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- Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what he wants us to do,

you know, when he comes out...

Yeah...

When a patrolman is assassinated

on a Manhattan Street,

it can get to be real big news real fast.

Especially if he's from a family of cops,

young, white, protecting a high profile witness

in a well-heeled part of town.

When a cop dies in the line of duty in the city of New York,

in circumstances like that,

you'd be surprised who shows up at his funeral.

- Are you kidding me? George Bush was there?

- Walked right past Vic and me.

Then he folded the casket flag,

and then old George himself handed it to the family.

- Ryans really must've pulled a lot of strings

for this one.

My partner, Dan Reilly, and I

represent our patrol sector at funeral services.

When it's over, the lieutenant collects the black armbands

and puts them back in the file cabinet.

Tragedy of this story is

they won't even have time to gather dust.

You see this story is not about Manhattan,

or big cases, or presidents.

It's about this side of the river, Brooklyn.

It's about the housing projects in Brooklyn,

and two cops who walk a beat there.

I did the same thing myself before I made detective,

and I'm here to tell you

that Robert Dayton and Raymond Williamson are stand up guys

in a job that's always trying to knock you down.

- Oh, yeah. Now this here is a pretty sight.

I thought the detectives shut down this crack house

just a little while ago.

- What do you want? The sun to stand still?

- I mean, check this guy out.

Can you believe this? Look. Look.

Homeboy's got a piece in his belt.

He doesn't even see us here?

- Headed for the lobby 443 Blackwell looks like.

- Let's swing around and see if we catch him.

- Patrol 9801 investigating

weapon, 443 Blackwell.

- Five-0, five-0. Five-0.

- I got 'em here.

- Freeze! Freeze!

- Stay down.

- Hold it. He's got a gun. He's got a gun.

I got it. I got it.

Yo, it's a toy.

- Man, it ain't real.

- What are you, stupid? Eh?

- Hey, yo, McGarrett. Better luck next time, man.

- Peace out, brother.

He dropped that rock somewhere inside.

- Most likely.

- Anyway, thanks for backup, guys.

- Backup? We chased them into you.

What are you guys working down here?

- Homicide. What else?

- Danny, get a hold of this, will you?

About two years ago,

the toy makers started painting the barrels

of these things orange, see,

so a cop could tell if a kid was carrying a toy.

Then the bad guys started painting the real guns orange

to fool the cops.

And then the kids started painting over the orange

and they wanted the real thing.

I don't know. Go figure.

- Craziest thing. - Yeah.

- 22 years, I stopped trying to figure.

- 22 years. You must be ready to leave.

- Are you kidding me? This guy?

The brass been trying to get him to leave

for God knows how long.

As a matter of fact, I have a theory

that you killed the last hitman they sent out.

- Yeah. Right between the eyes.

No, I'm ready. I'm going soon.

I can still do a job I did when I was young,

but the world's changed, you know.

When I started in housing,

they used to call us grass cops.

Picking people off the lawns. That was the job.

Brand new, federally funded, Kentucky bluegrass lawns.

My, they were nice. - I remember.

- You grew up in the houses?

- We both did.

- You know? - Yeah.

- I was talking to this guy I know

who does maintenance up there putting down new roofs.

"It's like archeology, Danny," he tells me.

You know, at the bottom they got tar from the '60s,

roach clips, hash pipes, Afro clicks.

Then the '70s, junky needles works, then coke spoons.

And now the Reagan era.

Crack vials and nine millimeter shells.

It ain't exactly the march of civilization.

No, they don't need grass cops anymore.

Nobody comes out on the grass.

They make too good a target.

- Later. - Yeah.

- And Mr. Franklin, I see you've been employed

with the Westchester Coach Works for three months.

And before that,

there is quite a gap in your employment record here from...

- I was in prison.

- Oh, I see.

- Look, it was something stupid I did when I was younger.

Look, ma'am, I really, really need this car.

Okay? So I don't miss days at work.

- That shouldn't be a problem, should it?

Everybody should get a second chance.

All the doors shouldn't close on a young man

because he made a bad choice once.

'Cause at 25 living in that place,

he's got a lot of choices left to make.

Who's he gonna be?

Who's he gonna be with?

What is he gonna do when they call his name?

- Yo, Prince.

- Mr. Justice Butler. What's happening, man?

- You violating unwritten rule there, brother.

- Oh, yeah. What's that?

- It's me that's supposed to have the freshest import

in the hood and the finest lady.

You know what I'm saying?

- Check it out. - Later, buddy.

- All right, now.

What's up, bro?

- Who the hell was that?

- That's Justice. One of my brothers friends.

- Stay away from your brother's friends.

They're nothing but trouble.

- What am I gonna do, baby?

The man pulls up in the street and calls out my name.

- No, he did not call your name. He called somebody else.

- All right. Yeah. Come on.

You right.

- Come on, man. Cover up that scrawny body.

She's waiting for us right outside.

- You finally got some play, huh?

All right, who is this mystery woman?

- You just wait. Just wait till you see her.

- She better be fine.

Oh, oh. Oh, I see. This is your ride.

- All mine.

Boarding passes out as you approach the gate,

ladies and gentlemen. - Okay.

- Come on.

Oh, man. Feel this thing.

You know how much I wanted one of these when I was a kid?

Do you have any idea?

- This is great.

It's a nice machine, man. Very nice.

- Then I just walk in, buy it, drive it away.

- You walked in and you bought.

That make you feel like an adult, man?

- Oh, hell no. I'm 16 again.

- So where are we going, man?

- Back to those old streets.

Show them a neighborhood island boy can do good, you know.

Westbound.

