Back to work --
FADE IN:
FORRIER
(brogue)
Isobel, come along! We’re late.
ISOBEL, 50, the perfect mate to Forrier, strides out.
ISOBEL
(French accent)
It is Jamin who is late, by one day, and is the train ever on time?
A lovely young woman follows her -- IRINA FORRIER. She toys with a wedding ring on her finger.
IRINA
(brogue)
It will be, this time. And Ben’ll be waiting. Impatient.
FORRIER
Still loves his bride, eh? Wait till he’s married as long as me.
ISOBEL
George!
He kisses her, gets in the front passenger seat; the women are in the back. Archer and his cops get in their vehicle.
CONSTABLE
(to cops, brogue)
Want us to lead, lads?
The cops and Archer flip him off. Get in the silver SUV.
EXT. IRISH HILLSIDE - DAY
HIDDEN IN A GLEN
LEGION, a happy Irish sociopath, puts the phone away, turns on a small drone. Sends it flying.
EXT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - DAY
IN FORRIER’S SUV
FORRIER
That’s what you get for puttin’ your nose in other people’s business.
CONSTABLE
You were right to do it, Mr. Forrier. Mr. Archer agrees.
FORRIER
I’m glad he thinks so. What about you, Irina? You think I’m a fool?
IRINA
I think you think too much, just like your son.
FORRIER
You don’t mind living in a cage?
IRINA
Won’t be forever.
FORRIER
One can hope.
ON THE ROAD
The drone whips behind Forrier’s SUV. Gets closer and closer.
The Constable notices.
CONSTABLE
Bloody hell ... ?
He hits the horn -- BEEP -- BEEP --
IN THE LEAD SUV
EXT. RURAL TRAIN DEPOT - DAY
EXT. AFGHAN HILLSIDE - DAY
Ben drops to behind some rocks, sniper rifle in hand. He wears desert combat fatigues. He sets up, scans a desert trail through the scope. A BRITISH PATROL heads down it. All very routine.
Ben catches sight of movement in the rocks above the patrol. He punches a mike on his shoulder.
BEN
(brogue)
Sarge, it’s Forrier. Think I saw something.
The patrol scatters for shelter behind rocks.
Ben sees A TALIBAN SNIPER sniper appear from the other side of some rocks -- take quick aim.
Ben centers him in his sites. FIRES. All in one move.
The Sniper collapses.
Ben scans for more movement. Sees nothing. Taps his mike.
BEN (CONT’D)
All clear.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
(British)
Where’s the body?
BEN
Two o’clock. About a hundred meters up the hill.
VAUGHN
Good lad. Pint’s on me, tonight.
EXT. BRITISH ARMY BASE, AFGHANISTAN - NIGHT
VAUGHN AND BEN
When I was young I used to be
As fine a lad as you’d ever see, Till the Prince of Wales, he said to me,
Come join the British Army.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra-loo,
They’re lookin’ for monkeys up in the zoo,
And if I had a face like you,
I’d join the British Army.
Ben stumbles. Vaughn laughs.
BEN
(brogue)
Shite. I gotta piss.
He stumbles into a latrine. Vaughn continues to sing “Join the British Army.”
INT. LATRINE - NIGHT
Ben pees.
SCARRED MAN (O.S.)
Forrier?
Ben looks around.
BEN
Yeah?
SCARRED MAN
Infidel!
THE SCARRED MAN APPEARS FROM THE SHADOWS -- STABS HIM!
Ben cries out -- jolts back -- falls.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
Ben? Ben!?
BEN
C’mon, arsehole ... finish it.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
Ben!
The Scarred Man darts into a shadow. Vaughn races in.
BEN
Vaughn? No!
He tries to get up.
The Scarred Man slits his knife through Vaughn’s throat!
Ben kicks the man down. Fights him. Guts him with his own knife. Blood flies. Ben pushes his body away. Bleeding. In pain. Crawls around.
BEN (CONT’D)
... Vaughn ... aw, Christ ...
He sees Vaughn’s lifeless body. RUNNING FEET AND VOICES ARE HEARD APPROACHING. Ben passes out.
FADE IN:
EXT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - DAY
Large, well-kept. A black SUV waits in the driveway, a silver SUV ahead of it. ARCHER, a wary silver wolf in a suit, waits with heavily-armed PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) OFFICERS.
A jaunty young CONSTABLE (in street clothes) exits the house, followed by GEORGE FORRIER, 50, urbane to the max.
A jaunty young CONSTABLE (in street clothes) exits the house, followed by GEORGE FORRIER, 50, urbane to the max.
FORRIER
(brogue)
Isobel, come along! We’re late.
ISOBEL, 50, the perfect mate to Forrier, strides out.
ISOBEL
(French accent)
It is Jamin who is late, by one day, and is the train ever on time?
