THE BASE

"THE BASE" 

EXT. BORDER CHECKPOINT -- DAY

Cars filled with tourists move slowly through the checkpoint

into Mexico. On the American side: clean uncrowded streets.

EXT. TIAJUNA, MEXICO -- DAY

But just across the border: crowds, garbage everywhere,

buildings crammed together on pot holed streets. It seems

darker, more dangerous. Everything has a touch of evil.　

EXT. STRIP CLUB -- DAY

A honky tonk street lined with dives. Neon flickers outside

a strip club. COLLEGE KIDS on Spring Break laugh drunkenly

as they leave the club, one belches loudly.

We sneak in while the doors are open.

INT. STRIP CLUB -- DAY

Almost everyone is American. Four clean cut young men watch

a pair of aging STRIPPERS gyrate on stage. When the Ugly

Stripper dances in front of them, one of them puts a dollar

in her G-string.

DELMAR

Horman, why are you giving that skank

money?

DAVE DELMAR is a massive weight lifter with a troubled

childhood which turned him into a bit of a bully.

BREEN

This is the closest he's been to pussy

in months, Del. Give him a break.

ARTIE HORMAN is the youngest of the group, and the most unsure

of himself. Maybe still a virgin. Wears a tourist sombrero.

HORMAN

Want me to take a picture and send it

to your wife?

(CONTINUED)

2.

BREEN

Lucy would kill me. Can't even rent

R rated movies!

RICK BREEN is the most conservative: already married; dressed

for church, not strippers.

DELMAR

Only an idiot would get married.

BREEN

Who you calling an idiot? I get it

at least once a week.

The best looking stripper takes it all off. Every man in

the dive watches her but one:

MARTY RACKIN, oldest of the four, keeps his eye on a booth

in the back where a slick drug lawyer named VARGAS talks

with two MEXICANS in sweat clothes and gold jewelry.

HORMAN

Hey baby! Come on down!

As the Stripper dances to their side of the room, Vargas

gives the Mexicans some hundred dollar bills, and leaves.

RACKIN

Drink up. It's time to run and gun.

HORMAN

But she's just....

DELMAR

You heard the man: Drink up.

Horman reluctantly ignores the stripper gyrating in front of

him and finishes his beer. The four follow Vargas out.

EXT. TIAJUNA, MEXICO -- DAY

Rackin doesn't lose sight of Vargas. The four cross the

street to a parked car, and Delmar pops open the trunk.

Vargas is a block away. He stops at a door, makes sure no

one is watching him, then gives a secret knock. The door

opens and Vargas enters the building.

DELMAR

Got him?

RACKIN

Yeah. Next block. Sixth door down.

(CONTINUED)

3.

Rackin watches the door close, then takes the flack jacket

Delmar hands him. All four men put on jackets. Camouflage

grease paint is passed around, and they paint their faces.

BREEN

Horman wants to know if we can go

back and see the stripper afterwards.

RACKIN

Sorry, Artie.

Delmar hands each of the men a HUGE military style M249 SAW

machine gun. Horman also takes a combat shotgun.

Armed for a small war, they close the car trunk.

RACKIN

Ready to rumble?

Horman sails the sombrero across the street. They slap hands

with each other. Rackin oozes wild charisma. His team would

follow him to hell and come back with the Devil on his orders.

The four walk down the street like The Wild Bunch.

EXT. TIAJUNA BUILDING -- DAY

At the doorway, Breen eases a fiber optic strand quietly

under the door. From this point on, the team uses military

hand signals to communicate.

FIBER OPTIC SHOT

A distorted look at the foyer beyond the door.

Two GUARDS armed with Uzis smoke cigarettes.

EXT. TIAJUNA BUILDING -- DAY

Breen pulls out the strand and signals that there are two

guards, armed, and points to where they are standing.

The others nod.

The door of the next building opens and a TEN YEAR OLD BOY

steps out... Sees the armed men and is frightened.

