RETURN TO THE DAY OF THE DEAD HOMEPAGE
DAY OF THE DEAD-ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Written By George A. Romero
FADE IN:
1 EXT. THE EMPTY STREET OF A CITY - DAY
No people. A FEW CARS AND TRUCKS are parked at odd angles,
abandoned. A TITLE FADES IN, one phrase at a time.
FIVE YEAR...
SINCE THE DEAD FIRST WALKED.
2 EXT. THE CITY - DAY
We hear THE SOUND OF A STRONG WIND. DEBRIS flutters through the
streets. A LARGE ALLIGATOR slithers into frame, stops and
looks around.
MONTAGE: as MORE GATORS explore the empty streets, knocking
over GARBAGE CANS, upsetting the MANNEQUINS in A DEPARTMENT
STORE WINDOW. A GATOR crawls out through the open doors of AN
ABANDONED BANK. LOOSE BILLS are dragged along under the
animal's tail. They flutter away on the WIND.
3 EXT. THE CITY - DAY
GATORS crawl over A '79 CADELLIC. A FEMALE SKELETON sits
slumped over the steering wheel. In the back a BABY'S BONES are
strapped into AN INFANT'S SAFETY SEAT. One of the gators THUMPS
its tail maddeningly against the windshield. ANOTHER TITLE
APPEAR:
FLORIDA - 1987
4 EXT. THE CITY - DAY
CLOSE ON A SECTION OF PAVEMENT as we hear THE SOUND OF SLUGGISH
FOOTSTEPS approaching. A SHADOW appears at the bottom of the
frame. It gets longer and takes on the shape of a man.
TIGHT ON THE AFTERNOON SUN, blinding us. Into the FOREGROUND
lurches THE FIGURE which cast the shadow. Glare obscures all
facial detail until the head jogs into position directly in
front of the fiery ball in the sky. Then we see its hideous,
dead eyes, its blue-grey colour, the blackened wound where a
large portion of jaw has been ripped away. This is a ZOMBIE! A
MUSIC CHORD SOUNDS and THE MAIN TITLE APPEARS:
DAY OF THE DEAD
5 EXT. THE CITY - DAY
HEAD CREDITS ROLL over A MONTAGE: the CITY STREETS are now
populated by the WALKING DEAD. In every shape, size and colour
they wander, without purpose, up and down the avenues, in and
out of buildings. The city is theirs, they have inherited the
place. Man, in his human form, seems to be gone.
As the CREDITS END, we CUT TO:
6 EXT. A MAIN STREET - DAY
We are looking down from a HIGH ANGLE. The corner of A TALL
BUILDING is in the FOREGROUND. A CORPSE is dangling from A
NOOSE. It's been dead for some time. It's mostly bone now, its
blackened flesh picked clean by scavenger birds and harbour
rats. A SIGN flaps against its chest cavity. Its hurriedly
scrawled message reads: TAKE ME, LORD! I LOVE YOU!
THE ROPE BREAKS suddenly and THE CORPSE FALLS out of frame.
7 EXT. THE STREET - DAY
We're at GROUND LEVEL now...SMACK!!! THE CORPSE HITS THE
PAVEMENT and SHATTERS as though made of potter's clay. BONES
bounce over a wide area. THE SIGN is carried off by the WIND.
8 EXT. AN ABANDONED MARINA - DAY
THE SIGN gallops across the grass of A HARBOUR PARK towards the
water where A FEW DERELICT BOATS sway in the WIND.
Slowly, THE SOUND OF A MOTOR FADES IN.
9 EXT. THE MARINA (CLOSER ANGLE) - DAY
A FISHING BOATS, old and sea-worn, chugs into the harbour.
10 EXT. THE MARINA (CLOSE ON THE FISHING BOAT) - DAY
There are people on board, THREE MEN AND TWO WOMEN. They look
like guerilleros from somewhere in Latin America. They're
heavily armed, unshaven, covered with months worth of jungle
crud. They are obviously exhausted. They gazeup to the city.
Their deep-sunken eyes are too war-weary to show much emotion but
we can read their despair.
TONY
Another dead place. I tol' you. Let's
get out to the islands.
MIGUEL
The radio signals were coming from this
area.
TONY
Not from the city. In every city it's
the same. Dead. Let's get out to the
barrier islands. If there are survivors
sending those signals that's where
we'll find them.
MIGUEL
Plenty of time for the islands. The
rest of our...life...on the islands...I
think.
Miguel is drifting. The sight of the dead city has pushed him a
few inches closer to the brink of insanity. He catches himself
and comes back toward reality.
MIGUEL
We gotta see if there are others here.
We came all this way. We're gonna check
it out.
11 EXT. THE MARINA (AT THE DOCKS) - DAY
CLOSE ON THE OPEN GASOLINE RECEPTACLE in the hull of AN
ABANDONED BOAT. A WOMAN'S HANDS shove a LENGTH OF HOSE down
into the hole.
The woman, MARIA, puts the other end of the hose to her mouth
and sucks the air out.
At ANOTHER DERELICT BOAT, TONY sucks on ANOTHER HOSE.
TONY
Ptoooo! Nothing! Dry as a bone. No gas.
Let's get outa here.
MIGUEL
Check them all. And check the tanks
under the pumps.
MIGUEL and the other two guerilleros, SARAH AND CHICO, start to
walk up the dock towards the harbour park, toward the city.
MIGUEL has AN ELECTRONIC BULLHORN in one hand, his AUTOMATIC
RIFLE ready in the other.
12 EXT. THE HARBOUR PARK - DAY
THE TRIO of refugees move across the grass. The WIND blows
DEBRIS around them as they stare towards the downtown
buildings. MIGUEL lifts THE BULLHORN to his mouth.
MIGUEL
HELLO. IS THERE ANYONE THERE? HELLO.
HELLOOOOOOO....
13 EXT. THE CITY - DAY
MONTAGE: as THE WALKING DEAD hear that human VOICE. Throughout
the city they turned towards THE SOUND, at once confused and
excited.
MIGUEL (o.s.)
HELLOOOOOOOOOOO....
THE DEAD start to GROAN hungrily, almost pleadingly. All over
the city their VOICES RISE.
14 EXT. THE HARBOUR PARK - DAY
It comes to MIGUEL AND THE OTHERS as A MASSIVE WALL OF NOISE,
THE SOUND of hundreds-of-thousands of damned souls moaning on
one solid voice. The sound of hell on earth.
15 EXT. THE MARINA (AT THE DOCKS) - DAY
TONY AND MARIA hear it as well and feel the familiar grip of
cold fear. Maria makes the sign of the cross.
MARIA
Dios mia.
TONY
I tol' him. I tol' him this is a dead
place. Like all the others.
CUT TO:
16 EXT. THE CITY (FROM THE WATER) - DAY
We see the place FROM A GREAT DISTANCE. In the FOREGROUND THE
FISHING BOAT, with all five REFUGEES back on board, chugs into
open waters.
CUT TO:
17 EXT. A SMALL PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
Away from the city, this dock is wooden, rickety. DERELICT
BOATS rust at their moorings. THE FISHING BOAT is tied-on at
one end of the pier and THE GUERILLEROS are moving through the
area, scavenging. This time CHICO helps MARIA with the SIPHON
HOSES. TONY lingers sullenly near the fishing boat which has
its motor still idling.
MARIA'S SIPHON HOSE is stuffed into the gas tank of A LARGE
TRAWLER. She sucks on the hose and, unexpectedly, foul tasting
liquid fills her mouth.
MARIA
AY! GASOLINA! GASOLINA!
Without warning, A FIGURE pops up from behind the side wall of
the trawler. He reaches out and grabs the woman, pulling her
against the boat, his arm around her neck, a pistol to her
head.
TONY sees the action. He dives into the fishing boat, crawls
over to his RIFLE and scrambles towards the pilot's controls.
With a lightning move, MARIA pulls A KNIFE from her belt. She
wrenches around and PLUNGES THE BLADE INTO HER ATTACKER'S
CHEST. The man staggers back, screaming. MARIA breaks away and
runs across the dock. THE MAN FIRES HIS PISTOL wildly.
MARIA IS HIT IN THE ARM. She tumbles forwards onto the decking.
TONY reacts, OPENING FIRE WITH HIS AUTOMATIC.
BULLETS RIP INTO THE ATTACKERS CHEST: HE FALLS OUT OF THE
TRAWLER onto the dock, but TWO MORE GUNMEN appear behind him,
mean-looking desperadoes with RIFLE SPITTING LEAD.
TONY ducks as low as he can. He grabs the controls and pilots
the fishing boat along the edge of the dock toward the downed
woman.
18 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
MIGUEL, SARAH AND CHICO react to the gunfire. They draw their
WEAPONS and look for cover.
They are at the far end of the dock, their backs to the sea.
There is a WORK SHED nearby. BULLETS WHIZ past them as they
charge towards the wooden structure. They make it there safely
and they begin to RETURN FIRE. A gun battle ensues between the
two groups.
19 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
MARIA, her ARM BLEEDING, rolls off the dock and into THE
FISHING BOAT. TONY guns the engine and the boat pulls out into
open water.
THE ATTACKERS try to FIRE AT THE ESCAPING BOAT but they are
forced to duck BULLETS which RICOCHET OFF THE TRAWLER pinning
them down.
20 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
MIGUEL'S RIFLE is in his right hand. His left hand clings to
the frame of AN OPEN WINDOW on his side of the shed. There's a
SUDDEN, STARTLING MUSIC STING and, with it, A ZOMBIE appears
inside the open window. Grotesque and drooling dark SALIVA, its
hungry mouth lunges at MIGUEL'S left arm. ITS TEETH TEAR A
LARGE STRIP OF FLESH OUT OF THE ARM six inches above the wrist.
MIGUEL screams. He pulls away from the creature, his terrified
eyes staring at the BLEEDING WOUND. A zombie bite means
infection and almost certain death.
THE ZOMBIE leans out through the open window, its hands clawing
the air trying to reach MIGUEL. SARAH pulls A GIANT .45 from
her holster belt. BULLAMN! BULLAMN! BULLAMN! She FIRES three
rapid shots.
THE SKULL OF THE ZOMBIE INDENTS IN FRONT like a hard-boiled egg
shell that's been whacked with a spoon bowl. BLACKENED BLOOD
AND BRAIN MATTER FLIES OUT OF THE BACK where the bullets exit.
The creature falls, destroyed.
21 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
SARAH acts quickly. She lunges towards CHICO and snatches A
MACHETE out of his belt. CHICO shows concern but he's busy
RETURNING FIRE at THE ATTACKERS on the trawler.
SARAH
I have to stop the infection...
Querrida...
MIGUEL looks into SARAH'S eyes. He has started to tremble. A
cry of primal panic is gurgling up in his throat. With a sudden
move, SARAH slams her RIFLE BUTT into the side of his head with
all her might. He reels backwards and slams into the boathouse
wall. His eyes roll but he stays on his feet, still conscious.
CHICO steps away from his post and stands squarely in front of
MIGUEL. WHAP! He slugs him with a powerhouse right-cross.
MIGUEL still stands. WHAP! He slugs him again. WHAP! Again.
Finally, MIGUEL collapses into the man's arms and CHICO lays
the limp body down on the deck.
BUDDABLAM! RATTATATTATATTATATT! THE ENEMY, sensing an upper
hand, starts FIRING WITH MORE INTENSITY. CHICO steps away from
MIGUEL and SENDS SOME LEAD BACK their way.
22 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
SARAH is crying. It's not weakness. She's crying for MIGUEL,
crying for his pain. But she doesn't hesitate in what she has
to do. She crouches over the BITTEN ARM and raises the MACHETE
over her head.
THUCK! SHE CHOPS AT THE ELBOW JOINT with all her strength. THE
BLADE BITES DEEP BUT DOESN'T CUT THROUGH. SHE LIFTS IT AND CHOPS
AGAIN AND AGAIN....THUCK! THUCK! Then SHE DIGS AROUND,
searching for the joint the way she might on a turkey
drumstick. Finding the spot, SHE PUSHES DOWN WITH BOTH HANDS,
leaning all her weight on the top edge of the blade. TEARS are
running down her cheeks when THE BIG KNIFE FINALLY....
THUMMMPPP!....CUTS THROUGH TO THE DECKING.
Repulsed, angry, SARAH SWEEPS THE SEVERED FOREARM AWAY WITH
THE BLADE the way a butcher might sweep away unwanted fat. BLOOD
IS SPURTING OUT OF THE STUMP at an alarming rate. SARAH has to
act quickly again.
While CHICO continues to RETURN FIRE at the enemy, SARAH swings
herself up onto the sill of the open boathouse window and
disappears inside the place.
23 INT. THE BOATHOUSE - DAY
The place is dark and cluttered (oars, bait buckets, fishing
gear, life preservers, tools, paints, varnishes). SARAH
snatches up AN AXE HANDLE.
THE ZOMBIE that bit Miguel lies nearby with its skull laid
open. Its hand is jogged, startingly, when SARAH grabs A BOTTLE
OF PAINT THINNER from the floor beside the corpse.
From out of the shadows...A HAND! It grabs SARAH'S ankle. She
kicks violently and pulls away. ANOTHER ZOMBIE is crawling
across the floor. ONE OF ITS LEGS IS MISSING AND THE OTHER IS
BADLY DAMAGED.
SARAH draws her .45 and BULLAMM! BULLAMM! SHE PUMPS TWO ROUNDS
INTO THE CREATURE'S BRAIN.
24 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
CHICO ducks the enemy's RICOCHETING BULLETS.
CHICO
HEY ! WHAT ARE WE DOIN' THIS FOR? WE
CAN STICK TOGETHER. WE CAN USE EACH
OTHER'S GUNS.
At THE TRAWLER, ONE OF THE ATTACKERS shouts a response.
ATTACKER #1
You could use our guns, maybe. We can't
use yours. Unless you can get yer boat
back here.
CHICO
You got a boat.
ATTACKER #1
Shit, man. We can drift this tub into
the bay...tow her around with a
dinghy...but she ain't gonna get us
nowhere. Ev'ry boat you see here is
long dead, soldier...else we'd be long
gone. Can you get your boat back here?
CHICO
I don't know where they went, man. I
don't know. I swear.
ATTACKER #1
Then, like I said...we can't use you.
We ain't got the food nor the patience
to put up with you.
The man FIRES A LONG BURST from his automatic.
CHICO
YOU....YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!
He reaches around the corner of the shed with his own rifle and
FIRES blind in return. SARAH clambers out through the shed
windows having wrapped A LARGE PIECE OF CLOTH around the end of
the AXE HANDLE.
She reaches into a shirt pocket and produces A WOODEN MATCH.
She strikes the match and touches the flame to the thinner-
soaked cloth. PHOOOOOMPH! The axe handle becomes an angrily
flaming torch.
25 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
As the gun battle continues, SARAH crouches over MIGUEL. BLOOD
IS STILL FOUNTAINING FROM THE STUMP OF HIS LEFT ARM. The woman
slaps THE FLAMING END OF HER TORCH ONTO THE STUMP. There's A
SIZZLING SOUND as the raw flesh there cooks.
The pain reaches MIGUEL even though his unconscious state. He
starts to breathe heavily. His head shakes from side to side
silently pleading "NO, NO, NO." The flames do their job. THE
FLESH CRUSTS OVER AND THE BLEEDING STOPS.
MIGUEL'S SHIRT CATCHES. Suddenly his eyes pop open and he
screams like the man on fire he is. He lurches away from the
flame, his body slamming against the shed wall. SARAH flings
the torch into the water and dives on top of the man.
SARAH
MIGUELITO. MI VIDA. MIGUEL MIO.
MIGUEL, trying to scream but needing to vomit, is doing
neither. His body is convulsing in the woman's arms. She rubs
the sparks on his shirt until they disappear then she caresses
him, holding his head against hers, rocking him back and forth.
26 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
CHICO is still busy RETURNING FIRE. BULLETS WHIZ through the
air around his head. ONE KNICKS HIM ON THE SHOULDER, a
superficial but painful wound.
CHICO
JESUS CHRIST! GET UP HERE, WOMAN! GET
THE HELL UP HERE!
SARAH has no choice but to help in the fight. She lays MIGUEL
as gently as she can on his back. He's gone into deep shock,
shivering violently. Rubbing tears away from her eyes, SARAH
jumps to her feet, takes up a post and begins to FIRE AT THE
ATTACKERS.
THE ATTACKERS are grinning like old-fashioned pirates as their
GUNS CHEW UP THE DOCK. Suddenly, just behind THE TRAWLER, we
see A FLASH OF COLOUR SPEEDING BY...
It's THE FISHING BOAT! The WOUNDED MARIA is steering. TONY is
standing on the prow with his RIFLE FIRING...
RATTATATTATATTATATTATATT!!!!
ONE OF THE ATTACKERS IS HIT FROM BEHIND. HIS BACK TURNS SOLID
RED and HE PITCHES FORWARDS, FALLING between the boat and the
dock into the water below.
THE OTHER ATTACKER (#1) turns and FIRES IN RESPONSE. TONY IS
HIT IN THE STOMACH. He falls to his knees and grabs the side of
the boat but he KEEPS FIRING.
THE ATTACKER pivots against a mast. For a moment he doesn't
realise that HIS NECK HAS BEEN RIPPED OPEN BY A LINE OF
BULLETS. He tries to scream. Can't. A PLUME OF RED SHOOT OUT OF
HIS MOUTH. Then he realises. He realises that he's a dead man.
He falls.
MARIA
TONY....TONY....
TONY
PULL IN! GET THE OTHERS.
TONY is clutching at his BLEEDING BELLY as MARIA, in pain from
her own wound, circles the boat towards the edge of the dock.
27 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - DAY
Behind the boathouse, SARAH slings her rifle onto her shoulder
and she leans over MIGUEL who is now catatonic.
SARAH
Help me get him to the boat.
CHICO
Leave him.
SARAH calmly raises her .45 and aims it directly at CHICO's
head.
SARAH
Help me or die.
Reluctantly the man moves towards MIGUEL and the two survivors
drag his limp body over the decking.
DISSOLVE TO:
28 EXT. THE PRIVATE DOCK - SUNSET
The fishing boat is gone. Orange light from the western horizon
paints the scene. FIGURES are moving about on the dock,
slumped, lumbering figures....ZOMBIES.
They're clustering around THE TRAWLER, around THE CORPSES OF
THE ATTACKERS.
THEY BEGIN PULLING THOSE CORPSES APART AND EATING THEM
HUNGRILY.
ONE CREATURE has found MIGUEL'S SEVERED FOREARM. IT PULLS A BIG
CHUNK OFF THE THING WITH ITS TEETH. It chews for a time, ITS
DROOL TURNING RED. Then it spits out MIGUEL'S WRISTWATCH as
though it was a bothersome bit of bone.
29 EXT. THE FISHING BOAT (IN DEEP WATER) - SUNSET
THE TWO WOMEN hover over their wounded, TONY AND MIGUEL. CHICO
steers the boat. Suddenly, TONY arches his back and screams in
pain.
TONY
Aaaaaaah...my God...my God...I am
heartily sorry...for having offended
Thee....offended Thee...
MARIA
Shhhhh....Tony. Rest, rest.
TONY
I detest all my sins...because...
because of Thy just punishment...
because of Thy...just...punish...
A coughing fit interrupts his Act of Contrition. From across
the open cabin, from within SARAH'S arms, MIGUEL stares. His
eyes have the glaze of a madman's eyes. Despite that, and
despite the physical trauma he has endured, he seems
remarkably in command.
MIGUEL
He is dying. I will end his pain.
MIGUEL draws his PISTOL.
MARIA
NOOOOOOOOO!
TONY
...but most of all because...they
offend Thee, my God...Who art all
good...and deserving...deserving of
all my love...
MIGUEL
He is dying. He knows it.
MARIA
You are dying, too.
MIGUEL
No. The disease was cut away from me. I
will live. I will live.
TONY
I firmly resolve...with the... with the
help...the help of...of Thy grace...
TONY collapses. A long, gurgling breath of surrender spills out
of him and BLOOD TRICKLES FROM HIS LIFELESS MOUTH.
MARIA
Tony...TONY!
The woman folds TONY'S corpse into her arms as though trying to
give it life from her own wounded body. For a long moment there
is only the CHUG-CHUG-CHUG of the tired engine. Then the woman,
sensing something, turns back towards MIGUEL. His pistol is
raised, aimed at TONY'S head.
MARIA
NO! YOU CAN'T!
SARAH
It must be done. You know this. It must
by done to keep him from...
MARIA
It won't happen to him! It won't happen
to him! You heard his prayer. His
prayer will save him. He could never
become one of...one of those... devils.
MIGUEL
Prayers have no power to save. The
knife can save. It can cut the disease
away. The bullet. It can shatter the
brain where the evil takes seed. These
are saviours...our new saviours...our
only saviours.
MARIA
We must wait. One day the curse will
pass. One day a dead man will...
will...
MIGUEL
One day a dead man will refuse to
return, and that man will be a saint.
The first saint of our century. That's
a prayer, too. A catechism. Something
the priests tell us to believe.
MARIA
You can believe this, Miguel. I'll kill
you if you shoot. We must wait.
I'll....I'll do it....I'll do it
myself....when it needs to be done.
