PHILIPS
I'm afraid those are your
orders, Major.  Once you
reach your objective, Dillon
will evaluate the situation
and take charge.

Schaefer looks from Philips to Dillon.  He still doesn't
like it.

DILLON
Not to worry, Dutch.  I
haven't lost my edge.  They've
got a head start on us in
some real tough country,
otherwise, believe me, it's
a piece of cake.

PHILIPS
Gentlemen, we're losing time.
(to Schaefer)
You'd better get your men
ready.
(pause)
Good luck, Major.

4     EXT. TWO ASSAULT HELICOPTERS - NIGHT                   4

Burst over the top of a ridge.  Rising up in silhouette
they perform a radical left bank turn and descend
rapidly into an adjoining valley, racing over the
jungle at treetop level.

As the helicopters perform dizzying, high-speed
maneuvers through the winding canyon, the PILOT'S
VOICES can be HEARD, coordinating their operations.

PILOT ONE
(voice over)
Redbird Two, Two.  Bearing
south, three, five, zero, one
o'ckock on the saddle ridge.
Over.

(CONTINUED)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

8

4     CONTINUED:                                             4

PILOT TWO
(voice over)
Roger, Blue Leader.  Three,
five, zero, on your move.
Over.

The helicopters rise in perfect coordination over
another ridge and bank sharply into the next valley,
leveling out as they go.

5     INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                                5

Illuminated by the eerie red glow of NIGHT LIGHTS, are
SEVEN MEN, dressed in jungle camouflage, soft hats and
camouflage face-makeup.  They wear no identity badges
or insignias.  The man are checking their WEAPONS,
making last minute adjustments to their GEAR.

The compartment reverberates with the NOISE of the
THUMPING ROTORS and the ROAR of air from the open
doors.

BLAIN, weapons and ordinance specialist, a frightening
bull of a man, a 240 pound killer, removes from his
shirtpocket a think PLUG OF TOBACCO.  He looks across
at:

MAC, a huge bear of a man, black, holding am M-60
MACHINE GUN.  Blain holds out the tobacco to Mac who
refuses with a gentle shake of the head, a knowing
smile, he knows what's coming.

Holding the plug between his teeth Blain yanks free
from his shoulder scabbard a wicked, ten inch COMBAT
KNIFE.  Placing the razor sharp blade next to his lips
he slices through the plug as if it were butter.  He
chews throughtfully.

Seated by the open doorway is RAMIREZ, a slight,
angular man, an East L.A. streetwise Chicano.

Adding a final piece of camouflage TAPE to his pack
HARNESS, he looks up and smiles, faking a throw and
the bulleting the tape to:

HAWKINS, the radioman and medic, Irish, street-tough,
reading a rolled-up magazine, as if he were a rush hour
commuter.  He snags the tape with an instinctual snap

(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVISED - "HUNTER" - 4/17/86                           9
*
5     CONTINUED:                                             5

of the wrist, continuing to read for a moment before
looking up, grinning at Ramirez, his boyish, eager
face belying the rugged professional beneath.  He
turns his gaze to the man next to him:

BILLY, the Kit Carson Scout, an American Indian, proud,
stoic, a man of quiet strength and simplicity,
carefully replacing the FIRING MECHANISM of his M-203,
working its action several times.  He looks up with a
smile at Hawkins.

HAWKINS
(shouting)
Hey, Billy, how many marines
does it take to eat a squirrel?

Billy looks back, shaking his head, uncomprehending.

HAWKINS
Two.  One to eat it and one
to watch for cars.

Hawkins laughs heartily at his joke.

6     EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT                                    6

Clearing another ridge, the helicopters plunge into a
steep descent, turning quickly into a DEEP-WALLED
CANYON, the force of the turn accentuated by the
changing PITCH of the screaming turbines and the
biting of rotors into the air.

7     INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                                7

The men, suspended in RESTRAINING HARNESSES from the
bulkheads, lean forward, nearly upside down in response
to the radical maneuver, handling the situation with
ease.

Blain holds out the tobacco to Ramirez, who swats at
the offending object as if it were alive.

RAMIREZ
(shouting)
Get that stinkin' thing out
of my face, Blain!

(CONTINUED)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVISED - "HUNTER" - 4/29/86                          10

7     CONTINUED:                                             7

Grinning, Blain proffers the plug to each man, each one
refusing; they've done it a thousand times.  It's an old
gag but they obviously care for the man in a big way.

BLAIN
...bunch of slack-jawed
faggots around here...
(holds up plug)
...this stuff will put hair
guaranteed...
(chewing)
...make you a God-damned
sexual ty-ran-toe-sore-ass...
just like me.

This brings a chorus of HOOTS and SHOUTS from the others.

The helicopter makes another radical turn.

Schaefer and Dillon, seated near the cockpit, communicate
through HEADSETS, also linked to the pilot.  They
consult a TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP by RED PENLIGHTS.

DILLON
(pointing to
the map)
Our rendezvous points and
radio freqs. are indicated
and fixed.  AWACS contact on
four hour intervals.

SCHAEFER
Who's our back-up on this?

DILLON
(grinning)
No such thing, old buddy.
It's a one way ticket.
Once we cross that border,
we're on our own.

