Three Kings Page #10

TROY:

OK. And I'll be wearing

fashionable kevlar. As a necessity.

He pulls a vest out of the Humvee.

EXT. MARSH

The motorcycle is stopped by the marsh. Siberian pelicans fly

all around. Many lie dead on the ground. Bill Smithson paces

with a cell phone.

BILL SMITHSON:

(on cell phone)

I'm at some goddamn marsh, all

we've seen are Russian cranes.

WALTER:

Pelicans.

BILL SMITHSON:

(on the cell phone)

I think the Saddam story goes more

for the jugular, journalistically

speaking, Al. Let's grow some

balls and do the Shiite uprising,

for Christ's sake.

Bill Smithson closes the cell phone.

BILL SMITHSON:

We're going north to do the

Shiites.

WALTER:

I thought the gold was the hot

spot.

BILL SMITHSON:

Karbala's the new hotspot, and

I'm driving.

WALTER:

Military regulations, you cannot

drive.

Smithson mounts the bike. The cameraman sits on back. Walter

points his pistol at Smithson.

WALTER:

Get off the vehicle, sir.

Smithson starts the bike.

WALTER:

Don't make me shoot you, sir.

The bike pulls out, leaving him behind. He runs after the

bike and jumps into the side car.

EXT. COMPANY B CAMP - DAY

Captain Van Meter strolls, handling an M-16.

CAPTAIN VAN METER

The M-16 is the basic weapon of

the infantry. During Vietnam, it

was fully automatic.

GENERAL HORN (O.S.)

Doug?

CAPTAIN VAN METER

Yes, General.

GENERAL HORN:

What the f*** are you doing?

CAPTAIN VAN METER

Well, I'm giving an interview to

CBS.

GENERAL HORN:

Do you have authorization?

Van Meter pulls out a folded paper and gives it to the

general, who looks at it.

GENERAL HORN:

No.

CAPTAIN VAN METER

No?

GENERAL HORN:

Who gave you this?

CAPTAIN VAN METER

Major Gates.

GENERAL HORN:

Archie Gates gave you this? Jesus

Christ, Doug, come with me.

CAPTAIN VAN METER

I don't get to do the interview?

GENERAL HORN:

No, you don't get to do the

interview.

EXT. DESERT - DAY

ARCHIE GATES:

Faster.

Bach's 'Gloria' plays loud as Vig drives and Archie stares

straight ahead as the Humvee picks up speed.

EXT. ANOTHER VILLAGE OUTSIDE KARBALA - DAY

The Hummer zips into a bigger village piazza with an old

fortress at one end, and races straight to the entrance to an

underground bunker in the middle of the piazza.

ARCHIE GATES:

(into the megaphone)

United States Marine Corps. Put

your weapons down.

Troy and Doc leap out, hold pistols out at arm's length as

they accost TWO IRAQI SOLDIERS pointing rifles at them.

TROY:

Drop your weapon.

DOC:

Put it down.

Troy and Doc shove the two Iraqis face down in the dirt and

cuff their hands behind their backs.

VIG:

Don't make me smoke your ass,

Abdul.

INT. SECOND IRAQI BUNKER - DAY

Archie runs down a narrow cement corridor, pistol held at

arm's length, white document in the other hand; followed by

Troy and Doc, pistols drawn.

An IRAQI SOLDIER steps into the corridor at the far end, sees

Archie coming, looks terrified, and runs back. Archie and

Troy run right past the scared Iraqi. Doc comes third,

slamming the Iraqi face down and cuffing him.

Archie kicks a door open and goes in, followed by Troy.

INT. INNER ROOM, SECOND IRAQI BUNKER - DAY

Archie and Troy burst in, pointing their guns aggressively.

TROY:

Freeze.

A large room; walls lined with shelves full of brand new

appliances:
blenders, cuisinarts, CD players, small TVs. A

huge portrait of Saddam Hussein covers one wall.

A television plays a rerun of 'Happy Days' in Arabic.

Another TV:
CNN's first reports of the Rodney King beating.

An IRAQI CAPTAIN sits in a chair in front of the TVs.

TWO IRAQIS sit loading rifles. Two others sit at a radio.

They all jump to their feet when Archie bursts in, except for

the officer watching 'Happy Days' and CNN..

ARCHIE GATES:

By order of the cease-fire signed

in Safwan, March 3, the United

States Marines hereby confiscate

all material stolen by Iraq from

the Emirate of Kuwait --

One of the rifle-loading Iraqis tries to run. Troy heads him

off with his pistol --

TROY:

Down.

The other rifle-loader stands looking scared.

IRAQI RIFLE-LOADER

Isnam panan fatwa aznir --

WHIP PAN TO Doc, who turns the shortwave radio off, pushes

the TWO IRAQIS to the ground. One goes peacefully, the other

resists; Doc smacks him in the side of the head with his

pistol, which fires accidentally. Everyone grabs their heads

and ducks -- except Archie.

ARCHIE GATES:

Never hit anyone with your pistol,

Doc.

DOC:

Sorry about that.

Archie is offered a cuisinart by the Iraqi Captain.

IRAQI CAPTAIN:

For wife.

ARCHIE GATES:

I've been divorced three times.

Troy has one rifle Iraqi on the ground, but the second is on

his knees, putting a CD into a mini-stereo.

RIFLE IRAQI #2

Newest and best.

TROY:

No, newest and best has better

noise reduction.

The Iraqi looks puzzled.

TROY:

Less distortion. Get down on the

floor, OK?

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