"Mister!" "Kites." "It means a new drug shipment is in." "I see the kites." "I don't see any evidence of a downed plane." "Keep looking." "No-man's land." "Man, woman or child." "This ain't a christening." "Put the cameras down." "No!" "No!" "Easy." "SweetJesus." "Not our business." "Yes." "I will." " You speak English." " Who are you?" "Fellow with some money." "You pay me, I answer one question." "Okay." "Where'd you learn English?" "My mother cleaned the house of American in Rio." " Where's your mother now?" " Dead." "That man over there" "Oh!" "I want to take a picture of an airplane." "You take me to this plane, I give you more money." " I'll take you to the airport." " No." "I don't want to see that kind of plane." "I want to see the plane where you got this." "I bought it." "In the street." "If I was you, money I had, I'd buy some food." "Where'd you get the headset?" "I don't want to give this photo to the policeman now, would I?" "Let him see how cozy you are with the Americans." "Drug eradication plane." "Must have been spraying for coca." "All right, what else did you take?" " I don't call this nothin'." " I didn't get that here." "That's the last lie I want to hear from you." "Or I'm gonna mess you up real bad and take back all that money." "Let him go." "You want to look at this." "Adolpho shot him down." " Surface-to-air missile." " He was bragging he had SAMs." "Well, I guess he does." "Question is what he plans to do with them." "You haven't known her that long." "Marriage is a serious thing." " Jonas said I should get your advice on the subject." " Have you met her family?" " No." "I'm about to." " That'll tell you a lot." "I'm thinking of proposing to her, not her family." "You are young, aren't you?" "She thinks I'm a clerk in the 303rd." " What's your question?" " When do I tell her what I do for real?" " That's not your job." " It's not?" "When you decide to make her your family, you'll bring her to us women." "We'll tell her what she needs to know." "See?" "You've just learned something new." "Sixteen-year-old boy come and take my daughter to a movie... wearing a shirt that reads "stamp out virginity"?" "Huh!" "Can you imagine?" "You remember that, Celeste?" "Big decision at that point- kill or just maim?" "I beat that boy down the street, past the church and the police station." "Beat him in his mama's kitchen." "Let him live, so he could remember." " Dear God." " See?" "I didn't really like that boy anyhow." "I just brought him home to put a burr under his saddle." "Let me ask you a question here, Hector." " Sir?" " You look healthy enough." "You got all 10 fingers?" " Yes, sir." " You know how to squeeze a trigger?" "I had basic training." " Do you enjoy the military?" " Yes, sir, I do." "Then tell me how a young, healthy man like you... can look at hisself in a mirror working in an office with a bunch of skirts." " Daddy.!" " It's a fair question." "I want to hear his answer." "Sir, I'm good at what I do, and it needs doing." " Managing logistics requires" " A gentle temperament and a sore ass." "Excuse me." "I apologize." "I have to go." "Are there some papers in serious need of pushing?" "None but the brave deserve the fair." "You ever hear that, son?" "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings." "But my daughter is no consolation prize." "I agree, sir." "Well, it speaks well of you that you do." "I have to report to work." "Thank you for the hospitality, ma'am." "It was a pleasure to meet you, Hector." "I'll walk you out." "Just pop the question." "It's all you can do." "It's a contract you sign first." "Then it's the woman's choice." "Who's getting married?" "Could be, Colonel." "Well,just not today." "This here on the right is Ricardo Ruiz." "I heard Ruiz was killed in a car accident in Belize last week." "Good thing that's what you heard, because he's alive and well and in our brig on base..." " telling us all about his friends around the globe." " Nice." "Once such amigo is this man, AdolphoJimenez, Brazilian drug lord." " He's now dabbling in arms." " What kind of weapons?" "Surface-to-air missiles." "Ruiz claims that his buddy in Brazil got hold of a crate load." "He's already used one to down a drug eradication plane." "Plans to sell the rest to the highest bidder." " And who's that?" " Better be you... because we hear the Islamic Brigade of Basra City's sniffing around down there... for SAMs to take down our Black Hawks." " Maybe a civilian plane or two here in the U.S." " If