The War Journals: Resistance (Screenplay)

The War Journals: Resistance

  by

  Cory McCoy

  3605194506

  corylmccoy at gmail

  Copyright 2013 Cory McCoy

  The War Journals: Resistance

  by Cory McCoy

  V.O. CONNOR

  And In the Beginning There was Death...

  (pause)

  We aren't always given a choice where our path in life takes us, we just have to hope for the best and pray that God equipped us to handle the worst.

  My involvement in this conflict began in the shadows of the cascade mountains. 

  It seems like a century has passed since the war began, still no one fully believes life will one day be better. The hardships have become a way of life. Constantly on the run, always hiding. What happened to that paradise we had hoped our children would grow up in? May 23rd, was the day God abandoned America.

  I believe it was Santayana who said, "Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes|. And so the historians urge us to tell our stories. These professors think that by chronicling our accounts of the war, that we will somehow instill hope in the generations to come.

  I have witnessed more deaths than any man can comprehend, taken enough lives to ensure my place in hell. I am responsible for more dead from both sides than any man would dare to claim. In their naivety, these historians believe that my accounts of the conflict may have the power to shape the outcome of this war in our favor.

  My name is Connor Jeffries. This is my account of the darkest days our world has ever known. This is the story of our Resistance.

  Interior, large department store. A man and a woman are buying alcohol for a party. The man, Connor, is loading the shopping cart with beer.

  Liz

  But I only have one blender, and you have 10 cases of beer! I need at least three more to keep up

  Connor

  Well they're only, what, ten dollars here? They've got everything, I bet you could even buy a kid.

  Liz

  Oh in that case, I'll just have the kid make the drinks. What aisle are indentured servants on?

  Connor

  Hell if I know, they don't even have aisle numbers here, let's check over by the...

  We hear a burst of gunfire In the distance CONNOR stops mid-sentence. He has a beer bottle in his hand.

  Connor

  Someone's shooting, we need to find some cover.

  As CONNOR turns to look for cover, we see a small man in combat gear armed to the teeth coming at the pair. Shots are ringing out everywhere, the store has turned into a battlefield. As the soldier trains his assault rifle on CONNOR and LIZ, CONNOR flings the beer bottle hard at his head. As the shooter staggers back, CONNOR boots him in the ribs knocking him off his feet. There is a sickening crunch, the sound of a few broken ribs. As the shooter writhes, clutching his chest, CONNOR yanks off his helmet, viciously slamming his head into the concrete. We can tell that the shooter is now dead.

  A second soldier has heard the frantic screaming and comes running, yelling something in Chinese. CONNOR takes the dead man's rifle as he gets up from the floor. As the second gunman rounds the corner, CONNOR takes him out with one shot.

  CONNOR now attempts to survey the situation. People are trying to run and being shot down everywhere we look. They are being massacred by a team of highly trained professionals, dressred like a SWAT team or tactical unit.

  CONNOR spots an office by the automotive section, about 60-70 yards away. They will have to run through the open clothing area to get to it.

  Connor

  I need you to listen, I'm going to get you somewhere safe. You have to trust me and do exactly what I tell you.

  LIZ looks terrified, she has no idea what is happening. CONNOR strips the dead man's body armor and puts it on LIZ. The other gunman was too far away to get to, so CONNOR has no kevlar. He takes the first shooter's weapons. Two 9mm pistols, a knife, and a strip of grenades.

  CONNOR aims at the shooter's head and realizes he has already killed him. There is a large pool of blood on the floor. CONNOR then takes the man's radio and hands LIZ one of the pistols.

  Connor

  Take it. If someone comes at you, you shoot them in the head. Don't hesitate. Just pull the trigger, ok?

  LIZ

  Connor, I'm scared. What the hell is happening?

  CONNOR

  I don't know, but they're not going to let anyone live to find out. I need you to keep your head down, don't stop moving no matter what. Even if they shoot me, you keep going. We're headed to that office, It'll be safer there. Don't look up just run as fast as you can, ok?

  CONNOR shoulders the rifle and grabbed a belt of grenades.

  The sixty yards feel like they're crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Time seems to be moving more slowly as bullets and explosions go off around them.

  As we start to move across the store it becomes apparent that the gunmen are there for something specific, not just to kill people. We see that the lights are still on and the power has not been cut.

  About half way to their destination CONNOR and LIZ begin drawing fire from their right. At least three men have spotted them.

  CONNOR

  Keep moving!

  CONNOR pulls his rifle up to retaliate, hitting one and leaving the others sprawling for cover. CONNOR and LIZ are about 10 yards from the office when a gunman turns the corner, cutting them off. CONNOR is running too fast to stop in time or get his rifle up.

  It looks like CONNOR is done for, suddenly a huge man (JIM) rounds the same corner and sends the shooter sprawling with a vicious blow to the head from a baseball bat. CONNOR has dropped into a half slide and slams into the counter. LIZ pulls CONNOR to his feet and walks into the office, thinking CONNOR is following.

