"Dia." "English boys don't go to school every day." "Teacher say this country was founded as a utopia." "Papa?" "she says someday when the war is over our world will be a paradise." "And all this you learn in one day?" "And math and science." "yes?" "Papa." "What?" "So now you want to go to school every day?" " Stay." " Papa." " Stay!" " Papa!" "Jassie!" "Solomon." "come." "Pick it up." "Quick." " Papa!" "Papa!" " Jassie." "run!" " Papa!" "run!" "Papa!" "Bring forward the next one." "Bastard." "Bring forward the next one." " Long sleeve or short sleeve?" " No." "Young man." "You must understand." "okay?" ""The future is in your hands." "We now the future." "So we take your hands." "no more voting." "Chop him." "Spread the word." "The Revolutionary United Front is coming." " RUF!" " RUF!" "RUF!" "Bring forward the next one." "Bring him forward." "Bring him forward." "Long sleeve or short sleeve?" " Short sleeve!" " Chop him." "wait." "Not this one." "Look at him." " Put him in the truck." " Let's go." "Bring him to the mines." "move." "next one." "Throughout the history of Africa whenever a substance of value is found the locals die in great number and in misery." "gold and oil." "It is now true of diamonds." "According to a devastating report by Global Witness these stones are being used to purchase arms and finance civil war." "We must act to prohibit the direct or indirect import of all rough diamonds from conflict zones." "May I remind you that the U.S. is responsible for two-thirds of all diamond purchases worldwide and I don't anticipate that demand diminishing." "We must remember that these stones whose trade is crucial to the economies of many emerging nations." "The Freetown government and their white masters have raped your land to feed their greed." "RUF have freed you." " No more slave and master here." " It's true." "Current estimates are that conflict stones account for only 15 percent of the market." "But in a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry that means hundreds of millions of dollars are available for weapons in these conflict zones." "RUF is fighting for the people!" "RUF is fighting for Sierra Leone!" "I go cut he throat." "Stop!" "And we are joined today by members of that diamond industry who wholeheartedly endorse your proposal." "I hope you join me in applauding their presence here." "Mr. Van De Kaap and Mr. Simmons." "Give it to me." "huh?" "Listen." "You take off as soon as I'm out the door." "You don't land until I raise you on the sat phone." "Danny." "Don't worry." "They want these guns too much to do anything stupid." "Where is Commander Zero?" "I am Captain Rambo." "huh?" "huh?" "He's inside." "You talk to me." "You are here to help us in our struggle against the government." "all right?" "All right." "huh?" "You are the man." "huh?" "Hey." "I'm talking to you!" "Stop!" " Commander Zero." " Hey." "huh?" "It's fine." "Commander Zero." "Commander Zero." "come here." "You get something for me?" "huh?" "Are you craze?" "You get for pay me first for them." "huh?" "This no fine." "huh?" "Maybe I could kill you and take what you bring." "Then you get one more dead body instead of airplane way full with grenade launchers." "So I'm think I'm gonna go to them government." "huh?" "my friend." "This is the thing you want?" "Here." "So many I not know what to do with them all." "eh?" " I wanna see Baywatch." " Yeah." "Yeah." "Yeah." "hello." "please." "National Geographic." "You crossing into Liberia." "I've got a letter from the minister of interior and a Liberian visa as well." "as you know are allowed to cross the border in order to get into grazing grounds." "huh?" "no." "all right?" "I am good friends with Colonel Coetzee." "Colonel Coetzee would not be pleased that you've interfered with his business." "all right?" "all right?" "all right?" "You take one or two of those stones and get something lacquer for the wife... huh?" "We'll go back to Freetown and ask Colonel Coetzee how he wishes to thank his business associate." "take him away." "Hey!" "What the fuck?" "What's going on there?" "Come on!" "Fix that shit now!" "Wasting my time here!" "What in the shit is that?" "now need to work." " Can't work." "What's going on there?" " Boss." "now." "go." "go to work." "Fuckheads wasting my time now." "How am I work in this shit?" "Stop!" "Spread your fingers." "Open." "Make it quick." "Give it to me." "Give it to me." "The government troops are coming!" "go--!" "no!" "No!" "I'm not a rebel!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF is coming!