Officer Dayton in pursuit of his lost youth.

- Man.

- Hey, young Carl. My man.

- Hey, man, what you doing round my wheels?

- Say, man, it's just me.

Just old Razor from the block. You know.

Thought I'd polish it up a little bit.

Make a dollar. What you say?

- Yeah, all right.

- My man.

- Hey, little brother.

You know, Tyson knock out a photo.

Something wrong with your new wheels?

- Nah, man.

- Come on, Prince. Take a ride around with me.

Cheer you up. Guarantee.

So, how's King?

- How's Attica?

- Yeah. That's some heavy time he doing, man.

Always did like your brother.

King and me was tight, like family.

And now here come the Prince.

I gotta stop by one of my businesses.

You wanna ride along or you gotta get back to your job?

- I'll ride.

- Okay.

We had some problems with the workers

tucking down a rock or two.

You know what I mean.

This here is Raheem, solution. Raheem.

This here is Prince.

- Yo.

I don't know, man.

You doing family business here.

- 25 Grand a day business, my brother.

And that's just from one spot.

- 25,000?

- And for what?

Selling this dish to folks

that's gonna kill themselves anyway.

So instead of some gnatty,

red lot island mango picker making the money, it's me.

And Raheem.

Maybe even you.

- Nah.

Not me, man.

Hate all these dished up fools, stacking rounds. Corn.

Messing up the hood.

- You don't hate 'em anymore than me and my brothers.

Just a business.

- Just a business?

Everybody say that, just a business.

Slave traders said that.

- Oh, I forgot you got that high paying job.

Don't you, my brother? What you do?

Flip burgers for the clown?

- No, man, I don't do nothing. Got laid off today.

- That's the dricks, man.

Lemme give you a little something to get you back.

- No.

No thanks, man.

- It's there if you need it, Prince.

It's there.

Wait, hold this., I will be right back.

Hey, Pop, you better turn this down.

You gonna burn up all this food in here.

- Well, you know how your mother like things real hot.

- Yes. You like it hot.

Reminds you of your firefighting day.

You feel all that steam on your face.

You bring back memories.

- I guess you're right. I do.

- Raymond has such a nice girl.

- Oh, yes. Stefanie's great.

- But I never see you with a girl.

Do you like girls, Robert?

- Hey, I like girls just fine.

I love coming to your family gatherings,

but when I have a date,

I like something a little more romantic

and there are few more romantic places

to go in New York city.

You'll forgive me the saying so.

- And always with a different girl, Raymond tells me.

I think you're kind of a playboy, hey?

- Oh, Mrs. W, you gonna call me names,

you should call me names I don't like.

- Yo, Prince. My man. What's up?

Let's you and me rap.

Yeah. Is foreign, ain't she?

She take my lady, Wanda, now. Anything goes you.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

- So anyway man, you own this place?

- For the night. Bought it out.

Little party with my friends.

- Speaking of which, you said you making it a loan.

- Yeah. Yeah. I know, Prince, but check it out.

If I loan you, man, you got to pay me back.

And if you don't, well, like I said, man,

I'd rather have you as one of my partners

than one of these chumps I gotta squeeze.

- So like what would I be doing?

- Mechanical stuff.

Cars, joints, rents like an office manager.

Three grand a week.

Plus you take a spot once a month.

- Take a spot?

- You get to take from a spot, one day.

20, 30 grand just for you.

And no French fry grease in your hair neither.

You was always good with numbers and machines, Prince.

King said so. I got muscle. I need a man with skills.

- Yo, Justice, my man.

Yo.

- Raheem, how this chump get in here?

- Justice. Man, I got this for you.

Bulletproof, new stuff. Real light. Real thin. See?

- Get him the hell outta here.

Yo, hold on.

Yo, Prince. You want it, man?

- Hey, no. Wait, wait.

You said it'd just be mechanical stuff. That's all.

- Yeah, that's right.

But there's a lot of crazy brothers out there.

Smoke you for no beef at all.

- Man, that thing so thin it wouldn't stop your mama's kiss.

- Get the hell outta here.

- No... - Get him outta here.

Get your hands off me.

- It works.

- Maybe I should just check it out.

You think it's strong enough to stop this pipe head?

- No, man. Please. Please, man.

- Wouldn't get my man, Prince, no garage sale

- No, Justice. Please, man. Don't shoot me, man.

- Damn, man. You shot him.

- Quality control.

It's very important.

- It worked.

Give this garbage a half dozen rocks and get him outta here.

- Fits like it was tailor made.

- All right.

- But no jobs? - Nope.

- Not even in Atlantic City?

- It's pretty tight all over, babe.

Well, except for one loose slot machine owned by Mr. Trump.

Hey, come on, enjoy it. All right. Daddy's home.

Don't let anybody sell you the idea

that running a crack gang is some great feat

of business skill.

It's not a business and it don't take any real brains.

You need a little money.

You need somebody who knows the recipe.

You need a rock for a heart. That's all.

Anybody can do it.

And that's the problem. Everybody tries.

Justice Butler and his crack gang

had one problem in particular,

a trigger happy Jamaican named Supreme A.

You seen enough movies, you watched enough TV.

You know the solution for his problem.

All you gotta do is cross a few state lines

in a generally southern direction.

- You do know that converts to automatic?

- Yeah. We got people that do that already.

- Good. Then we won't have to do it.

Bigger y'all get, the more we sell. Good for everybody.

- Supreme's boys be running like rabbits, man.

Hollering, dreadlocks flying.

- Excellent.

- That's what it's all about, Squire.

We can't be letting nobody diss the organization.

You know what I mean?

