Original subtitles

Uncle Pete! No!

I want that kid.

Forget it.

I'm not gonna start chasing pigeons around.

I'll take the reins on this one, McCall.

Ow! Hey!

Ruffy's the only one who knows how to run the birds.

Police!

All right, where is she?

If this girl has been kidnapped

due to your negligence...

They got ruffy.

Hit it, man! Cops!

Looks like our little bird flew the Coop.

Works for me.

No cheating, yank.

You got to circle till I get on my bike, ok?

Good luck!

I'm going to beat you home, yank.

Hey, old yank, looks like you found me.

Say, old pal, don't you know

that a gentleman always lets his lady win?

Pete!

Pete!

Pete! Did I beat him? Did I beat yank?

I knew I could beat ya.

Do you think he let me win, uncle Pete?

Gee, I figure a win is a win, ruffy,

no matter how you come by it.

That's not why I always take your socks in gin rummy.

Come on. We got to feed the birds.

Look at 'em. No matter how much you feed 'em,

they always act like they're starving to death.

Well, maybe they're just tired of being cooped up, Pete.

Maybe you ought to let them out for a while.

Oh, sure, so they'll all fly back

to their old roost in Agoura, huh?

Why don't you train them to fly here like yank?

I'm gonna do that, ruffy, pretty soon, but...

Pretty soon.

Uh, ruffy.

Uh, look, honey, why don't you, uh,

go down to the market, get us a couple of big,

thick, juicy steaks for dinner, huh?

Steaks? Yeah.

Sure!

Did you hit an exacta or something, Pete?

Yeah, I hit an exacta.

Take yank with you. Come on.

Take care of him, now, ok?

Ok.

Get going. Get going.

Here's your stuff.

We're even, and I'm out.

It's all there.

I wouldn't touch that stuff.

Look, I'd appreciate it if you were out of here

by the time the kid shows up.

You know what I'm thinking?

I'm thinking what a shame it is

you went to all this trouble

to train these smart little birds

to fly in our merchandise for us,

and now you want to retire 'em.

I'm done...

Through. We're even.

For how long?

Till your next sure thing breaks down in the stretch?

You know so much about running birds,

do it yourself.

Know what I think, fellas?

I think old petey boy here

is looking for a bigger piece of the action.

Yeah.

I think so.

The last thing I want to hear

is some horse-playin' rummy getting greedy,

so from now on, you're gonna do what I say,

and you're gonna do it for free!

You can't do a thing without the birds!

If I say no, it's no!

You don't even know where they land!

Grab him! Grab him!

Aah!

Aah! Aah! Aah!

He was trying to let the birds go.

You saw it!

Grab those damn cages, load the birds up,

and let's get the hell out of here!

But we don't know how to run 'em.

I think I know someone that's gonna help us.

Uncle Pete! No!

Uncle Pete!

Oh, no!

You wouldn't want to do me a favor,

would you, McCall?

If you want to do my nails over,

I'll type your report.

You're a police officer.

You shouldn't have nails.

Sergeant hunter? I'm ruffy. Ruffy Collier.

And I want to file a stolen property report.

Well, honey, you're in the wrong place.

I work homicide.

You want to talk to somebody in burglary.

You are sergeant Rick hunter, aren't you?

I was this morning.

Your cousin Jilly, my bookmaker,

he said that you were the best cop on the force

and that I should talk to you.

Jilly's your bookmaker, too?

Actually, he used to handle

some of my uncle Pete's action,

and I used to help him make his picks,

but uncle Pete fell off the roof and was killed,

and somebody swiped the rest of his pigeons.

And I now want to file a complaint

so that you could help find them.

Pigeons, huh?

Ok, who put her up to this?

Delgado?!

Look, honey, i'd like to help you out,

but I'm real busy right now.

They stole the rest of his pigeons,

and nobody wants to help me.

Nice going, hunter.

Hmm.

Your uncle Pete gambled a lot?

I guess. Benny called him a degenerate.

I think that means he gambled a lot.

Who's Benny?

A friend.

So uncle Jilly's taking bets

on pigeon races, huh?

Uncle Pete never bet on pigeons.

He bet on horses and football and basketball.

Lucky for them

those birds can live on chicken feed,

considering the odds Jilly pays.

