CHINA RED

by Bruce W. Durbin

Tommy, looking around, "Must have been looters, but..."

  Tommy looks around the area, failing to see anyone.

  Rachel, "Quit moving your head."

  Tommy stops, looking at the dead TIGER.

  Tommy, "Makes sense. The guy the tiger killed. He wasn't a crew member. He was probably the looter."

  CHAPTER 49

  Inside the helicopter, Jim and Ming are scanning the area below, as Jim looks at some electronic equipment.

  Jim, "We should be coming up on..."

  There's a noise, with Jim and Ming turning to the side, seeing Timothy's

  helicopter, which has one door open.

  Jim, "What the..."

  In the open door, Seth raises a rifle, aims and fires.

  Blood from Pilot's head splatters Jim.

  CHAPTER 50

  The helicopter instantly starts to spin. There's a brief pause and then it hits the ground, toppling to one side, as the rotors continue spinning, digging into the ground, and spraying the area with dirt/dust.

  The other helicopter moves away.

  There's a brief pause and then Jim scrambles out of the helicopter. He stumbles a short distance away, then looks at the other helicopter, as it starts to move over a hill.

  Jim hurries back to the helicopter and pulls Ming out of the wreckage.

  Jim pulls Ming a short distance, then looks up at the disappearing helicopter.

  Jim, "You mother..."

  The helicopter explodes, with the shock waves slamming Jim to the ground.

  CHAPTER 51

  Inside the helicopter, Timothy is leaning out of the open door, looking back at the helicopter, which is engulfed in flames.

  Timothy turns and looks at Seth, who is smiling.

  Timothy, with disgust, "Was that really necessary?"

  Seth, "Mister..."

  Seth stops, as he looks at Pilot.

  Seth, "Green. Mister Green said that whatever it takes to make sure, we're the first ones there. That...that was one of the whatever it takes."

  Timothy and Seth give each other hard looks, with Timothy finally breaking his look and looking out of the window.

  Timothy, pointing, "Look."

  They look down, seeing Doug's crashed helicopter.

  They look a short distance away and see that Doug and Lee are walking.

  CHAPTER 52

  Doug and Lee hear the helicopter and looks up, just as if flies over them, continuing towards the crashed airplane.

  Doug is now carrying the shotgun, with Tommy's handgun stuck in the top of his pants. He jabs the barrel towards Lee, who stares at him, gives him a forced smile, then turns, continuing to walk.

  Doug, "You want to tell me who you really are?"

  Lee, "Doesn't my attire make perfectly clear?"

  Doug, "You're not part of any flight crew and it was a cargo flight, meaning there shouldn't have been any passengers."

  Lee, "I stick by my story...I was a member of the flight crew."

  Doug looks down at Lee's shoes, then back up, "Your shoes probably cost more than a flight crew member makes in a year."

  Lee laughs, "What's wrong with taking pride in your appearance? Maybe, I prefer to spend my money on things that make me smile."

  Doug, "Yeah, sure..."

  CHAPTER 53

  Tommy and Rachel are looking through the containers, as Rachel snaps photographs. Tommy stops at one container and looks inside.

  Tommy, "Look at this."

  Rachel moves up and looks inside. They see several oxygen tanks and a chair that has been bolted to the floor of the container.

  They see broken handcuffs and a discarded ORANGE JUMPSUIT.

  Very brief focus shows a cell phone, in a rear corner. The screen faintly blinks.

  Rachel, "What? Why?"

  Tommy, "A prisoner or...someone wanting to be smuggled into America."

  Tommy jerks his head in the direction that Doug and Lee flew.

  Tommy, "That guy...the guy, who killed the tiger..."

  Tommy looks back at the container.

  Tommy, "Must have been some kind of prisoner. Maybe, high profile, mobster, Chinese Triad...or maybe, some VIP, who had the money to spend on his own private transport to be smuggled into America or..."

  There's a noise. Tommy and Rachel turn, seeing a container.

  There's a noise coming from inside the container.

  Tommy and Rachel stare at the container, just as it rocks.

  Rachel, "Another prisoner? VIP?"

  Tommy and Rachel take a step backwards, with Tommy instinctively reaching for his handgun, but it's gone.

