Original subtitles

- Rolling, as they say. - Rolling, all right. Yes.

- You know the… - I know the drill.

-Yes, um… -Okay.

Mark Kimball.

I'm running for the mayor of Los Angeles as an independent.

Uh, Mr. Kimball, so let's start with, um, what made you wanna run.

I wanted to run…

…because I… I wanna help people.

I grew up here.

This is my city.

This is home for me. It's home for my family,

and my son will grow up here.

We have to live up to the promise of Los Angeles.

This city's made up of all different kinds of people,

but we're all here, trying to build the same thing.

The life that we dreamed of.

-How long you been in business? -33 years.

What's the most important thing…

…you'd like to see change?

What do you care about the most?

I believe the people deserve a mayor

who works for each and every one of them.

Looking good, my friend.

LA!

We in Los Angeles know full well that our lives,

everything that we've built, are fragile.

We watched our skies darken and our hillsides burn,

and we held our breath as flames swept through our neighborhoods.

And we stood together to protect what we hold dear,

our families and our homes.

Some of the very foundations of our core values feel threatened today.

I believe leadership has never been more important.

The strength of this city is our bond and our common humanity.

Each child is precious.

Each family is deserving of safety.

When we embrace those values, we bravely choose hope over fear.

We become the very best version of ourselves.

Tell the voters, who is Mark Kimball?

My father was the first member of our family to go to college.

When other kids graduated, went off to Wall Street,

I became a teacher.

When I was at Watts on 112th Street,

when I was on the LAPD's task force to protect children,

when I worked with the DA's office, the public defender's office,

when I was a lawyer and filed the Environmental Action Act,

fighting for clean drinking water for the people in this city,

when I was in the first Gulf War,

enlisted to serve my country,

I did my best to walk in the shoes of as many people as I could.

I believe the people of Los Angeles

deserve a mayor who respects each and every one of them.

It would be an honor to be elected mayor,

and the biggest asset I have as a candidate is my partner.

I think we're a team that has an enormous amount to give

and that believes in service to this city.

And I will be transparent with you.

I will not lie to you as your mayor.

I humbly thank you for your time today.

God bless Los Angeles.

I look forward to seeing you when I'm elected.

Yes, we had the super fund site declared.

It mandates an entire area has to be clean.

You know, there are rules that go with that. There are regulations.

We didn't write them.

Look, I think all this talk is really a corporation

that's hiding behind small businesses,

rather than facing the consequences of having contaminated drinking water.

That's a big win for Kimball Law.

We got them held accountable,

and now this is just claiming some small businesses were impacted

to get this overturned.

This is entirely irrelevant.

- Hi, Ceci. - Good morning.

Yes.

Oh, these are gorgeous.

-Thank you. -Oh.

-Look. -Oh, they're perfect. Thank you.

-Look. -He should be down any second.

Of course.

-Uh, Mrs. Abby. -Yeah.

Can I speak with you for a moment?

Of course.

Is it about Ramon?

-I'm sorry. -It's okay.

But I forgot to tell you something very important.

-Okay. -In Mexico, he's a capataz.

-I don't know what that is. -Um, it's like a captain of a farm.

Very skilled, work with the land, rancher.

He can do anything. Believe me.

Ceci… you know we would do anything for you.

We adore you.

But Mark is under a lot of scrutiny right now,

and he can't enforce laws that he doesn't abide.

I'm so sorry.

But also I'm really happy for you, Ceci, because you are in love.

- Yes. - He sounds amazing.

And I'm sure he will find something.

He's an amazing dad, just like Mr. Mark.

He raises his son Hector alone.

'Cause Hector's mother died from cancer.

He leaves this place when he supervises 30 men

to take care of Hector.

And Denny met him the other day, and he likes him too.

You know what? I can ask some other families.

Maybe there's somebody who doesn't have the same restrictions we have.

- Mom! - Yeah.

-Hey, sweetie, you ready? -Hey! Denny!

Hey!

-Hi, baby. -Hi.

Hey.

-I love you. -I love you too.

Champ!

Hey.

Hold on one sec.

Come inside.

I got something to show you.

I don't know if you still have any interest in this, but…

It did show up. Uh…

- You got it! - Yes.

Check it out. Aww.

Oh my God.

-I know, right? -This is dope.

Got a couple sizes, just in case they run big. You know?

-Thanks, Dad. -Oh!

I love you, dude.

Hey, I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately.

-It's good. I understand. -Yeah?

You're such a good kid. Mm!

-Go get 'em. -All right.

Oh, hey, they have a weapons rule at the school, right?

We're coming back after school. I can pick it up then.

Yeah, that's a good call. Keep it safe. All right?

- All right. - Got it.

- Love you, Dad. - I love you, my dude!

You know I asked Suzie to make him a ninja costume.

I do. I was not thinking of that at the time, and he really wanted it.

I haven't been around. I felt guilty, so I got it for him.

Maybe next time, tell me.

Yeah…

Well, it's… I'll try. There's a lot going on, you know?

Right.

Well, it's good. He's happy.

Abby.

-Hey. -Yeah?

Did you talk to Cecilia about Ramon?

Yes, I did. Apparently now he's a capataz or rancher.

Capataz. Yeah, it's like a guy who, you know…

Horses and shoots varmints, you know.

I'm sure he's qualified. It's not that.

-I'd like to help the guy out. -No, I agree.

Okay, well, you know, it's the law. We can't ignore it because we disagree.

No, that's almost exactly what I said to her, word for word.

Oh, well, then why is it that I feel like I end up the bad guy here?

Oh, Mark, not everybody's gonna like you. It's okay.

- Hello. - Yeah, I'm almost there.

I'm on La Brea and, uh, Rosewood.

Did-- did the poll numbers come in?

She should have it by the time we get there.

So, they go to, what's her name, on the secret iPad thing, right?

-Nobody sees it before we-- -No, I think they'll be good.

I'm at a light here. Okay, great.

Just pick one of 'em and do it. Hey!

So, Brooke has the numbers now, correct?

- Yeah. - Okay, great.

Hey! Hey, team, how's it going?

How are you? How are ya?

- Can you approve these? - Yeah.

They're fine?

- Let's see it. - That's good work.

- Social media would be great too. - Would be good.

Those are great. Those are great. Great work.

Thank you. Keep it up, guys! You are great!

You're doing great!

Yeah!

Fuck!

I'm losing, man.

By less than four points.

Fucking…

That was a big, big fucking spend, man.

I know we didn't wanna borrow against any more,

but it doesn't touch the money.

It's frozen. It's collateral.

And once you win, you raise that back in three nights,

then you pay down the debt.

You won't even have to trade or touch that money.

It's literally all our savings.

And it'll be there.

Look, the strategy is working. The message is landing when it reaches the voters.

It's just people are expensive to reach.

This is why assholes run as independents,

because the party doesn't pay your debt down.

