Last Man Standing (1996) - full transcript
John Smith is an amoral gunslinger in the days of Prohibition. On the lam from his latest (unspecified) exploits, he happens upon the town of Jericho, Texas. Actually, calling Jericho a town would be too generous--it has become more like a ghost town, since two warring gangs have 'driven off all the decent folk.' Smith sees this as an opportunity to play both sides off against each other, earning himself a nice piece of change as a hired gun. Despite his strictly avowed mercenary intentions, he finds himself risking his life for his, albeit skewed, sense of honor....
It's a funny thing.
No matter how low you sink...
there's still
a right and a wrong...
and you always end up choosing.
You go one way so you can try
to live with yourself.
You can go the other
and still be walking around...
but you're dead
and you don't know it.
I was coming through Texas
on my way to Mexico.
I needed some time to hide out.
I had spent most of my life
on the dodge.
Drunk or sober,
I got no complaints...
even if I did
get my hands dirty on the way.
Jericho was a jerkwater town
maybe 50 miles from the border.
Dirt streets,
ramshackle buildings.
One thing for sure...
you couldn't find it
anywhere on the map.
For the most part,
I was a big-city guy.
I like pavement
under my feet...
and bright lights
after the sun goes down.
I figured this burg
was just the kind of place...
you gassed up the car,
got something to eat...
and if you got stuck,
maybe spent a night.
Then I got a look at her...
and that's
when all the fun started.
It's not a good idea
to be looking...
at Mr. Doyle's girl that way.
I remember a guy once told me
this is a free country.
Jocko, this guy thinks
it's a free country.
Now you're free to go.
Sheriff's office is over there
in case you want to complain.
Your light's out.
I seen it,
right outside the window.
You know what I'm going
to do about it?
Not a goddamn thing.
But I know what you ought to do.
You ought to get your spare,
put it on your car...
and drive out of town.
Ain't that right, Bob?
You got to forgive old Bob.
He ain't much for talk.
Hold it.
Let me tell you something.
If you're sticking around,
don't be coming to me for help.
You're on your own here.
We already got a fella
in the window of the undertaker.
Do yourself a favor...
first thing, get a firearm.
First customer I seen all week.
Want a whiskey or a beer?
Don't have much else to offer.
Whiskey.
You under prohibition?
We don't pay much attention
to it here.
You got a phone in this place?
Who you want to call?
My mama.
We got phones,
but they ain't workin'...
since you need a switchboard
operator to run them.
You got electricity?
Got that.
Runs on gas generators.
Hope they stay working.
Nobody left to fix them
if they go bust.
Tell the truth...
most of what they call
decent folks have been run off.
Really ain't much left here
but a ghost town.
Some damn sheriff...
making a profit
staying in the middle...
grafting off both sides.
I think Mr. Doyle
bought him off first...
or maybe it was Strozzi.
Who's Strozzi?
That's the other gang here.
Strozzi and the Italian fellas.
Both gangs took over this town,
run off all the regular folks.
Come from the same big city...
but they don't
like each other much.
Bootleggers.
You got Strozzi
at the Sweetwater...
and Doyle's bunch
down at the Alamo.
They leave me be
because I stay to myself.
They think I'm crazy.
What the hell are you doing?
I'm going to go see the fellas
that wrecked my car...
have a little talk with them.
I hadn't gotten
a real warm reception...
but I started thinking
maybe this was my lucky day.
A crook for a sheriff...
and two bootlegger outfits
that hated each other.
If I played it right...
I could make some easy money
and move on.
I thought I made it clear...
who you can and can't be
looking at around here.
That's Mr. Doyle's property.
I came here to see you.
Did you get that car of yours
fixed yet?
I'm running a little low
on cash.
I was wondering if you could
help pay the damages.
I guess you'll have to kill me.
It'll hurt if I do.
Tell Mr. Doyle if
he'd have hired smarter guys...
none of this
would have happened.
It's all about booze.
Gets smuggled through here
from Mexico.
We're part of a family operation
in Chicago.
So what we got here is close
to a civil war...
except now we got a truce.
This truce ain't gonna last...
especially after Hickey
gets back.
That's why you're here.
Who's Hickey?
Hickey
is Doyle's right-hand man.
He's a sweetheart.
Looks like somebody
carved him up for Sunday dinner.
Talks like this.
Forget it.
What about you?
You got a name?
Smith.
Smith what?
You got a first name?
John.
That's a good one.
You on the run?
Where are you from?
Back east.
John Smith from back east.
I heard you wanted to see me.
That's right.
What's the matter?
Did I interrupt something
important?
She was doing her nails.
This is Lucy.
She a real nice girl.
She got a big mouth, but
she's going to keep it shut...
and act very friendly now,
right?
Lucy, would you please
take Mr. Smith to his room?
