Original subtitles

My name is Thomas Vail, or at least it was.

I'm a photographer.

I had it all.

A wife, Allison.

Friends, a career.

And in one moment it was all taken away.

All because of a single photograph.

I have it.

They want it. And they will do anything to get the negative.

I am keeping this diary as proof that these events are real.

I know they are. They have to be.

A traitor within the ranks of my enemy left me with a small, palm -sized

computer.

He told me I might just find what I was looking for.

The first file I opened was that of a man named Cyrus Quinn.

Having had a distinguished career in the military, he's now most noted as the

founder of a political action group called the American Guard.

Something in Quinn's eyes strikes me.

Intensity obsession.

Madness.

Or maybe he's just another devoted member of the cause.

To find Quinn, I would have to find a way into his organization, but their

applications are thoroughly checked.

I had to find another way.

That's when I picked up the trail of Jimmy Kearns, a faithful follower and

recruit to the American Guard.

Jimmy Kearns had an invitation to the dance.

I wanted to make sure that I'd be there when the music started.

What is it with you guys? I've been waiting here for over three hours now.

is this?

Kearns. My name is Kearns. Jimmy Kearns.

I'm at the Mill Road bus stop. I was told to wait here and that you'd pick me

at four o 'clock.

Sorry, Kearns. There's been a delay.

Our people are en route. Should be there any time.

Yeah, right.

Any time.

The number 12 bus to Klamath Falls is now arriving.

Please be prepared to board from platform six.

Kearns, don't look over. What?

Just look straight ahead.

I'm with the guard.

You made a big mistake, Kearns. You called us on a public telephone.

How am I supposed to know that? Shut up and listen.

You obey these instructions to the letter.

Get on this bus.

Don't get off until it gets to Klamath Falls.

There's somebody there to meet you. Klamath Falls? That's four hours back

other way. Listen, you breached security, not us, Kearns.

Get moving.

Leave that behind.

gonna do with that

all

the way to the back come on move let's off

ladies we don't have all night we've got a lot of work to do come on get it

together what the hell you guys trying to pull i didn't sign up to be kidnapped

You'll find out soon enough what you signed up for.

And speak only when you're spoken to.

One. Two.

Three. Four.

Five.

Six.

Whoever you thought you might be before tonight, you are no longer.

That person is dead and buried.

Left behind.

Here you are a number. Here you are what I tell you you are.

The only person with a name here is me.

C .W. Knox from the School of Hard Knocks.

Gentlemen.

Welcome to hell.

There are two groups in this world us and them we

are the good guys they are the enemy

Am I boring you, number two?

No, sir, Mr. Knox. I was just showing my appreciation for the female form.

I mean, you do appreciate the female form, don't you, sir?

You know something, too? You're right.

Maybe I just don't stop often enough to enjoy the scenery.

That group out there is them.

A life you could have had but chose not to. Why?

Because they're lost.

They're worse than lost.

They don't exist.

They stand for nothing.

Gentlemen, I promise when I'm done with you, you will be reborn. You will look

at the world through brand new eyes. From the land of the dead, you will rise

again into a new life.

That new life begins at the end of this river.

It is my job to get you there and to make sure that you are ready for what

awaits you.

If any of you doubt that I can do that, then I suggest that you have a chat with

number two.

As I told you, you will speak only when you are spoken to.

When confined to quarters, you will remain in quarters. You will not talk to

crew of this boat. You have nothing to say to them or anyone else on board

than myself.

You will bunk in pairs.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

Mr. Jackson will show you to your quarters.

Dismissed.

Get rid of them, Mr. Jackson.

We'll head single file down the stairs. There will be no talking.

Move out.

So who were you before you were number five?

I worked in a gas station.

Hey, what's your name?

I'm Jim.

Jimmy Kearns.

Gary.

Is that your girlfriend?

You know, they said no talking. Right, that's why they bunked us together.

You always do what people tell you.

No, if I did, I wouldn't be here.

Yeah, no.

You got any idea where they're sending us?

No, the only thing I know is that they told me to wait at some bus stop in the

middle of the night, and I think it was good.

I didn't expect it. It was going to be grabbed and bagged? Nothing. Welcome to

the club.

What do you know about Quinn?

Quinn, he's a great leader. If anybody can set this country straight, he can.

You ever meet him?

What are you talking about?

Nobody meets him, man.

Not unless you're invited to join his team, and then you do.

He told us that stuff at the orientation.

Yeah, well, he didn't tell us we were going to be kidnapped, you know.

Move it, boy, move it. Move it, move it, move it, move it.

Two of you need to have a mother.

Come on, pick them up.

Get it on, Rodney. Come on, let's go. Move it up the stairs right now. Let's

Move it, move it, move it, move it.

Headline according to numbers. Come on, move.

Right, right.

What the hell's going on?

It's got to be four o 'clock in the morning.

Is that you, number two?

You know, when you and I first locked horns, I thought I wasn't going to like

you. But over the last couple of hours, I've had some time to reconsider.

You're just a guy with an attitude.

I like that. Come on up here, son. I've got something I want to show you.

You're an individual among numbers.

