Harsh Realm "Lines in the Sand" by Jon Sheppard TEASER EXT. DIRT ROAD -- DAY Camera fades in, slowly approaching Pinocchio's battered car, bouncing slowly off the road and into the forest next to it. The car is moving slowly, the brake lights flashing a few times. The car stops and we hear the ignition switched off. The tail-lights fade. It's midday, but the trees are thick and they make the area dark, mostly obscuring the car. ==SOUTHERN CONNETICUT== ==HARSH REALM== The doors open, and PINOCCHIO and HOBBES emerge from the car. DEXTER hops out PINOCCHIO's side, stands sniffing in the long grass. PINOCCHIO walks to the trunk, pops it, reaches in. He finds a gas-can, lifts it out, shakes it. We hear the sound of very little gas sloshing around inside. PINOCCHIO We are shit outta gas. HOBBES Guess we'll have to walk for a while... PINOCCHIO nods. He replaces the gas-can, takes out a big, folded camouflage net. After he slams the trunk, he flings the net over the car, spreads it out more or less even. The net is thick and well-designed, and the car seems almost to disappear. PINOCCHIO leans on one of the fenders. HOBBES Which way do you think? Back towards the state line? PINOCCHIO No. There's civilization closer than that. HOBBES Where? PINOCCHIO Five, ten miles that way. PINOCCHIO points off into the woods. HOBBES Another settlement? PINOCCHIO Yeah. Used to be, anyhow. HOBBES You're not sure? PINOCCHIO Last time I was this far north, GI, I was working for Santiago. HOBBES How long ago was that? They start to walk through the woods, parallel to the road. PINOCCHIO (bitterly) Not long enough. Suddenly, we hear the sound of vehicles. Several of them, moving slowly, not far away. PINOCCHIO looks around, sees something. He grabs HOBBES's shoulder, shoves them both down in the bushes. PINOCCHIO (whispering) Republican Guard. A whole mess of 'em. Up the road a mile or so. HOBBES looks around, crouched low. He is wearing a pistol in a leather holster, butt- forward on his left hip. He draws it, cocks it with his thumb, holds it down low, searching the area for the enemy. PINOCCHIO has his MP5 in his hand as well. Down on the road, the convoy continues to pass. Finally it's gone, totalling four vehicles and probably better than thirty-five soldiers. Away somewhere down the road. PINOCCHIO I've got a suggestion. (pause) Let's get the hell outta here. FADE. INTRODUCTION & OPENING CREDITS ACT ONE EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY A small village of log homes, large tents and green grass, gravel paths between the buildings. It all looks very recent, very temporary, it seems like a scene out of M.A.S.H. There are a few vehicles, old Jeeps and a couple of stolen Hummers, Santiago's crossed- swords emblem painted over on the doors and hood. There's a water pump standing in the ground. People bustle about busily, getting on with their work. A man in a plaid shirt with a revolver tucked in his belt is chopping firewood with a large axe. Two kids play marbles on one of the gravel pathways. A young woman with red hair sits next to a shotgun, rigging a homemade fishing rod. HOBBES and PINOCCHIO are walking towards the little settlement, on one of the gravel pathways that stretches away into the woods, back the way they came. Their weapons are holstered. Both seem a little tired and out of breath. PINOCCHIO's hand rests lightly on the grips of his gun, low on his hip, but he doesn't seem worried. Neither of them has shaved lately. PINOCCHIO is clad in combat boots, cargo pants, a black T- shirt, his combat webbing, an automatic pistol tucked in his belt and the MP5 on his hip. HOBBES, walking beside him, wears work boots, navy cargo pants, a plain grey sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up. ==RED HILL, CONNETICUT== ==HARSH REALM== A sign is stuck in the ground, plywood on a wooden stake. It reads: ==WELCOME TO RED HILL== They walk past it, and continue into town. The camera follows them, lagging a little behind. They make a right at the first junction, and they see something up ahead on the left--a log building with windows across the front, a hand-lettered sign sticking out of the ground next to it. It reads: ==TRAVELLER'S TAVERN== They head for the tavern, walking a little quicker now. The thought of a hot meal and a cup of coffee is something that neither of them can resist. They reach the door. HOBBES opens it for PINOCCHIO, and then follows him inside. INT.TAVERN -- DAY The inside of the tavern is dimly lit. Several people sit at the bar, nursing drinks. The tables are made from phone-cable spindles and such, everything looks like it was scrounged from somewhere. The bartender is pouring drinks, and a waitress moves around, distributing food. She's in her late teens, cute. HOBBES smiles at her as they enter, his smile a striking contrast to the stubble and smeared dirt on his face. She returns it. HOBBES (grinning) I smell coffee. You smell that? HOBBES and PINOCCHIO find a table off in the corner. There's a piece of paper sitting on the table (covered in a red-and-white-checked plastic tablecloth, with only a few rips and holes in it) that reads: ==MENU== They sit. PINOCCHIO looks at the menu. PINOCCHIO