I guess Strozzi hired himself
another bum.
Got it all figured out, do you?
Yeah. I'm a fortune-teller.
Working for Strozzi
has its advantages.
You're going to love your room.
The skirt was from
just outside of Cicero.
Strozzi said he had her sent
here to keep up his morale...
but that's the first time
I ever heard it called that.
You try and keep it
down up here, OK?
My room's right underneath.
I'll try not to make
too much noise...
when I'm jumping
up and down on the bed.
Sunday dinner was a real event.
Strozzi might have been
a small-time hood...
but he tried to run things...
like he was somebody important
back in Chicago.
He had an army of 20 shooters.
As far as I could see,
most of them were goofballs.
It was all
right out of some dime novel.
How's the food?
Good.
I brought these mamas in
from Chicago.
Food here was terrible.
It's good, huh?
Yeah. I like garlic.
All right.
What is this? Nobody waits?
You're late.
I had important business.
While you were doing
your important business...
things are happening.
We now have a new employee.
Mr. Smith,
this is Giorgio Cormonte.
Killed Finn. That's Doyle's
best guy next to Hickey.
I know all about it.
And you hire him.
What do you think that
looks like in keeping a truce?
You want to tip Doyle off?
Plus, who the hell is he?
Doyle's guys are scared of him.
He was in town 20 minutes,
he killed one of them.
Doyle ain't gonna do a thing
with Hickey out of town.
The only thing that cockroach
might try...
is to hire this guy for himself.
I don't like it.
I don't like changes
at the last minute...
and I don't like new faces...
You got a problem with me,
take it up with your boss.
I just work here.
So I decided to give up
my free room.
I had seen the real thing...
and these guys
were a long way from it.
I wasn't sure if he was getting
a wooden box ready for me...
or if he just wanted
to say thanks for the business.
Look who's here.
Last time I saw you...
you was gonna have a talk
with some fellas.
Next thing I hear,
one of them's dead.
Conversation
sort of went downhill.
Ain't that right, Bob?
He don't talk much,
but his ears work good.
You got a room you can rent me?
I'm surprised you ain't stayin'
at the Sweetwater.
There's a room upstairs.
I can use the money.
You got a name? Mine's Joe.
OK, Joe.
You let me know
when this runs out...
and I'll give you some more.
You got girls for hire
in this town?
Hell, yes.
You in west Texas.
Round the corner,
third door on the left.
You can certainly afford them.
You remind me of this guy
that used to come see me...
when I worked in New Orleans.
He looked a lot like you.
You ever been to New Orleans?
He was nice.
He wasn't as quiet as you,
though...
but you two almost
look like brothers.
Except he had tattoos.
I think that he was
in the navy.
And he used to come and see me
every Friday or Saturday night.
His name was Clarence.
I had a lot of fun
in New Orleans.
Sorry I ever came
to this lousy town.
There's nothing to do here.
...So I took every kind
of dance class imaginable...
because
I wanted to be a dancer...
and so I came here
because it's off-season...
Get out of here, girls!
Go!
I didn't have nothing
to do with it.
What?
I didn't have nothing...
Who set me up?
They forced me!
They said they'd kill me.
I didn't have no choice.
Give me a name.
Give me a name, goddamn it!
It was a guy that worked
for Doyle.
It was Doyle's bunch.
Please don't tell them
I told you.
Shut up!
Please. I'm sorry.
Her name was Wanda.
Crossing me
was nothing personal.
She was just trying
to make a living...
in a world
where big fish eat little fish.
Come on.
By the time the law showed up,
I was long gone...
but the sheriff
didn't let me down.
He investigated
the whole thing...
then arrested the hooker.
I went down to the Red Bird
and asked that old geezer...
who runs the place
where I could find you.
Where are we headed?
A juke joint outside of town.
Strozzi wants everybody there.
He's going to make
another speech?
He don't keep me
too well informed.
Giorgio's always acting
like he's in charge...
because he's the son
of somebody important...
Strozzi's boss in Chicago.
Strozzi and Giorgio
are really cousins.
Strozzi don't admit it, though.
Not a family man.
Where does that leave you
and him?
Celina's was a fast 20 minutes
out across the desert.
Two stories of wood
in the middle of nowhere.
It was the kind of place...
that looked like the special
was chicken-fried steak.
Strozzi told me that Giorgio
and the other guys...
got a hot head
about the money you're getting.
Giorgio don't like you too much,
in case you haven't noticed.
Why does a guy send
his girlfriend to come find me?
Strozzi figures
I wouldn't be dumb enough...
to do anything out of line,
so he sent me.
That must make you feel
real proud.
Quit being a shitheel,
all right?
I get enough of that
from Strozzi, thank you.
You sure you're not dumb enough
to do anything out of line?
I'm just curious.
Your boyfriend got a first name?
