THE INFIDEL
Screenplay by Robert C. Johnson
- This screenplay received recognition at the Austin Film Festival.
Synopsis:
LAPD SWAT sergeant, DAVE TOWER, 47, Gulf War tunnel rat awarded the Silver Star, and dedicated family, is overwhelmed with self-guilt for failing to save his wife's life when she fell from a cliff and into the ocean during their wedding anniversary getaway near Carmel, CA.
A Mideast rogue terrorist cell led by ABDUL RASHAB , 30's, and his psychopathic sister, TARA, 30's, and four other terrorists, bomb the Statue of Liberty, and rocket attack the Rose Bowl national collegiate football championship (USC - Michigan) on New Year's day in an attempt to kill the U.S. President (ex USC All American placekicker).
As FBI SWAT teams race to a slum apartment, Dave and his SWAT team battle and kill all terrorists except Tara, whose hand grenade blows off Dave's lower leg. Fathered by her brother, Tara is two months pregnant.
Dave retires north of Seattle to be near family, healing physically and mentally, and becomes an acclaimed motivational writer. He and grandson, BRIAN, 10, (leg braces) are best fishing buddies. Dave always has a combat knife strapped on the right leg calf.
Tara, imprisoned on death row, reads Dave's #1 best selling book and learns the area he and his family live. She births a girl.
The next day, during transportation to a local military air base for terrorism and murder in N.Y., Tara shoots two U.S. marshal SWAT officers and top transportation marshal, TY BRIGGS (know-it-all, hard headed Texan), and causes the helicopter to crashes in a rural area near the prison.
She eludes a massive national manhunt lead by a wounded Ty. Dave drives upon a roadblock killing of two California Highway Patrol officers as Tara’s kidnapped migrant worker drives away in an old pickup truck.
Dave and Ty have a confrontation at the murder scene. Ty rejects Dave’s explanation how Tara’s headed to Seattle seeking revenge on Dave, and not headed to the Mexican border, as Ty believes.
Hot on Tara's trail, Dave parks in a mountain rest area (night) as Tara murders two men for their car. He survives her attempt murder, neither knowing who each other are.
Tara flees to Seattle in the stolen car. He flies from Seattle to Arizona/Mexican border, and his pleas with Ty to move the manhunt to Seattle fall on deaf ears.
Dave returns to Seattle and his daughter-in law presents him a newborn granddaughter, MIRA.
Tara determines Dave and the U.S. President are to attend a Children's Hospital funraiser at the Space Needle restaurant. She kidnaps Brian and baby Mira and smuggles them onto the Space Needle’s roof.
Dave confronts Ty and relates he’s to attend the fundraiser and believes Tara plans to kill Brian, Mira, him, and the President at the same. Ty reluctant agrees to Dave’s plan (unknown).
Tara's phone calls demand Dave appear alone, unarmed, and fake a date to the fundraiser or she will activate a remote bomb and kill Brian, Mira and everyone attending the fundraiser. The faked date leads them onto the Space Needles roof. Her body is wrapped with a massive C-4 bomb.
Dave offers Mira to Tara and informs her Mira is her child. Tara rejects Mira and activates the bomb timer that can’t be deactivated. They have three minutes to live and no apparent escape.
Dave carries Mira and helps Brian down a ladder to a lower, small walkway as a silent helicopter rises to the roof: blades nearly hit the tower. Ty lowers a power cable with two slings and a self-locking hook. As Tara and Dave battle, he attaches Mira’s baby carrier to the hook and secures a sling on himself.
Tara holds Brian in space and drops him as Ty drops the cable. Dave grabs Brian, kicks Tara, she grabs the leg as they turn from the roof and climbs up the prosthesis as they fly over the bay.
He rips open a pantleg, removes a combat knife strapped to his thigh and cuts the prosthesis' straps. Tata falls, holds the prosthesis like the Statue of Liberty torch, and explodes.
The restaurant’s windows blast in as U. S. marshals protect the President. Everyone survives. Dave and Ty are arrested by the Secret Service on federal charges. Later, the President gives them a medal.
Two years later, Dave, his family, SWAT squad and Ty ocean fish from a large boat. Brian (no leg braces) lands a huge salmon. Dave gives him the medal.
TARA V.O. (to Abdul)
“The cute little ones make you want to eat them. And when they grow up, you wish you had: (to Mira at birth in prison) “Your ancestral blood will flow pure another thousand years.”
DAVE V.O. (to Tara in prison)
“Like it or not we’re bound together forever. That’s Another Truth.”
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