BACK

Forlorn Hope - by Matthew Funk - Excerpt

EXT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING

ORBISON kneads his rifle nervously, looks from one man to another. BYRD's doubled over; COCKMAN looks numb; BILKS is transfixed; RANDALL mutters a prayer; WEISSMAN, shivering, looks for a smoke; SPILLANE, at the helm, is ice.

ORBISON

Weiss. It's been a half-hour.

WEISSMAN

(playing dumb)

Since what?

ORBISON

The planes. The shells. Anything.

EXT. RED 2 BEACH FORTIFICATIONS - MORNING

OTA rallies his men. They slip into embrasures, dive into tunnels, take up firing positions in long bunkers. All are nervous, unblinking, bruised and blackened by the shelling. All are utterly terrified.

A MACHINEGUNNER, 34 and slim, slips off his helmet and traces a shaking hand over the picture of his smiling wife and baby daughter outside their house.

MACHINEGUNNER

Goodbye, sparrow.

He puts the helmet on.

Next to his position, an ANTI-TANK GUNNER looks to his friend, who looks about to bolt. He grips his arm, nods tearily, and they smile together.

OTA moves through these positions, seeing to the distribution of ammunition.

EXT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING

ORBISON mutters to WEISSMAN as the other Marines stay silent.

WEISSMAN

So? So what?

ORBISON

So why the time for the Nips to recover, hunh?

WEISSMAN stares at him accusingly.

WEISSMAN

Hey. Silent is good. Dead Nips don't make noise.

Explosions, the crash of cannons ring out. Bursts in the air.

EXT. THE POCKET - MORNING

In this fortified hollow in the ground, trenches from around the island join in a wide nexus. Gun crews work at their cannons and officers route, marshal and command forces. Among the officers is the impressive form of Commander SUGAI, 28 and dashing. He and his officers light the unit colors aflame in a solemn ceremony. Light Tanks are stored here, and several soldiers are hopping into them, arming them, or taking up supporting infantry positions. ONUKI, TAKASHI, and TETSUO are among them. TETSUO slides in the hatch of the tank, TAKASHI after him, and then ONUKI climbs aboard. He pauses to kiss his fingers and touch it to a crude drawing of Buddha and the term, "SIDDHA", printed there. Laughing suddenly, he enters.

INT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING

WEISSMAN stabs a look at ORBISON. The Marines seem especially tense. BILKS' eyes widen.

WEISSMAN

There you go.

ORBISON

What do you mean?

WEISSMAN

(pointing up)

The sound. Those cannons you wanted. Happy? Safer?

ORBISON

(humorless)

Fuck you.

BILKS

Those aren't our cannons.

WEISSMAN

What?

A tremendous explosion shivers the amtrac. A plume of flame from an exploding amtrac shoots into the air.

Clanking noises - shrapnel and a few bullets - are heard.

BILKS

Not. Our. Guns.

WEISSMAN

(incredulous)

What?

SPILLANE

Sixty seconds.

RANDALL

Alright, boys, alright listen. You stay on me and stay on your Sergeant and we'll get out okay.

BILKS

(crazy)

I said, 'You. Are. Fucked'.

WEISSMAN

How come they didn't take out the Jap guns? What did support do?

ORBISON

Shit. Shit. Shit.

SPILLANE

Thirty seconds.

WEISSMAN

Fucking waste.

BILKS

Shut it!

ORBISON

Oh shit, the whole. The whole fucking amtrac.

COCKMAN begins screaming a hoarse war-cry.

RANDALL

We are Marines. We do the job and we are too tough to die.

ORBISON

The whole fucking boat's going to die and the Sarge is crazy.

SPILLANE

Going in! Going in!

RANDALL

The door drops, break right and left, get on the sides and move up the embrasure.

BYRD

Goddamn Nips.

RANDALL

Once there, hug the ground. God be with you. I will be.

A klaxon sounds above the roar of gunfire. The Alligator jumps again, the doors jamming. A YOUNG MARINE pushes them.

YOUNG MARINE

What the Hell?!

RANDALL

Everyone. Stay -

Gunfire tears through the amtrac, cutting down seven Marines in the first pass; another pass gets five more. These bullets are big - 13mm - and, flattened by impact, blow through bodies like softballs. People don't just get shot; they are blown apart. The Marines start screaming. SPILLANE drops and starts firing back.

The CREW CHIEF, 32 and chubby, is hit in the jaw and the wrist. He tries to walk away into the water and is blown in half. The Marines start getting over the side. BILKS is first, totally silent, followed by RANDALL and COCKMAN.

Contact matt@matthewfunk.net