The Yellow Birds Page #2

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[car engine roaring]

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait!

[gun firing]

It's a woman.

Wait, it's a f***ing woman!

[guns firing]

Hold off!

[guns firing]

[Soldier] Clear!

[panting]

- Sh*t.

- [woman screaming]

That b*tch just got murdered.

[people murmuring]

[folk music]

I found a bird

with a broken wing

And cared for that

small, tiny thing

Hey, Bartle!

Bartle.

Hey, come over here.

Hey, man, come over here.

Meet my parents.

My mom and dad.

- Brandon Bartle.

- Pleased to meet you, ma'am.

- It's so nice to meet you.

- Pleased to meet you, sir.

Proud of you, boys.

Very proud of you.

Did Murph tell you

I was in your shoes?

[Bartle] Yes, sir.

Well, it's very brave

what you guys are doing.

- Yes, sir.

- Where are you sitting?

- Oh, no, I'm just grabbing...

- Is your family here?

Uh, no, my mom had

to work tonight, so...

Well, then, sit with us.

Sit down this instant.

- Yeah, take a seat, man.

- Come on.

I just think this is so

nice that they do this

for the families,

don't you think?

- Yeah.

- Yes, ma'am.

So, you and Daniel,

will you be bunking

over there together, too?

Uh, I don't know what the

situation will be actually

when we get over there, but

it'd be great to stick together.

Yeah.

Mm, well, you

should, because my boy

will be getting more care

packages than anyone here.

I can promise you that.

So, if you need anything,

I just want you to know

you can write to me and

I'll send it right over.

- Okay?

- Yes, ma'am.

- Okay?

- Okay.

Oh, hi.

It was so nice to

finally meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

So he's doing a good job?

Yes, ma'am, very good.

That's so good.

Thanks for looking out for him.

You bet.

We look out for each other.

Yeah.

Brandon...

Promise me you'll take

care of him over there?

Yeah, of course.

And listen, God forbid

something were to happen and...

But if it does, I really

would like to hear that

from you first.

Sure.

You bet, ma'am.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, be safe, okay?

I will.

You too.

[Maureen] Yeah.

[dramatic music]

[helicopter humming]

[weapon firing]

[bomb exploding]

[men chatting]

[men laughing]

[engine roaring]

[gun firing]

How many times we been

through that orchard, sir?

Writing a history

book, Corporal?

- No, sir.

- [Lieutenant] Then quit counting.

[guns firing]

What is this?

A letter?

- Hey, give it back.

- Oh, it's from Mama.

- Come on, Bartle, give it back.

- "Dear Daniel..."

It's so weird she

calls you Daniel.

"We just got home.

"Your dad took me out

for Valentine's Day.

"It was nice, but don't worry,

"he knows you're

my real Valentine."

Is that supposed to

be for me, though?

Because I think

- I'm her real Valentine.

- A**hole.

You wish.

[man on radio murmuring]

Some people ain't

cut out for this sh*t.

[Bartle] What,

do you mean Murph?

No, sir, Murph's

got his sh*t together.

Murph's solid.

[engines roaring]

[Lieutenant]

Lieutenant Bellington.

[Sterling] Carry

on, Lieutenant.

How's the war, gentlemen?

[Lieutenant] Sir...

You tell me.

Your mic's on, so

whenever you're ready, sir.

Gentlemen, this

is the final push.

We're gonna drop

fire in this rat hole

for the next two

hours until dawn.

We'll still be shredding

those palm trees

when you get to them.

We'll take this city.

Once we do, the insurgency

will die on the vine.

I know not all of you read the

Bible, but those that do...

You know, this is the land

where Jonah was buried,

where he begged God's

justice to come.

And we are...

We are that justice.

Right now, as of this moment...

This is the most important

day of your lives.

[guns firing]

You really think this is

the most important thing

you'll ever do?

I don't know.

[Cameraman] You really think

this is the most important

day of your life?

I f***ing hope not.

[Cameraman] You have anybody

waiting for you back home?

[soft instrumental music]

[moaning]

Oh, wait, wait, wait.

[Bartle] What? What?

[Tess] I have a leg cramp.

Okay.

You okay?

I'm good.

[Bartle] Tess, Tess, Tess,

Tess, Tess, Tess, Tess, Tess...

[Tess] Stop that.

[Bartle] Tess, Tess, Tess,

Tess, Tess, Tess, Tess, Tess...

Shut up!

[Bartle] What?

[Tess] I hate that.

[Bartle] You hate your name?

[Tess] I hate

when you do that.

[Bartle] You know,

if I say it enough,

it stops meaning anything.

All I've got left is you.

Same thing with your name.

[Bartle] No, I got syllables.

Mm, Bartle, Bartle, Bartle,

Bartle, Bartle, Bartle,

Bartle, Bartle, Bartle...

[tank engine roaring]

[distinct radio chatter]

"He changes rivers

into wilderness

"and springs of water

into thirsty ground,

"fruitful land into salt waste,

"because of the wickedness

of those who dwell in it."

Look at the ground.

Salt the ground, the

earth will bear no fruit.

There'll be nothing to eat.

These people will be no more.

Their spirits will not

come back to haunt us.

What you doing, Sarge?

[Sterling] It's from Judges.

I will not see their eyes.

I will not see their bodies.

I will not feel their flesh.

What the f*** is Judges, man?

Dude, I think Sarge

is losing his sh*t.

[dramatic music]

[birds chirping]

[frogs croaking]

[distinct radio chatter]

[soldier humming]

[crickets chirping]

[birds chirping]

[fly buzzing]

One o'clock, one o'clock,

one o'f***ing clock!

Get down, move!

[guns firing]

I fell asleep.

I f***ing fell asleep!

[guns firing]

[Soldier] Watch your right!

Let's go.

[soldier shouting]

[guns firing]

The windows.

Eyes on the windows.

[man shouting]

[guns firing]

Two shooters.

Top windows.

[guns firing]

I got him!

Sh*t.

Goddamn.

One shooter.

[guns firing]

[man shouting]

You got him?

[Bartle] Hold on.

[panting]

You see him?

Wait, shut up.

Wait.

Wait.

[gun firing]

F***!

Sh*t!

Sarge!

Where are you hit?

Medic!

- Where are you hit?

- I don't know.

- We need a medic!

- [Sterling] Cover!

[Murph] Sarge!

[gun firing]

Sh*t!

Hey, move, that's it.

Let's get this off.

Come on.

[Bartle] You're

doing good, man.

You're good.

[Vasquez coughs]

Come on, take it easy.

All right.

All right, now look at me.

Oh, f***.

Yes.

F***!

[groaning]

Come on, buddy.

Vasquez, come on.

Oh, sh*t.

[panting]

Oh, sh*t.

[men murmuring]

Medic!

Ah, f***.

But he's dead.

Well, you can't

leave him here.

[bomb exploding]

[panting]

What you looking at, Private?

I thought he was

gonna say something.

Well, they usually don't.

[panting]

This one guy said something

once just before he went.

What'd he say?

He just grabbed my

hand and he goes...

"Hey, man, check if

I sh*t my pants."

That's it?

Yeah, that's it.

[panting]

[dramatic music]

Yeah.

Come on.

First squad, move out!

[dramatic music]

Man, I feel f***ing

crazy right now.

You know, I was just

happy it wasn't me,

that's the first

thing I thought.

That's f***ing crazy, isn't it?

No, man, what's crazy

is not thinking that sh*t.

You know?

[distinct radio chatter]

[Lieutenant] Third

platoon, on your feet!

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