Original subtitles

Bye.

Did it show?

Yes, Denny. You see there, ese?

Yeah, fourth one down on the left side.

You smart enough to handle your part in this. I mean, I got eyes.

Best, huh?

That's why I picked him, Vega. I told you, ese.

I know my guys.

You mess up, kid, and I'll mess you up.

Five minutes, and we make the meet.

Si, ma.

You spot anyone, bright eyes, I want to know it fast and quiet.

You're too sensitive, Romano.

All I said was that if I had a partner who wore an earring, she'd be a lot

prettier than you.

It's not an earring.

Do you or do you not have a gold bobble in your ear?

I have a gold pin in my ear placed there by an accredited acupuncturist.

Yeah, you know that and I know that, but the rest of the world, you're a cop

wearing an earring.

Besides, it doesn't work. You're still limping.

My acupuncturist said that it might take 48 hours.

I've still got six hours to go.

If my legs still hurt, it's bye-bye needles, hello guru.

Guru? Guru Ram Singh.

Teaches yoga at the health club.

Tammy introduced him to me.

Oh, boy.

Why don't you get on the horn and buy us a DR number for that theft report?

Right on time.

You got a name for me, Cholos?

Nick Girard.

Miami.

Three kilos of heroin.

China white.

Straight from the Golden Triangle.

Run your test, but make it quick.

Hey, hey, no sweat.

Nick said I could trust you. Suit yourself.

Give me the 200 grand and I'm out of here.

Now it's your turn to trust me.

I'll have the money for you next week. What are you trying to do?

Gerard said you'd be good for the cash. When I get through talking to him,

you'll be no price around the track.

You ain't talking to nobody, punk.

Gunshots.

The cops are coming, man. Where?

Down that way, see?

Listen, test this on the way back to the body shop.

There's a body back there, Hooker. I didn't shoot nobody.

I swear.

I didn't do nothing.

I'll get a line.

gun is that?

I didn't shoot nobody, man.

You sound like a parrot, Danny.

I'm Papagayo.

Look, I ain't no parrot, all right?

Then stop talking like one.

That test they made on your hand proves that you were holding a gun, one that

was fired.

Man, it's only a lousy test, all right? Only a test.

He didn't say you fired it. He only said you held it.

I didn't shoot nobody, officer. I didn't.

Did you hear what I said?

Did you hear what I said

Danny

didn't shoot no one

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

The kid has a hearing problem.

He can't understand what you're saying.

Unless he can read your lips.

Danny Perez's father.

My boss said you've flown.

What did my boy do? Is he all right?

We've booked him on suspicion of murder.

Murder?

Another stupid gang fight?

The man was shot.

A known drug dealer. Then you got the wrong kid.

Danny's not into drugs. When his mother died, I promised that I'd keep him

clean. Look, I ain't gonna win no medals as a father, but this is one promise

that I have kept.

There were no drugs on Danny.

None at the scene.

Then why would he shoot this man?

It's the guy and his sin. You got two choices when you live in the

neighborhood. Join or get wasted.

Yes, and once you join, if you don't do what I say, you're dead.

Tell me, Mr. Perez.

Has Danny ever had a problem with his hearing?

I'll tell you about his hearing.

He hears what he wants to hear.

He's in there.

You can see him if you want.

I don't think I need that right now.

I wasn't thinking what you need.

This is Detective Cook of the downtown gang squad. He'll be taking over the

Perez case. All right. And Sheila Benson of the Department of Probation's gang

diversion unit.

I'll make up my report and submit it to both of you.

The kid's in with his father.

Why don't you give him a minute alone?

Sure. Is it true what they say?

You killed a man?

I didn't, Dad.

I didn't, man. Can't you believe me?

Danny.

What are we going to do?

What are we gonna do?

What are we gonna do, man? You tell me about that, man. Look at them tracks.

You tell me what we're gonna do.

Okay.

Okay.

I took a pop.

Just a little pop so that I could get enough courage to come down here and try

to help you.

Man, they're gonna lock me up, pop. They're gonna put me away.

I'm not gonna be around to help you next time.

You can OD.

Look, I'm gonna quit this stuff.

You'll see, Danny.

I just don't want you to worry about me, okay?

Oh, Danny.

Gang, diversion, probation officer.

What's that all about?

Well, we try to work with your gang squad.

Keep the marginal kids away from the hardcore gang members, that sort of

thing. Danny one of your failures?

You have something on your mind, Sergeant?

You know what Danny's on?

A treadmill.