If anyone would get off on this, you would.

You ever heard of the Aurora Borealis?

Well, if it's got anything to do with ladies, sir, I not only heard of it,

been inside and all around it.

I like you, son. You've got initiative.

Now, the Aurora Borealis has nothing to do with girls, but it is something worth

seeing.

Come on over here.

Take a good long look.

Deep in the water there.

I don't see anything, sir.

Come on. Give me a real peek, too.

Guy like you probably never put anything halfway in.

You got that right, sir.

But, uh, no, I don't see anything.

I don't think you're looking hard enough.

Six!

Learn this lesson.

You will not have an attitude.

You are not individuals.

You are numbers.

The team is like a chain.

No room for weak links.

Better to know the weak links now before we have to depend on them.

Any questions?

Good answer.

Hit below, people. Hit the racks.

Move.

Move the feet.

It's going to be a short night and a real long day tomorrow.

Come on.

Whatever we thought we were getting into, this is way out of whack.

Knox is right.

We can't have any weak links here. He killed him, Gary, in cold blood.

That could have been any one of us. What are you defending him for?

Look, don't screw this up for me.

This is my last chance between something that makes a difference.

But tell me what you know about the American Guard. What did they tell you

orientation? What do you mean? The orientation is exactly the same for

everybody.

We shouldn't even be talking about this in here. Our lives may depend on us

talking about it. Whatever they told us, they did not prepare us for this.

They didn't prepare us to be murdered in the middle of the night.

I mean, how do you know that everyone even went through the same program?

Because of the testing and the literature they gave us to read and the

at the end.

What did they tell you about Quinn?

Exactly what it says in the pamphlets.

That the American Guard came from his ideas.

And he's a great leader.

And if you're good enough to make the team his team, he'll be there to welcome

us all personally.

Where is there? Where are we going?

I don't know. I told you everything I know, okay?

Yes, sir.

Right.

It made quite an impression on the others.

Sir, you're right.

Better they be prepared for what they're getting into.

Yes, sir.

The thing about people who play power games is there's always someone above

who has more of it than you do. Every superior has a superior above him. And

even within their own ranks, they clamor and struggle to destroy each other.

In the ranks of the power -hungry, there is no trust.

There's only doubt and fear.

Being outside the game has its advantages.

You better not let Locke see that.

Oh, I get it. Now you're helping me.

Hey, man, I'm just telling you. That's all.

Five and six, pick up sticks on your feet, numbers.

We will arrive at our rendezvous point in one hour. You will remain in quarters

until that time.

Do you understand?

Yes, sir.

You six?

Ah, yes, sir.

What's in the notebook, six?

C .W. Knox.

Firm leader. Good control of the men.

Touch of sadism, maybe.

Commitment to the ideals of the organization.

Strong. Someone to keep your eye on.

Leadership qualities.

Is this a joke, Six?

Uh, no, sir.

I just, uh, thought that I could maybe learn something from you.

You know, I just thought maybe I could write some stuff down, take some notes.

Well, you got that partly right, Six.

The first thing you learn is you don't take notes. The second thing you learn

if you do take notes, you don't get caught.

And the third thing is, as for me being a sadist, I just

enjoy my work. You can understand that, can't you?

Yes, sir.

Are you crazy you're lucky didn't cut your head off

Yeah, I'm lucky

Jackson, get the recruits on deck.

Let's go, ladies.

Keep moving.

gear was?

Why did I have the gnawing feeling that the insanity of the last 24 hours was

just a preview?

Next to the vehicle by the door.

All men present and account for, sir.

Jackson, show the men to their barracks. Have them report to the hangar at 1

,800 hours.

Knox.

Where the hell have you been? Dark time was 0900.

You're an hour late.

This is unacceptable. I want to see you in my office now.

What are you losers looking at?

Get the hell out of here.

Barracks there, ladies. Move out.

Your scheduled call for you to arrive at 1 ,300 hours, Mr. Knox.

You know I had some trouble with one of the men, sir.

The new recruit's getting too rough for you, Mr. Knox.

No, sir, this particular recruit will no longer be a problem to anyone, sir.

I'm sorry about the delay.

All right, you're dismissed.

Sir... I said get out of here, Mr. Knox.

Are you dissatisfied with my work, sir?

Mm -hmm.

Aside from your inability to arrive on schedule.

Are you losing your edge, Mr. Knox?

You're getting nervous.

Sir, I found one of the recruits making these notes.

I thought maybe you knew something about it, sir.

Which recruit?

Kearns, sir. Jimmy Kearns.

And you thought he might be making these notes for me.

I wasn't sure, sir.

You dismissed Mr. Knox.

Yes, sir.

On the white line gentlemen, eyes forward.

What's going on?

Take it easy

Insidious

forces have taken over this country

Social unrest.

Economic disaster.

Our cities are no longer safe.

People stand idly by while America dies.

A sure and certain death.

We are the last line of defense, gentlemen.

You will be asked to sacrifice.

But what you build today will last for a thousand years.

Each of you will be asked just one question.

How far are you willing to go?

The American Guard wants only those of you who are willing to make a full

commitment, body and soul.