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "RUF!" "Hey." "What did you do with it?" "you hear me?" "Where the diamond?" "The pink one." " I saw you take it." " You're mad." "I do not know you." "Liar!" "I saw it with my own eyes." "This big." "Biggest I have ever seen." "I go give $1000 to the man who cuts the diamond out of this bastard." "You the craze!" "You the craze!" "Where is the diamond?" "Where is the diamond?" "Do you see a diamond?" "You devils have taken my family!" "My home!" "I done lost everything!" "look." "What is left?" "What is left?" "you are the one who has taken it!" "Liar!" "The man is a liar!" "Solomon Vandy!" "You have a name!" "You have a family!" "And I'll catch them!" "And I'll find them!" "please." "Danny." "The colonel's not going to be happy about you losing the diamonds." "all right?" "He might've found a pink." "Big one." "What about the colonel?" "He'll want that stone." "Screw the colonel." "I'll contact our friends in London." "all right?" "What?" "What?" "London wants nothing more to do with you." "former mercenary and smuggler..." "Retains close ties to Van De Kaap diamond cartel." "Sources say they deny any affiliation whatso" "Fucking hell." "all right?" "whatever they say." "You just get him out." "Get him out." "can you tell Mr. Simmons that Danny Archer called." "Right." "Archer." "A-R-C-H-E-R." "huh?" "Big white man all alone." "That is no fine." "yeah." "I've heard that one before." "I know where to get nice baby diamond just for you." "Archer." "next time." "Bugger off." "Solomon Vandy?" "What do you want?" "It seems you made a friend in prison." "Mr. Archer?" "M'Ed." "huh?" "all right?" "but I go find you something special." "All right." "You hear they took Marampa yesterday?" "come on." "You know every move they make." "When are they gonna hit us?" "I imagine they come do some shopping very soon." "yeah." "Got any smokes back there?" "Yeah." "huh?" "All right." "thanks." "You listening to this?" "I am profoundly sorry." "and all we hear about is Blowjobgate." "I believe he's sorry." "huh?" "A cynic." "Why don't you sit down and make me miserable?" " Danny Archer." " Maddy Bowen." " Pleased to meet you." " Nice to meet you." "huh?" " Guilty." "Americans usually are." "Says the white South African?" "I'm from Rhodesia." "don't we?" " Do we?" " Last time I checked." "you're here to make a difference." " And you're here to make a buck?" " I'm here for lack of a better idea." " That's a shame." " Not really." "Peace Corps types only stay around long enough to realize they're not helping anyone." "Government only wants to stay in power until they've stolen enough to go into exile somewhere else." "they're not sure they want to take over." "they'd have to govern this mess." "M'Ed?" " TIA." "What's TIA?" "huh?" " Right." " You want another?" " Sure." "So which one are you?" " Smuggler?" " Am I?" "Somehow you don't strike me as the UNICEF type." "How about soldier of fortune?" "Or is that too much of a cliché?" "Diamonds?" " If I told you I was a missionary...?" " For Van De Kaap?" "Miss Bowen." "huh?" "I wouldn't want you getting in any trouble." "How much trouble do you think I would get into for talking about blood diamonds?" " You're a journalist." " That's right." "huh?" "this country has reported almost no diamond exports... has exported 2 billion dollars' worth." "considering that Liberia has no diamonds to speak of." "I'm shocked." "but admits it's impossible to tell where a diamond comes from unless their smuggler gets caught." "huh?" "You know all about Van De Kaap." "Help me out." "Off the record." "huh?" "Shit." "pal." "thanks." "right?" "yeah." "huh?" "bru?" " Company doing well?" " Can't complain." "Eleven wars in the continent." "We're keeping busy." "huh?" " How's the colonel?" " He sends his regards." "huh?" "bru." "right?" "bru." "Tell the colonel he'll get his money." "I'll come see him soon." "Ten more." "Come." "Come." "Go on." "Dia." "Dia." "Come here." "Get away from there." "Mama." "Stay down." "my name's Solomon Vandy" " Check the list." " I have checked the list." "I have filed papers with the office." "because I can't." "sir" " Next." "me." "Husband here." "One year we look." "Mom." "Go." "Dia!" "Dia!" " Jassie!" " Dia!" " Mama!" " Dia!" "Jassie!" "Mama!" "He's been waiting." "What took you?" "Shona?" "man." "Get in." "Danny." " Colonel." "You look well." "huh?" "Walk with me." "Danny." "The government of Sierra Leone has contracted us to go in there and take the rebels down." "So you sell the rebels weapons... sir." "huh?" "they show their gratitude." "right?" "Danny?" "sir." "And you survived." "A lot of boys didn't." "Why is that?" "I guess." "didn't I?" "you did." "didn't I protect you... cut you in on the deals?" "yeah." " But not you... eh?" "On to bigger things." "I need a man that knows his way around up there." "you wanna cut me in." "Something pink?" "Sir... and you owe me money." "I'll take a stone as payment." "I'd still be on this continent?" "give me your hand." "That's red earth." "It's in our skin." "The Shona say the color comes from all the blood that's being spilled fighting over the land." "This is home." "You'll never leave Africa." "sir." "bury it?" "huh?" "bru." "I'm late for work." "huh?" "The biggest one he'd ever seen." "bru?" "Why else would that rebel with the bandaged arm make up such a story?" "Go ask him." "Thank you." "your brothers and sisters are dead." " You are dead!" "You have been reborn." " No!" " We are your family now." " No!" "No!" "Your parents are weak." "They're the farmers." "They're the fishermen." "They've done nothing but suck the blood from this country." "But you are the heroes who will save this nation." "You are not children anymore." "You're men." "No one has ever given you respect... they go fear you." "If you do not get the respect you deserve you will take it by shedding their blood." "shed their blood." " Shed their blood." " Louder!