they outbid us on the SAMs?" "What you can't buy, you're gonna have to take." "Plane leaves in an hour." "Jonas and Charlie are already down there." "Jimenez has four guard-teams on the perimeter." "AK-47's." "I hate to tell you, but these are all kids." "Oh, boy." " Something catch your eye?" " Just saw an old friend." " Thank you." "Have a nice day." " Thank you." "You too." "Thought you'd be out buying T-bones and caviar." "Can you believe it?" "Molly's a genius." "We made 10% on our first investment in less than a month." "Going straight into the kids' college fund." "So we're not invited for steaks?" "You're welcome for spaghetti." "Unless I get evicted." "Have you seen these?" "It's just a warning." "Your front yard- weeds are overgrown." "No, really." "Citation 621-J2." "621 's your yard." "J2's weeds." "Gotta get a weed whacker." "I'd loan you ours, but it broke." "Oh, come on." "This is ridiculous." "Bring it to the F.R.G. meeting tonight." "You can appeal it." " I have a paper due." " So pay the fine then." "Where's the meeting?" "My husband's check is two days late." " I'm sorry." " It's only $20." "I need the money." " Your account is overdrawn." " Give me credit for the P.X. so that I can feed my son!" " There's no credit here." "It'd cost me my job!" " Rec center, 5:00." "All I want is what my family is owed." " I'm sorry." "It's procedure." "We've been" " This is ridiculous." " There a problem?" " Yeah." "You listening to my business is a problem." "Just needed a little help." "Army Finance screwed up our pay again." "I can loan you some money for essentials." " I can't let you do that." " Sure, you can." "I'm having a good day." "Well, I'm not, and I don't take charity." " It's not charity if you pay me back." " It's not" "I'm fine." "She'll go to Lucky Larry's, get a payday advance." "An army wife has to go to a loan shark to buy milk?" "You new on base?" " Nice flight?" " It landed." "Had a flight attendant right up your alley." " Hope you passed out my number." " I sure did." "He's gonna call you when he gets back to the States." "Hope you're hungry." " I'm starving." " Good." "Because I'm making cristianos y morros." "Whoa-ho." "Much more of that, you might get dessert too." "I apologize for our meeting's length." "I'm afraid we're gonna have to put off other business... and community comments until the next time... because we still need an update with the sidewalk address painting... and the red, white and blue garden project." " Now" " Excuse me." "I don't mean to interrupt." "But I have sat here for two hours in order to bring up my other business" "Please, please." "Introduce yourself and tell us your husband's rank." "Kim Brown." "My husband Bob works for the 303rd Logistical." "He's an N.C.O." "Thank you for coming, Kim." "My name is Kathryn Pratt." "I am the president of the Family Readiness Group." "And my husband is General Edward Pratt." "Pleased to meet you." "I received this letter which seems to be a warning that I'll be fined if my front yard- my weeds- don't meet some sort of standard." "And I'm not sure to what standard it refers." "Our steering committee sets the standards." " You are new to Fort Griffith?" " Yes." "Perhaps you failed to read the wives' manual or even failed to receive one." "Molly gave me the full welcome packet." "Well, should you read it, you will learn... that we do enforce community standards for lawn upkeep... and we recently initiated the red, white and blue flower project." "And buying in bulk, I was able to procure a discount... so that the plants will only come to $22." "I have neighbors going to loan sharks to buy their groceries." "How can you expect folks to spend money on flowers?" "Well, maybe you have forgotten the importance of such gestures with your husband not in combat." "I just think there may be some more vital issues that Family Readiness can address." "Why don't you put your thoughts in writing... and bring them to the general meeting on Thursday, Kim?" "Oh, but don't delay in responding to that 621-J2... as there is an added fine for a late payment." "So, moving on." "Now each flat here is prearranged in red and white impatiens and blue lobelia." "I wanted to tell her my husband's one of the top 150 elite soldiers in the world... and then punch her right in the throat." " You made a point about needy families on the base." " Oh, you think so?" "But you can't barge in and turn an old, stuffy institution around on a dime." "But you're smart." "Perhaps you