by Jamie Linden
147 EXT. AIR DROP SITE -- DAY
John, still and silent, stares at a new dropped kicker pallet. Noodles, however, hurries right over, searching until he finds the mailbag.
Finally, John reluctantly walks over. Noodles looks up at him as he approaches.
JOHN
Seriously. It’s been eight weeks since the last one. You’ve gotta have, like, eight or nine letters for me in there, right?
Noodles digs into the mailbag... and pulls out a SINGLE LETTER.
JOHN
Is this the only one? This can’t be the only one.
But Noodles looks away. It is. He hands it over to John.
It’s a familiar sight. It’s got Savannah’s handwriting on it. It’s in her normal clean, white envelope.
But it brings John no comfort. Instead, this lone letter scares him to death.
148 EXT. HILL -- LATER
John sits, far enough away from the others to have privacy.
Carefully, he opens the envelope. Unfolds both sheets of paper inside. This one begins as they always do. Dear John...
He takes a deep breath. And then he reads the rest.
ON JOHN’S HANDS -- as they start to shake.
ON JOHN’S FACE -- as every muscle tenses.
ON JOHN’S EYES -- as he does not cry.
ON JOHN -- sitting perfectly still on this crate, reading and rereading this letter, all alone on the horizon.
149 INT. BASE CAMP -- CAPTAIN STONE’S TENT
John ransacks Stone’s desk until he finds the satellite phone. He takes it, starts pacing the room like an animal in a cage, going over in his mind what he’s going to say.
Then he begins to dial. He knows all the numbers by heart, and there are a lot. But he stops before he hits the last one.
His finger hovers over the button... and he just can’t bring himself to push it. No matter how hard he tries.
So instead, he kicks a trash can across the room.
150 INT. BARRACKS -- MAIN ROOM
John barrels in, a man on a mission. Noodles nods hello as he walks by their poker game, but John’s too focused to notice.
He pours all the stuff from his footlocker onto the ground.
151 EXT. BARRACKS -- DAY
John takes all 112 of Savannah’s letters and dumps them out loose on the ground. What had been a carefully organized chronological stack is now just a messy pile.
John pulls out the flint and magnesium block from his pocket and starts to shave the magnesium off over the letters.
NOODLES
Need a lighter?
Noodles has appeared behind him, but John just shakes his head, focused only on the flint now. A spark catches the magnesium and the letters ignite. John watches the fire spread.
NOODLES
You wanna talk about it?
John looks away. Knows he’s being completely transparent right now, and hates himself for it.
JOHN
Not much to talk about. She found somebody else. Somebody who’s there, and not here.
NOODLES
You know who it is?
JOHN
She didn’t say. But I have a pretty good idea.
The anger flashes in John’s eyes again.
NOODLES
Don’t worry, man, you’ll get her back. As soon as you go home, she’ll come running -- you know it’s true.
John stares into the fire, wearily shakes his head.
JOHN
No. It’s not.
Noodles...
Noodles. They’re already engaged. Okay?
NOODLES
Trust me, man, this is what--
I know what I’m talking ab--
That stops him cold. He pauses, unsure what to say.
NOODLES
I...Jesus. I’m sorry, John.
John doesn’t respond. Instead, he takes out Savannah’s breakup letter and drops it onto the flame, watches it turn into ashes along with the 112 letters that preceded it.
152 EXT. CITY STREET (NEAR CEMENT PLANT) -- THE NEXT DAY
A mini-convoy navigates through the streets. The team is split into two, and John’s in the front humvee. Rooster is in the middle of a rant, but John tunes him out from his bubble, focused only on the road ahead of him.
ROOSTER
All I’m sayin is, they recruit us, train us for five years, tell us we’re their goddamned best and brightest, and then a war breaks out and they send us to the backass end of the frickin country. Now what sense does that make?
BERRY
Look around you, man. It aint like we’re patrolling the Kansas State Fair, you know.