Don't matter if you shoot a dozen rounds

or you steal a dozen vials.

You gotta pay. You know what I mean?

You steal from Justice, Justice come for you.

- Yo, yo, Raheem, man. It was only 10 rocks.

I'm good for it.

I'll pay it back, man.

You know me. You brought me into this show.

- That's why it's me that takes you out.

- You takes me out. Listen to you, man.

You wear that kulfi, the jewelry.

You talk about us being brothers.

And you gonna kill me for 50 bucks?

Don't I mean nothing to you, man?

Don't I mean nothing?

Who says the streets are reality?

They call the cops five-0.

They call detectives McGarrett.

A fresh batch of crack is called an episode.

Except one of these episodes has a happy ending.

- That's my son, Mikey Harris.

He's been gone almost two days now.

- And how old is he, ma'am?

- He's 12.

Almost 13.

- Okay. Well, we're gonna do our best to find him.

All right?

- Isn't that the kid over on Blackwell?

- Yeah, that's the one.

Some fresh sneakers, Mikey. Where you get 'em?

- I bought 'em in the store. You know what I'm saying?

- Yeah. I know what you saying.

You doing drugs, little brother?

- Hey, come on, man.

I ain't gonna grow up to be no crackhead.

- Oh, that's good. So what you gonna grow up to be?

- I'm gonna be somebody with something.

You know what I'm saying?

Strapped for Justice, big time kid.

- Big time.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Sound maybe like hard time. Like Attica time.

- I ain't going to no Attica, man. I'm only 12.

- And what's 12 plus six?

Come on, little brother. You better than this.

- Mikey, where have you been?

I've been so worried about you. Are you all right?

I'm happy to see you.

Baby, are you all right?

I have been looking everywhere for you.

- You see that?

Kissing and hugging him like he's some baby or something.

When I think of what my old man had done

if I stayed out two nights in a row at that age.

- My Pops would've been upside my head, man.

- Your mom's a piece of work too.

- Why you gotta talk about my mom, man?

- I love your mother.

- You better love my mother.

- She won't rest until I got a dozen kids,

all calling me Daddy.

- You planning a small family?

Look, look, look.

Which stairway you want? This one or you want that one?

- I'll take that one.

- Yeah, my man, Prince.

Just what you ordered. Two plain Janes.

Both registered in my name.

Somebody calling you, boy.

62,000. That dish ripped us off

for 60 big.

- What's happening?

- Supreme just ambushed us for one of the runs.

- The Lynnwood spot, a whole weekend,

plus a dish load of products swiped right outta the car.

I want Supreme in the ground.

I want his brains in a sack around my neck.

- Supreme get his hair done Saturdays

at that place over on Capafia.

- Beauty Magic. His sister owns it.

- Take him out, Raheem. You and two.

Prince, set him up. Whatever he needs.

- One clean car.

- Yeah. Yeah. I got 'em today.

- Molotov cocktails and a couple of wannabes to throw.

Supreme.

Yo, Supreme.

Show your ugly face.

- He is not here. Now you get outta my store.

Shut up.

Shut up!

Throw it!

Damn.

You guys did what?

- Took 'em all down. Had to.

- How many?

- I don't know, four or five inside,

and those punks on the street.

- You killed the wannabes? What the hell for?

- They messed up.

- Seven bodies. Seven bodies and none of them the one

you were sent to take out.

- He got the message. - What?

- Supreme got the message.

- We got one more string to tie.

What's that?

- This truck driver saw the car close up.

Must've seen that license too.

- If he tell the cops...

- Brain, he already told the cops.

- I got it covered.

Bought the cars from a middle man.

- What if the middle man talk?

- He won't.

- That's your area, Prince. You make sure.

Raheem, help him out.

The that's a trivial little fire.

They were all shot multiple times.

You wanna lay it out?

- No, you go ahead.

- This shop is owned by the sister of a crack dealer,

street name Supreme.

A rival gang, a new one, wants to scare him off.

One car, two shooters, two lookouts with fire bombs.

At 11:32, they come in. No Supreme.

Something happens. Something is said.

They open fire with automatic weapons.

- What do you mean, something happens?

- To start the shooting.

- Nothing happened here, Dan. Looking for a reason for this?

They came in here looking for a guy.

They couldn't find him,

so they decided to shoot up everything that moves.

You want a reason? I'll give you a reason.

Because it felt good.

Because they had nothing better to do

when they woke up this morning.

Because...

they're cracked up, greedy, self satisfying,

motherless animals.

- Come on, Vic.

- You look me in the eye, Dan, you look me in the eye

and you tell me there's a reason for this.

- Dammit, Vic, you ruining my day.

- No.

God, no.

No!

No!

- My man, Prince.

You got something for me taste, brother?

Oh, Prince, man, this ain't necessary.

Come on, Prince, man. We go back.

I knew your daddy.

Prince.

Please.

There's two basic rules of survival

in this job.

First you gotta learn to take small bites.

Too much disgust and pain at one time

turns to poison in your gut.

And second, you learn to keep it to yourself.

Nobody wants to hear about it.

Maybe a partner or maybe a wife you could tell,

but a wife could leave you

and a partner, he's got his own belly full.

So I admit on the beauty parlor case, I broke both rules.

I took too big a bite and I couldn't keep it down.

- Ray mainly spoke to him.

- Yeah, he was talking some craziness

about making it big selling crack.

- Did he mention any names?

- Oh, he said something about some dude,

being strapped for Justice.

- Justice. What is that?

What is that? Some stupid street name?

- Yeah, maybe so.

- Did you inform the kid's mother

that her son was part of a hit team?