To be unaffiliated with all the bullshit people associate with parties,

that is the piece--

I know. I've been giving this speech all day.

God.

Look, you've come this far, and I strongly believe that you will win.

And if we have enough gas in the tank for this last push…

I'm not gonna spend almost all my money to almost win.

It's just I want you to understand this is a big fucking risk, man.

This is a big swing.

History's made with big swings.

Dude, I cannot be a dishonest asshole like my father.

-I need to tell Abby-- -That I do not advocate.

You're gonna bring conflict into the house over a non-issue if you win?

-If you get hit by a truck and you lose-- -I cannot lose.

I will be broke.

My wife, who I love, will leave me, okay?

-I cannot fucking lose this election. -Mark!

You are not gonna lose the election.

You are the right person,

and I am fucking great at this job.

Down six points with Latino-- half that ad buy was me speaking Spanish.

You are running against a Latin woman.

She doesn't speak Spanish. She's got three bribery convictions.

No one gives a fuck about being corrupt, Mark.

They believe that she is on their side.

We need to show them that you are.

Well…

There's no more money. That's it.

The-- the event tonight

is the single largest Latino endorsement in the city.

You can close this tonight.

This isn't about the money we won.

That's-- that's not what this is about.

It's about how do you teach these huge mega companies

that they can't treat the San Fernando Valley like a dump

and just dispose of whatever, you know, battery acids they want

into the something that ends up in the groundwater.

I understand that there's this sort of excuse that,

well, what about other small, local, regional, et cetera, et cetera…

Are you in here to fix your relationship with him

or to fix your relationship with yourself?

I know. I know I have to fix my relationship

to myself first. I know.

Uh-huh.

Do you know why we have to start there?

I guess it's like put your

mask on before someone else's.

You also can't control any of his choices or behaviors.

I don't know what else I can do.

Like, I know I guess I have to find the courageous voice inside, but, like…

I feel like, why can't, uh, he do that?

Why does it have to be me? I don't-- it's not fair.

Psst.

Hi.

Hi.

Come here.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

I missed you.

Okay. Okay, what's so crazy

that you can't tell me on Signal?

Uh…

I moved out last night.

Really?

I did. To be with you.

Oh, oh, oh, we… I thought we were gonna

have a plan?

I get it. You're right. You're right.

Wow.

- Ron. - Hey. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

Breathe, baby, breathe.

This is what something good feels like.

- Right? Right? - Right. Yes. Um…

And you deserve to feel good, right?

I'm just dying to be with you, baby.

I'm dying to be with you. I've never felt this way before.

Is she okay?

She will be.

Well, what about Denny?

Does wanting to be happy make you a bad mom?

Walking away from his dad at this moment?

Don't let him use you like a prop.

That's not fair.

- It is what it is. You know how it goes. - That's not fair.

I can't do that to my family right now.

You only get one life.

And I would share mine with you.

In a one-bedroom on La Brea.

-I'm gonna try without the jacket. -Okay.

I think it's, you know what I mean? It's a little bit like… stiff.

It's casual. You know what I mean?

Relatable.

Relatable, right?

Dad!

Hey!

Where's my costume?

Right where we left it, in the office.

- Hello, Mr. Mark -Hey, Cecilia.

Can you do me a favor and help him get this costume on?

-Sure, yes. -It's got a bunch of like…

You know what I mean? Stuff.

- Hey. - Hey.

Is he getting changed?

Yeah, he's doing his whole… getting the whole…

Good. Good.

Uh, how are the internal numbers?

-Um, not as good as we'd hope, but… -Oh.

I think, uh, we got momentum.

-Sam thinks it'll close the next few days. -Hannah's here.

Yeah, she's-- we've been doing some social stuff.

I'm gonna take him, uh, trick-or-treating,

and then we'll get some dinner, so you should just eat.

Oh wow!

-My goodness! -Look at you!

Look at this! Unbelievable, dude.

-Amazing. I gotta tell you. -You ready to go?

- Spectacular. - Going with Ceci, right?

Yeah, I have, um…

I just have a quick Zoom that I have to do, an emergency.

With a patient, so if you guys wanna get started, you can.

-All right, yeah. Is Hector here? -Oh yes.

-Uh, I'm sorry. -What?

I didn't ask--

Uh, the time to ask you if it's okay

that Hector comes with us trick-or-treating.

I thought you were with your boys, um, Gabe and Seth.

Do you know Hector?

Yeah, I met him last time me and Ceci went to practice.

And after, we just went to the Country Mart.

-Oh. All right. You met him one time. -It's fine. It's okay.

-Have a costume? -He can come.

-Okay, thank you. -He can wear the one that Suzie made.

He can wear the other one you got, Dad. The other Crossbar.

The one that's too big.

Oh. Yeah.

Yeah. Hey, Hector! You can come!

They are here.

Oh, hey, Hector, you going with these guys?

Mr. Mark, Mrs. Abby, Hector.

Let's go, bitch.

Denny.

Hey, what'd we say about talking that way around mom?

- Sorry, Mom! - You can't talk that way to anybody.

Good afternoon.

Hey.

Are you going trick-or-treating with the kids?

No, I have a few hours of work nearby.

- That's good. - Yes.

Yes, thank you.

- What'd he say? - Ramon's not going.

- He's got some work nearby. - Let's go.

All right, let's go.

-All right, guys. All right, my man. -Wow. Love you.

Have fun. I love you, dude. Have a good time! Get some candy!

Not too much!

Stay together.

He's just trying to impress this older boy.

I see it. I see it.

I'm gonna do the Zoom.

-Okay, great. -Okay.

Hannah, ready for social, uh, media madness?

Behave yourself, son.

- Chin up. - Chin.

-This feels ridiculous. This good? -No, actually, it looks great.

I feel like-- are you making fun of me?

-No. -Okay. Would you vote for me?

- Yes. - Thank you very much.

Spider-Man! Look, Daddy!

Let's go to the haunted house.

You like it?

It's fine.

- Let's go. - Ready?

No, you go.

- Let's go. - I'm good, go.

-No, you go. -Go, Denny.

Okay. We'll be here. Yes. Go, go!

- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.

Okay.

Hector, where are you going?

- I'll be right back! - Aye! This kid…

Hector! Hector! Wait for me!

Hey.

Hey.

I think I'm gonna go try to find Denny.

Right now?

Seems like he's okay with Ceci and, uh, Hector.

Yeah, but, you know…

How was your, uh, your Zoom?

Oh, it was-- it was pretty bad.

It's a-- it's a terrible divorce.

-I'm sorry. -Yeah.

Hey. Hey.

I am sorry.

Oh, Mark.

What?

That's not why I hugged you.

You're not stopping her.

Yeah, well, Sam told her we're light on "happy couple" shots. She's trying to--

- Mark. - Shocking.

Your phone's blowing up.

- Hello. This is Mark. - Is this Mark Kimball?

