"TRINITY" - PART 10

More twists…

ON A LARGE WALL MAP OF EASTERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO

A rectangle labelled "potential routes" is outlined in red from the spot labeled "Camp Gladden", to the spot labeled "Los Alamos", just southwest of Santa Fe.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - LOS ALAMOS - EVENING

Groves and Oppenheimer stare at the map.

Kelly points at the map as he talks.

KELLY

The entire potential route area between here and the camp is mountainous undeveloped desert.

GROVES

When can we expect them?

KELLY

Four to six weeks, depending on their route, the weather, their horses, food and water...luck.

OPPENHEIMER

What's luck got to do with it?

KELLY

None of them are familiar with the region. Accidents happen.

Not what Groves wants to hear

GROVES

I will not base the defense of this laboratory on a goddamned accident! What about these troops pursuing them?

KELLY

They missed their scheduled transmission.

GROVES

(Alarmed)

You’ve lost them?

KELLY

We're launching air surveillance at first light.

GROVES

Remember: we have to maintain a low profile or there could be hell to pay. Don't let me down here, Agent Kelly.

EXT. BURRO MOUNTAINS - NEW MEXICO - NEXT MORNING

The five Germans dismount and lead their ten horses to the small, swiftly-moving river.

Horses and men drink, the Germans refill their canteens, wash off trail dirt, etc. The wind through the trees blows off Emmerer's hat.

EXT. AERIAL - A PIPER L-4 "GRASSHOPPER"

The military version of the Piper Cub DRONES above the forest in the early morning light.

INT. GRASSHOPPER - MORNING

LT. JIM ALDRICH, 20, leans out the open side window and stares down. His radio headset atop his crumpled "50 mission" hat gets in the way and he pushes it back.

PILOT'S POV - You could hide an army in those hills down below and never know they were there until they jumped out and said "boo!"

THE GRASSHOPPER - lifts above a ridge and drops into the valley bowl beyond.

PILOT'S POV - A small river bisects the valley below.

THE GRASSHOPPER - turns and follows the river.

EXT. BURRO MOUNTAINS - ANOTHER LOCATION - MORNING

Sergeant Williams shades his eyes and looks out to the east.

Corporal Roberts is overcome by the scenery. He watches a butterfly flit past. Horses WHICKER. Bates rides up alongside Williams.

BATES

Marcus, what in the goddamn hell is going on here? We’re off the map...

WILLIAMS

(Shoots him a “look”)

We’re doing our job, Sergeant Bates.

Bates knows not to argue with that attitude. The troop of Buffalo Soldiers ride on.

EXT. RIVER - MORNING

Count Punski rocks back on his heels and regards the surrounding aspens and junipers.

Moelders finishes filling canteens and heads toward the horses in the trees.

Heyer cocks his head at the DISTANT SOUND OF AN ENGINE over the sound of the water. He shoots Punski a questioning look.

Count Punski hears it too and searches the sky. He SEES the distant shape of the Grasshopper low over the forest.

COUNT PUNSKI

Achtung! Flieger!

Stahlberg follows Punski's pointing finger and SEES the now clearly-visible airplane.

STAHLBERG

Wave at him. We're cowboys.

INT. GRASSHOPPER

Lt. Aldrich SEES the distant figures of horses and men. He puts his hand to his throat mike.

INT. BASE OPERATIONS - ALBUQUERQUE AIRPORT - MORNING

The RADIOMAN grabs his microphone as - from the speaker...

ALDRICH

Base - Grasshopper Five.

Beside him, Kelly butts his cigarette and listens.

RADIOMAN

Five - Base - go ahead.

ALDRICH

(STATIC CRACKLES...)

Gra(SNAP-POP) Five is at (CRACKLE-SNAP) ten miles south silver (POP-POP)...

RADIOMAN

Say again, Grasshopper Five, you are breaking up.

(to Kelly)

He's probably blocked, up in the mountains, sir.

EXT. RIVER - MORNING

Count Punski takes off his Stetson and waves it.

The Grasshopper passes over at an altitude of 100 feet.

ALDRICH'S POV - The five of them below smile and wave.

STAHLBERG'S POV - Aldrich waves back.

INT. BASE OPS - MORNING

Kelly grips the table at...

ALDRICH

I've found (SNAP)! They're waving! They're our(CRACKLE)

INT. GRASSHOPPER - MORNING

Aldrich grabs a walkie-talkie as he banks right.

HEYER - points at the plane as it banks around.

