Two Winters Past

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM. DAY.

INSERT: Topographical Map.

Red, blue, and green lies cross and circle across shaded landscape. The name "Deposit." is in focus. 

FADE IN: We here the sound of men arguing. Their voices are indistinct. Zoom out from the map to reveal the table, and the four men sitting around it. They are middle-aged men, thick and bearded. They were mismatched clothing and jackets in black and camo. They are the CAPTAINS:  STOKES, TARTELL, VILLOFF, and RICHARDS

Arguing stops when LOGAN enters. 

STOKES, TARTELL and RICHARDS stand. TARTELL salutes.

LOGAN: It’s good to see you.

VILLOFF stands.

Music: Tense. 

LOGAN: Is there anything we must get out of the way before we address the greater threat?

VILLOFF: If you think I’ll do what you say because of that crazy old man...

LOGAN: We agreed to listen to him. You as much as me. I wish I had a better speech, but time isn’t our luxury anymore. I didn’t ask for this, and I don’t agree. I vowed to uphold his laws as much as the rest of you. 

The CAPTAINS are silent. .

RICHARDS: I’m with you, and I’m with the Preacher as well.

TARTELL: And you know you have me. Symons only made one mistake, and I don’t discount what he taught because of it.

Silence.

LOGAN: Villoff, you may stay if you don’t answer. I’m not afraid to admit how much I need you. We all need each other right now if our enemy numbers half what has been described to me.

VILLOFF is stone-faced a moment, but breaks and looks away.

VILLOFF: My children would be dead if it wasn’t for the Preacher. We’d have never built that wall.

STOKES: We have to hold it now.

LOGAN: We can’t do that if every man breaks into his separate factions. Tell me what you’ve seen. Is it true? 300 men?

VILLOFF: It wasn’t 300.

RICHARDS: Two-fifty at least.

TARTELL: You couldn’t tell how many if only ten were tramping down on you.

RICHARDS: They flooded the streets, we had no hope to overcome them.  (To LOGAN) They had horses, a whole brigade. How are that many horses still alive?