JIM AND GARY
are watching from around a corner.
JIM
I got an idea.
EXT.
Casey notices Noriko looking suddenly depressed and downcast.
CASEY
What's the matter?
NORIKO
I miss Toshio. Robert, do you mind if I go into the temple by myself? I'd like to burn some incense and chant for my brother's spirit.
CASEY
Go right ahead. I'm dying of thirst in this damned heat. I'll going to see if I can hunt up a couple of cold bottles of that Mitsuya Cider and see how far my fifteen words of Japanese will get me.
NORIKO
I'll meet you in the temple in a little while.
CASEY
See you in a few minutes. Chant a few prayers for me, okay?
Casey strolls out of the courtyard in search of a soft-drink vendor.
FROM AROUND THE CORNER - JIM AND
Noriko climbs the steps to the
ANGLE ON JIM AND GARY
as they emerge from the shadows and hasten to join Noriko in the temple.
EXT.
Carrying a pale-green bottle of Mitsuya Cider, Casey returns to the sun-drenched courtyard and mounts the steps for the temple proper.
INT.
It's a shadowy cavern constructed of dark wood, decorated in overtones of red and gold. It's cool inside, and incense fills the air. Casey strides through it, looking for Noriko.
It's empty.
CASEY
Noriko! Noriko?
He can't find her. We can hear the faint CRIES of children playing outside.
A GOLDEN EARRING
lying next to the altar catches Casey's eye. He kneels and picks it up.
CASEY
Jesus, it's hers.
Slowly he stands up. He looks around the altar to see if there's any more evidence. STICKS of INCENSE are scattered around. Also there are the dusty footprint of GI boots—TWO of them.
CASEY
Snatched in broad daylight. What is this, the Thirties?
EXT.
Dashing down the temple steps, Casey runs into the center of the courtyard and halts, looking this way and that. No unusual activity is visible. No strange noises. Kinosaki is placid.
He runs to the PLAYGROUND FENCE. In desperation, he addresses the CHILDREN.
CASEY
Suimasen! Suimasen! [Excuse me!]
The CHILDREN look up wonderingly.
CASEY
Woman! Did you see the woman? Oh shit, what's the word for "woman"?
Frantic, he points to the
CASEY
Where did she go? Where—did—the woman—go?
The children exchange looks among themselves. They know what happened.
LITTLE BOY
GI-sans! They come! Two! Take away lady!
He holds up two fingers.
CASEY
Two? Where did they go?
He holds a flattened hand to his brow like an Indian scout to indicate that he's searching. A LITTLE GIRL points in the direction of the center of town, toward the train station.
CASEY
Arigato gozimas.
He delivers a hurried bow of thanks and charges off.
EXT.
as he runs pell-mell through the narrow side-streets, desperately seeking Noriko and her two GI kidnappers. But she's gone.
EXT. KINOSAKI TRAIN STATION - OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT - WITH CASEY
as he comes to a running halt in the marketplace plaza. He looks wildly about.
He's attracting attention. A few JAPANESE look at the gaijin-san who's in the big hurry. Except for Jim and Gary, Casey's the only Westerner we see in Kinosaki, or anywhere else in this
CASEY
(panting)
Has anybody—has anybody seen—suimasen—
We see Casey standing in the middle of the plaza, his mouth working as he tries to implore help from passersby. But it's useless. He speaks no Japanese, and TWO COPS standing off to the side at the train station are starting to study him with some interest.
He can't afford a passport check, much less a detailed police-station grilling. So he backs off, and beaten, begins to walk away from the train station.
CASEY
And I think I'm so goddamn smart.
EXT. MRS. IKEDA'S HOME - IZUSHI - A HALF HOUR LATER
After parking his car, Casey climbs out and approaches Mrs. Ikeda's home. He looks tired and defeated.
A WHITE LETTER-SIZED ENVELOPE
is taped to the front door. Written on it in pencil is simply the word, "Casey."
Tearing it off the door, he rips it open and fumbles open the piece of lined notebook paper inside.
WHAT HE SEES
Scrawled in block letters, in pencil, is the message:
DROP IT OR WE'LL CUT HER THROAT
CATCH YOU LATER
MEDIUM ON CASEY
His legs slowly give out under him, until he's sitting on the front-door stoop, staring at the sheet of paper in his hands.
CLOSE ON CASEY
It's his moment of despair. He's ready to give up. Covering his face with his hands, he bends forward, sweating in the summer swelter.