know what you're doing." "What's that?" "Writing us off." "Making sure the F.R.G. is a waste of your time." "Otherwise, you might have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty." "Grab your partner." "Band just started playing." "We're here to see AdolphoJimenez." "Anyone here speak English?" "I do." "He asked who you were." "Tell him we're here to do business with your boss." "Tell him we're friends of Ricardo Ruiz." "Mr. Jimenez?" "Mr. Jimenez, my name is Liam Higgins." "This is Owen Donnelly." "We represent a certain Irish-American constituency." " We're looking for a friend." " And who might that be?" "He calls himself SAM." "We understand you might be of some assistance." "Why would I do that?" "Well, you would be well compensated." "Who are you?" "I.R.A.?" "I thought you made peace with the British." "We're not I.R.A." "You wouldn't catch us signing a bleeding peace treaty... when there's still a war on." "Does it matter who we are?" "We have the money." "$500,000." "The other five upon delivery." "For how many SAMs?" "For all of them." "How did you find me?" "We have a mutual friend- Ricardo Ruiz." "And when did he tell you about me?" " I spoke to him two days ago." " You failed to do your homework." "Ricardo died last week." " Eh" " I'll kill him." "Go ahead." "There's a thousand others to fill his shoes." "Hold it." "Wait." "Hold on." " Eh, eh." " Look at this." "You'll note the newspaper's two days old." "You think I don't know pictures can be faked?" "Ricardo faked his own death to avoid some problems he was having with the Salvadorans." " You mean with the Bolivians." " No." "He paid off Mr. Bonita." "It was Mr. Aleria in El Salvador who was growing impatient." "I can get Ruiz on the phone right now." "You sensed I would not shoot one of my boys." "I've grown too fond of them." "I admit, it's a weakness I must correct one day." "Ricardo says you are a man of your word." "Then show us the bloody rockets." "These aren'tjust any SAMs." "These are stingers." "As they say, made in America." " We'll take all seven." " Not so fast." " There are other bidders." " Who?" "Men, such as yourself, who also do not like an occupying army on their land." "We'll take them all." "Ricardo's word got you a look, not a sale." "With competitors, the price has gone up." "How much?" " Two million for the seven." " I'd have to make a call." " Make your call." " I'm sure in a couple of days" "You have until tomorrow." "Colonel Ryan?" "Ryan." "We can confirm they have the dress in your wife's size..." " but we're gonna need some more buttons." " How many buttons?" " Double the original amount." " Copy that if I have a couple weeks." "Negative." "Fashion show starts tomorrow." "My investors won't authorize any more buttons going to that particular supplier." "Understood." "But there are complications." "Which are?" "A lot of child labor in the factory." "Close the transaction, child labor or not." "Roger." "We're to obtain the stingers if not with money, then by force." "That's a lot of kids to go through." "Anyone has any ideas ofhow to go around them instead, clock's ticking." "Here you go." "Your first real estate profit." "$400 free and clear." "And the other half goes back into the kitty?" "For our club's next purchase." "There's a warehouse on the interstate I've got my eye on." " Maybe we should buy out Lucky Larry." " Good way to lose our souls." "I've been thinking about what you said." "And I've been checking out these loan sharks." "Thirty-five percent interest they charge these poor women." "After 60 days it goes to 40." "I've been there." "And they contact your superior officer if you default." " Is that legal?" " Army frowns on debt." "But the F.R.G. could help." "Like with our investment club." "We could pool resources." "Instead of buying flowers, we could have dues." "Or even use some of the investment club's kitty as seed money." "Bill Gates didn't get philanthropic his first quarter." "I'm just sayin'." "According to the F.R.G. handbook" "Oh, you found your welcome packet, did you?" "There is nothing in the bylaws to prevent the F.R.G. from providing a safety net." "I look forward to you selling Kathryn on this." "Nothing in the bylaws to prevent a regime change either." " Well, I did lay down the gauntlet." " Molly, if I get involved" "I mean, I'm new here." "Nobody knows me." "And if I get things rolling, can I count you in?" "I'm not opposed to new ideas." " Tom.!" " Addeus!" "Damn, it's good to see you!" "What