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407. Sympathy for the Devil
Directed by Brad Turner
Written by Lawrence Hertzog
Edited by David B. Thompson
Dialogue transcribed by Cathy.
CHIN DUC PROVINCE: SOUTH VIETNAM, 1972
PHAN: What you consider to be courage, Lieutenant Wolfe, is ignorance. You fight without cause, and you will die without honor. Third battalion -- 49th infantry -- when do they start their offensive?
Wolfe does not answer.
PHAN: It’s only a matter of time. (he holds up a sharp knife) And pain.
Later.
WILLIE: You held up, Lieutanant. Soulless bastards. We’re going to get through this. I promise you.
From above come the sounds of fighting.
WILLIE: You hear that, Lieutenant? Our team! I told you we’d make it.
SOLDIER: Radio back to base! Move in! Troopers, move in!
A rope ladder drops into the hole.
SOLDIER: Looks like we got here just in time for the party.
SOLDIER: What’s your name soldier?
WILLIE: Willie Kane. My lieutenant here is going to need some help.
SOLDIER: It’s under control. Let’s get out of here.
WILLIE: You take care of yourself, Lieutenant.
Willie climbs up the ladder, leaving Lt. Wolfe alone with the soldier, who points a gun at him.
OPERATIONS: Hey, what are you doing? What’s going on?
SOLDIER: You’re being reassigned.
A gunshot sounds. The scene changes to a park with roped off grassy areas -- the Vietnam Wall. Operations stands by the wall and traces the name on the wall: Paul L. Wolfe.
Flashback again.
SOLDIER: You’re being reassigned.
NIKITA’S APARTMENT
MICHAEL: We have more time.
Michael and Nikita kiss until Nikita sees a figure in the shadows and shoves Michael. Michael spins, gun ready. Operations steps into the light.
OPERATIONS: Still in good form. You won’t need that. I need to talk to you. Both of you.
NIKITA: So what are you doing here?
OPERATIONS: I have a favor to ask. This man’s name is Willie Kane. He was my Platoon N.C.O. when I served in Vietnam. In late 1972, my platoon was on routine maneuvers near Chin Duc when we were ambushed. All except three of us were massacred on the spot. We were subject to the hospitality of this man, Phan Van Nahn. He’s a man who taught me more than a few lessons in determination and courage. For 15 days, we were tortured and beaten and Willie is the reason I survived. He didn’t have the good sense to let me die and get it over with. He saved my life. Over the past 25 years, I’ve kept tabs on Willie. He held on long enough to get us through our ordeal, but once he got out, I’m afraid he unraveled pretty quickly.
MICHAEL: Drugs?
OPERATIONS: And drinking. Given my situation, I’ve done what I can to help him. Some money here and there, moved some things around into a favorable position for him. I’ve used no Section resources. What I’ve done I’ve done on my own.
MICHAEL: What is it you want from us?
OPERATIONS: I’m securing leave for both of you. I want you to get close to him.
NIKITA: And do what?
OPERATIONS: Someone is trying to kill Willie. I want you to find out who it is and prevent it from happening. If you do, I’m offering you fifteen days -- the same time Willie gave me – time to be alone together, no questions asked.
NIKITA: Why?
OPERATIONS: Call it payback. Agreed?
MUNITIONS
WALTER: Two P–17’s.
BIRKOFF: Got it.
WALTER: To think we used to trust our lives to this stuff.
BIRKOFF: Yeah.
WALTER: And then come back and talk about it. It’s a shame to see them go. Oh, my. Six Camway transceivers. We used to talk to each other with these. 100% analog with microwave scrambling. Oh man. Okay, uh, one case nickel hydride batteries. Hey, you still with us?
BIRKOFF: What’s it like?
WALTER: What’s what like?
BIRKOFF: Having memories.
WALTER: What do you mean? You’ve got memories.
BIRKOFF: Yes. I’ve made up stories. I’ve told different things to different people. None of it’s true. It’s always Section. It’s as if I didn’t exist or have a life before.
WALTER: Yeah, well, you know, maybe it’s better that way. Not every memory is something you want to remember. Come on; let’s get back to work. Batteries, nickel hydride, one case.
