The Yellow Birds Page #3

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We're moving!

[birds chirping]

[bird cawing]

[dramatic music]

[plane turbine humming]

[dramatic music]

[man murmuring]

[dramatic music]

Thank you.

Oh, no, no, it's on me.

You just got back?

How was it out there?

[dramatic music]

[door creaking]

[man on TV talking]

Brandon!

Where were you?

I was waiting.

[chuckles]

Let me look at you.

Are you in one piece?

Yeah.

No, I'm fine, I'm just tired.

Okay.

[moaning]

Okay, Ma.

[chuckling]

[Amy] Ah!

[car door slamming shut]

[knocking]

[wind chimes]

[Anderson] Ms. Bartle?

Is Brandon home?

- He's out.

- Oh, that's too bad.

Any idea where?

I know the area pretty well.

Listen, whatever you're selling,

mister, we don't want any.

- No, pardon, uh...

- You had him all ready.

You don't get to take him

again, you understand?

Oh, I'm not a recruiter or

anything like that, Ms. Bartle.

I'm one of the good guys.

Says who?

I'm just following

up on a few things

from Brandon's last post.

I have a few questions for him.

It's routine, more or less.

Well, he's not here.

Yeah, you said that.

[Amy] Mm-hm.

Would you mind if I

ask you a few things?

Has your son ever mentioned

the name Daniel Murphy?

Garrett Sterling, perhaps?

We haven't talked much.

Hm.

Right.

Well...

When you do see Brandon, will

you give him this for me?

Thank you, ma'am.

And what'd you

people do to him?

He won't get out of bed.

He don't care about nothing.

It's like he doesn't know

where he is half the time.

- [Anderson] I understand.

- Do you?!

You got kids?!

About half a million.

That's not even

counting reserves.

Yeah?

Well, I've just got the one.

[Bartle] Thanks, Ma.

CID, what is that?

Criminal

Investigation Division.

Jesus.

What happened over there?

[phone bleeping]

[woman talking on phone]

[Bartle] Yeah, I'm trying

to reach Staff

Sergeant Sterling.

[woman talking on phone]

[Bartle] Right, yeah.

[woman talking on phone]

No, no, no, I'm

just a friend of him,

just served with him,

I was just wondering

what he's up to, is all.

No, I can...

Yeah, thank you.

No, I...

I might call back sometime.

Yeah, thanks.

[bleeping]

[wind howling]

The moon looks different here.

[dramatic music]

Not like home.

[Sterling] F*** home.

Keep thinking about

home, you end up there

with a flag shoved up your ass.

Jesus Christ, get your mind out

of your girlfriend's

p*ssy, Bartle.

Don't have a

girlfriend, Sarge.

[Sterling] Yeah, sure you do,

or you wouldn't

say it like that.

I don't, or at least

I don't think I do.

She's going to school, so I

figured the best thing was...

Well, you know.

[Sterling] She

dropped you then?

[Bartle] What?

No.

[Sterling] I'd kill the b*tch.

[Murph laughs]

What the heck you

cackling about, Murphy?

Everything's just

so goddamn funny, sir.

[laughing]

Bran?

Bran?

Bran.

Phone for you.

[Bartle] Who?

[Amy] It's Tess.

[Bartle] I'm not here.

She and Luke and

the gang are going

to the river on the weekend.

They want you to go.

[Bartle] Okay.

What should I tell her then?

[Bartle] That

I'll call her back.

So should I tell

her you're not coming?

Just tell her

whatever you want.

Hey.

Your friends wanna see you.

[Bartle] I'm not the one

who told them I was back, Ma.

It's not like it's

a secret, honey.

Everyone knows you're home.

It'll be good for you.

Ma, please, just get

the f*** out of my room.

Okay?

[exhales]

- What the f***?!

- [Amy] Get up!

- What the f*** are you doing?!

- You don't get to stay

in bed for another month!

- F***!

- I can't take this.

Who the f*** are you?!

Talk to me!

Listen to me.

Let me f***ing sleep, okay?!

Okay?!

[train honking]

[train rumbling]

[Clerk] What's up, hero?

Same old, same old?

[Bartle] Yup.

[female reporter on TV]

[Female reporter] Deeply

troubled by the military's

handling of the situation.

They might be

covering something up.

They might not be

covering something up.

I don't know why.

I don't know anything.

No one will talk to me, and

all I have are questions.

I'm not accusing the

Army of anything.

I just wanna know

where my son is.

[Female reporter]

Specialist Murphy was part

of the Third Armored

Cavalry Regiment

operating out of

Camp Tiller in...

Change?

[railroad crossing bell ringing]

[train honking]

[Female reporter on TV]

[Sterling] I wanna talk

to Captain Anderson, CID.

[Anderson] This is Anderson.

[Sterling] I ain't a coward.

[Anderson] Sergeant Sterling?

[Sterling] You

hear what I said?

[Anderson] Nobody

said you were, son.

People who use that word tend

to not know what it means.

Yeah, I'm just saying...

I ain't running.

[Anderson] Then

what are you doing?

[Sterling] Thinking.

[Anderson] So why

don't you come in?

You tell us your side

of things, Sergeant.

[Sterling] Ah, sh*t, sir. I

think we both know I ain't

nobody's sergeant no more.

[car engine roaring]

[dramatic music]

[birds chirping]

[fire crackling]

[car engines roaring]

[heavy metal music]

We're still at work, people.

Keep the channel clear.

Come on, LT,

it's driving music.

That's cold, sir.

[over radio] Hey, I'm

taking requests.

What you wanna hear, sir?

[Lieutenant] You're requesting

to get your ass sent home.

[Crockett] You're

gonna send us home

for playing music, sir?

Personally, I wouldn't waste...

[bomb explodes]

F***!

Stop, stop, here.

[shouting]

Come on, let's move!

[soldier shouting]

My 12, on the roof!

[guns firing]

[soldiers talking]

[guns firing]

Oh, sh*t!

No!

[Soldier] Man is down!

[fire crackling]

[dramatic music]

You're doing great,

just stay still.

You okay?

Lay back for me.

Lay back for me.

Just lay back.

Ooh, it's almost over.

Good.

Okay.

Okay, you're almost done.

[Murph sobs]

Hey.

Hey, calm down.

Breathe, just breathe.

[Murph sobs]

You're okay,

soldier, you're okay.

[Murph sobs]

[helicopter humming]

[Man] We got Woodward.

[Woodward] Yes, sir.

[Man] We got Scotts.

Scotts?!

Murphy!

Murphy!

Private Murphy!

- Murphy, no Murphy?

- Just to come on back.

[helicopter humming]

And as John did for Jesus...

Let us wash it

away, wash it away.

For unless you are born of

the water and the Spirit,

you cannot enter

the kingdom of God.

Private Whitaker, do you

take the Lord Jesus Christ

as your savior?

[Whitaker] Yes, sir!

Then I baptize you in

the name of the Father

and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen, amen.

[Group of Soldiers] Amen!

[helicopter humming]

[whistle]

Hey, Bartle.

[Bartle] Hey, man.

Where you been?

I've been here.

Your mom wrote.

Thanks.

You okay, man?

[helicopter humming]

Yeah.

[people murmuring]

You looking at that girl?

[helicopter humming]

For how long?

I've been coming

up here every day.

Mm!

Every day?

She know you're stalking her?

Probably.

[helicopter humming]

[Bartle] You talk to her yet?

No.

I just watch.

See how she talks to them

on the way in like that?

She always does that.

Yeah? Just get yourself

like a f***ing

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