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Two short, dark-skinned men in khaki army uniforms stand at attention at the embassy gates. INT. BRITISH EMBASSY COMPOUND - DAY Two more dark-skinned soldiers in khaki uniforms step out of the embassy and cross the compound. They each carry M-1 carbines. The younger of the two is TENZING, he is twenty years old. The older man is GUENG, h is forty-eight years old. They both speak English with Indian/British accents. TENZING GUENG TENZING GUENG TENZING GUENG EXT. BRITISH EMBASSY - DAY Tenzing and Gueng relieve the two Gurkhas at the gate. The moment they get to their positions they freeze at attention. Tenzing watches as thousands of people appear and line the streets. The people don't seem festive. They seem angry and disgruntled. There is a strange murmur as the crowd amasses and mills about. Tenzing glances at his fellow Gurkha, Gueng, who glances back and raises his eyebrow. For Gueng to break attention means something is definitely up. EXT. KORONGA BLVD. - DAY The parade begins and the TOGOLESE ARMY comes marching past. They are all black men in American camouflage uniforms with Israeli Uzi submachines over their shoulders. There is a tension apparent in all of their faces, their hands gripping their weapons tightly. EXT. BRITISH EMBASSY - DAY Both Gurkhas are startled by a horn honking behind them. Tenzing and Gueng turn to see the british Ambassador, SIR IAN CARMICHAEL and his wife, LADY ANNE, both very distinguished and in their mid-sixties, sitting in their beautiful chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. The Gurkhas open the gate and snap to attention. In Tenzing's six months in Togo he had never spoken to the Ambassador. But now he feels compelled. TENZING Gueng's eyebrows raise again. This was improper behavior for a Gurkha. Sir Ian pretends like he hears nothing, so Tenzing repeats himself. TENZING Sir Ian turns to his wife. SIR
IAN LADY
ANNE Sir Ian turns to Tenzing. SIR
IAN Tenzing is hesitant, but has already started and now feels compelled to continue. TENZING SIR
IAN TENZING SIR
IAN TENZING Sir Ian laughs. SIR
IAN He motions the chauffeur forward. The Rolls drives through the gate and the Gurkhas close the wrought iron gate behind them. INT. ROLLS ROYCE - DAY Lady Anne turns to her husband. LADY
ANNE SIR
IAN LADY
ANNE SIR
IAN IADY
ANNE SIR
IAN EXT. BRITISH EMBASSY - DAY As Tenzing and Gueng shut the gate, Gueng actually speaks on duty, shaking his head in astonishment. GUENG TENZING GUENG Gueng goes back to attention and does not say another word. Tenzing does the same. EXT. KORONGA BLVD. - DAY The Rolls Royce moves slowly through a large crowd of angry Togolese with its horn honking. The people push right in on the automobile, rocking it back and forth. INT. ROLLS ROYCE - DAY Sir Ian and Lady Anne both are white with fear. They clutch each other's hands. EXT. BRITISH EMBASSY - DAY The Rolls Royce comes driving back to
the embassy rather quickly. As it gets closer, the Gurkhas see
that the black finish of the automobile is covered with mud and vegetables
and one As the Gurkhas open the gate they see the Ambassador and his wife's ashen faces. Lady Anne rolls down her window and speaks to Tenzing. LADY
ANNE The Rolls goes into the embassy compound and the Gurkhas close the gates. With an exchanged look, they both release the safety catches on their carbines, then go back to attention. EXT. KORONGA BLVD. - DAY GENERAL JOMO NKRUMAHA'S six car motorcade moves slowly up Koronga Blvd. The General is a 300 lb. black man wearing a bright green military uniform with feathers in the cap. He sits in the back seat of a convertible 1980 Lincoln Continental and nods and waves to the cheering crowd. And yet, there is something hollow in their cheers. EXT. LOME ALLEY - DAY KOUDOUGOU BOROMA watches the parade from an alley. He is 25 years old and has a very intense face with deep lines beside his mouth and ceremonial scars on his cheeks. Boroma reaches into his jacket and removes a pipe bomb with a timer on it. He sets the timer for one minute, puts the bomb back under his jacket and dashes up the alley to the backs of the crowd lining the street. EXT. KORONGA BLVD. - DAY Boroma pushes his way up to the parade just as General Nkrumah's Lincoln is passing. Boroma's timing is perfect. He pulls the bomb from his coat, tosses it under the car and yells something in Togolese. General Nkrumah turns and waves to him just as the wheel of the Lincoln goes right over the bomb. Boroma winces in anticipation of an enormous explosion, but instead there is nothing. He looks and sees that his bomb is crushed into the mud and now the next car of the motorcade is passing over it, then the next and the next. Koudougou Boroma stomps his feet in frustration, turns and begins to skulk back into the alley. EXT. ACROSS THE STREET - DAY Suddenly a young man steps in front of the General's car, pulls out a pistol and fires it six times it into General Nkrumah's stomach and chest. The General's driver floors the Continental and runs the young man down as pandemonium breaks out everywhere. Masses of people surge around the rest of the cars of the motorcade and begin rocking them and tipping them over. And then - BOOM!! - the pipe bomb in the mud goes off! Car parts go sailing in all directions. EXT. UP THE STREET - DAY The Togolese soldiers, who are much further up the street, hear the explosion. They immediately unsling their Uzi submachine guns and double-time back to the explosion. EXT. BRITISH EMBASSY - DAY Tenzing and Gueng watch as a riot erupts on the street in front of them. They both get inside the embassy compound and lock the gates after them, their carbines at the ready. Four other Gurkhas come running out of the embassy with their rifles in hand to back up Tenzing and Gueng. EXT. EMPTY LOME STREET - DAY General Nakrumah's car screeches up
