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starwatcher_ficI didn't produce this transcript alone. My most heartfelt thanks to the people who helped me with the technical aspects, and/or subjects of which I have insufficient knowledge. Especially:
Castalie gave me the French and Italian phrases (and translations) where the transcript said only, ‘Booker speaks French’, or ‘Nicky speaks Italian’. Bah!
Raine gave me invaluable information about weapons, the plane, and the training Nile has as a U.S Marine.
Lyssie cleared up a not-really-very-tricky plot point that completely eluded me. I felt so dumb, and appreciate her graciously answering such an obvious question.
Garonne gave me the words and translation of the song that plays as Andy and Booker go to meet Copley.
Tenderly_wicked provided the Russian phrase Andy told the pilot.
Purpleperdi pointed out where I was wrong about Nicky’s sniper scene. That’s fixed, now.
Sheafrotherdon identified the shape of the bedroom windows for me; I appreciate having accurate names.
Note well: I intend this work as a fandom resource. You may use it however you wish -- saved as reference, or written as quoted passages in your own works. (Or other methods that I'm not aware of; have fun.) Attribution is nice -- although I may be a bit flustered -- but not necessary.
Update: Aug 22, 2021 -- I’ve made major revisions. Added extensively to descriptions -- approximately 4,700 more words of action-description, about 1,300 more words of Copley’s-board descriptions. Changed some dialogue from what was in the provided transcript to what the characters actually said, and a couple of places where I originally attributed a line to the wrong character. (How did I make such a goof? No idea.) I also changed the formatting to put (most) descriptions on separate lines from dialogue. I find it easier to follow, but other people are not me. If you find it more difficult, feel free to copy to a document and format as you like -- or try one of the alternate formats in my Dreamwidth account. (Link in end notes.)
Descriptions provided by StarWatcher
[Shell casings clatter to the floor, followed by an empty magazine, land around a pair of booted feet.]
[Camera pans to bodies prone on floor, eyes staring and faces spattered with blood.]
[Booker in knitted cap, face partially concealed by the rifle in his left fist.]
Andy voiceover:
I’ve been here before...
[Joe’s face, wearing a backwards ball-cap.]
over and over again,
[Nicky’s face, hoodie covering hair.]
and each time the same question.
[Andy’s face.]
[Sound of footsteps approaching.]
Is this it? Will this time be the one?
[Booted foot stops next to her body.]
And each time the same answer. And I’m just so tired of it.
THE OLD GUARD appears on screen as music plays
Lyrics: We were born alone, And we die, Alone.
On our way, To call, Now I’m on my own
But I’m not safe... No, no, no...
[Andy, wearing sunglasses against the bright light, with a backpack over her right shoulder, strides through a narrow passageway, walking into diffuse sunlight where it opens out.]
MOROCCO appears on screen
[A motorbike engine revs and tires squeal as Booker rides away from the viewer, unbuttoned over-shirt loose and flapping in the airstream. As he guides the bike into a narrow passageway, a particularly high-flying flap reveals a pistol tucked in the back of his waistband.]
[Camera cuts back and forth between scenes of Andy continuing through several turns, in and out of covered passages and sunlight again, and scenes of Booker twisting and turning through narrow, dark passages, then around corners into sunlight. Booker bends over the handlebars as he revs the engine again; he passes two women walking, who move closer to a wall to give him room, then roars out of a shadowed, narrow passageway into sunlight. Andy is walking down the road in front of him.]
[Booker approaches Andy from the rear; he speeds past her, makes a sharp u-turn. Brakes screech as he stops the bike facing her. She stops walking and stares at him without expression. Booker looks back through his sunglasses, equally without expression.]
[His mouth twitches at left corner in a tiny smile; she shakes her head slightly as her mouth twitches in a slightly bigger smile, then she looks over her right shoulder to the empty street behind. Andy faces Booker again and approaches him with her smile growing... but still not wide, by any definition.]
Booker: You good?
Andy: Yeah.
Booker: Yeah?
[moves bike against wall, pulls duffel-bag from perch on handlebars, slings it over head to hang from right shoulder, moves to walk beside her]
You travel?
Andy: I did.
[unslings backpack, looks toward Booker with a smile. zips it open, reaches inside, pulls out a thick book, holds it in front of Booker without looking at him]
And I got you something.
[They continue conversation as they walk side-by-side down the street.]
Booker: What’s that?
[Andy shoulders backpack again as Booker takes book, turns it to read the spine]
Ooh, first edition Don Quixote.
Andy: Mm-hm.
Booker: That couldn’t have been cheap.
Andy: It wasn’t. [turns her head, smiles]
So why am I here, Booker?
[turns, looks over left shoulder to check street behind them]
Booker: You remember Surabaya eight years ago, right?
Andy: CIA.
Booker: Yeah. The guy who hired us, James Copley, reached out. He’s freelance now. He has a hostage situation in South Sudan.
[Their walking slows and stops. Andy turns to face Booker directly.]
Andy: [shakes head as she speaks] No, Booker. We don’t do repeats. You know that. It’s too risky.
Booker: [tilts head, raises eyebrows, stares calmly at her] Andy.
[Andy sighs, turns partly away, then back to Booker.]
Andy: Joe and Nicky?
Booker: At the hotel.
[Andy shakes her head slightly, turns and leads the way down the street. Booker gives her a beat, then follows.]
[Back view: Booker leads, Andy follows, as they walk past columns of a portico into a combination courtyard/hotel lobby. Booker heads toward the front desk as Andy continues farther.]
Clerk: Come back again.
Guest leaving: Thank you very much.
[Booker stops in front of desk.]
Clerk: Welcome to El Fenn, sir.
Booker: Bonjour. (Hello.)
Clerk: Checking in?
Booker: Oui, s’il-vous-plaît. (Yes, please.)
Clerk: Qu’est-ce qui vous amène à Marrakech? (What brings you to Marrakesh?)
Booker: La famille. [smiles tightly, insincerely] (The family.)
[Andy’s attention is drawn to a large screen on the wall showing “Breaking News”. She watches scenes of ‘Ongoing Crisis in Syria - 20 children killed, 100s injured’ and ‘Unrest in Haiti, 1 dead, 35 injured in second day of protests’. She hears a woman’s voice behind her.]
Tourist: Everyone say, “Marrakesh!”
[Camera pans out as Andy turns; to her left and slightly behind she sees a group of four women closely hugging and posing. One holds a smartphone for a selfie; its angle will catch Andy’s image.]
Tourists: Marrakesh!
[Andy turns her face away, but too late; the camera shutter clicks. She walks toward the group and extends her hand toward the phone.]
Andy: Would you like me to take one for you?
Tourist: [gives Andy phone] Oh, thank you so much. I just really suck at taking selfies.
[Andy takes phone, quickly scrolls to see that the most recent picture does show her face. She deletes it, then raises the phone and takes the group picture.]
Andy: There you go. [returns phone with a slight smile]
Tourists: Thank you!
[Andy and Booker walk through a courtyard -- Andy slightly behind and to Booker’s right -- toward a pair of wooden double doors with different sizes of colored and clear glass panes inset. The doors begin to open.]
Booker: Allora.
[Nicky opens the door inward and holds it as he looks out with a question on his face; Joe is some distance behind, looking over his shoulder. As soon as Nicky sees Andy, a smile lights his face. Andy steps forward as his arms open; they share a close, heartfelt hug.]
Andy: Mmm.
[As the hug ends and they separate, Andy chuckles while stroking her hand down the back of Nicky’s head and nape of his neck, then claps him on the shoulder.]
[She turns to Joe, standing a short distance into the room, waiting his turn. He steps forward into her open arms. Nicky stands close, smiling at the reunion. As Andy hugs Joe, he grabs her around the waist, lifts her and spins with her in his arms while growling playfully. She laughs happily.]
[Booker closes the doors, with his back to the happy reunion. His head is bowed, his face expressionless; he doesn’t join in the reunion.]
Joe: [puts her down, continues to hold her as he smiles; her hands remain on his shoulders]
You look great.
Andy: You look okay.
Joe: [laughs, turns to escort her into room] Thank you! Thank you!
[We see a small, low table in the lounge area/living room. Nicky’s hands pour coffee/tea from an orange teapot, as Andy’s hand lays her passport and sunglasses on the table and Booker’s hand adds a dollop from his silver hip flask to one of the cups. Nicky’s hand sets down the teapot and picks up a small, paper-wrapped package from the tea tray, then moves out of frame.]
[Camera pans out. A couch with decorative cushions is against the wall to screen left; Joe relaxes on it, leaning back with his hands behind his head. A second couch is at right angles to the first, against the back wall. After pouring, Booker sits on that couch, behind him, and drinks from his flask. Andy sits to his left, elbows on her knees, as she watches Nicky walk around the table and head toward her.]
Nicky: [stands in front of her] I have something for you.
[holds out the small package]
Andy: Nicky!
[takes it as she looks up at him with a smile and a small chuckle. holds it to her nose; eyes close as she sniffs deeply]
Mmm!
[Booker chuckles, Nicky smiles at her reaction]
Baklava.
Nicky: [casually, without looking at him] Five hundred, Booker.
[starts separating / counting bills from a folded stack in his hand]
Andy: [looks up at him, speaks flatly] No.
[Joe watches from his seat, hands still behind his head, smiling and chuckling.]
Booker: All right. [pulls wad of folded money from right front pocket]
All in. Here it is.
Andy: Really?
Nicky: All in!
Joe: All in! [two groups of folded bills thrown onto table, one on top of other.]
[Booker clears his throat as Andy unwraps the paper and pulls out a flaky pastry. A look of bliss crosses her face as she takes a bite, then smiles up at Nicky.]
Andy: Mmm! Mm!
[Nicky watches closely. Joe leans back, relaxed, watches with easy amusement.]
Hazelnut, not walnut.
[Nicky nods in confirmation. behind Andy’s right shoulder, Booker’s raised left hand lifts thumb as he counts points]
Black Sea.
[Booker adds index finger to count]
[Nicky blinks, dips head, shifts body]
Rosewater.
[Booker drops thumb to hold pinkie, three fingers up, blows air in amazement.]
[Andy leans back, closes eyes to savor taste. Joe gives a long whistle]
Pomegranate.
[throws head back, over back of couch, reveling in the flavor]
Mmm!
[raises head, gives Nicky triumphant smile, speaks softly]
Eastern Turkey.
Booker: [on a howling note as he sits forward, pumps fist gleefully] Ow!
[Nicky turns away with a delighted smile. Joe bends forward with uproarious laughter.]
Booker: [reaches for money as he speaks through laughter]
Grazie mille, Nicky, veramente. Sei molto gentile. (A thousand thanks, Nicky, truly. You’re very kind.)
Joe: Santa Maria, Madre di Dio. (Holy Mary, Mother of God.)
[leans back, crosses hands behind head again]
Nicky: [waves away the words] Prego, prego, prego. (Don’t mention it.)
Joe: No, no, no. Don’t worry.
[Andy laughs with delight, licks crumbs from her thumb as Booker leans back, left arm on the back of the couch behind Andy, left leg crossed with ankle on right knee. Nicky plops into a cushioned chair on the other side of the table and swipes his hands over his face.]
Joe: [points finger] Admit it, Boss. You missed us.
Andy: [nods as she looks at Joe and Nicky] I did.
Booker: [takes a deep breath] It’s a job, guys.
[Andy is leaning forward, elbows on her knees, hands clasped. She’s looking down, doesn’t respond to Booker’s statement.]
Nicky: [observes Andy calmly] We can do some good.
Andy: [still looking down, face shows tension]
Have you been watching the news lately?
[looks up, shakes head slightly, looks down again]
Some good means nothing.
[stands, glances at them, turns away]
I don’t know about this, guys. We’re not helping.
[crosses to open window, rests left arm against side frame, looks out]
Joe: [calmly] I know you needed a break, but it’s been over a year, Boss.
Nicky: [quietly confident] This is what we do, Andy.
[Andy fidgets with her fingers, turns to look at them. Booker gives her a subdued nod; he agrees with the others.]
Andy: [turns back to the window, pauses as face firms] I’ll hear him out.
[Aerial view of city. Buildings are shades of tan or grey, some with courtyards or arched openings visible. Most seem low, three stories or less. A tall, square minaret (?) rises in the center. Thunder rumbles. Music plays. Ground view of crowded streets, cars and people, awnings and umbrellas are raised over vending stalls and tables for shade.]
“Keep This Between Us” by Krtas Nssa begins playing
Ça marche, bizarre, toujours, fidèle
Ça passe, tequila, toujours, fidèle
Ça marche mais bizarre
T'inquiètes je suis bourrée
Aime moi aime moi, aime moi t’es pour moi
It's okay, weird, always, faithful
It fits, tequila, always, faithful
It's okay, but weird
Don't worry, I'm drunk
Love me, love me, love me, you're for me.
[Booker strides through the crowds, Andy follows. Both wear sunglasses to help hide the careful observations they make of the people around them. Camera pans back to show a variety of vending stalls under canopies, forming several rows. The spaces between and around are so crowded with people it would seem difficult to make any headway.]
[They approach a black man sitting at an outdoor table, under an umbrella. He smiles as he sees them near, stands as they reach him.]
Booker: Mr. Copley. [extends hand]
Copley: [shakes Booker’s hand, speaks with slight British accent]
Mr. Booker, bonjour.
[shakes Andy’s hand]
It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.
Andy: [tilts head in mild challenge] Last time I checked, you had to be American to be in the CIA.
Copley: [laughs as they all sit] I was born in Boston. Moved to London when I was three.
Andy: So why did you leave the agency, Mr. Copley?
Copley: My wife got sick. ALS. She died two years ago. Just haven’t found my way back yet.
Andy: Sorry for your loss.
Copley: Thank you. [tilts head, raises hand] You haven’t aged a day, Booker.
Booker: Trust me, I have.
Copley: [laughs] Yeah.
[Booker slouches in his seat through the conversation, watching while Copley makes his case and Andy remains carefully noncommittal.]
Copley: [folded newspaper on table; he pushes it toward Booker. tablet with active screen visible under paper]
Yesterday afternoon local, a school southwest of Juba was attacked by a militia. They murdered the teachers and abducted seventeen of the students at gunpoint.
[Booker turns paper toward Andy. Headline reads: ‘U.N. Condemns Child Abductions in South Sudan’. Sub-headline reads: ‘17 Schoolgirls Abducted From the M(something) Region’.]
The youngest was eight... oldest, thirteen.
