               Baltimore, but these hat boxes
               ain't gonna fit in the Humvee.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We need a trailer.

                         TROY
               OK, I'll call U-Haul in Karbala to
               see what they have on the lot
               today.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               See what you can get, Barlow.

     INT. NARROW CEMENT STAIRCASE OF BUNKER

     Troy runs up the stairs.

     EXT. BUNKER - DAY

     Troy runs out the front door.

                         TROY
               Conrad, we need a trailer --

     The Iraqi Major stares coldly at Troy. Troy stares at the two
     soldiers beating Shiites; five others clustered around the
     woman on the ground.

                         VIG
               Did you get it? Troy, did you get
               it?

                         TROY
               Yeah, we got it.

                         VIG
               Is it a lot?

                         TROY
               Yeah, it's a lot.

     LATER

     Troy and Vig untangle, with difficulty, an ox cart from a
     messy pile of old ox carts against a bombed out building.
     Troy looks troubled --

                         TROY
                      (under his breath)
               'Little deuce coupe with a fiat
               head mill, she'll walk a
               Thunderbird like it's standin'
               still --'

     CLOSE UP A SHIITE MAN is smashed in the face with a club.

     CLOSE UP TROY pulls a heavy chain from the Humvee.

                         TROY
               'She'll do a hundred and forty
               with the top end floored --'

     The Little Girl with arm casts is screaming while her father,
     the Man In Glasses, tries to hold her.

     Troy and Vig quickly chain the ox cart to the Humvee.

                         TROY
               'She's my little deuce coupe --'

     INT. NARROW CEMENT STAIRCASE OF BUNKER

     Archie, Doc, the Interrogator run up carrying Vuitton cases.

     INT. UPSTAIRS ROOM OF BUNKER - DAY

     They hurry past the huge poster of Saddam, the TVs playing
     'Happy Days' and Rodney King, the many shelves of stereos,
     etc., and past the soldiers lying face down, handcuffed.

     EXT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     Archie, Doc, and the Interrogator charge out of the bunker
     with Vuitton luggage and put it onto the ox cart Troy has
     rigged. Archie and Doc stop and stare in shock --
     Soldiers 6 & 7 drag and beat Shiites; 5 wounded men and women
     lie on the ground bleeding. A cuffed Iraqi Guard kneels with
     a bleeding head. Five soldiers continue to encircle someone
     (the Shiite woman). The Man In Glasses and the Little Girl
     PRAY in ARABIC as they bow on the ground.

     Troy and Vig stare back at Archie, looking tense.

     The Iraqi Major greets the Interrogator warmly and they
     embrace. Then the Major salutes Archie.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               You take the Kuwaiti gold, yes?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We take the Kuwaiti gold. Yes.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Saddam cannot keep.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No, Saddam cannot keep.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Saddam have too many problem today.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               He certainly does.

     Shiites run past throwing rocks at Iraqi soldiers 6 & 7 who
     tackle and pummel them to the ground.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               You need help to load?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We can do it ourselves.

     The Major turns and shouts --

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Hazal jarat finan.

     Iraqis 6 & 7 jog over. The soldiers are out of breath.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               These man help you.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You go away fast from this
               bullshit.

     Archie looks at one soldier's hands.

     CLOSE UP: BLOOD on the Iraqi Soldier's knuckles and wrists.

     PAN UP TO THE FACES of the Iraqi soldiers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let's load up and get out of here.

     INT. STAIRWELL

     Iraqi Soldiers 6 & 7 carry suitcases up the narrow stairs.

     EXT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     Luggage is loaded into the Humvee and the cart while Troy
     directs Iraqis 6 & 7; Doc and Vig help.

                         TROY
               Lay that one flat; OK, sideways --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               This isn't gonna work.

                         TROY
               Sure it is --

     The cart collapses from the weight into a pile of broken wood.

     The Vuitton bags roll onto the debris-cluttered ground, one
     goes through a pool of blood. Doc picks the case up.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               You need a truck.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We'll rig two carts.

                         TROY
               Let's take the truck.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're not taking their truck.

                         TROY
               Why not?

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               We cooperate with peace accord.
               Please take truck.

                         TROY
               Let's take the truck.

     Archie looks vaguely disgusted.

     Troy backs the truck up.

     Vuitton hat cases are loaded into the back of the truck,
     which is completely full.

     Archie sits behind the wheel of the Humvee. Vig sits next to
     him. Archie starts the engine. Iraqi 6 taps on the door of
     the Humvee by way of saying goodbye. Archie nods.

     The Iraqi Major points to the Shiite Woman.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Nazaran yafit haisul.

     Archie watches as Iraqis 6 & 7 walk directly to the circle of
     soldiers around the woman -- it is now clear she has been
     raped. They pull her from the group, they stand the Woman in
     an open area and shoot her dead.

     Troy jerks slightly in his seat and turns away. Doc stares.

     Archie bows his head to the steering wheel and leans there
     for a second as Vig looks wide-eyed at the dead woman.

     The Girl in arm casts screams. She is grabbed by the hair and
     pulled away by an Iraqi soldier, but the Man In Glasses
     punches him and takes the girl. The soldier chases them with
     a knife and jabs at the man, cutting him, but not lethally.

     Archie gets out of the Humvee and slams the door, walks
     slowly toward the Iraqi soldiers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               This has to stop.

     The Iraqis look at him. The soldier with the knife continues
     to slash the Man In Glasses.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You get your ass kick in a war, it
               feel good to be strong again.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What did you say?

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               You go now, please.

     He salutes Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I don't think so. I'm sure you
               know about the Geneva Convention,
               right?

                         INTERROGATOR
               Geneva convention? You bomb my
               house, man.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               That Shiite man is leader of
               uprising. He kill my man.

                         TROY
               Archie, let's stick to the plan,
               sir. The plan is for gold, right?

                         DOC
               We can help them first, then be on
               our way.

                         TROY
               No, we can't. It's not what we're
               here for.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               How much?

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               What?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               How much gold do you want to let
               these people come with us?

     The Iraqi Major smiles. The Interrogator laughs.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Cannot do.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What do you mean, cannot do? I'm
               offering you a lot of money.

     The Iraqi Major continues smiling.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Cannot let Shiite go --

                         INTERROGATOR
               Saddam kill us.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
               Saddam kill to me if we let them
               go, OK? Now you go.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Cover me.

                         TROY
               Jesus Christ, we can't save
               everybody.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Are you listening? I said cover me.

     Troy and Doc stare at Archie, then Troy gets out of the
     truck, Doc gets out of the Humvee, and they nervously point
     their pistols. Troy points his gun at Iraqi 6, who has come
     forward with a rifle; Doc points at Iraqi 7, who has also
     come forward. To the rear, Iraqi 6 stands with a rifle, near
     Iraqis 2,3,4 and the Sargeant stand over the eight
     prone Shiite prisoners laying face down.

     Vig nervously sits for a moment, then jumps to his feet and
     mans the mounted machine gun in the rear of the Hummer.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No unnecessary shots, Conrad, is
               that clear?

                         VIG
               Yes, sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Because we know what bullets do to
               vital organs, don't we?

                         VIG
               Make infected pockets filled with
               bile, sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's right, that's what they do.

     Troy, Doc, Vig watch with trepidation as Archie walks toward
     the soldier slashing the Man In Glasses, who carries the Girl.

     Archie reaches over and grabs the slasher's wrist, pulling
     the blade away from the man's body. He holds the soldier's
     wrist up. The soldier grabs for Archie's throat with his free
     hand, but Archie grabs this hand and twists it away, putting
     the Iraqi into a choke hold. The soldier drops the knife in
     the dirt.

     The bloodied Man In Glasses collapses to the ground,
     clutching the Little Girl in arm casts.

     Troy, Doc, Vig point their guns. The Iraqi Major is pissed.

     Archie sweeps the soldier's feet out, pins the soldier face
     down on the ground, and throws the soldier's gun away. Archie
     helps the Shiite Man In Glasses to his feet, takes the Girl,
     and walks them over to the Humvee.

     Two Shiite prisoners try to stand up, the Iraqi guards kick
     them back down.

                         IRAQI MAJOR
                      (pissed)
               U.S.A. is out of Shiite war.

     The Iraqi Major raises his machine gun as he stands next to
     the Humvee, but Archie grabs the barrel and holds it down.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No shooting.

     Troy looks scared as he points his pistol at the Iraqi
     soldiers, who point their rifles back at Troy and Doc.

     CUT BACK TO the Major pauses, then smashes the barrel of his
     machine gun, with Archie's hand, against the Humvee.

     Archie winces, but doesn't let go. The Major does it again,
     smashing Archie's hand. Archie winces, doesn't let go. The
     Major tries to jerk the barrel up, but Archie pushes it down,
     and it fires by accident, into the Major's leg. The Major
     howls with pain. Blood dribbles out the bottom of his pants
     leg like piss.

     Troy covers Iraqi 6 with his rifle.

                         TROY
               What's happening?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Accident. Stay cool.

     Vig nervously swings the mounted machine gun from one Iraqi
     in the rear to another, but doesn't shoot. Iraqi soldiers
     point their rifles at the Americans.

     ANGLE ON TROY

                         TROY
               No.

     WHIP PAN TO Iraqi 6 jerks his rifle toward Archie and fires.

     The sound cuts out.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION: WHIP PAN from Iraqi rifle to Archie.

     The only SOUND is the BULLET PIERCING THE FLESH of Archie's
     lower left arm and tearing his muscle as it passes through.
     Archie grimaces violently in pain.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION: Troy fires his pistol. NO SOUND except
     for the SLOW MOTION SOUND of the BULLET EXPLODING.

     SLOW MOTION: The bullet tears through Iraqi 6's chest.

     THE ONLY SOUND is the IRAQI'S HEARTBEAT, the bullet tearing
     flesh and crushing bone, and the heartbeat stopping with a
     VIOLENT SPLASH. Iraqi 6 falls to the ground with only a dull
     thud and the slow clank of his gear.

     REGULAR SPEED: Vig swings the mounted machine gun from one
     Iraqi to another, but still doesn't shoot. He looks terrified
     as his thumbs twitch on the triggers.

     Iraqi 7 FIRES twice.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION: a bullet tears into Troy's chest with
     a DULL SNAP. He winces in pain.

     PAN TO the windshield of the Humvee shatters behind Doc; he
     turns and fires his pistol.

     PAN TO -- slightly slow motion: NO SOUND EXCEPT THE BULLET
     TEARING INTO IRAQI 7'S KNEE, smashing through bone. He falls
     to the ground clutching his leg.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION: Vig swings the mounted machine gun and
     FIRES. NO SOUND BUT THE SLOW CRACKS OF THE RED TRACER BULLETS
     EXPLODING from the gun.

     SLOW MOTION: tracer bullets slice across the face of Iraqi 5
     and Iraqi 2 in the rear, NO SOUND BUT THE BULLETS BREAKING
     THROUGH BONE AND FLESH.

     SLOW MOTION: Archie jams his pistol under the Major's chin
     and FIRES -- the ONLY SOUND IS THE. SLOW EXPLOSION OF THE GUN,
     and the slow tearing of tissue, ending with a sharp SNAP as
     the tissue, bone, and the bullet CRACK out the top of the
     Iraqi Major's head.

     HIGH ANGLE LOOKING DOWN -- replay of entire shoot out at
     REGULAR SPEED. Ending on the wide-eyed Little Girl with her
     hand in her mouth, staring.

     ANOTHER ANGLE -- replay of entire shoot out at REGULAR SPEED.
     Ending on Troy wincing as he holds his chest.

     The dead Iraqi Major lies face down in sand with eyes open;
     the Interrogator holds his hand and WEEPS.

     Archie's lightly blood-flecked face stares down at the dead
     Major, clouds pass overhead.

     Dead Iraqi 6 lies with legs twisted under his body.

     A rivulet of blood trickles through the sand. A spider runs
     across it and gets stuck.

     LOW ANGLE up at Doc, stone still, staring straight ahead as
     clouds pass slowly above him in the sky.

     Vig nervously swings the mounted machine gun back and forth.

     Troy, drenched in sweat, looks pained as he unbuttons his
     shirt: there's a gunshot in his kevlar vest. The slug drops
     out of the dent, into his hand -- he exhales.