SCHAEFER
This gets better by the
minute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

11

8     INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT                                   8

The PILOT and CO-PILOT are surrounded by an array of
dimly lit GAUGES and SWITCHES.  Before the Co-Pilot is
a RADAR SCREEN and an INFRA-RED DISPLAY TERMINAL on
which the TWO HELICOPTERS appear as HEAT SOURCES.

PILOT NUMBER ONE
...roger Bird Two, Two.
Reconfirm insertion at Tango,
Charlie, Delta One, zero,
niner on the grid at zero,
two, two, mark four by zero.
Over.

PILOT NUMBER TWO
(voice over)
Two, Two, leader.  Roger your
insert co-ord.  Over.

PILOT NUMBER ONE
Leader to Bird Two Two.  I
bear two minutes to Landing
Zone.

The Pilot throws a SWITCH on the panel before him

9     INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                                9

A BLUE LIGHT appears on the forward bulkhead.  Schaefer
is speaking over a RADIO TELEPHONE.  The Co-Pilot turns
and hands him a clipboard.  Schaefer reads, notes his
approval and hands it back.

10     EXT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                               10

Flares up into position over the jungle and hovers, as
the SUPPORT HELICOPTER holds in a protective position
above.

11     INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                               11

Dillon seems comfortable with the men, showing Ramirez
a battered CIGARETTE LIGHTER from a famed commando
unit from the past.

But his ingratiating demeanor is not impressing Mac, who
regards Dillon with the cold suspicion reserved for an
outsider.  Mac looks up at Blain, his eyes narrowing.

Blain's massive jaws roll as he masticates the chew.
He pauses, eyes moving downward, spotting his target.

(CONTINUED)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

12

11     CONTINUED:                                            11

He hocks a thick, vile stream of TOBACCO JUICE directly
between Dillon's legs and onto the floor, a gelatinous
skein lacing across the toe of one boot.  Dillon looks
up, his face goes cold and menacing.

DILLON
(icy)
Man, that's a real bad habit
you've got.

Dillon turns back to Ramirez, ignoring Mac and Blain,
who continues to stare at him.  Mac looks across at
Blain, wide grins breaking across their huge faces.
Cradled in Blain's arms, as if it were a part of his
body, is a large, CANVAS-COVERED BUNDLE.  Blain looks
down at his bundle, almost affectionately.

The PILOT's VOICE breaks in over Schaefer's headset.

PILOT NUMBER ONE
(voice over)
LZ comin' up in 30 seconds.
Stand by the rappel lines.

Looking up, Schaefer gives a hand signal to the nearest
man who nods and in return,passes the signal down the
line.

Ramirez and Blain pick up heavy, METAL CONICAL DEVICES,
attached to canvas bags filled with rope.

12     EXT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                               12

From the open doors the RAPPELLING LINES hurtle into
space, CRASHING through the double canopy of the trees
and to the jungle floor below.

13     INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT                               13    *

The blue light changes to GREEN.  Schaefer nods.
RAPPELLING DEVICES SNAP into place.  Gloved hands grab
onto rope.  Combat boots move into position.

DILLON
(shouting to
Schaefer)
You don't know how much I
missed this, Dutch!!!  Once
you get this in your blood,
you never get it out!!!

(CONTINUED)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

13

13     CONTINUED:                                            13

SCHAEFER
You never were all that
smart...let's go!!!

Schaefer signals.  Men leap from the chopper.

14     EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT                                   14

The man crash through the trees and are swallowed up by
the darkness below.  The helicopters depart, THUMPING
their way into the night.

DISSOLVE TO:

15     EXT. MOUNTAIN RIDGE - DAY (DAWN)                      15

A light shower passes through the trees.  The sky
clears, REVEALING a lush and exotic foliage.  Birds
are beginning to SING but otherwise, all is SILENT.

The dense growth seems impenetrable, but from a solid
wall of undergrowth, a HAND appears and signals in a
downward motion.

As if by magic, the assault team materializes, quietly,
cautiously.  Schaefer makes another gesture and the team
moves forward in perfect harmony in POINT-LOCK step,
taking their cue from Ramirez, the pointman.  Schaefer,
highly focused and alert to every sound and movement,
follows Ramirez, as if organically connected.

16     EXT. JUNGLE HILLSIDE - DAY                            16

Descending the steep mountain slope, the team encounters
an even denser growth of jungle, at times moving by
instinct, as they are often visually separated.  At one
point, Schaefer checks his COMPASS, flashing some hand
signals to Ramirez, indicating a new direction.  Ramirez
nods and moves on, Schaefer signaling to the rest of the
men.

17     EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY                            17

Blain, in a defensive position, sweeps the jungle slowly
with his MP-5.  He steps back and turns, checking,
revealing in the b.g. the WRECKAGE OF A U.S. ARMY UH-1H
HELICOPTER, hanging upside down, twenty feet above the
ground, entangled in vines in the heavy capony, badly
damaged, rotors bent, its tail section blown away.

(CONTINUED)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVISED - "HUNTER" - 4/21/86                          14
*
17     CONTINUED:                                            17

A GRAPPLING HOOK is hurled from the ground, CLATTERING
into the cargo hold, hooking the edge of the airframe.

18     INT. HELICOPTER - DAY                                 18

Ramirez moves cautiously, searching for trip wires,
using his knife to check the edges of the seats and
door frames.  Grimly he glances at the TWO BODIES
slumped over the controls and then exits, snapping
into and rappelling down the rope to the ground.