The Patriot Page #19

Tarleton analytically evaluates the tenor of the scream,

then rises, passing several Green Dragoons who wait with

their horses in front of the farmhouse.

TARLETON:

I believe they are almost ready.

IN THE FARMHOUSE

Blood is smeared on one wall, where half-a-dozen corpses

lie in a jumbles mass on the floor.

In the parlor, Tarleton walks past more bodies, including

a dead woman who lies protectively but ineffectually over

the bloody bodies of her two young children, both under

eight-years-old.

In the kitchen, Tarleton finds Wilkins, some Green

Dragoons, and Gaskins, the Loyalist Militia commander and

some of his low-life men.

Rob Fielding, one of the craftsmen in Marion's force, is

tied, spread-eagle to the table, showing the terrible

effects of PROTRACTED TORTURE. Wilkins and Gaskins are

nervous and apologetic as Tarleton walks into the room.

GASKINS:

I'm sorry, sir. He died.

Tarleton sighs, irritated.

TARLETON:

Very well, get one of the others.

Gaskins and a couple of his men step into an attached

woodshed where Billings sits, bound. They roughly grab

him and drag him into the kitchen.

BILLINGS:

Damn your eyes. Do your worst.

TARLETON:

I intend to.

They tie Billings to the table.

INT. SMALL FARMHOUSE - DAY

Silence. A tiny rivulet of blood runs along a plank in

the floor, disappearing into a gap between two

floorboards.

Marion, Dalton, Rev. Oliver, and several other men walk

slowly through the farmhouse, in stunned silence.

Marion sees the body of the mother, draped over her two

young children. Marion turns to Rev. Oliver who can only

stare, offering no solace.

They pass Fielding's body, then enter the kitchen and see

BILLINGS, DEAD, still tied to the table. Marion reels.

EXT. SMALL FARMHOUSE - DAY

Marion's men dig graves. Marion watches. Dalton steps up

next to him.

DALTON:

You still want me to give wounded

Redcoats quarter?

Marion doesn't answer. Gabriel GALLOPS up. He reins back

his lathered horse and speaks to them without dismounting.

GABRIEL:

Tarleton has a list of our men, most

are on it. A regiment of dragoons

is going to the homes on the list,

burning them, killing whomever

resists, women and children, as

well.

MARION:

Where?

GABRIEL:

Seven homes along the Black River so

far...

Rollins doesn't pause. He rushes to his horse, mounts up

and rides off. Marion and the other men mount up and ride

off fast after him.

EXT. BLACK RIVER ROAD - DAY

Marion his brigade catch up to Rollins and ride on with

him.

EXT. ROLLINS' FARM - DAY

The small farm seen earlier, surrounded by hills, where

the two boys, Rollins' sons ran down the hillside to catch

a glimpse of the passing Marion and his brigade.

The house smolders. No sign of life. Gabriel, Abner and

a few other men warily ride the perimeter of the cleared

area around the house.

Marion, at the head of the rest of the brigade, waits next

to an increasingly frantic, Rollins. They see Gabriel

wave, signaling all clear.

MARION, ROLLINS AND THE OTHER MEN RIDE to the house.

Rollins is the first to see THE BODIES. Horrified, he

reins back and dismounts, almost falling.

His TWO SONS, WIFE, an OLDER MAN and WOMAN, lie dead in

the dirt. Marion's men silently watch Rollins' agony.

Weeping and confused, he moves in a mad, staccato manner,

as if he were a marionette, whose strings were being

jerked by a drunken puppeteer.

Marion and Rev. Oliver dismount and move toward him.

Rollins sees them coming. He hardens and strides to his

horse, pulling his FLINTLOCK PISTOL from his saddle

holster.

Rev. Oliver reaches out to embrace Rollins.

REV. OLIVER

It's not time for vengeance, it's

time to mourn and...

ROLLINS PUTS THE PISTOL TO HIS HEAD AND PULLS THE TRIGGER,

BLOWING HIS BRAINS OUT.

Every man freezes in place. For a long moment no one

moves, no one speaks. Then Marion pulls himself together

and addresses the men:

MARION:

Five day furlough for all men.

Abner, Dan, Reverend, spread the

word. We'll reform at Acworth. Any

man who doesn't come back won't be

thought a coward or uncommitted to

the cause. Attend to your families.

The men mount up. Marion and Gabriel ride off together.

EXT. PEMBROKE - NIGHT

Marion scans the night as Gabriel and Anne mount up. The

three of them ride off, pulling a line of horses, some

heavily loaded packhorses and some saddled but empty

mounts.

EXT. SHACK - SHANTY TOWN - NIGHT

Dark. Quiet. Gabriel and Anne wait in the shadows while

Marion c*cks his musket, checks his pistols and walks

slowly toward the shack.

He warily checks every shadow. No one anywhere. Then a

SOUND -- A SQUEAL OF LAUGHTER, immediately followed by:

MARGARET (O.S.)

It's him! I told you it was him!

MARION'S CHILDREN RACE OUT OF THE SHADOWS to Marion. He's

practically bowled over as Margaret, Nathan, Samuel and

William fling themselves into his arms.

NATHAN:

Father!

WILLIAM:

Papa...

CHARLOTTE STEPS OUT OF THE SHADOWS, watching the reunion

as Marion covers the children with kisses, trying to hug

all of them at once as they cling to him as if they'll

never let go. MARION AND CHARLOTTE LOCK EYES over the

heads of the children.

MARION:

Thank you.

Charlotte smiles. Then Marion notices SUSAN peeking out

from behind Charlotte's patched and mended skirt. He

kneels down and opens his arms to her but she doesn't

move.

He smiles to her and speaks softly:

MARION:

Susan...

She looks coldly at Marion, tightens her grip on

Charlotte's skirt and retreats further behind her. Marion

looks to Charlotte who nods with guarded reassurance.

Then his attention is drawn away by the demanding embraces

of his other children.

EXT. CHERAW FALLS PATH - NIGHT

Marion rides, leading his children, Charlotte and Anne up

a steep, narrow path that cuts through a heavily wooded

hillside.

EXT. CHERAW FALLS - NIGHT

The remains of a tiny abandoned backcountry farm. The

house is gone, leaving only an overgrown cellar hole.

Nearby is a barely-standing tobacco shed, one end of which

has fallen to the ground. A SOFT WIND WHISTLES AND

WHISPERS through the gaps in the rough-hewn boards of the

structure.

Marion rides up to the edge of the clearing. A

MOCKINGBIRD SCREECHES nearby, startling him. He looks

back at the children, worried, anticipating a negative

reaction. Margaret smiles and turns to the other

children, speaking for Marion's benefit.

MARGARET:

I told you, things would get better.

The children smile and dismount.

INT. TOBACCO SHED - NIGHT

POURING RAIN. The ceiling drips. Marion lies, awake,

with his children huddled against him, sleeping in one of

the few dry spots. They're covered with tattered quilts.

On the other side of the children, Charlotte is also

awake. She and Marion exchange a long, silent look in the

darkness, over the heads of the sleeping children.

EXT. WATERFALL OVERLOOK - DAY

Marion walks the perimeter of their encampment with Nathan

and Samuel. They listen carefully.

MARION:

The overlook, up there should be

where you post the watch. Work out

a schedule. Short watches,

especially at night.

(pointing)

If you can catch some of those

mockingbirds you can make cages and

put them along there for alarms.

(motioning for them

to follow)

Now let's find someplace to cache

extra weapons...

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