5.
Shea looks down at them and clenches his teeth so tight they might break. He kisses the tips of his fingers, then places them to the woman’s head, turns and walks out of the room.
EXT. FARM HOUSE -- SEGUIN, TEXAS -- 1881. Shea stands in front of the house. He holds an axe wrapped in cloth. He lights a match and holds it to the cloth. Lets the fire engulf it, then hurls the axe through the front window. The drapes catch first -- fire devours them, then curls out the broken window, as if to scowl at the man who set it free. Flames hiss and curl their way up the stairs, snapping boards and bursting windows. It seems the house itself is screaming as fire overtakes it ... EXT. NORTH TEXAS MEADOW -- APRIL 9TH, 1882. Shea sits in a field staring at the horizon -- silhouetted by the orange sphere of flames as it rises. He looks up at the sky -- the deep indigo of night and all her stars dissolve into the pale lavender of dawn ... Shea looks to the pistol in his lap. Curls his lip in contemplation. Places the barrel to his temple. Closes his eyes and cocks the hammer ... VOICE Captain. SHEA ... Yeah. VOICE We’re ready. A tall man stands behind him: African American. Maybe 40. Not an ounce of fat on him, but there’s no fat on anyone out here -- fat is a rich man’s jacket. And these aren’t rich men ... His name is THOMAS. He wears the coat of a UNITED STATES CAVALRY OFFICER. The hat of an officer. The rest is the wardrobe of a cowboy. THOMAS You coming? SHEA Thinking about it.
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