Basic Page #2

HARDY:

Fantastic. You want to tell me what's

going on?

INT. FORT MCKINLEY -- CORRIDORS MORNING

Hardy follows Styles and Osborne. They pass SOLDIERS

replacing broken windows and sweeping up glass.

STYLES:

The official term for it is

"Clusterfuck" . By the time Beth hit

us, I'd canceled all off base

exercises save one - a six man cadet

team and their Drill out in the bush.

We're missing three and the Sergeant.

The cadets are in their eighth week

of the cycle, nobody here knows much

about them, up to and including their

names. But the Sergeant...

HARDY:

It's not West, is it? Tell me it's

not West.

Styles' look tells him it is.

HARDY:

Ah, Christ

OSBORNE:

You knew Sergeant West?

HARDY:

He was our Drill here. Man's older

than sand.

7.

STYLES:

A few years ago, the Army picked our

good buddy as their go to non-com to

trot out to the press to talk about

the kinder, gentler military. He

even did the standard video greeting

played to all incoming Basic cadets

across the country.

HARDY:

Well, he's a good soldier.

Osborne nods, agreeing.

HARDY:

I didn't mean that as a compliment.

OSBORNE:

Sergeant West's served for twenty-

Three years. He's the public face

of the modern Army.

HARDY:

And you notice I'm not in the Army

anymore.

They round a corner.

STYLES:

The exercise was one of his Section

Eight "private sessions". Left around

2100 yesterday and were scheduled

for pick up at 0630 this morning.

HARDY:

And the problem is you only got three.

STYLES:

No, the problem is one's dead, one's

got a bullet in his arm, and one

won't talk. The one who won't talk

was trading live fire with the dead

one as we reached the pick-up.

HARDY:

I'm assuming that's what made him

the dead one?

STYLES:

Cadet Roberto R. Nunez. Killed right

in front of me.

OSBORNE:

Search parties for the others are

fanning out in a ten click radius

from the pickup. If they're hurt

and we can get to them in time...

8.

STYLES:

I called the JAG Corps, the two cadets

we retrieved are to be flown to D.C.

On a transport leaving here at 1700

HARDY:

Which gives us about five hours.

Why'd you call me?

STYLES:

The guy in interrogation said he'd

only talk to a cop.

HARDY:

And I'm the closest thing to it,

right?

Styles stops, turning to his friend.

STYLES:

Tom, bottom line: I let those kids

go out there. If JAG shows up and I

don't have any answers for them, my

career is finished-

HARDY:

I'm not gonna let that happen.

Styles exhales, relieved.

STYLES:

Thank you. Osborne will brief you

on the cadets. And Tom?

(half-smile)

It really is good to see you.

INT. FORT MCKINLEY -- OSBORNE'S OFFICE -- MORNING

Osborne and Hardy enter, stepping over broken glass and

hurricane debris. Hardy looks around.

HARDY:

Gotta be honest, I love what you've

Done with the place-

OSBORNE:

You and the Colonel go back.

HARDY:

He got me through Basic and a lot of

other stuff. I owe him.

OSBORNE:

You're the Tom Hardy I've been reading

about in the papers, right? New

Orleans PD fired you for taking bribes

from Guissepe Torres.

9.

HARDY:

It was for suspicion of bribery,

it's really all in the wording-

OSBORNE:

Wording and your friendship with the

Colonel aside, I'm not comfortable

having you involved in this.

HARDY:

Subtlety really isn't one of you

finer points, is it, Osborne?

Osborne opens her mouth to reply but Hardy cuts her off.

HARDY:

Three things. First - You don't

have a choice. Second- I've never

taken a bribe in my life. And Third I'm

still a little drunk from last

night, so if I skip over the witty

banter and move forward to straight

hitting on you, try not to take

offense. Tell me about the two guys.

OSBORNE:

Hurricane knocked out our Mainframe,

so all we have are their dogtags.

Cadets Raymond Dunbar and Levi Kendall-

HARDY:

Levi? Who names their kid Levi

OSB0RNE

Senator Jonathan Kendall, of Ohio.

HARDY:

Christ... Remind me to thank Bill

for mentioning that on the phone-

OSBORNE:

Kendall Junior is still in surgery,

so he won't be available to answer

for his name or anything else for

another hour - the cadet we're talking

to first is Dunbar.

HARDY:

He's in interrogation?

OSBORNE:

Yes.

HARDY:

Move him.

10.

OSBORNE:

Why?

HARDY:

Because interrogation rooms look

suspiciously like interrogation rooms,

which doesn't exactly put people at

ease. Is he cute?

OSBORNE:

Excuse me?

HARDY:

Is Dunbar cute?

OSBORNE:

(pissed)

That is the most unprofessional-

HARDY:

Is he handsome, self assured, carry

himself well, does he look you in

the eyes or down at the floor, does

he have good bones, suggesting good

breeding, does he slouch or sit up

straight - these are important

questions, as they reveal a great

deal about this man's character so

please get over yourself for two and

a half seconds and tell me is he

cute?

Osborne stares at him. She finally nods.

HARDY:

Thank you. At some point in there

I'm gonna rub my nose. When I do,

go at him with everything you got.

OSBORNE:

Good cop/bad cop?

HARDY:

Something like that.

She starts to go make preparations.

HARDY:

Oh, and Osborne? You have any donuts

around here?

INT. FORT MCKINLEY -- CORRIDOR -- MORNING

As two M.P.'s escort RAYMOND DUNBAR (the "Bigger Man") into

11.

INT. COFFEE ROOM -- MORNING

A small cluttered room with the shades drawn. A folding

table has been set up in the middle of it with a chair on

each side. Dunbar takes a seat in the far chair. Takes in

his surroundings as the MP's leave, locking the door.

INT. FORT MCKINLEY -- CORRIDOR - MORNING

Hardy and Osborne head towards the Coffee Room.

OSBORNE:

I questioned him for three hours and

he didn't make a sound. You don't

have a badge, he won't talk to you.

HARDY,

Ten bucks says I have him talking in

under three minutes.

Osborne starts the timer on her digital watch.

OSBORNE:

Go.

INT. COFFEE ROOM -- MORNING

Dunbar looks up as they enter. Hardy smiles, cheerily.

HARDY:

Cadet Dunbar, good morning! I'm Tom

Hardy and I believe you've already

met Officer Osborne. I understand

you had a rough time of it last night?

No response. Hardy takes a seat across from the cadet.

HARDY:

Not talking, huh? You probably just

want to get some food and some sleep.

They feed you yet?

No response. Hardy reaches into his pocket. Pulls out a

DONUT.

Dunbar eyes it, wary but definitely wanting it.

HARDY:

Go on. You can eat in front of

someone and still not talk to them my

parents did it for years.

Dunbar grabs the donut, wolfing it down.

HARDY:

Want another one?

No response. Osborne looks to her watch - it's been a minute.

12.

HARDY:

Maybe later. Ray, let me say this

up front - I'm not a cop.

Dunbar turns away, no longer interested. Hardy continues:

HARDY:

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