Throughout history, wars in Eastern Europe have claimed the lives of countless numbers of innocent people. When a genocidal bloodbath erupts in the Balkans amid the fall of Soviet Communism and its satellite countries, an unlikely American seizes the opportunity to return to the land of his birth to end the carnage and corruption that has ripped his native country apart at the seams and created merciless brutality between ancient warring enemies. New-found hope lies in the hands of a native son come home in this screenplay of political intrigue, international diplomacy and economic and corporate chicanery. Freedom and democracy triumph over totalitarianism in this fictional portrait of courage, love and determination in the largest and deadliest mass murder in Europe since the horrors of WWII.
The Last Best Hope
By JACK SHOLLAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Jack Sholl
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4685-7177-6Chapter One
FADE IN:
EXT. WOODS OUTSIDE OF VILLAGE OF TEVKA—DAY
Heavily armed SOLDIERS move through the woods. The soldiers are in combat fatigues bearing the emblem of the 42nd Vukograd division; many have bushy beards.
EXT. VILLAGE OF TEVKA—DAY
CAMERA moves, exploring the village. It reveals a SCHOOL, the TEACHER RINGING the SCHOOL BELL. CHILDREN walk through the Village Square carrying books.
An OLD WOMAN carries pails of water on a yoke over her shoulders. An OLD MAN feeds slops to pigs in a pen beside his house. A YOUNG WOMAN washes clothes with a washing board and pail in the front of her house. A BABY crawls on the ground at the woman's feet.
A PRIEST walks by the homes.
EXPLOSIONS from mortar rounds rock the air. Machine gun and light weapons FIRE. SOLDIERS emerge from the edge of the woods. Many of the VILLAGERS scatter. Some run for the woods on the opposite side of the village. Others run into their homes.
A MAN emerges from one home with a gun and fires at the advancing soldiers. The man is shot dead through the chest.
Soldiers burst into a home. A MAN swings at the soldiers with a board. The soldiers shoot the man. In the basement, the WIFE shields her THREE CHILDREN. The soldiers shoot the YOUNG BOY. The soldiers rape the wife and the daughter. On their way out, the soldiers set fire to the house.
VILLAGERS are corralled into the Village Square. Several VILLAGERS step forward and point accusing fingers at their NEIGHBORS. ONE of the men singled out attempts to attack the ACCUSER. A SOLDIER smashes the man in the face with a rifle. The man falls to his knees and is stabbed to death.
The soldiers force the villagers toward the woods, shooting some indiscriminately. More WOMEN are dragged off and raped. Houses are set on fire. The accusers encourage the soldiers and jeer at their neighbors.
Villagers flee into the woods.
The CAPTAIN of the 42nd holds the hand of one of the accusers in a victory salute.
The soldiers move on, back into the woods. Some houses are in flames. The street is littered with debris, fallen bodies, dropped schoolbooks. A child's body is nailed to a tree, a sign in the Brackan alphabet with the emblem of the 42nd at the bottom.
EXT. MANHATTAN SKYLINE—DAY
The United Nations Building. Citicorp Center. Chrysler Building. Empire State Building.
EXT. PLAZA HOTEL—DAY
Black stretch limousines line the street in front of the hotel.
INT. PLAZA HOTEL—LOBBY—DAY
A SIGN READS: "Meteor Pharmaceuticals Corporation Annual Meeting Today, 2 p.m. Victorian Room."
INT. VICTORIAN ROOM—DAY
The grand ballroom of the of the hotel is packed with Meteor Corporation SHAREHOLDERS. Hundreds of shareholders sit in rows of chairs that face a large upraised platform with a podium. Behind the podium is a wall-to-wall BANNER that READS: "Meteor Pharmaceuticals." A large screen stands beside the podium. Two large AMERICAN FLAGS stand at each end of the riser.
At the podium is JOSEPH ZAKA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Meteor Pharmaceuticals.
