Esperanza Current Draft 11.07.21 written by Blake Armstrong Blake@roboteatingrobot.com EXT. ESPERANZA - DAY A prospering frontier town - bank, hotel, dry goods store, and more with people milling about everywhere. Standing nearly a head taller, and a good deal broader than everyone else in the crowd, Bruce (30s and covered in scars) fumbles through a sack of goods while ignored by the crowd. Even if he didn’t stick out because of his size, his battle- scarred face sets him far apart from any of these folk. The sad slump of his shoulders and his cast down eyes paint him, the scarred giant, as meek and humble. Maybe even broken. Bruce closes the sack and shuffles down the street. JOE, a short and drunk cowboy, shoulders into Bruce. Bruce's sack drops from his hands and scatters his goods into the dusty street. JOE Watch it. BRUCE Sorry. Bruce bends down, his hulking mass sitting like a boulder in the stream of people around him as his huge hands engulf the tiny contents of his bag. He shuffles over to his horse and opens up the saddle bag. CRACK! A wagon catches itself in a hole in the road and throws its DRIVER into the dust. Bruce hurries over and helps him up. DRIVER Thank you. BRUCE Happy to help. The driver stretches and cranes his way to the stuck wheel and timber beams that have spilled out the back. The driver grabs one of the beams and struggles over it, lifting the wood only a few inches off the ground. Bruce steps over and slides the beam up into the wagon bed with ease. The driver is shocked by his strength. 2. DRIVER Thanks again. BRUCE Of course. Bruce sets to the task of loading the other timbers without so much as a heave of effort. With the wagon loaded, Bruce sets his shoulder against its frame and with a mighty shove, frees it from the hole. DRIVER Now I’m in your debt. Bruce shakes out his left hand and rubs at a NASTY SCAR that runs between the dorsal tendons on the back and a matching circle of twisted flesh in his palm. An arrow wound? BRUCE Don't worry about it. Across the street, the bank door slams open and out storms MARY CARTER (30s), Bruce’s wife. She’s chased out by a portly BANKER (50s) and two slim BODY GUARDS (20s). BANKER You are a swindler, Mrs. Carter and you will pay your debts! Bruce sheepishly turns his back to the situation. But he can’t hide his mass behind the cart. He can’t hide anywhere. Mary cuts right to Bruce and grabs him by the elbow. MARY What an asshole. She takes note of the driver standing nearby. DRIVER Ma’am. MARY Apologies for my language. Bruce, how much did you get for the wool? BRUCE Thirty and some wire. MARY Thirty? BRUCE And some mending wire. 3. MARY Bruce! We needed fifty. BRUCE It seemed fair. The driver digs into his pocket, pulls out five dollars and hands them to Bruce. DRIVER A small thanks for your troubles. The driver swings onto his wagon and ushers his horses away. BRUCE Sorry. The Banker shouts at them. BANKER Your husband can’t hide you from what you owe, Mrs. Carter. What you both owe! Striding between them, Sheriff GORDON WILLIAMSON eyes the banker’s body guards. WILLIAMSON Your men free to lend me a hand chasing down a killer? Hell of a bounty to collect on the escaped convict, Jack Naples. He's got a fancy for arson and killing children from what the Texas Rangers told me. Five thousand dollar bounty on his head. Before the body guards can respond, the banker answers for them. BANKER I'm afraid not. These men are here to escort several deposits further along the rail line with men from the banks Wells Fargo as well as Valint and Balk. Their contracts, should they wish to keep their steady employment, do not permit chasing down bounties at the whim of the Sheriff. 4. WILLIAMSON What about you, Bruce? Suppose I can finally coax you to come along with us? Some cash in it for you. BRUCE No. Sorry. WILLIAMSON Its good pay. MARY Split how many ways? WILLIAMSON More men means more assurance we all come home with some reward. More assurance we all come home period. BRUCE Thank you, but kindly no. WILLIAMSON Suit yourself. Five of us at the moment. You’re welcome to join as lucky number six if your mind changes. BANKER Might want to take the job, Mr. Carter. Wouldn’t want your wife to take up other ways to pay your debts. Mary explodes with rage. MARY How dare you! Bruce holds her back. BRUCE Let’s go. Got to mend the fence, remember. MARY He called me a whore! BANKER Oh no, not I. Wouldn’t dare. Just pondering the ways you could earn some extra money. 5. BRUCE He isn’t worth it. Let’s just go. The crowd has parted to let this heated exchange fly with no bystanders getting caught in the verbal crossfire. Between Bruce's scars and his size, he looks more the part of monster than meek sheep herder and the townsfolk want none of it. EXT. CARTER HOME - DAY A pile of guts bakes in the hot sun. Red and white tufts of wool clump on blades of grass. Bruce hunches over the mess. BRUCE They’re getting bold. The door of the wood cabin creaks open and Mary steps out with two hot cups of coffee. MARY When are you going to shoot that thing? BRUCE Would rather mend the fence. MARY I'll shoot her if I see her. How many sheep is that to coyotes just this year? BRUCE That's why I want to mend the fence. MARY If we shot every coyote that wandered through here we still wouldn’t put a dent in your munitions depot. BRUCE They might be keeping the mice out of the dry goods. That’s worth a sheep or two. MARY Six, Bruce. Six sheep. BRUCE As soon as I bury this I’ll start in on the fence. 6. MARY I meant the money, Bruce. We’re going to lose our home. Before they can continue their argument, the whinnying of a horse catches their attention. High in the saddle with garish confidence, sits NED (15), a cocksure boy who fancies himself “the Kalamazoo Kid.” He trots in and sweeps off his hat with an over-practiced flourish and gaudy manners as he greets Mary. NED What an honor to meet such a beautiful woman at an hour so early. Don't think I've seen a woman so fine in all the miles I've ridden. I’m the Kalamazoo Kid, and who do I have the pleasure of resting my weary eyes upon? Mary hates it. MARY Mary Carter. What do you need, boy? NED Been hired on as deputy for the town of Esperanza. Wondering how much farther to town. Wondering if I ought to water my horse or head on through. Sheriff needs help chasing down a killer from what I understand. Might need some fresh guns to seal the deal. Ned fingers the gleaming pistol on his hip and Bruce cuts in to the conversation. BRUCE You have a lot of experience chasing down killers? NED Might be. Looks like you’ve had more than one run-in. Sheriff didn’t take you on the posse? BRUCE Don‘t care much for getting in harm’s way. Might be you consider reversing your decision. 7. NED No, sir. I’m no coward. Maybe you reverse yours. Would you folks fetch my hoss some water? MARY Town’s a mile down the hill. Trough at the church is always full. Getting the hint, Ned tips his hat and gallops off. BRUCE Boy’s going to get himself killed. Bruce stalks off to the house. INT. CARTER HOME - DAY In the dim homestead, Bruce prowls from cupboard to cabinet, searching for his pipe. He looks at the fireplace mantle, cook fire still smoldering. BRUCE Have you seen my pipe? On the shelf, right in front of him, Mary swipes it away and presents it to him - affirming that his mind is elsewhere. MARY Six against one? I think that boy is going home with a sixth of that bounty. A thousand dollars would pay our debts. BRUCE Eight-hundred-thirty. Give or take. MARY That's almost all of what we owe. BRUCE That's his cut. MARY And it would hold the banks over. BRUCE What would you have me do? I go along with them and tell them exactly what they’re doing wrong so they don’t get them selves killed? (MORE) 8. BRUCE (CONT'D) And when they find this murderer, he just gives himself up and we all go home with some money and no dead friends? MARY This murderer is already convicted and fleeing the Rangers. Putting him behind bars and earning some real money is a good reason to fight. BRUCE When the fighting starts, all good goes out of it. Reason doesn't stand much chance, either. MARY What would you have me do, Bruce? Worry about when the bank decides to take our home or worry about when this Naples character comes to burn it? She moves in close and puts her head to his chest. Her tender touch defeats him. BRUCE I don‘t… MARY You won’t, Bruce. Whatever you do, whatever happens, you’re a good man. Even if you have to shoot him, its one less murderer in the world. You, Bruce, you are good. EXT. CARTER HOME - DAY Bruce ties off his saddle bags and flexes his left hand in pain then swings into the stirrups. Mary hurries out of the house with an extra bundle and canteen in hand. MARY Fresh bread, some hard-tack, apples, and some cheese. I don’t want you going hungry. There’s coffee in this one and water in the two you already packed. 9. BRUCE Mary, I - MARY Don‘t want you going hungry. BRUCE Thank you. Bruce peeks into the bundle - the glint of his old pistol shining between the food stuffs catches him off guard. He slides it out. MARY Just want to make sure you come home safe. Bears, or cougars, or… just come home safe. His shoulders slump even deeper, completely defeated. BRUCE Yeah. She grabs his wrist and guides him down for a kiss, but he only returns with a peck. They‘re both hurt. He can’t leave it like that and hops off the horse and embraces her, kisses her, with the passion driven by the fear that he’ll be changed when he returns. The fear that everything will be different. The fear he won't make it. MARY Come back safe and take that bounty straight to the bank! No necklaces, no jewelry. Just the house. EXT. ESPERANZA - DAY Bruce rides past the church as FATHER O'DONNELL (30s) prunes some bushes. Williamson catches sight of Bruce towering over the crowd and waves him in. WILLIAMSON Change your mind? Bruce dismounts and stands next to Williamson - even with his stoop, he’s almost a head taller than the sheriff. 10. BRUCE I can care for the horses, look after supplies. WILLIAMSON I think each man can care for his own horse. BRUCE Supplies, then. WILLIAMSON Shouldn’t be gone more than a week. What other skills have you got? A saddlebag drops off Bruce’s horse and he pulls it back up and really tightens the knot to secure it. He flexes his left hand in pain. BRUCE Navigation. WILLIAMSON The road takes us straight to the mountain path that our man Naples will have no choice but to use. Ned swaggers over and eyes Bruce down. NED Well, if it isn’t the farmer. Coming to beg for a spot on the hunt? BRUCE I was offering to join. NED Think we’re full up. Me and sheriff going to show these men how its done. BRUCE Who? WILLIAMSON We’re taking Duncan, Joe, and Abe. BRUCE Two drunks and a hotel clerk? 11. WILLIAMSON Two veterans and a man who is acquainted with staying awake at odd hours. You still haven’t sold me on what you offer. BRUCE I can track, offer guidance. WILLIAMSON Thought you were a herder, not a hunter. BRUCE I can track. Father O’Donnel can vouch. WILLIAMSON At his say so you can come along. For now, how about you and Ned round up the others. Williamson struts off toward the church and Ned peels away toward the hotel. Bruce follows Ned. INT. HOTEL - DAY Behind the welcome desk stands ABE GONZALES (40s) - dapper and articulate - writes studiously in his ledger. The door swings open and Bruce walks in, Ned hurrying behind him. ABE Bruce! So good to see you. Who is this joining you today? Ned steps in front of Bruce and tips his hat. NED I’m the Kalamazoo Kid, deputy Ned Williamson. Collect your things, Abe, it’s time to go. BRUCE You sure you can make the ride with your schedule, Abe? I know you’ve got to keep tight to it. 12. ABE As long as we can pull to the side of the trail and let me rest for half an hour every three and a half hours, I should manage. NED You’ll have to manage with whatever the trail gives you. Abe points to the clock above the entrance. ABE Trail or otherwise, it has to be every three and a half hours precisely. NED And if you’re fording a river at the time? ABE We would have to do it before or after. NED We would ride on and you’d have to catch up. Just a half hour behind us, right? ABE You’d leave me to sleep alone on the trail while we hunt a killer? NED Well - BRUCE Of course not. But is your schedule flexible at all, Abe? ABE I don’t see why we couldn’t accommodate if I’m going to be relied upon as the night watchman. Ned's ready to walk out, but Bruce shifts his weight to block his path. BRUCE We want nothing more than to accommodate, Abe. But it’s the trail and the hunt that makes the rules. Not us. (MORE) 13. BRUCE (CONT'D) I’ll get you a description of the man and you can be at your fullest here in town, watching over Esperanza while we’re out. ABE But the bounty. BRUCE We’ll make sure you get a cut for bravely volunteering. Bruce exits with Ned fuming behind. EXT. HOTEL - DAY Ned charges after Bruce. NED What the hell was that all about. Bruce ignores him. NED (CONT'D) Hey! You just let one of our hands go. Who the hell do you think you are? Ned grabs Bruce by the elbow. Bruce spins around and unfurls from his meek stature into a man who is strong, tall, and terrifying. BRUCE Did you want to stop every few hours for him to sleep? Did you want to trust that he would stay awake after wrecking his tight schedule? Or did you just want to show that you’re the harder man? Ned’s at a total loss for words. Bruce sees the fear in Ned. Bruce relaxes, crumples back in on himself, and lumbers into the street. BRUCE (CONT'D) Sorry. We'll find Duncan and Joe. Keeping his distance, Ned follows. 14. NED My uncle wouldn't have asked for Abe to come along if he didn't think he could do it. BRUCE Your uncle is desperate if he's asking you and the hotel clerk to go on a bounty hunt. NED What do you mean desperate if he's asking me to go on a bounty hunt? INT. IRON HEAD’S SALOON - DAY Smoke hazes the dim room and cuts of sunlight slash through the slatted ceiling as the ROUGH GAMBLERS drink and smoke and play cards - anything to lose their money. At a back table, DUNCAN (20s, wiry) howls with laughter as he stabs a knife into the table between his spread fingers. The blade jumps and narrowly misses his flesh. Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab. Joe, the drunk who bumped Bruce earlier, leans back in his chair, eyes closed, cigarette smoldering limp in his mouth. Ned sweeps through the front door and looks like a clean child compared to these gritty, trail worn men. Bruce shuffles in behind him. NED I'm deputy Ned Williamson, the Kalamazoo Kid, looking for the men brave enough to have volunteered to join sheriff Williamson and myself on the bounty hunt for the killer Jack Naples. Not a single man responds. Ned raises his voice but it barely cuts above the din. NED (CONT'D) Who's the cowards not showing? They still ignore Ned. 15. Bruce stands tall. His voice booms over the crowd. BRUCE Gentlemen. The bar goes quiet. Bruce steps aside for Ned to lead the situation. NED Sheriff Williamson called for volunteers to assist us on a bounty hunt. Who’s man enough to join? Every head in the bar turns to the back table with Duncan, Joe, and a couple other DRUNKS. DUNCAN What? NED If you volunteered then it’s time to hit the trail. DUNCAN I don't think so, kid. I'm making too much money here. Bruce whispers to Ned. BRUCE And Joe? NED Hear a man named Joe volunteered. Where is he? Eyes closed, Joe wobbles to his feet. NED (CONT'D) Let's get moving. BRUCE Can he ride? Ned parrots Bruce. NED Can you ride, Joe? Joe nods yes. BRUCE Shoot? 16. NED Work your iron? Joe nods again. NED (CONT'D) Then let’s get a move on. BRUCE Keep your hands down, but ask him how many fingers you’re holding up. Without lifting his hands, Ned asks- NED But first, how many fingers am I holding up? Joe - eyes still closed - holds up three fingers. BRUCE Would you want him with a loaded gun at your back? NED Sheriff wanted him along. BRUCE Sheriff asked for capable volunteers. Do you find him capable, deputy? NED Doubt he could clear leather without dropping his gun. Joe sloppily pulls his pistol. Bruce grabs Ned’s hand before he can even reach for his holster. BRUCE Easy, everyone. Easy. We’re here to find help, not look for trouble. Joe fishes his pistol into his holster and - BAM! Everyone draws their guns out. Ned yanks out his gun and it clatters to the floor. 17. Joe cracks open his eyes and looks down to see a smoking hole in the floor sending him into a fit of delighted laughter. The drunks join in the cacophony of laughter. Bruce takes Ned’s pistol off the ground then guides Ned to the door. EXT. ESPERANZA - DAY Ned fumes away from the bar, from Bruce. BRUCE Ned. Ned, wait. Ned turns on Bruce. NED You made me look a fool in there! I coulda told them off and didn’t need you holding my hand. Hell, I got half a mind to go back in there and give them what for. BRUCE Having only half a mind would lead to that. Only ever takes half a brain to draw a gun. NED What are you trying to say, coward? Didn’t see you pull no gun. Bruce isn’t wearing a gun. BRUCE You dropped your gun because you focused on the pulling, not the shooting. You don‘t draw to show your gun, you draw to shoot. You pulled with one hand. NED What sort of idiot grabs his grip with two hands. Bruce stands side by side with Ned to show him how to draw. BRUCE Not your grip. Your left is coming down over the hammer to meet your wrist. (MORE) 18. BRUCE (CONT'D) Once you’ve cleared leather, the bullet should be well on its way to your target. Focus on the shooting, not the draw. You pull your gun to kill, for nothing else. Father O’Donnell sees Bruce, poised to shoot, poised to kill. He creeps over. O’DONNELL Bruce? You alright? BRUCE Just explaining to this young man here that if he draws his gun he’s already made a mistake. NED Sheep herder is trying to show me how to shoot. O’DONNELL He was one one of the best shots I've every known. BRUCE Was. NED Says the sheep herder. BRUCE If you’re drawing then you’re in a life and death situation and that means you’ve made a number of mistakes to get you all the way there in the first place. Ned waves him off and storms into the jail. O’DONNELL Surprised to see your hand at your hip. Bruce shows his hand, empty. BRUCE I want nothing to do with it. O’DONNELL What was it you told that young man? You’ve already made a mistake by putting yourself in the situation? 19. BRUCE The bank is going to take the farm, Colin. O’DONNELL And the lord has provided you with an opportunity to save your farm? BRUCE I‘m advising on how to make the arrest. Won't be drawing a drop of blood. O’DONNELL If you kill a murderer on the run, Bruce, you’re on the right side of the law. Snuffing out an evil is the lord’s work. BRUCE Not love thy neighbor and turn the other cheek? O’DONNELL Psalms, thirty-four. The face of the lord is against evil doers. To cut off the memory of them from the Earth. You’ll be alright, Bruce. BRUCE So it’s alright for me to pull my guns again but not you? O’DONNELL I was never as good a shot as you. Guns were never the right tool for me. INT. JAIL - DAY In the sparse jail, Williamson and Ned check over their weapons and ammo laid out on the table in the middle of the room. The front door swings open and in walks Bruce. WILLIAMSON You did decide to join us. Where is everyone else? Bruce looks to Ned for an answer. 20. NED This is it, sheriff. WILLIAMSON A greenhorn and a sheep herder. Where are the others? NED Drunk or unfit. Better cut of the bounty for us though, right? WILLIAMSON No one gets the bounty if we all get shot. I wanted more eyes on the trail. More guns on our side. Ned pulls two pistols off the table and spins them with a flourish then slips them both into his hip holsters. He impresses no one. WILLIAMSON (CONT'D) What do you got, Bruce? How do you keep the peace with your flock? BRUCE Revolver and my Henry. They’re with my horse. WILLIAMSON Know how to use them? BRUCE Can’t seem to forget. WILLIAMSON Fine. Consider yourself deputized. Ned, since you have so swiftly dismantled our hunting party, have you conscripted anyone to watch town while we’re gone? Make sure there’s one open eye if we get leveled? NED Jack Naples is the one getting leveled. WILLIAMSON Anytime you hit the trail there’s a chance you’re not coming back. Who’s watching town? 21. NED Hotel clerk can't be bothered on the trail so he keeps watch from the hotel. WILLIAMSON Don't know how much he'll see from behind his desk. Who else? BRUCE How much of the bounty does the watchman get? WILLIAMSON None. Fifty bucks? He isn’t out there, we are. BRUCE Sutton’s forge is at the edge of town. He’d be first point of contact. WILLIAMSON Have him limp after Naples? BRUCE Leg crushed by his horse in a cavalry charge. WILLIAMSON Never mentioned he was a cavalryman. BRUCE Sword hangs above the entrance. His horse’s saddle is a cavalryman's. Figured that and his age puts him somewhere near the beginning of the Apache wars. WILLIAMSON Can he still shoot? EXT. SUTTON’S FORGE - DAY Williamson, Ned, and Bruce sit atop their horses outside the wood facade of the brick-backed forge. BILL SUTTON (40s) limps after the banker down the steps of the entrance. BANKER I understand your want, but I can not extend to you a loan at this time. (MORE) 22. BANKER (CONT'D) Your credit is simply too thin and I am not in the risk taking business. SUTTON My forge is running nearly twenty- four hours. It’s overworked. I’m overworked. Without a second forge... BANKER Not my concern, mister Sutton. Raise more capital and I’ll consider the loan. Until then, best of luck. The banker struts away and nods to Williamson as he passes, leaving Sutton behind. SUTTON Asshole. What can I do for you, sheriff? WILLIAMSON How’d you get your limp? SUTTON Excuse me? WILLIAMSON Can you shoot? SUTTON What’s this about? WILLIAMSON Texas Rangers need some help catching a murderer and we want you to keep an eye out while we’re on the trail. SUTTON Me? The forge - WILLIAMSON Mr. Bruce Carter here has it in mind that you can shoot. Thinks you were a cavalryman. That true? Sutton scrutinizes Bruce. SUTTON Takes one to know one. Where did you serve, Mr. Carter? 23. BRUCE Arizona. This is new information for both Ned and Williamson. SUTTON Kansas for me. My son Joshua can shoot. He will take the watch for me. Joshua! JOSHUA (16, strong), steps out of the forge building. NED Can he shoot? SUTTON Learned from me. He can shoot. What’s our wages? Can’t let my best employee off for free. WILLIAMSON Fifty bucks. SUTTON Each. WILLIAMSON Total. SUTTON Could use a little extra for a new forge. WILLIAMSON Could find a different watchman. SUTTON One who can shoot? BRUCE I‘ll give you some of my cut. Won’t be doing quite the same work as these two. NED The hell is that supposed to mean? You ain’t getting no cut if you ain’t gonna work. BRUCE Ill work my eyes and ears, let you men handle the irons. 24. SUTTON Portion of his cut on top of that fifty sounds good. Now, if you gentlemen don’t mind, I’ve got barrel bands that aren’t going to wait for someone else to finish. Sutton limps back into the forge, Joshua carefully treading behind. NED You sent away the other men who weren’t going to work and now you’re saying you won’t work either. What the hell are you after? You looking for Naples to get us killed. BRUCE Didn’t say I wasn’t going to work. WILLIAMSON You track Apache in Arizona? BRUCE Some. WILLIAMSON Any man who can track an Apache can sure as hell find a deranged white man in the woods. Might be you learn quite a bit from Mr. Carter, Ned. I want you listening to him as we go. Williamson trots off leaving Ned in disbelief. Ned spurs his horse to catch up to Williamson and complain. Bruce canters behind them. EXT. MESQUITE PATCH - DAY Thorny mesquite hems in the men along a winding path of desert scrub land. The SADDLE BAGS SLIDE off Bruce’s horse and SPILL their contents into the grass. Williamson hauls his horse short and away to keep from stepping on Bruce’s things. His pistol. NED Deputy here can't even tie a knot! Uncle Gordon, you need me to train him on how to tie his bags to his horse? (MORE) 25. NED (CONT'D) Sure am glad you brought me along. You're going to need someone who can shoot and ride and fight. Tie a knot at the very least. Bruce dismounts and grabs his things off the ground, stuffing them into his saddle bag. WILLIAMSON You alright, Bruce? Bruce hoists the bag and ties it back onto the horse. Bruce tightens the knot, flexes his hand, shakes it out. BRUCE Just cramps up sometimes. Bruce tugs on the knot again, pats his horse - NED Little hand cramp gonna stop you from pulling your iron? BRUCE Got the hand cramp exactly from pulling my iron. It's an arrow wound from the Yavapai. Long time ago. Williamson scolds Ned. WILLIAMSON You're lucky if that's all they give you, Ned. NED I'd give them more than a scar. BRUCE Smooth your feathers, Ned. Ned scoffs. WILLIAMSON He's right. You get all puffed up and the enemy is going to throw everything they got at you. Double the efforts they might have before. NED I could take it. BRUCE Might get a souvenir instead. 26. Bruce shows off the scar on his left hand. Embarrassed and frustrated, Ned turns his horse away and trots off. Williamson nudges his horse on. Bruce mounts up, flexes his hand, and follows Williamson. EXT. RED ROCKY CLIFFS - DAY They ride through a stunning display of desert cliffs and rocks of red that cut straight into the blue sky. Bands of stony color show the age of the earth. EXT. GRAZING LANDS - DAY CATTLE bellow and graze in the short grasses as Williamson leads Bruce and Ned toward the mountains on the horizon. One of Bruce’s bags drops into the grass below. He halts his horse and dismounts. Inside the bag is his pistol. BANG! A RIDER in the distance holds his pistol up in the air. WILLIAMSON Sheriff Williamson of Esperanza! That you, Helvig? The rider holsters his pistol and trots up to the men. Bruce ties his bag and flexes his pained left hand. HELVIG (60s) rides close, scornful. His German accent is thick. HELVIG Rustlers around. Maybe I shot you next time. NED Lucky we didn’t shoot you. WILLIAMSON Killer on the loose was last seen headed our way through the mountains. We aim to find him. HELVIG The trail goes around my property. You go around my property. 27. WILLIAMSON This is the fastest way. HELVIG You tell him, Bruce. Could have shot you for rustlers. BRUCE Just trying to move through quickly. We need to catch this murderer before he gets here. Before he gets to your property. Helvig waves his pistol with his old, gnarled hands. WILLIAMSON If you see him, shoot him for us, would you? Fifty bucks in it for you if you do. HELVIG Anyone on my property is shot next time. You go around. Through the trail. WILLIAMSON You got it Helvig. Thanks for your time. Under Helvig's scrutinizing gaze, the men trot through the pasture and avoid the cattle. EXT. SWIFT RIVER - DAY Tall mesas and crumbling stone tumble down the the rocky washes all hemming in the river. Slow and steady, Bruce and Williamson ride their horses into the wide, freezing river. Ned and his horse pace nervously at the river's edge. NED You sure that's the best way to go? WILLIAMSON It's the way we're going. Bruce and Williamson are nearly halfway across the river when Ned finally decides to push his horse forward. The current pushes Williamson but he holds steady and fords the waters. 28. A rock slips loose under Bruce and his horse whines, but he keeps his calm and makes it to the riverbank. Bruce and Williamson turn to watch Ned cross. Ned can't seem to keep his horse straight and panics. NED Move, god damn it! He spurs his horse but it does no good. The horse slips further down stream. Williamson and Bruce watch him silently from the shore. NED (CONT'D) Throw me a line! But the two men stay motionless. NED (CONT'D) A line, damn it! They keep watching. Ned wrestles the reigns of his horse and fights the river. Its waters splash up to his thighs and blast him with a freezing shock. His horse powers on, drifting down stream. Williamson eyes a grouping of boulders twenty yards further down stream from Ned. Ned follows the current and splashes out onto the shoreline and yanks his horse over to Williamson and Bruce. NED (CONT'D) I called for a line. Didn't you two hear me? WILLIAMSON You made it out. NED River nearly sucked me under. BRUCE You went with the current and climbed out. 29. WILLIAMSON Held enough force on the reigns and kept yourself from getting smashed into the boulders downstream. You did good. Ned chews on the compliment, still hot from the danger of fording the river and shivering from its icy spray. NED You were gonna watch me drown. BRUCE We watched you get out of the river. Uncle Gordon here wouldn't have let you drown, would you, Uncle? WILLIAMSON Don't suppose it would have been easy to explain to your mother. Bruce and Williamson ride on, leaving the river as a non- event behind them. BRUCE Come on Kalamazoo kid, maybe you can teach me how to ford the river when we cross back after you show me how to tie my bags to my horse. EXT. SNOWY MEADOW - SUNSET Breath smoking in the cold air, Williamson and Bruce ride their horses into an open meadow dotted with pristine snow and bordered by steep boulders. Ned follows behind, still angry. The mountains' snowy peaks stab at the sky from just over the heights of the pines. Bruce and Williamson dismount and tie off their horses. Williamson stretches and rubs his legs, looks at the snow. WILLIAMSON No signs of tracks from Mr. Naples? Ned continues up the path on his horse. 30. BRUCE Not with Kalamazoo walking through where I would be tracking, no. Taking the hint, Ned trots back down the trail. Bruce takes a pull from his canteen. NED What are you waiting for, then? Go scout. BRUCE He hasn't been through here yet. Ned checks in to see Williamson's response but Williamson just stretches in no particular hurry. NED Then let's get a move on. Williamson squints at the horizon. WILLIAMSON Not much for us to see in the dark. We set camp. NED Are we chasing down this Naples or what? BRUCE I know you say you're the best shot in camp, but I don't think you'll be hitting anything tonight. Ned shakes off the comment and looks back to the trail. NED We've got to have another hour of light. Let's press on. WILLIAMSON That's a good hour to set camp, dig in, and show you what to look for while you take first watch. NED We're looking for one man on the run, right? If he's moving in the dark he's got to be following the trail. Anything else is too slow. 31. BRUCE We are no use in the dark. Williamson turns grouchy. WILLIAMSON We're safer in a group and we need to rest easy tonight because the closer we get to Naples the more alert we all need to be. Shame if he came to slit our throats in the night just because one of us fell asleep during watch. We set camp. EXT. SNOWY MEADOW - NIGHT A hot campfire warms the three of them. Not a word spoken, only crackling wood and the conifers creaking in the breeze. Ned stretches out and kicks his feet up onto a log. NED Life on the dusty trail. Then a distant BOREAL OWL'S staccato hooting sparks their attention. The men listen, tense. Ned catches on that they're listening to something other than his vacuous chatter. More hooting echoes in to camp. But Bruce relaxes. WILLIAMSON Mescalero? BRUCE Jicarilla, Pueblo, or just an owl. WILLIAMSON You sure? BRUCE Yeah. Williamson exhales and relaxes. NED Just an owl? 32. WILLIAMSON He said he's sure. You take first shift. I'll be up in a few hours with a desperate need to piss. Ned grips his rifle and looks out into the foreboding dark. Bruce stretches out on his bedroll and pulls his hat down. Williamson turns away from the fire and crawls under his blanket, leaving Ned alone with the fire, his gun, and his thoughts. Ned pulls out a flask and fights to get the stopper out. He takes a drink. Bruce rolls back and sees him with flask in hand. Careful to keep an easy, no-accusations tone, Bruce asks - BRUCE What you got there? Ned offers it to Bruce. NED Kentucky bourbon. Bruce takes it, jams the stopper back in, and tucks it into his bedroll. Pissed, Ned leaps to his feet. NED (CONT'D) What the hell? Give it back. Roused from nearly falling asleep, Williamson turns over. WILLIAMSON God damn it. BRUCE You get it back when we capture Naples. NED That's my property. BRUCE And our lives. We don't need drunk, shaky hands behind your trigger. I'm not getting shot in the back by a drunk, scared kid. Not Joe, not you. 33. Ned tries to appeal to Williamson. NED Uncle Gordon, that's my property your ex-deputy just stole. WILLIAMSON He's holding onto it for safe keeping, aren't you, Bruce? We need your hands steady if we get into a scrape with Naples - or anyone else for that matter. Never know who you're going to run into out here. Williamson rolls over and Bruce does the same. Conversation over. And Ned is left frustrated and alone. EXT. SNOWY MEADOW - NIGHT - LATER Ned's asleep with his gun. A BOOT THWACKS him in the ribs. He rolls over, sputtering. Sucking wind, he looks up to see Williamson eyeing him down. NED I weren't sleeping. WILLIAMSON Could've killed you anyway. Go back to bed and be ready to move camp in the morning. NED I said I weren't sleeping. WILLIAMSON I wasn't asking. Defeated, Ned cuts back to his bedroll and climbs under the blanket. He huffs in frustration and turns his back to Williamson. Williamson shakes his head and watches the night. 34. EXT. SNOWY MEADOW - DAY Clinking belt buckles, flapping leather, and shuffling horses wake Ned. His eyes flutter open and he sees Bruce and Williamson clearing camp. Ned sits up and Bruce squats down next to him, offering a canteen and a few strips of bacon. WILLIAMSON I was going to let you go hungry. BRUCE I want you alert. Ned accepts the bacon and canteen then takes a swig. He's disappointed it's water. NED Coffee would help with being alert. BRUCE Coffee helped us clear camp. Bruce and Williamson finish up their loads while Ned breaks his fast. They look to the mountains. BRUCE (CONT'D) Rangers didn't tell you anything else? Escaped murder turned arsonist and that's it? WILLIAMSON That's it. BRUCE He armed? WILLIAMSON I'm going to play it like he is. Bruce turns over Williamson's meaning. BRUCE Rangers expecting him alive? WILLIAMSON Didn't say. BRUCE Gonna show the kid how to make an arrest? You going shackles or rope? Williamson turns it back on Bruce. 35. WILLIAMSON Need to see what the situation calls for, right? Shackles, rope, or lead. And Williamson cuts it short there. He mounts his horse. Ned scrambles off his bed roll and jams his things into his saddle bags while Bruce swings up onto his horse. Ned's frantic. NED Give me some time to get ready. WILLIAMSON Naples won't give you time. You're lucky Bruce gave you breakfast. Williamson sets out and Bruce trails him, slow. NED Bruce, wait. BRUCE Your horse is fresh and we aren't hard to see out here. NED What if I lose you? BRUCE How long are you going to take? Ned gestures to his spilled kit, personals everywhere. BRUCE (CONT'D) If you thought the hotel clerk could find us with only a half hour lead, should be no problem for you, right? Leaving Ned with his own mess, Bruce rides out of camp. EXT. MOUNTAIN TRAIL - DAY The narrow scar of muddied snow cuts up the mountainside in tight switchbacks, snaking through trees and around boulders. A natural game trail widened with human use. Bruce and Williamson ride their horses up along the path. Investigating the snow, Bruce leans low in his saddle. 36. WILLIAMSON Anything? BRUCE Elk, deer, wolves, and coyotes. Mountain residents. WILLIAMSON No boots or moccasins? BRUCE Not here. Williamson relaxes in his saddle. WILLIAMSON Told you he wouldn't have gotten this far. BRUCE Only proof is that he isn't on this part of the trail. Williamson scans the icy rock faces and cold pines. WILLIAMSON Proof enough for me. No good angles on us here. Not many angles for us, either. Maybe find us a spot where we can take a shot after we top these switchbacks. They ride in silence. Birds tweet and the sun shines down on their faces as they tread through melting snow. SSHHHUFF! A huge sheaf of snow falls off a strained pine branch and plops in the snow. Birds screech and scatter. Williamson and Bruce reign in their horses and listen. But the quiet persists. And no motion with the birds gone. Still and silent and dreadful. Williamson’s horse nickers. SHUFF! 37. Williamson draws and aims down the trail back from where they came. Knocking snow off of every branch he passes, Ned and his horse hobble up the trail nearly fifty yards back. His voice drifts toward them with muttered curses. Williamson relaxes but Bruce focuses his attention up trail, where it was drawn earlier. WILLIAMSON (CONT'D) Bout time he made it. But Bruce stays silent, focused. Williamson catches on to Bruce's concentration. Ned bursts through the bushes. NED Christ, uncle Gordon. WILLIAMSON Shut it. NED What? You two - WILLIAMSON Shhh! Bruce scans the quiet. Williamson and Ned hold their breath, waiting. Everything is still. Bruce squints into the woods and urges his horse forward. DEER BOUND OFF into the woods. Williamson and Ned relax. NED What the hell was that? BRUCE Nothing. This time. NED And we just sat there in the open? 38. BRUCE If he saw us run and hide there would be no telling how long he would be up there waiting for us to poke our heads out. If he saw us out there in the open, he would have already shot and you'd be dead. But he didn't see us, he didn't shoot, and I needed to hear if he was coming. If he heard us, he would have sat and waited. NED How do you know he doesn't hear us now? BRUCE Those deer are running toward him no matter how you cut it. We don't see those deer while we approach and that'll mean he hasn't been close enough to spook them yet. WILLIAMSON That's right. Got to get position first. NED An ambush? BRUCE You don't typically hold the shackles up before a man's face so he can politely slip them on himself. Bruce opens his saddle pack, sees the glint of his pistol, and pushes it aside for some of the hardtack Mary made him. EXT. SUBALPINE SNOW DRIFT - DAY Mounds of snow cloak the few, hardy pines at this altitude. Williamson, Ned, and Bruce push their horses through the weather in single file. The plains on the horizon below them provide a warm contrast to the cold hard landscape of the mountains. WILLIAMSON I thought I heard you came by way of California, Bruce, not Arizona. 39. BRUCE Went to the Sierra's after my service. WILLIAMSON These mountains make you miss them? BRUCE No, sir. No interest in going back, either. NED Why's that? BRUCE Last time I was in the Sierras I was with a posse and we hung three innocent men. NED How'd you know they were innocent? BRUCE We got word that a cow puncher friend of ours had been murdered and that the herd of his was missing fifty head of cattle. Town got stirred up and we set out to hang the rustlers. One man, fella named Art, suggested we bring them in and do it the slow way with a trial. Everybody else had been complaining that it was the slow way that had been giving rustlers the guts to start taking more cattle and robbing the town blind. NED What happened? BRUCE Posse forms, mad as hell, and rides into the Sierras following tips and hearsay and tracks. Found the cow puncher's gun, three men, and fifty head of cattle in this little valley. The head of their party said he bought the cattle on the pasture which is why he had no bill of sale and they found the gun on the trail. Art tried to stop it but everyone's blood was up and those men were hung. (MORE)
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