MIGUEL
No. You won't be able to do it. He will
rise. He will rise and you... you will
die.
That madman's glaze is wet in MIGUEL'S eyes again. A grin curls
his mouth into an odd shape. He freezes, staring, waiting.
SARAH shows concern.
30 EXT. DEEP WATER (WITH THE FISHING BOAT) - NIGHT
A CRESCENT MOON lies on its back. Below, on the pitch black
water, its reflection, a vertical stripe, breaks open as THE
BOAT passes through it...CHUG-CHUG-CHUG.
31 EXT. THE FISHING BOAT (IN DEEP WATER) - NIGHT
CHICO has fallen asleep at the tiller. SARAH is asleep as well,
and so is MARIA.
A SILENT SHADOW moves over the side rail. HANDS reach out and
grip MARIA'S shoulders, lifting her up, up from sleep. Her eyes
flutter open.
TONY'S face is blue-grey in the moonlight. It takes the woman a
second or two to recognise that HE IS ONE OF THE LIVING DEAD.
His hungry mouth lunges towards her neck. His DROOLING TEETH
SINK DEEP. The woman screams.
SARAH wakes with a start. MIGUEL is already awake. He's been
watching all along. Now he watches still, his PISTOL idle in
his one good hand, his mouth curled in that strange grin, as
MARIA'S screams shatter the quiet night.
At the tiller, CHICO sees what's happening. He fumbles for the
AUTOMATIC RIFLE that's strapped over his shoulder.
A PORK-CHOP-SIZE CHUNK COMES OUT OF MARIA'S NECK IN THE
CLENCHED TEETH OF THE TONY-CREATURE. BLOOD SQUIRTS UPWARD IN A
FIVE-FOOT ARC.
SARAH lifts her RIFLE from her lap. She is the first to FIRE.
An instant later, CHICO FIRES as well.
THE HEAD ON THE TONY-CREATURE IS HIT BY RAPID-FIRE LOADS from
each gun and IT COME APART ABOVE THE EYES. Its body staggers
stiffly into MARIA. She tries to stand, tries to pull away,
screams still bubbling in her torn throat. She topples backward
over the side rail. The corpse, taller and heavier, flips
rigidly over, its feet kicking skyward, and splashes in to the
deep, black Gulf.
MARIA, the small of her back balanced precariously on the side
rail, grabs at the air trying to swing her weight back on
board. SARAH springs forward. She reaches the other woman a
second too late. Their hands brush but don't catch. MARIA slips
over the side. A LOUD SPLASH CUTS OFF HER SCREAMS.
CHICO brings the boat about in as tight a circle as possible.
He and SARAH stare out over the water. The blackness out there
is absolute. Visibility zero.
Silence....but for the CHUG-CHUG-CHUG of the boat's engine.
MIGUEL slowly raises his hand and aims his PISTOL at a LARGE,
TURTLE-SHAPED SPLOTCH OF BLOOD on the hull across the cabin,
the spot where TONY died. With that odd grin still on his lips,
HE BEGINS TO FIRE one shot at a time in deliberate, slow
rhythm.
THE BULLETS PUNCH HOLES through the wooden side-wall, most of
them hitting squarely in the blood stain.
SARAH looks over toward CHICO who returns her look with
frightened eyes.
32 EXT. GASPARILLA'S ISLAND (EST.) - DAY
It looks like a tropical paradise. Greatly separated from the
other smaller islands on the horizon, its vegetation is dense
and lush. There's no sign that civilisation ever invaded the
place, no power lines, no buildings. What meets the eye is all
natural and inviting.
THE FISHING BOAT chugs into a tidewater basin on the afternoon
side of the island.
33 EXT. THE FISHING BOAT (IN THE BASIN) - DAY
CHICO
It looks uninhabited. What do
you think?
MIGUEL
I think we should burn the church.
Kill the priest and burn the church.
It's the only way. The only way.
MIGUEL is sweating profusely yet shivering as though cold.
FLIES ARE BUZZING in a cluster around his WRAPPED STUMP. He's
over the edge now, insane. And worse than that, the infection
from the original bite is spreading. The amputation was not
done quickly enough to prevent the parasites from racing
through his veins to the brain and elsewhere.
SARAH turns towards the madman once her lover. Her heart is too
callused for emotion to reach it. She just stares, her eyes
dead cold like the eyes of a shark.
CHICO
I'm pullin' in.
34 EXT. THE ISLAND (WITH THE FISHING BOAT) - DAY
THE BOAT noses into a swamp water backwash. Tall reeds and
cypress moss camouflage it completely. It's at though the boat
is sailing right onto dry land.
SHOCK CUT TO:
35 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE INLET - DAY
THWOCK! CLOSE ON A MACHETE. The blade chops into the top of a
coconut.
CHICO drinks the milk. SARAH sits on a nearby rock, her RIFLE
AND A BACK-PACK full of supplies strapped over her shoulders.
MIGUEL, his madman's eyes wide with excitement, is trotting
urgently from spot to spot where a spectacular specie of sub-
tropical plant grows. There are hundreds of them, six-feet tall
and flowering. Their red-gold blossoms are shaped like trumpets
hanging with their bells down.
MIGUEL
DATURA!!! DATURA!!! MIRA. DATURA!!!
CHICO
What's he saying?
SARAH shrugs, not knowing. CHICO looks down at her,
empathising.
CHICO
His madness....could be from shock.
SARAH
No. I didn't stop the infection in
time. I know.
(She speaks softly, matter-of-factly)
Don't worry. When he dies, I won't be
like Maria. I'll shoot him.
MIGUEL
DATURA!!! DATURA!!! DATURA METEL!!!
36 EXT. THE INLAND JUNGLE - DAY
THE GUERILLEROS hack their way through thick undergrowth with
MACHETES. MIGUEL is ineffectual. He lags behind the others who
are doing trailblazing. THE SOUNDS OF WILDLIFE, excited by the
intruders, fill the close, humid air, sometimes beautiful,
sometimes grotesque, sometimes startling.
37 EXT. A SWAMPY AREA - DAY
ALLIGATORS lurk and SNAKES slither among the reeds. A FOURTEEN
FOOT GATOR opens its jaws wide making a SOUND LIKE ESCAPING
STEAM. CHICO draws his PISTOL but SARAH reaches out to grab his
hand.
SARAH
No. No shooting. Not until we're sure
we're alone on this island.
MIGUEL
No. No, thank you. No ice. Straight up,
please. No ice. Thank you.
MIGUEL'S eyes roll up into his head. His knees buckle. SARAH
grabs him under the arms barely keeping from falling face first
into the muddy swamp water. CHICO comes to help.
38 EXT. THE SWAMP - DAY
THE TWO drag MIGUEL to the edge of dry land. They flop him onto
his back and SARAH puts her canteen to his lips.
MIGUEL
NO ICE, I SAID!!! NOOOOO ICE!!!
He slams his good hand against the canteen, knocking it away.
It plops into the marsh water, its contents lost.
MIGUEL
Burn the church. Kill the priest and
burn the church. Burn....
His mouth keeps on shaping words but no sound comes out. He
squirms for a moment, then he seems to fall asleep.
CHICO looks down at him. Unable to help, he moves off towards
solid ground and disappears in the thick brush. After a time,
SARAH follows after him.
39 EXT. THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
CHICO is at the edge of a clearing when SARAH reaches him. His
eyes are wide, frightened by what they see.
In the ground before them there's AN ENORMOUS IRON PLATE, fifty
feet by ten, all painted in brown and green camouflage
patterns.
SARAH
What is it?
CHICO
I dunno. Landing pad for a helicopter? I dunno.
Suddenly there's A GREAT RUMBLING, like the giant gears and
pistons of a drawbridge being activated. The iron plate
shudders and starts to move, downward, into the earth. SARAH
AND CHICO duck into the nearby jungle.
40 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
They take cover in a thicket, both their GUNS up and ready.
OTHER SOUNDS can be heard now, clunking sounds of metal on
metal, and a few heavy thuds. There are also VOICES on the wind
but their words are indistinguishable.
CHICO
It's some kind of....elevator. There
must be something under the ground
here....maybe....military.
SARAH
Look.
41 EXT. THE CAVE ENTRANCE (THEIR P.O.V.) - DAY
SEVERAL FIGURES are rising up in to view, a dozen, maybe
fifteen. Details are obscured by FOREGROUND FOLIAGE but we
can read helmets, heavy armaments, packs, utility belts. The
impression is of a ghostly cadre of soldiers rising from hell.
SARAH (o.s.)
Jesus Christ!
CHICO (o.s.)
It is military. I don't believe it.
42 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
CHICO
What do we do? Let 'em know we're
here....or what?
SARAH
Let's just....wait a minute. Get a
better look.
She moves to another spot a few feet away. CHICO follows.
43 EXT. THE CAVE ENTRANCE (THEIR P.O.V.) - DAY
THE PLATOON OF SOLDIERS, still obscured by foliage, moves off
into the jungle carrying A COLLECTION OF PARAPHERNALIA.
There are THREE SOLDIERS who do not move off with the others.
They are standing still with their shoulders slumped, their
heads lolling listlessly from side to side. They have the
body attributes of prisoners yet there's something menacing
about them. We HEAR A SERIES OF ELECTRONIC BEEPS, something
like computer beeps, and, as though in response to that
signal, the three slumped figures start to walk. They move
slowly, stiffly, their feet shuffling, their arms dangling
lifelessly at their sides.
SARAH (o.s.)
Oh....oh, my God.
44 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
SARAH'S eyes are wide in their sockets with disbelief,
revulsion, horror. Beside her CHICO, also astonished, makes
the sign of the cross.
SARAH
OH, MY GOD!!!
45 EXT. THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
As we CUT IN CLOSER we see that the three slumped figures are
ZOMBIES. They are wearing khakis and they are armed with
RIFLES AND PISTOL BELTS. Their HELMETS have been painted an
identifying bright RED and they wear slipover vests dyed the
same bright colour.
All the others in the platoon are humans. They, too, wear
vests but theirs are not red but WHITE, WITH LARGE ORANGE
CIRCLES emblazoned front and back. Two of the men wield LONG
ELECTRIC CATTLE PRODS for use should the ZOMBIES misbehave,
but the creatures, amazingly, are shambling along with the
rest of the platoon voluntarily, co-operatively, even
somewhat excitedly....the kind of excitement seen in a puppy
that's just learned a new trick.
46 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY
CHICO
It can't be. Are we truly in hell?
SARAH
Come on.
Stealthily the woman moves along the edge of the thicket,
crouching all the while. CHICO hesitantly follows.
47 EXT. A CLEARING - DAY
The mysterious PLATOON begins "setting up" their equipment,
which includes TRIPOD MACHINE GUNS. TWO MEN don BLACK RUBBER
GLOVES AND LONG BLACK LABORATORY APRONS. They strap LARGE
REFRIGERATED CARTONS around their necks and open the sealed
lids. VAPOUR mushrooms out like dry-ice vapour out of Good
Humour wagons on a hot day.
48 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH AND CHICO watch. Suddenly THE HUGE, FULL-THROATED SOUND
OF A SIREN startles them. They look around, up into the
trees. SARAH spots something and points.
CLOSE ON A SIREN HORN, high in the cypresses, its wires
running down to the brush and disappearing under ground.
49 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
First ONE comes....then TWO MORE....THREE MORE. ZOMBIES are
shuffling out of the jungle and converging on the platoon.
They seem to come from everywhere. Soon there are twenty or
more. Most are tattered and ragged but others wear vests, the
same type as worn by the platoon. These are solid colours,
some white, some blue. None are red and none have orange
circles.
As THE ZOMBIES push in closer they seem to get agitated. They
start growling and reaching out. THE MEN WITH THE CATTLE
PRODS poke at the more unruly creatures and ZAPPING SOUNDS
can be heard.
The creatures form a kind of ragged queue, lining up in front
of the "Good Humour" men. From inside their freezer cartons
those men produce GREAT BLOODY CHUNKS OF RAW MEAT. THE
ZOMBIES docilely take the hand-outs and go lurching out of
the queue, some starting to eat immediately, others
retreating into the cool of the jungle to enjoy a more
private supper.
50 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH
What is that? Could that be....?
Behind her, CHICO gets the dry heaves. He slams his hand into
his mouth to keep from making noise.
SARAH
No. They must have gotten them to
accept....other things. They wouldn't
be feeding them with....they
wouldn't...
51 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
The man in command of the platoon is obvious, strutting
around while others do the dirty work. This is CAPTAIN
RHODES. He's conscienceless, the low of the low, and a
weasely-looking guy, to boot. He watches the operation almost
hoping for trouble. (He loves to torture disobedient
zombies.)
Behind him, their AUTOMATICS ready, are SEVERAL TROOPERS
especially assigned to protect the captain. One of these
troopers is TOBY TYLER, a good guy. TOBY is revulsed by the
scene in the clearing. He drops his head, almost gagging.
RHODES notices.
RHODES
You'll get used to this, Tyler. It's
the only way. They don't bite the hand
that feeds.
TOBY looks up. He can't conceal his contempt for the captain.
RHODES reads it in his eyes and is about to say something
when a SOUND distracts him.
ONE OF THE RAG-TAG ZOMBIES is running amok. THE ZAPPERS poke
at the creature but that just makes it angrier.
RHODES
GET THAT THING AWAY FROM THE OTHERS!
BRING IT HERE!
ONE TROOPER has A LONG POLE WITH A WIRE NOOSE ON THE END. He
drops the noose over the wild zombie's head and the wire
tightens, biting into the dead flesh on the thing's neck. The
pole is long enough to control the creature while keeping it
out of reach.
52 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH watches, repulsed but fascinated. CHICO is still
fighting the heaves. Without warning, A ZOMBIE looms up
directly behind CHICO. The man jumps forward, terrified. He
crashes into SARAH who spins and sees the danger.
TWO MORE ZOMBIES appear. Then A THIRD. These have no vests.
They're rag-tag, bad ass and hungry as hell. ONE OF THEM
grabs SARAH. She manages to pull away but behind her CHICO
panics. He raises his RIFLE and...RATTATATTATATT!
53 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
RHODES hears the GUNFIRE. He seems pleased. He grins.
RHODES
We have visitors. Let's go men.
He moves slowly towards the thicket followed by TOBY TYLER
AND SEVERAL OTHER SOLDIERS. He reaches down to his belt and
pushes one of THREE BUTTONS on A UNIT that resembles a pager.
ELECTRONIC BEEPS, like the ones we heard earlier, come from
the unit, this time in a different pattern.
THE RED COAT ZOMBIES respond quickly. They draw their PISTOLS
and go marching off after their leader, grunting and snorting
like bull apes. RHODES' grin breaks into a wide-open laugh.
RHODES
Hah! If only the rest of you ladies
would obey orders the way they do.
54 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
Their cover blown, SARAH now raises her RIFLE. BUDDABUDDA!!!
THE SECOND ZOMBIE'S HEAD TURNS TO RED PULP and the thing
pitches forward, dead.
CHICO FIRES and THE THIRD ZOMBIE IS DESTROYED.
Suddenly there is DISTANT FIRE, from the clearing. BULLETS
WHIZ through the brush. The guerilleros duck for cover.
55 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
THE RED COAT ZOMBIES, shuffling forward abreast in a line,
have OPENED FIRE. It's a grisly parody of foot-soldiering.
The creatures are unsteady on their feet, their hands shake
when they squeeze the stiff Army-issue triggers. BULLETS FLY
this way and that, most of them grossly off target.
RHODES
THAT'S IT, YOU WORM-EATEN SLIME ! YOU
FOUL-SMELLING, PUSS-FACED MAGGOTS! I
TOLD YOU I'D FIND YOU REAL ACTION,
DIDN'T I? YOU CORRUPTION! YOU FILTH!
YOU'RE LEARNING! YOU'RE GETTING
BETTER....GETTING BETTER...GETTING
BETTER, YOU SCUM!
The trooper beside TOBY is another young man whose nickname
is TRICKS. He and TOBY exchange glances as they trudge along
behind the captain and his zombie red coats. Their eyes tell
us that they both think Rhodes to be insane, which of course
he is.
56 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH moves to retreat but CHICO lifts his rifle and FIRES
wildly into the clearing.
CHICO
NO! NOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
57 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
TWO OF THE RED COATS ARE HIT, but not in the head. Their
brains keep functioning and they march on.
RHODES
SPREAD OUT, MEN! OPEN FIRE!
Whatever else he is, RHODES seems fearless. He stands in the
open as his human soldiers fan out. He notices that the RED
COATS are out of ammunition. He pushes another button on his
belt unit and MORE BEEPS SOUND. THE RED COATS stop in their
tracks. They dump the SPENT SHELLS from their weapons and
reload using fresh rounds from their belts. Their fingers are
stiff. Three bullets fall to the ground for every one that
finds its way into a gun chamber.
The SOLDIERS HAVE OPENED FIRE NOW. They are closing in on the
thicket.
58 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
CHICO IS HIT high on the right side of his chest. SARAH FIRES
A QUICK BURST out into the clearing as she tries to pull the
man deeper into the jungle.
Suddenly, from right behind SARAH's back, comes A BLOOD
CURDLING SCREAM. A DARK FIGURE LOOMS UP startling us all.
MIGUEL
BURN THE CHURCH! KILL THE PRIEST!
It's MIGUEL, sweating, his eyes sunken into deep black
sockets. He is charging toward the clearing with his
AUTOMATIC BLAZING in his one good hand. He thunders right
past SARAH almost knocking her down.
59 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
MIGUEL breaks out of the thicket into clear view of the
SOLDIERS. RHODES sees the one-armed wild man and his grin
dissipated slightly. He draws his own PISTOL, an enormous
Magnum, an elephant stopper.
SOLDIERS, taken by surprise, scatter, TOBY AND TRICKS among
them. MIGUEL'S BULLETS DRAW A LINE ACROSS ONE SOLDIER'S
CHEST. He dies instantly.
MIGUEL
KILL THE PRIEST! BURN THE CHURCH!
BURN! BURN! BURN! BURN! BURN!
NOW MIGUEL IS HIT but he keeps coming, his GUN SPITTING.
ANOTHER SOLDIER goes down, HIT IN THE MID SECTION.
THE PLATOON RETURNS FIRE.
MIGUEL IS HIT SQUARELY IN THE CHEST. He falls to his knees.
His RIFLE FIRES A LINE OF BULLETS INTO THE EARTH and the
kicking of the gun knocks him back on his ass. He sits there
bewildered for a moment, then he looks up to find himself
directly facing CAPTAIN RHODES.
RHODES lifts his MAGNUM but MIGUEL is faster with his RIFLE.
In the next instant the muzzle is aiming straight for the
captain's stomach. RHODES' smile disappears, re-placed by a
sudden flush of fear. He freezes.
MIGUEL
Kill the priest.
MIGUEL squeezes the trigger and his weapon CLICKS sharply.
It's empty.
The captain's smile slowly returns. He pushes the "Attack"
button on his belt unit.
THE RED COATS advance, their PISTOLS reloaded. THEY FIRE,
stiff-armed and fumble-fingered, at MIGUEL. He sees them
moving towards him. Something in his mind clicks and he
recognises the creatures for what they are...walking dead.
THE FIRST FEW BULLETS MISS. Then ONE HITS HIM IN HIS STUMP
and reality gets even clearer. He starts to scream.
THE READ COATS walk closer, their dead eyes showing enjoyment
of the sport. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
ANOTHER ROUND HITS MIGUEL IN THE STOMACH. ANOTHER CREASES HIS
HEAD. He tries to stand up but he's too weak. A BULLET IN THE
NECK stops his screaming. Then HE'S HIT IN THE HEART. A BALL
OF BLOOD PROJECTS OUT OF HIS MOUTH and he plops onto his
back, dead.
THE READ COATS KEEP FIRING until their guns are empty again.
RHODES calmly pushes the "Reload" signal and the creatures
obey.
MIGUEL'S CORPSE twitches for a short time, then goes rigid.
60 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH sinks against a cypress when she sees MIGUEL die.
CHICO, in a state of blind panic, takes off along the edge of
the thicket, his WOUND BLEEDING PROFUSELY.
61 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
CHICO breaks through some brush to find himself face-to-face
with TOBY TYLER'S GROUP OF SOLDIERS. He stops, reverses
course, and ducks into a cluster of palms. ONE OF THE
SOLDIERS FIRES. RATTATATTATATTATATT!!!
BULLETS RIP THE PALM FRONDS APART. There's a scream and CHICO
somersaults out into view. NEW WOUNDS BLEEDING ACROSS THE
CENTER OF HIS CHEST.
62 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
SARAH realises that this is her last chance to escape. She
takes advantage of the confusion and the NOISE and bolts into
the jungle at a full run.
63 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
CHICO is still alive. He fumbles for his HOLSTERED PISTOL but
before he can draw it THREE TROOPERS are on top of him.
TRICKS tromps a boot on his hand. TOBY TYLER aims his RIFLE
squarely at his sweating brow.
CHICO
Yes...yes, do it...please...you can't
let me die this way...please. Destroy
me. A bullet...in the head...I don't
want to become...one of...one of them.
