Original subtitles

- The general will see you now.

- Captain James Robert Rhodes reporting as ordered. Sir!

- Pleased to meet you, Captain.

- Pleasure's mine, sir.

- This is my executive officer, Colonel Burnside.

- Colonel.

- Captain.

- Have a seat, Captain. - Thank you.

- I'm sure you're wondering why you're here.

- Well, yes, sir.

I'm a little more than curious.

- The detachment of 12 men

went North from here over a month ago.

We haven't seen hide nor hair of them since.

- Deserters?

- Unlikely.

The scouting party was led by

first Lieutenant Calib Belnap,

son of the distinguished Secretary of War,

the most honorable, William Worth Belnap.

- I see.

- The young man has friends.

- President Grant himself raised more than an eyebrow.

That's why I need a young, competent

and dare I say, ambitious man,

to lead this venture of ours.

So far all those we've sent out after him

have gone missing themselves

and the commandant's getting restless.

- So?

- Most likely Apaches.

Could be Comancheros.

That close to the border

mounted soldiers make prime pickings

for those laying in ambush.

- So find the politician's son.

Preferably alive.

But a variable corpse will do.

You do this, Captain,

your star will rise on the wings of eagles.

- Hey.

Wake up!

- Sleeping.

- That's why I can't.

- What?

- You sound like you're sawing logs over there.

- Yeah. So?

- You're gonna depart this bed roll

if I need to kick you right in the man parts.

- Old woman.

- Tired woman.

Go! Go!

Go. Go.

- Fine.

- I don't see anybody. - Somebody's out there.

I know it.

- Hey!

Don't even think about it, Missy.

- Harley?

- Straight through the gullet.

I was aiming at his head.

Keep those eyes open.

- Guess I ain't that good a shot anymore.

- You had the drop on us.

There was no need to shoot!

- I know.

- Harley!

No.

- What you got?

- I thought it was two.

Now I'm guessing maybe one.

- Hey.

He's all yours.

Just don't miss.

Ah, you missed.

- Like hell I did.

- What's the situation?

- Woo!

- Situation? - Yeah.

Apaches, Comancheros?

- Coney.

- Skinny.

- Well I never heard of them.

- Rabbit, Captain?

- Apologize, sir.

Just trying to provide some fresh meat for dinner, is all.

- That shot's gonna be heard from miles, Sergeant.

Unless you forgot, we're still in hostile territory.

- Hostile?

When we cross over the mountains.

Until then.

- Do you make it a habit of questioning your superiors?

- No. Sir.

- Good.

Good.

We'll get along just fine then.

- Man has a flag pole in his ass.

- That's always the way with those young shiny types.

- They say he's some kind of great fighter.

I don't see it.

- Better than half a chance.

We'll be finding out soon enough.

- This heat.

- We're riding northwest.

- We are.

- Oh?

Calico's back south.

- Not going to Calico.

- Vanson then?

- No.

- You gonna keep me guessing then?

- Hide goes to the highest bidder, as always.

- County pays 800 dead or alive.

- That's what the county's paying?

I found this higher bidder.

- Is that so?

- Kirk Cook Graywolf.

That name ring out to you?

- Who's that?

- We're told it was you that killed his only son.

- Well then who's paying to bounty?

- A man willing to part with $5,000.

- Damn.

- Things making sense to you yet?

- What kind of name is Kirk?

How do you say it again?

- Kirk Crook Graywolf. - Apace?

- No fooling.

That means,

y'all we're riding deep into Indian territory.

- Son of a bitch.

They'll cut us up quick and pink,

scalp us and they'll take her.

- I have assurance of safe passage.

But if you want to ride south

and give up your share of the reward.

Well, I won't stop ya.

- Let me go.

Please!

- Never fails to surprise how cold it gets up here

as soon as the sun goes down.

- But the smoke from the fire will be seen from miles.

- Yeah, I forgot.

- Alright.

Campfire tonight,

but come tomorrow when we cross over the mountains,

there'll be no more shooting

and no smoke signals.

- Yes, sir!

