by James Cage
track tape player in the recreation room where you can listen to music. Dinner is served at nineteen hundred hours.
JAIME
Yeah, nineteen hundred hours, that's 7:00 PM. I got it.
(Pause)
Hey, do I ever get to visit Guatemala City or the countryside?
LUKE
We want you to stay within the compound during your entire training period.
JOHNNY
Remember, you can quit the program at any time and go home. It is up to you.
JAIME
I'll stay.
LUKE
One more thing. Keep profanities at a minimum even when socializing with the guys.
JAIME
OK.
LUKE
Let's go to lunch.
CUT TO:
INT. SPANISH CLASSROOM - LATER SAME DAY
Jaime sits in a chair. The Major stands in front of the room at the blackboard.
Marcos, Alan and Paul are seated in booths at the back of the classroom. They have headphones on and listen to language tapes.
The Major speaks directly to Jaime.
MAJOR
Let me explain why we teach Spanish. In the United States, Spanish is a second language. Spanish is spoken throughout Central and South America, in Spain, North Africa and the Philippines.
(Pause)
Spanish is a good basis for the other Latin languages. Once you learn Spanish, it will be easy for you to pick up Italian and Portuguese.
(Pause)
Have you studied any foreign languages?
JAIME
I had two years of Latin in high school. I know a little Italian and I've been studying Spanish on my own.
MAJOR
The background in Latin is good. That will make things much easier. Let's start your Spanish lesson.
ANOTHER ANGLE
The lesson begins. The Major writes the verb, TO BE on the blackboard: SOY, ERES, ES, SOMOS, SOIS, SON. I AM, YOU ARE, HE IS, WE ARE, YOU ARE, THEY ARE.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HAM RADIO CLASSROOM - THE NEXT DAY
Jaime is with Marcos and The Colonel. Marcos is two years younger than Jaime. He is slightly smaller in height and frame. Marcos is finishing a conversation with a MAN in AUSTRALIA. They speak in English.
AUSTRALIAN (V.O.)
Signing off from Perth, mate.
MARCOS
(Slight Brooklyn Accent)
Signing off from Central America.
The Colonel exits the room.
MARCOS (CONT'D)
Jaime do you want to talk on the Ham Radio?
JAIME
No. I don't like speaking to strangers.
MARCOS
This radio is a lot of fun. I really enjoy it.
JAIME
How old are you Marcos?
MARCOS
I just turned twenty years old.
JAIME
You speak like you come from Brooklyn?
MARCOS
Yeah I'm from Brooklyn, Bensonhurst.
JAIME
Where did The Bear find you?
MARCOS
Last year, at Saint Louis University. I had a job as a student Disc Jockey.
(Pause) One evening, my Spanish professor brought The Bear to the radio station. We all went out for pizza. One thing led to another and I wound up here.
JAIME
Do you like working for The Bear?
MARCOS
Yeah, I learn more here about Ham Radios and electronics than I would in school. Plus, I get to travel. How are things going with you?
JAIME
I've only been here a few days. I have to adjust to the routine.
MARCOS
Don't worry. You fit in with us.
CUT TO:
ACTIVITIES MONTAGE BEGINS
EXT. - SHOOTING RANGE - DAY
Jaime shoots targets with The Bear.
INT. - SPANISH CLASSROOM - DAY
Jaime, Marcos, Alan and Paul listen to language tapes. The Major watches them.
INT. - HAM RADIO CLASSROOM - DAY
The Colonel, Marcos and Jaime adjust and listen to the Ham Radio. They listen to SAMBA MUSIC on the Ham Radio.
THE COLONEL
This is a Brazilian station.
Marcos dances the Samba by himself. Jaime and The Colonel laugh.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD INSIDE THE RANCH - DAWN
TITLE CARD: EIGHT WEEKS LATER
Jaime, Johnny and Luke are jogging. Jaime has lost at least ten pounds.
LUKE
Jaime, it's time we speed this run up.
Luke and Johnny take off and sprint the last quarter mile of the three miles run. They leave Jaime in the dust. At the completion of the run, Jaime is puffing, hot and sweaty. Luke and Johnny are relaxed, waiting for him.
JAIME
Geez.
CUT TO:
INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY
Luke teaches a knife fighting class. He demonstrates using a wooden knife. He gives basic instruction jabbing, slashing and defending.
Jaime, Marcos, Alan, Paul and Johnny silently watch the demonstration.
Luke extends the knife in his left hand and proceeds to jab and slash with the knife. He keeps the right hand close to the body in a blocking or punching position.
Jaime pairs off with Johnny. Alan pairs off with Paul. Luke pairs off with Marcos. They begin practice.
