Original subtitles

-Hey.

Hey, General, want a ride?

-Sucker!

-They have no respect for their country or their flag,

or medals or anybody.

I'm going to put you on report, that's what

I'm going to do.

I'm going to put you on report with the Department of

Transportation.

Hello?

Hello?

Department of Transportation, hello?

Sun spots.

-Is there anything more beautiful?

-I'm sitting next to her.

-Mm, I love you.

A little music.

-Fine.

Ah, that's terrible.

-You have no taste.

-This wind.

I look like a mess.

-You look fine.

-No.

-Will you leave that alone?

-No, leave it.

-Ha!

-Well, uh, it's nice to be in the country.

City streets got bums on every corner,

pushing, shoving, hustling.

There's no competition out here.

we should do this more often.

-Get lost?

-We're not lost.

-Why is it a man will never admit he's lost.

We passed half a dozen service stations, and you wouldn't

pull into one of them for directions.

-Well, what does the map say?

-The map isn't saying anything.

Hey, wait a minute.

The cabin is a mile south of Steveston?

-Yep, that's what Lucas said.

-You won't believe this.

We're almost there.

The cabin should be over--

-Just around the corner.

Yeah, I know.

Come on.

Let's walk.

-Ah, it's beautiful.

How long has your friend lived here?

-Lucas, about--

well, not long.

-Well, which for you could mean half a century.

-No, it's more like 12 years.

-After all that time, why does he suddenly want to see you?

-I don't know.

He, uh--

he said something was worrying him.

-Mac.

Mac!

Mac.

-He's dead.

-Your friend?

How can you be so sure?

I just am.

-Well, what do we have here?

What'd you do, boy?

-Oh, oh no.

I didn't have anything to do with this.

-Body on floor, you standing over it with sword in hand--

looks like you're guilty as hell to me, boy.

You all right, son?

What's your name?

-Leo, Leo Atkins.

-I've never seen you before.

You from around here?

-No.

I'm from--

I'm from nowhere in particular.

-Well, I'm real pleased to meet you, Leo.

Let me tell you where you're going.

You're going to ride the lightning.

You killed a man.

And you're gonna fry.

-Sorry, Mac.

-Are we bored?

-No, we're not bored.

Actually, I was just looking at this book of

drawings, da Vinci.

This dude was making flying machines

when you were in diapers.

Thing is, if he could design gliders and stuff, why didn't

he get our butts airborne back then?

-Because he was hired to make gun powder instead.

-Uh-huh.

-Have you finished those invoices yet?

-Uh, no.

-No?

Why not?

-I've been busy.

-Yeah?

You've been busy?

-Yeah, I've been busy.

You know, I think you've got a little bit too much time on

your hands.

You need to spend a little time in jail.

-Jail?

Whoa.

For assault with a paper airplane?

For littering in your office?

What?

-I'll tell you on the way to Steveston.

-Steveston?

That's the place that doesn't even have crosswalks.

Why would I want to go to Steveston?

-What's this about Steveston?

-Uh, because you're driving.

-The T-bird?

-Uh-hm.

Bring it around the front, would you?

-Cool.

I'll get my jacket.

-I need to talk to the guy they're holding

for murdering Lucas.

-OK.

I'll close up shop and come with you.

-No, I need to do this on my own.

-But you're taking Richie.

-Well, I need him for something.

-I know why you don't want me there.

You're afraid that what happened to Lucas

could happen to you.

-That never crossed my mind.

-Then stay here.

-Tessa, they may be holding the wrong man.

I can't let him just stew in jail.

I'll be back.

Smile.

-Promise?

-Scout's honor.

Here.

-The-- the police blotter mentioned a report of, um--

just tell me if I've got this all wrong--

sword fight on these premises.

-This is Chinese.

You got it wrong.

-Oh.

So what did happen?

-We caught a young burglar.

The boy, who has a vivid imagination, was trying to

steal a sword.

-No sword fight?

-No.

-You've heard about the--

the headless body they found up north?

-Of course, who hasn't?

-Well, I just thought there might be a connection.

-Why?

-Because the victim had a big sword next to his body when

they found him.

-Sounds like a great story.

Good luck with it.

-Yeah, well, thanks.

I guess you know a lot about swords.

You're so good at fencing.

I might have to come back for your expert opinion.

-My expert opinion is that you're wasting your time.

-Yeah?

Well, thanks.

I'm sure with your help this will be a dynamite story.

-I'm Sergeant Powell.

I talked to you this morning.

-Sergeant Powell, I'm Howard Crowley.

Come on in.

So a little horror story brought you here.

Coffee?

-Yeah, we got one of those ourselves.

Got a headless body on a city bridge a while back.

-I know that, Sergeant.

We do get television reception, even way up here.

-Sorry.

I was going to call you anyway to compare notes.

We got no suspects, no witnesses.

Ours was done with a very sharp instrument, so it

probably wasn't an ax or a chain saw.

-What it was, probably, was a sword, right?

-You guessing, or you got something?

-We've got a sword.

I'd run it into our lab to check the

theory, if we had a lab.

Plan to send it to the county to see it this afternoon.

-I'd be happy to help with the interrogation if you're

interested.

-I think that can be arranged.

I suppose you'd like to see the crime scene first.

-If I could.

Who was the victim?

-A man named Desiree, Lucas Desiree.

Kept pretty much to himself.

-French?

-Old southern stock.

Funny, him coming way up here to live.

His kinfolk probably owned a lot of your

kinfolk once upon a time.

-So we gonna, like, go to the cabin, sift through the place

for clues the police missed.

-No, they probably didn't miss anything.

-I still don't get what would possess Lucas to move out to

the middle of nowhere.

-Just wanted to get away, be on his own.

-Like you did?

-Um-hm.

Out in the country, you can take your mistress into the

woods for a quickie without 20 people knowing about it.

Lucas was very careful.

He didn't advertise his whereabouts.

-And you don't think it's this bum that the papers are

talking about who did it.

-Maybe, maybe not.

I need to get close enough to be sure.

-Wait a minute, Sherlock.

Are you trying to tell me that there's a loose immortal

cruising around here, chopping off people's heads in this

vicinity where you and I are going?

-Possibly.

We'll find out.

-Ah, man.

-You're trying my patience, Leo.

You talk but you don't say anything.

-I'm trying.

-Tell me again.

-I don't know nothing I didn't know five minutes ago.

-You do that pretty well, Leo.

Crazy old Leo wouldn't harm a flee.

That's what that man in the cabin thought, then you took

off his head.

-I never took no heads.

Oh.

I knew a guy who took heads.

He put it on the end of his bayonet.

-Yeah, you knew a guy.

Yeah, I bet you knew him real well.

Old habits die hard, don't they, Leo.

What, you think you back in 'Nam, collecting

trophies off the VC?

Is that what we got going here?

-It's OK, Leo.

You can tell me.

See, I was there, too.

I understand.

-You were there?

-Bet your ass, two tours, airborne.

What about you?

-Dog soldier.

I hate the jungle, snakes.

I hate snakes.

And tunnels, I hate tunnels.

-What about cabins, Leo?

You like cabins?

-Cabins?

-You were there, Leo, in the cabin with the sword.

-Oh, yeah, I was.

I remember that.

-Yeah, but not everything.

You see that's why we're here, Leo.

We're trying to help you remember.

-Oh, yeah, 'cause you were there in 'Nam.

-Yes.

And that's what you thought, too, didn't you?

You were out there on patrol, weren't you, Leo?

-That's right.

-And you came to the cabin.

-Cabin?

-And you went inside with the sword.

-I don't remember no swords in 'Nam.

-But you just said you did.

-Hey, look, you've got to keep this straight, Leo.

I'm trying to help you out here.

You were out there on patrol.