- I don't speak your words.

All right.

I have no trouble understanding that.

- I'm begging you.

Please.

- No!

- Stew's not my best but it'll keep you alive.

- Sits well with you, does it?

- No.

No.

Not what happened to your fellow

or giving you over to the Redskins.

- And yet you carry on.

- The way I figure it,

I gotta finish the job.

Good money in it.

No sense in crossing banks on your account.

- Know what the Apache do to one marked for death?

- Nothing good. I suppose.

- They cut off his man parts,

stick and balls, cast 'em into an open fire

after which they stab him a hundred times

with pointed sticks so he's leaking like a sieve.

Finally they ban him to the par and roast him alive.

- Damn.

I guess it's good that you're a woman then.

- Yeah.

Lucky me.

- Why did you kill the son of an Indian boss anyway?

- Seemed like a good idea at the time.

- You know that's a waste of food.

- It ain't gonna help us if she's dead.

- A person can go days without food.

Hell, I've done it more than once myself.

Water on the other hand...

- The only thing that's consequential to me right now,

getting some sleep.

- Man needs his sleep.

I know this ain't setting well with you,

but let's get this out.

If you have any notion of changing your mind,

it wouldn't take more than half a stir

for me to put one in your eye.

- That hadn't crossed my mind.

But a woman?

A girl?

Serving her up to Redskins,

it curdles the blood to even think about.

- Well she crossed the wrong Redskin.

- From the look of her, it's hard to fathom.

- Yeah, she has a visage of a wilting flower.

It's the smallest of scorpions

that pack the deadliest of venom.

Not that the Graywolf pup didn't give her cause.

- How so?

- The boy was prodigal,

had a taste for raiding his father couldn't shake from him.

Sacked ever homestead from here at Old Mexico.

Come across Bessie's people.

Kill the father,

ravage and kill the women,

Bessie's mama and her sisters,

and left Bessie for dead.

Guess it's his own fault.

You should always check twice.

A careless penniless woman,

she turned to whoring

and didn't like the selling everybody parts

so she hooked up with Harley and the boys.

Her and bank robber and killer in her own right.

- Damn.

- She caught up with a Graywolf pup

and settled up with him.

- Well she should have.

- Yeah.

- Knowing all this,

you're still obliged to turn her over to this Indian?

- For $5,000, I'd turn over my own mama.

- Think he'll tell us what this is all about?

- He already did.

We're after the son of a fellow of value.

And why there's only three of us and no horse,

well, your guess will be as good as mine.

- So we can hunt in silence?

Overgrown, a horse can't travel.

Like an Apache.

But why us?

- Consider yourselves victims of high renown.

See if I'm to believe everything I'm told,

there ain't a white man alive that can track

like Sergeant Mahon here.

And Joseph Proudfoot?

Well, hell, he's the best damn tracker

in all the Fourth Calvary.

- We know we're worth our salt, sir.

But this feels like one of those missions

a man doesn't come back from.

- You keep thinking that way, soldier.

You'll make it so.

- Now we can be as quick and as swift as you like,

but Apache will still find us.

And with three squared off against

with hell only knows how many of them.

- Well at least with horses, we can outrun them.

Maybe.

- If Lieutenant Belnap is still alive,

it's because they know who his father is.

A bargaining chip like that,

they've got 'em stolen away somewhere safe and secure.

Which means our task is simple.

All we gotta do is get in there.

And steal 'em back.

- Well, shit you almost managed to make it sound easy, sir.

- Not easy.

Simple.

- Good morning, boss.

You been up long?

- Just a bit.

Always like to watch the sunrise when I'm on the trail.

You never know if it's the last one you're gonna get to see.

- For those of us who live and die by the gun...

Ms. Bessie?

Girl hadn't slept a wink.

- I don't suppose I would if I were in her position.

Ms. Bessie?

- Bessie? - Get too close.

You get caught in a snare.

- Come on.

- Looks like you'd have learned that by now.

- Come on, Bessie.

Take it easy, Bessie.

- Think I'd trade his life for yours?

- You hear that?

Boss man doesn't care if you live or die.

Probably hoping for the latters.

It means more money for him.

- Boss, please.

- Needed doing at some point anyway.

Wasn't that the money wasn't ample enough reason,

but the man was starting to favor ya.

Just a matter of time for he let you go.

- You're as heartless as they come, Banks.

- A real monster.

One killer to another.

Might as well be honest with each other.

- I ain't never killed one of my own.

Still, I see you at some disadvantage

'cause I'd sure as paint eat your bullet

before I let them Apaches get ahold of me.

- Well, not exactly unspoiled.

But I reckon a little lead won't cost me too much.

- Uh, I'm sorry, ma'am.

I was just.

- Looks as though you've seen a ghost.

Foolish boy.

- Who are you?

- Constance.

- And what are you doing out here?

- This is my home.

- With the Indians?

Their...

Last I can remember,

I could have sworn he killed me.

- He did.

- What?

- But your life...

It wasn't his to take.

- Christ.

- Apache Devils.

What? You think critters did this?

- It just doesn't feel like an Apache war party.

- No, it doesn't.

- Comancheros.

- I don't think so.

Let's take a look around,

see if we can find anything illuminating.

- Hey, Captain!

Read that dedication.

- "To my dear friend, Reverend E. E. Godsworth.

Remember the word as you take up the mantle

of Paul and Peter.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.

Baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Your friend, Reverend Jackson Miller.

2nd of July, 1886."

- Man was a missionary.

- But who was he preaching to out here?

Rocks and snakes?

- Only ones foolish enough

to trespass on sacred lands

are soldiers and preachers.

- Yeah, he was just out here

preaching the word, trying to save souls.

- Now look at him.

- Shall we bury him?

- i don't like it, Captain.

I think we need to leave this place.

- Let's get this shovel.

- You ought to be glad I got rid of Wallace.

That'll give your feet a chance to rest.

- I think you better hurry up and find this Apache

before infection sets in.

I'll stave it off for a while,

if I could get the bullet out.

- I wouldn't worry about it.

You'll make it there alive.

You hear that?

- Somebody singing?

- I am gonna go check on our nightingale and you stay put.

Wouldn't cause me a fuss

to put another chunk of lead in ya.

I don't think Graywolf wouldn't mind that much.

- Son of a bitch.

- Howdy.

You okay?

Well what are you doing way out here?

Not wishing to disturb you.

Christ.

Who did this to you? Apaches?

You did this to yourself, didn't you?

You're a nutter.

I'll leave you to it.

You crazy fucking-

Stay back.

Come on, out.

Gonna make this fun for me.

- I'll will keep it warm for ya.

- Where are we going?

- Just a little ways further.

Come now.

Only half far long to go.

- No.

- Fear not, young soldier.

Soon all will be made plain to you.

- I sure hope so.

- It's like cutting through solid rock.

You better have been one hell of a holy son of a bitch!

Cured blind folk and lepers

for all this exertion I'm spending here.

Mightly nice of ya, Captain,

having me dig this hole all by my lonesome.

It looks like you got some admirers.

Buzzards.

They gotta eat, too, right?

I'm talking to a fucking corpse.

- Mahon.

- Something's got him worked up.

- Captain? Yo!

Fuck, he sat up.

He moved.

He's alive.

He's alive.

- Well, it's awfully hot out here.

- He's alive!

- Time and again, its said to flummox a man's perception.

- No, no!

- Why don't you take a walk, Sergeant?

- All right.

Looks like you and me on grave duty.

- Here it comes.

- What bothers? - Indians.

- It's all right.

There's someone I want you to meet.

- Hello, Calib. You're looking strong and spry.

Far better than the last time I saw ya.

- I'm sorry.

Have we met?

- This is Jude, my brother.

- For all you've been through, ya must be starved.

Connie!

- I'll prepare us something nice.

- Man's been awfully quiet. - He has.

- So what do you think about what happened back there?

- He saw something, Captain.

And if I were you, I'd think twice before you-

- You think a dead man came back to life?

The same fellow you and me just buried in the ground?

- Old stories. - What stories?

- My people, my mother would tell

that in this country, not all that die, stay that way.

- Hola, amigas!

- Get down.

- Seal the trap!

- Those shots aren't for us.

- Hey!

I don't know who you are but you have my thanks.

And a crate of any spirit that strikes your fancy!

I'm gonna holster my gun.

Don't shoot.

- I'm Cruzado.

- Curses.

No, damn it!

- Now tell me when it was you last had a fresh cooked meal?

- I can't recall actually.

Strange though, as I feel no hunger.

- That's to be expected.

But worry not, for all earthly desires will soon return.

- I I can't. I'm sorry.

- Remember yourself, sir.

- I'm sorry, I don't- - Don't leave so soon.

You've yet to meet our honored guest.

Don't let it stir you.

He won't try to hurt you again.

You needed a heart.

So I gave you his.

- Hola.

- To help you. - To help me?

- You're uh...

- Missing half my face?

- Does that hurt? - What do you think?

- Better.

You Comancheros?

- Was, until they refused to help me.

- Help you with what?

- If you hope to live through this,

I'll need you to follow me.

- Where?

- On my journey.

A path too rocky to tread alone.

- Well, I don't mean to seem unappreciative,

but we have some business of our own.

- Hmm.

- Well, we can see what we can work out.

- You...

You're not really here.

- I am.

Just in a different way.

We can be together forever. - How?

- Pick it up.

- Are you telling me to shoot myself?

- So we can be together.

- You're not by imagination,

but you sure as hell ain't my Harley.

Leave me in peace, demon.

If it's my death you want,

I'm quite certain you won't have long to wait.

- That man lost a heart.

Hasn't slowed his happiness for walking around.

Somebody tell me what the hell's going on here.

I should be dead.

He should be dead!

- Many should be dead that aren't.

You, my young friend, are not among them.

- Why?

What's so special about me?

- Come.

Walk with me.

- What I'd give right now for a snort of whiskey.

Ain't got but a few breaths left to spin.

Hate to use 'em up so.

Joe? - I'm here, Mahon.

- I can't see you no more.

I got a sister in Abilene.

We ain't close but I'd figure she ought wanna know.

- I'll make sure.

- Promise me something. - Name it.

- It was truthful what I spoke on what I saw,

that man, he came back to life!

- I believe you.

- No way he could speak.

but I didn't need to hear him say it.

- Say what?

- It was hell for him.

A fate even worse if that's possible.

If that happens to me,

if I come back,

- Is he gone?

My condolences.

- We need to leave this place, Captain.

You could forget about finding the Gray man's son

'cause he's dead.

Or worse.

- He said he wants us to follow him.

- Why?

- He says we can help him somehow, I...

I mean, he saved our lives after all.

- The man is cursed.

And so are we if he stay here.

- Well, if you want to go, Sergeant,

I'll grant you your leave.

I mean, nobody's gonna think any less of you,

especially considering everything that's happening here.

- Run away?

- You have my blessing.

- No, that just wouldn't do.

Blessings are no,

I'm no coward.

I follow Captain Rhodes,

even if he follows a dead man.

- Keep up! - I'm doing my best.

- Takes the breath away.

- The climb sure does.

It does have a sort of beauty, I suppose,

- An unforgiven land.

- Yeah.

- It called to me

from thousands of miles away.

The spirit of this place, it drew me here.

How could I refuse such an invitation?

- This land is cursed.

But you already knew that, didn't you?

- What makes you say that?

- You're the one that cursed it.

- You give me far more credit than I'm deserving of.

- Who then? How?

- The Indians call her Skadegamutc.

- Can't say I've heard of that one.

- The Apache call her.

The ghost witch.

But she's nothing of the sort.

- What is she then?

- The goddess,

the mother of the land,

once a great queen of the Aztecs.

Her spirit beckoned me from across the wind,

passed thousands of miles and many centuries.

She's now returned to claim what's hers.

- What for?

