THE DAY BEFORE
MIDNIGHT
Director's Draft
by
Patrick Read Johnson
Based on the novel by Stephen Hunter
and screenplays
by
Raynold Gideon
Bruce Evans
&
John Bishop
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE - ALASKA - PRE-DAWN
We're looking STRAIGHT UP-- At snowflakes and stars...
From the distance WE HEAR something SHUFFLING closer-- A young
winter-clad Air Force SENTRY walks INTO FRAME, looking down at
us. He checks his watch. Looks skyward. Keeps trudging along,
rhythmically, through the snow. Stops again, checking his
watch. Looks up to see-- A tiny point of light floating slowly
across the sky. A star with purpose. A satellite. He smiles
up at it.
SENTRY
Cheese.
AERIAL EST. SHOT - STRAIGHT DOWN ON THE MISSILE BASE
On the bald summit of a small mountain-- A three hundred yard
perimeter fence surrounding FIVE MASSIVE SILO DOORS, GUARD
SHACK, ELEVATOR HOUSE, BARRACKS and RADIO TOWER. The sentry a
tiny figure next to the giant message he has tromped out in the
field of snow between the silos...
PEACE ON EARTH
THE SENTRY
looks down again, smiling wistfully. Heads off on his rounds.
INT. MISSILE BASE ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Sparsely decorated. But cheered by tinsel, garland, and a
glowing Christmas tree. Three young Air Force officers, JACOBS,
RUSSO, and McKENZIE, lounging around the T.V.
Over by the Microwave, PETERSON struggles with a blistering bag
of popcorn. A PHONE RINGS and he notices his watch. Quickly pours
half the bag into a bowl and heads past TWO IMMENSE TITANIUM
ELEVATOR DOORS into a bulletproof lexan-encased ACCESS CONTROL
STATION. Locks the heavy door behind him. Grabs the phone.
PETERSON
Mambo access.
INT. BASE LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER. 300 FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE
Two U.S. Air Force officers (HAPGOOD & ROMANO) sit at control
consoles. Hapgood is amusing himself by replacing LETTERED
BUTTONS on his control panel with buttons from a spare box.
Spelling something out... Romano's on the phone--
ROMANO
This is Oscar-One-Niner. Any sign of our
relief?
(eyes his partner)
We'd really like to go home now.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Peterson, phone in hand, punches the key-pad of an
impenetrable-looking WALL-SAFE--
PETERSON
No, but it's coming down pretty hard out
there.
The safe CLUNKS open-- Peterson retrieves a RED BINDER...
PETERSON
I'll speed 'em through for ya.
(sets the binder on the counter)
Right. Bye.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Romano hangs up. Sighs.
ROMANO
I've got twenty-five hours to find a Super
Mario Brothers 3 cartridge. Got any ideas?
Hapgood's concentrating on his buttons-- Indicates the missiles
on the VIDEO SCREENS above his head--
HAPGOOD
Give 'em one of these instead. Hours of fun
for the whole family.
EXT. MISSILE BASE - PERIMETER GUARD SHACK - PRE-DAWN
100 yards from the Elevator house. TWO AIR POLICE OFFICERS share
coffee from a thermos. LIGHTS sweep across them as AN AIR FORCE
PICKUP TRUCK rounds the bend in the access road beyond. It's
Q-beam searchlight glares right in the men's eyes as the truck,
bearing two officers in hooded parkas, pulls up to the shack--
OFFICER 1
(shielding eyes)
Jesus--
The hooded DRIVER grabs the searchlight handle--
DRIVER
Sorry!
He tilts the light up and away. Right at-- THE SURVEILLANCE
CAMERA--
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Peterson's screen flares to white--
PETERSON
Asshole.
EXT. MISSILE BASE PERIMETER, THE SENTRY - PRE-DAWN
watches the truck sit there, blocking his view of the shack for
a moment. As it rolls on-- The Sentry brings up his radio.
SENTRY
They stop at McDonald's?
(no answer)
Hello?
(nothing. He whacks his radio)
Hello, gate?... Shit.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Peterson, behind the bulletproof Lexan, routinely places his
right hand on the ALARM PLUNGER, as he watches the hooded
officers hustle inside, stamping their feet. Trade waves with
their pals by the T.V.
As the second officer in unzips his parka, the first reaches
into his jacket, tosses a security passport in the Access
Control receiving slot. Peterson opens it-- and it
EXPLODES!!--blowing him across the chamber! The two officers
drop and spin, emptying their pistols into Jacobs, Russo, and
MacKenzie, killing them right through the furniture! Then--
BOOM!!--
EXT. MISSILE BASE - PRE-DAWN
EXPLOSIONS erupt all around the perimeter, blowing chain-link
fence skyward--THE SENTRY spins around to see-- COMMANDOS
dressed in white camouflage rise like an army of ghosts from
the snow on all sides. The Sentry dives, unslings his weapon,
belly crawls madly across the snow. Unaware as a dot of red
laser light appears on his forehead, following his every move.
He scrambles behind one of the concrete silo covers. Looks over
the top to see--
THE BARRACKS under siege. Tracer fire splintering the
structure. SCREAMS and sporadic RETURN FIRE from within cut
short as a commando lobs a satchel-charge inside and the
building DETONATES in a huge EXPLOSION! The sentry drops,
clawing for his walkie-talkie-- The red laser dot leaps to his
foot-- THUP! A silenced rifle shot blows through his boot! He
screams, dropping the radio--
EXT. BASE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER TRANSMITTER SHACK - PRE-DAWN
A pair of Commandos kick open the door. Rush INSIDE-- Take
cable-cutters to a massive red trunk of wires-- CLUNCH!! SPARKS
FLY--
THE WOUNDED SENTRY--
clutches his foot in agony. Unseen, the dot of red laser light,
targeted on his shoulder, suddenly shifts to the concrete beside
him-- A burst of silenced shots hammer the surface, spraying
him with sparks and debris. He cowers, SCREAMING. Spots his
radio in the snow-- grabs it-- The red dot pinpoints his forehead
again--
SENTRY
S-security Alpha to PSAT! Come in!
(static answers him, he switches
frequencies)
Jesus! Oh Jesus! SAC Command! SAC Command!
This is--
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hapgood installs the last button in the row on his panel--
HAPGOOD
Ta da!
The bogus row reads--"TH THTH ATS ALLF OLKS".
ROMANO
Jesus Hap. Put that back-- This is
supposed to be a no laugh zone.
HAPGOOD
It's damn close to that,sir.
ROMANO
(Fidgety, checking watch)
Where the hell they at?
He reaches for phone.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
The two fake officers are slapping plastique to the bulletproof
Lexan when-- The Access control station phone RINGS-- They
hurry--
EXT. MISSILE BASE - PRE-DAWN
MAJOR ALEX, a Nietzschean nightmare in black, runs across the
battlefield, leading a phalanx of COMMANDOS toward the Elevator
House. The two officers exit, crouching for cover on either
side of the door. BOOM!!--Smoke and shattered Lexan blast out
between them.
ON THE SENTRY
Reacting to the BLAST-- The red dot zeroed on his forehead--
SENTRY
Jesus God somebody talk to me! Please!
Suddenly a CRACKLE of STATIC and--
HEADPHONE VOICE
S.A.C. Command to unidentified Security
Alpha--
SENTRY
Yes! They're hitting us!! They're all
over--!
HEADPHONE VOICE
--Security Alpha, Please identify
yourself--
SENTRY
--Kevin Page!! Airman 2nd Class Kev--
(ducks at GUNFIRE and SCREAMS)
Oh Jesus!! They're killing everybody!
HEADPHONE VOICE
Security Alpha-- What is the day-code?
SENTRY
What?? The day-- it's--
(EXPLOSION)
Fuck! It's Sierra-Four, Delta-Niner,
Hotel-Six!
EXT. MISSILE BASE - AT THE PERIMETER FENCE - PRE-DAWN
A laser-sighted rifle aimed by a SNIPER, wearing a headset.
SNIPER
(he's the headphone VOICE!)
Thank you.
BLAMM!!!
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
ROMANO
(still on the phone)
They're not answering upstairs.
He hangs up. Checks his watch. Picks up again. Dialing
worriedly.
HAPGOOD
C'mon Ray, guy doesn't answer the phone.
Somehow, I just don't think we're at war.
EXT. MISSILE BASE, MOVING WITH THE MAJOR - PRE-DAWN
As he reaches the house-- his headphones squawking--
SNIPER'S RADIO VOICE
...Repeat. Day Code-- Sierra-Four, Delta-Niner, Hotel-Six.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Romano hangs up again.
ROMANO
No front gate either-- I'm calling
command.
HAPGOOD
You're gonna' get us in a shit load of
trouble, pardner.
Romano spins to the TELETYPE. Types. Hits SEND. Nothing.
He stares at it. Hits SEND again. Nothing. Now Hapgood
stares.
ROMANO
Keys out!
HAPGOOD
What? Aw c'mon, Ray... It's--
Something's wrong with it or--
ROMANO
I said get the goddamn keys out!
He grabs his revolver from it's drawer-- rises, checking the
load on his way to the double combination-locked RED KEY BOX
on the wall, when the phone rings-- He snatches it up--.
ROMANO
Oscar-one-niner! What is the day-code?
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Phone in hand, Major Alex turns into the light. Revealing the
massive burn scar that runs down one side of his face.
MAJOR ALEX
Sierra-Four, Oscar-Niner, Hotel-Six.
He holds out his hand and receives Peterson's RED BINDER.
ROMANO V.O.
What the hell's going on up there?
MAJOR ALEX
Sorry, Oscar-one-niner. The fucking
Christmas tree caught fire. Sprinklers
went off and all kinds of shit just shorted
out. It's a mess.
Behind Major Alex, a DARK FIGURE approaches, others parting for
him-
ROMANO V.O.(A NERVOUS LAUGH)
Shit! You guys scared the hell outta me! Where's Peterson?
Dead on the floor.
MAJOR ALEX
(laughs)
Uh, Stamping out presents, sir.
(reads from the red binder)
This is McKenzie, Authentication
Tango-Delta-
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
ROMANO
(glances at duty roster)
That's okay. I got you here. Shit...
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Major Alex listens, pulling a red card from the binder. It
reads:
"DAILY P.A.L.C. 1-8-1-12-9-0-0-0-2-0-0-1
Major Alex holds it up to show the Dark Figure in the shadows.
Hands it to a COMMANDO who rushes to the elevator control panel.
MAJOR ALEX
Oh, sir? Your relief just arrived.
They're on their way down.
He nods to the Commando by the elevator, who starts punching
in the code, nice and slow. The Dark Figure watches...
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Romano lets out a his breath. Hapgood looks a question.
ROMANO
(nervous laugh)
The Christmas tree caught fire.
HAPGOOD
(swallows hard)
Ho. Ho. Ho.
(he gets up)
Jesus, let's get outta here.
He punches the door control. The barrier HISSES open.
ROMANO
Hapgood, please leave the damn door
closed. You always fucking do this--
COMPUTER VOICE
Warning. Access has been achieved.
HAPGOOD
See? They're here.
He steps through the portal, into the hall. The elevator door
100 feet away, opens.
HAPGOOD
Jimbo, where the fuck you been?
A bullet blows through Hapgood's chest. He lands just outside
the Control Center door. Major Alex and his men erupt from the
elevator and rush down the 100 ft.hall. The Dark Figure follows
slowly...
HAPGOOD
The door! Close--th-- door
Romano punches the door button. It begins to close, but
Hapgood's body blocks it. Dying, he shouts at Romano.
HAPGOOD
5-3-29!
Romano runs to wall safe and spins Hapgood's combination.
Tries the lock-- It doesn't work. The enemies' FOOTSTEPS pound
CLOSER! He tries again-- with one hand! The other aiming his
.38 at the opening above Hapgood. A Commando attempts to
squeeze in. Romano empties his gun-- The Commando drops on
Hapgood. Romano throws off the first lock-- Starts on his own,
fingers flying-- Major Alex appears-- Fires a wild burst over
the dead commando blocking the doorway-- Romano throws off the
second lock, rips open the box-- Grabs the two LAUNCH KEYS
within-- He spins toward the key vault 20 feet away. Major Alex
yanks the dead commando out of his way and fires, putting three
bullets in Romano's back. Romano screams, dropping one of the
keys, but stumbles forward-- Hand outstretched for the vault--
Major Alex opens fire again, but the killing impacts only help
Romano the last few feet. He slams into the key vault wall,
fist breaking through the breakaway shield. An ALARM begins
to BLARE! Romano's fist shudders-- His wide eyes go dead-- The
key drops--
Major Alex squeezes the rest of the way into the room and runs
for vault. But as Romano slides down the face of the vault,
a half-ton titanium block RUMBLES down to seal off the opening.
Alex ROARS, spinning around in frustration, finally bashing the
alarm speaker into silence with his rifle butt. The Dark Figure
enters, moves into the light. THE GENERAL. Grey crew-cut.
Sky-blue eyes. Charisma personified. He stares at the scene
with amazing calm. Approaches the key-vault, fascinated. An
unexpected twist.
THE GENERAL
Brilliant.
(he touches the metal)
Didn't I tell you he was a genius, Alex?
MAJOR ALEX
Yes, sir... A genius.
THE GENERAL
But flawed nonetheless. His weaknesses
were enough to get us this far-- Our
strength will carry us home.
The General watches as IN THE HALLWAY, three two-man teams, each
with a portable computer, move quickly down the SILO ACCESS
TUNNEL. The Teletype beside Major Alex begins to chatter. He
reads--
MAJOR ALEX
From Washington. Imperative request to
contact
(his mood brightens)
They're not happy.
THE GENERAL
No. I don't suppose they are.
(checks his watch)
Two minutes. Not bad. Peter's little
"safe" must send a signal.
MAJOR ALEX
Shall I answer them?
THE GENERAL
No... Let them wonder.
He moves to the bank of video monitors between the control
stations. Stares at the five missiles in their silos.
Waiting.
THE GENERAL
They'll have their answer soon enough.
INT. MISSILE SILO 1 ACCESS CORRIDOR
COMMANDO MISSILE TEAM 1 arrives at an AIRLOCK DOOR labeled "SILO
1." The TEAM LEADER punches the door control. THUMP-HISSS--
The door slides away-- The men enter--
INT. SILO 1
A concrete cylinder 20 feet across, 100 feet deep. The leader,
activates the controls on the service gantry. The platform
reaches out from the doorway, simultaneously sliding around the
curved wall on a recessed track. As it THUMPS against the black
metal skin of THE MISSILE, one of the commandos detaches a thick
TELEMETRY UMBILICAL from it's socket. Replaces it with a
smaller cable, running from the second Commando's portable
computer. The computer's screen is flipped up. Fingers dance
across keys-- BEEP--
ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN-- The words--
TARGETING COMPUTER ACCESSED. D.E.C. DECRYPTION PROBE IN
PROGRESS--
And as the computer WHIRRS and CLICKS we follow it's digital
probing up the cable, PULLING UP AND BACK TO REVEAL--
THE PEACEKEEPER MISSILE. Seventy feet of death wrapped in
solid black titanium. HISSING pressure valves and CRACKLING,
supercooled engines give the impression the thing is alive.
That it wants to be set free. A distant RUMBLING grows and WE
CUT with a BOOM!!! TO--
A CARTOON EXPLOSION
on television... Watched by 5 yr old SCOTT MYERS, who giggles
at the sight of WILEY COYOTE smoldering in the aftermath... He
stops laughing momentarily as something hits the floor upstairs
with a muffled CRASH--
VIALS OF CLEAR LIQUID
roll across the tiles of the UPSTAIRS BATHROOM floor... A man's
HAND reaches shakily to halt their escape. Scooping the vials
back into a travel kit-- The man rises, GRUNTING with the effort,
to stare at himself in the mirror above the sink...
ROBERT PULLER. A sixty year old man in a whole lot of pain.
Biting back the agony inside him, Puller fumbles with a syringe,
fighting to guide it's needle through the rubber diaphragm on
ONE OF THE VIALS.
As the needle slips inside we FOLLOW IT DOWN REVEALING THE LABEL.
Morphine. Puller brings up the syringe, bleeding the air. Is
about to inject when Scott's innocent LAUGHTER echoes up from
downstairs. Puller stops to listen. His eyes glazing. He
drives the needle home.
DOWNSTAIRS
As Scott enjoys his cartoons-- Across the snow field BEYOND THE
LIVING ROOM WINDOW, his mother SARAH exits the the barn, starts
through the pre-dawn gloom carrying a metal pail. Just then...
The phone RINGS... Scott ignores the first few rings... But
then, realizing no one's around, he siezes the opportunity to
scamper up to his favorite new toy--
SCOTT
(grabbing up the phone)
Hello?? Yes... No my dad's in the barn and
so's my mom.
Actually she's just spotted him on the phone and is now hurrying
with her burden...
SCOTT
Yes, he's here but he's sleeping...Who are
you?
(whatever the voice says in reply
causes him to giggle)
No you're not! That's silly...
(the voice insists)
I have to hang up now. My mom said not to
talk to strangers. Bye.
And he hangs up. Just as Puller, still in his bathrobe,
enters--
PULLER
Who was that, shortstuff?
SCOTT
Some man...
(giggles)
He said he was the President...
RING!!!! On Puller's reaction WE CUT TO--
FIVE UH-1B HUEY HELICOPTERS
Turbines SHRIEKING. Rotors THUNDERING. As they idle on the
snow behind MAJOR JAKE DUSSAULT, a Native American Air Force
officer.
AT THE MYERS' FARMHOUSE DOOR-- Puller appears, throwing on his
coat and heading out. Sarah, Bobby, and SARAH'S HUSBAND appear
behind him, watching uncertainly as he makes his over to
Dussault...
PULLER
Major Dussault?
DUSSAULT
(salutes)
Sir! If you're ready, we should be heading
out!
Puller holds the man's eyes a long moment. Then speaks the most
difficult words he's ever had to say.
PULLER
I'm not going.
DUSSAULT
Sir?
PULLER
Major, I cannot take this assignment--
DUSSAULT
Colonel Puller, I have orders from the
President--
PULLER
I know what your orders are, Goddammit! I
just talked to the man-- I told him to find
somebody else--
DUSSAULT
--Sir! There isn't anybody else in the
area--
PULLER
--I am unfit for duty, Major. Now get
moving. You'll stop these fuckers.
Christ, you're the sight technician-- I
don't know the first thing about your
installations--
Puller is absolutely trembling with conflict.
PULLER
I am the last man you want for this job.
DUSSAULT
Begging your pardon sir... I don't know
what's wrong... But from what I hear...
You're the only man I'd want for this job.
His eyes move past Puller, to the family far behind him...
DUSSAULT
And I bet you're the man they'd want as
well...
A GIGANTIC BALL OF FIRE
looming above the horizon. THE RISING SUN through a LONG
LENS... And now another sound rises. The liquid THROBBING of
PULLER'S HELICOPTERS lifting up INTO FRAME, the air around them
shimmering in their engine heat. As they approach, we HEAR...
PILOT'S RADIO VOICES
...Maintain heading zero-six-niner. Be advised flight center
reports high winds and turbulence over Alaska Range. Visibility
zero-point-five miles.
INSIDE THE LEAD HELICOPTER - SUNRISE
Colonel Puller stares through mirrored aviator glasses. Listens
impassively as twin reflections of Dussault brief him by headset
over the THUNDERING NOISE...
DUSSAULT
(reading fax)
...What I do today may be cursed and
rallied against, what I achieve for
tomorrow will be praised for all
time...signed, "Commanding Officer,
Provisional Army of the United States."
(stows the FAX)
This was received over the National
Command Center Channel at 09:23 hrs. this
morning.
PULLER
Are we certain these guys are actually in
the silo?
DUSSAULT
In the launch control center, yes sir.
He'd have to be to use the direct line.
The message followed by half and hour a
clear channel automatic alarm signal that
the facility's key vault had been
activated. Which means, at least for the
time being, one or both of the missile
launch keys is out of Aggressor One's
reach.
PULLER
Can he get them out?
DUSSAULT
They could torch through the key vault.
But it's titanium. They'd need some hefty
equipment. Even then it'd take a long
time.
PULLER
How long?
DUSSAULT
As I remember it, the test runs took ten
to twelve hours.
PULLER
Not good enough. I want exact figures.
DUSSAULT
I'll get 'em.
He reaches for the TeleFax keyboard. CUT TO--
A ROADSIDE SIGN
half-buried in freshly plowed snow reads-- HUMMEL WELDING. A
snowball splats against it and 6 year old BEAN HUMMEL pops up
from behind the logo--
BEAN
Missed!
And she tosses her own snowball at her 4 year old sister, POO--
Who SHRIEKS in excitement, spinning to duck the projectile--
only to find her self staring at a pair of Air Force Blue
trousers. She looks up with big eyes and sees--
FIVE grim-looking U.S. AIR FORCE OFFICERS staring down at her.
The closest, HERMAN, a tall, powerfully built young man in his
20's, brushes the snowball's remains from his coat right over
his heart. Smiles at Poo with a set of perfect white teeth.
INT. HUMMEL'S WORKSHOP - MORNING
JACK HUMMEL, mid 30's, A welder at work. Building a Go-Kart
for some lucky kid. O.C. WE HEAR--
BETH
Jack!
Hummel's wife, leading the officers toward the workshop. The
girls tag behind. Poo studying Herman curiously. Hummel
shuts off his torch and walks out to meet them. A younger
LIEUTENANT steps forward.
BETH
Jack. These officers came to the house
looking for you.
HUMMEL
Hi. What can I do for you?
LIEUTENANT
Mr. Hummel, we have a problem. And we're
hoping you can help us solve it.
EXT. ALASKAN MOUNTAIN RANGE - FLYING - MORNING
BOOM!!! Puller's helicopters blast by all around us--
INSIDE PULLER'S HELICOPTER - MORNING
PULLER
What can we hit this installation with? I
mean why don't we just nuke the fucker and
call it a day...
DUSSAULT
The missiles are 100 feet down in hard rock
and shock-isolated. The facility can
take a direct hit from a Soviet SS-24
warhead and still launch. There is no
ordnance big enough to take it out.
PULLER
What about conventional bombs, Napalm?
Wipe out the resistance and walk in.