[Andy turns head slightly to stare at paper, then looks up and out]
[we’re looking at the group through crosshairs of rifle scope]
South Sudanese asked the U.S for help, but current administration’s policy is to deny aid to any nonstrategic allies.
[Camera pans up rifle barrel to show Nicky keeping steady aim on Copley, then into room. Nicky sits hunched on tapestry-covered square object (footstool?) to aim out window. Joe listens to headphones, adjusts volume on equipment]
[turns to Andy, speaks earnestly, trying to convince her]
Some of my ex colleagues at the CIA feel differently.
[Andy glances around as she picks up tablet]
They reached out to me, and I’m reaching out to you.
[Andy is scrolling through the information]
The last overfly confirmed the personnel on site.
[final picture is group of smiling, very young black girls, wearing uniform dresses, in front of a school]
No food or water being brought in.
Andy: [drops newspaper over tablet] That means they’re moving them soon.
Copley: [nods several times]
And when they do, most likely they’ll be separated, and odds are...
[shakes head slightly]
we’ll never find them again. Has to be done quickly... by the best, and your team’s the best I’ve ever seen. You can name your price.
[Andy pushes her chair back and stands, stares at Copley, then Booker. Booker looks up at her, seems about to speak, waits. Andy pauses, turns away, hesitates, turns back.]
Andy: We’ll invoice you when it’s done.
[strides away. Booker rises, grabs paper and tablet, follows Andy]
[View through rifle scope. Copley watches them go, looks around, then focuses right at the window. He tilts his head with a smile and waves with left hand. Nicky huffs a soft laugh.]
[View of helicopter flying against a sun-seared sky, flying over barren landscape.]
[Andy’s in the right seat, wearing sunglasses, pack in her lap, handle of labrys rising above her right shoulder from behind. She looks out the window to a brown, rocky land with occasional, sparsely-leafed, green trees. She turns her head to watch Booker to her left. He wears a dark, knitted cap pulled down to his ears. He has a kitchen cutting-board (?) in his lap, which holds a large brick of plastic explosive; he’s cut off smaller pieces that he’s forming to different sizes.]
[Camera pans up past a sheathed sword. As the hilt comes into view, it is strapped to someone’s left hip. The hilt is positioned next to a black-clad arm and gloved hand. Camera pans up to show the hand holding the back part of some large shotgun or rifle (?) silhouetted against the window. Camera rises more to reveal Nicky, with Joe to his right. Nicky wears a dark hoodie pulled over his head and hanging low over his face; his head is bowed, eyes closed. Joe wears sunglasses and a dark ball-cap turned backwards. He seems calm, chewing gum.]
[View of helicopter from above, flying over a terrain of broken hills and gullies, dotted by widely-spaced trees.]
[Behind Booker, the pilot looks back and raises three fingers. Booker and Andy are seated with their backs to the pilot, traveling backward, with Joe and Nicky across from them, traveling forward. Joe raises three fingers in confirmation, looks to check that Andy saw him; she nods. Nicky looks to Joe, who nods and smiles, then Nicky turns to look out the window. In preparation for landing, Andy reaches up to hold something solid as she looks out the window toward the ground.]
[The helicopter lands. Nicky is visible through the window as he slides the door open. Andy jumps out, followed by Booker, Joe -- with the hilt of his scimitar rising above his right shoulder -- and Nicky. All are now wearing sunglasses, and all carry equipment packs of some sort -- Booker’s and Nicky’s on their backs, Joe’s slung over his left shoulder, Andy’s slung over her right shoulder They wait for the helicopter to lift off (with door still open), then turn and start walking away from the camera. Nicky has pulled part of the hoodie (?) over his mouth and nose; he carries the large rifle slung over his right shoulder on a strap and hanging beside/behind him. Booker carries a rifle in his arms across his chest. The men fall in behind Andy -- Booker, Joe, Nicky -- as they walk over dry, sandy ground toward a smudge of greenery with low, barren hills rising beyond.]
SOUTH SUDAN appears on screen
[The walk seems long. We see them walking on a hilltop against the sky, still in single-file, then a similar view, more distant. They continue walking through a gulley, still single-file.]
[People come into view -- a woman in a print dress, walking with a tall, square container balanced on her head, her daughter beside her, holding her hand, then another woman with a similar container, yellow, on her head. Behind them is a man in a knit cap.]
[Andy comes into view, turns to look behind, keeps walking. Booker follows, still carrying the rifle in his arms. Joe is behind him, also with a rifle in his arms. Nicky is last, also with a rifle in his arms, his hoodie pushed back to leave his head bare. He speaks as the first woman and girl pass him.]
Nicky: A mal teh-ke jee.
(from script online. ‘Peace be with you’ in Nuer.)
[As the two groups pass each other, the little girl turns to look back at these strange foreigners. The local group is larger than we first saw -- three men are behind the women, one urging along a small herd of goats, plus the women and girl. One man carries a large, tannish cloth bag, hanging in front of him from a strap over his shoulder and across his back; he uses a walking-stick.]
[Night, with a full moon high in the sky, and crickets chirping nearby. A cluster of buildings is crowded close together, with security lights rising above them. A fire flickers in front of one of the buildings, screen-right.]
[A bright spotlight shines into the night, with a guard beside it to the left, staring out into the dark. Camera pans back to show a raised walkway with the spotlight screen-right; a second guard stands center-screen, to the right of the light, watching into the night with binoculars. He scans a chain-link fence with coils of barbed wire on top, a pickup truck on the other side of the fence, the empty terrain beyond. The other guard approaches, walking slowly, carrying a rifle. As he passes behind binoculars-guard, there is a bright muzzle-flash beyond the fence; a high-powered bullet goes through both heads, snick-snick, one after the other. They drop instantly.]
[Nicky is prone on the ground, peering through the scope of his sniper rifle; he cocks the rifle, catches the shell as it’s ejected. Joe is crouched, watching through night-glasses. He turns his head sharply, nods that Nicky’s shot went true, turns back to the night-glasses. Andy nods, rises from her crouch and moves out.]
[The four of them slightly spread out, silhouetted against the compound as they walk toward it. When they reach the fence, Booker crouches and grabs the wire. Nicky, with hoodie in place, moves past him to the right, rifle aimed along the fence-line. Joe takes guard at the left side of the group, also aiming along the fence. Booker uses wire-snips to cut the fence as Andy stands beside him with a pistol in her hands, watching into the dark behind them.]
[Booker holds back the cut fence. Andy steps through the gap and moves forward, handgun extended, to the corner of a building. Joe steps through the fence, then Nicky, then Booker. Joe and Nicky head right, Booker follows Andy. Nicky follows Joe as they slip past a small fire in a metal barrel, then around the corner of a building, rifles constantly extended, ready to fire. Andy and Booker slip between a building and parked truck, weapons extended and ready.]
[Nicky waits with weapon raised, back against a wall, next to the corner at his right. He’s concealed from two men who are walking along the other wall of the building, silhouetted by security lights behind them. Joe drops from the roof, lands between them, uses his scimitar to stab the first man, then spins; we hear the blade as it slashes into the second man, cutting off his muffled cry. Joe holds the body against the wall with a hand on his chin, takes a second to wipe the blood from the blade on the man's pants, then lets him fall. Nicky comes around the corner, tosses handgun (sawed-off shotgun?) to Joe. They move quickly between the buildings, Joe jogging easily with the shotgun (?) in his left hand, scimitar in his right. Nicky follows slightly behind him weapon extended.]
[Andy comes out of the darkness between two buildings, shoots two men in the open space beyond. She continues forward, turns right around the corner of the building. Booker follows, watching her flank. Joe and Nicky approach from beyond them, turning left to follow Andy and Booker.]
[They all move toward their target, Andy slightly in the lead, pistol extended. Joe (with scimitar hilt showing behind his head) is to her left, Nicky to her right, Booker to his right, all with rifles extended. They pass a pile of children’s shoes in the dirt as they approach a large, apparently thick, wooden door, recessed into the wall, with a light on the wall above it. Andy stands to the right of the door, back against the wall, pistol aimed into the darkness. Joe stands to the left of the door, rifle safely pointing downward but ready to fire if it opens. Nicky is farther left, against the wall behind Joe, covering that sector. Booker places the explosive at various points on the door. As he waits, Joe stares at the pile of shoes at his feet. Andy checks the magazine in her handgun. Booker nods to Joe, all step away and turn their faces. A rather quiet blast destroys the door and they all run in, Andy in the lead.]
[They move cautiously down a flight of dark, steep, stone stairs, Andy still leading, flashlights on their weapons pointing the way.]
Andy: [reaches bottom, shines light on empty floor with no marks or debris, barren walls]
What the...
[All move forward a few steps into the room, spreading out beside each other, flash their lights around to reveal a large, completely empty room.]
Nicky: [to her right, rifle ready to fire at any threat] Are we too late?
[Suddenly a bank of bright lights flash on to reveal Nicky, Andy, Joe, Booker standing in a line, exposed in a barren, wide-open space with no possible cover, although there are several empty doorways on each side.]
Andy: [lowers her handgun as realization hits] Motherfuck-
[They’re hit with multiple rounds of machine-gun fire as a dozen mercenaries (?) step out of the shadowed doorways. The mercenaries continue firing until their weapons are empty. The immortals jerk repeatedly as the bullets hit; they fall to the ground. The mercenaries -- shadowy, amorphous figures backlit by the spotlights -- wait a moment, machine-guns still aimed, to ensure that their targets are truly dead.]
[Shell casings clatter to the floor; opening scene is reprised.]
Mercenary: [approaches, stares down at unmoving bodies] Room clear!
[The mercenaries lower their weapons and gather at the far end of the room, chatting among themselves and ignoring the bodies.]
[Focus on Andy’s face, lit by a fallen flashlight; we see her pupils contract and hear a soft crackling as flesh heals, then she takes a soft breath as her eyes flicker and blink. She gasps a few more breaths.]
[Nicky gasps quietly, takes a deep breath.]
[Booker shifts his head, blinks; a bullet extrudes from the skin below his left eye and clinks on the floor. He groans quietly.]
[Joe’s hand, resting a bare inch away from his rifle, twitches, then grabs the stock tightly. He groans quietly, winces; a bullet falls out of his forehead. He shifts his eyes upward to assess their enemies silhouetted against the lights.]
[Andy brings a hand under her, raises her head, begins to push herself upward. The others do the same.]
[As he raises himself, Joe immediately turns his head to find Nicky, sees him looking back. Nicky nods at him.]
[Booker grunts softly as he raises himself. Maybe it’s heard, maybe one of the mercenaries notices a flicker of movement, but a couple turn to see the ‘bodies’ rising.]
Merc1: Oh, my God!
Merc2: Shit!
[As Andy rises, she grabs her pistol from her holster as she sprints forward. The men keep pace, spreading out to engage.]
Merc3: Look out! Reload!
Merc4: What the hell?
[The mercenaries are in disarray, shouting warnings to each other and trying to reload. The immortals charge into the group; they need to take out their enemies as quickly as possible.]
[Sound of gunfire; impossible to tell from which group.]
[Andy closes on a merc before he can bring his rifle to bear. She uses her gun-arm to knock the rifle aside, then rebounds to smack him in the face with her pistol, left to right and reverse right to left, then uses a two-handed grip to push the pistol into his chest and shoot. She grabs the merc’s long gun, tosses it into the air.]
[Joe snatches the tumbling long gun (with a light on it) from the air. Nicky, at his left with hoodie down, shoots left-handed at the merc in front of them; Joe semi-crouches as the merc goes down and shoots him again, then drops the long gun, turns sharply to right to engage another enemy as Nicky draws his sword and slices a merc behind them.]
[Booker fires two shots into a merc, ducks under the swinging rifle of another, lunges up to slam his rifle stock into the merc's head, right-left.]
[Andy whirls, karate-chops a merc's neck and across his chest (?) punches her pistol forward into his chest, knocks him back and fires.]
[Nicky slices a merc on an upswing, whirls while raising the sword, and brings it down across his neck.]
[Joe grabs a merc’s right arm with his left, pulls him forward and knees him in the chest, impales him with his scimitar as the merc falls away. He raises his scimitar high and brings it down across another merc to his right.]
[Nicky shoots a merc left-handed, impales him with his sword as he falls.]
[Andy shoots a merc twice, reverses the pistol to club him in the head with the butt.]
[Booker clubs a merc with the butt of his rifle, then shoots him as he stumbles backward, turns and knocks aside the rifle of another merc approaching from behind, knocks the merc's head with his head. The merc falls, his finger on the trigger reflexively firing into the ceiling. Booker drops back and rolls, rises to shoot the merc from one knee.]
[Andy draws her labrys, stalks forward while spinning it in her hand to build momentum, whirls and steps forward to slash across a merc's midsection, 1-2, then slams the butt of the labrys into his chest. As he goes down, she raises the labrys high, whirls again as she moves forward to slash another merc, pulls him forward as he falls, hangs on to him as she turns to lift the labrys high and slice down across the merc approaching from behind. She flings the merc she was holding away from her, and Booker shoots him. Andy turns and slashes another merc behind her, then spins and thrusts the labrys like a sword into the chest of another merc, raises it above her shoulder and brings it down to chop into his neck. She spins 1-1/2 times, labrys at shoulder level, strikes a merc approaching from behind, raises the labrys high and brings it down again to deliver the killing blow. Andy breathes heavily as she looks around for more targets, the labrys dripping blood from its blade.]
[It’s over; all the mercs are down, unmoving, only the immortals left standing. Joe and Nicky are bent forward, panting after such a violent effort, although they turn their heads to scan for missed targets. Booker stands at a doorway in the far wall, also looking for other enemies.]
[They gradually relax, stand straight, take a deep breath, but remain alert, looking for more trouble.]
Andy: Everyone still with me?
Booker: Yeah.
Nicky: Sì. Tutto bene. (Yes. All’s well.)
Andy: Joe?
Joe: [spits out a bullet] Very pissed off.
Nicky: So where are the girls?
Andy: [looks around, notices camera mounted on ceiling. scans room, evaluates information, speaks grimly]
There never were any girls.
[As she walks toward camera; Nicky follows her gaze; he looks alarmed, but the men remain spread out on guard as she stares angrily into it.]
We’ve been set up.
[Copley sits, watching the laptop. He runs a hand over his face with a worried frown.]
[On the screen, Andy’s mouth tightens, then she slowly, deliberately -- letting the watcher see her intent -- raises her labrys high to take a vicious swing that destroys the camera. The screen goes dark.]