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" " Shed their blood!" "Make them hear you in Freetown." "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "stand up." " Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" " Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" " Put your hand on the gun." "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" " Shed their blood!" "Shed their blood!" " Now squeeze the trigger." "Dia." "Pull the trigger." "Pull the trigger!" "I know." "It's hard to be a man." "Sit up." "Come." "But you are a soldier of the revolution now." "And I am your commander." "Whatever you need... food..." "you are promoted to the rank of captain." "Dia Vandy boss man." "bru?" "huh?" " Yeah." "M'Ed?" " Fucking RUF." "Tried to hit the government building across the street." "RUF tomorrow." "huh?" " And go where?" "Just fire up the chopper and fly away like you people?" "man." "long after you gone." " Hi." "I'm Maddy Bowen." " How about you dance with me?" "I don't dance." " Neither do I. Come on." "Danny..." " Archer." "Archer." "When did you first start moving stones?" "Was it Angola?" "Then you did the whole mercenary thing." "Was that fun?" "what are you?" "Nihilist?" "Opportunist?" "huh?" "You think I haven't met people like you before?" " I think you get off on people like me." " You think?" "When did you first start working for Van De Kaap?" "do you?" "I never stop." "Do you want me to stop?" "huh?" "I'm a print journalist." "I drank it." "Is it possible that you don't care how many people die because of the deals you do?" "People here kill each other as a way of life." "Always been like that." "So you can just watch it and go about your day?" "then." "huh?" "M'Ed?" " Sure." "huh?" "huh?" "Afghanistan and Bosnia." "You come here with your laptop computer and your malaria medicine and your little bottles of hand sanitizer." "huh?" "Let me tell you something." "You sell blood diamonds too." " Really?" " Yeah." "how is that?" "Who do you think buys the stones that I bring out?" "shiny rock like the ones in the advertisements of your politically-correct magazines." "all right?" "and they want it cheap." "darling." "not all American girls want a storybook wedding just like not all Africans kill each other as a way of life." "but you know what?" "not by you." "This place is about to explode." "I wanna spend my time with someone else." "You are listening to BBC World Service." "Revolutionary United Front forces have been sighted within 10 kilometers of the capital city of Freetown." "The minister of the interior has expressed confidence that the government troops can repel the attack." "All foreign nationals are being advised to leave the country." "There are also unconfirmed reports that atrocities are being committed by both sides in the rapidly worsening situation." "The United Nations has described the refugee situation as critical." "Don't tell me you're gonna try and sell it yourself." "my friend?" "whether you like it or not." "let me help you with that." "You hear that?" "You hear that?" "They came into the city overnight." "huh?" "even freedom." "But a big stone does not stay secret for very long." "your life is absolutely worthless." "The only reason you're alive is you haven't told anyone where it is." "Am I right?" "Am I?" "huh?" " That makes us partners." " I am not your partner!" "What if I helped you find your family?" "What do you know of my family?" "the hospitals are overwhelmed." "bru." " Liar." "huh?" "White people." "all right?" "shit." "We got no time." "What's it gonna be?" "You would say anything." "How can I trust you?" "all right?" "That diamond could be priceless!" "yes or no?" "Yes or no?" "follow me!" "Stay low!" "Get your ass over here!" "Wait!" "Now!" "come on." "Come on!" "Come on." "Fuck!" "this way." "Fire!" "go!" "Go!" "Shit!" "No!" "No!" "This way." "This way." "Stay low." "go." "Come on." "Come on!" "it's okay." "Fire!" "huh?" "what do we do?" "huh?" "And I am your prisoner." " What do you mean?" "don't you?" "You stay behind me." "wait." "Wait." "huh?" "boy." "Where are we going?" "Lungi's under government control." "all right?" "I have agreed to nothing." "my friend." "You know what that means?" "It means you have no choice." "huh?" " What do you catch mostly?" " Fish." "Come