Original subtitles

My name is Thomas Vail, or at least it was.

I'm a photographer.

I had it all. A wife, Allison, friends, a career.

And in one moment, it was all taken away.

All because of a single photograph.

I have it.

They want it.

And they will do anything to get the negative.

I'm keeping this diary as proof that these events are real.

I know they are.

They have to be.

Time used to mean something in my life. Time to get to work.

Time for dinner.

Time for a soft kiss.

I had time. Forever.

Since the events of my life have become what they are,

time no longer seems to have any meaning.

Tonight, though, is an exception.

I had an appointment, a phone call.

A phone call that might provide some real answers.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

Yes.

I've changed my mind. I won't do it. Look, all I need is the list of names,

their ranks, and where they were stationed in 92.

Look, they don't have to know. I don't need to know who you are.

I don't need to know what you look like. I just need the list.

I'm running out of time.

Please.

Look, man, you said it yourself. It's a matter of conscience.

It's not just a matter of conscience.

It's a matter of time.

Does your fear really clear things up for you?

8 a.m., the ice works on Jordan, north entrance.

If you're not there on time, I won't win.

I want the negative.

And the search begins, night people,

for the answers that wait within the darkness and shadows.

This is Karina, your light in the night, here to guide

you through your travels. And lend a helping hand.

Hang on. We're almost there. I'd go easy with that arm for the next couple of days.

You don't want to pop these babies.

I bet you've sewn up your share of gang members around here, huh?

Who are those guys that wear green, those retro punks?

The Mack boys.

You get mixed up with them, there's not going to be enough left of you to sew up.

I mean, we might as well just tag and bag you right now.

Well, I'll take my chances. What can you tell me?

They're about as bad as they get. They find you on their turf,

they just as soon cut you as they give you the time of day.

Where's their turf?

It runs from 93rd to 95th between Broad and McCarty.

Four square blocks of hell right in the middle of the civilized world.

Step softly, my curious friends.

Though the darkness is gentle, it holds the secret to our fears.

As I stepped off the bus,

I felt as if I'd stepped out of the civilized world and into a jungle.

Not a jungle located 5,000 miles away in Chile,

but one that lives alongside us 24 hours a day.

I had 11 hours until my meeting, one night.

I needed to find my negatives, and to do that,

I should have navigated this turf alert and with caution.

I'm not looking for trouble.

And I guess you came to the wrong place.

Hey, look, I know I'm on your streets.

One of your guys has something that belongs to me. It's a bag.

I just want to get it back.

He's got nothing.

Call him one of my boys a thief.

No, I'm not calling anybody anything. There's some in that bag.

It's not worth anything to him. That's all I want.

He can have whatever else is in there.

That's real generous of you.

Here you see.

Whatever my boys take, we keep.

Yeah.

You understand?

Good.

Well, I'm glad we cleared up that little misunderstanding.

Let's get out of here.

The search is never easy, my lonely wanderers.

But remember this.

Though you travel in darkness, you need not always travel alone.

Let me go!

I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to see if you're okay. Batch!

Got any money?

No, not much.

How much?

Shouldn't you be at home?

No.

Shouldn't you? You're not from around here, are you?

What are you doing here?

Me? I'm looking for someone.

A Mac boy.

Man, forget it.

Yeah, I wish I could. It's important, though. He's about 6'4".

He's got muscles out to here.

He's got a... He's got an earring, a nose ring, a chain running between them.

You know him?

Some things you just don't do on the street.

Telling people where other people are is one of them.

Yeah, saving people at knife point's another, but...

Where would we be without rule breakers?

His name's Tiny.

He lives on the second floor.

That's his window right there.

But you shouldn't go in there.

At least wait until morning.

Oh, I can't. What's your name?

Marco?

Thanks, Marco.

There are things that go bump in the night.

Be prepared, good people.

Be prepared, and always stay one step ahead of the game.

Three shots to the neck.

Who's that guy?

The one who was looking for him. It's got to be.

Who saw this?

I did.

Come here.

What'd he look like, boy?

The man that did this?

He wasn't from around here.

About my height, light brown hair.

Bring him back to me.

Truth is life's blood, my gentle seekers, so follow that truth.

Take your fear and doubt and follow the truth wherever it leads.

You said it doesn't work!

None of them do!

Not in this neighborhood!

I'm sorry, this is a private function.

You see a guy come in here, he had a cut where his leg was bleeding kind of bad.

I'm sorry I didn't. Now, please, you're going to have to...

That's why I hate coming down to this neighborhood.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to find somebody.

Look, why won't you people help me? I just need to find someone.

Let's go, buddy.

Look, man, I'm just trying to find somebody. Yeah, I know. Look,

I don't want to create any trouble.

Yeah, well, at least we agree on something then.

Man, I'm just looking at the big, tall guy with a ponytail. He's wearing a suit.

I thought he might have come in here. No, you didn't.

No, not him. Just you, my friend.

Buy yourself a hot meal.

Look over there.

Come to confess, Mac?

This is none of your business.

If it's in this church, it is my business.

We ain't hurting anything.

We're just looking.

You're always looking for something, Mac. It's the same thing every night.

Another person, a different reason.

Look, Ray, you got what you're looking for.

Now you let me find mine.

What I'm looking for is right here.

And here.

I don't have to go searching for it out in the streets.

Spare me the sermon, Father.