[Copley blinks at the screen, taps a few keys to run a playback. He sees the immortals fall under the first assault, then reaches for his cellphone, scrolls through the screen.]
Copley: [assuring himself] Yeah, I got it.
[camera pans to desk, shows Andy glowering from laptop screen. larger monitor to right shows picture of civil war Union soldiers posed in front of tent, labeled at bottom, ‘Nicky, Joe, Andy, Booker?’]
Yeah.
[Daytime, outdoors. The team’s legs are around a hole in the ground as ruined clothing is thrown into it. Booker’s hands use a small collapsible shovel to throw dirt over the lot. Camera pulls back to show Nicky use a cloth to wipe the sweat/dirt from the back of his neck; he tosses the cloth into the hole. Joe, to Nicky’s left, wipes his face on the sleeve of his T-shirt. Camera pulls back farther; they are in a desolate area among the hills, wearing ordinary clothes -- Joe and Nicky in T-shirt and jeans, Booker also in jeans, with a long-sleeved shirt rolled to the elbows over his T-shirt, Andy with a light denim jacket over her tank top. Joe and Nicky stand as they watch Booker cover the clothing.]
[As Booker continues covering the clothes, Andy sits down on a large, flat rock, elbows on knees, head bowed into her hand. She looks the picture of despair. Andy raises her head as Booker finishes, brushes her hair back from her face, shakes her head to herself. Booker jams the shovel to stand in the ground and takes a deep breath as he stands upright, still looking down at the buried clothing.]
Joe: [turns slightly toward Nicky, then back to address whole group]
One has to admire Mr. Copley’s attention to detail. Those shoes were a particularly [slight laugh on the word] grotesque touch.
Andy: [defeated voice] I knew this was gonna happen. I said it.
Nicky: [quietly, calmly] We did it right, Andy. For the right reasons.
Andy: [raises head to him, angry]
And what did it get us, Nicky? What?
[Nicky and Joe stare at her; they have no good answer.]
Nothing. We’ve done nothing. The world isn’t getting any better. It’s getting worse.
Booker: [crouching by filled hole]
I checked him completely, and... everything seemed legit.
[stands, sounds dejected]
I’m sorry, guys.
Andy: [anger has left; she’s despondent again]
They know who we are. They know what we are.
[Nicky, checking their weapons, turns his head to her, concerned.]
We have to find Copley.
[mouth firms, nods to herself]
We have to tie this thing off.
Booker: And then what?
Andy: [turns to him, voice hard]
And then nothing.
[looks down, shakes head. quietly, almost speaking to herself,]
The world can burn for all I care.
[stands, kicks a few rocks into the dirt-filled hole. reaches down, grabs labrys and backpack]
I’m done.
[She strides away. The men pick up their weapons and packs and follow.]
[Aerial view, flying over tan, barren landscape, rocky and hilly, broken by gullies and cliffs.]
AFGHANISTAN appears on screen
[Viewpoint crosses a ridge and pans down toward a small town, with buildings the same color as the landscape. A military vehicle drives down a road, past groups of local people in the streets and children watching. A number of armed US military are patrolling, wearing desert camo.]
[Several soldiers are showing a picture to groups of men, women, and children. The local people consistently shake their heads; they haven’t seen that person.]
[One soldier squats down, offers candy to a group of children; they snatch it from the soldier’s hands.]
[One boy is on the outskirts of the group, not joining in. The soldier -- a young black woman with a cheerful smile -- stands, motions him forward. The boy goes to her and takes the candy she offers.]
Soldier: [smiles] Hm?
Boy: [in Pashto] Thank you.
Soldier: [in Pashto, still smiling] You’re welcome.
[A nearby woman -- Nile’s interpreter, dressed according to local custom, with added bulletproof vest -- watches with a smile.]
[A short distance away, two soldiers are speaking with a pair of older local men. One turns and calls out.]
Sergeant: Freeman, where you at?
Nile: Here, Sergeant.
[She stands and turns, repositioning her rifle, which is now at eye-level to boy; he stops smiling and looks up at her warily. Nile goes to the sergeant, followed by the interpreter.]
Sergeant: The women are holed up in the house with the arches.
[turns, points down street, past line of laundry blowing in breeze]
Take a right at the building with the red carpet. Get me some information.
Nile: [nods firmly] Roger that.
[She turns toward another female soldier across the road speaking with a pair of young boys, slaps the top of her helmet twice, sharply. Other soldier leaves the boys and joins Nile.]
[Nile waves over a third female soldier, who leaves the other soldier and two young boys they were speaking with and joins the group. The four women stride down the street, the soldiers watching for danger as they walk, then cautiously approach the designated house.]
Nile: Keep it respectful.
Jay: Don’t we always?
Nile: [calmly] Never hurts to repeat it.
[They walk past an outer courtyard (?) with laundry hanging from lines, toward an inner courtyard (?) with several small groups of women sitting and chatting.]
[As they are seen, one woman jumps up in apparent alarm, seems to urge the other women up. They gather in one large group and wait tensely as the soldiers approach.]
[Nile lowers her rifle, removes her helmet, places her right hand on her chest, and bows respectfully. She speaks in calm tones.]
Nile: As-Salaam-Alaikum. [continues in memorized(?) Pashto]
My name is Nile. I am an American Marine.
[Nile continues to speak in English, while the interpreter translates to Pashto.]
Nile: [displays the picture]
We are looking for this man. [translation]
He has killed many of our people, and many of yours. [translation]
[as she speaks, other two soldiers peer around a few corners, while keeping Nile and group of women in view]
Have any of you seen him? [translation]
[women listen with faces turned to side or downward, but no overt reaction; some avoid looking at picture, and all are silent]
[one older woman raises eyes to look at Nile. Nile holds picture directly in front of her, speaks gently]
You do not disrespect your family by telling us where he is. [translation]
[The older woman raises her head and speaks quietly.]
Interpreter: There are no men here. To use women as shields is to be no man at all.
[Nile tucks the picture into her vest pack. As she looks up, the older woman catches her gaze, deliberately shifts her eyes to a faded red, tapestry-covered doorway to Nile's left, then carefully catches Nile’s eyes again.]
Nile: [takes deep breath, bows head] Thank you for allowing us into your home.
[As the interpreter speaks, Nile puts on her helmet and buckles the chin-strap. She gives sharp hand-gestures to her fellow-soldiers, directing them to the doorway. They lift their rifles and approach. She joins the lineup to the left of the tapestry -- first Dizzy (dark hair in bun) with rifle aimed forward, Nile, then Jay (very short hair, goggles), both with rifles pointed up.]
Interpreter: [in Pashto] We will leave you in peace.
[Dizzy crosses to the right side of the tapestry, keeping her rifle aimed toward it. Nile steps forward, rifle at the ready, while Jay turns back-to-back with Nile, covering their rear.]
[Interpreter silently motions all the women to follow her, to leave the potential battle zone. As the women begin to leave, and Nile’s team maintains their positions and attention, a short burst of gunfire comes from within the building, out through the tapestry, which falls to the ground. The women scream, duck, and run.]
Nile: Breach!
[Jay steps forward and kicks the door open as Nile and Dizzy cover the door. Jay steps out of the line of fire and Nile leads her team in, rifle ready. The man inside cocks his weapon.]
Nile: Stop!
[The man starts to raise his weapon. Nile fires two shots. The man goes down. Nile continues inside then pauses, stares at the blood spreading on his shirt as he gasps on the floor.]
Nile: Clear! Covering!
Jay: Clear!
[Nile picks up the man’s rifle, unloads it, drops it. She kneels next to man’s left side while Jay stands close and aims her rifle at him. Behind them, Dizzy prowls the back wall, scanning shelves of bomb-making materials. Nile frisks the man for more weapons as she speaks on the radio.]
Nile: Lima three, this is India five. Contact, over. [looks up] Jay, go check on the women.
Jay: On it. [points rifle up, turns and leaves]
Dizzy: [stares at rolls of wiring, a jar of metal bits] Look at all this shit. It’s a jackpot.
Nile: [turns, speaks fiercely] Not if he bleeds out. They wanted him alive, remember?
[She reaches into a pocket, pulls out a package of gauze while keeping pressure on the wound, tears it open with her teeth.]
Man: Do not... Do not touch me.
Nile: I’m trying to save you, man. [turns head, speaks urgently] Dizzy, a little help, please?
[While Nile’s head is turned, the man pulls a knife from under his body, slices a deep cut into her neck, from left side to center. Blood pours out of the wound as Nile chokes, collapses backward.]
Dizzy:
[turns, eyes go wide and horror-stricken as she sees the damage]
Nile! [shouts] Medic! Man down!
[drops to knees beside Nile, who is choking, reaching toward her neck]
[view of man, apparently dead, head to the side]
Nile! Jesus! [shouts again] Medic!
[removes Nile’s helmet, tries to apply pressure to wound. Nile continues gasping, choking as pool of blood grows on floor]
[softly] Nile. [louder, frantic] Stay with me! Oh, my... God! Jesus, Nile. Com’ere. Stay with me. Look at me. Look at me. You’re gonna be okay.
[Nile's left hand reflexively grasps Dizzy’s arm, begging for help]
Nile! Nile!
[Nile’s eyes lose focus, head sags to side]
You’re okay. It’s okay. Stay with me. Just look at me. Look at me.
[Dizzy frantically pumps Nile’s hand, trying to keep her aware]
Medics on their way. Medics on their way.
[a tear drops from corner of Nile’s left eye, rolls down side of her face]
No, no. It’s okay.
[Dizzy’s voice grows fainter, until barely audible]
It’s okay. Medic’s coming!
[Nile can no longer hear or see Dizzy; everything fades into a bright haze.]
[Daytime, flat, scrubby landscape. Train crosses in the distance, sounds its horn.]
[Interior of boxcar, mostly empty. The team is at the back half of the car. Andy sits against the left wall, arms crossed, trying to keep watch, (?) but her eyelids keep drooping.]
[Across from her, Joe and Nicky are sleeping on their sides, Nicky wrapped in Joe’s arms, Joe’s face tucked into the back of Nicky’s neck.]
[Booker is slumped into a corner farther along Andy’s wall, sleeping half sitting up, head and neck at an uncomfortable angle.]
[Andy loses her battle to stay awake; her eyes close and her head drops forward.]
[Fuzzy view of helmet lying on a striped rug.]
[Fuzzy view of Nile’s desperate face.]
[Nicky and Joe breathe heavily, twitch in their sleep.]
[Fuzzy view of smiling Afghani boy, sound of laughing.]
[Fuzzy view of Afghani woman, scarf covers her lower face.]
[Fuzzy view of helicopter.]
[Joe’s fingers twitch and spasm on Nicky’s arm.]
[Fuzzy view of nametag on uniform -- Marine emblem center, CPL upper left corner, FREEMAN, N lower left corner, USMC lower right corner. O POS upper right corner.]
[Fuzzy view of Nile’s hand reaching upward, variegated striped rug behind.]
[Booker flinches in his sleep.]
[Fuzzy view of doorway in a stone wall, fades into bright light.]
[Fuzzy view of knife on a rug.]
[Fuzzy view of Nile’s neck being cut, blood falling, Nile beginning to collapse.]
[Andy jerks awake with a gasp.]
[Nicky, Joe, and Booker jolt awake at the same time. All sit up sharply under the impetus of the visions.]
[Fuzzy view of the train passing, Booker drinking from flask, Nicky and Joe sleeping, Andy’s face, burst of water bubbles.]
[Nile jolts awake, panting. She has a large white bandage on her neck, wearing a white hospital gown. She looks around suspiciously, sees that she’s on a hospital bed, alone in a medical tent. She raises her hand to her neck as she hears a helicopter overhead. She takes a few deep calming breaths and starts to relax back onto her bed.]
Andy: [leans forward, runs hands through hair] What the...
[face shows confusion, disbelief. shakes head]
[Booker uncaps his flask and takes a drink.]
[Nicky brings right hand to his mouth, then stares at it; there is no blood.]
[Joe turns to right to grab a small book from his backpack against the wall.]
Andy: No. No, not another one. [shakes head] Not now.
[Joe has his book open, pencil poised.]
Nicky: It was a woman. [Joe turns to him] A black woman.
Joe: [sketching in book] I saw an older woman in a hijab.
[glances at Andy; she’s breathing heavily, seems blank as she looks at him]
[turns to Booker, eyes urgent; he needs every scrap of information]
What did you see?
Booker: I saw... [gestures with spread fingers to show size] I saw part of a nametag.
Joe: Uh, yeah.
[closes eyes tightly to check memory, points to Booker]
Free... free something.
[turns back to book]
Booker: Yeah. [leans head against wall, seems disturbed]
Nicky: [intense] Dirt floor, clay walls.
Booker: And a medevac. [drops head, sighs]
Joe: Yeah, so maybe a, uh...
[covers face with right hand as he tries to hold on to images/ideas]
[Andy leans head back against wall, stares upward -- possibly into infinity]
a coalition... a... medical team.
[adds to sketch in book]
Nicky: The knife was a pesh kabz. Pashtun.
Booker: [groans, rubs left side of neck] I felt her die.
Andy: [stares at nothing straight ahead, voice is remote, detached]
She’s a Marine.
[Joe and Nicky look up together.]
Combat. Or near-combat duty. Afghanistan.
[closes eyes, shakes head slowly, wearily]
It’s been over two hundred years.
[whispers, anguished]
Why now?
[buries head in hands]
Nicky: [with calm certainty] Everything happens for a reason, Boss.
[Andy stares at him, huffs, gives a disbelieving half-smile as she turns her head away.]
Joe: [raises head from drawing, speaks firmly] We have to find her.
Booker: [adamant] No, we stick to the plan. We find Copley.
Joe: [challenging] So we just leave her out in the open?
Booker: [almost angry] No, we’re in the open. We’re the ones who are exposed now.
Nicky: Not like her, Booker.
Booker: Nicky...
Nicky: [quietly] Not like her.
[head bows, eyes close, brows twitch together]
You can’t tell me you don’t remember what it was like.
[looks at Joe, then Booker, speaks intensely]
Whoever she is, she’s confused, and she’s scared, and she’s more alone than she has ever been in her entire life.
[Andy stares at him, expression a mix of blankness and pain]
We all remember what it was like.
[Andy bows head, shaking it slowly, wearily. Booker turns head and sighs]
[Joe continues sketching, producing a recognizable image of Nile.]