  Connor

  I've got to try and stop this, everyone here is going to die if we don't try something.

  LIZ

  Connor, you can't just-

  CONNOR slams the door shut before LIZ can dissaude him. There is a moment's reprieve in the chaos. CONNOR sizes up the man who just saved his life. The man is huge, he towers above CONNOR. He is well dressed, ethnicity is not as important as his size.

  Connor

  What's your name?

  CONNOR takes the rifle from the dead gunman and hands it to the large man.

  Jim

  Jim. Listen man, my boy is out there somewhere. He ran off to look at toys before the shooting started. You've got to help me find him.

  Connor

  Got any combat experience Jim?

  CONNOR is stripping the dead gunman of anything useful, he hands JIM a few clips. CONNOR straps on the kevlar.

  Jim

  No, none. I know my way around a gun though.

  Connor

  Good, because these guys want us all dead and you and I are the only ones standing in their way. Something big is going down here, it's like they're trying to secure this place.

  As connor looks out the door, we follow his gaze before transitioning to seeing an overhead view of the store and its parking lot. There are dozens of soldiers, their parachutes left on cars where they landed. Patrols are shooting anyone who tries to get in or out.

  Connor

  My phone can't get a signal, what about you?

  Jim

  No, it stopped working right after we got here. I tried to call my son, but it wouldn't go through.

  Connor

  I've got a plan, well more like the seed of a plan. These guys are speaking some kind of oriental dialect, so we have no way of telling what they are saying or if they've located our positions.
They can communicate, but we can't. We need to block their radio like they're doing to our phones.

  Jim

  How the hell are we going to do that?

  Connor

  See that counter over by the stereos? We're going to lock down the talk button and open up the store's intercom. While I set that up, you're going to turn up those radios as loud as you can on one of the rock stations.

  JIM gives CONNOR an incredulous look.

  Connor

  What? I never said it was a good plan.

  Jim

  Those little bastards won't know what the hell is happening. Let's do this, boss man.

  The counter is about 15 yards away, but there are open aisles on the way to it. CONNOR and JIM have no way of telling if someone is waiting down one of them.

  Connor

  Run like hell Jim. Don't stop for anything.

  As they make a break for the counter, shots ring out a few aisles down, but the pair keep moving. Both men dive over the counter to cover themselves in case one of the gunmen had followed.

  TOM

  Wh-what in the hell is happening?

  A little old man is already hiding behind the counter. He is wearing one of those obnoxious vests with the big thumbs up on the back, indicating he works at the store. His name tag reads TOM.

  Connor

  Looks to me like a couple dozen little bastards are trying to kill everyone here. You're gonna have to help me out Tom. I need you to turn on that PA for me, we're going to fuck with their heads so we can try to secure the store and save as many people as possible. Oh, and I need a map of the store, do you have one?

  TOM nods, he seems terrified by the prospect of drawing the enemies out. TOM frantically searchs through binders under the counter for a marketing schematic, meanwhile CONNOR is securing the phone for the PA using a zip tie he finds under the counter to attach it to the radios.

  JIM has set the radios, we hear them blaring in the background. CONNOR takes a quick glance at the map before signalling TOM to turn on the PA.

  Radios are blaring over the PA as CONNOR and JIM set off. They are under heavy fire for much of the the way until the gunmen seemed to break off, chasing someone. Seconds later an explosion knocks an entire aisle over just yards away from them.

  We hear someone yelling over the music.

  Jesse

  Come on mother fuckers, I've got more where that came from

  We spot JESSE running toward CONNOR and JIM. He is about sixteen, of medium height and mexican/japanese heritage. He is bouncing off of shelves, hopping from one side of the aisle to another like some kind of rabbit on crack.

  JESSE's action scenes involve a significant amount of parkour.

  Jesse

  Hey you guys! HEY, you guys must be the ones taking those fuckers out!

  CONNOR grabs JESSE and yanks him into the relative safety of the aisle they're in. Another is leaning over onto it, forming a tent of sorts. CONNOR is visibly angry.

  Connor

  Are you insane? They're going to swarm us because of that shit, use the gun for Christ's sake.

  I don't know how man, my only gun training is on call of duty.

  JESSE looks pretty sheepish for a man covered in grenades.

  Connor

  Come on kid, we need all the help we can get. How many do you think you took out just now?

  Jesse

  I don't know, the bitches were all over me after I grabbed the grenades off one of the dudes when he wasn't looking. I was hiding in a clothes rack and I jumped out and grabbed 'em. I was like "YOINK!" I hauled ass after that.

  Connor

  Did you see anything while you were hiding kid? I need an idea of what we're up against.

  Jesse

  Quit calling me kid, my name is Jesse! I could see the front of the store, there were 6 or 7 by the doors and checkouts. Bodies were everywhere. They killed my mom when we were in line.

  JESSE begins sobbing, he is fighting to hold back tears. CONNOR's expression softens.