Indeed, up the road is a deserted cement plant, and a fire smolders nearby. It’s not exactly a war zone, but it’s not too far away either.
And as they get closer, a FRANTIC MAN runs across the road, blindly firing his AK-47 into the cement factory.
CAPTAIN STONE
Jesus. Pull over, Daniels.
They come to a stop a safe distance from the Man, who’s YELLING INCOHERENTLY as he unloads his ammunition.
Noodles squints at the guy as he opens the Humvee door.
NOODLES
What the hell’s up with this guy?
But John pushes right past him.
JOHN
Let’s find out.
He beelines straight towards the guy and swiftly, impressively disarms his weapon, sweeping him off his feet.
Starks, their language specialist, casually walks over, listens to the Guy HOWL AT JOHN in some foreign tongue. Starks raises his eyebrows.
STARKS
He’s speaking Turkish.
JOHN
Well what’s he saying?
Starks just shrugs. John glares at him with disgust.
JOHN
Jesus. What the hell kind of language expert are you?
STARKS
I speak Persian, I speak Pashto. I speak German. I speak all kinds of shit. How many foreign languages do you speak?
John rolls his eyes, then motions towards the cement plant back to Stone, who gives his okay. John stalks off.
STARKS
Where are you going?
JOHN
Somebody’s gotta find out what he’s talking about.
As he heads off, Stone jerks his head at Noodles -- go with him.
153 INT. ABANDONED CEMENT PLANT -- DAY
John enters the factory, weapon at the ready. Systematically clears the giant room.
Then Noodles walks in, sees John relax his weapon --
-- and then a bullet catches Noodles squarely in the chest.
A hidden ARMED TALIBAN SOLDIER emerges nearby and, in one quick, instinctual motion, John unholsters his secondary weapon and shoots him twice in the chest. He flies back, dead before he hits the wall.
John hurries over to Noodles, who’s still conscious and is frantically ripping off layers to find the entry wound...
...till he finally reaches it... and EXHALES.
He shows John the flattened bullet, caught right on the edge of his FLAK JACKET. Two inches more to the left and it would’ve gone right through him.
NOODLES
God, I’ve never loved a piece of clothing more in my entire life.
Noodles grimaces from the pain, but he’s so relieved that he’s almost grinning. John stares down at the smoldering bullet, just as relieved.
BUT DOWN BELOW -- their team is flying into action. From safe cover, Stone sends Berry and Daniels stealthly towards the staircase, then hollers up towards the hole in the wall.
CAPTAIN STONE
The hell’s going on up there!?
Tyree! Gallo! What’s your status?
John stands up, now half-grinning himself, and calls out to them.
JOHN
All clear, Capt--
Suddenly a bullet SLICES into John’s neck.
His eyes widen, but he’s too stunned to cry out. He falls onto his back, his eyes searching the dingy ceiling above him.
&n
bsp; Meanwhile, Noodles stumbles to his feet, starts to return fire towards the other TALIBAN SOLDIER hiding in the shadows across the room. Berry and Daniels charge up the stairs as well, guns blazing, riddling the Rebel with dozens of bullets.
Noodles finally stops firing, kneels over John, cuts open his fatigues now, sees all the blood.
NOODLES
Medic! I need a medic up here!
John draws a sharp breath, GULPS for air. His PUPILS begin to DILATE as he stares up at the SKY.
He GASPS again. Try as he might, he can’t hold on. And as his eyes finally close, and the sound fades away --
EVERYTHING TURNS SILENT. EVERYTHING GOES BLACK.
154 INT. MILITARY HOSPITAL -- STUTTGART, GERMANY -- DAY
John opens his eyes again. He’s in a strange room. A NURSE is changing his IV.
NURSE
Welcome back, Sargeant Tyree.
John struggles to get his bearings. He tries to speak, but his mouth is parched and dry. The Nurse turns his morphine drip a notch higher.
NURSE
Rest easy, okay? You’re alive, and that’s all that matters right now.