She needs us.
Andy: [kicks floor in anger, lunges to feet] I’ll handle the retrieval.
Booker: Hey, Boss, come on.
Andy: [grabs backpack, pulls it onto right shoulder; voice is hard, almost angry]
If we’re dreaming about her, she’s dreaming about us. That makes her a beacon straight to us.
Booker: What do we do in the meantime?
Andy: Get to France. Use the Charlie safehouse. I’ll meet you there.
[Joe examines sketch, blows off pencil-dust. she stares at Booker]
Find Copley.
[Joe tears out page, gives her the sketch. she stares at it, almost whispers,]
Jesus. She’s just a baby.
[Andy crosses to the door and slides it open. She looks around at the terrain, then jumps out. The train passes. Andy, a very small silhouette in the vast landscape, strides forward.]
[Aerial view. Helicopter flies over a military base: a few buildings, many tents, all beige-sand colored like the terrain. A military light utility vehicle (LUV) drives down the wider, center road; pairs and small groups of soldiers casually walk around. Camera moves to ground level to show groups of soldiers coming and going, then focuses on two female soldiers walking and talking.]
Dizzy: [intensely] I know I saw her die.
Jay: A little blood can look like a lot. Adrenaline flying, everyone was seeing shit they didn’t.
Dizzy: I was holding her neck together in my hands.
Jay: [stops, faces Dizzy directly, speaks firmly]
You’d rather we sent her home in a body bag?
Dizzy: [taken aback, blinks, tiny head-shake] No. Course not.
Jay: [stares directly into Dizzy’s eyes] So come on.
[Jay moves more purposefully, heads toward the medical tent. Dizzy follows. As they enter, each removes her hat.]
[Nile sits on the side of the bed, in uniform, but hunched over herself, elbows on knees, fingering her cross necklace, a frown on her face.]
Jay: Hey, look who’s up!
[Nile doesn’t react.]
Dizzy: [cautiously] Nile?
Nile: [straightens slowly, huffs a breath, gives them a hesitant smile]
What’s up, Jay? What’s up, Dizzy?
Jay: [a little swagger, trying to make light of it] So let’s see the trophy.
[sits casually on the bed across from Nile]
[Nile turns her head, avoiding Jay’s gaze. Dizzy walks slightly closer and stares, disbelieving. Nile fingers her cross necklace and rubs her neck, still avoiding their gaze.]
Dizzy: [softly, awed] Fuck me.
Jay: [amazed] Nile, there’s not even a scratch.
Nile: Yeah. [huffs] They, uh... [flips hand dismissively]
They used this new skin graft or something.
[bends down to tie her boots]
[Nurse, sitting at a desk about 10 feet away -- easily within hearing distance -- flicks her eyes upward, but makes no other response to that statement.]
Dizzy: [suspiciously] That what the doctor said?
[Jay casts her a sideways glance.]
Nile: Yeah. [breathes heavily, looks up at Dizzy] That’s what they said.
[Nile gives her a challenging look, then stands.]
[Dizzy takes a couple of steps back, still staring. Nile notes that reaction; her gaze shifts away. Nile gives a tiny head-bob to Jay, moves past them toward the doorway. Jay and Dizzy follow.]
[Camera pans across floor level as their booted feet exit. Against the wall is a large cardboard box of supplies (?) with ‘MERRICK’ stamped on it.]
[Aerial view of Thames River and London Bridge.]
LONDON ENGLAND appears on screen
[bombastic voice speaking]
Merrick: Our average lifespan is seventy-eight in developed nations.
[Copley sits, watches]
Actually, two more years if you’re lucky enough to be born a female. What can I say, ladies?
[chuckles; audience laughs]
Now, all of this is because of everyone’s favorite love to hate... Big Pharma.
[Merrick stands on stage in front of blue screen which displays name, company, subject of speech. he wears bluetooth mic, gestures as he speaks]
At my company, our research on telomere extension has reversed the chromosomal clock of human stem cells. Dr. Kozak’s manipulation of the klotho hormone
[points to her; she nods with small, but smug, smile]
will in time, completely arrest common cognitive decline. Yes, we can all wave goodbye to dementia.
[waves theatrically to applause]
Now... Wait, wait! Our work will add years of life to the collective world population. Years! Decades!
[applause. Copley watches closely]
But it’s not cheap. We need investment. Investment drives my enthusiasm to take risks. These risks improve countless lives.
[applause]
[View of hands holding a tablet. Screen shows the immortals as they rise after they died.]
Merrick: My God.
Copley: You’ve seen my research. Now you know they’re for real.
[Camera pans out. They’re riding in the back of a limo. Merrick lowers the tablet, looks at Copley -- to his right -- then huffs a soft little laugh. He passes the tablet to Dr. Kozak in the seat across from Copley. Merrick’s security head, Keane, sits next to her; he cranes his neck and leans over to see the screen. Kozak raises her eyes to look at Copley.]
Merrick: What about the hard proof? Blood, tissue, bone, DNA.
Copley: Recovering an uncontaminated sample of the site proved impossible.
Merrick: But you promised me hard proof.
Copley: There was an unanticipated amount of carnage. But the footage...
Merrick: No. The footage is a two-million-dollar snuff film.
[gestures to Kozak, who watches placidly]
It doesn’t give her the how. I need all of them, Copley.
Copley: [scoffs, leans back, lifts hand dismissively as he shakes his head]
I think I can get you one.
Merrick: No. No, not one. All.
Copley: [intensely] These are extraordinary individuals. They are extremely resistant to capture.
Merrick: Well, consult with Keane, make a plan, make it happen.
[Keane blinks to acknowledge his orders]
And quickly, before my competitors get wind of this.
[Aerial view of limo proceeding down the avenue. Camera pans up the side of a large, impressive, modern building, with the logo MERRICK at the top.]
[Closeup on Nile’s face. She’s frowning slightly, and breathing heavily. Camera pans out. She’s in an outdoor exercise area, protected against the sun by shade-cloth on poles; soldiers are using barbells and exercise machines. Nile is on a thin floor mat, dressed in olive drab T-shirt and her camo trousers. Her head shifts as she seems to consider an idea, then she closes her eyes and resumes doing vigorous sit-ups. At the ‘up’ part of each one, she throws strong air-punches, sometimes one-two, sometimes a single left or right. Two male soldiers at a nearby exercise machine look at her, turn back to a quiet discussion with each other.]
Sergeant: Corporal Freeman!
Nile: [scrambles to feet, comes to attention] Aye, Sergeant.
Sergeant: Orders just came through. They’re sending you to Landstuhl, Germany for more tests.
Nile: [hesitant smile, slight head-shake] But I’m fine.
Sergeant: Plane’s fueling. Pack your bags.
Nile: [blinks] Sergeant...
Sergeant: [pulls dog-tags from pocket] We took these off you when it happened. Didn’t think you were coming back.
[He hands them to her. Camera pans to Nile’s face, tight and closed-off. She accepts the tags, stares down at them in her hand as the sergeant strides off.]
[Nile strides into her barracks tent, now wearing her camo jacket. Soldiers are relaxing, chatting together. As they notice Nile, the chatter quiets and stops. Jay and Dizzy are sitting next to each other on a bed, talking and laughing. As Nile passes them toward her bed, they stop talking, stop smiling, stare at her. Nile looks around. All her fellow soldiers are quiet, watching her warily, as if she’s dangerous, foreign.]
[Nile looks around at the careful, universal non-reaction before she turns to her bed. Her gear, already packed in a backpack and duffle, lays on top. She turns, stares accusingly at Dizzy and Jay. Dizzy draws back; Jay remains stoic, with no expression. Nile turns back to her things, notices her photo of the three of them in a group hug, mugging and smiling at the camera. She recoils, grabs her phone with earbuds wrapped around it, ignores all her other possessions, and strides out of the tent, putting on her cap as she exits.]
[She passes groups of soldiers as she walks quickly down the ‘road’, hears someone say, “That’s her.”]
[Nile finds an isolated bench between buildings, with no one else in sight, shielded from prying eyes on her left side by three large metal air-conditioning units (?), on her right by a parked LUV. She sits, tense, nervous, rocking slightly, eyes darting side to side. Fingers trembling, she unwraps and inserts the earbuds, then taps through her phone to access her music. “Godspeed” by Frank Ocean begins playing. Nile leans back against the wall, takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, tries to calm herself as she listens to the music.]
[Andy moves stealthily beside the wall just around the corner to the right, pauses to observe Nile.]
Soldier: Corporal Freeman.
[two MPs, walking together, approach from left.]
[Andy pulls back, waits. Nile pulls out earbuds, stands]
Been looking for you. Wheels up on your ride.
[Andy slides around the corner, right hand karate-chops one soldier on the side of his neck; he goes down. As her arm rebounds, she grabs the gun-hand of the other soldier with her right hand, yanks him across her body, grabs him by the neck with left hand, spins him around and cracks his head on the edge of the air-conditioning unit. Nile grabs the soldier’s dropped pistol, aims at Andy. Andy brings both hands up, right-slaps the pistol from Nile's hand while her left hand grabs it, and aims at Nile’s face with her finger on the trigger. Nile stares, stunned.]
Nile: Who are you?
Andy: Andromache the Scythian.
[uses pistol to club Nile on side of neck; Nile drops, unconscious]
[Andy looks around; they’re still unobserved. chin-lift as she speaks]
But you can call me Andy.
[Aerial view over dry, barren landscape -- sand and rock, no greenery anywhere. Camera pans forward to show the LUV traveling fast, dust kicked up by the tires spewing behind. Camera closes in to see Andy driving, apparently relaxed -- left elbow on the open window frame, right hand on the steering wheel. Andy brings her left hand forward to hold the steering wheel, reaches with her right hand to grab a piece of baklava from an open package resting on the dashboard. She takes a big bite.]
[Nile is lying in the back of the vehicle, where Andy apparently dropped her, still unconscious. A jolt as the vehicle hits a rough spot awakens her. Nile looks around, sees Andy’s head above the driver’s seat. She turns over carefully to avoid Andy’s attention, then two swift kicks at the latches of the tailgate force it open. Nile rolls sideways, allowing herself to drop to the ground behind the vehicle. She grunts at the impact, but keeps rolling. The movement dislodges her braids from their bun.]
[Andy must have heard the tailgate forced open. She turns casually, still chewing a bite of baklava, and watches through the open tailgate as Nile is still rolling. She stops the vehicle.]
[Nile stops rolling with a grunt and lies on her back for a moment; it was a rough landing.]
[Andy steps out of the vehicle, evaluates the situation, tosses her sunglasses on the driver’s seat, casually walks toward Nile. Nile scrambles to her feet and starts running. She’s barely taken the third step when Andy pulls her pistol from her back waistband, calmly shoots her, then tucks the pistol behind her back again. Andy looks around as she approaches Nile, evaluating the terrain, then looks down at Nile -- lying on her side, open eyes staring, bloody hole in her forehead.]
Andy: [sighs, shakes head] Why does it have to be so goddamn slow the first couple of times?
[While Andy waits, she stretches her neck side to side, loosening tight muscles with an audible crackle.]
[Nile awakens with an indrawn gasp; the hole in her forehead starts to knit together. She groans and rolls onto her back, then raises her head and feels the back of her skull. As she sees Andy standing in front of her, Nile half sits up and scoots backward on her butt. Andy stands still, calmly watching her.]
Nile: You shot me.
Andy: [casually matter-of-fact] I did. I need you to get back in the car, please.
[takes a few steps toward Nile]
Nile: [panting] This isn’t real.
[combined disbelief and fear]
No. None of this is real.
Andy: [walks forward, bends toward her]
You haven’t figured this out yet?
[grabs Nile by shirt-front and left arm]
You can’t die.
[hoists her to her feet]
Get up.
[Nile comes up with a knife, stabs it into the soft tissue between the right shoulder and chest.]
Andy: Argh!
[grabs Nile’s knife hand]
Fuck!
[throws the hand violently aside, forcing Nile back a step]
[Andy stares at knife, sighs deeply, looks at Nile]
[Nile recovers balance, stares that Andy is hardly reacting to knife in her]
Can you please
[grabs knife with left hand, yanks it out]
not do that again?
[throws it on ground]
[Nile seems overwhelmed; she turns away and bends over, retching and coughing, and spews on the ground. Andy simply waits for it to finish.]
Nile: [stands, panting, half-turned away, regards Andy suspiciously from sides of eyes]
Who are you?
Andy: [calm, softly] I lead a group of immortals. An army, I guess. Soldiers. Fighters like you. Look...
[steps toward her; Nile steps back, turns to face her more directly]
[Andy breathes in with chin-lift]
You’ve got questions, kid. I get it.
[tiny smile, small nod]
You want answers?
[motions with head as she starts to turn]
Get back in the car.
[Andy walks back toward the vehicle. Nile stares after for a second, then turns and evaluates the utterly barren landscape, miles from who-knows-where. She looks at the blood on the left shoulder of her uniform, takes a beat to consider, then turns and strides firmly toward the LUV where Andy is already climbing into the driver’s seat.]
[The LUV approaches an old Russian cargo plane. It stops near two pickup trucks a short distance from the plane, each of which has a couple of armed Afghani men standing in the bed of the pickup, keeping guard, with two more armed men standing on the ground. Andy and Nile exit the vehicle, Andy with her pack over her right shoulder and jacket in her hand.]
[A man comes out of a tiny, rock-walled building, so old and decrepit that part of the roof has been replaced with plywood and tarp, held down with an old tire. He lifts a hand in reassurance as he speaks Russian to the men on the ground; they relax their wariness about the strangers. As Nile hesitates, Andy waves to the man, who waves back. Nile casts suspicious glances at Andy and the Russian-speaking man, then heads toward the plane while evaluating the armed guards. Andy takes off her sunglasses, turns to look around the territory, then follows. As she walks, she folds the sunglasses and puts them in a pocket of her backpack.]
[Niles goes first up the metal stairs into the plane, with Andy close behind. Inside, she sees two large metal trunks or boxes strapped in against the back bulkhead, a larger, broader box on the bottom, with a smaller, narrower box on top. A couple of pillows (or bedrolls) are stuffed between the boxes and the wall, screen left -- one blue, one pink; probably not bags of drugs or money. As Nile continues her cautious explorations and observations farther inside the plane, Andy drops her jacket on top of the smaller trunk and her backpack on the ‘shelf’ formed by the larger trunk extending in front of the smaller trunk. She unzips the pack, pulls out a rolled bundle of clothing, then steps forward to toss the bundle next to Nile, onto a large metal box against the wall halfway down the cabin.]
Andy: Put those on.
Nile: Where you taking me?
Andy: Paris.
[takes bottle of water from backpack, tosses it to Nile, who easily catches it]
You got blood in your hair.
Nile: [sarcastic voice, head-tilt] Wonder why?
[Andy turns and regards her levelly as she pulls a pistol from the backpack and tucks it into the back of her waistband. Nile continues looking around the plane. There are various straps hanging from the ceiling, a duffle bag against one wall, a couple of large, white, plastic (?) containers against the same wall -- and opposite them are two pallets stacked high with plastic bags, netted and strapped for security.]
Nile: This guy’s a drug runner. This the shit you into?
Andy: Well, sometimes you gotta work with people you don’t wanna eat with.
[reaches into backpack, pulls out cellphone]
Nile: Is this even safe?
Andy: Does it really matter?
[steps out of plane, leaving Nile staring after her]
[Andy holds a flip-phone to her ear as she walks away from the plane and men so she can speak without being overheard. It rings only a couple of times before it’s answered.
Booker: Hey, Boss.
[Booker is also using a flip-phone. He’s standing in a very small room; high windows behind him are crossed with leaded bars to form a diamond pattern, and green branches are visible outside. A tall bookcase stands to his right (screen left), with thick bound books and binders (?) showing through the glass doors. On his left (screen right) is a recessed wooden door with a metal sign-plate -- PRIVÉ.]
Andy: You found Copley?
Booker: Nothing but dead ends. He knows we’re hunting him.
Andy: Keep looking. He’s doing the same to us. [pauses] I have the new one.
Booker: And?
Andy: Well, [tiny head-tilt-shrug] she stabbed me, so I think she has potential.
Booker: [small snort, chuckle] I’ll see you soon.
[Andy shuts off the cellphone, drops it on the ground and stomps it several times with her heel while a male voice calls out in another language.]
[Inside the plane, Nile has changed into civilian clothing; she sits on a bench and folds her uniform neatly on her lap. As she looks around the plane, she notices a pistol in a holster, hanging from the back of the pilot’s seat. She looks up as Andy and the Russian-speaking man enter. The man heads toward the front of the plane. Andy slides the door shut and secures the latches while, outside, a couple of men wheel the metal staircase away from the plane. The man sits in the pilot’s seat, puts on his headphones, starts the engines.]
[Andy pauses to kick a cardboard box as she walks through the plane. Glass clinks; she reaches inside and pulls out a bottle of vodka. Nile sets her folded uniform on the floor to her left and grabs her seatbelt. She pauses as she notices another belt hanging from the bulkhead to her left. It has a keyhole, with a key hanging beside it; apparently it can be locked. Nile’s face is blank as she straightens up; Andy is unscrewing the vodka cap as she watches Nile. Nile turns her head to watch Andy, who keeps watching Nile as she lifts the bottle to her mouth. As Nile buckles her seatbelt, Andy ignores the plane beginning to move and tips the bottle up to take a healthy drink.]
[As the plane’s movement becomes more unstable, Andy casually lifts her left arm to grab an overhead strap (?) while tipping the bottle higher and drinking deeply. The plane taxis and lifts off. Andy comes toward Nile, drops something (?) next to a pile of bulging duffle bags against the wall, which form a sort of ‘chair’ to Nile’s right. Andy sits on the bags, casually comfortable with elbows resting on her knees. Nile turns to her.]
Nile: So why is this happening to me?
Andy: [closes bottle, doesn’t look at Nile] I wish I knew.
Nile: You said you had answers.
Andy: [puts bottle beside her, turns head toward Nile, elbows on knees, speaks flatly]
I didn’t say you’d like them.
[Nile sighs, leans forward, elbows on knees, hands clasping and unclasping while Andy watches.]
Are you praying?
[smiles, huffs a soft chuckle]
God doesn’t exist.
Nile: [looks toward her, speaks firmly] My God does.
Andy: [smiles broadly as she looks at Nile]
You know, there was a time when I was worshiped as a god.
[plane jolts with turbulence; Nile straightens, prepared for trouble]
[Andy stays relaxed, watches Nile, then deliberately looks upward]
Was that Him?
[Nile stares at her, wide-eyed]
[turns back to Nile]
Don’t worry, I can’t do shit like that.
[stands, pistol visible in back waistband, walks toward backpack, speaks over shoulder]
None of it means anything anyway.
Nile: [rolls her eyes, but continues] You said there were others. How many?
Andy: Four. [sound of a zipper]
Nile: [voice shows disbelief]
You’re an army of four? So that’s why you took me? So I could join your army?
Andy: [returns with backpack and jacket]
Yeah.
[sits, tucks pistol between two duffle-bags on right, away from Nile]
Nile: No. This is some bullshit. [huffs] You must... [huffs again] ...must have hypnotized me, or... or, uh, drugged me or something.
[Andy has leaned back against the filled duffel-bag behind her, watches Nile search for answers to refute her new reality.]
And that was a blank
[turns to Andy, secure with reasoning]
that you shot me with.
Andy: [lightly, without looking at Nile]
And I was the one who cut your throat.
[turns, faces Nile directly]
Right?
[stares at Nile, who stares back, then looks away; she has no answer]
Listen, kid. You already believe in...
[points upward, follows it with her eye, gives dismissive flip of hand]
You should just keep following that illogic.
[pulls jacket over shoulders as a blanket, turns on right side, back to Nile, lies on duffel-bags like a reclining chair]
You’re already on board with the supernatural.
[speaks with eyes already closed; it makes no difference to her]
If I were you, I’d get some sleep.
[Nile leans forward and starts praying again.]
[Andy is asleep on her left side now, jacket pulled higher so her nose and chin are tucked into the collar. The plane jolts. She starts to turn over in her sleep, but her left arm doesn’t follow -- it’s held by the locking belt that Nile noticed earlier. She wakens fully, jerks again to test the restraint, looks at her arm to see what’s happening.]
[Andy looks toward the cockpit; Nile is pointing the pilot’s own pistol at him. Reference here.]
Nile: [glances half-back toward Andy] We’re not going to Paris.
[Nile turns her attention back to the pilot. He turns to look at the pistol pointing toward him, turns back to fly.]
Andy: Andrei. [calm, with chin-lift] Come here. [raises tied arm]
[Andrei starts to rise; gets halfway up when Nile faces him more fully, points the pistol more directly, speaks sharply.]
Nile: Sit your ass down!
[Andrei looks to Andy as he starts to sit.]
Andy: [half shouts, not looking at them] Stand up!
[Andrei gets halfway up again.]
Nile: [firmly] You do not listen to her. You listen to me. Land this plane.
[Andrei sits fully, turns back to the controls.]
Andy: [calm, with slightly-raised voice.] Trust me. She’s not gonna shoot you.
[Andrei and Nile turn to look at her in disbelief]
I am. [slowly and distinctly] Prikinsya myortvym. (Pretend you’re dead.)
[pulls pistol from between duffel-bags and fires. Andrei collapses over controls]
[At the shot, Nile whips around to hold her pistol on Andy, who remains calm; she watches Nile, but does not match gun-aim for gun-aim. Nile glances back toward Andrei, sees him slumped and unmoving.]
Nile: [gasps, whirls back to Andy; voice shows rising panic]
Who’s gonna fly the plane?
Andy: [calmly] We don’t need a pilot. We can jump and survive.
[lies back, closes eyes]
[The plane is plunging. Nile grabs hanging, swaying straps for stability as she moves toward Andy.]
Nile: I am not jumping from a plane!
[She looks out the window; they’re definitely headed down.]
[The ride grows more turbulent, jolting them around.]
Andy: [opens eyes, looks up] Whoa! Shit! Maybe we do need a pilot.
[turns to Nile, raises strapped arm]
I can fly a plane.
[Nile thinks for a second, then hurries toward Andy, reaching into her hip pocket for the key. As Nile quickly starts to unlock the strap, Andy speaks calmly.]
Andy: You don’t speak Russian, do you?
Nile: Why?
[As soon as the strap is off Andy tosses her jacket aside and stands, still calm.]
Andy: Because I told the pilot to play dead.
[Nile turns toward the cockpit. Andrei is sitting up and taking control of the plane. Nile whirls to hold the pistol on Andy, but Andy is right there. Andy grabs Nile’s gun-hand as it comes around, uses the momentum to flip/throw Nile to the floor. Andy stands looking down at her, waiting for her reaction.]
[Nile lies on her back for a moment, groans softly, turns to pick herself up. She rises to a crouch on hands and feet and glares at Andy, evaluating the enemy. Andy continues to wait calmly.]
[Nile grunts as she charges forward, keeping low, driving her shoulder into Andy’s stomach/chest. Andy easily grabs Nile by the shoulders and throws her aside, where she hits a tall metal container to her right -- against her ribs, under her armpit -- bounces off, lands against the wall. Andy casually flips her head to toss her hair out of her eyes.]
[Andrei turns to see what’s happening, looks worried, hesitates, but he needs to fly. He turns back to the controls.]
[Nile stands slowly, glaring at Andy, sets her body as she prepares to continue the fight.]
Andy: You really wanna do this, kid?
[Her eyes are bright, expression relaxed but anticipating; she looks like she thinks this will be fun.]
[Nile throws a hard right punch; Andy leans away from it. Nile swings her left arm into a punch; Andy blocks the elbow with her left, brings her right around and under Nile’s arm, uses the momentum to spin Nile away from her. Nile turns back to face Andy again; both are panting with the exertion -- Nile more than Andy.]
[Andy gives a little chin-lift that says, ‘bring it on’. Her face has a half-smile, which we see whenever she’s still enough for us to notice. Nile clenches her jaw, raises her fists, throws another right punch. Andy blocks, grabs the arm, pulls it high with her left, throwing Nile off-balance, then forces it down while her right grabs Nile by the back of her neck, forcing her to bend sharply forward, even more off balance. She releases her hold before Nile’s arm breaks.]
[Nile rises, teeth bared, fist clenched. She throws a left punch which Andy blocks upward, which allows Nile to slip under her arm and grapple Andy around the waist. The momentum allows Nile to spin Andy around and force her into the wall. Nile tries to hold her there, with her head forcing Andy’s chin upward to deprive her of leverage, but Andy grabs Nile’s shoulder with her left hand, hindering a possible counter-move, while her right fist comes up and across to punch Nile in the side of the neck, followed immediately by a sharp downward strike to Nile’s left arm. She quickly grabs the arm and uses the momentum to throw Nile into the wall, then catch the rebound and spin/throw her across the cabin. Nile turns back quickly, left punch, right punch; Andy blocks them easily still smiling. Nile moves in to grapple, which Andy allows -- so she can knee Nile in the gut and force her away. Now Nile is open, arms out of position; Andy moves in, body-checks, shoves Nile sharply; Nile staggers back into the pallet of drugs. Packages start spilling from the stack.]
[Nile is angry; she comes toward Andy, throws a furious right-left punch. Andy easily evades both. Andrei has turned to watch; things are getting out of control. He turns to the controls and banks the plane sharply left, throwing both combatants across the cabin, into the wall. They are unfazed. Nile lunges forward immediately; she lands a punch to the face hard enough to force Andy back two or three steps. Andy pauses to regroup. She nods slightly, smiling wider; she seems to approve of Nile’s tactics. As Nile stalks forward, Andy steps back a couple of paces, spits, and waits for the next maneuver.]
[Nile feints a punch, then tries to sweep Andy’s legs from under her. Andy lifts her leg to evade; Nile’s momentum causes her to spin completely around. Nile rebalances herself and throws a punch that lands in Andy’s face. Andy turns away, then back just as Nile throw another right punch. Andy evades, moves in and grabs Nile’s right shoulder with her right hand, then rotates her arm under Nile’s and comes up to clamp her left hand under Nile’s chin, forcing her head up and back. Nile’s left hand is holding Andy’s wrist, trying to keep that hand from pushing higher. Andy’s right hand holds Nile’s right arm close to Andy’s body, so Nile doesn’t have the leverage to escape. Andy holds Nile there for a moment, looking directly into her eyes, expression calm. Then she raises her hand higher, making enough pressure on Nile’s neck to cause pain. Nile gasps, releases her hold on Andy’s wrist, raises her left arm high, and brings it down on the arm that holds her chin. Andy lets the force turn her away and rebound as she turns into Nile, bringing her right elbow toward Nile’s face. Nile’s right hand catches Andy’s elbow; as she pushes it away, she’s out of position to bring her arms up for protection, half-turned away. Andy moves forward with a left punch-right elbow strike, which hits Nile low on the right side. Nile cries out and flinches into a crouch, fists clenched and arms in front of her chest. Andy steps back and waits for the next move, eyes calculating.]
[Nile lunges forward with a right-left punch. Andy evades the right, then grabs Nile’s left arm with her left hand, which forces her sideways to Andy’s body. Andy’s right hand grabs Nile’s neck; she turns as she pulls Nile’s left arm while pushing her neck, forcing her into the wall. Nile gets her bent right arm up to absorb some of the force of hitting the wall, but for a moment she is pinned, her head mashed between Andy’s right hand and the wall, her left arm held immobile in Andy’s left hand. Nile uses her right hand to slowly force herself away from the wall, against the continuous pressure that Andy maintains against her head. Suddenly Andy releases the pressure so that Nile’s effort moves her quickly toward Andy, but severely off balance. Andy grabs Nile’s right shoulder with her left hand, her forearm across Nile’s throat. Andy uses Nile’s body as an anchor post as she leaps into the air, plants her feet against the bulkhead behind Nile, uses the flying momentum to carry her half around and push off the wall to come down with her body close to Nile’s right flank. Andy’s hands grab Nile’s shoulders as her downward/forward momentum continues. As Andy’s feet hit the floor, she drops back and down to the floor. Andy’s grip on Nile’s shoulders pulls Nile down and flips her into the air. Nile flies over Andy’s position on the floor and lands hard. Andy continues her rolling momentum and quickly rises, but Nile is slow to push herself up. Nile’s movements are jerky instead of smooth, and she grunts with pain. Andy steps forward.]
Andy: [calmly, slight head-shake] We’re done.
[Nile rises to her feet, pauses for a moment, then explodes forward with a right punch. Andy grabs Nile’s arm and twists it violently backward; Nile screams in pain as her shoulder is dislocated; we hear torn tissues crackling and tearing. But Nile’s momentum carries her forward. Andy keeps hold of the arm, steps to the side, and grabs Nile’s raised elbow. Nile yells again in pain, and Andy uses her hold on that arm to throw Nile against the trunks at the rear bulkhead. Nile rebounds and lands in a crouch, her right arm hanging useless beside her while Andy stands quietly, watching her.]
Andy: [more firmly] I said we’re done.
[Nile looks up at Andy, angry and defiant, looks at her useless right arm, then uses her left arm to help push her upward and forward. She aims a sweeping right kick toward Andy’s legs. Andy simply raises her left leg to block it; Nile yells as her lower leg breaks when it hits Andy’s. She falls to the floor, landing on her bad right shoulder, and cries out. She groans and slowly rolls onto her back.]
Andy: [steps forward to stand over Nile.]
You’re very good.
[Nile tries to ignore her, breathing deeply into the pain. Andy squats beside her.]
What’s your name?
Nile: [pauses a beat, defiant; eyes flick sideways to Andy, away] Nile.
Andy: [small nod of acknowledgement, looks over Nile’s body]
You see? You’re already healing faster.
[Nile raises her head, watches in frowning disbelief as the bloody, open wound on her outer lower arm visibly knits and heals, then sits up to see her bent and broken lower right leg straighten. She rests her hand against the leg to feel what shouldn’t be happening as the healing bone repositions itself. Andy watches her reaction.]
Nile: [whispering] Is this real?
[tiny head-shake]
I got people that love me.
[bows her head]
People that are gonna worry.
[raises head firmly, takes deep breath]
I’m a Marine.
[turns to face Andy]
They think I went A-WOL.
Andy: [speaks over Nile’s last words]
You’re not a Marine anymore.
[Nile shakes her head]
They’re going to lock you up.
[Nile hitches a breath, seems to hold in tears. She turns her head away from Andy and rocks back and forth.]
[Andy’s expression softens toward sympathy as she watches for a moment, then she stands and extends a hand. Nile regards it -- and Andy -- dubiously, then takes the hand firmly. Andy helps her to her feet in one smooth movement. They stand looking at each other. Nile still seems slightly defiant as she stares at Andy, but Andy disengages and turns away. Nile watches Andy walk toward their seats, then slowly follows.]
NOTE: Castalie tells me that Goussainville is A Ghost Town on the Fringes of Paris.
[View of old church (peaked windows with leaded separations between panes of glass) with gray walls and roof, trees growing opposite, across the driveway(?). A jetliner passes overhead with a roar of engines.]
GOUSSAINVILLE FRANCE appears on screen
[Nile comes into view; she carries her uniform-bundle under her right arm as she follows Andy through an opening between trees across an overgrown cemetery (green grass and weeds, crosses and headstones) toward the church, which we now see has a square bell-tower(?) at one end. Andy has her backpack properly settled over both shoulders, which suggests that they’ve walked/hiked some distance. Andy seems cautious as she walks, occasionally turning to observe their surroundings. Tall trees grow fairly close to the church on all sides; the whole place seems isolated and deserted.]
Nile: I thought you said we were going to Paris.
Andy: We’re just outside of Paris. This is Goussainville. This place has been abandoned for fifty years.
Nile: Why?
[Andy looks up, toward the sound of another plane passing overhead; she turns and grins at Nile. Nile also gazes upward, looks down with mild surprise at a weathered statue of a saint to her right, then turns and continues to follow Andy.]
( I made a floorplan.)
[We see a good-sized room. An arched alcove to the left contains a stovetop with oven below and a narrow counter/cabinet on each side. Two red cooking pots sit on the stove. Above the stove is a small, dark wooden shelf, with three copper pans hanging below. Two small lights hang from the top of the arch to shine on the work-area, with another pair of lights on the wall outside the arch. A round table with mismatched chairs is in the center, with a hanging lamp over it.]
[A stone archway extends across the back of the room, with a large communal bedroom on the other side. The rooms are separated by a wall of dark wooden panels; the upper half of each is a lancet window with a trefoil-shaped top. A pair of doors open inward to the bedroom.]
[A tall secretary desk and a cabinet/counter unit stand against the right wall. Both are cluttered with a jumble of unidentifiable items. A small tube-light hangs from an upper shelf of the secretary desk, and a small table lamp sits on the writing-surface. Despite the number of lights, the whole area is somewhat dim.]
[Nile and the men are eating. Joe is to the left, sideways to the viewer. Nile is to his right, with her back to the viewer. Booker is to her right, turned three-quarters from the viewer. Nicky is seated to the right, sideways to the viewer.]
[As she eats, Nile keeps an eye on the men. They’re also eating without speaking, watching her watch them. Andy is in the bedroom; she puts her backpack against the right wall as she watches the team through the windows.]
[Nile takes a bite of food and looks at Booker. He takes a bite and looks at her, then drops his eyes. Nicky watches Nile with a slight smile, then looks down at his food. Joe drinks a swallow of wine, watches Nile as he sets the glass on the table.]
Nile: [looks around the table]
So you good guys or bad guys?
Joe: [crossed arms, flicks eyes to Nicky, back to Nile]
Depends on the century.
Nicky: [leans back, rests left arm on back of chair]
We fight for what we think is right.
[Nile looks skeptical. She lifts her eyes to see Andy enter the room and cross to the stove.]
Nile: How are you all in my dreams?
[Andy is dishing some food at the stove.]
Joe: We dream of each other. They stop when we meet.
Nile: Why?
[Joe closes his eyes, twists his face, opens his mouth, takes a breath to answer -- apparently prepared for a detailed exposition -- but Nicky speaks first.]
Nicky: [watching Joe meaningfully]
I believe it’s because we... we’re meant to find each other.
[Joe gives him a quick wink. Nicky smiles briefly, turns back to Nile]
It’s like destiny.
Booker: [shifts in his seat, waves a dismissive hand]
No, more like, uh... misery loves company.
[Joe smiles and huffs a short laugh. Nile looks toward Andy, who’s eating from a bowl while standing/leaning against the counter beside the stove.]
Andy: [looks up, points toward Booker] What he said.
Nicky: It used to take years to track a new one. Booker was the last. Eighteen-twelve.
Nile: [stares at Booker, who is drinking from a glass] No way.
Booker: [nods, glances at her] Yeah, I died fighting with Napoleon.
Nile: So... [looks to Nicky] you’re even older than him.
[Andy brings a cup and a bottle of vodka to the table, sits across from Nile between Joe and Nicky, takes off the bottle cap.]
Joe: Mm... [speaking with a mouthful of food] Nicky and I met in the Crusades.
Nile: [awe, disbelief] The Crusades?
Nicky: [gestures toward Joe]
The love of my life was of the people I’ve been taught to hate.
Joe: [laughs] We... [gestures between them] We killed each other.
Nicky: Many times. [another quick smile for Joe] Yeah.
[Note: the script says that Joe says, ‘Yeah’. But it sounds -- and looks -- to me that Nicky was finishing his comment.]
[Booker laughs around his drink. Andy smiles slightly as she picks up the cup to drink. She watches Nile over the rim.]
Nile: [quietly, watching Andy] You’re the oldest.
Andy: [nods as she puts cup on table, lifts eyes to Nile, nods again] Yeah.
Nile: So how old are you?
[Joe crosses his arms and waits.]
Andy: Old.
Nile: [slight eye-roll, then insistent] How old?
Andy: [pauses, glances down, quietly] Too old.
Nile: [huffs, slight frown as she looks around others at table; quiet, awed surprise]
So we really never die.
Andy: [takes a breath, small head-shake] Nothing that lives, lives forever.
Nile: But... you said that we were immortal.
Andy: [gazing down]
I know what I said. And we mostly are,
[raises eyes to Nile]
but we can die.
[tiny head-nod]
And one of us did.
[glances left as she remembers]
[view of man’s body with bloody stomach-wound, Andromache’s hand over it]
He... he was a warrior, just like us.
[Andromache, wearing ancient headdress, looks down, concerned]
[Lykon, lying on back, looks up, eyes glazed]
A long time ago.
[Andy shakes head. Booker watches, listens quietly]
One day your wounds just don’t heal up anymore, and...
[Nicky and Joe watch Nile's reaction]
we don’t know when or why.
Nile: [looks down, considers carefully]
So if we can die,
[raises eyes to Andy, slight eyebrow-clench]
then why would you shoot me? You could have killed me.
Andy: [flicks eyes to Nile, quietly] You’re too new.
[A plane rumbles overhead. For a moment, no one speaks. Nile looks at the others around the table; she seems disturbed/scared/overwhelmed as she absorbs this new information. Her shoulders hunch as she folds slightly in her chair and stares down.]
Nicky: [gently, watching Nile closely]
It is a lot to understand. I think you should get some rest.
[Nile turns slightly toward his voice]
Come with me. I’ll show you.
[Nicky rises, followed by Nile. He waits as she comes around the table, then escorts her through the double doors at the back of the room. They turn to the right.]
[Joe watches them leave, then sighs deeply.]
Andy: She wants to talk to her family.
[Joe and Andy exchange a look.]
Booker: That’s not gonna help her.
Andy: [grabs bottle of vodka, uncaps it, pours into cup]
You tell her that.
[Nicky returns and sits down again.]
[It’s dark; an indistinct rumbling gradually intensifies. On the kitchen table, cups and glasses clink and rattle. View of darkened household -- Nile’s uniform and jacked folded on credenza in living room, several swords and axes in umbrella stand by the door, small bronze statue by the wall, next to a table lamp. In the bedroom, Booker sleeps on his back. Joe and Nicky are spooned together. Nile lies on her left side, moving uneasily in her sleep, breathing heavily. Rumbling fades to silence.]
[We see more of the living room, separated by a stone arch, two steps down from the kitchen. A dark wooden credenza stands to the left of the arch, parallel to the steps. A table-lamp stands on the corner; stacks of books surround the lamp, and lie on the floor below and up the steps. A large antique wooden credenza stands against the left wall, perpendicular to the steps. A big flat-screen TV sits on it, with stacks of books to each side, Nile’s uniform and jacket on the left stack. A mismatched pair of comfortable easy chairs sit to the right, facing the TV. A small wooden crate stands between the chairs, holding a bottle of liquor, a candle in a brass candlestick, and a book, and a small round table is beside the left chair. A writing desk stands against the wall to the right of the arch, parallel to the steps; it holds the bronze statue and a table-lamp. A wooden crate is on the floor to the left of the desk, filled with various odds and ends.]
[The kitchen is dark, but the two lamps in the living room are on. Andy is deeply slouched in the chair closest to the kitchen, resting her head on her raised left hand, but not asleep. She lifts her right hand, stares at it intently in the dim light, front, then back, makes a fist, studies that.]
[Nile gasps violently, bolts upright in bed, breathing heavily. Andy looks to her right, toward the sound, as the others startle awake. Nicky grabs a pistol from under his pillow and raises it. Joe, behind him, looks fuzzy and less alert as he raises his head. Booker grabs the pistol in his belt, but doesn’t pull it out. They all look toward Nile.]
[Nicky turns on a bedside lamp. Nicky & Joe have the bed to the left, against the wall. Booker is in the middle, in what seems to be a simple cot, pushed against a closed bookshelf against the back wall. Nile is to the right, in a slightly more substantial bed, also pushed against the bookshelf.]
Booker: What’s going on?
[Nile is panting, each breath almost a gasp; her eyes are wide and staring. From the living room, Andy focuses intently on her.]
Nicky: What happened, Nile?
Nile: [hunches forward, gulps, tries to control her reaction]
Um, it was just a... a bad dream.
[Joe relaxes, lies down again behind Nicky]
I’m sorry.
[breathes heavily, unable to get calm; glances toward others, wary of their reaction]
Nicky: [reclines on elbow, props head on hand] Tell us.
Nile: I saw flashes of it before... when I first dreamt of all of you.
[shakes head, eyes haunted]
But now... it’s clearer.
[deep breath]
I dreamed about a woman locked in an iron coffin...
[Andy freezes, eyes on Nile]
under the sea. She kept... drowning
[Andy stands, devastated]
and then coming back to life.
[Nicky looks back to Joe, who has leaned up behind him, then to Nile, concerned]
[she rocks back and forth as she speaks]
She was hammering her bloody fists and knees against the iron.
[Andy walks as if being forced, eyes unfocused, toward the bedroom]
She felt like something insane, something furious. But she kept fighting... and she kept drowning.
[bows head, chokes back a sob]
[Andy goes to the window behind the kitchen table, stares into the bedroom. Booker is leaning against the doors of the bookcase behind his cot; he shakes his head slowly, wincing, looks to the other men. Joe sits up against the wall, eyes serious, watching Nile. Nicky sits on the side of the bed, shoulders hunched, head down.]
Nicky: [raises head to look at Nile; both women deserve that honest respect]
Her name was Quynh.
[Vietnamese woman looks over right shoulder, long hair blowing, worn, ragged, unutterably weary]
Joe: She was one of us.
[woman walks across barren valley surrounded by low hills, head and shoulders shrouded with draped cloth, battle-axe in right hand]
The first immortal Andy found.
[Quynh lies on ground, barely conscious, face rough and blistered, lips chapped; eyelids flutter slightly as shadow falls across face]
They had been alone so long, when she found her...
[Andromache silhouetted against sun-seared sky as she looks down at Quynh]
Quynh had given up.
[Nile stares intently at Joe and Nicky, turns on bed to face them directly, sits cross-legged]
Way back it was her and Andy.
[Joe and Nicky watch Nile with sad compassion]
[Andy turns away, sits in closest kitchen chair, rubs eyes and face]
Before me and Nicky, it was just the two of them.
[Quynh and Andromache sit shoulder to shoulder, leaning against cave wall, a campfire in front of them, laughing together]
They ran through the world together,
[ancient battle scene, men running, shouting, horsemen charging]
[Andromache and Quynh are protecting a wagon transporting goods from raiders]
[Andromache rides a dark horse, slashes other horsemen with battle-ax as they pass]
[Quynh leaps up onto a wagon, turns to observe Andromache]
fought thousands of battles side by side.
[Andromache gallops toward two raiders. slashes mounted man on right as she drops to hang at horse’s left side, out of reach of his sword-strike, then swings ax backhand at man standing with upraised sword to left; he somersaults forward as first warrior falls from horse]
[Quynh shoots arrow to knock another raider from saddle, then turns to right. Andromache gallops next to wagon, extends left arm. Quynh grabs with left hand, Andromache pulls as Quynh jumps. Quynh lands on horse behind Andromache; they gallop away]
[Joe laughs slightly]
She was a pit viper in a fight.