on." " Hello." " Back away from the fence." "all right?" "everything got left in Freetown." "We barely got out with our lives." "Can we just get through?" "Back away from the fence." "But you are not a journalist." "I'm trying to get us to Kono." "huh?" " Getting B-roll." "Wait." "I'm coming back." "I'm coming back just now." "my bru?" "Have you got an extra smoke?" "cheers." "an American by the name of Maddy Bowen." "I know her." " Is it?" " Yeah." "Can you tell her Danny Archer's looking for her?" "I've got the story she wants." "I'll tell her." "huh?" "bru." " Cheers." "It is as I said." "You will say anything." " You don't mind waiting?" " No worries." "Maddy." "Hi." "You got out." "Yes." "Hello again." " This is Solomon Vandy." " Hi." " Hello." " Nice to meet you." "So I'm on deadline." "I've been waiting four hours to use the phone." "huh?" "All right." "Here it is." " There's a company called Tiara Diamonds." " Right?" "They get the stones that I smuggle into Liberia." "Van De Kaap has no visible ties to Tiara but through a series of cross holdings and offshore bank accounts..." " ...they actually own it." " You can prove this?" "here it comes." "look at that man." "You see him?" "they got away." "trying to get his family back." "He cannot get through the red tape." "huh?" "And how do you know this man?" "Archer." "You're using him." "isn't it?" "you've got access to U.N. databases." " You can track his family for him." " Why?" "This whole country's at war." "Why should I help just one person?" "I can't believe I just said that." "in Guinea?" "according to the manifest." "I do not know how to thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you." "This is what a million people looks like." "the second largest refugee camp in Africa." "somewhere between Sports and Weather." "hello?" "I've spoken with Colonel Coedoo and highlighted the names we're looking for." " Move away." " What him doing?" "I'm gonna check for you." "thank you." "We are here to help you." "This woman says she has spoken to Coedoo." "An entire country made homeless." "Two multiplied by three is equal to six." "Two multiplied by four is equal to eight." "Two multiplied by five is equal to 10." "Two multiplied by six is equal to 12." "Jassie." "Jassie!" "Jassie!" " Jassie." " Solo." " Jassie." " Solo." "Jassie." "Jassie." " Solomon." " Jassie." " Solomon." " Jassie." "Dia." "Dia." "Where is Dia?" "Jassie!" "They took him." "There are only two children on the manifest." "Christ." "Where is my son?" " Away from the fence." " Where is my son?" "Move away from the fence." " Let them out!" "Let them out!" " Keep away from the fence." "Let them out!" "Away from the fence." " They'll shoot you!" " Jassie!" "No!" "Solo!" "Do you want your wife and child to watch you die?" "Solo!" "Solo!" "They said they're concerned that some of the refugees might be rebels so they refused to release them until there's a cease-fire." "Solomon." "is beyond those hills where I buried it." "You say the mine is on the Sewa River." "Where exactly?" "Solomon." "I do not need a map." "huh?" "The press convoy is on its way to Kono." "You say the diamond mine is up here." "Where did you bury it?" "all right?" "You damn well better be able to find it." "My son is a very good student." "He walks five kilometers to the Sister School every morning to study English." "He's going to be a doctor one day." "Solomon Vandy drops to his knees rattling the wire with his powerful hands." " What?" " Nothing." "Do you think I'm exploiting his grief?" "You're right." "It's shit." "It's like one of those infomercials." "the little black babies with swollen bellies and flies in their eyes." "but it's nothing new." "It might be enough to make people cry if they read it maybe even write a check but it's not gonna be enough to make it stop." "but it's all I can fucking do." "Because I need facts." "I need names." "I need dates." "I need pictures." "I need bank accounts." "People back home wouldn't buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand." "But I can't write that story until I get facts that can be verified... until I find someone who will go on record." "So if that is not you... and we're not really gonna screw then why don't you get the fuck out of my face and let me do my work?" "Do you know that Solomon thinks his son's gonna be a doctor one day?" "Maybe his baby dies in that camp." "Maybe his daughter gets raped." "maybe both." "Do you realize that that diamond is the only chance he has of getting his family out?" " You don't give a rat's ass about his family." " Do you understand that?" "all right?" "The only way is with the press convoy." "all right?" "Maddy." " Please." " No!" "After I smuggle the stones across the border local buyers get them to a middleman in Monrovia." "Go on." "He pays off Customs and then certifies that the diamonds were mined in Liberia." "they can be legally exported." "once they've