What've we got here...bacon and eggs...roast beef, roast ham, turkey soup...rice... HOBBES waits until he's finished, takes the menu from him and reads it for himself. The WAITRESS approaches after a moment, carrying a round tray against her hip. She bends over the table, smiling briliantly. Her eyes are green. The nametag on her sweater says SUNNY. SUNNY Can I help you gentlemen? PINOCCHIO (smiling, for once) Yes you can, honey. Two steak sandwiches, on rye. And coffee. Lots of coffee. SUNNY How would you like the coffee? PINOCCHIO Black and hot as the hubs of hell. SUNNY turns to HOBBES, who returns her smile. SUNNY And for you, handsome? HOBBES (smiling) Same as my friend here. Except there's sugar in my coffee. SUNNY Alright, then... She saits. Obviously there's something they've forgotten. HOBBES realizes it, suddenly. She wants them to pay for it in advance. Considering how they look, he understands. HOBBES reaches under his jacket, pulls out his pistol. He presses the magazine release and takes the clip out of the gun. He fingers the top round loose, stands it on end on the tabletop. He puts the magazine back in the gun, and the gun back in his holster. SUNNY takes the bullet and sticks it in a pocket of her apron. As she does this, HOBBES notices the butt of a small revolver tucked under her apron, a hammerless model with wooden grips. She walks towards the bar, to get their food. HOBBES and PINOCCHIO look at each other across the table. A quiet minute goes by, and then SUNNY reappears, two big plates on her tray. She sets them down, each holding a couple of steak sandwiches and some french fries. She puts a big coffee pot down between them, two large mugs, a small pot of cream and a bowl of sugar. HOBBES nods his thanks to SUNNY, and they both dig into the food, eating hungrily and quickly. Neither of them has had a real meal in days. HOBBES demolishes his first sandwich, mixes himself a cup of coffee and drinks it appreciatively. PINOCCHIO (with his mouth full) This beats the hell out of C-rations. HOBBES nods his agreement. He's too busy eating and drinking to answer vocally. EXT. VILLAGE -- LATE AFTERNOON HOBBES and PINOCCHIO stand outside the tavern where they've just eaten a hearty meal and drank all the coffee they could get their hands on. HOBBES pulls on his jacket, zippers it halfway up. PINOCCHIO I'm gonna see if there's some place we can sleep around here. Don't wander off. HOBBES watches him leave, and takes a walk, not venturing too far from the TAVERN. He passes several log buildings, a few pitched tents, a few larger, permaneant tents, a few Port-o-Potty toilets. He walks easily, looking around at the people finishing up their work. The sun hasn't gone down yet, but it's going to soon. Life in this little village is starting to slow down. The camera stays close to HOBBES but he goes out of focus. In the distance we see a beautiful young woman, short blond hair slicked back with gel or mousse. She is petite, shapely, with brown eyes. She wears work boots, jeans worn through at the knees, and a green sweater with a frayed collar. This is MELANIE. From the way she carries herself, we can see she is, or was, a soldier. There is a Beretta in a holster on her hip, a small revolver tucked under her belt on the other side, a knife sheathed on the same hip. There is a bandage across her forehead, just above her right eyebrow, from a recent fight. She begins to walk towards HOBBES. The camera returns to HOBBES, who is standing looking around the little town, a happy look on his face. It pleases him to think that there are a few settlements that haven't budged, that aren't afraid of Santiago's advances not too far away. He takes a last look around, glances at his wristwatch. He should go find PINOCCHIO. He turns to leave... And almost bumps into MELANIE. HOBBES Uh...sorry. He steps around her, starts to walk back towards the TAVERN. MELANIE turns and looks at him as he starts to walk away. MELANIE Excuse me... HOBBES stops, not looking back at her. His jaw works. He's wondering, is this going to be trouble? He hopes not. He just wants to get some sleep, then get moving again. He turns to face her. MELANIE (looking at his face carefully) You're him. HOBBES is puzzled. MELANIE You're Hobbes. Aren't you? Tom Hobbes. HOBBES Who are you? MELANIE My name is Melanie Wiley. I'm the...uh...I run things around here. HOBBES nods. HOBBES How did you know me? MELANIE I've heard talk. Santiago's got a major-league hate on for you and your friends. It's been on the radio. HOBBES looks a question at her. MELANIE We pick up the Santiago station sometimes, even this far out. They think it's getting bounced off a satellite somewhere. What good's propaganda if it's not being heard? HOBBES nods. HOBBES Say anything good about me? MELANIE You don't want to know. HOBBES smiles at the thought. HOBBES I'd better go find Pinocchio. I told him I was gonna meet him... MELANIE How is Michael these days? HOBBES About like usual. MELANIE That bad, huh? HOBBES smiles. MELANIE Come on. Walk with me. We'll track him down. HOBBES It's impressive...what you've done here. MELANIE Like what I've done with the place, do you? HOBBES nods. HOBBES Where did