  There's a noise from inside the container, as it violently rocks.

  Tommy spins around, looking for somewhere to hide. He grabs Rachel, moving her towards the airplane.

  They're almost to the airplane, when the container erupts, with the door being flung a short distance away.

  Tommy and Rachel can't help themselves and they stop, staring at the container. Suddenly, a RHINO bursts from the container, then slides to a stop. It spins around, snorting, as it scans the area.

  CHAPTER 54

  In disbelief, Tommy and Rachel stare at the RHINO.

  Rachel, softly, "Don't move."

  The RHINO seems to hear Rachel and charges.

  Tommy starts to move, but Rachel grabs his arm, holding him still. Just a few feet from Tommy and Rachel, the RHINO slides to a stop. There's a brief pause and then the RHINO snorts, swings its head, then

  turns, trotting away.

  There's a brief pause and then Tommy loudly exhales.

  Tommy, "How did you know to..."

  Tommy stops and looks at Rachel, who is turning, seeing all of the other

  containers.

  Rachel then looks back at the cargo airplane.

  Rachel, "Triad member...a tiger...a rhino..."

  Rachel walks towards a container, seeing a pry bar stuck in the door. She slightly jiggles the pry bar. Tommy moves up, with Rachel moving to

  the side. Tommy works and twists, with the door popping open. Tommy continues to hold the pry bar in his hand. Rachel moves forward and looks inside, seeing a pile of new AK-47 automatic rifles.

  Rachel, "Weapons."

  Rachel looks around the area, seeing the other containers. She then looks at the cargo airplane.

  Rachel then looks up into the sky, then around the area. Rachel moves towards the airplane.

  Rachel, "We need to get some water and then get the hell out of here."

  Tommy, "Yeah, okay, but..."

  Rachel stops, turns, and looks at Tommy.

  Rachel, "I covered a story like this in Afghanistan. This airline was running black market goods across the border. None of the airplanes had transponders..."

  Tommy, looking around, "So, they couldn't be tracked?"

  Rachel nods her head, "The only people, who will be searching for this plane are..."

  Tommy stops and looks back at all of the rifles, "The bad guys, who lost their...shit."

  Tommy turns back around, just as Rachel disappears from sight.

  Tommy, "Yeah, thanks Doug. Oh, hey, we'll steal a helicopter, chop it, and make a ton of money. Buddy, if you were..."

  There's a scream.

  Tommy, still holding the pry bar, jerks back towards the airplane.

  There's a scream.

  Tommy runs towards the airplane.

  CHAPTER 55

  Tommy bursts into the airplane, then stops, seeing Rachel, who is standing still.

  Tommy, "What? Did you see a rat or..."

  Rachel slowly starts to back up, as she raises her arm, pointing. Tommy can't fully see, because Rachel's body is blocking his view.

  Tommy, "I can't see..."

  Tommy moves, grabs Rachel, pulling her back.

  As Tommy moves Rachel to the side, he stops, seeing Chung, who has put the gold wedding band around the gold chain, hanging it from his neck. Chung's face is very pale.

  Tommy, "Listen, buddy, th
e plane's all yours and..."

  Tommy stops and looks at Chung, who starts to move towards him. Chung is missing an arm and his body is torn, with his jaw slightly hanging down.

  Chung moans, as he starts to move towards Tommy.

  Rachel, "He's, he's..."

  Tommy, "Dead?"

  Tommy hesitates, then lifts his arm, moves forward, and drives the pry bar into Chung' head. Chung moans and twists.

  Tommy twists the pry bar, pulls it free, with Chung dropping to the floor.

  Tommy and Rachel look down at Chung.

  Tommy, "Damn zom..."

  There's the sound of an approaching helicopter.

  Tommy and Rachel jerk their heads towards the ceiling of the airplane. Rachel starts to move out, but Tommy grabs her arm.

  Tommy, "What you said? Whoever comes...they'll be comin' for their..."

  Rachel, understanding, "Shit."

  CHAPTER 56

  In a remote area, the Village Men stop, taking a break, as they drink water and look around. CHAPTER 57

  The helicopter has landed, with Seth and Timothy starting to get out. Seth, carrying a rifle, looks around. Seth sees the dead TIGER and smiles. Seth, "Nice. Looks like you're not the only one who had...illegal shit on the

  plane." Timothy reaches back into the helicopter, taking out a gas mask. He puts it on and holds another one out to Seth, who looks at it, then reluctantly takes it, putting it on.