Hunter. Look, honey,

I know how important these birds are to you,

and we'd like to help you out and all,

but I got to be honest with you.

As far as the police department's concerned

and the law,

this is a very petty crime.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

You're not gonna help me find out who took 'em

and get 'em back.

The captain wouldn't authorize it.

The birds aren't worth enough

to justify the time of 2 police officers.

Those pigeons are worth from $100 to $300 apiece.

And, yank, I could get $700 for him as a breeder.

How many birds did you say there were again?

McCall.

About 30, not counting yank.

Well, I think we could go by the loft on our way home.

Come on.

Hunter. Forget it.

I'm not gonna start chasing pigeons around.

Why don't you two go on up?

I'll check in.

This is l-56 McCall.

I need some information on somebody.

Patch me in to records, please.

Dispatcher: L-56, stand by.

Ruffy, isn't it possible

that somebody left the cage doors open

and the birds flew away?

Somebody took them. The carrying cages are gone.

And anyway, if somebody did let them go,

only yank would come back.

Because, you see,

yank was retrained to this Coop,

and if something happened to this Coop,

yank would fly back to his old home.

And the other birds wouldn't fly back here?

Not yet. They hadn't been here long enough

to find out that this is their real home.

Uncle Pete just got 'em.

Ruffy, you said your uncle Pete gambled a lot.

Was he in hock to the bookies?

For a long time, but he got healthy again

just before his accident.

He'd been living on beans for a month.

Then, all of a sudden,

he sends me out to buy some steaks.

He must've hit a big one.

Hunter.

I ran a check on the girl's uncle...

Pete Collier.

The autopsy report showed that he died of a broken neck,

probably the result of the fall.

He had an open pint of bourbon in his pocket,

but the blood test showed under .01,

so he wasn't drunk.

So we've got a degenerate gambler,

who, according to ruffy, was tapped out.

And he happens to own $9,000 worth

of racing pigeons.

Gonna help me find my pigeons for me?

I think it's time

we take you home now, ruffy.

Well, we can't run a police investigation

with you tagging along, you know.

Investigation?

Come on. Those birds are probably...

Those birds are probably somewhere by now.

Come on. Let's go.

Do we get to ride in the police car again?

Could we run the siren this time?

We'll be lucky if the lousy car starts this time.

That's it!

You don't have to walk me to the door.

I'm 10, you know, and besides,

I don't want to worry my parents,

coming home in a police car and all.

Bye.

They'll hardly recognize this as a police car.

You think we're saps for running this down.

I'm a homicide detective,

not Dr. Dolittle.

We may have a homicide.

It's obvious what could've happened.

One of Pete's gambling debts caught up with him,

and they grabbed his only assets.

Ruffy said those birds were worth over $9,000.

Well, I wouldn't believe everything she says,

'cause she's not going home.

There she is!

Hey, sweetie, should you be on your own like this?

4062 tiverton road,

and you don't have to drop the meter

if you don't want to.

Yes, ma'am.

Police!

You ok?

Yeah. What'd they want with that kid?

Good question.

Real good question.

What do you mean, you don't know where she is?

What kind of answer is that?

We got to make that run

or they're going to fold up shop

on the other side of the border.

Then we'll be out the money and the shipment.

Which one of you 2 guys wants

to explain that to our creditors?

You don't understand. These two were cops.

You don't understand!

What, the two of you just float out of the sky?

Huh? What do you think, they're going to slap our wrists for this?

We're gonna all wind up as mincemeat in some local butcher shop.

Now you two hit every place where that kid might be

and then some. I want that kid.

She's the only one that knows how to run those birds

and where they're going to fly into.

And those 2 gunslingers we ran into,

we just forget about 'em? That ain't so easy.

Listen, man, I've heard about hunter.

I don't care what you heard.

You two guys find that kid!

This is what she said, 6042 tiverton.

What do we owe you?

Always wanted to help the law.

Besides, the kid took care of it.

Here you go.

Driver: Thank you.

Yeah.

Ok, wicks. 10 across on rubberneck in the third.

Can I help you?

Yeah. Is your name Benny?

Yeah. Uh... what do you want?

We're looking for a little girl named ruffy Collier.

So am I supposed to...