  Connor

  You're right, you've killed a man, you aren't a kid anymore.

  CONNOR surveys the situation as well as he can from their hiding spot.

  Connor

  Your mom would be damn proud of you right now. You're a hero Jesse. Listen we need to move, we're headed toward the kid's section. Jim here, his son was supposed to be over there, we need to find him.

  The trio begin start to move again. They are heading toward the toy area, which is adjacent to the Outdoor Living. There are guards posted at the exits nearby in case anyone tries to leave through the side doors. The trio stop where the aisles open onto the main alley way. The alley is 10-15 feet across, it is a veritable shooting range.

  As CONNOR peers around the corner, a gunman sees him and fires. CONNOR jumps back, almost knocking JIM over. CONNOR turns to tell them to get ready, but JESSE is gone.

  Connor

  Looks like it's just you and me again Jim, we need to make a break for it. I'll open up on our left you take the right. We only need to cover 10 feet or so and we're across.

  Before they can move, we hear a series of explosions toward the outdoor living area. We see JESSE sprinting away down a side aisle, lobbing grenades behind him.

  CONNOR and JIM take advantage of the momentary distraction and make a mad dash for the other side. The gunman who had fired is running toward the explosions. He spots CONNOR and tries to start firing, but CONNOR tackles him. CONNOR and the gunman slam into the far side of the aisle. The impact winds CONNOR. As they fall to the floor, Jim clocks gunman with the butt of his rifle and then takes aim as he sprawls out on the floor.

  Connor

  Don't shoot him!

  (Connor is struggling for breath.)

  Jim

  The fuck do you mean don't shoot him? He'll kill us if we don't kill him first.

  CONNOR

  I know, I know. Hear me out. China has more English speakers than there are Americans. There's a damn good chance this fucker can understand us, if they really are Chinese.

  CONNOR rips the ski mask off gunman's face. The gunman is clearly Chinese.

  CONNOR

  English motherfucker, do you speak it?

  CONNOR turns to JIM

  Connor

  I've always wanted to say that.

  We hear explosions in the background. The sprinkler systems start to go off. CONNOR is struggling with the gunman, trying to get him to talk. The gunman spits in CONNOR's face. CONNOR drags the gunman a few feet back, into a corner.

  Connor

  Do you understand this, asshole?

  CONNOR grabs his sidearm and fires a round into his thigh. The gunman screams and cluttches the wound.

  GUNMAN

  YES! yes! Please don't shoot me again. I tell anything, anything. I promise

  Connor

  How many are with you and what the hell are you planning?

  We hear the GUNMAN in the background as we see glimpses of the forces he is describing to CONNOR. They were Chinese, but they had no idea where they were. Their orders were simple, they would be dropping from a commercial flight passing overhead and taking over the store once they landed in the parking lot. Meanwhile, others who had already been stationed in the U.S. waiting for the attack, had knocked over large trucks in front of the only exits. They had jeeps ready inside a semi as well as a mobile command center disguised as a delivery truck out back.

  To avoid detection the Chinese had booked multiple flights, through Air Beijing, headed for major airports with their own soldiers. The PLA flew additional planes only a few hundred feet below the others to avoid radar. There was no indication our government even suspected an attack. CONNOR et al., had killed about a dozen already, which left another twelve to fourteen by various entrances. The soldiers broke position when JESSE had started throwing grenades. They were under strict orders to do as little damage to the store as possible. With it's
proximity to the highway and airport, this was to become their base of operations in the area.

  GUNMAN

  We destroyed all of your army bas-

  Another soldier shoots the gunman before he can finish. Jim had been busy with two trying to lock them down and hadn't seen the soldier coming from the other side. CONNOR falls sideways and opens fire on him. He takes the soldier down, but is shot in the left shoulder.

  As CONNOR is shooting, background noise should be reduced almost to a silence to let the audience know that the soldiers have taken out the PA system and turned off the sprinklers.

  CONNOR

  Come on, it's now or never.

  CONNOR and JIM begin firing on the two who had distracted JIM previously.

  JIM

  These guys must be regular grunts, they aren't exactly expert marksmen.

  CONNOR

  If these are the grunts than where the hell did they send the special forces?

  As CONNOR and JIM round a corner toward the bicycles aisle, we notice a pool of blood on the floor near some large boxes. JIM frantically knocks the boxes out of the way, hoping it wasn't his son.

  JIM

  No, no, no, no, not him! It can't be...

  Jim weeps as he holds his dead son in his arms.

  CONNOR

  I'm sorry Jim, I am so sorry.

  (CONNOR looks stunned)

  We're gonna get these bastards back. I'll kill every god damn one of them.

  Without a word Jim stands up and begins running toward the outdoor area's doors. He had snapped. The man was built like an ox and was drawing heavy fire. He seems to have been hit multiple times, but he does not stop. CONNOR follows JIM across the wet floor as well as he can. CONNOR is taking out the soldiers before they can kill him or JIM.