  Timothy, annoyed, "Come on, we need to find the containers." Timothy begins moving around the various containers. He stops in front of a container and looks at the NUMBERS. He moves to the front, then stops, seeing that the door has been pried open.

  Timothy enters the container, as Seth looks around the area.

  Perspective alternates from someone behind Seth to Seth, looking through the gas mask.

  Timothy exits the container and looks around, as Seth looks towards him.

  Timothy, "The containers...they've been broken. We need to search the area. See, see if there's been any contamination."

  Seth, "Go for it."

  Timothy looks at Seth.

  Seth, "My job is to provide security, not to look for missing shit. Knock yourself out."

  Timothy stares at Seth, but then breaks the stare and starts to move around the area.

  There's a noise.

  Timothy stops and looks around, as Seth also looks around, aiming the rifle as he looks around.

  There's a noise.

  They spin around, just as the RHINO crests a hill, starting to head in their direction.

  Seth, "What the fuck?"

  Seth rips off the gas mask, letting it drop to the ground.

  The RHINO charges, as Seth swings the rifle up, beginning to fire.

  Bullets hit the ground in front of the RHINO, with the RHINO suddenly turning and heading towards the helicopter.

  Seth continues firing, with just a few of the bullets hitting the RHINO, but the bullets don't slow the RHINO down.

  Inside the helicopter, Pilot looks through the window, seeing the charging RHINO. His face goes pale, with fear.

  CHAPTER 58

  The RHINO slams into the helicopter, then backs up. The RHINO slams into the helicopter again.

  Timothy, screaming, "Kill it. Fuckin' kill it."

  Seth starts to walk closer, as he continues to fire.

  The RHINO turns around and charges Seth, who continues firing, even when the RHINO hits him, tossing him into the air.

  As Seth hits the ground, he loses his grip on the rifle. He's slightly stunned. He starts to get up, when the RHINO slams into him, with Seth screaming.

  The RHINO tosses/tramples Seth, then spins around, charging back towards the helicopter.

  Inside the helicopter, Pilot watches as the RHINO, bloody from bullet wounds, slams into the helicopter.

  Timothy watches, as the RHINO slams into the helicopter, then manages to turn it over. RHINO gives one final slam into the helicopter, becoming wedged. The RHINO then stops moving.

  Timothy is panicking, as he sees the wrecked helicopter. He looks towards Seth, then hurries up to him.

  Timothy looks down at Seth, who is bleeding from the mouth. Seth looks at Timothy, then drops dead.

  Timothy takes a couple of steps backwards, then turns around, looking at the containers, the wrecked helicopter, and the crashed airplane.

  Doug, "Where are my friends?"

  Timothy spins around, seeing Doug and Lee, with Doug pointing the shotgun at Timothy.

  Timothy, "Who are..."

  Ming, "Lee?

  They turn, seeing Jim and Ming.

  Lee starts to move, but Ming quickly moves forward, grabs Lee, and throws him to the ground, quickly handcuffing him.

  Doug, "What is going..."

  Rachel, "Doug?"

  They turn, as Rachel and Tommy come around the side of the airplane.

  Ming keeps Lee down on the ground, on his face, but looks up at Timothy.

  Ming, to Timothy, "Why the mask?"

  Timothy has forgotten, with Ming motioning towards his face. Timothy reaches up, feels the mask, and then takes it off.

  Doug, "What's going..."

  Jim, "You need to put the weapon...down."

  Doug looks towards Jim, seeing that Jim has drawn a handgun and is pointing it at him.

  Lee, "You might want to do what he says....he's a U.S. Marshal, with an incredibly bad attitude... Deputy Murray and..."

  Lee slightly motions with his head to Ming.

  Lee, "And, this cheerful person is Agent Ming, Chinese...what agency are you with, again?"

  Ming drives his knee harder into Lee, who laughs, but says nothing else.

  Jim, "Now...put the gun down."

  Doug looks at Jim, then puts the shotgun on the ground.

