"THE BASE" screenplay by William C. Martell copyright 1997 by William C. Martell "THE BASE" EXT. BORDER CHECKPOINT -- DAY Cars filled with tourists move slowly through the checkpoint into Mexico. On the American side: clean maintained streets. EXT. TIJUANA, MEXICO -- DAY But just across the border: crowds, garbage everywhere, buildings crammed together on pot holed streets. It seems darker, more dangerous. Everything has a touch of evil. EXT. STRIP CLUB -- DAY A honky tonk street lined with dives. Neon flickers outside a strip club. COLLEGE KIDS on Spring Break laugh drunkenly as they leave the club, one belches loudly. We sneak in while the doors are open. INT. STRIP CLUB -- DAY Almost everyone is American. Four clean cut young men watch a pair of aging STRIPPERS gyrate on stage. When the Ugly Stripper dances in front of them, one of them puts a dollar in her G-string. DELMAR Horman, why are you giving that skank money? DAVE DELMAR is a massive weight lifter with a troubled childhood which turned him into a bit of a bully. BREEN This is the closest he's been to pussy in months, Del. Give him a break. ARTIE HORMAN is the youngest of the group, and the most unsure of himself. Maybe still a virgin. Wears a tourist sombrero. HORMAN Want me to take a picture and send it to your wife? (CONTINUED) 2. BREEN Lucy would kill me. Can't even rent R rated movies! RICK BREEN is the most conservative: already married; dressed for church, not strippers. DELMAR Only an idiot would get married. BREEN Who you calling an idiot? I get it at least once a week. The best looking stripper takes it all off. Every man in the dive watches her but one: MARTY RACKIN, oldest of the four, keeps his eye on a booth in the back where a slick drug lawyer named VARGAS talks with two MEXICANS in sweat clothes and gold jewelry. HORMAN Hey baby! Come on down! As the Stripper dances to their side of the room, Vargas gives the Mexicans some hundred dollar bills, and leaves. RACKIN Drink up. It's time to run and gun. HORMAN But she's just.... DELMAR You heard the man: Drink up. Horman reluctantly ignores the stripper gyrating in front of him and finishes his beer. The four follow Vargas out. EXT. TIJUANA, MEXICO -- DAY Rackin doesn't lose sight of Vargas. The four cross the street to a parked car, and Delmar pops open the trunk. Vargas is a block away. He stops at a door, makes sure no one is watching him, then gives a secret knock. The door opens and Vargas enters the building. DELMAR Got him? RACKIN Yeah. Next block. Sixth door down. (CONTINUED) 3. Rackin watches the door close, then takes the flack jacket Delmar hands him. All four men put on jackets. Camouflage grease paint is passed around, and they paint their faces. BREEN Horman wants to know if we can go back and see the stripper afterwards. RACKIN Sorry, Artie. Delmar hands each of the men a HUGE military style M249 SAW machine gun. Horman also takes a combat shotgun. Armed for a small war, they close the car trunk. RACKIN Ready to rumble? Horman sails the sombrero across the street. They slap hands with each other. Rackin oozes wild charisma. His team would follow him to hell and come back with the Devil on his orders. The four walk down the street like The Wild Bunch. EXT. TIJUANA BUILDING -- DAY At the doorway, Breen eases a fiber optic strand quietly under the door. From this point on, the team uses military hand signals to communicate. FIBER OPTIC SHOT A distorted look at the foyer beyond the door. Two GUARDS armed with Uzis smoke cigarettes. EXT. TIJUANA BUILDING -- DAY Breen pulls out the strand and signals that there are two guards, armed, and points to where they are standing. The others nod. The door of the next building opens and a TEN YEAR OLD BOY steps out... Sees the armed men and is frightened. Breen puts a finger to his lips, smiles and gestures for the Boy to go back inside. The Boy returns to safety indoors. Rackin gives final hand signal instructions to the team. Then they break open the door. 4. INT. TIJUANA BUILDING -- DAY The door splinters inwards, and the two GUARDS quickly bring up their Uzis. Rackin shoots the one of the left before he can get off a shot. Breen takes out the one on the right seconds before he fires at Delmar. Rackin gestures for Delmar to guard the door, while Breen and Horman will use two-by-two cover formation to climb the stairs. Rackin will check out the downstairs rooms. Rackin doesn't get far before gunfire erupts. A pair of massive MEXICANs in sweats, armed with Uzis, pops from the top of the staircase and opens fire down at Breen and Horman. MEXICAN #1 Two of them! On the stairs! Breen and Horman back down the stairs and take cover as bullets turn steps into sawdust. Rackin turns to help them, when he hears a noise, spins and fires down the hallway... Blasting GUARD #3 off his feet before he gets all the way out the door. Rackin gives it a beat to see if the Guard has any friends, but no one comes. He goes to help... Breen covers Horman as he rolls from behind cover and fires thew shotgun up at the two Mexicans. MEXICAN #2 comes rolling down the stairs, dead. MEXICAN #1 They got Manny! Breen runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time, M249 SAW machinegun ready. Mexican #1 swings out and fires a burst, sending Breen back a couple of steps. When Mexican #1 starts coming down the stairs, Breen sends a burst of gunfire to chase him up. For a moment, it's like an Errol Flynn/Basil Rathbone stair sword fight... but with machineguns. Breen forcing the Mexican up a few steps, then the Mexican forcing him back. Then Breen fakes right, moves left, and blasts Mexican #1 right off his feet. When Breen gets to the top of the stairs, he gestures for Rackin and Horman that it's clear. (CONTINUED) 5. AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS A hallway and two doors. Rackin gestures for Horman to cover while Breen uses the fiber optic strand. Breen pushes the strand under the first door. FIBER OPTIC SHOT The distorted view of the room... Empty. AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS Breen pulls out the strand and shakes his head. They creep to the next doorway, Breen sticks the strand in. FIBER OPTIC SHOT A distorted view of a drug lab. RAY VARGAS, the sleazy American drug lawyer, has a briefcase full of money. Three DRUG DEALERS are opposite a table stacked with bags of black tar heroin. A WOMAN hides in the back of the room. GUARD #4 stands near the door, gun ready to fire at the first one through. AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS Breen pulls out the strand and relays the information. Rackin nods, and gestures instructions. Horman will lay on the floor with the shotgun aimed up. Breen will take one side of the door and Rackin the other. Nods. INT. DRUG ROOM -- DAY Vargas looks around nervously. Guard #4 keeps his gun ready. THE DOOR SPLINTERS OPEN and Guard #4 fires... but there's no one standing in the doorway. A moment of confusion. By the time Guard #4 looks down, it's too late. Horman BLASTS him right off his feet. Rackin and Breen swing into the room, guns ready. RACKIN Hands! Everybody! Hands! (CONTINUED) 6. BREEN Get 'em up! Everyone raises their hands. DRUG DEALER #3 keeps his hands chest level... under his lapel is a gun in a shoulder rig. Rackin yells down to Delmar. RACKIN Clear. DELMAR (O.S.) Copy that. Rackin gestures for the Woman to come out from her hiding place, then looks over the bags of heroin. VARGAS Look, there's been a mistake... RACKIN There has? VARGAS Yes. I'm an American citizen. I know you're just doing your job, but I don't belong here. RACKIN Buying heroin? VARGAS See, I asked at a bar where I could find some whores, and they must have misunderstood me... RACKIN Why don't you put your hands against the wall. You know the position. BREEN Hands against the wall! Everyone assumes the position. Vargas still pleads with Rackin. Trying not to get busted. VARGAS We're on the same side. I'm a lawyer. I have ID.... in my wallet. RACKIN Check his wallet. That's when Drug Dealer #3 goes for his gun! (CONTINUED) 7. But finds an empty holster. Rackin laughs, holds up the missing gun as if it's part of a magic trick. RACKIN Looking for this? Don't you know I'm magic? Rackin does a few impressive gun tricks, then turns his hand and the gun is GONE... disappeared. Great close up magic. RACKIN I'm the magic man. Horman pulls Vargas' wallet, opens it. Money, credit cards, and a California Drivers License. HORMAN He's American. Ray Vargas. From San Diego. Visa, American Express... VARGAS See? This is a mistake. You D.E.A. guys are doing a great job with the war on drugs, but... BREEN We're not with the D.E.A. VARGAS F.B.I.? D.E.A.? We're all Americans. You can let me go... Rackin smiles at Vargas, then nods to Breen. Breen opens fire, St. Valentine's Day Massacre style. All four men and the woman are shot to pieces. Horman pulls the money from Vargas' wallet, pockets it. RACKIN (laughs) He thought we were with the FBI. The others laugh as they gather up the briefcase full of money and the bags of black tar heroin, and vacate the room. INT. TIJUANA BUILDING -- DAY At the bottom of the stairs, Rackin nods at Delmar. DELMAR What'd we get? (CONTINUED) 8. RACKIN Few hundred thousand and a lot of heroin. Not that Mexican brown shit, either... Black tar. Mucho salable. The four men leave the building. EXT. TIJUANA BUILDING -- DAY The Ten Year Old Boy hides in a doorway as the four men walk past. While watching them, he notices a tattoo on Delmar's arm. The U.S. Marine Corps Symbol. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY The U.S. Marine Corps symbol on the gate of Camp Richards. A beautiful spring day. Marine Corps Band marching music in the background. A title is supered with the camp name and location. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY A line of MARINES marches past GENERAL ANTHONY NEWHOUSE. Newhouse is a rugged, war hardened, leader. More John Wayne than Jack Webb, he weighs exactly what he weighed when he joined the Marines twenty five years ago. Next to General Newhouse is his aide, Lt. PETER VEILLERS. Veillers has spent too much time behind a desk filling out paper work. He looks too soft for combat. Each Marine salutes Newhouse as he passes. Gunnery Sergeant Martin L. RACKIN salutes as he passes, followed by Sgt. Breen, Corporal Horman, and Sgt. Delmar. When Delmar salutes, we see the tattoo on his arm again. The cold blooded killers who knocked off Vargas and the Drug Dealers are United States Marines! EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT War. A Marine Recon Team trapped behind enemy lines, as bullets spray around them. Explosions illuminate the carnage. Twisted metal. Four dead Marines. Gunnery Sergeant RONALD L. MURPHY yells into a radio. (CONTINUED) 9. MURPHY Base. This is Force Recon Five. We are under heavy fire, I repeat, heavy fire. Request immediate extraction. Another explosion shows Sgt. TED NEWHOUSE, early 20s and scared to death. His name printed on his camouflage. A bloody rag has stopped the bleeding from the bullet wound in his leg. Gripping Murphy's free hand. TED Get me out of here, Murphy... MURPHY Base. This is Force Recon Five, do you copy? BASE (V.O.) Copy, Recon Five. Give me your Team Leader... MURPHY Team Leader is dead. Primary Radio is dead. Second Radio and Tail-end Charlie are dead. This is the Point Man, Ron Murphy... Requesting immediate extraction. Code word is Switchblades. BASE (V.O.) Give me the Assistant Team Leader. MURPHY Assistant Team Leader is wounded. We need air extraction NOW. BASE (V.O.) Unable to extract from your co-ords. MURPHY I have a wounded man.... BASE (V.O.) Chopper is waiting at extraction point alpha... A huge explosion sends debris over Murphy and Ted. When Murphy tries the radio again, he only gets static. MURPHY Base? Base? Murphy lowers the mike, turns to Ted. (CONTINUED) 10. MURPHY I can't carry you. You'll have to wait here. TED Come on, Murph... Don't leave. MURPHY Just hang on, Ted. I'll come back with help. TED Don't leave me Murph... Please don't leave me here to die... Ted reaches his hand out, as Murphy scrambles away. Bullets and explosions shattering the night. TED Murphy! Murphy! INT. JAIL CELL -- DAY Murphy comes out of the nightmare... hears his name echoing. VOICE (O.S.) Murphy? On a chain around his neck: Three dog tags. Two in perfect condition with his name. The third, brown with corrosion (blood?), with the name EDWARD NEWHOUSE. EXT. FORT LEJUENE, NORTH CAROLINA -- DAY The Marine Corps main base. A title is supered with camp name and location. INT. STOCKADE HALLWAY -- DAY General JOHN LATIMER is the top man in the Marine Corps. Rugged and powerful, he earned his respect the old fashioned way: He was a war hero. Latimer lets the JAILER lead him down the unfamiliar hallway to a dark cell. LATIMER Murphy in there? The Jailer nods, unlock the door... Waits for instructions. (CONTINUED) 11. LATIMER You can go. The Jailer salutes, leaves. Latimer enters the cell. INT. JAIL CELL -- DAY Murphy looks up at Latimer, but doesn't salute. MURPHY What do you want? LATIMER You're Gunnery Sergeant Ronald L. Murphy? MURPHY That's right. Here to personally kick me out, General? I'm honored. I don't even think Riddick Bowe got this kind of service. LATIMER You used to be the best Recon man there was... MURPHY Used to be. LATIMER They say you punched an officer. MURPHY I was drunk. Being drunk isn't an excuse, it's another offense. LATIMER This is what? Your fifth? Sixth offense? MURPHY What's your point? LATIMER Ever since Desert Storm you've been on the fast track to Court Martial. One fight after another. MURPHY I swear: That was the last. (CONTINUED) 12. LATIMER You're right. Your hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. You'll probably do ten years in federal lock up before you're dishonorably discharged. Murphy looks down at his unpolished shoes. MURPHY You're here to see me off. LATIMER I'm here to offer you a deal. Murphy looks up. LATIMER Two weeks ago, an American lawyer named Raymond Vargas and seven Mexican citizens were murdered in Tiajuna. Shot more than a dozen times. Execution style. MURPHY So? LATIMER The killers left behind bullets and brass. Because one of the victims was an American, the Tiajuna Police worked overtime on the case, came up with some surprising results. MURPHY Suicide? LATIMER The weapons were U.S. Marine Corps issue. 