you get your hands on all of this stuff? Building materials, equipment...vehicles...weapons... MELANIE Santiago was a little more trusting of his own people in those days. I took plenty of his toys with me when I went outside the Fence. We farm some, keep some livestock. HOBBES How long has this been here? MELANIE It'll be a year in July. HOBBES nods. MELANIE So, what's Uncle Omar been up to lately? HOBBES The usual...rape, pillaging, murder, genocide. MELANIE Everybody needs a hobby, I guess. HOBBES grimaces--that would sound funny, under normal circumstances. But these aren't normal circumstances...not by a long shot. HOBBES We passed a convoy about six miles north of here, just the other side of that ridge. MELANIE I know. HOBBES You do? MELANIE They get closer every week. We've got sentries out, keeping an eye on them. They've been trying to find us for near two months now. (pause) Well, they haven't found us yet. Whether that's their stupidity or our blind luck, I'm not sure. HOBBES What happens when they do find Red Hill? MELANIE takes the revolver from her belt. She pops the cylinder out on it's crane, checks the load, slides the cylinder back into place and tucks the revolver back in her belt. MELANIE When they do, they're going to have one hell of a fight on their hands. MELANIE looks over at HOBBES, a grim, serious look on her face. She really means it. Red Hill is one town that isn't gonna go down without a fight. They round a corner, and we see PINOCCHIO in the distance, hands on his hips, looking around, a slightly annoyed look on his unshaven face. HOBBES You got guns, ammunition, explosives, all the goodies. How are you for manpower? MELANIE Forty-five, fifty men, give or take one or two. Rifles and shotguns all around. HOBBES They trained? MELANIE I trained them myself. They're as ready as they're ever gonna be. For a bunch of civillians, they aren't too shabby. HOBBES How'd you end up here? MELANIE I was in the Infantry. My whole platoon got wiped out, in Somalia. I almost didn't make it out myself. Three months in an Army hospital before I could walk again. Intel boys showed up about two weeks after I got checked into Bethesda, started waytalking to me about this new training sim they were working on. They said I was perfect for it. Light duty, right? Nothing too serious. They continue down the path towards PINOCCHIO. MELANIE I got tired of following orders dictated by a man without a conscience. So I checked out of Santiago City. And here I am. My orders were to fight Santiago. I figure they're open to interpretation. HOBBES Seems like just about everything is, around here. MELANIE Well, Santiago's gone too long unchecked. It's time somebody drew a line in the sand. Might as well be me, right? HOBBES smiles. It's obvious he likes the way MELANIE thinks. MELANIE I just wish I had more men... HOBBES You've got two more, if that makes you feel any better. MELANIE smiles at him. MELANIE You mean it? HOBBES nods. EXT. VILLAGE -- NIGHT A fire burns inside a ring of stones. A few people sit close around it. A few feet further away are HOBBES and PINOCCHIO, sitting on the same foot-high logs most of the people here are using for chairs. PINOCCHIO has his MP5 across his knees and is wiping it down with an oilcloth. HOBBES These people are for real, Pinnochio. They're going to fight Santiago's Expeditionary Force when it gets here. We're sitting in the middle of a Resistance movement waiting to happen. PINOCCHIO Don't count on it, Hobbes... HOBBES Why not? Look around. PINOCCHIO Kid, one thing there's never gonna be a shortage of in Harsh Realm is cowardice. Do you think Santiago would've been able to take Virginia...Pennsylvania... Massachusetts...Maryland...if there was some concept of honor or bravery among all the damn VC and stray GI's? HOBBES They're ready, Pinocchio. Look at them. They're armed. They're standing a watch through the night, rotating off every four hours. They're training all the time. They've got food... water...supplies...and there's a woman back there who's leading them. She's a GI, and a good one. PINOCCHIO Maybe... HOBBES You know I don't give you orders. That's not how I work. But I'm gonna stay and help them. I think you should, too. PINOCCHIO Why d'you say that? HOBBES When are we gonna stop running? Fight or flight, Pinocchio. What's it gonna be? PINOCCHIO puts the magazine back in his MP5, works the bolt to put a round in the chamber. He folds the stock back against the barrel, slides the gun back into the clip on his right hip. PINOCCHIO How much is she paying you? HOBBES Ten gold pieces a day. Plus food and a place to sleep, on the house. PINOCCHIO stands up, one hand on the handle of his MP5. He looks at HOBBES, with a crooked kind of grin on his face. PINOCCHIO What the hell. ADVERTISEMENT BREAK 1 ACT TWO EXT. VILLAGE -- SUNRISE ==RED HILL, CONNETICUT== ==HARSH REALM== We see HOBBES, walking in the worn gravel streets of Red Hill, wearing his usual outfit minus the jacket. His gun is tucked in his belt behind his hip. He looks well-rested, happy. It is warm, and his sleeves are rolled up his forearms. He ducks around a few kids on their way to something remotely resembling a schoolhouse, and smiles. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave? O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave? Every day I'm in Harsh Realm I see people who are brave enough to survive, Sophie, to carve out lives for themselves and their loved ones in this place ruled by the Sword. Several of the men nod to HOBBES as he passes. One salutes him. He returns it, keeps walking. These men know who he is, know the rumours that have circulated about one Lieutenant Thomas F. Hobbes. That he's "the one". That he's the GI who's going to take Santiago out. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) But no one will rise. In the five years of his rule, no one had stood up to face Santiago's might and said to him loudly and clearly...No. No, we won't run and hide. No, we aren't afraid of you. No, you aren't going to take our homes and our land for your empire and our children for your Army and our food for your hunger. HOBBES turns a corner, heads towards a bunker that lies near the southern edge of Red Hill. The settlement really isn't all that big, ten or fifteen buildings, probably twice as many tents, stretched out across a square mile of grassland. Camp fires burn here and there. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) Until Red Hill, Conneticut. They had made ready, Sophie. They were going to do it. Do what no one had done ever before in Harsh Realm. Draw a line in the sand and dare General Santiago to cross it. Red Hill was going to stand. And I was going to stand with them. They needed every hired gun they could find. And Santiago...he needed a reminder of his own humanity. A reminder...that even in this place, he was not a god but a man. A god can only be feared. But a man can be fought. Perhaps the ideals that once lingered here of freedom and the pursuit of happiness hadn't completely faded from memory. We would fight them...and in fighting them, we would shatter Santiago's delusions of godhood. HOBBES reaches the bunker, and he steps down inside, moving into a well-lit room. There is a table in the middle with a map spread out across it, a couple of filing cabinets in one corner. There are other maps tacked up on the walls, as well as intelligence reports on the Republican Guard's recent movements, all of it at least a week or two old. MELANIE is at the table, looking at the map. A shotgun lays at one end of the table, holding down one end of the large map. HOBBES picks it up, works the pump, looks down the open sights. He places the shotgun back on the table. MELANIE You're up early. HOBBES Just because I'm out of uniform, it doesn't mean I've forgotten how to soldier. Or how to fight. MELANIE Any thoughts on our defenses, Lieutenant? HOBBES (tapping a place on the map with a forefinger) Yeah...you need to tighten it up in this area. You're spread too thin there. MELANIE I'm not arguing with you, Hobbes, but how am I gonna do that? HOBBES You've got the M60's that were mounted on the Hummers. Move a couple of them, here and...there. HOBBES points to a couple of places close together on the map with a finger. MELANIE nods. HOBBES What about your riflemen? MELANIE (pointing with a pencil) There...there...and there...sharpshooters on the roof here...and here. You got another idea? HOBBES They look good right where they are. Make sure they've got plenty of ammo stored somewhere close. MELANIE For every three boys there's an ammunition box out there. We're not gonna run out of lead. HOBBES Women and kids should be someplace safe. What have you got in mind for them? MELANIE Quarter-mile from here, we've got an entrance to some tunnels. Part of an old military base or something, we're not really sure. But they're safe, and they're not easy to find if you don't know what to look for. We'll be sending everybody there. With the troop truck, we can get 'em there pretty quick. PINOCCHIO appears in the doorway, SUNNY beside him. She holds a tray with a pot of coffee and several mugs on it. PINOCCHIO points to her. PINOCCHIO I brought coffee. SUNNY puts the tray on the table, smiles at PINNOCHIO, and disappears. PINNOCHIO pours himself a mug and stands drinking it, looking over the defense plans on the table. MELANIE pours coffee for herself and HOBBES. PINOCCHIO So...what do we got on the drawing board? HOBBES takes the pencil, outlines the stretch of path that leads into the center of Red Hill, stretches away into the woods. It's the way he and PINNOCHIO arrived in town the previous day. HOBBES The majority of the enemy's going to approach from this end. There's hills on either side, so they've got to come in right up the middle. Right up Main Street. HOBBES jerks a thumb out the door, towards the main path that all the others branch off of. It runs to the middle of town, around a small, feeble garden, and straight to the bunker they're standing in. HOBBES If we put people between the buildings here, here, and here, both sides of the road, and around the corners there and there, once they start to file into town, we can box 'em in. Fish in a barrel. And if we... FADE. EXT. CITY -- MORNING A huge metropolis of skyscrapers, condominiums, taller buildings toward the center of town. In one area we see