     Iraqis 2, 3, 4, and the Sargeant, throw their hands up in
     surrender and drop their weapons.  Big Iraqi 2 walks toward
     the Humvee in surrender, and bows down.

     Archie points.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Cover these three.

     Vig swings the mounted machine gun toward the three remaining
     Iraqi soldiers who stand over eight terrified Shiites.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Doc.

     Doc follows Archie over to the three Iraqi soldiers.

                         DOC
               Down.

     The soldiers get on their knees, pleading for mercy.

                         IRAQI SOLDIER
               Kazal stan hamir in fatar.

     Doc takes the Iraqi soldiers' guns and pushes them down.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Put the Shiites in the Humvee.

                         TROY
               There's no room.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Make room.

                         TROY
               What the fuck happened to
               necessity?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It just changed.

                         TROY
               Not for me.

     Shiites and Iraqi soldiers watch the debate nervously.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Obey the fucking order, Barlow.

                         TROY
               This is fucked up.

     Doc points to the Shiites.

                         DOC
               What if that was you?

     Troy displays the gunshot in the Kevlar.

                         TROY
               What if this was you not wearing
               Kevlar?

     Suddenly, THE SOUND of an APPROACHING TANK. They turn.

     A tank rolls toward them fast, down a narrow side street,
     followed by a truck with a rocket launcher.

                         TROY
               Great, a fucking tank. That should
               send us on our way.

                         VIG
               Grenade launcher, sir.

     Vig struggles to lift the grenade launcher.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No. Let's get out of here.

                         TROY
               It's about fucking time.

     Troy jumps into the luggage-packed truck, starts the engine.
     Vig starts the Humvee; Archie jumps in next to Vig.

     PAN TO the eight Shiites, plus the Man In Glasses and the
     Little Girl, jam into the crowded Humvee. Doc jumps in.

     The tank approaches. The Humvee pulls away. The tank rolls in
     from the side, but the tank turret WHINES and CLICKS, stuck
     in place. An Iraqi pops out the top of the tank.

                         TANK IRAQI
               Hazal mafan.

     He gestures to the whining, stuck, turret. Another Iraqi
     tries pushing the turret. The truck with the small rocket
     launcher pulls up.

     INT./EXT. HUMVEE

     as it bounces along fast. Archie is in pain while Doc pours
     disinfectant over Archie's gunshot wound in his lower left
     arm, and wraps it. Vig looks terrified as he drives.

     INT. TRUCK

     Troy, driving alone, speeds the truck as fast as it will go,
     bouncing along the road.

                         TROY
               We were home free, you stupid son
               of a bitch.

     WIDE AERIAL SHOT

     the truck is 60 yards behind the Humvee

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               What's the tank doing?

     POV

     through Doc's jiggling binoculars of the tank turning.

                         DOC (O.S.)
               Lining us up --

     BACK TO THE SCENE

     Vig pushes the Humvee's accelerator to the floor.
         
     The Shiite Man In Glasses and his Little Girl cling to the
     Humvee as they sit on top of the Vuitton hat cases with eight
     other Shiites, including TWO FIVE YEAR OLDS, A BOY AND GIRL.

     EXT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     Two Iraqi soldiers take a THIN ROCKET, four feet long, and
     load a clear plastic canister of brown fluid into it. A
     GUNSHOT RINGS OUT, a soldier is hit in the arm.

     WHIP PAN TO a Shiite boy with an old rifle in the third floor
     window of a small stone building. Iraqis shout and point at
     the sniper. The tank turns to the building.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     The Humvee drives fast over the bumpy two-lane road.

     EXT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     The tank fires a round at the building which COLLAPSES.

     INT. SHIITE BUILDING - DAY

     A SHIITE MOTHER, FATHER, AND TWO CHILDREN pray at a crude
     table when the ceiling collapses.

     EXT. BUNKER NUMBER TWO - DAY

     The Iraqi soldiers fire the rocket launcher.

                         DOC (O.S.)
               Incoming.

     EXT. DESERT -  DAY

     Vig turns the speeding Humvee off the road. Archie jerks the
     wheel back.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Stay on the road.

                         VIG
               I don't wanna get hit.

     SLOW MOTION: Doc looks straight up with the binoculars.

     SLOW MOTION: a rocket streaks a squiggly white line of smoke
     across the sky.

     REAR OF HUMVEE, SLOW MOTION: half the Shiites hunch down,
     bracing for an explosion while the other half crane their
     necks, looking straight up into the sky. They cower when
     there is an EXPLOSION above.

     PAN UP TO - REGULAR SPEED: the ROCKET EXPLODES in the sky a
     hundred yards above the Humvee -- INTO A BROWN CLOUD.

                         DOC
               Gas.

     Troy leans out the window of the moving truck and squints up
     at the brown gas cloud above as he drives fast.

     Archie and Doc grapple to put on their gas masks. Vig reaches
     around behind him for his mask as he drives.

                         VIG
               Where's my mask?

     He accidentally veers off the road into the open desert.

     ZOOM IN TO a field of mines sitting right on top of the sand,
     20 yards ahead. [Iraqi mines were often placed this way]

     ZOOM IN ON Archie's alarmed face

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Mine.

     Archie dives from the Humvee followed by Vig, Doc, the Man In
     Glasses holding the Little Girl, the other Shiites, including
     the Two Five Year Olds. The Hummer drives ten yards, hits the
     first mine with an explosion and flies into the air --

     INT. TRUCK DRIVEN BY TROY

     Flying debris smashes the windshield. Troy instinctively
     jerks the wheel and the truck flips onto its side and slides
     across the sand.

     EXT. MINEFIELD

     The airborne Humvee lands on its side, hits another mine, is
     blown into the air, lands on its back, and is blown to pieces.

     Troy sits sideways as the truck slides across the sand to a
     halt inches before a mine, 30 yards behind the wrecked Humvee.

     SILENCE. A wheel on the wrecked Humvee spin in the air,
     squeaking.

     Louis Vuitton suitcases are scattered all over. One has
     opened and the gold bars are spilled around.

     Shiites stagger to their feet, some cut and bleeding, some
     limping. They cover their faces with their clothes as the
     dense brown fog descends around them.

     Vig's right eye has taken shrapnel and is bloody mess -- he
     gropes in the sand for his glasses as blood drips down.

     Archie puts his gas mask on the Little Girl with arm casts.
     Doc takes his mask off when he sees what Archie has done and
     gives it to the Shiite Man in Glasses.

     Doc picks up Vig's glasses and hands them to Vig, who stands,
     blinking his one good eye, while blood streams down his face.

                         DOC
               Cover your face, Conrad. Cover
               your mouth, man.

     Vig is in shock. Doc lifts Vig's bloody hand to Vig's mouth.
     Unseen in the fog, Troy climbs out of the overturned truck.

     He picks up two Vuitton hat cases, looks up, sees the TWO
     LITTLE CHILDREN from the Humvee, running across a mine field
     SCREAMING.

                         TROY
               Hey. Stop.

     Troy stands watching as the children run farther away, crying.

                         TROY
               Goddamn it.

     He runs, hard, after the children, who are now 70 yards away,
     the Vuitton hat cases banging against his legs.

     Doc pulls a syringe from a sterile packet, is about to stick
     it into his leg when Archie grabs his hand.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Don't do it, this isn't sarin.
               We'd be dead by now.

                         DOC
               Is it mustard?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It's C.S.

                         DOC
               What's that?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Tear gas times ten, but it's not
               lethal. Where's Barlow?

                         DOC
               I don't know.

     EXT. DESERT - MINEFIELD

     Troy chases the children through the brown fog, he drops one
     of the suitcases, catches up to the Girl and scoops her up in
     his left arm and covers her face with her coat.

     TROY'S POV

     as he runs between land mines after the Boy, who is way ahead.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

     Troy drops the other Vuitton bag, catches the Boy and has
     both children under his arms like footballs -- when suddenly
     Troy is grabbed from behind with a cord around his neck -- he
     lands on his back with the two children in his arms.

     TROY'S POV LOOKING UP

     the Iraqi Interrogator, wearing a gas mask, kicks Troy in the
     head. The screaming Children are torn from Troy's arms by
     Iraqi soldiers. Troy reaches for his pistol and it is ripped
     from his hand as he is dragged to an Iraqi jeep.

     EXT. DESERT - NEAR ARCHIE AND DOC

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Does anybody see Barlow?

     Archie and Doc circle through the thick haze carrying a
     Vuitton hat case and cover their mouths and noses.

                         DOC
               I can't even see the truck.

     About five Shiites wander around, confused.

                         VIG
               Look out.

     Archie spins around, drops the bag and points his pistol.

     TWO BLACK ROBED FIGURES pick up Vuitton hat cases.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Don't move.

     A Black Robed Figure walks right past Archie, takes a scared
     Shiite man by the arm and leads him to the side.

     More black cloaked figures appear. There are THIRTY IN ALL.

     Archie, Doc, and Vig look disoriented, point their pistols
     around as black robes appear and lead the Shiites away.

                         VIG
               What's going on?

     The robes lead the Shiites to a 4 FOOT HIGH TUNNEL ENTRANCE
     in a mound of desert earth and disappear into it.

     Vig stands and rubs his one good eye. Doc grabs Vig by the
     arm and pulls him back toward the tunnel.

                         DOC
               Get in the tunnel.

     Vig jerks his arm away.

                         VIG
               Troy.

     Doc grabs Vig.

                         DOC
               You're gonna die.

     Vig punches Doc in the side of the head. Doc punches Vig in
     the stomach. They fall to the ground, fighting.

     Archie searches for Troy in the brown haze.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Barlow.

     Two black-robed figures pull Vig off Doc and drag him to the
     tunnel. Another robed figure pulls Doc to the tunnel.

     Archie walks, looks for Troy, chokes, vomits into the sand.
     A black robed figure takes him by the arm and pulls him back
     to the tunnel, where they disappear inside.

     INT. TUNNEL - DAY

     Chaos. People choking and vomiting. GAS LANTERNS SWING. The
     tunnel is 6 feet tall. Buckets are passed, filled with oiled
     rags that people use to wipe their faces. Archie takes a
     dripping rag and wipes his eyes, nose, mouth.

                         VIG
               We have to go back. We can't leave
               him there.

     Vig's mutilated right eye is bleeding.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We have to wait until it clears.

                         VIG
               You made the choice and we lost
               Troy --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I had no choice.

                         VIG
               You had a choice.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I had no fucking choice.

     He screams at Vig, who looks scared.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I can't walk away from a crime
               like that and take the gold and
               live my life like nothing
               happened, and if you can, then I
               hope you die right now.

     Vig starts crying. Doc hands a bandage to Archie, who puts it
     over Vig's wounded eye socket.

                         VIG
               What about Troy? What choice does
               he have now?

     PAN ACROSS the Man In Glasses wipes his daughter's face.

     EXT. OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     Iraqi soldiers strip Troy's clothes as he stands in front of
     Oasis Bunker surrounded only by fortress ruins in the desert.
     The Iraqi Interrogator pulls off his gas mask.

     Two Iraqi tanks are parked to the side. Small numbers of
     soldiers and civilians mill about.

                         IRAQI SOLDIER (SUBTITLES)
               Can we shoot him?

                         IRAQI SOLDIER #2 (SUBTITLES)
               We're not even supposed to have
               American prisoners.

                         INTERROGATOR (SUBTITLES)
               He's proof they broke the cease-
               fire.

     A GUN SHOT RINGS OUT. The Iraqis turn to look.

                         INTERROGATOR
               They're taking the tank.

     PAN TO 7 Shiites with rifles climb the unmanned Iraqi tank.
     4 Iraqi soldiers FIRE back at the Shiites.

     Troy, naked, tries to break away in the chaos. He runs a few
     feet, is tackled and dragged toward the bunker.

     EXT. FAR SIDE OF THE TANK

     Bill Smithson drives the motorcycle up and stops.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Start shooting, Paco.

                         WALTER
               I don't like this, we gotta go--

     Iraqi soldiers pull them off the motorcycle.

                         WALTER
               Hey.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Let me handle this.

     INT. NARROW CORRIDOR OF OASIS BUNKER

     Troy is led, naked, down the corridor by two soldiers.

     EXT. OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     Shiites rebels sit on top of the captured tank with rifles as
     it drives toward the bunker. Iraqi soldiers FIRE on them, but
     the turret aims at the bunker and FIRES -- blasting a hole.