reached the buyers in Antwerp diamonds are brought to the sorting tables no more questions are asked." "By the time they get to India the dirty stones are mixed with the clean stones from all over the world and then they become like any other diamonds." "And Van De Kaap knows about all this?" "Yeah." "I meet with Simmons." "and you keep the demand high." " Agreed." " Good." "there's an underground vault where they put all the stones they buy up to keep off the market so they can keep the price high." "If rebels wanna flood the market with a billion dollars' worth of rough... who says that they're rare can't afford to let that happen." "Especially when they're telling some poor sod he's supposed to shell out three months' salary for an engagement ring." "they're not financing the war but creating a situation where it pays to keep it going." " You understand?" " Yes." "And where's my proof?" "dates and numbered accounts." "You publish one word of this story before I give them the stone... huh?" "then..." "I leave this continent forever." "If you don't come out with the diamond?" "Then write whatever you want." "I'm already dead." "all right?" "I cannot do this." " Why not?" " Because I am not a journalist." "then how can I say I am?" "all right?" "Now get on the bus." "Go." "I am the cameraman." "You are writing about what is happening here?" "Yes." "yes?" "Probably not." " You heard of a Stinger?" " What?" "bru." "I saw her go into Afghanistan like about 200 clicks into Taliban land." "bru." "and she still looked so good." "you know?" " All right." "huh?" " What's that?" " What's going on?" "Looks like it was an RPG." "Open the door." "Let us out." "go." "move!" "We've just happened upon the sight of an ambush fifteen kilometers from the Liberian border..." " ...near the Moa River..." " As you can see behind me just a few minutes ago..." " ...an ambulance has..." " Got movement in the bush." " Check out the head of the road." " Spread out." "at this site." "Dozens of" "Many are injured." "huh?" "Get back on!" "Come on!" " Maddy!" " Move it!" "Move it!" "Get back on the bus!" "Solomon!" "Solomon!" "come here!" "come on." "come on." " Move!" " Get in the bus." "Let's go." "get in!" "Get in!" " Let me inside!" " There's no fucking space!" " Let them on the bus." " You give him your seat." "huh?" "What if we take your place?" "he can ride with me." "let's go." "Come on!" "Maddy." "love." "Don't be like that." "rebels worse." "No one gives a toss anymore." "Know what I mean?" "This medicine will make you strong make you invisible to your enemies." "Bullets will bounce off you." "huh?" "Commando." "Foreigners are the cause of the problems." ""Overthrow those who would exploit you." "I am Baby Killer." " I am the Master of Disaster." " You will be strong." "I am Born Trouble." "I am See Me No More." "You'd think they'd want at least one decent road in this place." "God!" "Get down!" " Look out!" " Shit!" " You all right?" " Fine." "Shit!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Come on." "I'm fine." "Let me see that." "You okay?" " Yeah." " All right." "now." "Quietly." "Come on." "huh?" " Do not look them in the eye." " No." "Excuse me." "Excuse me?" "I'm Maddy Bowen with Vital Affairs magazine." "Wonder if I could take your picture." "I'm just gonna get my camera." "I've heard about your struggle." "I'd love to know more about it." "Would you mind if I took your picture?" "Everyone together?" "Everyone could all come in together." "Is that okay?" "If everyone could come closer." "If you come over here and come in nice and close." "That's good." "Yeah." "That's great." "And we'll get one with all of us." "There you go." "That's perfect." "what do you think?" "yeah?" "Cheese." "So do you think they've read your work?" "Shut up." "get them." " I got a score." "I got a score." " You missed." "Where have you come from?" " Where did you come from?" " Where have you come from?" "That's right." "Yeah." "From New York." "From America." "I don't have anything for you." "My name is Benjamin Margai." "Danny Archer." "This is Maddy Bowen." "thank you." "I'm the cameraman?" "The Belgians were the first to chop off limbs in Africa." "King Leopold took one hand for every hundredth slave in the Congo to keep them in line." "Many of these children were taken by the RUF." "We have taken them back." "Some of them have been made to do horrible things." "We are trying to bring them back to life." "Let me show you." "huh?" "What's your excuse?" "it's gotten hard to go back to sipping lattes and talking interest rates." "huh?" "Three out of five ex-boyfriends recently polled say that I prefer to be in a constant state of crisis." "Maybe I just give a shit." "You were good today." "You know that?" "You too." "that sometimes they forgot to close the door." "She also wrote about her sister Josie who was very ill and who had to be taken to hospital." "Cheers." "So how many attacks have there