And we come to the finale…
EXT. FIELD - DAWN
The four Germans ride across the field toward Las Cruces.
INT. CHICKEN COOP - EARLY MORNING
The chickens don’t like being disturbed as A HAND ENTERS FRAME and takes the eggs.
BROWN (O.S.)
These eggs are the best.
WILLIAM BROWN, 50s, a sunburned rancher, hands the basket of eggs to Beverly, who wears a 1940s “maternity dress.”
BROWN
You need them, you be strong for the baby.
ADELE CLINE - Ray’s mother, a “western woman” in her early 60s - hands over a bushel basket of tomatoes.
ADELE CLINE
These are the first of he summer, Bill. Just picked.
He takes the basket, pulls out one tomato and eats it.
He nods in approval at the taste.
BROWN
Ja, Frau Cline, da missus she’ll like these.
EXT. BROWN'S RANCH - BARNYARD - MORNING
The three of them come out of the barn. A one-horse buggy is in the middle of the barnyard. As they cross to it...
IN THE NEAR DISTANCE - five riders appear out of a cloud of dust and approach.
Brown sees them, and his attitude changes.
BROWN
(Helps Bev into the buggy)
Ja, ja. Thank you.
ADELE
(Sees the riders)
Who are those men?
Brown’s attitude is “what riders?” but...
BROWN
Never seen them before.
(Takes her hand)
Let me help you in...
Adele’s not the kind who accepts help - she pulls back.
ADELE
I‘m fine on my own, Bill.
STAHLBERG - sees the buggy and slows his horse, as do the others.
ADELE - is curious.
ADELE
I’ve never seen them around before...
Brown is trying hard to hide that he’s increasingly frantic.
But he’s determined to put Adele in the buggy.
ADELE
Bill! What are you...?
He nearly pushes her in and gives the horse a slap.
STAHLBERG’S APPROACHING POV - The buggy lurches forward.
BROWN
You’ll like dose eggs fresh for breakfast. I come by dis afternoon and look at that barn roof for you.
BROWN’S POV - the buggy heads toward the county road.
ADELE IN THE BUGGY - is angry.
ADELE
What’s gotten into that man? I never in my life...
Beverly glances back over her shoulder.
BEVERLY’S POV - Brown turns to the five horsemen as they dismount and lead their horses through the gate.
The buggy bounces over a rock and Beverly turns back to grab the basket of eggs tighter.
IN THE BARNYARD - The buggy turns onto the county road in B.G. as Stahlberg approaches and gives a stiff-armed Nazi salute.
STAHLBERG
Heil Hitler, Kapitaen Braun!
BROWN
(nervous)
Ja, kommen sie.
EXT. HILLTOP - SAME
The Buffalo soldiers pause on the bluff overlooking Las Cruces where Beverly told Ray of her pregnancy. He points.
RAY
There’s home.
INT. BROWN'S BARN
Count Punski pours hot water over himself in an old bathtub.
Heyer, bathed and shaved, finishes dressing.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - MORNING
The Buffalo Soldiers ride toward La Cruces.
INT. RAY’S HOME - KITCHEN - MORNING
Beverly gets the wood-burning stove lit.
INT. BROWN'S RANCH HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING
GRETCHEN BROWN, a matron in her 40s, cooks breakfast over a wood-burning stove.
She’s tense as she looks over at...
Stahlberg, now bathed and shaved, who studies a large map on the kitchen table.
INT. RAY’S HOME - KITCHEN - MORNING
Beverly looks up from where she makes an omelet, out the window. Her eyes go wide and she runs for the door.
BEVERLY
Ray!
EXT. RAY’S HOME - MORNING
Ray dismounts as Beverly throws herself in his arms and they kiss. A long moment.
She breaks it, looks at the others, surprised by all this.
Adele comes to the front door and is equally surprised.
RAY
I love you, Bev. And our baby.
ADELE
Ray, what are you...??
Heedless of the others, Ray takes Bev in his arms and kisses her again.
INT. BROWN'S RANCH HOUSE - KITCHEN
Brown, edgy, enters with Moelders who claps him on the back.
They sit beside Stahlberg, who looks up from the map.
STAHLBERG
Kapitaen Braun, how long will it take to get the explosives?
Gretchen Brown's expression shows fear. Heyer enters through the back door as...
BROWN
Obersturmbannfuehrer Stahlberg.
Heyer's eyes go wide on hearing Stahlberg's true rank.
BROWN (Cont)
... I do not know how to say this other than straight out. Our war is over.
(significant pause)
The Fuehrer committed suicide in Berlin on April 30th, Grand Admiral Doenitz surrendered on May 8. Over two months ago.
Stahlberg smashes his fist on the table.
STAHLBERG
Liar!
Mrs. Brown drops a pan at that.
STAHLBERG
NO! The Fuehrer would NEVER commit suicide! It is English lies!! The communists!
BROWN
I assure you, my friend, it is true. I wish it were otherwise.
Brown searches through the stack of newspapers in the cabinet, takes one and hands it to Stahlberg.
Heyer looks at the calendar beside his head on the wall and SEES the date: July 15, 1945.
Stahlberg stares at the front page of the "Albuquerque Journal": "GERMANY SURRENDERS!" He drops it on the table.
Moelders is dumb-struck at the PHOTOGRAPH of Grand Admiral Doenitz, successor to Hitler, at the formal surrender.
BROWN
To do anything more now, sir, is to act as a criminal. You must give yourselves up.
STAHLBERG
Never!
HEYER
Why not, Erich? What have you done?
(Stahlberg is defiant)
You would have murdered the Indian. You shot that man for his car. What happened where we got the horses?
Stahlberg abruptly pulls his pistol and shoots Heyer!
STAHLBERG
Traitor!
William Brown bolts for the shotgun in the corner, but
Stahlberg FIRES and hits him in the back.
Gretchen Brown SCREAMS and runs to her fallen husband as Moelders FIRES at her and she goes down.
PUNSKI AND EMMERER stand frozen in disbelief in the doorway.
Brown sprawls in a pool of blood - his wife face down on the floor - Heyer lies on his back.
STAHLBERG
(holsters his pistol)
Heyer disobeyed orders. These two are traitors. Hauptmann Krupinski, get the horses! Oberleutnant Emmerer, gather all the weapons!
Stahlberg's voice is a whip that snaps Punski and Emmerer to action. He turns to Moelders and points at the paper.
STAHLBERG
Burn that filth.
EXT. RAY’S HOME - MORNING
A plume of smoke rises beyond a line of cottonwoods. Adele sees it.
ADELE
The Browns! I knew Bill was up to no good with those men!
RAY
Mom - what men?
BEVERLY
We were just there, trading food. Some men rode up...
ADELE
He was just plain rude!
Ray and Williams look at each other. Ray leaps into the saddle. Before he can ride off, Beverly takes his hand.
She looks up at him, knows now why he showed up as he did.
BEVERLY
Ray - take care of yourself. Do what you came for.
He squeezes her hand, nods. They look in each other’s eyes.
Beverly clasps her hands in an unconscious prayer as she watches Ray lead the gallop away from their home.
THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS - gallop down the country lane.
EXT. BROWN'S RANCH - MORNING
Count Punski leads out four saddled horses as Emmerer and Moelders come out of the house, pistols in their belts.
Stahlberg SEES approaching dust and runs to the barn, grabs a kerosene lantern from a nail and smashes it against the wall.
He shoots against the fuel. As the barn goes up in flames, Stahlberg mounts up. The four Germans gallop away.
EXT. BROWN'S RANCH - MORNING
The Buffalo Soldiers rein in. Ray stands in the stirrups, torn as he sees the Germans' receding dust. Horse SCREAMS come from the barn.
WILLIAMS
Get water on that fire!
Scott, Bates and Roberts dismount and fight the fire. Ray draws his pistol and runs to the house.
INT. BROWN'S BARN
A terrified MARE and her FOAL NICKER and SNORT as FLAMES rise across the doorway and up one wall into the hay loft.
Smoke fills the building. The animals back away, but there's nowhere to go. Williams bursts through the door!
Roberts follows Williams. Williams COUGHS, grabs a rope and struggles to get it around the mare's neck.
EXT. BROWN'S BARN
Scott and Bates toss buckets of water at the wall of fire.
They run back to refill them from a horse trough...
Suddenly, Roberts leaps through the flames with the foal, followed by Williams and the mare. Williams takes the bucket and pours it over himself.
WILLIAMS
I'm gettin' too old for this.
INT. BROWN'S KITCHEN
Ray stares in frustration at the bodies. Heyer opens his eyes and GROANS as Williams appears in the doorway.
EXT. BROWN'S RANCH - LATER
The barn is a smoking ruin.
CIVILIAN AMBULANCE ATTENDANTS carry Heyer on a stretcher out of the house and over to the Ambulance parked in front.
An Attendant leans out of the back of the ambulance sand motions to Ray.
ATTENDANT
He wants to talk to you, sir.
INT. AMBULANCE
Ray climbs in and kneels beside Heyer's stretcher.
HEYER
(in pain)
I tried to stop them. Stahlberg refuses to believe the war is over. He heads east to cross the Rio Grande back into the mountains, then north to Los Alamos.
(Grabs Ray’s hand)
Stahlberg and Moelders are criminals. Punski and Emmerer are good Germans, patriots.
RAY
Like all of you who let Hitler start the war.
Heyer holds eye contact with Ray. As Ray turns to get out, Heyer grabs him and pulls him close.
EXT. AMBULANCE - BROWN RANCH - MORNING
Ray climbs down from the ambulance and finds Kelly climbing out of a big Buick.
RAY
(To Kelly)
They’re headed for Los Alamos.
Brown told them the war is over. Stahlberg won’t quit. They’re crossing the Rio Grande.
A look of alarm crosses Kelly’s face. Ray turns to his men.
RAY
Mount up!
The Buffalo Soldiers ride off to the east and disappear into the sagebrush.
EXT. RIO GRANDE - LATER
Stahlberg urges his horse out of the river and up the rocky slope. The others follow him into the sandstone cliffs.
INT. OFFICE - DAY
General Groves, on the phone, is not happy.
GROVES
Very well, Mr. Kelly, I'll handle it here.
He hangs up, turns his chair and looks out the window.
GROVES' POV OUT THE WINDOW - The Alamogordo Test Range. In the near distance, a concrete blockhouse. Beyond, A TALL LATTICEWORK TOWER rises against the sky.
EXT. RIO GRANDE - LATER
The Buffalo Soldiers ride out of the river and into the
sandstone cliffs.
EXT. ALAMOGORDO TEST RANGE - LATE AFTERNOON
Kelly, in khakis and an Army leather flying jacket, crosses the field. He sees Groves and Oppenheimer, goes to them.
KELLY
I have to find them, sir.
GROVES
(checks his watch)
We don’t have the time, Kelly.
KELLY
Then I'd better hurry, sir.
Groves and Oppenheimer watch Kelly cross to a Sikorsky R-4 helicopter and climb in. It CLATTERS airborne. Groves and Oppenheimer walk back toward the building.
OPPENHEIMER
We've got to delay if he can't find those men.
GROVES
That’s not an option.
EXT. HILLS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE - EVENING
Stahlberg reins in and stares at the Rio Grande below, its waters gold in the sunset.
EXT. HILLY TRAIL - EVENING
Williams strains to read the tracks as he and the others ride up the narrow defile. Williams raises his binoculars.
BINOCULAR POV - PAN ACROSS the dark hills...four mounted figures momentarily silhouetted on the ridgecrest!
WILLIAMS (O.S.)
It's them!
Ray leads the way as they gallop off.
INT. HELICOPTER COCKPIT - EARLY EVENING
Kelly concentrates on the darkening countryside below.
PILOT
We're losing the light.
(no response)
You can't even tell one tree from another.
KELLY
We're not looking for trees.
The helicopter flies on over the wilderness.
EXT. MOUNTAINS - EVENING
Stahlberg and the others rein in. Below, White Sands stretches into the distance.
STAHLBERG
Once we cross, they'll never be able to track us.
COUNT PUNSKI
Where are we going, Stahlberg?
STAHLBERG
To Oppenheimer's ranch.
EMMERER
Aren't we going the wrong way?
STAHLBERG
They'll be more surprised than the French when we came through the Ardennes in 1940!
Emmerer and Punski aren't the believers they once were.
Stahlberg sweeps his binoculars across the countryside.
BINOCULAR POV - Five riders appear on the trail.
STAHLBERG
Verdammt!
EXT. HILLSIDE - LAST LIGHT OF DAY
The Buffalo Soldiers ride up the trail.
CROSSHAIRS POV - Williams rides from behind a cottonwood. Roberts to his side and behind...Ray appears...
COUNT PUNSKI - smiles as he leans into the sight...
STAHLBERG AND THE OTHERS - are behind rocks.
ECU - Count Punski's trigger finger squeezes...
A RATTLESNAKE - spooks Williams' horse - it rears! Ray's horse skitters to the side. He almost falls off and just manages to grab the reins tight as...
THE RIFLE SHOT ECHOES and the impact knocks CORPORAL SCOTT backwards from his saddle!
COUNT PUNSKI - works the bolt and FIRES AGAIN...ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE from the Germans...
WILLIAMS - leaps from his mount, shouts "TAKE COVER" as he grabs his rifle and dives behind a rock.
BATES - drops behind a rock, frozen with fear. He may have been in the army 20 years, but this is his first time in a real fire fight.
RAY - pulls his rifle from its scabbard and FIRES.
BULLETS FLY. GUNFIRE REVERBERATES.
COUNT PUNSKI - sees Scott start to get up...
KA-POW! Scott is hit a second time! COUNT PUNSKI takes aim...KA-POW!
BATES - flattens as rock splinters fly. He SEES Scott try to crawl toward the others. Scott is Bates’ best friend.
Bates finds his courage and breaks cover.
BATES
Cover me!
The Buffalo Soldiers volley fire for effect. The Germans’ return fire isn’t as well placed...
ROBERTS - FIRES two quick shots.
RICOCHETS FLY AROUND BATES! He FIRES BACK with his pistol and does a broken-field run to Scott.
STAHLBERG - shoots at Bates...
RAY - fires TWICE...
WILLIAMS - gets off A SHOT...
MOELDERS - falls back, hit in the arm...
WILLIAMS - FIRES at the Germans.
SCOTT - already pale from loss of blood, grabs Bates's hand.
SCOTT
I can’t find my rifle.
Scott dies and releases his grip. BULLETS FLY AROUND BATES. Two more jerk Scott’s body as Bates fires and runs out of ammo. He dives for better cover, reloads quickly and fires again.
WILLIAMS - sees Bates pinned down and runs out to him, FIRING at the Germans as he goes. A VOLLEY IN RETURN and he drops behind a pile of rocks, escape blocked.
RAY zig-zags across the clearing, followed by bullet puffs in the dirt. He drops behind a large rock and FIRES.
RAY
Come on!
WILLIAMS leaps up as Ray fires cover for him.
THE TWO OF THEM - give cover to Bates as he zigzags back. Bullet strikes chase him.
APPROACHING ROTOR CLATTER overpowers the gunfire.
STAHLBERG looks up, around...What is it?
He and Punski run for the horses to find Emmerer's already helped Moelders to his saddle.
WILLIAMS sees the Germans ride off. He and Ray run for their horses and mount up.
The (O.S.) REVERBERANT CLATTER comes from every direction.
STAHLBERG looks around, and sees...
HIS POV - The Sikorsky R-4 rises over a ridge and hovers above them as it turns on a powerful searchlight.
THE GERMANS - gallop off into the darkness.
WILLIAMS stares at the bright light above as Ray reins in behind him.
WILLIAMS
What in the hell is that?!
HELICOPTER POV - DOWN - Bates and Roberts join Williams and Ray. The Buffalo Soldiers are in the circle of light.
KELLY'S
Captain Cline!
RAY - looks and can’t see the Germans. He looks in the other direction and sees Scott’s body. A moment.
Ray Cline’s decision was made years ago. He spurs his horse into the gathering darkness - after the Germans.
WILLIAMS - is surprised when Ray gallops off.
Another moment.
Williams looks at the helicopter...
At Scott...
WILLIAMS
Captain Cline! No! Come back!
KELLY’S POV - Williams rides off after Ray!
BATES - is taken aback by this.
Williams disappears into the darkness after Ray.
BATES
Marcus! No!
ROBERTS sees Bates jump on his horse and ride off.
Roberts follows.
INT. HELICOPTER
Kelly’s anguished face lit by the instrument panel.
GROVES (on radio)
Return NOW Kelly! That’s an order!
THE HELICOPTER - banks and flies away.
EXT. ALAMOGORDO TEST RANGE - NIGHT
LIGHTNING etches RAY’S FACE as a thunderstorm begins. THUNDER explodes. He gallops across the desert, one with his steed.
STAHLBERG - a determined, storm-battered Teutonic knight, rides out of the darkness.
WILLIAMS - spurs his horse and gallops on.
BATES AND ROBERTS - ride on through the rain.
MOELDERS, the faithful pit bull, rides behind his master.
RAY - gallops on.
INT. BLOCKHOUSE - NIGHT
SCIENTISTS busily tend their instruments. Groves and Oppenheimer watch a CLOCK tick down.
VOICE ON P.A.
Ten minutes to Trinity. All personnel take cover.
EXT. DESERT - NIGHT
Wind rips through the sagebrush. More LIGHTNING AND THUNDER.
A tumbleweed careens past a PUDDLE - SPLASH! A horse's hoof slams into the water, etched by a LIGHTNING FLASH.
LIGHTNING picks out the four Germans, shadow figures, riding in line against the wind...THUNDER BOOMS.
In another LIGHTNING FLASH, Count Punski sees an arroyo ahead. He signals the others. They carefully wend their way into the arroyo.
INT. BLOCKHOUSE - GROVES, OPPENHEIMER and the scientists put on their goggles, turn away from the window slit toward... THE TICKING CLOCK.
RAY - rides on.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
PUNSKI - rides up, out of the arroyo.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK..
WILLIAMS - rides on.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
RAY - nearly goes over the side of the arroyo, slowing only at the last moment, then makes his way down into it.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
BATES AND ROBERTS - ride on, battered and exhausted.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
WILLIAMS - spurs his mount on across the desert.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
EMMERER - rides on, bound by honor and duty.
COUNT PUNSKI - sits tall in the saddle, happy to be alive.
KELLY - stares - THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
THE FOUR GERMANS - ride on.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
RAY - spurs his horse.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
WILLIAMS - urges his horse on.
CLOSE - the horse stumbles at the edge of the arroyo!
WILLIAMS GOES DOWN! THUNDER BOOMS!
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
RAY - gracefully leaps his horse over a low ridge of rocks.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
BATES AND ROBERTS - come upon Williams’ horse. Bates sees Williams’ inert form down in the arroyo and rides down into it. He leaps off and goes to Williams.
The storm stops.
VOICE ON P.A. (O.S.)
Ten...nine...eight...
THE FOUR GERMANS - ride abreast toward the distant flood-lit tower.
VOICE ON P.A. (O.S.)
Seven...six...five...four...
Stahlberg looks back - SEES the mounted figure!
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
VOICE ON P.A. (O.S.)
...three...two...
STAHLBERG - spurs his horse - rides ahead of the others past a sandstone cliff. They urge their mounts to catch up.
RAY AND HIS HORSE - leap another obstacle effortlessly.
BATES AND ROBERTS - with Williams down in the arroyo.
THE CLOCK - ANOTHER TICK...
VOICE ON P.A.
One!
DAWN BURSTS AS THE LIGHT OF A NEWBORN SUN SEARS THE GERMANS FOR ALL ETERNITY AGAINST THE SANDSTONE CLIFF BEHIND THEM.
BATES AND ROBERTS - throw themselves over Williams!
THEIR POV UP - Roiling into the heavens, lit red, orange, yellow, the MUSHROOM CLOUD announces the New Age.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE DESERT - DAY
WILLIAMS...ROBERTS...BATES...KELLY...ride horses out of the dead stillness and approach. They stare in awe...
ON THE CLIFF FACE, the silhouettes of the Germans are burned into it: THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE
OPPENHEIMER (V.O.)
I am become death, destroyer of worlds...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MADERA CANYON - SUNSET - THE PRESENT
The golden light of sunset etches Williams’ contorted face.
WILLIAMS
(Tears in his eyes)
I tried. I couldn’t save him.
Daniel looks away, giving Williams a moment to recover.
Daniel stares at the glorious pink and gold desert sunset - a very thoughtful look on his face.
WILLIAMS
(Recovers)
Corporal Roberts was killed in 1950 during the retreat to Pusan in Korea. Sergeant Bates died in a North Korean prison camp in 1952.
Backed by the ranch that belonged to Walker Williams, Daniel turns to Williams.
DANIEL
And Special Agent Kelly?
WILLIAMS
I read his obituary in July of '75. Cancer.
DANIEL
So, you're the only one left?
Williams nods. Daniel looks off, toward the sunset.
DANIEL
Captain Cline’s daughter was born that November, 1945. Her name is Julia - she married Freeman Martin on a commune in Northern California in the Sixties.
A long moment, Williams doesn’t take his eyes off Daniel.
DANIEL
Captain Cline...he was my grandfather.
WILLIAMS
I know.
Daniel realizes why Williams told him the story.
DANIEL
My grandmother died last year. I found a letter, written by Kelly in 1952. It mentioned your name. I hoped you’d have some answers.
WILLIAMS
He was a brave man, Daniel - and a good one.
(Beat)
The Army decided it was better if it never happened, is all.
DANIEL
(Nods)
Thank you, sir. With your corroboration, maybe I can do something. There should be some sort of recognition...
Williams shrugs - and then it hits Daniel.
DANIEL
What happened to Heyer?
WILLIAMS
Agent Kelly talked to Max Heyer after the war. It's how I found out all what they did. He was repatriated home in 1947.
Daniel looks away. His gaze falls on the grave on the other side of the fence.
THE HEADSTONE reads: "WALKER WILLIAMS 1872-1945."
Daniel looks around - he knows what he has to do.
DANIEL
Thank you for your time, Sergeant Major Williams.
WILLIAMS
When you get back from Germany, Colonel Martin, you feel free to stop by...
(smiles)
... only don't take too long.
They shake hands, Daniel crosses to his 4x4, climbs in, and rides off into the sunset.
- THE END -
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“The Clock Another Tick”... another one of those details of the moment I love. This is excellent Tom. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Fantastic. Brilliant. Bravo. I so want to see the movie now. Thank you Tom, for sharing this.