DUSSAULT
No sir. The mainframe computer that
controls the elevator is mounted directly
adjacent to the doors. It's sheathed in
titanium so it's pretty invulnerable to
small arms fire, but anything above a
grenade could damage the circuits and if
that happens, the door locks shut and
you'll never get in.
PULLER
Nerve gas?
DUSSAULT
Sensors all over the base. One whiff of
toxin and again the place locks up.
PULLER
Can we intercept the missiles if they
launch?
With a Patriot?
DUSSAULT
Patriot's not much more than a flying frag
grenade. Blows holes in cheap aluminum
missiles. Peacekeepers are titanium
skinned. Besides the nearest Patriots
are in North Carolina.
PULLER
What'll the Russians do if these things
fly?
DUSSAULT
Which Russians? The birds are targeted on
key Soviet Hard Targets all over the former
Union's territory. Pentagon believes the
various armed forces would align with
Russia and they'll launch on warning, sir.
The majority of these birds are
headhunters. Designed to decapitate the
former Soviet command structure in one
blow. The republics see these things
heading into their airspace they're not
going to take it lying down.
PULLER
Alright. We're gonna have to dig these
guys out. I want satellite recon of every
square inch of that hill.
DUSSAULT
On its way.
PULLER
Get on the horn to--
(squints at the map)
--what is this?..Burkittsville? Find the
sherriff and tell 'em to meet us at the LZ.
And have him seal off the area. I want the
place shut down.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, KITCHEN, BURKITTSVILLE - DAY
Beth is entering the kitchen with Bean and Poo, still watching
as OUSTSIDE-- HUMMEL jumps into an AIR FORCE VAN. Herman slams
the door shut behind him. Beth turns inside and the vehicle
departs leaving Herman and two other officers with briefcases
behind. Poo points over Beth's shoulder--
POO
Mommy, look--
Beth turns. Herman fills the doorway. He smiles, his voice
calming.
HERMAN
We will remain here with you and the
children until your husband returns.
BETH
Why?
HERMAN
(closing the door)
Procedure.
BETH
What? That's silly. I have to take Bean
to church. She's singing in the--
Herman hesitates. Sets his briefcase on the kitchen table--
HERMAN
She will stay home today.
CLICK! CLICK! He opens it and retrieves a nasty-looking
automatic rifle with a folding stock-- SNAP!! It's ready.
HERMAN
You will all stay home today.
EXT. MOUNTAIN PASS - MORNING
FOLLOWING Puller's helicopters as they ROAR around a bend in
the chasm, which REVEALS-- CROW MOUNTAIN in the distance-- the
tiny town of BURKITTSVILLE at its base.
INT. PULLER'S HELICOPTER - MORNING
DUSSAULT
There's a Delta Unit choppering in from
cold weather exercises in the Endicott
Mountains. They're about ten minutes
behind us. 133rd Tactical Air Wing has 15
A-10 ground Support Fighters ready to go.
Problem is pilots. They're rounding up
everyone they can find but most of 'em are
gone for the holiday.
Puller stares out at his destination. Squeezes his eyes shut
in obvious discomfort. He discreetly checks his watch.
PULLER
Who else? What about the 6th Light?
DUSSAULT
Socked in on the ground. Along with every
other force in the Pacific Northwest.
Whoever Aggressor One is, he picked a hell
of a time to hit us.
Puller nods... but something bugs him about it... As Dussault
continues Puller, fishes in a jacket pocket... tries to
manipulate something inside it...
DUSSAULT
The 28th Airborne Rangers in Nebraska are
gearing up, but at best they're 13 hours
away. Till they get here, there's only
one other unit near.
PULLER
Who's that?
DUSSAULT
Alaska National Guard.
Puller chews on it a moment. Removes his hand from his pocket,
his fist closed...
PULLER
Alright. Get 'em moving. But keep a lid
on the possibility of a launch. For now,
there are terrorists on the hill, not in
it. I don't need people making their
peace with God or their relatives on my
time.
The TeleFax machine BEEPS. Dussault turns to it, giving Puller
a chance to throw the pill in his mouth...Dussault grabs the
fax-- But glances up in time to notice the act...As Puller washes
the pill down with his coffee, his eyes say--"You didn't see
that" Dussault reads--
DUSSAULT
Argon Labs says shortest time to cut
through Key Vault-- 14 hours, 32 minutes.
PULLER
They've been up there what, three?
DUSSAULT
Two hours, forty-three minutes.
PULLER
Guess it figures...
DUSSAULT
What's that?
Puller stares off at the gathering storm clouds.
PULLER
The world ending around midnight.
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE - MORNING
The Air Force Van bearing Hummel enters the devastated compound.
Drives past a group of commandos off-loading two U-HAUL MOVING
TRUCKS. Past tarp covered bodies. Stops before the Elevator
House. Hummel and the others get out.
HUMMEL
Jesus, what happened up here?
LIEUTENANT
We were hit by terrorists attempting to
take the facility. Fortunately we
prevailed.
WHISTLES start to blow and commandos race for newly dug trenches
as five helicopters appear, headed this way--
LIEUTENANT
(steering Hummel inside)
Come along, Mr. Hummel--
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
The General sits in Hapgood's chair, watching the the missile
re-programming teams' progress on the SILO MONITORS. The
Lieutenant and Hummel enter the room.
LIEUTENANT
Mr. Hummel, this is the General...
THE GENERAL
How do you do, Mr. Hummel?
HUMMEL
Okay... So... what's the problem?
The General motions him to the wall. Behind the broken glass
of the key vault is a wall of shiny metal.
THE GENERAL
Touch this please, Mr. Hummel.
He does.
THE GENERAL
Do you recognize it?
HUMMEL
Not steel. Not iron. Some sort of
alloy. Titanium and something...
THE GENERAL
And Carbon, Mr Hummel. Giving it a
melting point around 7500 degrees
Farenheit. Can you penetrate it?
HUMMEL
Yeah.
THE GENERAL
Then please do.
Hummel begins to set up equipment. But he's getting nervous.
HUMMEL
Heat's not the problem. Problem is time.
Hope you got plenty. What's inside?
THE GENERAL
A key.
HUMMEL
Must be a hell of a key.
THE GENERAL
It is the key, Mr. Hummel, to all our
futures.
Hummel looks around. At the cold faces. The threatening
postures of the guards... And something awful occurs to him.
HUMMEL
Um... Look... Could I-- Could I please see
some sort of I.D.? Please?
The General stares at him a moment. It's scary. Then he smiles
with a set of those perfect white teeth...
THE GENERAL
Certainly, Mr. Hummel.
(unbuttoning his coat, he pulls
out a pistol.)
Will this do? Or do you require two forms
of I.D.?
Hummel just stares at him in disbelief.
HUMMEL
Jesus... You're... You're gonna launch the
missiles... You're gonna nuke Russia!
THE GENERAL
Yes. And you're going to help me.
Hummel staggers under the horror of a new realization...
HUMMEL
Or what...
THE GENERAL
Mr. Hummel. I am willing to burn millions
of unnamed Russian babies in their
cradles. I would have no compunction
whatever in ordering that two American
babies-- named Bean and Poo-- join them...
The Guard holds out the torch to Hummel. He grabs it. And
beyond his fear, we see a glimmer of something stronger.
Something for later. WHOOSH!!! The torch flares--
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE ROUNDUP - DAY
State Police and Sheriff's Office cars race across a field at
the foot of the Mountain. Careen over a rise, REVEALING-- The
NOATAK RIVER RANGER STATION. The cars fan out into a circle as
Puller's helicopters BOOM overhead. Land in the center in a
flurry of snow. Puller and Dussault get out, jog over to meet
a Highway Patrol Officer (PARLETT) and the Sheriff of
Burkittsville (AUBER)
AUBER
Colonel Puller-- Sam Auber. Officer
Partlett-
PULLER
(shaking hands)
Sheriff, can you give me some perimeter
security till the Guard gets here?
AUBER
I'll deputize some local boys. They can
all shoot.
Suddenly a BEIGE MID-SIZE SEDAN careens over a rise behind them.
The driver slams on his brakes and loses control on the icy road.
The car skids, heading straight for Puller, who jumps out of
the way-- watching it slide past him into a snowbank. A
twenty-seven year old kid in a suit named UCKLEY rolls down the
car's window.
UCKLEY
Uh. I'm Special Agent James Uckley,
F.B.I.
PULLER
I can see you're gonna be of enormous help.
He walks off with the others-- Leaving Uckley to get out, gather
his things, and scurry after them, slipping on the ice as he
goes.
UCKLEY
I'm supposed to be your liason with
Washington--
PULLER
Tell you what... How 'bout for right now
you just liason with the nearest coffee
machine, okay? Black, no sugar.
Uckley sees the writing on the wall. Rolls up his mental
sleeves.
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
State Troopers carry a picnic table inside the largest of
several log cabins. Puller, Dussault, Parlett walk toward the
building. Uckley catches up, matching stride with Puller.
UCKLEY
Listen, The President has received a
message from someone claiming to be--
PULLER
--Yeah I know, Commanding Officer of the
"Provisional Army of the United States of
America". Never heard of 'em. Have you?
UCKLEY
No. My guess is it's some sort of right wing
survivalist group--
PULLER
Around me, Agent Uckley, don't guess.
People who guess fuck up. People who fuck
up, die. Got it?
UCKLEY
Alright, look... Guessing's part of my
job, Colonel. So you can cut the macho
bullshit. If we're going to get along
here--
PULLER
--We don't need to get along at all!
All we have to do is understand that I have
absolute authority from the President of
the United States to do any goddamn thing
I see fit in this situation-- Up to and
including putting a bullet through anybody
who stands in my way. Are you standing in
my way, Uckley?
UCKLEY
No...I--
PULLER
--Good.
And just like that he's over it. He walks on, the others trading
looks as they follow. Uckley just stares, stung to the core.
As Dussault passes him--
UCKLEY
Who the hell is that guy?
DUSSAULT
Don't mess with him, kid. From what I hear
he comes at you, you'll have to put a full
clip in him to stop him-- and then his
shadow'll cut your throat.
He moves on. Uckley can't believe these guys...
UCKLEY
Uh, excuse me... But, before we all go
marching off to war, has anybody here tried
talking to them yet?
The sherriff holds up his megaphone. Waggles a finger through
the bullet hole in the speaker bell--
PULLER
It's been what? Three hours? And no
demands. That about what you'd expect
Agent Uckley?
UCKLEY
No.
PULLER
Me either. Any ideas?
UCKLEY
I'd have to guess.
Puller snaps around to look at him. Then, a slight smile.
PULLER
Go on.
He leads them - INSIDE
UCKLEY
Could mean they're trying to sweat us.
Could be waiting for their demand or orders
to come from another source. Could be
they've got internal problems.
PULLER
They seem pretty disciplined.
DUSSAULT
Or maybe they're waiting to get the keys
out of the vault so their demand has more
bite. Inserting them in the key stations
sends another direct signal to Washington.
Hell of a bargaining chip.
OUTSIDE, DELTA HELICOPTERS descend in a cloud of rotor-blasted
snow-
UCKLEY
Would they have a welder with them? I mean
what if they didn't know about the key
vault? They'd be sitting on a pretty
useless piece of real estate. This could
all be a bluff.
Puller watches as OUTSIDE-- CAPTAIN KEN SKAZY, the young Delta
Force Commander, heads this way...
PULLER
If they knew enough to get in, then we have
to assume they knew about the key vault.
The only question now is who's going to get
inside it first. Us or them.
INT. NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY, FT BAIRD, ALASKA - DAY
We PULL BACK from a POSTER of SADDAM HUSSEIN with a BULLSEYE
printed on it, to a frenetic scene of MOTION and NOISE as ONE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY NATIONAL GUARDSMEN rip open lockers-- Grab
weapons-- Put on combat gear-- We pick up CAPTAIN THOMAS
BARNARD, geared up and ready to go, marching down the line of
prepping soldiers-- Spurring them on. LT. ROBERT DILL runs up,
throwing a pack over his shoulder--
DILL
Hey, Tom, what the hell's going on?
BARNARD
Phase Four nuclear emergency, Lieutenant.
They bang out the barracks door--
EXT. NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY, FORT BAIRD, ALASKA - DAY
is under six feet of snow. With more coming down right now. Men
with shovels are excavating a line of ARMY TRUCKS. Someone tries
to start one. RrrrRrRRRrRRRrrrr...
DILL
What the fuck does that mean?
BARNARD
Beats the shit out of me. But it sure
don't sound like something I want for
Christmas.
CORPORAL
Hey, Captain. These things are frozen
solid!
BARNARD
Well, piss on 'em for Christ sake!
I wanna be on the road by 1200!
The Coporal looks out a the drift covered landscape--
CORPORAL
What road??
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE AIRFIELD, MAIN ENTRANCE - DAY
Speeding cars are waved through by an AIR POLICEMAN, standing
beneath a sign identifying the 133rd TACTICAL FIGHTER WING. The
cars race toward the largest of several aircraft hangars.
INT. AIR FORCE BASE HANGAR - DAY
LT. JOANNE TARNHOWER is working with a mechanic to speed-mount
an SUU-23 gun pod under the wing of her A-10 THUNDERBOLT Ground
Support Fighter. One of FIVE in the hangar. LEO PELL, flight
leader, walks past, doffing a Santa Costume--
Two GROUND CREWMEN wheel a pallet of 20mm ammo into the hangar.
Pell runs his hands over it lovingly--
PELL
20 mike mike, ladies and gentlemen.
Shitstorm in a box!
Another PILOT looks up from preflighting his plane-- "BAGDAD
BERTHA"
PILOT #3
Hey boss, who gets all the attention?
PELL
Some yo-yos up North, sitting on top of
some prime Air Force real estate. All dug
in and thinking they can hold the place.
TARNHOWER
Shit. Guess they don't watch CNN.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
In the large dining hall, maps of the area are tacked on walls.
Puller, Dussault, Uckley, Parlett and Auber stand around the
table. Skazy stands apart from the others. Superior.
Impatient.
PULLER
Alright. According to our satellite photos
we've got sixty some well-armed men up
there guarding access to the missile silo.
Our job is to make them go away. And
thanks to time and mother nature, the only
people who can help us to do that are the
Delta Strike Force, a Ranger Airborne
battalion from Nebraska that may or may not
get here in time, a raggedy-ass National
Guard Unit that's already late, and a Tac
Air Unit that can't use anything hotter
than 20mm ammo on their planes. And to top
it all off it's gotta get done before
midnight or there's gonna be a couple of
hundred million shopping days till next
Christmas. So. How are we gonna do it?
SKAZY
Colonel, It's a confined area. Send in
Delta and we'll get this thing over in a
hurry.
PULLER
I don't know who's up there.
SKAZY
Due respect, sir, it doesn't make a hell
of a lot of difference to Delta.
PULLER
You know better than that, Major. If
these guys went to all the trouble of
taking this facility, it's a fair bet they
plan on holding it. And to do that they'd
have to be packing some pretty heavy
firepower.
Puller walks to the window, thinking.
PULLER
Sheriff? How well do you know this
mountain?
AUBER
Pretty damn well. And I can get folks who
know what I don't.
PULLER
Do it. Pump them for every Eskimo legend,
hunting exploit, or campfire ghost story
they've got about that hill. There's
always something that's not on the maps.
Captain Skazy, take a recon patrol up to
the tree-line. Don't get in a fight. I
want information, not bodies. And wire the
place for sound. If anybody up there so
much as spits I want to hear it.
SKAZY
Yes, sir...
PULLER
And I want an attack plan by 1300.
The others head out, leaving Dussault with Puller.
PULLER
Alright Jake, who designed this fucker?
DUSSAULT
His name's Thiokol. Missile Basing Modes
designer. They say he's a genius.
PULLER
What do you think?
DUSSAULT
I think he's the smartest man I've ever
met.
PULLER
Why's that?
DUSSAULT
He told me so.
EXT. 33,000 FEET ABOVE THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN - MORNING
BOOM!! A JAPAN AIRLINES 747 blows past us-- heading off into
the rising sun.
INT. 747 CABIN - MORNING
Lights down. Shades closed. leeping passengers. But
someone's TALKING softly. DR. PETER THIOKOL (40's), quite awake
in an aisle seat, laptop computer on his tray table, dictating
into a pocket recorder...
THIOKOL
...recent events have led to the popular
if naive belief that nuclear weapons have
become obsolete. The consolidation of
former Soviet rocket forces within Russian
borders is no reason to sleep easier at
night. All that has changed is how much
longer a warhead must fly to ruin your
whole day.
PILOT'S VOICE
Uh... Ladies and gentleman. Good morning.
If I could have your attention please.
Thiokol looks around as people stir.
PILOT'S VOICE
Due to weather conditions in San
Francisco... We will be diverting to Nome,
Alaska--
A collective GROAN in the cabin. UP AHEAD-- the door to the
cockpit open. THE CAPTAIN appears. Confers with a FLIGHT
ATTENDANT, then turns a stern gaze right at him! Starts walking
CLOSER-- And Thiokol realizes something is terribly wrong.
EXT. SKY - MORNING
The 747 banks off to the north...
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN - DAY
Skazy and his DELTA FIRE TEAM steal through the snowy
underbrush, near the tree line. THROUGH SKAZY'S BINOCULARS--
WE SEE Commandos digging fox holes. Lumpy tarps cover some sort
of equipment. Skazy signals to his men. They pull out small
parabolic microphones and fasten them to trees.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
Puller and Dussault are bent over maps with Auber and two
septugenarian LOCALS. Uckley stands by. BEREZIN, a young Air
Force communications specialist sticks his head in from the
make-shift COMMUNICATIONS CENTER in the next room.
BEREZIN
We're live, Colonel.
PULLER
Hear anything?
BEREZIN
Not much, sir. They're calling each other
by rank only. No names.
Puller goes back to the group by the maps.
LOCAL 2
There's a natural spring above the ridge
here. Flows most of the year...
PULLER
(not interested)
What else?
LOCAL 1
Well around the west side here--
(indicates on the map)
That's where old Discovery Number Four
was.
PULLER
Mine?
LOCAL 1
Coal. It was sealed off after the cave-in
back in '34. Big tragedy. Lost sixty
boys.
UCKLEY
The base was built on top of a coal mine?
LOCAL 1
Well more like next to it.
Puller looks at Dussault.
DUSSAULT
We knew about it. Took test borings.
There was no geological instability. And
no shafts that lead to the complex.
LOCAL 1
That you fellas know about...
LOCAL 2
(on Puller's obvious interest)
...You and Congress took long enough to
build that place. Left the holes you dug
open to the sky for near 10 years. Ever
see what rainwater does on soft coal?
You'd get some mighty interesting
formations in ten years.
LOCAL 1
You'd get flues.
(on their uncertain looks)
Tunnels... lot's of em...
Puller looks at the old man... Nodding...
PULLER
And all we need is one. Big enough for a
man...
POLICE CARS EVERYWHERE
Hunting like wolf packs through the poorer neigborhoods of
SEATTLE WASHINGTON. Helicopters THUNDER overhead. Officers
race house to house, pounding on doors till they get a response
or battering them open if they don't--
BENEATH A FREEWAY OVERPASS--
several blocks away, NATHAN WALLS, ex-Vietnam, ex-American
Dream, ex-hope, huddles against the cold and drizzling rain.
Pays little attention to the mayhem down the road as he struggles
to write something on a soggy piece of cardboard. With each
letter, he looks up from his work, checking it against the sign
clutched in the hand of another bum sleeping against the cold
concrete nearby--"WILL WORK FOR FOOD" Walls finishes and
brings his own crudely lettered sign up before his chest. Cars
splash him in response. The SOUND of APPROACHING SIRENS draws
near and Walls frowns as SIX POLICE CARS ROAR PAST-- No jobs
there. He's watching them careen onto the free-way onramps
behind him when a BLACK SEDAN that flies past after the police,
locks up it's brakes, slides 180 degrees, and ROARS up to a stop
right beside him. Two SUITS in sunglasses leap from the
vehicle-- Another EX-VET jumps from the back, pointing--
EX-VET
That's him--
SUIT 1
Nathan Walls?
WALLS
Yeah...?
SUIT 2
(flashing F.B.I. badge)
You're hired.
INT. JAPAN AIR LINES 747 - DAY
The FRONT CABIN DOOR swings open before Thiokol. REVEALING--
The tiny NOME AIRPORT. Its emergency personnel and vehicles
backed up by a gathering of LOCALS, awestruck at the spectacle
of--
THE JAPAN AIRLINES 747
sitting at the edge of the wheel-plowed perimeter field, having
left the short runway a good 200 yards behind! An angry looking
FLIGHT ATTENDANT reaches down near Thiokol's feet and yanks a
handle. BWATCH!!! HISSS-- The emergency slide inflates.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Welcome to Alaska.
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY
Major Alex, clutching binoculars, scans the scene below-- The
National Guard is arriving. Heavy trucks churning up mud and
snow as they RUMBLE over the hill behind the camp. A sudden
glint of light, causes Alex to pause, focusing on a lone figure
staring back up through his own binoculars. It's Puller.
Behind Major Alex, the Elevator Doors open. The General
appears beside him.
MAJOR ALEX
I think... I've just met our opponent.
He hands the binoculars to the General.
THE GENERAL
He's in trouble. Just as we expected.
(hands the glasses back)
You planned well. You are to be
congratulated.
MAJOR ALEX
I had good information. For that I
congratulate you.
THE GENERAL
It was my pleasure.
They laugh at some secret joke.
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
Puller stares up at the Mountain. A Jeep, HORN BLARING, careens
through the National Guard traffic, pulls up bearing Thiokol.
He jumps out and walks up to the Colonel.
THIOKOL
Colonel Puller. I'm Peter Thiokol.
Apparently, I'm under arrest?
Puller frowns at Uckley.
UCKLEY
It's just a formality. We're arresting
everyone who's had anything to do with the
Peacekeeper complex. I will need to ask
you some questions--
PULLER
--Take a number.
He ushers Thiokol INSIDE. Toward a commandeered office.
PULLER
So you built that thing up there.
THIOKOL
I designed it, yes. I understand we have
terrorists on the site.
PULLER
No, Mr. Thiokol. They're inside.
THIOKOL
That's... not possible.
PULLER
(snatches a telex off his desk)
Tell that to the guy who's been sending
messages from the command capsule.
He tosses the document to Thiokol, who barely has a chance to
look at it before Puller continues--
PULLER
It's very likely that the only reason the
world is still here this morning is that
some guy lower than you in the pentagon
food chain believed it was possible and
decided to protect against it by putting
in a key vault.