Ok, sport, i'm looking for that girl,

and I'd better find her in primo condition real quick,

otherwise I'm going to be sorry all over you.

No! No! Please don't hurt him!

Leave him alone! Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right, sweetheart.

It's all right, baby. It's all right, baby.

All right, sweetheart.

After her parents died, it was foster homes and juvenile hall.

The usual bit. Then Pete found her.

Nobody from the social welfare

never came looking for you?

Sure, they did, but Pete took care of 'em.

Pete was a warm, decent, wonderful human being,

a sweetheart, but he was a degenerate gambler.

Who did Pete owe, do you know?

Every book in town.

About 3 months ago, he told me he was stuck over 30,000.

He was in that deep, and they still carried him?

Nah. They sold off his markers, a quarter a dollar,

to... would you believe this... Jake Henderson.

Jake Henderson?

He breaks kneecaps for a living.

Since when has he been buying up markers?

He bought up Pete's, and a funny thing happened.

The two of them wound up partners in a scheme that Pete said would get him even.

Like what? He didn't say,

and me, I don't ask such questions,

but it was plain that Pete didn't like it.

They're going to put ruffy in another foster home, aren't they?

What else?

If you want her, you could file an application

with the child welfare department.

I'd give my right arm,

but what happens when they investigate

and find out what I did for a living?

Ruffy, it's time to go, sweetheart.

I want to stay with my uncle Benny.

You will, sweetheart. We'll work it out somehow.

You'll let me know where she is and what's happening, please?

Sure, Benny.

Yeah.

I'm going to turn on my answering machine.

Then I'll turn the volume up.

And that way, if I call, you hear my voice.

You'll be able to pick up the phone and talk to me, ok?

Mm-hmm.

Are you tired, ready for a nap?

I bet I have a lot of new stuff to dream about

after what's happened today.

I'll bet you do, too.

Ok. Come on. Put your head up here.

Here. He wants to take a nap with you.

Sleep tight, kid.

You know, we really should

turn her over to the child welfare people.

Been to juvenile hall lately?

Yeah.

All right. What do you say

we go see what Jake Henderson was doing with Pete Collier?

Good idea.

McCall?

You know, maybe one of us better cover the back door,

in case Jake tries to boogie out of here.

Ok. It's your idea, your job. I'll go in.

Now, wait a minute.

It's a pretty rough place in there.

Ok. We'll flip a coin.

All right. We'll use my coin.

Heads.

Heads.

You cheat.

Next time we'll use your coin, the one with 2 tails.

Now, come on. Let's go.

Besides, you look like a cop.

They'll never make me.

Men: It's the cops!

Come on!

I don't think you're going to get very far without this, Jake.

Ow!

Hey!

Ok, Jake, now tell me why

you bought up all of Pete Collier's markers.

Pete Collier? I never heard of him.

Aah!

How's your hearing now, Jake?

So I picked up a few of his markers.

So what? I figured Pete Collier

was due for a change of luck,

and at 25 cents on the dollar,

how much can I lose, right?

Yeah, well, his luck ran out altogether.

It happens.

You didn't get hurt, though, did you?

The way I figure, you're just about even.

You spent 7,500 buying up those markers,

but you must've pulled in at least that much

when you unloaded Pete's birds.

What birds?

Ow! Oh, you mean the pigeons.

I heard they flew away.

Yeah, well, if you happen to see them flying overhead,

you'll be sure to let us know, won't you, Jake?

Yeah.

Get out of here!

I think he's going to go tell on you, hunter.

Yeah. It'd be real nice to know to who.

Come on.

This is how we used to do it

when we were busting bookies in vice.

Here we go. 555-77... 21.

Deacon, Jake.

What the hell did you get me into?

What are you talking about?

I just got shoved around by a hard-nosed cop name of hunter.

Now, I ain't standing still for this.

Deacon, I'm telling you.

Cool it, Jake. Just cool it. Did he bust you?

No, but, uh...

Then what are you worried about?

He's just blowing smoke.

If he flashes his badge again, call me.

You didn't tell him nothing, did you?

Of course not!

Hey, there's no connection to you at all.

Ok. I'll talk to you later.

Ok. That's nabor's feed and grain

on San Fernando road, right?