- I didn't think it was an appropriate time,

but I guess you can go ahead and do that.

- Believe it.

- And the body we found in the playground?

Was he connected too?

- Getaway car was registered to him.

- Covering their tracks.

- Thanks. But we already thought about that.

- Come on, Vic.

- Hey, yo, yo. What's your problem, man?

- What's my problem?

- What is your problem, man?

- I'm gonna tell you what my problem is.

I am sick and tired of being a lousy zookeeper around here.

And I'll tell you something else.

The people that did this shooting, they're animals.

No, no. They're less than animals.

'Cause nothing like this ever happened around here before.

I had a great uncle.

He was a Cosa Nostra. Made guy.

Spent this whole life not three blocks away

from this Beauty Magic location.

Did four times on the mattresses and nothing,

I mean, nothing like this ever happened.

Those days, a guy wanted to get popped,

bing, he got popped.

Not his whole family, not his hairdresser or brother-in-law.

In those days, people cared about people.

People were like family.

- Oh, 'cause Don Corleone was cool, huh?

And made killing okay?

- Let me tell you something.

It wasn't only Italians.

We had Poles. We had Russians, Jews.

It's a matter of fact. You wanna know something?

It wasn't until these animals came...

- Hey, yo, yo yo, yo. Hold up, hold up. No, hold up.

Wait a minute. You talking about these killers here?

Or you talking about black people in general?

'Cause if you're talking about black people,

you need to check yourself

before you get more than your feelings hurt, man.

- What are you, kidding me?

Why don't you just go get your Uzi

and spray me from across the street.

Both of you, sit down.

- What? You tell me, what?

- Hold up. I'll tell you about my Uzi, man.

I don't own a Uzi.

See, I don't know anybody that does own a Uzi

and I've never seen a black man in the hood making a Uzi.

You got that?

Black people don't make guns

and black people don't grow cocaine.

So how does this rock get here,

and how do these guns get here,

and how come the jobs and the schools don't ever get here?

See, if you wasn't so busy living in Lily-white planes

and driving your station wagon to work,

you'd see what I see,

millions of black people going to work every day

and trying to make it,

just like the Jews and just like the Italians.

And those are the people I work for.

And not one of 'em, not one of 'em owns an Uzi.

- I drive a two door. Live in Queens.

- Really going across that desk after Tomasino, huh?

- Nah, man. I got more control that.

- No, you were great, man.

I never heard you talk like that.

You really put it to him.

Me, I get all riled up. I never know what to say.

- You may not know what to say,

but you know what time it is, man?

- I know.

What you said was solid though, man.

Vic Tomasino doesn't see these people.

He looks at a kid like Mikey,

all he sees is trouble coming.

Trouble for him and his.

But damn, man, is that all there's ever gonna be?

Them and theirs, us and ours,

shout at each other across the street, across a desk.

- Take it easy, partner.

It could be worse.

We could be shooting each other.

- Yeah, well, it's still pretty damn pathetic.

- All right, look, look. hold up.

We're both in a bad mood.

I'll tell you what,

let's go for a drink and I'll pay for the drink.

- No, man. I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow. This is me.

- All right, partner.

That's you.

- Hi.

Hey.

They just

walked right by.

Never even bent down or nothing.

- All right, man. What that symbolizes

is that people in New York don't wanna deal

with a dying cop with a big melon head.

And should anything happen to you,

you should leave your partner

your extensive record collection.

- You been having the same dream, huh?

- Yeah. Yeah.

Not exactly, but the...

the part about dying and being alone.

- So, we make a promise, huh?

If something happens, I won't leave you, you won't leave me.

We ride with to emergency, stick around, stay right there.

- And if that's the end, stand honor guard at the funeral.

- You bet.

- Bet.

- Hey, baby, how much more of this stuff

we got to get through?

- That pile over there, the suitcase,

and Loopy's bringing over the Blake's spot.

- I never thought I'd get so bored counting money.

Where's Cynthia? This sure would go a lot faster

if she was here to help.

- Hey, listen. Cynthia ain't got no part of this, all right?

- Why? She's some kind of rosebud or something?

- Shut up.

Blakewell?

- All there.

- I'm calling over to Blakewell for a tally.

It better all be there.

Don't you go nowhere.

Dammit!

Strap me.

- Wait a minute. Wait. Let's count it first.

Maybe he's just running 'cause he's scared.

- Nobody rips me off. Gimme a schwam.

- You're on parole, man. You cannot get caught...

- Get it outta safe and give it to me!

- Top floor. You know where your kid is.

- Preference of stairwells?

- Take this one.

- I'll go that one.

Hey. - Watch it.

Hello.

- Where my money, Loopy?

- Justice, man.

Man, come on, man. - Where is it?

- I ain't do nothing, man. I ain't do nothing, man.

Oh, man. Come on, man.

I'll make it good, man.

- You done. You done, you dish mother.

- I'll do good, man. I'll do whatever.

- Good. Bleed.

- That's a cop.

- Hey.

Hey.

- Raymond!

Ray.

Ray.

He's my friend.

He's my friend.

He's my friend.

When patrolman Raymond Williamson

was shot dead in a dirty brick stairwell

in a housing project in Brooklyn,

the TV cameras did not come to his funeral.

George Bush did not come either.

But nobody missed him.

Danny Reilly says every cop is Irish

on the day of his funeral.

We bang the drums slowly.

We play the pipes for him.

For Ray Williamson. Not for anybody else.

I felt bad that day.

He was a good cop.

But the last time I saw him,

we were this close to trading punches.

What do I say to his people? To his partner?

Word was the brass didn't want Robert Dayton

in his partner's honor guard.