[battle on ground. Andromache slashes man with axe as Quynh spins and shoots arrow into man with upraised sword. Quynh continues spin as she draws sword while Andromache raises axe, strikes down another raider. They spin toward each other as another enemy charges, hit him from each side -- Andromache with axe, Quynh with sword]
[Andy stares down, lost in memories, but looks toward bedroom window as story continues]
Nicky: They were in England, freeing so-called heretics from the witch trials.
[Nile stares at Joe and Nicky, riveted]
[Andy’s face through the window, sitting in dark, watching and listening]
But then Andy and Quynh,
[Andy turns away, looks down]
they were accused of witchcraft themselves,
[woman’s body hanging, hands bound behind with rope, crowd watching below]
and they were trapped and caught.
[crowd shouting, “Killers!” Andromache and Quynh hanging from nooses, limp. young girl watches, tugs man’s sleeve. woman shouts, “Some will rot in hell!”]
[man pushes girl behind him as Andromache and Quynh revive]
Joe: When they didn’t die, it proved their case,
[Andromache and Quynh choke and struggle in nooses while watching crowd]
and they got sentenced again and again.
[Dark cell, small fire for light. Andromache and Quynh, hair bedraggled, faces dirty, are manacled at wrists and ankles, chained to wall, sitting shoulder to shoulder.]
Quynh: I’ve never been burned alive before.
[turns to Andromache, at her right]
What do you think it’s gonna be like?
Andromache: Excruciating.
[Turns toward Quynh. Quynh smiles at her; Andromache smiles with small laugh.]
Quynh: Just you and me.
Andromache: Until the end.
[They gaze into each other’s eyes.]
[Cell door opens. A man comes in with a flaming torch, followed by a friar holding a plain wooden cross and two more men, larger, who head toward the women. The women draw back as keys jangle, watching warily.]
[Quynh’s manacles are unlocked. As the two large men grab and force her to her feet and away from Andromache, the big main door opens wide -- to reveal an iron maiden waiting outside.]
Quynh: [screams] No! [desperately] No! No, not this!
Andromache: [surges to her feet] Where are you taking her?
[Quynh continues screaming, shouting, “No!” and “Please!” as she is dragged from the cell]
Friar: [holds cross between him and Andromache]
You are too powerful together. For creatures such as you, there is no salvation.
Andromache: [shouting desperately] Quynh!
[As she watches, Quynh is forced toward the iron maiden. Quynh struggles and screams the entire time, but she is held too securely to fight, carried by a strong man holding each arm and each leg. Quynh is forced into the iron maiden as Andromache struggles against her manacles.]
Andromache: Quyyynnnh! [voice is frantic, raw scream] Quyyynnnh!
Quynh: [screams desperately as iron maiden is wrapped with rope and chains, then locked]
Andromache! Andromache!
[As the iron maiden is carried away on a wooden cart, the friar following with cross held high between the iron maiden and the people, Quynh continues to scream Andromache’s name.]
Andromache: Noooo! [screams tear at her throat] Quyyynnnh! Noooo!
[As the closing door shuts off sight of Quynh, Andromache falls to her knees, straining against her manacles until blood drips from her torn wrists, but she cannot get out. She sobs hopelessly.]
[View upward along the side of a wooden sailing ship. Several men lift the iron maiden over the rail and throw it into the ocean.]
Nicky: After Andy escaped, we spent decades searching for her or anyone on that ship who could tell us where she was cast off.
[Andy’s frozen expression begins to shatter; she closes her eyes and bows her head.]
Joe: She’s lived with that guilt ever since, but she blames herself for Quynh’s fate.
[Nile’s eyes lose focus as she considers what she’s learned.]
[Andy walks to the doorway of the bedroom, looks in without meeting anyone’s gaze. They all look up toward her.]
Nile: Why do you blame yourself?
Andy: [direct] I lost a soldier.
Nile: I feel her pain. Her rage.
[Andy closes her eyes, turns her head away]
She feels crazy.
[Nicky looks up, disturbed.]
Joe: [quietly solemn] Five hundred years in a box...
[Quynh’s face behind the iron maiden, bubbles burst upward as she screams]
at the bottom of the ocean... would make anyone insane.
[iron maiden is quiet and blank, Quynh dead inside]
Nicky: That’s the reason why we dread capture. Spend eternity in a cage.
[Quynh surges upward in her coffin, screams into void with burst of bubbles]
[Nile looks sick, takes a deep breath as she contemplates such a fate. Andy watches closely; this will be difficult.]
[Nile pushes herself up from the bed and stalks out of the room, brushing by Andy in the doorway. Andy sighs as she passes.]
[Andy and the men look at each other; there’s nothing to say. Andy takes a half-step in Nile’s direction, turns back to give one long look at the men. Joe’s eyes flick down, Nicky drops his head, Booker maintains an unwavering, stoic gaze. After a final look, Andy turns and follows Nile.]
[On her way through the living room, Nile grabs her jacket from the credenza, then storms past the TV and out the door. Andy grabs her pistol from the box between the easy chairs, tucks it in her back waistband, and follows.]
[As she leaves, Nicky enters the kitchen behind her.]
[Nile walks around the side of the church and some distance out into the grounds, then slows down and stops, swinging her arms as she looks around, but there’s nowhere to go.]
[On the other side of the church, a group of men approach; they’re dressed in black, wearing helmets and body-armor, carrying rifles. A large, black, square vehicle is parked behind them. The group -- a dozen or more -- proceed along the wall of the church.]
[A plane roars overhead, filling the night with sound; the lights sweep across Nile. She looks up, then turns, startled, when Andy speaks.]
Andy: [softly] Nile.
Nile: [fiercely] I don’t want this.
[voice grows angry as Andy comes closer]
I don’t want any of it.
Andy: I know. I know.
Nile: There isn’t one good thing in any of this.
Andy: I know this is hard.
[Nile stares at Andy, stone-faced and defiant. Andy is calm, reasonable]
It’s happening whether you want it or not.
[Nile looks away; that truth is too hard.]
[on other side, intruders proceed along wall of church, approach door to living quarters]
I know you’re scared, Nile.
[Nile isn’t watching Andy, but still listening]
Me and those three men in there will keep you safe.
Nile: [huffs a soft snort, faces Andy with disbelieving look, cocks head, speaks lightly]
Like Quynh?
[Andy lowers her eyes for a moment, acknowledges her point with a short nod, then raises her eyes to Nile, takes a breath, answers steadily.]
Andy: We’re all you’ve got.
[Andy watches her calmly; Nile drops her eyes and turns her head, thinking.]
[Gunshot in distance. Both women crouch, alert; Andy draws her pistol. Second shot. They move behind some tallish flowering plants -- precious little concealment -- shoulder to shoulder, peering into the darkness toward the sound. Third shot.]
Nile: [quietly] What’s happening?
Andy: [whispers] They found us.
[Open doorway, backlit by moonlight. Andy appears, pistol raised. The closest easy chair in the living room, along with the small round side table, are on their sides on the floor.]
[Andy enters, face intent, clearing the room like the professional she is, pistol ready to use. Nile follows. Booker is slumped in the other easy chair, not moving, blood on his face. The TV shows a football (soccer) match playing. The lamp on the credenza next to the kitchen-arch is knocked sideways, and some of the books and papers have fallen to litter the floor.]
Andy: [calls] Joe? Nicky?
[Booker is obviously dead; his stomach and chest are a mass of gaping wounds and blood, and there are bloody holes in his face. Glass shards from the liquor bottle cover the top of the wooden crate between the chairs.]
Nile: [stares at Booker, quietly appalled] Shit.
Andy: [keeps pistol ready, moves close]
Booker.
[kicks his foot]
You still with me?
[goes to one knee in front of him. reverses pistol, holds it out to Nile]
Clear the back room. Find Joe and Nicky.
[Nile takes pistol, checks it, quickly heads that way]
Hey. Hey.
[Andy cradles Booker’s face in her hands]
Book.
[looks down at the terrible, gaping holes in his body, voice drops to a whisper as she leans close enough to feel his breath on her face -- if he were breathing]
Come on. Come back to me.
[clenches her teeth, angry; shakes him a little]
You’re still in this shitty game with me.
[whispering, desperate]
You hear me?
[holds his limp head firmly]
You wake up.
[pauses a beat, waits for him... then slaps his head as she shouts,]
Wake up!
[Booker revives with a pained but muffled cry. He groans as he curls over his torn belly, leaning so far that Andy has to keep him from falling; they’re forehead to forehead as she holds his shoulders. Andy breathes deeply with relief, almost gasping, then pushes him back so he’s leaning against the chair’s back.]
Nile: They’re not here. [stares at Booker’s revival process]
[Booker grunts painfully and inhales sharply.]
Andy: Welcome back, asshole. Thanks for taking your time.
Booker: [groans as he looks down at self, throws head against back of chair as body tenses with pain, speaks through clenched teeth]
Aahh! It hurts everywhere. How bad is it?
[Nile continues to stare, shaken that anyone can be conscious and lucid with such bodily damage, that she can see them healing.]
Andy: [deep breath as she rises] It’s an improvement.
[Booker laughs, then coughs from the pain.]
Andy: [scans damage in room] How many?
Booker: [looks up] I don’t know.
Andy: Where are Nicky and Joe?
Booker: I don’t know! [groans] I... I turned on the game.
[Quick flash: Booker and Joe in the easy chairs, watching the football match; Booker gestures wildly with left arm, leans forward to expound about the play. Nicky sits at kitchen table reading a book, leaning on his left arm, resting his head on his right hand. Sudden reactions: Nicky turns his head quickly to the left, starts to push up. Joe turns his head to the left while pushing up from his chair, eyes wide. Booker also turns and pushes up, seemingly a half-second behind Joe. Joe is half-standing when...]
[Door bursts inward. A dark, helmeted figure appears in the doorway, a grenade bounces on the floor, loud explosion, smoke fills the room, shadow figures move through it.]
Booker: A grenade hit me. Lost the plot after that.
[A dark courtyard shows a red-brick house to each side of a paved area. The left house has graffiti-covered plywood over the windows and doors, with vines hanging from the roof, partly blocking them. The right house has a roof-high hedge growing next to the wall. An old, junked car with a missing rear door sits in the grass next to the graffiti-covered house, with a large, dark panel van in front of it. Through a vine-covered stone archway behind the van, the rear of an even larger van is seen; a shadowy figure in combat gear is moving next to it.]
[One of the vans has been turned into a surveillance hub. A large monitor shows a split-screen with 4 different views. Top left shows interior of a van with soldiers sitting on the side benches. Joe is on the floor in the middle, hunched over, head bowed, elbows on knees, legs stretched out in front of him. Behind Joe, Nicky is lying still. Top right view shows a figure in combat gear walking between two vehicles. Bottom left view shows six figures in combat gear crouched outside the walls of the church, with a 7th figure coming into view from the right, rifle pointing forward. Bottom right view shows the rear of a van, with a guard in combat gear a short distance away on each side.]
Soldier on radio: Two in transport.
[Camera pans back. Keane and Copley sit in front of the monitor. Copley is holding a radio in his hand. Keane, to his right, is wearing headphone, intently watching the monitor.]
Copley: [into radio] No, no. We need the woman.
Soldier: Wasn’t there, and the other guy’s in pieces.
[Keane flips switches to bring up different views on monitor.]
Copley: [clenches jaw, quietly to Keane] She’s there.
Andy: [understanding hits; whispers] Copley.
Nile: Copley?
Andy: They’re coming back. They want all of us.
[‘warrior mode’ engaged; speaks as she strides toward door]
You stay here. Wait for my signal.
[grabs a sword from umbrella stand and hurries out]
Nile: [to empty doorway] What signal?
[turns to Booker]
What does that even mean?
Booker: [laughs raggedly, still in pain]
You’ll know it when it comes.
[gasps, looks down at his body, looks up to reassure Nile]
Oh by the way,
[gestures with right hand, finger raised]
it’s not always like this now. Big wounds take longer to heal.
Nile: [skeptical sideways head-bob] Sure.
[Surveillance van interior, monitor shows soldiers going forward. Copley and Keane watch.]
Soldier: [on radio] Bravo Team approaching church.
[Group of soldiers gather in entrance hall of church, just outside an archway that leads to the congregation area. Pause.]
Soldier: [quietly] Go, go, go.
“The World We Made” by Ruelle begins playing
Secrets follow us,
Visions, we can't forget.
The animal inside got ahold of us,
But we don't feel regret.
There's no resisting,
It's in our blood,
In our blood, in our veins.
This is the world we made.
This is the world we made.
This is the world we made.
[Soldiers spread out among the pews, searching. Andy is above in the loft, half hidden behind a large statue (saint? angel?) as she evaluates their pattern and movements.]
[Andy jumps down into the middle of a cluster of men, moving into the attack as soon as her feet hit the floor, using a sword in her right hand and a pistol in her left.]
[Her sword stabs the man in front of her, sweeps in a wide backward arc to slice a second man, shoots a third, slices a fourth, shoots a fifth, stabs a sixth, shoots a seventh. She is constantly twisting, turning, lunging, dropping low to slash legs, standing to slash necks, firing the pistol, moving so fast the soldiers’ reactions are too slow to hit her as they try to shoot.]
[Andy cries out as eight stabs her right shoulder from behind. She grabs eight’s arm, ducks under it as she slashes his body, aims over the crumpling man to shoot nine, grabs eight around neck with her left arm and throws him to the floor, coils her body, drops into a half-crouch, extends her arms to each side to slash ten and shoot eleven simultaneously. Rises to shoot twelve, grabs thirteen’s arm and slices off his hand, yanks him against her back to use as a cushion as she drops and rolls over three shallow steps down, uses the rolling momentum to carry her upright for a straight lunge to thrust the sword into fourteen.]
[Stillness. Andy pants heavily as she stares at the man, then pulls out her sword and stands. Waits.]
[In the entrance hall, one soldier looks around uneasily, then stands and moves toward the entrance arch, with the others following.]
Soldier: Come on! Move! Move!
Nile: [urgently, watching the door] We’ve gotta get out there!
[turns, looks toward Booker]
We need to help her!
Booker: [calmly, unworried] No, that’s not the signal. [starts to rise]
[Exterior view of church. Gunfire sounds, with flashes of light through the windows. Soldiers are shouting inside. More soldiers creep along outside the wall of the church. A soldier turns a corner, raises a fist in signal -- just as Andy steps out of a side door and shoots him. She walks forward, turns the corner, shoots the next soldier.]
[The monitor in the surveillance van -- screen now set to a single view -- shows scene after scene of death and destruction, black-clad bodies lying sprawled, and no one alive. Keane slowly removes his headphones, mouth agape, as he stares.]
Copley: Mr. Keane.
[breathes deeply, voice quiet but intense]
I strongly recommend that we leave right now.
[they scramble from chairs, hurry away]
[Andy is crouched over an open carry-bag in the grass, pulling out extra magazines. She raises her pistol and moves forward.]
[Booker is in the bedroom, buttoning the sleeves of a fresh shirt that’s hanging open in front. His chest and stomach are mostly healed, just one thin line of bloody scar tissue showing. He begins to shove clothing into a carry-bag.]
Nile: [strides to doorway from other room, speaks urgently]
Come on! Let’s move!
Booker: [firmly] Wait for the signal.
[turns, reaches to grab more stuff]
Nile: [angry, voice raised as she strides into kitchen toward outer door]
How the hell can you even tell?
[flinches back as explosion blast breaks windows in living room]
[stares, says quietly,]
Oh.
Booker: [commanding] Let’s go!
[Booker slings the carry-bag over his left shoulder, picks up Andy’s labrys in its carry-case and slings that on top, walks through the bedroom door, buttoning his shirt as he goes. His shirt closes over smooth, unmarked skin.]
[Nile enters the church first, pistol drawn and extended. As she registers what she’s seeing, her pistol lowers; she pauses, staring at all the sprawled bodies. Booker hurries past.]
Nile: [quiet disbelief] Andy did all this herself?
Booker: Yeah. That woman has forgotten more ways to kill than entire armies will ever learn.
[walks quickly, checking (loading?) his rifle]
Nile: [following slowly]
Who are they? How’d they find you?
[lags behind, still staring at the carnage]
Booker: [at outer door] I don’t know. [commanding] Let’s go!
[Booker moves quickly outside. Nile runs to catch up.]
[Outside, a vehicle is in flames. Booker runs past it, Nile following... then Nile looks ahead and pauses, watching, face expressionless. Andy stands beside the driver’s side of a car, face and clothing streaked with blood-spatter, door open. She gazes at Nile, equally expressionless, then gestures slightly with her arm toward the car before she folds herself into the driver’s seat. The car speeds into the night, its headlights illuminating the empty road ahead.]
[Large, square van driving down the road. Inside, soldiers sit on side benches. Joe sits in the middle of the floor, elbows on raised knees, coughing violently. His hands are zip-tied in front of him, ankles are bound with a length of chain between them, and the front of his shirt has a bloody bullet-hole just above his heart. Nicky lies to Joe’s left and slightly behind, crumpled on his left side; a trail of blood leads from his right temple down the side of his face.]
Joe: [reaches out to touch Nicky’s shoulder, speaks quietly] Nicolò.
Soldier: [kicks Joe’s boot] Quiet.
Joe: Nicolò, destati. Destati! (wake up)
[pushes harder on his shoulder, leans over Nicky]
Soldier: [louder] I said --
[Another solder pulls Joe upright, away from Nicky.]
Joe: [looks up at speaker, voice firm]
I know what you said. What are you gonna do? Kill me?
[curls over Nicky, voice urgent]
Nicolò, destati.
[ignores another kick to his boot, attempt to pull him back]
Destati!
Nicky: [quietly, barely conscious] Sono qui. Sono qui. (I’m here. I’m here.)
[breathes heavily, groans slightly, starts to pick himself up awkwardly, hands also zip-tied]
Ovunque qui sia. (Wherever here is.)
Joe: [glances around the space] In un blindato. Hanno usato del gas.
(In an armored van. They used gas.)
Soldier: I told you, shut up!
Joe: [calmly but intently] I need to know he’s okay.
[Nicky makes it to a seated position, leans against an unoccupied section of the bench. His shirt has a bloody bullet-hole on the left shoulder.]
Soldier: [sneering] That’s sweet. What is he? Your boyfriend?
[Nicky sighs deeply as the soldiers laugh, rolls his head to the side; he and Joe have heard such things so many times before.]
Joe: [intensely, vibrantly]
You’re a child. An infant. Your mocking is thus infantile. He’s not my boyfriend. This man is more to me than you can dream.
[As Nicky watches Joe speak, his eyes visibly widen, and love shines in his face.]
He’s the moon when I’m lost in darkness and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me, even after a millennia. His heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy of. I love this man beyond measure and reason. He’s not my boyfriend.
[pauses, deep breath, gazes at Nicky, deeply heart-felt]
[Nicky gazes back, equally heart-felt, jaw clenching with emotion]
He’s all and he’s more.
Nicky: [softly] You’re an incurable romantic.
[He leans forward, smiling; Joe meets him halfway with a matching smile. They kiss, deeply... until the soldiers, uncomfortable with this display, pounce on them and drag them apart.]
[A private plane stands on the tarmac, the logo G-MRCK on its side. Keane, Copley, a group of soldiers stand near the lowered stairs. The van drives up and parks near it. Keane opens the back door; one of the soldiers rolls out, falls to the pavement, dead. The outside soldiers cock their pistols and point into the van. All the soldiers inside are sprawled, dead. Joe sits relaxed on one of the benches, elbows on knees; Nicky sits on the floor next to his legs, equally relaxed. Both smile at their captors.]
Nicky: I don’t suppose it would be possible to get these chains off of us?
[lifts his bound hands, grins up at Joe]
Keane: [angry] Get ‘em out, get ‘em out! Get ‘em on the plane now!
Joe: [philosophically] I guess not.
[Copley watches, frowning, as they are ‘escorted’ out of the van at gunpoint. As he walks by, Nicky gives him a level look.]
Nicky: We are usually a better judge of character.
[looks at plane, starts up stairs; guard pushes his back and points pistol at him]
I suppose you are taking us to the person who paid for your betrayal.
Joe: [looks at plane, turns to Copley as he passes; sounds a little surprised, a little approving]
It’s a nice plane.
[Joe also climbs stairs with guard pushing and pointing a pistol]
Nicky: [calling from inside] There’s a TV, Joe.
Joe: [also inside] Champagne?
[Copley looks at Keane, hesitates, then follows them up the stairs.]
[Aerial view, dawn breaking over a green landscape.]
VAL D’ARGENT FRANCE appears on screen
[Rear view of a car -- small, blue BMW, license NJSW 68R -- driving on a narrow road, kicking up dust behind. Nile is in the back seat, right side; Andy is driving. Nile is quiet, stoic, occasionally watches Andy’s profile; she’s equally stoic. Andy stops in front of what appears to be a large wall of corrugated metal, with low trees/high bushes growing close on each side. It’s marked with graffiti and a large sign that reads: ATTENTION. DEFENSE D’ENTRAR. Booker gets out and goes to the right side. A chain rattles, then Booker opens what is actually a large gate and swings it to the left side. Andy drives past, and Booker closes the gate behind them.]
[The car drives farther, stops in a flat area with a low bluff to the left and trees around and ahead; it seems very secluded. Everyone gets out. Andy crosses the front of the car, glances around to get her bearings, heads for some young trees with low-hanging branches. She stoops a little to push through them, Booker and Nile behind her.]
[We hear a bolt or latch move; from the inside darkness, light appears as a pair of doors open. Andy and Booker are silhouetted against the light, with tree branches against the sky behind them. Nile follows them into darkness. We hear a ‘thunk’ as Andy throws a generator switch, and a few lights come on, mounted on the walls. It’s not bright, but enough to move around without falling over things, and to see what you’re doing. They’re in a large cave, with rough-hewn walls and various items scattered around, unidentifiable in the shadows.]
[Andy moves farther inside, familiar with the layout, with Booker right behind. Nile follows more slowly, looking around.]
Nile: What is this place?
Andy: An abandoned mine.
[lights a long match, holds it to wick of hurricane lantern]
We stumbled on it during the Baussenque Wars. Eleven-fifties, maybe?
[Nile, looking around, quickly shifts gaze to Andy, reminded again of her age]
[Andy picks up lantern and stands]
I used to keep my stuff here.
[Andy gives the lantern to Nile. Nile raises her eyes as she accepts it; apparently she has permission to look around. Andy and Booker walk to a side area that holds a large pile of cut wood.]
Andy: Here...
[Nile slowly wanders, using the lantern to examine what she finds. A strange metal helmet that would cover the head. A painting half hidden under a cloth. She lifts the cloth to see a woman in clothes from an earlier time -- Andy -- with a black man standing behind her, holding her with his arm around her waist.]
[Andy squats in the middle of the floor, breaking kindling; she looks to see what Nile is doing, but doesn’t say anything.]
[Nile continues, checks out a box with a mining tools (handle of a shovel), plus a couple of crossbows and some bolts for them. Next to the box is a statue half-covered with a cloth; she lifts the cloth to see a bronze nude woman. Nile drops the cloth completely as she stares in surprise.]
Nile: [breathless] Is this a Rodin?
Andy: [crouches next to Booker, helping to build a fire. looks up, nods briefly]
Yeah.
Nile: [voice shows amazement] This is an -- honest to God -- Rodin.
[holds lantern closer for a better look, pauses]
Wait... did you know him?
Booker: [stirs the fire] Probably biblically.
[Andy gives him an affectionate punch on the left shoulder; he laughs as she smiles. Nile continues her exploration.]
Andy: Get to work finding Copley. He’s got Nicky and Joe.
[Booker brushes off his hands, goes to get his laptop. Andy stares into the fire.]
[MERRICK in big letters on the side of a fancy, modern, high-rise building.]
Merrick: [on cellphone] It can hardly be unique if they can make another copy.
[looks up, sees Keane walking down hall, followed by Joe, Nicky, soldiers, Copley]
I’ve gotta go.
[Tucks phone into jacket inner breast pocket. He enters an outer office from the right, with Dr. Kozak several paces behind.]
[Joe and Nicky are brought into the room from the left, still zip-tied and hobbled, with a man holding each arm, and armed guards following, weapons aimed. The guards stop them; they’re standing next to each other in the middle of the room, Joe to Nicky’s right. Copley walks past everyone and takes a position to the side, out of the way.]
Merrick: Ah! Gentlemen, welcome. I am truly honored to meet you. [pompously] Together, we shall do such things. What they are yet, I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the Earth.
[Joe and Nicky regard him with skepticism and disbelief]
Or, um, rather the saviors.
[Copley shifts eyes from Joe and Nicky to stare at Merrick]
Lear... Shakespeare.
[Nicky and Joe look at each other]
[Merrick gestures to zip-ties, turns to Keane]
Um, can we take the cuffs off?
Keane: [meaningfully] No, sir.
[glances at the guards aiming weapons at Joe and Nicky from behind]
We can’t.
[Kozak, several steps behind Merrick, cranes her head to stare avidly at Joe and Nicky.]
Merrick: My apologies. Let’s get off on the right foot, shall we? I’m Steven Merrick, youngest CEO in pharma.
[Nicky is not impressed]
Our work here is all about balance.
[moves directly in front of Joe, who frowns, watching and calculating]
How do we push the scientific frontiers whilst also turning a little profit?
[Joe slams forehead into Merrick’s face -- hard]
[Merrick cries out and stumbles back, catches himself on a desk. Keane hurries to Joe, uses left hand to grab him around the throat while right hand holds a pistol inches from his face. ]
Joe: [through gritted teeth, ignoring Keane]
There’s your balance, asshole.
[Keane disengages, but the guard behind Joe clubs him across the back of the neck. Joe grunts and folds over, but another guard holds him up so he can’t fall. Nicky tries to move closer to Joe; the guards hold him in place.]
Keane: [going to him] Mr. Merrick?
Merrick: Yes, yes, yes.
Keane: Watch it.
Merrick: Mr. Copley provided me with footage of your unique talent,
[picks up metal letter-opener from desk]
but I prefer my evidence to be indisputable.
[crosses to Joe, still bent over; stabs him viciously and repeatedly on upper back and neck]
[Joe goes to his knees under the attack.]
Nicky: [struggles to pull free from guards holding him] No!
[A guard hits him in the stomach; he folds over on his knees, next to Joe. Both are bent with faces close to the floor, tightly held by several guards each, Nicky watching Joe.]
Copley: [in protest] Mr. Merrick!
Joe: [groans, grimaces, speaks through gritted teeth] God damn it! Ugh! Shit!
[Kozak moves closer to Joe, watches as the wounds start to heal.]
Merrick: What do you see?
Kozak: [breathing heavily] The Nobel Prize.
[Copley glances at her, then back to Joe, frowning.]
Merrick: And a fair few quid to boot. [chuckles]
[guards drag Joe upward, but keep him on his knees. Nicky watches, concerned; he straightens on his knees next to Joe]
We brought a cancer drug to the market last quarter.
[Joe turns to look at Nicky, tips his head forward. Nicky answers with his own head-tip; their foreheads touch for a moment before the guards pull them apart.]
It’s already saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
[Joe and Nicky turn their attention to him]
Yet, in development, it killed a quarter of a million lab mice. Now, I didn’t ask for their little permissions. I’m not gonna ask for yours.
Joe: [watches Merrick intently as Nicky glares up at the man]
He thinks you’re a mouse, Nicky.
[Nicky looks to Joe, then back to Merrick]
[Copley watches, still frowning.]
Merrick: There’s genetic code inside you which could help every human being on Earth. We’re morally obliged to take it.
Joe: What?
[Kozak comes forward with two cylindrical somethings in her hands.]
Joe: What is that? Wait!
Nicky: Hey!
[Tasers crackle against their backs; they groan as they collapse to the floor, Nicky behind Joe. Nicky can see the doctor’s hand use an injector against Joe’s neck, and the other hand with an injector coming toward him.]
Nicky: [strained] No!
[Kozak plunges the injector into Nicky’s neck, then stands back. The guards haul them up -- either unconscious or temporarily paralyzed -- and drag them from the room.]
Kozak: [to Merrick] I’ll keep you informed of my progress.
Merrick: Yes. Yes, you do that.
[Kozak follows the guards and their captives out.]
[Merrick heads through another door. Copley follows.]
Copley: Mr. Merrick... [Merrick turns] this is about science, not profits... or sadism.
Merrick: You owe me two more. [climbs stairs out of sight]
Continued in Part 2