1. SPC. Johnson gets separated from his unit during a bombing in Baghdad. He takes shelter and tries to contact his sergeant but is unable to reach anyone on the radio. 2. While making his way through the city trying to reunite with his unit, SPC. Johnson encounters Taliban fighters and engages in a firefight. He uses a grenade to kill two insurgents. 3. SPC. Johnson continues toward a checkpoint where he hears his sergeant responding to him over the radio. While rushing toward the checkpoint under fire, he is hit by a rocket explosion and loses consciousness.

1. FREEDOM LINES
Written by
Michael Knight
MDKnight@Fullsail.edu
(727)481-8479

2. EXT. BAGDAD CITY - DAY
Two Humvee’s drive up to a guarded checkpoint. The vehicles
stop quickly next to a barricade and SOLDIERS start
dismounting.
SOLDIERS scramble into a formation.
SSG. BOYD 35, tall male with rugged athletic build wearing
military uniform. Stands in front of the formation.
SSG. BOYD
Alright men! Double check your
battle buddy’s gear, and let’s get
ready to move out!
Soldiers turn to one another pulling on straps and checking
magazines.
SPC. JOHNSON 22, average build young face, military uniform.
Stands near the back. He looks unsure, timid, and green in
the face.
SSG. BOYD (CONT’D)
SPC. Johnson! Front and center!
SPC. Johnson’s eyes quickly perk up. He starts walking
quickly towards SSG. Boyd.
SPC. JOHNSON
Moving sergeant!
SPC. Johnson stops just in front of SSG. Boyd and salutes.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Okay men. I’m taking lead today. I
want a staggered collum when we
leave here, roger?
SOLDIERS
Roger!
The group of SOLDIERS start moving in a formation following
SPC. Johnson. They spread out as they start walking.
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - DAY - ELAPSED TIME 2 HOURS
SPC. Johnson LOOKS around to spot anything suspicious. He
hears a BEEP over his ear piece and tries to listen.
A bomb blows up making a loud BOOM.

3. The Soldiers run seeking cover. SPC. Johnson dives into a
nearby empty shelter. The smoke and debris FLOAT thickly in
the air.
SPC. Johnson LOOKS towards the blast, but smoke conceals the
area. He grabs his radio and calls.
SPC. JOHNSON
(Into radio)
Red one this is Red two over! Red
one this is Red two, do you read me
over?!
The radio BEEPS, but no response can be heard.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Shit! I need to move, but where to?
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - ACROSS ROAD - DAY
Soldiers gather.
SSG. BOYD
I need a head count now! Count off
men!
Soldiers look at each other trying to line up.
SOLDIERS
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9!
Soldiers confusingly look at one another.
SSG. BOYD
Again!
The soldiers look at each other.
SOLDIERS
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9!
SSG. BOYD
Shit, who are we missing men?
SOLDIERS
SPC. Johnson, Sergeant!
SSG. Boyd tries his radio. BEEP. BEEP.
SSG. BOYD
(Into radio)
Red two, this is Red one, over!
2.
(MORE)

4. SPC. Johnson, this is SSG. Boyd can
you read me, over?!
No answer.
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - ALLEY - DAY
SPC. Johnson looks around. He stares on a makeshift door down
the alley. Quickly he comes to his feet. He moves. His weapon
and gear RUSTLE together.
CRACK.
He kicks the door in.
INT. BAGDAD CITY - BUILDING 1 ROOM - DAY
He rushes inside quickly bringing up his rifle. His eyes scan
the room and the barrel follows.
He goes from door to door. Some locked, some leading outside.
He find a door with stairs leading up.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
INT. BAGDAD CITY - BUILDING 1 STAIRS - DAY
He runs up the stairs not stopping until he reached the end.
Slowly reaching for the handle and cracks it open.
He quickly turns his head. A bright light seeps through.
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - ROOF TOP - DAY
SPC. Johnson’s barrel slowly comes out of the door followed
by his head. He looks around intensely. The walls around the
roof are just high enough he can crawl on his hands and knees
without being seen.
Approaching the wall the SCREAMS and CRIES from the street
grow louder and louder.
Reaching the wall his sits down and takes off some of his
gear. He flips over and slowly raises his hands then head to
the top.
Peering out over the edge he sees his unit back tracking to
the vehicles. He flops back over on his butt.
3.
SSG. BOYD (CONT'D)