OLD APARTMENT BUILDING
MICHAEL: Where do you want this?
NIKITA: Uh, I don’t know. What about over there?
Willie stands in the doorway.
WILLIE: Hey guys! Uh…where’s your dog?
NIKITA: Dog?
WILLIE: Well I–uh, I’m sitting over there and I thought I -Well I thought a young couple like you, you know, no kids, ought to have a dog.
MICHAEL: No. No dog.
NIKITA: I’m Nikita. This is Michael.
WILLIE: Willie Kane.
NIKITA: Hey.
WILLIE: Boy next door.
NIKITA: I wish I could offer you something. We’re --
WILLIE: Oh, no, no, no, don’t, um, let me interrupt you. You know, um, I uh, I had a dog once. Nice. Had a tail. Had a girlfriend once, too. No tail. Ask me, dog’s a better deal. Uh, well, um, you know if you, uh, if you uh, finish working up a sweat, more where this came from.
MICHAEL: Okay.
COMM
Birkoff spies the name Jason Birkoff. He types a query.
MONITOR: Who is Jason Birkoff?
OLD APARTMENT BUILDING
MAN 1: Hey Willie! Come on out. Come on, Willie, come on out! We want to talk to you.
Willie opens the door.
WILLIE: What’s going on, guys? What’s going on? What do you want?
Michael watches.
WILLIE: Well, if you want me to help you figure it out, you let me know.
The men enter his apartment.
MAN 1: You got something for us Willie?
WILLIE: Well, now, I’m sorry guys, I’m all out of Pampers.
MAN 1: You been shorting us Willie. We sent you a message but I guess you didn’t have a chance to read it.
WILLIE: Was it illustrated?
The man grabs Willie.
MAN 1: We want the money, Willie! Don’t make me be tough on you. Come on.
Michael comes in, punches one man, shoots the other.
WILLIE: Well. You must have been one hell of a boy scout.
MICHAEL: Yeah.
FRONTAGE ROAD
Michael and Nikita drive and meet Operations in his car. They hand him an envelope with photos.
MICHAEL: Luigi Manetti, Joey DiAngelis, and the man they work for.
OPERATIONS: Carlos Bonaventure. What is it? Drugs? Money?
NIKITA: According to Willie, he knows nothing about it.
OPERATIONS: If it’s money, I can take care of it.
MICHAEL: Whatever it is, they’ll want him to pay for Manetti.
OPERATIONS: It’s the price of doing business. They’ll take the cash. Find out what it is and fix it. I’ll see that you get the money.
SECTON: STAIRWAY
BIRKOFF: Walter, I got to know.
WALTER: What?
BIRKOFF: Do I have a twin brother?
WALTER: If they find out you accessed those records, kemo sabe, there’s gonna be one less good guy for me to talk to around here.
BIRKOFF: They won’t find out. I backdated the access; it’ll look like routine.
WALTER: Yeah, well, just don’t go there.
BIRKOFF: I am there. Tell me.
WALTER: All right. Yes. Your mother’s name was Lisa. Until Nikita came, she was one of the brightest lights around here.
BIRKOFF: She was an operative?
WALTER: Level two. What they didn’t know is that she was pregnant when she was recruited. Your father was dead. They brought her in.
BIRKOFF: And she had twins. What happened to her?
WALTER: She was killed during a mission in Sofia. She was a great lady.
BIRKOFF: What happened to my brother?
WALTER: They let him out.
BIRKOFF: Impossible. No one --
WALTER: It was an experiment. Your mother was willing. I mean, just to see one of her kids get a shot at a real life. They wanted to do a psychological experiment: compare your brother’s life on the outside with yours on the inside.
BIRKOFF: You mean, all the years that I’ve been in here…he’s been…?
WALTER: Your brother’s been free.
CITY STREET
Michael watches Willie’s movements.
WILLIE’S APARTMENT
WILLIE: Heroes. Keepers of the faith. Defenders of the realm. That’s what they call you when they send you off to die. Problem is, what they forget to mention, the other side’s telling their grunts exactly the same thing. You know what I mean? It’s always root, root, root for the home team. Can’t tell the players without a body bag.