- To cleanse this land

of all who refuse her summons to serve.

- Cleanse?

I think you mean kill.

- Such a blunt and simple word.

But, yes.

I summoned her radiant serpent.

He takes their life and I grant them a new one.

- You mean- - Most who return

find it impossible to resist her power.

They are somehow who prove themselves unworthy

by failing to submit.

- And what happens to them?

- Nothing too pleasing, I expect.

First there were your comrads,

the soldiers far to define.

Then the Apache made their choice,

all but one fled rather than answered her wrath.

- That man you brought back,

the one who kept me.

- He swore to serve her. Then he portrayed us.

- How so?

- Fool thought he could use petty magic to destroy the reign

and stop her return to this earthly plane.

Then there was the parson,

chose to use trinkets of his frail beliefs to do the same.

His wife, the Italian woman,

she went mad after witnessing the reign's power.

- What about me?

Where do I fit into all this?

- The mother has chosen you.

- For what?

- She admires you.

Your youthful life

and purity of spirit.

- How mighty kind of her.

- We should return her to the camp.

- Is she dead?

- Alive.

Failing fast.

- Not too much of that.

That's all we got left.

- It's all right. It's all right.

- What are you doing out here?

- Could've asked the same of you.

- We followed a dead man.

Wherever the hell that takes us.

- I know of a stream nearby.

This girl needs more than a few drops of water.

- Can you walk?

- Guess, I'll have to.

- Good

- Here Calib, I want you to drink this.

- What is it?

- Just something to make the evening

go down a little smoother.

- You ready to tell me what my part is in all this?

Well, what is all this?

- I should give you both some privacy.

- You want me to?

- She's in the flood.

A child will come.

Sure as sunrise. - What?

- You wanted to know what part you had to play?

Here it is!

Don't look so glum.

You'll probably enjoy it.

- It is done.

The child that will come,

your vessel to this world.

Praise be.

To you.

Where you going?

- You should leave,

while you still can.

- It's done then.

You've done well, sister.

The goddess is most pleased.

- We gotta stop.

- It's not far now.

- Look, I don't know anything about the dead,

but the living, we need to take a rest.

- In case you haven't noticed, we're outta daylight.

- All the better.

Darkness will prove useful.

- For what? - The night,

we destroy the blood totem.

- What in the devil is that?

- The devil.

Si. El Diablo.

The relic,

that which casts a great evil over the land.

- What the hell is he talking about?

- The beacon of she who rules the darkness.

La bruja maldita,

the ghost witch,

once an Aztec princess,

now a vengeful and powerful spirit of great evil.

And you!

You've seen her minion and her power.

She takes many forms.

- The visage of my husband.

I thought that was a nightmare brought on by the exertion.

- Look, I can't make heads or tails of any of this,

but I'm here to get Lieutenant Belnap.

I'm not here to hunt down some evil specter.

- The man you seek is with her seminal.

- And how do you claim to know all this?

- The man with one eye can see many things.

- More riddles.

You speak of Skadegamutc?

- The who? - A great corruptive,

an evil that brings waste and desolation to the land,

and living death to the people.

- The blood totem is the beacon that summoned her.

It's her gateway from the spirit world.

- How does a Comancheros come to know of Aztec magic?

- My blood is of two peoples.

I have the knowledge

and I know what must be done to stop her.

- And what's that?

- Think a good wood chop and axe should do the trick.

- Foolish girl.

- So this, skada...

- Skadegamutc.

- Yes.

You're saying she's got my missing soldier?

- He's in her grasp.

We can free him, but we must act quickly.

- Well, if it leads to Belknap,

we gotta get it done.

- We first dispatch her reign. - What's a reign?

- Her familiar guardian, a creature of great power.

But we need a medicine man,

someone versed in ancient magic.

- What is that? Some kind of potion?

- To vanquish the reign,

you must first enter its domain.

- The spirit world? Impossible.

No living man can cross over.

- Quite so.

But a sip from this.

- You mean to poison us?

- If that's a.

- Wait, what is this? - Magic.