5. SPC. JOHNSON
(Into radio)
Red one, this is Red two, over?
BEEP. BEEP.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
(Into radio)
Red one, this is Red two, do you
copy, over?
BEEP. BEEP.
He starts breathing heavily, and panting. Turning his head
away he starts to vomit.
VOMIT SOUNDS.
Wiping his mouth he starts to calm down and closes his eyes.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
I can figure this out. I’m not too
far from the trucks, or even the
check point.
He starts putting his gear back on. SPC. Johnson crawls back
to the door. Opens it slowly and heads in.
INT. BAGDAD CITY - BUILDING 1 ROOM - DAY
Coming out the door from the stairs he looks around the room.
He walks to all the doors and locks them.
BEEP. (Static) BEEP.
SPC. JOHNSON
(Into radio)
Hello! Hello! This is SPC. Johnson,
if anyone can hear me please
confirm, over.
BEEP. BEEP.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
(Into radio)
Any station this net, any station
this net. This is SPC. Johnson of
the U.S. Army. If you read me,
please respond.
BEEP. BEEP.
4.

6. His face looks pale. He sits on the floor slumped over, rifle
between his legs standing on the butt-stock, resting his head
against it.
INT. BAGDAD CITY - BUILDING 1 ROOM - NIGHT
SPC. Johnson sits facing a door watching the light slowly
disappear. His eyes were still not even blinking. As the last
piece of light was lost he stands up.
He checks his gear once, twice, and his magazines. His weapon
is up with the chamber facing him. He inspects the bullet
locked and loaded inside. He lets the bold loose.
CLICK.
His attitude has changed. He looks confident and determined.
SPC. JOHNSON
Might as well give it another shot
before I do something really
stupid.
(Into radio)
Red one this is Red two, do you
copy over?
BEEP. BEEP.
He looks towards a door leading outside. Cautiously he walks
to the door placing his ear to it.
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - ALLEY - NIGHT
SPC. Johnson slowly opens the door just enough to see
outside. With a look of determination he creeps out into the
alley. Slowly he walks out through the alley away from the
main road.
CRACK!
A bullet ricochets off the ground behind him. He quickly
jumps to the opposite wall, hugging it tightly he runs.
CRACK! CRACK!
Breathing heavily he makes a turn at the first intersection.
He stumbles and goes down to a knee. Without skipping a step
he gets up and continues to run.
The alley way is about to intersect with another road. He
looks left and right. There are several doors.
5.

7. He tried the first door, CLINKING (LOCKED), and the next,
CLINKING (LOCKED), and then the last. It flies open and he
darts in closing the door behind him.
INT. BAGDAD CITY - BUILDING 2 ROOM - NIGHT
SPC. Johnson looks for a way to lock the door. Grabs some
buckets, and random building equipment and blocks it.
SPC. JOHNSON
What the hell? Where they waiting
all this time just for me? This is
crazy. The hell am I going to do.
SPC. Johnson moves quickly around the room looking for signs
of where he is.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Damn! I have no idea where I am.
Door starts to SHAKE violently.
He takes his weapon safety off.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
I got this. I have trained for
this. I’m not dying here, not
alone.
Three taliban soldiers RUSH through the door SLAMMING all the
stuff around.
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
SPC. Johnson fires several shots into their direction. One
taliban soldier takes two hits and the rest hit the wall.
Taliban soldiers two and three shoot back.
MACHINE GUN FIRE.
SPC. Johnson runs and takes cover in the room behind a desk.
A bullet rips through injuring his non-firing arm.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Alright maybe if I cause some more
noise the guys will come find me.
SPC. Johnson pulls a grenade from a pouch at his side. He
pulls the pin and drops the spoon.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
One, two, three!
6.

8. He tosses the grenade down the room at the two men.
BOOM!
A bright light is followed by a rush of smoke and debris.
He peaks out around the desk. Fragments of body parts lined
the walls and floor.
He stands up slowly to get a better vantage point.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
(Into radio)
Red one, this is Red two. Do you
copy, over?
BEEP. BEEP.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Seriously someone has to have heard
all this fire.
(Into radio)
Any station this net. This is SPC.
Johnson of the U.S. Army. Do you
copy, over?
BEEP. BEEP.
He turns towards the door rushing over to see what the men
were carrying. He kept picking up items and tossing them to
the side.
Moving to the doorway he peeks out.
EXT. BAGDAD CITY - ALLEY - NIGHT
SPC. Johnson moves out slowly. Moving towards the road he
hugs the wall. His eyes travel up to the roof tops looking
for any other gunners.
Looking out to the road he can see the check point two
hundred meters away.
SPC. JOHNSON
This is going to be fun. Looks like
some activity is going on at the
check point. I wonder if they could
hear me from here.
(Into radio)
Any station this net, this is SPC.
Johnson. Do you copy, over?
7.

9. SSG. BOYD (O.S.)
(Out of radio)
SPC. Johnson, holy shit, this is
SSG. Boyd. I read you, over.
SPC. JOHNSON
(Into radio)
Thank God. I am approximately two
hundred meters south of the check
point. Do you copy, over?
SSG. BOYD (O.S.)
(Out of radio)
Roger. Two hundred meters south of
the check point. Please stand by
for orders, break. We are unable to
get a team to your location, break.
Can you make it the check point
outer area, over.
SPC. JOHNSON
(Into radio)
I copy, you cannot get a team to my
location, break. I will attempt to
make it to the outer area, moving
out now. Over and out.
SPC. JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Dam. This is going to be tricky. I
doubt those few guys came alone.
SPC. Johnson checks his weapon and his gear. Seeing the road
is clear he makes a mad dash towards the street. He sees
several spots for cover and concealment along the way. Making
his way towards them he hears the first ricochet, SNAP.
SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.
Several round are released towards SPC. Johnson from behind.
He runs side to side trying to avoid the bullets.
Dodging behind a bus stop. He only stops for a moment to
catch a breath. Again he darts out into the open.
SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.
A hissing sounds gets louder very quickly.
BAM! A rocket explodes just short of SPC. Johnson.
The force of the explosion trusts him into the air. Coming
down SPC. Johnson hits his head lying lifeless on the ground.
8.

10. INT. BAGDAD CITY - MILITARY COMPOUND - DAY - ELAPSED TIME 2
DAYS
SPC. Johnson awakens in a hospital room. He slowly sits up.
He looks around realizing where he is. Looking over his body
he checks for anything that could be missing.
The door starts to open and in walks CPT. RYLAN 36, female,
slender, athletic build, in a military uniform.
CPT. RYLAN
Well, look who’s awake finally.
SPC. Johnson of the Thirty-eighth
battalion, correct?
SPC. JOHNSON
That’s correct Ma'am.
CPT. RYLAN
You took a nasty spill after a
rocket attack and hit your head.
Aside from that you look to be in
good shape. Just procedure, but are
you thinking of hurting your self
or anyone else?
SPC. JOHNSON
No Ma’am.
CPT. RYLAN
Alright. Get dressed and I will
send in your unit representative to
pick you up.
SPC. JOHNSON
Okay, thank you Ma’am.
CPT. Rylan leaves the room, and SPC. Johnson shows signs of
relief. He starts to gather his uniform and dressing.
There is a KNOCK on the door.
SSG. BOYD (O.S.)
Hey! You dressed or what?
SPC. JOHNSON
Roger. Come on...
Door flies open before SPC. Johnson can finish his sentence.
SSG. BOYD
Dam good to see you, especially in
such good health.
9.

11. SPC. JOHNSON
Ya. I’m really surprised myself.
When I woke up here I thought for
sure I was really messed up. So
what exactly did happen? You know
after the explosion.
SSG. BOYD
Listen. After you went missing we
thought for sure it was just the
taliban. It wasn’t. Something is
going on, and they think
intelligence was released about our
patrol over there.
SPC. Johnson shakes his head.
SPC. JOHNSON
Why, why our patrol? It was a
regular patrol.
SSG. Boyd peeks outside the room and closes the door quietly.
SSG. BOYD
(Whispers)
Look, I don’t have everything yet.
I talked a group of translators.
They think someone from the
government is doing a weapons hand
over to the insurgents. This gives
them the ability to keep the fight
going, and keep money funding these
contracted companies over here.
SPC. JOHNSON
(Whispers)
Sergeant that sounds crazy. It
doesn’t make sense.
SSG. BOYD
(Whispers)
Of course it does. People that sent
us here have majority stock in some
of these companies. They are making
millions every year just sitting
over here. They monopolized the
system.
SPC. Johnson angrily sits on the bed.
SPC. JOHNSON
Sergeant this is a load of shit!
SSG. Boyd puts his finger over his mouth.
10.

12. SSG. BOYD
(Whispers)
Shh. I know. Listen It’s not over.
I have a guy looking into it. The
seniors got our back. This isn’t
over. Get your shit right. We’re
heading back out tomorrow night.
Roger?
SPC. JOHNSON
Roger. I’ll be ready.
11.