How to Read/Listen? This is an “emergent script” (a script written after a sandbox TTRPG Session) that is “Musically Scored” with a Spotify playlist available at the very bottom of this post. So, you do you. My suggestion is that you start the Playlist at the very bottom and just come back up here and read. Then stop reading and listen when appropriate. Or pause the music and then catch to up the “score” if it starts getting ahead of the scenes.
Name Key Below – Green is for Player Characters, Orange is for Party Companions (regular NPCs).
Scene 1: “Flashback 1 (After School, December 18, 1987)”
The scene opens on two young male teenagers sitting on a curb in a school parking lot. One is wearing an oxford button collar shirt with a tie with a Van Gogh “Starry Night” pattern and corduroy pants. He has dark hair and eyes and is pale. He has longish hair barely above the collar. He is of stocky, broad build but is of barely medium height for his age. The other has on a blue patterned shirt and a black skinny tie and is sporting black parachute-like pants. He wears glasses and has spiky hair and a “safe”, easily hidden rat tail in the back. He is taller but very skinny, also with dark hair and eyes and more tanned skin. They both have bookbag backpacks next to them and the skinny kid is holding a wooden baseball bat.
“Man, your brother is late”, says the skinny teen. He continues, “I mean you gotta get to work and I gotta get to work too. Its already 4.” The other teen looks at his watch, “Its almost Christmas and Trevor just got back from Germany. He told me that he had some shopping to do for the family, Hector. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” “Germany. Its probably colder than Philadelphia. But they have great techno there. Kraftwerk, man. You ever heard them, Don?”, the skinny teen asks. “No”, Don replies, continuing, “You keep telling me you are going to make me a tape.” “OK, I will, I promise, man, its just every time I start, I start wanting to make samples to lay out some beats. Everybody samples those guys.”, Hector starts making beep-boop noises and then proceeds to badly beatbox.
We see three other teenagers, all significantly taller and dressed a bit more preppy than the two sitting on the curb. They are walking towards a blue 1967 Mustang. The tallest one opens the door and starts the car. Music (Track One, below) begins. It will play in the background as if on on a car stereo throughout most of the scene. The other two start to get in the car but start looking over at Don and Hector and whispering. One pokes his head in the passenger side and says something we can’t ear. Then he begins walking over to Don and Hector with the other teen. The tall one gets out of the car with the radio still playing loud and joins them. “Oh no, I hope those guys don’t start fucking with us man. Where’s your brother? I hate fucking St. John Neumann High”, Hector moans to Don.
“What’s up Duffy? Why does your geek friend have a bat? He can’t play shit”, says the big teen. “Just leave us alone, O’Neal, we aren’t bothering anyone”, Don replies. “Well, that’s not very social. I asked a question. You don’t need the bat, you got cut from the team after two weeks because you’re so useless. So who’s bat is it?”, O’Neal continues. “If you must know, Its mine. I made it in woodshop. Its for Doug. Doug Jayan”, Don offers, “Are you happy now? Just leave us alone, man.” “Well isn’t that cute. A Christmas present for you girlfriend. He’s a Catcher so you’re the Pitcher?”, O’Neal says as he snatches the bat out of Hector’s hands. “Hey, give that back, man!”, Hector says as he moves to get up, but one of the other teens pushes him back into a sitting position. The three teens laugh. Don stands up, “Look, give me the bat. Its not yours.” O’Neal looks to his left at his friend and winks, “You want the bat? OK.” He holds it out. When Don reaches for it, he tosses it sideways for his friend. Don intercepts it, grabbing it in mid-air. O’Neal smiles and grabs the bat with one hand. Don with two hands starts to try and wrench it away without success. O’Neal starts laughing and puts on a casual demeanor with one hand holding onto the bat. Don tries again and gets it away from O’Neal. “Fuck you, O’Neal”, he mutters. O’Neal punches Don in the stomach. Don doubles over. We see a red brand-new IROC Z28 Camaro drive in behind them. A Man, 21, about 6’2″ in an Army Dress Uniform wearing PFC stripes gets out of the car in a rush with the motor running.
“What are you fucks doing! Leave my brother alone!”, says Trevor. The teens back off and make their way to the Mustang. “Sorry, Duff we were just playing around man”, says O’Neal. “I’ll play around with your skull you idiot! You sucker-punched my brother. Get out of here before I get into trouble!”, Duff glares at them. They scatter. He looks back at Don and his expression completely changes and he smiles, “I love this fucking car! You ok, bro? Just spit a bit. That way you won’t puke. Man this place sure ain’t changed”, He looks around, “But let’s go. Party time for me tonight!” End Scene. Hard Cut.
