4. INT. TRUCK - NIGHT

A young girl is crying as her mother holds her and Mel slides over to offer extra support.

MEL

Juden?

The mother nods.

MEL

(Spoken in English and more to herself)

Well, don't worry. We'll get out of this. She'll get us out of this. I promise.

Mel gives a deep sigh but doesn't look very confident.

CUT TO:

5. EXT. TRUCK - LATER

Janice is under the body of the truck, totally soaked, practically spitting water.

JANICE

Can it get any worse?

Suddenly the truck pulls off the paved street and onto a dirt road. The mud flies up and begins to settle on her wet body.

JANICE

I just had to ask.

The truck rolls to a stop but Janice stays put and listens. Suddenly the truck starts moving again and she can see they are passing through a set of gates. As the truck comes to a stop again, Janice lets go and falls to the ground face first. She tries to be as quiet as possible as she looks around for a place to hide. To her left she sees a set of buildings that would do nicely, and she grins, but she doesn't move yet.

JANICE

Come on, bastards. Where you gonna take her?

Janice watches as set after set of feet leap down one after another. Then she sees a pair of woman's legs. She continues to wait until she sees which direction they go before sliding out from the truck and into the shadows.

JANICE

(whispering to herself)

Okay. Now. All I have to do is get Mel and get out. That's all...and then after that maybe I'll find a nice sea to part.

Janice looks around at the surroundings -- a concentration camp.

JANICE

(sarcastically)

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

She lets out a long sigh but suddenly a confused look comes across her face and she starts to examine things more closely. She sniffs the air.

JANICE

Fresh paint?

She continues to look around and sees just a few guards here and there. She quirks her ear to listen and hears a bit of chit-chat in German and some crickets chirping. Then a look of realization washes over her.

JANICE

It's new…

(beat)

Maybe it won't be so hard after all. Not heavily guarded. Not too many people in the barracks yet. Maybe I can pull this off after all, Miss Pappas.

She smiles as she thinks of Mel.

An SS officer is about to light a cigarette when he gets a tap on the shoulder. Suddenly he's pistol whipped and falls to the ground.

CUT TO:

6. INT - CAMP CELL - NIGHT

Janice creeps inside the detention cell wearing the uniform of the guard she knocked out and starts to whisper. She's holding a ring with three keys on it.

JANICE

Mel?

(beat)

Mel?

(beat)

Where are you?

Mel has a big smile and works her way through the crowd.

MEL

(whispering excitedly)

Janice!

Janice smiles and shakes her head as she makes her way over.

JANICE

(angrily)

Thought I told you to stay put.

Janice inserts the first key, constantly looking about for guards.

MEL

I did but when I saw the truck come I thought you had been rounded up and I couldn't let that happen, Janice. I just couldn't so...

Janice holds up her hand as she tries the second key.

JANICE

Doesn't matter now anyway - let's just get you out of here.

The third and final key opens the lock.

JANICE

Figures.

(beat)

Come on.

MEL

I can't, Janice.

JANICE

What do you mean you can't? I open the door, you walk out, we leave. It’s that easy.

MEL

It’s not that easy. I can't leave these people here to die.

JANICE

(hissing)

Everyone?! And just how am I supposed to get EVERYONE out of here. Look around Mel, would ya?

MEL

I have looked around. And I've talked to them. We can't just leave them, Janice.

Janice sighs and turns to see the frightened girl from the truck clutching her mother’s legs. Her brown eyes are filled with tears and Janice starts to shake her head.

JANICE

(grumbling)

Jesus, Joseph, Mary and all the saints.

Mel gives a triumphant smile.

MEL

Knew you'd do the right thing.

Janice opens the door wider.

JANICE

We'll be back but we need a plan and I'll need your help. Agreed?

Mel's grin widens even more.

MEL

Thank you, Janice.

Mel leans over and kisses Janice's cheek, a kiss which Janice brushes off in her gruff style.

JANICE

Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up.