A potion that stops the heart.

The ancients used it to travel to the world of the dead.

- You can mark me down for a pass on that.

- It only lasts a couple of hours.

And if the legends are true.

- We come back to life?

- So the old stories go.

- All right then. - This is crazy.

- Lead the way.

- The seed has been planted.

- Come again?

- Looks like a simple campsite.

- Camp? Nothing simple about it.

Come. We don't have a moment to waste.

- We'll just have to se.

- Well, that's one way to do it.

- Hey. Okay, okay! - No closer!

- Evening. - Who are you?

- You want me?

My name is Lieutenant Belnap. Fourth Calvary.

Although I seem to have misplaced my uniform and my horse.

- Calib Belnap?

- That's right.

- At long last.

- I'm Captain Rhodes.

This is Sergeant Proudfoot.

We're here on General Crook's orders.

- What order, sir?

- To bring you home, Lieutenant.

- Well, that's music to my ears.

- Just one matter to settle first.

- Greetings, travelers.

- Come to stop us, I presume?

You're too late.

- Captain!

- What?

- You must drink from this. - No.

- Do it!

- Hey!

- Drink, now! - No!

- Hurry!

- Die at the hands of the reign, there's more coming back.

- Jesus.

- What are they doing?

- They're crossing over.

- I told you I'd keep it warm for you.

- Captain?

Where the hell are we?

- A place even angels won't tread.

- Joseph!

Are we...

- In the spirit world? Yes.

At the domain

of the Skadegamutc.

In limbo.

A terrible place.

- Purgatory?

- Something like that.

- Valiant, yet wasted effort.

In this world or the next, you'll be left wanting

when you face the power of the Gods.

Best not to keep our friends waiting.

- Come. We must hurry.

- Don't tell me we gotta climb that?

- And this is?

- We must reverse the spell

that opened the gates to the spirit world.

- And how do we do that?

There's a prayer.

I'm assuming our friend knows it.

- That's it?

A prayer?

- If that's how the door was open.

- Makes sense if you close it.

- If you say so.

- I don't know what she's saying!

But I can't imagine.

- No!

- No!

No!

- Did we do it?

- Harley?

- Hey, darling.

- Alright. I'm happy to see you, too.

Hey.

Hey, it's good to see ya.

- We must go, return to the world of a living.

- Come on.

- What's wrong? - Not you.

- You mean?

What you're saying you is...

- We offer you from the realm of Skadegamutc.

Or for those of us who died.

- That includes me, too.

- Fear not my friends.

The afterlife is full of wonder beyond imagination.

- More than this here? - Oh yes. Wait and see.

Beauty beyond words.

- No.

- I'll wait for you. - No.

- With all my heart, it'll be a real long time.

- I guess you don't get to take me back alive after all.

- Sorry, Lieutenant.

Any words you'd have me tell your father?

- I can't think of a damn thing.

Tell him one day

long from now,

I'll see him again.

- Captain Rhodes?

- Sergeant. - It's been an honor.

- Honor's been mine, Scout.

- Leaving so soon, Joe?

- Mahon!

- I'll be seeing you.

- It's time.

- I don't- - I know. I know.

I know, but that's the way it's gotta be.

Alright, go on.

- Till next time?

- Sergeant?

- Bessie?

- Gonna make one hell of a report.

- Come on.

We got a long road ahead of us.

- A compelling read.

- Sergeant Joseph Proudfoot.

The man's lost his senses.

- A detachment from Miller's company

was able to recover the remains of Lieutenant Belnap

as well as those of Captain Rhodes and some others.

- And I wonder general,

just how are you gonna write this up?

- A damn shame. The man showed promise.

- Sir?

- Captain James Rhodes, he would've gone far.

- And young Belnap?

- Never met him,

but a rich man's son tends to climb to the top

regardless of merit.

- I heard he was a fine officer.

And Sergeant Mahon, Buffalo soldier,

the best tracker I've ever had under my command.

- We should drink to those brave men.

Here's to our fallen comrades.

May they ascend on the backs of angels.