But although John does not appear to agree, and although he fights as hard as he can to maintain consciousness --
-- it is ultimately a losing battle.
155 INT. MILITARY HOSPITAL -- DAY
John abruptly sits upright in bed. Weeks have passed -- obvious because his arm is now in a sling, his neck is wrapped in gauze, and his face is lined with impatience.
He stands up, goes over to the wardrobe. Stares at his reflection in the mirror. Then he slowly pulls his arm out of the sling. It causes him immense pain, but he pushes through.
He grabs his dress uniform out of the closet. Winces as he buttons his shirt. Tight. Tighter still. Winces as he pulls on his rather sparsely decorated jacket, ties his tie.
By the time he puts on his beret, his forehead gleams with sweat. He wipes his face, stares at his reflection.
At least now he looks like a soldier again.
156 INT. MAKESHIFT OFFICE -- DAY
John stands at attention in front of Captain Stone, who’s catching up on some paperwork.
JOHN
Requesting permission to return to duty, sir.
Stone looks up at John. He’s trying hard to look whole and healthy, but he’s not fooling anybody.
CAPTAIN STONE
It’s been three weeks. I’m impressed, but I’m not stupid.
He grins at John, proud of him.
CAPTAIN
Go home first, get some R&R. Give your Dad some company for awhile.
JOHN
My Dad doesn’t care much for company, sir.
Stone regards him, still standing there rigidly.
CAPTAIN STONE
Your Dad called twice a day, every day, while you were in that hospital. Maybe he cares more than you think.
John looks away, clearly surprised. He processes the information, lets it shake him out of his stubbornness.
Stone watches him, then SIGHS, looks him honestly in the eye.
CAPTAIN STONE
Listen, John. I’m being transferred. Back stateside.
(before John can object)
It has nothing to do with what happened -- my command time’s just over. I’m going back to Fort Bragg.
He stands up, walks over to John.
CAPTAIN STONE
Berry and Daniels have decided to get out, most of the others are coming down on assignment. Now you have less than four months until separation yourself. You’ve served your country well -- there’s no need to go the extra mile at this point.
John pauses, considering him... considering what it would be like back in Charleston.
And then he makes his mind up. He stands even straighter, his eyes focused on the wall behind Stone.
JOHN
No, sir. I’m reenlisting again, sir.
Stone stares at him in disbelief.
CAPTAIN STONE
Let me get this straight, Staff Sargeant. All this time here you’ve been, just itching to get out--
(off John’s reaction)
-- c’mon, we both know it’s true.
But now here you are, you finally have your chance, and now you’re telling me no thanks, cause you actually wanna go back out there for another three years?
John doesn’t move, still rigid as a board.
JOHN
Better make it six, sir.
CUT TO:
157 THE MOON --
Waning and small up in the night sky.
158 EXT. LOCATION TBD -- DAY
Underneath that sky, there’s a quick but dramatic action set piece (location and elements pending, but if possible it shouldn’t look Middle Eastern) where John leads his team in accomplishing whatever military objective needs to be accomplished (and can be affordably staged).
Point being -- he’s a professional soldier now. And a good one. Then fade from the darkness of that to--
THE SUN --
Beating down from the sky. John looks up at it, shielding his eyes from the glare. Now he’s at --
159 EXT. ARMY BASE -- DAY
-- in full uniform again. But his once sparsely decorated jacket is now full of bars, medals, commendations, badges. John’s head is still shaved, but his wounds have long healed.
SUMMER 2007
An F-15 Eagle jet screams overhead, blocking out the sun for an instant and casting John in a brief shadow.
160 INT. BARRACKS -- DAY
John returns to his very modest room. Noodles is long gone, replaced by a new roommate, BERG -- very young, very green.
BERG
Ah, home sweet home.
Berg tosses his bag down, then focuses on JOHN’S MAP nearby -- which is now BLANKETED WITH PINS, coating six continents.
BERG
Where to next, ya think?
