jesus, god. . . fade in on: an army helicopter as it soars over the thick louisiana bayou. lush and green only a day ago, the foliage below has been ripped to shreds. the kind of damage that can only be done by nature. superimpose:, february 2 - 0630 hours - 32 kilometers north of fort mckinley, louisiana
that's enough, lieutenant. someone's p.o.v. - running through the underbrush - ducking branches, pushing through bushes, splashing through streams. labored breathing wheezes over the sound track. we're headed for a clearing.
who's shooting at them-
that was one of their own, he just shot one of their own men-
get us on the ground!
he asked to see a policeman, we're getting him a policeman .
he's former army and the best i've ever seen in a room. besides, he knows the territory, we did basic together here. you've had three hours with dunbar and haven't gotten a peep, we need to take a different tack.
then it's unofficial. he takes a hit from an asthma inhaler, as a '71 pontiac gto drives through the gate and pulls up. hardy emerges.
been better. i read about what's been happening with you.  i should have called-
would i have called you if it wasn't? if there was any other way-
this is warrant officer julia osborne, the closest thing we have to an in- house investigator.
the official term for it is "clusterfuck" . by the time beth hit us, i'd canceled all off base exercises save one - a six man cadet team and their drill out in the bush. we're missing three and the sergeant. the cadets are in their eighth week of the cycle, nobody here knows much about them, up to and including their names. but the sergeant.
a few years ago, the army picked our good buddy as their go to non-com to trot out to the press to talk about the kinder, gentler military. he even did the standard video greeting played to all incoming basic cadets across the country.
the exercise was one of his section eight "private sessions". left around 2100 yesterday and were scheduled for pick up at 0630 this morning.
no, the problem is one's dead, one's got a bullet in his arm, and one won't talk. the one who won't talk was trading live fire with the dead one as we reached the pick-up.
cadet roberto r. nunez. killed right in front of me.
i called the jag corps, the two cadets we retrieved are to be flown to d.c. on a transport leaving here at 1700-
the guy in interrogation said he'd only talk to a cop.
tom, bottom line: i let those kids go out there. if jag shows up and i don't have any answers for them, my career is finished-
thank you. osborne will brief you on the cadets. and tom? it really is good to see you.
you think he did it?
you've got four hours and forty-five minutes to find out.
he can wait. kendall's out of surgery.
who killed pike?
what do you think?
west's body isn't in the creek bed. they stop arguing, turning to look at him.
we've already been over the terrain twice. nothing.
habeas corpus - you have to have a body to have a crime.
without the body we have no physical proof. we need a confession.
nevertheless-
not for me. a beat. almost accusingly:
jag gets here in three hours. try for the confession.
tom, where are you going-
what about the confession?
what the hell are you talking about-
fucking asthma.  this whole thing's driving it nuts. a beat.
was dead right. you think dunbar's on the level?
does osborne agree?
you want kendall, don't you?
you both know if you do this, if you go after a senator's son and you're wrong.  it's not just me in the hot seat anymore.
i'm giving you a chance to walk away.
you don't get to be a colonel without compromising. without getting out of the way of the bigger dogs. you politic, play it safe, think of the career first. and when things get dirty, you just look the other way.  he looks back up at hardy. his eyes, steeled.
four of my men are dead. you think kendall had something to do with it, then you go get the son of a bitch.
it's over. time of death was 4:42.
jag's been notified and i called the senator myself. my report will reflect that his medical condition made this unavoidable.  you two had no culpability in the matter.
maybe. but it's my fault and i'll carry it. he sighs and takes a seat next to them.
we found the cabin. demolished, like they said. no bodies. hurricane like that coulda scooped 'em up, dropped them down two counties over. we'll find them. hardy says nothing.
you think you could explain all this to me?
gets on his plane in ten minutes, which means you two are done. you'll understand if i don't walk you out. hardy gets up to go and then stops. realizing something.
the senator.  he points to kendall's hospital room.
don't be. i'm not cut out to deal with the west's of the world.
i thought you said that wasn't a compliment. hardy smiles.
what in god's name is going on? hardy releases dunbar, who slides to the floor, gasping.
hang on.
no. i want to hear this.
you're lying, son.
tom- hardy holds up a hand, cutting him off. styles nods, understanding, and leaves, closing the door behind him. hardy and osborne stand there. not speaking. it's done.
tom, is that you? hardy steps forward, into the office.
what are you talking about?
you're drunk-
look- he begins to move from behind his desk.
or what? you've gone round the bend-
that's preposterous-
wanted to see if he was okay-
i'm not even going to dignify that-
you want to get into a finger pointing contest about character? the army kicked you out for drugs, the cops fired you for taking bribes from a mobster, and you think you can stand there and lecture me on codes of conduct? there's only one criminal standing in this room and it's you.
you're crazy-
for the last time, i have no idea what you're talking about-
you think you could explain all this to me? kendall walks over to hardy and hands him a pistol.
the one who won't talk was trading live fire with the dead one as we reached the pick-up.
the army kicked you out for drugs.
there's only one criminal standing in this room and it's you.
habeas corpus - you have to have a body to have a crime.