They were afraid he'd collapse, be an embarrassment,

but he did it, straight up.

Kept his promise.

- Hey, Reilly.

I... here you guys caught this case.

- We're close to picking up that kid you saw on the stairs.

- We'll get the shooter.

That's the thing about funerals.

They're a major marketplace with promises.

- That's right. I talked to him last night. He's down in...

- Dammit, bitch, I don't wanna know where he is.

Just keep your mouth shut on that, all right?

Stupidest thing I ever heard of, shooting a cop.

- He had to, Prince.

The gun in his hand means six years inside.

He was on parole.

- Didn't I say that? Didn't I say for him not to.

- Here. He told me it over the phone.

A list of people he wants smoked.

- Damn. You didn't say anything about this

to Raheem, did you?

- Justice said you in charge while he is gone.

- That's right. That's the way he left it, you know.

- Well, you know where I'm at.

It's none of your business, bitch.

- You save that bitch talk for the whores

like that hussy in the street just now.

You talk to me like that, you won't be talking to me at all,

Mister Carl H. Franklin.

- You call me Prince, all right.

- Trash gave you that name. John Butler gave you that name.

- No, I had that name for years, okay.

Besides, Justice never done nothing to you

for you to call him trash.

Dammit, Cynthia, can't you see that he's the one

that give me something to do when I couldn't find no work.

- Something to do like selling crack?

- Nah, I never sold any f...

- Don't lie to me.

Don't you think I know what's been going on?

You think I believe you

every time you say you won the lottery or hit a number.

- Oh, okay. So you didn't believe me, huh?

- No. - Never had no problem

taking the money though, did you?

Never had no problem living good, eating good

and partying all the time, did you?

Never had no problem dreaming about all these big houses,

did you?

Listen, okay. I never sold any type of crack, baby.

I did not sell one vial of crack.

I'm a manager. Okay. I fix things up.

I buy cars, cement, weldings. I fix up buildings. Okay.

- You fix buildings so Justice Butler

can sell crack out of 'em.

- Yes. Okay. Yes. That is what I do.

- Something happened though, didn't it?

- What do you mean?

- This past week you been different. Nervous.

Something's got you spooked.

- You're the one who's spooked.

- I am not the one running in and out all hours the night.

I'm not the one getting the secret papers

from the sluts in the street.

And I am not the one with a nine millimeter

hidden in an old boot in the back of the closet,

with two clips in the other.

That's not you, baby.

That's not you.

What did you say?

- I didn't say nothing.

I don't know nothing.

- Well, lemme tell you something, Loopy.

You can in here, punk, with a pretty face

and a lot of information.

And I'm telling you can't leave with both. Okay?

So I want you to think about this real hard.

'Cause this may be the most important moment of your life.

We're not leaving this little room until you figure out

what you wanna do with the rest of your life.

- Go blind, McGarrett.

I ain't giving up nothing.

- Okay. So the cop's partner

puts you on the north stairwell just before the shooting.

- Yeah, I was running up the stairs. So?

- So, what we doing running up the stairs?

- Hey, I like to keep in shape.

- Oh, yeah. With a nine millimeter in each hand.

What? It's good for your arms and your shoulders.

- I didn't have no nines in my hands.

What kind of fool question's that?

- There's a hallway at the top of the stairs

which connects the stairwells. Okay.

Now you cross over and you go to the south stairwell.

Only when you get there, there's a cop there,

but what do you care?

You got your nines out...

Sit down, man!

One shot. Bang. Down on an angle. It all fits.

- You think you can just hang this on me.

- Like lights on a Christmas tree.

- What are you afraid of, son?

- What do you think?

- Yeah, you're righteous.

You're no rat.

And normally that's a good bet, but this is different, see.

This could get crazy.

And if the word gets out

that you know who killed a cop and you didn't tell us,

then you just traded one problem for another.

- What's that mean?

- The way I figure it, that cop took a bullet

that was meant for you.

That puts the scales way off balance

and the forces of nature don't like that.

Don't try to be a butterfly in a hurricane.

You could get blown away.

- Okay. Our boy, Loopy, says John Henry Butler,

AKA Justice.

Three priors. Assault, armed robbery

and possession with intent.

- This is our shooter.

- Yes, sir. Seems that

Mr. Butler has gone big time in the crack business,

right under our noses.

As a matter of fact, he must be pulling in about 25 to

$40,000 a day at some spots.

- If you're working Raymond's case, I'd like to sit in.

- This is a homicide case, Dayton. Detective work.

- I know I can help.

- I'm sure you can, kid.

But under the circumstances, I just can't allow it.

I'm sorry.

- Damn.

- Mahoney and Lee, I want you to check with narcotics.

See if they're running an investigation

on this Mr. Butler and his gang.

Maybe we could bring down his whole operation at once.

How good is the make, Danny?

- Witness is positive on Butler and scared.

- Of who?

- Of us now, but when he has to look Mr. Butler in the eye

across the courtroom, I'm not sure.

Later. 88

when Butler disappeared off the assault charge.

The word is he hightailed itself.

He's got family in South Carolina.

We talked to the guys that worked that case.

The Tylersville thing is solid.

- Tylersville? You got two dozen leads

you haven't followed right here in Brooklyn.

- All bogus.

- Right. Well, that's the word. Bogus.

Gentlemen, there'll be no wild goose chases

to South Carolina or anywhere else

at the expense of my budget.

- Now we get to the real reason, eh, Lieutenant?

- He'll be back in three weeks.

These punks can only eat so much home cooking.

You know that.

- It's more home cooking

than Raymond Williamson's likely to get, sir.