     INT. BUNKER - CRUDE CEMENT BATHROOM - DAY

     Troy is thrown onto the floor of a cluttered cement bathroom
     with two crude toilets. His clothes are thrown on top of him.

                         IRAQI SOLDIER
               Get dress.

                         TROY
               OK.

                         IRAQI SOLDIER
               Get dress.

                         TROY
               I said OK.

     The door is slammed. Stolen blenders, radios, CDs, stacks of
     new Levis litter the floor. Troy kicks all the crap angrily
     and hundreds of cell phones tumble from a box.

     Troy looks at the pile of cell phones, picks one up, tries it
     for a dial tone, drops it, tries another, until he gets one
     that gives him a tone and dials.

                         OPERATOR (O.S.)
               Jalam nafad.

     Troy looks stunned.

                         TROY
                      (into the cell phone)
               Um. Do you speak English?

                         OPERATOR (O.S.)
                      (British accent)
               Yes.

                         TROY
                      (into cell phone)
               Can you -- I need --

     He frantically pushes stuff on the floor to block the door.

                         OPERATOR (O.S.)
               What number, please.

                         TROY
               Operation Desert Storm.

                         OPERATOR (O.S.)
               I'm sorry?

                         TROY
               The big army in the desert, come
               on, it's an emergency.

                         OPERATOR (O.S.)
               I don't have that number.

                         TROY
               Maybe you could -- hello?

     The phone is dead.

                         TROY
               Fuck.

     He throws it to the ground, tries another, no dial tone,
     throws it, tries another, no dial tone, throws it.

                         TROY
               Come on, come on, come on.

     He tries another, chucks it, another, gets a dial tone,
     dials, and waits. Troy dials a number.

     He waits while the PHONE RINGS.

     INT. TROY'S HOME - TORRANCE, CAL.- NIGHT

     Darlene, Troy's wife, tired from the pregnancy, picks up the
     RINGING TELEPHONE. She has a crying baby in her arm.

     INTERCUT with bunker:

                         DARLENE
                      (Southern accent)
               Hello?

                         TROY
               Honey, it's me.

                         DARLENE
               Troy?

                         TROY
               It's me, honey.

                         DARLENE
               My God, the baby's crying.

                         TROY
               I can hear her.

                         DARLENE
               That's our little Krystal.

                         TROY
               How's she doing?

                         DARLENE
               She hasn't been sleeping good, and
               Mamma had to go back to work, so
               I'm real, real tired, baby.

                         TROY
               I wish I was there to help, gooney-
               bird.

                         DARLENE
               Oh, gooney-bird, when are you
               coming home?

                         TROY
               I'm working on that right now,
               baby.

                         DARLENE
               I saw an ad for a computer job.
               You want me to call and set up an
               interview for my war hero?

                         TROY
               Listen, honey --

                         DARLENE
               What date are you coming home?

                         TROY
               They haven't given us an exact
               date yet. Listen --

                         DARLENE
               I'm henpecking you.

                         TROY
               No, you're not.

                         DARLENE
               I'm lonely and tired and most of
               all, I miss you.

                         TROY
               I miss you, too.

     FIRE and CONCRETE EXPLODE into one wall of the bathroom.

                         DARLENE
               What was that?

                         TROY
               The wall just exploded.

                         DARLENE
               I thought the war was over, honey.

                         TROY
               It is and it isn't, babe. Can you
               do me a favor and call the C.O. on
               base?

                         DARLENE
               You want me to call the C.O.?

                         TROY
               Tell him I'm stuck in a bunker
               near 223 north outside Karbala --

                         DARLENE
               What do you mean 'stuck'? I
               thought the war was over.

                         TROY
               I'm gonna be fine, honey, I don't
               want you to worry, I tried to do
               something for the family,  and I
               want you to know --

                         DARLENE
               Know what?

     Another MORTAR SMASHES through the wall, covers Troy in dust.

                         TROY
               That I love you.

                         DARLENE
               What's happening, Troy?

                         TROY
               Tell Krystal --

     Soldiers push at the door, trying to open it.

                         DARLENE
               Troy?

                         TROY
               Tell Krystal I'm a rich man and if
               things work out she'll be taken
               care of no matter what --

                         DARLENE
               What are you talking about?

     The door is kicked open and soldiers enter.

                         TROY
               Gotta go, gooney-bird, I love you--

     The soldiers punch Troy in the face, drag him from the room.

                         DARLENE
               Troy?

     She waits for a moment, tears in her eyes, and hangs up.

     INT. TV ROOM OF OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     A MORTAR ROCKS THE ROOM; soldiers frantically exit.

     'CNN' is left playing in the empty room with Bill Smithson's
     report from the previous day. "I Just Want to Celebrate"
     PLAYS:

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Spirits are high and the music is
               soaring as these young troops
               celebrate --

     EXT. OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     Iraqi soldiers shoulder-launch a rocket at the tank,
     EXPLODING it. Soldiers shoot into the flaming wreck.

     PULL BACK TO Bill Smithson and PACO, the cameraman.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               I'm being held captive by Iraqi
               troops in the gritty city of
               Karbala, where Shiite --

                         PACO
               You said gritty city again.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               OK, we'll go again.

                         PACO
               What about Private Wogoman, Bill?

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Let's lay a few of these down
               first. In three, two, and, I'm
               being held captive in a gritty
               suburb of Karbala, where Shiite
               fundamentalists are rising up --

     PAN TO Walter is stripped naked by Iraqi soldiers. Their
     CONVERSATION is in ARABIC and SUBTITLED in ENGLISH.

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               You better not let that fucking
               reporter see you doing this.

                         IRAQI SARGEANT
               Hey, that's the CNN guy.

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               Wow. He's much shorter in person.

                         IRAQI CAPTAIN
               Get them out of here now.

     LATER

     Walter sits on the bike, naked. Bill Smithson in the sidecar,
     Paco in the back. Iraqi soldiers pull the tape out.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               At least let me keep the tape.

                         WALTER
               Could I have my helmet, please?

     They hand him his socks.

                         WALTER
               Helmet. On my head.

     They give Walter his helmet, with built-in radio headset.

     EXT. U.S. COMPANY B CAMP - MESS AREA - DAY

                         GENERAL HORN
               Who's missing?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Is Doc here?

     The White Assistant shakes his head 'NO.'

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Doc's not here?

                         GENERAL HORN
               You don't know where one of your
               own fucking aides is?

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               How about Barlow?

     The White Assistant shakes his head 'NO.'

                         GENERAL HORN
               Check all the radio transmissions.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               I run a tight company, Ron. Don't
               break my bails.

                         GENERAL HORN
               I'm not breaking your balls, Doug,
               I want to find these guys.

     INT. TUNNEL - DAY

     Archie, Doc, Vig, and dozens of Shiites crouch as they walk
     through the tunnel, single file.

     Dissolve

     They are still walking in the long tunnel.

     EXT. OPEN DESERT - DAY

     Archie climbs out of a small mound in the desert, squints in
     the light and looks around.

     A strange minaret stretches skyward from the flat desert, 200
     yards away. The minaret is made of yellow stone, it twists
     150 feet into the air, like a twisting wedding cake.

     Archie leads the others toward the minaret. No one is around,
     except for a few black robes. Archie, Doc, and Vig enter the
     old wooden doorway of the ancient Minaret.

     INT. MINARET HALLWAY - DAY

     A line of TEN CHILDREN with missing limbs and bandages stand
     and watch Archie, Doc, and Vig enter. They make eye contact.

     INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     CLOSE UP: the hands of an Iraqi soldier carefully wrap a bare
     wire around Troy's right ear.

                         INTERROGATOR
                      (heavy accent)
               What is your rank, bro?

                         TROY
               Master sargeant.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Your company?

                         TROY
               B Company, infantry, United States
               Army.

     The wire is wrapped under Troy's chin around his other ear.

                         INTERROGATOR
               My main man. Tell me something,
               OK? What is problem with Michael
               Jackson?

                         TROY
               What do you mean?

                         INTERROGATOR
               The King of Pop. 'I'm bad, I'm
               bad, you know it --'

                         TROY
               Yeah, Michael Jackson.

                         INTERROGATOR
               He is fahking the small boys, man.

                         TROY
               What are you talking about?

                         INTERROGATOR
               He come to Egypt with the small
               boys. I see picture in newspaper,
               always he is with the small boys
               in the hotel window. Hello with
               the white glove. I am King of Pop
               in my hotel with the small boys.
               No girls. Just the boys.

                         TROY
               He likes kids.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Yeah, he like to fahk them up the
               ass.

                         TROY
               Bullshit.

     Troy is smashed in the face with a clipboard.  He looks
     angry, and like he could cry at the same time.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You are the blind bullshit, my
               main man.  It is so obvious he
               like the small boy so he all the
               time travel with them.

                         TROY
               Fine.

                         INTERROGATOR
               And if it really true? You say --

                         TROY
               I say it's sick.

                         INTERROGATOR
               That's because you got a sick
               country, bro, you got no respect
               for the children. That's why you
               bomb them over here, right?

                         TROY
               I don't think so.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Michael Jackson is Pop King of
               sick fahking country.

                         TROY
               Wrong.

     Troy is smashed in the face with the clip board.  Blood drips
     from his nose.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Bullshit wrong, dude. A black man
               make the skin white and the hair
               straight. You know why?

                         TROY
               No.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Your sick fahking country make the
               black man hate hisself, just like
               you hate the Arab and the children
               you bomb.

                         TROY
               I don't hate children.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Do they care, buddy?

                         TROY
               Does who care?

                         INTERROGATOR
               Do your army care about the Shiite
               children? Do they come to help?

                         TROY
               No, they're not coming.

     The Interrogator signals someone O.S. and suddenly voltage
     races through the wire, causing Troy to gnash his teeth
     together so hard they chip. He writhes in pain.

                         INTERROGATOR
                      (in subtitles)
               That seemed like too much volts.
               You got to build it up slow.

     A SECOND IRAQI gestures defensively at a console that is
     connected to the wire around Troy's jaw.  A THIRD IRAQI
     reaches forward and turns a dial.  The SECOND IRAQI murmurs
     defensively and turns the dial back.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Just figure it out.

     The Interrogator turns back to Troy.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Are they coming to help the Shiite?

                         TROY
               No.

     He is jolted again -- his face contorts, he bites his lip.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Tell the truth, dudesky. Save us
               the big bummer.

     Troy starts to cry, represses it. His lip is bleeding.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Does it hurt?

     Troy says nothing.

                         INTERROGATOR
               I ask you question, bro.

                         TROY
               Yes, it hurts.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You bomb my family. Do you know
               that?

     Troy starts shaking slightly.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You blow up my home. The whole
               street. My wife is crush by big
               fahking block of concrete. She
               lose her legs, bro, and she got
               nice legs, too. Those legs cut off
               now.

     Emotion comes into the INTERROGATOR'S VOICE as he says this.

                         TROY
                      (whispers)
               That's horrible.

                         INTERROGATOR
               What?

                         TROY
                      (whispers)
               I said, that's horrible.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Oh, my God, buddy. I didn't even
               told you the horrible part yet.

     The other two guards listen sadly.

                         INTERROGATOR
               My son was kill in his bed. Did
               you heard that, dude?

                         TROY
               Yes.

                         INTERROGATOR
               He is one years old. He is
               asleeping with his toy doll when.
               the bomb come. You see that guy
               over there?  He lose his daughter
               same way: big USA bomb.

     CLOSE UP the two guards -- one of them wipes away a tear.

     FANTASY - CONCRETE AND PLASTER

     falls onto the bed of a sleeping child.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         TROY
               I have a daughter.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Very nice for you, bro. She is
               safe in Ohio without the bombs and
               concrete and all this shit--

     FANTASY - DARLENE

     pushes a baby carriage down an idyllic tree-lined sidewalk.

                         INTERROGATOR (OS)
               How old is she?

                         TROY (OS)
               Ten days old.

                         INTERROGATOR (OS)
               What's her name?

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         TROY
               Krystal.

                         INTERROGATOR
               What makes you decide to tell me
               about Krystal, my main man?

                         TROY
               Because we're both fathers.

                         INTERROGATOR
               I'm not a father no more, dude,
               remember? My son is dead now.