Track 1: “Saturday Night” by Schoolly D, 1986.
Scene 2: Opening Credits
Actor and Main personnel credits over montage scenes of militaries moving, Jets flying, politicians talking through the Cold War in B&W and up to the current date of setting where it becomes color after the anti-Gorbachev Coup of the timeline, with shots of combat, protests in streets, and finally nukes, destruction etc.
Main Cast: 1SG Adler Keller (Bryce), 2LT Kathryn Twarowski (Gordon), 2LT Donovan Duffy (Ned), SSG Bob Beck (Scott), SGT Paul Holman (Paul), SSG Ash Marsh (Shannon).
Track 2: “Fascination Street“ by The Cure, 1987.
Scene 3: “Neatly Stacked”
The camera opens on SSG Beck riding in the lead HMMWV manning the M-60 Machinegun The camera does a 360 view and we see the M35 2 1/2 Ton Truck behind the lead HMMWV with 1SG Keller in the empty weapons mount holding an M-16. SPC Lane is driving the Truck, “The Deuce” and SSG Marsh is in the passenger seat. They are driving down a poor dirt road in the woods which are to their left and right. We now see Beck’s POV and he spots a clearing to his right beyond the woods with something in them. “0705 15 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen.
Beck bangs on the roof of the HMMWV and then raises his right arm with a fist. We see Keller bang on the roof of the cab of the Deuce and do the same. The convoy halts. Beck shouts downward from his weapon mount into the lead HMMWV, “There’s a clearing a hundred or so meters off the the right! Something is in there!” We see 2LT Duffy in the driver’s seat and 2LT Twarowski in the back seat on the right side with radio like equipment taking up the other back seat. “OK, lets check it out!”, Twarowski yells back, and she gets on the radio, “Brick 1 to Brick 2 and Brick 3…..”
Cut to 2LT Twarowski, 2LT Duffy, 1SG Keller, SSG Beck, SSG Marsh, MAJ Piper, CPT Melville, CW2 McConnell, SGT Swain, SPC Jacques, SPC Randall and SPC Lane standing in a clearing. Music begins (Track Three, below) begins and plays in the background. We see their faces. They are staring at something. We hear a faint buzzing sound. Lane vomits, and the others pull up bandanas over their faces and mouths. All look aghast except Beck, Keller and McConnell who takes whatever they are looking at stoically. We see their view, briefly. There is a stack of at least a dozen bodies wearing US Army uniforms. Flies are buzzing around them.
Cut to 2LT Twarowski, 2LT Duffy, 1SG Keller, SSG Beck, SSG Marsh, CW2 McConnell and SGT Swain conferring in a circle. Keller is speaking, “…when we bury them after we search them, remember, one dog tag goes in each mouth. That is for remains identification. We keep the other for return to proper authorities when we can. I’ll try and get a fix on what this grid coordinate is to inform USAREUR when we contact them, whenever that is. They were obviously marched in here as prisoners and then shot.” McConnell speaks up, “That one on the top, in civilian clothes? That guy is a Special Forces Operator. He was a member of one of the Special Forces teams in 5th Infantry Division’s Area of Operations that I was responsible for relaying communications and coded messages to Corps on behalf of. Remember, the briefings before the offensive?”, he asks looking at Twarowski. “Yeah, vaguely”, she replies, “That was your lane and I had a lot on my plate, we all did.” “Well there should be two more, if this guy is here. Maybe they got killed earlier, but there is a shot they are around”, McConnell continues, “I recommend that we search the area. They may have valuable intel from their ops as well as equipment and supplies. One thing those guys were involved in was preparing cache sites for friendlies behind the lines in case we had to fall back. This team was operating out of Łask Air Base co-located with the 256 BDE there.” “I think that’s worth the time?”, Twarowski looks at everyone else. Beck shakes his head as does Marsh and Duffy gives a thumbs up. “Good use of time while we search and bury these troops, ma’am”, Keller opines. “Worth a shot”, McConnell restates, “Swain is trained in making an organized search as well, I think he’d be valuable, and I can get the Major and the Captain off your hands, Ma’am. They probably aren’t up for digging”, he grins grimly. Twarowski nods. “I’ll join you”, says Beck. “Good eyes are welcome”, says McConnell, “Anyone else?” “I’ll help”, says Marsh, “We should leave one walkie here, one with Holman, Rzad and Ramirez by the vehicles on the road and we should take the third.” “OK, check in at 0900”, Twarowski instructs. “Will do”, says McConnell. Music stops. “0753 15 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen.
