Stop-Loss Page #3

- Careful. Careful.

- Mr. T.

- "I pity the fool."

I pity the fool that let Preacher cut

their motherfucking hair.

All right. You've been busting

my f***ing balls all day.

How are you gonna explain

that black eye

in safety brief on Monday, huh?

I walked into a door.

You and Michelle walk

in the same door?

Look, I f***ed up.

I don't even know what happened.

Okay, I kind of blacked out.

All I know is I remember waking up

in the trunk of Tommy's f***ing car.

Well, it ain't gonna happen again.

You copy me?

- Do you copy me?

- I said I know and I said I f***ed up.

- Come on. Watch the venom.

- You watch it.

Don't f***ing touch me with that sh*t.

Watch the venom, man!

I think I broke skin.

- I'm gonna f*** you up.

- Come on.

Look at y'all.

Crazy.

It's over now, baby.

What are y'all doing over here?

Tommy?

You all right?

I shouldn't have shot that sh*t up.

- Sarge Shriver.

- Sarge King.

Man, I'm gonna miss blowing sh*t up.

Next.

- Gas mask.

- Check.

- Poncho liner.

- Check.

Sergeant King.

- Waterproof bag.

- Check.

Did you cover for me in formation?

Come here.

Look. Me and Steve are getting out.

It's up to you and Eyeball

to lead the recruits.

- All right.

- This new squad leader, he's a Baptist.

I'm a Baptist.

All right. He's a real Baptist.

Listen, man,

you got to get a f***ing grip.

You smell like a f***ing brewery.

Come on.

That's 'cause we were drinking

last night.

- Tommy.

- Wait! Come on.

Okay. You're all good to go.

Says here you have orders

to report to the First Brigade.

Not me. I'm getting out today.

- Brandon Leonard King?

- Yes.

Out to the First Brigade on the 22nd.

This is a mistake.

It's all there.

You leave on the 22nd,

shipping back to Iraq.

Sub-section 12305, Title 10.

By the authority of the President.

You've been stop-lossed.

Lieutenant Colonel?

Sergeant King.

I teed you up

for a recruitment pitch in Brazos,

and you gave me an onion patch.

- It's what came to mind, sir.

- What's your problem, Sergeant?

I'm supposed to be getting out today.

Now they're shipping me back to Iraq.

You understand why it's important

we win over there?

- Why we need good soldiers like you?

- Yes, sir.

You have extenuating circumstances?

You gay or pregnant?

Sir, you know me.

I'm a squared-away soldier.

Because I have

an extenuating circumstance, Sergeant.

It's called a war. It's in Iraq.

I know, sir. I volunteered to fight in it.

I ran over 150 combat missions for you,

no complaint.

Contract says stop-loss is only

in a time of war.

This President said the war's over,

so legally...

- You a lawyer, son?

- No, sir.

But after doing right by this Army,

I'm getting burned

by some fine print in a contract.

- Now the President himself said...

- The President is also

the Commander-in-Chief.

I think he trumps you either way.

With all due respect, sir,

f*** the President!

F*** the President?

Yes, sir.

He's not over there fighting this war.

He's not there seeing his buddies

burned alive in Humvees.

I lost three men last month,

and I almost got the rest of us killed.

Those were my men, too,

and I lost more than that.

You're an excellent leader,

and you are going back.

For 11 more years?

- It won't come to that.

- How do you know?

I think the President trumps you

in this matter.

This, sir, is bullshit, and you know it!

Lieutenant, you just heard

Sergeant King disobey a direct order.

- Yes, sir.

- I also perceive him to be a flight risk.

Escort him to the stockade

so he can readjust his attitude.

- You're making a big mistake.

- I'm doing you a big favor.

End of discussion.

Make sure he ships to the First Brigade

when it goes out on the 22nd.

Roger, sir.

- Come on, hotshot.

- Don't you f***ing touch me!

- Steve, I f***ed up real bad.

- Hey, man. What? What'd you do?

I put down a couple guys

and now I'm AWOL.

- What the f***...

- I got stop-lossed back to Iraq.

Sh*t!

Oh, okay. Look, take it to Boot.

You're gold with him, he'll fix it.

Yeah, Boot was trying to send me

to the stockade.

I shook loose

and I took off in your Jeep, man.

- You definitely have f***ed up now.

- I know.

I know, I just got triggered.

I lost my sh*t.

All right. Wait, look.

All right, get a grip, calm down.

I'll try to figure out what's going on here,

and cover your six.

Thanks, man. I knew you would.

I'll hit you later.

Come on in, Sheriff.

Ida, listen to this.

These MPs came to me

and said Brandon's gone AWOL.

How in the hell can he be AWOL

if he's getting out today?

Boot's hopping mad.

He called me personally

to put out a statewide APB.

Get Brandon to turn himself in

and get this thing sorted out.

I don't understand.

They stop-lossed you?

- How can they do this?

- They're doing whatever they wanna do.

With a shortage of guys and no draft,

they're shipping back soldiers

who's supposed to be getting out.

It's a backdoor draft, is what it is.

What about Steve?

Mich, I don't know.

Some of us are getting it, some ain't.

This cannot be happening. No!

You almost died over there.

What do you want to do?

You want me to take you to Mexico

till this blows over?

No, no, no. Out of the question, Mom.

I ain't dragging my tail across to Mexico.

I'm getting my keys.

Brandon.

Listen to me.

If you're spooked, it's okay.

- There's no shame in that.

- I ain't scared. I'm pissed off!

This family is done fighting this war.

He ain't scared, Roy.

He's just being sensible.

I just don't want him

to get in any deeper, is all.

Maybe ruin his whole life.

I ain't gonna let it go that far.

Ruin his life?

How about getting himself killed?

- God damn it, Ida.

- Hold on! Hold on!

The Senator said to my face

if I ever needed anything, he'd help.

That is a big-ass mistake.

You go out of the chain of command,

over Boot's head,

you're doubling your trouble.

He's gonna make an example of you.

I ain't worried about Boot once I explain

the whole thing to the Senator.

I just need to run up to D.C. right now

and get this sorted out.

Okay. I'll take you.

You can't.

They're gonna be watching y'all.

You can't.

They're gonna be watching y'all.

They won't be watching me. I'll take you.

Michelle, Steve would have my ass

if I let you get mixed up in all this.

He could be next.

- Let's go.

- This is wrong, Brandon.

Steve don't talk much

about being over there.

Sand.

Fleas.

Flies.

Heat.

Boredom.

Or you can get shot at.

Or blown up.

That's pretty much it.

Sheep on the highway.

Where?

In Iraq.

Big-ass flocks of them.

Yeah?

Jeanie, it's me.

I need you to cover my shift

at work tomorrow.

Sorry I woke you up.

No, I was up. I was up.

And covering your shift's no problem,

since neither one of us

has a f***ing job.

- What?

- Tommy drove his car into our work,

drunk as f***.

He got two DUIs in the last two days.

What the hell's happening

to these guys?

Are you all right out here?

I thought I saw somebody

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