TOBY looks down at the man, at his TERRIBLE WOUNDS, clearly
fatal ones. TOBY clicks a shell into the firing chamber of
his RIFLE. His finger is just sliding under the trigger
shield when CAPTAIN RHODES strides up behind him.
RHODES
Take his weapon, Tyler.
TOBY is startled by the voice at his back. He turns towards
the captain, then he looks back down at the guerillero,
hesitating..
RHODES
Take his gun, ass hole. He still has
the strength to pull a trigger.
Reluctantly TOBY obeys, reaches down for CHICO'S PISTOL.
CHICO
Please...senor...destroy me...one
bullet...please.
RHODES
Maybe. We'll have a little talk first.
Then....maybe...I can help you out.
String him up.
THE THIRD SOLDIER reaches down and grabs the wounded
guerillero under the arms. TRICKS stoops to help. CHICO
screams in agony when he is moved. TOBY lunges in to help
the others, thinking to ease the man's pain.
RHODES
They can handle it, Tyler. You've been
buckin' for a shit detail lately so
here's one you're gonna love. We've
got two dead. Cut the heads off and
get the bodies underground to the
refrigerators. Fast. It's a hot day.
TOBY grimaces but doesn't speak. He turns and moves briskly
towards the clearing. RHODES watches him go.
64 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
TOBY nears the spot where MIGUEL lies sprawled in A POOL OF
BLOOD. RHODES calls from the edge of the thicket.
RHODES
Tyler. Just our men. Not him.
TOBY looks down at the remains of the one-armed guerillero.
RHODES
His head stays where it is. He and I
never really had the chance to get
acquainted. When he comes back...I'll
get another shot at it... Ha ha ha
ha...
65 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
CLOSE ON CHICO. He's dangling from A ROPE which is tied over
a tall tree, his feet ten feet off the ground.
ZOMBIES wander here and there. They've all received their
rations. The picnic is breaking up now. Occasionally one of
them gets surly but it doesn't amount to anything. SOLDIERS
stand ready with ELECTRIC PRODS, OTHERS with GUNS.
PARAPHERNALIA is being packed away. MEN CARRY EQUIPMENT in
the direction of the elevator.
RHODES walks up beneath where CHICO is hanging. He's careful
not to step in too close. He doesn't want to get any DRIPPING
BLOOD on his uniform.
CHICO
Please....shoot me.
RHODES
And if I don't? If I don't you'll come
back after your death. You'll come
back and find yourself hanging
there...wanting to eat...needing to
eat human flesh. You hate that
thought, don't you? That's the
ultimate sin for most of you fools,
isn't it?
CHICO is weeping now. With a found spurt of energy he
struggles against the rope. No use. It only brings pain.
RHODES
After hanging up there a few days you
will be mad for food...crazed! You
will lust for it! YOU WILL BE WORSE
THAN ANY OF THEM!
CHICO
NO...NOOOOOOO...SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME!
SHOOOOOOOOOT MEEEEEEEEE!!!
RHODES
I'll bargain with you. How many of you
are on the island?
CHICO
Two of us...only two of us...me...and
him. (He nods towards MIGUEL'S
CORPSE.)
RHODES
I don't believe you, rebel. Where are
your headquarters? On the mainland?
CHICO
The mainland...is dead...a dead
place...nobody there...
RHODES
Where are your headquarters, rebel?
Tell me or I'll let you hang there
forever...FOREVER!
CHICO
There are no...headquarters. There are
no...rebels. Only the walking dead.
Don't you see. They have won.
RHODES
Then why did you come here?
CHICO
To look...look for a place...a place
to live in...an empty place...a...
new...place...
RHODES
How did you know we were on this
island? Do others know? Will others
come?
CHICO
Nooooo. Believe me. There are no
others...no rebels...nobody...it's
over...it's ooooo....
The man collapses, unconscious.
66 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
CLOSE ON THE DISEMBODIED HEAD OF ONE OF THE DEAD SOLDIERS.
TRICKS is dropping the thing into A LARGE PLASTIC BAG which
obviously already contains THE SECOND HEAD. TOBY wraps the
mouth of the bag and begins to walk off. RHODES stops him.
RHODES
Where are you going, Tyler?
TOBY
My..."detail", sir. We're going to
bury the heads.
RHODES
No time for that. I'll take care of
them.
TOBY
Just....following procedure, sir.
They're entitled to burial.
RHODES
I said, I'll take care of them. Just
leave them there. Go help with the
rest of the gear.
RHODES has it in for TOBY (we'll find out why later), and of
course the feeling is mutual. TOBY sets the bag down on the
ground and, seething, he trots off towards the rest of the
platoon. TRICKS follows.
After a moment, RHODES motions with his head. THE SOLDIER
WITH THE LONG NOOSE POLE steps into view with the CAPTIVE
ZOMBIE, the one that ran amok earlier. The man follows RHODES
towards the jungle, dragging the gurgling creature along, the
wire noose digging into the thing's neck.
67 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
CLOSE: as RHODES' GLOVED HAND jams A HAND GRENADE into THE
CAPTIVE ZOMBIE'S gaping mouth. THE SOLDIER WITH THE POLE
releases the noose and the two men take off, running.
68 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
They run to the middle of the clearing where they turn around
to watch. RHODES lifts A PAIR OF BINOCULARS that are strapped
around his neck. He stares through the lenses, focusing,
grinning.
69 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
THROUGH THE BINOCULARS: We see THE ZOMBIE staggering in the
bush, clawing desperately at the thing jammed in its mouth.
70 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
TOBY AND TRICKS are the only ones who seem to notice what
RHODES has done. TOBY drops THE CRATE he was going to carry
off. He stares in disbelief, hatred on his face.
71 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE CLEARING - DAY
WIDE SHOT as THE HEAD OF THE ZOMBIE DISINTEGRATES WHEN THE
GRENADE EXPLODES.
72 EXT. THE CLEARING - DAY
RHODES grins as he watches the spectacle.
Suddenly, A LOUD GUNSHOT startles the captain. He drops the
binoculars and spins around. He sees...
...CHICO'S BODY DANGLING ON THE ROPE. CHICO'S HEAD IS BLOODY.
He's dead...and won't come back to life. He's been shot
through the brain.
RHODES
WHO FIRED THAT SHOT? WHO FIRED THAT
SHOT?
SOLDIERS stand around dumbly. Those with RIFLES in their
hands quickly sling them onto their shoulders. They're all
afraid of the captain's wrath. RHODES walks towards the line
of men with fury in his eyes.
RHODES
Goddammit, somebody's gonna tell me
who fired that shot or I'll have every
last one of you chopped up for feed!!!
His eyes spot TOBY, standing behind the crate he dropped
earlier, his rifle slung.
RHODES
Step up here, Tyler.
TOBY
Sir!
TOBY shouts the word like a West Point cadet and he bravely
steps forward. RHODES stares him down, his anger turning
sinister.
RHODES
You fired that shot, didn't you?
TOBY
No, sir.
RHODES
Let me see your weapon.
TOBY hands over his rifle. RHODES feels the barrel, sniffs
it.
RHODES
It's been fired.
TOBY
In the battle, sir.
RHODES is sure he's found the guilty man and he's glad it
turned out to be his favourite whipping boy. His body relaxes
visibly.
RHODES
It may be that none of these chicken-
shits will talk while the whole troop
is present...but I know some of these
men well. I'm sure that a few private
conversations will tell me what I
already know. You may have earned
yourself some time in the Stalag,
Tyler.
(Rhodes glances over at CHICO'S body)
Cut him down. That's another head for
you to chop off. Leave it with the
others. Take the rest of his body down
to the freezers. Move it, shit hill.
TOBY moves off. RHODES' grin returns.
CUT TO:
73 INT. THE CAVE ENTRANCE - EVENING
There's that GIANT SOUND again, the RUMBLE OF THE ELEVATOR.
We're inside the place called THE CAVE, in a huge under-
ground concrete bunker. TECHNICIANS AND ARMED GUARDS bustle
around. Enormous hydraulic pistons are bringing the
camouflaged iron plate down from the surface. Riding on
board, RHODES AND HIS PLATOON prepare to unload their
paraphernalia.
74 EXT. THE JUNGLE - EVENING
SARAH, sweating, exhausted, BLEEDING FROM CUTS made by jungle
branches, wrings out a piece of cloth torn from her sleeve.
She has dipped it into a jungle stream. Cautiously she tastes
the water, decides to chance it and squeezes the cloth into
her mouth.
The NIGHT BIRDS suddenly stop their singing and the quiet
makes SARAH look up. Standing across the stream, only ten
feet away, is A PARTICULARLY GROTESQUE ZOMBIE. VULTURES stand
on the marshy ground beside the creature's legs, THEIR SHARP
BEAKS PICKING BLOODY HOLES IN ITS ANKLES AND FEET.
SARAH jumps to her feet, fighting back exhaustion one more
time. She unslings her RIFLE, aims it, then thinks better of
firing. Grabbing up her SUPPLY PACK she runs into the
darkening jungle.
75 EXT. THE JUNGLE - EVENING
WHAM! TWO BIG HANDS GRAB SARAH by her shoulders. She starts
to scream but one of those hands shoots up to cover her
mouth.
JOHN
It's alright. It's alright. Don't be
afraid. We're friends.
SARAH looks into the strong, good face of JOHN, a tall
muscular man, a Caribbean Islander with shiny black skin and
enormous brown eyes that seem instantly trustworthy.
JOHN
There are soldiers near here. Guards.
I'll take my hand away if you won't
scream.
SARAH nods and JOHN lets her go. There are two other humans
standing behind the big man. There's BILL McDERMOTT, wearing
the grease-covered jump-suit of a mechanic and swilling
generous shots of brandy from a hip flask, and there's a
smallish woman with a sensitive face who, apparently out of
character, is armed to the teeth. She's a deaf mute,
nicknamed SPIDER, and she is urgently signing "Come on! Let's
get outa here!" with her hands.
JOHN
Right. We better get away from that
Bee. He might have friends.
THE GROUP starts moving. SARAH follows voluntarily. We notice
that all three strangers are wearing the same pullover vests
that we saw on the foot soldiers, the ones with big orange
circles.
76 EXT. THE JUNGLE - EVENING
THE GROUP trudges through thick brushland, occasionally
needing to chop a path with their blades. JOHN speaks in low
tones as they move.
JOHN
Bees. That's what we call the dead...
the walking dead...here on
Gasparilla's island.
SARAH
Gasparilla?
JOHN
He was a pirate who sailed these
waters long ago. His name is bein'
borrowed these days by the long lost
Henry Dickerson.
SARAH
Governor Dickerson? Of Florida?
JOHN
That's the man. He's been holed up
here ever since the shit hit the fan.
Him and his family owned these islands
'round here. They was leasin' this one
to the Fed. The whole underneath is
dug out. There was missiles here and
laboratories and bomb proof housing,
nuclear power, all o' that. Now this
is Dickerson's....Gasparilla's...
private fortress. Him and a bunch o'
his cronies from all the best golf
courses in Tallahassee...and his
private army, of course.
SARAH
We ran up against a platoon of
soldiers. There were actually walking
dead...in uniform...with guns.
JOHN
Captain Rhodes and his Red Coat Bees.
They could sting, sister. We know you
came up against 'em. We been watchin'
you since you landed. Couldn't help.
I'm sorry for that. We ain't supposed
to be outside. If we was spotted it
could....well, it could be the end of
everything.
SPIDER is signing for everyone to be quiet. They all stop in
their tracks. BILL McDERMOTT swigs some more brandy. With the
stealth of a Mohican SPIDER pushes aside the branches of a
giant oleander and peers through.
77 EXT. ENTRANCE TWO - EVENING
There's A HATCHWAY in sight built into A CONCRETE, BUNKER
LIKE STRUCTURE. FOUR OR FIVE SOLDIERS are coming up out of
the ground. They're armed with PRODS AND RIFLES.
Behind the men, lurching on unsteady feet, come A HALF-DOZEN
OF THE LIVING DEAD, all wearing vests of white and blue.
Behind the lumbering creatures come A WOMAN AND A MAN both
wearing white laboratory coats and carrying clipboards. The
woman is MARY HENRIED, one of the top behaviouralists in The
Cave. (We'll learn a lot more about her later.)
THE ZOMBIES are pushing through the undergrowth right in the
direction of SARAH and her friends. SARAH shows some alarm at
this but JOHN calms her with a strong hand.
SPIDER has seen the approaching danger. She silently draws A
FARMER'S SICKLE from her belt. (With her other hand she draws
A PISTOL for good measure.) BILL McDERMOTT unarmed, nervously
takes another swallow from his flask.
THE ZOMBIES are getting closer. Too close for comfort.
Finally, MARY HENRIED and THE OTHERS turn and disappear into
the bunker. The last man down pulls the hatch shut.
The moment the coast is clear, SPIDER AND JOHN jump up from
cover. THE OTHERS follow their lead. But it's too late. THE
ZOMBIES have spotted them. The creatures begin to growl and
make AGITATED, APE-LIKE SOUNDS. SPIDER brings her BLADE up
chest-high, ready to repel an attack. SARAH lifts her own
MACHETE but JOHN reaches over and takes it away from her.
JOHN
Give that to me. Get behind me. Stay
behind me.
(SARAH resists, not understanding,
somewhat insulted.)
You ain't wearin' a vest. They been
taught not to touch the ones with the
circles. There ain't no hundred
percent, all-a-time rules with the
Bees, but most-a-time they leave us
alone. The colour on their vests tell
ya how much schoolin' they got. It's
the ones without colours you gotta
watch out for.
SARAH gets behind JOHN, his orange circle acting as her
shield. He reaches around with one strong arm and pulls her
in tight against his back.
THE ZOMBIES, snarling and showing teeth, move through the
thicket. ONE shuffles right past SPIDER AND McDERMOTT. It
gets stuck in the bramble, changes course and moves on
without attacking.
ANOTHER ZOMBIE, a "white", trudges within arm's reach of
JOHN, growling all the while. Suddenly it reaches its arms
out and takes two angry steps towards the humans who back
away.
THE ZOMBIES charges. Things happen quickly. JOHN pushes SARAH
away and swings the MACHETE. THE BLADE SINKS INTO THE
CREATURES SKULL. BLACKENED BLOOD FLIES. An instant later
SPIDER'S SICKLE PUNCHES IN BESIDE THE BIG KNIFE. THE ZOMBIE
twitches for a moment, its eyes rolling, then it falls,
lifeless, to the ground.
McDERMOTT trots up beside SARAH. He takes a huge swallow from
his flask then offers some to her. She puts the flask to her
lips but nothing comes. She holds it out, neck down, to show
that it's empty.
McDERMOTT
Sorry. Guess I don't know my own
strength.
JOHN wipes SARAH'S MACHETE on some thick leaves, cleaning off
most of the gore, then he returns the weapon to the woman.
SARAH
Thanks. I can fight my own battles.
JOHN
I know you can. Like I said, we been
watchin' you.
McDERMOTT
We better get as far away from here as
we can. We can work the other side of
the island tonight.
JOHN
(explaining) We found nine entrances
to the Cave so far, and we ain't got
the whole thing near charted yet.
That's what we was doin' out here
today. Huntin' for entrances.
McDERMOTT
Come on. They find a Bee done like
this and they'll know somebody's been
out walkin' where they shouldn't have
been.
JOHN bows his head over the downed ZOMBIE. He mumbles softly.
We can't hear the words but we can tell that he's praying,
reciting the good words over the corpse of the "white-coat".
SARAH
The man I was with...until today...
believed that praying was for blind
men who couldn't see the truth.
JOHN
How we gonna break the curse without a
prayer or two.
SARAH
Curse?
JOHN
What is it if it ain't a curse?
SARAH
It's a disease. It's a...a bug...a
parasite that infects the brain.
JOHN
That sounds like a curse to me.
SARAH
We thought we were escaping here. We
thought we'd found an uninhabited
island. Christ! This place is a worse
nightmare than anything I've seen yet!
JOHN
I'm sure that's true, miss. And that's
why we're doin' what we're doin'.
What's happenin' underground here is
just what Lucifer planned for this
sinful race o' man. But we're gonna
beat Lucifer. We're gonna put an end
to what's happenin' here.
SARAH
Oh, what did I run into? A bunch o'
Jesus nuts? Religiosos? Prayer won't
stop a bullet from one of those storm
troopers and prayer won't keep one of
those monsters from eatin' your liver
for lunch.
JOHN
That's why we didn't use prayers on
this here white coat 'til after he was
destroyed. We ready to fight when we
have to. And we gotta fight now.
SARAH
Look. I BEEN fightin', mister. I been
fightin' for what feels like a hundred
years and I'm finished. I don't need
religion. I don't need prayers. I need
a couple guns and a couple hands. We
can sail on outa here. Find another
island where there ain't so
much....traffic.
JOHN
You think you can find your boat?
There's a thousand little inlets and
backwaters all through here. You
remember all the ways you turned to
get where you are now? You leave
yourself a trail?
SARAH is stopped by this. She stares at the big man
suspiciously, not sure whether to believe him.
JOHN
We didn't see the exact spot but we
know about where you landed. But we
ain't ready to take you there. Not
yet. You see...we need guns, too.
SARAH looks around her at the unlikely band of guerillas. She
thinks for a moment...not very long...then she turns and
starts off into the jungle.
SARAH
I can find it myself. I didn't come
that far.
JOHN
Farther than you think. You'll get
lost. You will. And there's Bees all
through the jungle. I ain't lyin' to
ya. Religiosos don't lie.
SARAH
No. They just try to hold you for
ransom. Fuck you, Moses! I'm outa
here!
SARAH plunges into the brush and without so much as a look
back over her shoulder she disappears.
McDERMOTT
We can't let her go, John.
JOHN
We don't need her guns that bad. Billy
boy. (He's joking.)
McDERMOTT
The hell we don't! But that's not what
I mean. She'll be dead in ten minutes
out there alone. That or she'll be
firin' off her automatics and wakin'
up the troops.
JOHN
We'll split up. Billy, you go with
Spider. Just an hour or two tonight,
that's all. Rhodes might have extra
guards on after all the commotion.
We'll meet up at number six and go
back home together.
McDERMOTT
God save us. And me with me flask dry.
I'll never make it.
THE GROUP splits up, moving off in two different directions
through the darkening underbrush.
78 EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE JUNGLE - NIGHT
DARKNESS has fallen. The jungle is as black as the background
on a velvet painting.
SARAH is moving cautiously. She bumps into something, jumps
back, her MACHETE high, and freezes. Cautiously she moves
ahead...one step...another...another...
SPLASH!!! She steps down off a hidden ledge into A KNEE-DEEP
RIVER. She manages to keep her balance but her MACHETE falls
into the water and drops to the bottom invisible in the dark
silt. Slowly she bends down and reaches into the water. A
SNAKE swims past just inches away. SARAH recoils. Before she
can reach down again she hears A LOUD, ANIMAL SNORT followed
by A GREAT SPLASHING SOUND. Then ANOTHER. She squints to see.
SHAPES approach on the black water. ALLIGATORS, big ones,
just their very tops showing as they move on a straight
course toward the woman.
She backs up feeling for the shore, for the ledge behind her.
THE FIRST ZOMBIE GRABS HER SHOULDERS. She spins and sees the
thing. It has one eye dangling out of its socket and there's
a broken-off length of wooden pole stuck clean through its
torso just under the left breast.
SARAH smashes her RIFLE BUTT INTO THE THING'S HEAD. AGAIN.
AGAIN. It keeps coming. (So do the gators. They're getting to
within a few yards.) SARAH swings a fourth time. THE ZOMBIE
grabs her rifle. She pulls with all her might and the
creature, hanging on to the gun, topples off the ledge and
into the water.
When SARAH starts to climb up on the ledge, ANOTHER ZOMBIE
lurches towards her from dry land. She spins around, looking
for options. The gators are just about close enough to bite
her ass and THE ZOMBIE that fell into the river is rising up
again, covered with moss and slime and looking pissed.
SARAH faces THE ZOMBIE on the bank. She has no choice. She
aims her AUTOMATIC. She's just about to fire when SOMETHING
FLASHES out of the darkness. It's A MACHETE. IT CLEAVES OPEN
THE ZOMBIE'S SKULL. From out of the night big JOHN appears.
He struggles to free his blade from the dead creature's head.
SARAH scrambles up onto the muddy ledge. THE GATORS are still
moving in and THE ZOMBIE, its moss-covered arms reaching out
rigidly like the arms of Frankenstein's monster, is growling
ferociously (almost swallowing its own dangling eyeball in
the process).
SARAH
Are you gonna pause to say words over
the dead this time or can we be on our
way?
Without answering, JOHN steams off through the bush pulling
SARAH along behind him, his big hand tight around her arm.
79 INT. THE CAVE - NIGHT
CLOSE on: A TELEVISION SCREEN. First there is only VIDEO
NOISE, then an image blinks onto the screen.
MONTAGE: OTHER VIDEO SCREENS on MONITORS in various places
throughout the huge underground facility. ZOMBIES watch the
screens gathered in groups of four, six and eight, like
children in ranked classes.
The screens show scenes of ZOMBIES taking FOOD from humans in
ORANGE CIRCLE VESTS. GUNS are pointed at ORANGE CIRCLES then
lowered harmlessly. GUNS are pointed at HUMANS without orange
circles and FIRED. The images repeat and repeat and repeat.