Janice goes back to the entrance, looking out over the compound. We see Mel explaining where she's going and motioning with her hands to 'keep it down'. The captives nod and whispers go around the cell as Mel departs and goes to Janice's side.

MEL

So, what's the plan?

JANICE

I'm working on it.

(beat)

You realize I haven't the faintest idea of how to get all these people out of here. One person is tough enough but a thousand is a tad harder.

MEL

What's that you always say? 'I do the difficult first because the impossible takes me a little longer.'

They exchange a grin.

MEL

(continued)

Besides, we've got maybe fifty at the most here, Janice.

JANICE

(sarcastic)

Gee,

(beat)

when you put it like that, it's sounds so much easier.

(nodding toward the door)

Come on!

Janice dashes outside waving for Mel to follow.

CUT TO:

7. EXT. CAMPGROUNDS - NIGHT

They race to the side of the building and Mel nearly stumbles into Janice when she stops. Janice looks down and sees Mel's heels.

JANICE

(barely a whisper)

Gimme those.

She points at Mel's feet.

MEL

(whispering as she takes the shoes off; and hands them over)

What are you gonna do?

JANICE

This.

Janice breaks off the heels and hands them back to Mel.

MEL

(Sarcastically)

Those were my good dress shoes.

JANICE

Well, now they're running shoes. You'll need them a lot more right now, trust me.

Mel looks dejected but starts to smile.

JANICE

Look, if we make it out of here I owe you a new pair of shoes, okay?

MEL

(Teasing)

Red ones?

JANICE

Red ones, blue ones, gold ones - I don't care. Hell, I'll buy you twenty pairs. Let's just get through this.

Mel reaches out and strokes Janice's arm.

MEL

I have faith. We can do it.

Janice is poised to run when a spot light approaches. She pushes Mel back against the wall and deeper between the buildings. As the light sweeps past, Janice grabs Mel's hand.

JANICE

Now's our chance. Go!

The duo race over to what looks like an unguarded supply shed. Janice hesitates in her movements as she approaches and Mel silently wonders why Janice is stopping.

JANICE

Where are the guards?

At that moment she hears two Nazis about to round the far corner of the building and she drags Mel back around to the opposite side. As quietly as possible she backs up against the building until she's at the furthest point away from them.

Janice spots a window above them but it's too high for her to see inside.

JANICE

Bend over.

Mel gets an odd look on her face at the order.

JANICE

(exasperated)

I need to look inside.

MEL

Ohhhh.

Mel bends down and Janice climbs on top of her back.

JANICE

What did you think I was gonna do? On second thought, never mind.

Janice looks inside and we see her smile, her mind formulating an idea.

JANICE

(wicked grin)

Pay dirt.

MEL

(voice strained)

Done yet?

Janice looks down.

JANICE

Oh, sorry.

(hops softly down)

Here's the plan, Mel.

(as she rights her partner)

I need you to sneak over there and drive one of those trucks to the holding cell. There's lots of shadows so you'll be able to hide.

MEL

I've never driven a truck before, Janice. You always drove.

JANICE

You have to drive. Unless of course you want to knock out those guards, steal some hand grenades from this supply shed and blow up the fuel dump? So you have a choice - weapons or truck?

MEL

Truck, please.

JANICE

Thought so.

(beat)

You don't have to even change gears, Mel. Just get it to the holding cell and one of the men can take over.

MEL

But --

JANICE

Just put the clutch in with your left foot and press the start button. Once you're going, press the accelerator and steer it to the holding cell. Got it?

MEL

(nodding)

Clutch, button, accelerator - I got it.

JANICE

(concerned look)

Be careful.

MEL

You, too. Don't get into trouble.

JANICE

I got news for you, sweetheart. We're already in trouble. Let's just get out of it safe and sound.

Mel gives a brief grin of support and takes off into the shadows. Janice looks like she gives a silent prayer as she watches Mel disappear into the darkness. Janice gets ready to make her move back around the corner but a hand to her shoulder stops her.

SS LIEUTENANT

(in German with subtitles)

Why aren't you at your post?

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT I

ACT II