HEYER

Er kommt!

Moelders and Emmerer head toward the nervous horses.

Count Punski and Stahlberg watch the plane waggle its wings as it flies overhead and then circles...

INT. BASE OPS - MORNING

ALDRICH

(SNAP-POP)ring to drop(CRACKLE) to them.

KELLY

(Grabs the mike.)

Grasshopper Five - WHERE ARE YOU?

ALDRICH - presses one earphone tight. Tries to push the throat mike. Tries to fly. He's only got two hands.

ALDRICH

Say again, you are breaking up. This is Grasshopper Five. I am attempting to airdrop the radio to the troops below.

He reaches down, takes the message canister at his feet and sticks the walkie-talkie inside. It's hard to do as the plane bounces in updrafts.

STAHLBERG - is worried as the plane comes back around. He glances over at the horses.

PUNSKI looks up, sees a dark object fall from the plane...

COUNT PUNSKI

Bomben!

Count Punski and the others dive for the ground as THE MESSAGE CANISTER hits in front of Stahlberg's stallion!

BAM! The animal rears back, SCREAMS IN PANIC, goes down...

The other horses WHINNY and SHRIEK as they rear. They hit trees... each other...Stahlberg runs for his horse...

ALDRICH - banks around and drops lower...

ANOTHER HORSE - knocks down STAHLBERG as his horse regains its feet and...

THREE HORSES - stampede across the river...SHOUTS FROM THE GERMANS...

THE PLANE ROARS LOW! MOELDERS - grabs his Tommygun and FIRES A BURST INTO THE TREES before he's knocked senseless by flying hooves...OTHER HORSES race through the trees...

EMMERER - grabs the reins and crashes into a tree...

HEYER - trips and goes down, gets up, chases after a horse...

ALDRICH'S POV - CIRCLING BACK - Pandemonium below...

COUNT PUNSKI - sees his horse in the trees, runs after it. The horse rears and knocks the Springfield from the scabbard before it gallops off through the trees. He grabs the rifle and runs back to the riverbank.

ALDRICH - touches his throat mike.

ALDRICH

Base, Grasshopper Five. I think they're in trouble.

KELLY'S KNUCKLES - are white as he grips the mike.

KELLY

WHERE ARE YOU?!!!

ALDRICH - needs both hands on the stick.

COUNT PUNSKI - seats the rifle against his shoulder...

PUNSKI’S POV - THE PLANE comes nearer...

STAHLBERG - regains his senses and looks over...

COUNT PUNSKI - raises the rifle higher...tracks the plane...

ALDRICH'S POV - The man below with the rifle...

KELLY - drops the mike as...

ALDRICH

What are you(SNAP-POP) NO!

POV THROUGH THE CROSSHAIRS - centered on Aldrich's head.

COUNT PUNSKI'S TRIGGER FINGER curls...

THE PLANE - banks to the side, fifty feet above the river...

COUNT PUNSKI'S TRIGGER FINGER squeezes tighter...

CR-A-A-A-C-C-CK!!!!

EXT. ANOTHER MOUNTAIN LOCATION - MORNING

SERGEANT WILLIAMS turns his head as the SHOT ECHOES!

EXT. RIVER - MORNING

The plane lurches, swoops over them and barely misses Stahlberg as he throws himself into the water.

Count Punski stands his ground and lowers the rifle as the Grasshopper crashes through the trees.

Stahlberg picks himself out of the water and rouses them.

STAHLBERG

The horses! Get the horses!

INT. BASE OPS - MORNING

The Radioman picks up the mike.

RADIOMAN

Grasshopper Five...Grasshopper Five...come in.

(static CRACKLES)

Grasshopper Five, come in. This is base...Grasshopper Five.

Kelly hits the switch that shuts off the radio.

EXT. MOUNTAIN TRAIL - BURRO MOUNTAINS - DAY

The Buffalo Soldiers canter along to a fork in the trail.

WILLIAMS

It sounded like it came from off there, sir.

RAY

(not sure)

All those echoes...

WILLIAMS

That would be the way they've been heading, sir.

RAY

Right.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

The Germans have their horses. Count Punski and Emmerer crawl over the downed trees to examine the wrecked plane.

Punski opens his knife, starts to cut off a piece of fabric with the plane's number.

He doesn't look at the pilot.

COUNT PUNSKI

Victory number 92, Karl.

EMMERER

Best not take any souvenirs.

