"In fact, I'm pretty good with guns myself," Margot Robbie said as she continued chatting with Matthew in the lounge. "I started using them when I was really young."
Matthew nodded lightly. He had noticed her shooting posture earlier when she was aiming at a fixed target; it was clear she wasn't a novice.
"I grew up on a farm," Margot continued. "Since the late nineties, our land has been plagued by wild rabbits, deer, and kangaroos. These animals are rampant in the wild, and they can devastate a huge field of crops or grazing pasture in just one night."
"Sounds like a great place for hunting," Matthew joked.
"Yeah, living on a farm, you have to learn to handle a gun and fight off these animals." She mimicked a shooting gesture. "If you don't hunt them, you might lose your entire crop."
Matthew recalled reading similar reports in the newspaper. Australia supposedly organizes annual hunts to control populations of rabbits and kangaroos to maintain ecological balance.
"Isn't there a permanent solution?" he asked.
Margot shook her head slowly. "They have no natural predators, so humans can only do their best to control their numbers."
Matthew thought for a moment and said, "Maybe you could just eat them all."
"They're not as tasty as beef," Margot remarked with a smile. "Good for an occasional meal, though."
Australia's vast land and small population meant food scarcity was rarely an issue. In other places, animals like rabbits, deer, and kangaroos wouldn't stand a chance of overpopulating—they'd quickly become rare, protected species instead.
Margot was about to say something when Matthew noticed Chris Kyle entering the lounge with two other men. "Chris is back. We'll catch up later," he told her.
"Alright." Margot stayed put, showing no intention of leaving.
She watched as Matthew stood up, moving over to the next table where Chris introduced him to the two muscular men. Matthew shook hands with each one.
Chris had already mentioned that these were two veterans returning from the war in Iraq.
Matthew and Chris sat down at the table further from her, while the two veterans took seats closer to her, with one of them—a pale, gloomy-looking man—sitting directly behind her, just half a meter away. She could hear every word of their conversation clearly.
"I'll do the introductions," she heard Chris say. "Matthew, this is Chad Littlefield, former Navy SEAL."
Margot turned her head slightly, seeing that Chad was the veteran seated farther from her.
"And this is Eddie Routh, former Marine."
At that, Margot didn't bother to turn around. She didn't need to see to know that this was the pale, sullen man sitting directly behind her.
A former Navy SEAL and a former Marine—two veterans like this acting as military consultants would certainly lend a lot of expertise to the film. No wonder Matthew always succeeded, she thought to herself. The level of preparation was impressive.
She continued to eavesdrop on the conversation, realizing Matthew didn't mind her listening in.
Most of the time, Matthew was asking about the military and what it was like in Iraq.
Listening carefully, Margot felt that this information might help her for the upcoming audition, so she paid close attention. However, she was puzzled by one thing: after a brief greeting with Matthew, Eddie Routh had said nothing. Even when Matthew asked him questions, he didn't respond.
Eventually, Matthew stopped asking him questions altogether.
This man was really quiet.
Margot took a sip from her ceramic cup. Though she couldn't see Eddie Routh's expression, he seemed like a stone, unable or unwilling to speak.
At that moment, a server came by and brought water for everyone at the other table.
Seizing the moment, Margot glanced over. Matthew was drinking his water, perhaps a bit parched after asking so many questions. Beside him, Chris Kyle looked animated, clearly excited.
Who wouldn't be thrilled, Margot thought. How many people get to have a top Hollywood star like Matthew portray them in a movie? With American Sniper's release, Chris Kyle was bound to become even more well-known.
"We won't be shooting in Iraq," Matthew said, setting his cup down and speaking to Chris and the others. "We have to consider safety. I can't risk the lives of hundreds of people."
Chris nodded in agreement. "I checked out the desert town we're using as a location in Southern California. It's pretty good."
"I'll take a look tomorrow," Chad Littlefield added, already committed to giving his full effort, even though he hadn't officially been hired as a consultant yet. For veterans like him, Hollywood was an appealing career change.
Matthew glanced at Eddie Routh again, this pale ex-Marine who had sat silently ever since they arrived. To Matthew, he gave off a poor impression. Working in a large crew required basic communication skills, and someone so unresponsive would hardly be a good fit.
Matthew had already ruled out hiring Eddie. Chad, on the other hand, seemed much more suitable.
He felt a pang of sympathy for Eddie, who, after being discharged and left without a job, was now struggling with PTSD. But sympathy alone wasn't reason enough to risk adding such an unstable person to a major production.
Chris Kyle had been in high spirits ever since American Sniper got the green light. Even the strongest soldiers were vulnerable to the lure of fame and fortune.
It wasn't just Chris Kyle who was excited—Chad Littlefield was also in high spirits. If everything went smoothly, he'd soon be joining the American Sniper crew, which could be his gateway to Hollywood and a new, vibrant world beyond the military.
Eddie Routh sat silently, watching the others, a lone spectator to their lively conversation.
From the start, Eddie Routh had barely looked at Matthew Horner. To him, these Hollywood action heroes were just overblown actors. In a life-or-death situation, Matthew Horner was nothing more than a weakling he could dispatch in seconds.
To Eddie, Hollywood "tough guys" were just hollow imitations, no different from guys like Stallone or Schwarzenegger.
Eddie ignored Matthew entirely, his dark gaze fixated subtly on Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. During the ride over, these two had acted as if he were invisible; now they were still ignoring him, as if he didn't even exist.
Watching the two of them laugh and revel in their success only darkened Eddie's mood. They were fellow veterans, yet they could be so cheerful while he lived in constant pain.
They'd disrupted his peace. He hated it when people tried to extend their "kindness" to him, pretending to offer warmth when, in reality, it felt like a bitter chill.
And that truck ride—Chris Kyle driving his favorite black pickup. Why should Chris have one, while he couldn't even afford it?
They'd served in Iraq, they were both veterans, but the gulf between them was immense.
Eddie Routh couldn't understand why he had given so much for his country, only to end up with so little.
His eyes flicked again to Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, a growing sense of unease welling up within him. It was the same feeling he'd had in Iraq before pulling the trigger for the first time. After enough kills, going too long without firing a shot left him on edge.
"You're a hero, with a loving wife and children, with everything you could want," Eddie Routh seethed silently, every ounce of his frustration gathering into a single thought. "If not you, then who?"
His hand moved subtly under his jacket, reaching for a small revolver concealed inside. His experiences in Iraq had left him unable to feel safe without a gun.
With the swift, silent reflexes of a trained Marine, he drew the revolver from beneath his jacket. His instinctive combat training guided his aim, and the first target he lined up was the nearest person: Chad Littlefield.
"No…"
Chris Kyle tried to shout, but his voice barely left his throat before the gun fired.
Bang!
The shot echoed, and Chad Littlefield's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, a gruesome mix of red and white spraying behind him.
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