Hellfighters Page #7

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Congratulations.

About time you did something right.

We should wrap it up

in a few more days.

We'll start clearing

the junk off tomorrow.

I know how long we've been here, but

there's guerrilla activity in the hills.

They've been shootin' up

our water lines.

No, no, no,

the army's here now...

and I've got Colonel Valdez' solemn oath

there'll be no more trouble.

Yeah. Yeah. Madelyn wants

to talk to you again.

Yes, Mother?

We'll let you know as soon

as we're going to leave.

I love you, and I'm very happy

for you both.

Bye-bye.

My father is finally going to

marry my mother. Isn't that great?

That is very nice.

[All Laughing]

- Oh, let's see. Where were we?

- It's to you, Tish.

[Machine Gun Fire]

Down!

- [Gunfire Stops]

- [Jeep Speeding Away]

Second me.

[Gunfire Resumes]

[Engine Starts]

[Gunfire Continues]

[Engine Starts]

- Colonel, Mr. Chapman and Senor Caldes.

- How do you do?

Please come in.

Tanto gusto,

Senora Parker.

This is Senor Parker.

His Excellency Senor Caldes,

Minister of Interior.

- Senor.

- How do you do?

- General Lopez.

- Tanto gusto, senor.

- Senor Chapman of

your United States embassy.

- How do you do?

I was just going to make some coffee.

Would you like some?

- Senor, we have seen the fires.

It is most distressing.

- Yeah.

But will you be able to

bring them under control?

The end wells we can handle

one at a time.

The center three are so

closely spaced they'll have

to be put out simultaneously,

or else they'll

reignite each other.

- Can it be done?

- We've never tried it before.

Senor Parker, this oil field

is of great importance...

to the economy

of my country,

but even that is secondary.

The clandestine guerrilla

radio is boasting...

of what they accomplished

last night...

and claim the fires

will never be put out.

They'll turn it into

a propaganda field day to sell

sabotage all over South America.

I won't even begin the operation

if they're shooting at us.

[Lopez] Three more companies of men

have been ordered here.

We will blanket the area

with troops if necessary, senor.

I've been authorized by the State

Department to offer every assistance.

Anything you need

will be made available.

The one thing I really need

you can't give me.

The one thing I really need

you can't give me.

Why don't you gentlemen have some

coffee. I want to talk to my wife.

Tish.

Tish, I don't care if they've

brought in the whole army.

I still worry about you. I want you

to fly back to Caracas with them.

I'll phone you every night.

I promise.

It'll just take me

a minute to pack.

Do you have to go back and talk to them,

or can you come and talk to me?

They can wait.

[P.A. Announcer,

Indistinct]

What's all the mystery? Why do you

wait 'til you get here to call me?

And why don't you want

your father to know you're here?

Because I have to talk to you, Mother,

before I see him. Greg's in trouble.

Oh.

He's on a job I don't think

he can handle without Dad.

I know what this means to you.

That's why I had to see you alone first.

[Sighs] Why couldn't they both

have just been insurance salesmen?

Please understand.

I've got to ask him.

Is this trouble anything

the State Department is aware of?

- Yes.

- Then he probably knows already.

When I left, he was talking with

two men who had just flown in

from the State Department.

Being told about it

is one thing.

- I've got to know his answer.

- Well, surely you can't

doubt what that'll be.

Tish, surely you don't think

I'd try to stop him.

Forgive me that, please.

I dreaded coming here.

I dread asking him.

Most of all, I dread

what this does to you.

Let's handle

one dread at a time.

You don't have to ask him;

I will.

It might be as well if we never tell

your father of this conversation.

Or Greg. He doesn't

even know I'm here.

He thinks I'm in Caracas.

Mother, there's

a plane back in an hour.

[Tires Screech]

[Tires Screech]

[Horn Honking]

Why didn't you tell me

you were in trouble?

Why do I have to find out about it

from the State Department?

The hell you're not!

Nobody ever tackled that kind of a job.

What size, uh, control heads

did you order?

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

It's Greg.

He has a little problem.

Yes.

Well, the Air Force has put a National

Guard cargo plane at my disposal.

Of course

I'm coming with it.

I'll be there

in the morning.

I just hope you haven't loused things up

too much. [Chuckles] Right.

Well, at least

he had the good sense...

to get Tish out of there.

- She's in Caracas.

- Oh.

Madelyn, this is one

I've got to go to.

I know you do.

It involves Tish and Greg.

Well, we'd better face this

all at once.

This was bound to happen sooner or later

and it'll happen again,

and each time I'll...

I'll go.

Thank you for being

honest with me.

Well, where does that

leave us, honey?

I don't know.

I honestly don't know.

You gonna be here

when I get back?

The only plan I have at the moment is to

go to Tish. She could use some company.

Yeah.

Irene, call Bill Hansen.

Have him break the jet out of mothballs.

He's taking Mrs. Buckman

to Caracas.

Phone back

when the plane's ready.

Hmm?

Well, if five fires is

your idea of fun, you're nuts.

Sure, sure,

I'll send back pictures.

Color pictures.

Right.

They'll let you know

when the plane's ready.

I, uh, I guess

I'd better get packed.

Do you want your hard hat sombrero

packed, or will you pick one up...

- Pack it!

- Bueno.

Joe!

[Laughs]

It's about time you got back

to earning an honest living.

If you think I'm gonna say

it's a pleasure to be here, forget it.

- Hi, boss.

- George, nice to see ya.

Hi, boss.

Couldn't be lousier timing for you

and Madelyn, could it? I'm sorry.

Forget it. It's probably

kinder that she finds out now...

Let's skip talking about it.

I spent a lot of your money.

What did you do, buy up

all the control heads in Houston?

This far away from supplies,

you get all the spares you can.

This is Col. Valdez, Chance. He's in

charge of keeping us from getting shot.

I hope you do

a good job, Colonel.

If I do not, you'll have

my profound apologies.

The longer you guys stand there,

the longer it's gonna take

to unload this thing.

Right, Joe.

The guerrillas could still

pot shot the water lines.

I had that dredged

and filled for emergency water.

Give us time to run.

I sincerely doubt

there could be such an emergency.

The entire area is patrolled

from the ground and the air.

Well, you'll have to bear

with our worryin', Colonel.

We stay alive by being

scared to death.

- I do not believe this is ever so.

- Don't bet on it.

What's first,

Greg?

To clear off all five,

we'll kill the ones at each end,

and then worry about how we knock off

the middle three at the same time.

I'll need that third

boom arm.

The hang-up's gonna be

gettin' that nitro...

into the middle three

at the same instant.

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