THE ZOMBIES watch the scenes with dumb curiosity.
80 INT. COMMUNICATION CENTER IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
This is the central area for all varieties of communication.
There are RADIO CONSOLES, both intercom and outgoing, there
are VIDEO CONTROL PANELS and there are LARGE COMPUTER
TERMINALS. Reflecting the panic to set up operations back
when the disaster first struck, much of the equipment is
placed haphazardly and not built in. WIRES run every which
way, BARE ANTENNAS AND LOOSE CONNECTORS clutter the place.
ENGINEERS scurry with TOOL BOXES constantly repairing,
patching, trouble shooting.
Most of the personnel are TECHNICIANS but there is a group of
SCIENTIFIC TYPES, obvious in their white lab coats. Among
these is MARY HENRIED, who we caught a glimpse of outside
Entrance Two.
At A SECURITY STATION, A GUARD notices something on one of
his own VIDEO SCREENS which monitor key locations inside The
Cave.
GUARD
There's activity in the dormitory!
MARY and one of her assistants, JULIE GRANT, a younger girl,
move over to the video console. ONE SCREEN there shows what
looks like a prison corridor. CELLS WITH HEAVILY BARRED DOORS
run down both sides. We can see the distinct MOVEMENT OF
SHADOWS in the corridor. MARY reacts instantly stepping over
to AN INTERCOM and pressing A SEND-BUTTON.
VOICE (o.s. - filter)
Gate twenty-three.
MARY
This is Mary Henried. Did anyone enter
the dormitory?
VOICE (o.s. - filter)
Yes, ma'm. Captain Rhodes.
MARY clicks off, infuriated. She hurries towards AN EXIT
followed by JULIE GRANT.
81 INT. THE DORMITORY IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
CLOSE ON: THE MOUTH OF A LARGE PLASTIC BAG. A HAND wearing A
BLACK LEATHER GLOVE pulls A HUMAN HEAD out of a bag by its
hair. It's the head of one of the dead soldiers from Rhode's
platoon. The hand belongs to RHODES himself.
In the darkness of A CELL, A RED COAT ZOMBIES takes a
hesitant step forward. RHODES tries to shove THE HEAD through
the bars but IT STICKS. When RHODES lets go it stays there,
wedged at shoulder height.
RHODES
Take it, friend. Take it. It's a
present. From me to you.
THE RED COAT steps forward and lays its hand on THE HEAD.
RHODES
Just remember who gives you favours.
THE ZOMBIE pulls hard and THE HEAD pops through onto its side
of the bars. The creature lurches off towards A COT in the
shadows at the rear of the cell where it hunkers down and
begins to RAVISH THE HEAD, TEARING FLESH OFF, EATING IT
hungrily.
On the cell door we notice A PLAQUE with a number (5) and,
written in marker, the Red Coat's nickname, "BLUTO".
RHODES moves past OTHER CELLS, each holding A NICKNAMED RED
COAT. GRUMPY stands way back in the shadows. TONTO stands
near the bars, growling. FATSO is swaying back and forth like
a chubby five year old who needs to pee.
RHODES stops at A CELL marked "BUB!". Inside we see A
SILHOUETTE, tall, erect, not moving a muscle. RHODES grins.
RHODES
Well, Bub. I've heard about you. Miss
Henried's pride and joy.
RHODES steps closer and BUB snarls warningly.
RHODES
Surly sonofabitch. I want to make
friends, Bub. Friends. I have one more
goodie in my sack here.
A LOUD, CLANGING SOUND interrupts. RHODES turns to see.
82 INT. THE DORMITORY - NIGHT
MARY HENRIED AND JULIE GRANT have entered through A STEEL
DOOR WITH ELECTRONIC LOCKS. THE ZOMBIES send up A CHORUS OF
MOANS AND GROWLS. The women start down the corridor checking
cells as they pass. Suddenly they stop in their tracks, their
horrified eyes staring into A CELL marked "SAMSON!".
SAMSON is nibbling on ANOTHER HEAD. Much of the flesh is
already gone, but we can still recognise...CHICO. The zombie
turns the thing up-side-down, reaches way inside, through the
neck, and pulls out grey matter.
JULIE backs away, fighting nausea. A spasm rises in MARY'S
stomach as well and she reels away from the hideous sight.
RHODES
Come, come, Miss Science. You've seen
worse.
MARY
God....damn you, Rhodes!
RHODES
God has damned us all. Are my
atrocities worse than yours?
MARY
You have ruined weeks of work here!
We've been trying to wean these
specimens onto alligator meat!
RHODES
No wonder they're so....hungry.
Suddenly JULIE SCREAMS, her hands flying to her mouth.
THE PLASTIC BAG is still dangling from RHODES' GLOVED HAND.
Inside, pressed into the thin plastic, we can see the rough
outline of THE FINAL HEAD. THE THING IS SQUIRMING causing the
whole bag to wiggle.
RHODES drops the bag instantly to the floor. Taking care, he
grabs the bottom by a loose corner and pulls up hard. THE
HEAD ROLLS OUT AND SETTLES AGAINST A WALL. IT'S EYES ARE OPEN
AND DARTING CRAZILY, ITS MOUTH IS CHEWING, GROTESQUELY, ON
THE AIR.
MARY stares in shock. JULIE runs towards the exit, trying to
scream but gagging on her own acids. She's hysterical.
RHODES calmly draws his PISTOL, cocks, and FIRES. THE
SQUIRMING HEAD IS SHATTERED by the powerful bullet.
83 INT. MARY'S OFFICE IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
A 9 BY 12 CUBICLE with A SMALL COMPUTER TERMINAL, A DESK AND
THREE CHAIRS. There's A LIGHTBOX on the wall displaying
GROUPS OF CRANIAL X-RAYS.
MARY guides JULIE GRANT into a chair. RHODES stands cockily
in the open doorway.
JULIE
I didn't realise! Those were de-caps!
I didn't know that....de-caps...
revived!
RHODES
Any dead whose brains are intact will
revive.
JULIE
But...we bury the heads. Oh. God! It
must be torture for them!
RHODES
They are brutes without feeling.
Though I admit that I've requested
cremation for myself. Burial is an
archaic tradition, even more
ridiculous now than it ever was. To
say nothing of the...spacing
problem...on a small island like this.
JULIE
I thought the purpose of decapitation
was to...to...
RHODES
The purpose of decapitation is to
preserve as much...food...as possible.
The purpose for feeding is to keep the
beasts on our side. The fact that they
can be taught to clean up our garbage
or to fire a gun is a convenient side
benefit, not the primary goal. The
primary goal is to keep ourselves from
becoming their supper. Keep them fed
and they behave. Keep them hungry and
they revert back to being the animals
that they have always been. You saw
them in there.
MARY
You gave them a fresh taste of blood!
RHODES
They will never be satisfied with
anything else, Miss Henried. They want
human flesh. I'm prepared to take
whatever steps are necessary to see to
it they don't get mine! Not while I'm
still using it!
JULIE has calmed herself down. Now she feels angry, betrayed.
She looks at MARY accusingly.
JULIE
Did you know? About the de-caps?
MARY
I'd never seen it before.
JULIE
But you knew.
MARY nods in the affirmative. Tears form in JULIE'S eyes.
JULIE
What else is there, doctor? What else
do you people know that the rest of us
don't?
They stare at one another. Whatever bond once existed between
them has been severed forever.
84 INT. A CONDITIONING ROOM IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
There are CARDIOGRAPHS, E.E.G. MONITORS, AND ALL SORT OF
PHYSICAL CONDITIONING DEVICES. On TABLES lie SYMBOLOGY CARDS
AND COLOURED BLOCKS for dexterity testing. There are LARGE
CUT-OUT SHAPES on the walls, TRIANGLES, SQUARES and familiar
ORANGE CIRCLES.
MARY storms into the room flinging the door shut behind her.
RHODES catches it with his BLACK LEATHER GESTAPO BOOT.
RHODES
You can't run away from the planet,
Miss Science. You can't even run away
from the island, heh heh.
MARY
Leave me alone, you...COCKSUCKER!!!
RHODES laughs loudly. MARY faces him, hatred boiling away her
vocabulary. She can't think of word that are adequate.
MARY
You're....you're disgusting!
You're....FILTH!
RHODES
And you're the one who builds the bomb
and they says, 'I hope it'll never
actually be used'.
MARY is stopped...by her own guilt. She turns and busies
herself gathering books and papers, then she CLICKS OFF A
LIGHT and moves toward the doorway where RHODES stands.
MARY
(calmer, with method) Julie Grant is a
behaviouralist. She's not medical. She
hasn't been as...exposed to...to
things...as some of the rest of us.
She'll be alright. I'll talk to her.
She'll be alright.
RHODES
Oh, I have no doubt.
MARY
(recognising threat in his voice) If
you put her on the shit list because
of her reaction here tonight I'll go
to Dickerson.
RHODES
Ah, yes, our noble Gasparilla does
seem to favour you lately. I
understand he assigned you a roommate
of your choice. The rest of us have to
pick names out of a hat.
MARY
(reading his jealousy) Rhodes, you and
I had a roll in the hay together when
I first got here. It was a wholly
unsatisfying experience which I do not
want to, and which I never will
repeat! So give up, mister! I'm going
home...to that roommate you mentioned.
MARY pushes past RHODES into the hallway.
85 INT. THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE CONDITIONING ROOM - NIGHT
MARY starts down the hall but RHODES grabs her from behind.
He leans in close, lusting, pressing his lips against the
back of her neck.
MARY
Take your hands off me! Right now!
An evil grin returns to RHODES' flushed face. He stares at
the woman for a long moment, then he lets go. MARY walks
away, bristling. RHODES calls after her.
RHODES
Maybe you'll change your mind when it
starts getting too lonely for you.
MARY stops dead. She turns back to see him gloating.
RHODES
I'm not entirely without influence
myself, Miss Science. I had your
roommate assigned...by Gasparilla...
to my platoon. What's his name? Tyler?
Yes. Toby Tyler.
A bubble of fear pushes up in MARY'S throat but she is only
letting her anger show. Her stare is fierce, her eyes
daggers.
RHODES
I had an unfortunate little run-in
with him today. In fact...you might
say that Mr. Tyler is in big trouble
with the...authorities.
MARY
You better not mess with me, Rhodes.
I'd love to serve your balls to those
Red Coats for lunch! Think about it!
RHODES
No, Miss Science. You're the one who
needs to do some thinking.
He turns and walks away. MARY stands still for a time, THE
SOUND OF RHODES' CLICKING BOOTHEELS surrounding her,
swallowing her. In the DEEP BACKGROUND we can HEAR THE MOANS
OF THE CAGED DEAD.
86 INT. THE CENTRAL CHAMBERS OF THE CAVE - NIGHT
MONTAGE: as MARY walks through HUGE OPEN AREAS CARVED OUT OF
NATURAL ROCK. We are stunned at the enormity of the place.
JEEPS AND TRUCKS RUMBLE back and forth. Storage areas hold
MOUNTAINS OF CRATES, CARTONS, WATER AND GAS CANISTERS. FORK
LIFTS shift loads from here to there.
MARY comes to a place where the natural rock surrenders to
man-made walls. She enters past TWO SECURITY GUARDS, showing
her I.D.
87 INT. THE RESIDENCE - NIGHT
MARY moves down A CORRIDOR with NUMBERED DOORS on both sides.
We HEAR THE SOUND OF LIFE, MUSIC BLASTING, VOICES LAUGHING,
ARGUING, CRYING. PEOPLE move by. A MAN AND A WOMAN are
fighting. She slaps him, he punches her, she kicks him in the
balls. THREE HOOKERS pound on a door. The door is opened by A
NAKED MAN WEARING A DILDO on his nose. OTHER MEN, behind him,
laugh wildly as the hookers enter their smoke-filled room.
MARY stops in her tracks when she sees that outside A DOOR
NUMBERED 83 (the door to her quarters) there are TWO OF
RHODES' SOLDIERS with RIFLES in hand. The door itself is open
and SHADOWS move inside.
MARY turns quickly, before she is spotted, and starts back
through the hallway. As she turns a corner she is grabbed by
TOBY TYLER.
MARY
Toby...thank God...wait here. I gotta
find out what's goin' on.
TOBY
Hey. Slow down. What is it?
MARY
Some of Rhodes' men. At the door.
TOBY
That bastard. I didn't think he'd make
his move so fast.
MARY
It's because of me.
TOBY
Oh, bullshit, Mary. It's because
Rhodes is a prick.
MARY
I want you to leave. Then maybe...
TOBY
We're both gonna leave. Leave the
island. I've been talkin' to Tricks.
We think we can smuggle out one of
those inflatable rafts. They're crated
up real small. They've got air
canisters. There's food inside. Even a
little motor.
MARY
I am not...a guerilla fighter, Toby.
I'm not a pioneer. I'm not...I'm not
strong that way. I need...
TOBY
Need what? Civilised order like we
have down here? Christ!
MARY
I can work here. Maybe my work can
help...help everyone. I can do more
good with access to this equipment
than I can off in some wasteland.
TOBY
For the good of mankind. That's what
every monster-maker says.
MARY looks into TOBY'S eyes. She's hurt, yet angry. The kind
of anger that comes involuntarily when somebody strikes an
already sensitive guilt-nerve.
TOBY
We're gettin' out. Me and Tricks. I
want you to come with us. I want that
more than anything. I'll send word.
I'll let you know a time and a place
to meet. We probably won't be able to
wait around so if you're not there on
the dot...well...if you're not there,
I'll know you're not comin'.
She grabs him, holding him tightly against her. They kiss,
hard and long. TOBY pulls away, looks at her lovingly, then
turns and starts toward the guarded apartment. MARY follows.
TOBY
(walking) I don't know what they're
gonna do to me. I figure they'll just
send me out to Stalag Seventeen but
if...if it's worse than that...Tricks
will know. Stay in touch with Tricks.
As they approach the door to number 83, THE SOLDIERS there
raise their RIFLE to ready positions.
SOLDIER
You Tyler?
TOBY
Yes.
SOLDIER
You're under arrest. I'll take your
weapon.
TOBY hands over his RIFLE and begins to unbuckle his PISTOL
BELT. TWO MORE SOLDIERS appear from inside the open
apartment.
MARY
What's he supposed to have done? What
are the charges?
SOLDIER
Dunno, ma'm. We're on orders.
MARY
Look...I'm Mary Henried. I'm with the
special conditioning center. I'm not
without influence...
TOBY
(calmly) Mary.
MARY
I'll have somebody's ass for this.
I'll have your ass, soldier. I'm not
gonna stand here and...
TOBY
(more insistent) MARY!
She gives up. She looks into TOBY'S eyes.
TOBY
I'll be alright. Just remember the
things I said. Take care of yourself.
THE SOLDIERS escort TOBY down the hall without force. MARY
watches their backs for a time, then she flings her BOOKS AND
PAPERS angrily into the open apartment. She begins to cry.
88 EXT. ENTRANCE NUMBER SIX - NIGHT
HATCHWAY NUMBER SIX is surrounded by PROTECTIVE FENCING and,
from it, A FENCED ALLEYWAY runs off through the brush
toward...we don't know what yet.
THE HATCH OPENS and TOBY, along with TWO OTHER PRISONERS,
also disarmed troopers, is led down that alleyway by THREE
GUARDS.
JOHN, SARAH AND BILL McDERMOTT peer out from nearby foliage.
They watch the procession. John whispers.
JOHN
The fences make a safe pathway to
Stalag Seventeen. That's where we
live. That's where you gonna live,
too. Hell's half acre. It's not a nice
place. Them boys there is prisoners.
What's their punishment? They sent out
to the Stalag for a few weeks. That's
punishment enough.
SPIDER seems to appear from nowhere. She motions and the
others follow her through the thick jungle.
89 EXT. ENTRANCE TO STALAG SEVENTEEN - NIGHT
THE RUNNING FENCE LEADS TO A GATE IN A BIGGER FENCE. This one
is ELECTRIFIED. We know this because we see A COLLECTION OF
ZOMBIES, mostly "civilians" with no vests, clambering there,
HANDS AND FACES SPARKING WHEN THEY TOUCH THE CHAIN LINKS.
THE ZOMBIES send up wild MOANS AND GURGLES when TOBY AND THE
OTHER PRISONERS are led through the gate.
Inside the compound is A SCATTERING OF OPEN-SIDED MILITARY
TENT-BUILDINGS, resembling those on M*A*S*H. There's A DIN
coming off the place, a mixture of MUSIC AND VOICES that
forms a disturbed blanket of noise. The place seems to seethe
like a hornets' next.
THE SOLDIERS head back for The Cave as POSTED GUARDS shut the
gate behind THE PRISONERS. TOBY and the other captives move
toward the "village".
90 EXT. STALAG SEVENTEEN MAIN STREET - NIGHT
PEOPLE wallow in the mud. ONE MAN has just taken a shit and
is wiping his ass. Nearby A DRUNK lies unconscious. SEVERAL
MEN are fighting. It's a brutal fight with BOTTLES AND PIPES
AND LENGTHS OF CHAIN. The men are really hurting each other.
PEOPLE SMOKE AND SNORT AND SHOOT UP in wide open disarray.
A HUGE PREGNANT WOMAN plants herself right in TOBY'S path.
PREGNANT WOMAN
How 'bout it, baby. I'm big but I'm
beautiful.
TOBY pushes past her and bumps into A SURLY DRUNK.
DRUNK
HEY, YOU FUCK! YOU FUCK!
He grabs TOBY and flings him violently against an upright on
one of the long huts. THE OTHER TWO PRISONERS move on,
abandoning TOBY, disappearing into the crowd. THE DRUNK pulls
A RUSTED, HOME-MADE KNIFE.
DRUNK
I OUGHTA SLICE YOU UP, YOU FUCK! YOU
CAN'T PUSH ME AROUND LIKE... PUSH ME
AROUND...LIKE...
Suddenly VOMIT rises in the man's throat and he doubles over.
TOBY is aware of SOUNDS behind him. At his back, in the hut,
A HAIRY FAT MAN, still wearing his boxer shorts and his muddy
boots, is wham-bam-bamming A WHORE, who is wearing everything
but underwear and boots. There are needle tracks on the
woman's arms and her face looks as though she's been beaten
brutally. She purses her deep red, damaged lips and blows
TOBY a kiss that's meant to be seductive.
TOBY moves on down the street. The place is a cesspool full
of human dregs, stinking with refuse, filled with the fury
and desperation of man in his last days.
91 EXT. ENTRANCE TO STALAG SEVENTEEN - NIGHT
JOHN leads his followers to within sight of the Stalag gates.
ZOMBIES still claw at the ELECTRIFIED FENCE. BLUE-WHITE
SPARKS fill the air like flashbulbs.
JOHN
This is home, darlin'. Home for us
that don't make the grade. Us that
ain't...good enough to live inside The
Cave. We grow a little food, do a
little light manufacturin'...like
these here vests, we make these for
the massers. We live in our own filth,
with bugs and snakes and disease and
jungle fever...all the time waitin' to
become breakfast for the Bees.
JOHN is doing a sales job on SARAH but everything he says is
truth. She hears it all, softening to JOHN'S cause.
SPIDER has silently lifted A LARGE WOODEN ROUND out of the
weeds. It's a camouflaged tunnel entrance.
JOHN
It's a tunnel. It's a couple hundred
yards. Just keep goin' 'til you reach
the end. I'll be right behind you.
SARAH starts down into the hole. JOHN and the others prepare
to follow. JUNGLE SOUNDS cover the noises they make.
92 INT. THE HOSPITAL IN STALAG SEVENTEEN - NIGHT
We see ROWS OF HOME-MADE COTS, each with A BODY lying on top.
What faces we see are gaunt, showing the boils and lesions of
consumptive diseases and tropical fever. INSECTS BUZZ and
there is THUNDER in the air.
An Oriental orderly, LUKEY, moves through the maze of bodies.
He lifts the wrist of A WOMAN WHO LOOKS DEAD and he discovers
that she is dead indeed. He hurries off.
93 INT. HOSPITAL OPERATING ROOM - NIGHT
This is a room with walls, an operating room with JURY-RIGGED
APPOINTMENTS. On A TABLE, under A HALF-DOZEN LIGHT BULBS,
lies A CORPSE. Another orderly, a Nordic type names DIESEL,
an enormous man, assists while DOCTOR LOGAN methodically SAWS
OFF THE CORPSE'S HEAD.
LUKEY rushes in out of breath.
LUKEY
Doc Logan! Doc Logan! Dere's a lady
dead out dere! Gotta hurry! Gotta
hurry! Dunno how long she been dat
way! Maybe she gettin' ready to come
back.
THE CORPSE'S HEAD ROLLS AWAY FROM ITS BODY. DOC LOGAN picks
up AN ELECTRIC DRILL WITH A LONG BIT. WHZZZZZZZZZ! HE DRIVES
THE SPINNING BIT INTO THE DISEMBODIED HEAD, DEEP INTO ITS
BRAIN. When he pulls it out, MATTER FLIES as the motor winds
down.
LOGAN is a middle aged man. He looks exhausted, demoralised,
a bit mad. And he looks as ill as some of his patients. There
are OPEN SORES on his face and he hasn't shaved for days.