     INT. LARGE ROOM OF MINARET - DAY

     TWO DOZEN PEOPLE are laying down, being treated by SHIITE
     CLERICS in black who squeeze aloe onto facial blisters.

     At the end of the hall, Archie grits his teeth in pain as a
     CLERIC uses a turkey baster to shoot alcohol into his
     infected wound. Archie SCREAMS in pain.

     Doc paces, exhaling; he has white ointment on his face.

                         DOC
               I'm OK. I'm cool. I'm a survivor.

     A Shiite changes Vig's bloody bandage, while a DEAD BODY is
     laid next to Vig and wrapped in cloths; two clerics chant.

                         VIG
               Is that guy dead? Where you gonna
               put him?

                         SHIITE CLERIC
               A shrine.

                         VIG
               What kind of shrine ya'll got?

                         SHIITE CLERIC
               Shrine that wash 700 year of sin.

                         VIG
               Hey, that's a pretty good shrine,
               right, Doc?

     Doc stares at Vig.

                         VIG
               I'm sorry I hit you, man. I was
               scared for Troy, I don't want
               nothing to happen to him, he's my
               friend. Doc? Come on, man, I know
               you was comin' to help me --

     Vig reaches out blindly for Doc's hand. Doc looks for a
     moment at Vig's hand in the air, reaching, then takes it.
     They remain silent for a moment, hands clasped.

                         VIG
               Maybe we got kicked out of the
               ring of Jesus fire, on account of
               stealing.

                         DOC
               That's not how it works.

                         VIG
               How does it work?

                         DOC
               I take care of what Jesus puts in
               front of me. That's what we did
               with the gold.

                         VIG
               What about now?

                         DOC
               I'm gonna see.

     Archie walks up, his arm bandaged, and inspects Vig's face.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               How you doing, Conrad?

                         VIG
               I'm good to go, chief.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let's check the suitcases.

     Archie, Doc, and Vig check the Vuitton suitcases, opening
     them, looking at the gold, shutting them.

     PAN TO children in bandages watch Archie inventory the gold.

                         DOC
               We're missing 28.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That leaves 92 suitcases, five
               bars each --

     They think.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               23 million dollars. Not bad for a
               disaster, provided we can find
               Barlow, get back before dark and
               not get busted.

     He looks at Doc and Vig.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It was my choice today. So you can
               head back if you want. I'll find
               Barlow myself.

                         DOC
               What about the gold?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Take what you can carry. Try to
               find a vehicle. Bury what you have
               outside camp. Be careful about it.

     They look at Archie.

                         VIG
               I want to find Troy.

     Doc thinks.

                         DOC
               I'm in.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               OK, where does that leave us? We
               don't have any water, we're
               dehydrated. You got a radio here?

     The Shiite Man In Glasses puts oils on his Little Girl's face.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               How is she?

     The Shiite Man In Glasses does not answer.

                         DOC
               How -- is -- your -- little
               girl?

     Vig wears glasses over his eye bandage; he mimes the Girl.

                         VIG
               Broken -- arms. Girl.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               She's traumatized, what the fuck
               do you expect?

     They look at him, surprised.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               I went to b-school at Bowling
               Green.

                         VIG
               What's b-school? Is that like
               terrorist training?

                         DOC
               Business school, Conrad.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               I came back to open a couple of
               hotels near Karbala. I'm almost in
               the black when Saddam starts this
               stupid fucking war and you guys
               bomb the shit out of my cafes. Now
               we try to get rid of Saddam, Bush
               leaves us twisting in the wind, Un-
               be-fucking-lievable man.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You got a radio?

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               No radio. No water.

     He wipes bits of white foam from the corners of his mouth.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Where's Barlow?

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               They got him, I saw it happen. And
               they won't take him back to the
               same place.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Where would they take him?

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Oasis Bunker. It's full of
               Saddam's hard core guys.

                         DOC
               Where's that?

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Like 17 - 18 klicks from here.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Take us there.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               We got no wheels.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We'll walk until we find some.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Why don't you call in the Marines?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               With what? We don't have a radio.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               OK, we'll find a vehicle. You
               drive back to get the choppers,
               they fly in to get your man.

     Doc and Vig look at Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We can't do that.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Why not? You got a huge army here.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're not supposed to be involved
               with Shiites. We killed Iraqi
               soldiers. We broke the peace-
               accord.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Tell them it happened when you
               reclaimed the gold. Don't tell
               them it was about us.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               They'd find out, we'd go to jail.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               You know what I think? I think
               maybe you're boosting the gold.
               That's what I think.

     Archie looks at him.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You're wrong.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               They got half a million men in the
               desert, they send four guys to
               pick up all this bullion? I don't
               think so.

     Archie looks at Vig and Doc.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We need to find our man. How much
               do you want to take us there?

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Fifteen suitcases.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's too much.

                         VIG
               Give it to him. We've got a lot.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're gonna need it to buy our way
               back today, so we better spend it
               wisely. I'll give you eight.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               You need some guns, right? You
               lost your gear.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Yeah, we need some guns.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               You need some fighters, too. I
               mean, you can try to take Oasis on
               your own, but look at these
               grunts --

     Doc and Vig look pissed. Archie's arm is in pain.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Yeah, OK, we need some fighters.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               So that's worth more than eight
               suitcases.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Ten.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               Fifteen.

     Archie looks at him.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               That's four million dollars.

                         MAN IN GLASSES
               I think we need it more than you,
               John Doe, don't you?

     He extends his hand. They shake.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Archie Gates.

                         IMAM (MAN IN GLASSES)
               Imam Katar. I'll give you back
               five suitcases to get us over the
               Iranian border.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What?

                         IMAM
               We gotta get to a refugee camp or
               we're dead. The camps are in Iran.

                         DOC
               We can't go to the Iranian border.

                         IMAM
               Then we don't have a deal.

                         VIG
               Give me a fucking break, man.

                         DOC
               We saved your life.

                         IMAM
               And we saved yours.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We lost a man for you.

                         IMAM
               What good is it if you leave us to
               get wasted? The big army of
               democracy beats the ugly dictator,
               saves the rich Kuwaitis, but you
               go to jail if you help us escape
               the same dictator.  You saw what
               happened to my wife. Look at my
               daughter.

     Archie looks around. He sees Imam's daughter, other bandaged
     children looking at him. A few mothers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Who's going?

                         IMAM
               Everyone but the priests. That's
               55.

                         VIG
               Fuck it. We'll find this place on
               our own.

                         IMAM
               It's not on a map. You can look.

                         DOC
               Somebody else will take us.

     Doc pulls gold bars from a case and holds them up

                         DOC
               Who will take us to Oasis bunker?

     Fifty Shiites turn and look at him silently. Doc dumps a
     whole suitcase of gold bars. Imam translates.

                         IMAM
               Jarat yalam fantam uraz.

     People stare at the gold and say nothing.

                         IMAM
               I don't think so.

                         VIG
               This is a human life we're talking
               about.

                         IMAM
                      (laughs)
               Tell me about it.

     His daughter looks at him and laughs -- until her laughter
     becomes scary, hysterical and Imam tries to hold her still
     and she won't stop as Archie, Doc, Vig watch.

     INT. OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     CLOSE ON -- Head of a golf clubdriver: "Made in USA."
     Interrogator holds the golf club near the head, paces.

                         INTERROGATOR
               I only join Saddam Hussein army to
               make good living for family, good
               car, good house, and now my son is
               dead.

                         TROY
               I signed up for the extra cash,
               too.

                         INTERROGATOR
               We got a lot in common, dude. I
               got training and guns from America.

                         TROY
               Not from America.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Oh, yeah, specialist guys come to
               Iraq, train us when we fight Iran.

                         TROY
               What did they train you in?

                         INTERROGATOR
               Weapons, sabotage. Interrogation.

                         TROY
               Great.

     The Interrogator lights a Marlboro, exhales.

     PUSH IN TO CLOSE UP on TROY'S FACE as the smoke envelopes him.

     FANTASY -- INT. TROY'S BEDROOM - TORRANCE

     Darlene looks up and beams as Troy walks into the room, they
     embrace on the bed.

                         INTERROGATOR (O.S.)
               So what we get from this dirty
               Iraq war you and me, huh?

     FANTASY - TROY

     holds the naked baby against his naked chest.

                         TROY
                      (whispers)
               I don't know.

     BACK TO SCENE

                         INTERROGATOR
                      (laughs)
               You don't fahking know, right?! We
               all scahmbag soldier who get
               fahked, right?

                         TROY
               Right.

     Interrogator laughs and takes a practice golf swing.

                         TROY
               So why are you doing this to me?

                         INTERROGATOR
               It's my job, man, for Saddam, just
               like your job when you bomb my
               house.

                         TROY
               It's not just a job, it still
               matters what you do.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Bullshit. It's all a job.

                         TROY
               It still matters what you do, what
               you're doing right now matters.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Bullshit.

                         TROY
               The art of war is not for killing
               people, it's a stratagem to give
               life to many with minimum
               violence, minimum --

                         INTERROGATOR
               Then why you bomb my fahking house
               and kill my son? Can you think how
               it feels inside your heart if I
               bomb your daughter?

     FANTASY - SLOW MOTION - A MISSILE

     silently destroys Troy's suburban house.

     BACK TO SCENE

                         TROY
               Worse than death --

                         INTERROGATOR
               It feels like this --

     Holding the driver at the head, he raps the bridge of Troy's
     nose.

                         TROY
               Don't --

                         INTERROGATOR
               Everyday, inside my heart --

     He raps Troy's nose repeatedly to make his point.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Like this, like this, like this --

     He breaks Troy's nose with a crack.

     INT. MINARET

     A rug is pulled off the old stone floor, a panel is lifted.
     Old pistols and rifles are pulled out.

     Doc and Vig load and handle the old pistols.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Did we save anything from the
               Humvee?

                         DOC
               This bag.

     Archie pulls two of the colored footballs from the beat up
     pack. He looks at Doc as if to say "Great."

     LATER

     Archie's arm is in pain as he carefully wraps a thin layer of
     light blue plastic explosive around a football, presses small
     nails sideways into the plastique and inserts a fuse in the
     end of the ball. Another ball-bomb just like it has already
     been constructed.

     EXT. DESERT -  DAY

     Archie leads a line of 55 Shiites across the desert. Everyone
     carries at least one Vuitton bag. Imam carries his daughter.

                         VIG
               You got the same name as the tall
               model who does David Bowie.

                         DOC
               That's Im-an, with an 'n.' He's
               Imam with an 'm.'

                         VIG
               That's the same name.

                         DOC
               It's not the same name.

                         VIG
               Whatever. They're both attractive
               names.

     EXT. DESERT - LATER

     Archie crouches low to the ground, moving quickly,
     secretively. He turns and makes a hand signal to, Doc, 20
     yards away, who turns and makes a hand signal to Vig.

     HIGH WIDE SHOT: A lone Iraqi military truck, mint condition.'

     Archie, Vig, and Doc form a semicircle, surrounding the
     truck. They are all 40 yards back from the truck.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               This is the United States Army.
               Come out of the truck with your
               weapons in the air.

     No response. Suddenly Vig's pistol FIRES.

                         VIG
               Shit. Sorry.

     His gunshot blows a hole in the Iraqi truck -- which deflates
     like a huge beach ball, circling wildly until it lies in a
     heap of collapsed camouflage canvass while 50 yards away --
     55 SHIITES flip sand-colored blankets off and stand up in the
     desert to look. Doc lifts the limp canvass of the deflated
     truck.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               They used a lot of decoys to throw
               off our bombers.

                         DOC
               Where are we gonna get a vehicle?

                         IMAM
               I know a place that's full of
               deserters. Maybe they got
               something.

     HIGH WIDE SHOT: They walk in a single file line in the
     desert.  Archie in front, carries a Vuitton bag.

     EXT. DESERTER'S BUNKER - DAY

     Archie now walks among Shiites toting old rifles. There are
     bomb craters, destroyed cars, a few mud dwellings nearby.

                         SHIITE
               America!

                         SHIITE #2
               America! Friend!

                         SHIITE
               Freedom! Thank you to America!

     Shiites cheer and pat Archie, Doc and Vig on the back as they
     walk to a bunker built into the side of a small hill. TWO
     IRAQI SOLDIERS come out smiling to embrace a disoriented
     Archie and Doc.