Only in the bedroom.
As usual,
she was trying to act tough...
but anybody could see
it was paper-thin.
Even with a second-rater
like Strozzi...
she was in way over her head.
For Christ's sweet sake.
It took you two long enough.
Kiss my ass.
It's raining outside.
Hard to drive in the rain.
Like he said,
what took you so long?
Maybe you don't hear too good...
it's raining.
You're getting to be more of
a wise-ass Polack every day...
and it ain't so cute no more.
You know what happens
to wise-ass Polack dames?
They get their wise asses
kicked!
When I was in this whorehouse...
Doyle sent a couple guys
to visit me.
I had to kill them both.
You killed
two more of Doyle's guys?
Is that bullshit,
or is that true?
I don't give a damn about Doyle.
If he lost two men tonight,
that's good news.
This Doyle, he's trying to
outbid me with my own suppliers.
I try to do business with him,
it's bullshit.
We got a shipment coming in
from Monterrey next week.
Mr. Doyle has got one coming in
tomorrow.
This is where you're going
to start to earn your pay.
That's five trucks.
Maybe 200 cases.
We deliver at 200 bucks a case.
That's 200 grand in our books.
Plus, you know
what's really the frosting?
We get Doyle's trucks.
You know how hard it is
to buy a truck in Mexico?
We crossed the border
a couple hours before dawn.
Strozzi had a plan he thought
would make him look good...
to the big boss
back in Chicago.
It involved hijacking, murder,
corruption of the military...
and sticking me
right out front.
Who in the hell are you
supposed to be?
This might be a good time
to give up.
What the hell's this?
I told you we couldn't trust
these Mexicans.
I'm going to send Smith
back with Santo...
to keep an eye on Doyle.
You stay with the trucks
till they get to Matamoros.
It was a massacre.
Couldn't say
I was real sorry...
but it was a rough way
to check out.
I don't know how reliable...
she's ever going to hold up
as a witness.
She's some kind of a vagrant.
Might even be here
for immoral purposes.
How much to get her out?
100 will send her on her way
right away.
I've been thinking about
how Doyle's men knew...
I was at that whorehouse.
I figure your deputy heard me
last night at the Red Bird...
came over here
and told you about it...
and you sold the information
to Doyle.
How am I doing so far, Sheriff?
You are one suspicious fella.
Ain't he, Bob?
Maybe I was a little
rough on you last night.
Maybe I shortchanged you.
If I was you,
I'd get out of here.
Doyle's men are going to think
you tipped me off.
You got a bus
comes through this town?
Yeah. At noon every day.
Make sure she gets on it.
I got some information you may
want to sell to Mr. Doyle.
He's going to find out
soon enough...
but you might be the one
to give it to him.
A shipment of booze
he had coming up from Mexico...
got hijacked by some bandidos.
A tip like that ought to be
worth at least a grand.
You better be right...
because if Doyle should send
Hickey after me...
he's coming directly for you.
I keep hearing about Hickey.
Sounds like a real scary guy.
Let me tell you just how scary.
It goes that when
he was 10 years old...
gets a butcher knife
and cuts his father's throat...
from ear to ear.
Then they stick him
in an orphanage.
15 years old,
he burns it to the ground.
You just make sure you mark me
down for half of that thousand.
Think maybe
you and I should talk.
I don't think
these people appreciate you.
You going to be my hero?
I thought you were just a guy
who did things for money.
I'm just a guy
that does everything for money.
Anybody see you come up here?
Appreciate me?
You don't know the half of it.
I don't have to take it
from these bastards.
Going back to Chicago
on the first thing out of here.
What's so funny?
You're not going anywhere.
You're just blowing off
a little steam.
You hear the way Strozzi
talked to me?
That grease ball?
To hell with him.
Strozzi's out of town
for the day.
So is Giorgio.
So?
Did Strozzi tell you
he's paying me a lot of money?
There may be a way
to get your hands on some of it.
You going to tell me why
you would do such a nice thing?
Because I'm a nice guy...
a sweet guy.
Like I said...
I don't think
they appreciate you.
I think
you're a very smart girl.
You hear things... inside word.
I'm the kind of guy
that likes to have...
all the information
he can get...
so if you give me
the inside word...
I'll give you an extra hundred
or so a week...
just between me and you.
Strozzi and Giorgio were going
to be back the next day...
but I smelled the real money...
was going to come from working
Doyle's side of the street.
They'd make the first move.
Mr. Doyle wants you
to come work for us full-time.
I'm not sure he can afford it.
Try me.
Thousand dollars.
A week or a day?
I'm surprised
you're not mad at me.
I thought you might
hold it against me...
me killing three of your guys.
It's the only cure I know
for being stupid.
Hey, dummy.
Bring us your best stuff.
Right away, sir.
