FINNEGAN'S SQUAD: "Banshee"



               BEGIN OPENING ACT:

               EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT

               The seven officers of Finnegan's squad move quietly and
               cautiously through the thick jungle foliage under the light
               of a full moon.

               FINN comes up from the rear of the group with TOMLINSON
               flanking his position.  

               Finn turns to the others and with a quick series of hand
               motions communicates to them their target is just ahead. 
               They're to split up and flank on either side of the target
               area while watching out for mines and triggers.

               Each nods in understanding and then the group starts to
               spread out.

               Finn continues around the starboard flank keeping his eye
               trained on the center of the area they're circling.

               There is noise from the target area, campfire chatter.  Finn
               stops, carefully peering over the top of a large broad leaf
               providing him cover.  

               At the center is a small group of green army fatigue dressed
               SOLDIERS.  They're around a campfire trying to get warm.

               Finn looks around wondering if this is a trap.  He looks back
               at this group.  Five people, male, indeterminate origin.  The
               soldiers are armed but with outdated projectile rifles and
               only one person is standing watch.

               Finn nods to BALE who crouches down further following his
               lead.  They both continue to slowly move through the foliage.

               Finn stops and leans to get another look at their target.  No
               change.  But then a lightning flash lights up the sky
               temporarily blinding him.  Followed by another and a third.

               He squints hard trying to shake off the effects of the flash. 
               He hears a commotion up ahead and then...

                                   TOMLINSON
                         Captain?

               Finn quickly rises moving on position with his weapon drawn,
               ready for confrontation...

               Finn steps into the clearing, an open grassy space with no
               signs of ever having anyone camp here.

               Finn carefully looks down, no fire pit, no abandoned seats or
               even depressions.  This is confusing.  He looks up at the
               others.

                                   FINN
                         Did anyone see them go?

                                   TOMLINSON
                         Negative.

               Bale comes out from the jungle and shakes her head.

                                   BALE
                         Nothing.  No tracks, no vehicle.

               Finn looks up.  Bale stops and tilts her head up as well.

                                   BALE (cont'd)
                         Do you hear that?

               A deep resonance slowly builds, like a rushing stream
               threaded with a dissonance of increasing volume and variable
               pitch.  The sounds get louder and louder until each member of
               this team is cupping their ears in pain, then...

               Rain begins to fall on them and somehow the more that falls
               the less we hear the dissonant sound.  

                                   BALE (cont'd)
                         I saw caves!

                                   FINN
                         Where?

               Bale points.

                                   BALE
                         That way!  A couple hundred metres.

               Finn nods, waving the rest to follow.  The group pulls away
               from this spot in the same professional way they approached. 

               LATER -

               The Squad continues through the dense foliage as fast as they
               can under the downpour.  By now the dissonance is barely
               audible but the water is quickly becoming a problem in
               itself. 

               They rush for cover under the foliage but the downpour
               increases until they're seemingly under a waterfall.

               The lightning returns with such force that it does
               momentarily cause a couple of Troopers to scatter.

                                   FINN
                         Keep moving!
                             (to Bale)
                         How much farther?

               Bale is unsure now.  She peers through the environs looking
               for telltale markers of where they are.

                                   BALE
                         This is different.

                                   TOMLINSON
                         How can you tell?

               She turns to him about to bark out her reasons but restrains
               herself.  He is, after all, her superior officer.

                                   BALE
                         Because I have very good spacial
                         memory!

               Finn is looking around.

                                   FINN
                         There are no rock faces here,
                         Leftenant, you must be mistaken.

                                   BALE
                         It was here, sir!

               Another crack of lightning.  Enough to make everyone crouch
               down as if that would help.

                                   FINN
                         We need an alternate.

                                   BALE
                         I'm telling you sir it was here!

                                   FINN
                         Bale!  Look around!  Either you are
                         disoriented or the cave moved!

               From the perimeter Leftenant BLOCKER calls out.

                                   BLOCKER
                         Sir!

               Finn glances over, Blocker is standing by the sandbag
               reinforced opening of a covered foxhole.  Finn is sure that
               wasn't there before.

               More lightning flashes, the area is getting heavy with
               activity.  Finn looks skyward at the mass of water sheeting
               down on them.

                                   FINN
                         Go!

               The Squad starts to file inside the foxhole.  Finn takes up
               the rear.  The rain lets up a bit but as it does the eerie
               dissonance returns, like a chorus of angry women murmuring
               all at once and then building in pitch.

                                   BALE
                         What is that?

                                   FINN
                         No idea. 

               The next person due to climb in the foxhole stops for a
               moment to check around at the noise.

                                   FINN (cont'd)
                         Go!

               They climb in followed by CABOTO and then Bale.

               Finn looks around as the sound gets almost deafening and then
               he climbs in.  The flashes of lighting continue.

               INT. COVERED FOXHOLE - NIGHT

               Finn removes his helmet trying to shake some of the rain from
               it.  The foxhole is packed, barely enough space for all of
               them to crouch down inside.

               Finn moves along the trench toward Tomlinson but stops as the
               large frame of Leftenant Blocker squeezes past him heading
               for the opening.