     INT. IRAQI BUNKER - DAY

     They pass through a cluttered room with six cots, down a
     hallway, to a larger room where two more YOUNG IRAQI SOLDIERS
     sit watching CNN. There is a defaced poster of Saddam, two
     peacocks and three monkeys in the room, and the half-eaten
     carcass of a zebra. The soldiers rise and half-bow to Archie.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Food? You give food?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We don't have any food.

                         DOC
               Where'd you get these animals from?

                         IMAM
                      (translates)
               Kishan tramai jahal?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Kuwait Zoo. Nabal hazala fan taq.

                         IMAM
               This is for you, my friend, to eat
               if you are hungry.

     The Iraqi Soldier offers a live monkey to Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No, thank you.

                         IMAM
               They're not barbarians, they're
               starving.

                         DOC
               I'm getting really dizzy, man.

     Vig sticks out a WHITE TONGUE and nods.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We need water.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Water all gone. No one have water.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Radio?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               No radio.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No radio, no water, but yes CNN.

     The other Iraqis nod their heads and laugh nervously.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               George Bush get rid Saddam.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Not exactly.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Congratulation!

     He embraces Archie, who looks at Imam.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Would you explain to these
               gentlemen that we need a vehicle
               of some kind?

     INT. BUNKER GARAGE - DAY

     It is dark. With a click, several bare ceiling lights come
     on. Archie, Doc, Vig, stare in amazement: It's an underground
     garage filled with nine luxury cars: A ROLLS ROYCE, a JAGUAR,
     a MERCEDES, an INFINITI CONVERTIBLE, FOUR CADILLACS, a WHITE
     STRETCH LIMOUSINE. The friendly Iraqi smiles.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               From Kuwait.

     Doc stops at the convertible.

                         DOC
               Could I ask a question?

     The Iraqi deserters look at him.

                         DOC
               Does Lexus make this model?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               No. Infiniti convertible only.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI 2
               No Lexus convertible.

                         DOC
               Exactly what I said.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Listen. We use these cars to go
               fight Saddam soldiers.

     The Friendly Iraqi looks at Doc and laughs.

                         DOC
               What's so funny?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Cannot take.

                         DOC
               What do you mean, cannot take? We
               kicked Saddam's ass. We definitely
               take.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We are the United States military.

     The Iraqi laughs.

                         IMAM
               You're three guys with a bunch of
               Shiites and no Humvee.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               Need money. Have no money. To eat.
               To live. Kish falan azar yat imal
               tanat.

                         IMAM
               He says the Americans have many
               tanks, many airplanes. We have
               nothing.

     The Iraqis do not look happy. Imam does simultaneous
     translation as Archie holds forth.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We will rise up together.

                         IMAM
               Jihala vamat.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Rise up together.

     Doc and Vig look taken aback as Archie goes messianic.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Look at us. Working together. Many
               races, many nations. Tell him, Doc.

                         DOC
               We are united.

     They raise their joined hands together.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               United. George Bush wants YOU --

                         DOC
               To stand up for yourself.

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI SOLDIER
               George Bush.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               He wants YOU --

                         DOC
               You.

                         VIG
               Praise Jesus.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Make the fight for freedom on your
               own.

                         DOC
               Oh, yes, you can.

                         VIG
               Go, baby, go.

     Archie walks around, looking into the eyes of each Iraqi
     soldier, touching them on the shoulders.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Then America will follow.

                         IMAM
               Jahal yaqat.

                         DOC
               Jahal yaqat, brothers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               God bless America, and God bless
               a free Iraq.

     Iraqis burst into cheers.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               What do you say now, my friend?

                         FRIENDLY IRAQI
               Cannot give car.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Then I guess we'll have to buy
               them.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     The luxury cars ride across the desert, single file, Vuitton
     bags strapped to the roofs.

     INT. ROLLS ROYCE - DAY

                         VIG
               Judas Priest will pump you, Doc --

                         DOC
               I already had it with the Beach
               Boys today.

                         VIG
               One song.

     Doc slams in a CD-- TRADITIONAL IRAQI FOLK WAILING PLAYS.
     The Shiite riflemen in back smile as Vig scowls.

     INT. INFINITI

     Archie drives. Imam sits in passenger seat with his daughter
     on his lap. They listen to Iraqi music.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     Shiites finish passing 92 Vuitton suitcases into a trench.
     The bags are buried. Archie drives a stake to mark the spot.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We get our man, we come back to
               pick up the gold --

                         IMAM
               And my people.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               My gold isn't here, and I mean all
               of it, your people will not
               survive.

     Doc and Vig pull off distributor caps from the Cadillacs and
     Limousine (but not the Jaguar) and put them in Doc's pack.

                         IMAM
               I understand.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               OK. Let's load and go.

     Imam hugs and kisses his daughter goodbye and tries to put
     her, crying, into the arms of an older woman.

                         VIG
               Wait a second, I want to talk
               about this plan some more --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're going to drive in and get
               Troy, exactly like we discussed.

                         VIG
               I have a bad feeling like we're
               gonna get wasted.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You're scared. It's good to be
               scared when there's guns around.

     Vig looks uneasy. Archie hums Bach's 'Gloria' and moves a
     hand in the air, then puts his hands on Vig's shoulders and
     SINGS THE BACH LOUD. Vig eventually joins in the chorus.

                         DOC
               I'm cool. I'm all right.

     He lies down and breathes with a hand on his chest as Archie
     and Vig keep singing.

     EXT. OPEN DESERT - DAY

     Bach's B Minor Mass plays as the Mercedes, Infiniti, and
     Rolls Royce Drive across the desert.

     INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - OASIS BUNKER - DAY

     The Interrogator finishes putting tissue in Troy's bleeding
     nose.

                         TROY
               Your son wouldn't be dead if
               Saddam didn't invade Kuwait.

     FANTASY - IRAQI SOLDIERS

     smash the windows of a Benneton store, then a Cartier store.

                         INTERROGATOR (O.S.)
               I know.

                         TROY (O.S.)
               I heard about some bad shit that
               happened there.

     FANTASY - IRAQI SOLDIERS

     drag patients from their hospital beds and AN IRAQI SOLDIER
     dives on top of a crying NURSE and starts to rape her while
     a BABY is taken from an incubator, which is stolen.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

                         TROY
               Who's got the sick country?

                         INTERROGATOR
               Maybe Saddam is very crazy, right?
               And then you are crazy to bomb all
               of Iraq.

                         TROY
               Too much bombing is crazy, but not
               saving Kuwait.

                         INTERROGATOR
               You come here to save Kuwait
               people?

                         TROY
               Yes.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Really?
                      (to the Second Iraqi)
               Jahaza fan.

     The Second Iraqi dips a bucket into an oil drum.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Lots of people in trouble around
               this world, my man. You don't
               fight no fahking war for them.

                         TROY
               You invaded another country. You
               can't do that.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Why not, dude?

                         TROY
               It makes the world crazy. You got
               to keep it stable.

                         INTERROGATOR
               For what? Your pick up truck?

                         TROY
               No, for stability. Stabilize the
               region.

     The Interrogator pulls a CD from Troy's pocket and jams it
     into Troy's mouth.

                         INTERROGATOR
               This is your fahking stability, my
               main man.

     The Interrogator uses the CD as a funnel to force-feed the
     crude oil into Troy's mouth as he pours it from the bucket.

     EXT. RIM OF DUNE OVERLOOKING OASIS BUNKER

     Archie, Doc, Vig, stand on a sand ridge and look down on the
     Oasis bunker in the distance. Behind them are the three cars,
     Imam, and a handful of Shiite gunmen. They get into the cars.

     EXT. DUNES

     An empty ridge. The Infiniti, Rolls, Mercedes shoot over it,
     arcing down toward the bunker, engines roaring.

     EXT. OASIS BUNKER

     It is quiet. A Slim Jim is unwrapped as an IRAQI GUARD slowly
     raises it to his mouth, bites it, chews, and looks puzzled at
     the cars approaching in the distance.

     HIGH WIDE SHOT - looking straight down.

     The cars drive three abreast down the approach road to the
     bunker. The Infiniti is in the middle, flanked by the Rolls
     on the left and the Mercedes on the right.

     INT. INFINITI

     Vig looks scared as he drives the Infiniti straight toward
     the bunker. A Shiite sits up front with him. Fifty yards from
     the bunker, Vig turns sharply and drives in circles.

     EXT. BUNKER

     TWO IRAQI GUARDS, one chewing a Slim Jim, look bewildered as
     they stare at the circling Infiniti fifty yards away.

     INT. MERCEDES

     Archie, with Imam in the passenger seat, two Shiites in back,
     speeds the Mercedes past the guards, around the right side,
     to the back side of the bunker, skidding across the sand.

     AERIAL VIEW

     The Mercedes and the Rolls diverge around the bunker on
     either side: Rolls on the left, Mercedes on the right.

     INT. ROLLS ROYCE

     Doc drives the Rolls around the left, to the bunker's rear.

     EXT. BUNKER

     Iraqi soldiers fire a grenade that blows up right behind the
     Rolls as Doc skids right up to a rear entrance of the bunker,
     the grill touching the metal door. Doc parks, blockading the
     rear door shut, and, with three Shiite riflemen, jumps out.

     INT. INFINITI

     A Shiite helps Vig wedge a piece of wood onto the gas pedal.
     Vig suddenly grabs his hand in PAIN. The Shiite looks at him.

                         VIG
               Splinter.

                         SHIITE
               Come on.

     EXT. INFINITI

     Vig and the Shiite bail out of the moving Infiniti. Wads of
     plastic explosive are taped to the grill of the car as it
     speeds towards the bunker, then drifts to the side --

                         VIG
               Go straight, go straight --

     He jumps up and down and points, but the Infiniti goes far to
     the side of the bunker and explodes into some ruins. The two
     guards point their guns at Vig and the Shiite and they run
     into the desert as bullets pop around them.

     EXT. RIGHT SIDE OF BUNKER

     Archie skids the Mercedes to a halt on the right side of the
     bunker, jumps out, slams the door, followed by Imam and the
     two other Shiites.

     They run toward the bunker, Archie with a wad of plastic
     explosive and nails in one hand and a cigarette lighter in
     the other. He HEARS the CHIRP of a car alarm being activated
     as he runs to the bunker.

     Imam finds a vent hole on the low facade of the bunker, pulls
     off a grill. Archie lights a fuse sticking out of the plastic
     explosive, and drops it into the vent.

     INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

     Troy gags and spits, his front is covered in oil. The
     Interrogator raises the bucket.

                         INTERROGATOR
               Are you feeling stable enough for
               more?

     An EXPLOSION elsewhere in the bunker causes the lights to
     flicker out.

     INT. BUNKER CORRIDOR

     Iraqi soldiers scurry in the darkness with flashlights. They
     go to the rear door, pile up in the dark, pushing.

     EXT. REAR OF BUNKER

     The parked Rolls Royce blockades the rear door.

     EXT. SIDE OF BUNKER

     Archie and Imam run back to the Mercedes, but the car is
     locked, his pistol sits inside on the front seat. A GUNSHOT
     from the bunker roof shatters the window of the Mercedes,
     setting off THE CAR ALARM.

     Archie reaches in, grabs his pistol, and bolts as a launched
     grenade blows the Mercedes.

     EXT. FRONT OF BUNKER - DAY

     12 Iraqi soldiers pour out of the smoking bunker as 3 Shiite
     riflemen with Doc fire on them. Two Iraqis go down, with only
     the sound of bullets piercing their flesh.

     6 Iraqis run for it, into the desert. 2 Iraqis throw their
     hands up in surrender while 2 look ambivalent, one holds a
     stack of new Levis. Doc raises a hand to stop his Shiite
     gunmen from firing, but they fire anyway and 3 Iraqis fire
     back -- the Shiite next to Doc is hit in the face.

                         DOC
               Stop shooting, what's the matter
               with you?

     He reaches out and holds the rifle of a Shiite. Everyone
     stops firing, slowly the Iraqis drop their guns. Doc has WET
     HIS PANTS.

     Archie runs up from the right, grabs Doc's arm and they run
     past surrendering Iraqi soldiers and into the front entrance.
     of the bunker. Imam takes cover on the side of the bunker
     while Shiites and Iraqis aim at each other.

