Neither Heaven Nor Earth (Ni le ciel, ni la terre)

NEITHER HEAVEN NOR EARTH

Afghanistan 2014, Wakhan District

Here boy.

Lie down.

Here.

South Post for North Post.

South Post, come in.

Captain, I got eyes on a civilian.

Headed down from the village, sector 43 toward the border.

It’s Malek’s son.

North Post, you copy? He’s entering your sector.

What the fuck?

Position.

Attention, warning shots.

Goliath!

South Post, you see the dog?

Negative, Captain.

JB, is the dog there?

Don’t think so.

- We can’t find it. - Hold on...

- Are you going to the shura ? - Lernowski is.

Lernowski!

Those two are for the village.

No one’s seen it.

Ask why he was down by the border, he knows he shouldn’t be there.

It’s not your problem.

It is so! He has no business there.

He wants money for the sheep.

Remind him how we’re keeping the village safe.

He doesn’t care. He wants money.

Sure, I’ll write him a check.

What does Malek say? Haven’t I always been clear?

The sheep died in your barbwire so you must pay.

I’m not paying!

Let’s not argue. We’ll leave it at that.

We’ll meet again next week. Thank you, everyone.

Get down!

Where are they?

12 o’clock!

I don’t see them!

William!

Contact.

Come in! South Post, you see them?

Negative, no visual.

Shooters in 43-7 or 43-8. Stay covered, Captain.

Where are they?

Right! Further right.

William!

You’re not hit.

Benj!

Straight ahead.

- 12 o’clock, along the ridge. - I’m ready!

Two shooters behind the third rock.

Now!

Further right. Go!

Fire!

Further right.

Fire!

I gotta go. I love you too.

Sit down.

- Sorry for earlier. - Forget it.

Happens to everyone.

How’s your wife?

Fine. I don’t tell her everything.

The less you say, the better.

Any day now, right?

- A boy? - A little man.

I’ll ask Lernowski to tattoo his birth date.

Tek, we can’t let him do it.

Either you or me, but not him.

I hate not having armored vehicles.

- Ever see a guy get wasted in one? - No.

I saw it once in Kabul.

We had to get the body. Holy shit, Tek.

That guy was a puzzle. Pieces everywhere!

Fingers in a glove... bits of flesh...

A charred knee all by itself in the gravel.

We had to pick it all up. Piece by piece.

It took us...

Bax, how long did it take?

Maybe 4 or 5 hours.

When we were done, the bag weighed less than a man.

He’d been so blown to bits, there was nothing left.

What’d you do?

The captain took the bag,

went and dug up some dirt to add to it.

We sealed the bag and casket so the family couldn’t open it.

The guy was sent back home like that, dirt and all.

What the hell?

North Post for Base.

North Post for Base!

North Post, come in.

Mercier, get me the captain!

What are they doing?

Bax.

North Post, come in.

Captain, I got a dozen villagers up on the ridge.

They’re burning something.

Have they come down near the posts?

No, they’re in their sector.

- What do I do? - Nothing.

As long as they stay there, just keep an eye on them.

Yes, sir.

North Post. Now what?

We can’t find Tek and Delcourt.

What?

Their post is empty.

They weren’t replying. I thought their radio broke,

but the relief just arrived and no one’s there.

When?

Just now. I sent everyone out but we found nothing.

What happened? Did you see any civilians come near?

Negative. They went back to the village.

After that, it was quiet.

I don’t get it, Captain.

They couldn’t go without you seeing!

I don’t understand. My eyes were glued to the sector.

Did you fall asleep?

How could you miss this?

They never would’ve left. There had to be some contact.

Contact?

They must’ve heard a noise, gone to see and something happened.

We’ll find them hollering down some hole.

Where were the civilians?

Up on the ridge.

It’s a sheep, Captain.

Was your last radio contact before or after the civilians?

Before, I think.

Hey Captain...

Bax! Get them.

Any trace of my men, I’m taking everyone!

No one’s done anything.

What were those kids doing up there?

Taking the sheep up.

Why aren’t you in school?

- He’s a shepherd. - A shepherd.

Right, you’re all shepherds.

Show me your hands.

Come on!

Clean for a shepherd.

Search him. See if he’s got a cell phone.

He’s clean.

What were you doing up there?

- Burning the sheep from the barbwire. - Why?

It wasn’t killed properly so they couldn’t eat it.

I need to be told when more than 2 men go to the valley!

No one goes to the valley.

What about him, the other day?

Men with sheep don’t count.

You’re protecting someone. You’re afraid!

It’s “Sultan”, isn’t it? Where is he?

If I have to burn the village down to find my men, I will!

There’ll be nothing left but ashes!

If you do, we’ll walk to Kabul to report you,

and it is you who will finish in ashes.

Don’t use that tone with me.

What do they want? Money?

I don’t know. This isn’t Kabul, it doesn’t work like that.

Make them talk.

What? You think they’re Al-Qaeda?

Here’s last night’s satellite images at 30-second intervals.

Between the villagers leaving at 2:44 and the relief arriving at 6:03,

there is no trace of any movement in the sector or at the border.

Yet two of you were watching.

- William? - Yes?

Go over there.

- What’d I do now? - Go over there.

- Here? - A little further.

Sit in the middle of the camp.

Right here?

That’s good.

Look at him.

- See him? - Yeah.

Corporal’s turn.

Something this simple blocks heat.

Don’t believe only what you see in the goggles.

No more of these.

For now, we have no idea what happened.

If they’re dead or alive.

But we’re going to find them.

Those who know me will vouch for this:

I have never left a man, body or even a vehicle behind.

We’ll scour the sector.

Here are my orders:

Always stay in view of squad leaders, day and night.

We close the posts and adjust the windows.

No one can get in or out through them.

Motion detectors go above each post.

For now, no talk of the missing men until we have news for their families.

It’ll be tough but I’m blocking the phone line for now.

You may go.

I don’t buy it.

The blanket doesn’t work in motion. It’s noisy and heat leaks.

What am I supposed to say? They may have gone AWOL.

To get their throats slit in Pakistan?

Captain?

May I ask you something?

Go ahead.

I’d like a benediction.

A chaplain? Now?