MANHUNT

This screenplay is based on the Rockstar video game Manhunt. With my own backstory and characters I transformed the game into a cinematic story.

NIGHTMARES

Out Doors, Sunrise, Overhead Establishing

Five Green Barret's cut through the streets of a middle eastern town. Being careful not to break the calm of this quiet morning they travel in relative silence.   A small desolate town, slightly run down with the exception a long strip of short stacked houses lead to a mosque and their target.  As the team advances, an unnatural silence fills the air. Eryly resembling the calm before a storm.  CASH, 35,  white male, leads as captain and is a highly trained and experienced veteran. As he leads, he receives INTEL  through a two way radio from a dispatcher located on a stationed army base in Afghanistan. The team approaches the corner of an abandoned building. Around the corner is the Mosque, adjacent to the Barret's position. Cash signals for the team to stop  by putting a fist into the air. tThe team stops, knells and forms a circle like perimeter.  Cash looks back and clicks twice on his walkie talkie, informing the dispatcher that he and his team are in position and awaiting further orders.  The dispatcher (ZULU) speaks.

Zulu: 40 yards, north west, you have line of sight. copy?

Cash: North west, 40 yards. Copy. Out.

Cash pokes his head around the S.W. corner and spots four men standing in front of the Mosque, smoking cigarettes and casually talking. He then looks back at his team, puts up four fingers and signals toward the N.W. The team moves out. The Barret's stay hidden as they cut through a parallel street. They cut through an abandoned building. Cash uses hand signals letting each of the squad members know exactly where to position themselves. Cash speaks into the two way. 

Cash: Zulu, Target acquired. We are 10 yards S.W. from the target. Waiting for the green light? Over? (speaks into his two way)

Zulu: Copy. Sagdief and at least 20 of his troops are inside.

Cash: Copy. 20 plus 1. Any civilians?

Zulu: Negative. Sagdief and his troops alone. You are to laser tag the building. F-35's will take out the target, send confirmation and pull out. Over?

Cash: Copy that. (To the dispatcher)

Cash: On you! He points at his second in command.  COZ, 35, Italian, white male.

Uncertainty grips Cash, as he and the team wait for the go ahead.

Cash: (to dispatcher) Zulu, are we certain there are not civilians in there?

Zulu: Bravo Delta  You will laser tag the building and send confirmation! Over.

Cash: (pauses and looks around, trying to spot any innocent bi-standers that the incoming airstrke would will certainly cause.

Cash looks up and down the street. He spots a group of 3 middle eastern men holding automatic weapons. The men have not yet spotted Cash and his team. 

Cash: Copy that. Out.

COZ (short for Cozine), 32, Italian white male, is second in command and Cash's good friend,a approaches from the rear.

Coz: Hey! What are we doing?

Cash looks angry and uncertain.

Cash: I don't know Coz. Somethings wrong here.  (looks up and down the road) it doesn't feel right. I've got this..

Coz: (interupts Cash like only a close friend could) Look, Intel says he's in there. Then he's in there. We're soldiers. Let command deal with the orders.

Cash: But what if?

Coz: What if nothing. Lets get this over and get out of here?

The group of middle eastern men change direction. Coz notices and becomes nervous, fearing the teams presence will be detected.

Coz: (irritatingly)  We can't just sit here with our dicks out.  We gotta move.

Cash: (pause) And you don't care if there's innocent civilians in this church!

Coz: I do but, us standing here isn't gonna help anybody. If intel says heres int there then you know what, I've gotta believe that.

Cash scans the streets one more time, looking up and down the road and sees nothing but the (describe the turain eg. colors of road and butlidings, sunset)he sees Nothing and makes a choice.


Cash: Alright. Clip, On me!

CLIP, 25, black male, approaches and kneels next to Cash.

Clip: Sir.

Cash: You and I will position ourselves in that building there! (He points to an abandoned building opposite the mosque) Coz, you, Saint and Ox will maintain the perimeter. If you see us get made, you will engage! Provide cover fire until the building is tagged! Understood!

Ox: Yes sir!

Coz: Got it!

Cash: Alright then. (pause)  Move out!  

OX, 35 Irish White, male is naturally big. With working out 5 days a weak, his strength is borderline scary. He looks as if he could break you in half but wouldn't harm a fly. A gentle giant. Saint, 35, Latin Male, his skill is camouflaged by his good looks. He is very religious and always wears a pair of Rosary beads. Constantly kissing them and  holding them in his hand.  The three men fall back and take their positions. Cash and Clip wait for the right time then run across the street undetected.  They enter the abandoned building. Rat infested, dark and dingy the building has three floors.  As they head up the stairs, Cut to

Coz, Ox and Saint. The three are poised and ready to go.