Dispatcher: That's a Roger, l-56.

Thanks, Lucille. L-56 out.

Oh, whoa. No, no, no. Whoa.

You're not getting into my car with that.

It doesn't go with the upholstery.

You're so picky.

This sauce is going to eat right through my paint.

Why do you have all of that?

I bought a couple extra chili dogs for ruffy.

She doesn't have it tough enough being a homeless orphan?

Look, I ran that number down that Jake called.

Are you ready for this?

It belongs to a nabor's feed and grain

out in the northwest valley.

It's owned and operated by a guy named Carl Deacon.

You know what else?

There was a sack of pigeon feed in Pete's loft

with their name on it.

Ok. Well, why don't you finish your... whatever,

and we'll go check it out.

Dispatcher: L-56, stand by for a patch call

from your precinct captain. Stand by, please.

Captain: Hunter, where are you?

Captain, this is McCall.

Hunter is out of the car right now.

Can I help?

Yeah, I got a real upset lady from child welfare on my phone

wanting to know what you two have done with one of their charges.

I suggest you explain it to her.

Hold on while I patch her call in to you.

Great. Ok. Now, what do I tell her?

Tell them you can't hear because your radio doesn't work.

Hunter, this is my car, not yours.

In my car, everything works.

Except the radio.

I'll take the reins on this one, McCall.

You don't even want this case, remember?

You said, "I'm not going to chase after a bunch of birds."

You remember that?

This case is obviously bigger than a bunch of missing birds.

I think we should do it my way, McCall.

Otherwise, somebody's going to find out you've been harboring a child

that should be in the custody of the child welfare department.

You went along with it. You were an accomplice.

But she's in your apartment.

Would you like to come in and watch?

Deacon: Coming!

Carl Deacon?

Yeah. What do you want?

A mutual friend sent me over to see you.

Jake Henderson.

About what?

He said you'd make me a heck of a deal on some pigeons.

I don't sell pigeons.

Only feed, a few quail, and some loft equipment.

That's all.

Come on. I was standing right there

when he made the phone call.

You're a cop, right?

He made you, too.

What do you think tipped it off?

Was it something you said or did, or maybe it was just instinct?

Oh, I think it was instinct.

Like me, I've got it, too,

only on the other side of the fence.

Like right now I think you're lying to me about those birds

and that maybe they're right here.

I don't have to dance around with you, cop,

so get lost.

McCall: We'd really like to see those birds, Deacon.

They belong to a little girl.

Now, you don't mind if we look around, do you?

If you got a warrant, you can look till your eyes pop out.

If not, there's the door.

You want a paper? I'll get the judge to issue me a paper,

but I got to be honest with you, Deacon.

The next time I leave here,

this place isn't going to be this neat.

And if you lied to me about what you had to do

with Pete Collier's dying from bad credit and a broken neck,

you're going to need some rearranging, too.

What'd you tell Miguel?

Well, tell him we're going to be down there tomorrow, like we said,

and he better have the stuff ready.

Yeah, yeah, hasta la bye-bye to you, too.

How are we going to do that?

Do what?

Go down there tomorrow?

We're gonna fly down there in the airplane, how else?

You know what i'm saying, without the kid?

She's dropped into a black hole.

She shouldn't be that hard to find.

Where the hell could that kid be?

At a friend of Pete's, right?

And how many friends can a deadbeat like Pete have?

Aw, I don't know, Deacon.

Oh, another country heard from. What's your problem?

Look, she's just a little girl.

You're kidding. I thought she was your grandmother.

Let me tell you guys something.

The people that put up the money for this run want that dope,

and if we don't deliver it, we're all going to wind up in a cemetery.

Any other problems?

Ok. Let's go.

There you are, hunter.

Captain's been looking all over for you two.

Been running down those missing pigeons,

have we been? Ha ha.

Captain, huh?

Uh-oh, bogeys at 12 o'clock.

Hunter, McCall.

This is miss rankin.

These are the 2 officers you want to talk to.

Miss rankin is with the child welfare department.

I'm looking for Teresa Collier.

Have you tried missing persons?

Uh-uh, you two are not going to smoke this one past me.

Now, everybody saw you leave here this morning with the girl.

Oh, ruffy. They mean ruffy.