Two minutes in there and I picked up a hearing problem.

Nothing like that on this record.

Yet here you are.

Probation department.

Playing your diversion games again.

Diversion's not a game, Sergeant.

What good is it doing the kid in the air?

He can't hear!

If he can't hear, he can't learn. If he can't learn, he gets frustrated, which

converts to acting out. Little crimes to big crimes.

The hall, the camp, ultimately the joint, or dead.

Don't you see the wheel is turning for Danny?

Like it turned for his cousin who was killed in a gang war, his older brother

who's doing hard time for armed robbery.

Danny has to be pulled off the wheel before he becomes another statistic.

It needs to be a system that looks after these kids,

not some damn bureaucracy

that turns them under like a plow.

Hey, Vega, you like my car?

It's good, it's good.

Danny ain't nowhere in the neighborhood.

Did you check his old man's pad? Two times.

I went by all the hangouts. I cruised all the streets.

If you think you can do better, take my car.

But Danny ain't around.

You did a good job, Delgado.

Here, fill up your tank on me.

Cops got him, Cruz.

They're gonna work on him until he rolls over.

It's 12th Street, Vega.

Our guys don't roll over.

We ride the beef.

Yeah, and a stolen car bust, maybe.

This is murder.

That's our edge, you see?

It's under 16.

That's why I gave him the gun.

In this state, the most you get for murder is one year in a juvenile

detention camp.

That's a party compared to what happens to him if he shoots his mouth off.

You wipe him out?

Not only him.

Every male in his family.

The whole bloodline.

That's the law of this gang.

He won't break it.

We'll see, Cruz.

If they don't lock him up, we'll know he rolled off.

Stacy.

This is the mail sack to the gang squad in the probation department.

Detective Cook and that probation officer finished an hour ago.

The captain says they have the boy solid.

The only thing solid about that boy is his cry for help.

Oh, by the way, a Dr. Fong called. He left this number for you.

Oh, great.

My man at the Chinese laundry recommended him.

For your limp?

Yeah. What happened to the guru? I thought your first yoga session was

tonight. It's called planning a hit, Stacy. If the yoga doesn't work...

I got a backup.

Like? Like Dr. Fong.

Beetle nut and grasshopper elixir.

I'm praying the yoga works.

And it was you and Romano who got through to the boy about the paraffin

test. Now, he admitted to Detective Cook that he had a gun in his hands. Now, he

claims he didn't fire it.

But his admission along with the test is all the gang squad will need to hold him

as a principal to murder. Come on, Captain. You read Jordan's rap sheet.

He's a big-time wholesaler. He wouldn't deal with a kid.

Anyway, the way I read the paraffin test, somebody passed Danny the gun.

Which adds up to Jordan meeting a mysterious third person who killed him.

Now, that's nice deductible reasoning, Hooker. But you know as well as I do

that the gang squad will go along with the physical evidence.

And the probation officer will add another pound of paper to Danny's file

without an inch of help.

Now, you've been too hard on us, Benson.

She's only doing her job the best way she can. And she's a nice lady, but best

and nice aren't good enough.

Captain, this kid, he can't handle being locked up in juvenile hall waiting for

trial.

Well, that's, uh, that's not my problem, Hooker, and it's not yours.

See, I think it is.

With Danny Perez.

I think it's a problem that's been stepped on, walked over, and ignored for

two... Damn long.

Either I'm going crazy or my eyesight is failing me.

You are the same Sergeant Hooker who busted the Oak Street gang for extortion

and murder? Yes, sir.

And who stood up in this courtroom at the detention hearing and talked me into

locking up?

Every one of those kids? Yes, sir. And now you're here at this detention

hearing with this report?

Well, sir, the youngest one of those kids of the Oak Street gang is over 16

years of age.

Their idea of earning a living was setting up 14-year-olds like Danny to

kill out of loyalty to the gang. Because the worst they could get was a year at

county camp. Danny isn't in a class with those maggots.

Not yet.

Well, as you say in your report, the Wilsons do provide a good foster home

environment. But Danny won't have any supervision outside the home.

and we certainly can't count on any help from his father. Now, that's what I'm

concerned about.

Well, he will stay at the Wilsons to sleep, but Sergeant Hooker has offered

to take full responsibility from the time he wakes up in the morning until

the time he goes to bed at night.

And, Your Honor, I have to agree that is better than the hall.

Your Honor, we have a murder charge here. We have a kid who's been

manipulated by his gang, and this is a detention hearing, not a trial, Your

Honor. Danny doesn't need detention.

