Beachhead Page #2

Decoy.

Maybe we'll find Bouchard yet.

If we can get us three dead bodies.

Not our own.

All the times I've been scared,

I figured I was lucky.

No wife, no kids.

Just me.

The best way.

No. Not really.

You don't make sense.

Give yourself time.

You'll figure it out.

You gave yourself

a lifetime in the Marines.

What else did you figure out?

That a guy's

not supposed to be lonely.

Just that.

Thanks. I'll remember.

All I can think about

is getting killed.

Let 'em come!

I think they heard you.

There's your first one.

Listen.

They won't come back for a while.

Pretty soon a greased nip with a knife

is gonna come sliding in here.

And I'm not waiting for him.

Burke.

We need two dead bodies.

This is where I was born.

Thanks, Fletcher.

Thanks a lot.

I'll kill him!

Your winged arm!

He's out there, isn't he?

I don't want you to lose

your old-age pension.

It's Burke.

Where's Reynolds?

We got number three.

Get it over with fast.

Take care of them like I told you.

They'll be back.

I never wanna have to do

anything like that again.

Let 'em come.

Three dead Americans.

Could be.

Breeze?

Don't count on it, sonny.

Let's open up the package

and see what we got.

Fletch...

if it isn't Bouchard...

The nips'll be waiting.

You're American?

Who are you?

Nina.

Nina Bouchard.

You did receive my father's message?

They didn't say anything

about a girl.

Is your father alive?

Yes.

Why did you

shoot at me back there?

You spoke Japanese.

You know you could've been killed?

Yes.

When I shot-

I did this?

No.

Where is he?

Where's Bouchard?

I'll take you to him.

Who asked her into this mess?

Who asked us into it?

Bouchard?

- You sent a message.

- The minefields.

The safe channel is clearly marked.

It is what I told them

on the radio.

My daughter.

She will be safe now.

We'll take you both

as far as we go.

The Japanese have searched

for us since the message.

I waited here. I knew that soon

they would find our trail.

They're good trackers,

those Japanese.

You're telling us.

Anybody else on this island?

A few natives.

And now you.

Today, when I heard the shooting

across the island, I hoped it was true.

The Americans had come.

They're not coming here.

We're gonna meet 'em

day after tomorrow.

We didn't figure on two guests.

We're not helpless.

Come on, or we'll have

the whole Japanese army on our tail.

Bouchard, we need

that radio of yours.

I have no radio.

You said you sent the message.

Yes. I did.

He did.

One day, a fleet of Japanese boats

came from Bougainville.

An important officer from the boat

carried some papers to the radio hut.

My father saw it.

That night, he went to the hut

and killed the sentry

and stole the map

that he's just shown you.

There's no reason

to point your gun at him.

How far is that radio hut?

- Not too far away.

- Heavily guarded?

Sometimes many soldiers,

sometimes fewer.

If we could get to the radio hut,

Bouchard could send a message.

They might pick it up.

Why don't we have a look?

She come with us?

I'm not afraid.

That solves everything.

Can't leave her here.

The message is

the most important thing.

Two men have already died, and

many more will if we don't get it through.

France is also at war.

My daughter understands.

I'll do what I can.

We'll try to get you all through alive.

Stinking country.

I'd go nuts here alone.

He's not alone.

Guys always talking

about their kids...

I was the only one

ever wanted a daughter.

I never knew you'd been married.

I wasn't. It was just talk.

Is that what it is now?

"Just talk"?

Don't kid yourself, sergeant.

How long ago has it been

since you saw a female?

She's just a kid.

We had one like that in school...

with black hair.

I always wanted to date her.

But I never did.

That was ten thousand years ago.

You're pretty young.

That's what you think.

She's just a kid.

She shouldn't be here.

Send 'em through

one at a time.

Leave your hair alone!

Why are you angry?

Look, Lena-Nina-

whatever your name is,

the thing about a war is you're not

supposed to think about anything else.

You're the last girl

on the face of the earth.

Stay out of my way.

We are within a mile.

Let's get the shooting over with

before dark.

It's your party, pop.

Not even a guard.

This what you expected?

I've never seen it like this.

It's our men.

Miles away.

Fletch, if anybody's down there,

that shooting'll bring-

Bring 'em out.

There must be somebody down there.

There's only one way to find out.

You're ready, Pop?

Not to die.

France is even farther than America.

We will send the message.

You stay here.

If anything goes wrong,

our men are being met

day after tomorrow, 0600. 6:00 A.M.

About halfway

up the southwest coast,

there's an open shed

at the end of the pier.

I know the place.

Good luck.

If our luck isn't so good...

I'm sorry about the rough talk.

Come on, sonny!

Radio hut.

Booby trap.

Whatever it was,

they left in a hurry.

You must tell me

the exact words to send.

Don't touch anything.

Everything easy,

just waiting for us.

This whole place is booby-trapped.

With Scott doing such a wonderful job,

the Japs already wrote this place off.

You touch that key to send a message,

and this whole place blows up!

How many?

I couldn't tell, but many.

Go!

At least we're through

with the message.

Didn't send it.

Whole place is booby-trapped.

It's like a bomb.

What are they rushing us for?

This bunch doesn't know.

They're doing it the hard way.

You got in okay.

I got in,

but the whole place is ready to-

- Burke!

- If they think that we're in there-

You gotta cover me, sonny.

Cover yourself, buster.

Hey, you!

Cowards!

We're going away

from that rendezvous every minute.

A million Japs.

All looking for us.

What will you do

about the message?

The message.

It's always the message.

We'll take it ourselves.

What-the pickup place?

You think we can make it in time?

We should rest now.

It's a long war.

Everybody dies.

You wanna be my girl, Nina?

We can do without that talk.

What's the trouble, Sergeant?

We'd better go.

It's bad to stop.

Don't get

any high school ideas, sonny.

I wanna go on living.

So do these two.

So did Biggerman

and so did Reynolds.

The tough sergeant...

loose again on an island.

You sure handled it great.

Burke, don't-

So you can carve another notch

on your gun-next to Guadalcanal.

Are you insane?

Impossible to stay here.

There's a trail not far away.

I'll look for it.

With you.

Any way you want it, Pop.

This thing between you

and the other American...

Nothing.

You fight because of me?

Sometimes a girl is like...

too much water

to a man who's dying of thirst.

He wants it more

than anything in the world, but...

it'll make him sick.

Is the water to be blamed?

No.

It stays in your mind

that they are back there.

You're her father.

How do you like it?

My friend, there's a place for everything.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes