"TRINITY" - PART 4

EXT. PRISON YARD - NEXT MORNING

The POWs are lined up for morning count. Scott checks the names, crosses to Sergeant Major Williams, salutes.

SCOTT

All five hundred present and accounted for, Sergeant Major.

Williams returns Scott’s salute, turns and salutes Ray.

WILLIAMS

Sir! All prisoners present and accounted for, sir!

RAY

(Returns the salute)

Very well, Sergeant Major. Dismiss the prisoners.

WILLIAMS

PRISONERS! DISMISSED!

INT. PRISON OFFICE - LATER THAT DAY

As Ray enters, Williams and Roberts sit a little straighter. Ray drops a thick stack of papers on Williams' desk.

RAY

I'm willing to make allowances for your Corporal’s natural slowness, Sergeant Major, but if I have to wait until noon again for the morning reports, his corporal days are over. Do I make myself clear?

Williams manages to hide his shock at that.

WILLIAMS

Yes, sir, Captain Cline, sir.

RAY

Very good.

Roberts and Williams exchange a look as Ray leaves. The look on Williams’ face betrays how upset he is at Ray’s prejudice; it’s not what he expected.

ROBERTS

That man be at home on the other side of the barbed wire with the rest of the Nazis, Sergeant Major. Damn peckerwood...

WILLIAMS

(All business)

You just concentrate on getting those reports done on time, Roberts. That’s your job.

Williams concentrates on the papers before him to take his mind off what just happened.

Properly chastised, Roberts goes back to his adding machine.

INT. BACK ROOM - QUONSET HUT #4 - LATER THAT DAY

Held tests the drawstring release on the dirt bags.

EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY

Corporal Scott stands near the gate, watching the Germans’ daily soccer game. He sees Williams come out of the H.Q.

SCOTT’S POV - Held comes out of hut #4 and walks beside the players.

Dust trails from his pants over his shoes.

SCOTT

(points)

Sergeant Major.

Williams stops, narrows his eyes as he sees the trail of dust.

WILLIAMS

(Low voice)

Summon the guard, Corporal Scott.

INT. QUONSET HUT #4 - BACK ROOM - DAY

Moelders unbuttons his tunic and takes it off...

EXT. PRISON YARD

Held walks along...dirt trails...

INT. HUT #4 - FRONT ROOM

Heyer looks out and sees Williams, Scott, Bates and TEN SOLDIERS quick-step across the field...

EXT. FIELD

The soccer game breaks up as the soldiers cross through it.

PIANO MUSIC OUT THE WINDOW - "THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES".

Stahlberg's eyes narrow as he sees Williams grab Held.

WILLIAMS

Drop your pants, Lieutenant.

HELD

Nicht verstehen.

Bates grabs Held's pants and yanks them down.

BATES

Verstehen this, kraut!

They stare at the bags full of dirt tied around his legs.

INT. HUT #4 - FRONT ROOM - BACK ROOM

Heyer freezes as the door bursts open! Williams leads his men INTO THE BACK ROOM past Oberleutnant Tischler.

INT. BACK ROOM - HUT #4

Moelders, tunic on, is sprawled on his bunk.

Williams scans the room, sees scuff marks on the floor near the stove.

FIRST LIEUTENANT DON MILLER, 25, enters.

WILLIAMS

Move the stove, Corporal Scott.

MILLER

That’s government property!

Williams regards the young white Lieutenant like he’s from Mars. He sees Ray enter behind Miller.

WILLIAMS

Move the stove, Corporal Scott.

Scott nods to another soldier. They move the stove.

Ray watches them push the stove to the side. Williams stares at the hole. He’s mad as hell.

BEHIND RAY, Stahlberg smiles from the open door and ignores the black soldiers.

STAHLBERG

(in American English)

Would you like a tour, Herr Hauptmann?

Williams glares at Stahlberg.

EXT. PRISON YARD - LATER

500 POWs lined up. Brand strides to Ray in front of Hut #4.

INT. HUT #4 - BACK ROOM - THE HOLE

Scott climbs out, trailing detonation wires. Bates holds the plunger box. They unspool wire into the front room...

EXT. HUT #4

Williams, followed by Bates and Scott, comes over to Brand.

WILLIAMS

We're ready, sir.

BRAND

Very good, Sergeant Major.

Stahlberg is expressionless as he watches Williams attach the wires, raise the plunger, and turn to Brand.

WILLIAMS

Sir?

It takes Brand a moment to realize he's being offered the honor of pushing the plunger.

WILLIAMS

Fire in the hole!

INT. COOLER CELL - DAY

Anton Held looks out the small window - KA-BOOM! A massive dust cloud rises behind hut #4.

EXT. PRISON YARD

Several prisoners, Oberst Prager among them, pick themselves off the ground and look at the dust cloud.

Brand and Ray walk around Hut #4...

BEHIND HUT #4 - a narrow eight foot deep canyon - the caved-in tunnel - extends 100 YARDS from the rear of the hut to a point a few feet from the wire fence.

Williams joins Ray and Brand.

BRAND

Excellent work, Sergeant Major. I will see that notice of this appears in your service record.

WILLIAMS

Thank you, sir.

Brand turns and leaves. Ray and Williams survey the damage.

RAY

Double the guard here and put a light on that ditch tonight, Sergeant Major.

WILLIAMS

Yes, sir.

Stahlberg's Germans stand together as Ray and Williams come around from in back and head toward the gate.

COUNT PUNSKI

What do we do now, Erich?

Stahlberg looks around to see thunderheads build over the mountains to the west.

STAHLBERG

God takes care of those who take care of themselves.

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