G.I. Jane Page #14

THE CHIEF:

Didn't you know you'd be raped if

you were captured? Didn't you even

think about that?

JORDAN:

Sure. Just like your men do.

THE CHIEF:

I think we oughtta practice it,

just so you know what to expect.

He flips her over, rips off her belt, starts tearing open

her pants.

JORDAN:

Should I practice bleeding, too,

sir? Would that make me a better

soldier?

He covers her mouth -- her whole face -- with one hand.

THE CHIEF:

(to the men)

Any of you can stop this! Just give

me the location of one more hide-

site, and it ends right here!

In the pen:

SLUTNIK:

(wide-eyed)

Someone's trippin' out here...

The Chief jerks Jordan up, whirls her around like a dead

dance partner, slams her face-first into the pen to give

the guys a good look at what's happening to that pretty

face.

THE CHIEF:

Three crews are still on this island

somewhere. Who knows where?

The men trade itchy looks. Some do know.

JORDAN:

Don't do it, don't do it...

The Chief throws her down like garbage.

THE CHIEF:

Who's gonna tell me? Who's gonna be

chivalrous and stop this abuse?

What, you want to see her get

mauled? Is that it?

The men shift anxiously. Should they talk? Behind the

Chief, Jordan staggers to her feet.

JORDAN:

Don't tell him shi --

The Chief whirls, decks her a crescent-kick. Instructors

lurch forward instinctively.

THE CHIEF:

(waving them back)

She's fine!

(squatting beside)

When I put you down, O'Neil, take

the hint and stay down.

She licks her bloody teeth -- and considers kicking his

balls into his brainpan. Instead she makes a move to get

up. He grinds her back down with a crowbar forearm.

THE CHIEF:

(for her ears only)

I am saving your life, O'Neil. You

may not know it, but I do. You're

an inferior soldier, a bad officer,

and I don't want you learning that

inconvenient truth when you're stuck

in a muddy bomb crater behind enemy

lines and don't know how the f*** to

get out. You get out now, O'Neil.

Seek life elsewhere. And if you

can't do it in front of me, do it

behind my back.

Pinning her down with just his eyes, he rises -- and

starts away.

Behind him, Jordan struggles to rise.

An ANXIOUS MURMUR races through the men: They don't want

to see this. They don't want to see her crucified.

MCCOOL:

Down... stay down...

Hearing, the Chief turns back to see...

Jordan wobbling to her feet.

Eye-lock.

JORDAN:

F*** you and the boat you rode in

on. Sir.

TIGHT on the faces of her crewmates -- Slutnik, Cortez,

McCool. In their eyes, a new respect. The Chief see it.

Instructors see it. Everyone does.

THE CHIEF:

(to instructors)

We're done here.

Beaten, he walks right out of camp.

Wordless, instructors open the pens, unlock the boxes.

Wickwire rises like a vampire in daylight. But this time

he made it.

A medic tries to help Jordan, but she pushes him away,

walking drunkenly for...

Flea. She begins wiping the makeup from his face.

JORDAN:

Make you a deal, Flea. Never tell

me how I look -- and I'll never tell

you.

EXT. PIERS - SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND - SUNSET

The Chief chucks gear onto a transport boat. FOOTSTEPS

approach. He knows it's Pyro.

THE CHIEF:

You don't think she'd be raped if

she were captured? You don't think

the threat of rape would be used to

leverage the men?

INSTRUCTOR PYRO:

You broke a dozen training rules

back there -- before I lost count.

THE CHIEF:

I've had it. Just because they pay

me like a baby-sitter doesn't mean

I'm gonna be one.

INSTRUCTOR PYRO:

She's a trainee, just like the

others. Why are you coming down so

hard?

THE CHIEF:

She's an officer. There's a higher

standard.

INSTRUCTOR PYRO:

She's a women, and that's why you're

ridin' her bareback.

THE CHIEF:

Of course it is. And I'm gonna stay

on her until everyone realizes this

is not some bullshit equal-rights

thing, that real lives are gonna be

lost. Maybe mine, maybe yours.

INSTRUCTOR PYRO:

I oughtta report you.

THE CHIEF:

I think you probably would -- if you

didn't know I was right.

EXT. STREET - WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY

As a limo moves -- heads for the Capitol building.

INT. DEHAVEN'S LIMO - DAY

DeHaven snags a BUZZING PHONE.

DEHAVEN:

Yes?

DEHAVEN'S AIDE (V.O.)

(anxious)

Did you hear?

DEHAVEN:

She made it through S.E.R.E.

training. Got a call this morning

from --

DEHAVEN'S AIDE (V.O.)

Not that. The White House just

announced that it was sponsoring

legislation that would, in one

stroke, void all remaining elements

of the 1948 Combat Exclusion Laws.

The phone suddenly weights a ton, DeHaven dumps it on the

seat beside her. HOLD on her disbelieving face.

DEHAVEN'S AIDE (V.O.)

You there? Senator?

INT. CORRIDOR - PENTAGON - DAY

Hand-carrying a report, Flag Officer #1 hurries down a

corridor, pushes through a door. HOLD on the door marker:

"Secretary of the Navy."

INT. SECNAV OFFICE - PENTAGON - DAY

HAYES:

Without telling us they do this?

With absolutely no lead time?

At his desk, Hayes scans the report with a deepening

frown.

FLAG OFFICER #1

(to Hayes)

Mr. Secretary, if this bill

passes...

FLAG OFFICER #2

Forget our three-year plan. They're

rushing the cadence. We'll be

forced to reorganize the Navy from

top to bottom -- overnight.

HAYES:

What the hell is the President

trying to do? Steal DeHaven's

thunder?

FLAG OFFICER #1

I think it's more important, sir, to

decide what we're going to do --

since it's apparent this issue is

not going away quietly.

HAYES:

"G.I. Jane." And which one of you

told me she wouldn't last a week?

Huh?

The flags squirm. Shaking his head, Hayes moves to a

window that offers a stunning view of Arlington National

Cemetery.

HAYES:

20 years in the Pentagon, I finally

rate an office with a window -- and

it looks out over the world's

largest graveyard. Think it's a

sign?

EXT. GRINDER - CORONADO NAVAL BASE - NIGHT

The bell. It reflects the moon. TILT DOWN to reveal a

new batch of helmets -- the casualties of S.E.R.E. A

graveyard of its own.

EXT. THE EXCHANGE - CORONADO NAVAL BASE - NIGHT

Jordan exits with purchases. Her face is still bruised

from S.E.R.E. With a minute to kill, she peruses a

bulletin board casually. But a RAISED VOICE leads her

eyes to...

Wickwire. At a phone kiosk, he hangs up emphatically. He

looks flustered when he spots Jordan.

JORDAN:

Sorry, didn't mean to --

WICKWIRE:

That's okay. Just an ex-girlfriend.

And know I remember why.

JORDAN:

First big night of liberty and no

date? You're pathetic, Wickwire.

WICKWIRE:

Maybe I'll just head over to McP's

with the others, have a drink or

four. Don't wanna come, do you?

JORDAN:

(touching bruises)

I can't go out. Not like this.

WICKWIRE:

I think you look beautiful.

JORDAN:

Thanks for lying. But you're the

class officer, Wick, and it'd just

be weird if we hook up. Besides...

Catching up, Blondell exits the exchange.

BLONDELL:

Sorry. Forgot I needed oregano

and...

She sees Wickwire. An awkward beat for them all.

JORDAN:

Do you, uh, know...

WICKWIRE:

Sure, sure.

JORDAN:

We're going over to her place to

make salad and pasta. Just, you

know, nothing special.

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