CASEY
Oh shit, what am I gonna do?
We think he may be about to break down and CRY when he hears
A VOICE
(O.S.)
Yankee-san! Yankee-san?
He looks up slowly. He's had it.
WHAT HE SEES
A young JAPANESE BOY, about 10 or 11, staring at him. He's wearing a blue Yankees baseball cap and is holding onto his bicycle.
CASEY
Scram, kid, Yankee-san here is fresh out of candy and chocolates.
BOY
Looking for your friends?
Casey is so taken aback, he speaks Japanese instead of English.
CASEY
Suimasen? I mean, excuse me, what are you talking about? What friends?
The BOY nods to the letter he's holding.
BOY
GI friends. I saw them leave letter on Ikeda-san door.
Casey stands up quickly.
CASEY
Where did they go? Did you see?
BOY
They went
CASEY
BOY
GI-sans live in old temple on
CASEY
Tengu? You mean mountain demons?
BOY
Hai. Some boys go up there, never come back.
CASEY
Where is this
BOY
In Takenohama. Not far.
CASEY
Would you take me there? It's very important.
BOY
Sure. We go tengu-hunting?
CASEY
Yeah, we're going to go tengu-hunting. But first, us tengu-hunters have got to get some supplies. Let's stop by the village grocery store and the gas station.
They strike off for the grocery store.
CASEY
What's your name?
BOY
Tetsuro. Matsumoto Tetsuro.
CASEY
Tetsuro-san, where did you learn English?
TETSURO
In
CASEY
A fellow Yankees fan. A man after my own heart.
He grins and tugs the cap a little over Tetsuro's eyes. Tetsuro smiles up at him.
INT. GROCERY STORE
Casey is paying for some items at the register: steak knives, black pepper, a Zippo lighter, dishcloths, and candy bars. An ELDERLY JAPANESE WOMAN is ringing up the merchandise.
Tetsuro
Strange stuffs. This for tengu-hunting?
CASEY
Yeah, since I can't get my hands on a gun around here. Here.
He hands Tetsuro a candy bar.
CASEY
An army can't fight tengus on an empty stomach.
EXT. GAS STATION
Casey is filling up a large RED GAS CAN while an ATTENDANT looks on. Casey nods over to some wooden cases of Coke stacked against the wall.
CASEY
I think we could use some Cokes, too. Don't you think so?
TETSURO nods quickly.
EXT.
CASEY'S CAR is negotiating the narrow, treacherous mountain road that hugs the
Ahead is the unnamed mountain next to the
INT. CAR
Tetsuro is sitting in the front with Casey. His BICYCLE is in the back seat with their recent purchases. They're swigging Cokes.
CASEY
Tetsuro-san, why do they call this
TETSURO
Because lots of wild monkeys live there. What you call—apes? Very dangerous. People live there, have to lock house at night, keep monkeys out.
Casey glances out the window and grins.
CASEY
Monkey come take your wife. After wife know monkey, wife never come back.
TETSURO
Excuse please?
CASEY
Nothing. Nerves. Just nerves.
EXT. SANIN COAST SEASHORE - NEAR TAKENO
At the base of the mountain, Casey comes to a stop along a beautiful stretch of white-sand beach. The waters of the Pacific lapping at the sands are clear and sparkling.
Casey parks off to the side, under a concealing stand of trees. There is no one around. He and Tetsuro get out of the car and remove their purchases from the back seat; they leave the bicycle in the back seat. They leave the car unlocked.
Casey lugs the GAS CAN and Tetsuro carries two six-packs of COKE BOTTLES. Casey follows Tetsuro up a pathway that leads up the mountain.
EXT. PATHWAY
They're quickly swallowed up by a rain-forest-like atmosphere. Thick vegetation closes in around them as they begin to make their ascent up the mountain.
In the trees around them, birds are calling out to one another and monkeys are chittering.
EXT. MOUNTAIN
It's late afternoon. We can see the declining light hitting the trees. Birds are flying in and out of treetops.
EXT. PATHWAY - FURTHER UP THE MOUNTAIN
They pause to rest by a cluster of rocks. Casey opens two Cokes and they drink. Casey is saving the empties.
TETSURO
You ever hunt tengus before?
CASEY
Yeah, in
EXT. PATHWAY - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
Dusk is beginning to filter down through the treetops. They stop by a creek, and Tetsuro leads Casey off the pathway, following the creek.