-Yes, it is. Who's this? -Good.

-Shoo. Go. Go home now. -Listen very carefully.

This is the worst day of your life.

I have your son.

Who the fuck is this?

- Who is it? - This is your worst nightmare. Karma.

I have your son sitting in front of me.

-What? -Unless you--

Guess what? He's trick-or-treating with friends, asshole.

Not anymore. I have him now.

-You wanna see him again, you need to pay. -It's bullshit. Hang up the phone.

If you call the cops,

picture what your son would look like in a dumpster.

- Who the fuck is this?! - Mark.

-Who the fuck are you?! -Oh-ho-ho!

Welcome to the nightmare, Mark.

If this is a fucking-- let me tell you. You think this is funny, a fucking joke?!

If this is fucking a joke to you, I will fucking--

I will--

-Call Cecilia. -I don't have my phone. Can you?

-Find your phone. I don't have the number. -You don't?

-No. Can you please find your phone? -Okay. It's on the table.

Okay, bring it down, man. This is a prank.

I know. I'm sure it is a fucking prank, but it's not funny.

-It's not real. -It's on the couch I think, sweetheart.

-This is fucking bullshit. -All right, we'll check.

I'm gonna find out who the fuck is doing this.

-And I'll tell you what… -It's going straight to voicemail.

- Bad service. It's the Hills. - No, I have great service.

I don't get any service in LA. They don't let them put cell towers up.

It's this 100-year-old cell phone that she has is the problem.

-No, we just got her a new phone. -Just try her again.

This has to be a prank.

-Absolutely. -What if it's not, Mark?

Look, crazy people call the campaign all the time.

Well, this guy sounds serious.

Okay. All right, hold…

Guys, hold on, all right? Just take a second.

Sam, I do not want her taking our fucking picture right now!

-I'll ask her to leave. -Did you hear this man's voice?

-Yes. -Sounds like a crazy person.

-It was disguised. AI. -Do not gaslight me. I know crazy.

I'm not gaslighting. Let's not jump to the worst scenario.

-Okay. Where are you going? -I'm going outside to talk to Sam.

- Give me your phone. - Why?

Because-- just give me your phone, please.

- Dude. - Hey.

-What the fuck is this? -Okay. All right.

This is a very scary moment, but I need you to understand,

this is five-to-one, a prank, at least.

And I need you to be careful how you handle this right now.

What do you mean?

It's a desperate opposition play to see that you're easily fooled,

that they can get you to panic.

You gotta get the phone from her.

-Abby! Abby! -Sir, if this is a prank, just tell us.

It's okay if you tell us. We-- we won't prosecute.

-Give me the phone. -It's fine. Tell us.

-No! -Put it on speakerphone.

Yes. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Who just left your property?

That's right, asswipe. I'm watching you.

If she just went to the police, you cannot imagine the world of agony--

-No, no, no, she just works for us. -No, no.

She works for us, so we sent her away.

-She's not a threat to you. -Yeah.

Do exactly and only what I say, understand?

Yes. Of course. Listen, if you have our son…

-"If"? -We will do whatever you say.

You think I'm bluffing?

-Take a look. -What is it? What?

Oh God! Mark! Oh God!

What do you want? What do you want, sir? Please.

Seven million in cash by midnight.

Seven? I ju-- it's nighttime. The banks are closed.

I can't get that-- that much cash right now.

-You're gonna have to just work with-- -In cash. Tonight.

Please, it doesn't work that way. Just give me a second.

-Please, sir! -Or your son never comes home alive.

-Do you hear me? -Yes, yes.

Listen to me. Listen to me. Can I talk to him, please?

Let me talk to him. I just… I really… I want him to hear my voice.

Bitch, shut your fucking mouth.

Get my money or I will cut up his body

and send you the pieces, and I think I'll start with his liver.

I will fucking kill you if you touch my son, you cocksucker!

I will rip your fucking head off! I will fucking kill you!

Please. It's-- listen, it's-- it's us that you're mad at.

You are not angry at him. Do not take this out on him, okay?

Shut off the light on the gate of your house.

Okay.

And when you have my money, you turn the light back on.

-Okay. -You understand?

-Yes. Yes. -Yes. Yes.

Oh God. Oh God.

- How do you turn this light off? - Okay, stop. Stop.

I will do it. How do we get our money? We need money tonight.

Getting that money may not be an option.

What do you mean? Of course it's an option.

Just who do we call? Can we wire it?

He said cash.

Okay, well, wiring is basically cash.

It needs to be explained. It's late.

So you call up, say, "Give me my money." There's a bank somewhere that's open.

If you do a withdrawal like this, it'll trigger an FBI notification.

I don't care what it does, as long as it brings my son home.

Getting that much cash from the bank right now is not an option.

If you tell me again what is an option about my son's life,

I will rip your fucking face off.

- Abby. - What?

We don't have it.

We-- what? We have it.

We don't have it available to get right now.

What? Call Richard. Get him out of bed. Get him to give it to you.

The bank. It's a bank.

- Find another bank. In London or Dubai. - We don't have the cash.

I can get you $7 million in cash in one hour.

What?

Some campaign problems are so ugly

that the national party won't even touch it.

That's where this person operates.

I believe she can broker all this safely.

Hello. Hello.

- Don't let him in the house. - Who?

The fucking gardener. Just send him to work out back.

It's Ramon.

- Shit. Fuck. All right. - It's Ramon.

Fuck.

Ramon!

Ramon.

Have you spoken with Cecilia?

No. She asked me to wait here to take her back home.

Okay, don't worry.

Look. Um…

I would like to fix the fence behind the play area.

You know the one?

Can you take care of that?

I can pay you a hundred dollars.

-Right now? -Yes.

Oh no, it's quite dark.

Five hundred?

Look, it's important, man. Do me a favor, please?

My tools are in my truck.

Good, thanks. Thanks, brother.

Most crimes against high-net-worth individuals involve people

that work at the house.

Maybe he tipped somebody off.

You know him well?

- These are concerns. - Stop.

Stop.

Okay, so the, uh…

…lady with the money. What's-- what's the story?

She is a, um, "in case of emergency, break glass" kind of person.

I know people who've worked with her, and she's very good.

Okay, and these people were happy with the, you know, results?

Yeah, I mean, all things considered.

Okay, let's call her.

Guys, she's very good.

She's very discreet, but she's very expensive.

Expensive is not an issue.

Just for her to bring over money, her fee is 20%.

- Great. Yes. - $7 million you're borrowing.

-Plus 1.4 on top, nonrefundable-- -Yes, we can do the math, Sam.

Call her. We have it.

I-- I think it might be more meaningful to your family than you realize.

A lot went into the campaign.

How much?

It's very expensive, so I can't…

-How much do we have? -I don't know.

It doesn't matter. We have the house. Collateral. We have the money.

-We have the house? -Yes.