Breen puts a finger to his lips, smiles and gestures for the

Boy to go back inside. The Boy returns to safety indoors.

Rackin gives final hand signal instructions to the team.

Then they break open the door.

4.

INT. TIAJUNA BUILDING -- DAY

The door splinters inwards, and the two GUARDS quickly bring

up their Uzis. Rackin shoots the one of the left before he

can get off a shot. Breen takes out the one on the right

seconds before he fires at Delmar.

Rackin gestures for Delmar to guard the door, while Breen

and Horman will use two-by-two cover formation to climb the

stairs. Rackin will check out the downstairs rooms.

Rackin doesn't get far before gunfire erupts.

A pair of massive MEXICANs in sweats, armed with Uzis, pops

from the top of the staircase and opens fire down at Breen

and Horman.

MEXICAN #1

Two of them! On the stairs!

Breen and Horman back down the stairs and take cover as

bullets turn steps into sawdust.

Rackin turns to help them, when he hears a noise, spins and

fires down the hallway...

Blasting GUARD #3 off his feet before he gets all the way

out the door. Rackin gives it a beat to see if the Guard

has any friends, but no one comes. He goes to help...

Breen covers Horman as he rolls from behind cover and fires

thew shotgun up at the two Mexicans.

MEXICAN #2 comes rolling down the stairs, dead.

MEXICAN #1

They got Manny!

Breen runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time, M249

SAW machinegun ready.

Mexican #1 swings out and fires a burst, sending Breen back

a couple of steps.

When Mexican #1 starts coming down the stairs, Breen sends a

burst of gunfire to chase him up.

For a moment, it's like an Errol Flynn/Basil Rathbone stair

sword fight... but with machineguns. Breen forcing the

Mexican up a few steps, then the Mexican forcing him back.

Then Breen fakes right, moves left, and blasts Mexican #1

right off his feet. When Breen gets to the top of the stairs,

he gestures for Rackin and Horman that it's clear.

(CONTINUED)

5.

AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

A hallway and two doors. Rackin gestures for Horman to cover

while Breen uses the fiber optic strand.

Breen pushes the strand under the first door.

FIBER OPTIC SHOT

The distorted view of the room... Empty.

AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

Breen pulls out the strand and shakes his head.

They creep to the next doorway, Breen sticks the strand in.

FIBER OPTIC SHOT

A distorted view of a drug lab.

RAY VARGAS, the sleazy American drug lawyer, has a briefcase

full of money. Three DRUG DEALERS are opposite a table

stacked with bags of black tar heroin. A WOMAN hides in the

back of the room. GUARD #4 stands near the door, gun ready

to fire at the first one through.

AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

Breen pulls out the strand and relays the information.

Rackin nods, and gestures instructions. Horman will lay on

the floor with the shotgun aimed up. Breen will take one

side of the door and Rackin the other. Nods.

INT. DRUG ROOM -- DAY

Vargas looks around nervously. Guard #4 keeps his gun ready.

THE DOOR SPLINTERS OPEN and Guard #4 fires... but there's no

one standing in the doorway. A moment of confusion.

By the time Guard #4 looks down, it's too late. Horman BLASTS

him right off his feet.

Rackin and Breen swing into the room, guns ready.

RACKIN

Hands! Everybody! Hands!

(CONTINUED)

6.

BREEN

Get 'em up!

Everyone raises their hands. DRUG DEALER #3 keeps his hands

chest level... under his lapel is a gun in a shoulder rig.

Rackin yells down to Delmar.

RACKIN

Clear.

DELMAR (O.S.)

Copy that.

Rackin gestures for the Woman to come out from her hiding

place, then looks over the bags of heroin.

VARGAS

Look, there's been a mistake...

RACKIN

There has?

VARGAS

Yes. I'm an American citizen. I

know you're just doing your job, but

I don't belong here.

RACKIN

Buying heroin?

