A Few Good Men Page #21

He raps the gavel.

RANDOLPH walks out. ROSS walks up the aisle without a word

to anyone. The M.P.'s come to escort DAWSON and DOWNEY back

to their cell.

KAFFEE and JO and SAM are the only ones remaining. SAM is

looking at KAFFEE with question marks in his eyes.

KAFFEE:

Why does a junior grade with six

months experience and a track record

for plea bargaining get assigned a

murder case?

(beat)

Would it be so that it never sees

the inside of a courtroom?

KAFFEE picks up his briefcase and begins heading toward the

door.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

We'll work out of my apartment.

Every night, seven o'clock. Jo, before

you come over tonight, pick up a

carton of legal pads, a half-dozen

boxes of red pens, a half-dozen boxes

of black pens. Sam get a couple of

desk lamps. I need you to start on a

preliminary medical profile and Jo,

we need all the fitness reports on

Dawson, Downey and Santiago. The

only thing I have to eat is Yoo-Hoo

and SugarSnacks, so if you want

anything else, bring it with you.

Okay?

Jo's still stunned.

JO:

Yeah.

KAFFEE's at the door, stops, turns around, and takes it all

in for a moment.

KAFFEE:

So this is what a courtroom looks

like.

He walks out the door, and we

CUT TO:

INT. KAFFEE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Among the stuff, is a blackboard that's been hung on the

wall. Written across the top are three headings:

INTENT CODE RED THE ORDER

Sam is on the floor, sorting papers into piles. KAFFEE comes

in from the kitchen with a fresh bottle of Yoo-Hoo and joins

Sam on the floor.

KAFFEE:

Were you able to speak to your friend

at NIS?

SAM:

She said if Markinson doesn't want

to be found, we're not gonna find

him. She said I could be Markinson

and you wouldn't know it.

KAFFEE:

Are you Markinson?

SAM:

No.

KAFFEE:

Well, I'm not Markinson, that's two

down.

SAM doesn't laugh.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

What.

SAM:

(pause)

I was wondering, now that Joanne's

working on this... I was wondering

if you still need me.

KAFFEE:

(pause)

They were following an order, Sam.

SAM:

An illegal order.

KAFFEE:

You think Dawson and Downey know it

was an illegal order?

SAM:

It doesn't matter if they know, any

decent human being would've refused

to --

KAFFEE:

They're not permitted to question

orders.

SAM:

Then what's the secret? What are the

magic words? I give orders every

day, and nobody follows them.

KAFFEE:

We have softball games and marching

bands. They work at a place where

you have to wear camouflage or you

might get shot.

Sam looks away. He doesn't buy it.

KAFFEE:

(continuing; pause)

I need you. You're better at research

than I am and you know how to prepare

a witness.

Jo lets herself in. She's carrying a huge stack of papers

under one arm, and a large brown paper bag under the other.

But we stay with KAFFEE and Sam a moment longer.

JO:

I've got medical reports and Chinese

food. I say we eat first.

KAFFEE's still looking at SAM. SAM nods his head.

SAM:

Did you get any dumplings?

CUT TO:

INT. KAFFEE'S APT. - LATER - NIGHT

The remnants of the Chinese food is spread around. SAM and

JO are sitting and taking notes from KAFFEE. As he speaks,

he'll pace slowly around, carrying his baseball bat. He refers

to the blackboard.

KAFFEE:

This is our defense. Intent: No one

can prove there was poison on the

raq. Code Red:
They're common and

accepted in Guantanamo Bay. The Order:

(he writes)

A) Kendrick gave it. B) They had no

choice but to follow it.

(beat)

That's it.

SAM:

What about motive?

KAFFEE:

We're a little weak on motive. They

had one.

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