the double-layered, barbed-wire fence we've seen before at the edge of Santiago's territory. Vehicles with the crossed-swords emblem on the doors cruise in the streets. Men and women with the same emblem on the sleeves of their jacket walk on the sidewalks. The camera slowly moves in on one of the biggest buildings, modern-looking, huge. ==GOVERNMENT HOUSE, SANTIAGO CITY== ==HARSH REALM== The camera reaches the building, moves up the wall to a window, and then in. We see SANTIAGO, standing in his council chamber, looking at the big map on the wall. On it, outlined in red, is the territory he already controls, including almost all of the east coast, stretching as far west as Ohio and Kentucky. SANTIAGO is, as always, immaculate and clean-shaven, in his usual starched uniform, a pistol on his hip, looking like the very model of the modern major general. He stares piercingly at the map. WATERS enters from a door on the left, looking perfect as well, wearing his fatigues and a sidearm. For once, SANTIAGO does not hear him enter. WATERS Sir. SANTIAGO turns to face him, suddenly all business. SANTIAGO Major Waters? WATERS Sir, I just arrived from the Frontier. I have the intelligence reports you requested. He hands them over. SANTIAGO looks at them quickly, flipping through the pages, then tosses them on the conference table. SANTIAGO Trivia. Have we found it yet? WATERS You mean Captain Wiley's "village", sir? SANTIAGO (agitated) Yes, Major. The village. WATERS (gulping) Sir. No, sir. SANTIAGO (quietly) Keep searching. WATERS I beg your pardon, sir? SANTIAGO (yelling, now) I said, keep looking!! Dismissed, Major. WATERS exits. Close on SANTIAGO, staring at the map up on the wall. FADE. EXT. WOODS -- DAY Deep in the woods somewhere. The trees are thick, mostly pine. We see a ridge, and two people walking across it, just below the peak, carrying guns. As the camera zooms in we recognize them as HOBBES and MELANIE. HOBBES leads the way, his pistol in his hand. MELANIE follows, her own drawn as well. They reach a stand of bushes and crouch down. HOBBES stares through them, his eyes burning, at the road a hundred yards downhill. He scratches at the stubble on his face. The camera moves down the hill and we see a man in full combat gear, walking along the dirt road. He carries an assault rifle, and he wears a Republican Guard uniform. A Jeep is parked in the distance, the crossed-swords emblem on the side door. MELANIE (quietly) Another scout. We get these guys once in a while. His recon team can't be far from here. HOBBES (staring down at the man on the road) I think I got an idea. He bends and speaks quietly to MELANIE. We can't hear what he says. When he's finished, he hands her his pistol, and starts down the hill towards the road, unarmed. EXT. DIRT ROAD, DAY We see the same soldier HOBBES and MELANIE were looking at before. He carries his rifle at low ready, looking around, a headset on over his red beret. There's a pistol and a knife strapped on his hips, as well as a canteen, a few grenades and other goodies. The name on his jacket pocket is STARK. STARK stops, raising his rifle. He sees something moving in the bush, a man. He points the rifle that way, slipping his finger into the trigger-guard. The figure emerges from the woods. It's HOBBES, stumbling, holding his chest as if wounded. It looks like there's blood seeping out from between his fingers. Actually it's some berries that he crushed in his hand. STARK levels his rifle, recognizing HOBBES from all the wanted posters back in Santiago City. STARK Don't move!! Hands up! HOBBES stops, raising his hands. We see the fake blood smeared on his hands. STARK The General's gonna be glad to see you, scumbag. STARK starts to reach for a pair of handcuffs strapped to his belt. HOBBES (quietly) Uh, behind you. STARK turns just in time for MELANIE to hit him across the back of the head with a rock the size of a grapefruit. He hits the ground, dropping his rifle. HOBBES bends down, takes STARK's MP5, his Beretta, his knife, all of his webbing. He throws it over his shoulder, tucks the pistol in his belt. MELANIE gives him back his own, and he returns it to his holster. They each take one of STARK's arms, lift him up, and start to drag him into the woods. HOBBES smiles over at MELANIE as they drag the unconscious STARK away. EXT. VILLAGE, DAY PINOCCHIO stands with two other men near the middle of town. The two he stands with wear civillian clothes and carry pump shotguns. Three figures emerge from the woods. PINOCCHIO reaches for his MP5, draws it, but the he recognizes them. It's HOBBES and MELANIE, dragging the unconscious STARK with them. PINOCCHIO returns his gun to his hip, walks towards them. PINOCCHIO What the hell's this? HOBBES This is one of Santiago's recon team, sent to find us. PINOCCHIO How'd you get him alive? HOBBES (trying not to laugh) I distracted him with my charm and good looks, and Wiley here bonked him on the head. PINOCCHIO Well, whatever works. INT. BUNKER -- DAY A bright light burns overhead. STARK is tied to a chair in the middle of the room. MELANIE stands on the far side of the conference table, watching, a tape recorder standing near her on the table, recording. HOBBES