Cut to Keller reporting to Duffy and Twarowski, “…we’re wrapping up the search, it didn’t take long. These guys we’re picked clean. They all have noting. Not even a bubble gum wrapper. Just 6 canteens of water.” “I’ll make some crosses for the graves”, says Duffy, “Even if they weren’t religious or Christian, it’ll at least mark them.” “Who does this?”, Twarowski asks rhetorically, with anger in her voice.
Cut to McConnell back by the road with SSG Beck, SSG Marsh, MAJ Piper, CPT Melville and SGT Swain. Marsh is in the background handing a walkie and speaking with Holman, Rzad and Ramirez. “So anyone, whether moving quickly to escape or marching some prisoners to a place you want to execute them, is going to try and take the path of least resistance in a forest. That clearing is to the west, deeper in the forest and this road we are on, we reckon it is 500 m or so from the clear area on this map to the east.”
“OK, so what do you suggest?”, asks Beck. “We go over there west of this road to that area. Its a good place to start, the forest isn’t that thick there”, McConnell suggests, pointing, “It was less work for whoever it was to get into the woods. I’m betting these guys were fleeing Łask Air Base after the shit hit the fan. They weren’t on foot. So they were probably nabbed outside the forest to the east. That also means if someone got away they were trying to get into the woods. Not perfect, but its a start.” Marsh rejoins them. “OK, lets go”, says Beck.
Cut to McConnell’s POV. He is in an area of thinner woods. He looks and can see Beck to the North about 50 m away. He looks in the other direction and he sees Marsh to the South about 50 m away. Both are searching. Melville is near McConnell and Piper is nearby looking around. We hear Swain’s voice, “Over here Chief.” McConnell and Melville walk over to Swain. Swain points. There is a dead bearded man in civilian clothes with old dark bloodstains near his groin and down his pants leg. He is sitting with his back against a tree partially obscured by dead branches on the ground. He is holding a M1911 .45 Pistol. “When you gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose”, says McConnell taking the pistol from the dead man. He begins talking to himself pondering, “You know you’re bleeding out. You hurt real bad. Where did you hide it?” He begins looking around. He walks over to a clump of desiccated leaves and branches 10 m away. He digs around, “Good job. Followed the training. All the goods and taskings. At least try to keep the sensitive stuff out of the enemy’s hands.” He holds a small leather backpack, opens it and glances inside “And the Life Chit with the golden tickets.” He casually puts the .45 pistol in the backpack and shoulders it. We see his POV and Marsh is looking over from 50 m away. He waves Marsh over. He looks at Swain, “Sergeant, would you go get Sergeant Beck?” Swain walks a few meters away and begins waving to the North. McConnell looks at Melville, “This is it. Follow my play if I make it”, he says quietly. Marsh is almost there and Piper is approaching. “Sergeant Marsh, you have the binoculars, can you see that out there?”, He says pointing outside the treeline into the clear terrain beyond. We see some dark shapes. We then have Marsh’s POV as he looks through the binoculars. We see what Marsh sees. “Looks like a burned out Deuce and Hummer. And a Pickup truck. Isuzu, I think”, Marsh reports. “Our amigo here ran from there”, McConnell says gesturing at the dead man by the tree. Swain and Beck return. “Shall we check out the vehicles out there?”, McConnell asks. “Well we don’t want to get too separated, we just have the one walkie”, Beck replies. “Good point. You take it. Keep Sergeant Swain with you here. I’ll head out there with Captain Melville here. Any trouble, we’ll fire a pistol shot and run back. But it looks deserted”, McConnell proposes. “OK”, Beck nods. “I’ll join you, Chief“, Major Piper interjects, “There may be classified equipment or data there.” “Roger that, Sir”, McConnell responds. “You may need an extra rifle, I’ll head out there with you, if you don’t mind Chief“, Marsh offers. “The more the merrier”, McConnell replies. End Scene.
Track 3: “Der Marktplatz“ by Popol Vuh, 1987.