A lovely young woman follows her -- IRINA FORRIER. She toys with a wedding ring on her finger.
IRINA
(brogue)
It will be, this time. And Ben’ll be waiting. Impatient.
FORRIER
Still loves his bride, eh? Wait till he’s married as long as me.
ISOBEL
George!
He kisses her, gets in the front passenger seat; the women are in the back. Archer and his cops get in their vehicle.
CONSTABLE
(to cops, brogue)
Want us to lead, lads?
The cops and Archer flip him off. Get in the silver SUV.
EXT. IRISH HILLSIDE - DAY
A powerful SCARRED MAN lies under a bush, with binoculars. Watches the SUVs leave the Country Home. He checks printouts of photographs -- sends a text on his mobile.
HIDDEN IN A GLEN
The text shows on a mobile phone -- black.
LEGION, a happy Irish sociopath, puts the phone away, turns on a small drone. Sends it flying.
EXT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - DAY
The SUVs whip through an electronic gate onto a winding road. Another Constable waves them past.
IN FORRIER’S SUV
He motions back to the gate cop.
FORRIER
That’s what you get for puttin’ your nose in other people’s business.
CONSTABLE
You were right to do it, Mr. Forrier. Mr. Archer agrees.
FORRIER
I’m glad he thinks so. What about you, Irina? You think I’m a fool?
IRINA
I think you think too much, just like your son.
FORRIER
You don’t mind living in a cage?
IRINA
Won’t be forever.
FORRIER
One can hope.
ON THE ROAD
They speed on.
The drone whips behind Forrier’s SUV. Gets closer and closer.
The Constable notices.
CONSTABLE
Bloody hell ... ?
He hits the horn -- BEEP -- BEEP --
IN THE LEAD SUV
Archer looks around and BOOM!
EXT. RURAL TRAIN DEPOT - DAY
Empty. The sound of the explosion echoes. A strong, good-looking young man turns -- BENJAMIN FORRIER -- BEN, as clear-eyed and impish as his father. Army duffel bag beside him. He’d carved IRINA into a post. Smoke
rises in the distance.
rises in the distance.
EXT. AFGHAN HILLSIDE - DAY
Ben drops to behind some rocks, sniper rifle in hand. He wears desert combat fatigues. He sets up, scans a desert trail through the scope. A BRITISH PATROL heads down it. All very routine.
Ben catches sight of movement in the rocks above the patrol. He punches a mike on his shoulder.
BEN
(brogue)
Sarge, it’s Forrier. Think I saw something.
The patrol scatters for shelter behind rocks.
Ben sees A TALIBAN SNIPER sniper appear from the other side of some rocks -- take quick aim.
Ben centers him in his sites. FIRES. All in one move.
The Sniper collapses.
Ben scans for more movement. Sees nothing. Taps his mike.
BEN (CONT’D)
All clear.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
(British)
Where’s the body?
BEN
Two o’clock. About a hundred meters up the hill.
VAUGHN
Good lad. Pint’s on me, tonight.
EXT. BRITISH ARMY BASE, AFGHANISTAN - NIGHT
Deserted. Dark. Vaughn and Ben exit a canteen, drunk. Half-carry each other down the path. They sing.
VAUGHN AND BEN
When I was young I used to be
As fine a lad as you’d ever see, Till the Prince of Wales, he said to me,
Come join the British Army.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra-loo,
They’re lookin’ for monkeys up in the zoo,
And if I had a face like you,
I’d join the British Army.
Ben stumbles. Vaughn laughs.
BEN
(brogue)
Shite. I gotta piss.
He stumbles into a latrine. Vaughn continues to sing “Join the British Army.”
INT. LATRINE - NIGHT
Ben pees.
SCARRED MAN (O.S.)
Forrier?
Ben looks around.
BEN
Yeah?
SCARRED MAN
Infidel!
THE SCARRED MAN APPEARS FROM THE SHADOWS -- STABS HIM!
Ben cries out -- jolts back -- falls.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
Ben? Ben!?
Ben sees blood on his hands. Sees the Scarred Man wears an Afghan Army Uniform. Ben smiles. Snarls.
BEN
C’mon, arsehole ... finish it.
VAUGHN (O.S.)
Ben!
The Scarred Man darts into a shadow. Vaughn races in.
BEN
Vaughn? No!
He tries to get up.
The Scarred Man slits his knife through Vaughn’s throat!
Ben kicks the man down. Fights him. Guts him with his own knife. Blood flies. Ben pushes his body away. Bleeding. In pain. Crawls around.
BEN (CONT’D)
... Vaughn ... aw, Christ ...
He sees Vaughn’s lifeless body. RUNNING FEET AND VOICES ARE HEARD APPROACHING. Ben passes out.
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