Original subtitles

[sirens wailing]

[woman moaning in pleasure]

[newscaster on TV] And the stunning grand jury decision

to not to indict Darrel Harding

in the murder of the city detective Edward Butler

surprised prosecutors and veteran court watchers alike.

As a result, what might've been the city's most sensational murder trial in years

ended before it really began.

And tonight Darrel Harding is a free man.

How about that, Darrel baby, you're a superstar?

Oh...

I would like to thank all the little people

who made it possible.

My girl Janine,

for her moving testimony on the stand

without which I would not be here tonight.

Mm.

And my lawyer.

An unrecognized, underappreciated, but highly-paid genius.

We're out of here, baby.

I'm thinking Big Sky Country. Wide open somewhere.

Australia's supposed to be cool.

I'll shoot you a kangaroo.

[Janine laughs]

[knocking on door]

Room service.

Fuel for the fire, baby.

Keep it lit for me.

[knocking continues]

[rock music playing over earphones]

[knocking continues]

[Darrel] Take your Prozac, bellboy, I'm coming.

[Darrel grunts]

[Darrel] What the...

[choking]

[screaming in pain]

[Darrel groaning]

What the hell did you do to me?

[Darrel coughs]

[Janine] Baby, what's going on?

What is this? What the hell!

[Darrel screams]

No!

[screams]

No!

[Janine continues screaming]

[theme music playing]

[police siren wailing]

[door lock buzzes]

Frances, you're looking very smart this evening.

You're looking dapper yourself.

Let's do this quickly.

Be better for everyone if you're not seen here tonight.

Everyone here but us is dead, Frances,

and I don't think they're gonna tell anyone.

Another hour, and this place will be crawling with reporters

and TV people.

This one's bigger than most.

It's Darrel Harding.

The Harding? The guy who beat the murder one rap yesterday?

He was killed earlier tonight,

under some very unusual circumstances.

Well, you know I love unusual circumstances.

You'll love these.

Something you don't see every day.

Open heart surgery for do-it-yourselfers.

And the missing item?

The organ in question hasn't been recovered.

Someone's got a hell of a taste in trophies.

This bruising to the throat, it's not serious.

The heart was extracted right through the sternum.

And judging by the way that the tissue is torn and the bone is shattered,

most of the damage was done as it came out.

They just ripped him open.

If it happened anywhere else but a hotel room,

I'd say it was a wild animal.

A large one at that.

Takes a tremendous amount of power to inflict a wound like this.

And a great deal of anger.

He's a marked man.

He wasn't wearing that when I saw him on the 6:00 news last night.

[Frances] He was branded with a hot iron.

It's recent, but I can't tell whether it was before

or after the heart was removed.

Right now, I'll say that's the least of his worries.

[Alex] Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

The end. Well, it certainly was for Harding.

Huh...

Looks like the symbol is inside of a broken circle.

[Derek] Because his cycle of pain is broken.

And justice is done.

It's the signature of a Delphic ritual.

At the oracle of Delpha, in ancient Greece,

the priestess Pythia was called up on to pass

judgment of criminals.

And the omega symbol?

Well, according to the legend, three sisters called the Furies

were summoned from the underworld to administer justice.

Whoever wore the omega symbol was punished.

Well, it looks like the girls did quite a number on Darrel Harding.

Yeah, someone or something actually ripped his heart out last night.

Cops have no idea how it's done or by whom.

Someone, apparently, knew about the legend.

Has Detective Carmack contacted us?

No, not yet.

This is pretty fresh, so maybe he hasn't had a chance.

Well, maybe, we should save him the call because I have a strong feeling

that he is going to need our help on this one.

[police siren wails]

[Tanner] Look, Carmack,

you knew my client was in danger of retribution

due to the highly public nature of his trial.

Now, we asked you for police protection, you turned us down.

Yeah. Well, freedom's a bitch, ain't it, counselor?

That's very funny, detective,

but may I point out that by denying him that protection,

you've intentionally exposed the police department to, shall we say,

litigation.

Tell me, Tanner, what does a suit like that cost?

I mean, you pay by installments or is it a lease deal?

You know what, detective, if I were you,

and thank God, I'm not,

I would take this very seriously.

