• Keep Your Shirt Tucked in
• Always Go Down with The Ship
• Never Abandon a Member of Your Crew.
They'll PUSH You.
They'll THREATEN You.
But They NEED You.
They NEED This Alliance.
You HAVE to Make This WORK.
I WANT You to Make This Work.
GET This Crew HOME.
The Three Kings were distinguished foreigners in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition.
They are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
AMIR
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 Amir. Archie scans nervously.
TROY
How's your girl?
AMIR
She's Safe. For The Moment.
TROY
Outstanding.
Excellent.
How can we help?
AMIR
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.
CHIEF
I'm not sure how.
This is a lot of people.
TROY
Okay, you choose who we take.
You tell the others it's not convenient,
they'll have to die.
Hey -- where's Conrad?
Troy and Archie look at each other. It is silent again.
Amir hears a NOISE. They all jerk to the side, weapons
pointed. The wind blows, silently. They wait.
VIG (O.S.)
Yes. Yes. All right.
They all turn to look.
211 EXT. DESERT - NEAR OASIS BUNKER #3 -
WIDE SHOT - DAY 211
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, in pain, wound
bleeding, FIRES a RIFLE.
A Republican Guard 150 yards to the side, drops to the
ground as Archie and Chief continue to HIT him with
GUNFIRE.
Troy runs as hard as he can toward Vig.
ARCHIE GATES
Cover him.
Chief looks around frantically with his pistol pointed.
Archie scans the area and directs three civilian riflemen to spread out.
ARCHIE GATES
Lock it down. Shoot anything that moves.
AMIR
(in Arabic)
Shoot them if they move.
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.
Chief 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, Chief?
CHIEF
It's around you right now, man,
it works on this side or the other side.
VIG
You never told me that part.
CHIEF
That's what it's all about.
VIG
I'm going to hell for this.
CHIEF
I told you, we did exactly what
Jesus asked us to do, My Man,
starting with The Gold.
VIG
Lemme go to one of them shrines
that erase the bad you did, cuz
I'm going to hell for this --
TROY
We made The Right Choice today,
Conrad.
VIG
Yeah, all right, Troy.
The hole in Vig's collar bone is pumping out blood. Troy puts his hands over it. Chief looks sad and scared as he tries to turns Vig's head to help him breathe.
CHIEF
Dear Lord watch over this man,
Help Him if You can.
Our Father who art in heaven --
Fifty prisoners -
- children and adults -
- sit on the ground near the bunker, watch from afar.
Troy stands up looking around helplessly.
TROY
Help.
CHIEF
-- Hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven --
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.
217 INT. TROY'S RIB CAGE 217
His breathing creates an air pocket,
crushing his organs to the left side.
218 EXT. DESERT - NEAR OASIS BUNKER #3 - TROY'S POV 218
thru thru
221 LOOKING UP AT Chief, who is saying something to Troy, 221
there's NO SOUND -- except Troy's LABORED BREATHING.
The POV TURNS TO the side -- Vig is no longer breathing.
Archie and Amir step INTO FRAME. Archie looks down at
Troy, opens his waist pack, pulls out a sterile wrapped
scalpel.
221 CONTINUED: 221
Troy's POV TURNS TO the side --
FISH-EYE LENS
The Jaguar pulls up in SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION.
Amir's little girl gets out of the passenger side,
SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION, NO SOUND.
Amir scolds her and gesticulates, indicating she should be back with the others where it is safe.
The little girl embraces Amir 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 --
Chief 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 focused 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 GROUND)
LOOKING UP.
ARCHIE GATES
I've been waiting 18 years to get that right.
He tears open a short IV tube and plunges the IV 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 --
222 EXT. DESERT - OASIS BUNKER #3 - DAY 222
Five civilian riflemen chase down and SHOOT, at 30 yards, the last Iraqi gunner in the desert.
Troy sits up slowly and watches for a moment.
223 EXT. OASIS BUNKER #3 - FRONT - LATER 223
thru thru
224 The Twins and Amir wrap Vig's body in cloth while they 224 chant; Troy, Chief, and Archie watch and chant also.
Troy cries.
Civilian women and children chant and pray around Vig's corpse as it lies in the open trunk of the Jaguar. Troy and Chief do a muted version of Vig's karate arm dance as they look down at his corpse -- only Vig's closed eyes are visible now.
CHIEF
He wanted to go to one of those shrines.
TROY
(tearful)
Did he say that?
Chief nods.
AMIR
Kajatar in Iran. We can take him.
Archie takes Vig's glasses off.
ARCHIE GATES
Good. Take him there.
Troy tightens Vig's wrapping.
225 EXT. DESERT/OASIS BUNKER #3 - LATER 225
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.
AMIR
There's no water anywhere.
CHIEF
(to Archie)
You're hooked for the call.
LATER. Archie operates a radio hooked up to a car battery.
ARCHIE GATES
(into the radio)
Bolo, this is Brer Rabbit, do you read me?
TROY
We're going to jail.
ARCHIE GATES
No, We're Not.
Chief watches, tense.
ARCHIE GATES
(into the radio)
Bolo, this is Brer Rabbit.
226 EXT. DESERT - WALTER - DAY 226
Walter drives the dune buggy, nude, wearing his helmet
with radio attachment. Cruz and Paco ride along. Walter
picks up his handset. Archie is heard in a CRACKLING
RADIO transmission.
WALTER
(into radio)
This is Bolo, come in.
ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)
Where are you?
WALTER
(into radio)
About two clicks outside camp.
ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)
We're about ready for the briar
patch, over.
WALTER
(into the radio)
Right.
He looks uncertain, worried.
Adriana tries to grab the radio.
ADRIANA CRUZ
Let me talk to him.
I want to know where he is.
WALTER
Ma'am, please. I'm transmitting a code goddamn it.
ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)
You got me, Bolo?
WALTER
I think so -- who handles the briar patch?
ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)
You do.
WALTER
Oh, okay, and the Tar Baby goes to the briar patch if everything's okay, right?
ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)
No, the other way around.
WALTER
Right. Shit, I don't remember how
the code goes, sir, I'm sorry --
INTERCUT WITH:
227 EXT. DESERT/OASIS BUNKER #3 - ARCHIE - DAY 227
who looks exasperated. He is sweating with a fever and
his arm hurts.
ARCHIE GATES
I need three personnel trucks and a humvee.
WALTER
That's a tall order for a secret op, sir.
ARCHIE GATES
Talk to my friend Teebaux.
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 be sure to bring the reporter.
WALTER
Roger. Give me two hours.
(turns to Adriana)
Don't ever grab my helmet like that, ma'am, not ever.
And don't mess with me when I'm working a code.
228 INT. BUNKER #3 - SNOW GLOBE ROOM - CLOSEUP - SNOW GLOBE - 228
DAY
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.
WIDEN to reveal hundreds of snow globes are pulled from the shelves and put into old cloth bags.
229 EXT. OASIS BUNKER #3 - DAY 229
Chief cracks open a snow globe with pliers as all the
water and dollars drain out. Amir filters the water
through a cheese cloth held above an urn.
CLOSE ON PLASTIC THREE KINGS AND BABY JESUS with the Mobil gas station glistening in the wet palm of Archie's hand.
BACK TO SCENE
Archie looks at the Three Kings in his hand.
Troy cracks open a snow globe, filters water with an Iraqi civilian.
Dozens of civilians are doing the same.
Archie passes an urn to some parched civilians who drink the water thirstily. Troy, Chief do the same. Archie turns to Chief.