Why didn't you say so?

I have a court order to pick up that child.

Do you have a foster home ready for her?

My job is to pick up Teresa Collier

and take her into custody.

The girl is a truant and a runaway.

Ha. That's a laugh.

She's got nothing to run away from or to.

A kid that age? A foster home could take weeks, maybe months.

Captain, I demand that you order these two

to tell me where I can find that girl.

I'm sorry, but an attempt has been made to kidnap that girl.

She's also a possible witness in a crime,

so she's been placed under police protection

until this investigation is complete,

unless you want to be responsible for what happens

when the men looking for her find her.

Yeah.

I didn't know anything about this,

but I think, under the circumstances,

the girl should remain under police protection.

Well, I at least have to see her first.

I have to report back the conditions

in which she's being held

and who will be the supervising guardian.

Ruffy?

Ruffy?

Teresa?

Teresa, it's miss rankin from child welfare.

Teresa.

All right, where is she?

Sergeant, if this girl has been kidnapped

due to your negligence...

Well, she wasn't grabbed,

and she took yank with her.

Looks like our little bird flew the Coop.

Why?

Captain: I've been trying to reach you and your partner all day.

I still got that lady from the child welfare department,

and we know you have that girl.

Now call me or get your butt in here.

Man: Hey, Dee Dee, I just wanted to give you a call

and let you know that last night was...

Well, uh...

Anyway, at least we know she's all right.

Yeah, but for how long?

If she's in danger,

the last place she needs to be is on the streets.

A little girl with a birdcage

shouldn't be too hard to find, now should she?

Benny's. Benny's.

Benny! Ruffy!

Benny, groaning: Over here. Over here.

Hunter.

They got ruffy.

Who?

I don't know. They got her.

How many of them were there?

There were 2, a big one and a bigger one.

Easy, easy.

I'm all right, I'm all right. Ok.

This is sergeant McCall requesting an ambulance at 6042 tiverton.

Right.

Ambulance is on its way.

Go find her. Get her back, please. I'll be ok.

You sure?

I'll be ok.

Well, you can relax, McCall.

Ain't nothing here but us chickens.

I'd have sworn they brought ruffy here.

They probably did.

Then where'd they take her?

Probably the same place

they took those other pigeons that were in the Coop.

Hey, what do you suppose this is?

Looks like a life vest for pigeons.

You see, they put them on the birds

when they have to fly over the water.

You know, this does look like something

that would fit on a pigeon.

Has little pockets here.

This is heroin.

It's Mexican brown.

Hunter, that's what they're doing.

They're using pigeons to transport heroin.

I guess that would work.

With Pete dead, ruffy's the only one

who knows how to run the birds.

I'll bet you they're on the way to Mexico right now.

Look, I'll get in touch with immigration.

They can contact the border patrols

in both Tijuana and tecate.

They won't have enough time to drive to Mexico and back.

Chuck: Hello.

Yeah, Chuck?

Yeah, what can I do for you?

Yeah, I'm calling about Mr. Deacon's airplane.

What's the matter with you people?

How many times I gotta tell you?

It's all gassed, and the pigeons are on board.

It is? Great. Thanks a lot, Chuck. Just checking.

Van nuys airport. Quick.

I could show you how to start the pigeons,

but I don't know where uncle Pete trained 'em to land.

You see, sweetie, either you remember

where Pete's place was in Agoura,

or we're gonna drop you out of the plane

along with the pigeons,

only you don't get no parachute.

Wait. Wait a minute.

Uncle Pete gave me a picture of himself

in front of his old place in Agoura.

Hey, look at that, will ya?

Now you don't need me anymore. You can let me go.

Hit it, man. The cops!

That's the whole load.

This is the last pigeon.

I'm telling you, I know this country.

There's a shopping center a couple miles

this side of that hill,

and a new housing development going up

5 or so miles to the other side.

All I hope is you can find the place.

It should be easy enough to spot from the air,

that is, if the kid's telling us the truth.

Ah, she's too scared to lie.

If I didn't have the cash in my own hands,

I wouldn't believe that anybody in his right mind

would be doing business with you guys.

You hang a million bucks worth of dope

on a flock of pigeons?

Que estupidos.

You don't even know where they're going to land.