the hell brings you down here?" " Well, let's talk." " Come on in." "Sit down." "How's the family?" "Well, that's why I'm here." "Laurenda." " How is Laurenda?" " She's getting serious about a soldier." "About a soldier?" "Wait a minute." "She's-She's how old?" " Twenty-three, Tom." " Where does it go?" "What's so bad about a soldier?" "Well, the problem is the man that my Laurenda's so fond of lacks ambition." "I'm trying to get him out of a cubicle and into the 82nd." "It's done." "What's his name?" "Hector Williams." "I have asked all up and down the base." "Can't find a damn thing out about the boy." "I mean, he must be buried in a basement somewhere with the filing cabinets." "Need you to stand down, Addeus." " Stand down?" " No more questions about Williams." "We clear?" "You sayin'" "I'm saying you need to stand down." "Really?" "Really." "I see one." "There were seven." "We're missing six?" " How's the fireworks show holding up?" " We're on our last few." "Make 'em last." "We need more time." "You're about to hear the real thing, boss." "We got visitors." "Roger that." "Call off your soldiers." "Tell them they're just fireworks." "And then tell them to go home... now." "Now close the door." "Two nostrils, two ears, two eyes." "We clear who's in charge here?" "Yes." " Where are the stingers?" " I kept one." " And the rest?" " I sold them." " To who?" " The Islamic Brigade." " How long ago?" " Forty minutes." " Where are they taking them?" " Out of the country." " From where?" " I-I don't know." " From where?" " I don't know." "I just know they are going to sneak them into America... to shoot down planes... for passenger flights." "You have two children in a boarding school in London." "This look like them?" "If I ever hear of you selling weapons again..." "I will bring you their severed heads... and that will be the last thing you see in this life." "You understand me?" "You deaf, or you understand me?" "I understand." "Took a few prisoners." "Where are the other stingers?" " Out of our control." " That's not good." "This is Snake Doctor." "From my location, give me the distance and direction of the five nearest airfields." "Send." "Roger, out." " Big turnout." " Ladies?" "Ladies, please." "This meeting needs to be called to order." "Come on." "Let's start." "We need to get going." ""Molly Blane will turn family readiness into family responsibility?"" "Girl doesn't know what she's gotten herself into." "Molly!" "Molly!" "Molly!" "Ladies, order." "Order." "Order." "I am pleased to see so many new members here." "And per the F.R.G. bylaws, the general membership has the right, at their discretion... to call an election for new officers." "Article 3, Section 2." "That's true." "And the current officers are eager to hear all member concerns." "But first, I want to report on the status of the red, white and blue home garden project..." " which you may not have heard of." " No one cares about plants." "We barely have money for food." "That's why I'm here." "Get rid of those loan sharks." "Yeah." "Tell us how the F.R.G. is going to give us short-term loans." "What about morejobs on base for us wives?" "Why not do something about that?" "Spouse employment is handled by another com" "It isn't just the loan sharks preying on us." "It might not matter to officers' wives" "Ladies, Kathryn's trying to explain" " I say let's vote." " I second the motion." "If they have wheels, they could've already found an airfield." "That case, those rockets are gone." " You." " Untie me." "I'm not a dog." " Get up." " Help us." " No." " Or you'll get a beating." "Let me go back." "They'll suspect me." "You'll go back when you tell me everything I need to know." "This conversation has no meaning if those men and those rockets have gone." "You understand?" " They are not gone." " You sure?" " I know where they're going." " Show me." "No!" "No!" "Then tell me." "Take me to America." "All right." "Swear it?" "I swear I will take you to America when we're done with this." "The men have a helicopter close by." "Face me." "I'm gonna pull my arm back as if I'm gonna hit you." "When I bring my arm forward, you scream and drop." "Untie them." "Untie them all." "They're useless." "Colonel." "You're up early." "I heard you got yourself elected to another job." "One I refused to accept." "Did Kathryn Pratt mention that when she called to complain?" "Kathryn didn't place the call." "General Pratt did that all by himself." "The missus was whispering in his ear in