Just the house?

A campaign like this is very expensive to run.

I know that my husband would not spend that kind of money

without talking to me first.

You know, the airtime for prime-time Los Angeles is astronomical.

Dude, stop.

I borrowed more money than I told you against my father's inheritance

to buy media to get the message out to the voters

because it was important, because I couldn't be compromised.

When we win, it'll be very easy to raise against that money and repay the debt.

However, right now, at this moment, technically, that money is frozen.

It's not frozen. It's spent.

- It doesn't matter, okay? - It does!

I'm sorry! I should've told you.

Mark, are you telling me that you spent all of our money on your campaign?!

Let's not have this fucking argument right now because our son needs help!

- You did this. - Don't do this! Don't blame me.

I didn't know someone was gonna kidnap our son!

Well, you should have,

'cause you put this fucking target on our backs!

You think if you weren't running, they would even have Denny?

You wanna say things now, you should fucking be careful.

You will never forget it.

If you're gonna blame me for getting our fucking son kidnapped, Abby!

-It's not my fault! -Hey! Hey, hey, both of you stop, okay?

You don't have the money.

The only thing that matters is do you want me to call her, or don't you?

Because once I do, you owe her the money regardless.

-Yes. -Yes. Yes.

Okay.

Mark, Abigail, this is---

Dayle Burton.

Hello.

This where you want to talk?

No, no, please come in.

Answer it.

Say I'm your banker, here to procure the money.

It's important they think you don't have it yet.

- Hello. - Think I'm fucking around?

Who just came into your house?

This is my advisor. She's gonna help us get the money.

Your advisor.

Well, I hope she gives you good advice because your son is crying.

Rule one, say exactly what I tell you to say.

Uh, okay.

- Have you seen proof of life? - He just said Denny was crying.

I didn't hear anybody crying.

-Have you seen proof of life? -He texted us a photograph.

Photos don't count.

Do you have the money?

The worst thing you could possibly do at this stage is to communicate

that you have the money.

He's going to kill my son.

Comply too quickly

and you are demonstrating that he is in control…

And that no request will be refused.

Sit down.

So for my services, security, negotiation, capital,

you now owe me 1.4 million, plus the 7 million I procured,

so that's 8.4 million.

In a fire sale, the house will go for ten,

so the deed will stand as collateral.

I need to hear you say that you understand and agree.

We understand and agree.

We have an agreement.

Your son's life is at stake.

Whatever secrets…

…you've kept from each other need to come out now.

We need to understand who might be interested in harming you.

But we all have a few secrets we keep.

I'm not interested in judging.

I just need to know.

So if anyone comes to mind

with a grudge, resentment,

feelings that cross certain lines.

Anything at all that you can think of. Abigail.

Um…

No.

Mark.

No, I mean, um…

The only things that-- that you wouldn't know…

I didn't have secrets or whatever, um…

Fifteen years ago, before we met,

I had, like, a brief affair with a woman that was a coworker

at my father's law firm.

When she was fired, she sued for wrongful termination.

But that's not why she was fired.

She was fired because my father's an asshole, but, so…

You said things.

Yeah, um…

There was a woman on the campaign

who I was never in the same room with, who I barely even knew,

who threatened to file a claim

for sexual misconduct of some kind,

claiming that I made crude sexual remarks, which I never did ever once.

What actually happened?

Well, I mean, we paid her because we had to.

We needed her to sign an NDA.

And you didn't tell me because--

Because it wasn't true.

-No? -No, Abby, no.

I didn't tell you. I didn't think you would believe me.

-That's the truth. -This is not my fault. Be honest.

I admit this is what I'm doing, is that some people go,

"Look, this guy's got a reputation to protect or has money,

and it'll cost him $250,000 to defend, so they'll settle for 200." And we do.

Even though I literally did nothing. I'll take a lie detector test.

If anyone should have an axe to grind, it would be me.

-Even though nothing happened. -You are not a victim, Mark.

I'm a victim. We're victims now. Right now.

And that's what I…

I do believe him, Abigail.

About this.

Tell her about Ramon.

What about Ramon?

Has access to our house. Probably has a grudge.

Are you kidding me?

-Who's Ramon? -He's our nanny's boyfriend.

Yes, who asked us for a job.

And we weren't able to hire him because he's undocumented.

He's running for mayor, so…

-Oh my God. He's here. He knows our house. -He comes to see the woman he loves.

I'm not saying I think the guy's…

She asked us if anyone has a grudge.

-The guy's out back right now. -Ramon does not speak English.

-That doesn't matter. -The kidnapper speaks English.

-What if he's in cahoots? Oh my gosh. -It's not Google Translate!

Will you ask him to come in?

Ramon!

He's gone.

-Ramon is gone. His tools are still there. -Well, that's meaningful.

He's gone. Cecilia's gone.

Cecilia has nothing to do with this.

Jesus Christ, what is he doing here?

This is a family matter.

Sam, do me a favor and take a coffee out to Rand in the car.

Yeah.

Abigail, look at me.

Kidnappings are always like this in the first few hours.

Chaos and terror.

They want their money. That's all.

And their greed is a weakness.

You have far more control than you think. So hang in there.

I just need to know that you are going to give us the money

and that we are going to get our son.

Yes and yes.

Absolutely.

Mom.

- Denny! - Oh God!

Denny! Oh!

-Oh my God. Where have you been? -What happened?

You all right? What happened?

I wanted to do the haunted house, but Hector was scared.

And Ceci said it was okay and go quick, and they'd wait for me.

- They left you? - Dad, I got lost. I'm sorry.

-No, no, no. -It's not your fault.

We were just so worried.

I was walking, and the streets were going down,

so I decided to go the other way.

Oh, buddy, I love you. You did good.

-We were just really fucking scared. -That was smart.

- That's all. - Dad.

- What? - Language around Mom.

- That's a good point -What did I tell you guys? All good.

I told you, right? Nothing to worry about.

- God, man. - Oh, family, man.

- Thank you so much, man. - Absolutely.

Um, Abby, don't rip my head off.

Can I have your husband back?

-I gotta go talk to Cecilia real quick. -You're gonna look for her now?

-Well, she left our kid alone. -It's fine. I'll deal with it.

We can make the 11 o'clock slot right now.

We got momentum. You just gotta rally.

-Let me ask my wife. Sweetheart? -Go.

- Okay. - Let's get you upstairs.

Sweetheart, how about a bath, yeah?

You did it. We got through it.

-Holy shit. -That's a killer chapter in the book.

Yeah. It's like, you know, all of a sudden, it's over.

You know, I should be fine, but look, my hands are still shaking.

Adrenaline takes 20 minutes to dissipate.

Hey, thank you very much.

I appreciate it. I won't forget this. I couldn't have done this without you.

The most sincere form of gratitude is a check that clears.

We don't need the money.

The seven million in my car cost 1.4 million to deliver, which I did.