EXT. CREEK
They arrive at a mound of rocks, surrounded by thick vegetation. Peeking around it, they can see
THE
which has a bivouac set up outside it. CANVAS-COVERED TRUCKS and JEEPS are parked together. The abandoned temple is occupied by the twelve members of the Kramer Team, a primitive Special Forces unit.
WHAT CASEY SEES
Jim is delivering a chalk-talk to the assembled members of the team. He has a large MAP set up on an easel depicting a crossroads, and he's holding a pointer. Off to the side, Noriko is sitting in a chair, her wrists bound in front of her. Jim taps the crossroads with his pointer.
JIM
The intersection of
Jim taps the areas inside each of the four corners.
JIM
Each of these corners is provided with natural cover—rocks and vegetation. Each corner will have an emplacement.
Jim indicates each of the four corners individually.
JIM
A machine-gun nest here. A flame-thrower post here. A bazooka team here. And a hand-grenade squad here.
He turns back to his audience.
JIM
We'll hit him from all four sides at once, so there'll be no chance of escape. And in the open countryside, there'll be no one around.
Any questions?
EXT. CREEK
Casey whispers to Tetsuro.
CASEY
I want you to go back to the car, get your bicycle, and ride to Kinosaki. Tell the police that you've found the men who wrecked the train at Matsukawa, and they're going to kill MacArthur-san when he comes to Kinosaki tomorrow. Here's my ID.
He hands Tetsuro his photo ID from the Chronicle.
CASEY
Tell them Robert Casey sent you, and show them this. They'll show up. Understand?
Tetsuro nods quickly.
TETSURO
But I won't get back till dark. You be okay?
CASEY
Yeah, I'm going to be busy rehearsing Night on
Nodding, Tetsuro scurries off down the mountain.
MEDIUM ON CASEY
as he begins pouring gasoline into the empty Coke bottles. He's making Molotov cocktails.
CASEY
All right, Robert. Let's see if we can avert World War Three.
EXT. CREEK - TWO HOURS LATER
Casey is sitting, crouched in the dark, in his hiding place behind the rocks and vegetation. He's watching the temple while waiting for the authorities to arrive. Crickets are chirping all around him.
EXT.
The
INT.
NORIKO is still seated in the chair with her hands tied before her. JIM is standing not far from her, cradling a semi-automatic rifle in his arms.
EXT. CREEK
Rising to his feet, Casey picks up the gas can and the Molotov cocktails and leaves his hiding place.
MOVING SHOT - WITH CASEY
as he creeps around the back of the base camp. We follow him through the woods as he leaks a trail of gasoline from the gas can behind him, laying down a fireline behind the camp.
EXT. WOODS
Casey finds a vantage point behind the camp located on higher ground; it's a slightly elevated area, screened by trees and vegetation. Before him the base camp is spread out, but no one can see him. He begins filling up the rest of the Coke bottles with gasoline and stuffing dishcloths into them to serve as fuses.
EXT.
The TEAM continues loading boxes into the trucks.
EXT. WOODS
Casey checks his watch; it's 8:00. He gets out his Zippo lighter.
From farther down the mountain, faint sounds begin filtering through the trees.
EXT. MOUNTAIN - DOWN THE SLOPE
It's the POLICE SEARCH PARTY, accompanied by a JAPANESE CIVILIAN POSSE, come to capture wanted murderer Robert Casey and the villains of Matsukawa. There are about thirty of them, carrying lanterns and flashlights and talking among themselves. The police are carrying guns and the posse—farmers, mostly—have armed themselves with everything from rusty shotguns to pitchforks to long wooden kendo swords.
EXT.
The TEAM catches wind of the approaching posse. They hear them.
INT.
Who the hell is that?
JIM
Company. Get ready for an engagement.
JIM steps out of the temple, slipping his rifle off safety.
EXT. WOODS
Casey stands up, a Molotov cocktail in his hand. He's listening to the posse intently.
EXT.
JIM barks orders to the other men.
JIM
Men, the enemy is trying to sneak up on us. Let's enlighten them.
The men start going for their guns.
EXT. WOODS
Casey flicks his Zippo and ignites the fireline. The GASOLINE JUMPS into FLAME, creating a shimmering wall of fire roaring on the ridge behind the camp.
EXT.
The men react, wheeling around with the guns in their hands.
JIM is shocked.
JIM
Incoming!