5.56mm SAW machine guns. MURPHY Stolen? LATIMER Maybe. A ten year old who witnessed the murders said the killers were soldiers. One of them had a Marine Corps tattoo on his arm. MURPHY Shit. (CONTINUED) 13. LATIMER After last year's hazing scandals, we want to nip this one in the bud. Camp Richards is just across the border from Tiajuna. We're afraid that someone may be selling, stealing, or trading Marine issue ordnance to drug dealers. MURPHY What does this have to do with me? LATIMER Recon is your specialty. Sneaking behind enemy lines and returning with troop and target information. MURPHY That was in Storm... Years ago. LATIMER We want you to go undercover at Camp Richards. Find out how these weapons are getting off the base. The names of any personal involved. MURPHY Newhouse still runs that base. LATIMER Correct. General Newhouse is in charge of Camp Richards. MURPHY Can't do it. LATIMER You can't run from the man forever, Murphy. MURPHY I killed his son. Murphy's intensity is frightening... But Latimer responds only with a nod. He locks eyes with Murphy. LATIMER There is no room in this Marine Corps for criminals and hooligans, Sgt. Murphy. No room for men like you. (beat) But if you do your job right... find those responsible for these weapons (MORE) (CONTINUED) 14. LATIMER (CONT'D) ending up in the wrong hands... You will have transformed yourself from one of them, to one of us. MURPHY Yes, sir. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY A Marine Corps jeep rolls up to the checkpoint. The DRIVER shows his paperwork to the OFFICER at the gate. The Officer looks over the paperwork, hands it back to the Driver, looks at Murphy in the passenger seat. OFFICER What have we here? MURPHY Corporal Ronald L. Murphy. Transfer from Fort Lejuene, sir. Murphy, cleaned up but minus some uniform stripes, hands the Officer his paperwork. The Officer looks it over, nods. OFFICER Says here you used to be a Gunny. Got busted down a few grades. MURPHY Yes, sir. The Officer turns to the Driver. OFFICER Show CORPORAL Murphy to his quarters. (to Murphy) Then the General wants to see you. MURPHY Yes, sir. Murphy salutes, unhappy, and the jeep drives onto the base. The Officer at the Gate watches it drive away. INT. VEILLER'S OFFICE -- DAY Lt. VEILLERS sits guard in the anteroom to General Newhouse's office. The ultimate weaselly male secretary. (CONTINUED) 15. MURPHY Corporal Murphy to see General Newhouse. Veillers inspects Murphy like a slab of meat. An undercurrent of homosexuality from Veillers. VEILLERS Murphy? Hmmmm. Veillers looks through the files on his desk, taking enough time to show Murphy who is in charge. VEILLERS Yes. I believe the General is expecting you. (to intercom) Corporal Murphy's here. Veillers buzzes Murphy in to General Newhouse's office. INT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Murphy salutes. Newhouse has Murphy's file open on his desk, and every word he speaks is barbed. MURPHY Corporal Ronald L. Murphy, sir. NEWHOUSE Corporal. Welcome to Camp Richards. We hope you'll do better here than you did at Camp Lejuene. MURPHY Yes, sir. NEWHOUSE You know, Murphy, I was against your transfer here. But General Latimer explained his reasoning in detail. Murphy wonders how much Newhouse was told of his mission. NEWHOUSE What do you think of his decision? MURPHY I'm just here to follow orders, sir. (CONTINUED) 16. NEWHOUSE Excellent. You seem to have had some difficulties with that in the past. (leafs through file) A discipline problem. They thought I might be able to straighten you out. Murphy realizes Newhouse knows nothing of his mission. MURPHY Yes, sir. NEWHOUSE Unlike General Latimer, I don't believe in second chances. I can't forgive past mistakes. (leafs through file) And you've made a lot of them. Newhouse keeps the file open to the Recon incident where his son was killed. NEWHOUSE Make even the smallest mistake here, and it will be my pleasure to Court Martial you and cart you off to a military prison for the rest of your shitty little life. (beat) Do you understand me, Murphy? MURPHY Yes, sir. NEWHOUSE You're dismissed. Murphy salutes and leaves. Breaking the rules to investigate the missing guns may land him in jail for ever. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Rackin, Breen, Delmar, and Horman watch as Murphy leaves the General's Office Building. RACKIN Kind of old for a Corporal. BREEN The Gate Officer said Newhouse put him on the top of the shit list. (CONTINUED) 17. RACKIN Interesting. The watch Murphy cross the base to the barracks buildings. RACKIN Corporal Horman. Find out everything you can about our new man. HORMAN Yes, sir. Horman heads to the General's Office, the others watch Murphy enter his barracks. INT. BARRACKS -- DAY No one talks to Murphy as he opens his duffel bag and unpacks. He has his bunk, his locker... his part of the world. No friends, no real home. The other MARINES keep their distance. No one talks to him, welcomes him, or acknowledges him. Murphy's first day on the base, he's already a pariah. When no one is looking, he takes a pack containing a mini camera, lock pick equipment, burglar tools and hides it under his matress. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- DAY Murphy waits at the counter for Sgt. TOM FULLER, the supply sergeant for the base. While Murphy waits, he notes the location of the computer and ledgers, where information on the stolen guns might be found. One of the ledgers is on the counter. Fuller finishes and does his best Gomer Pile imitation. FULLER Supplies, Supplies. What can I get for you, Corporal? MURPHY Bedding supplies. Fuller goes to grab the basic bedding kit: Blanket, sheets, pillow, etc. Murphy tries to sneak a peek into the ledger. Looking for guns and ammo. Almost gets caught. (CONTINUED) 18. FULLER Where you from? MURPHY Camp Lejuene. How often do they do inventory around here? FULLER Why? Looking for a five finger discount? Wonder how long before you'll be caught? MURPHY Wondering if I order a new pair of boots how long it'll take you to get them. FULLER Seven working days. MURPHY So you order, what? Once a week? FULLER Yeah. Lotta questions for a transfer. MURPHY Just trying to learn my way around. FULLER What size? MURPHY What? FULLER Boots. You need new boots, right? We may have them in stock... MURPHY Eleven and a half. Fuller shakes his head. Murphy grabs the sheets, starts out. FULLER Just a minute. When Murphy turns, Fuller is examining the ledger. MURPHY What? (CONTINUED) 19. FULLER Your name. Rank. Military ID number or Social Security number. For Fuller's report? Murphy hesitates. FULLER For the bed kit. MURPHY Right. Murphy sets everything down, fills the information out in the ledger, and signs for the bed kit. INT. MAT ROOM -- DAY The MARINES get ready for hand to hand combat practice. Murphy stands alone. Across the room, Horman whispers to Rackin, who eats an apple. RACKIN Good work. Rackin and the team wander over to where Murphy loosens up. RACKIN Kind of old for a Corporal. MURPHY I used to be a Gunny. RACKIN What'd they bust you down for? MURPHY Fighting. RACKIN You good at fighting? MURPHY I'm good at everything. RACKIN (laughs) Think you could take on Sgt. Breen, here? Murphy looks over Breen. They're about the same size, should be an even fight. (CONTINUED) 20. MURPHY Sure. RACKIN Ten bucks for every minute you stay off the mat. MURPHY Make it twenty. RACKIN Twenty.... GENERAL NEWHOUSE claps for attention. NEWHOUSE Your rifle may be your best friend, but you are not useless without it. Hand to hand combat skills are your last line of defense, your only chance at survival in the field if a mission blows up in your face. Murphy looks down, trying to forget his past. NEWHOUSE You know the moves, let's see what you can do in a practice session. Remember, in the field, you'll be fighting for your life. (beat) Pair up on the mats, I'll blow the whistle to start. Breen and Murphy pair up. But right before General Newhouse blows the whistle, the massive DELMAR taps Breen on the shoulder. DELMAR Mind if I cut in? Breen steps aside, and Murphy gets a less than a second to size up his new opponent before the whistle blows. Rackin takes a bit of his apple, watching from the sidelines. Delmar gets the first strike, almost knocking Murphy off his feet. But waking him up. Murphy goes into action, using judo, akido, and street fighting skills to evade Delmar's next hits and get in a few of his own. (CONTINUED) 21. DELMAR You're not bad. MURPHY The bigger they are... DELMAR The harder they hit. Delmar SLAMS Murphy with a solid punch, sending him to the floor. But Murphy hits the mats and twists, kicking Delmar's legs out from under him. Delmar falls HARD. Murphy rolls over on him, pinning him to the mat. MURPHY You hit hard, but you don't hit smart. Rackin watches the fight closely from the side lines. Delmar headbutts Murphy and flips him off. The two fight on the ground, until Murphy flips back onto his feet and kicks at Delmar. Delmar is taking a beating. It's obvious that Murphy is the better fighter. But Delmar has the weight. DELMAR You want to play? When Murphy chops at Delmar, the brute plucks his hand from the air and THROWS Murphy over his shoulder to the mat. Then pounces on him. Murphy rolls away, but Delmar grabs him and pulls him back. DELMAR I play for keeps... Murphy can't get away. Delmar puts his elbow to Murphy's throat and applies pressure.... strangling him. It has become a fight to the death! Murphy scrambles, trying to get the brute's elbow off his throat. He's turning blue. Then the whistle blows, and Delmar lets up. Murphy gasps for breath while Delmar pops to his feet. Then Delmar reaches down and helps Murphy up. DELMAR You're pretty good. (CONTINUED) 22. Rackin gets Delmar's attention, gestures to bring Murphy. RACKIN Handled yourself pretty well. MURPHY You said something about some money. Rackin tosses his apple core, wipes his hand, offers it. RACKIN Marty Rackin. That's Breen, Horman. You've already met Delmar. MURPHY Who pays me? RACKIN You don't take shit from anyone. I like that. (beat) I'll get you a weekend pass on Friday. MURPHY And my twenty five bucks? RACKIN The man's obsessed with money. Rackin twists his hand and a twenty dollar bill magically appears in it. He hands it to Murphy. MURPHY Hell of a trick. RACKIN I've got a million of them. Rackin and his team leave Murphy in the Mat room. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT Quiet on the base. A few MARINES patrol the darkness. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT A room full of sleeping Marines. It's long past lights out. Murphy seems to be asleep like the others. His eyes open. He carefully sneaks out of bed and pulls on his pants. While grabbing his boots, he makes a noise. (CONTINUED) 23. The MARINE sleeping on the next bunk rolls over. Waking up? Murphy stays still for a moment, then continues dressing. He pulls the pack of burglar equipment from under his bed, and sneaks past the sleeping Marines to the door. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- NIGHT Murphy stays close to the walls as he sneaks across the base to the Supply Building. When he rounds the corner of a building, he almost runs into a two man PATROL making their rounds. Not enough time to retreat, Murphy ducks into a dark doorway. The Patrol continues towards him. PATROL #1 Check the doors. Patrolman #2 shines his flashlight on the door across from Murphy. He palms the knob. Locked. Murphy sees the flashlight turning his way and hits the dirt. Laying on the ground near the door. Patrolman #2's flashlight his the empty doorway. Murphy has to hold his breath as Patrolman #2 stands only inches away and checks the door knob. PATROL #1 All locked? Patrolman #2 nods. The Patrol rounds the corner. Murphy gets out of the dirt and continues sneaking across the base to the Supply Building. EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy uses the lock picks from his kit to get in. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy pushes the door closed and sneaks behind the counter. A pencil flash from the kit helps him find his way to the computer in the back of the office. (CONTINUED) 24. Murphy turns off the flash and boots the computer. The room is suddenly bathed in blue light from the monitor. Murphy ducks. Will the light attract the Patrolmen? Time passes. It's safe. Murphy begins typing commands into the computer. Gets a menu of inventories. Most recent... MURPHY (sotto) A week ago. Calls up the inventory. The screen shows BLANKETS, how many before, how many issued, how many at inventory, how many Lost, Damaged, Destroyed. He scrolls down the list, finding the list of weapons... A light flashes through the window from outside! A Patrol. Murphy hides behind the counter. EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT The two man Patrol shines their flashlight into the doorway. PATROL #1 Check the door. Patrolman #2 starts towards the door. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Through the window, Murphy can see Patrolman #2 coming... He has left the door unlocked! Murphy scrambles to the door, flicking the lock just as... EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Patrolman #2 tries the door. Locked. He moves on. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT When they've gone, Murphy sneaks back to the computer. M249 SAW Machineguns..... The number at the beginning and end of the inventory are the same. None are lost or damaged. (CONTINUED) 25. Unaccounted for: 0 Murphy checks ALL of the guns.... All are accounted for. LIVE AMMO shows many rounds issued for training exercises. Fuller has signed for most of them personally. EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy sneaks out of the building, picks the door locked. When he starts sneaking back to the barracks, he hears a noise. Talking. A flashlight. The Patrol has returned! Murphy hides in the shadows on the far side of the building. PATROL #1 I can't believe Fuller left the damned computer on... Patrolman #1 flashes his light inside the Supply Building. The computer is off, the Supply Building completely dark. PATROL #1 I must be losing my mind. Come on. The Patrol leaves the area. Murphy comes out of the shadows, then notices a small supply shack with dozens of locks and chains protecting it. His pen light illuminates the 'address': BUILDING 48-H. Murphy shuts off his flash and sneaks back to the barracks. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Murphy puts his burglar kit back under the matress, takes off his boots and pants, and climbs into bed. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- MORNING Reveille sounds. Marines go through their morning routines. INT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- DAY Murphy makes sure no one is looking, dials a number. (CONTINUED) 26. MURPHY General Latimer, this isn't a secure phone. I'm going to make it fast. There was an inventory last week. No weapons missing, but they may have cooked the books. (beat) Yes, sir. Murphy hangs up and falls in for breakfast. From across the Parade Grounds Sgt. Breen watches Murphy. Wondering what the phone call was about. EXT. WOODS NEAR CAMP -- DAY Murphy, Rackin and the rest of the Marines on base are dressed in full camouflage, helmets, packs, and rifles. NEWHOUSE Today we'll be running the "Quigley" Course. This is a hard-ass course. Has nothing to do with that dopey Tom Sellack movie. This course is for real Marines. Breen continues to study Murphy. NEWHOUSE You will start in this muddy ditch. You will crawl down the ditch, your point man checking ahead of him for poisonous snakes. HORMAN Poisonous snakes? NEWHOUSE That's right, Corporal Horman. (beat) At the end of the ditch you will run five miles through the woods, climb a forty percent grade, then slide down the other side. Murphy has been through all of this before... and worse in Desert Storm. He and Rackin seem relaxed. NEWHOUSE Then you will crawl along a length of razor wire while Lieutenant Veillers fires a 50 caliber machinegun over (MORE) (CONTINUED) 27. NEWHOUSE (CONT'D) your heads. Because today is Friday, we will be firing blanks. Horman looks slightly relieved. NEWHOUSE When you hear the pistol, start moving. Newhouse raises his gun and fires. Murphy, Rackin, and the Marines hit the dirt, crawling through the muddy ditch, holding their guns up out of the water. NEWHOUSE Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! EXT. WOODS NEAR CAMP -- DAY The muddy Marines run through the woods, rifles ready for action. They climb the grade, and slide down the other side. Horman gets in trouble, and Breen has to help him out. Murphy and Rackin run with ease. Next to each other. Almost like a team. Both men are naturals. EXT. MACHINE GUN RANGE -- DAY At the razor wire, a dozen Marines hit the dirt and crawl along the path as Sgt. Fuller fires a machinegun overhead. NEWHOUSE Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Rackin lets Murphy crawl ahead alone. Murphy crawls along the wire, keeping his head down. The machinegun firing... Send dirt spraying all around Murphy. They are using live rounds. MURPHY Shit! Bullets flying right overhead, like that night in Iraq. FLASH CUT: Murphy in Iraq. Bullets and explosions. Hanging on to Ted's hand. Murphy snaps out of it and uses all of his combat training to stay low and avoid the machinegun fire. He crawls to safety, moves to his feet, and spits dirt from his mouth. (CONTINUED) 28. Rackin gives Sgt. Fuller a glance as he crawls through the fire zone. No bullets come anywhere near him. Rackin comes to his feet next to Murphy. MURPHY He's using live ammo. RACKIN Must be a mistake. MURPHY I could have been killed. Rackin shrugs, makes a gate pass appear in his hand: magic. RACKIN Then you could probably use a drink. He hands the pass to Murphy, who smiles at it. EXT. MCBAIN'S BAR -- NIGHT McBain's is a Marine hangout, the way McP's in Coranado is a Navy SEAL Team hangout. Flashing neon and loud music. INT. MCBAIN'S BAR -- NIGHT Cheap pitchers of beer, and lots of attractive women. Murphy comes in with Rackin and his team. Everyone in the joint greets Rackin as if he's their king. MARINES (O.S.) Marty! It's the magic man! Marty! Rackin high fives some of the Marines on his way to be bar. Delmar lags behind to talk to some of them. Whispered conversations. Money changes hands. Gambling? MURPHY Quite a fan club. RACKIN They love the magic man. I make all their problems disappear... With a pitcher of beer. Rackin makes a $5 bill appear and pays for the pitcher. RACKIN How long you been in the Corps? (CONTINUED) 29. MURPHY Since Storm. I re-upped. HORMAN Jeeze, you don't want to go home? MURPHY Couldn't wait to leave. Rackin watches while the others talk with Murphy. DELMAR Why's that? MURPHY Spend the rest of my life working at a refinery? Taking as much OT as I can so I can pay for my own place, don't have to deal with my stepdad? (beat) I couldn't wait to enlist. Murphy looks at Rackin. MURPHY What about you? RACKIN Same story, different town. I gave up a promising future digging ditches for farm irrigation to join the Corps. Everybody laughs. Delmar gestures for another pitcher. Horman is studying some girls across the room. Breen is talking with the most beautiful woman in the bar. MURPHY Thought Breen had a wife squirreled away in off base housing? DELMAR Breen'll get home to her... eventually. RACKIN Heard the General wanted to see you. MURPHY What big ears you got. RACKIN I'm the magic man. All seeing, all knowing. When the pitcher comes, Rackin makes another $5 appear. (CONTINUED) 30. MURPHY How tight is Newhouse? RACKIN What do you mean? MURPHY None of us joined the Marines for the pay. At Lejuene I picked up some spare change buying supplies with the base discount and reselling them. RACKIN That why you're here? Got caught? MURPHY Sent me here for fighting. I'm a "trouble maker". How tight are they with the supplies? DELMAR Fuller's a fucking bean counter. You couldn't get an extra blanket out of him if we had a new ice age. RACKIN Del's right. No way that scam would work here. When we field test our rifles, they count the bullets. DELMAR Looks like you lost a couple stripes. RACKIN Lose them fighting or stealing? Murphy unconsciously touches his dog tags. MURPHY I was with Force Recon in Storm. They sent us in to Bagdad to scout targets. The mission went to hell. Five men died... I was the only one who walked away. RACKIN They usually give you medals for that. MURPHY One of the casualties was Newhouse's son. I'm the reason he's dead. (CONTINUED) 31. HORMAN Jeeze, Newhouse must love having you here. MURPHY One fuckup and I'm in Leavenworth. Rackin laughs, spots the beautiful woman talking with Breen. RACKIN Hey! Sweet Lucille! Want you to meet a guy... This here's Ron Murphy. LUCY WILDER is a sexy townie, dressed to kill. She squeezes between Rackin and Murphy, offers her hand. Murphy smiles and gives it a shake. MURPHY Nice to meet you... LUCY You're new. Breen is less than happy. He was making time with her. RACKIN Lucy, here, is the best looking gal in all of San D. Best dancer, too. Why don't you show him a few steps? MURPHY I'm not very... LUCY Come on! She yanks Murphy onto the dance floor, and they start dancing. Rackin turns to Breen. RACKIN They make a nice couple, don't they? Breen says nothing. As Rackin and Delmar watch them dance, Breen and Horman head to the restroom. MURPHY AND LUCY dance, having a good time. Rackin and Delmar watch them. RACKIN What do you think? (CONTINUED) 32. DELMAR He's okay. Rackin nods in agreement. MURPHY AND LUCY DANCE. When the band plays a slow number, they awkwardly move closer together. LUCY How long you been at Richards? MURPHY Couple of weeks. Transferred from North Carolina. LUCY Got a girl back home? Wife? MURPHY Foot loose and fiance free. Lucy laughs and pulls him closer. They continue dancing close, even after the music changes. MURPHY What about you? LUCY Typical townie tale. Moved to California to get away from my parents. MURPHY Happy? LUCY I've got a job and an apartment. Still looking for a man who isn't completely full of shit. MURPHY Don't look at me. LUCY You took an oath to serve, right? MURPHY What do you mean by that? LUCY You gave your word, and you're keeping it. Do you know how rare that is? MURPHY If I screw up, I get court martialed. (CONTINUED) 33. LUCY Most people who screw up just walk away. No responsibility. No regrets. Like their word meant nothing to them. Their faces are close, and Lucy kisses him. LUCY So, you won't lie to me? Lead me on with your sweet talk then dump me? MURPHY No. They kiss again, with more passion. Then Lucy presses away. She looks into Murphy's eyes, wondering if she can trust him, wondering if she should take him to bed. LUCY Look... I normally don't.... MURPHY What? LUCY Never mind... Let's just go back to the bar. Murphy nods. They reluctantly release each other. AT THE BAR Murphy flags down the BARTENDER. MURPHY Get this lady whatever she wants. (to Lucy) I'll be back in a minute. Murphy crosses to the rest rooms, glancing back at Lucy before he enters. INT. BAR MEN'S ROOM -- NIGHT Artie Horman lays on the floor in a puddle of his own vomit, twitching with convulsions. It takes Murphy a moment to realize that Rackin and Breen are taking care of him. MURPHY Is he okay? (CONTINUED) 34. Rackin snaps in anger. RACKIN Get out of here! Just go away! Murphy nods and backs out of the bathroom. INT. MCBAIN'S BAR -- DAY Murphy sits down next to Lucy. She sees his expression. LUCY Something wrong? MURPHY No. Nothing. Murphy finishes his beer, trying to wipe the image from his mind... Horman looking like Ted Newhouse. AFTER A MOMENT, Rackin takes a seat next to Murphy. MURPHY How is he? RACKIN He's fine. Look, I'm sorry for snapping like that. Artie has a medical problem. If he doesn't take the medication, that's what happens. Rackin lowers his voice, forcing Murphy to move closer. RACKIN He's afraid if anyone finds out, he'll get bounced out of the Corps with a medical discharge. (beat) Can we keep this between ourselves? MURPHY Yeah. Sure. Should we take him to a hospital? RACKIN He took his medicine. He's fine. Breen and Delmar help Horman across the room and into a chair. He's been cleaned up, but still looks awful. Eyes slightly glazed and a dopey expression on his face. (High as a kite.) Lucy regains Murphy's attention. (CONTINUED) 35. LUCY Want to go to the beach tomorrow? MURPHY Got to be back on base by midnight. RACKIN What do we have here? Rackin makes a weekend pass appear in his hand. RACKIN A weekend pass! Good until six AM Monday. Here: Have a good time. Rackin hands the pass to Murphy, smiles at Lucy. MURPHY I don't have any money for a motel... Lucy just grabs him by the lapels, leading him out of the bar. Breen looks at Rackin, VERY unhappy. BREEN That was my pass. Rackin gives him a devilish smile, makes the car keys appear in his hand, gives them to Breen. RACKIN Come on. We gotta get Horman back to the base before he has another big smack attack. EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT A cheap family apartment building. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT Lucy pulls Murphy to bed. After they kiss, she studies him. LUCY You can stay the night, on two conditions... Don't ever lie to me. And don't just leave me. Murphy nods, and she pulls on top of her. They make love in the moonlight from the window. 36. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Moonlight through the windows, as Breen and Delmar search Murphy's bunk and trunk. Rackin watches. Horman, still looking awful, sits on a bunk. They tear the place apart, sifting through everything Murphy owns... At one point Breen almost looks under the matress, but Horman moans. HORMAN Jeeze, man. I need another pop... Breen checks on Horman, and misses looking under the matress... Misses Murphy's burglar kit and secret camera. They finish, and cart Horman out of the barracks. EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT War. Murphy pulls his hand away from Ted Newhouse's. MURPHY Just hang on, Ted. I'll come back with help. TED Don't leave me Murph... Please don't leave me here to die... Ted reaches his hand out, as Murphy scrambles away. Bullets and explosions shattering the night. Illuminating the dog tags around Ted's neck. TED Murphy! Murphy! Murphy keeps running. Explosions flashing around him. He hits the dirt as bullets tear up the earth in front of him. Almost hitting him. Dirt spraying. Murphy can barely hear Ted's voice... But in those brief moments of silence between explosions, it echoes in the dark. When the gunfire passes, he starts running. Through the darkness and explosions to the extraction point. An AH-1W Cobra Helicopter touches down in front of Murphy. A MARINE inside the chopper gestures for him to jump onboard. TED (O.S.) Murphy! Murphy! (CONTINUED) 37. Murphy takes a final look back at where Ted lays dying.... And jumps into the Helicopter. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- DAY Murphy bolts out of the nightmare holding the dog tags. LUCY Murphy? It's almost six. You'd better get going if you want to make it back for reveille. Murphy looks at the tags, shakes the nightmare away and gets out of bed. He gives Lucy a kiss, then dresses. EXT. PAY PHONE IN PARK -- DAY Murphy checks his watch, dials General Latimer. INT. GENERAL LATIMER'S OFFICE -- INTERCUT General Latimer picks up the phone. His private line. MURPHY Murphy, here. I may have a lead. LATIMER Missing weapons? MURPHY Something else. One of the men got sick in a bar a couple of night ago. LATIMER That's unusual? MURPHY The way the other men acted was unusual. I got the feeling this guy was having a drug overdose... Maybe a hot load of heroin. LATIMER The Mexicans who were murdered with Vargas were heroin exporters. MURPHY I'm going to follow this kid, see where it leads me. Maybe he traded guns for smack. (CONTINUED) 38. LATIMER Keep me posted. Murphy hangs up the pay phone, takes another look at his watch, and runs to the front gate of the base. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY Murphy shows his pass to the gate OFFICER as he jogs past. OFFICER You're late. Murphy doesn't even slow down, he jogs to his barracks. INT. MAT ROOM -- DAY Murphy watches Horman as they break into pairs and practice hand to hand combat. NEWHOUSE Pair up on the mats, I'll blow the whistle to start. The MARINE Murphy was partnered with gets a tap on the shoulder and is replaced by BREEN. BREEN Hey, Murphy. How was your weekend? Before Murphy can answer, the whistle blows and Breen is all over him. Slamming. Hitting. Kicking. Trying to kill him. MURPHY Shit, Breen. Take it down a notch. Breen becomes more savage. Murphy really has to fight. He flips Breen onto his back and pins him to the mat. When the whistle blows, Breen storms away. Murphy is confused. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Murphy jogs behind Horman, keeping an eye on him. All of the men run lap around the parade grounds. Breen is a few men behind Murphy... Not looking happy. 39. EXT. BARRACKS -- DAY Murphy sneaks around a corner and opens a dumpster. We can hear the others exercising nearby. Close. Murphy pulls out bags of trash, opening them, examining the contents. One bag contains a stained manila envelope. Murphy looks inside: Needles. Matchbooks burned down. Drug evidence. He closes the envelope and replaces it in the trash. EXT. LATRINE -- DAY Murphy watches Horman, Breen, Delmar and Rackin all leave the bathroom together. He's suspicious. MURPHY They piss together? EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT The middle of the night. Only Sentries. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Murphy wakes when he hears a noise. Whispering. He rolls over, looking for the source. Breen has awakened Horman, and is waiting while he dresses. Murphy feigns sleep, watching as the two leave. He rolls out of bed and looks out the barracks window. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- NIGHT Breen and Horman jump into a pair of waiting Humvees driven by Delmar and Rackin. The two trucks pull out. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Murphy throws on his clothes and runs out. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT The two Humvees pass through the gates, waved through by the Gate Officer. Then the gates close. Murphy runs up to the Gates. (CONTINUED) 40. OFFICER You got a pass? MURPHY I'm supposed to be with them. OFFICER You're not. They're gone, you're here. They had a pass, you don't. MURPHY Where they going? OFFICER You're going to the lock up, if you don't get back to barracks. Murphy sees no way to follow the Humvees, tail lights disappearing in the distance, so he goes back to bed. The Gate Officer makes a note in his log about Murphy. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY Murphy watches Rackin and Horman with the other Marines, listening to Newhouse. NEWHOUSE The Ironman Course is the most difficult exercise on the base. You will be alloted two magazines, a total of thirty five rounds. Newhouse gestures to the course: a small field filled with hillocks, a few small stone walls, and other obstacles. NEWHOUSE There are thirty five pop up targets which are triggered by motion sensors planted in the ground. Newhouse takes a step back and BING! a target pops up. NEWHOUSE Be warned: Only twenty nine of these targets are hostiles. The target is a mother holding a child. NEWHOUSE A score of twenty five is passing. If you hit sixteen or fewer of the hostile targets you will be sent back to phase one training. (CONTINUED) 41. Murphy watches as Delmar joins them and whispers to Rackin. NEWHOUSE Mr. Murphy. You'll go first. Murphy is issued two clips from Sgt. Fuller, slaps one into his rifle, enters the course when Newhouse starts the clock. NEWHOUSE Go! Murphy dives into the course, spinning and firing as the targets pops up. He almost shoots a NUN, but manages to hit all of the hostile targets and none of the friendlies. He exits the course in record time... Murphy is damned good. NEWHOUSE Twenty nine out of twenty nine, good time, too. Murphy watches the others move through the course. Until one of the Marines gets halfway through and yells. VOICE (O.S.) Help! Someone help! Everyone runs onto the course, triggering the rest of the targets. They find the MARINE on the ground, cradling BREEN. Breen is dead. Shot a dozen times. NEWHOUSE Get a medic! Somebody get a medic! Murphy and the others look down in horror at Breen. But Rackin, Delmar, and Horman don't seem properly concerned. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY The MARINES stand at attention in their dress uniforms as General Newhouse addresses them. NEWHOUSE Sergeant Breen was dead on arrival at Veteran's Hospital. (beat) I ordered Lt. Veillers to perform a full investigation into this incident. (beat) Lieutenant? (CONTINUED) 42. VEILLERS Sergeant Breen's death was the result of a training accident. At some point within the Ironman exercise he wandered onto the course and was shot by friendly fire. Probably by more than one participant. (beat) No one is to blame for this incident. Murphy looks at Rackin. Then he looks at Sgt. Fuller. NEWHOUSE Sergeant Breen's widow has been hard hit by this. I think we should all remember her in our prayers. Veillers and Fuller have a whispered exchange. Murphy sees them together: The man who fired live ammo at him, and the man who is covering up Breen's murder. INT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Veillers shows Murphy in. VEILLERS Corporal Murphy, sir. Veillers tries to stick around but Murphy stares at him until he backs out. NEWHOUSE I'm busy, Corporal. MURPHY That was no training accident. NEWHOUSE Lieutenant Veillers has done a thorough investigation... Are you disputing the decision of a superior officer? MURPHY Yes, sir. Breen didn't even run the course that day. I hadn't even seen him since the previous evening... NEWHOUSE Covered in Veiller's report. Newhouse lifts the sealed report, looks at Murphy. (CONTINUED) 43. NEWHOUSE Corporal, this entire conversation borders on insubordination. How badly do you want to do jail time? MURPHY You're just going to let that man die and do nothing? Newhouse doesn't answer... Murphy let his son die. NEWHOUSE The report has already been filed with MARCENT. It's been classified as a training accident. (beat) Do you really want to open up the past? Break the seals on old reports? (threatening) Because I don't recommend it. MURPHY Yes, sir. Murphy salutes and leaves the general's office. INT. VEILLER'S OFFICE -- DAY Lt. Veillers watches Murphy pass through his office on the way out... Then picks up the phone and dials. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Murphy walks across the base, lost in thought. Then he spots Horman looking around before ducking in to the Latrine. He decides to follow. INT. LATRINE -- DAY Darkness. Murphy tries to switch on the light, doesn't work. MURPHY Artie? WHAM! He's thrown against the wall by an assailant. When the assailant tries to pin him there, Murphy goes into action. Murphy twists, tossing the assailant across the dark bathroom. (CONTINUED) 44. But the assailant seems to attack immediately. Slamming Murphy against the wall again. Murphy is fighting three guys, not one. He ducks a punch, kicks the legs out from one of them, and fights the other two. Murphy fights like hell, but there's no way to win against three opponents. He ends up pinned against the wall. A knife jambed against his throat. RACKIN Let's see what we've got. The lights flicker on. Rackin calmly eats an apple. Horman at the breaker panel. Delmar holds Murphy against the wall, the knife at his throat. RACKIN Look, guys, it's Corporal Murphy. (to Murphy) So, what brings you here? MURPHY Wanted to talk to Horman... RACKIN The way you talked to General Newhouse? Rackin smiles at Murphy's reaction. RACKIN I'm the magic man. All seeing, all knowing. I can make you disappear. (beat) But wouldn't you rather tell me about your little chat with the General? MURPHY I thought Breen got a raw deal... RACKIN Breen got the deal of a lifetime. Right guys? He'll be buried a hero, and in a couple of months his wife can sue the Corps... (smiles) You want to be buried a hero? MURPHY Are you threatening me? RACKIN Do you believe in magic? (CONTINUED) 45. MURPHY Only in a young girl's heart... and I'm not even sure about that. RACKIN Why'd you really want to talk to Artie? Delmar presses the knife blade against his throat. MURPHY You guys are running some sort of scam. I don't know what. I'm just looking to cut myself in. RACKIN You know, Murphy, I read your file. I have a friend in the General's Office. You're a real disgrace to the uniform, aren't you? Interesting stuff. A good read. I give it four stars. What do you say, Artie? HORMAN Three stars. But I liked the part where he killed the General's son. RACKIN Want to know how it ends? The knife draws a little blood on Murphy's throat. MURPHY Sure. DELMAR Do we cut him in? Or cut him out? RACKIN Hell, he's going to end up in jail one way or the other. We might as well help him. Delmar pulls the blade away from Murphy's throat. Faces inches apart, Delmar studies Murphy's eyes. DELMAR Can we trust him? RACKIN That's what we're about to find out. Corporal Horman, requisition a helicopter for tonight. (CONTINUED) 46. HORMAN Yes, sir. Horman salutes and leaves. Delmar continues to hold him against the wall, knife ready. MURPHY A helicopter? RACKIN Just a little test of trust. Nothing to worry about. You'll either pass... or fail. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- NIGHT The AH-1W Cobra Attack Helicopter scatters leafs as it waits for Horman, Rackin, and Murphy to climb aboard. Delmar is in the cockpit. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT When all are onboard, Delmar lifts the Cobra into the air, flying high over the city to a stretch of nearby desert. No lights below... only barren darkness. Rackin opens the side door of the helicopter. Wind rushes in. He stands, looking out at the ground far below. Rackin is the charismatic descendent of the Tent Preacher. When he speaks, you BELIEVE. RACKIN We're the fucking Marines, Murphy. We're the best there is. Are you ready to travel to the next level? Are you ready to become one of the true elite? Only the strong survive. Are you strong enough? MURPHY What do you want? RACKIN A simple test of trust. Rackin grabs Murphy's wrist tightly. RACKIN Take my hand. A moment of hesitation, then Murphy grabs Rackin's wrist in a fireman's grip. Holding on to each other's wrists. (CONTINUED) 47. RACKIN Trust in me to hold you. Trust in yourself not to let go. Rackin backs Murphy to the open helicopter door. Horman and Delmar watch, as if it's a baptism... Maybe it is. Murphy knows it's coming. Delmar tilts the chopper, Murphy falls out the open door. Hanging on to Rackin. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy dangles out the helicopter door, holding onto Rackin for dear life. They hold tight to each other, as Murphy tries not to look at the ground a few hundred feet below. RACKIN This is what trust is all about. It comes from the heart. You have to believe in me. Believe I won't drop you. Believe I know what's best for you. Trust in me. Murphy holds on as the Helicopter continues moving. The ground, FAR below. They hang on to each other. RACKIN If I let go of you, you're dead. You have to believe in the magic man. Do you believe? MURPHY I believe. RACKIN Louder. MURPHY I BELIEVE! Rackin laughs. RACKIN Beautiful night for just hanging out, isn't it? Murphy holds on, feeling his grip loosening. MURPHY You just going to leave me hanging like this? (CONTINUED) 48. RACKIN Afraid I'll drop you? MURPHY It's cold out here. Didn't know we were going to be playing outside. Rackin laughs and hauls Murphy up. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy climbs into the helicopter, Rackin closes the door. RACKIN Welcome aboard. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT The helicopter turns around and zooms back to San Diego. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy sits with Rackin and Horman in the back of the helicopter while Delmar chauffers them back to the base. RACKIN Let me tell you about my band of Merry Men. It all started with graffiti. These gang kids were spray painting their names all over the neighborhood. Then the drug dealers moved in. (beat) Pissed me off. I thought: Somebody should do something about that. (beat) Then I realized I was a fucking United States Marine. I had the power, a God given right, to stop these scumbags. Rackin is so charismatic, Murphy doesn't even notice him taking out a heroin kit and preparing to shoot up. RACKIN So I organized a little Midnight Raid. I have a guy in Newhouse's Office who helps me requisition equipment. Guns, humvees, whatever I need. Same guy that got you that weekend pass. (beat) We started cleaning up the streets. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 49. RACKIN (CONT'D) Knocking off drug dealers. Taking the money and the drugs. Who was going to stop us? Murphy nods. Horman ties off, heats and mixes. RACKIN You know how much money those scumbags make? Millions. And the junkies just keep on coming. (beat) At first we threw the drugs away. Then we realized how much they were worth. How much the junkies needed their fix. We started dealing... (looks at Horman) And using. Now we've taken over. Murphy notices Horman shooting up, getting that first big rush of calm. Smiling blissfully as he unties. HORMAN Jeeze, my headache's gone. Thanks to aspirin free smack.... Rackin laughs, pulls out his own kit, prepares to shoot up. RACKIN I knew you were one of us, Murphy. Murphy smiles. Is he? RACKIN From the moment I read your file. Rackin shoots up, feels the rush, smiles at Murphy. RACKIN You and I are so much alike. Hell, we could be brothers. MURPHY Brothers. RACKIN Right. We even have the same initials. Notice that? (beat) Marty L. Rackin and Ron L. Murphy. What does your L stand for? MURPHY Leroy. (CONTINUED) 50. Rackin just laughs. Murphy is surrounded by Junkies. Is this where he belongs? Is he really one of them? EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT The helicopter lands back at base, and everyone files out. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Rackin claps a hand to Murphy's shoulder and makes a weekend pass appear in his hand. RACKIN Weekend Pass. Get out of here and enjoy yourself, okay? You earned it. MURPHY Thanks. RACKIN Hey. We're all in this together. MURPHY Right. Murphy takes the pass from Rackin, getting in deeper. EXT. PAY PHONE IN PARK -- EVENING Murphy dials General Latimer's private line. INT. GENERAL LATIMER'S OFFICE -- INTERCUT LATIMER Latimer here. MURPHY Sir, it's not just stolen weapons. LATIMER Go on. MURPHY It's an organized gang on the base. Running drugs, killing anybody who gets in their way. One of the guys, Rick Breen, got killed on some midnight raid against a rival drug ring and they covered it all up... (CONTINUED) 51. LATIMER Murphy... MURPHY The guy had a wife, General. Some poor woman who thinks her husband died in a training accident. LATIMER Who runs this gang? MURPHY Guy named Marty Rackin. A real bad ass. Calls himself the magic man. He runs it like a cult... LATIMER Get next to him, join if you can. Murphy notices Horman in the park. Walking towards him. MURPHY I'm one of them. LATIMER Find out everything you can, and... Horman spots Murphy and comes right up to the phone booth. MURPHY Gotta go. He hangs up quickly, smiles at Horman. HORMAN Who you talking to? MURPHY Girl I'm seeing, Lucy. Just making sure her husband isn't home. Horman laughs. HORMAN We're gonna be down at McBrides if you two want to stop by. MURPHY Maybe we'll do that. HORMAN Hey, man, glad to have you on board. Murphy nods, and they go their separate ways. 52. EXT. CITY STREETS -- NIGHT Horman waits until Murphy is a block away before following. Keeping a block between them, Horman follows Murphy across to Lucy's Apartment Building. Horman watches as Murphy rings the bell. When Lucy opens the door and they embrace, Horman turns and leaves. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT Lucy rolls off of Murphy, and they lay in bed together. Her fingers stroke his chest, almost touching the dog tags. LUCY Why do you have three? MURPHY It's personal. LUCY Keeping secrets already? MURPHY (beat) I was the only survivor from a Marine Recon Team in Desert Storm. The third tag is from a guy who got left behind. LUCY Shouldn't his family get it? MURPHY Yeah. Someday I'll give it to them. LUCY Must be tough to be stuck on base all week. You have any friends on base, guys you hang out with? MURPHY I'm pretty much a loner. The new guy. LUCY What about Marty? MURPHY We just went out for beers once. We're not going steady or anything. LUCY I thought he was everybody's friend. (CONTINUED) 53. MURPHY I've got nothing against the guy. What's with all the questions? LUCY I like to know who I let inside me. You don't tell me much on your own. MURPHY Okay. Ask me anything, I won't lie. LUCY Why'd they send you out to San Diego? MURPHY Drinking and fighting. LUCY You don't drink much. MURPHY See? It worked. Lucy laughs, and rolls back on top of him. They make love in the moonlight. Murphy feeling like a lying rat. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- DAY Lucy on the bed holding a framed photo. We can't see the picture. Murphy comes from the bathroom, looks at his watch. MURPHY I've got to get back to the base. LUCY See you next week? MURPHY Sure. When the apartment door closes behind Murphy, Lucy moves to the phone and dials. LUCY He's good. I tried to get him to talk, but he wouldn't say a thing. He acts like a boy scout. RACKIN (V.O.) So we can trust him? LUCY Yes. (CONTINUED) 54. Lucy hangs up the phone, looks at the photo in her hands. A wedding picture. Lucy and Breen. EXT. PAY PHONE IN PARK -- DAY Rackin hangs up and turns to Delmar and Horman. RACKIN He didn't say a thing. DELMAR So Wednesday's a go? RACKIN Let's see how he works out under fire. Horman, requisition us some guns. HORMAN Yes, sir. They start across the park to the base. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT The camp is asleep except for the guards on patrol. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Murphy is having a nightmare. EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT An AH-1W Cobra Helicopter touches down in front of Murphy. A MARINE inside the chopper gestures for him to jump onboard. TED (O.S.) Murphy! Murphy! Murphy takes a final look back at where Ted lays dying.... And jumps into the Helicopter. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy grabs the OFFICER, yells. MURPHY We can't leave! I've got a wounded man back there! (CONTINUED) 55. OFFICER Orders are to pull out! MURPHY We can't just leave him to die! OFFICER The General's orders are clear: Pick up survivors and get out of here! Murphy pulls his gun, aims it at the Officer's face. MURPHY Fuck the General. We going back to pick him up or not? OFFICER I'm not risking my men or my craft. MURPHY I can't do it myself... The Officer turns to the pilot and gestures to lift off. EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT The Helicopter begins to lift and fly away. Ted Newhouse screams in the darkness. TED (O.S.) Murphy! Murphy! INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT HORMAN Murphy? Horman wakes Murphy up. HORMAN Come on. Murphy dresses quickly and follows Horman out of the barracks. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT Murphy sits in the Humvee with Delmar behind the Humvee with Horman and Rackin. Rackin shows his pass to the Officer. The two Humvees pass through the gates, waved through by the Gate Officer. Then the gates close. 56. EXT. LUCKY STORE PARKING LOT -- NIGHT The bad part of town near the freeway onramps. Both Humvees parked under an overhead light. The Team gathers around the hood of one of the vehicles, where plans are made. RACKIN These Mexicans have been trying to form a beachhead in our territory for the past few months. It's time to teach them the power of the United States Marines. Rackin pulls out a series of satellite photos of a ranch style house, spreads them on the hood. RACKIN As you can see from our spy in the sky satellite photos... MURPHY Where'd you get those? RACKIN Classified. Delmar laughs. RACKIN We requisition the photos and the CIA takes them for us. They haven't got a clue what we're using them for. HORMAN Jeeze, can we get to the fun part? RACKIN Three entrances. Front door, back door, and garage. If we park one of the hummers in front of the garage, we can seal that exit. (to Murphy) Murphy, you and Delmar will enter through the back. Looks like sliding glass doors, so be careful. (to Horman) Artie and I will take the front doors. MURPHY We talking cocaine, here, or smack? RACKIN It's a meth lab, so be careful. (CONTINUED) 57. DELMAR Muy Peligroso. Could blow up in our face if we aren't careful. Guns and grease paint are handed out, and the men get ready for battle. Murphy checks the action on his SAW machinegun. RACKIN No escapes. If one of them gets away, they can call for back up. Don't want to have to fight our way back to the base. HORMAN How many you think are in there? RACKIN No more than a dozen. When everyone is in their camouflage, Rackin checks the action on his gun and smiles at the team. RACKIN Ready to rumble? DELMAR Let's go. The wild bunch climb into their Humvees and zip away. EXT. RUN DOWN HOUSE -- NIGHT Quiet. A two storey ranch style house off the main road. Suddenly one of the Humvees pulls into the driveway, blocking the door. Horman and Rackin roll out, guns ready. They CRASH open the front door and enter in standard two by two cover formation. Like a drug bust. AT THE BACK DOORS Murphy and Delmar hear the front door break open and blast through the sliding glass doors, entering the house. INT. RUN DOWN HOUSE -- NIGHT Delmar signals Rackin and Horman in the front room, looks through the cafe doors at the kitchen. To his right is an archway leading to the downstairs bedrooms. All is quiet. Delmar moves towards the archway, SAW machinegun ready. (CONTINUED) 58. SUDDENLY a huge GANG BANGER with an army issue 45 automatic slams through the cafe doors and begins firing at him. Delmar spins, levels the machinegun, and blasts the Gang Banger, hitting him in the center of the chest and throwing him back through the cafe doors and into the kitchen sink. The cafe doors swing back and forth from the momentum. A moment of silence, then all hell breaks lose. A giant "Wild Bunch" style shoot out. GANG BANGER #2 springs from the hallway, aiming a shotgun at Murphy. Murphy blasts him off his feet. IN THE LIVING ROOM A pair of GANG BANGERS pops up at the top of the stairs, firing down on Horman and Rackin. Rackin blasts one with his machinegun, Horman blasts the other with his combat shotgun. One of the pair falls over the stairway bannister, smashing a table on his way to the floor. Rackin and Horman cover each other as they climb the stairs. Stopping at the top steps to recon the upstairs hallway. IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY Three bedroom doors to Delmar's left. Holding tightly to the M249 SAW, he moves up to the first one and kicks it open. IN THE FIRST BEDROOM Delmar drops low, machinegun ready. His eyes scan the interior of the bedroom. The room is empty. Delmar backs slowly out of the room. IN THE HALLWAY Delmar hears a noise behind him and spins, ready to fire. Murphy stands behind him, holding his machinegun ready. He gestures down the hallway, and they creep forward in two by two cover formation. IN THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY Horman edges down to a bedroom door, shotgun ready. Rackin covers as he takes a deep breath and kicks down the door, springing inside with the shotgun. 59. IN THE BEDROOM GANG BANGER 5 is ready with a 44 Magnum in each hand. He opens fire the minute he sees Horman. Horman fires the shotgun once at Gang Banger 5, missing him and smashing a full length mirror on the wall to pieces. Horman rolls into the hallway, away from the gunfire. Rackin swings in, spray Gang Banger #5 with machinegun fire. IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY Delmar pulls out of the line of fire as GANG BANGER #6 rolls out of a doorway, blasting with a pair of 45 automatics. GANG BANGER 7 spins out of the first bedroom holding a double barrel shotgun. He aims directly at Delmar, ready to fire. Murphy spins around and fires. Hits Gang Banger 7 in the shoulder, spinning him to the left in a graceful pirouette, which ends with the shotgun discharging into the ceiling. Delmar blasts Gang Banger #6 after an exchange of gunfire. IN THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY GANG BANGER #8 rolls out of the second bedroom and fires her machinegun at Rackin. Plaster explodes from the wall next to his head, showering him with powder, adding to the light diffusion in the hall. Rackin spins around and fires at Gang Banger 8, hitting her square in the chest. She flies back and skids along the uncarpeted floor towards the end of the hallway. IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY Delmar covers Murphy as he kicks open a bedroom door and rolls inside, gun ready. IN THE BEDROOM A noise behind Murphy! He spins, aiming his M249 machinegun. At a crying BABY in a crib. Murphy realizes where he is and what he is doing and lowers his machinegun. He is killing civilians. GANG BANGER #9, a sexy Latino woman, crashes out of the closet, shotgun aimed at Murphy's head. BLAAAAAM! (CONTINUED) 60. Murphy, gun down, had no way to defend himself. No way to return fire. He let his guard down, and pays the price. GANG BANGER #9's blood sprays all over him, as she is taken out by Delmar's machinegun. DELMAR You could have been killed. MURPHY The baby... Delmar nods, kills the baby. Murphy tries not to vomit. DELMAR What baby? Delmar sweeps through the rest of the room: All clear. IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY Delmar exits the bedroom, yells. DELMAR Downstairs! All clear! IN THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY From the end of the hall, TRIVAS (Lead Gang Banger), rolls into the hallway, springs to his feet, and fires his Uzi at Horman and Rackin. Bullets whiz past the pair as Horman reaims the shotgun and squeezes the trigger. The shot misses, knocking a hole in the wall. A few pellets hit Trivas in the shoulder, dots of red on his white shirt. Trivas lowers his Uzi, rolls into the last bedroom to escape. Horman and Rackin bolt down the hallway after him. IN THE LAST BEDROOM Horman and Rackin find the meth lab... Plus Trivas and a pair of GANG BANGERS. RACKIN Throw the guns down, and you can live. TRIVAS You know who you're messing with? (CONTINUED) 61. RACKIN Do you? TRIVAS When they find out what you've done, there's gonna be a war. RACKIN (laughs) How many tanks do you gang bangers have? How many helicopters? How many rocket launchers? (beat) Your days are done, and mine have just begun... It's almost a fast draw contest, but Trivas is too slow. Rackin and Horman BLAST Trivas and the two Gang Bangers. HORMAN Upstairs is clear! IN THE DINING ROOM Murphy and Delmar hear Horman's yell... Then a FEMALE GANG BANGER rolls out of a closet, fires a couple of shots at Murphy and Delmar, and takes off out the back doors. DELMAR Get her! Murphy rolls to his feet and takes off after her. EXT. RUN DOWN HOUSE -- NIGHT The Female Gang Banger runs out the back doors, spins when she hears Murphy following and fires. Murphy hits the dirt. When he comes up, the Female Gang Banger has hopped onto a motorcycle, and is tearing away. Murphy chases her to the street. She's getting away. Murphy raises his M249 SAW.... but hesitates. Can he shoot her in the back as she's running? No. Delmar scrambles out the front door, sees her escaping on the motorcycle. Murphy not firing. DELMAR She's getting away! (CONTINUED) 62. Murphy doesn't fire. Delmar raises his machinegun, realizes she's out of range. Way down the street. He pumps the M203 40mm grenade launcher attached to the underside of the SAW. Fires. BLAAAAM! The grenade shoots down the street after the speeding motorcycle, landing close by and EXPLODING into a BALL OF FLAME which takes out the cycle and Female Gang Banger. DELMAR What's your problem? MURPHY She was out of range. DELMAR You didn't even try. Delmar turns and goes back inside. INT. HUMVEE -- NIGHT The last of the drugs and money are loaded into the two Humvees, and they get ready to roll. Murphy starts to climb in with Delmar. DELMAR You're riding with Horman. MURPHY Sure. Murphy climbs into the Humvee Horman is driving. Rackin climbs into Delmar's Humvee. Both vehicles roar out of there, passing the burning mess of motorcycle. INT. HUMVEE -- NIGHT Murphy looks at the burning motorcycle, then back down at his hands. Are these the hands of a killer? INT. HUMVEE -- NIGHT Delmar and Rackin talk about Murphy. DELMAR He just froze up. Couldn't fire. (CONTINUED) 63. RACKIN His first time out, he's bound to make a few mistakes. Remember Artie's first time? DELMAR I think it's more than that. I know you two have become pals, now... But what if Murphy isn't who he claims? RACKIN What do you mean? DELMAR What if he's a snitch? RACKIN You saw his record. You know the way Newhouse is dogging him. The guy's one of us. DELMAR I think we should kill him. Why take chances? RACKIN Look, Del, we've got ourselves a war brewing, here. We need every man we can get. (beat) Murphy's a good man. I'm willing to excuse his opening night jitters. Give the man a break. (beat) Too soon for another training accident, anyway. DELMAR You're the boss, boss. Delmar will give Murphy a break. This time. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT The Gate Officer opens the gates and waves the two Humvees through. He closes the gates behind them. The two Humvees cross the base and pull up in front of one of the supply shacks... Building #48-H. The one with tons of extra padlocks and security measures. 64. EXT. BUILDING 48-H -- NIGHT Rackin unlocks the building with a set of keys worn on the same neck chain as his dog tags. He opens the door. INT. BUILDING 48-H -- NIGHT Murphy can't believe what's inside: Not just a stash of drugs, but TONS on drugs, plus STACKS of money sealed in plastic. Rackin isn't some small time drug dealer, he's a DRUG LORD. RACKIN Unload the Hummers and get these guns back to the supply room. Delmar, Horman, and Murphy unload. Rackin shoots up. HORMAN I'll take care of the guns. Rackin nods... and enters the land of nod. EXT. BUILDING 48-H -- NIGHT When the Humvees are empty, Delmar tosses Murphy keys. DELMAR You take one, I'll take the other. Murphy and Delmar climb into the Humvees and drive them back to the motor pool building. Rackin relocks the building. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Murphy takes off his clothes quietly and climbs into his bunk. Around him, a dozen men sleep. Murphy hears the baby crying every time he starts to nod off. Can't sleep. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY Reveille sounds. Marines go through their morning routines. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- DAY Murphy waits until Fuller is alone before entering. He makes a bee line to the ledger, pulling it away from Fuller and flipping pages. Fuller tries to wrestle it away. (CONTINUED) 65. FULLER Hey! Wait a minute! MURPHY Who signed out for the two Humvees and the weaponry last night? FULLER What are you talking about? MURPHY Two Humvees left the base last night. The milage has to be recorded, right? FULLER No vehicles left the base last night. MURPHY I was riding in one of them. Had a M249 Squad Automatic in my hands. Spare clips. Fuller yanks the ledger out of his hands. FULLER I don't know what you're talking about, Corporal, but it sounds like a Court Martial offence. MURPHY You're right. You going to tell me, or General Newhouse? FULLER I have nothing to tell... MURPHY See you in the General's office. Murphy starts to leave. FULLER Murphy. Don't open this can of worms. It'll all blow up in your face. Murphy continues out. Fuller looks desperate. FULLER Okay. But not here. Murphy stops, turns. (CONTINUED) 66. FULLER Someplace private. The Ironman Range. Four am. MURPHY If you aren't there, I'll make sure you're next in line for Leavenworth. Murphy leaves. Fuller looks very nervous. INT. BARRACKS -- NIGHT Marines sleep... Except for Murphy, who quietly rolls out of bed and dresses in the darkness. Murphy checks the action on his Beretta M9/92F combat pistol, grabs an extra magazine. Ready for action in the event this is a trap. Murphy looks at Horman's bunk: occupied. Blanket pulled up. Then he quietly sneaks out of the barracks to meet Fuller. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- NIGHT Shadows and more shadows. Murphy creeps onto the course, hand on his holstered gun. MURPHY Fuller? Fuller? Searching for Fuller, wondering if he's been set up. He hears a noise in the darkness, spins, gun drawn. Nobody. Just the hillocks, stone walls, obstacles. All surreal in the shadows. MURPHY Fuller? Another noise. Murphy spins left. A gun jambs into the back of his head from the right. MURPHY Take it easy. No accident's okay? FULLER Drop the gun. Murphy drops the gun, holds up his hands. Will Fuller shot him? (CONTINUED) 67. FULLER You tell anyone you were coming? MURPHY Rackin would kill me. Fuller laughs. FULLER He's gonna get us all killed. He's gone crazy... jumping without a chute. Murphy turns to face Fuller. Hands still up. FULLER At first it was some guns and a storage building. He had signed requisition forms, so it was okay. But now it's gotten out of control. MURPHY What are you talking about? FULLER He's expanding. Shipping merchandise to all of the bases in the United States. Military transport. Nobody questions what's inside the boxes. MURPHY All of the bases? FULLER Marines, Army, Navy, and National Guard. And next week... MURPHY What? FULLER When they take the amphibious assault vehicles, rocket launchers, and light artillery on manuevers next week... (beat) They'll really be knocking over a Mexican drug lord and hauling all the drugs back onto base. MURPHY He'll get caught. (CONTINUED) 68. FULLER No chance of Coast Guard intervention, no customs searches. These are Marine vehicles on exercises. MURPHY Who signs the requisition forms? FULLER I've told you too much already. MURPHY How far us does it go? Fuller looks around. They're alone in the darkness. FULLER Okay... BLAM! Fuller is hit by sniper fire and goes down. Murphy hurls himself to the ground as bullets fly overhead, hitting a low stone wall nearby. He finds his fallen pistol and begins crawling to where Fuller lay dying. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Bullets fly from three different directions, blasting dirt. Sending showers of earth over Murphy. Murphy gets to Fuller. Blood pumps from his chest. MURPHY How far up does it go? FULLER Veillers.... Then Fuller dies. Murphy looks at Fuller's corpse. FLASHCUT: Murphy and Ted in Saudi Arabia. Suddenly, a barrage of machinegun fire from the snipers rips into the earth around Murphy. Murphy scrambles away. On the run. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- NIGHT A SNIPER dressed in camouflage and night vision goggles, watches Murphy scramble away from Fuller's corpse. The Sniper sends a burt of machinegun fire at Murphy. (CONTINUED) 69. NIGHT VISION: Murphy scrambles deeper into the Iron Man course, trying to escape the sniper's gunfire. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- NIGHT Murphy is chased by machinegun fire. BING! A target pops up to his left! Murphy spins and fires at the pop up target. Bullets continue to chase him through the darkness. He keeps low as he runs, eyes searching for some sign of the snipers. BING! A target pop up to his right! Murphy spins and fires. His foot hits another trigger. BING! A target pops up behind him! Murphy spins and fires... Then the target is hit by sniper fire. Torn to shreds. Murphy hits the dirt, rolls, pops to his feet and runs deeper into the Iron Man course. Chased by gun fire. The machinegun fire stops. Murphy is surrounded by noises and echoes. People moving. Fuzzy sounds of radio transmissions between the snipers. Murphy takes a step back. BING! BING! A target pops up on either side of him. He twist and fires, hitting both of the targets with head shots. And giving away his position to the snipers. Machinegun fire chases Murphy through the course. Murphy runs around obstacles, over hillocks, jumping stone walls, triggering targets and blowing them away. Wasting bullets on cardboard men. BING! A target pops up behind Murphy, he spins and fires... CLICK! Out of shells. Echoes of laughter before the machinegun fire begins, forcing Murphy to dive behind a crumbled stone wall. Bullets pepper the wall, sending plaster dust into the air like fog. (CONTINUED) 70. Murphy ejects one magazine and rams in a fresh one. Fifteen shells. The machinegun fire stops. Strange silence. Footsteps? Rustling? EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- NIGHT TWO SNIPERS in camouflage and night vision goggles, looking like something out of a 50s sci-fi film, search through the course for Murphy. A THIRD SNIPER searches in a different area of the course. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- NIGHT Murphy hears radio fuzz, echoes of words. Footsteps getting closer. Murphy crawls to the end of the stone wall. Spots a wood fence a hundred feet away. Makes a break for it. BING! A target pops up. Murphy spins... doesn't fire. BING! BING! BING! He triggers three more targets but holds his fire. The targets look at him. Mute. Cardboard. Weird. Murphy makes it to the wood fence. Catches his breath. Listens to the radio fuzz, the echoed words. Footsteps. The next bit of cover: another low stone wall. Murphy rolls from behind the wood fence and starts running. BING! Two targets pop up on either side of Murphy. He aims at the one on the left, holds his fire... Then notices the other target is MOVING! It's one of the SNIPERS bring up his machinegun! Murphy hits the dirt. Machinegun fire flares all around him. He rolls to his feet, blasts a couple of shots at the Sniper. THE SNIPER sends a stream of machinegun fire at Murphy. Murphy dives behind the low stone wall. Bullets rip into it. (CONTINUED) 71. Murphy and the Sniper trade gunfire over the wall. But Murphy is running out of ammo. Lights from over the hillock behind him: The base. Too far to run. The Sniper would turn him into hamburger. Murphy lays behind the wall, listening to the Sniper approach. No escape. THE SNIPER moves closer to the stone wall. NIGHT VISION: Can't see Murphy. Looks all around the wall. Maybe he wiggled away. MURPHY notices a target laying flat two dozen feet away. He searches the ground for the trigger. Spots it near the target. Gun in one hand, he grabs a loose stone and aims at the trigger mechanism. THE SNIPER creeps closer. MURPHY throws the rock, rolls to his feet, starts running. The rock hits the trigger. BING! The target pops up behind the Sniper. The Sniper spins and fires, blasting the cardboard soldier to pieces with a blast from his machine gun. By the time he realizes it's a decoy and turns back around, Murphy is long gone. MURPHY runs down the hillock to the bright lights of the base, gun ready for action. But he makes it out of the Iron Man Course before the Snipers can target him. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- NIGHT The General Quarters Alarm is sounding, and the base is up and awake. Marines are confused by the gunfire. As Murphy crosses the base, MARINES yell at each other: MARINES Where's the shooting? Are we under attack? What's going on? Murphy holsters his gun, runs to the front gate, hoping to get off the base alive before the Snipers catch up with him. 72. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- NIGHT Murphy can see the phone booth in the park across the street. AT THE FRONT GATE Murphy gestures to the Gate Officer. MURPHY I have to get off the base. OFFICER Got a gate pass? MURPHY This is an emergency. OFFICER We're in the middle of a General Quarters Alarm. A complete lockdown. We've had reports of gunfire on the base. Maybe some terrorist thing. MURPHY I've got to get out of here. OFFICER No pass. No exit. Murphy takes another look at the phone booth in the park. Light on, door open. Waiting for him. So close. Murphy looks at his holstered gun. Gets ready to draw it. A pair of MARINE GUARDS jog up to fortify the front gate. Murphy takes his hand away from his gun. OFFICER You'll have to get General Newhouse's written permission to leave the base until the GQ alert is over. MURPHY Thanks. Murphy is trapped on the base with the three Snipers. He turns back to the barracks, and the base's pay phone. EXT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT Murphy makes sure Rackin, Delmar, and Horman aren't around. 73. INT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT Murphy dials General Latimer's private number. INT. GENERAL LATIMER'S BEDROOM -- INTERCUT The phone wakes General Latimer up. LATIMER Latimer. MURPHY It's Murphy... LATIMER What time is it? MURPHY Almost five, sir. There's been some trouble on the base. LATIMER What kind of trouble? MURPHY They've killed the supply sergeant, Fuller. They're trying to kill me. LATIMER This gang? MURPHY It's bigger than that. They're expanding to other bases. They've got a full scale military assault on some Mexican drug lords next week... LATIMER What do you mean: Military assault? MURPHY They have someone in the General's office who can requisition artillery for them. LAVs, Bradley tanks, AAAVs, everything. LATIMER Are any senior officers involved? MURPHY I believe Lt. Veillers is one of them. (beat) Sir, I'd like to take these guys down. (CONTINUED) 74. LATIMER I sent you in there to prevent a scandal, not start one. (beat) The best way to handle this is to quietly transfer these bad apples to other bases. Break up the gang. Then have them dishonorably discharged. MURPHY Sir, I'm in this up to my eyeballs. LATIMER Just back down. Stop your investigation. Don't make any waves with General Newhouse. And whatever you do, don't use my name or call on this line again... MURPHY Sir, you can't just leave me hanging like this. Click. Dial tone. Latimer has hung up on him. Murphy stands in the phone booth for a moment. Alone. MURPHY Lucy... He quickly dials her number. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT The phone rings in the empty apartment. The bed is still made. Lucy is gone. EXT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT Murphy hangs up. Then he notices Horman standing on the opposite side of the Parade Grounds watching him. Horman lifts a walkie talkie. Speaks into it. Murphy checks the magazine of his gun. A handful of shells. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- NIGHT Murphy makes a break for it: racing out of the phone booth to a group of buildings. Staying in the shadows, hoping to elude Horman and the others. 75. EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy hasn't brought his burglar tools. He tries to pick the lock with his pocket knife, gets nowhere. MURPHY Shit. Murphy KICKS open the door, enters the supply building. INT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy starts grabbing weapons. Ammo clips for his Beretta, a huge jungle knife, some grenades, a M249 SAW with an M203 40mm grenade launcher. Gearing up for full scale war. Murphy puts on a flack jacket with pockets and D rings for the weapons and equipment. He checks the action on all of the guns. Satisfied, he gets ready to take on the entire Base if necessary. EXT. SUPPLY BUILDING -- NIGHT Murphy steps out of the Supply Building... into an ambush. Rackin is on one side of the door, Horman the other. Both aim M249 SAW machineguns at him. RACKIN Drop the SAW, Murphy. When Horman nudges him with the barrel of his machinegun, Murphy complies. He still has his other weapons. RACKIN Come on. Let's go for a ride. MURPHY No thanks. The AH-1 Cobra Helicopter lands in front of them. Murphy sees Lucy in the cockpit, tied up. Delmar has a gun to her head. RACKIN Brought your friend. Thought you'd be happy to see her. Let's go. Murphy goes to the helicopter. 76. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy, Rackin, and Horman climb into the helicopter. When all are onboard, Delmar lifts the Cobra into the air, flying high over the city to a stretch of desert. Dawn begins to break behind the helicopter. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy leans forward to talk with Lucy. MURPHY Are you okay? LUCY Of course. Rackin laughs. RACKIN We wouldn't hurt Lucy. She's one of us. Sergeant Breen's widow. I thought you knew? (beat) Lucy? You got some 'splaining to do! Murphy is shocked. Looks at Lucy. LUCY Magic is stronger than trust. Stronger than everything. Lucy touches Rackin's face. Rackin smiles at her. Murphy is completely betrayed. Completely alone. RACKIN You have no one to turn to. We're your family. We're the ones you can trust. But can we trust you? Rackin opens the side door of the helicopter. Wind rushes in. He stands, looking out at the ground far below. RACKIN We're the fucking Marines, Murphy. We're the best there is. Only the strong survive. Are you strong enough? MURPHY What do you want? (CONTINUED) 77. RACKIN Can I trust you, Murphy? Rackin grabs Murphy's wrist tightly. RACKIN You're like a brother to me... But are you Cain? A moment of hesitation, then Murphy grabs Rackin's wrist in a fireman's grip. Holding on to each other's wrists. RACKIN Or Able to hold on? Rackin backs Murphy to the open helicopter door. Delmar tilts the chopper, Murphy falls out the open door. Hanging on to Rackin. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy dangles out the helicopter door, holding onto Rackin for dear life. They hold tight to each other, as Murphy tries not to look at the ground a few hundred feet below. RACKIN This is what trust is all about. It comes from the heart. You have to believe in me. Believe I won't drop you. Believe I know what's best for you. Trust in me. Murphy holds on as the Helicopter continues moving. The ground, FAR below. They hang on to each other. RACKIN You have a choice: Keep quiet and live, or let go and die. Murphy holds on, feeling his grip loosening. RACKIN You're on the ground floor, Murphy. We're expanding our operations. Taking over all of the drug business on the West Coast. (beat) No one can stop us! We're the fucking MARINES! We have tanks! Choppers! Harrier jets! Rocket launchers! Amphibious Assault Vehicles! (beat) We're an army. (CONTINUED) 78. MURPHY You're crazy. Rackin laughs and lets go of Murphy's wrist. Murphy hangs on for his life. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Rackin turns to Delmar. RACKIN Take us back to the base. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy hangs on for dear life as the helicopter turns around, heading back over the city to the base. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Saudi Arabia. Desert Storm. OFFICER The General's orders are clear: Pick up survivors and get out of here! Murphy pulls his gun, aims it at the Officer's face. MURPHY Fuck the General. We going back to pick him up or not? OFFICER I'm not risking my men or my craft. MURPHY I can't do it myself... The Officer turns to the pilot and gestures to lift off. EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT The Helicopter begins to lift and fly away. Ted Newhouse screams in the darkness. TED (O.S.) Murphy! Murphy! 79. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Murphy jambs his gun into the Officer's face. MURPHY Fuck the General. You're flying back. OFFICER Wrong. Get yourself Court Martialed if you want. I'll give you five minutes. Then we're out of here. Murphy nods, holsters his gun, jumps out of the chopper. EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT Murphy runs through the gunfire and explosions to where Ted Newhouse lays... Still alive. TED Murphy... MURPHY I'm getting you out of here. Murphy hoists Ted Newhouse onto his shoulders and drag/carries him through the battle field. Explosions right and left. Ted is heavy, slowing Murphy down. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT A voice on the Officer's radio. VOICE (V.O.) Cobra Zero Seven, what is your status? OFFICER Waiting at extraction point Alpha. VOICE (V.O.) What's your hold up? OFFICER Gunnery Sergeant Murphy asked us to wait five minutes for him. VOICE (V.O.) You take orders from Gunnery Sergeants, Mr. Mainwarring? OFFICER No, sir, but he said... (CONTINUED) 80. VOICE (V.O.) I give the orders. Return to base immediately. The Officer turns to the Pilot. OFFICER You heard the man. (beat) Let's get out of here. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT The helicopter lifts off... Just as Murphy and Ted enter the clearing. The Helicopter leaves them behind. Behind enemy lines. MURPHY Nooooooooooooo! The helicopter zooms away in the darkness. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy hangs on to Rackin's wrist. MURPHY Nooooooooooooo! He pulls himself inside the helicopter, using Rackin's arm like a rope, and the chopper strut as a step. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy climbs into the helicopter. RACKIN Welcome aboard. Rackin SLAMS a fist into Murphy's face. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING The helicopter zooms back to San Diego and the Base. 81. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Rackin draws his side arm, and Murphy knocks it from his hands. Rackin slams Murphy in the face again. Horman enters the fight, slamming Murphy with both fists. Murphy fights Horman and Rackin in the helicopter, trying to stay away from the open door... and a fall to the city below. A SAVAGE hand to hand fight. Kicking, hitting, gouging. RACKIN Could have been one of us, Murphy. Rackin knocks him to the open doors. Murphy almost falls out! Catches the edge of the door, hangs in there. RACKIN Look at them down there. Rackin connects with Murphy's nose, breaking it. Murphy almost goes out the doors, but ducks the next punch and scrambles back inside the chopper. RACKIN Millions of people, all want their smack. We can't stop them. Horman SLAMS him in the back of the head. No way for Murphy to fight both of them and survive. RACKIN We can only supply them. Rackin does a one-two combination on Murphy's gut. Murphy is fading fast. He has to do something. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING The helicopter zooms over the far end of the base, headed towards the Iron Man Course and the Parade Ground. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Rackin SLAMS Murphy in the head. Horman grabs his Beretta hand gun and presses it against Murphy's eye. Finger ready to pull the trigger. (CONTINUED) 82. HORMAN Can't you see there's no choice, Murphy? You failed the test. Now you have to pay the penalty. Murphy ducks quickly and the shot goes wild. Horman gets ready to fire again. Murphy grabs his gun hand. They wrestle for control of the gun, as Rackin tries to SLAM Murphy again with his fists. HORMAN Pass or fall. Horman gets ready to fire again. Murphy yanks on his gun hand, throwing Horman off balance... And out of the helicopter doors! EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Horman falls all the way to the Iron Man Course. SPLAT! INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy continues to fight with Rackin. When the helicopter changes angle, Rackin's gun slides to Lucy, who picks it up. She aims the gun at the two fighting men. LUCY Can't get a clean shot. Murphy pushes Rackin away. MURPHY There. With Rackin and Murphy momentarily separated, Lucy can get a clean shot. She aims, pulls the trigger. BLAM! The bullet just misses Murphy's head. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Delmar takes the helicopter lower, thirty feet off the Iron Man Course. They zip along, headed to the Parade Grounds. 83. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Lucy re-aims at Murphy's head. Ready to pull the trigger. Murphy looks at the open door at the earth thirty feet below. Jumps. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- MORNING Murphy jumps out of the helicopter, hits the dirt and rolls to his feet. Back on the damned Base! EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY Murphy runs through the Ironman Course to the barracks. ROAR! The helicopter zooms down at him, like the crop duster in "North By Northwest". Man versus machine. Murphy dives, chopper ROARS overhead, almost clipping him. THE HELICOPTER zooms over the Iron Man Course. Murphy scrambles to his feet, running for a stone fence a hundred feet away. Around him, the tattered remains of the pop up targets, blown to pieces only hours ago. Faces torn to shreds, but still staring at him. THE HELICOPTER banks.... ......................turns.... .............................And comes roaring down at Murphy. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- DAY Rackin leans out the open door, spraying machinegun fire. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY Murphy dives to the ground as bullets spatter around him... The chopper almost clips him. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- DAY Delmar pulls back on the stick seconds before the skids would have hit the dirt. (CONTINUED) 84. DELMAR Almost got him. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY When the chopper zooms away, Murphy gets to his feet and runs like hell for the end of the course. THE HELICOPTER turns around, ROARS after him. Murphy races for the next cover, the helicopter closes in. Machinegun fire spray around Murphy. He dives for the wood fence, and it is turned into sawdust. Murphy pulls out his 9mm and waits for the helicopter to zoom close before firing a couple of shots at it. THE HELICOPTER zooms away, banks, and comes back for another attack. Rackin ready with the machinegun. Murphy takes off running. The chopper right behind him, roaring only a few feet behind. Murphy dives for the next piece of cover. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- DAY Rackin blasts away at Murphy, shredding a couple of pop up targets. But as soon as the helicopter gets close, Murphy opens fire with his hand gun. Bullets almost hitting Rackin. RACKIN Get up! Get up! Delmar lifts the helicopter, zooming away. EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY When Murphy gets to his feet, the helicopter is on him again. Rackin fires at Murphy, bullets ricocheting off targets. Murphy runs across the course, the chopper in hot pursuit. Murphy takes a left, then a right. Trying to lose the helicopter. No luck. It sticks to him like glue. (CONTINUED) 85. THE HELICOPTER zooms behind him, banking for left and right turns. Rackin holding on, as he fires at Murphy. Murphy takes a right, sees another stone wall. He runs for it at top speed. THE HELICOPTER roars behind him... closing the gap. At the stone wall, Murphy dives for the ground. When the helicopter zooms overhead (only inches away!) Murphy opens fire, aiming at the fuel tank. EXT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- DAY Bullets pierce the fuel tank, spraying orange fuel. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- DAY DELMAR We've been hit. Losing fuel fast. RACKIN One more pass. DELMAR Gotta take her down. Now! EXT. IRON MAN COURSE -- DAY Murphy watches as the helicopter zooms away, heading to a landing area near the motor pool. Murphy pops to his feet and starts running to the General's Office. Safety. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Marines get out of Murphy's way. He looks like a mad man. Cut up, beat up, bloody, carrying a gun. EXT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Murphy makes to Newhouse's office Building without being caught by Delmar or Rackin. He holsters his pistol, and scrambles inside before they catch him. 86. INT. VEILLER'S OFFICE -- DAY Murphy slams the door behind him, looks at the creepy Lt. Veillers, who sits between him and the General. MURPHY I have to see General Newhouse. VEILLERS The General is busy... MURPHY It's about the shooting this morning. Veillers studies Murphy. VEILLERS (threatening) I don't think you should bother him with that. MURPHY I'm not leaving 'til I talk with him. VEILLERS Should I call the MPs? Have you arrested? Murphy starts to the General's Office, but Veillers blocks his way. Trying to push him back to the exit. VEILLERS I won't let you talk with him. MURPHY Get out of my way. VEILLERS You don't know what you're doing... MURPHY I know you're Rackin's inside man, Veillers. But if you let me past I won't squeal. Veillers pushes harder, fighting with Murphy. Violent. VEILLERS You can't go in there. (beat) I won't let you past. Murphy takes out his gun and clubs Veillers. (CONTINUED) 87. MURPHY Thanks. I'll find my own way in. Murphy steps over him and enters General Newhouse's Office. INT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Newhouse looks up at Murphy. NEWHOUSE What's this about? MURPHY Sir, I'd like to report some criminal activity on the base. NEWHOUSE I don't have time for this bullshit, Murphy. MURPHY Sir, I realize you don't like me, but I believe this is a situation where we'll benefit from working together. NEWHOUSE Why would I want to help the man who killed my son? Murphy is compelled to tell the truth for the first time. MURPHY I didn't kill your son, sir. I carried him on my back for twelve miles after you ordered the helicopter back. Newhouse shows shock and anger. NEWHOUSE What the hell are you saying? MURPHY He'd been shot twice. Might have lived with medical attention. NEWHOUSE You left him to die. MURPHY I carried him as long as I could. He was already dead when I finally laid him down. (CONTINUED) 88. Murphy pulls out his dog tags, takes off Ted Newhouse's tarnished tag and hands it to Newhouse. MURPHY Now will you help me? Will you listen to me? Newhouse looks at the dog tag in his hand. His son's. MURPHY There's an organized gang on the base. Run by Gunnery Sergeant Marty Rackin. They're using equipment, weapons, and supplies to take over the drug business on the West Coast. NEWHOUSE Bullshit. MURPHY I went along on one of their Midnight Raids. Civilians were killed, sir. NEWHOUSE I can't believe this could happen here. The Marine Corps is based on a chain of command. Respect for superior officers. Following orders. (beat) How could one man disobey so many orders that it came to this? RACKIN I don't know, sir. Rackin stands in the doorway, aiming his SAW at Murphy. RACKIN We gave him a chance, but he's just not a good soldier. Won't do what he's told. Delmar enters and steps up to Murphy, nudging the back of his head with his pistol. DELMAR Drop it, jackass. Murphy drops his gun. NEWHOUSE Sergeant Delmar, make sure Corporal Murphy is involved in a training accident. A fatal one. (CONTINUED) 89. DELMAR Yes, sir. Delmar nudges Murphy out the door. To his death. Newhouse looks from the corroded dog tag up to Rackin. His tone with Rackin is paternal, as if Rackin had been caught TPing the neighbor's house... not trying to kill Murphy. NEWHOUSE Marty, how could you let it go this far? It's completely out of control. RACKIN I'm sorry, sir. I thought I could trust him. But he ended up being a rat. You know how much I hate rats. NEWHOUSE The base is on full alert. Everyone heard the shooting. (beat) There'll probably be an investigation. RACKIN You could say we were running a night training exercise... NEWHOUSE (stern) You should have come to me first. Rackin nods. General Newhouse may want to punish him. RACKIN I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again. Newhouse nods, looks back down at the dog tag. EXT. WOODS NEAR CAMP -- DAY The Quigley Course. Delmar prods Murphy out to the middle of the woods near the muddy ditch with the barrel of his gun. DELMAR This is a good place. Delmar presses the gun into the back of Murphy's head. DELMAR Hey. Sorry it didn't work out. (CONTINUED) 90. Delmar's finger tightens on the trigger. BANG! Murphy ducks, spins and knocks the gun from Delmar's hand. DELMAR You son of a bitch. Could have been painless. Could have been easy. But you want to do it the hard way. Murphy prepares to fight the brute. It's a battle of the titans. A true fight to the death. Delmar pulls out a HUGE jungle knife and attacks before Murphy can get to his own knife. DELMAR AND MURPHY fight hand to knife. The blade striking out again and again at Murphy. Murphy evades it and lands a punch on Delmar's face. DELMAR This is kind of fun, isn't