                                   FINN
                         Leftenant?

                                   BLOCKER
                         I can't find my bayonet, sir. 

                                   FINN
                         Don't worry about it.

                                   BLOCKER
                         It fell off my mount.

                                   FINN
                         That's all right Leftenant.  We'll
                         find it after this weather clears.

                                   BLOCKER
                         Aye sir.

               Blocker nods but continues toward the opening, intrigued by
               something he sees outside.  Finn continues up the trench
               toward Tomlinson who is standing guard at the opposite
               opening of the trench.

               Finn looks out at the raging storm and the swirling cacophony
               travelling with the wind.

                                   FINN
                         Not a typical exercise is it?

                                   TOMLINSON
                         No sir.

               Both look out as the dissonance almost seems to strike a
               rhythm.  

               At the opposite side Blocker is looking out as well but his
               expression is child-like and filled with wonder.

                                   BLOCKER
                             (silently)
                         Pa-pa...

               Finn turns at the sounds of commotion behind him.

               MARTINE and DAVIS are trying to keep Blocker from climbing
               out the opposite entrance.

                                   MARTINE
                         Eric!

               Finn and Tomlinson rush that way pushing past the rest who
               have already lost their grip on Blocker.  Finn moves to the
               exit.

                                   FINN
                         Blocker!  Get back here!

               EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT

               Blocker plods through the ankle deep water as if he were a
               child, he twirls his large frame around removing his helmet
               to let the water cascade over his face as he continues to
               twirl.

               Finn remains in the foxhole entrance calling out.  The
               flashes of lightning continue.

                                   FINN
                         Get back here Leftenant!  That's an
                         order!

               Blocker continues deeper into the jungle.

               INT. COVERED FOXHOLE - NIGHT

               Finn turns back to Tomlinson looking for an explanation.

                                   FINN
                         What's got into him?

                                   TOMLINSON
                         No idea...

               EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT

               Finn calls out again.

                                   FINN
                         Leftenant!

               No response.  

               INT. COVERED FOXHOLE - NIGHT

               Finn finally decides to head out himself, he steps on a
               foothold and reaches to the sandbags that are keeping the
               water from pouring into their shelter and then lifts himself
               up to climb out.

               Tomlinson reaches forward to stop him.

                                   TOMLINSON
                         Sir!  It's too dangerous to be out
                         exposed right now.

               Finn shrugs off the hold and exits the Foxhole trench.

               EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT

               Finn rushes out into the downpour.  As the rain cascades over
               him he rushes out along the path he saw Blocker take.

               Ahead he sees Blocker, standing there, as though talking to
               someone but clearly the large man is alone.

               Finn steps through the bushes.

                                   FINN
                         Leftenant!

               Blocker turns and looks at Finn.  His expression screws up
               from the confusion.

                                   BLOCKER
                         Captain?

               Another flash of lightning sheets across the sky.

                                   FINN
                         Come back to the shelter!

               Blocker looks at the space he's been conversing with, he
               looks at Finn motioning back to the space.

                                   BLOCKER
                         But..., my Dad's...

                                   FINN
                         We'll find the bayonet after the
                         weather clears!  Now, Leftenant.

               Blocker is disoriented, his head tilts toward the empty space
               trying to reconcile what he's seeing.

               Frustrated Finn steps forward, ducking as the Lightning
               flashes increase in intensity the closer he gets to Blocker.

                                   BLOCKER
                         Sir, I...

                                   FINN
                         We don't have time for this now. 
                         Come on Leftenant! 
                             (pause)
                         That's an order!

               Blocker snaps to attention and then steps forward.

                                   BLOCKER
                         Sir, yes sir!

               Finn turns and starts back for the foxhole, he can barely see
               through the rain and the flashes.    

               Suddenly the rain begins to dissipate but as it does the
               dissonance returns like a rushing wind.

               Another flash erupts behind him, so violently close that the
               ions around them are instantly vaporized and Finn is thrown
               to the ground by the sudden pressure implosion.

               He rolls on the ground struggling against nothing as though
               wrapped in a blanket.  

               He reaches to his holster pulling out his Pistol but his arm
               is restrained and jerked around as though someone else was
               trying to keep him from aiming.

               He chops at the space above where his arm appears to be
               gripped even though nothing is there and then pushes whatever
               it is off him as he rolls free and rises to face this new
               seemingly invisible threat.

               He looks around.  Blocker is gone.

               Finn moves into the space, back tracing the steps a bit but
               there's no sign of the Leftenant.  

               The rains increase again and then the winds obscuring Finn's
               vision but it isn't until the lightning starts up again that
               Finn starts back for the foxhole.

               Rushing even harder when the dissonance on the wind whips up
               again around him.

               He spies the foxhole entrance and the Squad within and waves
               them away from the entrance as he rushes for the opening.

               However he comes up against another of the seemingly
               invisible foes and struggles against him while the lightning
               flashes and the dissonance crescendos.

               Finn finally breaks free, quickly turns and dives inside the
               foxhole.

               END OPENING ACT: