The Elite Eight

Original Screenplay Written by Jason Wiese

jasonwiese@hotmail.com

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese

FADE IN EXT. IN THE PITCH BLACK SKIES OVER AFGHANISTAN NIGHT On the horizon, TWO BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS and a CHINOOK fly stealthily through mountain ranges on their way to a secret mission in Pakistan as Metallicas Orion plays in the background. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Under dim infrared lighting, about 20 hardened and toughlooking SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIERS are applying camouflage to their faces. Within the group is team leader RON CHAMPION, a chiseled, white man in his early 40s, who is sitting front and center among his men. Next to Ron is his right hand man, CHET ARMSTRONG, a tough, built white Bostonian and next to Chet is a young African American man, SURESHOT WILLIAMS, who is the trained sniper of the group. On the other side of Ron Champion is TONY GASH, another tough, built African American member in his late 30s. Rounding out the seven elite members of the special forces unit - sitting next to Tony are ROCK JOHNSON, a big muscular, imposing Hawaiian known for his fighting and hand-to-hand combat skills; and GUNNER STEELE, the youngest member of the team who is in late 20s and a pretty boy California surfer-type. Each man remains silent as theyre mentally preparing for the mission at hand. As the men finish their preparation and sit there anxiously, the HELICOPTER PILOT turns around, raises two fingers then breaks the silence. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Two minutes. Ron Champion turns around to face his men and also holds up two fingers.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Two minutes! With that, the special forces team do their final preparations including loading their AUTOMATIC RIFLES and putting their NIGHT VISION GOGGLES on. ROCK JOHNSON We must be over Pakistan by now. GUNNER STEELE Yeah, this is some trippy shit right now Gunner looks out of a window and notices that the Pakistani landscape is slowly turning from mountain ranges and desolate areas into more sophisticated communities with houses and commercial buildings. GUNNER STEELE (contd) But I am looking forward to taking out some terrorists. ROCK JOHNSON Me too, but stay focused and keep your eye on the mission at hand. Gunner nervously puts his head back and leans against the side wall of the helicopter. GUNNER STEELE Im focusedIm focused. After a few moments, Gunner regains his nerves and looks back out the window. Tony Gash leans over and stares at Gunner while he continues surveying the scene outside. TONY GASH Youre a far way from the tasty Californian waves, arent you? GUNNER STEELE God you know it. I havent seen one good place to set down my surfboard since we left Virginia Beach eight months ago.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese EXT. PITCH BLACK SKIES OVER PAKISTAN - NIGHT The three helicopters fly quietly over residential and commercial buildings on their way to their intended target. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Using his night vision goggles, the pilot points to a three-story mansion within a walled-in complex off into the distance. The house stands out from all the other buildings in the area since its so big. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT I have a visual on the target. Coming in at 1,000 meters. RON CHAMPION You hear that men? Its almost go time! The helicopter approaches the three-story building and hovers over a patch of land within the complex. EXT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX NIGHT As the main helicopter hovers over one part of the complex, the other Blackhawk hovers over the three-story house while the Chinook stays high up in the air to provide cover. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Once the pilot positions the helicopter perfectly over a clear patch of land, he gives Ron the thumbs up, a signal for them to proceed. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Were good! RON CHAMPION (shouts) OK men, lets move out! Within a split second, all the soldiers stand up and sprint to the back of the helicopter. EXT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX NIGHT A rope falls out of the Blackhawk as the 20 soldiers quickly rappel down to the ground.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese In the background, the soldiers from the second Blackhawk, which is hovering over the main building, rappel down into the backyard. As the last man rappels down the rope, the rudder of the Blackhawk clips a tree and spins out of control until it falls and hits the ground twenty feet below. Ron Champion sees the helicopter go down on the other side of the complex and immediately radios to check its status. RON CHAMPION Delta Chopper 2, come inDelta Chopper 2, come in. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT #2 (O.S.) This is Delta Chopper 2. RON CHAMPION You OK? BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT #2 (O.S.) Affirmative sir. The last of the soldiers jettisoned before the bird went down. Myself and my co-pilot are fine. Were securing the chopper and bailing out to the safe point. RON CHAMPION Very good. Bail out and get to safety immediately. Well secure the perimeter stat. 10-4. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT #2 (O.S.) 10-4. With flames from the downed Blackhawk shooting up from behind the three-story house, Ron Champion and his team quickly run through the front yard and secure the perimeter. Their first challenge is to get through a guest house which leads to the main house. Tough as nails, Ron Champion walks right up to the front door and kicks it in.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX, GUEST HOUSE He is immediately met with AUTOMATIC WEAPON GUNFIRE from an occupant of the complex. With only one shot, Ron calmly puts a bullet in the head of the terrorist who instinctively fires off a few more shots directly into the air as he falls to the ground dead. Ron and his team of elite soldiers slowly move through the guest house securing each room. Periodically, a soldier will yell out when a room has been cleared. SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER #1 (O.S) All clear! SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER #2 (O.S.) All clear! SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER #3 (O.S.) All clear! Ron Champion continues walking through the house making sure that no one else is lurking anywhere. Him and six of his best soldiers make it to the back door of the house and survey the main three-story structure only twenty yards away. RON CHAMPION Thats our main target gentleman! As soon as Gunner takes a step outside, hes met with a hail of bullets coming from the rooftop of the main structure. Chet Armstrong quickly grabs his arm and pulls him back into the house. CHET ARMSTRONG Hold on there, cowboy! GUNNER STEELE Sorry sir, I didnt see him up there. Although all the men are safely under cover, the terrorist on the rooftop continues with a barrage of gunfire.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TONY GASH Damn, this fool wont stop! CHET ARMSTRONG How are we going to get over there? looks pretty well protected. He

Ron Champion takes a peek outside, both at the terrorists position and also at their surroundings to see if theres any area that will provide good cover and a decent place to shoot from. After surveying the scene a few times, he finally notices a tree stump in the yard about 30 yards away from them. Sureshot! RON CHAMPION Front and center!

Sureshot Williams makes his way through the men and up to Ron who grabs him and points to the tree stump. RON CHAMPION If we provide firing cover, you think you can make it to that tree stump over there and take out homeboy up there? SURESHOT WILLIAMS They dont call me Sureshot for nothing. RON CHAMPION I know, hows your running skills lately? Do you think you can make it? SURESHOT WILLIAMS I ran a 4.4 40 back at the University of Maryland. Also, were lucky that its three in the morning and Im as black as Wesley Snipes so I should blend right into the night. RON CHAMPION Good. Show us your sniper skills in three. One, two, three! Ron, Chet and the rest of the men jump out of the door and lay a steady barrage of gunfire at the terrorist on the rooftop as Sureshot runs behind them and over to the tree stump, diving behind it.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Once hes safely covered by the stump, Sureshot takes up a firing position. As soon as Sureshot looks like hes safely covered, the other men jump back into the house as the terrorist on the rooftop starts firing back. RON CHAMPION OK, it looks like Sureshot is in a secure position. TONY GASH (to himself) Come on old buddy, take his ass out. EXT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX, YARD BY TREE STUMP - NIGHT Calmly and methodically, Sureshot Williams aims his rifle up at the rooftop and tries to get the terrorist in his sights. The terrorist though is in a good position and has cover which prevents Sureshot from getting a clean shot at first. But Sureshot just lays there patiently, waiting for a perfect shot. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Come on bitchCome on bitchshow yourself. Finally after several moments, the terrorist leans his head forward to check out the guest house below. This exposes himself to Sureshot for a split second which is all he needs. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Gotcha! And with that, Sureshot fires a bullet that goes in one side of the terrorists head and out the other, exploding his head in the process. Sureshot stands up and gives a thumbs up to Ron Champion and team. From that, the special forces soldiers move across the yard and quickly approach the front door of the three-story structure.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese ROCK JOHNSON Good shot man. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Thats why they call me Sureshot. Ive only been good at three things in lifefootball, screwing and shooting people. ROCK JOHNSON Youre definitely the take home to mom kind of guy. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Dont I know. Ron Champion, who is busy casing out the front of the building looking for other occupants potentially sneaking up on them, gets annoyed with all the banter. RON CHAMPION Guys, stop clowning around and stay focused! ROCK JOHNSON Yes sir. Chet Armstrong walks over behind Ron Champion. CHET ARMSTRONG What do you think sir? RON CHAMPION Not sure. I dont like it right now though, its eerily quiet. Youd think all the gunfire wouldve stirred someone inside but I dont sense any movement. CHET ARMSTRONG So what should we do sir? RON CHAMPION I want to go right through the front door but this is reinforced steel. Ron Champion touches the door first then pushes it and sees that it doesnt move at all.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION (contd) Yeah, theres no give. Ron looks around then notices the massiveness of Rock Johnson standing five feet from him. Screw it. RON CHAMPION Rock, get your ass over here.

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Rock Johnson quickly rushes over to Ron. ROCK JOHNSON Yes sir! RON CHAMPION Knock this door down. ROCK JOHNSON (confused) Sir? RON CHAMPION You heard me, knock the door down. Without skipping a beat, Rock Johnson kicks the door in, which only partially opens. He immediately follows that up with a stiff punch which rips the door off of its hinges. INT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX, THREE-STORY HOUSE After the door is busted open, the special forces team rushes into the house. Ron Champion, Chet Armstrong and Sureshot Williams quickly make their way to a staircase. They carefully and slowly start making their way up the stairs when suddenly a BOY, in his late teens, comes running down the steps yelling in Arabic. TERRORISTS TEENAGED SON Allah Akbar! Immediately upon seeing the unarmed boy, Chet Armstrong shoots him twice in the stomach.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Still standing for a second, the stunned boy finally collapses dead on the stairs and tumbles down the steps to Rons feet. CHET ARMSTRONG No gun? RON CHAMPION Thats OK, thats what we call the fog of war. Ron Champion glances up the stairs and sees their main target, a tall, older ARABIC MAN easily over six feet, peaking over a railing at the top of the stairs. RON CHAMPION There he is, theres Geronimo! As soon as he makes eye contact with Ron Champion, the terrorist immediately runs away from the stairway and barricades himself in a room. Ron radios to the rest of his team as he, Chet and Sureshot quickly ascend the staircase. RON CHAMPION We have a visual on Geronimo, he retreated to a room on the third floor. Were in pursuit. The team makes it to the third floor and congregates outside of the non-descript room where the terrorist is hiding. RON CHAMPION OK men, theres no telling whats behind this door, lets proceed with extreme caution. Screw it! now! SURESHOT WILLIAMS Im taking this bitch down

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And with that, Sureshot Williams immediately kicks down the door and enters the room. Cornered and realizing that its the end of the road, the terrorist shields himself behind one of his WIVES and then pushes her towards Sureshot as he approaches.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Chet Armstrong shoots her with a non-fatal shot to the leg and she falls to the ground fully exposing the terrorist to the special forces team. Once he sees his wife go down, the terrorist panics as he realizes this is it for him. In a futile attempt to defend himself, he reaches for an automatic weapon resting against a wall. However, in one steady move, Sureshot Williams lifts his gun up and plants two bullets in his head one through his left temple, the other through his left eye. SURESHOT WILLIAMS USA! Bitch. To make sure hes dead, Sureshot Williams walks up to the terrorist laying lifeless on the ground and puts three more bullets into his chest. Chet Armstrong walks up from behind and stops him. CHET ARMSTRONG I think hes dead. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Id love to empty my gun into him though. CHET ARMSTRONG I know you would, we all would. Ron Champion walks into the room and gets right up into Sureshots face. RON CHAMPION Youre a loose cannon Sureshot, Ive always said that about you. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Sorry sir, I was just anxious. RON CHAMPION Yeah well one day that anxiousness might end up compromising one of your teammates. Do you want that on your conscious? SURESHOT WILLIAMS No sir.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Smarten up next time. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Yes sir. Ron Champion looks down at the dead terrorist and smiles devilishly. RON CHAMPION Good job though. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Thank you sir. RON CHAMPION (laughs) Very good job. (talks into his radio) Geronimo is KIA, I repeat, Geronimo is KIA. That is affirmed. This is the team leader Ron Champion, were collecting intel and moving out. Several SOLDIERS rush into the room carrying bags and quickly fill them up with the hard drives and computers that litter the floor. EXT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX, YARD - NIGHT The special forces team evacuates the three-story house and run over to the remaining Blackhawk and Chinook which landed within the complex to pick up the other soldiers displaced when their Blackhawk went down. Ron Champion motions over to his troops to continue running over to the helicopters. RON CHAMPION You men keep going to the choppers, Ill take care of the downed Blackhawk. Ron runs over to the still burning, crippled Blackhawk and throws three grenades into it so that it gets completely destroyed. As Ron runs back over to the other Blackhawk, the downed helicopter blows up into a magnificent display of fireballs behind him.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As he approaches the helicopter, he sees several of his men sitting in the side entrance smoking victory Cuban cigars while laughing, back-slapping and high-fiving each other. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Ron jumps onto the helicopter and immediately starts giving orders. RON CHAMPION Chet, are we all here? CHET ARMSTRONG All accounted for Ron. RON CHAMPION The men in the other Blackhawk? CHET ARMSTRONG Picked up by the Chinook. RON CHAMPION Good, lets get the hell out of Pakistan now. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT #1 Yes sir. RON CHAMPION Good job gentlemen. EXT. TERRORISTS COMPLEX - NIGHT The Blackhawk helicopter lifts off and flies away with the Chinook trailing behind it as the downed Blackhawk continues setting off ancillary explosions, one of which sets fire to the three-story house. EXT. DESERTED ROAD IN THE PLAINS OF TEXAS - DAY On the horizon, a lone red, classic CORVETTE is speeding along a road in the arid plains thats bordered by rolling hills, mountain slopes, cactus, tumbleweed and the occasional lizard.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. TEX AUSTINS CORVETTE TEX AUSTIN, a rugged-looking all-American-type in his middle-thirties, is coolly driving down the road while shifting gears to the beat of the music from his radio. Reflecting off of his sunglasses are the hills and mountain slopes that line the side of the road. EXT. DESERTED ROAD IN THE PLAINS OF TEXAS DAY Texs car approaches a complex that is comprised of a series of buildings which make up the Texas State Penitentiary. The complex is set off from the road in the middle of nowhere. INT. TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY VISITORS ROOM VICTOR CARIAS, a distinguished-looking Hispanic gentleman in his early-fifties, is dressed in standard issue prison garb sitting at a long table in the middle of a large, crowded room filled with INMATES and their VISITORS. Sitting across from him at the table is Tex. The two are deep in conversation as Victor casually smokes a long cigar and Tex allows him to do much of the talking. VICTOR CARIAS America is in this long-term war that continues to drag on with no end in sight. And the crazy thing is the government thinks they can spend their way out of it. TEX AUSTIN Yeah, throw money at it in hopes itll eventually go away. VICTOR But it doesnt go away, in fact it continues to fester and grow stronger. Throwing money at a complex situation like this never works, history has taught us as much. And the vast majority of (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) the American people dont even support this so-called war, but the politicians in Washington stubbornly continue to fight it. Against the wishes of their constituents and the better judgment of people far more intellectual than them. That just shows how out of touch they are with the American people, the people that elected them into office in the first place. TEX I know, I know. VICTOR All Im trying to do is provide a public service to the people. Does that make me a bad guy? TEX No it doesnt Victor. VICTOR The people want something and Im trying to give it to them, and give it to them cheaplyfor people at all income levels to enjoy. The world has enough craziness, this allows them an escape. Everyone wins with me. TEX And you should be the big winner here because you are a visionary. Victor warmly pats him on his hand which is resting on the table. VICTOR Youre a good son-in-law Teixeira. TEX Thanks Victor. Tex calmly looks down at his watch. VICTOR Is it time?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Tex nods his head yes. VICTOR OK, lets do it. With that, Tex stands up and whistles loudly which silences everyone in the room. They all look over to him and await his next move. TEX (yells) Now. With that simple command everyone in the room, both inmates and visitors, stands up and immediately charges towards the closest guard. Tex punches an approaching GUARD in the face, knocking him out as he falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes. A male VISITOR on the other side of the room punches a GUARD in the stomach and, as hes keeled over, he grabs his gun and shoots another GUARD charging towards him. Then he knocks the first guard down and shoots him execution-style. The visitors room quickly turns into a full scale brawl with everyone in on the action. It doesnt take long at all for the inmates to get the upper hand over the guards. EXT. - TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY DAY Two black SUVs drive up to the heavily guarded front gate. Seven HISPANIC MEN, dressed in all black and led by Texs brother, DALLAS AUSTIN, jump out of the cars holding AK47s. As they approach the front gate, an ALARM goes off and the guards in the WATCHTOWER high above scramble to grab their guns. Before they can defend the prison, the mysterious men from the SUVs ferociously shoot up the tower killing everyone inside. One guard even falls out of a window and lands on the ground below. Calmly, the men walk over to the gate, shoot off the large, heavy duty locks and slowly walk down the pathway to the entrance of the facility.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY VISITORS ROOM As the inmates and visitors overpower the guards, one of the inmates reaches down and grabs a set of keys off of a dead guards belt. He throws the keys to one of the visitors who unlocks the door. Everyone files out of the room amongst the cheers of the inmates. CELL BLOCK A dark and dingy cell block, filled with prisoners who are cheering the mutiny from behind bars, is flooded by inmates who beat up and overpower the guards before going cell by cell and releasing their fellow prisoners. High fives reign down between inmates and visitors alike as each prisoner is freed. Reinforcements arrive in the hallway to fight the inmates, but they find themselves quickly overmatched. Many of them are shot and killed after being beaten by the inmates who waste no time in stealing their guns. EXT. TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY DAY PRISON YARD The peacefulness of the yard is broken when a guard is thrown through a door leading outside and falls to the ground as inmates and prisoners alike storm out of the prison and into the yard. They trample the helpless guard. Chaos reigns as the yard is filled with countless numbers of inmates, many of them jumping up and down and horsing around in celebration while others continue fighting with the remaining guards. A shoot-out erupts in one corner of the yard with a few of the inmates shooting a couple of guards and the guards shooting back and killing them. Their victory is short-lived as they are immediately overpowered by other inmates and beaten to death.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY HALLWAY The mysterious eight men from the SUVs are walking down a hallway as Victor and Tex walk down the other end. They meet in the middle where Dallas gives him a handshake and a hug, followed by Victor giving him a kiss on both cheeks. DALLAS Victor, its great to see you free again. The family barbecues just havent been the same without our patriarch. VICTOR Lets hold off on the congratulations until were safely in Laredo. DALLAS Youre right sir. VICTOR However I can say that your brother has performed exceptionally so far. TEX Thank you Victor. Excellent. here. DALLAS Come, lets get you out of

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EXT. TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY DAY PRISON YARD Victor, Dallas, Tex and the other mercenaries walk out into the yard while the mayhem continues. They navigate their way through the celebrations and around the lingering fights to get to the front of the yard. Tex surveys the surreal scene then points his AK-47 into the air and shoots off several rounds. Everyone stops in their tracks upon hearing the shots from an automatic weapon and look at him. Tex paces back and

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese forth as Victor, Dallas and the mercenaries stand behind him. TEX Bring the guards up here. Several of the inmates bring the six remaining captured GUARDS up to Tex. TEX Get down on your knees. The guards get down on their knees and put their hands behind their heads. Tex walks behind them and cold-bloodedly shoots them in the head, execution-style. After the guards fall face forward onto the ground dead, Tex continues pacing back and forth. TEX Id like to thank you gentleman for staging this escape today, as you can see it was a complete success and because off this your reward is your freedom. He walks over to a gate door that leads to an open road and pushes it open. TEX Youre free to go now Most of the inmates start heading towards the gate door, but Tex speaks up again just as several of them get to the exit. TEX (contd) or you can hang around and become a part of something big. The inmates stop to hear what he has to say. TEX My associates and I orchestrated this whole prison break to liberate one man. Im sure you all know Victor Carias and Im sure you all know what hes known for.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Victor steps forward in front of Tex. VICTOR Its time to think big and live the American dream, me and my associates are planning to take over Laredo and create the first narco city-state in America, funneling drugs from Mexico through my new base of operations and distributed to every city and town in the United States. But I cant do it by myself. I cant even do it with my existing crew. If Im going to think big, I need to be big. I need operations people, I need transports, and I need security. I need worker bees like you. Im offering each and every one of you a job. No hard feelings if you dont want any part of this, youve already done enough and I thank you for taking part in my escape, but if you do want to be a part of something special and make money beyond your wildest dreams, while maybe killing some police officers in the process then you can meet us down the road where there are school buses waiting to pick you up. Were going to take these buses and charge into the middle of Laredo. Were taking over an American city, its going to be dangerous, but the profits will be immense when were successful and we will be successful. (pauses) So whos in? Only a handful of inmates leave the yard and walk away across the barren land that surrounds the prison, however the vast majority of inmates stay behind and await Texs next command. TEX Good, lets move out. Victor leans over and whispers into Texs ear. VICTOR Burn the prison down.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX (looks at Dallas) Dallas, take a few of the guys and burn it down to the ground. Everyone starts filing out of the prison yard. LATER ON EXT. DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE PRISON DAY With the prison burning and flames shooting high into the air, the inmates file onto one of three yellow school buses that are lined up alongside a quiet road in front of the prison. Once everyone has boarded the buses, the two black SUVs and Texs Corvette pull up in front of them and lead the caravan down the road past a sign that reads Laredo 50 miles. EXT. RUGGED MOUNTAIN VALLEY IN AFGHANISTAN DAY In the middle of a barren mountain range, Ron Champion and his special forces commando unit are hiding behind several big rocks spying on a terrorist safe house about five hundred yards away. Ron is keeping an eye on the house through his binoculars and sees several MILITANTS milling about around the perimeter of the house. SURESHOT WILLIAMS What do you got, boss? RON CHAMPION This is the house. I see three, four Men standing guard outside, pacing back and forth. Theres movement inside too. Looks like weve found the high level meeting that was rumored to be going down between the local warlord sympathizer and al-Qaeda operatives. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Should I take them out? Ron looks at the stash of weapons sitting behind them.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Too big of a house, too many militants. Ill radio in and let the boys in the sky take care of this. (pauses) Paint the target. Sureshot Williams grabs a LASER DESIGNATOR and aims it directly on the front door of the house while Ron grabs his radio. RON CHAMPION Alpha One to Echo Leader, the target is active and lit. Need air support to take out immediately. EXT. SKIES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF AFGHANISTAN DAY A B-2 Stealth Bomber flying high above the mountain ranges makes a sudden turn to head to its new target. EXT. RUGGED MOUNTAIN VALLEY IN AFGHANISTAN DAY The special forces team continues their surveillance of the safe house. RON CHAMPION Stay steady, keep the target lit, the B-2 should be here momentarily. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Youre talking to Sureshot Williams, Im always steady. EXT. SKIES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF AFGHANISTAN DAY The B-2 Stealth Bomber unleashes a 500 pound laser-guided bomb which falls rapidly from the sky, and between the mountain ranges, heading for the safe house in the valley. EXT. RUGGED MOUNTAIN VALLEY IN AFGHANISTAN DAY RON CHAMPION Buh bye dickheads. And with that, the bomb hits the house and decimates it. Several militants are blown out of the house from the force of the blast. A fireball rises high above the rubble.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The house is totally obliterated. Ron Champion notices through his binoculars that a militant who was standing guard outside the house is still alive in the rubble. The militant reaches for his gun. RON CHAMPION We have a live one boys. The militant, still laying on the ground, starts shooting indiscriminately at the mountains. Sureshot Williams grabs his sniper rifle, aims and shoots him right between the eyes. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Not anymore. RON CHAMPION OK boys, lets move out and head to the next mission. The team gathers their gear and heads down the mountainside carefully. All of the men are very vigilant and continually on the lookout for more militants around every corner. EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY The two black SUVs lead the three yellow school buses down an empty road leading into the city of Laredo. There is a POLICE BLOCKADE waiting for them at the edge of the city. INT. LEAD BLACK SUV Victor is in the passengers seat of the lead SUV with two bodyguards sitting behind him. SUV DRIVER Police, what should we do? Drive through. VICTOR Take them out.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As the caravan gets closer to the blockade, Victor changes his mind. VICTOR (contd) Wait, hold on. Lets have the buses do it. Theyre biggerand expendable. Victor talks into his walkie talkie. VICTOR Tex, have the buses take out the blockade. INT. TEX AUSTINS CORVETTE TEX You got it Victor. Tex puts down one walkie-talkie and picks up another one. TEX Speed forward and take out the cops. INT. YELLOW SCHOOL BUS Upon hearing Texs orders, the BUS DRIVER shifts into a higher gear and speeds towards the blockade. The prison inmates, who make up most of the passengers on the bus, take up defensive positions and brace for a headon collision. INMATE ON BUS Fuck you pigs! EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY The two SUVs and Texs Corvette pull over to the side of the road, allowing the three buses to speed past them and towards the blockade. As they get closer, the COPS see that theyre not slowing down so they wave their hands to try to stop them. Once they realize the buses arent going to stop, they take defensive positions behind their police cars and start shooting at them.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The bullets just ricochet off the buses and dont slow them down one bit. The buses plow through the blockade, upending most of the police cars and creating a FIREBALL in the process. The surviving police officers scatter off to the side of the road. The buses come to a stop in the middle of the road about 50 yards past the blockade. The two SUVs drive off the road and into a vacant field in order to get out of the line of the impending shoot-out. The police officers take up their new positions behind the upended cars and watch the school buses intently. Suddenly, the doors of the idling school buses open, and out pour the inmates who are yelling and charging at the officers as one big mob. They begin shooting at the cops who are quickly picked off, and overwhelmed. by the inmates. INT. LEAD BLACK SUV Victor is sitting in the passengers seat enjoying every minute of the carnage. A smirk covers his face as he sees a cop get shot in the head and fall back into a fire that has engulfed his police car. INT. TEXS CORVETTE As he watches the action, Tex grabs his automatic weapon, gets out of his car and slowly walks over to the road where the cops have barricaded themselves. EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY A police officer, SHERIFF AMOS, is cowering on the ground behind a police car as he reaches into the front seat and grabs the radio. SHERIFF AMOS Officers down. Officers down. help! Any help! We need

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese FEMALE RADIO DISPATCHER (O.S.) Please identify yourself and inform me of your situation? SHERIFF AMOS This is Sheriff Amos and were being overpowered by the inmates from the jailbreak. They broke through our blockade and are now killing us. At this point, Tex is only a few yards away from the officer. Sheriff Amos doesnt notice him creeping up from behind because hes so focused on the inmates shooting in front of him. As Sheriff Amos hopelessly returns fire he notices that the inmates have stopped shooting back. Curious, he stands up to see whats going on. Tex walks up right behind the sheriff as he stands up, his gun is pointed out inches away from his back. SHERIFF AMOS (yells) Inmates, you are all under arrest! Put down your weapons and lay down on your stomach with your hands behind your back. The sheriff becomes confused when he sees the inmates just standing there and not reacting to anything he says. Tex gently blows some air by his ear to get his attention. Nervously, the sheriff turns around slowly and is mortified to see Texs gun now pointed at his stomach. Tex pulls the trigger and the force of the bullet lifts Sheriff Amos up several feet off the ground. He lands on the hood of his police car, giving it a large dent from the impact. Next, Tex reaches down and grabs the police radio from off the ground. TEX (calmly) Is anyone there? Yes. FEMALE RADIO DISPATCHER (O.S.) Please identify yourself.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX You first. FEMALE RADIO DISPATCHER (O.S.) This is Laredo radio dispatch. TEX Well radio dispatch, Id like you to know that Laredo is now under the control of the Nuevo Laredo Cartel. And if you dont think were serious, then listen to this. Tex gets down on one knee and holds the radio receiver next to another injured, whimpering police officer. As he looks him right in the eyes, the officer cries out. LAREDO POLICE OFFICER Please, please I have kids. Two young ones. A four year old and a two year old. Please, please. Without even thinking, Tex puts the gun to the officers head and pulls the trigger. The cops head explodes all over the side of the police car, blood is everywhere as he crumples over to the ground. TEX Youre dead. He puts the radio receiver up to his mouth again. TEX In fact, all the police officers in this town are dead. (pauses) I hope this little display of our power has shown you our resolve. Tex walks over to Sheriff Amos body which is now halfway hanging off the hood of the car. He looks down at the badge on the sheriffs shirt and takes it off of him then holds it up to his eyes, wipes the blood off and puts it on his own shirt.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BACK AT THE BLACK SUVS Victor gets out of the SUV and walks down the middle of the road towards the destroyed blockade, applauding the efforts of his crew and laughing. AT THE DESTROYED BLOCKADE Victor, followed by Dallas, approach the burnt out police cars and shake Texs hand. VICTOR Very good job Tex, you continue to impress me. TEX Thank you sir. INT. PICK-UP TRUCK An OLDER GENTLEMAN in his early-seventies is driving down the road in his old, beat up pick-up truck. Hes humming along to the country music playing on his radio and is rubbing his dogs head whos laying next to him. PICK-UP TRUCK DRIVER Whos a good dog?!? Youre a good dog! His eyesight is so bad that he doesnt notice the destroyed blockade off into the distance. EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY AT THE DESTROYED BLOCKADE Victor, Dallas and Tex are standing between two upended police cars on fire when Dallas sees the pick-up truck approaching them. DALLAS It looks like weve got company. Instinctively he raises his machine gun and points it at the pick-up truck, ready to shoot.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. PICK-UP TRUCK The pick-up driver SLAMS on the brakes when he finally notices the burning blockade and the machine gun pointed right at him. The truck comes to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. PICK-UP TRUCK DRIVER Ohhh shit! EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY AT THE DESTROYED BLOCKADE Dallas still has the machine gun pointed right at the drivers head. DALLAS Let me smoke him! Victor notices that the driver is a non-threatening, old man, so he quickly puts his hand on Dallas gun and pushes it down. VICTOR No! Let him go. After all, were not murderers. Dallas punches his gun in frustration, upset that he cant add to his kill total. DALLAS Damn! TEX Its alright, youve killed enough today. DALLAS You can never have enough notches on your rifle. INT. PICK-UP TRUCK The driver quickly opens his door and jumps out with his dog.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PICK-UP TRUCK DRIVER Come on Rover, lets get the hell out of here! EXT. ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY The pick-up truck driver runs as fast as he can with his dog up the road and away from the blockade. Victor laughs as he watches the driver run away. VICTOR Run away old man. (looks back at his men) OK, lets move out and head to city hall. I have a meeting with the mayor. EXT. LAREDO CITY HALL DAY The two SUVs and three yellow school buses pull up in front of city hall. Victor calmly gets out of his SUV flanked by Dallas and Tex and trailed by a group of inmates still dressed in their prison garb. Victor, Dallas and Tex walk into the building as the inmates create a perimeter around the building with reinforcements outside the front door. INT. LAREDO CITY HALL Victor and his men walk down a grandiose hallway and towards a desk at the end of it where an older, grandmotherly SECRETARY is sitting. MAYORS SECRETARY Hi, welcome to city hall. Can I help you? VICTOR Were here to see the mayor. The secretary grabs her schedule planner and looks through it to check the mayors appointment. MAYORS SECRETARY OK, I dont see anyone on the mayors (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese MAYORS SECRETARY (contd) schedule for this time. Do you have an appointment? VICTOR I dont have an appointment. But Im a citizen. Surely I dont need an appointment if I want to see my elected official. MAYORS SECRETARY Sorry but as you can imagine the Mayor has a very busy schedule. So as a citizen youll need to make an appointment then the Mayor will be happy to see you. The secretary takes out her handwritten appointment book and starts flipping through it. MAYORS SECRETARY (contd) Let me see if I can get you an appointment for later this week. If I can just get your name As the secretary talks, Tex walks to the door behind her and kicks it open. VICTOR (calmly) Well just take our appointment now thank you. The three men walk into the office as the secretary tries to stop them to no avail because they ignore her. MAYORS SECRETARY You cant go in there gentleman. really cant go in there. MAYORS OFFICE The three men walk into the room and find the MAYOR, a distinguished, balding, older gentleman, sitting behind his desk peacefully eating his lunch. He drops his sandwich in shock upon seeing the men barge into his office. You

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The secretary trails behind still desperately trying to stop them. Victor sits down on a chair in front of the mayors desk and is flanked by Dallas and Tex who remain standing. MAYORS SECRETARY Mr. Mayor these men dont have an appointment. I tried to stop them but these gentlemen just wouldnt listen to me. If you ask me, theyre just plain rude. MAYOR Thats OK, Mrs. Grainey. I always have time for my constituents, even those that arent considerate enough to make an appointment. (smiles) You can leave us. MAYORS SECRETARY OK sir. The secretary leaves the room and closes the door behind her. The Mayor walks over to Victor and, in an effort to remain in a power position, stands over him. MAYOR Well gentleman, now that youve interrupted my lunch hour. What can I do for you? VICTOR You can leave the city. MAYOR (laughs) Leave the city? Why? VICTOR Youre no longer mayor. MAYOR (laughs again) Thats news to me. Why do you think Im no longer mayor?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR Because I am. Really? MAYOR And who are you?

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VICTOR Im Victor Carias. MAYOR I actually dont give a damn who you are, but this is all very interesting to me. If you want to be mayor, go ahead and file as a candidate. Im up for reelection next year, but I have to warn you Ill be really tough to beat. Based on the latest polls Ive seen, my approval rating is well over 70%. The mayor grabs a cigar from a box on his desk, lights it and takes a big puff, blowing the smoke high into the air. VICTOR All of that wont be necessary. He takes a second puff and blows the smoke into Victors face which just ends up annoying him more. MAYOR And why not? VICTOR Because were taking over. Oh yeah? MAYOR You and what army?

VICTOR Well Im not sure if youve noticed the badge on my lieutenants chest or not but he has already become sheriff. MAYOR (incredulously) How did he get that? Where is Sheriff Amos?

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR Ohhh, you wont be hearing from Sherriff Amos anymore. MAYOR And whys that? VICTOR Lets just say he went into permanent retirement. MAYOR I dont like where this conversation is going The mayor walks over to the phone on his desk. MAYOR (contd) I have a good mind to call the police. Victor holds the mayors hand, preventing him from picking up the phone. VICTOR That wont be necessary either. MAYOR And why not? VICTOR Because theyre dead. MAYOR What do you mean, theyre dead? VICTOR All of them. Youre whole police force is dead, and you will be too if you dont listen to me. MAYOR Are you threatening me? You cant come in here and threaten me, Im the mayor! The mayor picks up the phone and calls the police department. The phone is picked up by someone on the other end whos clearly not a police officer.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INMATE AT POLICE DEPARTMENT (O.S.) Hello. MAYOR (panicked) This is the Mayor. Please send over all units to City Hall. My safety is being threatened. Victor. Tex and Dallas look on quietly in amusement. INMATE AT POLICE DEPARTMENT (O.S.) Ohhh relax Mr. Mayor and maybe youll survive this siege if you listen to all of Mr. Carias demands. Good luck. The inmate hangs up the phone as the mayor turns white with fear. VICTOR OK, I can see that youre stubborn. (pauses) So you ask what army I have? Walk over to the window and check it out. The Mayor cautiously walks over to the window and sees a group of inmates standing in front of a yellow bus with machine guns aimed right at him. VICTOR Thats my army. A look of complete fear continues to cover the mayors face as he immediately realizes hes in big trouble. MAYOR Oh shit! The inmates open up fire from outside as the mayor is quickly pumped full of bullets. A countless number of bullets enter the mayors body, the impact of each keeps him standing until the shooting stops. Once things go quiet, the mayor falls dead onto the top of his desk. The cigar finally falls out of his mouth and lands on the floor below. Upon the mayors death, Dallas shakes Victors hand.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese DALLAS Congratulations mayor. Victor stands up, puts the cigar out with his shoe and walks behind the mayors desk. He nonchalantly pushes the mayors bloody body off the desk and onto the floor. VICTOR Can someone clean this up? DALLAS Ill take care of it. The mayors secretary walks back into the office. MAYORS SECRETARY Mr. Mayor, I heard a noise and wanted to see what was She stops talking once she sees the mayors bloody, dead body on the floor and immediately lets out a loud scream. Shhhhh. VICTOR Calm down. Calm down.

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Dallas, tired of hearing the scream, walks right up to the secretary and puts a gun to her head. DALLAS Shut the fuck up or Ill blow your motherfucking head off! TEX (laughs) Well put Dallas. The secretary, scared for her life, stops screaming. VICTOR Lock her up in a closest or something until we figure out what to do with her. Dallas drags her out of the room as Victor takes a seat behind the desk and Tex sits in the chair in front of it. Upon sitting down, Tex puts his feet up on the mayors dead body, using him as a footstool.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX What do we do with this poor sap? VICTOR Cut off his head and stick it on a spike outside as a warning for anyone that might want to fuck with us. Put the rest of his body in a vat of acid. In fact, line up several barrels along I-35. I have a feeling this wont be the last body well be disposing of today. TEX Ill get someone on that right away. Victor reaches into the Mayors box of cigars and takes out one for himself. VICTOR You could tell this guy was a public servant. Shitty cigars, I thought Id get away from these after prison. TEX Whats next? VICTOR Well if were going to set up some barrels, lets put them to good use. Round up all the adult males in the city. I want to make sure we have no troublemakers from within. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET IN LAREDO DAY One of the yellow buses pulls down a quiet, residential street that is bordered by run-of-the-mill houses on either side. The INMATES pour out of it once it stops in the middle of the street. The quietness of the neighborhood is quickly broken by the yelling and hollering of a riotous mob. The mob of inmates immediately spread out and storm each house on the street.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese After a few moments, the first MALE RESIDENT is dragged from his home by two INMATES. Hes kicking and screaming until the inmates drop him on his front yard and beat him until he shuts up. On the other side of the street, another MAN and his TEENAGED SON are dragged from their house by several INMATES. The mans wife follows them out of the house WAILING and SCREAMING, telling the inmates to let them go while her PRE-TEEN DAUGHTER runs out of the house and jumps onto one of the inmates backs. She starts punching him but the blows have no effect. Finally, out of just sheer annoyance, the inmate grabs the girl off of his back and throws her down to the ground. Once she falls to the ground, her mom rushes right over and shields her from the inmates. The inmates drag the man and teenaged son to the bus and force them to board it. INT. RESIDENTIAL HOUSE IN LAREDO A young Hispanic family of five - HUSBAND, WIFE, TWO CHILDREN under the age of ten and a TODDLER, are sitting peacefully in their living room watching TV. Suddenly, the front door is kicked in and several INMATES storm into the house. All the family members yell and scream in fear. The father immediately tries to shield his kids sitting next to him, but hes quickly punched in the face by one of the inmates. A few of the inmates rip the computer out of its outlet and smash it on the floor, kick in the television tube and collect all the cell phones they can find, making sure that the residents cant use any communication devices. One of the inmates rips a stereo system out of the wall and decides to leave with it. A couple of the other inmates drag the kids kicking and screaming off the couch while the father is picked up and carried out of the house.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The toddler remains sitting in the corner of the room crying and throwing his toys around in confusion. One of the inmates backs the cute, young wife into a corner and caresses her face softly while running his fingers through her hair as she cries. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE God damn, youre so cute. Do you like me? I think youd like me. He slowly starts rubbing his hand against her side leading from her chest down to her hip. Before hes able to go any further, another inmate interrupts him by grabbing the womans wrist and dragging her outside. INMATE IN HOUSE #1 Not here, not now. This isnt the time or the place. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE Whatever, shes just a whore! Why do you care what I do? EXT. RESIDENTIAL HOUSE IN LAREDO, FRONT YARD DAY The inmate pushes the woman down on the lawn in front of the house. INMATE IN HOUSE #1 Because this isnt part of the plan. Lets carry out the plan first, then if you want to come back at another time and fuck this bitch then have at it. I dont care! The other inmate looks down in disgust at the woman laying on the ground in disgust. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE (thinking for a moment) Fine He begins to walk away then stops and turns back. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE (contd) But Ill be back bitch. Be ready for it.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As the woman lays on the ground crying, the inmate spits on her then walks away with the other inmate. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET IN LAREDO DAY The front yards of each house are filled with commotion, struggles and violence by inmates abducting all the male residents. Most try to fight back, but all are quickly overpowered by the sheer number of inmates that have invaded this once peaceful residential street. Dozens of male residents are gathered together and led onto the bus by the gun-toting inmates. Several of the inmates are carrying electronics and appliances that they looted from the homes of innocent civilians. Once everyone has boarded, the bus drives off the road, leaving the female residents dazed and disillusioned on their front yards. EXT. LAREDO TOWN SQUARE DAY The male residents, who are now prisoners of the cartel, are led out of the three buses that are stopped in a parking lot by the town square. Dallas, who is pacing back and forth in the middle of the town square, shouts out instructions. DALLAS OK you troublemakers, form a straight line. One of the male residents whos walking in the line cant resist questioning his captor, so he stops and faces Dallas. LAREDO MALE RESIDENT Were not troublemakers, were peaceful citizens. Who are you? Without saying a word, Dallas takes out his gun and shoots the man in the head.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese DALLAS Anyone else have a question? Dallas looks up and down the line to see if anyone else dares to speak up, but they dont. DALLAS (contd) Good, continue. Each resident steps over the dead body as they continue walking, not daring to step out of line and catch Dallas eye. Dallas proceeds to organize them in an orderly line spanning the length of the town square, there are approximately 100 male residents ranging in age from 16 to 60. As they stand there silently, Victor emerges from City Hall across the street flanked by several BODYGUARDS and Tex. He walks along the line of residents, sizing each one of them up and down. VICTOR Gentlemen, I am aware that youve all been plucked out of your homes in the middle of the day for seemingly no apparent reason. For this intrusion, I sincerely apologize. It was a necessary, and unavoidable, action that me and my men had to take. (pauses) You might be wondering what the hell is going on and who the hell I am. I am Victor Carias. Earlier today I was incarcerated at the Texas state penitentiary but as you can see now, I am no more. I have re-taken my rightful position as the head of the Nuevo Laredo Cartel and me and my associates have decided to take up shop here in Laredo. (pauses) Id like to talk to you men about obedience. See its obedience that keeps people in line and allows those in authority to maintain order. Make no mistake, I am the authority now. (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) If you are not obedient then you become a liability and expendable. I dont like violence, Im a businessman, so therefore Im not looking to find anyone in this line-up that I consider expendable. Help me, help you. You stay obedient and youll survive, and, over time, if you become a friend of the cartel youll even thrivebut youll have to prove your worth. Victor stops walking when he comes up the tallest, biggest, most threatening-looking male resident in line. He looks him up and down. VICTOR (contd) How tall are you? BIG MALE RESIDENT 64. VICTOR Weight? BIG MALE RESIDENT 235. And with that, Victor takes out his gun and shoots the man in the head. The resident falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes. An audible sigh breaks out among the rest of the men in line when they realize that Victor killed the largest man to send a message to them. VICTOR Resistance will not be tolerated. Victor turns to Dallas and gives his next instructions. VICTOR Shoot anyone else that looks too menacing. Place the elderly and youngsters in the county jail. Put the rest to work, digging ditches and setting up our defensive positions.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese DALLAS Yes Victor. Victor begins to walk away from the line as Dallas and a few other HENCHMEN get in position to shoot some of the strongest-looking hostages. Tex approaches Victor as he walks back towards City Hall. TEX Victor, whats our next step? In the background, Dallas and the henchman shoot and kill the five largest hostages that are standing throughout the line. They all quickly fall and die immediately, the other survivors are powerless to do anything and just continue standing there, frozen. VICTOR Time to open up the borders. Still in the background, Dallas and several inmates lead the rest of the male residents in a line away from the town square. EXT. BORDER CROSSING TO MEXICO DAY Theres heavy gridlock at the border entry as a countless number of cars and trucks are lined up trying to get into the country. Suddenly the lanes on the U.S. side are flooded with GUNTOTING INMATES who immediately run past all the cars and go to the checkpoint booths where they overpower the BORDER PATROLMEN. Some of the patrolmen are beaten up by the inmates while others are shot at pointblank range. A U.S BORDER PATROLMAN is standing right over the Mexican side of the border checking the I.D. of a driver trying to enter the country. Unsuspectingly, he is shot pointblank in the head by an inmate that walks right up to him on the road.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As the inmates take over the border crossing booths, they celebrate their accomplishment by shooting off their machine guns into the air. This leads to many drivers, who are sitting in traffic and are members of the cartel, firing off their machine guns in approval. Then several 18-WHEELERS, PICK-UP TRUCKS and CARS on the Mexico side smash their way through the sitting traffic and past the checkpoint booths without stopping. Many of the inmates manning the booths CHEER at the passing trucks and cars entering the U.S. illegally while even giving some of the drivers high-fives. Victor walks down the shoulder of the highway towards a checkpoint booth. There he waves an 18-wheeler over to his lane. The truck stops at the booth so that Victor can greet the driver, CARLOS RAMIREZ, a middle-aged simply dressed cartel member. VICTOR Welcome to the U.S. Carlos! The two shake hands then Victor jumps into the passenger side of the truck cab. INT. 18-WHEELER TRUCK Victor pulls down a cord within the cab to blow the horn in jubilation. Next he takes out a gun, leans out of the truck and fires a few shots into the air. This makes several of the inmates manning the checkpoint booths also fire their automatic rifles into the air in celebration. CARLOS RAMIREZ I take it youve succeeded in the takeover of Laredo? VICTOR Its all gone according to plan friend. Goodgood. up our base. CARLOS Im looking forward to setting

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR Weve already done most of the legwork. Town is cleared out, potential troublemakers have been identified and executed, and weve formed a workforce from the rest of the townspeople to help with all the manual labor needed to establish our narco-city fortress. Excellent Victor. And the product? CARLOS RAMIREZ Youre riding with it. Well at least the first delivery. 500 pounds of pure white powder. VICTOR Its going to be a great year. CARLOS RAMIREZ That it will be. By the way I brought some friends with me too, reinforcements if you will, theyre behind us. The truck drives down the highway and turns off onto the first exit leading to Laredo. Theyre followed by several other 18-wheeler trucks, SUVs and luxury cars that are all part of the convoy. The convoy makes its way to EXT. I-35 HIGHWAY DAY Where they continue driving along the highway heading to Laredo, whose city buildings can be seen on the horizon. As they drive down the highway they pass several MALE RESIDENTS who are laying down BARBED WIRE and BARRICADES across the road and surrounding fields under the watchful eyes of gun-toting CARTEL ASSOCIATES at the Laredo city limits. Out further into a field, a few inmates blow up a CELL PHONE TOWER after loading it with explosives to sever communications within the city. CARLOS Excellent. VICTOR

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Once within the city limits on the highway, Victor looks out to the side of the road through his sunglasses and sees a series of large, black BARRELS periodically sitting on the shoulder. BODY PARTS of executed residents can be seen floating on top, or hanging out, of the acid-filled barrels. EXT. RUGGED TERRAIN IN AFGHANISTAN DAY Ron Champion and his special forces team is trying to make their way through some rugged terrain in a three-truck convoy. They have to drive very slowly across the rocky ground which makes them sitting ducks for the terrorist snipers lurking in the mountains above. Every so often, the ping of an insurgents bullet hitting the side of the truck is heard. The men are unfazed by it though. Suddenly, the convoy grinds to a halt when the lead truck, driven by Ron Champion, blows a tire. INT. RON CHAMPIONS CONVOY TRUCK Ron punches his steering wheel in frustration. Ahhh, shit. RON CHAMPION We blew a tire.

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Chet Armstrong, who is sitting next to Ron, unbuckles his seatbelt, ready to jump out of the truck. CHET ARMSTRONG Dont worry, Ill take care of it. Ron grabs his arm to stop him momentarily. RON CHAMPION Watch it out there Chet. Theres snipers all around, just waiting to get a clean shot at us. CHET ARMSTRONG Ill be fine.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Ill radio Sureshot to provide cover. Chet jumps out of the truck as Ron grabs the radio. RON CHAMPION Sureshot, we have a flat tire, Armstrong is on the move to fix it. Need coverage. Over. INT. SURESHOT WILLIAMS CONVOY TRUCK Sureshot Williams is sitting in the passengers seat in the truck directly behind Ron Champions. SURESHOT WILLIAMS You got it sir. Sureshot rolls down his window and points his sniper rifle out towards the mountain range. He looks intently through the scope, just waiting to shoot the first thing that moves. EXT. RUGGED TERRAIN IN AFGHANISTAN DAY Chet jumps out of the truck and rushes to the back side to check out the flat tire. As hes examining it, machine gunfire suddenly erupts from the mountains. Sureshot Williams quickly returns fire, shooting back in the direction of where the gunfire came from. The rest of the special forces team mobilizes by grabbing their helmets and guns and jumping out of their trucks to defend Chet Armstrong. They take up positions behind the trucks so theyre shielded as they shoot back into the mountains. Chet Armstrong hits the ground and crawls around to the other side of the truck for coverage. The shooting from both sides is fast and furious and a lot of the guys are barking orders at each other. Sureshot screams from inside the truck.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SURESHOT WILLIAMS (O.S.) RPG! And with that, an RPG roars through the air as it lands only a few meters away from the convoy. The team scatters as dirt and rocks kick up from the impact with the ground. Ron radios to Sureshot back in the truck. RON CHAMPION Sureshot take out the guy with the RPG! INT. SURESHOT WILLIAMS CONVOY TRUCK Sureshot surveys the mountains until he sees an insurgent putting down his rocket launcher then he quickly puts the terrorist in his rifles crosshairs. SURESHOT WILLIAMS I got him in my sights. He pulls the trigger and the insurgent falls down, instantly dead as he rolls down the mountainside. Sureshot spots another insurgent in the mountain, quickly gets him in his crosshairs and shoots him. SURESHOT WILLIAMS And another one. He does the same thing two more times, each one killed with a precision shot that drops them instantly. Sureshot notices the remaining insurgents retreating back up into the mountains and running away from the convoy. He radios to Ron Champion. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Theyre bugging out sir. RON CHAMPION OK, lets get out of here and return to base.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese EXT. RUGGED TERRAIN IN AFGHANISTAN DAY The team quickly, but cautiously, gets back into the convoy while Chet and Thunder Jackson race to fix the flat tire. Once they fix the it, Chet jumps back into the lead vehicle with Ron. INT. RON CHAMPIONS CONVOY TRUCK CHET ARMSTRONG Were good, lets go. The convoy continues making the grueling and very slow drive across the rugged terrain. Again, every once in a while, the ping of an insurgents bullet hitting the side of the truck is heard but the men continue to be unfazed by it. CHET ARMSTRONG God, I cant wait to get out of this hellhole. RON CHAMPION Amen brother. INT. - TEXAS STATE HOUSE, GOVERNORS OFFICE The TEXAS GOVERNOR, a distinguished looking southern gentleman in his late-40s dressed in a suit and cowboy boots, is standing in his opulently decorated office with several MEMBERS of his staff. He is in the midst of being briefed on the situation in Laredo. TEXAS GOVERNOR (shocked) Theyve opened up the border? What do you mean theyve opened up the border? GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 Sir, there is lawlessness at the border crossing in Laredo. The booths are being manned by members of the Nuevo Laredo Cartel. Honest, law-abiding Americans are being turned back at the (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 (contd) border, not allowed to come back into the States while cartel members, and presumably their kilos of cocaine, are allowed to roam freely back and forth between borders. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #2 Sir, its anarchy down there. TEXAS GOVERNOR Casualties? GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 Hard to quantify, sir. Weve heard scattered reports of at least 300 hundred so far, but its most likely many more than that. Its been very difficult to get actionable intelligence on the ground there since communications have been cut off and many of the residents have been jailed. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #2 Its probably a save assumption to take that casualty number times three. TEXAS GOVERNOR Ohhh dear god. Almost 1,000 residents? GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #2 Probably more, sir. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 The local police force has also been decimated, all killed in the immediate aftermath of the jailbreak. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #2 And the Mayor (hesitantly) Well, the mayor. TEXAS GOVERNOR What happened to him? Come on, speak! GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #2 Word has it that his head was put on a flagpole in front of City Hall.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEXAS GOVERNOR God thats awful, just awful. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 What should we do Governor? TEXAS GOVERNOR (stares at him) Attack. Full on attack. Im declaring a state of emergency. Lets get the National Guard in there and annihilate the bastards. Immediately. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 Yes sir. The staff member rushes over to a red phone on the Governors desk and makes a call. GOVERNORS STAFF MEMBER #1 Assemble the National Guard and have them move into Laredo immediately. If they witness a hostile action they are ordered to destroy the insurgents with extreme prejudice. EXT. I-35 HIGHWAY - DAY A convoy of ARMORED MILITARY VEHICLES are driving from the north down a deserted highway heading to Laredo. Three CARTEL ASSOCIATES are standing guard at the city limits on top of a recently built watchtower which is located off to the side of the highway. One of the associates quickly grabs a walkie-talkie upon seeing the convoy and radios in. CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER Weve got company. INT. CITY HALL, MAYORS OFFICE Tex, who is sitting on the edge of the desk as Victor sits behind it and Dallas stands behind him, picks up a walkietalkie. TEX Go ahead, whats the situation?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER (O.S.) We have a convoy of military vehicles coming down I-35. APCs, tanks, a helicopter, the works. Looks to be about twenty, twenty-five vehicles in all. DALLAS (confused) Military? The U.S. military? VICTOR No. They couldnt mobilize the military so quickly. At this point, its got to be the Texas National Guard. TEX The B squad. VICTOR (laughs) More like the C squad. DALLAS What should we do? VICTOR Im not too concerned about them, take them out. Tex, Dallas, go to the front and lead the men. CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER (O.S.) Sir, the convoy is getting closer, what are our orders? Tex jumps back on his walkie-talkie but before he can talk, Victor grabs the radio from him. VICTOR This is Victor Carias. CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER (O.S.) (freezes up) S-S-Sir, yes s-s-sir. VICTOR I want you to listen to me and listen carefullylet them into the city. In fact, let them come all the way into the center of the city.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese DALLAS (whispers) Really? Victor covers the walkie-talkie with his hand as he replies back to Dallas. VICTOR I want them to come deep into the city, see that its empty. Theyll relax their guardand thats when well ambush them. CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER (O.S.) Sir, are you sure thats the best course of action? VICTOR Do what I say and dont question it. Allow them to proceed down I-35 with no interference. CARTEL MEMBER IN WATCHTOWER (O.S.) Yes sir. EXT. I-35 HIGHWAY, WATCHTOWER - DAY The cartel associates watch the National Guard convoy continue driving down the highway towards the watchtower. As the convoy approaches, the associates duck down to conceal themselves from view. The convoy of twenty-five military vehicles drives past the watchtower and heads into the heart of the city. EXT. LAREDO TOWN SQUARE DAY The National Guard convoy slowly pulls into the quiet town square while dozens of weary, gun-toting SOLDIERS flank the vehicles on either side. The convoy comes to a stop in front of City Hall. There are a few moments of eerie silence as the soldiers take up position and scope out the area looking for the slightest movement. Suddenly, the front door to City Hall opens and out comes Victor. Seemingly unarmed, he stays on the top step.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (yells out) What are you doing here? The National Guard COMMANDER steps out of the lead truck with a megaphone and addresses Victor. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER Identify yourself. VICTOR I am Victor Carias. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER Mr. Carias, please step away from the door slowly with your hands up. VICTOR Youre getting involved in something you know nothing about. If you turn around now and take your men out of Laredo, youll all be spared. If you stay and fight then every one of you will die here today. Mark my words. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER Victor, I cannot allow you to As the Commander is in mid-sentence, a cartel associate launches a rocket-propelled grenade from the rooftop of City Hall. The GRENADE slams into the lead truck, blowing it up and tossing the Commander twenty feet into the air. Several other associates emerge from the rooftop and start shooting up the convoy and the soldiers standing guard alongside it. Victor calmly walks back into City Hall and closes the door behind him as the firefight continues. The soldiers start shooting back but are situated in a position of weakness and are being outmaneuvered by the cartel associates high up on the roof. As the firefight continues, several of the escaped prison inmates rush the convoy from the other side and surprise the soldiers from behind.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese They immediately engage in hand-to-hand combat with the soldiers and some even beat them down with the butt of their rifles. A National Guard helicopter hovers overhead and provides covering fire for the soldiers, managing to kill several inmates in the process. As the helicopter slowly turns to City Hall in order to deal with the cartel associates on the roof, it is hit by a rocket launched from the back of a pickup truck on the other side of the town square. The helicopter spins out of control as its rotor falls off and cuts through one of the military trucks, slicing it in two. It crashes to the ground and explodes which ends up setting another military truck on fire. Several inmates mount a National Guard tank which begins to point its cannon to City Hall. Just as its about to shoot, one of the inmates opens the hatch and drops a couple grenades down it. As they jump off the tank and quickly run for cover, the tank EXPLODES, spreading armor and twisted metal across the town square. The associates on the roof and the inmates on the ground overpower and kill the remaining soldiers. Once the shooting stops, Victor re-emerges from City Hall and walks towards the destroyed, burning convoy to survey the scene up close. Small explosions from burning munitions within the convoy continue going off periodically. Victor walks over to the dead National Guard Commander and kneels down next to him. He scans the uniform of the dead soldier and notices a small camera attached to his helmet. So he takes the helmet off of him, positions it in front of his face and talks into it. VICTOR We took out the guards at the state penitentiary, then we eliminated the local police force in Laredo. We (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) were ready to live a peaceful coexistence but you didnt want that, so you sent the National Guard, and we eradicated them too. Leave us alone and well leave you alone. Theres nothing but violence and defeat awaiting you here. Save yourself and save your men. INT. TEXAS STATE HOUSE, GOVERNORS OFFICE The Governor and his aides are in his office watching a closed circuit television feed of the operation. A closeup of Victors face fills the screen. Everyone in the office is in shock over the quick and bloody defeat of the National Guard unit. TEXAS GOVERNOR Call the President, this is now a federal emergency. EXT. LAREDO TOWN SQUARE DAY Victor, Tex and Dallas are walking through the town square surveying the damage. DALLAS What now? VICTOR Well the government is caught between a rock and a hard place. Weve defeated all their local forces and I dont think the federal government will have the balls to send in the military. Theres this little issue of the Constitution that they have to follow. So its an open town now, go to work. TEX Great, Ive already been setting up the distribution routes with our partners up to the north. VICTOR Good, you and Dallas see to it that (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) there are no disruptions between the flow from Mexico. Weve been so concentrated on setting up Laredo that I want to make sure the rival cartels down in Mexico arent trying to hijack our shipments. Very good. TEX What are you going to do?

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VICTOR (dramatic pause) I think Im going to go house hunting. EXT. WHITE HOUSE DAY A 10-car black SUV motorcade drives through the front gates and pulls up to the West Wing. Several middle-aged MEN in military uniforms and crisp suits step out of the SUVs holding briefcases and looking serious. The JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, a distinguished older gentleman with a healthy head of gray hair, is immediately greeted with a handshake by a boyish-looking PRESIDENTIAL AIDE in his early thirties who is also wearing a crisp suit. PRESIDENTIAL AIDE Sir thank you for coming on such short notice. The President is awaiting your arrival in the Situation Room. The JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, his entourage and the aide immediately walk towards an entrance to the West Wing. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Thank you. Any new developments since I left the house. PRESIDENTIAL AIDE Not that I know sir, but the President is in constant contact with the Governor of Texas and the Secretary of Homeland Security. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF This situation is so fucked.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PRESIDENTIAL AIDE You can say that again. The group of men pass by a SECRET SERVICE DETAIL and enter the White House. INT. WHITE HOUSE, SITUATION ROOM PRESIDENT MORGAN, a stately older gentleman dressed in a casual but very nice pullover that he typically wears during weekend staff meetings, is sitting at the head of the table surrounded by fourteen of his staffers, key cabinet members and top military advisors. He is listening intently as his SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, a nicely dressed older man in a perfect suit, finishes up giving his debriefing. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY and the latest bit of reliable intel we have from the region says that the cartel overtook the border patrol and opened up an entry point from Mexico. PRESIDENT MORGAN (incredulous) They opened up the border? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY That is affirmative sir. PRESIDENT MORGAN So anyone can get in? Complete lawlessness? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Not quite sir. The cartel has their foot soldiers manning the booths. PRESIDENT MORGAN Really? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Yes and theyre turning away all American citizens trying to return to the U.S. with threats of violence if they try to proceed beyond the blockade.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PRESIDENT MORGAN This is anarchy. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY And it only promises to get worse. PRESIDENT MORGAN We have to end this immediately. Do we have any resources left in the area? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Well as mentioned the border patrol in the region has been wiped out, the local police force was overrun and, as you know, the National Guard outpost from El Paso was defeated in a firefight. We have nothing left there unless we move another National Guard unit down. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (interrupts) And what? Have them slaughtered like the El Paso unit? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY It is an option. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Not a well thought out option though. PRESIDENT MORGAN Gentleman, I know this is a tense situation but fighting will get us nowhere. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Sorry sir. PRESIDENT MORGAN So what are our other options? The President looks around the room for suggestions but no one says anything. PRESIDENT MORGAN (contd) Come on speak up. Anyone. I dont care if you have an idea thats not even in your area of expertise, Ill listen to anything right now. We have to stop (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PRESIDENT MORGAN (contd) these people before they expand their territory and march right up to Dallas. The Mexican cartels have no doubt already mobilized and are on their way to the border right now. Come on people, lets hear some options to stop this. Now. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR Why dont we just send a battalion of troops from Ft. Hood over there? They would squash this within three, four hours. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY (interrupts) And piss on the Constitution in the process? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR What? SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY The Constitution specifically states that the government shall not raise its troops in combat on its own soil. Its called Posse Comitatus. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR Surely this is a special circumstance. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY It doesnt matter. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR To the thousands being held captive in their own city and the hundreds of thousands, millions, that are in harms way; I think it definitely does matter. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY This would be an awfully dangerous precedent to set. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR But its a necessary step. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY I dont think it is.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR If youre worried about selling this in to the American people, if anyone could do it, its President Morgan. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Im worried about betraying our founding fathers and everything they stood for. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF I think my esteemed friend in Homeland Security needs to brush up on the finer Points of Posse Comitatus and the Constitution overall. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY What do you mean? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Contrary to popular belief, the law does not prohibit members of the army from maintain law and order on U.S. soil as long as its a directive from the President or Congress. I sort of thought youd know this considering your title and department after all. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Is this true? The secretary looks at the WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL who has been sitting in silence all along. WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL (shakes his head) Thats correct. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR Then its settled, lets get a battalion in there immediately. PRESIDENT MORGAN Calm down. Were not going to do that. Its too much, its too politically risky. If this doesnt go well Ill be ripped by my opponents in next years election and then well all be looking for new jobs.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF What if we send in a few Predator drones to perform surgical strikes on the cartel leadership? We take out the leadership, then the soldiers will probably disperse and run back to Mexico. Then theyll be their problem, not ours. And well arrest the stragglers. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (doubtfully) Predator drones? WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF Yes. Itll be nice and clean and we wont even need to have boots on the groundwhich is important with the President facing re-election next year. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Ahhh, always thinking of politics. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF I have to, thats my job. And like the President says, if he keeps his job, you will probably keep your job too. You like your job, dont you? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Although I appreciate the sentiment, no one in here will have a job after CNN broadcasts the first pictures of a drone misfiring, bombing the wrong house and killing civilians in the process. Kids, grandmothers; the Predator drone wont discriminate. You talk about surgical strikes? You watch too much Fox News. Without intelligence on the ground, well just be shooting blind from 10,000 feet above. Good luck avoiding civilian casualties then. You want to talk about politics? That would be a political disaster. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF Mr. President, what do you think?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The President calmly leans back in his chair and takes a moment to reflect on everything. Then he leans forward, takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes before speaking up. PRESIDENT MORGAN As President, I owe it to the people as a statesman to remain above politics. So my concern isnt what makes me look good from a political standpoint. However I also dont want to look bad either. (pauses) There is a large percentage of Americans who believe that Posse Comitatus means that the military cannot operate on American soil. I came into office as a rigorous defender of the Constitution and, in a moment of crisis like this, I will not turn my back on it even though the belief is not true. However, there is no time to give the American people a civics lesson, not while people are dying every hour. So we will not launch a full scale military invasion on our own soil. Not on my watch. (pauses) Lets keep brainstorming gentlemen. FBI DIRECTOR Mr. President, may I speak up? PRESIDENT MORGAN Go ahead, does the FBI have an idea? FBI DIRECTOR Well sir, its more of a personal idea that I have and not an official stance from the FBI. PRESIDENT MORGAN Thats OK, Im willing to listen to anything right now. FBI DIRECTOR This idea could be really out of the box though. PRESIDENT MORGAN Thats fine, lets hear it.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese FBI DIRECTOR Well I was watching the National Geographic Channel the other night and they had a special on this Central American street gang, called MS-13, that operates in major cities across the country. Well, I think they originated in Los Angeles. I did some additional research on them and found out that they have a long, heated rivalry with this cartel. PRESIDENT MORGAN What are you suggesting? FBI DIRECTOR We pay the gang to go into Laredo and, well, you know, take care of business. We pay them handsomely to neutralize the problem. Kill the bad guys. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF But they are the bad guys! FBI DIRECTOR That is true, but maybe not in this case. Perhaps, the enemy of our enemy could be our friend here. CIA DIRECTOR Do you think they would be willing to work with the government? FBI DIRECTOR Everyone has a price. We shower them with money, maybe release some of their least violent members from prison as a sign of good willtheyd do it. (trying to convince himself) Im sure they will. PRESIDENT MORGAN (incredulously) You want to work together with a vicious street gang that your department has been fighting against for decades? A street gang that has killed scores of innocent men, women and children during their existence?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese FBI DIRECTOR I told you it was out of the box. PRESIDENT MORGAN Id expect that idea from the CIA, not the FBI. FBI DIRECTOR Well that was an off-the-record suggestion. PRESIDENT MORGAN Duly noted but were not going to work with a street gang. FBI DIRECTOR We did it when we tried to assassinate Castro though. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF (whispers under his breath) Not to mention Kennedy. PRESIDENT MORGAN What was that? WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF Oh, nothing sir. PRESIDENT MORGAN Castro was different, he was a foreign dictator in a foreign landforeign being the keyword. Besides, if we work with a street gang, Im worried that well be creating a whole new problem while trying to deal with the current one at hand. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF We need to get boots on the ground though. Agreed. PRESIDENT MORGAN So how do we do that?

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JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Mr. President, you said that you wouldnt agree to a full scale military invasion.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PRESIDENT MORGAN Thats correct. Im not sending tanks down the middle of Main Street and Im not going to have B-52s carpetbombing their hideouts either. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF What if we sent in a covert special forces unit? PRESIDENT MORGAN Interesting. How covert? Do you think theyd draw any attention? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF No sir. They do everything under a cloak of secrecy. No one will even know theyre there. PRESIDENT MORGAN Itd have to be a small group. I wouldnt want anyone finding out about our soldiers actively fighting in America. And itd have to be quick strike because I dont want weeks worth of bloodshed on my hands. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF These are the most highly trained men in the entire world. Give me the order to recruit eight men and theyll take care of it in short order. In fact, theyll have the situation contained before next weekend so that you can enjoy your Saturday morning golf game in peace. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR Theyll need a highly-skilled leader, because organization and efficiency will be key. CIA DIRECTOR I have just the guy in mind. PRESIDENT MORGAN Has he worked for the CIA before? CIA DIRECTOR Yes, many missions in fact.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese PRESIDENT MORGAN So he knows how to be discreet? CIA DIRECTOR Definitely. PRESIDENT MORGAN And trusted? CIA DIRECTOR Absolutely. PRESIDENT MORGAN (thinking for a moment) Proceed. But proceed under the direction of Homeland Security with support from the Joint Chiefs. We dont need people knowing that the CIA is actively operating in America either. Yes, sir. CIA DIRECTOR Well move immediately.

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INT. TENT WITHIN CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN The special forces team led by Ron Champion walks into a big tent exhausted after another nighttime mission. Gunner Steele immediately throws his backpack to the ground and crashes onto a couch. ROCK JOHNSON Heres to another action-packed night of killing the bad guys and coming back in one piece. GUNNER STEELE Im exhausted. How long have we been in this god-forsaken place anyways? Sureshot Williams looks at his watch. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Eight months, two weeks, five days, twelve hours, sixteen minutes and thirty-two seconds.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GUNNER STEELE A solid eight months wouldve sufficed. Sir, how much longer are we staying here? RON CHAMPION Until the politicians tell us its time to leave. It could be two months, it could be two years. Who knows? It all depends on where America needs us next and when. GUNNER STEELE Shoot, I was afraid you were going to say that. Chet walks over to a kitchen area and grabs a bottle of Jack Daniels off the top of the refrigerator. CHET ARMSTRONG Its time for a drink fellas. He brings the bottle over to a poker table where Tony Gash, Thunder Jackson and Rock Johnson have congregated. CHET ARMSTRONG Whose got the cards? Thunder Jackson reaches into his back pocket and throws a deck of cards onto the middle of the table. TONY GASH Whats the game tonight boys? CHET ARMSTRONG Texas Hold Em. The four soldiers all take a seat at the table. ROCK JOHNSON Anyone else in? GUNNER STEELE Im too sleepy. TONY GASH You are the laziest motherfucker Ive ever met.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GUNNER STEELE Screw you, Im from California, Im supposed to be lazy. Gunner grabs the remote control and turns the TV on to Jersey Shore. TONY GASH Sureshot? SURESHOT WILLIAMS No thanks, pokers a white mans game. CHET ARMSTRONG Get the fuck out of here, its not a white mans game. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Name me one famous poker player thats black. CHET ARMSTRONG Name me one famous poker player period. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Jesus, I dont know. I dont follow white man games. CHET ARMSTRONG Youre ridiculous. You know that, right? SURESHOT Ill tell you what. a brother playing in Poker, Ill join one WILLIAMS The next time I see the World Series of of your games.

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CHET ARMSTRONG Fine, be anti-social. See if I care. SURESHOT WILLIAMS I wish we had billiards up in this bitch. Chet looks over to Ron Champion who has just lit up a cigar. CHET ARMSTRONG Ron, you want in?

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Yeah, what the hell. I could use a little more spending cash in my pocket. Ron Champion takes his time and slowly makes his way over to the table. TONY GASH Sir you might have beaten me five times in a row, but Im feeling good about this game. RON CHAMPION Ahhh, to be young and nave. those days of innocence. I miss

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Rock Johnson grabs his shot glass and holds it up in the air. ROCK JOHNSON Before we kick off the game, Id like to make a toast to another successful mission and the fact that we all got back alive. EVERYONE Here, here. RON CHAMPION Amen. Everyone downs their shot of whiskey in a fraction of a second. Then Tony Gash immediately grabs the bottle and re-fills everyones shot glass. Chet Armstrong shuffles the cards and deals. CHET ARMSTRONG OK, ante up fellas. All of the guys throw their chips into the center of the table. Just as they begin looking at their cards, GENERAL WHITMORE, a hardened war veteran and troop commander, enters the tent.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SURESHOT WILLIAMS Uh oh, its General Whitmore. This can only be bad news. Whats up General, are the locals accusing us of excessive force again? I swear, that was a Taliban insurgent that I shot from 2,500 yards, I could tell by the type of donkey he was riding on. The General walks over to Ron Champion, not even paying attention to what Sureshot is saying. GENERAL WHITMORE Ron. RON CHAMPION General, to what do I owe the pleasure of this appearance, especially as Ive just sat down to relax with my men? GENERAL WHITMORE Can I have a moment of your time, in privacy. RON CHAMPION Fine. Ron Champion throws his cards down on the table in annoyance and stands up. RON CHAMPION OK gentlemen, you get a reprieve from losing for this hand. Ron follows the general out of the tent. EXT. CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN NIGHT The two men gather right outside of the tent with mortar fire going off periodically in the distance. RON CHAMPION So whats up General? GENERAL WHITMORE We have a new situation and the powers that be back in Washington have asked for you specifically.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Back in Pakistan? God I hate that country, we should stop all the diplomacy bullshit and just invade them. GENERAL WHITMORE No, not PakistanAmerica. RON CHAMPION (confused) What?

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America?

GENERAL WHITMORE Yes, America. RON CHAMPION What happened? GENERAL WHITMORE The Joint Chiefs wouldnt tell me. RON CHAMPION Must be something big if theyve requested special forces help. Must be something huge if they wont even tell a two-star general. GENERAL WHITMORE I was led to believe that, yes. RON CHAMPION So what next? GENERAL WHITMORE There is a plane waiting to take you to Dulles. Its leaving in five minutes. RON CHAMPION OK, let me round up my men. GENERAL WHITMORE Not so fast soldier, theyve only requested you. RON CHAMPION Well can I at least bring my Rolling Stone with me so I can pass the time on the flight?

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GENERAL WHITMORE If you can do it within the next five minutes, then, yes. RON CHAMPION What am I doing wasting my time here with you then? Ron Champion walks back over to the tent entrance, then turns back to the general. RON CHAMPION You really dont know whats going on back in America? GENERAL WHITMORE No, I was told I didnt have the proper security clearance. RON CHAMPION (laughs) Oh boy, this must be good. The general gives Ron some final encouragement just as hes about to head into the tent. GENERAL WHITMORE Champion, good luck. EXT. STATELY MANSION IN LAREDO DAY Several HEAVILY ARMED GUARDS are pacing around the perimeter of the grounds keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. INT. SPACIOUS LIVING ROOM, MANSION Victor is walking around the well-decorated, opulent living room talking on his cell phone and conducting business. Hes in the middle of a heated conversation. VICTOR No, no, no, that shipment was supposed to go west to El Paso. My guys over there are in desperate need of a few kilos to supply their Phoenix and San Diego routes. (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) (listens to a response) Well how am I supposed to flood the market if my product is only moving in one direction? Youre giving me a drip but I demand a waterfall. Victor looks over to a couch in the corner of the room where Tex and Dallas are sitting and relaxing. They are being fed grapes by a couple of YOUNG FEMALE RESIDENTS that are prisoners of the cartel while a couple others are fanning them with large palm leaves. All the women have been forced to dress in scantily clad outfits for the amusement of the gang and are chained around their wrists to prevent them from escaping. Dallas tugs on one of the girls chains to bring her closer. DALLAS Get over here doll! She warily approaches him. DALLAS (contd) Feed me another grape. The girl reluctantly feeds him another grape but he doesnt like it so he spits it out at her as another sign of humiliation. DALLAS (contd) Not that one, another one. Victor, watching this from across the room, interrupts his phone call to scold Dallas. VICTOR Dallas, you dont have to act like a savage all the time, grow up. After he watches him stop his behavior, Victor goes back to his phone call. VICTOR Apologies for that interruption. (MORE) I tend

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) to spoil my family members and sometimes they take advantage of that. So where were we? Oh yes, you were fucking me over on the western-bound routes. Ill tell you what? You have 24 hours to get the product over to where its supposed to be or I will sever your motherfucking head off. And Ill put it into a barrel of acid myself. Victor hangs up the phone and walks towards a sliding glass door that leads to the outside patio. VICTOR Come guys, get off your asses and do some work. Dallas stands up, walks over to the girl feeding him grapes, grabs her by the wrist and whispers into her ear. DALLAS Ill take care of you later tonight. Stop by my room if you know whats good for you. Dallas kisses her on the cheek as she looks disgusted over the forced contact with him. Victor walks out to the EXT. BACKYARD PATIO, MANSION - DAY And surveys the expansive backyard that overlooks a scenic valley. He shakes his head satisfyingly and pats Tex and the back. VICTOR We did it gentlemen. (laughs) We did it! Victor takes a giant puff from a victory cigar that hes just lit. Dallas takes a big swig from the bottle of champagne that hes bought outside with him.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX No Victor, you did it. VICTOR And this is only the beginning. This leads into a montage of scenes that show the rapid success of the cartels control over Laredo and the drug trade. EXT. SHIPPING WAREHOUSE, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY Several large U-HAUL TRUCKS are parked in the loading zones of a warehouse. A few of the cartel associates are filling one of the U-Hauls with heavy duffel bags. As one of the men is loading the truck, he drops the duffel bags that hes carrying and out pours several bags of cocaine. Another cartel associate rushes over to pick up the bags off the ground. TRUCK LOADER Be careful you idiot! Victor will have our asses if we lose even one of these bags! As several of the trucks get packed with drugs, another UHAUL TRUCK backs up into an empty spot at the loading zone of the warehouse. Several other cartel associates walk up to the truck and open the back door. A few of them grab some duffel bags and walk into the INT. SHIPPING WAREHOUSE Where they walk over to a long table in a large, empty room and dump out the contents. STACKS and STACKS of hundred dollar BILLS spill out across the table, millions of dollars between the five big duffel bags. One the cartel members walks slowly up to the table, grabs a few stacks and holds them up to the light with a big grin across his face.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SHIPPING WAREHOUSE WORKER Ahhh yes, money, money, money, money, money! The rest of the cartel members gathered around the table crack up laughing. INT. LAREDO PRISON The dark and dingy jail cells of the Laredo town prison are overflowing with the able-bodied MALE RESIDENTS of Laredo. Most cells, which are made for only two prisoners, are filled with five or six men. As the light bulbs flicker on and off, condensation drips from the walls and insects fly overhead, the look of depression and hopelessness covers the mens faces. EXT. LAREDO TOWN SQUARE DAY Several OLDER MALE RESIDENTS are being forced to dig a deep, long trench around the perimeter of the town square area under the watchful eyes of a few cartel members. The cartel members are carrying long WHIPS that they use on the backs of the residents when they dont think theyre working hard enough. CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP Work faster! Move faster! Hurry up! The cartel member strikes out and whips one of the defenseless residents who is busy shoveling a large pile of dirt in the trench. He falls down to the ground quickly from the force of the blow. WHIPPED MALE RESIDENT (defiantly) If you want me to work, let me work! CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP OK. And with that the cartel member takes out his gun and shoots the worker dead in cold-blood.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP I dont really care if you work, I can always find someone else to fill your spot. Anyone else with a comment? (pause) No? OK, back to work. The other male residents go back to digging as the cartel member looks at two DITCH DIGGERS who are standing next to him above the trench. CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP You two. He points to a couple of shovels laying next to the trench. CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP (contd) Bury our dearly departed. DITCH DIGGER (confused) What? In here? (points to the ditch) Right there?

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CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP You have a problem with that? The ditch digger looks at the dying man laying at the bottom of the trench, he is barely still breathing. DITCH DIGGER Come on, hes still breathing for gods sake. The cartel member raises his gun and aims it point blank towards the ditch diggers forehead. CARTEL MEMBER WITH WHIP So? Reluctantly both men pick up their shovels and start burying the dying resident in the dirt. He takes a mouthful of dirt and meekly tries to cough it up. Soon after, the man is fully covered after a few more tosses of dirt from the mens shovels.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Dallas and Tex emerge from City Hall and walk over to the trench to oversee the citys defenses. TEX These trenches are nice. DALLAS We have several of them throughout the city and around the perimeter. TEX Still, I dont think its enough. DALLAS You want even more trenches? TEX No its not that. Tex takes a look around and notices the absence of many security guards. TEX (contd) We need soldiers. DALLAS We have soldiers, we took almost the entire population of the Texas State Penitentiary and enlisted them, not to mention our friends from south of the border that have come up to join us in arms. TEX Its not enough. DALLAS Enough for what? Look around, we have the residents of this city under our complete control. Theyd be foolish to try anything. They know if they do, we would not only kill them, but wed kill their fathers, their sons, their brothers, even their pets. TEX Its not them Im worried about. We beat the Texas National Guard, so what? The (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX (contd) government will be back and therell be more of them. We need greater defenses, we need more soldiers. DALLAS Fine, Ill raid the town prison. I can find plenty of able-bodied men that we have locked up since our takeover. TEX No, that wont work. I do not trust putting guns in our prisoners hands, no matter what we do to threaten them. DALLAS Then what do you suggest? Tex looks over to the other side of the town square and sees a few CHILDREN loading a truck with heavy duffel bags. TEX (smiles) Childrenwell use children. DALLAS Really? TEX Yes, theyre young and innocent, theyll do whatever we tell them to do. Watch. Tex takes a few steps towards the truck on the other side of the square and shouts out. Boy! Hey, boy! TEX Come here!

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One of the children notices Tex shouting at him so he stops loading the truck and walks over to him. TEX Whats your name? MIGUEL Im Miguel. Miguel. TEX How old are you?

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese MIGUEL 9. TEX When was the last time you saw your parents? MIGUEL Three days ago maybe. TEX Ever shoot a gun before? MIGUEL No. Tex points down randomly to a MAN in the trench busily digging away and not even paying attention to the conversation. TEX What if I were to tell you that that man right down there killed your parents? Miguel just stares at the man as a couple of tears start to trickle down his cheeks. TEX (contd) Will you make him suffer the way he made your parents suffer? (pauses) Do it for me. Its OK. He hurt your parents so you should hurt him. Miguel slowly shakes his head yes as Tex puts a small HANDGUN into the palm of his hand. TEX Hey ditch digger. The man turns around to see the child, Miguel, pointing a gun at him. TEX Why did you kill this childs parents? What? about? DITCH DIGGER #2 I didnt? What are you talking

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Tex leans over and whispers into Miguels ear. TEX Youre an orphan because of this man. You dont like that do you? Come on, take care of this scum, take care of the scum that killed your parents. DITCH DIGGER #2 (holds his hands up) No, no, please, I didnt do it! dont shoot

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Please

Miguel squeezes the trigger and shoots the man dead. Tex consoles Miguel by rubbing his neck and running his hand through his hair. TEX Good boy. (takes the gun back) Go back and re-join the other children other there. Innocently, Miguel runs back to the other side of the town square like nothing happened and re-joins the children loading the truck. DALLAS (looks at Tex) I think youre on to something, Tex. TEX I told you. If we want them to kill, theyll kill. And theyre young and expendable. Get them organized. DALLAS Will do. LATER ON EXT. OPEN FIELD DAY An 18-WHEELER TRUCK is parked in an open field with several cartel members unloading ASSAULT RIFLES from the back. Theyre handing the guns out to a line of several hundred PRE-TEEN CHILDREN.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Once each child receives a gun theyre ushered over to a target range and forced to shoot at a variety of objects to hone their skills. As they practice, a MEAN-LOOKING CARTEL MEMBER paces back and forth behind them shouting out brainwashing propaganda. CHILD SOLDIER TRAINER People are coming here to kill your fathers and brothers and rape youre mothers and sisters. We need you to be the heroes of Laredo and defend our city from these nasty invaders. They dont care about human life so we need to fight fire with fire. We need you all to become cold-blooded killers. If these invaders have no regard for human life, we need you to have the same mentality, all for your familys safety. Someone approaches you in a hostile way, he is your enemy, and what do you do to your enemy? The trainer walks up to one of the children target shooting. CHILD SOLDIER TRAINER Come on, what do you do to your enemy? Without saying a word, the child aims his rifle, shoots and shatters a bottle from 50 yards away. CHILD SOLDER TRAINER (laughs) Ha, ha, ha! Thats right. The trainer pats the child on the head and continues walking down the line of children taking target practice. INT. SHIPPING WAREHOUSE Hundreds of FEMALE RESIDENTS, both young and old, are packaging up bricks of cocaine and marijuana along very long tables that line a football field-sized room within the warehouse. To minimize the chance that they will steal anything, all the women are wearing hairnets and have on scantily clad outfits bikini tops and short shorts, no shoes on either.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese They are also being watched by several heavily armed cartel members who are walking around the floor and keeping an eye on them from the catwalk above. One of the tables gets filled with packaged bricks, so a woman boxes them up then a cartel member comes over, grabs the box and walks out of the room and into a HALLWAY Where he continues carrying it as he walks down towards the LOADING DOCK And over to a waiting 18-wheeler truck that is already packed almost full with similar brown boxes. He loads the box onto the truck then closes and locks the back doors. Next, he pounds loudly on the truck to signify that its all loaded at which point it pulls out of the loading dock. EXT. SHIPPING WAREHOUSE, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DAY The truck drives out of the large parking lot and turns onto a nearby highway, heading north and deeper into the U.S. INT. MAP OF AMERICA A route leading from Laredo to Brooklyn, primarily by way of interstate highways, is highlighted. EXT. MARCY PROJECTS IN BROOKLYN MORNING Three PRE-TEEN AFRICAN-AMERICANS are hanging out on the corner of a busy street sharing a CRACK PIPE and getting high. One block up, in clear view of everyone, a drug deal goes down at the corner of a street right by a school bus stop where several LITTLE CHILDREN are waiting patiently. A SHADY-LOOKING BLACK TEENAGER is standing at the corner all fidgety with his hands nervously in his pockets. Suddenly a black ESCALADE pulls up and another SHADYLOOKING BLACK TEENAGER jumps out of the passengers side.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese They secretly conduct a drug deal with one guy handing over a bag of drugs while the other hands over a wad of cash. Once the guy from the SUV walks back to his car, the window suddenly rolls down and the DRIVER sprays the street corner drug dealer with his automatic weapon. The drug dealer immediately falls dead and is engulfed in a pool of his own blood. In the wild gunfire that lasts only a few seconds, several other BYSTANDERS on the street also catch an errant bullet and get injured or die as well. One of the innocent victims is a FIVE YEAR OLD BLACK GIRL who was walking to her bus stop. Shes laying on the sidewalk covered in blood along with her BRATZ book bag. The shooting causes mad PANIC as the children at the bus stop are paralyzed in fear. The adults who have been walking on the crowded streets all begin to RUN in different directions. A PLAYGROUND 20 yards from the shooting is filled with CHILDREN running around screaming. The SUV passenger walks over to the dead drug dealer and reaches down into his pockets to steal his money. Then he rushes back into the car as the driver yells at him. Lets go! SUV DRIVER Lets go! Lets go!

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Once the passenger is back inside the SUV, the driver PEELS OUT and speeds down the street, barely missing a few other cars in the process. INT. MAP OF AMERICA A route leading from Laredo to Manhattan, primarily by way of interstate highways, is highlighted. INT. TONY UPPER EAST SIDE TOWNHOUSE, LIVING ROOM Four SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLERS, two boys and two girls, are sitting on the floor around a glass table in one of the parents homes.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese One of the high schoolers takes out a bag of cocaine and spreads it across the table while another takes out her parents AMERICAN EXPRESS BLACK CARD and gives it to her friend who begins chopping it up. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL GIRL #1 Come on, come on, our maid is going to be home any minute now. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #1 Relax, it takes a little time to do this. The boy finishes chopping up the cocaine then carefully cuts up several long, fat lines. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #2 This shit looks good! UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL GIRL #2 (sarcastically) Do you think you made the lines fat enough? Jeez. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #1 I just want to make sure we get fucked up. Its a celebration! UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #2 Yeah, that math exam was brutal today but we survived it. One of the girls grabs the wallet out of her purse and takes out a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL from a stack of hundreds that she has. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL GIRL #1 (rolling up the bill) Who wants to go first? UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #1 Go for it. And with that, the girl snorts the line then rubs her nose and takes it all in. Next she passes the bill over to the boy sitting next to her and he takes a line.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese They pass the bill around until all four teenagers have snorted two lines. Needless to say, they all get ridiculously high very quickly. One of the boys looks up to the ceiling in a daze and rubs his head like he has a headache. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL BOY #2 Holy shit, Im so friggin high! Suddenly, one of the girls turns to the boy sitting next to her and starts making out with him. This causes the other boy and girl to start making out with each other too. After a little bit, the girl turns the other way and starts making out with the other boy. Soon enough, all four of them are making out with each other, including girl-on-girl action. The boys hands start exploring the girls bodies as they start to caress their chests over their shirts. UPPITY HIGH SCHOOL GIRL #1 Lets all go into my parents bedroom and fuck. The four of them stand up, hand-in-hand, and walk out of the room. INT. MAP OF AMERICA A route leading from Laredo to Chicago then to Des Moines, Iowa, primarily by way of interstate highways, is highlighted. EXT. MOTEL 6 DAY On a rather desolate stretch of highway out in the middle of nowhere sits a one-story Motel 6 with a handful of older, beaten up cars sitting in the parking lot. INT. HOTEL ROOM, MOTEL 6 A JUNKIE in his mid-to-late thirties and wearing a wifebeater t-shirt is sitting dazed and confused up against the headboard of his bed.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The room is dark with only a sliver of light shining through the closed curtains, its made even darker from the mahogany wood paneling. The room is rather empty with only the necessities in it a bed, an open closet, a bathroom and a dresser with a small TV sitting on top of it. The TV is tuned to a Beavis & Butthead marathon. The junkie grabs a rope from the end table next to the bed and ties it around his bicep. Then he grabs a needle and shoots himself up with HEROIN. After shooting himself up, he blankly stares up at the ceiling as he moves his head from side to side. A few moments later he starts foaming at the mouth and then slumps over onto the bed having taken a lethal injection of drugs. Shortly thereafter, his lifeless body falls to the floor. Sadly, he ended his life in a lonely, non-descript motel room out in the middle of nowhere. INT. MAP OF AMERICA A route leading from Laredo to Los Angeles, primarily by way of interstate highways, is highlighted. INT. NIGHTCLUB ON SUNSET STRIP IN LOS ANGELES A very attractive YOUNG BLONDE in her mid-twenties is hanging out with a friend at the packed bar of a high energy nightclub with techno music blasting in the background. While shes not paying attention to her drink, a SHADYLOOKING WHITE MAN in his late-thirties comes up to the bar and pops a GHB pill into her drink. The pill quickly dissolves until it disappears completely. The man hovers around the girl and her friend at the bar for a few moments until the girls friend walks away to go to the bathroom. With the girl by herself, this gives the guy the perfect opportunity to move in and start a conversation.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CLUB GUY Hey there, how are you? The girl takes a sip from her drug-laced drink and doesnt look too interested in the guy. CLUB GIRL Im fine. CLUB GUY Youre so beautiful. CLUB GIRL Thank you. She takes another sip. CLUB GUY Can I buy you another drink? CLUB GIRL No, thats not necessary. CLUB GUY Come on, youre cute, I want to buy you a drink. CLUB GIRL No, no. CLUB GUY Come on, I insist. The guy leads the girl away from the bar and towards another one so that her friend cant find her. CLUB GIRL But, but, Im waiting for my friend. The club girl is already getting weak from the effects of the GHB pill. CLUB GUY Thats OK, I saw her before. When I see her come back Ill wave her over to us. CLUB GIRL Wellummm, OK.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CLUB GUY See, well have fun. Trust me. The guy drags her to the other bar where he immediately orders two cocktails for them. She finishes her first drink then moves promptly over to her second drink. From the corner of his eye, the guy sees the girls friend come back to the other bar. She looks around for her friend and becomes confused when she doesnt see her. After a few moments of trying to find her friend, she gives up and leaves the bar. This leaves the girl all by herself with the shady guy that just drugged her. CLUB GUY So, do you want to hit the dance floor? CLUB GIRL (woozily) Sure, I guess. The two go on the dance floor and start dancing to the beats of the techno music. He immediately starts grinding on her and they begin to make out. About half way through the mixed song, the girl starts getting a little dizzy. CLUB GIRL I need, I need to go to the bathroom. CLUB GUY Are you OK? CLUB GIRL Yeah, Ill be fine. I just need to go to the bathroom. CLUB GUY OK, Ill go with you. You know, to make sure youre OK. The girl puts her hand on his chest to stop him. CLUB GIRL No, Im fine.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The girl stumbles off to the bathroom and is followed by the shady guy anyways. AT THE BATHROOM The girl practically falls into the unisex bathroom and, a couple of moments later, the guy follows her into it. He locks the door behind him. LATER ON The door swings open and the girl, who is completely disheveled and has her shirt on backwards, stumbles out of the bathroom. The guy follows her out and zips up his jeans as he leaves. As she stumbles off one way, the guy nonchalantly walks the other way and blends in with the crowd of partiers on the dance floor. The girl, completely drugged up by now, uses her hands to feel her way out of the club. She finally finds a side exit door and pushes her way out. EXT. SUNSET STRIP, LOS ANGELES NIGHT The girl stumbles down the street and past the line of PEOPLE waiting to get into the club. She walks down a dark alleyway where she grabs the side of a dumpster and starts puking into a puddle of water on the ground. Once the puddle settles she looks at her reflection in the water and starts crying uncontrollably, upset to see what has happened to her. She tries to compose herself and starts to stumble again down the alleyway but only makes it ten steps before collapsing on her back. Quietly, she lays there dead in the middle of a dark alleyway alone. EXT. PENTAGON NIGHT An aerial view of the Pentagon during the night.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. PENTAGON, SITUATION ROOM Several older, high ranking GENERALS are sitting around a large table in a high tech command room whose walls are covered with large TV screens and electronic maps. The door opens and Ron Champion walks in flanked by several other high-ranking generals dressed in their crisp military uniforms. The JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, at the head of the table, sits up attentively as soon as he sees Ron enter the room. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Ahhh Champion, come in. Please take a seat. Ron Champion sits at the other end from the Joint Chiefs and immediately makes himself comfortable by kicking his feet up onto the table and taking a cigar out of his pocket. RON CHAMPION Well gentlemen, I see a lot of distinguished officers sitting around this table. The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, Army and Air Force, head of the JSOC, Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the CIA and of course you sir, the Joint Chiefs of Staff. So I take it whatever youre going to tell me isnt your ordinary mission. The JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF leans forward in his chair and stares directly into Ron Champions eyes to make sure he understands the severity of what hes about to say. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Ohhh Mr. Champion, I can assure you that this isnt an ordinary mission at all. Even for you. Ron Champion takes a couple deliberate puffs from his cigar. RON CHAMPION So what is it?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Three days ago at approximately fourteen hundred hours Victor Carias orchestrated a jailbreak from the Texas State Penitentiary. RON CHAMPION And who the hell is Victor Carias? The Secretary points to an assistant who brings up a picture of Victor on the overhead screen. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Victor Carias is a bad man. The head of the Nuevo Laredo drug cartel, Victor was captured in Texas four years ago after sneaking into the country and attending a secret meeting of U.S. drug traffickers who were looking to tighten their supply routes across the Mexican border. We had him under surveillance for a few years by that point and were able to pounce on him the one day he crossed into America. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF The government wanted to prosecute him on several federal charges but the state of Texas insisted on keeping him for themselves. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Which was fine by us because the state of Texas justice system is not known for being lenient on, well, anyone. So he was convicted of murder, drug trafficking, extortion and a host of other crimes. He was spared the death penalty because the state didnt want to potentially create a martyr for the Mexican cartels. So he was serving four consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF He was wasting away in prison until just a few days ago when he escaped.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Well, I wouldnt necessarily say that he was just wasting away. He was still very active in the Nuevo Laredo Cartel and was, in fact, running it from behind bars with the help of his American born son-in-law who was acting as an intermediary between Victor, the smugglers in the U.S. and the cartel base in Mexico. So the infrastructure remained intact for a smooth return to power. RON CHAMPION OK, so he went back to Mexico? You want me to find him? Give me two days, Ill find him and Ill kill him. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY Not exactly. He couldve easily slipped back into Mexico, but he decided to do something different. RON CHAMPION What was that? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Him, his fellow inmates and his cartel associates decided to shift their power base and take over the American border town of Laredo. RON CHAMPION What do you mean he took over a town? How do you take over a town? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF He invaded the town and overpowered everyone in it. He killed the mayor, executed the local police force and defeated the National Guard unit that was sent in to capture him. In fact it only took the narco terrorists a few minutes to take out the unit in its entirety. Some may have survived and are being held as prisoners, but we dont have confirmation of that. What we do know is that several headless (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (contd) National guardsmen bodies were found on the highway leading to the Mexican border. Victor Carias has free reign of the town now and all its citizens are being held captive. At least those that are still alive. RON CHAMPION OK, so you have a big problem on your hands. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Thats why we need your help. Due to the politically sensitive nature of the situation and the fact that it involves a lot of our own law-abiding citizens SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY (interrupts) Most actually arent our own law-abiding citizens. Most are convicted felons, Mexican immigrants and illegal aliens. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (frustrated and short-tempered) Thank you Homeland Security Secretary, but the fact of the matter is that there are many U.S. citizens mixed up in this ragtag narco militia. RON CHAMPION Hey, do you two want to have your lovers quarrel some other time, preferably when Im not around and wasting my time having to listen to this? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Anyways, because of the politically sensitive nature of the situation the President will not send in a large military force to deal with this. Not a battalion, not a company, not even a platoon. RON CHAMPION So what are you suggesting?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF looks across the table to the JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER, an All-American looking career soldier who, in his 40s, is one of the youngest high-ranking soldiers at the table. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Vice Admiral Franco, would you like to take over the briefing? JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Were going to send in an elite team of eight highly-trained special forces soldiers to covertly neutralize the threat. We figure that kind of size can get the job done quietly and efficiently. RON CHAMPION And you came to me. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER We are looking for the best of the best to lead this team. RON CHAMPION So besides leadership, what do you need from me? JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER The team. RON CHAMPION OK, well itll be a little difficult for me to pick seven men in addition to myself since all of the men in my unit are the best of the best. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Actually Champion, youll only be picking six men. RON CHAMPION You said this would be an eight man mission. Six plus one is seven. They do teach math at the Academy, right? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF It isand yes they do.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION So seven? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF No, we have a special soldier that well be integrating into your team. RON CHAMPION (rolls eyes) Ohhh great, this deal just keeps getting better. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Well brief you on this new team member later, but for now lets settle on the rest of the team. Vice Admiral Franco. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER We have dossiers of all the men in your unit. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (interrupts) And again because of the sensitive nature of this operation all men have to be approved by the senior leadership here. RON CHAMPION Fuck you. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (taken aback) I beg your pardon?!?! You heard me. RON CHAMPION Fuck you.

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JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Thats insubordination talk right there son. CIA DIRECTOR I told you he was a character. what makes him good. Thats

RON CHAMPION Sir, you reached out to me because you (MORE)

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION (contd) know that Im the best of the best. But if you want the best all-around team, you will let me do my job with minimal interference from pencil-pushing dickheads like yourself. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (angrily) Youre out of line soldier. RON CHAMPION And youre out of touch general. CIA DIRECTOR Gentlemen, gentleman please. I know were all a little high strung right now, but lets try to maintain some decorum. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER So who would you propose, Champion? RON CHAMPION You said you have the dossiers, right? JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER I do. Ron Champion thinks over his options for a moment then proceeds. RON CHAMPION OK, I will give you six names on the condition that theyre automatically approved for this assignment. I dont need bureaucrats up in my face trying to make decisions for me even if they do have four stars on their shoulders. The JSOC Commander looks at the Joint Chiefs of Staff who finally gives in and nods his head in approval after a few moments of tense silence. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Agreed.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION OK, first and foremost, Ill need my right hand man with me, Chet Armstrong. Bring him up on the screen. The JSOC Commander scrambles to bring up an electronic file on his computer that shows a picture of Chet, along with some vital statistics (height, weight, specialties, career highlights), which is projected onto the main TV screen. RON CHAMPION Chet has been with me since Operation Desert Storm and has an unblemished record. Hes the ultimate professional soldier, cold as ice too. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF And whats his specialty? RON CHAMPION Hes my conscious. SECRETARY OF NAVY (smiles) Sort of like your yin to your yang? RON CHAMPION (intensely) Thats right. Hes a great leader of men too. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Fine. Who else you got? RON CHAMPION Sureshot Williams. A former All-American running back at the University of Maryland. The JSOC Commander brings his dossier up onto the screen. RON CHAMPION (contd) (O.S.) He once made the most ridiculous rushing touchdown I ever saw; breaking eleven, twelve tackles during an 80 yard run on his way to the endzone.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese EXT. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FOOTBALL FIELD DAY As Ron Champion relays the story, we see a flashback with Sureshot Williams lined up as a running back taking a handoff at his own twenty yard line and breaking tackle after tackle, jumping over defenders and spinning them around as he rushes for a touchdown against the raucous cheers of a sold-out stadium. INT. PENTAGON, SITUATION ROOM RON CHAMPION The kid is strong, almost superhuman strength and hes got amazing agility. You all should check out the video of this touchdown, it does a good job of showing his heart and determination. Its on YouTube for all that are interested in checking him out. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF And that name, ummm, Sureshot, was that his given name at birth? RON CHAMPION No. Hes also an expert marksmen. He once took the turban right off of a suspected Iraqi insurgent from 1,000 feet away just to scare him. Then five seconds later when the insurgent still had no clue what happened, he hit him with a double shot to the head. (pause) It was me that named him Sureshot. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Thats three so far. RON CHAMPION Next up will be Rock Johnson. A big, imposing man from Hawaii. Hes a grappler, fighting is in his blood. The JSOC Commander brings his dossier up on the big screen. RON CHAMPION (contd) His grandfather was a Golden Gloves Champion once upon a time. His dad (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION (contd) was a wrestling champion back on Hawaii. If theres hand-to-hand combat to be had, Rock Johnson will kick anyones ass. You better bring a knife or a gun if you want to have a shot at beating himand even then Id only put the odds at 50/50, assuming he was unarmed. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF But do you think youll have any real need for a grappler on this mission? RON CHAMPION Sir it is my duty to be prepared for any situation and have a contingency at the ready. Hes a good soldier too, hes my man. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Keep going. RON CHAMPION Next on my list is Tony Gash. Hes the speedster of the group. An All-American track star from UCLA. The JSOC Commander brings his dossier up on the screen next. RON CHAMPION He broke the 100 meter collegiate record as a Sophomore in college, then broke his own record the next year as a Junior. EXT. TRACK & FIELD STADIUM NIGHT As Ron Champion relays the story, theres a flashback showing Tony Gash as a collegian lined up for a 100 meter run with other track athletes. The gun goes off and Tony Gash quickly separates himself from the field and wins the race easily against his competitors.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. PENTAGON, SITUATION ROOM JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF What happened his senior year? He slow down? RON CHAMPION No. He decided to drop out of college and join the military when his older brother was killed in Afghanistan. Hes just a kid trying to make a difference. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY Outside of speed, what else can he do? RON CHAMPION Hes my assassination expert. Get him within twenty feet of a target and hell have him killed without anyone knowing what just happened. Hes the best at it. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Two more. RON CHAMPION Thunder Jackson. Hes a beast. The JSOC Commander brings his dossier up on the screen. RON CHAMPION (contd) Physically intimidating, tough as nails, doesnt take shit from anyone. And hes handy with a gun, actually hes handy with all types of weapons. Give him something hes never seen before and hell figure out how to shoot from it within five secondsand shoot accurately. Oh and hes angry, maybe not as angry as Sureshot Williams, but he is an angry man. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Jesus, Im scared just looking at him in his picture. RON CHAMPION Thats his eyes, he has the ability to pierce right through you with his eyes. (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION (contd) Even before you fight him, hes already won. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Hes got my vote. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF And finally? RON CHAMPION To round out my team Im going to bring Gunner Steele with me. As soon as the JSOC Commander brings up a picture of Gunner Steele, the room fills with a hushed gasp from the experienced soldiers who are surprised to see such a young, California-dude surfer type. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Who is this? He looks like a damn surfer! Is he even 12? Has his nuts dropped yet? RON CHAMPION Hes a great kid, young, but a very good soldier. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Whats his particular skill or specialty? RON CHAMPION Staying alive. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Thats it? RON CHAMPION Thats it. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER So why do you want to take him? RON CHAMPION Because hes a good soldier and hell be a good leader in time. I want to show him the ropes. We shouldnt just be in the business of recruitment, but also retention and promotion. We need to be (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION (contd) sure that were actively training the next generation of highly-skilled killers so I want to do my part by taking Gunner under my wing for this operation. Hes already proven his worth under my command on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Pakistan. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF I like his name at least. OK, youve got your team. RON CHAMPION Not so fast though sir. What about that eighth soldier you talked about, who is he? JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Ron, since this mission will most likely include a lot of urban warfare, we thought itd be best to include a team member that has intimate knowledge of the border area. A soldier, in fact, that is from Laredo. Their navigational skills will be critical in rooting out the bad guys from their positions and finding their hiding spots. RON CHAMPION Fine, I dont have a problem with that. So who is he? The JSOC Commander motions to an OFFICER that is sitting in the back of the room. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Officer, bring her in. The officer leaves the room and comes back with the BLACK WIDOW, a hot, sultry MEXICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE in her latetwenties, early-thirties. The Black Widow struts into the room as everyone goes quiet. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Ron Champion, meet The Black Widow. RON CHAMPION Black Widow, eh? Nice name.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Ron Champion politely shakes her hand. RON CHAMPION (contd) Were names like Julie or Angela just too boring for your parents? The Black Widow squeezes his hand so tightly that Ron Champion unexpectedly winces in pain for a moment. RON CHAMPION Good grip soldier. BLACK WIDOW I earned the nickname Black Widow because Im known to kill mena lot of them. RON CHAMPION I guess I should consider myself lucky that they dont call you The Praying Mantis? BLACK WIDOW (not amused) Dont flatter yourself. (looks him up and down) Id never mate with you anyways, youre too tiny. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Well were just one big happy team now, arent we? RON CHAMPION (laughs) I like this one. Both Ron Champion and the Black Widow sit down at the table next to each other. BLACK WIDOW So, when do we get to the killing? JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF As soon as we can get the rest of Champions team back into the states. The Black Widow reaches over and grabs Ron Champions cigar which is sitting in an ashtray in front of them.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese She takes a long deliberate puff and blows it into the face of the high-ranking general sitting next to her whos just minding his own business. BLACK WIDOW Ill tell you what. Ill go down there now and get a head start. (looks at Ron) When you ladies are ready, feel free to join me. (looks at the Joint Chiefs of Staff) And dont worry about me, I know my way around Laredo. RON CHAMPION (smiles) Ohhh, I really like this one. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Youll get down to Laredo soon enough. All in good time. The team is being assembled back in Afghanistan as we speak and will be extracted immediately. By this time tomorrow youll be on your way to Texas. The Black Widow impatiently looks at her watch. BLACK WIDOW 24 hours? Well then Ill be at my hotel bar downing whiskey shots to pass the time if anyones looking for me. The Black Widow puts the cigar out in a half-full glass of Diet Coke sitting in front of the general next to her then gets up and walks out of the room. JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Ron, keep an eye on her, she tends to be a little bit of a loose cannon. RON CHAMPION (sarcastically) You dont say? JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER Ron, just humor us.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Yes sir. INT. ELEVATOR, PENTAGON The Black Widow is standing in the elevator when Ron Champion enters just as the doors are about to close. In a move of intimidation, he walks up to within inches of her face and stares right into her eyes. BLACK WIDOW (smirks) Ohhh boy, are you trying to intimidate me? Thats cute. Ron doesnt budge. RON CHAMPION So whats your deal? BLACK WIDOW What do you mean? RON CHAMPION In all my years in the JSOC, youre the first woman Ive ever come across. BLACK WIDOW Wow, you must be a lonely guy. RON CHAMPION In uniform that is. BLACK WIDOW Thats probably because most women arent as tough as me. RON CHAMPION And what makes you believe youre so tough? BLACK WIDOW Once in Iraq my unit and I got ambushed by a group of insurgents who were planting IEDs along a road we were using to transport prisoners during the night. A firefight erupted and, in the haze of war and (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BLACK WIDOW (contd) the disorientation of the pitch blackness, we ended up in hand-to-hand combat. I took down four insurgents myself. I sliced the throat of the first one, made one of them stab the next, broke the neck of a third and ripped the scalp clean off of the last one. I dont know who was covered in more blood, them or me. At least the blood on me wasnt my blood. RON CHAMPION You ripped the scalp off of someone? BLACK WIDOW Yeah, ever done that? RON CHAMPION Cant say that I have. BLACK WIDOW It makes this tearing sound, almost like youre ripping a piece of cloth in two. Ill tell you what though, the scream you hear a man make when his scalp is being ripped off of his head is not like any scream youve ever heard in your life. ROM CHAMPION I can imagine. BLACK WIDOW No, no you cant. The elevator reaches the ground floor and the door opens. BLACK WIDOW Any other questions or do you actually have to see me on the battlefield before you believe that this chick can ass-kick? RON CHAMPION You really tore the scalp off of someone? Black Widow walks out of the elevator then turns back to look at Ron.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BLACK WIDOW Clean off, in one fell swoop. I took one of his ears as a souvenir too and made a necklace out of it. RON CHAMPION (smiles) Thats a nice touch. Do you actually wear it? BLACK WIDOW No. I sent it to an ex-boyfriend with a note attached after I found out he was cheating on me. RON CHAMPION What did the note say? BLACK WIDOW Youre next. RON CHAMPION I think thats the most shocking thing Ive heard since I met you. What? BLACK WIDOW That I cut a guys ear off?

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RON CHAMPION No, that you had a boyfriend. BLACK WIDOW I am still a lady at the end of the day. (pauses) Ill see you tomorrow at the base. I like my coffee black with no sugar. Make sure you get it right or else Ill be one cranky bitch for the rest of the morning. The Black Widow walks away as the elevator doors close with Ron still in it. INT. C-130 HERCULES MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE The six other members of Ron Champions special forces team are flying back to America so they can re-join their commander for the next assignment.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GUNNER STEELE Any idea whats going on? CHET ARMSTRONG No idea. GUNNER STEELE And why did Washington just call for us and not the whole unit? CHET ARMSTRONG I dont know. GUNNER STEELE Were not being reprimanded, are we? CHET ARMSTRONG I doubt it, we just killed Geronimo. GUNNER STEELE Maybe theyre going to give us medals? CHET ARMSTRONG Doubtful. GUNNER STEELE How come? CHET ARMSTRONG Because were black ops and we lurk in the shadows. Were supposed to be doing this kind of shit. GUNNER STEELE Yeah but we took out a big fish, that has to be worth something? CHET ARMSTRONG Yes, an intrinsic reward and knowing that it was a job well done. The American public should never know what we do, what operations we carry out. Thats why were as successful as we are. GUNNER STEELE The President could give us a private ceremony in the Rose Garden at least.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CHET ARMSTRONG (laughs) Maybe one day. But thats not what were about. GUNNER STEELE So Champion didnt say why we were being called to the Pentagon? CHET ARMSTRONG No. GUNNER STEELE But he tells you everything. CHET ARMSTRONG Thats why I think this has to be something big. GUNNER STEELE Bigger than Geronimo? CHET ARMSTRONG Who knows. I cant imagine what would be bigger than Geronimo, but who knows what this world has in store for us anymore. I sure as hell dont. GUNNER STEELE What a world we live in. So, what do you CHET ARMSTRONG (interrupts Gunner) Get some sleep Gunner, its a long flight and theres no telling when well be able to sleep again once we land. Chet turns away from Gunner and puts a blanket over himself as he tries to sneak in a power nap. Sitting across the aisle from Gunner and Chet are Thunder Jackson and Rock Johnson. Rock is busy reading a BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK MAGAZINE while Thunder is staring straight ahead with a smile on his face. THUNDER JACKSON I cant wait to step foot back on American (MORE)

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese THUNDER JACKSON (contd) soil. Have American food. Chik-fil-a. Popeyes. Red Lobster. Olive Garden. And on those special nights out, Outback Steakhouse. Watch American football, not this kickie-ball crap. Watch American TV like Idol and You Think You Can Dance. And screw my American girlfriend. Ohhh yeah, I cant wait. Rock Johnson, whos barely paying attention to anything Thunder Jackson is saying, is still engrossed in his magazine. ROCK JOHNSON Jesus Christ, America is going to hell in a hand basket. THUNDER JACKSON (caught off-guard) What?

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Why?

ROCK JOHNSON (upset) Ohhh, its the damn Congress again. THUNDER JACKSON What did they do this time? ROCK JOHNSON Im not even sure I can blame them fully this time around. Im just tired of all the gridlock and partisan bickering. THUNDER JACKSON Whats the problem? ROCK JOHNSON These jackasses cant agree on a budget and theyre saying that the government might have to shut down until the bureaucrats can figure this shit out. THUNDER JACKSON What does that mean for us? ROCK JOHNSON Im not exactly sure but if I was you (MORE)

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese ROCK JOHNSON (contd) Id check my bank account Saturday morning to make sure your paycheck was electronically deposited. THUNDER JACKSON Good point. ROCK JOHNSON Some times I wonder why I risk my life to protect this country when theres a bunch of douchebags in Washington trying their best to fuck it up. Chet Armstrong hears this talk from across the aisle and perks up to scold him. CHET ARMSTRONG Johnson I wont listen to that type of talk about our civilian leaders no matter how dumb and idiotic they are. Is that understood? Yes sir. ROCK JOHNSON Sorry sir.

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CHET ARMSTRONG Thats alright soldier. Carry on. THUNDER JACKSON (whispers) I actually like to think that Im risking my life to protect the average American, Joe Six Pack from Iowa and Mary Ann Homemaker from Nebraska, and to ensure that they and their kids can live the American Dream without inference, or worriment, from foreign evils. I could give a shit what those dickheads in DC do. All I know is that for each terrorist I take out today it might mean one less plane going into a building tomorrow. ROCK JOHNSON Well put Thunder. THUNDER JACKSON I have my moments of clarity.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Thunder Jackson grabs the magazine from Rock Johnsons hands and throws it down on the floor. THUNDER JACKSON Come on, stop reading. Its news, youll just end up getting more mad. There must be a Highlights magazine around here somewhere that you can color in. ROCK JOHNSON Shut up. THUNDER JACKSON Nah, come on, I think I can find some markers too. Tony, you got any markers that Rock can use to color? TONY GASH What? Rock Johnson reaches up and turns the light off above him. ROCK JOHNSON Im done. Im catching some shut eye. Get ready for tomorrow though, I have a feeling were going to see some action. INT. LAREDO CITY HALL Victor is sitting behind the former mayors desk and on the phone in the middle of a conversation. VICTOR Have the submarines come up from Colombia yet? (listens to a response) Well I need them to ship out to the Caribbean and the east coast states. (listens to a response) Fine, I can wait until Friday. What about my five Gulfstream jets? Our airfield will be operational by the weekend and I want to use those to get the product up to Canada quicker. (listens to a response) OK, fine. Tex and Dallas enter the office.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) Keep me updated, but I will be expecting those submarines by Friday. Victor hangs up the phone. VICTOR Whats going on gentlemen? TEX We thought youd like to review the troops. VICTOR Any news over the radio? ment making any moves? Is the govern-

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TEX No, weve monitored nothing from the police radio, shortwave or even terrestrial. VICTOR That worries me. DALLAS Why? Maybe we won. Cant that be possible? VICTOR You idiot. I have no doubt well win, but not without a bigger fight. Theyre not going to just send their National Guard and call it a day. Theyre eventually going to send the CIA and FBI; maybe even fighter jets and tanks if they get desperate enough. DALLAS Theyre not going to do that. This is America. Theyre not going to roll tanks down the streets and attack American citizens like me and Tex. Thats a job for the police or the National Guard, two groups that weve already defeated. VICTOR Dont be so nave Dallas. (MORE) Im confident

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) that the American government will do whatever they can to stem the flow of drugs onto the streets of their major cities. TEX Thats why well have to be ready, hence the army weve constructed. VICTOR Yes, lets check them out. Victor stands up and walks out of the office with Tex and Dallas in toe. EXT. LAREDO CITY HALL - DAY Victor walks out onto the top step of the building and his eyes immediately light up in delight as he reviews his new army. Standing in the town square area are over a COUPLE THOUSAND HEAVILY-ARMED SOLDIERS dressed in army fatigues. They are organized in a professional-looking phalanx formation. The first several rows of the phalanx are filled with the pre-teen child soldiers that the cartel recruited to beef up their numbers. Victor claps his hands in approval. VICTOR (smiles) Beautiful! Just beautiful! TEX We thought youd like them. VICTOR Have they been trained? TEX Well trained sir. We brought up several members of the Mexican Federales that we have on the payroll to give the men a crash course in weaponry and defense over the last few days. Theyre ready Victor.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR Good, then get them in position to defend our city. TEX Very good sir. Tex looks down at a MEXICAN FEDERAL POLICEMAN whos standing at the base of the steps. TEX Take care of it. MEXICAN FEDERAL POLICEMAN (shouts) OK men! Lets move out! In unison, the army begins to march out of the town square and head to their respective posts. VICTOR Very good job men, Im proud of you. TEX Thanks Victor. VICTOR Now come, lets enjoy some afternoon tea and a Cuban cigar. EXT. MAIN STREET, LAREDO DAY A BATTALION of cartel army soldiers march down a commercial street as several SCARED RESIDENTS, mostly women, watch them apprehensively from storefront windows and from behind buildings and cars. EXT. THE SKIES OVER THE PLAINS OF TEXAS DUSK Ron Champion and his team of seven other special forces troops are flying in the back of a Blackhawk helicopter. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Thunder Jackson is sitting by the open side door and looking down at the barren land below. Rock Johnson crawls over to Thunder and looks over his shoulder.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese ROCK JOHNSON Well youre back on American soil. it everything you remembered?

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Is

THUNDER JACKSON Jesus I never thought Id be coming back under these circumstances. (shakes his head) This is so surreal. Tony Gash, whos sitting next to the Black Widow, looks her up and down in a quizzical manner. TONY GASH So what the hell is your deal? BLACK WIDOW Believe me little man, you dont want to fuck with me. TONY GASH Do you think youre up to this challenge? Its going to be pretty dangerous out there. BLACK WIDOW As long as you dont slow me down, Ill be fine. You should worry more about yourself though. TONY GASH You think Im going to slow you down? The Black Widow mockingly looks Tony Gash up and down. BLACK WIDOW Yes. Youre not a very impressive human being. Tony Gash sits there speechless while Sureshot Williams, who is sitting close by and within earshot, laughs. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Ohhh snap! She got you Gash! an alright chick. BLACK WIDOW And youre a dick. Youre

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SURESHOT WILLIAMS Wait, what? BLACK WIDOW You call me a chick, Ill call you a dick. The Black Widow looks Sureshot up and down. BLACK WIDOW Although by the looks of it, calling you a little dick might be more accurate. Now its Sureshot Williams whos sitting there speechless and in shock while Tony Gash laughs. TONY GASH Looks like she got you! Ron Champion looks down at his watch. RON CHAMPION Were five minutes from the drop zone team, do your final preparations. BLACK WIDOW Sorry that I have to move on from the insults boys, but its game time now. Sureshot Williams picks up both his sniper rifle and other automatic weapon to give them a final check to make sure theyre working properly. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Alright babies, dont let me down today. You hear me? We are one. Make me proud. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DUSK Barbed wire and barricades block the two-lane highway leading into Laredo. On the road, several CHILD SOLDIERS are patrolling the highway under the watchful eyes of a few cartel members keeping guard in a watchtower high above. The special forces helicopter begins approaching far off on the horizon.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER The Blackhawk helicopter pilot turns around and flashes two fingers to Ron Champion. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Two minutes. Chet Armstrong, who is sitting next to Gunner Steele, notices his hand shaking as he loads his weapon. CHET ARMSTRONG You nervous soldier? GUNNER STEELE I dont know why. I mean Ive served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq; this shouldnt be any different. CHET ARMSTRONG Make no mistake soldier, this is completely different. Ive never had to fight a battle on American soil and possibly have to kill American citizens. No, weve never had a fight like this before, and I hope we dont ever have a fight like this again. GUNNER STEELE Yes sir. The Blackhawk helicopter pilot talks to Ron Champion through his radio headset. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Sir we have a watchtower approximately five hundred yards ahead of us on the right side of the highway. Should we engage? RON CHAMPION Is it occupied? The pilot lowers a pair of thermal imaging goggles over his eyes so he can check out the movement in the watchtower. He quickly sees the heat outline of several cartel members. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Affirmative.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Take it out then take us to the drop zone and provide cover fire. With that, the helicopter pilot fires a missile that lands a direct hit to the watchtower and blows it up. EXT. SECURITY OUTPOST, DESERTED HIGHWAY - DUSK Upon hearing the explosion, a CARTEL MEMBER comes rushing out of a small guardhouse along the side of the road. He points up to the helicopter and frantically shouts out to the child soldiers lining the highway and fields. CARTEL MEMBER ON HIGHWAY Attack! Attack! They killed your family now theyre coming back to kill you! Attack! The child soldiers instinctively begin shooting wildly at the helicopter which is still far off into the distance. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER The helicopter takes evasive action and makes a sharp turn to avoid the gunfire. RON CHAMPION Hang on menand lady! Ron Champion grabs a hold of a wire cord hanging from the roof of the helicopter so he can keep his balance. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DUSK As the helicopter makes a sharp turn, another CARTEL MEMBER emerges from a security post along the highway and aims a ROCKET LAUNCHER at it as it settles over the drop zone behind a patch of trees. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER Chet Armstrong throws a rope out of the helicopters side as it hovers over a field within a small forest. CHET ARMSTRONG Grab your gear and lets go!

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Quickly each member grabs their oversized backpacks and rappels down to the ground starting with the Black Widow and then followed by Tony Gash, Gunner Steele, Thunder Jackson, Rock Johnson and Sureshot Williams. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DUSK The cartel member fires his rocket launcher and the helicopter is hit with an RPG as Sureshot Williams is in the midst of rappelling down. EXT. FIELD WITHIN FOREST AREA DUSK With the helicopter hit and rapidly spinning out of control, Sureshot Williams loses his grip on the rope and falls 10 feet hitting his back on the ground. INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER The helicopter continues spinning out of control while Ron Champion and Chet Armstrong hold on inside for dear life as warning sirens blare. The pilot remains calm as he tries to regain control. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Hold on gentlemen, Im going to set the bird down. RON CHAMPION (angrily) Well put it down before we fly out of this thing! TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Patience, I have to level her off first. Ron and Chet both begin to have trouble keeping their grip on the sides of the helicopter. RON CHAMPION Hurry up! As the helicopter tilts over, Chet Armstrong slides across the floor and manages to grab a hold of the wall as his feet dangle out the side. RON CHAMPION Put this god damn thing down now!

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Ron Champion rushes across the floor to try to help Chet Armstrong get his whole body back into the helicopter. The pilot continues to struggle getting control of the helicopter. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Ahhh shit! He finally realizes that hes not going to be able to regain control as the instrument panel starts to short circuit. TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT Were going down fellas. We are going down. Strap in. RON CHAMPION We cant strap in! TEXAS BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT I cant control it anymore, we are going down! The helicopter spins around uncontrollably a few more times as Ron Champion pulls Chet Armstrong back in just as the chopper crashes to the ground. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DUSK The cartel member, who has now been joined by several other members that drove over from down the highway, walks past the line of child soldiers and towards the helicopter wreckage. CARTEL MEMBER ON HIGHWAY (to the children) Stay here and guard the perimeter, well take care of these invaders. With that, the cartel members go into a sprint towards the downed helicopter in hopes that they can neutralize its occupants before they can re-group. EXT. FIELD WITHIN FOREST AREA DUSK The helicopter immediately bursts into flames as it hits the ground in the middle of the open field while the rest of the team looks on from the surrounding forest.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GUNNER STEELE Holy shit! ROCK JOHNSON Come on, lets get them. The team runs out to the wreckage and removes the twisted metal to clear a path to inside the helicopter. THUNDER JACKSON Jesus, this is not looking good, not looking good at all. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Dont talk like that, theyll be fine. (unsure) Right, Tony? TONY GASH (unsure as well) Yeah, yeah. As they continue moving away the metal, both Ron Champion and Chet Armstrong finally emerge from the rubble. Though dazed and scratched up, they are OK. With the helicopter turned on its side, Tony Gash and Rock Johnson help the two of them down from the top of the rubble. ROCK JOHNSON Jesus, you two look like shit. RON CHAMPION (smiles) Go fuck yourself Rock. TONY GASH Hows the pilot? Ron Champion turns somber when he looks back and sees the Blackhawk pilot slumped over in his seat dead. RON CHAMPION He didnt make it. CHET ARMSTRONG Come on, lets go, were sitting ducks here.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As soon as Chet Armstrong jumps off the pile of debris, the team comes under heavy machine gunfire from the approaching cartel members which forces them to scatter into the forest. RON CHAMPION Take cover in the forest! The team hides behind a few thick trees for cover and regroups as the heavy gunfire gets closer and louder. TONY GASH Were taking a lot of fire. CHET ARMSTRONG Yeah and I think we backed ourselves into a corner. RON CHAMPION Looks like well have to blast our way out of here. The ten cartel members have quickly turned into twenty as more have joined the fight. They are all haphazardly blindly shooting off their machine guns into the forest hoping to hit someone. RON CHAMPION Sureshot. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Yes sir. RON CHAMPION Prepare to provide cover. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Yes sir. Sureshot Williams crawls over to another tree and takes up a position so he can provide cover fire once the team attacks. RON CHAMPION OK, on my mark. (pause) 321!

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As Ron Champion shouts out 1, the team emerges from the forest and lays down a furious barrage of gunfire as Sureshot Williams calmly takes aim and picks off one cartel member after another from behind a tree. One by one, the surprised cartel members are shot and fall to the ground. As the Black Widow aims her gun at a cartel member off into the distance, another associate comes running out from behind a hill towards her. His gun jams but he continues running at her with his automatic rifle raised over his head. The Black Widow shoots the cartel member in the distance but then immediately gets her gun kicked out of her hands by the other guy who sneaks up on her from the side. Although shes caught off guard, she immediately regains her composure and kicks him in the stomach hard then knocks the gun out of his hands with a roundhouse kick. The cartel member falls to the ground but is picked back up by the Black Widow who promptly gives him two uppercuts, a kick to the stomach, a punch to the kidneys then finally a right hook that makes him fall to the ground again. Tony Gash notices this ass kicking from afar and nods in approval. TONY GASH Damn woman! BLACK WIDOW (barely breaking a sweat) I told you I like to kick ass. The cartel member, whos still laying on the ground behind her, attempts to reach for her gun which is sitting close by him. She turns back and notices what hes doing so she steps on his wrist. Her weight, and the added pressure she applies with her stiletto heels, breaks his wrist as he screams in agony.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BLACK WIDOW Ahhh poor baby, are you crying? Youre crying arent you? Do you want me to stop? CARTEL MEMBER WITH BROKEN WRIST Aaargh, yes, yes. You broke my wrist, you broke my fucking wrist. BLACK WIDOW (mockingly) Ohhh, Im sorry. The Black Widow gets off his wrist then kicks him hard in the face, knocking him out in the process. Then she walks around to the other side of his limp body and sizes him up again. After a couple of seconds, she kicks him hard in the other side of the head adding further insult to injury. RON CHAMPION I think you made your point, Widow. THUNDER JACKSON (in awe) Hell yeah you did, you fucked that guy up. BLACK WIDOW Nobody touches my gun. The Black Widow picks up her gun then walks in front of the unconscious man and kicks him squarely in the groin. BLACK WIDOW You hear me dick?!? No one! GUNNER STEELE (cringes) Damn, I almost feel bad for that guy. ROCK JOHNSON I almost feel bad for his nuts. BLACK WIDOW Come on, lets march to the city limits, no time to waste. Its almost dark out.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The team gathers up their things and walks through the field towards the highway where the child soldiers are keeping guard. As they get closer to the highway, Sureshot Williams notices that something isnt right with the soldiers. SURESHOT WILLIAMS (perplexed) Does anyone notice anything weird with those guards up ahead? GUNNER STEELE Yeah, something doesnt seem right. CHET ARMSTRONG Look sharp and raise your weapons. ROCK JOHNSON (squints his eyes) Are they midgets or something? Ron Champion looks through his binoculars. RON CHAMPION Theyre kids. CHET ARMSTRONG What do you mean theyre kids? RON CHAMPION Just exactly what I said, theyre kids. CHET ARMSTRONG Like 17, 18 year olds? Ron Champion takes a second look through his binoculars. RON CHAMPION Try 9, 10 year olds. CHET ARMSTRONG (surprised) Get the hell out of here. You serious? RON CHAMPION Im serious.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CHET ARMSTRONG What are we going to do? THUNDER JACKSON Should we switch to our stun guns? RON CHAMPION No. No. Were not going to shoot children with stun guns. THUNDER JACKSON Its not like its going to cause any permanent problems. RON CHAMPION I dont care, were not doing that. CHET ARMSTRONG Then what are we going to do? Were still faced with a couple dozen children aiming automatic weapons at us. Ron Champion takes a few moments to think. RON CHAMPION Just follow my lead. The team continues walking towards the children who are guarding the highway. RON CHAMPION Shoulder your weapons, I dont want us looking like a threat to them. The team puts their weapons down along their side. THUNDER JACKSON Were basically going in unarmed then against potentially hostile targets? RON CHAMPION I understand that soldierbut theyre not targets, theyre children. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY, OUTSKIRTS OF LAREDO DUSK As the team approaches the children standing guard alongside the highway, one of the pre-teen soldiers,

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese MIGUEL, angrily steps up to Ron Champion with his gun pointed at his chest. MIGUEL What are you doing here!?! doing? What are you

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Ron Champion slowly continues to approach the child with his hands up in the air, signifying that hes not a threat. RON CHAMPION Its OK, its OK. MIGUEL You killed my mother, you killed my father. RON CHAMPION No we didnt. Were your friends, were here to help you. MIGUEL No, you killed our families. Ron Champion tries to soften his speech with Miguel to get him to relax. RON CHAMPION Whats your name? Miguel continues to look at him suspiciously then decides to answer. MIGUEL Miguel. RON CHAMPION Miguel, Im Ron Champion. Me and my friends here, were American soldiers, were the good guys. (pauses) You like sports? MIGUEL Yes. RON CHAMPION Soccer?

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese MIGUEL Football. RON CHAMPION American football? MIGUEL Si. RON CHAMPION Whats your favorite team? MIGUEL The Cowboys. RON CHAMPION Ahhh, the Cowboys, Americas team, just like us. Were Americas team too. MIGUEL No, youre here to harm us. RON CHAMPION No, were here to find and free your families. Were here to take out the evil men who enslaved you and forced you to take up these weapons. Were here to return you to your lives of playing football in the streets and soccer on your school fields. (pauses) Look at us, were not the enemy, were just like you. (pauses) Put your weapons down and youll all be safe. MIGUEL (thinking) You can find our parents? RON CHAMPION I guarantee you we can. MIGUEL You promise? RON CHAMPION I promise.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Miguel looks around to the other children, who have also drawn their guns at the team, and shakes his head to them. The others shake their heads back. With that, all of the children lower their guns at the same time. RON CHAMPION (pats Miguel on the head) Good boy, good boy. Come lets get you all to safety. BLACK WIDOW Do you know where all the bad men who put you up to this are? MIGUEL Theyre in the city. BLACK WIDOW Where? MIGUEL Everywhere. BLACK WIDOW Are they concentrated anywhere specific? MIGUEL (confused) Concentrated? BLACK WIDOW Yeah, are a lot of them gathered in one spot specifically? MIGUEL Theres a lot of them around City Hall. BLACK WIDOW OK, good job pal. Youre very brave. MIGUEL (innocently) And youre pretty. BLACK WIDOW Dont make me crack a smile kid.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Chet Armstrong walks around with the rest of the men collecting the weapons from the child soldiers. CHET ARMSTRONG OK, come on, lets get these kids out of here. RON CHAMPION Widow, do you know how to get us to city hall? BLACK WIDOW Yes, but it wont be easy. Its in the middle of the city, probably very wellprotected. RON CHAMPION Alright, lets roll out. The special forces team marches down the deserted highway surrounded by the children. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET IN LAREDO NIGHT Several cartel soldiers are patrolling on foot a quiet, residential street that is bordered by run-of-the-mill houses. A few other cartel members are sitting on top of an ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER that is parked on the side of the road. Everything is quiet, eerily quiet. Suddenly the silence is broken by a missile that comes out of nowhere and hits the APC directly. It EXPLODES, hurling the cartel members far across the street and sending a large fireball high into the air. One of the cartel members lands through the windshield of a parked car in a driveway, another one lands on the lawn of a house and the third one is blown clear through the front door of another house. The cartel members patrolling the street on foot quickly mobilize and get ready to defend the perimeter, although they dont know where the missile came from.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese CARTEL MEMBER ON STREET #1 Defend the street! Protect the entryway to downtown. Nervously, the cartel members look around not knowing where the next shot will come from. CARTEL MEMBER ON STREET #2 (whispers) Im scared, Im really scared. CARTEL MEMBER ON STREET #3 (whispers) Shut up and be a man. After a few seconds of silence, a BARRAGE of GUNFIRE breaks out from the darkness down the street. The very stealthy special forces team still cant be seen by the cartel soldiers. Before they even know whats going on, several soldiers are hit by gunfire. This causes a mad panic with soldiers running all over. Some even take cover in the residential houses that border the street. The special forces team, now with their faces painted in camouflage, quickly emerge from the darkness driving ATVs down the street, two per and four in total, amid heavy return fire from the cartel soldiers. Spinning out on a front lawn and peeling out on the street, Ron Champion and team lay down a hail of gunfire that covers the area in all directions. Sureshot Williams, riding on the back of Rock Johnsons ATV, methodically picks off cartel soldiers with his sniper rifle. EXT. RESIDENTIAL HOUSE IN LAREDO, FRONT YARD NIGHT The attempted rapist inmate from earlier, whos also a soldier in the cartel army, runs up to the house where the woman who he tried to rape before lives and attempts to break in.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese While bullets hit the door in front of him, he fumbles around with the door knob but cant get in so he decides to kick it down to avoid all the gunfire zipping past him. INT. RESIDENTIAL HOUSE IN LAREDO He rushes through the dark house which is only illuminated by the moon and gunfire from outside and enters the BEDROOM Where the cute, young wife from earlier is huddled up in the corner of the room with her toddler trying to hide. Shes rolled up in the fetal position and crying, trying desperately not to be spotted. Her young child is crying uncontrollably too. The inmate slowly walks around her bed and lights up when he sees the defenseless woman on the floor in front of him. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE (laughs) I told you Id be back bitch. Are you ready for it? YOUNG LAREDO WOMAN No, no, get away! As he continues with his devilish laughs, the inmate slowly gets down on his knees in front of her. ATTEMPT RAPIST INMATE Ohhh yeah, I bet you were dreaming about me. You were wondering when I was going to come back. Well Im back baby. The woman tries to defend herself by throwing weak pats and slaps towards the inmate but they have no effect and only serve to annoy him more. YOUNG LAREDO WOMAN Please, please, get away. I have young children, I dont want to do this to them. The inmate catches her wrists as she flails her arms and he squeezes them tight then throws them down.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE Shut up bitch and just enjoy the ride. The inmate rips a lamp cord right out of the wall socket and ties the womans wrists behind her back. To stop her from screaming he grabs a sock from off the floor and stuffs it in her mouth. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE Now, are you ready to take it all in. He softly rubs his hand along the side of her face then runs his fingers through her long flowing, brown hair. ATTEMPTED RAPIST INMATE Youre so pretty. I cant wait to fuck you. The inmate slowly unzips his pants as the woman continues to squirm in the corner. Her toddler is still crying loudly. Just as hes about to move in on top of the woman, Thunder Jackson BURSTS through the door and immediately puts one bullet in his chest and another in his head. THUNDER JACKSON Take that bitch! His blood flows all over the woman as his lifeless body lands on top of her. Thunder Jackson rushes quickly over to push the dead inmates body off of her. THUNDER JACKSON You ok? The young woman looks around and is shocked to see the vast amount of blood on her. YOUNG LAREDO WOMAN III think so. Theres so much blood. Its OK. THUNDER JACKSON Its not yours, its his.

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Thunder Jackson extends his hand to help her up.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese THUNDER JACKSON (contd) Come on, lets get out of here and get you to safety. The young woman grabs her toddler then grabs his hand. Once she stands up, Thunder Jackson picks her up and carries her out of the room. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET IN LAREDO NIGHT Ron Champion is walking through the middle of the street surveying the carnage that has just taken place. Although there is still occasional gunfire, the fighting has died down as the rest of the team sweeps the surrounding houses to find hiding cartel soldiers. There are enemy soldiers bodies scattered throughout the street and front lawns of the houses. Chet Armstrong approaches Ron Champion. CHET ARMSTRONG Its certainly a mess around here, Id hate to work for the Laredo Sanitation Department after were done. Ron Champion lights a cigar to relax. RON CHAMPION You got that right. Ron looks at a few dead soldiers crumpled up together on the side of the road. RON CHAMPION Luckily these guys fight like shit. CHET ARMSTRONG Yeah, not good soldiers at all. No discipline, no accuracy, tactically not sound at all. Chet Armstrong bends down and picks up an intricate, large machine gun that one of the dead cartel soldiers had. CHET ARMSTRONG (contd) Its almost a shame really, all this sophistication

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Chet looks down at the dead cartel soldier laying in front of him and casually tosses the gun aside. CHET ARMSTRONG (contd) but no idea how to really use it. In the background down the street, Tony Gash, Gunner Steele and Sureshot Williams are carrying several BODY PARTS of dead cartel soldiers to a pile of dead bodies and limbs. RON CHAMPION Lets not get too complacent, Id expect to meet stiffer resistance and better trained fighters as we get closer to city hall. Off in the distance, the Black Widow walks out of a house and notices an injured cartel soldier laying on the ground barely breathing so she walks up and kicks him in the side. Ron Champion notices the Black Widow raise her rifle to the injured soldier and barks out an order. RON CHAMPION (yells) Widow, shoulder your weapon! Ron Champion and Chet Armstrong walk over to the Black Widow who is staring down intently at the soldier. RON CHAMPION Thats not how we do it in my unit. BLACK WIDOW I dont care sir. RON CHAMPION Oh, you dont care? Whats with the insubordination? BLACK WIDOW Look around? Look at what these assholes have done to my city, to my community. Look at that house down there. The Black Widow points to a decrepit, burned out house sitting five lots down the street.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BLACK WIDOW I grew up there. And these assholes burned it down and terrorized the people here. I used to played tag on that front lawn and I rode my bike on these streets. And now look at it. The men were forced out, the women were raped, the children were turned into killers for the gang. So yeah, I want to put a bullet in this motherfucker, itll make me feel better. RON CHAMPION I feel your pain Widow, but youre not going to do that. This man is defenseless. Thats not how we operate. (pauses) Dont worry, youll have plenty of opportunities to kill more cartel members in combat. BLACK WIDOW (upset) Fine. Pissed off, Black Widow kicks the cartel soldier one more time in the side and spits on his face before marching away. Ron Champion and Chet Armstrong watch her walk off with admiration in their eyes. CHET ARMSTRONG Jesus, thats one tough bitch. RON CHAMPION Im glad shes on our side. CHET ARMSTRONG Whats our next move? RON CHAMPION Marching into the heart of the city. Lets roll. INT. VICTORS STATELY MANSION IN LAREDO, DINING ROOM Contrasting with the violence happening in the streets of Laredo, Victor and Dallas are sitting quietly at a long table having a dinner feast in the opulent dining room.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The table is filled with large plates of food including a turkey and a roast as well as multiple magnums of red wine. A VIOLINIST is standing in the corner of the room playing soothing music. After a few moments of serenity, Tex rushes into the room almost out of breath. TEX Victor, we have a problem. VICTOR What is it? TEX Theres been a breach to the perimeter and our security post along the highway has been taken out. DALLAS (agitated) Son-of-a-bitch! VICTOR (calmly) Easy Dallas, remain calm. The governor probably just called in another local police force. Those men protecting our perimeter were expendable anyways. Its of no concern. Tex, have Sector Team Four move over to the area to deal with this. TEX Theyve been wiped out too. Victors tone suddenly changes as he grows very concerned. VICTOR What? TEX Theyre dead. VICTOR By who? Surely a small local police force would be no match for Team Four, those men are goodsome of my best.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX I dont know. VICTOR (agitated) Well why dont you go find out?!? TEX Yes sir. DALLAS Im coming with you. Were going to kill those motherfuckers, whoever they are. Dallas stands up, grabs an automatic rifle that is sitting on a nearby chair and storms out of the room. VICTOR Im going to make my way to city hall and monitor the situation from there once I finish my dinner and glass of wine of course. Victor calmly goes back to eating his dinner and taking a sip of wine while the violinist continues to play. EXT. MAIN STREET, LAREDO NIGHT Heavy gunfire ERUPTS on the main commercial street of Laredo as the special forces team enters the area which is defended by several dozen cartel soldiers. Tony Gash takes position behind a parked car along the side of the street and aims his rocket launcher at a van filled with cartel soldiers about 100 yards away. He FIRES his rocket launcher but the missile just barely misses his target as the van takes evasive action and hits a pump at the gas station sitting behind it. The pump and gas station blows up and shoots a large, bright FIREBALL high up into the air. TONY GASH Damn, I didnt mean to do that. The van continues to head right towards the special forces team position at the end of the road, so Sureshot Williams

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese rolls into the middle of the street on his stomach and sets up his sniper rifle. He takes aim at the driver of the van and, after carefully wiping the sweat off his brow, fires one shot. The bullet goes right through the drivers head who falls forward onto the steering wheel. The van goes out of control and crashes into a storefront window. RON CHAMPION Dont let up men! The team quickly rushes over to the van and shoots up the side of it to make sure that no one can escape. After filling the side of the van with over 100 bullets, Chet Armstrong waves to make everyone stop shooting. CHET ARMSTRONG Hold your fire! Hold your fire! (pause) Rock, check it out. Rock Johnson walks over to the van and slowly opens the side door as the other team members keep their guns focused on the target. As he opens the door, six dead cartel members bodies spill out of the van and land on the street. Rock looks inside the van with his gun drawn to make sure no one else is alive. ROCK JOHNSON All clear. RON CHAMPION OK, press forward men. City Hall is within a short haul. Suddenly heavy artillery rains down on the team from up the street. Grenades and mortar rounds EXPLODE all around them as they scurry for shelter. RON CHAMPION Take cover!

