The Crazies Page #11

DAVID:

It’s not human nature’s doing this,

it’s a chemical.

RUSSELL:

Actin’ on an instinct that’s

already there or they’d be group-

huggin’ instead of tearing each

other apart.

Becca slips on a mossy rock and PLUNGES INTO THE STREAM.

DAVID:

Sh*t! Get her out of there!

53.

They pull her out and tend to her on the opposite bank.

Becca sits sobbing in the aftermath, scared to death, soaked

from head to toe.

JUDY:

It’s okay, we’ll get you some dry

clothes at the house.

Judy shares a private look of concern with David, both

noticing the creek’s toxic sheen. Becca sees it, too, and

draws her own conclusion.

BECCA DARLING:

(shuddering sobs)

I’m... gonna... die...

Russell takes off his deputy coat and puts it over Becca for

warmth. Squats in front of her, sheriff-in-the-making.

RUSSELL:

You’re getting out of here. I just

made that my duty.

EXT. OLD FARMHOUSE - TWILIGHT

The foursome moves in wary tandem, skirting the perimeter of

an old farm. A barn. Three silos. Judy walks beside Becca,

who is cold, shivering, and generally miserable, but manages

to strike a lighter note:

BECCA DARLING:

Guess this means no prom, huh?

Judy half smiles, nods yeah. David's hand flies up, halting

the group. He gestures 'stay' then walks on alone a bit

farther. Listens. Comes rushing back.

DAVID:

Down down down!

They all hit the ground. Hearts pounding. Listening. David

and Russell draw their guns. David indicates the hillcrest.

And now the enemy comes into view, moonshadowed and lethal

A PLATOON OF BIOSUITED SOLDIERS wading through the tall grass

in infrared goggles. One of them is carrying a FLAMETHROWER.

RUSSELL:

Oh man.

DAVID:

In there.

THREE SILOS behind them. They crawl through the grass.

54.

INT. SILO - CONTINUOUS

Close the hatch and watch through RUST HOLES as the soldiers

storm the farmhouse.

We hear a SHRIEK inside the house and moments later the

soldiers emerge, dragging a CRYING WOMAN off the porch into

the front yard. They stand her up. Somebody jams a digital

thermometer in her ear.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

BANG! They shoot her. Point blank. A battlefield

execution. The guy with the FLAMETHROWER steps up and

torches the body.

David’s anger overwhelms his judgement. He reaches for the

hatch. Russell grabs his arm - no, chief. Flushed with

rage, David tries to pull away, but Russell holds strong.

And David’s good senses returns. He backs down. But they’re

doomed anyway.

A SOLDIER IS HEADED OVER TO CHECK THE SILOS.

He checks the first then the second, working his way toward

the last one, the one they're hiding in. Panic sweeps the

group. David searches for some miracle escape. Up. Down.

Left. Right. There is nothing. The only exit is

THAT HATCH:

Through the rust holes we see the SOLDIER creeping toward it

with his assault rifle. Russell readying his weapons. David

his. Judy in disbelief. Becca whimpering with fright.

DAVID:

(softly)

Shut her up!

Judy clamps her hand over Becca’s mouth as

THE HATCH DOOR CREAKS OPEN.

The MUZZLE OF AN M-16 enters first. Then the soldier’s

GASMASKED FACE. To the right he sees nothing, to the left

RUSSELL who smacks him in the head with his rifle butt,

knocking him down. David and Russell drag the semi-conscious

soldier into the silo and close the hatch.

DAVID:

Pray they don't do a headcount.

55.

They wait on pins and needles to see if the missing soldier

will be noticed. The platoon regroups in front of the house

and MOVES ON WITHOUT HIM.

Gasps of relief. Judy uncovers Becca’s mouth. Becca doubles

over crying. Russell yanks off the soldier's helmet, ready

to crush his skull with the rifle butt. But the face behind

the mask is not the face of an enemy...

AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY.

Scared as hell. Far from home.

DAVID:

Aw Jesus...

TIME CUT TO:

The young private sits against the silo wall, welt on his

forehead where Russell smacked him. Blue-collar kid from a

blue-collar state. Well-mannered. West Virginia drawl.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK. He's scared. They are the enemy.

DAVID:

What's your name?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Billy Babcock...

David gestures to the yard outside, to the execution they

just witnessed -- a silent seething ‘why’?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Orders, sir.

DAVID:

From who?!

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

(shrugs)

Whoever gives ‘em, I dunno.

(then)

Are y'all gonna shoot me?

Judy answers for David and Russell.

JUDY:

No.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Then can you have him stop pointin'

that thing?

56.

Russell's shotgun aimed at his head. David gives Russell a

look and Russell lowers it.

DAVID:

Billy, I want you to tell me what

exactly the f*** is going on down

here.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

I dunno. All's they said was

there'd been some accident. My

whole unit got flown in. We didn't

even know what state we was in till

we saw the license plates.

JUDY:

There wasn’t anything on the news?

Before you left?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

No, ma’am. From what I hear

they're doing one of them media

blackouts.

David and Judy exchange a look.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Am I gonna die breathing without my

mask?

JUDY:

Is that what they said?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

They just said keep it on.

Troubled pause. Judy tosses him his gasmask. He straps it

on over his face, breathes and talks through it the rest of

the scene.

DAVID:

Nobody’s said anything about what

it was they spilled?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

No, sir, but -- I’m probably not

supposed to talk about this, but my

sergeant, he saw this computer

program they ran over at central,

some kinda 'casualty projection' I

think he called it, you know, to

see how things were gonna turn out

down here.

57.

DAVID:

How’d it go?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Nobody lived past the third day.

Gulp.

JUDY:

Nobody?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Crazies killed most of ‘em,

sickness got the rest. Today’s the

second day, I’d get out of here

tonight if I was you.

DAVID:

How? The truckstop?

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Dunno, sir. Perimeter's pretty

hardcore. Even for healthies,

they're giving ‘em one warning shot

then it's a kill order.

(then)

Look, um, I know I don’t deserve no

favors from you people, but if you

let me go I swear to God I won’t

come back, they can courtmartial

me, I don’t care, I didn’t sign up

to shoot unarmed civilians. I’ll

just leave. Okay...?

Testing the waters, he starts to stand up. Russell levels

his gun.

RUSSELL:

Sit down.

DAVID:

Cool it, Russ.

RUSSELL:

He'll give away our location.

DAVID:

We're not staying here.

David nods 'go ahead' to the boy. He stands up.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Reckon you're keeping that, huh?

58.

His M-16 and AMMO CLIPS.

DAVID:

Yeah, we're gonna hold onto those,

Billy.

Billy nods okay. Steps to the hatch. Pauses there.

PVT. BILLY BABCOCK

Sorry 'bout your folks's town.

Then exits, running off into the night, opposite direction of

his platoon. David grabs the M-16 and ammo clips.

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