He's covered with two week worth of BLOOD STAINS. He starts
around the table leaving DIESEL to dispose of the "DE-CAP".
LOGAN
Bury the head. Call the guard for the
rest. Get it off the table for now.
We'll bring this new one in.
DIESEL doesn't respond right away. He's heard something.
LOGAN
What is it?
DIESEL
The tunnel.
LOGAN hears it now, A SCRATCHING, SCUFFLING SOUND. He looks
at his watch.
LOGAN
God. It's almost sun-up.
LOGAN AND LUKEY move to a spot at the back of the room. They
remove SEVERAL OF THE PLANKS in the floor. SARAH'S head pops
out, gasping for air. Logan recoils, his eyes wide and
frightened.
LOGAN
Who are you? Who are you?
He stands up too quickly. Dizziness makes him reel. He
smashes into AN INSTRUMENT CART, comes up with A LONG-BLADED
SCALPEL and holds the thing threateningly aimed at the
stranger.
JOHN
It's OK. It's OK, Doc. She's with us.
In the next moment, SARAH and the others climb out of the
tunnel.
JOHN
This here's the hospital. That's
Diesel over there, the big guy. This
here's Lukey and that's Doc Logan
who's about to cut your tonsils out.
SPIDER, the last one to climb into the room, quickly begins
collecting WEAPONS, what few the rebels have.
JOHN
This here's all the weapons we got.
That's why your fancy automatic looks
so good to us. We gotta stick it over
here with the others for now. They
catch us with any kind o' weapon and
its death without even askin' your
name.
SARAH lets SPIDER take her GUN. The deaf mute signs something
which SARAH can't decipher.
JOHN
Ammunition. You got ammunition in your
pack there? I hope you do or the gun
ain't worth much.
SARAH roots through her SUPPLY PACK and produces THREE LOADED
CLIPS AND SEVERAL BOXES OF LOOSE SHELLS. JOHN notices SOME
TINS OF FOOD, MEDICINES, A KNIFE, A COMPASS...
JOHN
We better just hide the whole pack,
darlin'. That stuff is just shoutin'
out that it come from the mainland.
The shit we get is all C.D. rations.
Aspirins and crackers from 1958.
SPIDER snatches THE PACK away rather roughly. SARAH is a
little disturbed by the action. THE MATERIAL is stashed under
FLOOR BOARDS beside the tunnel entrance.
JOHN
Let's go. You look like you could use
some shut eye. Me too. We can all get
acquainted tomorrow.
LUKEY escorts JOHN AND SARAH out of the operating room into
the main hospital area. BILL McDERMOTT pulls out his empty
flask.
McDERMOTT
Doc, I need a fill up. I'll help
m'self if it's alright with you.
LOGAN nods distractedly and BILL moves to A SUPPLY CABINET
which contains, among other essentials, SEVERAL BOTTLES OF
BRANDY. He fills his flask eagerly.
LOGAN
How do we know she's alright? How do
we know?
McDERMOTT
She's alright. Christ, Rhodes and his
cossacks wiped out her whole party.
Dan near got her.
McDERMOTT pockets the refilled flask, takes a long slug from
the cabinet bottle before putting it back, and moves out of
the room. LOGAN is left alone with DIESEL AND SPIDER.
LOGAN
How do we know she's alright? How do
we know?
LOGAN repeats his question, intoned identically as it was
before. He's twitching slightly and sweat is pouring down his
face. THE THUNDER suddenly seems LOUDER.
DIESEL
Are you alright, Doc? You look... you
look real bad.
LOGAN
I have looked bad for four years.
Everyone in the world has looked bad
for four years. Thank God looks don't
matter as much as they once did.
LOGAN, a wild gleam in his eye, moves out of the room,
following where the others went, that LONG-BLADED SCALPEL
still clutched in his hand. The others follow.
94 INT. THE HOSPITAL - NIGHT
JOHN, SARAH AND LUKEY are facing out across the compound. A
TEEMING TROPICAL RAIN has started to fall.
JOHN
This just ain't your day, is it,
darlin' Sarah.
SARAH can't help but snicker. Suddenly her head spins
exhaustion is conquering her body as last. JOHN puts a big
arm around her.
JOHN
Three more minutes. Then you can
sleep. You gotta stay with it for
three more minutes.
McDERMOTT joins them and the group moves out into the rain.
LUKEY waddles back through the maze of cots.
LOGAN, SPIDER AND DIESEL have moved to about the center of
the big room. The patients around them, their eyes bulging,
look like lemurs.
LOGAN
How do we know she's alright? How do
we know?
The same intonation again. This guy's wrapping is definitely
coming loose.
THE ZOMBIE rises up behind LOGAN'S back. It's the woman whose
wrist Lukey checked earlier. Its teeth are dripping with
drool, its hands reaching out wantingly.
LOGAN turns around. Calmly, but with the swiftness of a
rattlesnake, he shoots out the hand that's holding THE
SCALPEL. THE BLADE SINKS DEEPLY INTO THE ZOMBIE'S FOREHEAD.
LOGAN pulls it out and strikes again, and again, and again,
like a swordsman thrusting, thrusting, thrusting. Finally the
creature collapses. LOGAN wipes the scalpel on his already
blood-covered apron. RAIN WATER drops onto him from holes in
the roof above. He doesn't seem to notice.
95 EXT. STALAG SEVENTEEN MAIN STREET (RAIN) - NIGHT
THE STREET SCENE is toned down due to the late hour and the
rain, but just as vile, just as vicious. JOHN AND McDERMOTT
escort SARAH. JOHN speaks softly, and only when others on the
street are far enough away.
JOHN
They supply us with disinfectant and
dope. Sex, drugs and rock-and-roll.
What more could anyone ask for? Most
around here ain't interested in
changin' their lives. The folks you
met...me and them and a couple others
is the whole rebel army. Nobody else
gives a shit...and they're afraid o'
Rhodes.
They pass A STRUCTURE WITH AN OVERHEAD SIGN that reads: JOE'S
CORNER TAVERN. If there were walls they'd be pushed out by
the MASS OF HUMANITY inside. MUSIC BLARES and VOICES form a
wall of noise louder than the THUNDER. A FIGHT spills out
onto the muddy street, PUSHERS selling all sort of delights
accost JOHN and his group.
SARAH
They seem to be havin' a good time.
Some punishment.
JOHN
You disappear in here, darlin'. You
get a knife in yer belly or too much
shit in yer veins. You get lost out
here and nobody's gonna notice.
Rhodes, he counts on that. It all
makes for food in the freezers.
They come to A LONG HUT WITH A SIGN that reads: THE RITZ.
JOHN
This is your hotel. I'm not gonna stay
here with you but I'll always be
close. You gonna hafta take care o'
yourself like you said you was able to
do.
SARAH nods. JOHN smiles at her. His warm, trustworthy eyes
seem to glow in the dark.
JOHN
Some may notice that you're new. Just
deny it. You'll get away with it.
Nobody really looks at each other
around here. Go on in. Get some sleep.
He squeezes her hand tightly, then he turns away and moves
off with McDERMOTT. SARAH moves into THE RITZ.
96 INT. THE RITZ (RAIN) - NIGHT
It resembles the hospital. There are ROWS AND ROWS OF COTS.
SOME PEOPLE SLEEP, alone and in pairs. OTHERS are awake,
drinking, screwing, shooting up. SARAH finds an empty cot and
flops down. Beyond the open walls she can see THE BLUE-WHITE
FLASHES coming from the electrified fence. RAIN LEAKS in on
her but it doesn't keep her from falling asleep.
97 INT. THE CONDITIONING ROOM IN THE CAVE - MORNING
TECHNICIANS are working with ZOMBIES while ARMED GUARDS stand
ready. We FOCUS ON A BLUE COAT. Under supervision, the thing
is fumbling to tie a shoelace. It's failing miserably but
trying hard. ANOTHER BLUE is busy placing LITTLE WOODEN
SHAPES into their proper HOLES IN A BOARD.
TWO RED COATS sit at a table attended by HUMAN TECHNICIANS.
We've seen these zombies before, in the dormitory. TONTO,
is...or was...a native American, probably Seminole. In front
of him is A PLATE containing SEVERAL BITS OF MEAT. He has A
FORK in his hand and he is idly stabbing at the meat.
The other RED COAT, BLUTO, looks just like Bluto from Popeye,
bulky with a thick, black beard. Tired of THE JIG SAW PUZZLE
he's working on, he snarls and suddenly lunges for the meat
on TONTO'S plate. He snatches a handful and stuffs it in his
mouth. As soon as he tastes it, however, he pulls it back
out, dribbling and spitting disgustedly.
FISHER (a technician)
They won't accept a substitute. They
want their Alpo.
TONTO has succeeded in forking a piece of meat. He moves it
to his mouth and pops it in.
FISHER
Alright! Way ta go, Kemosabe!
MARY HENRIED has entered the room. She pulls up and watches
TONTO with a kind of dubious interest. TONTO stops chewing.
He looks up with exaggerated sadness on his face. Slowly his
mouth opens and the chewed piece of meat slides out between
his lips. He throws his fork down angrily.
MARY
They won't learn to use forks if they
don't like the breakfast you're
serving, Ted.
FISHER
The fork is like a game to them. If
they get into the game maybe they'll
learn to like the food.
MARY
It won't work.
Suddenly BLUTO jumps up from the table. He flings his chair
aside and tromps right over to MARY. His arms are
outstretched and he is making a pleading, Karloff-like SOUND.
GUARDS come after him but MARY waves them off.
MARY
It's alright! Leave him alone!
MARY extends her right hand to meet BLUTO'S right and they
shake vigorously. Then the dumb creature drops his arms and
looks around. His brain sends no signal as to what he should
do next. THE GUARDS lead him away.
98 INT. THE FIRING RANGE IN THE CAVE - MORNING
BLAM!!! A RED COAT is FIRING A PISTOL right AT THE LENS.
CLOSE ON: A TARGET, a flat, cut out silhouette of a man,
BLACK TRIANGLES painted on the instant-kill-zones, brain,
heart. BULLETS STRIKE the neck, the to torso, SOME RICOCHET
off the wall behind. None hit the kill-zones.
MARY HENRIED enters. The place resembles a Police Department
target range. RED COATS stand in stalls and FIRE down LONG
ALLEYS at TARGETS which pop up against the opposite wall. THE
NOISE is deafening. TWO TECHNICIANS are watching the shooters
and keeping score. MARY walks up to one of them.
MARY
Have you seen Julie Grant this
morning?
TECHNICIAN
She should be in the behaviour rooms.
MARY
She's not. Hasn't shown up yet.
There's AN OFF-SCREEN GROAN, the sound of a zombie trying to
communicate. MARY turns and sees the tall RED COAT names BUB
standing in the closest stall trying to attract MARY'S
attention. (He was the one Rhodes referred to last night as
"Mary's pride and joy".) He is wearing WESTERN-STYLE GUN
BELTS, SIX-SHOOTER hang in HOLSTERS on both his hips. MARY
faces BUB full with her body and delivers a military salute.
MARY
Good morning, Bub.
BUB replies with one of those pathetic sounds that obviously
mean something to him. Then he, too, salutes. MARY pulls
away, heading for AN EXIT, but BUB calls after her. He makes
inarticulate sounds but we catch his drift.
TECHNICIAN
I think he wants you to watch.
MARY
OK, Bub. Do your stuff.
BUB turns towards the target wall looking like a gunfighter
on a western street. There's A HUMMING MECHANICAL SOUND.
KATCHUNG! A SILHOUETTE pops up. BUB slaps leather...fast...
lighting fast. BOTH GUN come up. BLAM-KA-BLAM-KA-BLAM-BLAM-
BLAM-BLAM!!!
HOLES APPEARS IN THE TARGET...WOP-WOPPETY-WHUMP!!! All in the
kill-zones, or damn close.
BUB slaps ONE PISTOL back into its HOLSTER. He clicks open
the shell-chamber on THE OTHER, dumps the SPENT CARTRIDGES
and begins to reload from his belt.
MARY stares at the creature's back, mixed emotions showing on
her face. BUB turns to face her. Dropping a bullet, he
salutes again. MARY hesitates, then salutes back.
MARY
Very good, Bub. That's....very good.
99 INT. A LOCKER ROOM IN THE CAVE - MORNING
PEOPLE are changing clothes, going on and off duty. JULIE
GRANT rushes in and moves to a locker where she pulls out her
LAB COAT. MARY HENRIED enters the room, spots JULIE, and
rushes towards her.
MARY
Where the hell have you been?
JULIE doesn't respond. She buttons her coat never looking up.
MARY
Julie. Are you alright?
(still no response)
You were missed this morning. I need
you. I don't want you getting your ass
in hot water. I won't be able to help
you if...
JULIE
I don't need any help from you!
JULIE slams the locker door and storms away toward the exit.
MARY
Julie...JULIE!
But she's gone. The locker door has bounced open. MARY slams
it and it bounces again. She pounds it with her fist.
Suddenly, A LOUD BELL SOUNDS. MARY looks at her watch then
exits.
There are TWO WOMEN cleaning the locker room with MOPS AND
PAILS. One of them turns to watch MARY HENRIED exit. We
recognise her. It's SPIDER.
100 INT. THE COUNCIL CHAMBER IN THE CAVE - MORNING
This is a large Situations Room that is serving now as
GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS. In A BIG, STUFFED OFFICE CHAIR
behind A DESK FLANKED WITH FLAGS sits GOVERNOR HENRY
DICKERSON (former of Florida, now of the world) A.K.A....
GASPARILLA.
At TABLES sit A DOZEN OR SO COUNCILMEN, Dickerson's cronies
from the old Doral Country Club, close friends who were
offered asylum in the private underground shelter. Now they
sit in council, "yessing" everything the boss man says.
A STATE PROSECUTOR has a DESPERATE-LOOKING PRISONER on the
floor, standing with his hands cuffed.
PROSECUTOR
He was found with a government-issue
short-wave transmitter in his
quarters. He's charged with the theft
of that equipment from a government
installation and with possession of an
illegal radio.
GASPARILLA munches on SOME FRUIT. He's a fat man with a
handlebar moustache that makes him look like Pancho Villa. As
an indication of rank we wears a military jacket but
underneath is a Hawaiian shirt with a bold flamingo and palm
tree pattern. Around his neck, nestled in the rolls of fat
there, is enough gold to stake a small business.
PROSECUTOR
I can only suggest that the court rule
in favour of the ultimate penalty for
this traitor.
GASPARILLA
You always recommend the ultimate
penalty, Tommy Lee. You and Rhodes.
We now see that RHODES is present, looking on with a smile.
GASPARILLA
All those...AGAINST...the ultimate
penalty raise yer hands.
None of THE COUNCILMEN move a muscle. GASPARILLA scans them
slowly as he takes a big, wet bite out of a peach.
GASPARILLA
Ya mean ta say nobody's gonna object
to the ultimate penalty in this here
case? Well, what if I object? What if
I object to the ultimate penalty.
THE COUNCILMEN look nervous, apprehensive. GASPARILLA'S
flexing his power-muscles.
GASPARILLA
There's been a whole lotta swingin'
influence and swingin' weight
arountyere lately. Does anybody at all
give two shits fer what I think any
more? Well, I'm a-gonna let this guy
off. How d'yall like that? And I want
the word ta git out I let 'im off. I
let 'im off. Not this council. Maybe I
can improve my image rountyere.
THE PRISONER looks up at GASPARILLA, hatred boiling inside
him. GASPARILLA meets his gaze with a power-mad sneer.
GASPARILLA
Yer sentenced ta hard labour. Stalag
Seventeen. A year.
PRISONER
WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME! I PREFER TO
DIE! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH... WITH
THIS KIND OF...SIN!
GASPARILLA
WELL, PISS ON YOU, MISTER! I JUST
SAVED YOUR ASS! YOU DAMN WELL BETTER
NOT GO HOLLERIN' LIKE THAT IN HERE!
PRISONER
I SPIT ON YOU! THE ULTIMATE PENALTY
FOR YOU! BURN IN HELL...FOR THE
ULTIMATE SIN! PIG! ALL OF YOU! PIGS!
GUARDS drag the screaming PRISONER from the room. GASPARILLA
flops back in his chair, flustered but unscarred. His skin is
about a foot thick. He pitches the peach and grabs up a
mango. MARY HENRIED enters the chamber and rushes toward an
empty chair. GASPARILLA checks THE DOCKET on his desk,
smiles, and looks up at MARY.
GASPARILLA
Well, Miss Henried, what a
coincidence. You're just in time fer a
case that seems ta concern you. Guess
you didn't care about the other
proceedin's we been dealin' with here
this mornin'.
MARY
I'm sorry. I was...busy. In the lab.
GASPARILLA
Well, you managed ta make it here jus'
in time fer this case, didn't ya?
RHODES replaces THE PROSECUTOR on the floor. He smiles at
MARY pointedly as he starts his speech.
RHODES
Sir. In the matter of the State versus
Private Tyler, I don't want to...
MARY
(standing) Sir, Tyler is innocent of
any crime against the State. Captain
Rhodes is...
GASPARILLA
(with a mouthful of mango) Miss
Henried, I think you better...
MARY
...Captain Rhodes is trying to...
GASPARILLA
(spitting a wad of chewed pulp into
his hand) MISS HENRIED, SHUT THE HELL
UP!!!
MARY'S eyes indicate her frustration and anger but she does
shut up. GASPARILLA plops the handful of fruit pulp onto the
floor wiping his fingers on his military jacket.
RHODES
I don't want to take up a lot of time
with this. Mr Tyler shot a prisoner
against orders. There are
eyewitnesses. I've reprimanded Tyler
and I've had him sent outside. It's as
simple as that.
GASPARILLA
Ya had 'im sent ta the Stalag? That's
all ya did to 'im?
RHODES
The prisoner was dying, sir. Tyler
acted out of a sense of mercy. I don't
believe Tyler to be dangerous,
General. He just needs...discipline.
Two or three months outside will teach
him...discipline.
MARY
Sir. It's quite clear that...
GASPARILLA
SHUT UP, MISS HENRIED! I TOL' YA
B'FORE!
MARY
THIS IS A TRAVESTY! CAPTAIN RHODES
IS...
GASPARILLA
SIDDOWN, YOUNG LADY! I DONE YUP A
SHIT-LOAD O' FAVOURS AND I AIN'T NEVER
YET ASKED FER NOTHIN' IN RETURN! NOW
HOW'D YOU LIKE TA SPEND TWO WEEKS UP
T'THE VEGETABLE FARM YERSELF? THAT'S
WHAT IT'LL BE IF YA DON'T SIDDOWN AN'
SHUT THE HELL UP!
MARY checks herself. There's a perverse air of danger fuming
off the fat General. His attitude toward MARY has clearly
changed. RHODES has been working on him. MARY seems to have
lost this round. She can only hope that's all she's going to
lose.
GASPARILLA
Now I think Captain's punishment is
fair, considerin'. In fact I think you
ain't got shit ta complain about.
MARY
(softly, carefully) I'm sorry,
General, if I...spoke out of turn.
It's just that...Mr Tyler is not here
to defend himself. He has no
representation. I don't believe due
process is being served by...
GASPARILLA
Listen, Missy. I am the only due
process that has ta be served aroun'
tyere and one of the people doin' the
servin' from now on is gonna be you.
Now you been prancin' aroun' the Cave
like yer ass was glass fer long
enough! All that's
GASPARILLA
gonna change, young lady. Now if you
still got a statement you'd like ta
make, you can jus' hold onto it 'til
tonight.
MARY
Tonight?
GASPARILLA
That's right. 'Bout eight, if that
suits. We'll start out in my gymnasium
an' progress on from there...to
various other forms o' physical
therapy.
MARY shoots a hate-filled eye full at RHODES. THE CAPTAIN
responds with a phoney look of sympathy.
101 INT. GASPARILLA'S GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
The place is full of EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, TREADMILLS, WEIGHTS,
A NAUTILUS, ETC. There are other items which seem
contradictory, PLUSH PILLOWS, A HUGE CIRCULAR BED SURROUNDED
BY MIRRORS. Delicacies of FOOD AND DRINK lie about on LOW
TABLES. The room is a cross between Elaine Powers and a harem
chamber.
A HUGE COFFIN-SHAPED DEVICE opens and we see that the inside
is lined with ULTRAVIOLET TUBES which are covered with
plexiglass. GASPARILLA lounges inside the thing, sweating,
having just taken a long dose of fake sunshine.
All around are THE COUNCILMEN, some with COUNTRY-CLUB TYPE
WOMEN, conservatively dressed and wearing suitable jewellery
(obviously wives left over from the good old days), and some
with SCANTILY CLAD COURTESANS.
OTHER SCANTILY CLAD "BUNNY" TYPES are serving HORS-D'OEUVRES
and pouring WINE, offering SMOKE AND SNORT.
MARY HENRIED is sitting on the floor, lost in fluffy pillows,
her LAB COAT incongruous. RHODES watches her from nearby.
GASPARILLA
AWRITE. C'MON LADIES. OFF WITH IT...
AND ON WITH IT...HA HA HA...
MUSIC BLARES and SEVERAL OF THE COURTESANS spring up,
stripping off what few clothes they are wearing. Some strip
naked, others down to panties. They hop onto various exercise
machines and begin to "workout", tits flopping, thighs
pumping...GASPARILLA'S kind of entertainment.