VARGAS

See, I asked at a bar where I could

find some whores, and they must have

misunderstood me...

RACKIN

Why don't you put your hands against

the wall. You know the position.

BREEN

Hands against the wall!

Everyone assumes the position. Vargas still pleads with

Rackin. Trying not to get busted.

VARGAS

We're on the same side. I'm a lawyer.

I have ID.... in my wallet.

RACKIN

Check his wallet.

That's when Drug Dealer #3 goes for his gun!

(CONTINUED)

7.

But finds an empty holster. Rackin laughs, holds up the

missing gun as if it's part of a magic trick.

RACKIN

Looking for this? Don't you know I'm

magic?

Rackin does a few impressive gun tricks, then turns his hand

and the gun is GONE... disappeared. Great close up magic.

RACKIN

I'm the magic man.

Horman pulls Vargas' wallet, opens it. Money, credit cards,

and a California Drivers License.

HORMAN

He's American. Ray Vargas. From San

Diego. Visa, American Express...

VARGAS

See? This is a mistake. You D.E.A.

guys are doing a great job with the

war on drugs, but...

BREEN

We're not with the D.E.A.

VARGAS

F.B.I.? D.E.A.? We're all Americans.

You can let me go...

Rackin smiles at Vargas, then nods to Breen.

Breen opens fire, St. Valentine's Day Massacre style. All

four men and the woman are shot to pieces.

Horman pulls the money from Vargas' wallet, pockets it.

RACKIN

(laughs)

He thought we were with the FBI.

The others laugh as they gather up the briefcase full of

money and the bags of black tar heroin, and vacate the room.

INT. TIAJUNA BUILDING -- DAY

At the bottom of the stairs, Rackin nods at Delmar.

DELMAR

What'd we get?

(CONTINUED)

8.

RACKIN

Few hundred thousand and a lot of

heroin. Not that Mexican brown shit,

either... Black tar. Mucho salable.

The four men leave the building.

EXT. TIAJUNA BUILDING -- DAY

The Ten Year Old Boy hides in a doorway as the four men walk

past. While watching them, he notices a tattoo on Delmar's

arm. The U.S. Marine Corps Symbol.

EXT. CAMP RICHARDS, SAN DIEGO -- DAY

The U.S. Marine Corps symbol on the gate of Camp Richards.

A beautiful spring day. Marine Corps Band marching music in

the background.

A title is supered with the camp name and location.

EXT. PARADE GROUNDS -- DAY

A line of MARINES marches past GENERAL ANTHONY NEWHOUSE.

Newhouse is a rugged, war hardened, leader. More John Wayne

than Jack Webb, he weighs exactly what he weighed when he

joined the Marines twenty five years ago.

Next to General Newhouse is his aide, Lt. PETER VEILLERS.

Veillers has spent too much time behind a desk filling out

paper work. He looks too soft for combat.

Each Marine salutes Newhouse as he passes.

Gunnery Sergeant Martin L. RACKIN salutes as he passes,

followed by Sgt. Breen, Corporal Horman, and Sgt. Delmar.

When Delmar salutes, we see the tattoo on his arm again.

The cold blooded killers who knocked off Vargas and the Drug

Dealers are United States Marines!

EXT. SAUDI ARABIA -- NIGHT

War. A Marine Recon Team trapped behind enemy lines, as

bullets spray around them. Explosions illuminate the carnage.

Twisted metal. Four dead Marines.

Gunnery Sergeant RONALD L. MURPHY yells into a radio.

(CONTINUED)

9.

MURPHY

Base. This is Force Recon Five. We

are under heavy fire, I repeat, heavy

fire. Request immediate extraction.

Another explosion shows Sgt. TED NEWHOUSE, early 20s and

scared to death. His name printed on his camouflage. A

bloody rag has stopped the bleeding from the bullet wound in

his leg. Gripping Murphy's free hand.

TED