Platoon Page #17

CRAWFORD:

Oh sh*t man I never thought I'd get hit, I was ...

(gagging)

RHAH:

Stay cool. We gonna carry you out.

Barnes appears, running towards them, looking down at Crawford,

at Rhah.

RHAH (CONT'D)

Sarge, 'bout five gooks tried to ...

BARNES:

Where's Elias?

RHAH:

... came through right over there. We got three of

them, we ...

BARNES:

Didn't you hear the arty shift? We're pulling back.

Get your wounded man and get the f*** back to the

church. Get going.

CHRIS:

(indicating jungle)

... but 'Lias is still out there.

BARNES:

I'll get him. You get the man in, Taylor

(indicating Crawford)

NOW. Or I'll Article 15 both your asses. Move!

Chris and Rhah look at Barnes sullenly, then reluctantly start

moving Crawford onto a poncho liner they use as a litter.

BARNES (CONT'D)

Move it, MOVE IT!

He's in his blackest rage, the force of his words almost

physically pushing the men to move out with Crawford. Barnes

turns now to deal with Elias.

EXT. ELIAS' JUNGLE - DAY

Elsewhere, Elias stands silently, listens to the forest. In the

distance the firefight can hardly be heard. His helmet gone, his

hair hanging free, he is at his best now - alone. He hears it.

Somebody running through the jungle, about 100 yards, boots on

leaves, coming towards him.

He begins to move lateral to the sound. His steps unheard,

better at this than the enemy.

THREE ENEMY FIGURES now appear, crouched and moving very fast

with light equipment through the mist.

Elias swerves up in immediate foreground, his back to us, FIRING.

All three Figures fall.

A quick glimpse of Elias, not bothering to stop, moving to his

next position.

EXT. BARNES' JUNGLE - DAY

Barnes, moving through the jungle, reacts to the fire, resetting

his course. Like a hunter stalking a deer. Suddenly there's

more firing. Then silence -

EXT. ELIAS' JUNGLE - DAY

TWO MORE ENEMY lie dead in the jungle. A rustle of movement,

then a CRY - chilling, jubilant, a war cry.

A pair of feet moving lightly over the jungle. A glimpse of

Elias. In his full glory. Roaming the jungle, born to it.

EXT. BARNES' JUNGLE - DAY

Barnes fixing on him, moving.

EXT. ELIAS' JUNGLE - DAY

An NVA SOLDIER, jungle-whiskered, dirty, smart, crouches,

listens, looks to his PARTNER. What are they fighting here? The

First One mutter something sharp and they split fast in the

direction they've come.

They get about six steps when Elias suddenly rises up from the

bush, not ten yards in front of them, his shots ripping into

them, driving the surprised life from them. Elias is gone.

EXT. NVA JUNGLE - DAY

Elsewhere, another three NVA stop, turn and flee back from where

they came.

EXT. JUNGLE CHURCH - DAY

Chris and Rhah get Crawford back to the church grounds, lay him

down. No activity around them. Chris plunges back into the

jungle where they left Barnes.

RHAH:

Taylor!

EXT. ELIAS AND BARNES' JUNGLE - DAY

Barnes moving, stops, listens. Something is running towards him.

But it's hidden by the bush. He brings his rifle up smooth and

quick, waits, then as the bush parts, Elias is standing there.

Looking at Barnes.

Barnes sees him, starts to lower his rifle, but then stops. He

raises it back an inch, sights it. Pause. A cold searing look

of hatred coming over his face.

In that moment, Elias understands. Quick as a deer, he makes his

move, trying to plunge back into the bush.

Barnes fires. Once, twice, three times - the blast rocking the

jungle.

Elias jerking backwards into the bush, mortally wounded. Bird

cries. A crime against nature.

Barnes calmly lowers his rifle, and walks away from it.

EXT. CHRIS' JUNGLE - DAY

Chris, cutting through the jungle, hears the shots. He stops,

listens. Someone is moving through bush towards him, leaves and

foliage shaking.

Chris tightens, raises his rifle.

Barnes steps through into his sight - sees him.

Chris lowers his rifle. Barnes walking past him as if he weren't

even there.

BARNES:

Elias is dead. Join up with the platoon. Move it.

CHRIS:

(shocked)

He's dead! Where? ... You saw him?

BARNES:

Yeah. Back about 100 metres. He's dead, now get

going, the gooks are all over the f***in' place.

Moving on quickly. Chris has no choice but to follow, looking

back one more time.

EXT. CHURCH GROUNDS - JUNGLE - DAY

TWO CHOPPERS are coming into a LZ in front of the Church. The

two platoons, Second and Third, reinforcing, are being evacuated

as quickly as possible, one load (6-8 men, depending on the

wounded) after other. The choppers are spraying dust all over

the place. A scene of chaos, radio talk layering it. Doc is out

of supplies, making do with improvised bandages, etc.

WOLFE:

MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT.

Lerner goes by, horribly wounded on a makeshift litter, into the

chopper, Doc attending, holding the IV.

Chris catching a glimpse of him, waiting to get on the chopper,

turning to look as:

Hoyt and Sgt.Warren, both wounded, are hurried aboard on litters.

The chopper lifting off.

Chris and others now running to the corpses of Flash, Morehouse,

and Fu Sheng lying under dirty ponchos, their boots sticking out.

The ponchos are blown away in a burst of wind off the chopper

blades, revealing their faces - dirt stuffing their eyes and

mouths, waxen figures.

Chris and the others lifting them and carrying them towards the

next chopper now coming in.

They throw the bodies on. Tubbs and Crawford, both wounded, now

move past Chris, into the chopper. Chris running back, with King

carrying a litter - their eyes falling on:

Barnes talking with Wolfe and Ace, making signals under the

roaring sounds of the chopper. Shaking his head. No. No Elias.

Chris and King looking at each other, mute. They numbly start

loading Big Harold, minus his leg, onto the stretcher.

The Third Chopper is down now, waiting, roaring blades

silhouetting off the face of the cathedral. A ROCKET BLAST

suddenly goes off not too far from the chopper, incoming fire.

The DOOR GUNNER signaling for them to hurry, laying out fire.

INT/EXT. CHOPPER - JUNGLE - DAY

Chris and King hustling Big Harold's 250 pounds into the chopper.

Climbing in with him. Wolfe, Barnes, Ace running in with them.

The perimeter is bare.

Chris' eyes flitting over Barnes as he jumps in. The chopper

lifting off as another explosion rocks the area. The Door Gunner

sees something, opens up.

Big Harold, cursing, looks chalky but hog happy as he manages a

glance down at the jungle. His right leg is gone. Tears are

rolling out of his eyes.

KING:

Man, you gonna be in Japan this time tomorrow, Big

Harold.

BIG HAROLD:

Yeah, I'se lucky dis time, what's a leg to get the

f*** outta here ...

(at the NVA)

Eat ma sh*t, you motherfuckers!

He sinks back, sick. Chris' eyes sudenly fix on something. He

can't believe it. He shoves King, points. King sees it. Both

stunned.

Barnes is looking. So's Lt.Wolfe, so's Ace. So's the Door

Gunner.

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