I know you already got a job
working for Strozzi...
but I figure you
for the kind of guy...
who goes
to the highest bidder...
just like those Mexicans...
that were supposed
to guard my booze.
Strozzi was behind that,
wasn't he?
How would you like to kill
Strozzi...
and that little punk Giorgio?
From what I hear,
a guy like yourself...
you only care about the money.
I mean it as a compliment.
That's why we're all here.
Where's Hickey?
You heard about Hickey, huh?
I heard he talks kind of funny.
That's the way you sound when
somebody slices your face...
jams an ice pick
in your voice box.
Hickey can get
awful messy, though.
This should be an inside job.
We need somebody
nice and neat, like you.
I'll think about it.
You're making a mistake!
Maybe you're just not
very smart.
What the hell
are you holding back for?
You think the meek
are going to inherit the earth?
If they do,
you won't be there to enjoy it.
I might have been
a gun for hire...
but I wasn't exactly
an assassin.
Maybe Doyle figured
there wasn't much difference.
Tell Hickey I said hello.
If I was going
to get into Doyle's wallet...
I needed something big
to sell him.
You don't quit me.
Nobody quits me.
What is it? Doyle?
Did he offer you more money?
Keep the 500 you owe me.
The rest is mine for the work
I did down in Mexico.
You let him walk away?
He doesn't go. Nobody goes.
You get back here,
you yellow son of a bitch.
Put those down!
Something you want to say to me?
Fucking kill you, bastard.
It's not your fault
Giorgio's a half-wit.
You really want to get killed
for a half-wit?
Let it go. Put it down.
Tell Mr. Doyle
I turned Strozzi down.
What the hell
you grinning about?
Goddamn, that was great.
I guess you don't work
for Strozzi no more.
You ever wash these?
Working for Strozzi
had about played itself out.
Until Hickey showed up,
I was out of moves.
I decided to dry out a little.
Went two days without a drink.
For me, that's pretty good.
Sitting out here in the open
might not be a good idea...
for a fella that's got
as many enemies as you got.
I thought everybody liked me.
I'm such a nice guy.
This is Mr. Doyle's girl.
I'm bringing her back
from church.
I guess going to church
makes her feel better...
about keeping company
with Mr. Doyle.
That right, honey?
You don't want to miss out
on the big money.
This little war with Strozzi's
going to be over soon.
Hickey's back.
We got problems.
Strozzi broke the truce,
hit our trucks in Mexico...
killed all our guys,
jacked the whole load.
How's my car?
I fixed that inner tube,
and I fixed that headlight.
She's good as new,
except for that windshield.
I ordered new glass,
but it's gonna take a while.
Will this cover it?
Twenty dollars?
That's way too much.
But I got some information
I'll trade you...
for the change on it.
A fella come around here
asking me about your car...
wanted to look
at the registration...
and check your name.
What did you tell him?
I didn't tell him nothing.
He just went on ahead
and looked anyway.
But guess what.
He didn't find
that registration, did he?
That's right.
You can keep that change.
This fella
say what his name was?
He didn't say,
but I know who it was.
One of them Italian boys
been hanging around town...
named Giorgio.
Thanks.
Jesus Christ!
Somebody answer
the goddamn phone!
Maybe Chicago
found a way to get through.
Looks like I struck pay dirt.
Who's this? Giorgio?
Yeah. Who's this?
You remember me,
the high-paid nobody.
I got a message for Strozzi.
We don't need any messages
from jerks like you.
Don't be stupid.
Just because
I don't work for you...
doesn't mean
I can't be a friend.
I don't want to see
your boss get hurt.
You tell him that Doyle knows...
that he's the one that hijacked
his shipment...
but maybe you got
a bigger problem.
There's a rumor Ram?rez is
going back on Doyle's payroll.
Who knows?
Maybe it's all just bullshit.
You getting this?
Yeah, I'm getting it.
All bullshit.
Good boy. You tell
your cousin to watch his ass.
The Italians were winning
in New York and Chicago...
but they weren't doing too good
in Jericho.
A little past nine
that night...
I got a look at Giorgio
leaving town.
You could almost see
the price tag...
hanging around his neck.
I just came by to tell you...
that me and Strozzi
made it up this morning.
I got an investment there...
so we can forget
about the other day, right?
It was just one time for fun.
Business is business.
I don't want to get myself
in the middle of anything.
Strozzi's
going to take care of me.
I saw that punk Giorgio
sneak out of town.
Where is he headed?
He went to El Morado.
What's he doing down in Mexico?
What he always does...
drinks, messes around,
goes to whorehouses.
I'm surprised Strozzi didn't go.
He must be getting pretty used
to whores by now.
Goddamn you!
What?
I think you're forgetting
about our deal.
Why did Giorgio go to Mexico?
He went to finish doing
some business with Ram?rez...