You want the full fee?

Mark, I told you.

You needed $7 million, or your son was going to die.

You were quoted a price. I performed a service.

You don't want to be someone who goes back on a commitment.

No. I'm-- I'm not.

Uh, I'm sorry.

I'm sure you didn't mean it, but that sounded a bit like a threat.

-It's the agreement we made. -Well…

It is the agreement we made.

But what's the interest on $7 million for two hours?

I mean, every agreement is subject to changing circumstances

and renegotiation around what's fair.

Fair is what one agrees.

We agreed to 1.4.

Yeah.

I have instructions where to bring the money.

Hey, asshole, you fucked up. Sorry.

Oh, you're the one who's fucked.

You know what? Shut up. Understand?

-The number hasn't changed. -The number's go fuck yourself.

-What was that? -That was all trying to get you off TV.

Help! Help!

Some bastard attacked her.

- Denny. - The son of a bitch hit her.

- They hit her. - Denny's okay?

What? Yeah. He's fine.

They attacked her. She called. I brought her here.

- The kids are okay? - Yeah, fine.

- Abby. Abby! Abby! - Hey.

We have to find the bastard who did this.

- Yes, of course. - Oh! What happened?

We were waiting, Denny outside of the haunted house.

But Hector wanted to buy something for a man who was selling them.

I didn't want to leave Denny, but I had to.

- It's okay. - Hector.

But I didn't want to leave from waiting for Denny,

but I just run quick for a minute to see where Hector go,

just, like, around of the street.

Then someone hit me.

Who? Who hit you?

He was just in a, um…

In a zombie mask.

Um, can I talk to you for a moment in private?

It's okay.

I'm so sorry.

- Let's get you some ice. Yes. - Thank you.

Let's see.

Is that Hector?

Yeah.

This is an important turning point.

Do you still want the money?

You paid for it.

The 1.4 you owe buys you the right to borrow the seven in the car.

What's going on?

They took Hector by mistake.

- What do they want? - Same thing.

Seven million dollars.

What did you say?

Well, no one's said anything yet, except for Sam,

who thinks this is an important turning point.

-We should call the police. -It'll raise complicated questions.

Such as?

Why didn't you call when you believed it was your son held?

But did so once you realized it was an unrelated boy?

Is his life less valuable?

This is so fucking cynical.

Whatever happens will be subject to a lot of second-guessing

and judgment if this ever gets out.

And spin.

Well, there's the truth, and there's a story.

The truth is authentic, convincing, easy to remember under duress.

And ideally, that aligns with the story.

But when it doesn't,

the story takes precedence.

Well, the truth is we're expected to spend everything we have

to ransom a child we barely know, who's in this country illegally.

Those are irrelevant facts.

The truth is you need two to three points from the Latino vote.

If you don't make it to this event tonight,

then your chances of winning meaningfully decrease.

If you're seen to disregard the value of a Latino boy's life,

then your chances of winning are essentially zero.

Now, you spent everything on this campaign.

If you wanna keep it, you have to win.

Data and my own experience have proven

that ceding to their demands too quickly can endanger the child.

So don't call the police and don't pay the ransom.

Leverage is the balance between the allure of incentive

and the consequence of refusal.

What value can I offer to give you to get what I want?

What pain can I credibly threaten to inflict if you don't?

Power creates leverage,

and leverage dictates outcomes.

You have more leverage now.

Do you mean because the boy who's been kidnapped is not my child?

-Yes. -That's awful.

It's honest.

Ignoring it doesn't make you kinder or more virtuous.

It makes you blind.

I looked you up.

There's nothing.

Why should we trust you when you haven't even given us your real name?

Because when this is resolved…

and it will be resolved,

we all need to go back to our lives.

I will not have been here.

You will not have met me.

And you will be more comfortable

if I am comfortable

that you're revealing my involvement here

is not a lever that is even available to you.

When your son walked through that door,

your heart was no longer racing.

Your mouth was no longer dry.

Your child… was safe.

That enabled you to think more clearly.

Which gives you leverage.

Our adversary has made a mistake.

But if we can cause him further stress and fatigue,

we may be able to open a door to a… kinetic option.

And what does that mean?

Kinetic refers to bodies in motion

and the forces associated therewith.

When one thing collides with another,

you are witnessing kinetic energy.

No one in this room is obtuse.

Jesus Christ.

Is she telling us to pay her to kill someone?

Uh, I mean, unless I'm obtuse.

We have to call the police. Maybe we should have before, but we have to now.

First of all, LAPD is a fucking sieve.

They would love to leak this. They're in the mayor's pocket.

And if they do, this guy is gonna kill Hector.

What does it say that the man who wants to be mayor

doesn't trust his own--

The world's fucked up. It's a dark place. We can't fix that now.

There is not calling the police,

and then there is killing somebody on purpose.

You tell me then, as a psychologist,

what do people typically do when they're faced

with a horrible, intractable moral fucking quandary?

They find out what they care about, because that's what they protect.

And how does it end?

They make peace with it,

or they spend their lives pretending they didn't have a choice.

Why didn't you suggest it before?

Because before, when it was your child, you wouldn't have even considered it.

Forgive yourself. It's simply how we're built,

to survive and protect our families.

And concern for money may seem craven,

but money is the symbol of the security of that family.

It's a survival need, and it's a great deal of money.

Hello.

You get it now?

Yeah, I get it.

Took the wrong child.

Doesn't change a thing.

Wouldn't you hate it if the whole world knew

you were a selfish, racist, elitist cunt?

The number hasn't changed.

The number's go fuck yourself.

We still have a deal, $7 million?

Yes.

Better get that money.

- He's not upstairs. - What money?

Where is Hector?

One moment. We have to explain.

The other room, please.

Please, give me a moment.

-What happened? -Look…

The man who attacked Cecilia…

Uh-huh.

…kidnapped your son.

They thought they were trying to kidnap my son.

The kids were wearing the same costumes.

The important thing is that we're trying to figure out

what the best thing is we can do for Hector now.

How much are they asking?

- A lot… a lot of money. - No!

-No! -Ceci, he's gonna be fine.

I don't know how, but I know that he's going to be fine.

You're gonna pay?

-Mark, he's gonna pay? -Yes.

The woman who's here, she's here to help us because she's…

- She's police? - No. No.

No police… no.

-And we're going to go look for them? -No, no.

We can't leave the house because he told me

if we leave the house, they'll kill your son.

They're watching us. I don't know where from, but…

They can see us. At least, in front of the house.

Look, you have my word.

I intend to get Hector back as best I can.

Okay? I promise you. Okay?

But I'm between a rock and a hard place.

-I have to talk to this woman who is here. -Who is this woman?

Someone powerful.

I'm sorry!

I'm sorry.

- Motherfucker! - Ramon!

The only thing I promised his mom was that nothing would happen to him.

-It was my fault. -No, it's not your fault!