it? Delmar stabs down at Murphy's neck. Murphy has no choice but to GRAB THE KNIFE BLADE. MURPHY AGHHH! The blade cuts into his fingers and palm as Murphy pushes it away, then rolls away. Delmar gets ready to strike again. SPINNING, Murphy kicks the knife out of Delmar's hands. WHACK! THE KNIFE sticks into a nearby tree. MURPHY Now it's even. Delmar attacks, fighting Murphy hand to hand. The two kick, parry, and thrust. Feet and hands slamming into each other's chest with enough force to send them sprawling. Murphy hits the ground, rolls to his feet to attack. Delmar is ready, blocks the punch. He slams Murphy with his elbow. HARD. Murphy almost goes down. SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! Murphy lands three hits in a row, forcing Delmar backwards. (CONTINUED) 91. Delmar laughs it off and charges. He slams against Murphy, and both go hurling backwards to a tree. Delmar slams Murphy's head repeatedly against the tree. Murphy reaches up... fingers touching the knife. He pulls it out of the tree and STABS at Delmar. Delmar lets go of Murphy and pulls the knife from his chest. DELMAR Not enough force. You must have missed the day we learned how to use a knife. He holds it up and SNAPS it in half, throwing the pieces away. Then he charges Murphy again. Murphy steps away from the tree at the last moment, and Delmar SLAMS into it. Falls to the ground. MURPHY You didn't miss the tree. Murphy moves in for the kill, but Delmar rolls away. Delmar rolls onto his feet, and gestures for Murphy to come forward and fight. DELMAR Ready to give up? I'll kill you quickly. Put you out of our misery. MURPHY No thanks. Murphy moves in and they resume their fight. Kicking, chopping, hitting, flipping, rolling, and punching. Murphy continues landing hits, but Delmar won't go down. DELMAR AND MURPHY continue fighting around the Quigley Course, each one landing impressive hits on the other. But Delmar doesn't feel the hits like Murphy. Murphy is taking a beating. DELMAR There's no way you can win. MURPHY If I give up, there's no way I win. Murphy lands three good hits in a row, sending Delmar back. (CONTINUED) 92. Delmar hits a tree, then bounces back to his feet. DELMAR It's been fun, but now it's over. Delmar gets ready to kill Murphy with a final attack. Murphy isn't sure he can take another full attack. WHAM! Delmar slams into Murphy and the two fight. Delmar keeps forcing Murphy towards the razor wire. Murphy finds himself pushes back to the edge of the wire... Back hitting the barbs with no place else to go. Murphy takes hit after hit. He finally spins, landing two good hits on Delmar that force the brute against the wire. Delmar gets tangled in the razor wire. The more he tries to dig out of it, the more it digs into him. MURPHY You can't fight it and win. Delmar roars to his feet, dragging a few yards of coiled razor wire behind him, and CHARGES AT MURPHY! If Murphy gets tangles in the razor wire, it's over. Murphy goes for his gun... But the flap is snapped. He scrambles backwards, trying to free his weapon. Trips over a log and goes down. Delmar The Razor Man rushes at him. Murphy fumbles with his gun. Delmar getting closer. He gets the gun out. Gets it up. Delmar ON TOP OF HIM. BANG! Blasts Delmar right off his feet. The brute falls dead only inches away from tangling up Murphy. Murphy stops to take a breath. Delmar GRABS HIS LEG. Start pulling himself closer! Murphy gives him a kick in the face, then scrambles away. Delmar is too tangled to crawl, and dies. Murphy holsters his gun and runs. 93. EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY Murphy runs across the Parade Grounds to the phone booth. INT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- DAY Murphy gets to the phone, closes the door behind him. Safe. He digs in his pocket for change. Nothing. MURPHY Shit. Picks up the phone and hits "0". MURPHY Operator, I'd like to make a collect call to... The phone booth door pops open and a pair of MARINES grab him and yank him out. One is the Gate Officer. EXT. BASE PHONE BOOTH -- DAY Murphy struggles with the Marines, but they control him. MURPHY What the hell.... OFFICER The General wants to see you. The two Marines begin dragging Murphy to the General's Office. Murphy struggles but can't get away. MURPHY Look, there's some kind of mistake. OFFICER You're Corporal Murphy. That's who the General wants to see. No mistake. The other Marine takes his side arm and all of his weapons. Disarming Murphy... except for the grenades on his vest. MURPHY I need to get off the base. OFFICER I have my orders. (CONTINUED) 94. MURPHY There are people trying to kill me. The Officer turns to the other Marine. OFFICER He's stewed now. Can you believe it? MURPHY What are you talking about? OFFICER Come on. They found the smack in your bunk. Along with some burglar tools and paraphernalia. Closer to the General's Office. Murphy HAS to get away. MURPHY Who is at the front gate. OFFICER I got a guy covering it for me. So, how long you been riding the horse? MURPHY See. No track marks on my arms... OFFICER So you shoot up between your toes. MURPHY I'm not a junkie. OFFICER That's why we have Court Martial proceedings. So you can state your case. Give your evidence. (beat) Though that smack kit they found in your bunk is going to... Murphy twists right, then left, knocking the two away. He takes off running. Racing across the base to the front gates. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY Murphy gets to the front gates, sees a Marine with his back turned in the Gate Officer's kiosk and pleads his case. (CONTINUED) 95. MURPHY This may not make any sense, but you have to help me. There are some officers on the base who are trying to kill me. I have to get off the base NOW. I don't have any pass, but if you'll call General Latimer at Fort Lejuene, he can straighten this all out. Just let me out now... The Marine in the kiosk finally turns around: It's Rackin. Rackin steps out of the kiosk. RACKIN So. You're Latimer's snitch. And I thought you were my friend. All of that was bullshit, huh? MURPHY It's over, Marty. Too much shooting. No way to cover it all up. RACKIN I'll find away. I'm the magic man. It'll all disappear in the paperwork. Just like you. Rackin pulls the M249 SAW machinegun from the counter behind him with a flourish. Aims it at Murphy. RACKIN Say goodbye. Rackin's finger tightens on the trigger. Murphy tackles Rackin to the ground. The gun discharges but misses, tearing the kiosk to shreds. RACKIN You're good Murphy. One of you is worth as dozen Artie Hormans. A stream of hot brass hits Murphy in the face, burning him. He screams in pain. THE TWO MEN STRUGGLE WITH THE GUN BETWEEN THEM. Rackin aims the gun at Murphy to fire again, but Murphy is on top of him before he can pull the trigger. RACKIN We would have made a great team. Murphy grabs the gun and twists it up into the air. (CONTINUED) 96. RACKIN But you're not much of a team player, are you? The gun explodes between the two, sending a stream of hot lead inches between their faces. RACKIN Missed. Wanna try again? Rackin pushes the gun barrel around until it's aimed at Murphy's face. His finger starts to squeeze. Murphy pushes the barrel away from him. Rackin presses the hot gun barrel into Murphy's forehead. Murphy screams as the hot barrel burns his face. RACKIN Play as a team, we can win as a team. But you're too much of a loner. Murphy presses the barrel towards Rackin and presses Rackin's trigger finger. A STREAM OF GUNFIRE misses Rackin by a hair. Rackin laughs and twists the gun back around to aim at Murphy. RACKIN You left the General's son to die. You know how much that hurt him? Murphy pushes up on the barrel. BLAM! Bullets and flames fill the space between the two as they continue struggling for control of the machinegun. Each one pressing the barrel towards the other's face. RACKIN That man's like a father to me, Murphy. When they were going to Double D me, he stood up for me. Murphy looks down the gun barrel and sees Rackin squeezing the trigger. He KICKS up, hitting Rackin in the groin. When Rackin doubles over in pain, Murphy twists the gun around to aim at Rackin's chest and presses his trigger finger. Click! Out of shells. (CONTINUED) 97. Rackin lets go of the gun, laughs. RACKIN You want the gun, take it. MURPHY You take it. WHAM! He slams the machinegun into Rackin's face. Rackin and Murphy wrestle to the ground, fighting hand to hand. Rolling, gouging, head butting. They end up at the gate, slamming against the chain link. RACKIN Hey! What have we here? Rackin sticks his fingers through the pins on Murphy's grenades, pulls his hand away. RACKIN With these rings, I make thee dead. Rackin scrambles to the kiosk. Murphy looks down as the live grenades fall from his vest to the pavement. He wipes his hand across them... rolling them across the drive to the kiosk. RACKIN sees the grenades rolling at him and tries scrambling away... but is trapped in the kiosk. RACKIN Noooooooooooo! Murphy dives behind a stone wall. THE KIOSK AND FRONT GATES EXPLODE! A huge fireball, raining debris down over Murphy. Rocking the entire base with its concussion. Murphy gets to his feet, looks from the blasted open front gate (escape) to the General's Office across the base. Makes a decision. INT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Newhouse is looking at the dog tag in his hand, and a framed photo of TED on the desk. Remembering the past, and past mistakes. His gun is on his desk. All of Murphy's belongings are stacked by the door. (CONTINUED) 98. MURPHY Heard you wanted to see me. Newhouse looks up. NEWHOUSE Where's Martin? MURPHY Dead. So're Delmar and Horman. It's over General. NEWHOUSE You couldn't let it go, could you? First you kill my son... MURPHY I didn't kill Ted. You did. INT. AH-1W COBRA HELICOPTER -- NIGHT Saudi Arabia. War. The helicopter waits for Murphy and Ted. A voice on the Officer's radio. VOICE (V.O.) Cobra Zero Seven, what is your status? OFFICER Waiting at extraction point Alpha. VOICE (V.O.) What your hold up? OFFICER Gunnery Sergeant Murphy asked us to wait five minutes for him. INT. RADIO ROOM -- NIGHT The other side of the conversation, from a radio room set up in a tent a few miles from the enemy lines. All we see is the radio, and several other Marines (including Veillers) in the background. The "VOICE" is revealed at the scene's end. VOICE You take orders from Gunnery Sergeants, Mr. Mainwarring? OFFICER (V.O.) No, sir, but he said... (CONTINUED) 99. VOICE I give the orders. We dolly around until we see the "VOICE"s face. NEWHOUSE Return to base immediately. General Newhouse lowers the mike. Veillers tries to speak. VEILLERS Sir.... NEWHOUSE There is a chain of command in this service. It is to be followed link by link. When I give an order, it is to be carried out to the letter. Does everyone here understand that? VEILLERS Yes, sir. INT. NEWHOUSE'S OFFICE -- DAY Newhouse puts his hand on top of his gun, looks at Murphy. NEWHOUSE I loved the Corps so much that I gave it my only son. He lifts the gun. Murphy spots his stack of belongings by the door. On top, his Beretta 9mm automatic. NEWHOUSE After Ted's death, I was depressed. Thought of killing myself. (beat) Then I was transferred here. Newhouse looks at his gun. NEWHOUSE Met Marty. Took him under my wing. Thought I'd turn him into a Marine. The gun shifts towards Murphy. NEWHOUSE But he was wild. Uncontrollable. Murphy inches towards his foot locker and gun. (CONTINUED) 100. NEWHOUSE Called himself the magic man. He even tricked me. I covered up his little messes. Running whores on the base. Running drugs on the base. (beat) The man was like a son to me. Newhouse shifts the gun, aiming it at himself. NEWHOUSE It just got out of control. There was no way to stop Rackin's crazy schemes without implicating myself. MURPHY When something is wrong, General, you fix it. No matter the price. NEWHOUSE It would have been the end of my career. The end of my life. MURPHY You should have court martialed Rackin when you had the chance. You should have done what's right. You're what's wrong with this base, General. Murphy grabs the phone on Newhouse's desk and dials. MURPHY General Latimer, please. Newhouse drops his gun and hangs up the phone. NEWHOUSE I can't let you do that. MURPHY I don't see any other choice. NEWHOUSE I do. Newhouse grabs his gun off the desk, twists it around to aim at himself, ready to commit suicide. Then has a better idea: Aims at Murphy and fires. Murphy dives for his gun, grabs it, rolls to his feet. Murphy and Newhouse square off for a second like gunfighters at high noon. Aiming at each other. Looking in each others eyes. Waiting for the other to move first. (CONTINUED) 101. Newhouse and Murphy fire at the same time. BANG! BANG! Murphy gets hit in the shoulder, goes down. Newhouse gets hit in the chest, slams back against the wall. As Newhouse lays dying on the floor his fingers reach for the dog tag on the floor a few feet away. Stretching. Getting closer. Closer. Fingers almost touching the memory of his son. Then he dies, without ever touching it. Murphy staggers to his feet, just as the MPs and Veillers storm into the General's office. EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY The exploded front gates. Fires still burning. The place is a war zone. INT. TV NEWS COVERAGE -- DAY Shots of the destruction at the base on CNN News. REPORTER Four men were killed in a daring terrorist attack on a United States Marine Base. These are not the first Marines to die at the hands of Terrorists. In October of 1983, two hundred and thirty seven Marines were killed in Beirut as the result of a terrorist bombing. More recently... THE TV STATION CLICKS TO ANOTHER CHANNEL: Same news. We see the PRESIDENT in the Rose Garden (stock footage?). REPORTER #2 In a special memorial ceremony today in the White House Rose Garden, the President awarded medals to the brave Marines killed in the terrorist attack against Camp Richards in San Diego. (beat) The Congressional Medal Of Honor was awarded to Corporal Arthur Horman of Key Largo, Florida... (CONTINUED) 102. A photo of Artie Horman, as the medal is layed on top. REPORTER #2 Sergeant David Delmar, of Phoenix City, Arizona... Photo of Delmar as the medal is layed on top. REPORTER #2 Gunnery Sergeant Martin L. Rackin of Detroit, Michigan... Photo of Rackin as the medal is layed on top. REPORTER #2 And a special Medal Of Honor to General Anthony Newhouse. The last medal is placed on Newhouse's photo. INT. JAIL CELL -- DAY Murphy turns away from the cell's TV set and yells at the GUARD outside. MURPHY Hey! Can you turn this damned TV off? The TV screen goes dark, and Murphy sits on his bunk, looking through the bars, waiting for his court martial. THE END.