Another Angle
Sergio has returned from his assignment. Sergio, The Bear, The Colonel and The Major observe the knife fighting demonstration from the back of the gym.
CUT TO:
EXT. SHOOTING RANGE - THE NEXT MORNING
Jaime sits on the ground in firing position. He aims the sniper rifle at a target 200 meters in the distance. The Bear spots for him. Jaime aims and squeezes the trigger. The Bear looks at the target with binoculars.
BINOCULAR POV - TARGET
The target is hit dead center.
THE BEAR
Excellent.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HAM RADIO CLASSROOM - THAT NIGHT
The Bear, The Colonel and The Major are seated at a table with Sergio.
THE BEAR
I want the background information on Jaime.
SERGIO
He was brought up in New Jersey and New York. He graduated from college in Jersey City this past June. His grades were slightly above average. He is intelligent and a bit lazy, an underachiever.
THE BEAR
What's his family like.
SERGIO
Both parents are dead. His father died of cancer in 1965. His mother died with her brother and sister-in-law in a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1968.
(Pause)
He lives with his Grandmother and his younger Cousin Nick in New York City. They live in an apartment complex on the East Side, at First Avenue and East Fifteenth Street.
THE BEAR
What does his Grandmother do for a living?
SERGIO
She is an elementary school teacher nearing retirement.
THE BEAR
Are there any other relatives?
SERGIO
He has one unmarried uncle on his father's side. The uncle served an eighteen months prison sentence for manslaughter. Two mob guys tried to kill him in his bar in 1966. He was shot in the shoulder but managed to blow the assailants heads off with a double barrelled shotgun. According to the New York Police Department it was self protection. But he did some time anyway.
(Pause)
Uncle Jerry is an organized crime associate. Jaime works for him at his bar and grill in Greenpoint, Brooklyn every weekend. The NYPD have followed Jaime. Jaime loses them in the subway every time. Here's the report.
Sergio flips the report to The Bear.
The Bear looks at the paper and smiles.
THE BEAR
What about Jaime's friends?
SERGIO<
br />
He has two close friends. One is in the Marines serving in Vietnam. The other is doing a four years stint in the Navy.
THE BEAR
Does he have college friends, girl friends?
SERGIO
No college buddies. He has taken a few college girls out on dates. Just pizza and beer. Nothing serious.
THE BEAR
What are his work experience and personal habits?
SERGIO
Besides working at his uncle's bar Jaime tutors math. He minds his own business and stays out of trouble. He is quiet by nature. He likes movies and walks through Central Park with his cousin Nick. Occasionally he'll drink a beer and smoke a cigarette. He has no known drug use.
THE BEAR
I want everyone's opinion about Jaime's aptitude for this type of work.
SERGIO
He has excellent potential. His Uncle is a life long criminal and he trusts Jaime.
THE COLONEL
He enjoys working with the Ham Radio. I think he likes the training and discipline here.
THE MAJOR
He gets along with the other guys. He studies his Spanish diligently. He is intelligent. Jaime is a good recruit.
THE BEAR
I agree with you. Thanks gentlemen.
The Major and the Colonel exit. Sergio stays with The Bear.
THE BEAR (CONT'D)
Sergio, what's the full story on the killings in Uncle Jerry's bar back in 1966?
SERGIO
Jaime may have killed the mob guys to protect his uncle.
CUT TO:
INT. RECREATION ROOM - NIGHT
Jaime, Marcos, Alan and Paul sit at a card table. They drink beer and smoke Marlboros.
Rock and roll MUSIC plays in the background.
There is a projector and a screen set up. A dozen chairs are placed in front of the movie screen.
MARCOS
What is the movie tonight?
PAUL
(Canadian Accent)
Andy Warhol, "Trash".
Marcos laughs. Jaime speaks to Alan.
JAIME
Alan, I've been at this ranch for two months. Some of the girls who work here are decent looking.
ALAN
(Canadian Accent)
Forget about that. Two years ago, one of the guys got caught with a girl. They sent him right home. (Pause)
Hey, Paul play that new tape.
Paul leaves the table. He returns with a tape.
PAUL
You'll like this Jaime. It's the Allman Brother's Band.
Paul removes the rock and roll tape and puts the new tape into the eight track recorder. The MUSIC plays, "Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low; Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low, You got no nerve baby, to turn Uncle John from your door. I woke up this morning, I had them Statesboro Blues."
Everyone enjoys the music. Marcos starts jigging around.
VARIOUS ANGLES
Luke and Johnny enter the recreation room.
LUKE
We're going to run the movie. Nice music but turn it off.
Lights turn off and the SOUND of the movie projector begins.