I should've been more careful. I had to watch him.

Ceci, Ceci, my love!

I'll die if anything happens to him.

There was no way for you to know.

But they're going to help us. They have to.

They can't have a scandal like this for his voters.

-They have to help us. They will. -Yeah.

And this man has that much money in the bank?

Just like that, ready?

I don't know, but they said they did.

Look at me, my love.

On the ranch, for the boss,

if you mess with one of the worker's kids,

it's the same as messing with the boss's kids.

Is it the same here?

We have three choices.

Call the police.

Pay him.

Or option three.

Option three. That is something that we have to take to the grave.

I also think that option one will get the child killed.

It also doesn't get you paid.

Yes, it does.

You know, there's leverage, and there's also right and wrong.

And decency is what separates us from the animals.

Humans are animals who tell stories.

I'd like this to be a story of the safe return of a child.

The best chance of that is making the exchange in daylight,

when the kidnapper is most stressed,

least certain

and likeliest to make another mistake.

So in a few minutes, you will tell the kidnapper

that you are not willing to deliver his money until the morning.

Terms which, because he's greedy,

he will accept.

I don't wanna sound insensitive.

Look, the event tonight, it could swing the entire race.

So…

We leave to go to the event.

Prompting the kidnappers to call us.

We tell them we're getting his money,

but we can only give it to 'em in the morning.

And instead, we go to the event.

That is my recommendation.

- Where is it? - It's Aldergate.

I told them you were dealing with family health,

so they'll think you're a hero just for showing up.

Stand over there and wave the phone so he knows to call.

-Over here? -Yeah.

Where the fuck do you think you're going?

We're going to secure his money.

With your permission, we're going to secure the money.

Permission granted, you fucking pussy.

But we won't deliver it till tomorrow morning, for your safety.

But we won't deliver it until tomorrow morning, for my safety.

No. Get it to me now.

This is the only option.

This is the only option.

If you don't have my money by morning,

I'm gonna cut his head off and stick it on one of your yard signs.

Understood.

Understood.

I'm going to pray to God to bring our boy back.

It's good to pray. Praying is great.

But just like my mom used to say…

it helps to move your feet.

Where are you going? Ramon, where are you going?

- Not a care in the world. - No.

They're not likely to be mayor next Tuesday.

Or in the Senate. Or the White House.

That's quite a job.

Are you sure you want it?

It's not that I don't understand how you operate.

I just… I choose not to live that way.

That's a nice luxury.

If you do want the job,

I'm doing you a favor by disabusing you of it now.

CHIRLA…

The Coalition for Human and Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles.

Tonight's event is sponsored and organized by CHIRLA

as part of our ongoing mission

to connect the community with those who seek to represent us.

Danza Floricanto USA.

Where is my son, motherfucker?

Where is my son, motherfucker?

Where is my son, motherfucker?

Hey!

And now, let's introduce candidate for mayor Mark Kimball.

Thanks so much.

Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening.

It's a great honor to speak in front of such an esteemed group.

Thank you.

And I know that most of you prefer to be

with your families tonight.

And for some people,

every day is Halloween.

For example, Paula Mendoza has been pretending to be mayor

every day for the last four years.

No?

Mr. Kimball?

Sí. Uh…

Mr. Kimball.

I'm sorry. I have a family emergency.

Thank you very much!

- Hello. - You motherfucker!

Look-- look-- look. I-- I--

I'll cut his fingers off right now!

No, no! Don't-- don't do that.

You sent your fucking gardener after my guy?

I have no idea. I don't know what you're talking about.

Don't lie to me.

Listen, I have no idea. I'm getting your money right now.

We're in the process of trying.

The days where you fuck the people are so over.

Now we fuck you. The price just went up.

Now it's $10 million.

I don't have that much. I don't have it!

Get it.

The number hasn't changed.

-The number hasn't changed. -You wanna fuck with me?

I want proof of life.

I want proof of life. Right now.

Hector. Is that you?

I wanna go home.

I know, buddy. I know. We're gonna get you home, okay?

I promise-- Hector, can you hear me?

Hey! You hear me? Tell him we're gonna fucking get him home!

$10 million.

Or he's dead.

Fuck!

So what's the plan now?

The plan is the same.

We force them to wait.

What if he doesn't call back?

They think we just procured their money.

When they believe the drop-off is imminent and the money is close…

They wanna wait to pay him.

…we can ask for any logistical adjustment,

and they will accede to it.

This is when they stumble.

Because they are most vulnerable.

And we suffocate them.

Splenda?

Ramon, why did you do this?

Because-- because these people have my son, sir.

What do you mean "why"?

I thought you wouldn't pay.

Ceci, I told you that we would pay.

You are a part of this family.

I think that

we have to do this for Hector ourselves.

I wanna go check on Denny.

We wait.

No, we can't go to the police. If we go,

I would be arrested, and I would become a suspect.

They'd send me back to Mexico

before they lift a finger to get my son back.

-I could. -No, of course not.

-Yes. -No, of course not.

This country is so fucked up.

My son's life is in the hands of these American politicians.

What the fuck do we do?

Who is this woman who's always with them?

I've never seen her.

-They seem scared of her. -Yes, I see.

She seems like a Mafiosa. I don't know who she is.

A difficult conversation.

I don't need a strategy session right now.

Abby.

Tomorrow, at best, we are about to be co-conspirators in a felony.

We're talking about option three right now, okay?

And… I don't know if I can trust you.

Trust me?

You and Mark have been lying to me for months.

Look, you can judge me. You can judge Mark.

-But at some point, you're gonna-- -Someone's child was stolen.

That is a pain you can't even begin to imagine.

Well, I…

I have a son.

He's five.

Look, I know Mark. All right? He's… yes, he's flawed.

But he is a good man, and he's a good husband,

and he's gonna make a good mayor.

This is what it was, right? This is how you did it.

You stroked his ambition, and you wrapped it up in virtue.

That doesn't work on me.

That's why you didn't let him ask about the money.

I didn't let him because I didn't believe you'd say yes.

Well, you don't believe in anything except winning.

Without you, he can't win anything.

Yes, because I am his Black wife, and we have a brown child.

That actually hurts more than it helps. What he needs is a wife he can trust.

What I need is for tomorrow to go well.

I need Hector to come home.

I need to win this election. I need to pay back this campaign debt,

and I need to make sure I don't go to prison so I can raise my son.

Hey.

He's good. He's asleep.

It's funny, but you're so overprotective of Denny.

But the password to your phone is 1111.

Who's Ron?

- Not here. - No?

Not here.

"Sweetheart, say the word, and I'm there. All is forgiven."

Mark.

Not here.

Can I be completely honest with you?

Sure, go ahead.

I met someone this summer.

I know. I… I read all the dates.

I think I allowed it because…

…it felt really good.

It was fun.

And he's great.

And you and I, you know, we're…

We're not great right now.

