Basic Page #7

Kendall raises the rifle. Sights Childs' back. A moment

of utter silence and then...

INT. KENDALL'S HOSPITAL ROOM -- PRESENT DAY

KENDALL:

Maybe I shouldn't tell you that.

Maybe I should tell you I wasn't

scared at all. But I was...

(long pause)

Enough to almost kill him.

HARDY:

But you didn't.

KENDALL:

No. Poetic justice, though.

OSBORNE:

Why?

No reply. Hardy smiles, understanding.

HARDY:

Because Childs is the one who shot

you.

Osborne looks up, surprised. Kendall nods.

KENDALL:

But that came later.

EXT. LOUISIANA BAYOU -- LAST NIGHT

As Kendall safeties his rifle and lowers it... The SOUND of

a tremendous EXPLOSION comes from their right! Kendall and

Childs knocked off their feet as the sky momentarily LIGHTS

UP with the blast as a MAN SCREAMS!

CHILDS:

Over there!

Childs points to the right, where the dim shine of PHOSPHOROUS

can be seen through the trees. He drags Kendall to his feet

and the two take off running towards it.

Kendall panting and scared, ducking branches and leaping

ditches as the two sprint towards the dying glow.

CHILDS:

Hello! HEL

35.

The sound of GUNFIRE! Childs TACKLES Kendall...

CHILDS:

GET DOWN!

They hit the deck, face down in mud. It takes them a second

to realize the shots are not directed at them.

CHILDS:

F***, what the f*** is going on-

KENDALL:

What do we do?

CHILDS:

Whoever it is isn't shooting at us...

He trails off. The gunfire and screaming have stopped.

Silence now, save for the wind and rain.

KENDALL:

Don't want to go-

CHILDS:

Fine.

Childs rises and heads towards where the sounds were.

Kendall, lying in the rain and mud, shivering. Alone. After

a moment he gets up and follows.

EXT. LOUISIANA BAYOU -- CREEK BED,-- LAST NIGHT

The SCORCHED GROUND and TREES smolder under the rainfall.

Kendall finds Childs, standing down by the creek.

Something lies by his feet.

KENDALL:

What's-

He stops, seeing.

KENDALL:

Oh, Jesus.. .

WEST. Literally spread out on the ground, dead. Eyes open,

face half blackened, he has been ripped in two at the torso.

A horrifying sight. Kendall stumbles back from it.

KENDALL:

Did- Did you-

CHILDS:

It was the grenade you f***ing idiot.

Look at him!

36.

Kendall can't. He sits, sobbing. Part horror, part relief.

CHILDS:

This isn't our area. Whose area is

This-

MUELLER:

Can anybody hear me!

Childs pivots at the sound of Mueller coming over the ridge.

MUELLER:

Hey, I

(seeing it)

Holy f***. .,. holy f***, what the

f*** did you guys do?

CHILDS:

We found him like this-

Mueller raises his rifle at the weeping Kendall.

MUELLER:

You killed him you f***ing f*ggot-

CHILDS:

We found him like this! Kendall was

with me the whole- Listen to me!

Mueller, finally seeming to understand. Lowering the gun.

MUELLER:

Jesus, Jesus f***ing Christ...

Muttering to himself, walking in circles.

CHILDS:

Where's Pike?

No response.

CHILDS:

Mueller, where's Pike?

Mueller looks up.

MUELLER:

We got- I don't know, we got separated

CHILDS:

Before or after the explosion?

(no response)

Mueller-

MUELLER:

I don't know!

37.

KENDALL:

How can you not know-

Mueller comes at him, screaming:

MUELLER:

Shut the f*** up, you f***ing f*ggot,

You just shut the F*** UP

CHILDS:

HEY!

Mueller stops, eyes crazed. Childs looks to the sky, which

is becoming worse by the second.

CHILDS:

We have to get out of this. To find

the cabin.

He helps Kendall to his feet.

KENDALL:

What about Pike?

CHILDS:

Maybe he'll be there. Either way,

we have to go.

Kendall nods, slowly. The two start up the hill.

MUELLER:

Shouldn't we- I mean, we shouldn't

just leave him here.

He points down to West's body. Childs looks at it.

CHILDS:

You can carry him if you want.

He and Kendall continue on. Mueller lingers a moment longer

and then turns, following them up the hill.

EXT. LOUISIANA BAYOU -- LAST NIGHT

Kendall, Childs, and Mueller make their way through the bush.

The WIND and RAIN have conspired into a FULL BLOWN HURRICANE.

The three men are practically stumbling now, leaning in

against it to stay on their feet. Kendall spies something

through the maelstrom. It looks like WET WOOD. He points:

KENDALL:

There!

THE CABIN -- Wooden, one story, and large, it resembles a

solidly built shack. It is being thrashed by the storm.

38.

The trio stumble towards the front door...

INT. CABIN -- LAST NIGHT

Obviously abandoned. Bare of any furniture save for two

wooden chairs next to an empty fireplace.

DUNBAR and NUNEZ shout in surprise as the three men

practically collapse into the cabin. Dunbar runs to bolt

the door against the elements as Nunez helps them up.

NUNEZ:

What happened to you-

MUELLER:

What happened to you?

DUNBAR:

We finished the course and came here,

Then heard an explosion

(to Mueller)

Where's Pike?

CHILDS:

We don't know. West is dead.

Silence. Dunbar and Nunez stare at him. Mueller jerks a

hand towards Kendall and Childs.

MUELLER:

They found him. Poor f***er was

Practically blown in half-

KENDALL:

Poor f***er my ass...

MUELLER:

You better watch it, f*ggot, I'm not

Sure you and Childs didn't do him-

CHILDS:

What about you, wandering around

Alone? At least we have an alibi-

DUNBAR:

What do you mean, alone?

MUELLER:

Pike and I got separated-

KENDALL:

Yeah and he doesn't know when-

MUELLER:

I remember now, it was before the

Explosion

39.

KENDALL:

Oh, you remember now-

MUELLER:

I’m about two seconds away from seeing

If fairies really can fly-

NUNEZ:

What about Pike?

Mueller stops, as the others turn towards the big man.

Silence. They realize what the question means.

DUNBAR:

He wouldn’t kill anybody. . .

MUELLER:

Oh, bullshit, he’s a f***ing convict.

You know how much he hated West-

DUNBAR:

I hated West, Childs hated West,

everyone with a goddamn brain hated

West but that doesn’t mean we killed

him!

NUNEZ:

What if it wasn’t one of us? What

if it was a local-

KENDALL:

He was blown up by a phosphorous

grenade, they don’t exactly sell

those at 7-11.

MUELLER:

Look, here are the facts - Roberto

was with Dunbar, Queen Kendall was

with Childs, and Pike’s the only one

not here. He did it!

The others nod, becoming convinced.

CHILDS:

He is the only one unaccounted for.

KENDALL:

Maybe he’s dead too. Maybe you killed

Them both, Mueller-

DUNBAR:

Shut up.

(to Mueller)

Let me see your grenades.

MUELLER:

Why?

40.

DUNBAR:

We were each given three so whoever

killed West will be missing one.

Mueller angrily digs into his sack and pulls out his grenades.

MUELLER:

See? Three. Now can we please-

He stops. Hearing a SOUND outside. Through the wind and

rain, FOOTSTEPS on the porch.

They all turn to the door. Waiting...

The DOOR SWINGS OPEN.. Pike. Covered in BLOOD.

PIKE:

Hey, guys.

They stare at him as he calmly closes the door and walks

over to the empty FIREPLACE. Finally:

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