Oh, I do.

And believe me, I'm real sorry about Mr. Harding's demise.

I think it was too quick, and too painless.

I know what you pulled in that courtroom,

you and that girl, it's called perjury.

It's called winning, Carmack.

Prove anything else, you take me to court.

Harding's lawyer, isn't it? I recognized him from the news.

Is that who it was? I thought it might be a well-dressed dung beetle.

So, Derek, what brings you down here?

Well, actually, I thought, Frank, that you might call us,

considering what happened to Darrel Harding.

What, for slasher killing? Come on, you must have better things to do.

I think this is more than just a slasher killing.

There are indications that the murder has a supernatural basis.

Where the hell do you get these indications anyhow?

-We have our sources. -Yeah, right.

If I had your sources

I'd know which highway Jimmy Hoffa was buried under.

Hoffa wasn't branded

and I doubt his heart was torn from his body.

Look, Darrel Harding had major league enemies.

Crime bosses, drug lords.

He probably ripped them off.

These guys get very nasty when they're upset.

Don't worry, I'll find them, and I'll put them away.

Like you did Harding?

Now, give it a rest, Gracen.

You know that lawyer screwed me.

You screwed yourself, Carmack.

If it had been my case, Harding would never have gone to court.

Whoever nailed him

did us all a big favor.

[man] Detective Gracen, Captain needs you.

So, they blame you for Harding's acquittal.

Harding was a cop killer.

I made a case that didn't stick, Harding walked.

That makes me loser of the year.

On top of that, I'm supposed to find whoever did him.

And I got Gracen there looking over my shoulder.

Well, I'm sorry, Frank, but I still believe we can help you.

Derek, you're a friend.

We worked some tough cases together, hell, you saved my life.

But please, this one has gotta be mine.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

I got to go close up the crime scene.

Thanks.

[sighs]

[cell phone ringing]

Yes.

[Alex over cell phone] Derek, I found something I think you may wanna see.

Okay.

[Derek] Justice, in the manner of the ancient Greeks.

Sentence has been passed,

and the Furies are about to do their worst.

The omega symbol was literally branded on to the condemned criminal

with a sacred artifact called the Scepter of Pythia.

Yeah, someone may have used it on Harding.

But how would they even know about its existence?

And where would they get it?

Well, I can answer the second question.

The Scepter belongs to Legacy.

What?

It's ours.

The Scepter of Pythia.

It was reported stolen a week ago, from the collection of Dr. Nina Andros,

who is a curator at the Heritage Museum of Antiquities.

A retired member of The Legacy.

I wasn't aware that she had this piece in her possession.

She had on loan from the London House

and displayed it about three weeks ago at a symposium.

First time it was seen in public.

There's a chance that whoever stole it could've spotted it there.

I'll contact Andros.

See what she has to say.

Seems like such a complicated way to try and murder someone, you know.

If you get within distance to be able to brand them,

then why not just shoot them?

Because whoever did this to Harding wasn't just looking for a payback,

they were seeking some sort of ritual justice.

They wanted to see him suffer horribly before he died.

You're describing the population of half of California

after yesterday's verdict.

Yeah, but how many of them had access to this scepter

and how many would go so far as to rip his heart out?

[Rachel] Hey, Frank, can we come in?

Looks to me you already are, and it's all right, they're with me.

Dammit, Derek. Nice to see you, Rachel.

Look, this isn't necessary.

Well, we thought you could use the company,

unless, of course, you've already solved the case.

[sighs] They found the body here.

If there was a struggle at all, it was brief.

-And this is all the blood there was? -That's it.

Well, it doesn't make any sense, I mean, considering what they did to him,

how could this be all the blood?

I mean, unless, they pulled his heart out so fast that

it didn't have time to pump blood.

Sounds far-fetched, Rachel,

my guess is they bagged the heart immediately, and took off.

Yeah, but why did they take the heart anyway?

I mean, what's with the brand tattooed on Harding's forehead?

Could be a cult thing.

Drug cartels. They do some pretty weird stuff.

Anyway, we're looking into it.

Would you care to hear a theory?

What?

[softly] The kind I can't put in my report? That kind?

Come here.

Now, listen, Derek.

A human being did this, that makes it my problem.

Yeah, a human being who summoned demonic force

by using an artifact which was stolen from The Legacy,

which makes it our problem, too.

Frank, maybe I can help you work up a psychological profile

-on this killer. -Based on what?

We got a dead body with a hole in it.

Well, that's a start, isn't it?

I don't get it. You've never turned down our help before.

What's wrong?

Okay, fine.

But that doesn't mean I buy your theory.

Were there any witnesses?

[exhales] Looks like there was a woman with him.

We got forensics checking on the hair samples.

But I somehow doubt that

a woman did all that to Harding.

Can we get a copy of your report?

[softly] Okay, but it's strictly between you and me.

Of course, as always.

I need the pathologist report, all right.

[Frank] You guys don't ask for much.

[Rachel] Frank, you know I like to work from the facts.

[Frank] Yeah, come on, this way.

Hey, anything new on Darrel Harding?

Still dead. What about this Dr. Andros?

The woman's a goldmine.

According to her,

the intended victim has to be guilty or believed to be guilty,

by whoever has the Scepter,

in order for the Furies to inflict their punishment.

By tearing their heart out.

Or worse than that.

Along with the heart, the soul of the victim is taken by the Furies.

Therefore, the guilty ones suffers for eternity.

Must have been some symposium.

Yeah, well, the topic

was "Vengeance and Retribution in Ancient Greece."

Nifty.

So the killer attends and gets their crash lesson

in supernatural murder and the weapon to do it with.

Should be a credit course, don't you think?

Well, it's not that simple.

Just possessing the Scepter isn't enough,

whoever uses it has to truly believe in its power.

So could this Dr. Andros be a candidate?

Well, she's about 60 and gets around in a wheelchair.

Okay, so that leaves us with whoever else attended the symposium.

Well, I asked her to fax me a copy of the sign in list.

At least, we'll have some names to work on.

Okay, good.

[Derek] I appreciate you seeing me so late, Mr. Tanner.

Tell me... Mr. Rayne,

what exactly is your connection with Darrel Harding?

I represent people who have an interest in solving his murder.

I know how your client was killed, Mr. Tanner.

I want to find out who did it.

Well, he's not my client anymore.

I'm done with him. We won. We move on.

Yes, he's dead.

Exactly, therefore not paying a retainer.

Like I said, we move on.

Did anyone threaten him?

Oh, please, he was accused of murdering a cop.

Every weirdo in the woodpile promised to kill him

if he'd beat the rap.

-Were you threatened? -Sure, you know...

Some calls, crackpot letters...

Why all this interest?

Did any of the threats you saw

contain a symbol like this?

No, never saw it before.

Tough break, huh?

So young. So much to live for.

Just think of all the mayhem he still could've caused.

You didn't like him very much, did you?

He paid his bills, Mr. Rayne. He was high-profile.

The best kind of client.

But not the sort you'd celebrate with?

Have a couple of bottles of Dom Perignon together.

Darrel Harding hated the bubbly.

But Janine... Now, that was another story.

Janine?

Janine Kinsey, his girlfriend.

You have any idea where she might be?

No.

I advised them both to take a long vacation

immediately after the trial.

Preferably to the other side of the world.

I guess he should've taken an earlier flight.

Now, Mr. Rayne,

if you'll excuse me,

I have a lot of work to do.

Yeah. If anyone threatens you...

anything unusual happens,

call me.

You have my card.

Yeah, sure.

The cops established there was a woman at the crime scene.

What about this Janine Kinsey? Are they still looking?

I mean, she alibied the guy, why would she wanna kill him?

But she would celebrate with him. I'm sure she was there that night.

She could be anywhere by now.

Tanner advised them both to leave the country after trial.

I'll check the passport office and travel agencies,

see what we can scare up.

[Frank]It was payback, Rachel.

Pure and simple. Harding owed people.

Well, if it was a simple mob hit,

then why the occult trappings?

The bizarre manner of death.

Come on, Frank, you've been working with this for a while.

You really think this was an ordinary hit man?

Hey, I've seen ordinary people commit acts I never thought possible.

And there was nothing supernatural about it.

You and Derek, you tend to look too hard.

You miss the obvious answers.