GASPARILLA
Oh, Lordy, Lordy...I'm drunk as a
skunk. Look at this...will ya jus'
loooooook at these lovelies! Say,
Henried, you ever try it with another
woman?
MARY looks up at the General, not knowing whether or not she
should answer, afraid of what he might try to make her do.
GASPARILLA
I've tried it with boys. Too
strenuous.
FOUR MORE WOMEN have brought in SILVER PLATTERS full of NEW
HORS-D'OEUVRES, prepared carefully and laid them out like
sushi. They're distributed and people eat them
GASPARILLA
Folks...I just couldn't resist. How
d'yall like those? How do those taste?
GUESTS look up, not knowing what to expect. MARY fears the
worst. She looks around to see RHODES grinning. A knot comes
up into her throat. She tries to swallow it down.
GASPARILLA
Fresh from the freezers, folks. It's
what...THEY...EAT!
A FEW OF THE GUESTS are revulsed. ONE MAN starts to vomit and
he runs from the room.
GASPARILLA
Just kiddin' folks. Just kiddin'.
Would I do a thing like that? I ask ya
now, would I? Hah ha ha ha ha...
Relief spreads and the bacchanalian atmosphere restores
itself. GASPARILLA spills himself out of the tanning coffin
and flops down on some pillows near MARY. He grabs up a
goblet and swills red wine which runs down his front.
GASPARILLA
The great state of Florida. People
came here fer years ta die. Retire and
expire. The rest o' the country used
ta think we was nothin' but a bunch o'
farts and fogies. Hah! Now this here's
the new Capital o' the World! Hah!
They came here...died...went to
hell...and the Devil sent 'em back as
an army. Hah! General Gasparilla's
army...MY ARMY!
MARY
We think there are other cities
surviving. We think maybe Detroit...
there's some signalling out of Philly.
GASPARILLA
There's no place like this place. Warm
climate. This facility. Christ, there
ain't nothin' like this no-damn-where!
Even the Feds knew that. That's why
they stored so much o' their shit down
here. It's all mine now. All mine.
Just let 'em try ta come after us down
here, which they will some day...take
a likin' ta what all we got an' come
after us. They'll hafta get past my
army! An army that ain't afraid ta
die...ha ha ha...'cause it's awreddy
DAID! HA HA HA HA....
MARY
It's not a very big army. And small as
it is you won't be able to continue
feeding it for very long. We've got to
find ways of getting them to respond
without relying on...
GASPARILLA
You'll find the ways, Miss Mary. And
when ya do...we'll sail on over to the
mainland...or any other damn mainland
fer that matter...and start us a
recruitin' program. There's millions
o' Bees out there jus' waitin' fer' a
General ta lead 'em on ta vict'ry!
GASPARILLA swallows another huge quantity of wine.
DISSOLVE TO:
102 INT. THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
The room is empty now. Remnants of food and drink clutter the
place. THE FAT GENERAL is asleep, snoring loudly, one of his
pudgy arms is draped across MARY HENRIED'S lap. She is trying
to move out from under without waking the man. She slides on
the floor...a few inches...a few inches more. GASPARILLA
snorts and rolls over. His eyes pop open, focus on MARY, and
a smile pushes his fat cheeks back.
GASPARILLA
Well, hi there, y'all.
Mary looks down at the man, repulsed and afraid. Suddenly he
grabs her LAB COAT. She pulls away and he crawls after her,
his belly bouncing along the floor. BUTTONS POP and the coat
falls open. He reaches for her blouse. It tears away and for
a moment he gets a chubby handful of bare breast. He dives
into her but he's unconscious before his face reaches her
chest.
MARY pulls herself out from under his dead weight. Shivering,
she clutches her blouse together and hurries out of the room.
103 EXT. ENTRANCE TO STALAG SEVENTEEN - DAWN
Light is just breaking through the trees when THE GATES ARE
OPENED admitting FIVE UNIFORMED MEN into the compound.
Outside the fence ZOMBIES clamber excitedly as always.
104 INT. THE RITZ - DAWN
SARAH jumps, awakened by A VOICE AND THE LOUD POUNDING OF
RIFLES against the upright of the sleeping hut.
RHODES
REVEILLE! REVEILLE! RISE AND SHINE!
RHODES is standing near the entrance. FOUR SOLDIERS are doing
the pounding. Stunned, disease-ridden faces look up as
CITIZENS are awakened from sleep. Fear sweeps through the
place like a tropical wind.
RHODES
We found two white Bees in the jungle
with their heads chopped open. I want
to know who's going outside the
compound. I want to know how they're
going out. I want to know why they're
going out. Until I get these
answers...each morning...some of you
will die.
Without warning RHODES draws his MAGNUM and...BLAM! BLAM! He
shoots TWO COT PEOPLE who happen to be at close range. They
tumble to the dirt floor, dead before they hit.
RHODES scans the rest of the hut. He spots a familiar face,
THE PRISONER from the Council Room, the one Gasparilla saved
from a death sentence. The man makes the sign of the cross,
knowing what's coming. BLAM! BLAM! RHODES FIRES TWO RAPID
ROUNDS and THE PRISONER'S CHEST TURNS RED. He flies off his
cot into one adjacent, landing on top of a SCREAMING WOMAN.
RHODES AND HIS MEN leave as abruptly as they entered. SARAH is
stunned. As PEOPLE around her react with sobs and more screams,
she locks her eyes on RHODES.
He is moving authoritatively down the street just outside the
open-walled structure. He passes within inches of SARAH'S cot
which is right against the outside rail. Her emotions well up
inside her. She is about to jump out into the street when A BIG
BLACK HAND grabs her arm. It's JOHN, who has pushed through the
gathering crowd outside.
SARAH
Let me go! I'm the one he wants. This
is all happening because of me. If I
turn myself in...
JOHN
He's just finding another reason for
bumpin' us off. Don't ya see. He needs
us ta die. He needs our bodies.
Behind JOHN on the street TOBY TYLER is looking on. He has
heard the conversation. JOHN turns and sees him. His eyes go
dark with apprehension.
TOBY
It's alright. I'm a friend. I need help
and so do you. What's a safe place to
talk?
JOHN
Ain't no place safe.
TOBY
Look...I know you have no reason to
trust me. I've got friends in the Cave.
I got some stuff comin' out this
mornin'. I'm gonna try to get off the
island.
PEOPLE are pushing in closer attracted by the commotion inside
the Ritz. TOBY has to make it fast. He whispers.
TOBY
I'm gonna have this stuff sent over to
the hospital...
JOHN
The hospital? (surprised, worried)
TOBY
Yeah. My stuff's all marked with red
crosses so nobody gets too nosey. Meet
me at the hospital after the supplies
come in. Maybe we can find a place
there to talk.
JOHN
Maybe.
TOBY drifts off into the crowd. JOHN AND SARAH exchange glances.
105 EXT. ENTRANCE TO STALAG SEVENTEEN - MORNING
SUPPLIES are being brought in through THE MAIN GATES, CRATES,
CARTONS, BAGS OF GRAIN, SEED, FERTILISER.
TRICKS is in charge of the patrol from the Cave. He's checking
items as they're picked up by WORKERS from the compound. TOBY
TYLER sidles up to his friend.
TOBY
Hey, Tricks. Some detail they got you
on.
TRICKS
Not as bad as yours, pal.
TOBY
(whispering) What'dya get?
TRICKS
Rafts. Two 38s. A little ammo.
TOBY
We need fuel, and a couple automatics.
LUKEY, the orderly, picks up A DOLLY which is LOADED DOWN WITH
CRATES MARKED WITH RED CROSSES.
TRICKS
Hey, you. Those two on the bottom.
Don't open those yet. They might be
from the wrong shipment. Just keep 'em
around 'til I can check.
LUKEY
Yessir. I never open 'em. Nossir. I
keep 'em innaback for you.
106 EXT. FRONT STREET OF STALAG SEVENTEEN - MORNING
Watching from the shadows of A BUILDING are JOHN, SARAH AND
DIESEL.
DIESEL
He's a spy. A spy for Rhodes.
JOHN
Give him a chance.
They see TOBY pull away from TRICKS and start down the street
following LUKEY. They move out and catch up with TOBY, flanking
him.
JOHN
What'dya tell that soldier, soldier?
You tell him we was rebels?
TOBY
He's my contact for Chrissake! There's
two crates. Can you get me into the
hospital?
SHORT CUT TO:
107 INT. STORAGE BAY IN THE HOSPITAL - MORNING
CREAK! A CROWBAR pries open A CRATE. JOHN AND LUKEY guard the
entrance while TOBY AND DIESEL work at opening the "Red Cross"
boxes. SARAH stands nearby. THE LIDS LIFT and we see TWO ARMY-
ISSUE LIFE RAFTS.
TOBY
There ya go. Complete with air
canisters...little motors.
JOHN
We got a boat.
TOBY
What?
JOHN
I say we got a boat. Can you get other
stuff?
TOBY
I got some fuel comin' out and, I hope,
some automatic rifles.
DIESEL
He's just tryin' to win us over. This
doesn't prove anything.
JOHN
I'm gonna trust him, Diesel. He already
knows who we are and we ain't got a
bunch o' time to mess around with
Rhodes shootin' up the joint every
mornin'.
TOBY, rooting through the open crates, finds THE PISTOLS TRICKS
told him about and A FEW BOXES OF AMMO. He tosses one of the
guns to JOHN. The big man walks over and puts the weapon back
inside the crate.
JOHN
Can't walk around here with these.
Let's just leave 'em here 'til we ready
ta use 'em.
108 INT. HOSPITAL OPERATING ROOM - DAY
CLOSE ON: HANDS carefully...very carefully...pouring DROPS OF
CLEAR LIQUID INTO A TEST TUBE. The liquid is sweating slowly
out of A MILDEWED AND ROTTING STICK OF DYNAMITE which has been
softened to near-melting by jungle heat.
A DOZEN TEST TUBES stand in a rack, already filled. SPIDER,
another woman, SALLY, and a man, JACK, each have their own
DYNAMITE STICK. Each is transferring LIQUID SWEAT...which is,
of course, nitro glycerine...into A GLASS TUBE. They work in
tense silence on the operating table.
DOC LOGAN works with them, doing the same delicate procedure.
Suddenly his hands starts to tremble.
LOGAN
Take it away from me. Quickly. Take
it! Take it!
SPIDER reaches over and, as gently as possible, takes the VIAL
and THE DYNAMITE out of the doctor's hands. She sets the tube
in the rack and returns the dynamite to AN OPEN CRATE, years
old and crusted with mildew and mud, still half-filled with
sticks yet to be drained. The danger passed, they all breathe a
sigh of relief. LOGAN wipes the river of sweat from his face.
His hands are shaking quite violently now. He pops pills, dry,
from his pocket.
LOGAN
Sorry. I'm sorry. I'll, er...I'll be
alright...in a moment.
JOHN
You're sick, Doc. You been sick for a
while now. Too sick to be workin' with
us on this raid.
JOHN, SARAH AND DIESEL are standing in a corner of the room.
TOBY TYLER is with them, sweating and obviously nervous.
JOHN
You've helped us enough, providin'
cover, hidin' us out. Let the rest of
us handle the physical stuff. It's too
much for you.
LOGAN
It's my fight as much as yours. The
things they made me do...the things
they made...me...do. I want so see
Rhodes destroyed. I want to see all of
them, all of them destroyed. It's my
duty...in the eyes of God. In the eyes
of God.
LOGAN is really flipso now, over the edge into banana-land.
TOBY
It won't work. That's pure nitro you're
dealin' with there. That stuff can blow
if you look at is funny. What're you
gonna do, walk into the Cave carryin'
those tubes on feather pillows? You
don't have a complete layout of the
place. Even if you manage to avoid a
fight you won't know where to go.
JOHN
We're hopin' you can show us where ta
go, Toby.
TOBY
Oh, no. I'm tryin' to get off this
island alive. I'll help you all I can
but I'm not goin' in there on a
suicide mission. What can you hope to
accomplish? Some radios maybe? A
supply room or two? You'll all be
killed and in a few weeks they'll be
back to business as usual. That place
was built to withstand nuclear attack!
What are you gonna do with a half-
dozen guns and a few sticks of nitro?
JOHN
We're gonna blow up the powder
magazine.
TOBY
What?
JOHN
We know what's down there. We did the
loading' and unloadin' when the stuff
came ashore in the early days. A direct
hit oughta do more than a few weeks
worth o' damage.
TOBY
A direct hit'll blow the top off this
whole island! How're you gonna fuse the
stuff? How're you gonna leave yourself
time to get out?
LOGAN
If we don't get out it's a small price
to pay.
TOBY
You're fuckin' out of your minds!
There's two hundred people down there.
You gonna murder two hundred people?
LOGAN
Sinners! Animals! Filth! Doing the work
of the Devil!
TOBY
What about the people here in the camp?
If they don't get blown to kingdom come
their food'll be destroyed, their
water, medical supplies. They won't
have any more power. This island can't
support them all, they'll be doomed.
Count me out, friends. I'm gonna get my
ass outa here. Anybody wants to come
along is welcome.
Silence falls over the room. Finally JOHN moves towards the
door. TOBY follows but before exiting he turns back to face the
group once more.
TOBY
I wanna see Rhodes burn just a much as
you do...but all those people. We don't
have the right to be their judges...
just like they don't have the right to
be our judges.
JOHN opens the door and TOBY exits. SARAH follows. JOHN looks
around at the faces in the group, then he leaves, shutting the
door behind him. There's a long silence, then LOGAN speaks.
LOGAN
We know what we must do. It's written
for us in the Bible. "They shall be
driven from the land of the living down
to the world of the dead. That is the
fate of those who care nothing for
God."
109 INT. STORAGE BAY IN THE HOSPITAL - DAY
LUKEY stands guard. McDERMOTT has joined SARAH AND JOHN in a
strategy huddle. TOBY stands nearby, feeling strangely guilty.
SARAH
Toby's right. They're not gonna sit
around with their fingers up their
asses while we bust up their toys.
JOHN
Datura.
SARAH
What?
JOHN
Datura Metel. The Devil's Trumpet.
Don't worry. I ain't goin' religioso
again. It's a flower that grows on
these islands. Where I come from the
voodoo priests used it whenever they
needed a Mickey Finn. It's toxic.
Ground up you can put it in a drink or
inject it...or...in a sealed area it
might be introduced through the
ventilation system.
SARAH
Datura! Miguel knew it! Datura, he was
shouting! Datura Metel!
JOHN
We always planned to use it. We got
some ground up already...but we could
never find enough.
SARAH
There's hundreds of 'em. Right where we
landed our boat.
TOBY
This stuff really works? No shit?
JOHN
Quicker than gas. And it smells a lot
prettier. It usually don't kill but it
puts ya under fer a good night's sleep.
TOBY
If you could knock out the central
communications room you could foul up
their whole intercom system. Then, if
you move fast enough, stay ahead of
'em...without bein' able to signal each
other, they might have a hard time
catchin' you.
JOHN
I say it's poetic. Pure calypso,
brother. The Devil's Trumpet blowin'
the notes o' doom for the Devil's
troops. Ha ha ha ha ha...
110 EXT. THE BACKWATER - NIGHT
THE FISHING BOAT that bought SARAH and her friends to the
island sits still in the channel. There are SOLDIERS ABOARD,
two of Rhodes' men, pacing the deck, passing a bottle back and
forth.
JOHN (o.s.)
Well, we found yer boat, lady, but so
did they.
JOHN, SARAH AND TOBY are huddled behind green cover peering out
at the boat.
SARAH
Looks like just two. We can take 'em
when the time comes.
JOHN
We're only about a quarter-mile from
Cave entrance number five.
TOBY
That entrance is closest to the labs
and the Bee cages.
JOHN
Come on. Let's go.
They move off stealthily.
They enter the clearing with the spectacular PLANTS that Miguel
discovered. Six feet tall, their red-gold blossoms like
trumpets with their bells down, these are Daturas, nightshades
indigenous to southern Florida and parts of the Caribbean.
SALLY AND JACK, who we saw working on the nitro sticks, are
chopping off the eighteen-inch blossom and stuffing them into
LARGE LEAF BAGS. They're wearing HOSPITAL MASKS over their
mouth and noses. JOHN moves in to help. TOBY AND SARAH follow
but JOHN stops them.
JOHN
Just stand guard for now. Spell us
after a while. Can't breathe this grass
too long or somebody hafta carry you
home.
Work goes on in silence.
111 EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE THE RITZ - NIGHT
MUSIC ROCKS AND VOICES SHOUT. The street scene is as wild as
ever. HOOKERS, PUSHERS AND DRUNKS pack the hot darkness.
112 INT. THE RITZ - NIGHT
At A COT near the open wall, in DIM LIGHT FROM AN OVERHEAD BULB
OUTSIDE, SARAH, JOHN AND TOBY huddle. The DIN from the street
makes it impossible for others to hear them. TOBY is drawing A
MAP.
TOBY
Maintenance shafts run behind all the
main rooms. Nobody's in those at night.
You can use them to get around in. Hit
the power governors first. Kick a surge
into their computer network and you
erase everything stored in the memory.
Then...over in here...that's where the
cages are...
On the street outside, a puffing BILL McDERMOTT pushes through
the unruly crowd, his face showing alarm.
McDERMOTT
The Doc's gone. Diesel and Jack and
Spider with him. They took the guns...
and the nitro.
CUT TO:
113 INT. HOSPITAL OPERATING ROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE ON: LUKEY, beside himself, almost to the point of tears.
LUKEY
I coulden stop 'em, boss. No way I
coulda stop 'em, I sweah. They tie me
up and stick dis...
(He's waving a pillowcase in his hand,
the action accentuating his frenzied
state.)
...they stick dis in my mouf. You
b'lieve dis?
JOHN is in the room with SARAH, TOBY, SALLY AND BILL McDERMOTT.
This is now the entire rebel force. THE FLOORBOARDS TO THE
TUNNEL have been thrown aside. The weapons are gone.
McDERMOTT
I was in the Cave yesterday workin'
repairs. Spider was in on clean up. I
seen her talkin' ta some insiders...
well, she was scribblin', they was
talkin'...mighty palsy.
TOBY
Jesus! They're gonna try to do it!
They're goin' in! They got somebody to
help 'em from the inside!
LUKEY
They din' get da pistols. You know dem
pistols you buddy send in widda raffs.
TOBY
I gotta get Mary out. Tricks. We gotta
go now! Tonight! Right away!
McDERMOTT
Oh, Lord! (He polishes of what's left
in his flask and moves to refill it
from the bottles in Logan's cabinet.)
SALLY
We're not ready.
JOHN
Well...if ya think about it...we as
ready as we ever gonna be. How was
they carryin' the nitro, Lukey?
LUKEY
Oh, me. You ain't gonna b'lieve dis,
neider. You ain't, I sweah. They put it
inta Spidah's body.
TOBY
They what?
LUKEY
De Doc. He cut up Spidah here and here and here...all ovah. He stick dem tubes
in dere, like undah da skin...an' den
he sews 'em all up. I sweah. I sweah,
sweah, sweah!
114 EXT. THE JUNGLE - NIGHT
JACK AND DIESEL are chopping a path through the undergrowth
with MACHETES. Behind them DOC LOGAN is walking slowly along
with SPIDER, guiding her carefully around obstacles. SPIDER is
in major pain. She's sweating rivers, her fists are clenched,
she's biting her lover lip so that it bleeds.
LOGAN
I know it hurts. But it won't be long.
Then all the pain will be over. Oh, I
wish you could hear me. GOD, GIVE HER
THE EARS TO HEAR ME SO SHE KNOWS I
DON'T WANT HER TO HURT SO!
DIESEL
Quiet!
LOGAN
Oh, yes. Quiet. Yes. We must be quiet.
Suddenly, A ZOMBIE lunges from the underbrush, its FACE BADLY
DETERIORATED and one of its hands; lost during its human life,
replaced by A MECHANICAL HOOK. SPIDER stumbles. She holds her
breath and stiffens all her muscles. Miraculously the nitro
vials inside her do not explode. LOGAN throws himself
quixotically in front of THE ZOMBIE.
LOGAN
FALLEN ANGEL! THIS IS THE JUDGEMENT DAY
WHEN YOU WILL BURN FOR YOUR SINS! THE
LORD WILL CAST YOU DOWN TO THE LOWER
REACHES AND YOU SHALL FOREVER KNOW....
THWOK!!! THE ZOMBIE'S STEEL HOOK SINKS DEEPLY INTO LOGAN'S
UPPER CHEST. The man's eyes reflect no immediate sensation. His
speech falters but only slightly.
LOGAN
...YOU SHALL FOREVER KNOW THE PAIN...
THE PAIN...
THE ZOMBIE pulls LOGAN towards its DROOLING, WIDE OPEN MOUTH.
It's just about to bite when DIESEL CHOPS HIS MACHETE INTO THE
CENTER OF THE CREATURE'S SKULL. The thing falls, pulling LOGAN,
still hooked, to the ground with it.
LOGAN
YOU SHALL FOREVER KNOW THE PAIN OF
HELL... THE PAIN OF HELL.