EXT. WOODS
Casey lights the first Molotov cocktail and hurls it down on the CANVAS-COVERED TRUCKS loaded with ammo. He tosses a second Molotov cocktail down on the roof of the
EXT.
The CANVAS-COVERED TRUCKS catch fire and the ammunition EXPLODES. The MEN are thrown into a panic.
The
EXT. WOODS
Casey throw a third Molotov cocktail down on
CASEY
(yelling)
Noriko! Up here!
EXT.
Spotting the Molotov cocktail flying down on him,
EXT. WOODS
Casey runs down the hill to meet her.
EXT.
Acting swiftly, JIM puts
MOVING SHOT - WITH CASEY
as he throws his last flaming Molotov cocktail at JIM.
ANGLE ON JIM
as he dives to the earth and rolls out of the way. The Molotov cocktail hits the dirt and explodes into flame. JIM is unscathed.
NORIKO
is running toward Casey.
JIM
scrambles to his feet, bringing his rifle up to shoot her. He's only about six feet away.
CASEY
throws a handful of BLACK PEPPER into JIM's eyes, blinding him. While JIM drops his rifle and claps his hands over his eyes, screaming, CASEY THROWS HIMSELF AT JIM, a steak knife raised in one hand.
THE KNIFE
flashes down.
JIM jerks away in time, but the knife slams into the fleshy part of his right bicep. Gnashing his teeth, he bellows and smashes an elbow across Casey's face. He's still blinded, and tears are running down his face.
A NEW ANGLE
The BASE CAMP is now in total disarray. The
JIM'S P.O.V.
through tear-blurred eyes as he sees TWO TEAM MEMBERS struck by gunfire and hit the dirt.
CLOSE ON JIM
waving his arm and groping for his rifle.
JIM
Regroup! Regroup!
BULLETS chew up the dirt at his feet.
ANOTHER ANGLE
NORIKO is helping CASEY to his feet.
ANGLE ON JIM
Firing back at the enemy, JIM runs for one of the JEEPS and jumps inside.
EXT.
The search party is coming out of the woods and into the clearing. We see a few of the POLICE and FARMERS fall under the withering rain of GI gunfire.
ANGLE ON JIM
as he revs up the JEEP and speeds away. He wrenches onto a rutted track leading down the mountain and wastes no time fleeing.
ANOTHER ANGLE
After he severs her bonds with a knife, CASEY has to yell at NORIKO to make himself heard.
CASEY
Go hide in the woods! I've got to go after him!
Snatching up
EXT. PATH - MOVING SHOT - WITH CASEY
as he races pell-mell downhill, gripping the Bren gun. TREE BRANCHES slap his face.
EXT. PATH - DOWN THE HILL - MOVING SHOT - WITH JIM
as his JEEP BOUNCES down the narrow path. It's rocking and rolling. He's clenching his teeth, his eyes are burning, and blood is leaking out of his arm.
EXT.
The firefight continues. One of the TEAM MEMBERS riddles a FARMER with bullets. Then another FARMER hurls a PITCHFORK into the killer GI's back.
Alarmed by the flames and the gunfire, a PACK OF SCREAMING BABOONS comes racketing out of the woods at the top of the mountain. Shrieking, they begin dropping out of the trees and attacking. A couple land on two GI's backs and bite their necks savagely. In response the GIs begin shooting the baboons.
EXT. MOUNTAIN
JIM's JEEP emerges from the pathway at the end of the mountain and bursts out into the beach area. He swerves onto the
EXT.
Overwhelmed, the remaining TEAM MEMBERS surrender. They begin throwing down their arms and placing their hands on their heads. The
EXT. MOUNTAIN
Panting, Casey comes running out of underbrush surrounding the pathway exit. He's drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Dashing over to his car, he jumps in, starts it, and roars after Jim.
EXT.
JIM'S BLURRED P.O.V.
The road comes SWIMMING at him. It's pitch black, and the narrow, curving mountain road is treacherous and dangerous.
A NEW ANGLE
Casey is in hot pursuit. Hunched over the steering wheel, he peers into the darkness.
ANOTHER ANGLE
JIM'S JEEP is swerving and unsteady.
UP AHEAD
A POLICE ROADBLOCK has been set up.
JIM'S BLURRED P.O.V.
A POLICEMAN is waving his arms, signaling him to stop.
JIM
floors the accelerator.
EXT. POLICE ROADBLOCK
JIM smashes through it. The COPS fire on his rear windshield as it disappears.