Well, the feeling that you've lost of being so miserable and lonely,

and now you've gotten that joy back in your life, so I'm happy for you.

I was gonna tell you after the election.

It's not so much that you waited to tell me.

But that you did it in the first place.

Who is he?

He's a teacher. He teaches at UCLA.

So this teacher, he's, um, in love with you?

-I think so. -I think so.

I would say so, according to what… according to him.

If you're being honest, right?

I hope this isn't getting in the way of your plans for tonight,

where you say you're tired, and you're not in a good mood,

but then you go in the bathroom and jerk off to fucking Ron.

- You don't need to be an asshole. - I am an asshole.

I am a fucking asshole.

But I didn't do this.

I didn't betray our marriage.

I didn't lie to you like this.

-I didn't betray our son. -Do not bring Denny into this.

You brought Denny into this.

You did this to his parents' marriage.

Is he Black?

Hmm. Does his wife know about you?

Mark, this doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter?

Did it matter when our son's life was at stake,

and this fucking woman asked us if we could think of any people

that might have a grudge? And you said no?

Because maybe the woman whose husband you're fucking

might be a little bent out of fucking shape about it!

This is not my fault, Mark! Do not do that!

I'm trying to talk to you!

Oh, thank you. That's really considerate.

You're not trying to talk to me. You are trying to lie to me.

God damn it.

If they do something to my son…

Ramon, I love you.

- I love you so much… - Yes.

I will do whatever you ask… whatever you want is what I'll do.

God, I'm a fool.

I can't believe it.

You really wanna be with somebody else? Because I don't.

I only wanna be with you.

You-- you wanna be with the entire city of Los Angeles.

You need this whole fucking city to love you.

You love being loved.

And I don't think that it actually has anything to do with me.

Because if it did, I would not feel so alone

every time I'm in a room with you, Mark.

I love you so much.

But I can't-- I can't do this.

I don't want my son to see me…

God, our son. What are we gonna tell our son?

I'm sorry I made you feel so alone. I must be an asshole.

God damn it.

I'm sorry.

For what it's worth, I really, really loved you,

and I never wanted this to happen.

Hello.

Hi, motherfucker, $7 million.

I'll call you back at five a.m. with instructions.

Understood.

I guess we should go tell Dayle.

Here's your phone.

He called. You were right.

The number's back to seven million.

We pay them. We get Hector back. That's it.

You know my position.

By morning, he'll be maximally vulnerable.

It's your choice.

Think about it.

Get some sleep.

Mark.

Are you asleep?

No.

Our marriage is falling apart.

My career ending in humiliation.

We're giving everything we have to some fucking criminal,

a woman whose name we don't know,

and I'm kind of hoping that Hector doesn't get killed tomorrow.

So I got a lot on my mind.

No, I'm not asleep. Why would-- what's up?

I'm really sorry.

I really am.

I know that what I did was really reckless.

And selfish.

And that I hurt you.

And I'm ju-- I'm really sorry.

I know. I'm sorry too.

It's a lot right now.

I just-- I didn't… I couldn't Imagine that my wife…

…you know.

Getting railed in the UCLA weight room would be down on my list of priorities…

- Jesus Christ, Mark. - But life's full of surprises.

I'm sorry. Are you appalled?

What are we doing?

-How about we stop bullshitting? -Okay.

'Cause I am so fucking tired of auditioning.

For my father, for you,

for this fucking city, to prove that I'm deserving somehow.

You know what? Nobody gets what they fucking deserve.

You get what you start with, what you can keep and what you can take.

You sound like her.

We're not lying to each other anymore, so if you're gonna ask me a question,

I'm gonna tell you the truth, and you may not like the answer.

Okay.

- What do you want? - What do I want?

I wanna keep our house.

I wanna keep all our money.

I want Ramon to get his son back.

I want Hector to be alive tomorrow.

I wanna be mayor. I do. I wanna be elected.

You know what?

I wanna be president of the fucking United States.

I want to fuck my wife.

I wanna fuck my wife all the time.

All the time. Whenever I want.

And I don't want my wife to fuck anybody else.

And this fucking guy who kidnapped Hector?

I want this guy to die. I don't wanna do it.

I don't want my hands… I don't wanna risk it.

I don't wanna lose my freedom.

But if I could press a button right now and his head would explode,

I would do it.

And I would sleep fucking great.

I wish we had a gun.

It's a misdemeanor in the state to have a concealed weapon.

I didn't get one 'cause of what people would think.

I know Ramon doesn't have one 'cause he'd get seven years

for shooting a guy who's trying to rape his wife, but…

…I sure as fuck wish I had one, don't you?

Mark, what do you wanna do… tomorrow?

I want option three.

That's what I want. But here's the problem.

Even if everything works out,

if you leave me, you wanna get divorced

and all this is just gonna turn into a fight.

You're gonna have your own Dayle whispering in your ears,

"You should use your leverage."

And if that leverage is "Mark had someone killed."

"I had nothing to do with it."

I just, I can't risk that.

As it turns out,

in marriage,

like any criminal conspiracy,

you're either all in, or you're all out.

And I haven't heard you say,

"Mark, I want you to do whatever it takes

to protect this family."

So what do you want, Abby?

I want you to forgive me.

Really.

I want you to trust me.

I want you to fuck your wife.

Come here.

Yes.

Leave now. Take my money and head to Frogtown.

Right on Fletcher. Left on Rowena.

Cross the railroad tracks, you'll see an access road.

Stop under the overpass where a rock is blocking the way.

Wait there. I will call with further instructions.

Got it. Understood.

Want me to go with you?

No, I appreciate it. It's okay.

I do, however, want you trailing behind me.

Why?

I've got a lot of money,

and I'm driving through an under-policed part of the city,

and if something happens to me,

money's gotta get where it's going.

Ramon.

I will be home with your son in less than two hours.

Yes.

So who do you think we're dealing with?

Two men.

One dominant, one submissive.

-You sure? -Yes.

That dynamic doesn't scale. It relies on proximity.

Constant reinforcement.

It's common to dyadic pathology. One who does the damage

and one who just wants to be told that they matter.

You know why they chose this location, right?

No. Why don't you tell me?

A lot of escape routes.

Bodies turn up here all the time.

Often, months later and totally unrecognizable.

Slowest response time in the LAPD scope.

You call 911 around here,

they may come in two, three hours, if they come at all.

What are you saying?

Option three.

When Hector is safe,

I want you to kill whoever shows up to take the money.

That's not what your wife agreed to.

My wife and I have an understanding.

Not the first time I've heard that from a married man.

I'm sure, but in this case, it happens to be true.

That puts us in a different fee structure.

And what's that?

An additional $1.4 million.

I guess you think I'll be beholden to you.

Everyone's beholden to something, Mark.

That's big-boy life.

You'll be in a position to help people.

So they'll want to help you.