  Jim, "The handgun...too."

  Doug seems to have forgotten, with Jim motioning towards his waist.

  Doug looks down, sees the handgun, and takes it out, slowly putting it on the ground.

  Jim, "Now...step over there."

  Jim motions a short distance away. Doug moves over, with Tommy and Rachel quickly moving up to him.

  Jim, "We'll start with names, first. The guy on the ground was right. His name is Lee. He's a bad guy, so keep the fuck away from him....my name's Jim Murray and I'm a U.S. Marshal, on loan to the Chinese government. My partner is Agent Ming."

  Jim motions towards Timothy.

  Jim, "You? What's your name?"

  Timothy, "Timothy."

  Jim, "What's your interest in this crash? Have some cargo on board?" Timothy, "Uh, yes..."

  Ming, "Maybe, Bio-chemical?"

  Timothy, "Uh...no, not really."

  Jim, "You can tell me or Ming can break your legs."

  Timothy, "Some, uh, replica Chinese statues and, uh, bottles of wine." Ming, "Show me."

  Timothy hesitates, as Ming gets off of Lee.

  Ming, "Now."

  Timothy moves towards the container, with Ming following. Jim motions towards Doug, Tommy, and Rachel.

  Doug, "Doug, I'm an American like you and..."

  Jim, smiling, "Oh, really? Whatcha doing out here?"

  Doug, "This is Rachel, a photo-journalist. Me and my partner..."

  Doug nods towards Tommy, "Tommy, we were showing her some of the, uh, scenery."

  Rachel, "I am a photo-journalist. We found a looter and were looking for the flight crew, when we were..."

  Rachel looks at Lee, "Interrupted..."

  Rachel looks up at Jim, with a slight smile.

  Rachel, "I'm guessing that Lee is, what, a Triad member? Or, maybe a government witness. You couldn't risk putting him on a commercial flight or a private flight, so you put him in a container, planning to ship him direct to the U.S.? No witnesses, no stamp on his passport, showing that he entered the U.S., in case, he ends up..."

  Rachel looks down at Lee, who gives her a smile. Rachel looks back at Jim.

  Rachel, "Dead."

  Jim, "Ye
ah, something like that. Mister Lee WAS a Triad member, in fact, one of the ranking members..."

  Lee, "Kind...you're too kind."

  Jim, "Until he killed, oh, let me add..."

  Jim looks down at Lee, who just smiles at him, "Brutally killed some of the other ranking members, as well as their families..."

  Jim looks back up at Rachel, who suddenly seems to remember something. She looks back down at Lee.

  Rachel looks down at Lee, as she seems to recognize him, "Lee? You're, you're the one, who...killed that family. Butchered them and then, then hung them from the flag pole in, in front of the Police Station?"

  Lee, smiling, "Ah, you're familiar with my work. I thought the display of the bodies, the little children, was, was..."

  Rachel quickly moves forward and begins kicking Lee.

  Doug and Tommy hurry forward, pulling her back, as Lee laughs.

  Jim, "Yeah, we were trying to smuggle him into the U.S. to face Federal charges. He was also responsible for several international organ farms."

  Rachel controls herself and looks at Jim.

  Tommy, "Organ farms?"

  Rachel, "They use places, like orphanages, where they cut open LIVE children, remove certain organs, like kidneys, and then sell the organs. They keep the children alive, so they can, can...harvest more organs."

  Rachel jerks forward, kicks Lee, and then spits on him. Rachel looks back towards Jim.

  Rachel, "I know him. You should have just killed him, because...he'll get free."

  Jim, "Yeah, well, we'll see."

  Jim looks, as Ming and Timothy return.

  Ming, "His container did contain some statues, but I doubt they were replicas and...some bottles of wine, but...they're all broken. China White."

  Lee looks at Ming, then at Timothy. Lee starts to smile. Jim and Ming look at Timothy, then at the mask in his hand.

  Jim, "I'm assuming that whatever was in the bottles is gone and there's no risk to the rest of us?"

  CHAPTER 61

  Timothy seems to be uncertain, "Uh, yes...I mean, yes, the contents of the bottles are, are gone..."

  Timothy slightly looks around.

  Ming, "Jim? You look for the flight crew and I'll watch them."