COUNT PUNSKI

Look inside.

EMMERER

(looks inside)

Right between the eyes!

Count Punski cuts the fabric.

COUNT PUNSKI

So taking this doesn't matter.

Stahlberg and Heyer examine the remains of the radio.

STAHLBERG

He wasn't after us.

HEYER

He...he thought we were troops! They are after us, Erich.

STAHLBERG

It is unlikely, Max, but then unlikely is not impossible.

Stahlberg crosses to his horse and takes his binoculars out of the saddlebags. He comes back and hands them to Heyer.

STAHLBERG

There is nothing wrong with being safe. Find a high point and keep watch.

Heyer does so as Stahlberg shoots a nervous glance skyward.

EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY

The Buffalo Soldiers ride down the trail. The valley bowl beyond is large, a river bisects it.

Roberts and Scott ride together. They're both in need of a shave. Their dirty clothes cling to them.

ROBERTS

You think the Captain'd let us take time for a swim, we get down there?

SCOTT

You in the cavalry now! You don’t get to wash the sand off your bones till we’re back at Gladden!

Roberts knows that's true.

RAY - maneuvers his horse past a fallen tree as the Buffalo Soldiers ride on.

HEYER - lies on a rocky outcrop, pans the binoculars across the far side of the valley.

BINOCULAR POV - across the tree-covered hillside...there in the shadows - movement?

PAN BACK as...a mounted figure moves from under the shadows of a tree...then others...

HEYER

Er kommt!

STAHLBERG reacts to the alarm.

STAHLBERG

Christ in Himmel! Hans! Karl! Punski! Mount up!

EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY

Williams pauses in a clearing and brings up his binoculars.

BINOCULAR POV - Two mounted figures splash through the river behind a third that disappears into the trees on the far side of the river.

WILLIAMS

Damn! There they are!

Ray takes his binoculars and looks...

RAY'S BINOCULAR POV - The last mounted figure rides out of the river and into the trees.

RAY

Let's go get 'em!

He gallops on. The others spur their mounts and follow as fast as they can through the trees.

STAHLBERG - puts down his binoculars. His expression says everything.

HEYER

Maybe they did not catch the others...?

STAHLBERG

No.

HEYER

No what, Hauptmann Stahlberg?

Stahlberg ignores him and slaps his thigh.

STAHLBERG

I underestimated Herr Hauptmann Cline. He knew to look where horses were available.

Stahlberg urges his horse forward and catches the others.

EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY

Ray gallops downhill through the trees, his troop strung out behind him.

RIDING POV - downhill, past trees, to the river, and then...

RAY sees the crashed airplane and reins in.

RAY

Over there.

WILLIAMS halts the troop. He dismounts first and scrambles toward the wreckage. Ray follows.

They find Aldrich.

WILLIAMS

He's still warm.

RAY

Son of a bitch...

WILLIAMS

That's what they are, sir.

Ray pulls out the body's dog tags, then he takes out his map and marks it. He looks back at Lt. Aldrich.

RAY

This will have to do for now...

(looks at the ID)

... Lieutenant Aldrich.

EXT. CONTINENTAL DIVIDE - LATER

Stahlberg and the others halt at a fork in the trail.

STAHLBERG

I can control a battle simply by drawing a line in the sand.

Moelders is attentive, but the others look at each other as if Stahlberg might have hit his head when he fell.

STAHLBERG

Learn from the Fuehrer, my friends: The enemy will be unable to attack because we will divert him from his track. The pack animals will make an excellent false trail.

EMMERER

But a panzer sinks deeper in the sand than a man.

Stahlberg's turn not to understand.

COUNT PUNSKI

We have to weight them.

Stahlberg watches Punski dismount and take one of the burlap bags used to pad the load. He gets it when Punski loads the bag with rocks - he dismounts and grabs another bag.

EXT. THE RIVER - DAY

The Buffalo Soldiers ford the river.

EXT. CONTINENTAL DIVIDE - DAY

Count Punski and Emmerer finish tying the burlap bags full of rocks to the pack horses. Punski turns to Stahlberg.

COUNT PUNSKI

As soon as they catch up, they'll know.

STAHLBERG

It will be too late. Let the dummies chase the dummies.

Laughter around. They mount up. Count Punski slaps the lead pack horse on its way.

The five pack horses with their "rock dummies" move off down the trail to the left, the one that heads north.

The Germans, loaded down by their gear, head down the hill to the right, angled eastward from their original course.

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