I assume Rand has experience with this sort of thing?

Yes.

Mark, I want you to remember something

when all this is over so that you can take all the factors into account.

When Hector is safe,

I want you to kill whoever shows up to take the money.

I see.

If this is what it's like working with you, Dayle,

I'd hate to find myself on your list of enemies.

The best leverage never has to be used.

All right.

Looks like I'm here.

Just get out and wait for instructions.

Hello.

- Walk to the chair. - Okay.

-Where? -500 yards.

You'll see a break in the fence. Stop there.

All right.

Yeah.

You see that red chair?

You wanna see the kid?

Get yourself down to that chair.

This'll be fun.

Yeah.

You have any idea how easy it would be for me to kill you right now?

Is that why you got me out here?

Nah. If I wanted to kill you, I'd have done it already.

You're here so you can understand what it feels like

to live with the humiliation.

What humiliation?

When you lose everything you built.

Everything you cared about.

Aren't you worried of getting caught after all this?

No.

From now on, you're the one who's gonna be living in fear.

Do you live in fear?

Not since you destroyed everything I have.

Now I got nothing to fear, motherfucker. And I got nothing to lose.

I don't even know who you are.

Exactly. And you never will.

Now, put the money down, shithead.

Take the money out.

See, these are very simple instructions that even you could follow.

Oh, you know me pretty well, huh?

Well, it's hard to get away from you these days.

You're all over the place.

-All right. Now take your pants off. -What?

I just wanna make sure you don't have a weapon.

I don't have a weapon.

I'm a marksman, asshole.

Yeah? Shoot me.

Don't tempt me.

-All right, now put it back in. -What?

Put it back in. What, you think I'm gonna do it?

Remember this.

As long as you live, I'm gonna be out here,

watching you and laughing my ass off.

And you're never gonna know who I am.

I know who you are.

Who's that?

A sad, angry guy.

Something bad happened to you. Blame the world.

Now you're rich.

And after today, you're not my problem anymore.

$7 million.

Where's the boy?

Show me the boy!

Oh my God. Oh!

Are you okay? Are you all right?

Oh, Jesus Christ.

All right. Wait.

All right, don't move. Don't move.

Just wait a second.

Wait, wait, wait.

Don't look.

Oh God.

All right. All right.

No! Dayle, there's someone else!

Dayle, wait! There's a third--

Oh shit.

No. Hold on. Wait, wait. That wasn't me. Hold on.

Wait, no. Wait, wait! No, no!

No! Wait, wait! No, not the boy!

No! No! God, no!

There's your dad.

Wait for me in the car.

Thanks.

I was just protecting my son.

Yes, but

you're a hero regardless.

Depends on who you ask.

No?

Yes.

Is this your money?

Depends on who you ask.

No?

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you for joining us

in what is undoubtedly a very difficult time.

Thank you for bearing this weather.

We have already spoken with the district attorney and LAPD.

And reminder, this is still an ongoing investigation.

We called today's press conference for the sake of transparency.

As you all know, Mr. Kimball is a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles.

But please, first welcome Mr. Ramon Valle.

Mr. Mark saved my life.

Tell me about the day that you arrived at--

The day I got the endorsement by CHIRLA,

the largest immigrants group in the city? I'm sure that's what you're asking about.

No. No, the day that you arrived at the LAPD station

and relayed to them the events

of a failed kidnapping of your, uh, friend's son.

Well, I would hate for that one day to define me.

Yeah, I don't think you got a choice.

So as we sit here less than a year later, what was it like for you?

You know, a somewhat normal guy, and then this awful thing happens,

and you have to give Ramon the news that his son has been kidnapped.

-Yes. -What did you do first?

Well, first, uh, we said a prayer.

They tried to kill me.

Shoot at me.

He shoot him.

Save my life and my son's life.

We gave Ramon the ransom.

He took that money and went down there that morning to get his son back.

So you followed Ramon?

We knew it was a really important turning point.

Did Ramon know you were following?

Well, I had overheard Ramon getting the directions

from this kidnapper on the telephone, so I waited for him to go,

and then I got my father's hunting rifle from downstairs

because I didn't want Ramon to know.

I think it is fair for the public to view these events as a test of character.

I put up more than $100,000 in cash to get his son back.

Yes, I should have contacted the police.

Yes. I knew he was undocumented, yes.

But I also know he is a good man.

Who loves his son the same as I do.

The same as I do.

You went up 16 points with Latinos

in the last four days before the election.

I don't look at the electorate as grouped by any race.

We told this person that Ramon would meet him

at the location with the $100,000 that my…

My father believed in keeping a lot of money in the safe.

So you get there, Mark, and what do you see?

I saw Hector and Ramon on the ground, and I saw the kidnapper

coming toward them with his weapon. He was gonna shoot Hector.

Only when there was risk of harm to the child,

uh, was action… kinetic action taken.

You shot him from 200 yards away. That's a hell of a shot.

You could say he saved Hector's life.

Is what he did.

But she's right. 200 yards is a long way.

I had some rifle training in the Army, and I think it was providential.

I'll tell you what. I couldn't make that shot again.

I have pled guilty to the negligent discharge of a firearm

and misdemeanor possession of a rifle without a serial number.

These are serious offenses, and I accept the sentence I've been given.

A year, a full year of probation,

meaningful community service around firearms safety

and a $10,000 fine.

I have acknowledged I committed a crime and broke the law.

Ramon also broke the law by coming to this country illegally.

Ramon has arranged with ICE for voluntary deportation tomorrow

at his expense.

He will serve no prison time,

as he had absolutely no contact

with my father's hunting rifle.

Ramon lives in Mexico with his, uh, fiancée and son,

and he owns and manages a large and prosperous ranch,

and I'm told he's doing well.

Have you heard from Ramon?

The last thing that Ramon said to me was he was relieved

to go back to Mexico because it was too dangerous in LA.

And that, as mayor, is first on the list of things that I need to change.

- Let's talk about you. - Mm-hmm.

A long-shot candidate. People didn't even know your name.

You are at the top of many lists

to be president of the United States.

How are you processing that? What's it like?

That's very kind, but to be honest,

right now, I am wholly and entirely focused on our agenda at City Hall.

Everybody says that. "We're focusing on our agenda."

They may say it, but trust me. It's very much a full-time job.

But I'll tell you the truth.

I don't wanna be president. It is the last--

Haven't you set up an exploratory committee?

- That doesn't sound like not interested. - That's something people have done.

Because there are a lot of people who care about this country.

It just seems like a very difficult job.

And it's not something I have a lot of ambition for,

and it has a lot of effect on a person's family. And I just--

You're in the position

where you are about to take someone's life.

Mm-hmm.

What did you think?

It seemed clear to me, uh, what the stakes were, and…

It had to be done.

And I guess if I had thought about it in advance, I would have been more scared.

But in the moment…

it was easier than I thought.