He needs help.

Your Honor, I must stress again, we're talking murder here.

Then you're going to have to talk real loud, aren't you, Cheney?

What's that supposed to mean?

Danny, can you hear me, son?

I'm trying to tell the prosecutor here that you have to read lips in order to

know what anybody is saying.

My hunch is you didn't hear your rights read to you.

Isn't that right, son?

Your Honor, Danny Perez needs help, not detention.

The only thing he's guilty of is contempt.

For all of us.

If you think you're gonna turn me around with that Big Daddy gimmick, well, then

you got another thing coming, Hooker.

Sergeant, look at you, wise guy.

Look real close while I spell it out to you.

We've got two things to get done.

One is to clear up a killing and get you out from under it, despite your

misplaced macho gang honor.

And the other is to have someone take a look at your hearing problem.

And I hear good enough, all right? And you've got to straighten out a walk

while all that's getting done, because you stray one inch off the path, and I

personally will take you over to Judge Wallace. You got it?

Yeah, man.

Yeah, man what?

Yeah, man, sir.

Now you got it.

While Hooker figures out his commitment, let's get you out of these hall clothes,

Danny.

Hey, Danny.

Danny!

Wilson's telling me you were real helpful around the house last night.

Even made your bed this morning.

Okay, you know, kind of square, but okay.

Let's keep it up at school.

We'll be by around three.

We'll make a run at the hospital.

Look, Cook, I told you that I... I know what you told me. I just told you, dig?

Yes, sir.

Background, gang honor, macho, hype father.

You're spending a lot of time on a kid who doesn't stand a chance, okay?

Well, they won't stand a chance unless we help.

What do you say we start that process right now?

There?

Oh, no.

That's the young gang.

They're still learning.

We want the old boys, the homeboys, the ones who infect these youngsters.

Who's your fancy new friend, Cruz?

This is Colonel Vega, hooker.

Bought this place from old man Garcia.

Where you from, Vega?

Colombia. I'm not an illegal alien.

You're welcome to check my papers if you got a warrant.

Well, wherever you're from, Vega, you can play games on my turf. You'll wish

you were back there.

Frendo?

Poker's a bad dude, Vega.

Told you not to put out such high-grade smack.

When it hits the street, he's gonna notice a new dealer in his territory.

Don't try to tell me how to do my business, Cruz.

20% Pure Stuff is gonna draw junkies like flies.

Now, their old connection is gonna have to buy from me or go out of business.

We're gonna create instant junkies.

As if the kid don't shoot his mouth off about the shooting.

Well, I want you to take care of that kid, Cruz.

Fast.

Danny, that does it.

You don't have to shine me on.

If I can't hear, it's OK.

I can get by, you know.

First of all, I'm not trying to shine you on, son.

Second, I think there's a good chance that you won't have to just get by,

because I really believe that your ears can be fixed.

Let's go get it sorted, Danny.

We have it.

He's lucky, T.J.

The boy has a 70% hearing loss, but there's no nerve damage.

Now, he has a break in the ossicular chain.

That's the three tiny bones in the middle ear.

What kind of an operation does he need?

It's called an ossicular reconstruction.

It's expensive, T.J.

You'll need two.

One ear at a time.

I think your best bet is county hospital.

Only problem there is you're gonna have to put them on a waiting list.

How long does an operation like that take?

I'd say about two hours without complications.

Why don't you give me two hours of your time and skill?

That's not fair, Hooker.

I put in my charity years at county hospital.

And besides, look, it isn't just me. It's... I know, I know, I know.

You need an operating room, scrub nurses, anesthetist, hospital room.

Why don't you let me handle all that?

What I want from you is two hours.

You know what two hours means to me.

I know what it means to the kid.

Thank you.

You mean you're dumping your guru after only one session?

You haven't got through the Yammer stage yet.

Listen to the expert.

The least you could have done was warn me about the lotus position.

Couldn't get into it, huh? No.

I couldn't get out of it.

4 Adam 30, 4 Adam 30. Possible assault in progress at Gramercy High School.

402 Marshall Street.

Handle...

I didn't roll over, man.

I didn't say nothing.

What'd you do with the gun, you say?

I stuck it in the hookup gear back there in one of those trailers.

Man, nobody's gonna find it.

Look, I ain't gonna burn my Duke brothers, man. You know that, eh?

Looks like Danny's in that car.

Look for us there. Look out for something crazy.

Fingers laced.

Behind your head.

