"TRINITY" - PART 15

The chase gets close to home

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - FIRST LIGHT

Stahlberg leads, willing one foot in front of the other.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - EARLY MORNING

Williams reins in and looks from side to side. Ray shows exhaustion as he rides up to Williams.

WILLIAMS

It’s no use, sir. We’ve got to double back a ways. I think I know where I lost their track.

They head back in the direction they came.

EXT. ARROYO - LATER

Punski scouts ahead, disappears around a boulder. Emmerer raises a leather canteen to his mouth, it's empty. He hurls it aside and turns on Stahlberg.

EMMERER

Goddammit all to hell! This is insane! I'm a soldier, not a damned nomad to wander in the wilderness!

HEYER

We’ve been drowned, blown up, and crashed in a car. Enough is enough.

MOELDERS

(spits at Heyer's feet)

Scum!

EMMERER

We have done our best.

Moelders moves as if to strike either or both of them.

Stahlberg, fire in his eyes, places his hand on Moelders' shoulder as if to leash his dog.

STAHLBERG

You are men of honor, patriots who know sometimes duty calls us beyond where we think we can go. We are a long way from home in this...

(encompassing gesture)

... wilderness, but right now we are all that stands between our families and our enemies, who would turn our Fatherland into a wilderness or worse, much worse, to see us, our wives, our children dead. This bomb can destroy the world.

Punski returns to hear the last of this.

STAHLBERG

And you, my Count, are you ready to let those devils deprive Germany of a future?

They all turn to Punski, who scans each of them in return.

PUNSKI

There's a ranch up ahead.

EMMERER

Gott im Himmel! More horses.

PUNSKI

(Smiles)

Even better, there's a windsock.

The others don’t get it. Punski’s smile gets bigger.

PUNSKI

A windsock means an airplane.

STAHLBERG

It's too risky.

PUNSKI

I saw no one.

Stahlberg sees the look of hope in Heyer’s eyes and knows he has them with him again. He nods.

INT. RANCH HOUSE - BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Neat, unoccupied. Heyer raises up in the open window and checks the room. He climbs in.

EXT. RANCH - DAY

The Germans quickly move into the shadow of an outbuilding.

Stahlberg signals Moelders and Emmerer to take up flanking guard positions.

Stahlberg and Count Punski head into the hangar, which is about 30 yards from the barn.

INT. HANGAR - DAY

Light through the open door etches the Waco UIC cabin biplane. Punski's eyes light. He turns to Stahlberg.

COUNT PUNSKI

It's big enough...

Punski opens the Waco’s door, leans in to examine the cabin.

COUNT PUNSKI

Perfect.

(Checks the gauge)

Even a full tank of petrol!

EXT. HANGAR - DAY

Moelders and Emmerer run up as Stahlberg and Punski open the hangar door and emerge.

Stahlberg scans the silent ranch. HORSES NEIGH (O.S.)

Heyer comes over with two Winchester lever-action rifles and two pistol belts with weapons and ammo. He wears a third pistol belt, with a holstered .45 Peacemaker. Moelders takes the rest from him.

HEYER

Father Christmas must be an American.

They all go back inside the hangar, except for Heyer.

EXT. RANCH - DAY

FIGURES ON HORSEBACK appear among the mesquite!

INT. HANGAR - DAY

Punski climbs back into the cockpit as Moelders slings the weapons into the cabin. Moelders joins Stahlberg and Emmerer as they prepare to push the airplane out of the hangar.

EXT. RANCH - DAY

THE RANCHER AND HANDS ride in. THE DOG runs ahead, BARKING.

RANCHER

What’s wrong, Duke?

The dog keeps BARKING.

The Rancher SEES the open hangar just as Heyer steps into view from the far side!

RANCHER

Rustlers!

Heyer SEES the men and wheels back into the hangar.

IN THE HANGAR - Heyer glares at Count Punski.

HEYER

You saw no one, eh? Well, no one is out there now with guns.

Stahlberg and Moelders go to the open door and SEE the ranch hands take cover. The dog BARKS.

ONE RANCH HAND - does a broken-field run across the barnyard and throws himself through the door into the house. The Rancher turns toward the hangar.

RANCHER

You inside -raise your hands ’n get your sorry asses out here!

IN THE HANGAR - The Germans huddle together.

RANCHER (O.S.)

If we have to come in there, you’re gonna git serious hurt.

Punski climbs out of the plane, goes and looks outside.

COUNT PUNSKI

We’ll have to take off right through them - there’s no other way. It’s going to be hard - starting inside and getting lined up...

Looks at the plane - out the open doors.

EMMERER

We’ll never make it.

RANCHER (O.S.)

Sheriff’s on the way. Come out and make it easy on yourselves.

Heyer looks out at the barnyard. HORSES WHICKER in the barn. That open 30 yards looks like 30 kilometers to him.

He looks back at the plane, out at the ranch, sees the Rancher’s Men where they hold position.

HEYER

We’ll never get it out before they’re all over us.

MOELDERS

What do you suggest, Herr Professor?

EXT. RANCH - DAY

A RANCH HAND raises up to see what’s what...

KA-POW! The bullet takes his hat off!!

Before the others realize what’s happening, there’s a VOLLEY OF FIRE from the hangar and TWO FIGURES EMERGE, doing a broken-field run toward the barn.

RANCHER

Get ‘em! Get ‘em!

Bullet strikes in the ground follow HEYER AND EMMERER as they throw themselves through the barn door.

IN THE HANGAR - Punski raises his fist in a victory salute.

IN THE BARN - The dozen horses raise a fuss as the unfamiliar Germans saddle five of them as fast as they can.

OUTSIDE - A COWBOY jumps up and OPENS FIRE at the open barn.

IN THE HANGAR - PUNSKI takes aim.

IN THE BARN - Heyer has the saddled horses by their reins.

OTHER HORSES - whicker in their stalls, nervous, as Emmerer opens the doors...

OUTSIDE - the Cowboy stands up fully - KA-POW! He’s down!

YELLS AND SHOUTS IN GERMAN of “MOVE, FASTER, LET’S GO!”

SEVEN UNSADDLED HORSES stampede out of the barn right at the Rancher and his men!

In the midst of the chaos - Heyer and Emmerer, leading the saddled horses, emerge from the barn and run with them toward the hangar...

Punski, Stahlberg, Moelders come running out as the horses arrive - they all leap into the empty saddles...

THE FIVE MOUNTED GERMANS ride off amidst the other horses.

The rancher and hands scatter as the Germans break for the countryside.

A ranch hand fires a wild shotgun blast.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - ANOTHER LOCATION - SAME

The Buffalo Soldiers ride through the mesquite. They hear SHOTS IN THE DISTANCE.

They urge their tired mounts onward.

EXT. THE RANCH - DAY

Pandemonium still reigns.

RANCHER

Get on the phone to Carson’n Mitchell! Tell ‘em to round up their boys! I know the lingo when I hear it. Tell ‘em we was invaded by Nazzi horse thieves!

A moment later, the Buffalo Soldiers ride up.

RANCHER

God-damn, it’s the cavalry!

The soldiers head their horses straight for the water trough.

As Ray dismounts, the rancher runs over to him.

RANCHER

Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes! I’m gettin’ up a posse, then we’ll light out after ‘em.

RAY

Slow down. What happened here?

RANCHER

Germans. Nazzis. Krauts.

RAY

Where did they go?

RANCHER

(points)

Thataway!

EXT. MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

The five Germans gallop into view, riding hard.

EXT. RANCH - DAY

Ray’s men are about to mount up when a rapidly approaching dust storm resolves itself into the sheriff’s car and two jeeps full of soldiers, followed by two halftracks, one with a quad-50 gun turret mount. Kelly jumps from the sheriff’s car and turns to the Captain in the jeep.

KELLY

Nobody leaves.

The captain deploys his men.

KELLY

(Surprised to see Ray)

Captain Cline.

Ray and Kelly go into the barn.

INT. THE BARN

Ray glances back out the door at the troops.

RAY

You’re now willing to be seen in public with a show of force?

KELLY

We’re running out of time, Captain.

RAY

Then let us get after them.

(Kelly doesn’t respond)

Look, Agent Kelly. The fact that you’re here is the proof there’s a whole lot more going on to this than escaped prisoners. They’re headed for wherever it is you came from, Mr. Kelly. They have to be stopped.

(Kelly remains silent)

What’s in Las Cruces?

(Kelly remains silent)

Goddammit! That’s my home!!

KELLY

(Finally!)

We didn't pick up every Axis sympathizer we knew about when the war began. Captain Wilhelm Braun, goes by William Brown...

RAY

Bill Brown? I've known him all my life. His ranch is next to ours.

KELLY

He was in their navy in the last war. A deep-cover agent. We decided to let him lead us to anyone he worked with.

They’re interrupted by further commotion outside...

EXT. THE RANCH

Ray and Kelly come out to find a dozen armed COWBOYS have ridden up - the beginning of the posse.

KELLY

Ah, Christ! Sheriff Burke, calm those damn fools down!

(Turns to Ray)

How are your men?

RAY

Good enough to follow this through ‘til Doomsday.

KELLY

You’re a terrible liar, Cline, but we’ll get stuck in the sand. I have to rely on you and your men. Get to Las Cruces. If you ride straight through, you can be there tomorrow. And, you..you’re right - much more than you can possibly know is riding on this.

EXT. FORESTED TRAIL - NIGHT

A deer leaps the trail.

A moment later, Scott and Bates, followed by Williams, ride into view.

BATES

Damn, Marcus, we might as well be chasing the wind.

WILLIAMS

If that’s what it takes, we’ll do it till we catch ‘em.

Behind, Ray rubs his left arm, shakes his head to clear it.

WILLIAMS

Are you all right, sir? Maybe we should rest a bit.

RAY

I’m okay, Sergeant Major. I live here. My wife’s expecting a baby soon. That’s what it’s all about. That...and Uncle Walker and...well...if we hesitate now, those bastards might bring off what they came to do.

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