Well, maybe you could dig harder for answers, Frank.

Hey, Harding got what was coming to him.

And between us, finding his killer

isn't exactly top priority in certain areas of this department.

Which areas?

Come on, Frank, listen to me.

Frank.

Derek heard a detective named Gracen

say that Harding should never even get to trial.

What do you think?

Is it possible he was involved?

The trial was a farce.

The witness perjured herself and Harding's lawyer coached her.

You are not answering my question, Frank.

I'm no fan of Gracen but he didn't kill Harding.

Are you sure?

If he did,

would you protect him?

Your autopsy report.

Sweet dreams.

Rachel.

You would've made a hell of an attorney.

Coming from you, Frank, that's pretty nasty.

[door opens]

[scepter sizzling]

[Tanner grunting]

[screaming]

[groaning in pain]

[Furies shrieking]

What the hell are you?

Stay back!

[shrieking]

Stay back!

[Tanner screaming]

[Rachel] We are not dealing directly with the killer,

but rather with a facilitator,

somebody who's orchestrated these killings.

Just makes it that much harder.

Anything on the pathology report?

[sighs] No, nothing that changed my mind.

And the thing is, Derek, we're looking for somebody

who has a really twisted sense of justice, I mean,

somebody who is frustrated and angry,

yet meticulous enough to carry out a ritual.

Somebody who hated Harding,

I mean, he wanted to see him suffer before he died.

[laughs incredulously] Well, as Nick said,

that could include half the state of California.

Yeah, or half the police department.

Listen, I think you're right about Carmack,

he's clearly under some kind of pressure to fumble this case.

From Gracen?

His behavior, I've never seen Frank act like this.

He was very out of character.

Rachel, do you have any friends in the police review board?

Anyone who'd give you access to internal files?

Without breaching patient-doctor privilege?

Maybe, I can pull in a favor or two.

You think it's Gracen?

Well, I think we cannot rule out anything.

Hmm...

[Alex] I spoke to Nina Andros, she's convinced that only a believer

could empower the Scepter,

someone familiar with the rituals and legends

surrounding it, a Legacy member, maybe.

Or anyone who had enough encounters

with the supernatural to make them believe.

Well, there was a sign in book at the symposium.

It took some doing but Andros faxed me the copies of the original.

Now, there's at least 200 names here.

It's gonna take some doing but I'm gonna run a check on it.

All right, the sooner the better.

Okay.

[mutters worriedly]

[cocks gun]

[Nick] You won't be needing that, Janine.

You've showed me yours and I've showed you mine.

Let's say we're about even.

I'm not here to hurt you.

You left the back window open.

No, I didn't.

That's why it was so tough to get in here.

How'd you find me?

One way ticket to Down Under,

paid for in cash, first direct flight out of town.

Courier delivered to a $30 motel room in the boonies.

Sydney, Australia, may not be far enough away,

if whatever killed Harding is chasing you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You sure? That's why you're running.

You're not a cop.

What do you want from me?

Truth. Maybe save your life.

You were there, you saw what happened.

Whatever killed Harding is still out there, Janine.

It killed once, it could do it again.

There were three of them.

They were dark.

Horrible.

And Darrel...

-They took out his-- -I know.

Was there anyone else there?

Yeah, this guy dressed in black came in first.

He branded Darrel...

Then those things came.

I just took off.

I thought the cops would think that I did it.

[Darrel and Janine screaming]

So what are you gonna do?

-[thunder rumbles] -[cell phone ringing]

Yes.

Derek, it's Nick. I'm here with Janine Kinsey.

She has a story I think you should hear.

It's okay, you can talk to him.

Janine...

I know you were there the night Darrel Harding died.

We know what happened and how frightened you must be.

How can you save me from those things?

You have no choice.

The police can't protect you, but we can.

I'm bringing her in. About an hour out.

Derek, it's happened again.

Harding's lawyer, Jarrod Tanner,

he was found dead in his office. He was murdered.

You know, you still haven't told me who you people really are.

Right now, we're your best friends,

the smartest thing you can do is to cooperate.

You said yourself the police couldn't help me.

-How do you expect to? -This isn't the time.

