This script is dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero SJ, an innocent who fell under an assassin’s bullet for his belief that justice was more dangerous than a thief. May his dedication to the poor of El-Salvador never be forgotten. FORTUNE, THIEF OF BAGHDAD 2 FADE IN: INT. CASINO NO.14, PARIS - DAY CLOSE ON a young guy called Adrian Luc entering Casino. His nonchalant expression and attire suggests he is a man of easy manner. Dressed in a scruffy coat, and pink scarf, he fishes into his pocket, pulls out his last one hundred euro note, and a tiny ivory ball. KISSES his fist and smiles. Life is all a big gamble. INT. REPUBLICAN PALACE, BAGHDAD - NIGHT A feast is being celebrated one year after the dictator’s arrest. INT. AT THE BANQUET TABLE - NIGHT …..is a young American soldier called CHAD. He is sandwiched between a drunken officer called STING RAY. A military yes man known for his biting sarcasm, and a woman, called EUROPE. A shiite with wizened eyes and bright red lips. A bounty of food is laid out before the guests, the champagne is flowing and good will is thick in the air. Sting Ray picks up the champagne bottle, pours himself another glass. CLOSE ON Chad talking soberly to Europe. CHAD The tribes aren’t happy. They’re no longer protesting quietly but are shouting insults against us. EUROPE Leave politics alone. There’s more interesting talk of late like the intrepid thief Fortune, who’s holding sway over one half of Baghdad. Sting Ray all ears, has picked up the thread of the exchange between Chad and Europe returns the champagne bottle to the iced bucket, and gives a wry smile. STING RAY What did you say? I wasn’t listening to the conversation. If you would be kind enough to repeat what you said. EUROPE (cont’d) I was saying that the thief Fortune has more conviction, enthusiasm and devotion to Baghdad than all of the West’s devotion put together. 3 STING RAY (cont’d) But Europe, does the thief have the fanaticism to take the place of all the virtues of democracy whom you know to be a master legislator? EUROPE (cont’d) I can’t say, but Fortune is highly ambitious and the personification of equality. STING RAY (cont’d) Do you realise what you are saying has a very strong revolutionary scent. But I excuse you, after all you are the Shiite underclass and cannot be free from the spice of the old falafel. He rises from the table and wanders off into the crowd. Europe shrinks back, glances around the room, draws Chad to one side. EUROPE (cont’d) Can I trust you with a secret? Chad nods thoughtfully. Europe LEANS in. You must get a message to the thief Fortune. Tell him that on behalf of the people of Baghdad I would like to thank him for his services and for that there is gold to be uncovered. STING RAY …….intimate encounter catches his attention. CHAD (cont’d) (nervously) It’s true that as a data specialist I am privy to many secrets but the identity of the thief is a mystery to me as much as he is to everyone. I would urge you not to get yourself mixed up in criminal matters. Immediately behind Europe comes the distinct RATTLE of keys. MYSTERY VOICE Fortune wishes to meet you. Europe turns round, flustered. No one is there. 4 Chad now feeling restless and uneasy. The pang of remorse he feels for having enlisted to serve his country is growing. He leaves the party. INT. OFFICE - NIGHT Chad in his cubicle, flicks on his computer screen. Switches on his email program, looks rapidly for one address: [email protected] and types an email. Then…… the door bursts wide open. Sting Ray enters, accompanied by three soldiers. He advances toward the computer screen and reads the email. STING RAY If you have some personal grievance against the United States Government there are better ways of dealing with it. How such a low serviceman can be so arrogant astounds me. You’re under arrest for treason. EXT. A THIEF IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, BAGHDAD - DAY LATERALLY TRACKING the screeching siren of a US army vehicle, shaping a course west, then south. At the wheel is ZOLTAN, Chief of the Secret Police chasing the thief FORTUNE who has jumped from the window of the third floor’s Ministry of Justice. Stolen, a cashbox worth ten million dollars from Baghdad’s Treasury, the property of the United States Government. INT. SIDE ALLEY - DAY The thief SURGES round a corner, gripping hard on the cashbox, RACES down the avenue, pausing momentarily at the howling Apache helicopter overhead. At alley’s entrance, a young street URCHIN wearing a UNICEF badge selling trinkets, witnesses the chase, SHOUTS to the police vehicle. URCHIN Police! police! thief!