Scene 4: “Flashback 2 (Afternoon Ride, December 18, 1987)”
The camera opens on a POV shot of a red IROZ Z28 speeding down a road as the Music (Track Four, below) begins and will play throughout the scene as if blaring on the car stereo. The POV changes to the interior and we see Trevor driving, Don in the passenger seat and Hector in the back. “This car is da bomb!”, Hector says loudly to be heard over the music, “Is that a Blaupunkt stereo?” “With CD and Cassette!”, Trevor yells back, “What good is an enlistment bonus unless you can get a cool car? Now I just gotta figure out how to get it shipped to Germany!” “Well, if you get accepted to airborne, that would be a waste!”, Don yells, “You’ll be in Georgia for a while!” “That’ll take months to get processed! I need the damen to be impressed with the wheels!”, Trevor yells back, “We’ll see what Mom says about a loan!” “Why are you driving so fast?”, Hector yells. “I gotta get a move on, me and the old boys are going out to part-ay”, Trevor yells back, “Gotta hurry up, because I was late buying supplies!” We see a bag at Don’s feet with some 40L Malt Liquor in them and another smaller bag wrapped up. “Late buying 40s?”, Don yells. “Well that and some threads in the trunk!”, Trevor yells back, “I need some fine threads for after dark! The uniform needs a break, though its great for free drinks!” “Aren’t you supposed to ear it while on this leave?”, Don asks, yelling. “That’s a flexible thing!”, Trevor yells back, “Anyways, I fuckin’ love the Army. Penn State was a mistake. Better to go to college when I have a career lined up and it’s time to make officer. Get a scholarship and let the Army pay for it!” “Right!”, yells Don. The car screeches to a halt in front of a modest but nice brownstone house. Don gets out to let Hector out. Hector jumps out, “Your brother is so boss, man! You’re lucky!” “I am, yeah”, Says Don. He gets back in the car. It speeds off. End Scene.
Track 4: “Let It Rock“ by Bon Jovi, 1986.
Scene 5: “Ambush Site”
We see a camera shot of SSG Marsh, MAJ Piper, CPT Melville and CW2 McConnell looking at something. Music (Track Five , below) begins and will play in the scene until it finishes and then Music (Track Six, below) will immediately follow after that. Then we see their POV; there is a badly burned out 2 1/2 ton truck about 25 m away. It’s front is facing us. To the left is an Isuzu Hombre Pickup truck. It is about 15 m away and it’s front is pointed at the 2 1/2 ton truck. To the right is a shot up and partially burned HMMWV with an M-60 still mounted on it. It is about 20 m away and it’s front is pointed at the pickup truck. “This is where it all started”, McConnell observes, “They got ambushed, surrendered and got marched off. The SF guys ran? Maybe one got recaptured? Either the vehicles got set on fire after getting picked over or they were already on fire. The pickup was the SF vehicle. Blends somewhat in Poland, but a lot less these days. It looks fine. Strange they didn’t take it.” “I’ll search the Hummer”, Marsh says and walks over to it. We have his POV. He examines the M-60. Then he goes and examines the interior of the vehicle seemingly finding nothing. Then he walks around back and we see Major Piper bringing a case of something from the Deuce to near where the pickup truck is, where we saw McConnell and Melville walking towards when Marsh headed off. Marsh goes around the rear of the HMMWV and opens up the trunk and begins rummaging around. It looks picked clean. Then we hear a gunshot, very close. And a vehicle starting.
Still having Marsh’s POV we look around the HMMWV which is obstructing our POV. We see MAJ Piper on the ground on his back. Behind him is CPT Melville with a drawn M-16 and the open passenger door of the pickup truck behind him. The pickup begins to accelerate and move slamming the door shut by motion. Marsh moves out with his M-16 drawn. Melville looks deflated and begins to lower his weapon slightly. We see McConnell in the pickup driving away at top speed. Marsh fires one round at it. It goes through the windshield. The truck continues to accelerate past Marsh. He fires again. A round hits the pickup bed and the vehicle speeds off. He points his weapon at Melville, “I think you better drop that and get on the ground, Sir, with you hands behind your head.” Swain and Beck run up with weapons drawn. “What the fuck is going on!”, Beck yells pointing his weapons at Marsh and Melville. “I think you had better ask the Captain, Sergeant Beck. But Major Piper is in deep trouble. Beck rushes to Piper who is gurgling, trying to catch his breath and bleeding from the chest and mouth. End Scene.