You had your sword.

And all of a sudden, he was there, Charlie, the VC.

-Yeah.

I could smell him.

He was that close.

-And you were scared.

-Peed in my pants.

He was so close.

I could reach out and touch him in the darkness.

-Yeah, and you were so scared, you took your sword and you

swung away.

You killed him.

It was him or you.

I know how it is, Leo.

-I tried, him or me.

Him or me.

Him or me.

Him or me.

Him or me.

That's right, him or me.

Yeah, him or me.

Yeah.

-I don't see a stop light.

I don't even see a stop sign.

-Maybe that's why Lucas came here.

To do what, play bingo and pitch horseshoes?

-To live.

To not turn every corner expecting to meet our destiny.

Sounds like a simple thing to do, to love, hate, drink, and

dream about going someplace else, someplace better.

-We a little philosophical today, Mac?

-Lucas just wanted to get away.

He tried to retire from the game.

-Like you before the Gathering, huh?

That's what this is all about, isn't it?

One of you guys is out head-hunting.

He finds Lucas.

So you come up here, hoping that the same guy comes

looking for you.

Am I right?

-Maybe.

-What do you owe good old Lucas anyway?

-It's a long story.

Now you know what to do.

Go and do it.

-I could smell him.

I could hear him breathing.

And the sergeant said, Leo, take the point.

And I took it down on my belly like a damn snake until I ran

right into Charlie.

I couldn't see him in the dark.

But I tried to tell him, don't do this.

Slip away, man.

We're both going to die today.

But he shot me.

-He shot me here in my face.

-Wait, Leo!

Come back.

Come back.

And then everybody was there--

sarge and Jerry and Al.

And they were firing traces, like the Fourth of July, like

a fountain of fire, like a halo.

And then-- and then--

and then the chopper came and it lifted me up.

I saw it all.

I thought I was asleep.

Later--

later they told me that a bullet went in my brain and

made me crazy.

But that ain't so.

I saw it all.

I know what happens, and so do you, because you were there.

-Take it eas--

-You told me you were there!

-Easy now, soldier.

Take it slow.

Yes.

-Like a--

like a fiery fountain on the Fourth of July, no?

-It's not him.

-Come on, I could have been in New Mexico, in fact, by now.

-Are you doing what I think you're doing?

Hi, officer, uh, doing what?

-Whoa, whoa.

-Give me that.

Down here.

-This man needs water.

-Hush up, spy.

-He's dying of thirst.

-He'll be dying of more than that if you don't hush up.

-Soldier, at ease.

What seems to be the problem here, Corporal.

-It's in there, Captain.

Nothing but a troublemaker and a low down abolitionist.

Came in at night and stole the folks' niggers right off the

plantation.

Caught him without a uniform behind our lines.

We was gonna hang him today.

-He's wearing a uniform now, and he will be

treated with respect.

Give these men water and rations.

-But the colonel, he said--

-Now, soldier.

-Yes, sir.

By whose orders, sir?

-Captain Lucas Desiree.

-I've been here for an hour.

-Reflecting on your sins?

-Right.

Get me out of here.

-Come on, Ryan.

I'll process you up.

Sit down.

-Leo.

-You my lawyer?

You don't look like no damn lawyer.

-I'm a friend of the man they say you murdered.

-I didn't murder nobody.

When I come upon him in the cabin, he was already hacked

to pieces, like a broken toy soldier.

-Did you see anyone else?

No, only the lightning, the lightning of his

terrible--

-Shut up!

-Anything else?

-The sword.

Looked like something from "Gone with the Wind."

-I'll get you out of here, Leo.

-You and what army?

-Just trust me.

You're a hoot, friend.

The last person who said that to me stole my shoes while I

was asleep.

Time before that--

-Hey, you.

-Be seeing you, Leo.

-I won't bet on it.

-You're a reporter, right?

That stolen car bull, that was just so you could talk to our

prisoner.

-No, I'm a friend of Lucas Desiree's.