- That's right.

- Get out. Go on, get outta here

before I yank the both of you off this case.

- Yo, Reilly.

- Hey, Dayton. What's going on?

- Not too much. Not getting as much sleep as I should.

I was just cleaning out the last of his locker.

- Ah. - That's rough.

- So,

this is the guy, huh?

Any progress?

- We're working on it.

- Day and night.

- Okay.

Good luck.

One good thing about having an old pro

like Danny Reilly for a partner is he's got pull.

He can change a boss's mind.

Maybe he knows a bigger boss.

Suddenly one day he's got an airline ticket

and the next day he's gone,

down there to those tobacco farms, little town squares,

and there's space, and the air is clean and fresh.

And maybe a guy begins to wonder,

is this place in New York City even on the same planet?

There's always something to remind.

The answer is yes.

I reckon you can identify these objects.

- They appear to be vials of crack cocaine,

Sheriff.

- Number one export of the city of New York.

- And all this time I thought it was corn beef.

- I'm glad you think this is humorous. I'm afraid I don't.

Not when this crap starts showing up

in my junior high schools, I surely do not.

- I'm sorry. I don't mean to make light of it.

I just wanna point out that the trade works both ways.

You sent us one of your home growns, John Henry Butler.

- What's he charged with this time?

Don't tell me there's been another mugging

in the city of New York.

- This time he killed a cop.

- Susan. See if you can get me Judge Stutner at the lake.

I need a warrant.

Cecil, looking for your nephew, John, again.

- He live up north.

- Uh-huh. Well, we think he's down here.

We're gonna take a look inside. Here's a warrant.

Cecil, you trying to stop us?

- Says I gotta let you in. Don't tell me where to stand.

- Get on outta here.

Everybody's a lawyer.

- Now these boys will get around

to searching all the family places.

We gotta move him.

What'd he give you?

John Henry on a piece on that.

- I got a dozen houses around these parts.

Better start checking 'em out.

- Good. Thanks.

- You set for a place to stay?

Anything you need to know about Tylerville?

- Yeah.

Where would that man go to have a drink?

Juice of the barley stout and a wee Nancy for openers.

- Herbert, the man wants an Irish whiskey and a stout ale.

- Correct.

- The man's confused.

He thinks he's somewhere else.

- No, I haven't had whiskey yet.

Confusion as to where I am comes after the whiskey.

- The man wishes he was somewhere else.

- No. If you've got whiskey, this is where I wish to be.

- It'll have to be a bourbon and a beer.

- America tries.

- Cop.

Irish.

But not Boston,

Philly,

Baltimore.

Maybe New York.

- Been around bars all her life. Finally bought one.

Runs a little book on the side.

Used to run a string of girls 'til it got too rough.

Knows everyone.

- Hates cops.

- 'Til she needs one.

- Let's hear it.

- John Henry Butler. - Butler?

- Justice Butler.

- That family oughta be run outta this county.

Every time that boy do something up north,

back he come running home,

bringing a world of heat with him.

The last time he was here,

he managed to rape two girls and beat up another.

I hope you all catch him and fry him up good.

- Why did you say that? Fry him?

- I don't hate cops that much.

How much?

- To kill 'em. Ain't that what he done? Killed a cop?

- Well, how do you know that?

- From that fellow that's working on the case.

- That's me.

- No, that ain't you. You're the wrong color.

- He ain't around, Dan. Nobody's seen him.

Checked his place. No lights, no cars.

I'm keeping it quiet here,

but you gotta find the guy before he steps in it.

I got a fax on the way. All right?

- What's this, Reilly?

- This is trouble.

- Yo, Prince.

- Hey, what's up, man?

- You going strap these days.

- Dangerous world, you know?

- Yeah.

I seen Wanda.

Yeah. Justice ain't gonna like that.

- What Justice ain't gonna like is you ignoring his list.

- Bitch told you, huh?

- Justice wants those names smoked.

- Yeah, well, I say no.

- Loopy in jail, man, talking about us.

We got to send him a message.

- Yeah. Well, look, Loopy ain't nothing

but a knucklehead running.

He don't know Jack about this operation.

So what? So maybe the cops pick us up

and they sweat us a little bit.

We chilling. We're okay.

Worst thing we can do is start killing people.

- Worst thing we can do is betray our brother.

- Yeah. Well, our brother is okay for now.

It's flat out stupid to kill people for no reason.

Especially folks sitting in beauty parlor chairs.

- You pork out on me?

See, the thing about killing innocent people is

get a stone clear message.

"I am bad.

Don't mess with me."

It work outside the operation.

It also work inside.

How's the room we got for you?

It's all right.

- Treating you good?

- Hey, three squares. It's nice.

- Good.

So,

let's try it again.

What was his real name?

- I don't know. Man called or something.

He was just Prince to me.

- And what was his job?

- Took care of business.

Found spots, bought cars. Just like that. I think.

- You remember where his house was?

- I don't know that. Look, he was a boss. I was a runner.

I just did my job.

- Got your call. Is it Butler?

- Nope.

Silver Trans Am.

New York plates.

Thought we'd give you a shot first.

- Thanks.

Yo.

- Reilly

Look, man, I'll just leave.

You never saw me here.

- And when John Butler here turns up

with a bullet in his brain, what do I do then?

- You celebrate.

- Yeah, I probably would,

but I can't let this go down, Robert.

Besides, the locals know you're down here.

- You could scam them.

- Yeah, I probably could. But how do I scam myself?

I ain't leaving this job with this taste in my mouth.

- I don't believe you.

You wanna let Raymond's killer go free because...

- He ain't gonna go free...