been in the area?" "I have known most of the rebels since they were children." "The local commander is still afraid I will come after him with my ruler." "huh?" "My heart always told me that people are inherently good." "My experience suggests otherwise." "Mr. Archer?" "In your long career as a journalist would you say that people are mostly good?" "No." "I'd say they're just people." "Exactly." "It is what they do that makes them good or bad." "even in a bad man can give meaning to a life." "None of us knows which path will lead us to God." "Hey!" "It's palm wine." "huh?" "God." " Drank that as a boy." " In Rhodesia?" "I take notes." "The Shona..." "The Shona have a word for me." " It means "white boy in Africa."" " When did you leave?" "I didn't leave." "I got sent away to South Africa in 1978 when the munts overran us." "Then you joined the army?" "I did my time in Angola." " The 32 Battalion." " That's right." "contrary to what you might think about us... huh?" "Yeah." "Side by side." "There was no apartheid in a foxhole." "The colonel always used to tell us that." " This is Colonel Coetzee?" " Yeah." "it's 1994." "No more army." "No more apartheid." "you know." "Kumbaya." "you know?" "Black and white." "Most people back home didn't even know we were at war." "We thought we were fighting Communism... you know?" "gold:" "Diamonds." "you know?" "I'm gonna get mine." "You gonna steal his diamond?" "That diamond is my ticket out of this godforsaken continent." "That doesn't answer the question." "My dad came home from the war in '69." "And it took him about 20 years to get right." "What?" "huh?" "what does that mean?" "What does that mean?" " Got a thing for messed-up vets now?" " Shut up." "You lost both your parents." "yeah." "Mom was raped and shot and Dad was decapitated and hung from a hook in the barn." "I was 9." "right?" "Sometimes I wonder will God ever forgive us for what we've done to each other?" "Then I look around and I realize God left this place a long time ago." "It's... huh?" "huh?" " What?" " Drive at them." "They'll panic." "Do you know where the word "infantry" comes from?" "It means "child soldier." They are just children." " Stop!" "Stop!" "RUF on the road!" " Hi." "Hello." "Hello." "little brothers." "yeah." "What is your names?" "I'm Dead Body." "Who is this motherfucker?" "We are teachers on our way to Kono." "Only RUF on the road." "I understand that." "this is" "Don't move!" "Don't move!" "Fuck." "huh?" "huh?" "all right?" "Is there any wine left in that jug?" "huh?" "The colonel's gonna have a medic at the airstrip in Kono." " How far is it?" " You said not to talk." "huh?" " How's his pulse?" " I can feel it sometimes." " Hold it right there." " Stop." "please." "Excuse me." "I was just trying to keep pressure on the wound." "huh?" "Will you?" "I'll check on him in the tent in a little bit." "Thank you." "Hey." "eh?" "I told the H you'd be back." "miss." "Transport touches down at 1600." "all right?" "pal." "This is gonna be ugly." "Colonel doesn't want an audience." "Is I.R.'s presence here known to other African nations?" " She's with you?" " Yeah." "Come on." "The colonel's this way." "huh?" "We block their escape by blowing the bridge." "That's correct." "You made it out." "Well done." "stand by." "then." "The pink." "you're part of this operation now." "then we find your diamond." "Colonel?" "Go get kitted." "Yes?" "move!" "chum." "Will do." "all right?" "Meet me behind the tents." "How's Benjamin?" "They say he'll live." "Good." "Good." "Maddy I need you to do me one last favor." "Yeah?" "Tell that guard you wanna put him on the cover of Soldier of Fortune magazine for me." "You're going in." "You and Solomon." "You're going in now." "huh?" "You're an idiot." " What if I wanted to go in with you?" " I'd say no." " What if I insist?" " I'd insist back." "It's my story." "all right?" "That stone is mine." "you understand?" "just give me two minutes." "Yeah." " Hello." " Hi." "My name is Maddy Bowen." "I'm with Vital Affairs magazine." "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." "that depends what they are." "aren't you?" "so I'll start with something simple." "And before that you were with the South African Defense--?" "correct." " Of course." "And was that with Colonel Coetzee?" "Were you in Angola?" "yeah." "That is all I really need to know." "Thank you so much." " Thank you." " Okay." "huh?" "Just keeping my end of the deal." "Solomon." "Okay." " I hope you find what you're looking for." " Thank you for all you have done." "you listen." "all right?" "Yeah." "Sure." "Yeah." "Maddy?" "I've got three sisters." "They're all married to good men." "I prefer my life." "Here is my office phone... cellphone." "but what the heck." "huh?" "You should get on that plane." "So should you." "You gonna call me?" "yeah." "right." " Where is he?" " I don't know." "shit." "all right?" "You keep me posted." "Right." "five-minute