On your knees.

Are you crazy, Hooker? You almost killed us, man.

A gutless poyo like you in the car.

Wasn't even close.

The boy lied, Hooker.

He stood there right in front of you and he swore that he was only on a joyride

with his gang.

Now, those punks, they walked out of here laughing.

Downtown is living it. Downtown's got to lighten up.

Kid's just trying to survive. We can't protect him, and he knows it.

Besides, they're just sore about the detention hearing, which they didn't

show up for.

That info you gave him on Vega hit pay dirt through NCIC.

He's a cocaine cowboy on the run from some Dade County dope pushers for

pulling rip-offs.

Has he ever done any time?

The Dade County authorities had him once on suspicion of murder, but he beat it.

My nose tells me that if we can locate that gun, he won't beat it this time.

Well, if he did kill Jordan, he could have taken the gun with him and dumped

it. Well, we'll never find it. Doesn't add up. Danny was on the scene, possibly

a witness. If Vega wasn't worried about the gun, he'd have had Danny killed like

that. Instead, Cruz grabbed him. Why?

My hunch is that Danny ditched the gun on something that left the container

yard. Hmm.

That's a good thought.

I'll have the gang squad look into it. Let's see what they come up with. Tell

them it's a gift from the Academy Prison.

We checked out every semi-container there.

The only one where he could test the gun is no gun, man.

The cops are going to keep looking for that gun until they find it. The kids'

testimony by itself can't convict us. But if they find that gun, they'll bury

us.

Simon, you're right.

He still has to go. That's right, and it's going to be a lot harder to get him

now. Hook will be watching him like a hawk.

There's one place where they won't expect trouble.

Where's that?

Delgado picked up word he's going to the hospital tomorrow.

Gonna have an operation on his ear.

All we have to do is get the father to tell us the name of the hospital.

What makes you think the father would cooperate?

He's a junkie.

What if something goes wrong, huh?

I mean, what if I won't be able to hear nothing? Nothing's gonna go wrong.

Nothing's gonna go wrong.

Dr. Martinez is one of the best.

I wish I didn't have to wait.

I wish he'd come now and get it over with.

Danny, I want you to think about something.

I want you to think about your gang.

And this guy Vega.

There were two narcotic overdoses in Duke territory last night.

Our lab says the heroin is hot better than 20%. Do you know what that means?

Sure. The junkies are flocking and some of them can't handle the gray junk.

And others.

Non-junkies.

They're taking a taste. They're chipping.

And getting hooked.

So what's that to me?

Cruz and Vega, I think they're doing it.

With a stash ripped from that dead man, Jordan.

And I think the Dukes are helping him.

That's why you're doing this operation for me, ain't it?

I ain't nothing to you, man.

You just want me to roll over on my friends. That's what you want, right?

You are something to me.

But I read another report last night.

Two little kids made orphans.

Because their mom OD'd on some of this hot shot dope.

They mean something to me, too.

You're like every cop I ever heard about, Hooker.

You want something, right? You want me to talk? Well, forget it, right? Forget

all of it, because I ain't saying nothing. I'm not asking you to say

anything. I'm just asking you to think about it.

Think about what this dope has done to your life and your father's.

Damn it.

Looks like you're about ready to throw in the towel.

Mountain to the final bell.

Did you get Danny's father to sign the authorization papers?

Yeah, right here.

But you know, Hooker, his problem doesn't end with getting his hearing

back. Yeah.

I talked to his teacher. He's way behind in school.

But I, uh, I met a tutor when I was at a seminar on remedial, and I thought maybe

I could ask him to kind of... You're becoming a walking care package.

You're wasting your time in gang diversion.

The kids of the city need you.

Benson, why don't you build a file on people like Dr. Martinez?

Push him, use him, make him help all the kids that need it.

You could create the system that doesn't exist.

You know, after watching you con the assembly of pros for this operation,

I... I guess I've been recharged a little bit.

All right.

I think you've got a point, Hooker.

You're getting all smashed up for nothing, you see?

All you have to do is tell us where Danny is.

And we'll let you go.

No.

I don't care what you do to me. Kill me.

Kill me!

I'm not gonna tell you.

Yes, you will, junkie. No.

Yes, you will.

Got a couple of weeks supply here.

Beautiful. High-grade smack.

All yours, Essie.

Where's Danny?

Come on, Essie. Talk.

Come on. Come on.

Perez.

They jumped in the sally last night, Hooker. I lay here all night, and I

found out something about myself.