Track 5: “Sunday Afternoon in the Park “ by Van Halen, 1981.
Track 6: “One Foot out the Door” by Van Halen, 1981.
Scene 6: “Flashback 3 (Night, December 18, 1987)”
The camera opens on a pink neon sign that says “Pietri’s”. The camera pans out. We see the front of a restaurant. It seems like a well-kept nice establishment. There is a take out window and counter on the left side and some seats in an outside area that are all full. People are going into the restaurant. The camera follows a couple inside.
Music (Track Seven, below) begins and will play in the scene until it finishes as if playing lightly in the background in the restaurant. The camera continues to follow the couple and we see various scenes: An older maître d’ in his early 60s impeccably dressed in a three piece suit and with a waxed handlebar mustache directing a waiter and then seeing to some customers; Two waiters with trays barely missing each other in a collision and then proceeding safely on their way. A 4’10” woman in a dark blue dress finishing greeting patrons at a table, one says “could we get some Frank, what is this?”; A blonde teenaged busboy finishing clearing a table as Don then follows and sets the table.
Don finishes with the table and heads over to the bussing station where the blonde busboy is consolidating multiple glasses and dishes into a tub. We see him take a drink from a half finished alcoholic drink. Don says, “Ew, Doug, gross.” “Dude, you can sneak a little buzz, you should try it. That’s a whiskey sour, the dude didn’t even touch it. Go ahead man”, Doug whispers. “You can sneak a little flu too. Are you sure it hasn’t been touched?”, Don whispers back. Doug nods. Don looks around furtively and drinks about half and starts coughing. Doug laughs, “Slow down, cowboy. By the way thanks for the bat. I’ll grab it from the office after close.” Doug bustles off through two doors to the kitchen and we hear a brief loud noise after it opens and then its quiet as they shut. “You better hustle, honey, its gonna be slammed tonight”, the woman in the dark blue dress who we saw earlier says as she approaches Don. She gets a suspicious look on her face and gives him some side eye, “Hey, what’s that I smell? Something on your breath? Huh? Huh?” She begins to begin on her tip toes and sniffs repeatedly. “It’s lemonade, Ma”, Don says, a little sheepishly. “OK, well remember”, and she points to her eyes with two fingers and then points back at him with the two fingers, “I’m watchin’, Mister, I got eyes in the back of my head.” She continues, “Such a hard worker”, she pinches his cheek and he blushes, “OK, get in the kitchen, we need more plates.”
The camera follows Don into the kitchen. The chef and a cook are arguing loudly in Greek and Italian about a meal. There is a dishwasher watching a portable television with a football game on, “No! No!!!”, he cries as the announcer describes an interception being returned for a touchdown. Don pauses to watch for a second. A woman about 20 in slacks and a blouse walks over and watches for a second. She looks at Don, “Christo probably has money on the game. You doing OK tonight?” “Yeah, its busy but Doug and I are handling it. Mom was giving me a complete investigation thinking I was having a drink or something”, Don replies. “She used to check my purse after quitting time. I mean she was my ride home!”, the woman replies. They both laugh. “I have to get back in the office. I have to finish the accounts. At least the semester is over and I don’t have any assignments. I have to meet Paul for a movie after we close. I hope I don’t fall asleep”, the Woman pats him on the shoulder. She is about 5’5″ with longish dark hair.
She walks off towards an office with a glass window that can see the kitchen and we hear a phone ring. Don is waiting for plates and we hear the woman answer the phone. She says “What!?!” in a really loud voice. Don looks over and she looks pale and chastened. She puts the phone down. She walks out of the office. She walks to a freezer with the door open. “Dad, there’s a man on the phone for you”, she says. “OK, Maggie, I’m coming”, a man in his mid to late 40s, balding with dark hair is there. He stands about 6′. He begins taking off work gloves. “I think it’s the compressor, and I think I have it licked. Who is it?”, the man asks. Maggie whispers something. Don tries to eavesdrop but just hears whispers. The man’s face takes on a grave expression. The man heads into the office and shuts the door. We see the man get on the phone. He talks. He listens. He talks. He listens. Then he hangs up the phone. He stands, both hands on the desk in the office. Then he shouts and we hear him muffled. He grabs the bat which is leaning against the desk and he smashes it against the chair, the desk, the wall for a few minutes. He knocks over a lamp that he breaks. Then he sits down and cries in his hands.