Was anyone else in town asking about him before his death?

-I think we would have noticed.

It would have been hard not to.

-Well, maybe a stranger passing through.

-No, only stranger passing through is the one we caught.

-You caught him?

-No, Sheriff Crowley.

-Ah, ha.

-How?

-What do you mean, how?

-Well, he didn't just pass by Lucas' place.

-Oh, I never said he did.

The fact is, half a dozen folks who live up in the

valley saw some kind of lightning or electrical

explosion or something about the same time.

-And that brought the sheriff?

-Well, yeah.

Around these parts, we don't get too much lightning on a

big clear blue sky.

-Well, what do you think caused it?

-Electric company can't say for sure.

Some kind of surge in the transformer, maybe.

Anyway, like you said, that's probably what brought the

sheriff.

-Oh, you weren't with him.

-You are a reporter.

Why didn't you just say so, like everybody else?

-Somebody else was asking questions?

-Yeah.

And she was a lot prettier than you.

-Hm.

-So you found out for sure that old

Leo isn't an immortal.

What have you guys got anyway, a secret handshake?

-Tattoo.

-Really?

Where?

-We know how to handle some psycho killer up here.

-How's that, Bob?

-Well, I tell you what we wouldn't do, we wouldn't let

some environmentally sensitive public defender get him off on

an insanity plea 'cause he had too much sugar in his diet.

-Could I get an orange juice and a coke, please?

-Ain't that right, friend?

Now you look like you'd know.

-You look like you've got too much time on your hands.

-You know what I bet we got here?

I bet we got ourselves another bird watcher, another spotted

owl lover come up here to save the environment, put a lot of

good men out of work.

-Give it a rest, Bob.

-Well, I'll tell you something.

You know, one of us would be happy to hire out as a guy.

I mean, we'll take you right back into the force, right to

them damn spotted owls.

Won't we, boys?

-Somebody starts playing a banjo, I'm out of here.

-What's that?

-Uh, it's a nice hat.

Uh, my favorite team.

-What do you want, tourist?

-Just something to eat.

I'm sorry the mill closed, all the wells dried up, all the

grasshoppers ate your crop, or your life isn't what you hoped

it would be.

But I'm a friend of Lucas Desiree's.

And we're just here to find out how he died.

-Now don't you feel even more stupid than usual, Bob?

-What the hell are you looking at?

-See ya, Bob.

-We're all real sorry about what happened, honey.

Doesn't make a bit of sense.

Everybody liked him.

Kept to himself, was polite to a fault.

-You knew him?

-Oh, well, nobody really knew him.

He came in here for food and supplies.

He was a real gentleman.

-Yes, he was.

-Don't you ever get hungry?

-Thanks.

-Now what's the special?

-Oh, nothing's ever special here.

Try the meatloaf.

Uh, no, I'll try number four.

-And I would like the cheeseburger but with

processed cheese and sweet pickles on the side, tomato,

lettuce, onion, ketchup, mustard.

-Look, how many ways can I say no comment before I bore you,

Miss MacFarland?

-Look, no microphone, no hidden camera, just some

background, Sergeant.

-Look, this is the earliest stage of our investigation,

and--

-Ah, ha.

So you are investigating the beheading in the

city a while back.

I mean, why else would you come clear up to the boonies?

-Now Steveston isn't the boonies, Miss MacFarland, it's

the sticks, right before the boonies.

-Any leads on the suspects.

-No--

-Comment.

I know.

I know and I understand.

And I appreciate your need for discretion.

So if everything I've just suggested is true, just say no

comment, and I'll understand.

-Look, I may be taking a suspect back with me for

psychiatric evaluation.

Check back with me then.

I'll give you whatever I can.

-You're on my Christmas list, you know.

-Isn't that nice.

-Extra mayo, and not that light stuff,

only the real stuff.

If you can only get the light stuff, forget about it.

And uh, I would like that well done with onion rings and

French fries on the side.