leans against the near side of the table, his jacket folded over one of the chairs, one hand on the pistol in his holster. PINOCCHIO stands directly in front of STARK, his jacket off, and we see the combat webbing he wears over his black T-shirt, containing a large knife, two grenades, three spare magazines for his MP5, and several other goodies. PINOCCHIO slaps STARK in the face a few times, hard enough to wake him up. His face is neutral. He isn't doing this because he wants to. He doesn't like beating up a man who's tied. He's doing it because he has no choice. STARK comes to. He stares up at PINOCCHIO for a moment, his eyes focusing, and after a few seconds he recognizes the face he's looking at. It's not the Mike Pinocchio he knew once. STARK Mike Pinocchio? But you were killed, in the-- PINOCCHIO I look dead to you, soldier? PINOCCHIO glances back at HOBBES. PINOCCHIO Hobbes--do I look dead to you? HOBBES shakes his head. PINOCCHIO Okay, we've got that out of the way. Now, listen to me, David. I knew you, before I walked away. You worked for me. You weren't a bad guy. STARK stares up at him, frightened. He sees the MP5 strapped to PINOCCHIO's hip, the pistol tucked in his belt, the knife sheathed in his webbing. He is afraid. PINOCCHIO rests one hand on the grips of the MP5. PINOCCHIO You weren't a bad guy, Stark. I liked you. I'd feel a hell of a lot better if I didn't have to kill you. But unless you start talking, that's what I'm gonna have to do. STARK stares at him. STARK Wha--...what do you want to know? PINOCCHIO glances at HOBBES, and they share a brief smile. FADE. ADVERTISEMENT BREAK 2 ACT THREE EXT. FIELD -- SUNSET We see several tents, a number of Santiago's vehicles parked nearby. But this isn't Red Hill, it's a temporary outpost of Santiago's Expeditionary Force. Inside the main tent, standing around a table, are WATERS, Waters' lieutenant, KLINE, everyone with plenty of stripes on their sleeves. WATERS We have a man MIA. He hasn't reported in for more than three hours. His last reported location was this stretch of road, here. WATERS taps the map. WATERS If you look at the map, there's a ridge running parallel to the road back in the woods, along here. We believe the encampment to be on the other side of that ridge, approximately five miles further into the bush. We don't have it's exact location, but it's got to be here. WATERS circles a location on the map with his felt-tip pen. It is approximately where Red Hill is. He taps it with the other end of the pen several times. WATERS That's where we're going. According to our intelligence in the area, Hobbes and Pinocchio were last seen less than twenty miles from this location. Be on the lookout. These men are dangerous, and resourceful. But they must be brought to justice. Are your men ready, Lieutenant? KLINE Yes, sir! WATERS (shouting) Then let's move out! The men gather up their weapons, shoulder their packs, and start walking out of the tent. WATERS strides along with them, shouting. WATERS Go! Go! Go! Go! EXT. VILLAGE -- NIGHT Most of the lights are off. The door of the bunker opens, and men rush out. A lot of them. They are carrying rifles, mostly lever-actions, some shotguns, one or two M16's. Running in the middle of the pack are HOBBES and PINOCCHIO, guns drawn. They quickly and quietly assume their positions, getting ready for the coming assault. HOBBES ducks behind the corner of one of the log buildings, his pistol up at the ready. Across the path from him, PINOCCHIO crouches and extends the stock of his MP5, pokes the barrel over the top of a packing crate sitting next to one of the bunkhouse tents. HOBBES glances over at PINOCCHIO, and nods. PINOCCHIO returns it, then continues looking down the sights of his gun, towards where the enemy will be showing up any second now. Other men point their guns the same way. MELANIE appears out of the bunker, clad in black sweater and cargo pants, combat boots, her Beretta in her hand. She's pointing the young children and women and old men off in another direction, towards safety. HOBBES remains where he is, watching, waiting. It begins to rain, just a little. A few raindrops dot the barrel of his pistol. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) Somehow my brain got away from me as I crouched there, waiting. My thoughts should've been of our tactical plans, of the coming attack. But I found myself thinking of you, dearest Sophie, safe and warm back in the world I knew. At least I didn't have to worry about you. But the lives of everyone in this village were hovering over my head like some bleak raincloud about to burst open in the sky. The camera's movements are slow and blurry. We see MELANIE leave the children and women, now almost to the safe place, and come running back towards the front. She jogs easily, her pistol in hand. Her hair is tied back with an elastic, and strapped to her belt are her other gun (the little revolver), a knife, and several spare magazines for the Beretta she carries. She carries a medic-bag slung over her shoulder which probably contains some kind of nasty surprise for the enemy. She eases in behind HOBBES, aiming her weapon over his shoulder. MELANIE (quietly) We're ready. HOBBES only nods--he's staring off into the distance, his pistol gripped tightly in his hands. PINOCCHIO glances over at them. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. And what happens? We were ready, Sophie. Red Hill wasn't going to go down without a fight. But could we succeed? Could we drive back a greater number of better-equipped soldiers from our soil? I hoped so. Because the alternative was unthinkable. Very distantly, the headlights of several Hummers appear. They're probably a mile away. Nevertheless, everyone knows--this is it. It's the bottom of the ninth. HOBBES pulls the slide of his pistol back halfway to check that there's a round in the chamber, then lets it forward. HOBBES (to everyone) Stand ready! FADE. EXT. WOODS -- NIGHT The soldiers are starting to come out of the woods, followed by two of the Hummers. WATERS walks off to one side, looking over at his men marching, rifles held at the ready. We see a glimmer of pride on his face for a moment. WATERS looks over at his men. WATERS Come on! Double-time! The men hurry towards the settlement, which they can see on the horizon. Of course the horizon isn't far, since they're moving uphill. WATERS draws his pistol. Holding it down at his side, he works the slide with his left hand, putting a round in the chamber. He runs with his men, rushing into battle. In the distance, we see the men of Red Hill, rifles at the ready. It's too far away for us to see any faces clearly, but it's them. WATERS runs faster towards the settlement, his men at the same speed. Everyone is running full-tilt now, guns at the ready. WATERS (yelling) ATTACK!! ATTACK!! The men follow his orders. The camera moves almost quicker than seems possible, and we see HOBBES, MELANIE, PINOCCHIO and the others, readying for the fight. HOBBES stands up from his place behind the crate, his gun pointed towards the approaching platoon. HOBBES hesitates for just one moment, then shouts his orders. HOBBES OPEN FIRE!! EXT. VILLAGE -- NIGHT The camera moves quickly, at a lot of different angles, sometimes hazy, as if being carried by one of the soldiers. We see PINOCCHIO running from where he stood just inside the village, his MP5 raised, firing at the approaching troops, who have already let loose a hail of bullets. HOBBES isn't far behind him, pistol in hand. He fires once, twice, not stopping. He continues to charge towards the enemy. MELANIE remains where she was, her pistol in her hand, slowly but carefully picking off the rushing soldiers. She obviously is a very good shot. HOBBES kills two Republican Guard. We see them flicker and disappear. In the distance, we see WATERS, and so does HOBBES. He raises his gun slowly, pops off two shots. WATERS goes down hard, but he doesn't disappear. HOBBES has obviously wounded him, but not killed him. WATERS struggles to crawl away, pistol in hand. Someone throws a grenade. It explodes not too far from HOBBES, who dives to avoid the explosion. A moment later he rolls over and gets to his feet. He has a few cuts and bruises, but he hasn't been seriously hurt. PINOCCHIO, pushing a second magazine into his MP5 before the first one has hit the ground, dives and fires five quick shots, killing one of the approaching soldiers and wounding another. A wounded soldier lunges up behind HOBBES, while he's still slightly dazed, raising a knife in his hand. Two quick gunshots kill him and he disappears. HOBBES looks over and sees MELANIE, her Beretta pointed towards the enemy, still firing, and the small revolver in her hand pointed at where his attacker was, the barrel smoking. She returns her attention to the enemy and so does he. We see a small girl, crawling in the field. She looks lost, confused. She's crying. GIRL Where's Mommy? MELANIE runs, ducking past HOBBES to grab the little girl up. She puts her back to the attack, heads for someplace safe. HOBBES continues to fire, giving her cover. In slow motion, we see Waters, now sitting against the fender of his Hummer, one hand clamped to where the blood is bubbling out of his stomach, firing at them. We see a bullet fire from the muzzle of his gun and the camera follows it, in slow motion. The bullet zings past HOBBES's head, missing by maybe an inch, and buries itself in MELANIE's back. In slow motion, HOBBES turns, gun in hand, and sees MELANIE. She sinks to her knees, the revolver falling from her hand where she had it, under the child, and looks over at HOBBES, a stunned look on her face. She flickers and disappears, dead. Enraged, HOBBES fires several fast shots back at the enemy as he runs to scoop up the little girl, just as MELANIE dies, and runs her to the bunker. He tucks her inside the door and shuts it--it isn't perfect, but it's safer than anywhere else in Red Hill right now. They lock eyes for a moment, and then he charges back into the fighting. As he runs, he lets the magazine fall out of his gun and pushes a fresh one in. He works the slide to put a round in the chamber, and as he reaches the line again he dives, flat on the ground with the gun in front of him, and pops off several more shots. He rolls, firing again and again. PINOCCHIO, nearby, is firing full-automatic at the men