WITH JIM'S JEEP
further on down the road as it SKIDS. It almost slides over the cliff and into the Pacific.
WITH CASEY
as he stares ahead with steely determination in pursuit of Kramer. After he shoots through the roadblock himself, he does his damnedest not to fly off the road and into oblivion. The road is very tight.
WITH JIM'S JEEP
as he almost collides with a FARMER riding an OX-CART who comes at him out of nowhere in the darkness. He swerves and almost loses control of the Jeep.
ANGLE ON JIM
Tears are running down his cheeks. He can hardly see.
JIM
Fucking road, I can't see—
WITH CASEY
as he zooms ahead. He's closing in on Jim.
ANGLE ON JIM
He spots Casey's car in the rearview mirror. The headlights are bearing down on him.
WITH CASEY
Casey begins leaning on his horn and speeding up to close the gap.
ANGLE ON JIM
He steps on the gas to evade Casey.
EXT. ROAD - FIFTY YARDS AHEAD
Invisible in the darkness, a LINE OF FALLEN ROCKS is strung across the road. They're big.
JIM'S JEEP HITS them violently and goes into an immediate tailspin. As the Jeep swings around, the REAR WHEELS jump off the roadbed, hanging over empty space, and the Jeep TIPS BACKWARD.
ANGLE ON CASEY'S CAR
Almost too late, Casey SLAMS ON THE BRAKES. As the rocks come rushing at him, he turns the wheel to the left so he collides with the mountain wall on the left as opposed to spinning off into space on the right.
CLOSE ON JIM'S JEEP
as it tumbles off the cliff and FALLS. We follow its descent until it CRASHES on the ROCKS below and EXPLODES.
ANGLE ON CASEY
Having rammed into the mountain, he's sitting slumped behind the wheel, blood tricking out of his cut scalp. He's losing consciousness.
EXT. ROCKS -
We see the surf SURGING and SEETHING around the blazing remnants of JIM'S JEEP lying scattered on the rocks.
EXT. CASEY'S CAR
As Casey passes out, we can hear the SCREAM of a POLICE SIREN approaching; RED LIGHT thrown off by revolving police CHERRY LIGHTS bathes Casey's car.
CASEY
(V.O.)
They never found Kramer's body. I was told there was no way he could have survived that crash, but you know me. I'm a skeptic.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. BATTLEFRONT -
Onscreen we read:
DECEMBER 15, 1950
We fade in on a frozen country road. The Chinese have just entered the war—in overwhelming force—and the Americans are beating a retreat. A long line of U.N. TROOPS is roaring down the road as fast as possible; TRUCKS and JEEPS are speeding ahead blindly, and TROOPS are marching almost into a run. It's a dignified rout.
MEDIUM ON CASEY
wearing a winter parka and a fur hat. It's freezing. He's walking along the side of the road along with some OTHER WAR CORRESPONDENTS and GIs when a JEEP full of GIs whizzes by.
Casey does a double-take. One of the GI passengers in the Jeep looks like a dead ringer for JIM KRAMER, but the Jeep is speeding so quickly, it's impossible to be sure.
CASEY
(V.O.)
Later, in
The retreating COLUMN continues down the road, stretching back as far as the eye can see. MOUNTAINS loom in the background; otherwise, the men are racing across a barren, forbidding plain blanketed with snow and ice.
CASEY
(V.O.)
The cops released me after they heard Noriko's story and saw all the evidence at the base camp. But justice never went any farther than that. Nobody touched Gordon or Valmont or the higher-ups behind them. Nobody lost their place in Who's Who.
Noriko and I lasted until June 1950, when war broke out in
Casey claps his gloved hands together to keep them warm as he marches in lock-step. Frosty breath is issuing from his mouth.
CASEY
(to himself)
Kramer, wherever you are, I hope you're happy. The Chinese are in the war. And we're gettin' creamed.
GI
Whudja say?
CASEY
I said, I wonder how long it'll be before we start using germ warfare to beat 'em back.
GI
Germ warfare? You kiddin'?
CASEY
Wait and see. I'm takin' bets.
ANOTHER GI
Who gives a shit about germ warfare? I just wanna go someplace warm. Where, I don't care.
Another war correspondent chimes in. He wears thick black hornrimmed glasses and a mustache.
war correspondent
How about French
CASEY
Is that a fact?
FADE OUT
THE END
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