Look, I got a one way ticket to Australia

and enough cash to keep me there for a long time, okay?

If I keep running...

[screaming]

[gun cocks]

Drop the bar.

[clattering]

It's a '64 'Stang, man, it's cherry, I couldn't resist.

It's a '65, meathead, now move on.

Janine!

[screams]

Who are you? What do you want?

[Nick] Janine!

[exclaims in pain]

It's happening again. Just like the last time.

[Nick grunting in pain]

Not again.

[Janine] No.

No.

[Janine screams]

[Nick] They didn't kill me, but they sure as hell scared about five years off my life.

Don't know why they let me slide.

[Rachel] Maybe the brand wasn't deep enough.

I mean, this burn is pretty superficial.

[Derek] Or maybe, justice isn't blind.

You weren't the intended victim.

You're not guilty of anything.

Or maybe they just don't know you well enough, yet.

Thanks, Rachel. I love you, too.

Hey, go on, look at the bright side.

You'll be the only guy in the block with a tattoo from hell.

At least, until it heals.

Listen to her.

How's Janine?

I left her downstairs with Alex.

She's still a little bit freaked.

Did you get a look of the man with the Scepter?

No, his face was covered.

He's a big guy, heavy build.

Could he have been wearing a bulletproof vest?

Yeah, I guess.

He was all dressed in black, loose clothing. Why?

Well, Tanner fired four shots

and the police only found three slugs.

So someone carried one away.

Kevlar vest, like the cops wear?

Yeah.

How is she?

Well, she's still in a little shock, but she's coming out of it.

She's pretty tough.

-Let's hope she's smart. -Yeah.

Hello, Janine. I'm Derek Rayne.

Well, uh, you've met Alex, and of course, you know Nick.

Yeah, he saved my life.

Right.

We need your help

to try and solve the murders of Darrel Harding and his attorney.

Jarrod Tanner? He's dead?

I'm afraid so.

The same way as Harding.

His heart was torn out.

Oh, my God!

Nick saved your life once,

but I'm not so sure if he can keep saving you.

What do you mean?

What does all this have to do with me, anyway?

I think you know.

Tanner conspired to get Harding off that murder charge.

You were part of that conspiracy.

You lied on the stand.

No. No way, man.

I swear to you, I did not lie.

Janine, I'm trying to save your life here.

First Harding dies, then Tanner dies,

now who do you think gonna be next? Hmm?

[sighs]

How do I stop it?

Whatever killed them wants the truth to come out.

So you have to go to the police and tell them what really happened,

that's the only way.

No way. I can't go to the cops, they will send me to jail.

You might get off lightly if you tell them everything.

And I'll try to help you from my end.

The alternative, well...

You've already seen the alternative.

What's it going to be?

-You found something? -Uh-huh.

-Gracen? -Yeah, quite a background.

He's been called for review several times.

Accusations of overuse of force.

He's got an extremely violent temper, and on top of that,

he spent a couple of years investigating cults, right here in the Bay Area.

Where he could've learned about the mythology of the Furies,

-so he could be our man. -Yeah, he could be.

Except for one thing.

He's also been censured for sloppy police work

and taking bribes.

So that doesn't fit the profile.

So who does fit the profile?

Someone who is extremely meticulous, even rigid.

He has a deeply developed sense of justice.

I'm waiting for another report to be faxed

-from one of my colleagues on the review-- -I'm not interested

in the review board's opinion.

I want yours, Rachel.

What does your gut tell you?

My gut says the same as yours, Derek.

You know the answer.

Yes, she agreed to tell you everything, Frank.

The point is, do you think you can get her immunity?

Provided she puts her finger on Harding and Tanner,

yeah, I think I can swing a deal with the DA.

Reduced sentence at the very least.

I'll need an address and a time.

7289, Galveston.

There's a motel there she knows.

She needs two hours to pull herself together.

Yeah, I can give her that.

How did you get her to cooperate?

Well, I appealed to her sense of morality.

And when that failed, I told her that she could take her chances out there

with whatever's waiting for her.

Derek, if you're right about how Harding really died,

I'm sorry for doubting you.

That's all right.

One thing, Frank,

she wants Gracen to be the one to pick her up.

I think you made her nervous at the trial.