of the approaching platoon, laying down a lot of fire. FADE. EXT. FIELD -- EARLY MORNING It's perhaps 2 or 3 A.M. WATERS sits against the fender of one of the Hummers, his empty Beretta in hand, holding the other to the wound in his side, where HOBBES shot him. He hears something to his right, and he moves the empty gun to point that way, instinctively. Out of the woods comes JENNINGS, a medic, carrying a medical pack. JENNINGS How bad is it? He gets down beside him, opening the medical kit. He struggles to open his bush jacket, and he helps him, looks in at the wound. He starts to work on him. WATERS reaches into the Hummer with one arm, finds a radio handset. He squeezes and speaks into it. WATERS Echo One, this is Echo Zero. Pull back. Repeat, pull back. RADIO VOICE Sir? Repeat, sir. WATERS (hoarse) Pull back, Lieutenant. That's an order! RADIO VOICE But...sir, we... WATERS (bellowing) NOW!! FADE. ADVERTISEMENT BREAK 3 ACT FOUR EXT. VILLAGE -- MORNING The fighting is over. Many men are still at their posts as the sun continues to rise, but it's much more relaxed now. The camera closes in on HOBBES, walking near the tavern. His gun is holstered on his hip. He wears new clothes--black cargo pants, combat boots, a new sweater, a new jacket (courtesy of the townspeople). There is a bandage on his cheek covering a cut, and his lip is swollen. He walks slowly, as if he is sore. HOBBES Dark Victory. A victory won, but at a cost so high that it seems more like a loss. That's what it seemed like, the morning after the battle, Sophie. We had won, but at what cost? He continues towards the tavern. HOBBES Melanie Wiley was dead. Stephenson, Sheppard, Carter, Ward, had all died in the fighting. Good townspeople who wanted nothing more than to carve out a life for themselves in peace. I guessed they'd never get their wish...but at least their children would. He passes PINOCCHIO, sitting outside the tavern. SUNNY is next to him, wrapping a clean white bandage around a wound on his forearm. Half-smiling, he gives HOBBES a casual salute. HOBBES returns it, keeps walking. FADE. EXT. VILLAGE -- AFTERNOON We see a river, running at one edge of Red Hill's clearing. Gathered around it are several men and women, including PINOCCHIO. HOBBES speaks, although we can't hear what he's saying. Something about MELANIE, her bravery and her sacrifice for her people. HOBBES (voice-over to Sophie) This is the price of victory, Sophie. To see a good soldier, a good woman, cut to pieces by the enemy's bullets. To watch her sacrifice her life so that an innocent child might live. She was my friend, Sophie, and it hurt to say goodbye to her. HOBBES turns to PINOCCHIO, who approaches with a nailed-together wooden cross. Across it's horizontal board, written in some kind of black marker, are the words: ==MELANIE WILEY, CAPT., USMC== ==SEMPER FIDELIS== HOBBES plants the marker in the ground, though there's no body beneath it to mark. Still, he feels it's important to do something to remember the woman by. He kneels down in front of the cross, digs into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out her dog tags. He hangs them over the cross without a word. YOUNG MAN Remember her! Someone else pipes up. SUNNY Remember Melanie!! MAN #2 Remember! HOBBES and PINOCCHIO slowly walk away from the crowd. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY We see PINOCCHIO's battered car, parked in the grass not too far from the tavern. The passenger-side door is open and so is the trunk. DEXTER is out of the car, playing with a couple of young kids. HOBBES and PINOCCHIO stand near the trunk of the car. A few feet from them is MAN #2, a stack of boxes and bags next to him. MAN #2 (extending his hand to Hobbes) We owe you our freedom. I wish there was a way we could repay-- HOBBES doesn't say anything, only shakes the man's hand. MAN #2 turns to PINOCCHIO, and offers his hand. PINOCCHIO shakes his hand firmly for a moment, and then lets go. MAN #2 You will always be welcome here, Hobbes, Pinocchio. I hope these supplies will help you in your fight against the tyrant. And if he comes back here, well...we'll give him a run for his money. MAN #2 glances back over his shoulder, at several of the townspeople, holding rifles, shotguns and other weapons. HOBBES, PINOCCHIO and MAN #2 move the supplies in their boxes and bags into the trunk and the backseat of Pinocchio's battered car. We see boxes of bullets, rations, four or five canteens full of fresh water, a carbine, a good set of field glasses, and a lot of other odds and ends, including a folded stack of clothes. HOBBES turns to PINOCCHIO. HOBBES I guess we'd better get rolling. PINOCCHIO (tossing him the keys) Yeah. HOBBES looks down at the keys for a moment. PINOCCHIO never lets him drive. Shrugging, he gets in behind the wheel, starts the car. Townspeople wave as the beat-up car starts and rolls off down the dirt road. HOBBES (voice-over) The world needs more people like Melanie Wiley. Harsh Realm needs them even more. If there are more men and women like her in this grisly landscape, then maybe there's still hope. PINOCCHIO (seemingly reading his mind) Would you just shut up and drive, Hobbes? FADE. END CREDITS