DIESEL frees the doctor's shoulder from the hook. BLOOD FLOWS
FREELY. DIESEL grabs a handful of DRESSINGS from LOGAN'S PACK
and goes to work on the wound.
LOGAN
...the pain of Hell...the pain...the
pain...
115 EXT. THE JUNGLE NEAR THE VENTS - NIGHT
SARAH, SALLY, LUKEY AND McDERMOTT stand by while JOHN AND TOBY
swing open THE RUSTED GRILLWORK OF AN AIR-VENT in the ground.
TOBY is able to swing his upper torso completely down inside.
116 INT. THE VENT - NIGHT
TOBY hangs up-side-down in A RUSH OF AIR. He tightens A
HOSPITAL MASK over his nose and mouth.
TOBY
Okay. Lemme have 'em.
A LEAF BAG is passed in from above. TOBY flags the bag open and
BITS OF FLOWER AND POLLEN DUST FLY through the tight space,
sucked off into the duct.
117 INT. THE COMMUNICATION ROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE ON: A GRILL NEAR THE CEILING. BITS OF TOXIC POLLEN and AN
OCCASIONAL PIECE OF FLOWER blow into the room.
There are SIX TECHNICIANS AND TWO SECURITY GUARDS posted at
various stations. A RADIO MAN looks up.
RADIO MAN
What's that? Smell it?
TECHNICIAN
Dunno. Must be comin' from outside.
Kinda nice.
118 INT. ENTRANCE NUMBER SEVEN - NIGHT
There are only TWO GUARDS posted at the sealed entrance. One is
eating from A CAN OF SPAM. The other is reading an old, dog-
eared PLAYBOY. A RIFLE BARREL jabs suddenly into "Playboy's"
back.
JULIE
Don't move!
It's JULIE GRANT, Mary's disgruntled assistant. A YOUNG MAN,
another behaviouralist in a WHITE LAB COAT is with her. They
both have RIFLES.
JULIE
Open the outer door. Move it!
"Playboy" slowly gets up and starts towards A CONTROL PANEL. At
the last minute, he spins around, grabbing JULIE'S GUN BARREL
and pushing it away. JULIE'S YOUNG ACCOMPLICE swings his RIFLE
BUTT and knocks "Playboy" cold. Then he trains the weapon on
"Spam man" again.
JULIE moves to the controls, examines them, trips A TOGGLE
marked "LOCK" and pushes A LARGE GREEN BUTTON.
THE DOOR TO THE OUTSIDE SWINGS OPEN. Beyond is blackness with
an occasional patch of MOONLIGHT ON JUNGLE GROWTH. JULIE walks
slowly, carefully toward the opening. Just as she is about to
cross the threshold into the night, A HUGE FIGURE leaps at her,
grabbing her RIFLE and enclosing her in a strangle hold. It's
DIESEL. Behind him, comes JACK, his RIFLE (Sarah's rifle)
levelled off at JULIE'S YOUNG FRIEND.
"Spam man" makes a break for it down the hall. Reacting
nervously, too quickly, JACK FIRES. "SPAM MAN" IS HIT SQUARELY
IN THE BACK. He pitches forward, dead.
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST raises his gun.
YOUNG MAN
Hey! What the hell.....?
JACK FIRES ANOTHER BURST and the ORANGE CIRCLE ON THE YOUNG
MAN'S CHEST SHOW A DOTTED LINE OF RED. He flies back, a
surprised expression on his face, and he flops, dead, right on
top of the "Playboy" guard who is lying near the control booth.
LOGAN
ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!
THE DOC comes slowly out of the night guiding SPIDER over the
threshold and into the hall. LOGAN reminds us of a crazy John
Houston, floating on air in a madman's bubble.
JULIE
What...what is this? Who...?
LOGAN
It's alright, it's alright, my dear.
You've simply helped us do the Lord's
work.
LOGAN'S SHOULDER WOUND IS BLEEDING THROUGH ITS DRESSINGS but
the doctor, on a holy mission, seems to feel no pain. He guides
SPIDER into the light and opens her shirt. DIESEL shoves JULIE
against a wall. JACK covers her with his AUTOMATIC.
LOGAN removes RED-SOAKED DRESSING from SPIDER'S skin. All over
her bare chest and upper belly we see LONG, EIGHT-INCH SCARS,
HASTILY STITCHED WITH SUTURE SHOWING. Beneath each is A CIGAR-
SHAPED BULGE where a vial of nitro has been implanted. The
woman stands on crumbling legs, her arms open outward, a
grotesque lampoon of a stigmatic.
JULIE
What...what have you done to her?
LOGAN
God forgive us. Forgive us the pain we
inflict as surgeons. We'll be in
Heaven, child. Soon. We'll be with Him
in Heaven.
SPIDER
Na...na...ak...aaaaaaaaaa...
SPIDER is trying to signal something. She has seen that
"PLAYBOY" is crawling into the control booth. LOGAN follows
her alarmed gaze.
LOGAN
NO YOU DON'T I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT! I
CAN'T!
LOGAN charges toward the booth. THE GUARD is half-in-half-out
of the glass chamber, his hands reaching for the control panel
inside. LOGAN starts to kick him, again and again.
JACK
Outa the way, Doc! Outa the way!
There's vengeance on LOGAN'S face. He's kicking THE GUARD
brutally, but that doesn't stop the man from reaching the
controls. He hits A RED ALARM BUTTON. THE PANEL BUZZES AND
COLOURED LIGHTS BLINK. THE DOOR to the jungle starts to swing
closed. DIESEL dives at it but can't stop the steel slab. It
slams with A LOUD THUNNNNNG!
JACK swings into another position to get a clear shot and he
FIRES A LONG BURST into the control booth. "PLAYBOY" IS STRUCK
BY SEVERAL ROUNDS. He bounces around in the booth and collapses
to the floor, dead.
LOGAN, his SHOULDER WOUND POURING BLOOD, aggravated by his
physical exertion, falls to floor himself, in a faint.
JACK
Shit!
DIESEL
Keep the woman covered.
JACK levels off on JULIE again. DIESEL moves over to SPIDER.
Pulling FRESH DRESSING from LOGAN'S BAG, the big man begins to
pack them onto SPIDER'S BLEEDING CHEST.
119 INT. THE COMMUNICATION ROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE ON: A BLINKING RECTANGLE OF RED LIGHT. Written on its
face is: ALARM - GATE 7. A BELL RINGS LOUDLY in the room. THE
SHOT WIDENS and we see FIVE MEN, all slumped, unconscious, none
able to react to the alarm.
ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS has made it to THE EXIT. He manages
to push the door open, but then he falls in a heap.
A RADIO MAN staggers into A WEBBING OF WIRES, then he too
falls.
THE OTHER SECURITY GUARD inches his hand towards A LEVER WITH A
PROTECTIVE COVER. He flips the cover up, then collapses. The
falling action causes his fingers to trip the lever. A HUGE
KLAXON SOUNDS. A BLINKING RECTANGLE, huge over the doors,
reads: GENERAL ALERT!
120 INT. GASPARILLA'S GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
The usual scene here, GASPARILLA AND HIS COURTESANS
entertaining THE COUNCILMEN AND THEIR LADIES. THE KLAXON SOUNDS
over THE LOUD ROCK MUSIC. MARY HENRIED, a prisoner for the
evening again, hears THE SOUND. Her eyes widen. She looks over
at RHODES, who jumps to his feet. The party gradually goes
silent.
RHODES
Don't be alarmed. We're impregnable.
Stay where you are. Nothing will happen
to any of you. You're safe here. Men.
This last word to A SMALL UNIT OF FOUR TROOPERS standing guard
at THE EXIT. RHODES goes steaming through the doors. TWO OF THE
TROOPERS FOLLOW, THE OTHER TWO unsling their RIFLES and take up
posts just outside in the corridor. THE STEEL DOOR SLIDES SHUT
locking GASPARILLA AND HIS COURT inside the gymnasium...MARY
HENRIED with them.
GASPARILLA
Well, c'mon, ladies and gents. Who says
we gotta let our evenin' get spoiled?
Simon sez...GET DOWN!!!
MOST OF THE GUESTS are willing to let the party get back to
full swing. GASPARILLA grabs A TOPLESS COURTESAN and rocks his
fat belly around in an attempted dance. MARY seems to be the
only one concerned about the alarm.
121 EXT. THE JUNGLE - NIGHT
Even outside THE KLAXON CAN BE HEARD. TOBY AND THE REBELS stop
in their tracks.
TOBY
That's the general alarm. Jesus! They
musta got in!
JOHN
What you wanna do?
TOBY
Come on!
THE GROUP moves out urgently.
122 INT. ENTRANCE NUMBER TWO - NIGHT
A CIRCULAR LIGHT BLINKS GREEN with A BUZZING SOUND. THE TWO
INSIDE GUARDS punch up A VIDEO MONITOR. The screen shows TOBY
TYLER AND LUKEY holding PISTOLS on SALLY AND BILL McDERMOTT.
GUARD
(into intercom) What's goin' on?
TOBY (filter)
(on video) LET US IN. THERE'S BEEN A
REVOLT...AT STALAG SEVENTEEN...THERE'S
REBELS CRAWLIN' EVERYWHERE!
GUARD #2
I know him. That's Tyler.
TOBY (filter)
(on video) FER CHRISSAKE! LEMME IN,
DAMMIT! LEMME IN!
THE FIRST GUARD HITS A BUTTON AND THE BIG STEEL ENTRANCE DOOR
SWINGS OPEN. THE REBELS storm in like an ocean wave taking the
hapless GUARDS completely by surprise. They knock them
unconscious and take their WEAPONS. TOBY pushes A BUTTON which
causes the outer door to swing shut, then he leads the band
down the corridor.
They go through A DOOR about a hundred yards from the entrance.
123 INT. MAINTENANCE SHAFT - NIGHT
This is one of the WORK CORRIDORS that TOBY mentioned earlier.
THE REBELS run, single-file, deep into the Cave.
124 INT. ENTRANCE SEVEN - NIGHT
JULIE GRANT has been ROPE-TIED to an eyelet in the wall. DIESEL
sets down A PISTOL AND A BOX OF AMMO beside DOC LOGAN who is
sitting on the floor beside the control booth. He's having
trouble catching his breath. His WOUND has turned his ENTIRE
FRONT RED.
DIESEL
You'd hold us back. We have to go on.
LOGAN
Hmmmmmm? Oh, yes. Go on.
SPIDER, her shirt buttoned again over her new dressings, is
carefully signing something. DIESEL reads her fingers.
DIESEL
Maps. Yes. She was supposed to bring us
maps.
JACK steps over to JULIE. He frisks her pockets and finds TWO
HAND-DRAWN MAPS showing complete layouts of the Cave.
DIESEL
Alright. Let's go.
They move out, DIESEL supporting SPIDER, JACK with his RIFLE
ready.
125 INT. A SUPPLY CLOSET - NIGHT
TOBY breaks open A CARTON and pulls GAS MASKS out. He passes
them back to BILL McDERMOTT AND SARAH.
126 INT. THE COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - NIGHT
THE REBELS, all wearing GAS MASKS, burst into the room. TOBY
moves right toward AN INTERCOM. He punches in a code and
waits while the INTERCOM BUZZES.
TOBY
Come on, Mary. Answer. ANSWER!
Nothing. Toby punches up another code while the others drag
THE UNCONSCIOUS GUARD out of the doorway, letting the doors
shut behind them. A VOICE comes over the speakers.
TRICKS (o.s. - filter)
Yeah.
TOBY
Tricks, it's Tyler. We're inside.
TRICKS (o.s. - filter)
What? Was that you that set off the
alarms?
TOBY
No. There's some loonies from outside.
They're gonna try to blow the powder
magazine.
TRICKS (o.s. - filter)
Where are you? What's the plan?
TOBY
Find Mary. If you can get help do it.
We're gonna hit the power station and
haul-ass outa here. We'll be at exit
five...that's exit five in exactly ten
minutes.
TRICKS (o.s. - filter)
I think I can get a couple guys.
TOBY
And Mary! You gotta find Mary!
TRICKS (o.s. - filter)
I'll try, Tob. I'm gone.
TRICKS clicks off. TOBY levels his AUTOMATIC at the RADIO
CONSOLE and FIRES. SPARKS FLY, CHUNKS OF WOOD AND METAL SHOOT
OFF IN EVERY DIRECTION.
McDERMOTT
HOLD ON! HOLD ON! Yer wastin' yer
ammunition. Hit 'er in here...then
around back in the circuit boards.
TOBY levels off again, this time at the "kill-zones". BULLETS
FLY. MORE SPARKS DANCE as THE UNIT BREAKS APART.
McDERMOTT
(shouting) AND OVER HERE. THE ALARM
SYSTEMS. THESE CENTRAL PANELS HERE.
THESE CIRCUITS.
SARAH AND SALLY step up and start BLASTING. A PROFUSION OF
SPARKS this time as THE ALARM SYSTEMS SEEM TO EXPLODE.
Suddenly A COLLECTION OF RED LIGHTS START BLINKING URGENTLY. A
BELL SOUNDS. THE LARGE RECTANGLE OVER THE EXIT IS FLASHING A
NEW WORD: EVACUATE! EVACUATE! EVACUATE!
McDERMOTT
Jesus, Mary and Joseph! (he slugs from
his flask) By blowin' the alarm
panels...we signalled an Evac!
127 INT. CORRIDORS IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
MONTAGE: A LOUD BUZZING IS HEARD as DOORS OPEN everywhere, some
sliding, some swinging back, some rolling into the walls.
TROOPERS caught trotting through halls are taken by surprise.
CITIZENS spill out of apartment doors that have opened
electronically.
128 INT. ENTRANCE SEVEN - NIGHT
THE DOOR TO THE JUNGLE SWING OPEN. JULIE GRANT looks over at
DOC LOGAN. The madman struggles to his feet. Supporting himself
against the wall of the control booth, he reaches inside and
starts pushing buttons.
JULIE
Those buttons won't work! The
evacuation command overrides them.
JULIE looks through the open entranceway. Barely visible in the
DIM BLUE MOONLIGHT are the hulking shapes of TWO...NO THREE
ZOMBIES, approaching the open hatch.
129 INT. THE COMMUNICATION ROOM - NIGHT
McDERMOTT is explaining to the others.
McDERMOTT
All the doors in the Cave have been
sprung open...all the ones that work on
electric. It's so nobody'll get trapped
anywhere.
130 INT. ENTRANCE SEVEN - NIGHT
LOGAN stares dumbly, without comprehending, at THE ZOMBIES
which are lurching forward out of the night.
JULIE
CUT ME LOOSE! PLEASE! CUT ME LOOSE!
131 INT. THE DORMITORY - NIGHT
THE LATCHES ON THE CELL DOOR CLICK. With BUZZING, MOTOR NOISES,
THE DOORS OPEN OUTWARD. THE ARMY OF RED COATS marches out into
the hall. We might recognise TONTO, BLUTO, SAMSON....we
certainly recognise big Bub.
132 INT. A HOLDING PEN IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
We see A LARGE PEN, its GATE SWINGING OPEN. From inside,
MOANING HUNGRILY, come FORTY OR FIFTY ZOMBIES, BLUE COATS AND
WHITE.
GUARDS outside the pen start to panic. They OPEN FIRE. A FEW
ZOMBIES ARE HIT but there are too many, way too many. THE
GUARDS turn tail and retreat off into the Cave.
THE ZOMBIES are out! Free to find their own suppers!
133 INT. THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
THE DOORS have opened here, too. THE CROWD, having heard the
EVACUATION SIGNAL, is panicking. MANY are running out past THE
GUARDS and into the hallway. GASPARILLA is trying to reinstate
calm.
GASPARILLA
STAY HERE! STAY PUT! WE'LL BE ALRIGHT!
WE'RE SAFE HERE! JUST AS SAFE AS
ANYWHERE 'TIL WE FIND OUT WHAT'S GOIN'
ON!
MARY HENRIED takes advantage of the confusion. She slips
out behind TWO COUNCILMEN AND THEIR LADY-FRIENDS.
134 INT. NURSERY CORRIDOR - NIGHT
THE HALLWAY is in chaos. TROOPERS run by, CRAZED CITIZENS flee
in both directions. MARY HENRIED is stopped by A NURSE standing
in AN OPEN DOORWAY.
NURSE
What is it? What's happening?
MARY
It's an evacuation signal. The radios
are out. People are panicking.
NURSE
What should we do?
MARY looks past THE NURSE into A ROOM where A GROUP OF
CHILDREN, a dozen or so, ranging from twelve-years-old down to
infancy, are huddled. Some are crying.
MARY
God. I, er...I dunno what to say. It
could be a real evacuation or it could
just be a glitch in the system. Wait
here for now. I'll...I'll make sure you
get the word what to do, okay?
NURSE
Please...hurry...
MARY takes off down the hall.
135 INT. ENTRANCE SEVEN - NIGHT
CLOSE ON: JULIE GRANT'S FACE, screaming, in agony, on the brink
of insanity. THE ZOMBIES have reached her. They're started to
pull at her arms, her legs. ONE BITES HER HAND, ANOTHER HER
ARM, ANOTHER HER CALF.
DOC LOGAN is watching from the control booth, all the while
fiddling with BUTTONS, DIALS, LEVERS.
LOGAN
We'll be in Heaven soon. We'll all be
in Heaven soon.
(Julie's screams penetrate the fog in
his brain. He frowns.)
Pain. God forgive the pain inflicted by
surgeons. We must atone. We must atone
for our sins.
His eye is attracted to A LARGE LEVER seemingly separate from
everything else. It's marked: SIREN. He pulls it.
LOGAN
We must...atone. We must.
136 EXT. THE SIREN HORN - NIGHT
Slowly, THE THROATY WAIL RISES and calls out over the jungle.
It's the "Feeding Signal" we heard earlier.
137 EXT. THE JUNGLE - NIGHT
MONTAGE: as everywhere in the jungle ZOMBIES turn toward the
call of THE SIREN. They start to walk...toward the SOUND,
toward the place where there is food.
138 INT. ENTRANCE SEVEN - NIGHT
JULIE is still screaming wildly. THE ZOMBIES ARE TEARING HER
APART, LITERALLY.
DOC LOGAN inadvertently kicks THE PISTOL left by DIESEL and is
skitters across the floor. He flops down on his knees.
LOGAN
WE WILL ATONE. WE WILL BE THE
SACRIFICE...THE COMMUNION...WE OFFER
OURSELVES UP...OUR SOUL...AND OUR
BODIES...
JULIE GRANT finally loses consciousness. MANY MORE ZOMBIES are
pressing in through the entrance now. They reach LOGAN
and start to tear at him. Something clicks in his brain and
he realises what's happening. He starts to scream. His hands
find THE PISTOL on the floor.
ONE ZOMBIE TAKES A BITE OUT OF HIS LEFT ARM. He shrieks and
brings up THE PISTOL, FIRING. THE FIRST SHOT RIPS OPEN THE
CREATURE'S SKULL. The next FIVE SHOTS are wasted, FIRED WILDLY.
The GUN CLICKS emptily as THE ZOMBIES engulf him, TEARING,
BITING, EATING HIM ALIVE.
MORE ZOMBIES come out of the jungle...a lot more...called by
the SIREN. In waves they enter the Cave looking for food.
139 INT. A CORRIDOR IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
TRICKS is running through the hall with TWO BUDDIES. MARY
HENRIED jumps out of the crowd.
MARY
Tricks! What's going on?
TRICKS
Toby's in the Cave. We're gonna make
our move. There's rebels out to blow
the powder magazine. Come on. Come with
us.
MARY
Where are you goin' out?
TRICKS
Exit five.
MARY
See ya there.
She turns away and starts back in the direction she came from.
TRICKS calls after her.
TRICKS
SEVEN MINUTES, MARY. EXACTLY SEVEN
MINUTES!
140 INT. THE MAIN CHAMBER OF THE CAVE - NIGHT
RHODES AND EIGHT TROOPERS turn a corridor and there, before
them, is a sight out of Dracula's tomb. Moving through the
lava-stone arches, between the giant earthen pillars, is THE
ARMY OF BLUE AND WHITE ZOMBIES. RHODES and his men can't
possibly fight them, there are too many. RHODES spots A DOOR
WITH A CAGED RED LIGHT OVERHEAD. They can get to it by slicing
through only A FEW OF THE ADVANCING GHOULS.
RHODES
THIS WAY. OVER HERE! SHOOT! SHOOT THEM!
SHOOT TO KILL! IN THE HEAD!
Their RIFLES BLAZE as they drive through the edge of THE ZOMBIE
HORDE. SEVERAL OF THE CREATURES GO DOWN, THEIR HEADS BLASTED
OPEN BY RAPID-FIRE ROUNDS.
ONE grabs RHODES by the sleeve of his jacket. The captain turns
on his heels and stares at the thing with outraged disbelief.
He raises his MAGNUM and pumps TWO QUICK SHELLS INTO THE
CREATURE'S BRAIN.
THE PLATOON finally reaches the door. RHODES holds it open
while his MEN run inside. He holsters his PISTOL and unslings
his AUTOMATIC. THE ZOMBIES press towards him. He selects A FEW
OF THE CLOSEST ONES, aims, and FIRES, with a look of enjoyment
on his face. For a moment he resembles Doc Logan, madness
bristling inside him.