Will we ask you to fight?

Yes.

Will we ask you to die?

Yes.

Will we ask you to kill?

We operate around the globe, and you've seen the results in the papers, in the

news.

It is the willingness of our members to do whatever it takes that makes us

effective, and the end justifies the means.

Move out, Warren! Move out! Get that piece going!

Move out!

You're already dead.

Move it. Move it. We don't have all day.

These people depend on you, number one. They could die because you're stupid.

Move it up.

You're going to see a barber tomorrow, six.

Well, ladies, after a wonderful day in the woods, it's time to relax with a

of willpower.

Willpower is the foundation of our success.

More than brains or muscle.

What good is a goal if you haven't got the guts to get it?

Isn't that right, number one?

Yes, sir.

Come on.

Show us your guts.

Feel the heat.

Feel your guts.

That's very good, number one.

Five.

How much are you willing to give to get what you want?

How much will you endure?

Jackson, I think he needs a little help.

Do you have the willpower to withstand what you'll have to withstand to reach

our goal?

Come on, Knox.

Do you have the willpower to shoot me now, huh?

Do you have the willpower to kill me, huh?

Isn't that a goal, huh?

Do you have the willpower to kill me? Come on. Gary, Gary, it's a test, man.

It's just a test.

Stay out of it, Six.

Okay, Five.

You win.

Just put the gun down.

Yeah, right.

No way.

Gary, you're not a killer, man.

No matter what, you're not a killer.

Don't go.

Put him in my hole.

My pleasure, girl.

Come on, man, he's sick.

There's room for two in there.

Good evening, Tom.

I've got some questions for you, Commander Quinn.

I believe the questions are in my court, sir.

When you take someone's place, you must be certain.

You take the person, too.

Now the question is... Who the hell are you?

Do you know the story of Abraham?

God asked him to sacrifice his only son, and Abraham was willing to do it.

It's a beautiful story. I love it.

Except for one thing.

God intervened and spared the child.

He went for the Hollywood ending.

Knox, shoot him.

Send that up the line.

And now, sir, you're going to experience pain.

Pain that will seemingly last forever, but in time, mercifully, it will come to

an end.

Listen, before you put me to an end, don't you think you should know who I

I know who you are.

You're just another lost soul who's come to me for salvation.

You just happen to have an overinflated sense of importance.

Maybe.

But if you have me killed, it just might be the end of your long and glorious

service to the American Guard.

I'll kill you right now.

No, you won't.

Before you stain your carpet, you might want to talk to your superiors.

I run this operation.

You may run this operation, Quinn. You don't run the show. We both know that.

So you might want to check the photo before you make the mistake of your

What makes you think anyone in this organization would question the murder

insubordinate recruit?

If you kill me, I guarantee you will find the answer to that question.

Throw them in the hole.

What did you bastards do to him?

Shut up.

The man tried to kill me, for God's sake.

Yes, yes, I hear what you're saying, but he's my prisoner, and I will deal with

him my way.

Look, if I can't conduct my operation without interference from...

I

understand, but... Who is this man?

What do you mean it's not my concern? He's in my jurisdiction.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Absolutely. I will see to it that he goes unharmed.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Knox can be Knox.

It's on your feet. Let's go.

What's going on?

It's discharge time.

You're free to go.

The shortest way out of here is through those woods.

What are you waiting for, Six?

Yeah, I start running and take a bullet in the back, right?

Yeah, my word is an officer and a gentleman.

It won't be a bullet.

Now get moving.

Hang in there, Gary.

Move! I'm sorry to report there's been a problem, sir.

It's Vale.

He was killed trying to escape.

Yes, sir.

Very good, sir.

Looking for the Aurora Borealis.

Is he dead?

To knock?

Who are you, Mr. Vale?

Somebody important enough that you have been given orders not to kill.

Isn't that right?

And they wouldn't tell you who I was or why they wanted me alive.

Would they?

Would they?

No.

So, you disobeyed a direct order.

Then you sent your dog, Knox, out to do your dirty work. How do you think that's

going to look in my report?

Rules make the organization, Commander. You know that. You wrote the book.

Following orders is the principle that we live by.

They know I run a perfect operation here for 15 years.

Does that include a perfect operation in the jungle a couple years back?

Jungle? Come on, Quinn.

1993, four men hanged, execution style.

You got a short memory for that kind of thing?

I know every op we've run since 1980.

If we had hung four people in the jungle, I'd know it.

Never happened.

I was there.

Not in the jungle.

What do you mean, not in the jungle? What are you saying?

Sorry. Anything else is strictly on a need -to -know basis.

Look, in case you hadn't noticed, I need to know.

If you are who you say you are...

You already know too much.

Humor me.

Give me your version.

Not in your life.

That's right. Not in my life.

Come with me.

What's happening?

We're resigning.

Come on, let's go.

I'll never get away with this.

I knew you'd say that.

Protect the hut. Let's work our way towards the river.

I'll take the left. Yes, sir. You go right.

Put

him

on the set.

Oh.

There's going to be an easier way out of here. Come on, get in, get in.

Get in!

Don't bother getting up.