THIOKOL
What?
DUSSAULT
Installed about three months ago, sir.
THIOKOL
(grasping, stunned)
I haven't been working on missile launch
sites for some time... We're looking
at...other weapons now and...
PULLER
Mr. Thiokol. We may have to take the
facility by force and we need some advice.
Thiokol shakes his head.
THIOKOL
You can't take it by force. Not now. If
people are inside Peacekeeper, and they
know you're coming, there is no way you can
get to them. That, Colonel, is the whole
point of the installation. That is what
I built. Even if you kill the men holding
the hill, you've still got to get through
the elevator door and down the shaft to the
launch control center. The door is eleven
tons of blast-proof titanium. If you'd
started cutting through it last week you'd
still be at it tommorow.
PULLER
So you're telling me the only way in is to
take the hill and just open the door?
THIOKOL
You don't just open this door. It's
controlled by a Category F Permissive
Action Link security device. A twelve
digit code with limited try. Three
strikes and you're out. Total lockdown.
PULLER
So we call SAC and get the code!
THIOKOL
Whoever controls the Launch Control Center
down below can reset the code from the
inside! Colonel stop trying to out-think
me. Believe me, I don't want to be right
about this, but I am. The only way to stop
this guy is to crack his code and--
PULLER
That's your job.
THIOKOL
I don't know who's up there-- I wouldn't
know where to begin! What you need is a
crypto-analyst and a supercomputer--
PULLER
I don't have a crypto-analyst. What I
have is you. And before this day is over
you're going to crack Aggressor One's code
so I can get in there and kill him. There
is no other option. Now what about from
below?
THIOKOL
Below?
PULLER
Under the silo. Suppose a man could get
in from from the mine. The locals think
there may be erosion tunnels. What if one
led to the facility?
THIOKOL
Impossible. We checked it out--
DUSSAULT
He might get access through an exhaust
vane.
Thiokol just shakes his head.
PULLER
And if he had C-4 could he then blow the
missiles in their silos?
UCKLEY
Blow up a nuclear bomb?
The RUMBLE of an approaching helicopter draws Puller's
attention.
THIOKOL
The warheads are locked from detonation
till they reach altitude. So technically
yes, you could destroy the boosters if you
could get to them. But you're not going
to get to them from below the site.
Puller stares out the window. Sees a HUEY touching down. Walls
jumping out-- Greeted by a young CORPORAL, who points this way--
PULLER
Then you'd better get to work.
Thiokol feels the dismissal. Starts out--
UCKLEY
Doctor Thiokol--
THIOKOL
Yes?
Uckley stares into his eyes... Puller turns--
UCKLEY
Did you betray Crow Mountain?
THIOKOL
No.
UCKLEY
Do you have any idea who did?
THIOKOL
(icily)
If I did... wouldn't that constitute a
betrayal?
EXT. COMMAND POST - LANDING ZONE - GUARD STAGING AREA
Walls moves with his escort Corporal move through the chaos.
Heading for the Ranger Station. He notices the junior officer
checing him out.
WALLS
What?
CORPORAL
I heard you was a tunnel rat in 'Nam.
WALLS
Yeah?
CORPORAL
Why'dja do it?... That's volunteer ain't
it?
WALLS
In the Nam it paid to do what you knew best.
For me that was tunnels.
The kid doesn't get it.
WALLS
I'm from Tennessee, man. Coal country.
Down there you wanna eat, you work the
hole. My dad, two brothers... Me too,
before I got called up... Everybody worked
the hole.
CORPORAL
They still down there?
WALLS
They sure are. Under about a hundred tons
of rock. Only reason I ain't with 'em is
I was drafted a week before the mine caved.
CORPORAL
Pretty lucky.
WALLS
Yeah... I guess they were.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
The MISSILE TEAM LEADER on SILO 2's MONITOR SCREEN.
TEAM LEADER
Sir, we have broken the third of five
programming locks.
THE GENERAL
(checks his watch)
Right on schedule. Call me when you've
finished.
He turns to watch Hummel. Laboring over a small dimple in the
white-hot metal. A thin rivulet of molten titanium dribbling
down the face of the vault. Hummel looks at the General.
HUMMEL
Why are you doing this? Why do you want
to start World War III?
THE GENERAL
I'm not going to start it. I'm going to end
it...at long last. It started fifty years
ago. But its combatants have lost their
spirit and their way.
HUMMEL
But the cold war is over! Look at all
that's happened! The communists are
history--
THE GENERAL
You are mistaken. And naive. The
communist party in Russia is far from gone.
It's simply lying in wait for just the
right set of circumstances to allow it's
return...
HUMMEL
They'll stop you.
THE GENERAL
Oh, they'll try. But they'll fail.
They'll fail because the one man who might
stop me will look for his answers
everywhere but that one place he might find
them...
INT. RANGER STATION / MAIN ROOM
Thiokol stands before a chalkboard. His work table now covered
with FAX and photographs. He finishes chalking the numbers 1
through 12 beneath a row of twelve blank lines. Stares at them
unhappily.
WALLS' VOICE
You the man?
Thiokol turns. Sees Walls across the room, standing before
Puller who's bent over a map table with Dussault. Puller
straightens up.
PULLER
I am. You must be Lieutenant Walls.
WALLS
Name's just Nathan Walls now. Ain't no
Lieutenant about it. Seein' as how I
ain't in your army no more.
COLONEL PULLER
(notes Walls' Army Jacket)
You still wear the uniform.
WALLS
I'll take warmth over politics any night.
Puller stares long and hard at Walls...
PULLER
You have a problem killing people Mr.
Walls?
WALLS
Depends on what they try to do to me...
COLONEL PULLER
Alright, let's say they tried to blow your
country back to the stone age by starting
World War III.
WALLS
Seems like my country's pretty damn close
to the stone age as it is. Course now,
your country, Colonel, now that's a
country I can see you might be worried
about losin'...
COLONEL PULLER
I'm not sure I get your meaning...
WALLS
Well... you know. Maybe a little Nuclear
war wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Across the room, Thiokol looks up at this...
WALLS
Take out the white man, let black folks run
things for awhile... Somethin' t' think
about, you know?
THIOKOL
Mr. Walls... Before it's demise, the
Soviet Union attained a technological
capacity for many things. But as far as
I know, they never quite managed to build
a Nuclear bomb that discriminates between
races.
WALLS
(eyes Thiokol sarcastically)
No kidding... I guess that's different
then.
(turns his gaze back to Puller)
Look man, I know who you are... You that
badass in-country motherfucker took every
hill they ever sent you up. The "King of
the Hill"... So the way I figure it, this
one got you stumped. Otherwise you
wouldn'ta turned Seattle upside down
tryin' to find my ass. So what is it
exactly I can do for you... sir...?
PULLER
Crawl up a tunnel in that mountain, that
may or may not lead to our targets, and
terminate them.
WALLS
All by my self...
PULLER
(shakes his head)
We've found another Rat. And we'll be
giving you Delta partners. I don't want
you going in alone. Would you be more
comfortable with a black man?
WALLS
(laughs)
Shit... Lemme tell you something Colonel.
In a tunnel you always alone. And
everybody black.
Thiokol turns back to his research. Picks up the the telex Puller
tried to show him before. Reads it. Feels his heart stop.
THIOKOL
--Jesus Christ!
CUT TO--
INT. COMMAND POST - PULLER'S OFFICE - DAY
Puller and Uckley listen as Thiokol closes the office door and
holds up the telex. Scared out of his wits.
THIOKOL
The message to the President.. From
Aggressor One? This is me. It's a quote
from "Endgames." The book I wrote two
years ago on Nuclear Strategy. It's from
the foreword... Here--
He hands Uckley a copy of the book-- open to the page.
UCKLEY
(scans it quickly)
There are those who argue that the creation
of a weapon predestines its use. I do not
love my creations. I hate them. But their
existence kept in check for half a century
the aggression and expansion of the Soviet
Union and their continued presence will
see its demise.
Thiokol looks for a reaction to this bit of prophecy. Gets
none.
UCKLEY
(finds what he's looking for)
"What I do today may be fought against.
What I achieve for tomorrow will be praised
for all time..."
THIOKOL
Whoever's on that mountain has read my
book.
PULLER
He and a million other people, so what?
THIOKOL
So why quote me? It's like he's baiting
me. Daring me to figure out who he is.
PULLER
Come on Peter. You expect me to believe
this is all about you? Christ, anybody
sophisticated enough to take down this
facility probably read every book ever
written about this shit. It can't be
personal.
Suddenly, Thiokol's face goes white. He's staring in shock at
something on the page before him...
THIOKOL
Oh... It's personal all right...
He blinks. The extent of his ability to show pain.
THIOKOL
My wife...
PULLER
What?
He and Uckley exchange glances.
THIOKOL
You'd better talk to my wife.
Puller stares at Thiokol. Uckley races out the door.
THIOKOL (REFERING TO FAX)
"What I do today may be cursed and rallied
against..." Not "fought against."
(holds up the FAX)
He read my book alright. He read the first
draft. In my home computer.
INT. THIOKOL HOUSE, GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY
PETER AND MEGAN THIOKOL frozen in time on their wedding day.
Full of hope. Their future in front of them. They never looked
happier... A man's HAND picks up the picture and RIPS IT OUT
of its frame. Examines it for bugs, contraband, who knows..
MEGAN THIOKOL in her bathrobe, her face a roadmap of the rocky
path her life has taken. Watches helplessly as FBI agent
RONDELL tears thru her bedroom like a cyclone. Down the hall
beyond the door, Agent WENTZ hunches over--
A COMPUTER SCREEN
in Thiokol's home office. Wentz's fingers dart over the
keyboard.
WENTZ (CALLS OUT)
It's all here... Plans, specs,
procedures-- the works.
(Rondell appears beside him)
Look at this-- he didn't even
D.E.C.encrypt the fucking stuff! Any
high-school hacker could get it.
(notices something)
That's weird... I thought he'd been off
Peacekeeper awhile.
RONDELL
Three years.
WENTZ
He's been accessing this year.
Megan hangs back in the doorway.
WENTZ
You got his itinerary? I thought he was
at a NATO conference last June.
Rondell quickly flips thru a folder. Comes up with an
itinerary.
RONDELL
He was. June 12 thru July 9th.
Megan's hand goes to her mouth...
WENTZ
Well somebody accessed these files six
times during that period.
They turn and look at Megan. Her eyes fill with tears.
A COAST GUARD SEA-KING HELICOPTER
--THUNDERS at rest in the landing zone. Having just stepped
from it's open side door, TRA DANG PHUONG, a 30 year old
Vietnamese woman looks around, bewildered. Suddenly makes eye
contact with Walls, who's standing between Uckley and Skazy,
dumbstruck.
WALLS
(laughs)
Shit. You expect me to go down in a dark
tunnel with that?
UCKLEY
"That", Mr. Walls, is Tra Dang Phuong
formerly of Formation C-3 of the
Liberation Army of the People's Republic
of Vietnam.
SKAZY
Look familiar? Maybe you two met before.
WALLS
If we'd met before one of us probably
wouldn't be here now.
(he starts off)
Tell you one thing. We go into that cave--
It's definitely gonna be ladies first.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DINING HALL - DAY
SKAZY
It's simple, really. It's Delta
all the way.
Flanked by three Delta men, Skazy, using a pointer and a large
drawing as a visual aid, is addressing Puller, Uckley and
Captain Barnard. Walls and Phuong sit by a table covered with
photos and plans of the facility...Walls sifts through the
material uncomfortably. Can't make heads or tails of the stuff.
Lieutenant Dill hangs back behind the tougher Delta men with
Guardsmen MASON and McNALLY.
SKAZY
At 1500 hours, the A-10s will hit Aggressor
One. At 1505, Delta will rappel down from
the Hueys onto the road, 1000 feet from
Aggressor One. During that time, another
Huey, will break off for insertion of the
rat teams.
(looks at Walls)
Now the tunnel itself is on the back side
of the mountain and since it's sealed we
have to blow the entrance. I don't want
whoever's up there knowing I'm putting you
in the ground so we're gonna do it when a
lot of other fireworks are going off.
WALLS
If that guy up there so smart he got you
all down here suckin' your thumbs, he gonna
know.
(aside to Phuong)
Tunnel gonna be hot, little lady
Phuong ignores him... Intent on the briefing.
SKAZY
At 1515, Delta will split into two forces,
move up the hill, and engage Aggressor One.
When we have secured--
His words are lost as a GROWLING helicoper buzzes the roof.
PULLER
What the hell is that?
BEREZIN
TV news, sir.
(Groans and laughter around the
room--)
He's requesting permission to land--
PULLER
Shoot him down.
BEREZIN
Sir?
PULLER
Tell the son of a bitch if he's not out of
the area in two minutes we'll shoot him
down!
As Berezin retreats, Puller gestures for Skazy to continue.
SKAZY
Once we have secured the elevator shaft,
Dr. Thiokol will provide us with the code,
and with the rat teams hitting from below
and Delta from above, we'll secure the
complex long before midnight.
PULLER
It's a good plan... but not for this
battle.
(to Dussault)
What's the latest word on my Ranger
battalion?
DUSSAULT
Just entering Wyoming air space. They'll
make a refueling stop in Idaho. If that
goes well, they're six hours out.
DELTA MAN 1
Colonel, we think the Major's plan is pretty solid--
PULLER
Then you didn't think it through! What
happens if you take the hill but you've
sustained so many casualties you're out of
commission? Who goes down the elevator
shaft? The guard? The State Police? The
Burkittsville town council?? If Delta's
gonna die, let 'em die in the shaft where
they'll make a difference.
(turns to Barnard)
Barnard. What's your strength?
The young Guard Captain glances nervously at Skazy.
BARNARD
Company strength, sir. One hundred and
fifty men.
PULLER
Get them assembled.
Dill, McNally and Mason trade stunned glances.
BARNARD
Sir?
SKAZY
Colonel those guys are teachers, lawyers,
construction--
PULLER
(cuts him off)
Captain Skazy-- Alaska NG draws
preliminary assault responsibility for
this operation.
Barnard can't believe what he's hearing. Neither can Skazy.
PULLER
Barnard. I want you to move your men up the
hill at 1430. When you get within 50 yards
of the tree line, get low and wait. After
the A-10's second run, and on my command,
advance to the tree line. I doubt who ever
is up there has ever been under air attack.
They'll be stunned by what these fuckers
deliver. I want you to pour fire into them
but hold position. Delta will then
chopper over you, rappel down and engage
the enemy. Move out quick and hard and
join them. Do not, I repeat do not attempt
to cross that open ground until Delta is
engaged. Understood?
BARNARD
Yes sir. We're good to go, sir.
PULLER
Glad to hear it.
(to the room)
Alright that's it folks. Move out.
The assembly files past. Walls remaining behind to observe
Skazy staring angrily at Puller.
SKAZY
I hope you know what you're doing, Colonel.
PULLER
If I don't you'll be the second to know.
Major.
Skazy walks out. Puller stares after him. Uckley notes the
tension.
PULLER
(to Dussault)
Get the A-10s in the air.
DUSSAULT
We'll need an Air Mission Controller.
PULLER
That's you.
DUSSAULT
I'll need a chopper.
Puller looks up at the SOUND of the News Copter still circling
camp.
PULLER
Tell that guy I changed my mind. He's got
permission to land.
Dussault grins, heads for the Comm.room. Uckley stares at
Puller.
UCKLEY
You don't think the A-10s are
going to do enough damage, do you?
PULLER
I've got to find out what Aggressor One's
got.
He walks away. Walls and Uckley watch him go...
EXT. COMMAND POST - LANDING ZONE - DAY
Barnard heads toward the Mountain. Dill, Mason, and McNally
nipping at his heels.
DILL
This is nuts! They've got a Delta Unit down
here and they want us to take the hill! It's
nuts!!
MASON
What's the big deal, man? We went to the
gulf and kicked Hussein's ass!
DILL
We washed trucks in Ryhad, asshole!
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE - DAY
The first of FIVE taxiing A-10's ROARS into the sky.
INT. PELL'S COCKPIT - DAY
The ground dropping away behind him--
PELL
Yeeeeee-Ha!!!!
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE STAGING AREA - DAY
Walls and Phuong sit on the ground examining the weapons and
equipment they have been issued. Walls watches as the silent
Phuong calmly and deliberately prepares. He shakes his head in
disbelief...
WALLS
Smile, Nathan, you gotta be on candid
camera.
ROCHAS, a Delta Force NonCom walks up to them, CLINKING and
CLATTERING-- He's geared up in black with all the latest
high-tech gear clipped, velcro-ed, or strapped to his body.
ROCHAS
Walls?
WALLS
Yeah?
ROCHAS
Rochas. I'm goin' with you.
WALLS
Not with all them jingle bells on you
ain't. Charlie hears you comin' it don't
matter if you been naughty or nice...
Either way you're dead.
(starts stripping worthless
items off the kid)
'Sides, this shit starts droppin' off and
it's like you're leavin' breadcrumbs.
(notices Rochas' watch)
Nice watch--
A big Seiko scuba job, illuminated face. Walls makes for it--
ROCHAS
--Hey, man--
WALLS
Charlie can read by that kind of light.
He tosses it on the pile of discarded items.
WALLS
There. Now you startin' to look like a
rat. What d'ya think, little lady?
Phuong stares at Rochas, her nose wrinkling... Walls sniffs the
kid.
WALLS
Lose the deodorant.
ROCHAS
Huh?
WALLS
She can smell you. If they smell you
comin', you're dead. Wash it off.
ROCHAS
There's not supposed to be anybody in the
tunnels.
WALLS
Uh huh. Just when you think there's nobody
in the tunnels that's when you get bagged
and tagged, you dig?
ROCHAS
Look, this ain't Nam, man.
PHUONG
(softly)
Is maybe same.
Walls is surprised, hearing her speak... And haunted by her
words... Another young Delta ghostbuster NOISILY saunters up.
A nervous kid named TEAGARDEN.
TEAGARDEN
Walls?
Walls looks up. Looks at Phuong.
TEAGARDEN
Hi, I'm Teagarden-- I'm--
Walls sighs and starts stripping the kid down--
TEAGARDEN
--s'posed to be goin' with you...
EXT. THIOKOL HOUSE, GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON - DAY
A black sedan pulls up. A large middle-aged man, SHALLARD, gets
out. Followed by two assistants who carry huge file boxes.
INT. THIOKOL HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY
Rondell paces a trench on the living room carpet. Megan on the
couch, stares dully away. Long since past the point of tears.
RONDELL
You never met any of his associates.
MEGAN
I told you-- NO.
RONDELL
You were involved with the man for six
months.
MEGAN
I wasn't fucking his friends.
Agent Wentz opens the front door. The Assistants enter behind,
begin taking photo books out of the cases.
SHALLARD
(hushed)
What's her story?
Wentz gazes at the pair in the living room...
WENTZ
Old song, new lyrics. Husband
workaholic, never home, et cetera. She
has affair, et cetera. But her lover, it
turns out, wants more than her...
(shrugs)
Maybe she knew. She says she didn't.
SHALLARD
They used this house?
WENTZ
Sometimes. When Thiokol was out of town.
The dates coincide with access to the
Peacekeeper specs in the computer.
SHALLARD
Thiokol know his computer was accessed?
WENTZ
He claims not. He'd been off Peacekeeper
for three years. It was in a dead file.
SHALLARD
Shouldn't've been in any kind of goddamn
file. I'm gonna throw the sonuvabitch in
prison.
WENTZ
Yeah, sure. He's on an Air Force Black
Project in Nevada. He can fax his work
from Leavenworth.
Shallard scowls. Listens in again--
RONDELL
How long have you been an enemy of the
United States Government?
MEGAN
How long have you been here?
SHALLARD
Alright, Rick. I think we can dispense
with the hot lights.
(he walks over and crouches, eye
level, before Megan)
Mrs. Thiokol... I need you to look at some
pictures.
EXT. OVER ALASKA - DAY
Pell and his five A-10's fly low over the countryside.
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE STAGING AREA - DAY.
Puller watches as Walls, Phuong, Teagarden and Rochas walk
toward a helicopter. Walls sees him. Sees the look in Puller's
eyes that says he's putting all his faith in him...
PULLER
I'll see you at the top, Mr. Walls.
WALLS
More likely you'll see me in hell.
He jumps aboard. Puller watches him rise into the sky...
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE STAGING AREA - DAY.
Dussault climbs into the NEWS COPTER. Ignoring the angry
REPORTER he's tossed out.
REPORTER
Commandeered? You can't commandeer the
media. That pilot is on the payroll of
KZXT-TV. Hey!
Dussault slams the door-- The chopper lifts off.
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH THE GUARD - DAY.
They have reached the jump-off point. Platoon leaders signal
the men to stop. Dill walks down the line to Barnard. Another
Lieutenant stands with him looking through the trees toward the
Commando position.
DILL
See anything?
LIEUTENANT
Hard, through the trees. They're dug in
pretty good...Hang on-- Shit, one of 'ems
waving. Yeah, hello to you too, you ugly--
POW!!! A bullet splits the binoculars dead center-- Blood
spatters on Dill and Barnard who dive to the ground, the
lieutenant's body falling before them. They stare at it in
shock. A GUARDSMAN behind them jumps up and starts running back
down the hill.
BARNARD
Hey, get back here!
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
As he pops over a ridge and spots South Mountain looming ahead--
PELL
Cowboy 2, Roundup, I've got a visual on
the target.
INT. NEWS HELICOPTER - DAY
DUSSAULT
Cowboy Flight, you're cleared to go.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, KITCHEN - DAY
Poo sits at the kitchen table, drawing with crayons. She looks
up to find Herman watching her. He smiles uneasily. She shows
him her drawing. A big smiling man with a gun. Herman smiles
sadly... BOOM!!! He jumps up, gun ready-- Rushes to the window--
just as PELL'S A-10 SQUADRON SCREECHES overhead--
BEAN (O.S.)
Mommy-- There's airplanes!!
Herman looks down at Poo. She's wide-eyed. Startled by his
violent reaction. He smiles beneath worried eyes...
HERMAN
Go on...
(nods toward the other room)
Go watch the airplanes.
Poo scampers off. Leaving Herman to his confused emotions.