….down the avenue! The street urchin gives CHASE, the thief swings off speed, STUMBLES, losing the grip on the cashbox. It BURSTS open, bundles of cash scatter across the road. The street urchin DIVES on the cashbox, SCOOPS up the cash, then disappears. 5 Moments later, the police car careens into the avenue blocking the thief’s path. A door swings open. Zoltan steps out of the car, calmly smoking a cigarette. ZOLTAN Put your hands in the air and turn around. Do it gently. My finger is on the trigger. Zoltan’s right hand slides down to his gun holster. The thief puts up no resistance, coolly turns around. Zoltan butts out his cigarette, pushes back his black beret and steps forward. Where’s the cash box? He runs his left hand over the thief. After a few seconds he is unimpressed. There is no cashbox. FORTUNE Tell me comrade. How much do they pay you to betray your own people? Zoltan’s eyes widen. Dressed in loose black plants and shirt, a black patch is strapped to Fortune’s right eye. The thief is hideous in appearance. Difficult to determine if it is man or a woman. Fortune takes a bold step forward, body erect, courage evident. You understand that I have to steal don’t you? ZOLTAN (cont’d) Don’t argue with me. I always follow a job through. FORTUNE (cont’d) To condemn me without proof. Surely a comrade could spare me some good faith? At that moment, Zoltan finds himself hating the role he plays as an American puppet. Fortune does not have the cashbox. He feels panic. ZOLTAN (cont’d) (stammers) It’s….it’s how the law works. FORTUNE (cont’d) Let me go and I’ll double whatever Stone is 6 paying you for bringing me in? Zoltan looks at Fortune a moment, eyes probing trying to read the thief’s mind. The thief deserves to live for mastering such a clever plan by stealing the cash in broad daylight and somehow disposing of it before being caught. ZOLTAN (cont’d) Quick, off with you. The thief turns, makes a dash down the avenue looking back once over the shoulder flashing Zoltan a glance of approval. He makes no attempt to go after Fortune. Instead he shakes his head realizing he has been robbed of his wits. INT. LE EMPORIUM, A SECOND HAND CLOTHING STORE - DAY Fortune enters. In the corner of the store we see an open window. The eyes search into its dark corners and is momentarily blinded by a flashlight. Gradually vision returns as the beam of the flashlight swings away enabling the thief to catch sight of the street urchin. In his hand is the cashbox. STREET URCHIN Can the orphanage have ice cream? Fortune looks amused. FORTUNE You have earned the privilege. Fortune grips the cold metallic object like a mother protecting an infant. The halcyon spirit unbreakable. EXT. A DESERTED STREET BAGHDAD – NIGHT We see an old woman called Asia walking purposefully out of the Temple Marketplace. Her head is covered in a worn cashmere shawl and, she is carrying a package wrapped in a dirty rag. INT. MOUTH OF THE CITY’S UNDERGROUND TUNNELS - NIGHT At tunnel’s edge a light comes from a lamp inside the cave, forcing her head to turn sharply. ASIA’S P.O.V - a figure in the darkness. She starts to RUN, reaches a door and, begins POUNDING wildly on it until it swings open. INT. RESISTANCE HIDEOUT 7 Asia enters. A youngish spectacled man in a tattered suit shuts the door behind her. He is an army SURGEON of the old Republican guard working for Baghdad’s resistance against the American invaders under the Command of General Dallas Stone. INT. A BANDIT’S LAIR - NIGHT A group of wounded civilians lie on mattresses. Their groans have little effect on the surgeon, immune to the horrors of war. SURGEON Have you been followed? ASIA I’m afraid so. SURGEON (cont’d) It could be a Shiite spy? ASIA (cont’d) Right now that’s not important. Asia hands the surgeon the package. He RIPS off the dirty cloth and lets it fall on the ground. Spends a few moments studying the small plastic box that contains valuable antibiotics and morphine. SURGEON (cont’d) It’s not enough. The surgeon strides across the room with the box and KNEELS down beside a wounded boy. He is SHRIEKING in agony, apologizes for the noise. The surgeon FLIPS open the box, removes a syringe and, fills it with morphine then in half doses he begins administering the medicine.