Pay him off and the cop
they got for security.
I got to go.
We're quits now, right?
We're quits.
That mouthy little cousin
of Strozzi's, Giorgio...
is on his way down
to Mexico right now...
to see a friend of yours,
a fella named Ram?rez.
You know a guy named Ram?rez?
Going to pay him back
for the hijack.
How do you like the story
so far?
Good. Keep talking.
He's going to see a cop
down there, too.
This cop's responsibility...
was security
on this side of the border...
so I guess
he's going to get paid, too.
They're probably all planning
their next shipment...
going to use your trucks.
I don't want to be pushy...
but this kind
of information's...
a little too valuable
to be giving away.
Giorgio's very important
to Strozzi.
If something
were to happen to him...
it would be very bad
for Strozzi, don't you think?
Take as much as you want.
You work for me now.
I'll just take that 2,000
we agreed upon.
You work with us,
you work with the winners.
Anything else is stupid.
I'll think about it.
What the hell
are you holding back for?
I don't play this style!
His name's Smith,
at least that's what he says.
This is Hickey.
I told you about him.
Told me all about you.
I been hearing about you
all over town, actually.
I especially liked
that orphanage story.
They tell you about them kids
burning up like candles?
My favorite part.
You shot some of our guys.
I guess I did,
the ones that deserved it.
You got Finn.
He's Doyle's best shooter.
I thought you were the best.
No. Just the best looking.
Enough of this bullshit!
This game is finished.
We got to talk.
I guess you better go talk.
Don't believe everything
you hear.
El Morado was about 30 miles
across the Rio Grande.
The whole town was celebrating
some saint's day...
which meant everybody was
either drunk or working on it.
Doyle took my bait...
and sent a car due south
the next morning.
You didn't have
to be real smart...
to guess who the passenger was.
No, thanks.
Looks to me you're a cop.
You're wearing a gun, right?
That's good.
Maybe you're the kind of guy...
to shoot an unarmed man
in the back.
Make your play.
We're taking you out of here.
Just don't shoot me.
Come on.
She looks like her mother.
It's all right. He's asleep.
I parked a couple of miles
from here and walked in.
Why do you come out here?
Doyle lets me be alone here.
It's the only place
they don't watch me.
Why do you stay with him?
People don't own other people.
A year ago, my husband gambled
with Mr. Doyle.
After he lost me,
he went back across the border.
He was ashamed.
When Doyle
took me from my daughter...
I went to sleep.
All I had left was to pray.
My fear is my curse.
What's yours?
I was born without a conscience.
There's a fella here
come to see you.
John Smith,
meet Captain Tom Pickett.
He is the head ranger
here in my district.
He generally
just comes down when...
Shut up, Galt.
Sit down, Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith and I
are going to have a drink.
We got a lot
to talk about tonight.
I'm here about
a murdered policeman...
got himself killed
the other side of the river...
in some crummy little
Mexican town.
A few locals killed, too...
and a double-dealing comandante
named Ram?rez.
But the man
I'm concerned about...
was an American
on the border patrol.
He had a family. Well liked
by his brother officers.
I guess he strayed a little bit
in some departments...
but he was an officer of the law
just the same.
You know anything
about his death, son?
No, I don't think so.
That's odd.
Don't hardly seem possible.
Mr. Galt here says
you're real well-informed...
on what happens around here.
You saying I did it?
I asked if you knew anything
about it, not if you did it.
The crime has been solved, son.
Mexican police picked up two
armed drifters from Florida...
just across the border,
handed them over to us.
They ain't confessed yet,
but they will.
I just can't get past the idea
that maybe...
one of these two bootleg gangs
had something to do with it.
I learned a long time ago
to trust my instincts.
Listen real careful
because here is the point.
Things in this town
are out of control.
Two gangs is just one too many.
I'm not an idealist.
I know a lot of things
that people do are awful low...
but that's between them and God.
Do you believe in God?
I believe in God.
But what I'm concerned with
is keeping a lid on things...
and what we got here in Jericho
is just way out of hand...
and Sheriff Galt here
can't do much about it, right?
Matter of fact,
it might be fair to say...
that he's part of
the problem, right?
You been going back and forth
playing both sides...
according to Mr. Galt here...
making yourself a lot of money
out of all this.
It's over, son.
I'm coming back here in 10 days.
I'm going to bring
about 20 rangers with me.
I will tolerate one gang because
that is the nature of things.
A certain amount of corruption
is inevitable...
but if I find two gangs here
when I get back...
then in a couple of hours,
there will be no gangs here.
So it's simple.
One gang quits and goes home.
You boys work it out.
I don't give a damn which one.
Just as long as one side leaves
or maybe one side loses.
That's fine, too.
Kill as many as you want...
just don't kill
no innocent people around here.
I wouldn't like that.