You know something, I tell you what, I'm

going to splurge actually.

Make that a double.

-Salad and cheeseburger.

-He'll just know what I want, right?

-Oh, yeah.

-Uh, did he have any friends here in Steveston?

-Uh, got on with the old sheriff real good.

He used to play chess every Friday night right over at

that table.

-Really?

With Sheriff Crowley?

Oh, no, old Nate Perkins.

He returned and moved to Florida a few years back.

Since then, Lucas kept pretty much to himself, you hardly

ever saw him.

-I guess Sheriff Crowley wasn't much for chess.

-Who knows?

There was another one keeps to himself.

Gets along well enough with the likes of Le Moine, but

he's a loner--

well respected, though.

Nobody messes with the sheriff.

-Not even Lucas?

-Lucas?

I don't think I ever saw the two of them

together in the same room.

I got the feeling they wanted it that way.

-I still don't understand why you changed your mind.

I thought you wanted help.

-I naturally assumed that a big city force would do a

better job conducting an interrogation.

You fell for his crazy Leo act like a

catfish to a stink bate.

-Let's let a psychiatrist decide that.

In my professional opinion, Leo didn't behead anybody.

Now our lab found no traces of the victim's blood, not even

microscopic particles on the sword you

recovered from the cabin.

-Maybe there was another weapon.

-Well, you said you showed up on the scene moments later.

What did Leo do with the other sword, swallow it?

Now look, he is who he says he is, a guy who staggered into

the wrong place at the wrong time.

-I'm afraid that won't wash with the good people of

Steveston county.

-I got a valid psychiatric warrant for him.

You tell the good people of Steveston it's out of your

jurisdiction.

-Not until you're over the county line.

You know what route to take.

-Look, I don't need his help.

-He's going to show you a back way out of the county.

I don't need any trouble on my watch.

-OK, let's go.

-We're not taking your car.

-You know, I think I'll ride with Leo.

See, I'm such a city fellow, I might get lost

on these back roads.

I'll send somebody back for my car.

-You do that, no bother at all.

-Diner.

Speak up.

Who?

-Tommy Riley, it's for you.

-Who is it?

-I don't know.

He mumbled so bad, I couldn't understand him.

-Hello.

-So you all done?

Yeah, thanks.

-Uh, Tommy--

Tommy, do you intend to pay for this?

-Yeah, put it on my tab.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah, put it on the tab.

By the way, they were taking the guy they say killed your

friend down south for psychiatric evaluation.

-Well, it sounds fair, Gwen.

-Yeah, if somebody doesn't hang him first.

-I'm Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.

Thanks.

-Good thing they buried you way out here.

Not too crowded.

If I hadn't happened by today, you could have stayed under

there for quite a spell.

-Some would think this was a good time to take my head,

Lucas.

-Some would, I expect.

It was hard hanging you, even knowing what I knew.

The others seemed to enjoy it.

-You stole their slaves.

You're destroying their way of life.

Revenge is all they have left.

-You follow that road north to your lines.

I just might follow it myself one day.

-They were on the wrong side, you know that, Lucas.

-Oh, we just get attached to the people, don't we?

A lot of good folk down here, friends.

Loyalty's a real funny thing.

Probably causes as much harm as it does good.

Yes, sir.

I think I'll up and follow that road north one day.

-I look forward to that.

Be dark soon.

Best be going.

-So he says, shut up, they're coming closer.

-Easy, boys.

I don't believe we've met.

-I know who you are.

-If you're here for the hunting, the

season's just opened.

-Claims to be a friend of Lucas Desiree, sheriff.

-Is that a fact?

-That's a fact.

-Now we heard that that big city detective is taking that

bum back with him.

-Wish I could tell you different, Bob.

City folks just don't see things as clear as you and I.

Makes a man lose hope.

-To an outsider, that might seem like you want these men

to do something about it.

-Do?

Have I asked you boys to do anything?