MICHAEL: You were drafted?
WILLIE: All the brave young men. The truth is, most of us were there because we didn’t have the smarts or the dough to stay out. A bunch of dumb, stupid kids. Not a clue what we were doing there. What’s even worse, it’s the stupider ones. The ones who think they know. Hey. So, are you in it?
MICHAEL: No.
WILLIE: It’s not so much the dying, you know. It’s not so much having to watch when the mortars hit your buddy…the guy you just bummed a smoke from turns into meat and gravy. It’s not knowing why. “What am I doing here? How’d I get here?” I mean, six months ago, all I’m thinking about is trying to get into Susan Ellerman’s pants. Whether the guy down the block is really such a prick, or am I just jealous of him because he gets to drive the Trans-Am and I don’t? How am I going to tell my old man I’m never going to be what he expected me to be. Hell, what I expected me to be. Now, here I am in the jungle. All dressed up in my G.I. Joe accessories ready to die. Man, I miss my dog.
Michael takes out an envelope from his jacket and hands it to Willie.
WILLIE: What? What’s this? What’s this for?
MICHAEL: For you to get even.
WILLIE: Get – what? Who said I was down?
MICHAEL: Those two guys who were here. You owe them money.
WILLIE: Well it’s not likely they’re going to be back!
MICHAEL: Others will.
WILLIE: What? Man, that’s a lot of money.
MICHAEL: I can afford it.
WILLIE: If you can afford it, why don’t you buy yourself a better place to live in? Why are you living here? I mean, why don’t you buy a nice slinky dress for that girlfriend of yours? Why, why me, what are you doing this for?
MICHAEL: You’re used to no whys.
WILLIE: Well, yeah, I said I’ve been through that. I didn’t say I was used to them. Why, what for, what are you doing this for?
MICHAEL: For defending the realm, then. Pay them.
Michael leaves.
WILLIE: Man.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
Operations looks at pictures of Willie.
CITY STREET
WILLIE: Hey guys.
Michael follows Willie. When blocked by a man speaking Vietnemes, he replies in the language and give him money. The man allows him to pass.
MAN: (in English) Okay, go.
MAN 2: (to Willie) You got your tribute?
Willie hands him money.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
OPERATIONS: He could be paying for the opium.
MICHAEL: $800. It’s more than that.
Operations remembers back to Vietnam.
PHAN: It is only a matter of time.
OPERATIONS: Phan Van Nahn.
COMMON AREA
WALTER: Hey, you guys! What’s shaking, sugar?
NIKITA: Busy. Rerunning the Angola sim. Evaluating what went wrong.
WALTER: Oh, so you’ve been able to fit that in while you’re doing
personal work for
Operations?
MICHAEL: We have to go.
WALTER: Now, Michael, you can go. But not until I’ve said what I’ve got to say.
MICHAEL: All right.
WALTER: I’ve put it on the line for you more times than you can count, Michael. But there’s something I want you to do for me now. I know about Willie Kane. Operations doesn’t know I know, but I do.
NIKITA: So what do you want?
WALTER: I want you to let it go. Make it disappear. You shake Willie’s tree hard enough and he’ll take off like a jackrabbit, and we’ll all be the better for it.
MICHAEL: How is that?
WALTER: I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have a good reason. Now, hell, did you ever wonder how I survived in this place as long as I have? Just do it. Well, nice to see you kids again. Remember, stay vertical!
NIKITA: Which way do we play it, his way or Walter’s?
MICHAEL: Ours.
OLD APARTMENT BUILDING
NIKITA: I’m sorry, I – it’s just that I –
MICHAEL: It’s all right.
NIKITA: How do you do it, Michael?
MICHAEL: Do what?
NIKITA: Keep your feelings sorted out, your head straight. You were married to Elena.
MICHAEL: Well, sometimes, our thoughts and feelings take us where we can no longer go. Feelings are not captive.
NIKITA: Maybe it’d be better if they were.
MICHAEL: I don’t know.
NIKITA: You know, a year ago, having time like this together…Michael, I’m lost. I don’t know what I am anymore.
OPIUM DEN
PHAN: That is enough! You have business here?
MICHAEL: What is your relationship with Willie Kane?
PHAN: My relationship? Would you any more ask me what my relationship is with my dog?
MICHAEL: He pays you. Why?
PHAN: Because I tell him to. He’s quite clever, really. He’d deliver my morning paper to me in his teeth if I so requested.
MICHAEL: I asked you a question.
PHAN: And I gave you my answer.
Phan throws a pen at Michael; Michael renders him unconscious.
WILLIE’S APARTMENT
WILLIE: No, no, no, no! You can’t bring him in here! I don’t want him in here, no!
NIKITA: It’s all right, Willie.
WILLIE: No it’s not! You don’t understand. Anything that’s done to him, I’m the one who’s gonna have to pay.
PHAN: Woof.
MICHAEL: He’s just a man, Willie.
WILLIE: Who are you people?
NIKITA: We’re here to help you, but you got to tell us the truth.
PHAN: Yes, Willie – time to tell the truth. Tell them. Tell them how easily a man will surrender his manhood. How for a sack of rice and the promise to live another day, a man would willingly hand over his comrades to the enemy.
NIKITA: The ambush?
WILLIE: What –what do you know about any of this?
NIKITA: Is that how they knew, Willie? Is that how the V.C. knew the exact time and place that your platoon would be walking on the road? Is that how they knew?
WILLIE: Were you there? No, you weren’t there. You have no idea what happened over there. You have no idea!
NIKITA: Tell us the truth, Willie.
MICHAEL: Willie. You were not tortured.
PHAN: No. But content to make it appear as if he had been. Always so obedient. Always ready to please your masters. Tell them. Tell them how you tried to please us.
Wille grabs a knife and stabs Phan.
WILLIE: I hope this pleases you!
Michael pulls him away.
WILLIE: Oh, no, no, no, no. You have no idea. You have no idea what they did to men over there. You have no idea what they would have done to me. You know? It was – it was terrible there, terrible. Vicious – vicious people.
MICHAEL: Let go.
WILLIE: You know, it’s not like they gave me a choice, you know? No choice…
NIKITA: So you were skimming from Bonaventure to pay Nahn?
WILLIE: Oh yeah. Chicken money.
NIKITA: He threatened to tell the truth on you?
WILLIE: Yeah. Like anybody’d give a damn at this point, huh?
NIKITA: Wait across the hall, in our place. Here, this was yours.
She hands bloody money to him. He leaves.
MICHAEL: (dials phone) Housekeeping.
NIKITA: So Walter’s protecting Operations. I guess he thinks it’s better for a man to have his illusions. There’s still some good left in the world.
MICHAEL: Those illusions will die with the truth.
In the hallway, Willie is grabbed from behind and dragged off.
OLD APARTMENT BUILDING
OPERATIONS: Are you sure it was Bonaventure’s men who took him?
MICHAEL: Yes.
OPERATIONS: Did Willie ever explain why he’d taken the risk? Stealing from Bonaventure?
NIKITA: No.
OPERATIONS: I know Willie. He won’t go down easily. I want you to arrange a meeting. I want to meet with Bonaventure. You let me know when you have it set up.
BONAVENTURE'S BUILDING
OPERATIONS: Where’s Bonaventure?
MAN 1: (dials phone and speaks into it) He’s here.
The other man leads Operations off. Two other men are in the back. One is Bonaventure.
BONAVENTURE: So the syndicate–a lot of money was made from drugs.
Bonaventure approaches a table and sits down. Operations approaches.
BONAVENTURE: You Paulie?
OPERATIONS: Paul.
BONAVENTURE: “Balls?” If not it oughta be. ‘Cause either you’re very stupid, or you get a set of big brass shiny ones. So, Balls, my people tell me you want to say something to me. What can I do for you?
OPERATIONS: First, you can let Willie Kane go.
BONAVENTURE: Second?
OPERATIONS: You forget about him.
BONAVENTURE: It’s all right.
OPERATIONS: Once you let him go, as far as you’re concerned, he’s dead and gone.