It's been real nice
talking to you, Captain.
Likewise, son.
Only one more thing.
When I come back,
if I was you, I'd be gone.
You tell Strozzi
we got his boy Giorgio.
Tell him, he wants him back,
to bring us a hundred thou...
out to the crossing
at the five-mile road.
Tell him to make it
three in the afternoon.
The trucks.
And we'll give youse two days
to give us our trucks back.
All the vultures
showed up for the exchange.
If I was honest...
I'd have to include myself
in the roll call.
If there was 100 grand being
handed over for Giorgio...
I wanted to take
a real good look at it.
Stick around.
You get the briefcase,
you let go of the rope.
Don't shoot! They got Giorgio!
We're even now!
You got one choice!
Give up your whole operation!
Son of a bitch!
Until I get Giorgio back,
she stays with me!
I guess you know what
I'm going to be doing with her.
Bring him across!
Don't try
anything stupid, Doyle.
Nice and easy, huh?
You don't want to get
the girl killed, right?
Get her back now!
Are you all right?
Did they touch you?
Did they do anything?
I'm going to settle things
with you, Strozzi!
I promise, you wop bastard!
I had a visitor about three
in the afternoon the next day.
She'd had enough of Jericho...
but was too broke
to buy a bus ticket out.
I slipped her 500 bucks.
Usually
I wasn't such a sucker...
but somebody had smacked her
around pretty good.
He's been in a real bad mood.
Ever since his cousin
got traded back for that girl.
Been fighting with Giorgio,
acting like a real jerk...
yelling at anything
that gets near him.
I never seen him drunk before...
but he was really in the bag
last night.
What did you do?
I called him a name.
So he slapped me,
slugged me a couple of times.
He threw my clothes
out on the street...
so I figured I'd get even.
I told him about me and you.
I guess things could be worse.
You get back to wherever it is
you're going...
maybe you should find yourself
a better class of guy.
No guy is going to ever want
to mess with me again.
Your face will heal up.
Your looks are all right.
How is this going to heal up?
Like he said, I got a big mouth.
He had three guys
hold me down.
Told Giorgio to slice it off.
They were real drunk.
But everything
you ever did to me...
you did on purpose, right?
Did you finish
all your business inside...
with the little princess?
Just make sure
she gets on that bus.
You know something, amigo?
I think I just spotted
the chink in your armor.
When you go down...
it's going to be over a skirt.
For most of my life,
I made my own rules.
You don't do any favors.
You don't ask for any.
Watch the percentages.
But you can know the rules
and still do the wrong thing.
The only thing
I knew for sure was this...
Strozzi, Doyle...
and every son of a bitch
that worked for them...
they were all going to be
better off dead.
There's somebody out here
to see you.
I thought it over.
I'll take the job.
You must smell a winner.
I get a thousand in advance.
Nobody's worth that much.
He's good.
Better than that?
Put that goddamned gun away!
Put it away!
Save it for Strozzi!
Suit yourself.
Buy him.
A thousand.
A thousand more when we win.
It's settled.
Let's have a drink on it.
What about the girl?
What girl?
The one you keep.
If Strozzi
gets ahold of her again...
he'll blackmail you
right out of town.
Don't worry about it.
We got her in a safe place
and eight guys on watch.
Eight's not going to be enough.
Strozzi's
got some new triggermen...
coming in town tonight.
Where did you hear all this?
Maybe it's just a rumor.
You want me to check it out?
I want you and Hickey
here with me.
If Strozzi's
got new help coming in...
chances are he's going
to try to rush us here.
You go out to the country,
check on her.
She means a lot to me.
McCool can tell you
how to get there.
The girl upstairs?
You don't have to.
Don't come any closer!
- I'll kill her!
- Put the gun down.
I swear to God, I'll kill her.
Get dressed.
We got to get out of here.
Going to get you to Mexico.
Come on. Move.
Here. Take this money.
Take it. I got it from Doyle.
I want you to use it.
Get across the border
and don't come back.
Come on. Get going.
Go.
I always liked sinners
a lot better than saints.
She was real easy to look at...
but I hoped
I never saw her again.
They're all dead inside.
I found them last night.
Where's the girl?
I don't know.
Strozzi must have taken her.
All of them.
This is a slaughter.
You were right
about those extra triggermen.
Must have taken 15 or 20 guys
to pull this off.
This whole thing
is turning on us.
When you found them out here...
why didn't you drive
back to town and tell us...
instead of
just waiting out here?
I figured the girl ran off
when the fighting started.
I stuck around,
hoping maybe she'd come back.
She didn't.
This one hasn't been fired.
Must have got killed
before he got a shot off.
Strozzi's jealous of me
giving her a chance.
She grew up
in some filthy little village.
Told me her mother
was a Yaqui Indian.
Didn't know much
about her father...
except he was white.