John pushes past him towards his foot locker without even bothering to look up at the map.
JOHN
Wherever they send us.
John has just started to unpack when--
VOICE FROM BEHIND
Actually, we’re sending you back to the States, John.
He turns to find CAPTAIN MIKE KITTRICK standing in the doorway (Stone is long gone by now, as well).
CAPTAIN KITTRICK
I’m sorry. I just got the news.
John stares at him. Immediately realizes something’s wrong.
JOHN
You just got what news?
161 INT. MILITARY AIRPLANE -- DAY
John sits in a seat, clearly distracted, trying to ignore the bumpiness of the flight.
162 INT. AIRPORT -- DAY
The escalator runs emptily. Finally John’s feet appear.
He looks around. The airport has not changed one bit except for the fact that this time, no one is here to greet him.
163 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- NIGHT
Mr. Tyree lays in bed, asleep, tubes coming out of him from every angle. If John looks a few years older now, Mr. Tyree looks a few decades.
John does not touch him. Instead he just stands there, silently watching his father breathe through a tube.
164 INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY -- NIGHT
John speaks quietly with a DOCTOR.
DOCTOR
He’s conscious, but that doesn’t mean he’s lucid. And he’s almost never responsive. It’s just very hard to say how severe the stroke really was because it’s very hard to say how long he’d been lying there before they finally found him.
John looks away. Guilt flashes on his face. He speaks quietly.
JOHN
If...if I’d been there... if I’d found him like that earlier...would it have made a difference?
The Doctor pauses, looks at John. Takes pity on him.
DOCTOR
I doubt it.
No matter how convincing he sounds, though, it does not appear to do John much good.
165 EXT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT
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John hesitates, not wanting to go in, knowing he has to. Finally he puts the key in the door, walks --
166 INT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT
And it’s worse than he thought. It’s dark, silent, messy. There’s a dirty dish on the kitchen floor, a meal half-cooked on the stove. His father has never left a dish dirty or a meal half-cooked in his life.
It’s all too much. John has to turn and walk right back out.
167 INT. BOWEN’S SEASIDE RESTAURANT -- NIGHT
The place is practically empty at this late hour. John sits at the bar, alone, peeling shrimp but not eating them.
Reveal that the table he sat at with Savannah on their first date is right behind him. John steals a glance back at it.
168 OMIT
169 OMIT
170 OMIT
171 INT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT
John walks back in, sets his keys back down. Gets his bearings. Heads through the house, back to his bedroom.
But he pauses in front of his father’s den. Then, despite himself, he enters, flips on the light. Looks around the room.
Here are his father’s coins, stacked all over the furniture. Here is his father’s desk, and his father’s chair.
John takes a seat. Looks down at the desk. Starts to open drawers. Look through cabinets.
He finally finds what he was looking for: a clean sheet of paper. He clears some room on the desk, lays the sheet of paper down in front of him.
Then John grabs a pen, and he begins to write.
171A INT. HOSPITAL -- THE NEXT DAY
John arrives at his father’s room and looks through the window -- to find that the room is empty. Mr. Tyree is nowhere to be found.
172 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR -- THE NEXT DAY
John walks down the hallway, looking for a doctor to talk to--
--when he finds his father on a gurney by the elevator.
John hurries over. Mr. Tyree is awake, but as the doctor said, that’s not necessarily the same thing as lucid. But his eyes seem to flash with recognition when he sees John.
JOHN
Hey, Dad. What are you doing out here?
(to a PASSING NURSE)
What’s he doing out here?
But the nurse is hurrying somewhere else and doesn’t hear him.
Then, although Mr. Tyree is very weak, he reaches up and tries to pull the oxygen mask off his face, yank the tube out of his mouth. He seems like he’s trying to say something.
John gently grabs his hand, pulls it away.
JOHN
It’s okay, Dad. It’s fine.
John guides his hands back down by his side. Mr. Tyree makes a NOISE, but it’s indistinguishable. John grins at him.