Predator Page #3

DILLON:

(icy)

Man, that's a real bad habit you've got.

Dillon turns back to Ramirez, ignoring Mac and Blain, who continues to

stare at him. Mac looks across at Blain, wide grins breaking across

their huge faces. Cradled in Blain's arms, as if it were a part of his

body, is a large, CANVAS-COVERED BUNDLE. Blain looks down at his

bundle, almost affectionately.

The PILOT'S VOICE breaks in over Schaefer's headset.

PILOT NUMBER ONE (V.O.)

LZ comin' up in 30 seconds. Stand by the rappel lines.

Looking up, Schaefer gives a hand signal to the nearest man who nods

and in return, passes the signal down the line.

Ramirez and Blain pick up heavy, METAL CONICAL DEVICES, attached to

canvas bags filled with rope.

EXT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT

From the open doors the RAPPELLING LINES hurtle into space, CRASHING

through the double canopy of the trees and to the jungle floor below.

INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT

The blue light changes to GREEN. Schaefer nods. RAPPELLING DEVICES SNAP

into place. Gloved hands grab onto rope. Combat boots move into

position.

DILLON:

(shouting to Schaefer)

You don't know how much I missed this, Dutch!!! Once you get this in

your blood, you never get it out!!!

SCHAEFER:

You never were all that smart... let's go!!!

Schaefer signals. Men leap from the chopper.

EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT

The man crash through the trees and are swallowed up by the darkness

below. The helicopters depart, THUMPING their way into the night.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. MOUNTAIN RIDGE - DAY (DAWN)

A light shower passes through the trees. The sky clears, REVEALING a

lush and exotic foliage. Birds are beginning to SING but otherwise, all

is SILENT.

The dense growth seems impenetrable, but from a solid wall of

undergrowth, a HAND appears and signals in a downward motion.

As if by magic, the assault team materializes, quietly, cautiously.

Schaefer makes another gesture and the team moves forward in perfect

harmony in POINT-LOCK step, taking their cue from Ramirez, the

pointman. Schaefer, highly focused and alert to every sound and

movement, follows Ramirez, as if organically connected.

EXT. JUNGLE HILLSIDE - DAY

Descending the steep mountain slope, the team encounters an even denser

growth of jungle, at times moving by instinct, as they are often

visually separated. At one point, Schaefer checks his COMPASS, flashing

some hand signals to Ramirez, indicating a new direction. Ramirez nods

and moves on, Schaefer signaling to the rest of the men.

EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY

Blain, in a defensive position, sweeps the jungle slowly with his MP-5.

He steps back and turns, checking, revealing in the background the

WRECKAGE OF A U.S. ARMY UH-1H HELICOPTER, hanging upside down, twenty

feet above the ground, entangled in vines in the heavy capony, badly

damaged, rotors bent, its tail section blown away.

A GRAPPLING HOOK is hurled from the ground, CLATTERING into the cargo

hold, hooking the edge of the airframe.

INT. HELICOPTER - DAY

Ramirez moves cautiously, searching for trip wires, using his knife to

check the edges of the seats and door frames. Grimly he glances at the

TWO BODIES slumped over the controls and then exits, snapping into and

rappelling down the rope to the ground.

He joins Schaefer standing in the f.g. They look up, watching as Dillon

moves through the cockpit, searching through pockets and compartments.

Schaefer turns his back to the helicopter.

RAMIREZ:

The pilots have each got one round in the head. And whoever hit it

stripped the sh*t out of it.

Schaefer studies the clearing, eyes always moving, wary. He turns back,

looking at the chopper.

SCHAEFER:

Took 'em out with a heat seeker.

RAMIREZ:

There's something else, Major...

SCHAEFER:

Mmmnnn...?

RAMIREZ:

I don't think that was any ordinary army taxi...

Schaefer looks at him quizzically.

RAMIREZ:

... looks more like a surveillance bird to me.

Dillon rappels down the line and approaches.

DILLON:

Have you picked up their trail yet?

Schaefer taps Ramirez on the shoulder and he moves away. Schaefer turns

to Dillon:

SCHAEFER:

Billy's on it.

(indicates chopper)

Heat seeker. Pretty sophisticated for half-asses mountain boys.

DILLON:

They're getting better equipped every day.

Bill approaches from the background.

BILLY:

Major, looks like there were ten, maybe twelve guerrillas. Looks like

they took some prisoners from the chopper.

(points)

Then a different set of track, over there.

SCHAEFER:

(puzzled)

What do you mean?

BILLY:

Six others, U.S. issue jungle boots. They came in from the north, then

followed the guerrillas.

Schaefer turns to Dillon.

SCHAEFER:

Mean anything to you?

DILLON:

Probably another rebel patrol. They operate in here all the time.

Schaefer is obviously concerned about this. He turns to Billy.

SCHAEFER:

Get ahead, see what you can find.

(to Ramirez)

Slow and easy.

(to Dillon)

We don't want any accidents.

Billy takes up the trail, disappearing in to the jungle. Ramirez

signals, the team moves out.

EXT. JUNGLE - DAY

As Billy reconnoiters, Ramirez looks back and gives a sign...

Schaefer nods and rappels down cliff.

As he joins Ramirez, there seem to be butterflies everywhere -

SCHAEFER:

What's he got?

RAMIREZ:

Same business, guerrillas hauling two guys from the chopper... followed

by men with American equipment...

Ramirez seems concerned by this. Schaefer signals him to move on.

Before he follows, Schaefer looks around: there's something dodgy about

this. He goes. Over his head is a butterfly on a limb:

EXT. JUNGLE - OVERHEAD - DAY

As the assault team passes below, a BUTTERFLY lands on what appears to

be the BARK of a TREE. It fans its wings and flies on.

The impression of the butterfly remains in PERFECT RELIEF, as is

imprinted on the bark. The image fades, REVEALING for an instant a

gridwork of TINY SCALES on the bark.

The bark moves! Changing colors, like a chameleon, REVEALING for an

instant the form of something alive as it flows into the leaves, once

again becoming indistinguishable from the surrounding foliage.

TWO EYES, faintly flowing yellow, appear in the foliage. They blink,

disappearing, and then become VISIBLE again.

EXT. ALTERED POV - DAY

SEEN THROUGH HEAT-SEEKING VISION, studying the team's careful, silent

movements at they pass by.

The SOUNDS of the FOREST are also ALTERED and ENHANCED with an

electric, STATIC-LIKE quality.

The Observer scans over the men... and then focuses on Schaefer as he

crouches down, signaling forward and rear with a circular motion. He

refers to an OBJECT in his hand, studying it carefully.

EXT. SCHAEFER - DAY

Using a MAP in lining out a course on his COMPASS. The other team

members appear, silently, clustering around him. Using hand signals,

Schaefer indicates a course change.

EXT. OBSERVER'S POV - DAY

Watches closely as Schaefer continues with his hand signals,

instructing his team.

EXT. DENSE UNDERGROWTH - DAY

The hillside of a steep valley, dark and foreboding. Billy passes by

and halts, removing his KNIFE. With his other hand he pulls down from

overhead a THICK VINE, severing it. A thin stream of WATER emerges

which he drinks.

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