We can talk in the hospital, Mr. Perez.

I found out how low I had become.

For one moment, I almost sold out my own son for some white powder.

It's easy to blame the powder, but the truth is...

It's the man who's weak.

Anybody who can figure that out can kick the monkey.

Danny's gonna be fine.

I'll call to make sure the hospital's guarded.

He was only six years old.

I was strung out bad one night.

He begged me to quit because he loved me.

I slammed his head against the wall.

Like every time I hit him, he said...

He loved me. He loved me.

I didn't lay a hand on him since that day.

But it was too late.

Too late.

Oh, look who's here.

That kid himself.

Hey.

Got a lot of people in there. Just to get the carrots out of your ear.

I did some thinking like you asked, Sergeant Hooker.

I was scared, too.

Cruz told me they'd kill my father.

Just a minute, Danny.

You don't have to say anything.

Right now, it's time for you.

They think my dad, he'd like me to.

He's a proud guy, you know.

Maybe if you try to protect him a little bit... You got a deal?

Vega and Cruz...

They met with the guy.

I don't know which one shot him, but Cruz, he gave me the gun to get rid of.

What did you do with it?

I stuck it in a hookup game, one of those trailers.

We know when I find it. Another gift for the gang squad.

Only this one's from Danny Perez.

Good luck, kid.

We can't nail Vega and Cruz without the gun, can we?

No. But while the gang squad is running it down, maybe we can run Vega and Cruz

down, right to the heroin stash.

What's our leverage to do that?

Vega and Cruz don't know we haven't got the gun.

Good night, my kid. Roger.

There he is wants the name of Danny's hospital real bad.

Yeah, looks like he bought mr. Perez's phone call all the way

Right

there free Turn around

Wanna get my hands

You ain't gonna get away with this, Coco.

This is a trap.

I'm simply confiscating the heroin you're holding for Danny's father.

I'm taking you in on suspicion of murder.

And by the way, Danny's father says he'll tell you he couldn't make it.

We have a statement from Danny about Jordan's murder.

Your prints are on the gun.

Hey, wait a second, man.

Sure, the gun was in my hands, but Vega did the shooting. You ripped off a stash

of heroin from Jordan. Where is it?

Where is it?

Some of it is hidden around the neighborhood, man, but I don't know

where Vega keeps the main stash, man.

Vega's the man who won this, eh?

This may be your lucky day, if you can give him to us. You cooperate with us,

Cruz, and we'll talk to the D.A. for you. At least you won't be looking at

the death penalty.

Death penalty.

Cruz.

The death penalty.

Magnolia Body Shop.

Vega, this is Cruz.

Danny rolled over and the cops found the gun.

What did you find out?

I squeezed it out of Perez.

He tried to set me up for the cops, but I got away.

I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm splitting now, I say.

You did that very well, Cruz.

Stacy.

409 to 4 Adam 30.

It's done.

And I think it worked.

4 Adam 30 to Air 1.

Air 1, I'm in position and ready, Hooker. He's rolling.

Take us to the stash.

Heading in east on Glenbrook Boulevard.

Roger.

Turning north on Grandview Road and heading for the foothills.

He's just turned onto the Old Air National Guard Ordinance Grounds.

We'll take it from here, Erewhon.

Thank you.

4 out of 30 to control on air 1.

Officer needs help.

Just got knocked off your horse, cowboy.

For good.

I can't believe you, Hooker.

You can believe it.

You can believe it.

Danny, can you hear me?

Danny, can you hear me?

I can hear you now, Hooker.

I can hear you.

Hey, Hooker.

You're gonna have to find someone else to take care of in your spare time.

Me and my father, we're gonna take care of each other now.

And you're both gonna do a good job.

Thank you.

Oh, Sheila, by the way, I heard that you had moved into a new office. Where?

Well, temporarily.

Judge Wallace has scrounged a cubbyhole for me in the court building. But I've

already outgrown it.

Would you believe in just one week, I've uncovered over 100 agencies and private

citizens who are willing to help kids with problems.

And those people have always been there. It took someone like Sheila to pull them

together.

And someone like you to push me.

Hmm.

Well, your dad's gonna be here in an hour.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Ray. Hmm?

Gracias. All right. Oh, by the way, in case either of you run into any kids

with hearing problems, let me know.

Oh.

Your limp seems solved.

Yeah. Well, when you leaned on Dr.

Frank to have a look at me, he put me through the mill, came up with a cure in

two seconds flat. What cure?

Buy a new pair of shoes.

let's go