breaks." "you lie flat." "you move like your life depended on it." "Understood?" "boss." " Come on." "Tell me about the stone." "Is it clear or is it milky?" "Clear." "is it strong?" "Does it hold the light?" "It is as you say." " About the size of a bird's egg?" " Yes." "let's pick up the pace." "Dia!" "Stop the truck!" "I thought it was Dia." "Wake up." "huh?" "I once had this buddy named Mabhoko." "huh?" "Baboons." "they were the hardest to catch." "They're..." "They're cunning." "Cunning creatures." "strong." "Got good eyesight." "We would always find them by the smell of their shit." "huh?" "By the smell of your shit." "It's not..." "It's not the same as a baboon's." "after you skin it the flesh of a baboon... you know." "I can track anything." "You risk my life like that again and I'll peel your face back off your head." "Do you understand?" "Make us a fire." "What'd he say?" "We are going the right way." "huh?" "Where do you think you are going?" "Stop!" "stop!" "all right?" "huh?" "and you listen well." "You are not going down there." "Are we clear?" "You are not the master." "Kaffir!" "huh?" "huh?" " My son is there!" " Your son is gone!" " He is alive!" " He's gone!" "He's alive!" "He's there with those crazy people!" "I am his father!" "His father!" "I should have protected him!" "I must go find him." "I cannot live without knowing!" "but I'm going." "I'm dead already." "huh?" "Are you satisfied?" "come on." "is fighting for Sierra Leone" "RUF is fighting for Sierra Leone" "Go tell my parents They may see me no more" "In the battlefield We're fighting forever" "Go tell my parents They may see me no more" "In the battlefield..." "You are how old?" "Me?" "I'm 31." "And you have no wife?" " No." " No children?" "No." "And no home?" "No." "yes?" "some." "But not enough?" "No." "yes?" "Yes." "Then you will get a wife and children?" "no." "What?" "What?" "I am confused." "Yeah?" "my bru." "huh?" "Why don't you?" "Solomon." "huh?" "yeah." " Is it beautiful there?" " Sure you're not a reporter?" "my man." "My grandfather told many stories of war." "How the Mende fought the Temne." "Or how two tribes would fight when somebody had stolen a woman." "yes?" "But how can my own people do this to each other?" "I know good people who say there is something wrong with us inside our black skin." "That we were better off when the white man ruled." "But my son is good." "And when he grows up and peace comes this place will be a paradise." "huh?" "Where is it exactly?" "by the river." "Christ." "Okay." "I'm gonna make contact with the colonel." "He'll send in an air strike." "huh?" "An attack helicopter." " We use it as a diversion." " What if my son is there?" " He isn't." " How do you know?" "all right?" "Don't fuck with me." "it's Danny." "all right?" "You tell the colonel I've found the stone." "but I'm OP'ing its location." "my man." "You tell him to send in the dakadak." "that's how." "I could give the coordinates." "north." "east." "I'll call back at midnight to confirm." "right?" "I promise you he is not there." "all right?" "my friend." "You stay still." "then we move in closer." "Solomon." "Shit." "I can do it." " Help me." " Help him." "Papa." "you smell." "That's fine." "let's go." "man." " Play." "Play the card." " Play." "Dia." "Leave me alone." " Dia." "I'm your papa." "Come with me." " Hey." " Dia." " Get away from me." " Dia." "Dia!" " I do not know you." "Traitor!" " Enemy!" "Enemy!" " What the hell are you doing?" " What are you doing?" " I don't know you!" " What's wrong?" " I hate you!" "come with me!" " I hate you!" "Get away from me!" " Get him!" " Don't shoot!" " Don't shoot!" "Don't--!" "Don't shoot!" " I hate you!" " Fisherman!" "Traitor!" " Don't shoot!" "Get away from me!" "I knew you would come back." "but I've found nothing." "Nothing." "dig!" "You will find it for me." "You will dig up what you have come back for." "No." "Why should the diamond go to the foreign devils?" "We will use it to make the country strong." "RUF is fighting for the people!" "RUF is fighting for Sierra Leone!" "Pick it up." "Why?" "You are going to kill me anyway." "Solomon Vandy." "If you do not bring me the diamond I will find the rest of your family." "Just as I have found your son." "I will rape your wife in front of your eyes slit her throat and I will keep your daughters for myself." "You think I am a devil but only because I have lived in hell." "I want to get out." "You will help me." "I don't remember." "Find it or your family will die!" "Now pick it up!" " Go!" " Bastards!" "Shoot it!" "Dia!" "boy." "Come." "This way." "This way." "Dia!" "we think Archer's there." "I don't give a damn who's down there." "Kill them all." "Dia!" "I'm coming!" " Dia!" " Bastard!" "No!" "Dia!" "sir." " Keep him close." " Danny boy." " Colonel." "huh?" "So where is it?" "The stone?" "all right?" "Danny boy." "You're not in a position to be dictating terms." "sir." "That's correct." " But