I'm gonna find this guy.

This is my church, Maggie.

It's not your turf. You understand what I'm saying to you?

Now, do you and your boys have any business with the Lord tonight?

No.

Then go home.

You sit proudly in my pews. They're not for cowering under.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I brought these guys into your church, Father.

What's your business, son? You're not from around here.

A lot of people have been pointing that out, yeah.

Well, leave while you got the chance.

I'm afraid the church's influence doesn't extend far past these walls.

I need to find someone.

He's got something that belongs to me.

Take my advice, son.

Nothing could be worth the price you would have to pay.

Go home.

I wish I could.

Halfway to dawn, night people.

Just remember, in the dawn's early life, the answers are sometimes harder to find.

There haven't been many occasions when I've thought about giving up the chase.

But now I find myself closed in on two sides.

Two sides with different purposes, but the same target.

Me.

And as always, it begins and ends with the negatives.

Get off the phone.

Tough night, Uncle? Looks like the old lady bit down a little too hard.

Now, I'll tell you what I'm going to do.

I'm going to drop by personally to pick up my dead presents. Make sure you're home.

Yours, baby. No problem.

Sorry. No problem.

Operations.

This is Angler A-9 Delta. I have the negative.

You need to bring me in.

I need medical attention.

Location.

95th and McCarty.

Mark point and hold position, Angler. We're rolling.

There are answers at hand, my children.

You just need to know where to look.

This is Carina, your light in the night, taking you to dawn.

Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

What are you doing here?

I've been trying to find you for hours. The McBoys are looking for you.

Why?

They think you killed Tiny and the other people in that building.

Listen, Margo, I was trying to save the guy. I just got there too late.

You know, we shouldn't stay here. They might find us.

Us, us. Hey, wait a minute.

Look, I appreciate you trying to help me, but you shouldn't be here.

Go home.

I don't have a home.

Well, then go wherever it is you go. If they find us, I just,

I don't want you to get dragged into this.

I want to help you.

You don't know me.

You don't know anything about this.

Yeah, well, you don't know me, but you bailed me out.

I didn't need your help, but you need mine.

What's that?

The pipes.

What pipes?

Come on, let's get out of here.

I was right.

Listen.

What is it?

It's how they talk to each other.

Oh, man, that's what I've been hearing all night.

I just thought it was steam in the pipes. What? What's wrong?

They know where we are. Come on.

Where are we going?

Where they aren't.

They're heading north.

How do you know that?

Because it says so.

They were just here.

N, arrow 195.

Mackey's got a net out from Noble to 195th.

We could go over to 193rd and be safe there for a while.

You know where the ice works are?

I'm gonna meet somebody there at 8.

Yeah, why?

It's about 20 minutes away if he could catch a bus.

You want me to take you there?

No, I gotta find this guy first.

Why? Why is he so important?

Because he has something that belongs to me.

Something worth dying for?

No, something worth living for.

It's important.

So that guy killed Tiny because Tiny took it from you?

He was trying to make a phone call.

Who?

The guy I'm looking for. He was trying to call for help.

He needs to find a phone.

Most of the payphones around here don't work.

You know the ones that do?

Check this place! Find him! Find him!

What do you want?

I think about it, and yeah, it makes sense.

So is he here?

I don't know. It doesn't look like it. Where's the next one?

Over on McCarty.

Come on.

There's someone in there for you. That's it. That's it.

Why'd you kill Tiny?

I didn't kill your friend.

He was dead when I got there.

He's telling the truth, Maggie. There was someone else there. I saw him.

Blindfold him. You're making a mistake. For God's sake,

she had nothing to do with this. Let her go.

Yeah?

You tell me the truth then, boy.

You tell me you killed Tiny, and I'll let her go.

If not...

I'm going to do her first.

I did it.

I did it. Just let her go.

Good.

Very good.

Kill the girl. Yeah! Do them both!

No! Mackie!

Somebody just wasted Blaze. I saw it. Where? On McCarty.

It's the guy I'm telling you about. Shut up!

Tell me what you saw, boy.

Dude just popped him three times in the neck.

In the neck? That's where Tiny got it. Where on McCarty?

At the phone booth near the tunnel dig. He's still there.

I'm telling you, that's the guy you're looking for! I said shut up!

Well, somebody's gonna die!

Turn around, stick your hands out.

Let's go!

Get me the hell out of here.

What the hell?

It's over.

Let's go.

Is that what you were looking for?

Yeah.

What time is it? 7.45.

Now we get to the ice weeks.

You can grab a bus over on Broad. I'll come with you.

No, no.

I gotta do this alone.

Look, I, um...

I want you to have this.

It's an open ticket.

Bus ticket?

Just take it and go home.

I don't have a home.

My parents don't even care where I am.

Look, however bad it was, I mean...

It can't be worse than this.

I mean, you... You can't have a life here, not even a bad one.

What about you? Are you gonna go home?

I gotta go.

The night is gone, my friends, and with it all the things you thought you'd find.

The path home is better seen in the darkness than in the light.

Hey. An image, a photograph, lines and shadows.

The answers will just have to wait until the darkness returns.

The station you're listening to? It's WKZN. You know where they broadcast from?

You're looking at it.

That's all for me, night people.

Until sundown, this is Karina, your light in the night,

reminding you that your dreams are what take you where you go.

In the darkness or the life, your dreams are what make you who you are.