She married
some lowlife wetback.
The only thing
he ever gave her...
was a kid.
Jesus Christ, she only had
one dress till she met me.
The way she looked...
The way her eyes looked...
I couldn't help
taking her out of all that.
We got to hit Strozzi soon.
Get her back.
We have to get this thing
over with.
I'm going to head back
into town...
and see what I can find out.
Maybe Strozzi doesn't know
I work for you guys yet.
We have to get this thing
over with.
Hickey was suspicious...
Doyle was nuts,
and McCool was stupid...
except maybe
I was the dumb one.
If I had any brains...
I would have kept on driving
straight south into Mexico.
Keep it gassed up
and ready to go.
I'll do her, but pretty soon,
you gonna be on your own.
Come next week,
I'm getting the hell out.
T'ain't no business here.
This town is finished.
As usual, it was hot as hell...
and the wind
picked up the dust so much...
you could taste it.
The whiskey helped, but
I didn't want to get sloppy...
so I switched to beer.
Somehow, I had the feeling
the walls were moving in on me.
It's funny
how it all works out.
For one little second...
you think you're going
to get away free and clear.
But you end up
paying the price.
No exceptions.
Everybody pays the price...
even a bum like me.
Take the guns.
What is it?
Strozzi doesn't have
Doyle's half-breed.
McCool went across the border
looking for her.
Down in El Morado...
he ran into a guy
with an interesting story.
He'd seen her heading out.
She'd sold our car to some guy
for a couple hundred bucks...
and took a bus south.
So Strozzi didn't take her.
Maybe, if you believe
the guy's story.
Why would a guy lie?
Which leaves the question
of how she got away.
Big question.
Not that we give a damn.
Indian girl, you know.
It's not like she was
the Blessed Virgin, is it?
Out there in the country...
only a real fine gunner
could nail that many
all by himself.
But you work for us.
Why would you do that?
Maybe you don't work for us.
Maybe you take the money,
do what you want.
You're one of them.
You're an independent.
Who are you running from?
Jericho's a good place to stop
on your way to Mexico...
running from the feds.
Everybody's
running from something.
Working for people like me
and Doyle work for...
has an advantage.
The payroll
covers a lot of ground.
You're scared.
The water's getting cold.
Where is she?
He's nothing without a gun.
After a while,
you stop hearing...
your bones break,
your teeth rattle.
You just concentrate
on holding tight...
to that little part
right at the center.
The rest doesn't matter.
They're going
to take the rest anyway.
Must have crawled off.
Block the streets! Wall him up!
Find him for me!
Search this whole hick town!
Look over there!
Tear up every goddamned inch
of this place!
Find him!
You guys come with me.
Get those cars!
Wall up these streets!
Find him!
Clear!
Over here! Let's go!
Come on!
Find him!
He's here!
He's got to be here!
Search this place!
Upstairs! Behind the bar!
Now! Find him!
You. Where is he?
I know he's here.
Who?
Smith! Don't hold out on me,
you shitheel!
I'll stick a knife
in your throat!
Check the closets!
I'm telling you...
don't you mess with me!
This is not a game!
Don't play around!
You don't want to talk to me?
You won't talk
to anybody anymore!
You think I'm kidding?
Where is he?
Little fella
doesn't want to talk to us.
He came here, didn't he?
Hold it! Goddamn it!
You hold it, John Law!
It's gone way past you!
This thing with Strozzi's over!
You know where he is right now?
He's holed up
with the rest of his gang...
waiting for some new shooters...
that are coming from back east
to help him out.
Where's Smith?
He's at Slim's Roadhouse.
We checked all over.
He ain't upstairs.
Come on! Load it up!
We're going to the roadhouse!
You better be right!
What took you so long?
I had to make it look good.
My helping you out...
don't make
a hell of a lot of sense...
but I'm betting on the ranger.
I know that the big money days
are just about done...
but don't kid yourself, boys.
It could still come down
real hard.
Mr. Smith,
I will help hide you...
but I prefer you be unarmed...
and on your way
the hell out of this town.
That move you made for Doyle's
little honey, in this league...
that'll get you broke and dead,
both at the same time.
By the time we got
to Slim's Roadhouse...
Strozzi's men were trapped
inside the burning building.
The ones that
made a run for it got shot.
The ones that stayed inside
got cooked.
None of them were going
to make it home to Chicago.
Don't shoot!
I know where the money is!
Don't shoot me!
How about it, Strozzi?
What's it going to be?
I give up. You can have it.
You can have everything.
Take it all!
Kill him.
Let's go.
After the fire dies down,
go inside.
Pull out Smith's body,
if you can find it.
He's got to be dead.
He didn't come out.
Everybody in there
has got to be dead.
A little after dawn...
Joe and Galt
got me to the abandoned church.