the background." "This is the third time I've been alerted to Kim Brown." "She's a runaway pony." "You put a snaffle bit on her before she brings the whole thing down." " She didn't mean to." " General Pratt is helping run a war." " He doesn't have time to go after Lucky Larry." " Lucky Larry?" "His wife's all over his ass about loan sharks preying on the wives." "Is she?" "Kim's got her all fired up about spouses getting their husbands' checks late... and needing credit at the commissary and other businesses." " Kathryn Pratt's fired up?" " Put a lid on this, Molly." "Sorry, Colonel." "This one may have gotten over my head." "I'll take a rain check." "That way." "There." "Yup." "They got 'em, boss." " Brown, can you hit it?" " Oh, I believe so." "Then do it." "I got a lock." "Come here." "Yeah, it's okay." "It's over now." "Miami." "I want to live in Miami." "I saw a show about Brazilians that move to Miami." "Is it as pretty as it looks?" "It doesn't have to be Miami." "New York, Chicago." "You swore to me!" "You liar!" "Why are you such a liar?" "Why?" "I hate you!" "I hate you!" "I hate you!" "You swore to me.!" "You swore to me.!" "You swore to me.!" "Liar.!" "Liar.!" "Liar.!" "Let me go.!" "I'm sorry." "I can't do it." "No, no, no, no, no, honey." "You want them in stripes." "Red and white stripes." "You don't think it'd look better all mixed up?" "Well, I think it'd be more like the flag." "Don't you think, Molly?" "I don't know." "What's going on?" "Punishing Kim's insubordination by helping her plant these." "Kathryn brought me these flowers." "Even though it should've been me thanking her." "You agreed to stay on as president?" "Well, acting president, until there can be a proper election." "Once word gets around about Lucky Larry's run-in with the fire marshal..." "I'm betting Kat'll be a shoo-in." " Kat?" " I'm the one in debt." " Kim really shook us up, didn't she, Molly?" " She did indeed." "I said, "No, Captain." ""The worst thing that a racist can call an African-American... that starts with 'N' and ends with 'R' is neighbor. "" "A friend of mine gave me tickets, 50-yard line." " Would you like to join me, son?" " Yes, sir." "Thank you." "I would." "How'd that job of yours end up going?" "The one that took you away from here so quick your last visit?" "Oh." "Gone fine." "Well, we all do our part." "What's going on?" "That's what I'm asking you, Hector." "My father doesn't just change on a dime like that unless there's a reason." "The way he's acting, you're Nelson Mandela here to say grace." "You want to tell me why?" " It's complicated." " The truth isn't complicated." "Why are you making it complicated?" "Hector, why don't you come inside with me and have a brandy?" " Daddy, I'm talking to Hector.!" " Talking him to death is more like it." "Daddy, do you want to tell me what's happening?" " Young lady, you don't know who this man is." " Laurenda" "There are some people I'd like you to meet." "Who are these people?" "And would someone tell me what's going on right now?" "I knew that that girl had sense." " Is that what she has now?" " In this instance, yes." "Yes, she has." "Special Forces?" " First of all, you misrepresented yourself." " Laurenda" "And-And-And I know you would say it's for reasons of security." "The way I see it, call it a fib or a lie, I don't like it." "And second-Wait a second." "Secondly, the man I thought I was falling for... was in some noncombatant specialty he called logistics." "And fool that I was, I saw some profession after the army." "You gonna tell me what-what- what employment there is" "A married man looking for work puts on his résumé "gunfighter. "" " Laurenda" " Well, that's the end of this conversation." "It's been instructive knowing you." "Daddy, you show this boy out." " What am I supposed to do now?" " You could try begging." " Begging for what?" " Well, for understanding." "Nothing to understand." "She's got her life, and she don't want mine." "That flight attendant call yet?" "Yeah." "Wants to know if I think you like him." "Boss, how's a Unit man know when his girl's the right one?" "Well, like they say, see her side of the argument." " Argument's over." " No, it's not." "No." "It's not." "What's her hidden fear?" "All right?" "Children." "Her" "She may not even know it herself." "But her concern is children." "The lives of the children." "And to her credit, there is" " There is no higher concern" " Would you let a man drink in peace?" "Would you let me drink in peace?"