BONAVENTURE: Second part’s no problem.
OPERATIONS: I’m not asking, Carlo.
BONAVENTURE: Listen, you pasty-faced son of a bitch – nobody comes in here, sits at my table and tells me what to do. Not even the dumbest hole in the planet! This is my house and right now, you’re stinking it up.
OPERATIONS: You touch me, you fail to do what I’ve told you to do – your organization will be eliminated. Surgically and systematically. And once you’ve had time to read about it, you’ll be next.
Bonaventure spits in his face.
BONAVENTURE: Never threaten my family.
Operations wipes his face with a handkerchief.
OPERATIONS: You have capos in New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. Failure to comply will result in their elimination.
BONAVENTURE: Failure to comply? Up yours! Make sure nobody finds this mook.
OPERATIONS: Your nephew Francis is living in Sicily, avoiding the police. When was the last time you spoke with him?
BONAVENTURE: Nobody! Nobody could get to Frankie. I got 20 guys watching him. They move him around every other day, hell, even I don’t know where he is most of the time. All I got is a cell phone number.
OPERATIONS: Before you dispose of me, maybe you should give him a call?
BONAVENTURE: Why? So I can be the second dumbest hole on the planet?
Operations laughs. Bonaventure dials a number on the phone.
BONAVENTURE: Yeah, yeah, it’s me. Put Frankie on the phone. (pause) They popped Frankie four hours ago. 20 guards guarding the place didn’t see a damn thing. That was my baby brother’s kid. Who the hell are you?
OPERATIONS: You have two hours. This dump might be your house, Carlo. Everything else, everything outside this door? That’s mine.
He flips the olive pit into Bonaventure’s wine glass and exits, unmolested.
WILLIE’S APARTMENT
WILLIE: What are you telling me? What are you telling me? You’re telling me Paul’s alive? Well you know what I heard.
OPERATIONS: What you heard was wrong.
Willie remembers.
WILLIE: Our team! I told you we’d make it. My lieutenant here is going to need some help. Take care of yourself Lieutenant.
Willie returns to the present; he and Operations hug.
OPERATIONS: Oh, man, it’s good to see you, Willie!
WILLIE: You know you, you’re looking awfully good for a dead man. Oh, man. You know, uh, your friends, you know, they’ve been telling me all you’ve been doing for me and uh –
OPERATIONS: You did it for me, Willie. I wish I could have done more.
WILLIE: Well, uh, you know, that’s just it, uh- you know, I’m not really worth it, you know what I mean?
OPERATIONS: Times haven’t been so good.
WILLIE: Time. Times are what they are, you know? It’s just uh --
Outside the apartment building, a dark car draws up.
WILLIE: Uh, Paul – you got the wrong guy.
OPERATIONS: I got the guy who saved my life.
WILLIE: Yeah. Um, no, Paul, look – uh, you got it wrong. You know, uh, when you and I were in that camp –
Gunfire blasts through the window. Operations ducks to the floor while bullets riddle Willie’s body and he falls. Operations turns Willie over. He is dead. Outside, Walter drives the dark car away, an automatic weapon on the seat next to him.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
NIKITA: We heard what happened.
OPERATIONS: It’s no matter. You did what I asked you to do. I owe you fifteen days, they’re yours. Something wrong?
MICHAEL: We’d prefer to wait.
OPERATIONS: If that’s what you want.
NIKITA: It would be better to wait.
MUNITIONS
WALTER: I told you. There are some things you’re better off not knowing.
BIRKOFF: It’s too late for that now.
WALTER: Yeah, but then you wish you’d never found out, right?
BIRKOFF: Your name was on four signature files before the decision was made. Before my brother was released. Why?
WALTER: I made the decision. I decided who would walk and who would stay inside.
BIRKOFF: Based on what? What criteria? I didn’t see any psych forms, evaluations?
WALTER: It wasn’t necessary.
BIRKOFF: So how did you decide?
Walter pulls out a coin and flips it into the air. Birkoff catches it.
WALTER: Tails.
Birkoff opens his palm. The coin is tails-up.
WALTER: You lost, amigo.
Birkoff lays the coin down and walks away.
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