Militia Page #2

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BECKMANN:

That's what I said.

That information reverberates like a gunshot when...

The loading bay windows LIGHT up. Gannon's head jerks toward

the opening door. MORRIS(52). Shaved head. Goatee.

Gannon doesn't acknowledge him. He sends another text:

MORRIS (O.S.)

He got away. The shooter got away.

'CALL ME. NOW...'

BECKMANN:

He didn't kill himself?

MORRIS:

No.

6.

OLSEN:

Th' f***'s that got to do with

anything?

BECKMANN:

Public shooters usually realize how

bad they f***ed up once they finish.

Then they realize the solution to

that feeling is still in their hand-

GANNON:

Doesn't matter. He's alive.

OLSEN:

(to Morris)

It's a safe bet the cops have no

idea where the shooter is?

MORRIS:

Still searching the area. Helicopters.

Ground units. Dogs. Door to door.

BECKMANN:

There's still enough leaves in the

tree to give him cover from heli

units. Dogs can't pick scent up in-

The door BANGS open. HUBBEL(60) Slovenly. Mountain man

survivalist. Gannon looks at him. Then again, BEHIND him as

if expecting more...

OLSEN:

What do you know?

Every word from Hubbel sounds like gravel being raked.

HUBBEL:

Guy walked out of the woods. Opened

fire on a funeral with an AR-15.

Their faces drop.

OLSEN:

What?

HUBBEL:

An AR-15 assault rifle. Body Armor.

Grenades. Flashbangs. IED's planted

on the surrounding headstones.

Military grade everything.

MORRIS:

Lot of firepower for a bunch of

mourners.

7.

GANNON:

We confident on the AR-15 part?

HUBBEL:

Heard it on the news.

BECKMANN:

I don't think the news knows AR-15's

off the rack are semi-auto. The

gunfire was automatic. I heard it.

GANNON:

Then it's safe to assume you heard a

modified AR-15.

BECKMANN:

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but

aren't...

(motions to the room)

we the only ones who have those?

Beat. Gannon stays focused on the DOOR as the others bicker...

OLSEN:

AR's are legal. Auto kits are

gettable. Doesn't mean anythi-

HUBBEL:

--Wasn't just a funeral either.

(beat)

Was a cop's.

Every man in the room feels that information like an

earthquake. Gannon turns to Hubbel. His attention focused.

GANNON:

What?

HUBBEL:

Cop funeral. Cops in attendance.

OLSEN:

They know what the losses are?

HUBBEL:

IED shrapnel took out most of them.

More departing at Saint Joseph's.

Gannon blinks like he can no longer distinguish nightmare

from reality. His hand SHAKES as he takes out his PHONE...

OLSEN:

This boring you, Gannon?

Gannon's eyes rise up. The men STARE at him...

8.

The DOOR opens, without the exterior light turning on. Gannon

looks...KEATING(26). Sinewy. Big eyes. No words out of him...

OLSEN (CONT'D)

You hear anything, Keating?

No reaction. We're not sure if Keating's deaf, mute, or dumb.

MORRIS:

Let's not waste time waiting for

'Chief' to have his first words.

The windows LIGHT up. Gannon looks to the door. No movement.

The militia men stare at the lit exterior windows. Waiting...

The door CREAKS open. NOAH(29). Thin. Shaken. Long dirty

hair combed to the side.

Gannon stares at him. Trying to hide the relief in his eyes,

the world taken off his shoulders. We hear him BREATHE for

the first time. Gannon NODS at Noah. Noah NODS back...

OLSEN:

You look like sh*t.

Noah speaks, uncertain of every word he says.

NOAH:

(checks himself)

Sorry. But, um, they...they're sayin'

the shooter on the cop funeral was,

was a militia man.

The air sucks out of the room. Gannon's eyes shut almost

like he was waiting for it. Disappointed by the inevitable.

OLSEN:

And how the f*** did they ID him as

that?

GANNON:

Doesn't matter how they ID'd him.

OLSEN:

Oh no?

GANNON:

Matters that they announced it.

Gannon looks around the silent room. Men in green military

jackets. Duffels. Combat boots. The archetypical militia.

9.

BECKMANN:

So a militia man just shot up an

entire police funeral and now the

remaining cops and inevitable military

reinforcements are searching for...us.

NOAH:

Yeah, that's what they said.

HUBBEL:

Then...we shouldn't let that happen.

BECKMANN:

Well put, Hubbel. So we?

OLSEN:

We leave. Pack the f*** up.

GANNON:

It's too late.

OLSEN:

What?

GANNON:

Cops know militia's got presence in

the area so they’ll stack checkpoints

on the highway. Probably did it ten

minutes after the first gunshot.

Then a call gets made to the Guard,

reinforcements get sent, and an

underfunded police force with not

enough cops or cars to put them in

turns into a decent sized army with

military gear and not enough lumber

warehouses to check.

HUBBEL:

Call the cops. Say we didn't do-

GANNON:

They come here, find a militia with

automatics, explosives and armor

piercing rounds. We're a militant

group with intent. Each of us does

twenty years.

OLSEN:

So you got an idea or did you just

want to complain out loud?

GANNON:

Only option we got is hole up. Stay

put, right here.

10.

MORRIS:

'Til when boss?

GANNON:

'Til they find the shooter.

(beat)

Who's got their phone?

Every member reaches in their pockets. Holds theirs up.

GANNON (CONT'D)

It's standard practice to check out

every member of any militia. Guarantee

they've got a trace on each of your

numbers and will try to track signals.

OLSEN:

Batteries out. Now.

Each member removes theirs. Olsen points to a TRASH BIN.

They toss the batteries in. Gannon follows suit. Then...

MORRIS:

Why don't we follow up?

Beat.

GANNON:

Why don't we follow what up?

MORRIS:

Hit the cops. Go to the precinct

big and noisy. Roll 'em over.

Silence. Gannon focused on Morris, assessing his sincerity.

MORRIS (CONT'D)

We knew this would happen. Now it

is. So why wouldn't we join in-

OLSEN:

--We're not attacking the cops 'cause

I'm not starting a f***ing war. End

of discussion.

Olsen stares at Morris until he recedes like a scolded dog.

OLSEN (CONT'D)

We need to clear the armory. Anything

that could tie us to the shooting.

Get it to the incinerator. Let's go.

The militia men start down an aisle. Olsen turns to Beckmann.

11.

OLSEN (CONT'D)

You can convert the CB radio over to

airwave signal, right?

BECKMANN:

Right.

OLSEN:

And cops can't trace that, right?

Beckmann nods.

OLSEN (CONT'D)

Do it. Get to the comm office and

call the other militias near here.

BECKMANN:

And tell them what exactly?

OLSEN:

Tell them we didn't do it.

INT. LUMBER WAREHOUSE AISLE NUMBER ONE - MOMENTS LATER

The militia moves down the aisle toward a large vault door.

Gannon follows close behind, his eyes stay locked on NOAH...

INT. LUMBER WAREHOUSE HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

An old vault door with an updated key pad. Gannon and Noah

stand behind the militia. Olsen enters a code into the pad.

The door opens, fluorescent LIGHTS switch on as we enter...

INT. LUMBER WAREHOUSE ARMORY - CONTINUOUS

An ad hoc armory. Bullets. Body armor. Camouflage. Grenades.

First aid. Canned food and jugs of water. A doomsday paradise.

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