EXT. A-10'S FLYING - DAY
PELL
Cowboy flight, Cowboy 1. Let's go hot.
We HEAR the other pilots WHOOP and HOLLER...
INT. TARNHOWER'S A-10 - DAY
TARNHOWER
Five minutes to Miller Time...
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY
Major Alex sees them first-- Points--
MAJOR ALEX
Here they come! Alright boys, this is it!
Whistles are blown-- Commandos scurry into position.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CAPSULE
The General watches as Hummel's torch slowly penetrates the
glowing metal...The phone beside him rings-- He picks it up--
THE GENERAL
Yes, Alex.
MAJOR ALEX'S VOICE
They're coming sir.
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
PELL
On my mark, Cowboy Flight, 3 second bursts
at 1200 AGL. Commence fire at 400 meters,
copy?
PILOTS
Roger, Cowboy 1.
EXT. A-10'S FLYING - DAY
Pell dips a wing and slides out of formation. One by one Cowboy
flight slides in behind him on a shallow angle to target.
CAMERA DROPS with them.
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN - DAY
Captain Barnard, Lieutenant Dill and their men look up at the
A-10s streaking toward the mountaintop. It's awe-inspiring.
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY.
Puller watches the attack.
INT. RAT TEAM HELICOPTER - DAY
Walls, Phuong and the others do the same.
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
The circles of his gunsight come together on the enemy position.
He flicks the gun nipple. Tracers float out in front of him.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - WITH THE COMMANDOS - DAY
As the snow all around them ERUPTS with 10 ft geysers of
EXPLODING earth! But Major Alex and his men show no fear as they
recover to return fire with medium machine guns.
EXT. SKY WITH A-10'S
Cowboy flight follows in to attack. The News copter goes into
a right bank, ducks behind trees and pops up again on Pell's
flank.
INT. NEWS HELICOPTER - DAY
DUSSAULT
Looking good, boys, tearin' 'em up.
INT. PELL'S A-10- DAY
The gun pods GROWL as the mountain looms in front of him. He
stops firing and pulls back on stick-- His plane arches up.
EXT. A-10 FLIGHT - DAY
Behind him the other A-10's rip up the mountain and follow Pell.
The pilots are RADIO JABBERING with enthusiasm when--
COWBOY 4'S RADIO VOICE
SHIT!!! I've got a fucking missile lock!
INTERCUT REACTIONS: PULLER, DUSSAULT, AND A-10 FLIGHT - DAY
INT. COWBOY 4'S A-10 - DAY
The young pilot panics at the harsh BEEP-TONE--
COWBOY 4
Shit! Where is it?? Where??
PELL'S RADIO VOICE
Break it off--
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
PELL
Drop your chaff and get the hell out of
there!
BOOM! In the sky behind Leo, the right engine on Cowboy 4
EXPLODES.
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
Puller and the others in shock as Cowboy Four drops from
formation--
INTERCUT...FLIGHT/PELL/COWBOY 4 - DAY
COWBOY 4
I'm hit! I'm hit!!
PELL
Flame out your bad engine and ride it down,
you're okay.
COWBOY 4
I'm gettin' out.
PELL
Negative, 4, you're too low!
EXT. SKY - COWBOY 4'S A-10 - DAY
The canopy blows off and the pilot is ejected. He plummets to
earth trailed by an unopened chute. Hits so hard we can HEAR
it from here. His plane plows into the mountain in a SMEAR OF
FIRE.
INT. A-10 FLIGHT.
Faces of the pilots. Holy shit!
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY WITH COMMANDOS.
They cheer at the hit. Major Alex, eyes fierce, wired by the
fight, slaps his men on their backs.
THE GENERAL'S VOICE
They have ammo left. They'll be back.
Alex and the others turn in surprise-- The General strides out
to direct them.
THE GENERAL
Now--
(points down at guard position)
--Rake the front! Pin them down!
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
PELL
Goddamnit-- where'd that fucking SAM come
from?
INT. NEWS HELICOPTER - DAY
DUSSAULT
Uh...We think they may have Stingers,
Cowboy--
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY WITH PULLER
PELL'S RADIO VOICE
--I can fucking see that! Where'd they get them for Christ's
sake?
PULLER
Sonofabitch! Get me Barnard!
(Berezin hands him the radio)
Roundup Assault, this is Roundup Leader.
Are you taking fire? Over?
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH THE GUARD - DAY
Barnard hears part of Puller's message when-- His position is
suddenly blown to hell in a blizzard of tracer fire!! The
Radioman is killed instantly-- Barnard and Dill dive for cover.
WITH PULLER
PULLER
Goddammit Roundup Assault, are you taking
fire?
WITH BARNARD
Grabbing the radio. Far behind him, Mason
is moving his squad toward the cover of the
tree-line.
BARNARD
Jesus Christ, we are under heavy fire.
Roundup Leader, we are under heavy fire
here, do you read me, Roundup Leader?.
The radio is history.
WITH MASON'S SQUAD
A mortar round lands right on it-- Blowing it apart-- Tossing
bodies everywhere. Mason is blown over a snowdrift-- He tumbles
end over end down a slope on the opposite side.
WITH BARNARD
As he recovers from the blast-- dropping
the radio to crawl for the other SCREAMING
survivors...
WITH PULLER
PULLER
(yells to Berezin)
I've lost 'em. Put Delta on ready alert.
Keep tryin' the Guard and hold 'em till we
soften up that fucking position. Insert
the Rats on the the A-10's next run.
EXT. SKY OVER MISSILE BASE - DAY.
As the A-10's re-group.
COWBOY 3
I got a warning light, Leo. I'm breaking
formation.
INTERCUT COWBOY 3/PELL/TARNHOWER/PULLER - DAY
PELL
Negative, Cowboy 3 hold your position.
Pell leads the remaining planes around for another run.
PELL
Alright Cowboy flight. Electrocounter
measures. I'll dump flares. Mark
it...now.
INT./ EXT. RAT TEAM HELICOPTER - DAY
The Pilot watches the A-10s start their dive. His cue to surge
forward. Behind the Pilot, the Rat Teams sit across from each
other. Teagarden's lips move in a silent prayer.
INT./ EXT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
He's lining up the gunsights. Now! He presses the gun nipple.
Muzzle flashes burst from the gun pods under the wings.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY
Fearless, Major Alex's Troopers stand firm against the
onslaught, then swivel to fire at the retreating planes.
Stingers are launched, but dissipate in Leo's flares. Suddenly,
one of the Troopers notices the Rat Team's Huey scooting at
treetop height for the other side of the mountain. The Troopers
begin to fire on it.
INT. RAT TEAM'S HELICOPTER - DAY
Small-arms fire THWACKS the helicopter. Sparks and shrapnel
fly--
PILOT
Sonofabitch!!
The Rats' eyes dart around-- Suddenly-- POW!! SMOKE FILLS THE
CABIN!
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY
The Rat Team's Huey begins to wobble. One of the Troopers aims
a Stinger in the copter's direction. He's about to fire when
the 20mm slugs from the second A-10 cut him in half! The plane
ROARS overhead. The helicopter disappears behind the
tree-line...
EXT. BACK SLOPE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN - DAY
Halfway down, below the cliff, the smoking Huey hurtles toward
the earth, then suddenly recovers completely, inches off the
ground!! Spinning around to land on what was once a railroad
track-- REVEALING-- A DELTA MAN holding a smoke grendade out
of the doorway! DELTA MEN with GHOST WHITE FACES in white
cammies grab the rats-- Rochas opens his eyes, can't believe
he's not dead! He's hustled off with the other Rats and flopped
down behind a boulder ten yards away. The helicopter blasts
off, staying low to the ground--
DELTA GHOST LEADER
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
One of the other ghost-men turns a detonator. A massive
EXPLOSION rips into the sealed mine entrance 25 yards up the
railroad tracks--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY
Three or four of Major Alex's Troopers let out an angry cheer
as the EXPLOSION crests the ridge-- But a blast of slugs pummels
their position, killing two, as the A-10's SHRIEK over once
more.
INT. DISCOVERY FOUR MINE TUNNEL, MAIN ENTRANCE - DAY
Walls enters, emerging from backlit dust. Stares quietly into
the gloom ahead. Rochas and Phuong come up beside him.
Teagarden, the last to enter, looks back at the ghost team
setting up their rear guard position. Turns back and with a
nervous swallow, switches on his helmet light.
TEAGARDEN
(looking back, coughing)
Shit! This is nuts!
WALLS
You like the appetizer, you gonna love the
main course. Okay...
(he pumps his shotgun--
KLICH-KLACK!!)
Let's get real...
EXT. SKY OVER MOUNTAIN, WITH A-10'S - DAY
Stinger smoke-trails rip across the blue--
DUSSAULT'S RADIO VOICE
Stingers up! Stingers up!
INTERCUT A-10'S - DAY
COWBOY 3
Fuck! He's locked on me!
FWHAM! A Stinger nails his engine. His plane rolls over--
COWBOY 3
Aw fuck!! Aw NO!!-- WAIT--
-- and buries itself in the hill-- THA-BOOOMM!!!
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST, WITH PULLER - DAY
He steps forward, as if to go up the hill himself.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH COMMANDOS - DAY
As they fire machine guns and Stingers at Tarnhower's pass.
INT. TARNHOWER'S A-10 - DAY
Taking hits. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! POW!! A round blasts through
the canopy-- Tarnhower YELLS in pain--
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH THE GUARD - DAY
Barnard signals them forward. They trudge uphill.
WITH PULLER - DAY
Berezin turns from the radio to Puller.
BEREZIN
Air Control reports Guard moving, Colonel.
Puller grabs the radio.
PULLER
Cowboy 1, Roundup Leader, what is your
ordnance status? I've got the guard
advancing!
INTERCUT A-10'S - DAY
PELL
Roundup Leader, This is Cowboy 1, I got
maybe seven seconds of rock and roll left.
That's all. Flight?
COWBOY 5
I got a master caution on both
hydraulics... I'm barely keeping this
thing in the sky--
INT. TARNHOWER'S A-10- DAY
As she wipes blood from her face. She's in shock.
TARNHOWER
Leader, this is 2... Uh... I'm hit sir...
WITH PULLER - DAY
Uckley stands behind him.
UCKLEY
Tell them.
PULLER
(pounces)
Tell them what, Uckley??
UCKLEY
Tell them what's really happening.
Puller's heat diminishes. He turns to the radio.
PULLER
Cowboy flight, this is Colonel Puller. I
need whatever you have... whatever you can
give me.
(looks at Uckley)
There are enemy troops inside the
facility.
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
As he listens in disbelief--
PULLER V.O.
We believe they intend to launch.
INT. TARNHOWER'S A-10 - DAY
Her shock turns to anger. She wipes the blood from her eyes
again... Tightens her harness--
TARNHOWER
Cowboy 1...
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
TARNHOWER'S RADIO VOICE
I'm good to go.
Pell looks over at her. Moved.
INT. COWBOY 5'S A-10 - DAY
COWBOY 5
Uh... Okay... Listen Cowboy 1. False
Alarm on that caution light. I got it
under control.
(looks over at Pell)
Say the word.
PELL
Let's dance.
WITH THE A-10'S - DAY
The three remaining planes come in low and fast. Slaloming
through the trees! Ducking in and out of cover.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - DAY ALEX AND HIS TROOPS
pour a withering fusillade through the forest. Tracers and
rockets obliterating pine trees, desperately chasing the
elusive targets.
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
Pell takes a hit in the cockpit. His blood spurts on the plexi.
Still he maintains his attack.
MOVING WITH THE A-10'S - DAY
As they dodge and weave up the hill. Yards above the rushing
slope. Rounding a turn into a clearing, their wingtips nearly
slicing the snow-- A huge mound of rock appears in their path--
INTERCUT THE PILOTS - DAY
reacting--
THE A-10'S - DAY
try to correct-- But Cowboy 5's wing brushes Tarnhower's wing!!
5's A-10 spins out of control and slams into the trees.
Disintegrates in a shower of flaming wreckage!
WITH THE NATIONAL GUARD - DAY
Diving for cover as the pieces cartwheel to earth behind them.
INT. TARNHOWER'S A-10 -DAY
Flipped spinning! Tarnhower SCREAMS!! Ejects--
EXT. MOUNTAIN TREE LINE - DAY
Her seat rockets through the trees and slams into the snow,
rolling end over end over end and finally CRUNCHING to a stop
on it's side in a snow-bank, Tarnhower's limp body still
attached. Her bloody hand drops in the snow.
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
As he ROARS through Aggressor One's return fire. Letting loose
with the last of his ammo-- Blowing the--
COMMANDO POSITION - DAY
--to hell and back, before his guns give out, allowing the
survivors to pop up again to assail him again--
INT. PELL'S A-10 - DAY
Taking hit after hit to his aircraft-- He pulls out of his climb,
in shock. Both he and his plane are in bad shape.
PELL
Roundup Leader, Cowboy Flight. That's it
Colonel... That's all I got... Sorry...
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
PULLER
(quietly)
Thank you, Cowboy.
He watches the lone plane wing off to the South...
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH MAJOR ALEX'S COMMANDOS - DAY
As they send massive killing fire down the hill. The General
watches it all with clinical detatchment. Directs a young
Commando's aim--
THE GENERAL
To the left. Yes. Good. Yes!
He slaps the youth on the shoulder.
WITH NATIONAL GUARD.
Bent over, as if walking in a heavy rainstorm, they move up the
hill. Mortars and rockets explode among them. Heavy machine
guns rip them apart. Slowly they stop trying. Huddle the ground.
Some run. Dill, lying in bloody snow, holds the radio. Tears
run down his face.
DILL
Roundup Leader, this is Assault!!
WITH PULLER.
Overhead the Delta choppers move toward the fight. Berezin,
on the radio turns to Puller.
BEREZIN
Bad situation on the hill, Colonel. Heavy
casualties. Leader down.
PULLER
Pull 'em back!
(looks overhead)
And abort Delta.
BEREZIN
Sir?
PULLER
I said abort Delta!
INT. DELTA 1 HELICOPTER
As Skazy's men watch the massacre-- He gets the message to abort
over his headset. And FREAKS OUT!
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH THE GUARD - DAY
Starting to pull back. Hostile fire still ripping into them.
Some are trying to assist the wounded. Others have begun to
run. McNally scurries to Dill, who's crawling through the
scattered remains of his buddies, searching for anything
alive...
DILL
Where's Mason?? Jesus! Where's the
Captain??
MCNALLY
Captain Barnard is over there, sir. He's
hit bad!
CAPTAIN BARNARD - DAY
lies on the ground in shock. Wounded in throat, bleeding
profusely, his glasses twisted on his face. Dill and McNally
reach him.
DILL
Captain, we've been ordered back.
BARNARD
My goddamn glasses keep steaming up, Bob.
DILL
Sir, we're pulling back.
BARNARD
I'll provide covering fire. You need
covering fire.
DILL
You're hurt, Tom.
Barnard touches his throat and nods. Tears in eyes.
BARNARD
They fuckin' shot me...
Dill reaches an arm to him. Barnard shrugs him off.
BARNARD
Get the men off the hill.
Bullets slam into the rocks. Barnard, ducks, in terror. Then
just as suddenly sits up in a rage.
BARNARD
Mother Fuckers! Goddamn Mother Fuckers!
He staggers to top of rocks and begins to fire. SCREAMING--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, COMMANDO POSITION - DAY
Barnard's fire destroys the heavy machine gun position, killing
that team. Major Alex whirls in surprise-- Sees Barnard
blasting away, standing his ground, and YELLING MADLY-- While
behind him, the others begin to retreat-- Major Alex races to
a gun position--
MAJOR ALEX
To the right! The right! The goddamn
right!
He dives to earth as Barnard's bullets kill a Commando next to
him. Behind them, the General strides forward through the chaos
for a better look as the Commando guns begin to fire back at
Barnard.
BARNARD - DAY
continues to fire. Most of his men far down the hill by now.
But his glasses are fogging up again... He can't see. Stops to
wipe them. Turns to fire. Bullets smash into his chest, knocking
him off the rock. He slides to the bottom. His eyes stare up
at Dill.
COMMANDO POSITION - DAY
With Barnard's gun silenced, the commandos stop firing.
THE GENERAL
Don't stop! Keep firing!
MAJOR ALEX
They're retreating, sir.
He snatches up a nearby soldiers scoped weapon. Sights a
target--
THE GENERAL
You have to fire anyway, Alex.
It will give them something to think about
for the next time.
BLAM!! And with that the others open fire as well...
FAR BELOW
Puller and the others watch helplessly as
retreating Guardsmen are shot in the back.
INT. DELTA 1
As the others react, Skazy rips off his headset. Jumps from his
ship. And heads up the hill.
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MINE TUNNEL
Flashlight beams precede Walls, Phuong, Rochas, and Teagarden
as they make their way through the mine. It's cramped, dark,
wet and spooky. Teagarden's not taking it well at all. Rochas'
eyes dart about, his weapon ready.
ROCHAS
Shouldn't we keep the lights off? I mean--
WALLS
Relax. We're the first to arrive at this
party.
ROCHAS
How do you know?
Walls taps his nose.
ROCHAS
Bullshit.
WALLS
I'm tellin' you. The only thing in here to
worry about is a certain smart-ass kid who
didn't wash out his pits like I told him
to.
Rochas' jaw drops.
WALLS
Gonna feel real bad if he gets us all killed
for smellin' good.
As the others pass, Rochas starts to strip off his shirt.
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE STAGING AREA - DAY
What's left of the National Guard limps off the hill...Puller
stands watching. Dill's hollow eyes meet his.
PULLER
What'd they hit you with, Lieutenant?
DILL
Everything sir. They cut us up. Who the
fuck is up there?
PULLER
We'll know when we kill him, son. Now get
your men into shelter. You've got to make
a unit again, Lieutenant, because you are
going back up that hill tonight.
DILL
I don't want to go back.
PULLER
I know. But I don't see anyone else here,
do you?
DILL
No sir.
Puller starts away. Dill blinks back tears. Gathers himself...
DILL
ALRIGHT! LET'S GET IT TOGETHER!! SQUAD
ASSIGNMENTS AS FOLLOWS--
Puller doesn't even look back. A jeep speeds up and Skazy,
enraged, leaps out.
SKAZY
Why the hell did you abort us? You just
got those guys butchered for nothing!
PULLER
No! They got butchered to save you. Your
men would have died on the ropes.
SKAZY
Permission to disagree, sir--
PULLER
Permission denied! Now back off, young
Major! You'll get your chance to die.
It's gonna be a long night.
He walks away. Uckley gets the feeling this isn't over.
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE LANDING STRIP - DUSK
A crowd of ground personnel gape as Pell's plane, battered and
smoking, taxis to a stop. It's shattered canopy WHINES open.
Pell, exhausted and bleeding, removes his helmet and looks hard
at them.
PELL
Fill 'er up.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH COMMANDOS - DAY
The General and Major Alex stand before a knot of nervous men.
THE GENERAL
One of you, slowly. Tell me exactly what
happened.
COMMANDO 1
Sir, during the last run of the aerial
attack a helicopter appeared low. Over
there. I fired perhaps eight rounds.
Semi-automatic. It fell below the crest
and exploded.
The General stares long and hard at the Commando.
MAJOR ALEX
(to another commando)
Sergeant, take two fire teams down the hill
and examine the wreck.
The General turns his gaze to Major Alex. Then walks off toward
the elevator house. Major Alex watches him go...
MAJOR ALEX
Helicopters don't explode. They burn.
INT. COMMAND POST - DAY - FLAMES
In the fireplace... Puller stares into them, listening as
Dussault's VOICE fades up...
DUSSAULT
Winter storms over the entire West... Air
Cav forced down by blizzard conditions.
The Rangers have re-fueled and are back in
the air. But they're still six hours away.
If they make that estimate you'd have maybe
an hour to take the hill with their
participation before Aggressor One got his
hands on those keys.
Puller is devastated. Exhausted. He looks to Berezin at the
radio.
PULLER
Check the rats.
BEREZIN
Rat-six, this is Round-up, do you copy?
(static answers him)
Rat-six, this is Round-up, do you copy?
Uh oh.
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MINE TUNNELS - DAY
Teagarden is hyperventilating. Sweating profusely as he follows
the others into increasingly smaller space. Walls reaches an
extremely narrow passage. Does some major contortion tricks
just to enter it. Has to scoot along like a caterpillar, his
arms pinned to his sides... Suddenly. RRRRIP!! Walls stops,
checks out his ruined jacket sleeve.
WALLS
Shit. Man, savin' the world I don't mind
doin' for free. But rippin' my jacket--
They payin' for that!
As the others in turn enter the wormhole, Teagarden remains
frozen in place. Heart pounding. He finally gathers up his
courage and crawls forward. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORMHOLE--
Walls emerges. Helps Rochas, then Phuong...INSIDE THE WORMOLE-
Teagarden is in a near panic. His breathing ragged. He's trying
to go too fast... Suddenly he's stuck-- WALLS, PHUONG, AND
ROCHAS- HEAR Teagarden SCREAM!!!
WALLS
What the fuck--
Everyone strains to see-- INSIDE THE WORMHOLE-- Teagarden
thrashes about in a claustrophobic fit. He's just pinned there,
struggling and SCREAMING and kicking and convulsing.
WALLS
Shit!
Phuong pushes past Walls-- dives back in and makes her way to
Teagarden. Tries to help him, but he just flails away at her.
WALLS
Hey, man! Hey!! Take it easy! Let her help
you!
The words are lost in his SCREAMS. Finally Phuong grabs his head
in her hands. And forcefully but gently SPEAKS--
PHUONG
No! No! You stop now! Stop!! O.K.? Stop.
Teagarden starts to calm--
WALLS
Come on kid, you can make it! Just let the
little lady help you--
She starts to pull him forward--
TEAGARDEN
AAAAH!! No-wait! Just wait...I...I just
want to get out okay? I want to get out...
Just...
(he starts backing out)
I gotta move... I'll just go back a little
way... and watch... okay? I'll--
WALLS
Okay, man. Okay. You go on back. Watch our
six, huh? Okay...
They watch him disappear in the gloom--
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - STATE POLICE ROADBLOCK - DAY
Two cars across the road. Officers staring into the distance.
One of them listens to a CRACKLING RADIO--
INTERCUT PULLER/OFFICER
PULLER
22-Victor this is Roundup Base. We have
lost contact with the Rat's rear guard. Can
you see the tunnel entrance from your
position?
OFFICER
(looks through binoculars)
Ah... Negative. There's a ridge between--
PULLER
Have you heard anything lately?
OFFICER
Only the ammo on that downed chopper.
PULLER
Say again?
OFFICER
On that chopper that went down on fire. A
little while ago all the ammo went off.
'Bout 30 seconds worth.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
Puller drops the mic. WE HEAR the Officer asking if message
was read. Uckley sees the look on Puller's face.
PULLER
They found the rats.
His anguish is redoubled by a fresh wave of pain. And this one
topples him. As he falls, a surprised Uckley rushes to help--
Puller catches himself on the desk, sending photos, papers, and
the phone CRASHING to the floor-- Grabbing Puller, Uckley spots
the crowd beyond the door, staring--
UCKLEY
(yells to Dussault)
Shut the door!
PULLER
I'm okay-- get my kit--
UCKLEY
Shut the door!!
INT. RANGER STATION - MAIN ROOM
The door SLAMS closed. Leaving the crowd to stare at each other
in concern. Near the back, one of Skazy's Delta officers,
PHILIPS, zips up his jacket and walks out into the night.
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MINE TUNNEL
Teagarden making his way back past familiar territory.
Abruptly, a beam of white light out of the darkness hits him
in the face.
TEAGARDEN
(jumps, screaming)
Aaagh!..Jesus Christ, guys, you scared the
shit out of me. I was just coming back to
call you....
There is no answer. The light doesn't move. Teagarden gets
just a glimpse of Major Alex's Commandos and grabs for his MP-5.
Too late. A hand reaches from behind him and jerks his head
back, while another hand with a knife cuts his throat. As he
dies, his trigger finger tightens and his MP-5 fires four quick
BLASTS.
INT. TUNNEL
Phuong, on point, suddenly stops.
ROCHAS
Jesus, that sounded--
Walls slams a hand over his mouth. Phuong freezes--
motionless...listening. Their eyes meet. She nods "yes".
WALLS
(whispers rapidly in Rochas'
ear)
Alright, you be cool now, you hear?
Tunnel be hot. Charlie huntin' us... Only
way we gonna stay alive-- we gotta start
huntin' Charlie... We move forward, hit
Charlie, and fall back... Move forward,
hit Charlie, fall back...
ROCHAS
(pulls his mouth loose)
And--?
WALLS
And just hope Charlie run outta men before
we run outta tunnel.
INT. COMMAND POST - PULLER'S OFFICE
Puller is absent. Dussault watches as Uckley inspects the
Colonel's drug kit.
UCKLEY
Morphine. Actifan. Demerol. It's a miracle
he can even walk! What are we gonna do?
DUSSAULT
I don't want to make that decision.
UCKLEY
You want me to make it??
DUSSAULT
Maybe you should call Washington...
UCKLEY
If I do that they'll take him out. You know
they will.
DUSSAULT
He tried to warn them. And me. He said he
was unfit for duty.
UCKLEY
What the hell's wrong with him that he
needs all this??
He picks up a large pill bottle. Labeled-- LEUCOCYTOTOXIN-B.
His heart leaps to his throat.
INT. COMMAND POST - BATHROOM
A vial of Morphine in Puller's shaking hand. The needle enters
the bottle-- A terrified young MEDIC stands guard near the door
as Puller jabs the needle home.
PULLER
Corpsman. You're dismissed.
The medic hesitates, then exits. Puller closes his eyes and
slides down the bathroom wall...
EXT. COMMAND POST - HELICOPTER LANDING ZONE
Captain Skazy marches towards us, followed by Phillips and
another DELTA OFFICER. Their passing causes other Delta members
to stir...
INT. COMMAND POST
Uckley stares sadly at the screen of a laptop computer. ON THE
SCREEN, The F.B.I.'s medical reference database spells out
Puller's fate... LEUCOCYTOTOXIN-B: Immunosupressant compound
/ CANCER.
DUSSAULT
James.
Uckley looks to Dussault. Who nods outside--
DUSSAULT
I think someone's about to make our
decision for us.
INT. COMMAND POST
Uckley rushes out of Puller's office just as Skazy and his men
enter the building-- Heading for the bathroom--
UCKLEY
What are you doing?
SKAZY
My duty.
UCKLEY
Major, don't do this. This is crazy.
He makes the mistake of grabbing Skazy's arm-- Skazy whirls,
dropping Uckley with a wicked punch. Walks on. Uckley, stunned
and bleeding lurches to his feet--
UCKLEY
Skazy! Stop! Stop!!! Goddammit! I'm
ordering you to stop!
Skazy stops. Turns in disbelief. Uckley wipes blood from his
face--
UCKLEY
I am the federal authority on site! I have
full jurisdiction over all military
personnel in this situation and I am
ordering you to stop!
SKAZY
Fuck you.
He turns back for his goal-- Uckley reaches under his jacket--
Skazy spins, his own gun leveled for a headshot-- Uckley
freezes.
SKAZY
Why don't you let the professionals handle
this.
Another DELTA NON-COM relieves Uckley of his weapon.
INT. BATHROOM
Skazy pushes slowly around the door... Stops and stares,
completely unprepared for what he finds. At the far end of the
room, Puller sits on the floor, his back to the wall, his head
hanging down. A syringe and vial on the floor beside him.
SKAZY
Colonel.
Puller remains motionless a long moment, then slowly lifts his
head to stare back at Skazy.
SKAZY
Sir, I'm taking over.
Puller just stares at him. The effect is unnerving.
SKAZY
I just think it's best. I mean we're
running out of time here and...
(this is harder than he thought)
I guess I just don't think we can spend any
more time trying to think ourselves out of
this one. We just have to commit the
resources we have to getting the job
done...and hope we're the better soldiers.
PULLER
What do want, Major. My blessing?
Skazy isn't sure what he wants anymore.
SKAZY
I just want you to understand.
PULLER
I understand you're scared.
SKAZY
I'm not afraid to die, Colonel.
The Colonel makes a decision. Pulls himself to his feet. Works
at making himself presentable in the mirror.
SKAZY
Sir. You are unfit for duty--
PULLER
(whirls on him, spitting fire)
--Then take me out you son of a bitch! Come
on! Do it!
He rushes over, snatching up Skazy's gun hand, placing the gun's
muzzle against his own forhead--
PULLER
Quit trying to talk me into it and just do
it!
(he pulls the guns hammer back--)
If you believe you're right-- then make
your fucking move-- Otherwise quit wasting
my time.
Skazy backs off, gun still raised. Doesn't know what to do.
PULLER
Son. If you do this... you might win the
day. But if you don't win... And you look
up and see a thousand missiles falling on
your country...In that final moment before
everything you ever loved is blown away,
the last thing you're going to remember is
me-- right here, right now-- looking you
in the eye and telling you that you are
making the wrong decision.
The two men stare at each other... Finally, Skazy lowers his
gun.
INT. COMMAND POST
To the amazement of the Delta men, Skazy holds the door open
for Puller to exit. Then moves to stand beside him. The message
is clear to everyone. The Delta man who took Uckley's gun hands
it back to him. And then commotion at the back of the room as
Thiokol pushes through the others--
THIOKOL
Colonel!
PULLER
What is it.
THIOKOL
The key vault. If the information
Aggressor One used to get in came from my
wife-- my computer-- Then it's three years
old. There was no key vault then.
Puller and Uckley don't get the significance.
THIOKOL
Therefore the terrorists would not have
brought a welder with them.
Puller gives Uckley a look that says--"I shoulda listened, kid."
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY
The phone rings. Beth is startled, glances at the phone, then
quickly at Herman. He shakes his head, "No"...
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
A thin Neighorhood Yellow Pages book open to WELDING... HUMMEL
WELDING the only entry. Staring at it, Uckley lets the phone
ring a few more times and then hangs up.
UCKLEY
No answer.
Auber rushes in--
AUBER
We just got Kathy Ryan on the phone. Next
door neighbor-- She said Hummel left this
morning. With the Air Force.
UCKLEY
Jesus. Who are these guys--
PULLER
Uckley, I want you to handle this. You've
had SWAT training, I assume--
UCKLEY
What? Yes, but--
PULLER
I want you to take the house down.
UCKLEY
Wh-what about Delta? I mean--
PULLER
I need them here. But we need to talk to
these men. And fast. I want you to take the
State Police and--
UCKLEY
Sir, I'm not a soldier. I--
PULLER
You are anything I tell you to be. Now
listen up. We need to take these men
prisoner... We need to talk to them at any
cost. Do you understand?
Uckley stares at him...not wanting to understand.
PULLER
At any cost.
INT. MINE TUNNEL
All Hell is breaking loose-- as Walls, Rochas and Phuong fall
back under heavy fire!! They scramble backwards, BLASTING
return fire through bullet-blasted dust clouds-- Rounding a
bend, Walls motions a halt-- An eerie SILENCE from the dusty
gloom down the tunnel... And then a small ECHO of movement...
Phuong points to a grenade at Rochas's waist. Walls takes it,
pulls the pin. Rochas begins a startled protest. Walls fierce
grimace stops him. Phoung doffs her sneakers. Tears out a lace.
Walls holds out grenade. Phuong ties a loop around the lever.
Walls saws at the lace with his knife until only a thin thread
holds the lever in. Phuong places the grenade in the middle
of the floor. They move on. WE HEAR the SOUNDS of approaching
men.
INT. TUNNEL WITH THE RATS
As they scurry forward. The SOUNDS of their pursuers grow
louder. Then...BOOM!!! An EXPLOSION and SCREAMS as the
Commando's point man sets off the grenade. The tunnel forks.
Walls points Phuong into one. He and Rochas to other so that
they will have enemy in partial enfilade. Within seconds the
commandos arrive. An EXPLOSION of gunfire as they open up on
each other in close quarters hell.
Rochas is hit. Walls begins to inch back into tunnel,
attempting to pull the kid with him.
A grenade rolls into Phuong's tunnel. And another. She throws
one back, then does a diving roll, deeper into tunnel. Two
EXPLOSIONS. Then all is quiet.
Three Commandos steal into Walls' tunnel.
WALLS-- scrambles backwards, dragging Rochas. WHAM-- His back
hits something! A dead end of solid granite.
WALLS
End of the fuckin' road, kid. Kid?
He leans down to see that Rochas is dead. Pulls the body in front
of him. Hunkers behind it with his weapon leveled.
WALLS
Hold that pearly gate, kid. Just isn case
I'm on the list.
INT. TUNNEL, WITH PHUONG
Quiet. She bleeds from body and mouth. Her eyes dart. She
does not move. Still. Still. She waits. Then hears a
SOUND. Slowly she brings her knife forward. Waits. A shape
crawls near. Barely discernable in the blackness. Still she
waits. The Commando crawls over her...Right above
her...FWUNTCH!! She drives her knife into him. He SCREAMS and
strikes back, sinking his knife into her shoulder. They
wrestle in fierce embrace as she plunges her knife again and
again...And as his cries lessen, his movements slowing, she
shuts her eyes, holding him, almost tenderly, until he shudders
one last time and is still. And tears roll down her cheeks...
INT. TUNNEL, WITH WALLS
Gunfire blasts through the small space between him and the
Commandos. Then a sudden silence. Quiet. Walls the pulls pin
on his last grenade. Tosses it. As he does a Commando grenade
bounces off the wall coming his direction. In the last
seconds-- Sudden gunfire blows through the Commandos as Phuong
races up the tunnel behind them, firing her .45 auto-- Walls
spots her--
WALLS
NO!! GO BACK!!! GO--
Twin BLASTS rock the tunnel. The world collapses.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel is weary, aching. Now wrist-deep in the titanium block.
A solidified waterfall of silver metal beneath the opening.
The intercomm BUZZER sounds.
THE GENERAL
Yes.
TEAM LEADER
We've finished sir. The missiles are
ready.
The General looks far beyond the screen. Into some glorious
future.
TEAM LEADER
Shall we begin re-targeting?
THE GENERAL
No... Wait. Wait for me...
He comes out of his trance to find Hummel staring at him. Smiles
almost as if to comfort Hummel.
HUMMEL
Will Alaska get hit bad? By the Russians?
THE GENERAL
Not particularly. But don't worry, Mr.
Hummel. Once you've finished your task,
I'll make a phone call and your family will
be brought here. Where it's safe. There'll
be time. I promise.
You could almost believe him...
EXT. BURKITSVILLE EVENING
A fire truck, siren wailing, races down the street toward a
smoking house. The mailbox out front reads RYAN. As the truck
RUMBLES to a stop, Uckley jump off INTO CLOSE-UP, dressed as
a fireman.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - EVENING.
Herman walks to the window. Bean and Poo are already there.
BEAN
Mrs. Ryan's house is on fire, Mommy.
POO
Is Mrs. Ryan going to die?
BETH
(hollow)
I'm sure the firemen will save her.
Herman stares at the smoke from Mrs. Ryan's house...
HERMAN
I think we're going to be hit.
BETH
(rising panic)
No. Wait. You haven't hurt anyone-- I
could tell them--
Herman grabs Bean by the arm--
HERMAN
Take your sister and go up to your room.
Stay there, no matter what.
BETH
Oh my god-- No--
BEAN
Mommy!
HERMAN
Your Mommy stays here.
(gives Beth a look)
Tell them.
BETH
Go upstairs Bean, quickly! Take Poo and
go to your room.
POO
I don't want them to shoot Herman!
HERMAN
Nothing's going to happen to Herman. Now,
go!
The girls run upstairs. Commando 3, at the window, turns.
COMMANDO 3
Some firemen looking at this house.
Should I take them?
HERMAN
No. Get on the stair landing, ready to
move in either direction.
BETH
Oh no... No... Don't let this happen!
Please!
Commando 3 takes his eyes off the window. Glaring at Beth.
HERMAN
(signals to Commando 2)
Rear door.
BETH
They'll shoot my babies!
COMMANDO 3
Shut up!
BETH
They're out there and they're going to
start shooting--
COMMANDO 3
--Shut up!!--
BETH
--and they're going to kill you! They
always do! You know that! Please-- I know
you have children! I know you do-- I see
how you are with them! Please! We didn't
do anything to you--
COMMANDO 3
(cycles his weapon)
Shut up now or I will kill you!
Something weird about his English there. Herman stares him
down--
HERMAN
Take your position!!--
COMMANDO 3
(unstoppable rage)
--Today you killed my babies!! You devils!
Today you killed my mother and my father!!
But we will win!! We will beat you!!!--
This guy's not from around here. Even Beth can tell. Herman
shoves the man hard, eyes on fire--
HERMAN
(shoves him hard)
Take your position!!! And keep silent--
He puts his weapon against Beth's back and grabs her.
BETH
Who are you...
EXT. RYAN HOUSE - EVENING.
In back of house, smoke grenades send up curls of white.
Uckley, Parlett, and four State Troopers stand by in fireman's
coats. Auber stands nearby with a rifle.
UCKLEY
Okay, now we're clear on this. We want
prisoners. No matter what. Everyone got
that?
All nod. A terrible acceptance.
UCKLEY
Let's go.
Uckley and Troopers 1 and 2 run toward the front of the house.
Parlett and Troopers 3 and 4 toward the back.
EXT. HUMMEL HOUSE - EVENING
Uckley and his Troopers reach the door. Uckley pounds on it.
UCKLEY
Fire Department! Open up!! Mrs. Hummel??
He looks at Trooper 1 and steps aside-- Signals him-- Trooper
1 whips a shotgun out from under his long coat and blasts the
door at the lock. Simultaneously, the front window smashes out
and Herman's Uzi cuts loose, hitting Trooper 2.
EXT. REAR OF HUMMEL HOUSE - EVENING
Trooper 3 vaults the small back porch railing and fires through
door. Trooper 4 fires his weapon into kitchen window.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE KITCHEN - EVENING
Commando 4 is hit and knocked to the floor, gun spraying wildly--
Trooper 3 smashes through the door. Commando 4 kills him, then
is himself riddled by Trooper 4 at the window..
EXT. REAR OF HUMMEL HOUSE - EVENING
Parlett has scrambled from the arbor to the drainpipe and has
just reached the small 2nd floor sun porch. He whips around to
fire--
INSIDE-- Commando 3 fires his Uzi. Parlett is blown back over
the porch railing and thuds dead on the ground.
EXT. HUMMEL HOUSE - EVENING
Auber in the backyard-- Levels rifle and FIRES--
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALL - EVENING
--Commando 3 takes the impact of the bullet in the chest and
hurtles back in the hallway, dead.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - EVENING
Herman grabs Beth. Is backing toward the stairs when Uckley and
Trooper 1 burst in the front door. They freeze momentarily,
seeing Beth. Herman fires at Trooper 1-- Blowing him
backwards, taking Uckley to the floor as he goes. Trooper 4,
having gained access to kitchen, fires at Herman's back,
wounding him. He shoves Beth to the floor, fires at Trooper
4 and hits him. Then runs upstairs.
Uckley peeks out from his cover behind a chair, comes out.
Trooper 1 and 4 are both down and wounded. Trooper 1's in worse
shape--
UCKLEY
(grabbing Trooper 4)
Get him out to the paramedics.
(crawls to Beth)
Are you hit?
BETH
No. My girls are upstairs. Please get
them out! Please!
UCKLEY
Crawl out the door!
BETH
Oh my god-- my babies!!...
UCKLEY
They'll be alright. Now crawl out the damn
door!
She starts out... He moves, all alone, toward the stairs.
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, MASTER BEDROOM - EVENING
Herman sits against the wall bleeding profusely, fumbling to
reload.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALL
Uckley crawls around a corner at top of stairs. The hall is
empty except for Commando 3's body.
UCKLEY
Alright listen!! The house is surrounded!
Give it up!
Silence. He crouches, moves into the hall. Herman appears in
a doorway down the hall-- fires three quick shots. Uckley
dives--
INTO THE BATHROOM
Rolls up from the floor, weapon ready-- Breathes deep, trying
to get calm. Suddenly--
POO'S VOICE
Mommy!
--We hear a DOOR OPEN--
UCKLEY
No! Stay where you are! You hear me??
Stay--
--ADULT FOOTSTEPS run in the hall. Uckley rounds the door.
Fires-- And hits Beth Hummel! Her body is slammed against the
wall. Crumples to the floor...
UCKLEY
Oh my God. Oh my GOD!!
A door flies open and Poo runs for Beth--
POO
Mommy!
UCKLEY
No! Get down!
He dives on top of her. Looks up. Herman stands over him.
There is no way Uckley can get his weapon up in time.
UCKLEY
Let the kid go. Please-- Let the kid go.
Herman stands a moment. Then turns and walks toward the open
door to the sun porch. Uckley sudddenly realizes--
UCKLEY
No...
Moving outside-- Herman raises his weapon--
UCKLEY
NO!!!
An EXPLOSION of gunfire blows Herman away--
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MINE TUNNELS
Walls opens his eyes. Blood seeps from his nose. A rat sniffs
it. Walls backhands the rat. Unaware of the enemy's condition,
Walls slowly and quietly finds his weapon. When he finally
moves a dozen or more rats run past and over him to a hole which
the explosion has blown in the tunnel beyond. He begins to inch
into the narrow opening. As he does the shaft begins to collapse
around him.
WALLS
Jesus!
With enormus effort he strains forward, suddenly falls INTO--
A HUGE CAVE
--Rolls down an incline, lands on a dusty pile of somethings
that CLATTER and CRACK in the dark as he coughs and sputters
and tries to get up... Leaning against a rock, he flicks on his
flashlight and sees-- SKELETONS!! All around him!! He CRIES OUT
and crabs as far back as he can get from them. Catches his breath
and stares in awe at-- THE FROZEN TABLEAU OF THE 1934 MINE
DISASTER...
WALLS
Welcome home, Nathan Walls... Welcome
home...
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - EVENING
Puller watches a COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER mark the progress of
reinforcements on a weather map. Dussault comes up with coffee.
PULLER
Look at this. Nothing! The Rangers are
three hours away and nothing else can get
off the ground. The only clear air is over
the goddamn Bering Strait!
They stand in bleak silence.
PULLER
Think we could put together a militia unit
with the local cops to hold one flank?
DUSSAULT
They already volunteered.
Berezin whirls from his radio set.
BEREZIN
Sir!
(holds out the phone)
It's Agent Uckley--
PULLER
(takes the phone)
--What have you got for me?
EXT. HUMMEL HOUSE - POLICE CAR, INTERCUT WITH PULLER - EVENING
Uckley sits in the open driver's side. Tears streaming from
beneath the hand that covers his eyes...
UCKLEY
...I shot the mother, sir. I think she
might die... I don't know. They won't tell
me anything! I don't know what to do.
Puller is silent a moment...
PULLER
Any prisoners?
UCKLEY
No. There was too much firepower. I'm no
good right now, sir. I'd like to request
a release.
PULLER
That's a negative, Uckley. Here's what I
want you to do--
UCKLEY
Goddamnit, Colonel, didn't you hear me? I
shot her! For God's sake, I told you-- I'm
not a soldier! I don't know how to do
this!
PULLER
--Dammit, Uckley! This is a combat
situation. People are gonna die and we
don't get to choose between the good and
the bad--
UCKLEY
Listen to me!! Dammit listen--
PULLER
No, you listen to me, Uckley! You are
going to follow orders or by god I'll have
you shot! I don't have time to screw
around with your delicate feelings. Do you
understand me??
Uckley stares at the microphone like a dead thing...
UCKLEY
Yes...
PULLER
Collect their firearms, feed the serial
numbers to the Bureau, make a complete
examination of the bodies, the clothes,
too. Then get back to me.
UCKLEY
Yes sir...
INT. HUMMEL HOUSE, GARAGE - EVENING
Auber and Uckley stare down at us. Uckley bends to lift
something.
AUBER
Ain't much under that. Caught a round in
the forehead.
Uckley swallows. Lifts the Hefty bag to look-- Big mistake.
What's left of Herman's face lies at an odd angle because the
back of his head has been blown off. And worst of all-- He seems
to be smiling.
AUBER'S VOICE
This guy's had a tattoo removed...
So's this guy... And this one.
This guy's been shot before...
I'd say these boys have been in a few
fights...
But Uckley's still fixated on Herman's face. His smile. His
TEETH. Reaching down, Uckley sticks his finger into Herman's
mouth and pulls. Herman's teeth come out on the end of his
finger. He holds them up in wonder. They're dentures.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - EVENING
Puller on the radio. Dussault eavesdrops.