- Because smoking them might leave a bad taste

in your mouth. - I'm gonna nail him.

I know my job.

- And I know mine.

- It's the same job.

Hey, we took the same oath.

We swore to uphold the same laws.

If we can't get over this crap,

what's the line between us and them?

I'll give you the lecture if that's what it takes.

I thought we were beyond that.

- Maybe not.

- You sleeping any better?

- Man, I don't think I'm sleeping at all.

He was the best, man.

You should've seen him, walking those streets,

knocking on doors, talking to the kids.

He was the hope

and we killed him.

- Robert. - Brooklyn killed him.

Crack killed him, shot him like a dog, 'cause...

we don't know what anything's worth anymore.

And I include myself.

I'm sitting here in this bar

and I'm thinking your partner was right.

And it's not just Brooklyn.

It's the whole damn planet. Full of animals.

- No, no, no. What Vic said wasn't right.

The trouble with Vic is he's getting his heartbroken

one little crack at a time.

It's better you get it all at once, you know.

Like a sledge hammer, right here.

And you know something, kid? We're lucky.

- Lucky?

- It's better to get your heart broken

all at once and early,

'cause it heals.

You come out better.

You know, your partner was right,

what he said to Vic that day.

The people that are trying to make a life in that place,

those are the people I'm working for.

So is Vic, only he don't know it. So are you.

- Yeah.

- That's the job, Robert.

Don't worry about the planet.

Go home.

Do the job.

- Reilly.

We got a tip.

- Go!

Narcotics Department.

Nobody move. Nobody move.

It's all clear.

- Gone.

- Robert.

- New Yorkers see garbage, they get so darn home sick.

- He's been here all right. Look at this.

All New York numbers. And what's this?

What area code is 301?

- 301? That's Baltimore.

- Baltimore?

- Butler family in Baltimore too.

- So where's this partner of yours?

- His flight got delayed from Carolina.

He said to get started without him.

- All right, let's go.

- Lady, please, listen. I just need you to stick with me.

Okay? What I need to know from you

is whether or not you can identify this man

as John Henry Butler. Huh?

What is his relation to you?

- He's my sister's boy.

You break anything in there and it's your paycheck.

You hear me?

- Did he call you from South Carolina?

- Oh, Cecil called and said how y'all was down here

still chasing around after Johnny.

Can't seem to leave that boy alone, can you?

- That boy killed a cop.

- Oh, I bet. You white cops always hassling young blacks.

- Cop was black. His weapon was still in his holster.

He's an innocent victim.

- Nobody's innocent.

- Hey, detective. - Yeah.

- There's just a kid back there.

- That is my grandson, Will.

He left New York before any of this happened.

He don't know nothing about this.

- Nobody's innocent.

- You white cops think you can come in here

and treat us like we was something you scraped up

off the bottom of your shoes.

How many years...

- How you doing?

Knicks fan, huh?

- Yeah.

- Me too.

So, how long has it been since you lived there?

Moved south to grandma two years ago.

- How come?

- Escape.

Grandma's got that rap down pretty good, huh?

- What's that?

- I'm a victim.

Everybody against me.

- She may have a point.

- Yeah, but you're tired of hearing it.

- Yeah.

- Yeah. So am I.

That's why I stopped.

- Stopped what?

- Stopped being a victim.

Letting them fools run my life.

Put me in a place I had no way out of.

- You know Butler?

- Hell, yeah.

Used to get high with Justice when we was junk.

- With your crew?

- Hung is all, never saw no dish.

- He still calls you, right?

- Sure.

He calls.

If the man needs something.

Like someone to meet him at the airport,

like some place to hide.

- When?

- Last night.

Called from the airplane.

Already on his way here, he says.

- What did you tell him?

- I told him to keep going.

Told him I don't need his heat.

I got something going here now.

I'm back in school. I got a life.

You know what I'm saying?

- Escape.

- Yeah.

Course Justice don't wanna hear that.

Says I got to find him a place.

So there was this girl he used to date.

Moved to Philly.

I knew her number.

Gave it to him.

- Did he go to Philly?

- Didn't come here.

That's all I know.

- Will you gimme the number?

- Yeah, sure.

- Will you make a call?

Escape.

For some reason,

the way he said that word stayed with me.

By the time I picked up Danny

and we were on our way to Philadelphia

for what we hoped would be the arrest of Justice Butler,

we'd both been up about three days running.

But you know what cops are like.

All we need to keep going is for life to put away the stick

and give us a little peek of the carrot.

- Damn airline.

What's happening?

Justice, you there?

Yeah. No thanks to you.

Hey, man, you gotta understand.

I mean, my grandmother and all.

- Is that our man?

- Philly PD's got an address

and a bunch of SWATs waiting for us.

- You know, I'd do this job another 20 years

if they'd let me.

- Justice. - Yo, little brother.

I hear you been dragging your feet on some serious business.

- Well, hey, you know, man,

I'm just playing a little smart, all right?

I mean, no need to make any heat

when we got enough already. Right?

- There's only a few people that can hang me.

Brother Loopy, Wanda,

and you.

- Hey, man, now wait. Now you know that I would never...

- How am I supposed to know?

Where's the sign that shows me you still loyal?

You do the work or the work does you.

That's the code we live by, Prince.

That's the choice you got.

So this kid, Will, how'd you flip him?

- I didn't have to flip him. He wanted to help.

Said he was sick and tired

of putting up with animals like Butler.

- You use that word a lot.

- What word?

Animals.

- So?

- Hey, if a guy's an animal, call him.

It's just like everybody's an animal to you these days.

- Wait a minute, Danny. What are you saying?

