Ares Page #4

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BULLETS EXPLODE all around him. Hitting the sand at his feet.

Evan turns. Sees the Oldest Woman aiming her gun toward him.

EVAN:

The f*** you doing?!

But she only fired it to get his attention: She mimes walking.

Points at the sun. Holds up 6 fingers.

EVAN:

Six days walk? Six days to Addis?

She nods. He frowns. Doesn’t want to wait. Doesn’t have a

choice.

QUICK CUTS:
Moments play abruptly, like hallucinations.

17.

-Evan is surprised to find a TV in the camp, hooked up to abroken generator. He gets to work on the generator -- openingit up, reconnecting wires. The Three Women, who by now Evanhas realized are the leaders of the tribe, are delighted asthe TV flickers on. Hopeful, Evan searches through channels.

EVAN:

News? Do you guys get the news? Ineed to see if I’m on it...

Instead all the TV picks up is a static-y station airingSTARGATE. The tribesmen gather around to watch it.

-He wanders up a nearby a canyon, looking for privacy. Heunzips his fly to take a leak. He mutters to himself, tryingto psyche himself up:

EVAN:

Tomorrow I’ll arrive in Addis. Get

Chloe and Danny. Take them to theEmbassy. By tomorrow night,

everybody’s gonna know. Everything’sgonna be f***ing great...

Horrified GASPS from behind him. He looks back:

Realizes that half the tribe has followed him. They stare athis GLOWING NEON PISS. Even the THREE WOMEN look perturbed.

Turning around, Evan gets a half-second glimpse of -

THE SHAPE OF A CAR, obscured by rocks, higher up the canyon.

The word “POLICE” on the car’s side. Just as his heart is

freezing -- he sees

THE CAR IS WEATHER-BEATEN. Clearly been there for ages. Evanclambers over rocks to get closer.

The CORPSES of two police officers are still strapped in theirseats. Leathery skin stretched over their bones.

FLASH IMAGE:
Evan floating on a spaceship. Watching in time-

lapse as the TWO DEAD ASTRONAUTS decay inside their pressuresuits. Months are compressed into seconds as -- before Evan’seyes -- bacteria inside the suits eat at the astronauts bodies-- causing the corpses to move inside the suits, shift intheir seats.

Evan -- aghast -- looks back at the tribe. The Youngest of theThree Women proudly nods toward the cops and taps her RPG, tomake it clear this was her accomplishment.

18.

EVAN:

(not sure what to say)

Yes. Very impressive.

A low THUMPING. Evan turns. Pales.

EVAN:

Sh*t!

A HELICOPTER approaching fast. Evan rushes to the Three Women:

EVAN:

Don’t tell them I’m here. Please --

they’ll kill me!

But the Women ignore him as PANIC ripples through the tribe.

Men run to stop their terrified cattle from fleeing.

Frightened women stash their kids and chickens in their tents.

EVAN SPRINTS INTO A RANDOM TENT

Crouches down to hide. A WOMAN INSIDE screams at him.

EVAN:

Shh! Be quiet!

But the Woman is making a racket. Gesticulating for him toleave, holding her frightened children close to her. He darts

OUT OF THE TENT:

Tribesmen aim their GUNS on the chopper as it touches ground.

Eight MERCENARIES descend. Weapons drawn. Full body armor.

Evan -- scanning for a hiding place -- everything fast --

using the cattle as cover as he dashes into -ANOTHER

TENT:

A bunch of kids hiding inside. Evan gets down. PEERS beneath

the tent's side. Sees:

NOVAK (40s, white-blond hair) emerge from the chopper. He

looks like someone from middle-management. He’s unfazed by all

the Kalashnikovs pointing at him.

An ETHIOPIAN COP, trailing behind him, is terrified.

Novak smiles warmly and sets down the MASSIVE CASE in his

arms. The Three Women see it’s full of VODKA BOTTLES. A gift.

Novak addresses the Three Women in Amharic. The COP translates

everything into the tribe’s language.

19.

The Women approach. Novak shakes their hands, chatteringniceties. Then he shows them a photo on a CLIPBOARD.

Evan stiffens. Knows he’s in the photo. Novak watches the

Three Women’s reactions closely. But they betray no emotion.

A long beat. Hell for Evan. He can’t hear what’s said next,

but he’s alarmed to see Novak take out his wallet.

EVAN:

(whispers)

No -- no -- no -

As Novak counts out money, MERCENARIES fan out through thecamp -- digging through supplies -- searching tents -- Evancan hear the women and children inside screaming.

EVAN:

Sh*t!

He sees COMBAT BOOTS approaching his tent. Dives backward,

crushing a REED CAGE full of CHICKENS. Now the chickens areloose, screeching and flapping in his face.

He throws a blanket over himself and the chickens just as --

A MERCENARY enters, aiming his machine gun around, includingat the kids, who WAIL in fear.

The Mercenary sees the blanket with the suspicious amount ofmotion underneath. He snatches it up. A BLUR OF MOTION fliestoward him -

BANG! BANG! He FIRES his automatic.

REVEAL:
Evan had already rolled out of the tent. He’s now onthe ground outside. Desperately looking for a place to hide...

YELLING from all directions. The Tribesmen raise their guns.

The Mercenary lifts the blanket. Sees two dying chickensunderneath. Novak, furious, yells at him in Amharic.

Evan spots the ANCIENT STONE WELL nearby. He scans forMercenaries looking his way -- then

LURCHES OVER THE WALL INTO THE WELL

He hangs on the edge. Looks down -- the well goes down atleast thirty feet before plunging into total darkness.

He peeks over the lip of the well. Sees the Mercenaries

heading toward their chopper. A wave of relief sweeps over him

20.

Until one glances his way. Did he see Evan peeking out?

MERCENARY:

Novak!

Evan, panicking, tries to climb down the well. LOSES his hold.

He GASPS as he plummets into darkness. The screech and WHOOSHof disturbed BATS rushing past him as he falls -

SPLASH! He hits the water. Then resurfaces, gasping for air.

HIS POV:
Everything is black, but for the tiny circle ofbright sky 60 feet above.

The faces of mercenaries line the top of the well. They peerstraight down at him. Evan’s blood freezes.

As they yell in Amharic above him, Evan realizes they can’t

see him in the darkness. He quietly dunks back under. It’s

like being submerged in black oil.

FLASHLIGHTS cut through the water. Evan forces himself to swimdeeper, closing his eyes and --

He’s submerged in a swimming pool in Houston. He can see DANNY

(7) above him, sitting in an innertube. Danny’s voice is

muffled by the water as he counts out the seconds that Evanholds his breath.

DANNY:

That’s two hundred! Keep going! 10

more seconds and you’ll break your

record! 10, 9, 8, 7...

But the memory of Danny blurs as Evan runs out of oxygen inthe well. He pushes to the

WATER’S SURFACE

Gasps in breaths. The faces of TRIBESMEN appear around the topof the well. They drop down the end of a ROPE.

Evan’s hesitates. Doesn’t know whether this is a trick meant

to lure him out. But he’s out of options.

Wheezing, he ties the rope around himself. Tribesmen HAUL HIMUP.

EXT. THE TRIBE’S WELL - MOMENTS LATER

Evan peeks out the top. Not quite believing that themercenaries left. He hears the distant thump of the chopper.

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