Coz: In position.

Cut to Cash and Clip. They reach the third and final floor.

Cash: Zulu, position set. Target in sight. Tagging now.

Cash pushes a button on the bottom of his assault riffle. A green laser shoots out and hits the front of the Mosque.

Zulu: Bravo Delta, you must keep the target in sight for 30 seconds before the f-35's can recognize the signature. Over.

Cash: Thirty Seconds copy. out.

Cozine positioned adjacent to the Mosque reads the time off of his Digital Compass/Wrist Watch. Time: 9:59am. The watch tics over to 10:00am. A church bell rings as Cozine and the team have eyes on the building.  10 seconds have gone by since Cash has his laser on the target. The doors to the mosque open and from the darkness emerges a red ball. It bounces from inside of the Mosque and into the street.

Cash: (to himself) No. C'mon please no.

Following the ball is a three year old boy. He retrieves the ball and brings it back to his mother who now exits the Mosque. She is accompanied by a handsome family of 5. Her husband, and two little girls.

Cash: Zulu. The building is not clear! We have civilians inside.

Twenty seconds have now gone by.

Cash: I am disengaging.

Zulu: Negative. You will hold your position and wait for the air strike.

Cash: Zulu. I will not be responsi..

Zulu: Bravo Delta. You will hold your position and wait for air support. You and your team will be subject to court marshal if you disobey a direct order. Do you understand me son! Over.

Cash: This is bullshit. They said the building was clear.

From inside of the Mosque pours out a congregation of people. In the distance, the faint rumbles of the F-35's approach is heard. Cash disengages. He clicks off the green laser but its too late. The building is marked.  One of the middle eastern men in front of the Mosque notices it, he spots Cash and Clip. He signals toward his comrades and orders them to fire. A fire fight ensues.  Coz, positioned in the adjacent building opens fire on the men. He mows them down. Saint and ox watch the entrance as more of Sagdiefs troops enter the battle. At least 20 plus middle eastern gorillas dressed in civilian clothes open fire and engage the team. Ox and Saint return fire.

Cash and Clip run down the stairs and battle with the men.  If not for the two F-35 approaching the team would be vastly overwhelmed. The women and children get down, but several are hit and lay bleeding in the street. Screaming and holding their ears , searching for cover. The young boy with the ball is standing in the middle of the street crying. Terror grips his face. Cash looks over at him one second, and the next is hit by shrapnel from a grenade. The blast renders him shell shocked. He hears nothing but the ringing in his ears. He lays prone on the ground. He searches for the little boy, but all he sees is the red ball laying covered in blood.  In the distance you can see the two F-35's make a low approach as they would in setting up for an assault. They streak in from the clouds and fly in a high speeds.

Cash: Zulu, there are civilians in the building. Disengage! I repeat disengage!

Zulu: Negative. The target will be taken out. You will send confirmation. Over and out.

Cash: (screaming into his two way) Call off the air strike. There are women and children in the building! Call of the air strike.

No answer. The F-35's swoop in and fire 2 rockets each directly into the Mosque. The rockets are followed by a bombardment of 50 cal gun fire. 

Another grenade falls at cashes feet before it is able to detonate Cash picks it up and attempts to hurl it back at the enemy.  As he does in mid air as Cash throws it back the grenade detonates.  No direct shrapnel hits Cash but the force from the mid air blast renders him shell rocked again.

His sight is blurred and can hear nothing but ringing. In the distance he sees a convoy of American soldiers approaching attempting to extract the team. The three truck convoy is over run by advancing enemy contact. Coz, stands at the foot of the truck.  He attempts to clear the truck of my unnecessary weapons and ammo that would encumber him from putting Cash in the vehicle. As he does the gorilla force starts to close in.  

Coz: (yelling at ox and saint) Its ready! Help get him in the back. Its ready! Its ready!

Scene transform to Cash laying in bed with his wife Rachel at his side.

Rachel: It's ready honey. Its ready.

Speaking about the breakfast and coffee she's made and brought to bed.

Rachel: Cash honey, wake up, Its ready.

End scene.

Reviews

[Dutch]

Thank you DIYVA. My goal was to lead the reader into a battlefield, deceiving them in a way to believe it was real then waking, giving them a sense of relief. I'm working on the next couple of scenes. Thank you again DIYVA.

[AYVID N]

A scary dream, but so relieved for the protagonist to wake up in his familiar settings. I would be glad to wake up from this one, wouldn't want all those civilians dead. The narrative is well drafted and pictured and you certainly take the reader to the battlefield. Enjoyed this write!