PULLER
They had what?
EXT. HUMMEL HOUSE, POLICE CAR, INTERCUT WITH PULLER - EVENING
UCKLEY
Dentures! They had their teeth pulled to
keep us from identifying them.
PULLER
You're not exactly making my day, Uckley!
What about fingerprints--
UCKLEY
I didn't even check them because they're
not going to be on file. Sir, these men
are not American military. They're not
even American. These are foreign
troops--
PULLER
How the hell do you--
UCKLEY
(racing to his point)
--Fingerprints are the fastest way to
identify criminals. If these guys went to
all the trouble of having their teeth
pulled and didn't bother to scrape their
hands it means they weren't worried about
us identifying them that way.
PULLER
Is that another guess Uckley?
UCKLEY
Absolutely.
PULLER
Go with it.
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - EVENING
Puller hands the phone back to Berezin.
PULLER
Uckley thinks we've got foreign troops up
there.
DUSSAULT
Who the hell wants to nuke Russia any more?
Puller shakes his head in wonder-- And then stops, his blood
running cold... Because now everything makes sense--
PULLER
Russians...
(his mind races)
Berezin! Get Uckley back-- Tell him we're
looking for a Russian-- And get me the
President! He's got some phone calls to
make!
INT. THIOKOL HOUSE, GEORGETOWN - DUSK
Rondell slams down the phone. Picks up a specific book from the
stack in box and hands it to Megan. SOVIET MILITARY
WENTZ
Oh, C'mon Rick. That doesn't make any
sense!
Megan, having just opened the book to page one, stops breathing.
SHALLARD
What-- You found him?
The first picture inside is of a handsome man full Red Army
regalia. His name is listed as ARKADY PETROV. We know him as--
THE GENERAL!
RONDELL
Holy Christ!
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - NIGHT
A FAX PHOTO of the General rises from the telefax machine. Puller
rips the fax from the unit and heads swiftly toward the main
room--
DUSSAULT
How the hell did you know.
PULLER
Missile lock.
(off Dussault's perplexed look)
The A-10 pilots radioed they had missile
radar lock before they were hit. Stinger
missiles don't lock on to radar. They're
heat-seeking. The only shoulder launched
SAM that locks on to radar is Russian.
(they enter the Radio Room)
Berezin-- Can you get me a line to this guy.
BEREZIN
Will teletype be okay, sir?
PULLER
As long as you type.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel's torch eats it's way deeper-- Suddenly the teletype
beside him chatters, startling him. He turns-- reads the
emerging message--
HUMMEL
You guys are Russians!
The General reads over his shoulder--
THE GENERAL
Da. And being offered safe conduct back
if we surrender, I see. How nice.
He picks up phone... Hummel's mind races. This is too much.
THE GENERAL
Major, you may tell the men they no longer
need to obey language discipline. The
Americans have figured out who we are.
(turns back to Hummel)
Get back to work Mr. Hummel.
HUMMEL
Fuck you, Mr. General. I want to talk to
my family now!!
And Hummel suddenly wraps the twin gas feeder hoses of the welder
around his arm, braces his foot against the machine, ready to
yank--
HUMMEL
I pull these out and it's over.
The Guard aims to fire--
THE GENERAL
No, don't--
Hummel glances at the guard--(Just what the General wanted) At
which point the General shoots him through the thigh. Hummel
falls, screaming, to the floor.
THE GENERAL
Get a medic.
The guard leaves. The General kneels next to Hummel and gently
applies pressure to stop the bleeding.
THE GENERAL
You are shot rather cleanly. You will
live to a hundred. We will bandage you,
give you some morphine and you will go back
to work. One slip and you are dead. Your
family is dead. I think you know I mean
this.
As the MEDIC arrives and takes over, the General gets to his
feet. Moves to the telex keyboard. He thinks a moment. Takes
a deep breath. His bloody fingers dance across the keys...
INT. PULLER'S OFFICE - NIGHT
As Uckley, Dussault, and Thiokol listen, Puller stands before
the window, reading the General's message...
PULLER
...Sooner or later this was going to happen
anyway. Ask Peter. He knows the truth.
For as long as man has made war, he has
never created a weapon he did not use--
--SMASH CUT TO-- A RUSSIAN ATTACK HELICOPTER
SCREAMING through a winding mountain pass-- Below radar--
PULLER'S VOICE
--And though our leaders sign treaties and
make grand speeches about a "Nuclear Free
World", both sides will always hold enough
warheads in reserve to defend themselves--
--SMASH CUT-- THE ATTACK HELICOPTER -- BLASTING BY--
PULLER'S VOICE
--To survive in a world of finite resources
we are ultimately compelled to take what
we need by force. The inevitable
escalation of military action will one day
leave us with no other option but all out
nuclear conflict--
--THE ATTACK HELICOPTER-- HURTLES OVER A RISE-- HEADED FOR CROW
MOUNTAIN--
PULLER'S VOICE
--This way...My way...that spectre can be
put to rest forever. After tonight, the
threat of nuclear annihilation will be no
more. So you see, Colonel Puller, I am not
a madman but a great man. I am the man who
saved the world.
Puller stares up at the mountain. Thiokol at the Fax photograph
of the General... BOOM!!!!-- The men rush to the window as
OUTSIDE--
THE RUSSIAN ATTACK HELICOPTER
--swoops down for a landing!!-- Scattering the unprepared
Guardsmen below. Bringing Skazy's men running with their
weapons. COLONEL VASSILY MYAGKOV, (30's), jumps out. Strides
bravely forward into a ring of Delta guns. Puller walks out to
meet him face to face--
MYAGKOV
Coloner, Puller? I am Colonel Vassily
Myagkov. Commander 5th Chukotsy Defense
Battalion.
PULLER
Pardon my manners, Colonel, but where the
fuck did you come from?
MYAGKOV
(simply)
Russia.
BEREZIN
(running down from Command post)
Colonel Puller!! Sir, Washington says
the Russians are sending--
(he spots Myagkov)
...Oh... Hi...
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - NIGHT
Puller, Thiokol, Dussault, Skazy, and Dill listen to Myagkov.
There is major tension here. Which is only compounded by how
earnest and helpful Myagkov seems to be.
MYAGKOV
(addressing the room)
The men on that hill are renegade Red Army
troops. Commanded by General Arkady
Petrov. One of the most powerful members
of PAMYAT-- An ultra-right wing,
anti-Semitic group dedicated to
re-unification of the old Soviet Union and
a return to hard-line Communism.
General Petrov had been, until last year's failed military coup,
the man responsible for Overseas Operational Intelligence.
Primarily that regarding U.S. nuclear strategy and capability.
PULLER
Guess that's why he's your number one fan,
Peter.
MYAGKOV
Actually he hates you, Mr. Thiokol. You
are the man who wrote the books on our
nuclear destruction.
THIOKOL
My books were on nuclear strategy.
MYAGKOV
(shrugs)
Keeping up with such strategy has helped
bankrupt our country, Mr. Thiokol. In
General Petrov's eyes that was part of
America's plan.
(peruses his files)
Petrov speaks brilliant English and
actually spent some years in your country
attached to our embassy in Washington.
Thiokol blinks at this.
MYAGKOV
The only other peculiarity is that Petrov
is the only staff level Soviet commander
to have formally rejected the use of his
patronymic-- Simonovich. Apparently as
protest for--
SKAZY
What's a patronymi--
THIOKOL
Paternal ancestor.
SKAZY
So he drops his middle name, so what?
MYAGKOV
Our analysts found it significant.
Nobody else seems to. Which frustrates Puller.
SKAZY
So this is another coup.
THIOKOL
No. It's more than that. He's not only
figured out how to seize control, he's
figured out how to win World War III in the
process. He fires our Peacekeepers,
which are targeted on former Soviet
command and control centers. In an
instant he wipes out the leadership of the
New Russia, leaving the population
essentially untouched-- maybe 3 million
dead. But in the seconds before they die,
the military will do what they have to do.
They'll counterstrike. Punch out with
everything they've got and in 22 minutes
we get hit with 30,000 megatons. Then
Petrov, who's ridden it out in the mountain
heads home to consolidate a nation of
people convinced that they were attacked
by the United States.
DUSSAULT
Come on-- He can't believe we won't strike
back as soon as our radar picks up Soviet
incoming.
SKAZY
Won't strike back if we've got nothing to
strike with. How many missiles are up
there? Five? What's to prevent him from
re-targeting a couple? Take out NORAD,
SAC, the Pentagon.
PULLER
Can he do that? Retarget?
Thiokol's eyes beat his mouth to the punch.
THIOKOL
If he's in the silo, he can re-target.
On MYAGKOV'S reaction to this-- WE CUT TO--
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE, SILO 4
The General's face is reflected in a computer screen-- Staring
at the glowing words-- TARGETING COMPUTER INITIALIZED.
LOAD NEW TARGETS
CLOSE ON THE GENERAL-- Standing on the threshold of his
destiny... ON THE KEYBOARD-- His fingers walk the final
steps...
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN TUNNELS, CAVE
Walls, sits back against the wall of the coal mine. He is
sleeping. A noise. He looks-- Sees something disturbs the
collapsed entrance. A hand...clawing it's way out-- Phuong!!
He rushes over and digs desperately. Eventually clears enough
to pull her through. She sits on the ground, coughing, wounded,
exhausted. Looks at him. Looks around the eerie tomb...
WALLS
I hate to tell you this... But I think this
is one tunnel we ain't climbin' out from.
She studies him a moment. Seems to understand what he has said.
He lights a cigarette. Offers her a drag. She declines. He lies
down. Staring up at nothing. Phuong realizes he's giving up...
Her eyes fill with tears. Walls looks at her. Sees her wipe
her eyes. Her wedding ring flashing in the light.
WALLS
Hey. I know...I know...but listen... We
gave it a damn good shot. They'll stop
these guys. I promise you. It's gonna be
okay. Your husband, kids, whatever--
They're gonna be fine...
Phuong's pain is only intensified. She shakes her head.
WALLS
They will--
PHUONG
--NO!
(she struggles with the pain and
the language)
They dead in Viet Nam...
Walls stares at her uncomprehendingly...
WALLS
Then... Why--
PHUONG
--For you kids! For you wife! For everybody
kids and wife and husband!
I don't want die no more anybody!! Anybody!
Walls is moved to tears...
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST, COMMUNICATION CENTER - NIGHT
Thiokol sits hunched over in a chair, his forehead in his hand.
A phone to his ear. The picture of Petrov in front of him.
THIOKOL
Are you alright?
INT. THIOKOL HOME
Megan remains silent. Drawn tighter than a violin string.
THIOKOL'S VOICE
I just wanted to see if you...how you were.
Megan blinks back tears.
INTERCUT-- THIOKOL / MEGAN
THIOKOL
If... If there's anything you can tell me
about this man... It may help.
MEGAN
I slept with him, Peter.
THIOKOL
Yes. They told me...
Megan's face screws up in bitter anger.
MEGAN
I slept with him! In our bed!
THIOKOL
I understand.
MEGAN
No! Damn you! No! I don't want you to
understand!!--
THIOKOL
--It's alright--
MEGAN
It isn't!!--Oh god, Peter! How can it be
alright? Why don't you react? Why don't you
ever react?
THIOKOL
If this man...If this is what you needed
then--
MEGAN
I needed you! But you were never there! You
never saw anything! Or maybe you did and
you just couldn't face it! I certainly made
it obvious enough!
It's in his eyes, he's known all along... He glances up. Sees
Puller waiting in the doorway. Like Death come to collect him--
THIOKOL
Megan, I...I have to go... We'll talk about
this when I come back.
MEGAN
(barely holding together)
No, Peter. We won't... Because even if you
come back... You'll never come home.
CLICK. The line goes dead. He hangs up. Looks at Puller. The
look between them holds. Puller walks away... into--
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST, MAIN ROOM - NIGHT
Puller stops to find Dussault and Berezin staring at him.
Berezin is posistively shattered... Dussault just numb...
PULLER
What...
DUSSAULT
The Russians have gone to full alert.
PULLER
(knows the answer already)
Where's Myagkov...
DUSSAULT
He was just here to check us out...
Puller closes his eyes.
DUSSAULT
He's gone.
INT. CROW MOUNTAIN TUNNELS - CAVE
Phuong lies on the ground, eyes closed. Walls, lying on his back
a few feet away, smokes in the dark... Begins to SING ever so
softly.
WALLS
"Oh holy night... The stars... are
brightly shi-ning..."
As he goes on... Phuong's eyes open... Focus... And she slowly
rises... staring... as if at a miracle... The smoke from Walls'
cigarette is moving... Walls stops singing to stare at her.
PHUONG
More.
WALLS
(sings tentatively now)
"It is the night of the..."
PHUONG
No--
Motions him to blow more smoke. He does. She follows it to
a place where it seeps into a crevice in the wall. They look
at each other with sudden hope. Walls rushes over. Together they
tear C-4 from her pack-- Mash it against the rock-- Set the
charge-- Take cover.
PHUONG
Maybe.
The EXPLOSION rocks the mine. Huge chunks of granite separate
from the ceiling, CRASHING to the floor-- When the dust
clears...Walls and Phuong lift their heads to find a miracle...
A rupture in the high in wall before them.
INT. SILO SHAFT.
Walls peers over the edge of the rupture. Into a titanic
cylindrical boreshaft that climbs 200 feet above them. At its
center, supported by massive shock-absorbing mounts, rests the
outer shell of the missile silo. At its base, 20 feet below--
SIX EXHAUST TUNNELS reach out in radial formation, disappearing
into solid granite on all sides. One of these has been crushed
by fallen rock from the explosion, leaving a tantalizing opening
too small to fit through but big enough to give hope. Walls
stares at it with the wonder of a child.
WALLS
Nathan Walls... Come on down!!
EXT. RANGER STATION/FIREBASE STAGING AREA - NIGHT
Puller stands in the passenger side of a parked Jeep, addressing
his meager force.
PULLER
We're two and half hours till midnight.
So... If anyone's holding, show your
cards. This is our last chance for bright
ideas.
He pauses and looks around. Nothing but grim, scared faces.
PULLER
...We jump off at 2200. 30 minutes. With
or without the Rangers. The Go-Code...
(he thinks about it)
...will be "Heaven is falling"...
(he swallows)
Seems right...
And with that he gets down from the jeep. Starts gathering up
fighting gear. Uckley can't believe it--
UCKLEY
Colonel...
Puller, just slinging an assault rifle over his shoulder, looks
up. Sees Uckley's disbelief.
PULLER
See. I'm not such a bad guy, Uckley. I'm
just bad enough to get this done.
(he stares up at the hill,
filling his pockets with ammo)
When we secure the top... Put Thiokol in
a chopper and get him to us. Stay on him.
Without the elevator code this is all for
nothing.
UCKLEY
I'll do my best.
Puller doesn't doubt it for a second. But he's not good with
words. So he simply nods, turns, and walks away.
UCKLEY
(to himself, with emotion)
Good luck to you too, sir.
EXT. FIREBASE STAGING AREA AMONGST THE TROOPS - NIGHT
As each, in his or her own way, makes ready for the fight. Some
check their weapons. Others stare at wallet photos or attempt
to write last words to loved ones. Most simply stare the thousand
yard stare...And then an unexpected SOUND rises. A low rythmic
POUNDING, growing nearer... People start to look up... around.
And suddenly THE SOUND EXPLODES THROUGH THE VALLEY as SEVEN
RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS blast overhead, swoop around in a wide arc
and descend below the hill behind the command post.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
MAJOR ALEX AND HIS FORCES watch in total bewilderment--
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - NIGHT
Uckley stumbles out the door with other awestruck personnel.
STAGING AREA
Puller leads a flood of men spilling
downhill to get a better look. As they
stride to the crest in the access road,
what they see stops them in their tracks--
A lone figure approaches, rising above the
crest... Colonel Myagkov...Followed by
RUSSIAN SOLDIERS...Lots of Russian
soldiers...In fact an entire COMPANY of
RUSSIAN SOLDIERS!!! 100 young men and
women in white-cammoflage, fully armed,
ready to fight. Beyond them, Skazy and the
Delta Unit, stand by their choppers,
awestruck.
Puller just stands there in the stunned silence as Myagkov leads
his men to a stop before him.
MYAGKOV
Pardon my manners, but where the fuck do
you want these men?
PULLER
(huge grin)
Right here.
INT. MISSILE BASE SILO 3 EXHAUST VANE
Walls' wire saw cuts through the last fraction of an inch of
metal-- The steel wall shudders and GROANS-- THUD!! The cut
section SLAMS to earth-- Walls, his hands bleeding from the
effort, climbs inside. Phuong follows. They crawl toward a huge
round chamber. Lit from above. Enter it. Walls looks up and gets
a terrifying eyefull. Staring up at THE BUSINESS END OF THE
PEACEKEEPER ROCKET. Walls and Phuong trade looks, then climb
up one of the rocket's support gantries into--
INT. SILO 3
They stare up at the missile. Awed by its power. It's terrible
beauty. Walls moves closer. Stares at his reflection in the
polished black titanium. Reaches tentatively to touch
it--SMACK!!! A slab of C-4 clay is slapped into place by Phuong.
Walls looks at her. Sees the hatred for this beast in her eyes.
WALLS
(nods)
Yeah...
He reaches into a pocket, produces a time-delay detonator.
Presses it into the C-4. Sets the timer for 45 minutes.
WALLS
One down. Four to go.
He feels a sudden surge of pride. Looks down at Phuong. Smiles
at her for the first time. She smiles back. For the first time.
It's beautiful.
WALLS
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
The General is unloading a revolver. Hummel works, his forearm
halfway into the titanium block... He is exhausted. Weary with
fear. The steady CLICK of the General's bullets unnerves him.
Then it stops... Hummel looks up-- Finds the General staring
at him... Sizing him up... There's one bullet left in the
revolver...
THE GENERAL
I was just thinking... As we get so near
to our goal... How unfortunate it would be
to find ourselves in the presence of a
hero...
And with that he slides the loaded pistol across the floor!!
It stops at Hummel's knee.
THE GENERAL
Are you a hero, Mr. Hummel?
The Guard levels his weapon at Hummel. Hummel looks at the gun.
At the guard. At the General. Yeah...right.
THE GENERAL
(to guard)
Get out.
The Guard hesitates...
THE GENERAL
Now.
The Guard leaves the room. Outside other Commandos have gathered
in concern. The raise their weapons...ready-- Safeties CLICK.
THE GENERAL
Put down your weapons.
They lower them, but do not put them down. Hummel's heart
pounds... The gun is so close...
THE GENERAL
Go on Mr. Hummel. Let us see what an
American is made of. We've come so far to
find out.
And you've so short a journey to show us. Six inches? Eight?
INT. SILO 3 - WALLS AND PHUONG
--have reached the silo airlock door at the top of the ladder.
Winded, Walls consults the numbers written on his hand, punching
in the control code. BEEEP!! Nothing happens. Walls punches
the code in again-- BEEEP!! The door remains locked.
WALLS
Shit!
Below him, Phuong scans her map for another entrance to the
facility. Sees something promising. Looks further down the
ladder-- Starts climbing down.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel is sweating... Shaking with indecision.
THE GENERAL
A hero would sacrifice everything that is
precious to him for the greater good. Mr.
Hummel would sacrifice the world for three
people named Beth, Poo, and Bean.
Hummel looks at the gun-- so close... The guards outside--
Twitching in readiness. The General-- daring him. And then he
sees something behind the General that stops his heart-- On the
SILO 3 MONITOR-- unseen by anyone but him, WALLS AND PHUONG IN
THE SILO!!!
Suddenly the General's eyes narrow-- His head turning ever so
slightly-- Hummel's hand darts for the gun-- The guards reacting
to kill him-- He fires--
INT. SILO 3
BLAMM!!! A resounding gunshot startles Walls. He looks down.
Below him, Phuong has blown the lock off a recessed hatch in
the silo wall with her 45. The hatch swings open, trailing smoke.
Phuong peers inside. Gestures him down excitedly.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel stares, wide-eyed, down the barrel of the smoking
revolver.
The Guard stare back, equally stunned, sighting down their
rifles. A breath from blowing him away. Stopped by THE GENERAL'S
HAND held out to forbid their fire. We move along his
outstretched arm to REVEAL the General alive...He turns his
sidelong glance to Hummel, revealing a CREASE OF BLOOD across
one cheek...
GENERAL
Nice shot, Mr. Hummel... I almost believe
you were shooting at me.
He turns to look at the bullet-blasted MONITOR SCREEN behind
him.
GENERAL
(to the guards)
We have visitors in Silo three.
Kindly show them out.
INT. SILO 3
Walls crawls inside the duct and looks past Phuong. The duct
goes back fifteen feet then just dead ends. The only feature
a junction box on the back wall with electrical conduit pipes
shooting out in various directions. Phuong points toward it.
PHUONG
Maybe open door!
Walls crawls over and tears it open. Inside, a mass of
electrical circuits surround a series of closed relay switches.
Walls stares at the LABLED SCHEMATIC on the box's door...
Grimaces in frustration.
WALLS
You...You understand any of this shit.
Phuong stares at the wires. Follows with her eyes one conduit
that heads toward the silo door, up and left. She points to it's
corresponding relay in the box. She nods, certain. Walls
dubiously brings up his rubber-handled combat knife--
WALLS
Go take a look-- See what happens--
She scurries back to the entrance-- Stares up at the locked door.
Walls inserts and slowly twists his knife blade to bend the relay
up-- Suddenly--
THE SILO AIRLOCK DOOR-- slides open-
PHUONG
Yes!! Yes!! Open!!
INT. SILO 3 ACCESS CORRIDOR
THREE well-armed COMMANDOS race toward the open door--
INT. SILO 3 - INSIDE THE DUCT
WALLS
Alright go on up! I'll hold this open till
you can block the door with somethin'!
She's just starting out of the duct when KA-POW-POW-POW-POW!!!
Bullets BLAST the entrance. She dives inside-- Dropping her
satchel of C-4!!! But grabbing the strap-- which unfortunately
disintegrates in the barrage of hits as the three commandos
BLAST away from the service gantry above. The C-4 falls a hundred
feet. THUDS against the floor.
Phuong recovers-- Fires back!! Killing Commando 1!! The
other two answer with a full auto fusillade! Commando 2
activates the gantry's lateral motion control. As the platform
begins it's slow trip around the silo wall, circling behind the
missile, Commando 3 jumps back to the ladder and starts down.
Commando 2 keeps FIRING like mad to keep Walls and Phuong pinned
down--
INSIDE THE DUCT-- It's all SPARKS and SHRAPNEL and no place to
go-- Walls and Phuong are forced further and further back--
Unaware as-
OUTSIDE THE DUCT-- Commando 3 descends the ladder--
INSIDE THE DUCT-- Walls suddenly notices Commando 3's
reflection climbing down the missile's shiny skin-- In
desperation, he grabs up the remaining coil of rope. Wraps it
around his waist--
WALLS
You know what really sucks?--
OUTSIDE THE DUCT-- Commando 3 reaches the duct's level--
Flattens against the ladder, reaching for a grenade on his belt.
INSIDE THE DUCT-- Walls snaps the rope through his D-ring. Grabs
it with his right hand behind his back rappelling style.
WALLS
If this works--
OUTSIDE-- Commando 3 pulls the pin on the grenade-- INSIDE--
Walls grabs his shotgun. Plants his feet on the back wall--
WALLS
--Ain't nobody ever gonna believe I did it!
And he shoves with his legs-- Sending himself shooting down the
slippery duct-- YELLING his lungs out!!
OUTSIDE-- Commando 2 holds his fire for Commando 3 to throw his
grenade when-- WHOOSH!!! Walls comes shooting out of the
opening, right past him-- Sailing backward into space-- His
shotgun aimed back the way he came-- BLAM!!! He blows Commando
3's legs out from under him, leaving him hanging by one hand,
SCREAMING-- then THUDS against the missile and drops like a
stone through wild tracer fire from Commando 2 before the coiled
rope springs tight, ripping through his bare right hand as he
slides down-- down-- down-- ROARING with pain-- Commando 2 fires
at him-- Fires at Phuong, who's trying to get a shot at him!!
And Walls is still sliding--down-- down-- and running out of
rope, still 90 feet in the air!!! He hooks the whizzing rope
with his left arm, squeezes it between fore-arm and bicep to
brake in agony, finally stopping mere inches from the end!!!
Meanwhile-- UP TOP-- Commando 2, on the gantry, has his
attention split between Walls below, that pesky Phuong BLASTING
away at him from the duct, and his partner hanging there by one
hand, bleeding to death, his other hand clutching a grenade with
it's pin pulled!
Down below, Walls kicks over to the ladder and starts climbing
with one hand--
Commando 2 reverses the gantry's direction, in order to keep
Walls in sight-- And/or get the hell out here before that grenade
drops! He fires expertly, back and forth-- keeping both
opponents at bay-- The gantry sliding closer to the door-- Again
he fires at Phuong-- and this time WE HEAR her SCREAM-- SEE HER
lying inert in the duct entrance-- He turns to fire at Walls
and suddenly gets his brains blown out by three expert shots
from-- PHUONG!!--quite alive after all! Commando 3 looks up in
surprise as Commando 2 crumples off the gantry and falls right
towards him! The body hits--knocking Commando 3 and his grenade
off the ladder!! Phuong gapes as they fall past Walls and SLAMM
into the bottom of the silo! Right next to the satchel of C-4!!!
THE DEAD COMMANDO'S HAND SLOWLY UNCURLS--
WALLS
(sees this)
Ho...ooo...ly shit!
--THE HAND RELEASES THE GRENADE!!!
WALLS
(climbing like mad)
Go! Go!
But Phuong is already scrambling as fast as she can up the
ladder. Walls follows. They dive through the door. Walls
slapping the control on the run as they race for their lives
up the corridor--
INT. SILO 3
A chain reaction as-- The grenade BLOWS-- the C-4 EXPLODES and
the booster rocket DETONATES--
INT. SILO 3 ACCESS CORRIDOR
Still running, Walls HEARS it coming-- Throws Phuong to the
floor-- as BOOM!! The Airlock door seventy feet behind them
EXPLODES from it's bulkhead and ROCKETS up the corridor on a
SEARING BLAST WAVE-- Just in time to obliterate two more
COMMANDOS running this way--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Major Alex and his men turn in awe as SILO 3's MASSIVE CONCRETE
DOOR far behind them rises on a titanic swell of earth just
before BLOWING SKY HIGH!!! The shock wave tosses them back like
rag dolls!
POP CUTS ALL AROUND--
As everyone reacts to the spectacular pillar of fire that climbs
into the starry sky above the hill. Ending on PULLER, his eyes
suddenly alive with new hope--
PULLER
He's inside. That sonofabitch got inside!
The rats are inside! Where are the
Rangers?
DUSSAULT
Still fifteen minutes out--
Puller looks back up the hill at the rain of flaming debris.
The ebbing conflagration in the destroyed silo... Looks at his
ragged little army. Ready. Willing. Able.
PULLER
God save us, Jake... The time is now.
(grabs up the radio mike)
ALL UNITS! THIS IS PULLER! HEAVEN IS
FALLING! HEAVEN IS FALLING!
All over the hill, a WAR CRY erupts as the charge begins--
EXT CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH DELTA/SOVIETS - NIGHT
They begin to take fire. And hit back. A Delta soldier hits
the dirt as bullets clip around him. WE HEAR the chatter of
an automatic weapon firing back-- The soldier looks-- A
Russian soldier. She helps him up and moves forward. He
follows, amazed.
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, MOVING WITH THE GUARD - NIGHT
Dill and McNally have the point. Suddenly a soldier stumbles
from the trees in front of them. They nearly blow him away--
MASON
Don't shoot. Please don't shoot.
MCNALLY
It's Mason!
The squad leader who's unit got blown to pieces in the first
assault-- As they rush forward, he collapses in their arms. They
lay him down.
DILL
Medic up! We thought you were dead, man.
How'd the hell'd you get down?
MASON
Ravine.
DILL
What ravine? Christ, there was no ravine
on the map. McNally! Check it out!
EXT. TREELINE - NIGHT
McNally around some trees, following Mason trail-- Stops dead
at the sight of-- THE RAVINE! A stream-cut passage in the
ten-foot deep snow that winds its way all the way up the
mountain!
MCNALLY
Lieutenant!!!
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH ADVANCING TROOPS - NIGHT
Skazy urges his troops forward. Myagkov his. Bullets smash
around them. But they press on--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH THE COMMANDOS - NIGHT
A NonCom next to Major Alex is scanning the fight with
binoculars. He CURSES in Russian-- Major Alex grabs the
glasses--
HIS POV.
Myagkov's troops advancing with the Americans--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT ON MAJOR ALEX
drops the glasses-- Stunned. Enraged. He grabs a medium
machine gun from another soldier, leaps up SCREAMING-- Firing
madly at the traitors-- But suddenly his position DETONATES in
a punishing hail of fire from above!! All around Alex men are
blown to pieces!
INTERCUT REACTIONS--
all over the battle-field as people look up to see--
EXT. PELL'S BEAT UP A-10 - NIGHT
Diving out of the Moon!! GUNS ON FIRE!!
INT. PELL'S A-10 - NIGHT
Pell, dressed in Santa suit again, sings at the top of his
lungs--
PELL
He sees you when you're sleeping!! He knows
when you're awake!!
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH COMMANDOS - NIGHT
As Pell's bullets POUND them. One man lifts a Stinger--
INT. PELL'S A-10 - NIGHT
Taking HIT after HIT-- Pells continues to pour it on--
PELL
He knows if you've been bad or good--
AHEAD-- THROUGH THE CANOPY-- his tracer fire seeks out Mr.
Stinger--
PELL
So be good for goodness sake!
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH COMMANDOS - NIGHT
BOOM!!! Mr. Stinger EXPLODES!!! Return fire BLASTS skyward--
Ripping into Pell's ship--
INT. PELL'S A-10 - NIGHT
Pell, shot and dying, pulls back on the stick... Looks at
heaven--
PELL
You better watch out... You better not
cry... You better not shout, I'm telling
you why...
EXT. SKY - NIGHT
His plane, trailing fire, rises like the phoenix... Then stalls,
falling over nose first-- Plummeting straight down in a spin--
INT. PELL'S A-10 - NIGHT
The stars wheel behind him...
PELL
Santa Claus is coming...
A look of incredible peace washes over him...
PELL
...to town--
EXT. MISSILE BASE NEAR ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
His plane hits the Commandos' foreward line-- THA-BOOM!!!
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST- NIGHT
Thiokol, seated before the confusion of numbers and formulae
on the blackboard wall, mumbles possibilities to himself,
scribbling on his pad. Desperate to fill those twelve empty
spaces. Uckley moves to the document and photo covered
worktable. Spies a copy of Thiokol's book, "ENDGAMES" open to
the back jacket flap. He stares at the photograph of the happy
couple... At the caption below...
PETER THIOKOL at home with his wife, MEGAN
UCKLEY
Jesus, that's it.
(he jumps up, rushing to Thiokol)
How many letters in your name?
THIOKOL
Twelve. I based the code system on my
name--
UCKLEY
(almost laughing)
--Of course you did!--
THIOKOL
--It could just have easily had thirteen
or a hundred integers...
UCKLEY
--But it didn't! It had twelve.
THIOKOL
You think the code is my name?
UCKLEY
No.
With an eraser, he wipes SIMONOVICH from between ARKADY and
PETROV.
UCKLEY
I think it's his...A.. R.. K.. A.. D.. Y..
P.. E.. T.. R.. O.. V. Twelve.
THIOKOL
His name? That's ridiculous! It's too
easy!
UCKLEY
Exactly! That's exactly the reaction he
expects from you. He knows you'll toss it
aside because it's not big enough! Not
enough of a challenge to the great mind of
Peter Thiokol and that makes it perfect--
THIOKOL
It can't be that simple, damn it! It can't
be!
UCKLEY
Why not? What better way to fuck you over.
It's not enough for him to win. He wants
to win and make you the loser of all time.
But to do that he's got to let you get close
enough to stop him and then make sure you
fail. So his message to the president is
from your book. That gets your
attention-- Then, knowing we'll find out
when all this comes down, to get his
information he has an affair with your
wife-- He identifies himself... And
finally, knowing we'll check him out, he
drops his middle name! He tells you the
code! But he knows you won't accept it as
valid!
THIOKOL
But why play games when it might fuck up
your plan?
UCKLEY
Who knows why? Maybe he needs the rush to
get past the horror of what he's doing.
Maybe he's just a lunatic. Either way
he's given us the key!
THIOKOL
What if you're wrong?
UCKLEY
Then you'll be right, as usual!! You'll
be smarter than everyone, okay?? And no
one will know!! Because we'll all be
dead!!
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN - WITH THE ATTACK - NIGHT
Puller and his men are pinned down by murderous fire--
PULLER
(yells to his radioman)
Berezin! Where's the fucking guard?
EXT. RAVINE AT TOP OF MOUNTAIN - DILL LEADING THE GUARD - NIGHT
Up the ravine. From the SOUNDS of gunfire, Dill knows he is
close. He crawls to the top-- Peers over the edge-- And sees
the Commando's unguarded flank!
DILL
Jesus! JESUS!! We flanked 'em! We
fucking flanked'em!!! C'mon!!!
The men run up the ravine after him. As they crest the rise,
they open fire-- Taking Alex's rear-positioned men completely
by surprise! They die SCREAMING! As Dill and his men overrun
the first foxholes-- BEHIND THEM a huge commando with a machine
gun leaps up-- KA-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW!!! Dill and the
others turn to see him fall, REVEALING-- LT. TARNHOWER!!! Still
strapped in her ejection seat, twenty yards out, barely
conscious, and grimacing down the sight of her 9mm pistol--
TARNHOWER
Down in front.
Dill flashes her a grin-- Shoves his men forward--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH COMMANDOS - NIGHT
As Alex dodges forward through the new onslaught--
MAJOR ALEX
The right! The right!
His men whip around, but Guard fire rips them apart.
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN, WITH DELTA - NIGHT
SKAZY
(sees the coup)
It's Dill!! He's got 'em boxed! GO! GO!
GO!
Puller and Skazy wave their men forward. The final charge
begins...
INT. SILO 3 ACCESS CORRIDOR
Walls and Phuong are running down the hall. Suddenly they
enter-- A CIRCULAR ROOM with four more silo access tunnels
leading off in different directions. A fifth tunnel labeled LCC
ACCESS is the one they want-- But as they run for it, bullets
RICOCHET against the concrete as Commandos race up two of the
other corridors. They dive for the LCC ACCESS hall but recover
to see more commandos round it's far corner. Walls backs into
the hub, FIRING. Phoung covering their back--
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE, WITH ALEX AND HIS COMMANDOS - NIGHT
As they fall back tighter and tighter around the elevator house.
MAJOR ALEX
Tunnel team inside!
Fifteen men retreat inside. The rest a sacrifice to their
escape. The Major follows.
INTO THE BASE ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Inside, a few men take gun positions at windows to aid their
comrades outside. The Major races to the computer terminal and
begins typing in the access code.
INT. SILO CORRIDORS - WITH WALLS AND PHUONG
Walls FIRES down one corridor-- Phuong another-- Her weapon
CLICKS empty-- Just as two commandos race up her corridor-- She
tosses her gun and yanking her trench knife throws herself at
the men with the scream of a crazed animal. She slashes and
cuts. They FIRE back point blank, but cannot stop her. Walls
gets just a glimpse of what's happening--
WALLS
NOOO!!!
But caught in his own firefight, he can do nothing-- He hears
Phuong SCREAM again! Hears SHOTS-- Another SCREAM-- Then
SILENCE-- He chances a look back--Allowing his opponent to
charge up the hall---And CRIES OUT at what he sees! Turning back
to BLAST his opponent in his tracks. He fires his shotgun in
SCREAMING RAGE-- Again and again and again-- Stops and stares
at what he's done... Then turns for-- PHUONG...lying on her back
amidst four dead Commmandos... Walls kneels over her broken but
still living body. She stares up at a place somewhere between
his eyes and heaven.
PHUONG
I go to my husband... my son...
Walls nods, tears pooling in his eyes.
PHUONG
You go to the morning... Okay?...
WALLS
Okay...
Her hand reaches feebly for his. He takes it... and holds it
tight... so she can die.
INT. LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR / ELEVATOR
The Major and his men exit the elevator. Begin organizing
behind the first barricade.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel works. WE HEAR the clatter of men readying in the hall.
The General moves quickly out the door. Hummel turns to the
Guard.
HUMMEL
You speak English, don't you? Do you
understand what's happening? These guys
are going to launch the missiles. They--
The Guard rifle butts him. Pulls a boot knife and puts the tip
into Hummel's ear.
GUARD
Work.
EXT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - VARIOUS ANGLES - NIGHT
A fierce hand-to-hand battle rages between the remaining
Commandos and Puller's men. Dill runs out of ammo. Is
attempting to re-load on the run when he's shot in the leg.
Falls back-- A Commando charges him. Dill jerks his sidearm
and FIRES point blank-- The Commando collapses on top of him.
Puller and a fire team advance, firing in all directions.
Berezin following with the Radio, screams Puller's commands
into his mike with one hand, firing his pistol with the other.
Skazy is unstoppable, taking on two Commandos first with weapon
butt and then with knife and winning. Myagkov leads a group
which overruns a machine gun emplacement. McNally is blown
apart by a grenade. Auber is a one-man-war, firing a riotgun
as he walks forward. Dussault is directing troops when a round
clips his shoulder, spinning him around and down. But he gets
up and continues forward.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Dussault is the first to gain the shack entrance. He dies
clearing the way inside. Skazy steps over his body and kills
the last of the Commandos inside the shack. An eerie silence.
Myagkov climbs in the window. Puller enters the over the bodies
and rubble in the door. Berezin stumbles in behind, wide-eyed.
Puller stares at the blood spattered elevator doors...
PULLER
Get Thiokol up here.
EXT. TOP OF MOUNTAIN NEAR THE ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Dead and dying lie around the structure. A helicopter circles
as Delta men light flares for it. Thiokol and Uckley get out
and run to the shack.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Thiokol enters... Everyone's waiting for him... He walks toward
the computer. Leans into it. Uckley joins Puller...
PULLER
Does he have the code?
UCKLEY
Arkady's name.
SKAZY
What? You gotta be kidding!
Thiokol types. Pushes enter.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel works his torch with the Guard holding the knife in his
ear. The General watches over Hummel's shoulder, eyes blazing--
THE GENERAL
Wider! Burn it!
Warning lights flash. A siren goes off.
COMPUTER VOICE
Warning. There has been an unsuccessful
attempt at access.
General smiles at the ceiling.
THE GENERAL
Strike one, Peter...
INT. MAIN SILO ACCESS CORRIDOR - WITH WALLS--
As he runs up the hall. Slows down to approach a corner.
Flattens against the wall. Peers around-- The bulk of the
Commando are staged down the hall. Blocking his path to the
open LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER DOOR. Walls ducks back around the
corner. Unaware that-- ONE OF THE COMMANDOS just thought he
saw something...
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Thiokol stares at computer. Looks at Uckley. The kid is
mortified...
THIOKOL
It's okay... It's okay... It was the right
idea... It's... gotta be something like
that... Maybe backwards... Maybe--
PULLER
--Peter, are you sure it's a name? Peter?
Thiokol, sweat running down his face, suddenly loses it.
THIOKOL
I don't know!! Goddammit! I don't
know!! I'm guessing! I've never guessed
about anything in my life and now I'm
fucking guessing!!!
SKAZY
Jesus Christ!
PULLER
Shut up, Skazy!
THIOKOL
Do you fucking want to guess? Anybody
want to take a shot?
MYAGKOV
Be him.
THIOKOL
What?
MYAGKOV
Be... him. Understand a man like this
hates this country. And you, Mr. Thiokol
are this country. You are the mind that
destroyed all that his kind built.
THIOKOL
My name.
He turns to computer. Puller suddenly knows it's wrong...
PULLER
No.
Puller and Thiokol's eyes meet.
THIOKOL
Yes.
He types in PETER THIOKOL. Presses ENTER-- WE HEAR the
computer.
INT. MAIN SILO ACCESS CORRIDOR - WITH WALLS
Still stuck around the corner from the Commandos. Unaware that
one of them is CREEPING THIS WAY. Gun ready...
COMPUTER VOICE
Warning. There has been a second attempt
at access.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
The room is silent. One of the Delta Troopers blinks...
TROOPER
(small)
Strike two.
Everyone stares in silence as Thiokol whispers pitifully to
himself with his eyes closed... Skazy can take no more.
SKAZY
Blow the Goddamn thing! Blow it!
THIOKOL
You can't! The lock-down circuits would
permanently seal it.
SKAZY
I'll give you fucking permanent. Those
missiles goin' off is fucking PERMANENT!
(starts taking off his chest
pack)
Goddammit sir, let's blow the fucking
door--
THIOKOL
--No goddamit! NO!! You can't blow it!!--
Skazy loses it-- draws his .45 and aims it at Thiokol. Puller
tenses but can't bring his gun up--
SKAZY
Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!! We tried it your
way--
(spots Puller readying for a
shot)
Don't Colonel! This time I'll do it!!
I'll fucking--
Skazy hears a HAMMER CLICK behind him-- Turns to find Uckley
sighting for a head shot--
UCKLEY
Why don't we let the professionals handle
this.
Skazy staggers back, lowering his gun... Uckley looks at
Thiokol.
UCKLEY
Mr. Thiokol has one more try.
SKAZY
But... what if he's wrong??
THIOKOL
Please-- let me think.
SKAZY
Oh Jesus... we're not gonna make it...
THIOKOL
--Will you shut up and let me think??
I have to think!!
PULLER
No Peter. Don't think...
Thiokol looks at him--
PULLER
Feel...
Their look holds a long moment. Thiokol's eyes glisten. His
head drops. Then suddenly... he abrubtly reaches out and types
into the computer. Puller holds his breath. Skazy closes his
eyes. Thiokol hit's enter-- BEEP!
KA-THUNK-HISSSSS-- The doors begin to open. The soldiers
CHEER. Slap Thiokol on the back as they ready their attack--
Skazy weeps-- Uckley scurries forward to look at the computer
screen--
It reads-- M-E-G-A-N-T-H-I-O-K-O-L
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hummel on his knees torching. The General shoves him out of
the way. He reaches in--SSSSSS!!! Burns himself to pull out
the key.
THE GENERAL
Yes!
(in Russian, to guard)
Get the Major.
The Guard exits. The General smiles at Hummel...
COMPUTER VOICE
Warning. Access has been achieved.
The General wheels, startled at the computer's voice. Now it's
Hummel's turn to smile. The General backhands him in the face.
Hummel tumbles backward.
INT. MAIN SILO ACCESS CORRIDOR - THE COMMANDO HUNTING WALLS
--jumps around the corner. Weapon leveled-- But the corridor
is empty-- The Commando advances warily. His heavy boots
CLOMPING hollowly over the STEEL FLOOR PANELS...
UNDER THE FLOOR PANELS
Walls crawls down the sub-floor CABLE TRENCH that runs the
length of the corridor.
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR - THE ELEVATOR DOORS
--remain CLOSED. Eerie SILENCE... 50 feet away, behind the
FORWARD BARRICADE, Major Alex and his men wait with weapons
poised...
MAJOR ALEX
Commence firing on my order.
The elevator ARRIVES. The doors start to slide open --
MAJOR ALEX
Ready...
But the elevator is PACKED WITH C-4!!! Alex dives--
MAJOR ALEX
DOWN!!!!
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
SKAZY
(peering down)
NOW!!!
A Delta man beside him twists the DETONATOR.
KABLAAAAAAAAAMMM!!!!!
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
THE EXPLOSION flashes down the corridor! It's fiery SHOCKWAVE
punching through Major Alex's men like a freight train. Major
Alex lands twenty feet back, scorched and bleeding. He lies
there, stunned, under dust and debris. Tries to get up...
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Delta and Russian forces queued up on rappelling ropes, crouch
as the roiling fireball from below belches out of the shaft--
In its wake, Skazy pushes them forward-- strapping on a chest
pack of C-4--
SKAZY
Go! Go! Go!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
They pour down the smoky 300 ft drop. Rope WHIZZING--
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
Major Alex struggles to his feet. Helps survivors to the front--
MAJOR ALEX
THEY'RE COMING!! OPEN FIRE!!!
They hose down the blown elevator with SHEETS OF HOT LEAD!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
The first men down are shot to pieces before they can even
unhook-- More drop on top of them. They fall as well--
SCREAMING-- HIGHER UP-- Skazy sees the massacre--
SKAZY
STOP!! STOP!!!
He ratchets his rope. But there are MEN ABOVE HIM coming down.
They COLLIDE and continue to fall... Right into the shitstorm--
Bullets and tracers punch through them, causing their hanging
bodies dead and alive to dance and spin like insane
marionettes--
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Puller, Thiokol, and Uckley HEAR the DYING on their headsets--
INSIDE THE ELEVATOR
Skazy lands in a heap in a front corner, his guts obliterated.
Hunks of C-4 hanging from his torn chest pack-- He gurgles blood,
horrified eyes watching as another DELTA SURVIVOR claws
desperately for cover beneath bodies, firing madly with one hand
while above, the remainder of the force hangs out of harm's way,
unable to help.
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
Major Alex and his Commandos riddle the elevator, obliterating
all signs of life-- The General's guard reaches the Major.
GUARD
Sir! It's time! The General needs you!
The Major Alex fires a last angry burst, hands the guard his
weapon, and runs for the capsule.
INSIDE THE ELEVATOR
Skazy hugs the front corner for protection, sparks and shrapnel
blasting him. He pushes to his feet in agony. Pulls out two
GRENADES... Throws one down the hall--
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR AT THE BARRICADE
The Commandos see it coming-- Take cover as-- BOOM!! The grenade
explodes-- Suddenly Skazy comes RUNNING OUT OF THE SMOKE
--SCREAMING!!! The Commandos OPEN FIRE. Skazy continues to
run and SCREAM as he's cut to bloody pieces. And as he dies
running, he pulls the pin on the second grenade embedded in the
C-4 in his chest pack-- BWAMMMMM!!! The first barricade
DISAPPEARS.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
The Major runs in. Dazed--
MAJOR ALEX
Sir... They're coming...
The General calmly presses the door control-- K-THUNK.
HISSSSS-- The huge door THUMPS shut. Cutting off the SOUNDS of
battle...
THE GENERAL
It doesn't matter, Alex...
(holds up the two keys)
We have won.
He hands Major Alex a key. They hold a solemn look.
THE GENERAL
Insert your key... The future is
waiting...
They insert their keys simultaneously. Red lights begins to
flash-- Illuminating a terrified HUMMEL-- Bleeding to death on
the floor.
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR - AT THE FIRST BARRICADE
As the fight rages, more Delta/Soviet troops rappel down, dive
for cover behind the remnants of the first barricade.
INT. MAIN SILO ACCESS CORRIDOR, OPPOSITE LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
A steel floor panel rises up a few inches. Walls peeks out to
check his progress. His EYES WIDEN. He's in the middle of a
shitstorm- RIGHT BEHIND THE COMMANDOS at the second barricade.
THUD! One FALLS DEAD in front of him. Staring sightlessly--
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
COMPUTER VOICE
We have launch condition Red. Please
authenticate.
The General punches computer keys.
COMPUTER VOICE
We have an authenticated command to
launch. Turn your keys, gentlemen.
THE GENERAL
On my command, Alex. Three, two, one.
The General tries to twist his key. It doesn't budge.
THE GENERAL
Alex?
MAJOR ALEX
Are we right, sir? Can you say
irredeemably, in the eyes of our children,
that this is right?
THE GENERAL
It is for our children, Alex. Believe me.
Now, on my command. Three, Two...
Major Alex suddenly makes a strange sound-- his eyes widening
for just an instant before-- WOOSH!!-- His face explodes--Blue
fire shooting out from within! T he nightmare falls away,
REVEALING-- HUMMEL, on his feet! Torch in hand! The General
fires two shots-- Hummel falls. The General whirls to the door--
INT. MAIN CORRIDOR INTERSECTION AT LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
The Launch Control Center door slides open--
THE GENERAL
(turning towards us as he calls)
I NEED A MAN HERE!!--
BLAMM!! A shotgun blast blows the General off his feet as Walls
erupts from the floor!!!
WALLS
(rushing past)
No. You need a doctor--
--But something trips him-- WHAM!! He's on the floor-- Looks
back-to see the General holding him, his obliterated shirt
revealing the pitted Kevlar vest beneath. He's bringing up his
pistol to fire-- Walls puts his shotgun in the General's face!!!
Pulls the trigger-- CLICK! Shit! He's out of ammo! The
General grins-- Pulls his trigger-- CLICK!!! He's out too!!
Walls grins back-- and KICKS the General in the face! Sends him
flying-- Walls leaps up to run--
THE GENERAL
Trooper!!!
Behind the second barricade, a SCAR-FACED COMMANDO, reloading,
looks up-- He jams his clip in his weapon-- Charges down the
hall FIRING-- Just missing Walls as he dives into the--
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Hoping to shut the door, he pulls a lever. The lights go off.
WALLS
Sonofa--!
Slams light lever back on. Sees the door control-- Slaps it--
The door starts to shut-- Real slow... It's almost closed when--
THUNK! THUNK! Two big hands intercept it-- and SCARFACE appears
between them-- Walls panics, weaponless-- Scarface is just
squeezing inside when Walls spots the General's revolver lying
on the control station counter! He grabs it and CLICK-- OUT
OF AMMO!!! SCARFACE grins-- Walls throw the gun-- BONK!! Hits
Scarface right between the eyes-- He YELLS in pain and staggers
back. The door THUMPS closed. Walls looks around. Sees
Hummel. Kneels next to him.
HUMMEL
I stopped him.
WALLS
(checks out Alex)
Yeah, I can see that. Okay-- You just take
it easy. They'll fight their way to us
soon--
COMPUTER VOICE
Warning. Automatic launch sequence
beginning.
WALLS
Oh. Shit.
INT. ELEVATOR HOUSE - NIGHT
Puller and the others HEAR--
COMPUTER VOICE
We are in terminal countdown. You have
four minutes and fifty seconds before
launch....
THIOKOL
Something's wrong. They didn't turn the
keys.
PULLER
You have to turn the keys to launch.
THIOKOL
No. I fail-safed it. If you insert the
keys and they're not turned or removed
within two minutes, terminal countdown
begins. I can stop it. You've got to get
me into the LCC.
PULLER
Why wouldn't Petrov turn the keys?
Thiokol looks at him dumbly.
PULLER
If he put them both in, why wouldn't he turn
them? Somebody stopped him.
THIOKOL
The welder.
(looks at the shot-up phone)
There's another one downstairs!
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
What's left of the Delta/Russian troops are massed behind the
remnants of the first barricade, pinned down by Commando fire.
COMPUTER VOICE
You have three minutes and forty seconds
before launch....
BEHIND THE SECOND BARRICADE- The General moves among his men--
THE GENERAL
JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES, BOYS!!! THAT'S ALL
WE NEED, JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES!!!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT & INTO ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
Puller rappels down the shaft-- assisting Thiokol. They land
and and are thrown down by two Delta men, providing covering
fire-- They belly crawl toward the phone box-- Set in a wall
recess behind the first barricade, it offers scant protection
from the hellfire sent by the Commandos down the hall. With the
help of a furious RETURN VOLLEY Puller and Thiokol leap into
the alcove. Thiokol rips open the phone box-- snatching up the
receiver--
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Walls, staring helplessly at the control panel, is startled by
the phone's SHRILL RING-- He looks at it. Picks it up
tentatively.
WALLS
Hello?
INTERCUT with ELEVATOR/LCC CORRIDOR.
THIOKOL
Yes! Yes! Jesus, who is this?!!
WALLS
It's Walls, man.
THIOKOL
(to Puller)
It's Walls!!!
WALLS
Man, I think this rocket is fixin' to go
off. We got lights blinkin' and all
kinda' shit going' on. Should I just blow
away the controls or what--
THIOKOL
--NO! God, no! Don't shoot anything!!
Is the door closed?
WALLS
Yeah... Are you guys in charge out there
or--?
THIOKOL
No, they hold that end of the hall. Now,
listen to me carefully. You can stop the
launch!
WALLS
Me?
THIOKOL
Yes! It's simple. You've got five
labeled buttons to hit in sequence. Are
you set?
INT LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Walls stares at the console in utter helpless anguish.
THIOKOL
Hello? Hello?
WALLS
Did you say labeled?
THIOKOL
Yes.
WALLS
Then... we fucked...
THIOKOL
Why??
Tears spring to Walls' dark eyes...
WALLS
'Cause I can't read...
INT. ACCESS CORRIDOR
Thiokol freezes in horror. His mouth works but nothing comes
out...
PULLER
What is it--
THIOKOL
He can't read...
(he starts to laugh)
He can't fucking read!!-- Oh my god! We
spend a billion dollars to build this place
and nothing on education and-- My god--
PULLER
What about letters-- Would it work if he
knew his letters??
THIOKOL
(into phone)
--Do you know your ABC's??
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
WALLS
Yeah... Yeah I know my letters--
INT. ACCESS CORRIDOR
THIOKOL
Alright, now listen to me, Nathan... If we
concentrate and work together we can do
this, you and I... We can do this... Okay?
WALLS
Yeah...
DOWN THE HALL--
THE GENERAL
Hold them. It's going to fire automatic.
Just hold them back!
INTERCUT ACCESS CORRIDOR/LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER
Thiokol makes a list of switches on his pad as he talks--
THIOKOL
Okay. In front of the phone are all kinds
of switches. Five grouping of two
columns. Right?
WALLS
Yeah.
THIOKOL
Find "Practical electrical guidance
check" Find "P"
WALLS
Yeah.
THIOKOL
Push it.
WALLS
Yeah.
THIOKOL
Now "Advanced Circuitry mechanics".
"A"...
WALLS
Got it.
THIOKOL
Push it.
WALLS
Yeah.
THIOKOL
Now "I"
WALLS
(laughs)
Yo. We fuckin' up some bad guys now, ain't
we, Doc?
THIOKOL
Bet your ass-- Find "L"--
INTERCUT LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER/ACCESS CORRIDOR
Thiokol forgets where he is and, with the receiver still to his
ear, drifts from behind the protection of the alcove. BEHIND
THE SECOND BARRICADE, General Petrov sees him-- His eyes bulge--
THE GENERAL
No... not that way... NOT THAT WAY!!!
He fires his pistol at him, but before the slugs can get
there, Colonel Puller pulls Thiokol back behind the corner.
COMPUTER VOICE
You have two minutes and forty seconds
before launch...
BEHIND THE SECOND BARRICADE-- The General looks desperately for
another way to stop Thiokol. He spots a phone junction box high
up on the wall against the ceiling. Grabs another soldier's
AK-47--
INTERCUT WALLS / THIOKOL
THIOKOL
One more. "Bypass Primary Separation Mode
Check". "B"!
Walls stares at controls. There is no "B" What is there is
the letter "S" in the series-- THT HTHA TSA LLF OLKS
WALLS
Ain't no "B".
THIOKOL
It's there!! Look!!!
WALLS
I am looking! There's no "B"! There's
just--
KA-POW-POW-POW-POW! Walls yanks the phone from his ear as--
IN THE ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR PHONE ALCOVE
--bullets chew up the junction box above Thiokol.
THIOKOL
Hello?? WALLS!!!
(stares at the phone)
It's dead!!! The line's dead!!!
PULLER
They shot out the junction box! Where's
the next phone?
Thiokol's look tells us it's not in a good place... And as
Thiokol realizes what he is about to do, everything seems to
get QUIET... The SOUNDS of BATTLE fading away-- The images of
war slowing as his eyes move toward another phone on the opposite
wall, halfway between the first and second barricades and ALL
OUR PLAYERS realize simultaneously his intention...
THIOKOL
All I need is a minute.
DELTA MAN 2
Hey, we'll die to get it done, but
there's no point in just dying to
die, man.
THIOKOL
I can stop it. I can...
No one seems to believe... Until...
PULLER
I'll go with you, Peter.
Thiokol looks like he might cry. Then another man moves into
the light. It's Uckley.
UCKLEY
So will I.
DILL
I'm in.
A Delta man comes forward, "Me too," Then another and another...
Myagkov slams a fresh clip into his AK-47 and nods his
allegiance.
COMPUTER VOICE
You have one minute and fifty seconds
before launch...
The General tries to discern what's going on at the other end
of the hall-- Thiokol and the others don extra flak vests--
Snatch up extra weapons and ammo-- And suddenly the General
understands-- they're really going to do it... And he rises up,
oblivious to the bullets SHRIEKING by-- HIS EYES locking with
THIOKOL'S--
PULLER
Now!!!
Puller, Uckley, Dill, and the three Delta volunteers jump over
the barricade BLASTING full force. Forming a wedge around
Thiokol, they dash for the phone. The General's men return
fire--
Dill is hit but still reaches the phone first. Places his
shoulder against the wall. Puller, Uckley, and the first Delta
Volunteer land shoulder to shoulder beside him to complete the
wall. Thiokol quickly snatches up the receiver.
THIOKOL
Walls?!!!
INTERCUT with WALLS.
WALLS
Here. Jesus, man, it ain't here--
THIOKOL
On the control board-- You punched the
buttons coming down--
(a bullet punches through his
arm)
AAAH!! Oh! Oh, shit! You-- pushed them
coming down-- till you came to bypass-- to
"B" and it wasn't there, right??
WALLS
Right!!
WALLS
Right!!
The General and his men BLAST AWAY. Two more Delta men are hit.
One of them gets up, returning fire madly-- Myagkov opens up--
Killing two Commandos-- The General is hit but keeps firing--
Hits Dill--
THIOKOL
(as Dill's blood spatters him)
Ah--!! Oh god!! Read me the-- Spell out
the words on the button--
WALLS
There's no words, man! Just "S"!
THIOKOL
No!! There's-- There's gotta be words!
There's no single letters in that row!!
Read me the row--
WALLS
--T-H-T-H-T-
THIOKOL
(writing the letters down--)
--No!!--That's wrong!!!
WALLS
--H-A-T-S-A-L-L-
THIOKOL
(still writing)
--Something's wrong!!!--
WALLS
--F-O-L-K-S!!
THIOKOL
--NO!!--
WALLS
That's it, man!!
THIOKOL
FUCK!!
(and then he sees it)
Wait!!
A bullet punches through his throat-- Flings him to the ground--
PULLER
--NOOOO--!!
He dives to cover Thiokol-- Bullets ripping into him.
PULLER
Ah!!! JESUS!! Talk to me-- Stay alive and
talk to me you sonofabitch!
THIOKOL
(choking on blood)
It's... a fucking joke!!--
PULLER
Help me, dammit!!
THIOKOL
Th-th-th-that's all folks!!!
PULLER
Help me!!
THIOKOL
(nodding insistently)
T-H-T--H-T-H
COMPUTER VOICE
You have thirty seconds before launch....
A volley of automatic fire drills the Delta Man next to Uckley.
As he falls, the remaining Delta Man takes his place. Dill is
hit in the thigh-- He grabs onto Uckley to hold himself up.
Behind them Puller struggles to drag Thiokol back to the phone--
The General sees this and is maddened beyond reason. He screams
at his few remaining troops.
THE GENERAL
UP!! FOLLOW ME!
The General leads six Commandos in a charge. Guns BLAZING--
Uckley is shot and falls. Myagkov is hit. But they fire back--
taking equal measure of the onrushing force-- Dill pours fire
into the Commandos, trying to help Puller with Thiokol-- Another
commando drops-- And another-- Thiokol quickly, mentally counts
letters. His voice weak. Fading.
THIOKOL
T..h..t..h..t..h..a..t... S!! Punch the
"s"...
DILL
What??? Jesus-- Talk to me!!!
THE GENERAL
THIOKOL!!! THI-O-KOL!!!
Thiokol looks straight at the running General-- Eyes burning--
Summons the last of his strength and reaches for the phone--
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE - NIGHT
EXPLOSIONS blow the SILO COVERS back-- REVEALING-- THE
MISSILES!
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR
The General has almost reached the alcove. Thiokol snatches
the phone-- The General SCREAMS-- Puller raises his gun--
THIOKOL
(snatches phone)
The "S"!!! Punch it!
WALLS
does it-- just as--
IN THE ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS HALLWAY--
Puller empties his pistol into the General who dances crazily
under the impacts, and falls to his knees.
COMPUTER VOICE
Attention. Launch procedure has been
aborted.
The General stares uncomprehendingly at Thiokol. Falls on his
face.
COMPUTER VOICE
Repeat. Launch procedure has been aborted.
Thiokol closes his eyes. Dead.
INT. LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER WITH WALLS
As he sits there in stunned silence. He puts down the phone...
And suddenly realizes it's over. A wave of emotion crashes into
him, and remembering Hummel, he rushes to kneel over him.
WALLS
Hey, man! We did it!! You hear me? We
did it!
HUMMEL
...did it...
WALLS
That's right! HA-HA!! That's it! You
stick with me now. Just hang in there
man-- HA!!
INT. ELEVATOR/LCC ACCESS CORRIDOR.
Uckley is kneeling next to Thiokol's body. Puller slumps
against the wall, closes his eyes in relief. Medics are
rappelling down behind them-- rushing into the corridor. Slowly
the troops realize what they have accomplished. Someone
WHOOPS! And people begin to CHEER... and cry... And it all just
floods out of them. The door to the Launch Control Center
opens. Walls steps out into the hall, into a avalanche of hugs
and back-slapping, carrying Hummel in his arms. He hands him
off to the medics. Spots Puller down the hall, watching him...
The slightest hint of appreciation cracking his mask before he
turns away, disappearing through the onrushing flood of
soldiers and medics coming to help... And as Walls, caught in
the celebratory crush, watches him go...
WE CROSSFADE TO--
EXT. CROW MOUNTAIN RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY.
The storm has cleared. The day shines. Medivac copters are
whirling into the sky... Militia and Guard are tending to their
wounded. Delta and Soviet troops stowing their gear. A huge
weariness is beginning to hit some. Others, still
adrenaline-high, drift aimlessly around the area, unable to
stop moving. Some talk, some embrace, some laugh, others
cry... Berezin runs through the area carrying a cellular phone.
BEREZIN
Colonel Puller! Colonel Puller!! Hey--
Anybody seen--
He rounds a corner of the Visitor's Center and sees-- A SNOW
COVERED PLAYGROUND. Puller sitting on a swing, watching the
exodus. He is tired. And strangely pale.
BEREZIN
Sir, it's the President--
He notices Puller's clothes are soaked in blood. There's more
on the ground below.
BEREZIN
Sir, your wounds... you should get on a
chopper...
Puller shakes his head. Takes the phone from Berezin.
PULLER
Old guys go to the end of the line.
Besides... We can't keep the President
waiting, son.
BEREZIN
Sir, stay right there, I'll get a medic.
He races off. Puller watches him go, then speaks into phone.
PULLER
This is Colonel Puller...
INT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST - DAY
The makeshift war room is now empty, but for Uckley, small and
alone in a corner. Waiting by the phone. He stares at the chair
that Thiokol sat in. The blackboard with all it's names and
numbers. The phone RINGS, startling him. He picks it up. An
unintelligible VOICE on the other end...
UCKLEY
Yes... This is he...
Uckley's eyes fill with tears. He hugs the phone and begins
to cry. The VOICE goes on.
UCKLEY
Yes. Yes. Goodbye...
Berezin runs in--
BEREZIN
Mr-- Agent Uckley!
Uckley looks up at him. Berezin realizes...
BEREZIN
Mrs. Hummel...
UCKLEY
She's O.K.!
(laughs through his tears)
She's gonna be O.K.!
BEREZIN
Sir, you better come quick.
UCKLEY
What's wrong?
BEREZIN
It's the Colonel, sir. He's hurt bad--
Uckley's already gone.
EXT. RANGER STATION/COMMAND POST, PLAYGROUND - DAY
Puller has the thousand yard stare as he talks to the President..
PULLER
Yes, Mr. President... Thank you sir...
Thank you. Yes we lost one of the
missiles, that's correct. The other four
are intact. Sir. I have a suggestion, if
I may. Why don't we just shitcan the
goddamn things? Thank you, sir.
He hangs up. Looks up at the SOUND of another CHOPPER lifting
off, REVEALING Walls standing far across the field, eating a
sandwich. He notices Puller. They hold a look. Walls keys
his headset--
WALLS
Think they'll make you a General now?
PULLER
I don't think so Nate. They'll probably
want to do something for you though. Now
that you're a hero again.
Walls seems embarrassed, surrounded as he is by all these other
heroes...
PULLER
Got anything in mind?
WALLS
(thinks a moment then grins)
I could use a new jacket...
PULLER
I'm sure that can be arranged.
The moment is broken by the arrival of another Huey which
descends between them. Walls rushes to help some medics with
another stretcher. Puller sits there a moment, watching Walls
do his part. Proud of him. Proud of all of them. And slowly
the harsh SOUNDS of war machines and injured men start to FADE
AWAY. And then hands are on him. Lifting him. Helping him.
Laying him gently on a stretcher. Bearing him off. And a young
anguished face appears, running alongside, looking down on him.
UCKLEY
You're gonna be all right! Okay?--
PULLER (GROWING WEAK)
You're guessing again, Uckley. What'd I
tell you about--
UCKLEY
--Shut up--
They lift Puller into a chopper. Uckley hunkers down next to
him.
UCKLEY
GET THIS THING IN THE AIR! LET'S GO!!
Puller gazes up at this boy who became a man.
PULLER
You're a hell of a soldier, Uckley.
Uckley stares at him, punched through the heart by this first
and oh so perfect appreciation... And realizes it could only
come from this man at the end of his life...
UCKLEY
And you're still King of the hill...
Puller smiles gratefully... Closes his eyes. Then opens them
again... and you just know he's leaving...
PULLER
Do you have children, Uckley?
Uckley shakes his head,"no", his eyes brimming with tears.
PULLER
When you do... and you will... Teach them
better games.
UCKLEY
Yes, sir.
And Puller is gone. Uckley turns from him. Looks down at the
mountain. And sees something that makes him smile through his
tears.
EXT, CROW MOUNTAIN MISSILE BASE - DAY UCKLEY'S POV --
--scorched and cratered, strewn with debris. But still visible
through the scars. A final message, trudged in the snow...
PEACE ON EARTH
THE HELICOPTER FLIES OFF
into the sun...