Rescue Dawn Page #3

Gene, Phisit, Procet,

head towards the gate.

Move as fast as you can.

Get their attention, that's what I need.

Go, go, go, go. Go, go.

Hey, Jumbo, Jumbo. Hey, no, no, no.

Can I borrow some of the toothpaste?

Let me get some of that. That's good.

I felt so like having a good smile,

you know?

Like you have. You got a good smile, too.

Okay.

Y.C., when I hit it, you make a noise.

Cough or something.

(COUGHING)

(EXCLAIMlNG)

I love it.

I love it.

I love it.

I love it. I love it.

(WHISPERING) Give me some slack.

Let's see.

Oh, God. Oh, God, that was an easy one.

You see, I apprenticed as a tool

and die maker in Germany.

There was no aviation at the time

and I wanted to learn something useful

that would help me repair planes.

And, boy, are those years coming in handy

in unexpected ways now.

There's only one brand

that I cannot handle,

that is Smith and Wesson.

(EXCLAIMS)

I think with practice, I can open these up

in maybe two, three seconds flat.

But listen, everybody keep one cuff

on a wrist at all times,

so that if the guards come checking,

we can put them on again quickly.

No, they don't check us at night.

They think we can't get out of these.

They think it's impossible.

Show me how you did that.

It's so simple. Okay.

All you do, insert the nail.

There's a cuff and a spring.

They both have teeth.

You push down on the spring,

disengage the teeth like that.

You see? This is what happens inside.

- And the cuffs release.

- GENE:
Wow.

Hands free.

DIETER:
Get away.

Get away.

No, no, no, no, no. Let him.

He's our friend, Malay.

Let him do it. It's the best way

to heal sores around here.

Okay.

Hey,

that cuff thing, that's good, real good.

Yeah. Thanks.

Hey, Duane,

do you know where we are?

I mean, you have any idea?

No. But my guess

is that this here's still Laos.

And the guards, they're...

- Laotian.

- ... Laotian?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, but the camp is Vietcong,

there's no question.

Look, I know what you're thinking,

but jungles on these mountains

is a nightmare.

Besides, you'd end up in Vietnam.

- No, but if we can get to Thailand...

- Yeah.

If we can make it to the Mekong River...

Yeah, the Big Muddy.

If you could, you would, right?

Yeah. We can.

- Hey, why not? We can.

- Yeah.

Just stop talking about it. Okay?

Just quiet. Excuse me.

- Hey, Gene.

- Yeah.

Which of you guys knows most

about the country?

Oh, that would be Phisit,

but he doesn't talk to us.

What do you mean?

You see, Phisit is pissed about...

About...

(CHUCKLES)

He's pissed about something.

We don't even remember

what he's pissed about.

(SHOUTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(GROANS)

Hey!

Hey!

Hey, come back!

Hey!

I can't believe that bastard shot you.

I know. I didn't even pull down

my flight suit.

Hey, look, when I was standing

it looked like...

We're gonna get even one day.

(LOADS GUN)

Howdy.

(GUN CLICKS)

Americali.

- Americali.

- Americali. Americali. Americali.

(LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY)

Two years ago a parcel came through.

DUANE:
Yeah.

He puts it on display on really bad days.

The bacon label still looks greasy.

Does it still have a scent on it?

Oh, you bet.

Can I get a sniff?

Oh, no, you may not.

You may not. That is my sniff.

Man, that is my sniff.

Hey.

How'd you ever end up a pilot?

I always... I always wanted to be one.

I was

five years old, or something, in a little

town, Wildberg, in the Black Forest,

and it was just bombed to ashes,

you know?

No clear reason,

just these senseless attacks.

But I remember I was in the attic

with my brother.

We were looking out,

and we see this fighter plane,

beautiful, coming right at us.

And it's firing from its wings,

and I see the machine gun,

it's flashing and it

(IMITATES WHOOSHING)

goes flying past the house.

It's so close. I mean,

it's feet away from the house.

And the canopy was open.

And this pilot,

he had his goggles up on his helmet.

And I could see his eyes.

And he was looking at me.

Right at me.

He's looking right at me.

And as he turns to go, he's starting back,

he's looking right at me still.

And the thing is,

from that moment on, little Dieter,

he needed to fly.

You're a strange bird, Dieter.

Guy tries to kill you and you want his job.

Yeah.

God, we need the rain.

We need the rain to come quicker.

See, here's what I can see,

you still need to understand.

- No, I understand.

- You wanna talk about the rain again, we...

Listen, now. Listen.

We will be released

by the time the rain comes

like I have told you before...

- Stop telling me.

- I don't wanna have to keep telling you.

- Then stop telling me.

- They will release us.

You understand?

And here's what I'm starting to think,

that maybe you're trying

not to understand.

If you try and escape, we,

we will be killed,

we who you leave behind.

- It's not just me, we all try to escape.

- Taking off. We who have been here

for two years.

Two years before you showed up.

I don't want to escape alone.

We escape together.

Wait, wait.

Why would the guards spend all this time

cutting bamboo and wood

to build a watchtower

if we weren't meant

to be here for a while?

- Exactly.

- Two years.

- Exactly. Why would they do that if they...

- Listen. Listen to me.

- ... didn't plan to hold us a long time?

- Listen. Here's what it all comes down to.

I am not, I'm not gonna let you do that.

No, no, no.

You know what I am gonna do?

I am gonna scream.

That's right. I think

I'm gonna scream my head off.

(MOCKS SCREAMING)

'Cause see,

I would much rather they shoot you,

than me, or any of us. You understand?

DIETER:
Yeah.

You understand?

Yeah.

You've been warned.

Haven't you?

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(YELLING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

This is for shaving.

Howdy.

- Man, I can't get over it.

- What, this?

No, that girl, you know?

She smiled at me.

And when she smiled,

man, did I wish there was no war.

Really.

- I thought you were engaged.

- Oh, yeah, I am.

We got engaged the day before I left.

Marina, she is a wonderful girl.

So smart, you know?

She studies marine biology.

But I hope that she's waiting for me.

- I'm sure she is.

- Yeah, well, she said she would,

but, you know, women can be funny

and go looking for another man...

(GUN FIRlNG)

Duane, you okay?

- Yeah.

- Y.C.?

Yik Chiu Tuo, okay.

Okay. Gene?

Phisit? Procet?

Yeah.

ALL WHISPERING:

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, dear Dieter.

Happy birthday to you.

It is May the 22nd?

Happy birthday.

- Thank you.

- Happy birthday, Dieter.

What kind of champagne is this?

You just got to keep thinking protein,

lots of protein.

It's not bad.

Squished insect larva.

(LAUGHING)

Protein.

Mmm.

Oh, this is a good year, this one.

(WHISPERING)

Yeah, my favorite.

So, listen, guys.

Thank you so much.

And it is my birthday, yes,

but I would like

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