Let us worry about it, ok?

You'll see us in a couple of days

after we turn this deal.

Maybe you'll turn this load over,

and maybe I'll hear from you.

Amigo, I got other customers

who are more of a sure thing.

Adios.

Let me tell you something, cucuracha.

Want to trade bad attitudes?

I got one with your name on it.

All you gotta do is show when and where I tell you to,

or my pigeon-toting friends and I

are gonna come back down here

and stomp on some sombreros.

¿comprende, amigo?

Hey...

I got all the dope you can buy, amigo.

Now, if that stuff don't reach the people

who are bankrolling you,

it ain't my neck.

Vamonos.

Let's finish up here and get out.

Now what the hell is this thing?

It's a vest they put on pigeons

so they can carry things.

You see, it's got these 2 little pockets here, captain.

We got it in the warehouse where they were keeping the pigeons.

Pigeons with their own little vests.

That's cute, hunter.

Well, what's all this got to do

with whether or not the girl was kidnapped?

We think the people using these birds

are smuggling narcotics up from Mexico,

and they kidnapped the girl because she's the only one

that can manage the birds.

Using pigeons to smuggle narcotics?

If you're putting me on, hunter...

Really. If you are putting him on, hunter...

The police chemists ran a check on this vest.

The preliminary report shows traces

of pure, uncut Mexican brown.

How many birds did you say there were involved?

There's 30, give or take.

Each bird can carry 2 ounces.

2 ounces? Big deal.

30 pigeons, each carrying 2 ounces of pure heroin,

28 grams to the ounce, cut it 7 times

and sell it on the street for $100 a gram,

and we come up with...

$1,000,176.

Exactly.

That would look pretty good on my... on our,

uh, precinct report.

Drug bust that size.

Well, we might have a problem with that.

You see, this is the only bird we've got,

and he was trained to land in the city.

Now, according to ruffy,

the other birds are trained to land

in an entirely different location.

We think that's out at a Coop in Agoura.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go out and pick 'em up.

We can't. Only Pete Collier and ruffy

knew the whereabouts of that Coop.

He's dead, and she's been kidnapped,

obviously because she can take Deacon right to the Coop.

Well, after we run a house-to-house through Agoura,

Deacon and the dope will be long gone,

and the kid will be stuffed in a well somewhere.

You could've talked all day

without reminding us, Bernie.

I'm just being realistic, McCall.

There goes our big bust.

You know, captain, I think yank can help us.

If he was half parrot and could talk.

Captain, according to ruffy,

he was originally trained to the Agoura Coop.

Now if we can make him go back there,

we can hang a radio direction finder on him.

If. If your aunt had wheels, she'd be a wagon.

Now, look, Pete trained this bird

to land in the city Coop.

Pigeons are like cats. They never forget where they lived,

and if the current loft isn't acceptable,

they'll always return to their former roosting place.

How you going to get him to move out, hunter?

Move in a noisy neighbor next door to him?

That's very cute, Bernie,

but I've got something else in mind.

Let him fly.

Turn him loose, terwilliger.

Ow!

Ok. Right there.

Take her down... The barn right there.

I'm going to go around the back

and create a diversion.

Yay!

Hold it, kid.

What the hell is this?

That looks like a transmitter.

Freeze! Police!

Stay put and put that gun down.

You ok, honey?

Yeah, I'm fine, but I don't think he's doing so good.

Hunter, you all right?

I think I sprained my back.

That was a dumb stunt. You could've gotten killed.

Well, it worked for her.

You guys will come see me, won't you?

We sure will.

You betcha, ruffy.

Just as soon as you get into your new foster home.

And you'll be sure to tell 'em where, huh, miss rankin?

Of course. It's time to go.

Give me a hug. You take care, huh?

You, too.

Bye, honey. Bye.

Be good.

Bye.

So long, ruffy.

You, too, big guy... ow!

Damn bird. There oughta be a law.

Good riddance.

Kids and animals don't belong in a police station anyway.

Bernie, you better get a shot for that right away,

otherwise you might come down with

spichinosis of the mucket.

You must really think i'm stupid, don't you, hunter?

Well, when you've got me, you've got me, Bernie.

Hunter, you ever think about having kids?

No.

Me, either.