     Vig approaches cautiously from the desert, HEARS AN AIRCRAFT,
     and looks up. An Iraqi helicopter comes in fast and opens
     FIRE with MACHINE GUNS --

                         VIG
               Shit.

     Vig runs toward the bunker for cover, but is cut off by
     MACHINE GUN FIRE from THE CHOPPER. Shiites FIRE rifles up at
     the chopper.

     INT. IRAQI CHOPPER

     Chips of metal and plastic fly off as bullets hit the
     chopper. Arabic chatter is heard over a crackling radio.

     POV - FROM INSIDE THE CHOPPER

     100 feet below -- Vig and six remaining Shiite riflemen are
     running into the desert away from the chopper.

     EXT. DESERT -  DAY

     Vig and the six Shiites frantically search for cover.

     The chopper FIRES and one of the Shiites running with Vig is
     hit in the head, thrown by the force of the gunshot into Vig,
     who goes down, faking it.

     Vig lies face down, out of breath, with the dead Shiite on
     top of him while the chopper hovers above.

                         VIG
               Jesus God, I don't wanna get hit,
               please Jesus, watch over me --

     INT. BUNKER

     It is dimly lighted by a few mounted emergency lights.

     Archie and Doc run down the empty stairs, through the big
     main room -- it is empty. Archie goes down the right side,
     kicks open a door --

     It's the bathroom full of stolen stuff and cell phones --

     Doc goes down the left side of the room -- kicks in a door --
     a room full of Benneton sweaters in all colors.

     Archie kicks in a door -- a room with shelves full of large
     snow globes, thousands of them.

     Doc kicks in a door -- a room cluttered with debris, but
     there is another door at the far side of the room. He
     approaches and kicks it repeatedly, without success.

     Archie kicks in a door -- it is pitch black -- an emergency
     light flickers on and off -- revealing the two Iraqi
     torturers at the control table, where one tries to fix the
     emergency light with a screwdriver --

     In flickering light -- Archie SHOOTS one Iraqi guard squarely
     in the chest, then the other -- the only SOUND IS THE GUN
     POPPING and the BULLETS TEARING into their bodies.

     Archie turns to the Interrogator, who stands next to Troy.

                         INTERROGATOR
               It's OK, buddy, we are just
               talking now --

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION -- Archie shoots the Interrogator in the
     thigh. THE ONLY SOUND IS GUN SHOOTING, FLESH TEARING --

     Blood thinly splatters across Troy's face as the Interrogator
     grimaces and falls to the floor. The light flicks on a few
     beats, then off a few beats.

     Archie rips the wires from the table controls, goes to Troy,
     unhinges the wire from his jaw.

     The Interrogator writhes in pain on the ground. Archie takes
     the Interrogator's pistol, snaps open a knife, cuts the cord
     binding Troy to the chair and gives Troy the pistol.

     Troy sits, stained with oil, blood, tears. He gets up, looks
     down at the interrogator on the floor, points the pistol into
     the Interrogator's face.

     The Interrogator stares at Troy, who stares back. Archie
     watches, out of breath. Troy FIRES the gun just to the side
     of the Interrogator's face, into the ground. The Interrogator
     looks terrified, crying. Troy stares back, looks unhappy,
     lowers the gun.

     Troy and Archie look at each other for an intense moment.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let's go.

     INT. ANOTHER BUNKER ROOM

     Doc shoots the lock on the inner door and it finally opens.
     He looks inside and sees, in a sunken room, 50 more Shiite
     civilians huddled together. Archie rushes by with Troy.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Come on.

     INT. FRONT DOOR OF BUNKER - DAY

     Archie and Troy run out of the bunker --

     EXT. FRONT DOOR OF BUNKER - DAY

     The chopper hovers right there. It FIRES A GRENADE which
     EXPLODES next to Archie and Troy. They scramble back into the
     bunker.

     INT. FRONT DOOR OF BUNKER - DAY

     Archie and Troy run into Doc at the door, knocking him over.
     They crouch inside the door; the chopper hovers low outside.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     Vig gropes the sand for his glasses, crawling on his hands
     and knees with the dead Shiite on his back.

                         VIG
               You gotta be my disguise, Mr.
               Shiite, cuz they need my help over
               there --

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     The six Iraqis who took oft from the bunker are still
     running. Their CONVERSATION is in ARABIC and SUBTITLED in
     ENGLISH.

                         TOUGH IRAQI
               Let's go back and get them.

                         IRAQI #2
               Fuck a donkey, no way.

                         TOUGH IRAQI
               There's a chopper, we can do it.

     He and another Iraqi stop while the other two keep running.

                         TOUGH IRAQI
               They killed your families, you
               fucking cowards.

     The Tough Iraqi and his partner, sweating profusely, out of
     breath, split up and head back toward the bunker.

     INT. FRONT DOOR OF BUNKER - DAY

     Archie's in great pain. He grimaces as he tightens the
     bandage around his forearm. Troy is shaking uncontrollably.
     Doc grabs Troy's shoulders firmly.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're gonna get out of here alive,
               just do what I say, do you hear me?

     Troy nods. Archie pulls one of the football bombs wrapped in
     C-4 from his small pack, and hands it to Doc.

     Archie pretends to throw with nothing in his hand.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Step, throw, one-two -- I'm gonna
               give it a five second fuse. That
               gives you two steps out the door.

     PAN ACROSS Troy and Doc listen intently.

     Archie cuts the fuse on the ball with his knife.

     The three of them stand at the door, ready. Archie holds his
     pistol ready. Doc holds the football, Troy holds the lighter.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Wait --

     EXT. BUNKER

     Imam, lying in a ditch, is concealed on the side of the
     bunker, and aims an old rifle at the chopper.

     GUNSHOTS ring off the side of the chopper, chipping plastic.
     The chopper banks toward Vig in response.

     Vig watches the chopper turn toward him.

                         VIG
               God help me.

     INT. BUNKER

     Troy flicks the lighter and with a shaking hand tries to
     light the fuse. Archie steadies Troy's hand. The fuse is lit.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Go.

     EXT. FRONT DOOR OF BUNKER - DAY

     Archie FIRES his pistol as he goes out the door with Troy,
     also FIRING a pistol. Doc follows with the ball, fuse burning.
     Doc throws the ball hard at the chopper, hovering 40 feet up.

     INT. CHOPPER

     The chopper turns to face the ball just as it hits the
     plexiglas window and bounces off, not exploding. The pilots
     look perplexed. The ball hits the ground and EXPLODES.

     EXT. BUNKER

     Archie, Troy, Doc, stunned -- turn back to the bunker.

     INT. BUNKER DOORWAY - DAY

     They run inside and take cover, catch their breath. Troy and
     Doc look terrified.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               OK.  Shorter fuse this time.

     He pulls out the second ball, cuts another fuse, affixes it.
     They wait at the door again, watching the chopper.

     EXT. BUNKER

     Imam, from the side of the bunker, FIRES again, the chopper
     swivels toward him to RETURN FIRE --

     INT. BUNKER

     Troy lights the second fuse. They bolt out the door, Troy and
     Archie FIRING pistols, Doc in the middle with the ball.

     EXT. BUNKER

     SLOW TO FREEZE FRAME MID-STRIDE -- with just THE SOUND OF THE
     CHOPPER: Archie, Doc, Troy, three abreast, mid-stride.

     RESUME REGULAR SPEED -- Doc unleashes the football.

     PAN TO - SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION -- the ball hits the chopper
     broadside and THE CHOPPER EXPLODES INTO A BALL OF FIRE.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION: The chopper comes crashing to the
     ground in a heap of metal. The rotary spins off, whips over
     Archie, Troy, and Doc's heads and smashes into the bunker.

     Silence.

     Troy and Doc look at each other, and punch their fists
     together. Troy notices that he's wet his pants.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're not done. Check every Iraqi
               here.

     Archie rolls over bodies lying on the ground, pulls out their
     weapons. Troy and Doc take rifles from wounded Iraqis.

                         TROY
                      (agitated)
               Where's Conrad?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Don't let your guard down.

     Doc nervously scans the area with his pistol pointed.

     50 Shiite prisoners start streaming out of the bunker.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Stay there, don't move.

     Imam directs the Shiites to stay clustered near the bunker.

                         IMAM
               Jakar yizam ut naral --

                         TROY
               How are we getting back?

                         DOC
               We got the Rolls.

     An IRAQI SOLDIER jumps up just as Archie knocks him to the
     ground from behind and twists the gun away. Doc binds the
     soldier's hands with a plastic cuff.

                         TROY
               You got a Rolls?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It's been a busy day.

     Archie pulls pistols from the bloody bodies of the two Iraqis
     in the chopper.

                         TROY
               Hey. That's a convertible.

     He points to the flaming wrecked Infiniti.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Keep your fucking guard up.

                         TROY
               Is that leather interior?

                         DOC
               I think he's in shock.

                         TROY
               It's a fucking Infiniti
               convertible, isn't it?

                         DOC
               Yes.

                         TROY
               OK. So I owe you a car. I'm not in
               shock.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We can talk about cars later, OK?

                         TROY
               Freeze --

     He points his pistol at Imam.

                         IMAM
               Take it easy.

                         TROY
               Who is this guy?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               He's with us.

     Troy and Imam look at each other a moment, Troy still points
     his pistol at Imam.

                         TROY
               You're the guy with the little
               girl.

                         IMAM
               That's right.

                         TROY
               What are you doing here?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               He helped us find you.

                         TROY
               All right. You're all right.

     He hugs Imam.

                         TROY
               How's your girl?

                         IMAM
               She's safe. For the moment.

                         TROY
               All right. Excellent. How can we
               help?

                         DOC
               Calm down, man.

                         TROY
               I'm calm. Don't I look calm?

                         IMAM
               We had a deal to get us to the
               border, but we need more vehicles
               for these people.

     Troy moves nervously.

                         TROY
               We're gonna work it out. We can do
               it. We have to work it out.

                         DOC
               I'm not sure how. This is a lot of
               people.

                         TROY
               OK, you choose who we take. You
               tell the others it's not
               convenient, they'll have to die.

                         DOC
               Take it easy, man.

                         TROY
               You think I don't know what I'm
               saying. I know what I'm saying.
               We're gonna do more than steal,
               that's what I'm saying. We're
               gonna help these people out.

                         IMAM
               This guy was worth saving.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               He's a soldier.

     Troy and Archie look at each other, smile slightly.

                         VIG (O.S.)
               Yes. Yes. All right.

     They all turn to look.

     WIDE SHOT -- Vig pops up in the desert, 150 yards away.

                         VIG
               You made it.

     Vig comes running.

                         VIG
               I thought that was you. Yeah.

     Troy smiles as he steps in the direction of Vig. Suddenly a
     RIFLE SHOT RINGS OUT, Troy jumps.

     SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION -- Vig is hit in the collar bone, ONLY
     THE SOUND OF THE BULLET SMASHING HIS FLESH AND BONE. He is
     jerked, falls to his knees, but gets up, keeps staggering
     toward Troy, 125 yards away.

     Troy looks stunned.

     Archie turns sharply to his right and FIRES a rifle.

     An IRAQI SOLDIER, 150 yards to the side, drops to the ground
     as Archie and Doc continue to hit him with gunfire.

     Troy runs as hard as he can toward Vig.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Cover him.

     Doc looks around frantically with his pistol pointed. Archie
     scans the area and directs 3 SHIITE RIFLEMEN to spread out.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Lock it down. Shoot anything that
               moves.

                         IMAM
                      (translates)
               Haza janav yasat.

     Troy runs, catches the staggering Vig in his arms and
     embraces him. Blood runs from Vig's mouth, onto Troy's
     shoulder, as Vig tries to talk.

                         VIG
               You made it, man --

     Troy cries as he runs with Vig in his arms.

                         TROY
               Help him.

     Doc takes Vig from Troy's arms and carefully lays him on the
     ground, cradling his head in his lap. Vig spits blood.

                         VIG
               What happened to the Jesus fire,
               Doc?

                         DOC
               It's around you right now, man, it
               works on this side or the other
               side.

                         VIG
               You never told me that part. I
               guess I could go to one of them
               shrines that erase the bad you
               did --

                         TROY
               We made the right choice today,
               Conrad.

                         VIG
               We did good, right?

                         TROY
               We made the right choice.