Don tries to go towards the office door but Maggie stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “No Don, Dad needs his space. It happened again”, she says sadly, “Trevor wrapped the car around a telephone pole and one of his friends is in the hospital. They arrested him and found drugs. Its Penn State all over again. There goes the Army.” “How can we help them? How can we help him?”, Don says, his voice a little choked. “We just have to pick up the slack”, Maggie answers. End Scene.
Track 7: “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)“ by David Bowie, 1986.
Scene 7: “Consequence Management”
The camera opens on 2LT Twarowski, 2LT Duffy, 1SG Keller, SSG Beck, SSG Marsh. They are crouching and kneeling in a small circle. Beck is speaking in a quiet tone, “So Melville says that this was McConnell’s idea. Evidently there were gold krugerrands and other sensitive info and items that they found with the dead man. Swain confirms that. I think McConnell was working on Melville for a while. And then he saw his chance and made his move. Bastard.” Keller responds, “That would have been their life chit and whatever they needed to conduct operations. Who knows what other intel they had that he took?” “Well with what Lane said about the radio contact yesterday and thinking another party may have been intercepting it, and now we find out from him that McConnell has been on the radio live when on radio watch, we have to question everything now”, Marsh offers, continuing, “We have to assume that code is broken and that everything we know and plan to do has or will be compromised. We don’t know, but its all suspicious and we can’t take the chance.” They all nod in assent. “I’ll change the frequency and the code protocols at 1400 today with Masterlez”, Twarowski says, “There’s only one more protocol before the method is exhausted and I don’t think Masterlez can get us a new book of the same edition to start a new code or vice versa. He’s far away.” “Well, all codes were made to be broken”, Duffy says, “That starts to happen the moment you start using them.”
Duffy continues, holding up three green notebooks bound with an elastic band, “Where did you guys find these, Sergeant Beck?” “At the Ambush site. We found two more dead soldiers and the third Special Forces Operator. All picked clean. These were buried under some debris a few meters from where he died. So including Major Piper that’s 20 men buried in that clearing” “Well, speaking of codes, there is some information in here”, Duffy relates eagerly, “It’s coded but I can break it. At first glance it’s last date of entry as 11 July. It seems to be records of what they were doing, looking for or to be aware of.”
Marsh changes the subject, “What do we do about Captain Melville?” Twarowski speaks up, “I’m the Acting OIC now, I have date of rank on Lieutenant Duffy. We’ll leave him behind. We need to get going soon, we have to make progress today.” Beck speaks up, “Ma’am you should really give a speech to the Detachment. The OIC just died and this whole thing has everyone shaken up.” Keller agrees, “You really need to do that, Ma’am. We should do that and present the best face to everyone. In my opinion the best thing to do is to tell them the truth.” “OK, lets gather everyone together. We’ll meet in five minutes and then get loaded and head out”, Twarowski agrees.
As the meeting breaks up, Twarowski pulls Beck aside, “Sergeant Beck I want you to take Melville to that clearing. Give him one canteen, 3 MREs and his 9mm with one bullet.” Beck answers, “Roger that. Sergeant Swain is with him now. Do you want us to question him about anything else?” “See what you can get, yes. I doubt he’ll have anything useful though”, Twarowski replies. They separate, walking in different directions.
Cut to 2LT Twarowski, 2LT Duffy, 1SG Keller, SSG Marsh, SGT Holman, SPC Jacques, SPC Randall, SPC Lane, PFC Ramirez and PVT Rzad in a group near the vehicles. 2LT Twarowski, 2LT Duffy, 1SG Keller and SSG Marsh are standing together. Twarowski is in mid sentence, “…we all need to stick together. I don’t know what was going on with Chief McConnell, but he betrayed us and betrayed our trust. Major Piper tried to stop him and he died a hero. I am the Acting OIC now, and I need your help. But really we all need to help each other. And help our friends. By trusting each other, helping each other and sticking together we can survive this place. And get home.” Keller puts his hand on Twarowski’s shoulder, “We’ve got your back, ma’am.”
