The Patriot Page #8

REDCOAT CORPORAL

READY...

Marion FIRES, killing the Corporal, the last man of

rank...

Marion ducks to the side as a VOLLEY OF REDCOAT MUSKET

FIRE tears into the spot marked by Marion's rifle smoke...

FROM THIS MOMENT ON, MARION NEVER STOPS MOVING. He

strides rather than runs, staying just inside the brush,

offering only glimpses of himself. He changes his pace

and direction repeatedly, ducking and weaving, firing and

loading while moving. He never gives the Redcoats a

stationary target, especially one marked by billowing

smoke from his flintlock. It's an Indian tactic and it

works.

The Redcoats TRACK HIM WITH THEIR BARRELS, about to

fire... Marion suddenly STOPS DEAD, REVERSES DIRECTION,

several REDCOATS FIRE AND MISS.

Six Redcoats left. Some primed, some reloading. A

REDCOAT draws a bead on Marion who drops to the ground and

FIRES, killing him.

Samuel, WEEPING as he loads, hands a primed musket to

Nathan who FIRES...

The Redcoats turn their attention to THE SPOT MARKED BY

NATHAN'S SMOKE...

Marion SEES THE REDCOATS AIMING TOWARD THE BOYS. He

instantly STRIDES OUT INTO THE OPEN, drawing the Redcoats'

attention from his sons...

Marion FIRES BOTH HIS PISTOLS, killing two Redcoats...

One Redcoat finishes reloading... Marion rushes him,

shoves aside the barrel and SLAMS him in the face with the

butt of the musket...

This is a DIFFERENT MARION, a vicious, savage Marion,

killing with stunning brutality...

Marion drops his own expended rifle and CATCHES THE

REDCOAT'S LOADED MUSKET before it hits the ground shoves

that musket into another Redcoat's belly and FIRES...

Two Redcoats left, neither finished loading...

MARION CHARGES, drawing his TOMAHAWK, ignores a GLANCING

BAYONET WOUND to the neck, HACKS a Redcoat open...

Splattering himself with BLOOD...

The final Redcoat, a cherubic-face young man, ducks into

the woods... Marion tears after him...

A FOOTRACE... the young Redcoat BLASTING THROUGH THE

BRUSH... the older Marion, panting, losing ground...

A CLEARING... the Redcoat is almost to the cover of the

trees on the far side...

MARION THROWS HIS TOMAHAWK which FLIES through the air and

SINKS IN THE REDCOAT'S BACK...

Marion runs to the wounded Redcoat, grabs his hair, yanks

back his head and SLITS HIS THROAT...

Then, without pausing, Marion wrenches the tomahawk from

the Redcoat's body, and races back toward his sons...

AT THE GLEN:

Nathan and a weeping Samuel, stunned at the carnage,

stumble down the hillside toward Gabriel. Marion runs up

and motions for them to stop.

Marion, checks the Redcoats, making sure they're all dead.

MARION:

Samuel, reload. Nathan, untie

Gabriel.

They quickly do so as Marion picks up a loaded musket and

scans the road and the underbrush. In a moment they're

ready. Marion finds his own Pennsylvania rifle, then he

and his sons disappear into the underbrush.

EXT. POND BLUFF - DAY

The house and barns smolder. Thomas' body lies in the

yard. Nearby, the bodies of the Patriot wounded, now

dead.

EXT. RIVER SHED - POND BLUFF - DAY

Margaret waits in the shed with William and Susan. They

hear a SOUND. APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS. Margaret pulls her

sister and brother to her and waits.

The door opens. It's Marion and Gabriel, Nathan and

Samuel. Margaret and the little ones throw themselves

into Marion's arms.

Margaret notices the blood on Marion. She hesitates but

her relief tightens her embrace.

EXT. POND BLUFF - DAY

Marion, trailed by his children, walks past the soldiers'

bodies and the remains of their house.

He kneels down next to Thomas' body. On the ground Marion

sees several of THOMAS' LEAD SOLDIERS. He stares at them

for a moment, picks them up and puts them in his pocket.

Marion picks up Thomas and carries him up the hill toward

the apple tree and Elizabeth's grave. The children

follow.

EXT. HILLTOP - POND BLUFF - DAY

Marion digs a grave. The children watch. The only sounds

are Marion's labored BREATHING, the RASP OF THE SHOVEL and

the RUSTLE OF DEAD LEAVES blown along the ground by a soft

wind.

Some dry leaves catch on Thomas' still wet blood, as if

trying to bandage his wound.

EXT. HILLTOP - POND BLUFF - DAY (LATER)

Marion puts the last shovelfuls of dirt on the grave.

Near tears and unsure of what to do next, he turns to

Elizabeth's gravestone. The soft wind blows. Marion

listens.

He turns and sees his children looking up at him. Holding

in his own tears, he gathers the children around him and

let's them cry.

MARION:

There, there... he's alright... he's

with your mother now...

He stiffens, speaking formally:

MARION:

Lord, we pray that You accept this

child, Thomas Marion and give him a

place at Your side with his mother.

We ask that You embrace him and help

us to understand the manner in which

Your mercy works. This we ask, in

Your name. Amen.

MARION'S CHILDREN

Amen.

Marion looks at Elizabeth's grave, then he gently eases

his children away.

EXT. BENNINGTON OVERLOOK - DAY

Marion and his children stop at the overlook, seeing the

Santee River valley spread out before them. The SMOKE

from two dozen farms rises.

GABRIEL:

The Morgans, the Halseys, Williams,

Stantons...

The smoke from the separate fires joins together high in

the sky, forming what looks like stormclouds. They walk

on.

EXT. CHARLOTTE'S FARM - NIGHT

Marion and his children wait in the cover of the woods.

They see a pair of shadowed figures coming toward them

from the house, Gabriel and Charlotte.

GABRIEL:

Father, it's safe.

Marion hustles the children out of the woods.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Charlotte sits, holding a sleeping Susan. The other

children lie awake on pallets. Marion, still streaked

with dried blood and sweat, tucks William and Margaret

into bed.

MARION:

Sleep, now.

Marion moves on to Nathan.

NATHAN:

Father... I killed those men...

MARION:

Don't blame yourself, you did what I

told you to do.

NATHAN:

I'm glad I killed them... I'm

glad...

Marion isn't. He turns to Samuel who's cried-out. Marion

reaches out to touch him but Samuel recoils from Marion's

blood-streaked hand. Marion sighs and tucks him in.

MARION:

Try to get some sleep.

Marion moves to take Susan from Charlotte who shakes her

head.

CHARLOTTE:

I'll stay with them.

Marion nods and leaves Charlotte with the children.

INT. CHARLOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Marion enters. He starts to pace but grows unsteady. He

rears back as if screaming but no sound comes from his

mouth, as he looks upstairs, knowing his children are

searching for the solace of sleep.

He opens a cabinet, pulls out a bottle of liquor, pours

and drinks. Then another.

THE SOUND OF HORSEMEN. Gabriel walks in. Tired. Grim.

GABRIEL:

How are they?

Marion just shakes his head.

GABRIEL:

Gates is at Hillsboro with the

Continental Army. I'll leave in the

morning to join him.

Marion nods. Marion and Gabriel stand in silence for a

long moment, neither one finding words. Then Gabriel

speaks softly.

GABRIEL:

I'll tend my horse.

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