     The hole in Vig's collar bone is pumping out blood. Troy puts
     his hands over it. Doc looks sad and scared as he tries to
     turns Vig's head to help him breathe.

                         DOC
               Dear Lord watch over this man,
               help him if you can. Our father
               who art in heaven --

     50 Shiites -- children and adults -- sit on the ground near
     the bunker watch from afar.

     Troy stands up looking around helplessly.

                         TROY
               Help.

                         DOC
               -- hallowed be thy name, thy
               kingdom come, thy will be done --

     A gunshot rings out and -- slightly slow motion -- hits Troy
     in the lower right chest -- and comes out again three inches
     over, piercing a thin piece of his side -- with only the
     sound of tearing tissue. Troy looks stunned as he is spun
     around by the shot.

     Archie spins around in the desert and looks at Troy.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Goddamn it.

     He runs hard across the desert toward Troy.

     Troy falls next to Vig and they look at each other.

     Troy's eyes are wide with pain as he breathes with great
     difficulty -- RASPING.

     INT. TROY'S RIB CAGE

     His breathing creates an air pocket, crushing his organs to
     the left side.

     TROY'S POV

     looking up at Doc, who is saying something to Troy, but
     there's NO SOUND EXCEPT TROY'S LABORED BREATHING

     The POV turns to the side -- Vig is no longer breathing.

     FLASHBACK TO THE OPENING SCENE, but with weird, MUFFLED
     SOUND

                         SOLDIER #5
               Take my picture.

                         VIG
               Do you still want to sell pictures?

                         TROY
                      (distracted monotone)
               For twenty.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Twenty bucks?

                         VIG
               War's been over five days, ain't
               gonna be any more of this, Jim.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Twenty dollars, man, what's the
               meaning of life?

                         TROY
               You're lucky you got to see
               anybody shot in this war.

                         SOLDIER #5
               Bobby, take my picture.

     He holds the camera out.

                         SOLDIER #4
               If he shot the guy, it's up to him.

                         SOLDIER #5
               It's not like he shot a fucking
               deer. It's the enemy.

                         VIG
               It's Troy's enemy, yours for
               twenty.

     BACK TO THE SCENE - CLOSE UP

     Troy lies on the ground, trying to breathe, eyes wide.

     TROY'S POV

     Archie and Imam step into frame. Archie looks down at Troy,
     opens his waist pack, pulls out a sterile wrapped scalpel.

     TROY'S POV TURNS TO THE SIDE --

     FISH EYE LENS - The Jaguar pulls up in SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION.

     Imam's Little Girl gets out of the passenger side, SLIGHTLY
     SLOW MOTION, NO SOUND. Imam scolds her and gesticulates,
     indicating she should be back with the others where it is
     safe. The Little Girl embraces Imam and stares down at Troy
     over her father's shoulder.

     EXT. DESERT

     Troy's eyes are wide, staring up at the Girl as he has great
     difficulty breathing. Archie rolls Troy's shirt up, exposing
     Troy's chest, with the bullet wound. Archie points to a spot
     on Troy's upper chest, near the collar bone --

     Doc squeezes a small tube of brown disinfectant gel onto this
     spot -- the only sounds are the squirt of the ointment and
     Troy's breathing.

     Archie looks nervous, then focussed as he brings the shiny
     metal scalpel down. Troy is in great pain as he watches
     Archie plunge the scalpel into his upper chest. Archie twists
     the scalpel to open the incision wide --

     There is a pronounced HISSING as trapped air rushes out. Huge
     relief comes over Troy's face as he breathes normally.

     Regular sound FADES BACK IN, THE FIRST SOUND IS THE GIRL'S
     THIN, INTERMITTENT HUMMING --

     TROY'S POV FROM THE GROUND, LOOKING UP

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I've been waiting 18 years to get
               that right.

     He tears open a short I.V. tube and plunges the I.V. into the
     scalpel hole. There is a small valve on the end of the tube,
     which he tightens.

     A GUNSHOT SOUNDS -- Archie turns and looks over --

     EXT. DESERT

     FIVE SHIITE RIFLE MEN chase down and shoot, at 30 yards, the
     last Iraqi gunner in the desert.

     Troy sits up slowly and watches for a moment.

     EXT. FRONT OF THE BUNKER - LATER

     Shiite women and children chant and pray around Vig's corpse
     as it lies in the open trunk of the Jaguar. Archie, Troy and
     Doc stand together watching. Troy and Doc do a muted version
     of Vig's Karate arm dance as they look down at his corpse.

                         TROY
               He's got no family.

     Archie sadly takes Vig's big pistol from Vig's clenched hand.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We're his family now.

                         DOC
               He wanted to go to one of those
               shrines.

                         IMAM
               Kajatar in Iran. We can take him.

     Archie takes Vig's glasses off.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Good. Take him.

     EXT. DESERT - LATER

     Archie fills a single rusted oil drum with gold bars and
     tapes it shut. Troy sits in a folding chair nearby. He looks
     pained and uncomfortable.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Air pressure will build up about
               every fifteen minutes. Release the
               valve, close it up again.

     Archie unscrews the valve on the tube in Troy's chest, and
     air hisses out. Troy looks relieved. Archie closes the valve.

                         TROY
               How long can I keep doing this?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Maybe four hours, if you're not
               bleeding too bad inside.

                         TROY
               I'm really thirsty.

                         DOC
               There's no water anywhere.

                         IMAM
                      (to Archie)
               I got you hooked up if you want to
               call your man.

     EXT. DESERT - LATER

     Archie operates a radio hooked up to a car battery.

                         ARCHIE GATES
                      (into the radio)
               Tar Baby, this is Brer Rabbit, do
               you read me?

                         DOC
               We're gonna be court-martialed.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               No, we're not.

     Troy watches, tense.

                         ARCHIE GATES
                      (into the radio)
               Tar Baby, this is Brer Rabbit, are
               you reading this?

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     Walter drives the motorcycle, nude, wearing his helmet with
     radio attachment. Smithson and Paco ride along.

     Archie is heard in a crackling radio transmission inside
     Walter's helmet. Walter speaks into the small mouthpiece.

                         WALTER
                      (into radio)
               This is Tar Baby, come in.

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               Where are you?

                         WALTER
                      (into radio)
               About two clicks outside camp.

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               We're about ready for the briar
               patch, over.

                         WALTER
                      (into the radio)
               Right.

     He looks uncertain, worried.

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               You got me, Tar Baby?

                         WALTER
               I think so -- who handles the
               briar patch?

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               You do.

                         WALTER
               Oh, OK, and the Tar Baby goes to
               the briar patch if everything's
               OK, right?

                         ARCHIE GATES (O.S.)
               No, the other way around.

                         WALTER
               Shit, I'm sorry, sir, I don't
               remember how the code goes --

     INTERCUT WITH Archie, who looks exasperated. He is sweating
     with a fever and his arm hurts.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Six personnel trucks and a Humvee.

                         WALTER
               Wow. That's a tall order for a
               secret operation, sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Talk to my friend Hash. Each
               driver will get 100K.

                         WALTER
               Did you say 100K?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Roger. Brer Rabbit at 239 North.
               Add one medavac pack to the order,
               and dump the reporter.

                         WALTER
               Roger. Give me two hours.

     INT. COMPANY B RADIO TENT - DAY

     TWO DECODERS sit at a table wearing headphones. One writes
     down: "BRER RABBIT AT 239 NORTH, DUMP THE REPORTER."

     INT. BUNKER - DAY

     CLOSE UP A SNOW GLOBE is shaken and little green dollars
     swirl inside the little world, settling upon an early desert
     oasis, old buildings, palm trees, donkeys, Three Kings,
     peasants carrying the baby Jesus, and a Mobil gas station.

     WIDER TO REVEAL HUNDREDS OF SNOW GLOBES are pulled from the
     shelves and put into old cloth bags.

     EXT. BUNKER - DAY

     Doc cracks open a snow globe with pliers as all the water and
     dollars drain out. Imam filters the water through a cheese
     cloth held above an urn.

     CLOSE ON the plastic Three Kings and Baby Jesus with the
     Mobil gas station glisten in the wet palm of Archie's hand.

     Archie looks at the Three Kings in his hand.

     Troy cracks open a snow globe, filters water with a Shiite.

     Dozens of Shiites are doing the same.

     Archie passes an urn to some parched Shiites who drink the
     water thirstily. Troy, Doc do the same.

     EXT. B COMPANY RADIO TENT - DAY

     Captain Van Meter, General Horn, and two radio decoders stand
     looking at logs of transmissions.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               There's so many transmissions --

                         GENERAL HORN
               Narrow it down to what sounds like
               Archie Gates and a Humvee.

     A Humvee with HAVICHON and Walter drives by behind the
     oblivious General, leading a convoy of several trucks.

                         GENERAL HORN
               I want a direction, we're not
               gonna comb the whole goddamn
               desert --

     A PRIVATE runs up and hands General Horn a paper.

                         PRIVATE
               This is from Barlow's C.O. at Fort
               Bragg, something with his wife.

                         GENERAL HORN
                      (reads)
               Fort Bragg? I'll be damned.

     Walter and Hash drive past Smithson and Paco and Cathy.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               Where the hell is he going now?

                         CATHY DAITCH
               I say we keep watching the General.

     She takes off and Smithson follows her.

     EXT. DESERT -  DAY

     Imam pours gasoline on a pile of Vuitton suitcases,
     Troy throws a match, the suitcases go up in a rush of fire.

     EXT. DESERT - LATER

     Imam hands two gold bars to a Shiite peasant, who takes them
     and moves on. There are two long lines of Shiite peasants
     patiently waiting to get their gold, as it is handed out by
     Imam and another Shiite while, Archie, Troy, and Doc watch.
     Shiites stash their gold bars inside their clothing and bags.

     LATER

     Everyone sits and waits: Archie, Troy, Doc, Imam, his
     daughter, 105 Shiite peasants.

     Troy looks pained, then releases the valve on the tube
     sticking through his chest bandage and there is a hiss of
     air. He looks relieved.

     There is the SOUND OF DISTANT MOTORS RUMBLING. An approaching
     convoy in the desert: six open U.S. personnel trucks, led by
     a Humvee.

     Archie, Troy, Doc, Imam, his daughter, dozens of Shiites
     watch the convoy approaching -- they hold their guns ready.

     The U.S. Military trucks and the Humvee pull up to the bunker.

     Walter stands in the front of the Humvee with Hash, both
     wearing sand goggles as they pull up -- Walter salutes.

                         HAVICHON
               Quelle gonzesse, Archie, you got
               yourself shot.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Those better be words of sympathy.

     6 ARMY DRIVERS, among them the disillusioned infantrymen
     interviewed by Bill Smithson earlier, get out of their
     vehicles, greeted by Doc, Archie, and Imam.

     Walter walks up, carrying a medical pack.

                         WALTER
               Watcha doing out here, Troy?

     They bang fists in greeting.

                         TROY
               Protecting the free peoples of the
               world, Walter, you know how it is.

                         WALTER
               We better get you fixed up to go
               home to the land of the brave.

     Walter pushes an I.V. needle into Troy's arm.

                         TROY
               Give me that penicillin, baby.

     Doc pushes an I.V. needle into Archie's arm and tapes the
     penicillin sack to Archie's shirt.

                         HAVICHON
               Where ees bullion at, my man?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Bullion ees buried. I'll show you
               after we get these people to the
               border.

                         HAVICHON
               Iranian border?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Part of the deal.

                         HAVICHON
               C'est super, Archie, you got
               yourself a pain in the ass mission
               of mercy.

                         WALTER
               Sorry I fucked up the code, sir.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               It means we gotta move. They might
               be coming for us.

     Bach's "Gloria" plays powerfully.

     Shiites pile into the six open trucks. The lone oil can full
     of gold is loaded, as well. Imam and his daughter are helped
     into a truck by Doc. Archie whistles loud from the front seat
     of the Humvee -- which leads the way as the convoy pulls out.

     Doc, in the back of a truck with Shiites, waves.

     Troy smiles as he sits in the back of a crowded truck with
     Imam, his daughter, and other Shiites.

     HIGH, WIDE CURVING HELICOPTER SHOT

     The six truck convoy, led by the Humvee, rolls across the two-
     lane desert road.

