Collateral Damage Page #9

48.

117 CONTINUED:
117

Using the Zippo again to light his way, Gordy advances tothe young man. He follows the trip wire to where a Coca-

Cola can hangs from a nearby tree. On closer inspection,

Gordy can see the can is sleeved around a grenade.

There's no pin in the grenade. The can keeps thegrenade's arming spoon in place. The trip wire'sdesigned to yank the can off, allowing the grenade toexplode at chest level... And the can's almost off.

Gordy burns through the monofilament trip wire. Then

carefully slides the Coke can back over the grenade.

118 MAN IN YANKEES CAP - MOMENTS LATER 118

When Gordy returns, the man's dead. OFF Gordy, lookingdown at the NY logo on the cap...

119 EXT./INT. ANOTHER CHIVA - DAY 119

Gordy sees a sign for a town as the chiva rumbles along.

He pulls out his map.

120 INSERT - MAP 120

Gordy finds the town, which lies along a river. He

traces a road from the town. The road runs south throughthe town of Mompos, and eventually reaches Caguan, theELC capital.

121 BACK TO SCENE 121

A COLOMBIAN WOMAN is looking over Gordy's shoulder.

COLOMBIAN WOMAN:

No autobusses para este lugar.

Solamente el barco en el rio.

She leans over, traces the river, which also runs to

Caguan.

COLOMBIAN WOMAN:

El rio.

122 EXT. FERRY DOCK - DAY 122

The FERRY'S WHISTLE TOOTS. Lines are cast off.

(CONTINUED)

49.

122 CONTINUED:
122

Two plainclothes federales have been watching the ferryload and now relax their vigil. One man holds a Xerox of

Gordy's passport photo. The other bites into an

empanada, which breaks open and spills its contents downthe front of his shirt. His partner finds it funny. He

doesn't. And while their attention's occupied...

Gordy hurries by, oblivious to the federales' presence,

and just manages to hop onto the ferry as it pulls away.

123 EXT. FERRY - DAY 123

The ferry's the only means of travel south, and it'spacked. Gordy picks his way through. The only othergringo on the boat is a geek in a plaid shirt and gimmehat that says "Deerborn." The geek, PHILIP ARMSTRONG,

looks like a talker, and Gordy tries to avoid eye

contact. He's too late.

ARMSTRONG:

Hey, yo, dude, here's a seat, man!

GORDY:

No, that's okay -But

Armstrong's already throwing a bag off the bench.

ARMSTRONG:

I was hoping for someone I couldcommunicate with.

He sees Gordy hasn't moved.

ARMSTRONG:

Only room's at the back near thebano, and I'd advise against it,

unless you like poop.

Beat. Gordy sits. Immediately -ARMSTRONG

Philip Armstrong. Assiniboia,

Sasketchewan, Canada.

(indicates his hat)

Deerborn Heavy Equipment.

GORDY:

... Gordy Pitt.

ARMSTRONG:

Hey, howya doing? I love Germany.

(CONTINUED)

50.

123 CONTINUED:
123

GORDY:

Austria. American now.

ARMSTRONG:

I love America. Never been to

Austria. Where from in America

would that be?

GORDY:

New York City.

ARMSTRONG:

I don't like New York City.

Buildings're too big. What kinda

work you in?

GORDY:

(hesitates, then)

Coffee. I buy beans.

ARMSTRONG:

Can't drink caffeine. Makes mystomach do the rumba. I like that

commercial guy with the sombreroand the mule, though. Headed

upstream, eh? Where to?

GORDY:

Caguan.

ARMSTRONG:

... You've never been to Caguan,

eh?

GORDY:

How do you know?

ARMSTRONG:

'Cause no one in their right mindwould ever go back. Caguan's inthe guerrilla zone run by the

E.L.C. E.L.C. as in 'Extra

Loathsome Communists.' They don'tcare, and they kill. I'm goingthere myself. But I have a 'getoutta jail free' card.

Armstrong doffs his cap, undoes a safety pin securing acard inside the crown. Shows it to Gordy. Sotto -

(CONTINUED)

51.

123 CONTINUED:
(2) 123

ARMSTRONG:

E.L.C. travel pass. I can goanywhere I want.

(by way ofexplanation)

Everyone needs equipment fixed.

Armstrong carefully returns the card to the hat. And now

his voice takes on a noticeably more measured tone -ARMSTRONG

If you don't have one of these,

you don't want to be up there,

Gordy.

Beat. Gordy's contemplating the warning, when his eyesgo to a small, sleepy boy standing nearby on the crampeddeck, leaning against his father. Gordy reaches over andtaps the boy. The boy looks over. Shrinks away at thesight of the large gringo. The father notices and looks

at Gordy, who stands, indicates his seat.

Por favor.

GORDY:

The father's also apprehensive, doesn't move.

GORDY:

Con mucho gusto.

Finally, the father accepts, sits down with the sleepyboy on his lap. Nods his thanks at Gordy, who then gazesdown at the son. A kid about Matt's age. Armstrongrecognizes the look of a caring dad.

Got kids, eh?

ARMSTRONG:

OFF Armstrong, as Gordy walks away...

124 EXT. JUNGLE - DAY 124

Two Colombian armed man wearing guerrilla uniformsbearing a distinctive ELC patch are walking a trail, whenthe man in front notices something odd. He stops. Leads

the other man back a few steps. Looks into the foliagealong the trail. Something doesn't seem right. He

extends his AK-47. Prods a hump of greenery with therifle butt, and in a flash...

The greenery suddenly transforms into two men wearingface-paint and full-body military camouflage gear andpointing twin cocked-and-locked CAR-15 assault rifles atthe heads of the startled guerrillas.

52.

125 EXT. CIA HACIENDA - DAY 125

Brandt stubs a butt as a Colombian SOG group does killertraining nearby. Updegraf opens the door. To Brandt -UPDEGRAF

One of Rocha's infiltration teams

just radioed in... We got our bigbreak...

126 EXT. FERRY - DAY 126

Gordy stands along the rail looking out at the lush,

beautiful countryside sliding past.

Armstrong joins him.

ARMSTRONG:

That little kid and I had a nice,

long snooze... We're almost toMompos.

(gazing out)

Beautiful country.

It better be.

dying for it.

GORDY:

A lotta people're

ARMSTRONG:

(looks overboard)

Y'know, I haven't noticed one

darn body floating downstreamthis whole trip, have you?

Gordy doesn't respond. Beat.

GORDY:

I was thinking... Maybe we couldtravel together into Caguan. You

could show me around.

ARMSTRONG:

(shakes his head)

Pass is only good for one person,

if that's your idea, which I thinkit is... Besides, I can't risk

traveling around up there in thecompany of a big gringo with adumb-ass cover story about coffeebeans.

Gordy looks over. Armstrong smiles back. Beat.

(CONTINUED)

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