Cut to SSG Beck, SGT Swain and CPT Melville in the clearing. Beck and Swain have weapons drawn and Melville is kneeling, hands behind his back, speaking, “…he said this whole rescue thing was stupid. Suicide. That the troops at the air base are dead or about to be dead. That what we needed to do was to get out in a small group with no ‘dead weight.’ He’d been telling me that for days, telling me that a small group could negotiate safety in this place with the right resources. I believed him. Still do, kinda. But here we are. What are you gonna do, shoot me?” “Here’s 3 MREs, a Canteen…”, Beck says throwing them on the ground. He pulls out a M9 9mm Pistol and removes the clip. We also see him remove the round from the chamber. He puts it in a holster and throws that on the ground and continues, “…and here’s a weapon. Good luck. I hope it was worth it.” He turns to walk off and Swain follows. “Whatever…”, we hear Melville mumble to himself behind them.
Cut to the meeting we saw previously, Twarowski says, “Any questions?” Lane raises his hand, “What will happen to Captain Melville?” Twarowski responds, “We’ll leave him here with some food, water and his weapon. We’re not barbarians. But technically speaking, he isn’t part of this command. Any other questions? OK then, lets mount up.” Marsh walks over to Ramirez and Randall, “Are you guys OK?” “I just can’t believe the Chief was a traitor”, Randall says shaking his heed and looking down. “He was an Asshole!”, Ramirez says loudly, “Remember back at the chocolate factory?! He wanted to abandon everyone but the officers and senior NCOs. Everyone! ‘Dead weight!’ ‘Extra food consumers!’ He said that to the Major back in the TOC! I heard him! Asshole!” “But that didn’t happen”, Marsh says calmly, “Because we all took care of each other.” “You’re right, Sergeant, I’m just glad he’s gone”, Ramirez agrees. “Good, lets get mounted up. Sergeant Beck and Sergeant Swain are back”, Marsh says as wee see the two Sergeants walk into scene.
Cut to Beck in the lead HMMWV in the M-60 gunner mount. “1035 15 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen. He looks back and see the Deuce with Keller in the cupola. He looks in his hand at the 9mm round he took from the chamber of Melville‘s weapon. The engines are running. He pounds his fist on the roof, “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Music (Track 8, Below) begins to play. The vehicle starts to drive through the forest on the dirt road. A montage begins; there is no sound or dialogue, the music is in the foreground.
Cut to Marsh looking at Lane as Lane drives the Deuce. Cut to Rzad looking at Jacques cleaning his M-16 in the back of the Deuce. She looks over at a pack that has “Piper” stenciled on it. Cut to Randall sitting in the back of the rear HMWVV. He looks at SGT Swain driving. Then he looks out at the countryside. Cut to the convoy in a far shot. The exit the woods. It is an overcast day. They drive on a country road. Then they drive on a side road that goes under an expressway. We see Holman at the M-60 Mount on the rear HMWVV look at a destroyed bus on the expressway off ramp. Then they enter another set of woods. We see the convoy driving on another dirt road in the woods. We see Beck signal to a side road in the woods. The convoy turns. The convoy turns around in a dead-end sort of cul-de-sac and people begin to dismount and all begin to set up camp. Cut to Don, back in 1987 as he enters the now empty and discombobulated office in the restaurant and get the bat. He looks at a picture of his brother Trevor in a football uniform with his dad on the wall. He then examines the bat, looking for rough spots or damage. Cut to Duffy in the present day with his gear organized. He gets out the notebooks and begins examining them. Cut to Twarowski being delivered a metal box by Keller. It says “Co. D, 341 MI BN (WA NG)” on masking tape on the top. She opens it. It has thick files that say “201” with names of people in the Detachment on the tabs. She pulls out one that says, “McConnell” and begins to examine it. Cut to Melville back at the clearing. He gets his gun out of the holster. He examines it and throws it on the ground. Cut to the Isuzu pickup truck. It is stopped. McConnell is wearing a bandanna and sunglasses. We see what he sees, two locals with two hand wagons. He starts up the vehicle and begins to drive toward them. Cut to Beck consulting with Lane. They finish discussing whatever they were discussing. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out the 9mm bullet and looks at it. Hard Cut to black, End Scene.
Full Credits on Black. Music (below) continues to play over credits until end.
Track 8: “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode, 1987
Full Cast Credits:
Main Cast: 1SG Adler Keller (Bryce), 2LT Kathryn Twarowski (Gordon), 2LT Donovan Duffy (Ned), SSG Bob Beck (Scott), SGT Paul Holman (Paul), SSG Ash Marsh (Shannon).
Recurring Cast: SPC Jacques, SPC Lane, CW2 McConnell, CPT Melville, MAJ Piper, PFC Ramirez, SPC Randall, PVT Rzad, SGT Swain.