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The Black Widow points to a non-descript Hardware store sitting alongside the street. BLACK WIDOW Here, lets go here! The team rushes into the store to re-group. INT. HARDWARE STORE ALONG THE MAIN STREET OF LAREDO In the darkened room the team looks around to try to understand their location. GUNNER STEELE Where the hell are we? Chet Armstrong walks through a few short aisles filled with typical hardware items then looks around the room and notices a series of guns hanging up on the wall. It turns out its a gun store masquerading as a quiet hardware store within the center of the city. CHET ARMSTRONG Well will you look at this dumb luck, were in a gun store. BLACK WIDOW Its not dumb luck. I know this place. My dad used to come here to buy his guns. He took me here to get my first one when I was twelve. THUNDER JACKSON Twelve? BLACK WIDOW Yeah, I know. I was a late bloomer. I started shooting much later in comparison to my other friends in the neighborhood. Tony Gash walks over to the wall and immediately starts pillaging through the different guns, some of them are really advanced and dont seem exactly street legal. TONY GASH Wow, some of this shit is legit. And when I say legit, I mean illegal.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese Tony grabs a particularly large gun off the wall and shows it to Chet Armstrong and Ron Champion. TONY GASH Like this piece of work. There is no way you can be walking around Laredo with this thing. And god knows you cant conceal this anywhere. GUNNER STEELE Jesus, thats huge. CHET ARMSTRONG (shaking his head) Only in Texas. RON CHAMPION Load up team and prepare to move out. The team rushes over and strips the walls, quickly grabbing the most advanced, and biggest, weapons they can find. EXT. MAIN STREET, LAREDO NIGHT A large group of cartel soldiers converges onto the store entrance from all directions. One of the soldiers barks out orders to the others in Spanish and points around to line them up. After everyone is organized, one of them kicks in the front door and several soldiers rush in while the others hold the perimeter in front by the windows. INT. HARDWARE STORE ALONG THE MAIN STREET OF LAREDO The storming soldiers stop dead in their tracks almost immediately upon entering the store as they see the special forces team standing in a line practically waiting for them. At once, Ron Champion and team opens fire and mows down every soldier in the store. Some soldiers standing guard outside are also hit as the windows are shot out and shatter all along the sidewalk.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese EXT. MAIN STREET, LAREDO NIGHT One of the cartel senior officers directs more soldiers to enter the store. CARTEL SENIOR OFFICER Go! Go! Most are apprehensive to enter knowing that the soldiers are heading into a blood bath against a superior opponent. This leads the cartel senior officer to physically grab one soldier and push him into the store, followed by another one, until several more enter on their own. INT. HARDWARE STORE ALONG THE MAIN STREET OF LAREDO This group of soldiers enters the store and are similarly mowed down by the special forces firing squad. The room fills with smoke and fire from the machine guns, so much so that the team can no longer be seen through the thick clouds. EXT. MAIN STREET, LAREDO NIGHT The cartel senior officer continues trying to push more soldiers into the store however this time they dont obey, no matter what he tries to do. Pushing, grabbing and hollering in Spanish has no effect on his men as they decide to lay down their arms and walk away down the street. The cartel senior officer decides to punish their perceived cowardly act by shooting one of them in the back as he walks away. This causes the rest of the soldiers to run off in different directions. In response to the shooting, a defecting soldier walks by the senior officer and acts like hes going to enter the store and fight for the cartel but instead he sticks his gun in the cartel members stomach and pulls the trigger. In shock, the senior officer screams out then falls to the ground as the defecting soldier casually walks away.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. HARDWARE STORE ALONG THE MAIN STREET OF LAREDO As the smoke begins to clear, the team walks around and surveys the damage. Bodies of cartel soldiers are stacked up by the front door, broken glass is everywhere and shelves are knocked over with products scattered all across the floor. CHET ARMSTRONG Like I said before, no discipline, no accuracy, tactically not sound at all. RON CHAMPION Take their ammo, take their guns, strip them of any essentials and intel. Thunder Jackson emerges from the basement carrying a FLAME THROWER. THUNDER JACKSON (giddily) Is this what I think it is? GUNNER STEELE (confused) What is it? CHET ARMSTRONG A flame thrower. BLACK WIDOW It is. THUNDER JACKSON (in awe) A fucking flame thrower, nice.

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Awesome.

Thunder Jackson decides to test it out and shoots a flame into the air, which quickly scatters the team throughout the store so they can avoid the heat. RON CHAMPION (angrily) Thunder! THUNDER JACKSON (sheepishly) Sorry boss, I got a little excited.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese BLACK WIDOW Well if that gets you excited, theres more where that came from downstairs. Thats where they keep all the really good stuff. CHET ARMSTRONG (shaking his head) Like I said before, only in Texas. RON CHAMPION Well what are you waiting for team, raid the basement. TONY GASH With pleasure. Tony Gash practically pushes the much smaller Gunner Steele out of the way to get to the basement stairs. EXT. FOREST CLOSE TO CITY HALL NIGHT The special forces team is armed to the max with weapons taken from the gun store and walking side-by-side towards another forest. It is almost comical how much ammo theyre strapped with and how many different obscenely large and powerful weapons, like flame throwers, theyre carrying. BLACK WIDOW The city hall should be about five hundred yards ahead. RON CHAMPION OK, look alive team, the cartel could be lurking anywhere. INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK Texas and Dallas are driving along an empty highway road in their pick-up truck, shocked to see that all cartel soldiers have vanished from every guard post they pass. DALLAS Where are all the soldiers? TEXAS I dont know.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese DALLAS Theyre all gone. TEXAS I can see that. DALLAS Well what do you think happened? TEXAS I dont know. DALLAS I have a bad feeling about this. TEXAS Me too. EXT. FOREST CLOSE TO CITY HALL NIGHT The special forces team carefully enters the dark forest. GUNNER STEELE (whispers) I dont like this. Its too quiet. ROCK JOHNSON (whispers) Stand strong soldier. As Tony Gash quietly walks through the field, he looks up at a tree and sees a soldier hiding behind a branch. Then he looks at another and another and sees the surrounding trees filled with cartel soldiers. TONY GASH (whispers) Gunners right. We might be fucked. THUNDER JACKSON (whispers) Why do you say that? Sureshot Williams looks around the forest and sees the same amount of cartel members hiding in the trees.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese SURESHOT WILLIAMS (whispers) Because were incredibly outnumbered. And they have the high ground. TONY GASH Its an ambush. GUNNER STEELE (whispers) What are going to do then? CHET ARMSTRONG Calm down soldier. Thunder Jackson looks at the mechanics of his flame thrower to try to figure out how to use it. THUNDER JACKSON Time to set this whole bitch on fire. Just as a cartel soldier raises his gun to fire, Thunder Jackson aims his flame thrower and fires a huge, long flame at him. The tree, and soldier, are quickly engulfed by the steady stream of fire. The soldier screams and falls out of the tree, hitting the ground while still fully engulfed in flames. THUNDER JACKSON Come and get it assholes. And the his the with that, Thunder Jackson decides to take advantage of Texas drought by burning up the surrounding brush with flame thrower and setting a large fire as he hunts out other hiding soldiers.

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Several enemy soldiers catch fire while the trees and brush quickly burn up. Some cartel members jump out of the trees to avoid the fire but then leave themselves vulnerable to gunfire from the special forces team. Thunder Jackson continues his assault with the flame thrower as he walks through the forest, laughing periodically.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese THUNDER JACKSON Die you cockroaches!

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Die!

As Rock Johnson walks cautiously through the forest, hes surprised by a cartel member who jumps out of a tree and lands on his back. Rock instinctively hits him with the butt of his machine gun but the guy doesnt let go. The cartel soldier manages to hold on to him and brings both of them down to the ground where they begin grappling and wrestling with each other. Various MMA-style holds are employed by Rock as they roll around the dirt. His superior skills are quickly shown when he gets the enemy into a position where he ends up breaking his neck. After the quick fight, Rock Johnson stands up and nonchalantly wipes the dirt off of him then he picks up his gun and joins the rest of the team. The special forces team comes together and fights within a big circle of dirt that is surrounded by fire from the burning brush and trees. The once dominate enemy force is dwindling from the effects of the teams overpowering weapons and Thunder Jacksons flame thrower. Several cartel members are still running around aimlessly in a panic as theyre fully engulfed in flames. As the fight continues, the skies open up and a light rain begins to fall with lightning in the distance. After a few moments, the light rain turns into a heavy downpour and the lightning turns into a full blown thunderstorm overhead with strikes hitting throughout the forest. A lightning bolt hits a tree close by, splitting it in half and starting another fire, this one manmade. RON CHAMPION Tighten up our defenses!

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese After several more firefights and skirmishes, the enemy soldiers are finally all taken out. RON CHAMPION Were done here. Lets proceed with the final push towards City Hall. The team emerges from the ring of fire and walks towards the road heading to City Hall. INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK While driving, Tex and Dallas see a huge fire raging alongside the road off in the distance. DALLAS (points to the fire) Whats going on over there? TEX I dont know, but were going to find out. Dallas reaches behind his seat and grabs a machine gun from the floor and checks it for ammo. As Tex gets closer to the fire he takes the pick-up truck off-road so that he can drive directly towards it. The ride gets noticeably bumpy driving on the dirt and through the tall grass. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY ROAD LEADING TO CITY HALL NIGHT The special forces team sees a speeding pick-up truck driving erratically towards the huge brush fire behind them and subsequently towards them. GUNNER STEELE Whys this guy in such a rush? CHET ARMSTRONG I dont know, but I dont like it. ROCK JOHNSON That pick-up truck looks standard issue from the cartel. Weve seen a few of those same models in our fights today.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION OK, take cover by some of those trees over there. Thunder, get ready to jump into action. THUNDER JACKSON Yes sir. The team rushes over to take up positions behind a set of trees off to the side of the road. INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK Suddenly, the pick-up truck is blindsided and engulfed in a huge fireball shot from Thunders flame thrower. TEX What the hell was that? The fiery truck spins out of control and crosses back onto the road, flipping over several times until it lands in a manmade trench on the other side. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY ROAD LEADING TO CITY HALL NIGHT Thunder Jackson puts the flame thrower down as the rest of the team continues to admire his accuracy. SURESHOT WILLIAMS Nice work Thunder. THUNDER JACKSON Why thank you, thank you very much. RON CHAMPION There will be enough time for salutations later. Come on, lets go. The team slowly walks across the highway road and approaches the burning truck, which is laying on its side. INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK Tex and Dallas are both completely disoriented as they try to gather themselves and figure out what just happened. DALLAS Jesus Christ, what in the hell was that?

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese TEX I dont know, but we have no time to think. Lets get out of here. Tex struggles to open his door but it just wont open no matter how hard he tries. TEX Friggin door is stuck. Dallas is trapped in his seat and cant even free himself. DALLAS Im stuck. Tex shakes himself loose from his seat and starts climbing out of the window. DALLAS Where are you going? Dont leave me! TEX Im not going to leave you. to get out and save you. Im going

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DALLAS (anxiously) How are you going to do that? is burning up! TEX I dont know, Im improvising. figure something out.

This truck

Ill

Just as Tex frees himself and climbs completely out of the truck, he is immediately blindsided by a swift punch to the side of the head. The impact of the blow makes him fall off the side of the truck and into the trench. The person who delivered the violent punch was the Black Widow. BLACK WIDOW Guys, you can take a break and recuperate. This ones mine. The special forces team stays back along the shoulder of the road as the Black Widow walks down into the ditch towards Tex who is laying on his stomach.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese The Black Widow throws her gun down in preparation for an old-school street fight. BLACK WIDOW Here, Im going to put my gun down to give you a fighters chance. Make it almost equal for you. As the Black Widow grabs Tex by the hair, he immediately springs up, throws dirt in her face and delivers a devastating punch to the side of her head. The impact of the punch stuns her and pushes her back a few feet but she doesnt fall down. BLACK WIDOW (rubbing her cheek) You little bitch. The fight is on. Punches, flying kicks, hair pulling, chokeholds, eye gouging and grappling techniques are traded between Tex and the Black Widow in one of the most epic fights ever. TEX Im going to kill you bitch! BLACK WIDOW Not if I kill you first dickheadand thats what I intend to do. Just when it looks like one of them will get the upper hand, the other battles back with even greater intensity. As Tex and the Black Widow fight, the rest of the special forces team protect the perimeter against cartel soldier reinforcements that have just arrived on the scene. The cartel soldiers have created a barricade down the road leading to the City Hall area and are firing mortars and machine guns towards the special forces team. In response, the special forces team have taken positions alongside the road and are firing back at the enemy. The ultraviolent Tex and Black Widow fight continues with no signs of slowing down.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK Dallas is still trapped in the truck and realizes his situation is getting more dire as the vehicle gets further engulfed in flames which have now extended into the cab. DALLAS (yelling hopelessly) Heeeelppp! Heeeelllp! EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY ROAD LEADING TO CITY HALL NIGHT Bloodied, beaten and battered, both Tex and the Black Widow are tiring while the rest of the special forces team continues to fight the cartel soldiers behind them. TEX Have you had enough bitch? BLACK WIDOW Im hardly even breaking a sweat. After Tex punches her in the face one more time, the Black Widow eggs him on to frustrate him further. BLACK WIDOW Is that all you got? Tex punches her again. BLACK WIDOW You slap like a bitch. Tex punches her a third time and thats when she strikes back with a furious barrage of punches and kicks. As Tex is stunned, the Black Widow gets behind him and puts him in a standing chokehold. Not being able to breath, Tex struggles for his life. He manages to fall down on the ground but the Black Widow doesnt let go of her grip. In fact, she manages to tighten her chokehold as they roll around with Texs back on top of her. After a while with the blood rushing to his head, Tex struggles less and less until he finally stops moving.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese To make sure hes dead, the Black Widow yanks her chokehold harder a few times and notices that Tex doesnt move. Hes dead. The Black Widow pushes his lifeless body off of her and stands up, exhausted. She brushes the dirt off and tries to wipe away some of the blood dripping down her face. INT. TEXS PICK-UP TRUCK Dallas eyes grow wide as he sees the inside of the cab fill up with fire and smoke. EXT. DESERTED HIGHWAY ROAD LEADING TO CITY HALL NIGHT As the Black Widow walks away from the trench victorious, the pick-up truck blows up behind her sending a fireball high into the air. Dallas is dead now too. The Black Widow walks over to the special forces team who have just finished up their firefight, defeating the enemy soldiers who were protecting the road to the City Hall area. BLACK WIDOW What did I miss? TONY GASH Ohhh nothing much, just your run-of-themill machine gun fight. BLACK WIDOW I take it we won? TONY GASH Well we dont know how to lose. ROCK JOHNSON How did you do? BLACK WIDOW I couldve been a little sharper (looks back at the trench) but we wont be hearing from that guy again. Gunner Steele walks over and is immediately surprised to see how bloody the Black Widow is.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese GUNNER STEELE Holy shit Widow, youre a mess. BLACK WIDOW Half of this is the other guys blood though. RON CHAMPION Do you need medical attention? here is our team medic. BLACK WIDOW No Im fine. RON CHAMPION Are you sure? BLACK WIDOW When are you going to treat me like one of the guys? When this happened to Rock you didnt ask him if he was OK. RON CHAMPION Youre right, because we knew he wasnt but we didnt want to embarrass him. Hes a sensitive little prick. ROCK JOHNSON Hey, I take offense to that. RON CHAMPION Nut up Rock, see I told you, youre so sensitive. OK, lets roll. INT. LAREDO CITY HALL MAYORS OFFICE Victor is frantically thumbing through papers in his dark office. After a while he picks up his cell phone and calls Tex. The phone rings and rings until it goes to voicemail. TEX (O.S.) This is Teixeira. Leave a message. VICTOR (angrily) Where are you? This is the fifth time (MORE) Gunner

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese VICTOR (contd) Ive tried calling you in the last 10 minutes. If you want to be my number two, you have to be accessible at all times. Damn you, pick of the phone! I cant find any of the squadron leaders, we drove by scores of dead bodies on our way in and theres no security left in the city. We need to mobilize all units in the city and get our brothers in from Mexico as soon as possible. Call me back damn it! Suddenly, Victor hears an eruption of gunfire outside of the office and becomes even more scared. VICTOR (contd) (calmly) Tex, I need you and Dallas here right now. I think someone has entered the building. Come, now! HALLWAY The special forces team, with the exception of Sureshot Williams whos nowhere to be seen, have entered City Hall and are now in a gunfight with Victors personal bodyguards at the end of the hallway. Ten bodyguards are protecting the entrance to Victors office but theyre finding it increasingly difficult to hold off the special forces team who have superior tactics and advanced weaponry. MAYORS OFFICE After hanging up his cell phone, Victor shouts out orders to his two YOUNG, FEMALE PRISONER SERVANTS who have been sitting quietly on a couch. Girls, get up! VICTOR Come over here!

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The girls get up and walk over to him apprehensively. Once theyre in reach, he grabs them and uses them as a shield while facing the door. Then he grabs a handgun off the desk to further protect himself.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese As he hears the gunfire getting closer, essentially right outside the door, he nervously prepares to defend himself. Suddenly the door is kicked opened by Rock Johnson and the team cautiously enters the room. Not knowing exactly whats going on, Victor points his gun at the intruders but doesnt shoot. VICTOR What do you want? What do you want? RON CHAMPION Identify yourself. VICTOR Who are you? RON CHAMPION We were sent here by the U.S. government. VICTOR Who are you? RON CHAMPION Thats not important who we are. important is who you are. VICTOR Im no one. RON CHAMPION See, I think youre someone. VICTOR No, sorry friend, Im not. I got caught up in all this craziness just like the rest of the citizens around here. RON CHAMPION So why do you have two hostages? VICTOR Theyre my nieces. Were all afraid. We didnt know what to do. One of the female hostages manages to shake her head no, without Victor noticing, which Ron Champion sees. Whats

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Victor Carias, right? Sensing the end of the road, Victor points his gun at the head of one of the female prisoners thats shielding him. VICTOR You come any closer and Ill kill this girl. RON CHAMPION So you are Victor Carias. VICTOR If you let me go, Ill drop these girls off unharmed at the city limits and will leave the country. Ill be Mexicos problem then, not yours. RON CHAMPION We cant do that. VICTOR How about $50 million dollars then? Ill give you $50 million right now, you can divide it up amongst your men however youd like. What do you say? RON CHAMPION We cant be bought. VICTOR Then Im going to kill this girl and her blood will be on your hands. Do you want that? Do you really want that? RON CHAMPION Youre not going to do that either. VICTOR Why wont I? RON CHAMPION Because its over. Youve lost. Theres no reason for any more senseless violence. VICTOR Thats exactly the reason why I should do it.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION the gun down Victor. Youre outmanned outflanked. Theres only one way of here for you if you dont put the down and thats in a body bag.

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Put and out gun

Victor pushes the gun hard into the helpless girls head. VICTOR Get out of here and leave me alone or else Ill blow her head off. Without warning, two bullets come through a window and strike Victor in the head. He immediately lets go of the two young females who then run over to the safety of the special forces team. Victor falls to the ground dead without even getting a shot off. EXT. ROAD IN FRONT OF CITY HALL NIGHT Sureshot Williams emerges from his position behind a truck across the street from the heavily barricaded City Hall building and kisses his sniper rifle before putting it back on his shoulder. INT. LAREDO CITY HALL MAYORS OFFICE Ron Champion walks over to Victor and looks down at his dead body. RON CHAMPION And thats that. Next he walks over to the window and gives Sureshot Williams, who is approaching the building outside, a thumbs up. In turn, Sureshot flashes a huge grin and laughs while giving a thumbs up. RON CHAMPION Weve liberated the city, lets go liberate the citizens now.

The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese INT. - LAREDO PRISON Ron Champions team walks down a hallway and opens the dark, dingy jail cells one-by-one while the innocent citizens being held behind bars are hooting and hollering. Ron Champion emerges in the middle of the hallway and quickly addresses the former prisoners. RON CHAMPION (shouts out) Citizens of Laredo, you are now free once again. We are U.S. soldiers who have liberated the city in the name of democracy. The federal government has promised to rebuild the city and they will rebuild the city. Go back to your homes and cherish the time you have with your families. The newly released citizens rejoice and party with each other in the crowded hallways. Men are high-fiving, backslapping and hugging each other. This euphoria has also turned to the special forces team as the freed prisoners begin to high-five, backslap and hug them as well. FREED CIVILIAN PRISONER #1 What if we have nowhere to go? I mean my wife told me that our house was burned down when the cartel moved in. Where do I go? RON CHAMPION (thinking for a moment) I assume this town has a good tequila bar, right? FREED CIVILIAN PRISONER #2 Its Laredo, of course we do. We have a great one right by the river. RON CHAMPION OK, well why dont we celebrate the citys liberation with some libations tonight and then well worry about everything else tomorrow.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese FREED CIVILIAN PRISONER #1 I hear that! FREED CIVILIAN PRISONER #2 Lets do it. TONY GASH Last one to the armored personnel carrier is a rotten egg! The group begins to file out of the hallway in an orderly but rushed and excited manner. EXT. TIKI BAR ALONG A RIVER NIGHT A packed tiki bar lit with torches around the perimeter sits alongside a river. Its filled with Laredo citizens and families reunited with each other and theyre partying alongside the special forces team. PARTIER Lets celebrate and party! Several of the male citizens take it upon themselves to jump behind the bar and begin serving drinks to everyone. Guys and girls throughout the bar are hugging and kissing each other in excitement as a loud band playing traditional Mexican music sits in the corner. Rock Johnson, the Casanova of the group, is making out with a young lady in another corner of the bar. Gunner Steele walks over to Ron Champion with a shot glass of tequila in his hand and tries to toast with him. GUNNER STEELE You did it sir. RON CHAMPION No, we did it. Ron Champion leads a toast with the rest of the team by raising his shot glass of tequila. Upon seeing this, Rock Johnson abruptly leaves his girl and joins the toast.

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The Elite Eight Original Screenplay by Jason Wiese RON CHAMPION Good job team. SPECIAL FORCES TEAM Cheers. The team takes their shot then high fives each other with the Black Widow being treated just like all the other members as she gets backslapped, high-fived and hugged by the rest of the team. The DJ puts on some new techno music which makes everyone run to the floor and dance. The high-energy crowd literally dances until the break of dawn. FADE OUT

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Cheers!