he will." " Come." "Up." "Introduce me to your digger." "Solomon Vandy." "This is Colonel Coetzee." "He wants the diamond." " No more than you." " Fuck." "You gonna show us where it's hidden?" "Does he speak English?" "sir." "I promise you that." "huh?" " Go on." "my friend." "huh?" "all right?" " I do not trust him." "but we haven't got much of a choice here." "I promise you he will shoot us both in the head." "huh?" "Danny." "all right?" "I said tell him where it is!" "Tell him where it is!" "Now!" "Tell him!" " No." " Fucking-- okay?" "yeah." "sir?" " Seventy-thirty." "Sixty-forty." "I've already lined up a buyer." "Agreed." "Come here." "all right?" "we move out." "Mr. Vandy?" " You ready to take a walk?" " Come on." "Come on." "So who's the buyer?" "I'm guessing London." "huh?" "Wouldn't hurt to interest some other parties." "huh?" "Danny." "See?" "It is here." "He has tried to find it." "Mr. Vandy." "Time for you to start digging." "have you got a smoke?" "Smoking will kill you." "Sorry." "It's all right." "Solomon?" " It's gone." " What?" "Someone has taken it." "This is where I buried it." "It isn't here." "then there's no reason for any of you to stay alive." "Is there?" "wait." "I know." "I know where it is." " I know where it is." " It better be there." "Yes." "here." "It is here." "there it is." " Yes." "Fuck!" "Danny?" "TIA." "huh?" "They'll be here any second." "Come on." "Keep digging." "yes." "Have you got it?" "yes." "yes." "Solomon." "what are you doing?" "Dia." "What are you doing?" "Of the proud Mende tribe." "You are a good boy who loves soccer and school." "Your mother loves you so much." "She waits by the fire making plantains and red palm oil stew with your sister N'Yanda and the new baby." "The cows wait for you." "the wild dog who minds no one but you." "I know they made you do bad things but you are not a bad boy." "I am your father who loves you." "And you will come home with me and be my son again." "huh?" "We've got to" "go!" "Move!" "Move." "Move." "move!" "Move!" "Move!" "Move!" "How far?" "There's an airstrip at the top of that gorge." "huh?" "stop." "Stop." "huh?" "Keep moving." "They'll be tracking us." "where are you?" "I'm nearly there." "Tell me what's happening." "my friend." " Who is we?" " The fisherman and his son." "Lose them." "huh?" "You must stop and rest." "What?" "And give up the damn stone?" "Keep moving." "Come on." "come." "I can't." "Stop." " Okay." " Stop." "Come on." "no." "Stop." "Christ." "No more." "No more." "huh?" "take it." "I thought you would steal it from me." "huh?" "Listen... huh?" "all right?" "And don't trust that pilot for a second." "all right?" "I can carry you." "huh?" "huh?" " Go!" "Go!" " Go." "Come on." "Go on!" "Come on." "Come on." "you're a dead man!" "yeah." "Dia." "Hello." "Maddy Bowen." "Yeah." "huh?" "And I'm so glad you did." "Excuse me." "When am I gonna see you?" "huh?" "I want you to go meet Solomon in Conakry." "In Guinea?" "Why do you want me to go to Guinea?" "We found his son... you understand?" "Maddy?" "You're hurt." "Are you hurt?" "I've got a little problem here." "Okay." "You-- You tell me where you are." "Archer?" "I'm looking at an incredible view right now." "Maddy." "then I'm coming to be with you." "You just tell me where you are." "I don't think so." "Are you still in Kono?" "Because I can get someone there to help you." "all right?" "And keep him out of sight." "And get Solomon to London." "He's bringing something with him." "But he's gonna need your help." "Why aren't you bringing it yourself?" "I'm saying it's a real story now." "And you can write the hell out of it." "I'm really happy I met you." "You know that?" "I'm..." "I'm really happy I met you too." "And I wish I could be there with you." "That's all right." "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." "you just keep walking and I'll wait for you here." "You're not coming." "I'm not here." "Good luck." "Mr. Vandy that your diamond could have ended up nowhere else but with us." "2 million pounds is more than anyone else will offer you for that stone under the circumstances." "I want what was promised to me by Mr. Archer." " What was promised to you?" " My family." "you will get the stone." "I will have the money too." "may I see what I'm buying?" "You will get the stone once my family is here." "How do I even know you've got it?" "Can you comment on the diamonds mined in Sierra Leone?" "I'm not going to comment on some sensationalist magazine article." " What about Liberia?" " No comment." "No comment." " Mr. Van De Kaap" " That's all I have to say." "The natural resources of a country are the property of its people." "They are not ours to steal... or our consumerism." "sir." "The Third World is not a world apart." "And the witness you will hear today speaks on its behalf." "Let us hear the voice of that world." "Let us learn from that voice." "And let us ignore it no more." "Mr. Solomon Vandy."