The movie begins. A fat, sloppy BROAD dances and SINGS on screen, "And he burnt my coolly with a big cigar, Hey Momma look at me now."
Marcos busts out laughing.
CUT TO:
INT. JAIME'S ROOM - THE NEXT MORNING
Jaime sits at his desk. There is a calendar on the desk.
INSERT
The days on the monthly CALENDAR are marked off until the present date, Friday, September 3, 1971.
KNOCK at the door.
JAIME
Come in.
The Bear walks into the room, he leaves the door open.
THE BEAR
I want to show you something. Meet me in the rec-room in fifteen minutes.
CUT TO:
INT. RECREATION ROOM - DAY
The lights are out and a film runs. The movie screen shows a pile of dead bodies burning. The film shuts down and lights turn on.
VARIOUS ANGLES
Sergio turns off the projector.
Luke, Johnny, Jaime and The Bear have just watched the film.
Sergio walks over and joins them.
THE BEAR
This is Sergio.
Sergio and Jaime shake hands. The Bear directs his attention to Jaime.
THE BEAR (CONT'D)
Jaime, the three men that caused this atrocity are right here in Guatemala. Luke, Johnny and I are going after them.
(Pause)
This is your first assignment. Before you make a decision to participate, I want you to talk to Sergio.
The Bear, Luke and Johnny leave Sergio and Jaime in the recreation room.
SERGIO
Did you like the training here at the ranch?
JAIME
In all honesty, yes.
SERGIO
OK.
(Pause)
The three men responsible for burning the peasants are Guatemalan Military Officers.
JAIME
So our group has the contract to kill them, right?
SERGIO
That's right.
(Pause)
But Jaime, you don't have to do this. You can pack your bags. I can drive you to the airport right now.
JAIME
I'll take the assignment but I need to ask you a question.
SERGIO
Ask.
JAIME
When I want to quit this organization, can I walk away without any repercussions?
SERGIO
Yes. I give you my word that you can walk away.
(Pause)
If you become a valuable asset and quit, someday The Bear will show up and ask you to come back.
JAIME
Fair enough.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROAD THROUGH THE RANCH GATES - LATER THAT DAY
MOVING
Luke, the driver, and Johnny, the passenger, sit in a Jeep. They drive through the ranch gates.
The Bear drives a second Jeep with Jaime seated beside him.
CLOSER
Jaime turns and looks at the gates of the ranch, "BIENVENIDOS A SAMBALANGA." This repeats the first scene in the movie.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
MOVING
Both Jeeps travel north passing the town of Zacapa. There are peasants and traffic in the town. They cross the Montagua River. The Jeeps go off road into a dense forest. The sun is blocked by foliage. It is hot and steamy. The Jeeps come to a stop, one behind the other.
CUT TO:
EXT. JUNGLE - DAY
Luke, Johnny, Jaime and The Bear walk through the Guatemalan jungle. Luke, Johnny and Jaime are armed with sniper rifles. The Bear is armed with his Colt Commander Automatic.
THE BEAR
Set those rifles for a single shot.
EXT. HILL - DAY
They walk up a hill through a heavily wooded area. Two hundred meters below the hill stands a cabin in a clearing.
The Bear points to his watch. Luke, Johnny and Jaime synchronize their watches.
THE BEAR
Four minutes.
Johnny and Luke take off to the east side of the cabin.
The Bear points to a forward area and walks briskly. Jaime follows.
EXT. FRONT OF CABIN - DAY
SCOPE POV - THREE MEN
THREE MEN stand at the front door of the cabin. They are all dressed in camouflage field uniforms. They light cigarettes, stand and talk.
EXT. BRUSH - MOMENTS LATER
Jaime, looks through the scope and aims the sniper rifle. The Bear spots for Jaime.
THE BEAR
The range to the cabin is seventy-five meters. Shoot the tall thin guy on the right side.
EXT. BRUSH - MOMENTS LATER
Johnny and Luke are in the brush 100 meters east of The Bear and Jaime's position. Johnny aims his sniper rifle at the middleman. Luk
e points his rifle at the fat guy on the left.
Three shots are fired simultaneously.
EXT. FRONT OF CABIN - DAY
Heads explode. Three smoking bodies lie dead in front of the cabin.
EXT. BRUSH - DAY
Jaime and The Bear stand after the shots have been fired.
CUT TO:
EXT. FRONT OF CABIN - DAY
VARIOUS ANGLES
The Two Jeeps drive into the clearing in front of the cabin. Luke and Johnny exit the first jeep. They walk over to inspect the three dead bodies. The Bear and Jaime jump out of the second Jeep and wait. Johnny turns toward Luke.
JOHNNY
Go get the body bags.
Luke takes three body bags from the back of his jeep. Jaime walks over to Luke and grabs a bag. Luke carries the other two body bags.
Johnny and The Bear, Luke and Jaime proceed to place the bodies into the bags. They load two bodies into Johnny and Luke's Jeep and one body into The Bear's Jeep. They quickly clean the area in front of the cabin.
The cars drive away from the scene.
CUT TO:
EXT. SINK HOLE - DAY
Johnny and Luke dump the three bodies, one after the other, into a large, deep sink hole. The bodies disappear into the darkness.
Jaime and The Bear stand and watch.
EXT. ROAD BACK TO THE RANCH - DUSK
MOVING
The two Jeeps ride down the highway.
INT. THE BEAR'S JEEP
The Bear drives and Jaime is the passenger.
THE BEAR
There are Mayan ruins, a couple of kilometers down the road in that direction.
The Bear nods his head toward the passenger side of the Jeep.
JAIME
Fuck the Mayan ruins.
The Bear smiles.
CUT TO:
INT. STELLA MARIS HOTEL, MEXICO CITY 1971 - NIGHT
TITLE CARD: - STELLA MARIS HOTEL, MEXICO CITY - FOUR DAYS LATER
Jaime sits at a desk. He reads a Spanish language newspaper, The EXCELSIOR.
INSERT
EXCELSIOR, martes, 7 de septiember, 1971.
KNOCK at the door.
JAIME
Come in, it's opened.
Luke walks over to Jaime.
LUKE
Do you have the James Andrews passport?
JAIME
Yeah, right here.
He pulls the passport from inside his sports jacket pocket and hands it to Luke.
LUKE
Here are your passport and plane ticket to New York City. You take an Eastern Airlines flight tomorrow morning.
(Pause)
I got eight grand for you.
He hands Jaime the passport, plane ticket and envelope containing eight thousand dollars.
LUKE (CONT'D)
Did you like that steak dinner?
JAIME
Yeah, great steak.
LUKE
Johnny will call you in New York City next week.
JAIME
OK.
LUKE
I need to make a call.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Luke takes the telephone from the desk, places a call and hangs up.
LUKE (CONT'D)
Now you should relax.
KNOCK at the door. Luke opens it. A tall, light-eyed GIRL, light brown hair with fantastic legs walks in. She is about twenty years old.
LUKE (CONT'D)
Enjoy yourself.
Luke leaves the room and closes the door. Jaime stares at the beautiful Girl.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY - DAY
TITLE CARD: MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY - ONE WEEK LATER
INSERT
Street SIGN: E. 16TH STREET AND 5TH AVENUE
Johnny Walker and Jaime walk east toward Union Square.
Johnny goes into a drug store while Jaime waits outside. The SIGN on the store says CITY DRUGS.
In a few seconds Johnny is back on the street. Johnny takes a swig from a bottle of Robotussin AC cough medicine.
INSERT
ROBOTUSSIN AC
JOHNNY
I have a little cough. This stuff helps.
JAIME
Right.
They walk back west on East 16th Street and go North up 5th Avenue. They enter a diner.
INT. DINER - DAY
Seated in the diner at the counter and in booths are: a few Business Men, some New York University Professor Types, old Beatniks and young College Hippies.
A jukebox plays HARD ROCK MUSIC.
Jaime drinks a cup of coffee.
Johnny dips a tea bag into a cup. He adds milk and sugar. He sips the tea. Johnny then gets up, goes to the jukebox and drops a few coins in. MUSIC by the Temptations begins, "You got a smile so bright."
When he returns to the booth, Johnny pulls a large envelope from inside his jacket. He removes some documents.
JOHNNY
(Slightly slurred speech)
Plane ticket, first class, Air France to Paris. Connecting coach flight Alitalia, Paris to Rome. You got your passport?
JAIME
Yes.
JOHNNY
You leave Kennedy Airport, Friday September seventeenth at six PM. You go through immigration and customs in Paris.
JAIME
OK.
JOHNNY
I have a thousand dollars traveling money for you inside this envelope.
Johnny puts the plane tickets back inside the big envelope and hands it to Jaime.
JOHNNY (CONT'D)
What did you tell your Grandma?
JAIME
I told her I have a teaching job in the private American School in Rome. I'll be home for Christmas. (Pause)
What do I do when I get to Rome?
JOHNNY
Take a taxi cab from DaVinci Airport in Rome to the Hotel Quattro Fontani. Luke will be at the hotel. Luke will take care of you.
CUT TO:
INT. GRANDMOTHER'S A