THE ZOMBIES fall, THEIR HEADS SHATTERED, ONE OF RHODES' MEN
calls from inside the doorway.
TROOPER
Captain...CAPTAIN!
RHODES FIRES ANOTHER QUICK BURST, then he turns and moves
through the doorway.
141 INT. A CORRIDOR IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
SPIDER is walking along, careful to avoid jolts, support-under
her arms by the giant DIESEL. JACK walks with them, his
nervousness irritated by the need to move slowly. CITIZENS run
past, none of them paying attention to the desperadoes.
Suddenly they encounter A TROOP OF SOLDIER who come trotting
around a corner. Nervous JACK OPENS FIRE. TWO SOLDIER GO DOWN.
A gunfight erupts as the rest of the TROOPS scatter in the
hallway, CIVILIANS are caught in the crossfire. TWO ARE HIT.
DIESEL manages to steer SPIDER around a corner to safety. JACK
keeps FIRING but he's trapped in A HAIL OF BULLETS. A RED LINE
CUTS ACROSS HIS CHEST and he flies back, dead, his GUN STILL
FIRING.
Out of the Troopers' sight, DIESEL checks his map and moves
into A DOORWAY, one of several on the area, guiding SPIDER
through beside him.
142 INT. ANOTHER MAINTENANCE SHAFT - NIGHT
They find themselves in one of those work corridors. The giant
man shoulder his RIFLE and gently lifts SPIDER into his arms.
He moves, as smoothly as he can, down the shaft and around a
bend.
143 INT. A CORRIDOR IN THE CAVE - NIGHT
TOBY leads JOHN AND THE REBELS out into A HALLWAY. They break
across to an opposite door. Before they can escape, A TROOP OF
SOLDIERS appears. A GUNFIGHT ENSUES.
TWO SOLDIERS GO DOWN. JOHN IS WOUNDED IN THE SHOULDER but he
stays on his feet. THE SOLDIERS have them divided in the two
opposite doorways.
Suddenly, TRICKS AND HIS BUDDIES come charging around a corner.
THEY OPEN FIRE. THE SOLDIERS RESPOND. TWO MORE SOLDIERS GO
DOWN. ONE OF TRICKS' MEN IS KILLED. TRICKS himself IS WOUNDED
BADLY IN THE STOMACH.
Caught in a crossfire, THE LAST FOUR TROOPERS throw down their
guns. They flee wildly down the corridor. THE REBELS pick up
and file through one of the doors. TOBY rushes to aid his BADLY
WOUNDED BUDDY.
TOBY
Tricks...Jesus...
TRICKS
I'm alright. Let's go.
They follow after the others.
144 INT. THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
A SCREAM GOES UP! A WOMAN near the exit has spotted something
terrifying in the hallway. THE GUARDS panic. ONE OF THEM OPENS
FIRE.
145 INT. THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
A MASS OF ZOMBIES COME SHUFFLING DOWN THE CORRIDOR. Their
VOICES ECHO IN GROTESQUE HARMONY, the song of the living dead
that we've heard before.
146 INT. THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
THE GUARDS are trying to close the entrance doors manually. The
big slabs won't budge. Suddenly GASPARILLA appears. Drawing A
PISTOL from A HOLSTER he wears, without warning he SHOOTS ONE
OF THE GUARDS. THE OTHER GUARD flees.
GASPARILLA falls onto the dead man and rips off his ORANGE-
CIRCLE VEST. THE ZOMBIES are pressing in now, into the
gymnasium. GASPARILLA AND SEVERAL REMAINING PARTY-GOERS (none
with vests) are trapped.
147 INT. A CORRIDOR NEAR THE DORMITORY - NIGHT
MARY is running along with THE NURSE AND THE CHILDREN.
Suddenly, from out of a doorway, comes CAPTAIN RHODES WITH
HIS STORM TROOPERS.
RHODES
HENRIED! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
Without answering, MARY leads her band through A MANUAL DOOR
that leads to the Dormitory.
RHODES
STOP THEM! SHOOT!
SOLDIER
The...the children, sir.
RHODES
After them then! I want them stopped!
That woman is dangerous!
148 INT. THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE DORMITORY - NIGHT
MARY AND HER REFUGEES are stopped in their tracks by BUB AND
HIS CADRE OF RED COATS. THE NURSE screams and tries to back
away. THE CHILDREN cling to her, petrified, shrieking, starting
to cry.
BUB lumbers up to MARY and...salutes. MARY returns the
formality.
MARY
It's alright. I don't think they'll
hurt us. Try to stay calm.
149 INT. THE OUTER CORRIDOR - NIGHT
THE MANUAL DOOR has been locked from inside.
RHODES
SHOOT IT OPEN!
THE SOLDIERS follow orders, TWO OF THEM FIRING AT THE LOCK.
150 INT. THE FIRING RANGE - NIGHT
MARY is at A CABINET pulling out PISTOLS AND RIFLES, passing
the weapons around to TONTO, BLUTO, SAMSON. BUB is strapping
on his TWO-GUN HOLSTER SET all by himself, fumbling a little,
but succeeding.
151 INT. THE CORRIDOR WITH RHODES - NIGHT
RHODES' MEN kick open the door and charge into the Dormitory
corridor.
152 INT. THE FIRING RANGE - NIGHT
THE NURSE slams ANOTHER MANUAL DOOR, locking and bolting it.
NURSE
They're coming! They're coming!
She hurries along the caged alley behind the firing stalls
guiding THE CHILDREN to an opposite exit.
BLAM! BLAM! MARY IS FIRING at AN ORANGE CIRCLE VEST on one of
the cut out target figures in the range. THE RED COATS are
watching with curiosity, cocking their heads.
152 CONTINUED:
MARY moves to fire again but BLUTO grabs her hand.
MARY
NO...BLUTO...I'M TRYING TO...
The dumb creature keeps his grip. MARY has to appease to him.
She grasps his hand and shakes vigorously. When he finally lets
go, she aims her PISTOL again and FIRES AT THE VEST SEVERAL
MORE TIMES.
MARY
Look. It's good to shoot the circles.
Good. Good.
THE ZOMBIES are confused. Exasperated, MARY tears off her own
vest and tosses it down the alley. THE RED COATS look
befuddled, and a little angry. MARY FIRES at the vest she threw
down. TWO BULLETS HIT IT before MARY'S PISTOL CLICKS...empty.
There's A POUNDING AT THE DOOR. It's RHODES AND HIS TROOP.
Suddenly BUB steps into position. WHAP! One of his famous quick
draws! BLAM!!! HE FIRES. THE VEST ON THE FLOOR, MARY'S VEST, IS
HIT. BUB FIRES AGAIN, the other gun this time. THE VEST ON THE
TARGET IS HIT squarely in the center of its orange circle.
TONTO now turns. He lifts his PISTOL and FIRES. THE VEST ON THE
TARGET IS HIT AGAIN, off center, but hit.
MARY
THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT!
Suddenly THE DOOR AT THE END OF THE RANGE FLIES OPEN. THREE OF
RHODES' MEN RUSH IN, wearing, of course, orange circles. THE
RED COATS OPEN FIRE. THE TROOPERS ARE CUT TO RIBBONS. Others
outside the door duck back behind the walls.
THE ZOMBIES lumber toward the open doorway, STILL FIRING AS
THEY GO. MARY is backing away through the opposite exit. BUB
sees her leaving. He calls to her with a deep, pleading moan.
MARY stops and looks at him sadly. He shoots off a military
salute. MARY salutes him back. There are tears in her eyes.
She turns and hurries off. BUB joins his fellows in pursuit of
Rhodes' and his men.
153 INT. THE GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
A WOMAN'S FACE IS FULL SCREEN. She is screaming in agony as she
is TORN APART BY ZOMBIES. The creatures have invaded the
gymnasium. They're CLAWING AT THE FAT-CAT COUNCILLORS, MAULING
THEIR WOMEN.
GASPARILLA AND TWO OTHER MEN are rolling around crazily,
bumping into exercise machines, knocking over wine bottles and
tables full of hors-d'oeuvres. The single vest they are
fighting over rips apart into two pieces, its orange circle
severed into two useless halves.
GASPARILLA backs across the floor, his blubber bouncing. He has
a tattered piece of the vest clutched in his hands. He tries to
spread it out on his chest but it's too late... and THE ZOMBIES
are too hungry...much too hungry.
MONTAGE: as ALL OVER THE ROOM THEY STRIKE. This is it, gore
fans. The gross finale. The intestine-tugger. THE ZOMBIES GET
THEIR SUPPER. THEY FEAST AMONG THE PILLOWS, like Romans at an
orgy. MUSIC still plays over the gymnasium speakers, rock-a-
billy in a gleeful tempo.
GASPARILLA has retreated into his tanning-coffin but a pudgy
arm and a leg are dangling outside. ZOMBIES CHEW HUNGRILY on
the juicy morsels. From inside the coffin, where ultraviolet
glows brightly, come the piercing, agonised screams of the fat
General.
154 INT. THE MAIN CHAMBER OF THE CAVE - NIGHT
DIESEL guides SPIDER through the huge earthen archways. ZOMBIES
here are scattered now, but they provide for delays. DIESEL
FIRES and ZOMBIES ARE HIT but few are hit fatally. DIESEL'S
free arm can't fire accurately while he's trying to support the
walking bomb beside him.
DIESEL stops to check his map. A ZOMBIE looms up behind him and
takes a HUGE BITE OUT OF HIS SHOULDER. DIESEL screams. He lets
go of SPIDER who stumbles away from him, almost falling but
saving herself. Her eyes are bugging with pain.
DIESEL FIRES POINT BLANK AT THE ZOMBIE, BLOWING ITS HEAD TO
BITS. MORE CREATURES are pressing in close. DIESEL bats at one,
kicks another, punches a third. Then he rushes to SPIDER'S side
and scoops her into his arms again. Wincing in pain from THE
BLEEDING WOUND IN HIS SHOULDER he manages to move out of
immediate danger.
THE ZOMBIES lumber after the two, groaning in chorus as they
walk.
155 INT. THE CORRIDOR AT EXIT FIVE - NIGHT
MARY, THE NURSE AND THE CHILDREN come charging down the hall.
TOBY, SARAH, AND JOHN are waiting for them near the open door
which leads out into the jungle. TOBY AND MARY rush into each
other's arms and they flee, with the others, out into the night.
156 INT. A CORRIDOR NEAR THE DORMITORY - NIGHT
RHODES AND HIS MEN rush into another corridor where they are
met by a crowd of DROOLING ZOMBIES. THE MEN OPEN FIRE but the
ZOMBIES are too close in. They get the upper hand.
RHODES FIRES HIS MAGNUM, his eyes insane, his face boiling red
with disbelief. After TWO SHOTS BLAST OPEN THE HEADS OF THE
CLOSEST ZOMBIES, THE MAGNUM just CLICK-CLICK-CLICKS! RHODES is
out of lead.
He's grabbed by ONE ZOMBIE, then ANOTHER. He fights to free
himself but HE'S BITTEN ONCE...TWICE...
BLEEDING, he fights on. He struggles to a doorway and pushes
through.
157 INT. ANOTHER CORRIDOR - NIGHT
RHODES comes face-to-face with...you guessed it...big BUB. THE
ZOMBIE faces off, ready to draw those SIX-GUNS that hang at his
hips. RHODES turns and runs.
WHAP! BUB slaps leather. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! RHODES turns a
corner but ONE BULLET BITES HIM ON THE BACK OF HIS SHOULDER.
Terrified, fighting pain, he staggers on with the gun-totin'
RED COAT following behind.
158 EXT. THE JUNGLE - NIGHT
THE REBELS lead MARY, THE NURSE AND THE CHILDREN through the
underneath. TRICKS is bleeding badly. TOBY helps him along.
Suddenly, as they break into a clearing, SARAH stops cold.
There on the ground, lying where we last saw it, is THE CORPSE
OF MIGUEL.
JOHN
What is it?
SARAH
It's...he was...one who came to the
island with me.
TOBY
Come on. No time.
SARAH
He was killed...five days ago.
MARY
Maybe...maybe he wasn't dead. Are you
sure he was dead when you left him?
SARAH
Look at him. A hundred bullets. You
tell me. Was he dead?
There are tears in SARAH'S eyes.
SARAH
Five days...and he hasn't...risen. He
hasn't risen.
TOBY
Come on. There's no time. There's no
time to lose.
THE GROUP pushes ahead. SARAH kneels. She blesses herself and
makes the sign of the cross over the corpse. Then she stands to
see that JOHN is waiting for her. He holds out his hand, she
takes it and follows the others.
159 EXT. THE BACKWATER - NIGHT
THE SOLDIERS aboard THE FISHING BOAT hear NOISES coming from
the surrounding jungle.
SOLDIER
WHO IS IT? WHO'S OUT THERE?
JOHN (o.s.)
WE WANT THE BOAT! DROP YER GUNS OR
WE'LL BLAST YOU!
THE SOLDIERS hesitate, looking around at the dark jungle.
TOBY (o.s.)
WE GOT YOU SURROUNDED!
A SUDDEN BURST OF AUTOMATIC FIRE LIGHTS UP THE BLACK FOLIAGE.
THE SOLDIERS react, flinging their WEAPONS over the side into
the water.
THE REFUGEES spill out of the undergrowth and scramble over to
the boat, lifting THE CHILDREN and THE WOUNDED TRICKS on board
carefully.
JOHN pauses to look back into the jungle.
JOHN
Damn you, island. Damn you ta Hell and
worse!
McDERMOTT
We ain't outa here yet. Get yer ass
movin' ya dumb bastard.
McDERMOTT tries to slug from his flask, finds it empty. With a
shrug he tosses the thing into the backwater. THE ENGINE STARTS
as JOHN climbs aboard, SARAH AND TOBY giving him their hands.
160 INT. THE MAIN CHAMBER WITH DIESEL AND SPIDER - NIGHT
161 INT. THE LABORATORY AREA WITH RHODES AND BUB - NIGHT
(These two sequences will be intercut for parallel action)
ZOMBIES are crawling all over DIESEL now. He fights them off
valiantly but his super strength is waning. HE IS BITTEN AGAIN
AND AGAIN but he tries to keep himself between THE CLUTCHING
CREATURES AND THE LITTLE DEAF MUTE who is stumbling along
ahead. She's getting very close to a huge SET OF CONCRETE
SLABS...THE DOORS TO THE POWDER MAGAZINE.
Meanwhile RHODES approaches another corner in the hallway near
the Conditioning Room. BUB follows, his boot heels CLICKING the
way RHODES' own heels once clicked.
RHODES dives for the corner. BUB slaps leather and FIRES OFF
ALL TWELVE. RHODES rolls on the ground crazily. HE'S HIT
SEVERAL TIMES...but he's still alive. He pulls himself, in
agony, out of range. Calmly, BUB dumps out his spent shells and
starts to reload.
IN THE MAIN CHAMBER, DIESEL IS OVERCOME, DRAGGED DOWN BY A MOB
OF ZOMBIES. THEY START TO TEAR HIM APART BIT BY BIT.
SPIDER walks on alone. She is just a few feet from the POWDER
MAGAZINE now. A ZOMBIE grabs her from behind but just gets a
handful of shirt. SPIDER reaches forward but the creature holds
her back. Her SHIRT IS RUNNING RIVERS OF BLOOD NOW where the
vials are implanted underneath.
RHODES crashes through a doorway into THE CONDITIONING ROOM.
He realises, too late, that there's no exit. BUB'S BOOTHEELS
are getting LOUDER. RHODES crawls around behind THE TABLES
FULL OF TESTING EQUIPMENT, WOODEN SHAPES, FLASH CARDS
SCATTER. Over near the LARGE COLOURED SYMBOLS which are
mounted on the wall there's A WEAPONS CABINET. RHODES grabs a
chair and smashes open the glass.
BUB steps into the open doorway, still reloading his PISTOLS.
He stands there, a golem, his fingers slowly, calmly working.
He drops a shell or two but soon the barrels are filled with
fresh loads.
RHODES reaches in through the broken glass and pulls out AN
AUTOMATIC.
BUB slaps his PISTOLS back into their HOLSTERS and face off.
RHODES lifts the AUTOMATIC...aims...
BUB DRAWS! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! EACH ONE OF THE TWELVE BULLETS HITS
RHODES SOMEWHERE, many of them in the "kill-zones". He screams
when the first few rounds hit, but his screaming stops about
halfway through the barrage. That's when he dies. His leg bones
support his corpse long enough for the last six bullets to
reach him. Then, as THE SOUND OF BUB'S GUN ECHOES AWAY down the
corridors, RHODES BODY slides down the wall and crumples to the
floor in a heap, leaving MUCH OF HIS BLOOD on the ORANGE CIRCLE
that's mounted behind him.
IN THE MAIN CHAMBER, A ZOMBIE TAKES A BITE OUT OF SPIDER'S
SHOULDER. IT PULLS OUT A BIG CHUNK OF FLESH, AND WITH IT, STUCK
IN THE CREATURE'S TEETH, COMES ONE OF THE NITRO VIALS.
SEVERAL ZOMBIES are pulling at the woman. She is still reaching
for the POWDER MAGAZINE DOORS but the ghouls are pulling her
away.
THE CREATURE WITH THE TEST TUBE IN ITS MOUTH pulls the
bothersome thing out from between its teeth. It studies the
vial curiously for a moment, then it tosses it angrily towards
SPIDER, toward THE MAGAZINE DOOR...
KA-BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
162 INT. THE MAIN CHAMBER (EFX) - NIGHT
A HALLACIOUS FIREBALL RIPS THROUGH THE CAVE.
163 INT. THE CONDITIONING ROOM - NIGHT
BUB stands in the open doorway staring at RHODES' still
twitching corpse. He slaps his SIX-GUNS back into their leather
HOLSTERS, then he shoots off one of those military salutes of
his....just as the walls fall in on him.
164 EXT. THE FISHING BOAT - NIGHT
THE REFUGEES stare toward the island as A HUGE BOOOOOM FILLS
THE NIGHT. Some of the YOUNGER CHILDREN start to cheer as
though watching fireworks on the Fourth of July.
165 EXT. GASPARILLA'S ISLAND (THEIR P.O.V.) - NIGHT
THE TOP BLOWS OFF THE ISLAND, just as TOBY predicted is would.
It's as though an enormous underground volcano is exploding.
It's a frightening...yet beautiful sight.
166 EXT. THE FISHING BOAT - NIGHT
TOBY looks back over his shoulder. THE NURSE is kneeling beside
the body of TRICKS. He's dead. The woman pulls a blanket up
over his head. TOBY steps forward, his PISTOL drawn. He pulls
the hammer back and aims at TRICKS' head.
SARAH
No. Don't. Wait. Wait to see if... wait
until it's necessary.
TOBY turns and looks at MARY. She nods. He releases the PISTOL
HAMMER without firing.
DISSOLVE TO:
167 EXT. ANOTHER ISLAND (WIDE EST.) - MORNING
Gorgeous, a paradise. BIRDSONG fills the air.
168 EXT. A RIVER ON THE ISLAND - MORNING
THE REGUGEES are all gathered. THE CHILDREN walk, one by one,
through the shallows as JOHN baptises them. SARAH, MARY AND THE
NURSE carry the infants. When the infant in SARAH'S arms has
been touched by JOHN'S hand, SARAH doesn't move on. Instead,
she looks up into the big man's warm eyes.
SARAH
Me too...please.
JOHN gently cups a handful of river water and pours it on the
woman's forehead.
THE OTHER ADULTS, led by LUKEY, file into the river, all lining
up before the baptist, waiting their turns to be blessed into
this tiny new society.
169 EXT. A BEACH ON THE ISLAND - MORNING
TRICKS' BODY lies covered in the sand. THE REFUGEES are
gathered again, heads bowed, while JOHN speaks.
JOHN
Satan ain't sent this man back. Not
yet, anyway. So we all hopin' that
maybe he's up there with you, Lord.
This might be the first decent soul we
been able ta offer ya in quite a few
years. That's a fact. We just gonna...
pray, Lord. We gonna pray that what
seems ta be happenin' here...is really
happenin'...and I'm gonna take the
chance and speak these words that I
ain't been able ta speak for so long...
May he rest in peace
THE OTHERS
Amen.
170 EXT. THE BEACH - NIGHT
THE CORPSE lies in the MOONLIGHT. NIGHT CRITTERS SCREECH AND
BURBLE in the jungle behind the sand. It's an eerie scene.
SARAH is sitting up, her RIFLE ready in her lap, watching the
body. JOHN steps in behind and she startles.
JOHN
Just me. I'll take the next shift.
He settles easily down beside the woman. The two stare together
at the shrouded corpse.
SARAH
How long do have to watch him?
JOHN
Forever, darlin'. Forever. 'Til he
turns ta dust and blows away on the
wind.
THE BODY lies silent, rigid under the KHAKI ARMY BLANKET that
rises and falls, rises and falls with the Gulf breeze.
Suddenly...A LOUD MUSIC CHORD! A SUDDEN MOVEMENT!
It's the movement of RED LETTERS that spin up off the head of
the corpse and settle before our eyes.
The letters read: "THE END (I PROMISE)"