Will it be a problem?

I guess not, I hate like hell to give it to him,

but he is the detective in charge,

I'd have to call him anyhow.

Well, you still solved the case, Frank.

I know.

Derek, if this one sticks,

I get a second chance.

I owe you.

Good luck, and let me know what happens.

Thanks.

[Nick] You run a symposium on vengeance and the whole world shows up.

[Alex] I ran all the names on Andros' list.

Find anything?

Sure, curators, collectors, a few Legacy members even,

but nothing that really stands out.

Where do you want to go from here?

Handwriting analysis.

Scan the material from the first file

and check it against the signatures

on Dr. Andros's sign in list.

That's Detective Mike Gracen's file.

[Alex] What, do you expect to find a signature match?

I hope so.

And if there is no match?

Then start on the other file.

It's the record of another police officer.

I suspect we're going to meet one of them... tonight.

[Derek] How's the hand?

It's not so bad. I can still shoot.

Let's hope it won't be necessary.

It has been quite an evening.

I mean, how many guys can say that they had a date with three sisters

in one night?

Make sure you live to tell about it.

Yeah.

You know, Derek, we don't even know for certain that it is a cop.

And if it is, it could easily be Gracen.

That vest and he's about the right size.

So is Carmack.

He's a friend.

A good one.

Well, at least we know it's not Gracen.

Who wants to call Derek and give him the news?

You think you know a person...

Carmack joined the SFPD 17 years ago

after relocating here from Wisconsin

where he started his career as a police officer.

And almost ended it.

How fast can you run a signature?

Fast.

Okay.

[Rachel over phone] So Carmack's first partner was killed in an ambush,

his killers were never found.

A suspect was questioned, but then later released.

However, Frank Cormack was then disciplined

for having harassed a suspect.

So he just up and quit his job, relocated here

and started over again.

-What else? -Okay.

After he got to San Francisco,

he was forced to take psychiatric evaluation

because he got into some kind of altercation

with a local detective.

Mike Gracen?

You got it, Derek.

And the results were marginal, I mean, he barely passed.

Alex, I hope you have better news.

[Alex] I'm afraid not.

He tried to disguise it, but most aspects

of the signature match.

Derek, you have to understand this science isn't exact.

But it does look like Frank Carmack

signed in as Dr. Jack Palmer

from the National History Museum.

[Rachel]We checked. There is a Jack Palmer on the staff

but, Derek, he was never at the symposium.

Man, Derek. I'm sorry.

Me, too.

The handwriting analysis isn't perfect, right?

Like she said, it's not 100%.

I'd like to believe it more than anything else.

Derek, whatever happens--

Whatever happens we must recover the Scepter.

It's absolutely paramount.

Hello, Janine.

Hold it.

Let's take a moment to reflect upon this situation

before anybody gets hurt.

Frank, it's finished.

You can put it away, Nick.

You wouldn't want to see your partner

shoot a cop, would you, Derek?

Give it to me, Frank.

When I said, "I owe you," I meant it, Derek.

I'd lost my faith in everything.

Justice, God...

Even myself, but you gave it back to me.

When you showed me your world,

I knew that justice was possible again,

that there was a way.

But not this way.

What are you gonna do, kill us, too?

No! Only the guilty, those who truly deserve to die.

Like Tanner and Janine?

You can't decide who deserves to live, Frank.

It wasn't justice what you did.

It was murder.

I just wanted to make it right.

I know.

You still can.

But you have to stop this now.

Give me the Scepter, Frank.

I know.

No!

[screaming]

No!

[Nick exclaims]

[Furies shrieking]

Save yourself!

Say you don't believe in the power!

Renounce it!

I couldn't...

even if I wanted to, because I do believe.

[Furies shrieking]

This is gonna be one hell of a show, Derek.

[Frank screaming in pain]

Frank.

Derek, don't blame yourself.

This was Frank Carmack's choice.

His decision.

I should've kept him away from our business.

Out of our affairs. But I didn't.

That was my decision.

[Derek]All Frank Carmack desired in the end

was to see justice done.

A noble desire.

But entrusted with great powers,

how many of us can resist using them for our own ends?

How long can any of us maintain that strength?

[theme music playing]