INT. MAIN BUILDING - STORAGE ROOMS - DAY

                Prisoners crowd around a table filled with maps,
                diagrams, plans, documents and theories. Sherwell and
                Mortimer sit at the front of the room, conspiratorial.

                                      SHERWELL
                          Right, I want ideas, any ideas. Nothing
                          is too ridiculous.

                The lads look around at each other, thoughtful.

                                      SHORTY
                          We could pole vault the main wall.

                Silence. Everyone stares at SHORTY. Shorty, 27, amiable,
                jovial, smiley and contented. Longer silence.

                                      SHERWELL
                          So, ideas, any ideas, nothing discounted.

                Sherwell looks around at everyone else, intense.



                INT. GUY'S CELL - DAY

                Tentative singing as Men crowd around, stand on beds and
                tables in the very limited space. They sing in parts. To
                keep the notes and rhythm, Guy plays a mouth-organ. As he
                plays he walks around, goes up to different men.

                                      GUY
                          Higher!

                They sing higher, higher, matching the mouth organ.

                                      GUY
                          HIGHER! HIGHER!!!

                They sing so high they go off the radar. 

                                      GUY
                          Well, well - enough talent here for a
                          whole opera.

                Their voice breaks - they fall around laughing.



                INT. MAIN BUILDING - STORAGE ROOMS - DAY

                Sherwell stares. Mortimer sits beside him, stoic.

                                      SHERWELL
                          Right, so the choices we have so far. We
                          dig under, we go through, or we go over.
                          And if all else fails we pole-vault.

                Mortimer sighs, shakes his head.

                                      SHORTY
                          We could hang-glide or parachute from the
                          top of the tower.

                                      SHERWELL
                          Or we could just shoot ourselves now and
                          save them the trouble... We recce. Report
                          back here in one hour.

                Lads nod, go into action.



                INT. GUY'S CELL – DAY

                Choir progresses, sing in two's, threes. The sound
                develops, changes.

                Guy plays his mouth-organ, improvises, energised.



                EXT. EXERCISE AREA - DAY

                Prisoners spread around the camp on a recce.

                Sherwell looks around, slides his foot against the
                ground. Taps it. Sounds out for flaws.

                KLAXON SOUNDS: FRONT GATES OPEN.

                Sherwell turns, stares. Through the Hadamar gates, a
                rubbish truck rolls. Sherwell watches.



                MORTIMER

                Watches Guards routines as he smokes. Guards turn to him,
                Mortimer looks away, concentrates on smoking.



                JARVIS

                Surreptitiously feels the wall, checks for cracks.



                SHERWELL

                Watches the rubbish truck park by the mess hall. Rubbish
                is tossed into it.

                Guards prod the rubbish with their guns. Then give the
                thumbs up to the Driver.

                Sherwell stares.



                INT. GUY'S CELL – DAY

                Choir reaches an instant of beauty. 

                Guy moves the mouth organ from his mouth, watches,
                pleased, a moment of epiphany.



                EXT. EXERCISE AREA - DAY

                The truck reverses, turns, drives back to the main gates.

                KLAXON SOUNDS: gates open - the truck leaves without
                further inspection.

                Sherwell observes, thoughtful.



                EXT. EXERCISE YARD - NIGHT

                Kurtz roams the camp alone, freely and does as he
                pleases. 

                He fires his gun at a rabbit as it runs, laughs, swigs
                from a bottle of alcohol.

                                      KURTZ
                          GUARDS!!! HERE!!! NOW!

                Lights go on, Guards speed out from their quarters.



                INT. GUY'S CELL – NIGHT

                Guy and Sherwell listen as they lie in their beds.

                                      GUY
                          When little men are given great power...
                          everything falls inwards.

                GUN SHOT OUTSIDE. Guy and Sherwell stare at each other. 

                                      SHERWELL
                          Escape or die, Guy... We do this now. Our
                          chance might not come again.

                                      GUY
                          You escape with your body - I escape in
                          my mind.



                EXT. EXERCISE YARD - NIGHT

                Kurtz paces in front of Guards, drunk.

                                      KURTZ
                          Kill prisoners that step out of line.
                          They try to escape, kill them, They are
                          not people, they are animals. One
                          prisoner dead means one less we feed,
                          shelter. Don't hesitate to shoot. And if
                          you don't, I'll send you to the Russian
                          front. DUTY IS EVERYTHING. We win the war
                          on duty, or we are nothing. Germany will
                          be NOTHING without duty. Understand?



                INT. GUY'S CELL – NIGHT

                Guy stares at Sherwell in the darkness.

                                      GUY
                          So what's your plan?

                                      SHERWELL
                          They check the rubbish when they fill the
                          truck near the mess hall - not the
                          gateway. All we have to do is create a
                          distraction, get in the garbage truck and
                          we're out of here, and free.

                                      GUY
                          As simple as that?

                Sherwell nods, grins --- the challenge is afoot.

                                      SHERWELL
                          Are you with us?

                Guy hesitates, looks away. Sherwell stares, intense.

                                                          FADE TO BLACK:



                INT. GUY'S CELL - NIGHT

                Guy tries to sleep. Can't. He turns over, over.

                Brahms Requiem plays in his head.



                EXT. CAMP - DAY (DREAM)

                The camp becomes black and white squares, a giant chess
                board, with people moving around like chess pieces.

                The music swells and changes. The camp, movements
                staccato, strange, goes about its daily routine.

                The rubbish truck moves in, rubbish thrown inside. Guards
                watch as its driven away -- Prisoners jump in to freedom. 

                The Guards look one way but move the other, moved by
                unseen hands. Everything is wrong.



                INT. GUY'S CELL – DAY

                Music cuts off abruptly, sudden, unexpected. 

                Guy wakes suddenly, looks around - concerned.



                EXT. EXERCISE AREA - DAY

                ROLL CALL: Guy looks around the camp, sees the chessboard
                superimposed on everything. 

                Guy goes up Sherwell, surreptitiously talks.

                                      GUY
                          Your plan is flawed.

                Sherwell sneers.

                                      GUY
                          Listen to me through your ears not your
                          ego.

                                      SHERWELL
                          Your playing is flawed – you never hit B
                          sharp.

                                      GUY
                          I'll look into it.

                A flicker of a smile on Sherwell's lips. Guy and Sherwell
                turn back, eyes front as the roll goes on.

                                      GUY
                          Your plan plays into theirs... Diversion.

                Guard goes past.

                                      GUY
                          Have you heard of the Ruy Lopez?

                Sherwell frowns, looks at him. Eye contact.