an empty street and comes to a halt. The driver turns NKRUMAH Upon saying this, he falls over dead. INT. THORNSBY'S OFFICE - DAY Julius Thornsby sits by himself in the Commonwealth Mineral office. He watches the riot in the street out the office window increase in intensity. People are mobbing the soldiers and the soldiers are spraying automatic weapon fire in all directions. Julius picks up the telephone and dials. THORNSBY In a moment he is connected through. DENSMORE THORNSBY Bullets come tearing through the front window of Commonwealth Mineral. Julius dives to the floor. DENSMORE THORKSBY DENSMORE THORNSBY DENSMORE THORNSBY Thornsby hangs up. He then goes to a safe mounted in the wall, dials the combination, opens the door and takes out a large canvas deposit bag. He opens the bag and looks inside. It is filled with diamonds - hundreds of them, maybe several thousand, of all shapes and sizes. Julius shuts the bag and locks it. INT. DENSMORE'S OFFICE - DAY Sir Robert dials the phone himself. Captain Krasker's voice comes through. KRASKER DENSMORE KRASKER DENSMORE KRASKER DENSMORE KRASKER CUT TO: EXT. LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE - BEFORE DAWN Two guards stand at attention at the main gate. It is pitch black outside. INT. BARRACKS - BEFORE DAWN Mike Kelsy, with very short hair, sits on his rack in his skivvies in the dark. FIFTY OTHER GUYS are all asleep in the barracks. Reveille has not yet been blown. Mike tenderly rubs Ben Gay on his aching feet. The drill instructor, GUNNERY SERGEANT YABLONSKI, steps into the barracks. He's about to yell and wake everyone up when he sees Mike sitting on his rack. YABLONSKI Mike jumps off his rack and snaps to attention, a flash of pain crossing his face as his feet hit the floor. KELSY Sgt. Yablonski sniffs the air. YABLONSKI KELSY YABLONSKI KELSY
KELSY
YABLONSKI KELSY Sgt. Yablonski turns his attention to the rest of the barracks. YABLONSKI EXT. DESERT - DAY Mike and the rest of the recruits sing a cadence as they march through the desert wearing 70 pound packs, O.D. uniforms and helmets. The all call cadence in unison: CADENCE Mike has a look of blinding pain on his face. Sgt. Yablonski marches along beside him, totally aware of his pain. YABLONSKI KELSY YABLONSKI KELSY
The recruits all begin marching in double time. Now Mike is in terrible pain. Lights are flashing in his eyes, his face twisting into a knot. Sgt. Yablonski is right there beside him. YABLONSKI MIKE YABLONSKI Everyone speeds up to a run and chants. CADENCE YABLONSKI CADENCE YABLONSKI CADENCE Mike drops out of line and falls on his back. Sweat is pouring off his face. YABL0NSKI Everyone falls out and sits down. Sgt. Yablonski looms over Mike. YABLONSKI MIKE YABLONSKI MIKE YABLONSKI INT. BASE INFIRMARY - DAY The MEDICAL CORPSMAN looks at Mike's swollen, blistered feet. He pokes the bottom of Mike's foot with his finger. CORPSMAN MIKE CORPSMAN MIKE CORPSMAN Mike is reeling from the pain. MIKE CORPSMAN MIKE CORPSMAN MIKE CORPSMAN Mike can't believe it. MIKE CORPSMAN MIKE CORPSMAN INT. BASE PX - DAY Mike is using the pay phone. MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER MIKE MOTHER
MOTHER Mike is about to answer her, but TWO MEAN LOOKING RECRUITS come walking by. Mike waits for them to get out of earshot before responding. MIKE MOTHER Mike dials another number. In a moment it is answered. VOICE MIKE VOICE MIKE VOICE MIKE Mike hangs up and leaves the PX. INT. BARRACKS - DAY Mike is all alone in the big, empty barracks as he finishes packing his duffel bag. He is wearing his green and white Ferndale High letter jacket and blue jeans. He looks and feels very out of place. Swinging the duffel bag over his shoulder he takes one last look around, then leaves. EXT. BASE - DAY As Mike walks toward the front gate where a taxi is waiting, Sgt. Yablonski appears and begins walking with him. YABLONSHI MIKE YABLONSKI MIKE
MIKE YABLONSKI Mike turns to face Yablonski and throws down his duffel bag. MIKE Sgt. Yablonski instinctively tightens up, then relaxes and smiles. YABLONSKI Yablonski picks up Mike's duffel bag and holds out his hand. YABLONSKI Mike hesitates for a second, then takes his duffel bag and shakes the Sergeant's hand. MIKE YABLONSKI MIKE Mike tosses his bag in the back of the cab and gets in. CUT TO: EXT. LOME AIRPORT - DAY A sign in front of the little wooden building says, "Lome Airport, Togo" in English and a half a dozen other languages. The Commonwealth Mineral 125 company jet sets down on the runway.
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