I use the word too much or what?

What? Come on, tell me. You brought it up.

- There's gotta be a few human beings out there.

Don't you think? Hm?

- Yeah.

- Come on, baby. You gotta get outta here right now.

Come on, get some stuff packed.

- Why? - I can't say right now.

You can go to your uncle's. Come on.

- In Cleveland? - The further, the better.

Please, let's hurry up.

- No, wait a minute. You are in trouble.

I'm not gonna leave you.

- Come on, just once, please.

Just this once will you do what I ask. Please.

Police.

Open up.

Open the door. It's the police.

- Why don't you let my boys take him down?

- Lemme see those hands.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

On the ground. On the ground.

Secured.

- Get up. Come on.

- All right, everybody out.

He's all yours. No questions.

- No.

Just take him in.

- Hey, look, this guy can still go downstairs.

Prisoner walking.

- Gotta admit, that's something you don't see every day.

- What?

- Couple of New York detectives

with that much faith in the courts.

- You rat! You rat!

- Hey, man, I ain't nothing, all right. I ain't say nothing.

- You dead, Prince.

You dead and in your grave you open your mouth.

You hear me? You hear me?

- Weren't you in the apartment of Wanda Pearson,

counting money, just prior to the death

of Officer Williamson?

- Why don't you ask Wanda that?

- You know why.

- Exactly. That's my reason too.

- And listen, I'm not gonna testify against them

without some type of arrangement.

- We don't make deals. - No, but he does.

I can give you Justice solid for the cop shooting.

Plus Beauty Magic.

I can give you a half a dozen shootings

you don't know anything about.

I can give you the whole crack operation.

Runners, steerers and bosses.

- Yeah? And what do we give you?

- I know one thing. I ain't doing no time.

That's the deal. Nothing.

- Hey, come on now, Timmy. Huh?

You can't be seriously thinking about letting this animal...

I'm not charging this suspect.

- Of course not, Vic.

He's gonna have to do some time.

He'll realize that sooner or later.

I just hope it's sooner.

'Cause our case is basically down

to the testimony of Mr. Loopy.

Not exactly the on the ship estate.

- I heard a single shot.

I ran to the other stairwell

and there was Raym...

Officer Williams,

shot through the neck.

- And your partner later died of this wound. Did he not?

- Yeah, he did.

I watched him die.

- Thank you, Officer.

Your witness

- Officer Dayton,

you did not see

with your own eyes

who shot your partner, did you?

- No.

I'm sorry, Officer Dayton. I can't hear you.

- No.

- Nothing further, Your Honor.

- Answer the question please.

Who was chasing you?

Was it the defendant, John Butler?

- Yeah.

It was Just...

John Butler was chasing me.

The cops told me to say it was him.

John Henry didn't kill nobody. Now that's the truth.

That's the truth.

- I'm gonna get outta here, baby.

I just gotta get my deal. That's all.

- You sure you're doing the right thing?

- Yeah.

- I want you outta here so bad.

- I don't know what you think you're going to say

that we haven't.

- I don't know.

But Raymond was my partner

and from what the DA was saying,

the guy who killed him is gonna walk

if Franklin doesn't testify.

I got to try.

- Listen, Rob, we understand that you gotta try.

As a matter of fact, we wanna see you get your shot at it.

Just don't get your hopes up. Okay?

This Prince character, listen to me,

he don't care about you

and he don't care about your partner.

He cares about one thing, getting outta this jam.

- I love you.

- I love you too.

- Excuse me, Miss Cynthia Breton.

I'm Detective Dan Reilly, homicide.

My partner and I need to talk to you.

- You can't do that, man.

Hey, I'll get you for this...

- It's okay. It's okay.

- No, it ain't okay. You better bring her back here.

Get outta my face. Who the hell are you?

What you want, man?

- It was my partner Justice killed.

And why don't you say it in court?

- What's the deal?

- No deal.

You do the right thing.

- Okay. So I'm supposed to throw away

the one card I got left for nothing, huh?

- You got more than one card.

She seems like a real nice girl.

- They had no right, man.

They had no right to take her away like that.

- Well, you know how they are.

- She came to see me, okay.

She ain't got nothing to do with the crew.

She hated Justice.

- I don't think they believe her.

- Well, I told 'em.

- I know they don't believe you.

- It's not right, man.

She didn't do nothing.

- What did my partner do?

You know something, kid? You're lucky.

- Lucky?

- I never got a chance to save my partner.

- He asked me for a gun.

I gave him the nine millimeter Taurus

and he took off after Loopy.

A minute later, I heard a shot.

Then he came back.

- Did Mr. Butler say anything

when he returned to the money counting apartment?

- Yeah.

He said, "I shot a cop."

Then he gave me the nine to get rid of.

And what happened to that weapon?

- I kept it.

Where is the gun now?

- It's in that box on your table.

- In the matter of the State of New York

versus John Henry Butler,

the jury informs me it has reached a verdict.

Mr. Butler, please rise.

- Guilty. All counts.

- And Houser's building a pretty good racketeering case too.

The whole crew's going down.

- Thanks. - All right. All right.

Get outta here.

Of course, Prince didn't testify

solely outta the kindness of his heart.

The DA cut him a deal.

He'll do time in prison,

all of it in protective custody.

But that doesn't matter.

The point is we all make deals.

We all make promises.

Your measure is how many you keep.

That was the last case I worked with Danny Reilly.

He retired the next month.

At the retirement party,

the boss comes over, all of us feeling pretty good,

and he says, "So Reilly, tell me,

what was the best thing you ever saw on the job?"

"Guy sleeping," Danny says.

A guy sleeping.