Under Fire Page #5

God damn it! F*** me!

Didn't you ship your film to New York,

for Christ's sake?

Nah, I developed it in my room.

Oh, Jesus Christ, Alex!

Come on, slow down, man.

It's not your fault if somebody took your...

Yes, it was.

What about Rafael?

I don't think it's Jazy.

Oates said it was a Frenchman.

How many Frenchmen do you know

who live around here?

I'll look here.

Are we looking for negs or prints?

Anything.

I'll get the door.

Russel? Russel?

He knew I'd find Rafael.

He wanted me to.

Probably even knew he was dead,

and I'd take pictures

of every f***ing thing I saw.

He kills people.

Let's get out of here.

Well, we've been to every bar

in town, I still don't see Rafael.

Yeah, well, just hang in there a minute.

This is what I wanted to show you.

Wait a minute.

You brought us through three roadblocks

a half an hour before curfew

to show us a state of Tacho?

It's not Tacho. It's Mussolini.

See, when Tacho went to Italy

to commission a statue of himself,

he found a warehouse

full of il duce on horseback.

Got a great deal on one,

brought it back here.

He switched heads.

You can't tell, can you?

What are we doing here?

I think what he's trying to say,

what we're trying to say,

is that things aren't exactly

the way they seem to be.

Oh, great.

Well, things don't seem to be too great,

so I can't wait to hear this one.

Here we are,

two guys in love with the same dame,

- in the tropics, bullets flying...

- Alex!

- That's not why we're here.

- Oh, yeah?

I left this country because of this man.

I came back because of this man.

Now the cutest couple in town's

got me looking up a horse's ass

on a midnight tour of Managua.

What's goin' on?

Rafael is dead.

- In the picture he's dead?

- He's dead!

- All right, how in the hell did you...

- Who cares how?

Alex, I think I finally saw

one too many bodies.

Somoza is a killer.

I thought the war would end sooner.

How many reasons do you want?

You saw too many bodies?

That's a lot of bodies.

You stupid son of a b*tch!

Did he talk you into this?

No. I wanted Rafael to be alive.

Had you been there, you'd understand!

I've seen a hundred Rafaels.

I've seen a hundred Somozas.

Don't you ever tell me

who's sentimental.

You just served me up your careers.

I could bury both of you!

Look around you! Look at the war!

Can't you see what's going on?

I'm not just talking about Rafael.

That's a lie I despise, but I understand.

I'm talking about the two of you

lying to me, dragging me around town.

I didn't know how you'd take it, Alex!

How could you lie to me?

Now this is a motherfuckin' story!

What am I supposed to do with it?

No, play.

You found Rafael yet?

You know, there's a rather strange one

going around about him.

Thought you might have the answer.

You see, there's a rumor

that Rafael is dead.

That Price's pictures are phony.

That's bullshit. Rafael's alive.

All right.

Alex?

Listen, I feel terrible.

- I want to talk.

- I don't.

Listen, tomorrow I want you

to take me to try to find Jazy.

I'll do a piece on this sexy French spy,

and then New York can take it or leave it.

We looked for Rafael

and couldn't find him.

- You owe me one.

- Yeah, right, right.

You sure this is the way to Jazy's?

I hope so.

I might have got turned around

at the last roadblock.

I thought he lived near here,

but it feels different now.

Yeah, when did the fighting

get this close?

Where in the hell are we?

I don't know.

I don't know what's going on down here.

This looks pretty rough.

This town looks like

it's ready to go, Russel.

Jesus!

Alex, I don't like this.

Let's get the hell out of here.

Yeah, which way is the hotel?

I'm not sure.

- Turn here.

- Yeah, let's go.

- Take the flag with you.

- I'll ask this old gal.

All right.

You fucks! You fucks!

Psst! Seor!

You.

Ladies and gentlemen! Seoras y seores!

May I have your attention, please?

El Presidente Anastasio Somoza.

It is with great concern

that we announce

the death of Senior Correspondent

Alex Grazier,

who has been murdered

at the hands of the terrorists

operating in the barrio

El Dorado district.

Roving bands of Sandinista hooligans

have made the streets of Managua

unsafe for our peace-loving citizens.

Our deepest sympathies are extended

to the friends and family of Mr. Grazier.

And the international press corps

is herewith informed

that all necessary steps

will be taken to protect its safety.

Mr. Kittle has prepared

statements for you.

Thank you.

Excuse me. Ladies and gentlemen,

I have the statements here,

if you'd like to come up and get them.

Could you get my bill ready?

Can you get me a taxi?

- There are no taxis, sir. No cabs, sir!

- I need a taxi!

You won't get there! The road,

everything is blocked with refugees.

- Claire, I'm sorry.

- Did you hear anything from Russel?

- No, nobody has.

- Well, do you want to help me find him?

It's kind of weird out there, Claire.

There's fighting all over the city.

Jesus Christ, Claire, a human tragedy.

What can I say?

F*** off, Hub.

Russel! Russel!

Alex?

The Guardia did it.

I've got pictures.

Let's go. Yeah.

Let's get out of sight for a minute.

They are friends. They are friends!

The boys are confused.

They think I had their family killed.

You are a murderer.

Murder! Murder is a word for criminals!

I have a job to protect

the stability of a continent.

Please!

And you got caught by boys!

Yes.

Poets too, I imagine.

Is your recorder on?

Yes.

Good. I have a speech to make.

No. No photo.

But I like you people.

But you are sentimental shits.

You fall in love with the poets.

The poets fall in love

with the Marxists.

The Marxists fall in love

with themselves.

The country is destroyed with rhetoric,

and in the end we are stuck with tyrants.

Somoza, he is a tyrant too, of course.

A butcher. But finally,

that is not the point, you see.

If we wish to survive,

we have a choice of tyrants.

And for all the right reasons,

your poets choose the wrong side.

No! No picture.

Yes! Your picture

of Rafael was brilliant.

But I am alive and better-looking!

A good-looking Frenchman

with a sympathetic face,

who is murdered in cold blood

while fighting for the survival

of Europe and America!

You will have another magazine cover.

You chose the wrong side.

In 20 years, we will know who is right.

Are you going to take the picture

as the bullet enters the skull

or as it comes out?

It is just a story.

They say that

if somebody is holding a gun on you,

you should never stop talking.

That's the theory.

Who knows? Maybe it's a good thing

that I talk too much.

We gotta get out of here.

The whole f***ing army's looking for me.

Yeah. They're not looking for me.

Let me take the film.

If I can't make it back to the hotel,

I'll come back here.

Look, it's more dangerous being with you

than being alone.

Yeah, right.

Get the flag.

- Yeah.

- We'll put the film in it.

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