A Few Good Men Page #43

JESSEP:

Have you ever spent time in an

infantry unit, son?

KAFFEE:

No sir.

JESSEP:

Ever served in a forward area?

KAFFEE:

No sir.

JESSEP:

Ever put your life in another man's

hands, ask him to put his life in

yours?

KAFFEE:

No sir.

JESSEP:

We follow orders, son. We follow

orders or people die. It's that

simple. Are we clear?

KAFFEE:

Yes sir.

JESSEP:

Are we clear?

KAFFEE:

Crystal.

KAFFEE speaks with the quiet confidence that comes from

knowing you're about to drop your opponents

KAFFEE:

(continuing; beat)

Colonel, I have just one more question

before I call Airman O'Malley and

Airman Perez:
If you gave an order

that Santiago wasn't to be touched,

and your orders are always followed,

then why would he be in danger, why

would it be necessary to transfer

him off the base?

And JESSEP has no answer.

Nothing.

He sits there, and for the first time, seems to be lost.

JESSEP:

Private Santiago was a sub-standard

marine. He was being transferred off

the base because --

KAFFEE:

But that's not what you said. You

said he was being transferred because

he was in grave danger.

JESSEP:

(pause)

Yes. That's correct, but --

KAFFEE:

You said, "He was in danger". I said,

"Grave danger". You said --

JESSEP:

Yes, I recall what --

KAFFEE:

I can have the Court Reporter read

back your --

JESSEP:

I know what I said. I don't need it

read back to me like I'm a damn --

KAFFEE:

Then why the two orders?

(beat)

Colonel?

(beat)

Why did you --

JESSEP:

Sometimes men take matters into their

own hands.

KAFFEE:

No sir. You made it clear just a

moment ago that your men never take

matters into their own hands. Your

men follow orders or people die. So

Santiago shouldn't have been in any

danger at all, should he have,

Colonel?

Everyone's sweating now. Everyone but KAFFEE.

JESSEP:

You little bastard.

ROSS:

Your Honor, I have to ask for a recess

to --

KAFFEE:

I'd like an answer to the question,

Judge.

RANDOLPH:

The Court'll wait for answer.

KAFFEE:

If Kendrick told his men that Santiago

wasn't to be touched, then why did

he have to be transferred?

Jessep is looking at O'MALLEY and PEREZ.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

Colonel?

JESSEP says nothing.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

Kendrick ordered the code red, didn't

he? Because that's what you told

Kendrick to do.

ROSS:

Object!

RANDOLPH:

Counsel.

KAFFEE will plow through the objections of ROSS and the

admonishments of RANDOLPH.

KAFFEE:

And when it went bad, you cut these

guys loose.

ROSS:

Your Honor --

RANDOLPH:

That'll be all, counsel.

KAFFEE:

You had Markinson sign a phony

transfer order --

ROSS:

Judge --

KAFFEE:

You doctored the log books.

ROSS:

Damnit Kaffee!!

KAFFEE:

I'll ask for the forth time. You

ordered --

JESSEP:

You want answers?

KAFFEE:

I think I'm entitled to them.

JESSEP:

You want answers?!

KAFFEE:

I want the truth.

JESSEP:

You can't handle the truth!

And nobody moves.

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