I'm just informing them as concerned citizens.

-And we do appreciate that, sheriff.

We just might voice our concern.

-That's very civic minded of you.

-Let's go, boys.

Well, got to run.

I suppose I'll be seeing you again.

Your friend Lucas died on his knees begging for his life.

-We'll see how you do.

-Well, it looks like we missed them.

-What do we do now?

I thought we were jamming.

-Nobody's told them Leo's gone.

-So they got a bad tip.

-She your type?

-Definitely.

-Good.

-Can I help you with something?

-No, no, no, no, no.

Just, uh, thought you might be here to interview that bum,

Leo Atkins.

-Yeah, so?

-I don't know, might not make it out of Steveston County.

You got a police scanner, right?

-Let's go find them.

-Cool.

-What is this?

-Looks like somebody broke down.

-Hey, don't go out there.

-Hey, around these parts, we like to try and help out.

-Mr. Struthers, get back in here!

-That's enough!

-Oh, we don't want to hurt you, officer.

Just give us the psycho, and we'll be on our way.

-That's not going to happen.

Now get back in your trucks and go, now!

-You're not in the big city now, detective.

What are going to do, call for backup?

Now this is the last time I'm going to ask nice.

You did your job, now give him up.

-Come on, all we want is the guy.

We'll let you go.

Just give him to us, all right?

-Is this a breaking story, or what?

-Roll tape, Frank.

-You looking to die, friend?

Put that camera down.

I said put it down.

-MacLeod.

-Go ahead, shoot him.

Shoot her.

Shoot the boy, the officer, me.

That's your idea of justice, isn't it?

Isn't it?

Go home, all of you.

Crawl back under the rocks you came from.

It's over!

-Let's go, boys.

-And take this disgrace to the badge with you.

What in the hell are you doing here?

-I think some people want to talk to you.

-We're here with Sergeant Powell, who just stood off a

mob of masked men intent on taking the law

into their own hands.

Do you have a statement, Sergeant Powell?

-Later.

-Hey, hey.

Hey.

You owe me, pal--

or didn't you notice?

-I suspect collusion by the local authorities in the

attempted abduction of Leo Atkins.

They clearly made an attempt to violate due process and the

suspect's civil rights.

I'll be asking the FBI to look into this.

-Thank you.

Sergeant Powell.

-You really were there.

You were there.

-We're going home, Leo.

-The other hero of this amazing encounter is a

mysterious ma--

where the hell is he?

-I don't know.

-You couldn't let him live in peace.

That's all he wanted.

-Wasn't very ambitious, was he?

-Why Leo?

-People in a small town like to talk.

If they don't get a fix on who did what, they keep picking at

it like a scab.

Eventually they would have figured it out.

People aren't as dumb as we wish they were.

I was starting to like it here.

Now I'll have to move on.

But you're staying here.

-I guess one of us is.

-In the future, I'll remember to leave

your friends in peace.

-What future?

-I guess I've got all I need for now.

You might get called as a witness.

-I'm sure.

-Did they ever find the sheriff?

-He disappeared off the face of the earth.

The FBI will find him.

-What about Leo?

He's out in the car.

I'm taking him to the bus station.

-Uh, excuse me now, uh, I--

I don't mean to bother you folks, but I--

I seen the sign out front and, uh, I was, uh, wondering if

you bought old medals and such.

I'm a little short.

-That's yours?

-That's right.

Figure I can sell it if I want to.

-Well, I don't think I can buy it from you, Leo.

But I might be able to lend you something against it until

you come back this way.

-Deal.

Wow.

This antiques business is a going concern.

I should have got rid of that long ago.

Don't do no good to hang on to the past.

More than one day in a man's life time.

Well, I've got a bus to catch.

-I'll give you a ride to the station.

-Take care, Leo.

-Goodbye.

-Bye, Leo.

-Thank you.

-You think they're going to find the sheriff?

-Eventually.

-What about Lucas?

-I took care of him.