Part 10

EXT. MIDNIGHT. GHETTO 14

A helicopter swoops in over a ghetto on a high cliff dotted with small fires and tracer rounds shooting back and forth.

EXT. GHETTO DOCKS

At the base of the cliff a high sea wall fortified with gun turrets surrounds the waterside. Disused submarines lie rusting in their pens outside. Three ferries are unloading, their occupants merging into one crowd outside the gates. Soldiers patrol the walkways nervously.

EXT. GHETTO OUTSKIRTS

A convoy of trucks are RUMBLING through the check points on a narrow two-track raised road, past a no-mans land of craters, rotten corpses, burnt out vehicles and barbed wire. Nervous soldiers and civilians walk wearily alongside the trucks, pockmarked tower blocks loom in the distance.

INT. TRUCK

A bullet SMASHES through the windshield and hits the portly driver in the shoulder, he begins SCREAMING, blood running down his arm.

EXT. GHETTO OUTSKIRTS

SARGE

Sniper! Everyone down NOW!

The squad dives to the ground pointing their weapons at the tower block. All around, civilians are SHRIEKING and running for cover. A mortar round EXPLODES behind them, blowing up a motorbike and sidecar. It careens off the road, the soldiers mangled flaming corpses are left hanging on the barbed wire.

INT. TRUCK

The SCREAMS of the truck driver are silenced as a second bullet SHATTERS his head like a waterballoon.

EXT. GHETTO OUTSKIRTS

Tracer fire towards the tower block intensifies as the gun turrets open up.

SARGE

Open FIRE!

The balcony of the nearest block disappears in puffs of smoke and plaster as the bullets hit.

INT. TOWER BLOCK

An RPG TEAM enters the room as the sniper is being torn apart on the balcony by gunfire from below.

RPG TEAM

Fuck!

They back out of the room.

INT. CORRIDOR

RPG TEAM

Up the stairs! Up UP UP!

EXT. GHETTO OUTSKIRTS 

Sarge grabs a young soldier and screams in his face, pointing to the vehicle

SARGE

Drive the fucking truck!

The soldier opens the door and pulls out the driver’s corpse . It collapses into a bloody mud puddle. The soldier gets in. The convoy moves slowly forward. Using the trucks as cover, the squad advances into the ghetto.

EXT. GHETTO STREET

The soldiers aim their weapons at the tenements either side. Side street access is blocked by barricades of rubbish, debris and burnt out cars. Three helicopters are circling overhead. GUNFIRE can be heard above.

EXT. ROOFTOP

The RPG team take aim and fire at the nearest helicopter. The WHOOSING round steams through the air and explodes the nearest helicopter. It spirals down into the dark streets. The remaining two helicopters strafes the rooftop with its mini gun. The RPG team disappear in a vapour of blood and dust.

EXT. GHETTO STREET

Chaos erupts as chunks of flaming helicopter rain down, crushing and burning SCREAMING civilians and soldiers. One large chunk CRASHES through a truck, forming a barrier between one soldier and the rest of his squad. He looks around, turns and climbs over the nearest barricade into an empty side street.

EXT. ALLEY

The alley is blue with moonlight, red tracers streaking overhead in the night sky. GUNFIRE echoes in the distance. Dan is running. His boots splash through a long puddle.

TRADESMAN (O.S)

We need to get you to a safe place quickly. Ditch the uniform and the gun. Soldiers aren't welcome in these parts.

DAN

Where am I going?

TRADESMAN (O.S)

We need to meet face to face.

Dan stops running, out of breath.

TRADESMAN (O.S)

I know it's a lot to take in. But trust me. You are but a corner-piece in a blank puzzle. Head through this alley. You'll find a square with a statue of our illustrious leader Derek Lock. Wait for me there.

DAN

Ok...

He leans against the graffiti covered wall.

TRADESMAN (O.S)

Keep your mind focused on the task in hand and it will not fail you. If it is as powerful a weapon as I believe it to be, your purpose may be a great one. Find the statue.

DAN

Can my mind do more than it already has?

(PAUSE)

DAN

Hello?...Hello?

Dan SIGHS and drops his gun, stepping into the moonlight.

DAN

Should have called in sick this morning.

EXT. SQUARE. NIGHT Dan sneaks cautiously out of the shadows of the alleyway into a neon lit square. Overdosing junkies and homeless men and women line the steps and the bottom of a enormous heavily vandalised bronze statue of Derek Lock. A dead soldier is being stripped and robbed outside a pub called the Rusty Hatchet. Monstrous bouncers in leather jackets and ear pieces, pumped up on cocaine and steroids, look on as they guard the pub door with sledgehammers. Dan crosses the muddy square. One wired ratty man in a hoody with a zip gun and a boozy chunky man with a huge knife in a long brown tatty anorak stride up.

CHUNK 

Give us your shit you little cunt! Stove your faaacking face in!

                 RAT

That's a nice jacket mate

He cocks the zip gun.

RAT

Niiiice jacket...you sellin it?

Dan stares at them calmly.

DAN

No

The men stare back furiously.

CHUNK

Yeah you are.

He brings the knife closer.

DAN

No I'm not. You're going to give me all your stuff, for free.

They drop their weapons and empty their pockets onto the ground. Their possessions include baggies with white powder and a variety of pills, mobile phones and crumpled paper money with Lock's face on.

DAN

Now fuck off.

The thugs stare blankly for a second then turn to walk away. Dan looks down at the illicit pile.

DAN

Wait.

The men turn back to face him. Dan looks the big one up and down.

DAN

Give me your coat.

The man takes off his long coat and hands it over with a GRUNT before folding his arms, shivering in a dirty white vest.

DAN

Off you go.

The thugs walk away. Dan looks up at the swinging sign for the Rusty Hatchet Public House.