     EXT. BASE CAMP - B COMPANY - DAY

     SIX APACHE CHOPPERS are ROARING on the ground as Captain Van
     Meter, his White Assistant, and General Horn board a chopper.
     Smithson, Paco, and Cathy and her CAMERA MAN rush aboard the
     last chopper in the line.

     EXT. DESERT - DAY

     The Humvee slows to a halt.

     Archie stands in the front of the Humvee with a rifle at his
     side -- looking straight ahead -- concerned. Troy, Doc, Imam,
     and daughter stare ahead, concerned

     EXT. THE IRANIAN BORDER

     50 yards ahead -- a low wall of razor wire.

     100 yards beyond it, dozens of Iraqi tanks are lined up along
     the border, 100 feet apart, stretching into the distance
     either way. There are 50 IRAQI GROUND TROOPS standing at the
     border station, marked by razor wire on the one-lane road.

     On the far side of the border, IRANIAN SOLDIERS with RELIEF
     WORKERS wearing RED CRESCENTS wait by white school buses and
     stare at the American convoy.

     EXT. IRAQI SIDE OF THE BORDER

     Archie stares at the border, thinking.

     Imam helps Troy down from the truck. Doc carries the Little
     Girl.

                         HAVICHON
               What are you seenking?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               I see an opening we can walk
               through. But it's not wide enough
               for a truck.

     Archie gets out of the Humvee and looks at the border.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We'll walk them to the border. The
               Iranians will take them. We'll
               walk back to the trucks and get
               out of here.

     Doc turns and signals to the drivers to come up.

     Troy takes the safety off his M-16.

     5 U.S.Drivers get out with their rifles ready. They release
     the safeties. Havichon, with his leg in a cast, stays back to
     man the mounted machine gun on the Humvee. Iraqi soldiers on
     the border nervously watch the Americans and the Shiites,
     holding their machine guns.

     INT. IRAQI TANK - DAY

     POV THROUGH IRAQI GUN SIGHT -- cross hairs pan from Doc, to
     Troy, to Imam, to Archie.

     EXT. BORDER

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Make a close group.

                         IMAM
                      (translates)
               Jihad yamat -- yamat.

     105 Shiites empty the trucks and gather in a crowd that walks
     toward the border. Two Shiite men carry Vig's body, wrapped
     in Arabic cloths.

     Archie, Troy, Doc, lead the crowd single file through a
     narrow opening in the razor wire. On the other side, the
     crowd spreads out and keeps walking. Archie, Troy, and Doc
     walk three abreast, 7 feet apart, rifles ready.

     Imam and Walter are behind, flanking them.

     FACES: CLOSE DOLLY - SHIITE Children, Women, Men, as they
     fearfully walk toward the border. The five U.S. Drivers flank
     the Shiites on either side, rifles ready.

     PAN TO - Troy suddenly drops to one knee.

                         DOC
               Let the air out.

                         TROY
               It's not the air, I don't know
               what it is --

                         DOC
               Stay back.

                         TROY
               I'm all right. I'm just dizzy or
               something --

     EXT. IRAN SIDE OF THE BORDER

     Iranian soldiers and relief workers stand watching.

     PAN AROUND TO - IRANIAN SIDE POV

     The backs of the Iraqi troops and tanks, and the approaching
     Shiites and Americans, walking in the distance.

     EXT. IRAQI SIDE OF THE BORDER

     Archie helps Troy as they walk three abreast with Doc.

     CHOPPERS ARE HEARD in the distance. They grow LOUDER. Imam
     turns and looks back. Archie turns around and looks.

     SIX APACHE CHOPPERS approach from the distance

     CLOSE DOLLY Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Double time.

     He lets go of Troy and starts jogging toward the border. Troy
     cannot jog, he crouches down, and is passed by the others.
     The Shiites look up at the choppers as they jog. Doc and
     Walter look up also. Archie does not.

     Havichon in the Humvee swings the mounted gun up to the
     choppers as they pass overhead, loud.

     PAN UP TO Six Apaches hover over everyone's heads and land in
     the 50 yards between Archie and the border, blocking his
     path, blowing up dust.

     Archie, Troy, Doc, Imam, the Shiites turn and wince in the
     blowing sand.

     10 U.S. MILITARY POLICE jump from the landing choppers,
     followed by another TEN U.S. TROOPS with rifles.

     Iraqi soldiers watch apprehensively.

     M.P.S grab Archie, Troy, And Doc, and pull them away from
     the Shiites.

     Troy shouts over the choppers.

                         TROY
               Wait.

     U.S. soldiers push the Shiites toward the border.

     The Shiites, including two who carry Vig's body, run toward
     the border unaccompanied by American protection.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Let them get over the border.

     Troy pulls away from MPS, resisting arrest.

                         TROY
               Let them get over, wait --

     Plastic handcuffs are put onto Troy, behind his back.

                         TROY
               I have to reach this --

     Archie and Doc, not resisting, are handcuffed in front --

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Put his cuffs in front.

     He and Doc are pulled away from Troy.

     Iraqi soldiers take the Shiites prisoner, grabbing them,
     throwing some to the ground. Troy looks over his shoulder at
     this as Imam's daughter is ripped from his arms and he is
     thrown to the ground and dragged.

                         TROY
               Look what's happening.

     He collapses to one knee.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               Not our mission, Barlow.

     Troy grimaces on the ground, he can't breathe, but the cuffs
     prevent him from releasing his valve. Troy struggles.

                         TROY
               Cut my cuffs --

     Captain Van Meter leans down to Troy. He shouts over the
     choppers.

                         CAPTAIN VAN METER
               You fucked me and you're fucked
               now, so shut your goddamn mouth.

     Shiites are lined up in a firing squad.

                         DOC
               He's gonna die.

     Troy lies on the ground suffocating. Archie drags the MP
     holding him as he goes to General Horn.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Goddamn it, Ron, give him medical
               attention, don't let him die --


                         GENERAL HORN
               We are not involved in the Shiite
               problem, do you understand
               me? You are AWOL, you are a
               fugitive, you are under arrest.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Cut his cuffs.

     General Horn walks away as MPS stare at Troy on the ground,
     concerned.

     A US SOLDIER stares -- upset by what's happening, reaches in
     his pocket, pulls out a hunting knife, pops the blade,
     crouches down to Troy, exchanges a look with the MP standing
     by, and cuts Troy's plastic cuffs. Troy reaches with
     difficulty to the valve on his chest turns it -- and breathes.

     Archie looks at Troy, then up at the border.

     Imam and the Shiites are lined up in a firing squad. Vig's
     body is dropped in the sand.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We got the gold.

                         GENERAL HORN
               What?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               We got the Kuwaiti bullion.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Bullshit.

     Archie pulls away from the MPs holding him and runs toward
     the lead truck -- where MPs grab and wrestle him down.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               Pull that barrel.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Pull it.

     An MP jumps into the truck, pushes the barrel over; 30 gold
     bars spill to the sand.

     The General looks at the gold. Troy and Doc, held in custody,
     watch.  The General makes a 'CUT' signal to the choppers --
     and the chopper engines cut off and whir down; it grows QUIET.

     THE U.S. Soldiers -- holding Walter and the Drivers in
     custody -- stand and watch Archie.

                         GENERAL HORN
               How much do you have?

                         ARCHIE GATES
               4 tons.

     General Horn picks up a gold brick.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Where's it at?

                         TROY
               Get them over first.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               They helped us get it, Ron. I made
               a deal, and that's soldier's
               honor. You can't fuck them now.

     General Horn looks at Archie.

                         ARCHIE GATES
               You can return this gold, be a big
               hero, get another star maybe.

     Everyone stares at General Horn. After a pause, the General
     fires his pistol into the air.

     Iraqi soldiers freeze as they are about to fire on the
     Shiites.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Let's go, Doug.

     Captain Van Meter and General Horn walk 40 yards to the
     frozen Iraqi soldiers and the terrified Shiites.

     Archie, Troy, Doc in handcuffs with MPS, watch.

     Walter and the other U.S. Soldiers watch from afar as
     Captain Van Meter and General Horn walk into the midst of
     Iraqi soldiers.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Who's in charge here?

     An OLDER IRAQI GENERAL steps forward and salutes.

                         GENERAL HORN
               We have to talk about this
               situation.

     Archie, Troy, Doc, U.S. soldiers watch from a distance.

     ARCHIE'S POV FROM AFAR

     General Horn talks to the Iraqi general.

     BACK TO THE SCENE

     U.S. Soldiers watch.

     TROY'S POV FROM AFAR

     General Horn and Captain Van Meter walk back toward them.

     It is QUIET. No one says anything.

     Pan across Paco taping.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               In a morbid tableau these men have
               recovered some of the gold bullion
               stolen from Kuwait --

                         CATHY DAITCH
               --in violation of American policy,
               saved over a hundred Shiite
               refugees while recovering stolen
               Kuwaiti gold --

                         GENERAL HORN
               Turn that damn camera off.

     He walks up and forcibly pushes the camera to the ground, Van
     Meter pushes Cathy's camera down.

                         BILL SMITHSON
               That's a 75 thousand dollar
               camera --

                         GENERAL HORN
               What the fuck are they doing here?

                         SARGEANT
               I thought they were authorized --

                         GENERAL HORN
               They are not fucking authorized,
               for Christ's sake --

     MPs take the tapes from the cameras.

                         GENERAL HORN
               Haven't I taken care of you,
               dammit?

     He signals the choppers to start up.

     THE CHOPPER ENGINES SLOWLY WHINE into gear.

                         CATHY DAITCH
               I'm gonna get that tape back.

     General Horn walks over to Troy, Archie, and Doc.

                         GENERAL HORN
               You are under arrest. You are
               going to be court-martialed. And
               you will show us where the bullion
               is right now.

     He walks into a chopper, which is now revving at full speed.

     PAN TO Troy, Archie, Doc turn to the border and watch.
     Walter, the handcuffed Drivers, the MPS and other U.S.
     Soldiers also watch.

     The Shiites are released by the Iraqis. They collect
     themselves and gather in a group. The group walks over the
     border and is received by the relief workers.

     Troy, Archie, Doc watch. A U.S. Soldier WHISTLES through the
     loud choppers.

                         SOLDIER #10
               Yeah.

     Then another Soldier joins in, WHISTLING and CLAPPING.

     Then another soldier, until all twenty U.S.
     Soldiers and MPs present are whistling and cheering Troy,
     Archie, and Doc as they stand there while the choppers throb.

     50 yards away: Imam holds his daughter, on the Iran side,
     about to get into a Red Crescent bus.

     Imam and his daughter wave.

     Archie raises his handcuffed wrists to wave back; Troy and
     Doc follow, raising their cuffed hands to wave.

     Freeze frame.

     "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys KICKS ON.

                                              CUT TO

     Text over black: Troy Barlow, Archie Gates, and Doc Elgin
     were court-martialed and convicted of disobeying orders and
     the wrongful death of Conrad Vig.

     They each served eighteen months in a military prison.  Bill
     Smithson and Cathy Daitch's testimony resulted in reduced
     sentences.

     Troy Barlow runs his own carpet company in Torrance, Cal.

     INT. TROY'S CARPET COMPANY - (MOS)

     "I Get Around" CONTINUES. Troy excitedly gives instructions
     to workers carrying out big rolls of carpet. He wears a short
     sleeved white shirt and a dark tie. His wife gives his two
     year old daughter to him as she holds a new baby and Troy
     uses a respiratory inhaler.

                                              CUT TO

     Text over black: Doc Elgin applied to the U.S. Army Rangers,
     but was denied. He then turned down Troy Barlow's offer to
     partner in the carpet business and plans to join Archie
     Gates' company.

     EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT - CURBSIDE (MOS)

     MUSIC CONTINUES: Doc Elgin takes Vuitton bags curbside at
     Kennedy airport and is given a ten dollar tip.

                                              CUT TO

     Text over black: Archie gates became a military consultant in
     Hollywood.

     FILM SET - (MOS)

     MUSIC CONTINUES: Archie on a film set, wearing sunglasses,
     shows an action star how to push away the barrel of a bad
     guy's rifle.

                                              CUT TO

     Text over black: Saddam Hussein is still in power. Shiite
     refugees are still in Iran. Late in 1991, Iraq returned the
     gold to the government of Kuwait . . . which claimed that
     some was missing.







   

Three Kings



Writers :   David O. Russell  John Ridley
Genres :   Action  Adventure  War


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