Sniper 1993

Here’s my rewritten version of that section:

As Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger), a former U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Scout Sniper, receives an uninvited visit from CIA officer James Eckles (Dan Butler) and Colonel Dan McKenna (Linden Ashby) at his home, the weight of his past weighs heavily on him. Despite the physical toll taken by the loss of his index finger in a previous conflict, Beckett’s exceptional skills as a marksman remain unwaveringly intact. His impressive military background, coupled with his ability to still fire a gun effectively, prompts the CIA to task him with a high-stakes mission: eliminating renegade Serbian General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka), responsible for perpetuating brutal ethnic cleansing operations in Serbia’s Muslim-populated areas. As the CIA fears that Valstoria’s actions may escalate into a broader regional conflict, Beckett agrees to take on the mission, but with one condition: he insists on being accompanied by an experienced spotter. His request is met when he meets Jake Cole (Bokeem Woodbine), a seasoned U.S. Army sniper who was once on death row for killing a federal officer he believed had betrayed him.

Upon their arrival in Serbia, Beckett and Cole are deposited into the heart of the country’s capital, where they find themselves at the doorstep of a centuries-old Catholic basilica. It is here that they cross paths with Sophia (Erika Marozsán), an underground resistance member who takes them under her wing. As they converge on her apartment, perched high above the designated area where Valstoria is due to appear, near a government building, Beckett and Cole prepare for their mission. The next morning, Beckett successfully eliminates his target, but not before Valstoria’s death sparks a city-wide lockdown.

As their initial extraction point becomes compromised, Cole and Beckett are forced to improvise an alternative plan. They seize the opportunity to hitch a ride on a passing public tram, but their cover is soon blown when nearby soldiers stop the vehicle, attempting to apprehend them. With cunning precision, the two operatives take control of the tram, ramming it into a cluster of police cars before making their escape. Cole, however, falls into enemy hands and finds himself imprisoned in a facility housing what the authorities term “special enemies” - those deemed particularly threatening. Beckett, meanwhile, manages to evade capture, slipping away unnoticed to regroup and reassess his situation.

That fateful night, Beckett’s paths converged with Sophia’s, and the two hatched a daring plan to liberate Cole from captivity. With the support of Sophia’s brothers, Zoran and Vojislav, they devised a bold strategy to intercept the military convoy transporting Cole and his fellow prisoner to a prison where Cole was slated for execution. The next day, the group expertly ambushed the convoy, securing Cole and Pavel’s escape from the truck and into a waiting van courtesy of Zoran. As they made their getaway, Cole candidly revealed that the assassination of Valstoria was merely a ruse designed to ensnare him and facilitate the rescue of Pavel, a pacifist and political dissident, from Serbian custody.

However, their triumphant escape proved short-lived, as they were brutally ambushed by a tank and infantry at an abandoned factory serving as their designated extraction zone. The attack claimed the lives of both Zoran and Vojislav, leaving Beckett to order Sophia to abandon the group and flee. In the aftermath, Pavel insisted that they head to Komra, a Muslim town where his friend Nauzad resided, in hopes of securing assistance in reaching the border. As they converged with Nauzad, he offered to facilitate their passage by arranging transportation on a bus bound for the border. Within hours, they found themselves en route to freedom, but their journey took an unexpected turn when they encountered an impromptu checkpoint while crossing a river. Forced to alter course, they made their way on foot to Simand, the secondary extraction point.

Meanwhile, Cpt. Marks was conducting his own investigation, scrutinizing the bus that had just departed with Beckett, Cole, and Pavel. Convinced that the trio was attempting to reach Simand, he dispatched a tracker, accompanied by his special forces unit, to intercept them at their destination.

As the trio of operatives arrives at Simand, they’re met with a sudden onslaught of gunfire in the surrounding forest, leaving Pavel with a superficial injury to his arm. The group dispatches their attackers with ruthless efficiency, but the cost is a mandate to press on into the heart of town. Meanwhile, the tracker retreats to the local factory, where he unleashes a hail of sniper fire that leaves Cole severely wounded. Beckett takes matters into his own hands, expertly eliminating the sniper and ordering Pavel to evacuate with their comrade while he deals with the remaining threats. As Pavel and Beckett struggle to carry the gravely injured Cole towards the awaiting helicopter, they’re confronted by a fresh wave of Serb reinforcements led by the formidable Captain Marks. In the midst of chaos, the three operatives find themselves face-to-face with mortality as Cole’s life slips away, his final words a defiant declaration of “Freedom!” before succumbing to his mortal wounds amidst the din of war.