As Zaka speaks, CAMERA PANS the AUDIENCE: MEN and WOMEN; many middle-aged or elderly. Here and there a YOUNGER MAN or WOMAN, in one instance a CHILD. In the front rows, close to the riser, are the TWELVE MEMBERS of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS, all men; CORPORATE ASSISTANTS AND OFFICERS, and METEOR PRESIDENT LEYLAND HAGGARD, ZAKA's confidant.
ZAKA (O.S.) ... We expect the new Rockingham plant to be on line on schedule in the next two months. That will ensure capacity for the introduction of our new antiulcer drug Blazon. As you know, this is our revolutionary new treatment for severe gastric ulcers. We expect this remarkable new therapy to clear the Food and Drug Administration within the next several months.
CAMERA MOVES to VIVIAN ZAKA, Zaka's wife, a svelte woman with black hair in a red dress and gold jewelry; members of the BOARD; to the assistants, a YOUNG MAN and WOMAN in professional business attire; and then to a back row to RADMAR KLUTCHNIK, a short, barrel-chested, swarthy, balding man in his 50's. Klutchnik reads a newspaper. INSET SHOT: Newspaper headline: "No End to Balkan War. Ethnic Cleansing Continues. World Community Charges Bracka With Genocide."
PODIUM
Zaka continues to read his speech at the podium.
ZAKA (continuing) And so ladies and gentlemen, in summary, we are extremely pleased with our results this year.
A BAR CHART flashes on the big screen next to the podium.
ZAKA (continuing) I am pleased to report that your corporation, Meteor, had a year of record sales and record profits. The twentieth straight year of record sales and profits. Today, I outlined a number of actions for the future that I am confident will continue to reward you, our shareholders, with record income and will continue to reward you for your investment in our company.
A STOCK CHART flashes on the screen.
ZAKA (continuing) Wall Street has appreciated our performance. The value of Meteor company common stock has doubled since our last annual meeting. And this represents a 500 percent increase in Meteor stock over the past two decades.
A MAP OF THE WORLD flashes on the screen.
ZAKA (continuing) Today, Meteor is one of the largest multinational companies in the world. We have 60,000 employees in 50 facilities serving customers in almost every nation on earth.
LOGO of Meteor Pharmaceuticals, a comet streaking heavenward, flashes on the screen.
ZAKA (continuing) As you know, I began this company twenty years ago with twenty dollars, as a young man who immigrated to this great country to escape the tyranny of communism. I can also say that only in America could this have happened—where a young man had all the opportunity to pursue his dreams. This is a great country. I look forward to the day when all countries of the world will look like America, with its free enterprise system and its democratic way of life. God bless you. Next year's going to be another great year for Meteor!
Audience applauds enthusiastically.
Zaka descends from the podium. Zaka's ASSISTANTS stand near him.
SHAREHOLDERS shake Zaka's hand as Zaka walks up the center aisle of the ballroom.
Vivian Zaka comes up and kisses Zaka.
VIVIAN You were terrific, darling.
ZAKA Thanks. You look terrific, too.
VIVIAN I'm always so proud of you on days like this. I hope you're not going back to the office. Let's take the afternoon off and go shopping. There's an absolutely beautiful diamond necklace at Cartier's I've been looking at.
ZAKA But I can't. I've got to go back to the office. I'll see you tonight.
HAGGARD comes over to Zaka.
HAGGARD You never fail to impress, Joseph. The shareholders continue to be pleased with you.
ZAKA Thanks, Lee. Don't forget, we're having our annual dinner for the Board out at Riverrun tonight. Cocktails at seven. See you back at the office.
Zaka turns to his assistants BEAVIS O'ROURKE and TESS CUNNINGHAM.
ZAKA (energetically) Let's go.
VIVIAN (disappointed) Bye.
Zaka, O'Rourke and Cunningham walk quickly and determinedly up the center aisle to an open area leading to the ballroom door, where Radmar Klutchnik approaches Zaka.
KLUTCHNIK (nervously, speaking in thick, broken English)
Mr. Zaka. I need to speak to you. It's very important.
ZAKA (glancing at his watch) I'm sorry. Not right now. Everybody had time to ask questions. I've got an important meeting to get back to at the office. Working for...