The bill
for helping the Indian girl...
included kicked-in ribs,
a broken nose...
one eye mashed up
pretty good...
but all I needed was a gun
and some time to heal.
Give him another drink!
We know he ain't dead yet.
We counted the bodies out there.
Maybe you should
take your shoes off...
and look at your toes.
Hickey gets back, we'll be
cutting them off one by one.
I knew by the sound of the car
it wasn't Joe.
It's a funny thing
about people.
One time out of a hundred...
they turn out
better than you expect.
Just your old amigo.
Joe got caught
making his daily run.
The food, the bandages...
they just gave him away.
Hickey?
No. McCool and a couple
of other guys.
Hickey and Doyle are in Mexico.
Doyle's still looking
for that half-breed Indian girl.
Is that a persistent
little bastard or what?
Where'd they take Joe?
They're all over
at Strozzi's hotel.
Doyle moved them all over there
after winning the war.
You think you're going
to fight anybody with that?
I can get a gun with it.
That's the only help
you're going to get.
I always hated it
when I owe somebody.
But sometimes you just got
to play out a bad hand.
There were going to be...
a lot more wooden boxes
in Smiley's window.
But what the hell.
Everybody ends up dead.
It's just a matter of when.
Well, thank you.
God...
Damn!
Go back to the Red Bird.
Get my valise.
Bring another bottle of whiskey.
Right away, sir.
What's that?
It's a message for Hickey.
Him and Doyle get back...
you tell them
I'm out at Slim's Roadhouse.
Slim's Roadhouse?
It's burned to the ground.
It's gone, the whole place.
You all right?
When's that ranger due back?
Day after tomorrow.
That will give you enough time
to get it cleaned up.
I'm just going
to haul those bodies out...
take them out in the desert...
and let the coyotes
chew on them for a while.
Then I'm headed for Houston.
Even Frank the undertaker
is leaving town.
What kind of town are we going
to have without an undertaker?
How about you, Joe?
You're staying put, ain't you?
No, sir. Right now,
I'm going with him.
Like hell you are.
I just want
to see this thing finished.
I earned it.
Joe and I sat up all night
waiting for Hickey and Doyle.
When this thing got started...
all I wanted to do
was make some money.
Somewhere along the way,
it all got personal.
For a guy with no principles...
sometimes
you act kind of peculiar.
Don't go getting mushy on me.
I was just trying to say
thank you.
I hear people thanking me,
I generally start running.
How's your wound doing?
Hurts like hell.
Closest doctor
to here anymore...
is just across the river
in Mexico.
I can show you the way.
Go on back there and hide.
Go find a spot. Go on.
Stay hidden.
You had me fooled.
I really thought you burned up
with the rest of them.
Nah. I knew better.
It was always going to come down
to something like this.
I want you thinking about me
when you're dying.
Looks to me
like you're the one bleeding.
Now hold it.
We can get you a doctor,
get you patched up.
You're going to run this town
with us. I need you.
Give me a fair fight,
he won't need a doctor.
Wait! We don't need the guns!
You, me, and Hickey, we won.
We're survivors.
I haven't found the girl yet.
You know, the girl.
You must know where she is.
You think we can still find her?
We can go to Mexico.
She's up there
in the mountains...
some little village.
She had a kid... a little girl.
I got to get her back.
I'm telling you,
we can be partners.
That's for what he done
to my town!
You going to have him
kill me, too?
No. Don't worry. I'm all done.
I'm just going to watch.
I don't want to die in Texas.
Chicago, maybe.
You can meet me there
if you want...
and try and kill me or...
Maybe you're the kind of guy...
who'd shoot an unarmed man
in the back.
I've done worse than that.
I can't say it all went
exactly the way I planned...
but I was right
about one thing.
They were all better off dead.
Goddamn. I wasn't real sure
this old gun would still shoot.
It looks like you got yourself
a new car.
And that was it.
It ended about the same place
where it started...
out in the desert
on the road to Mexico.
I was just as broke
as when I arrived...
but something would turn up.
It always does.
No matter how low you sink...
there's still
a right and a wrong...
and you always end up choosing.
You go one way so you can try
to live with yourself.
You can go the other
and still be walking around...
but you're dead
and you don't know it.
I was coming through Texas
on my way to Mexico.
I needed some time to hide out.
I had spent most of my life
on the dodge.
Drunk or sober,
I got no complaints...
even if I did
get my hands dirty on the way.
Jericho was a jerkwater town
maybe 50 miles from the border.
Dirt streets,
ramshackle buildings.
One thing for sure...
you couldn't find it
anywhere on the map.
For the most part,
I was a big-city guy.
I like pavement
under my feet...
and bright lights
after the sun goes down.
I figured this burg
was just the kind of place...
you gassed up the car,
got something to eat...
and if you got stuck,
maybe spent a night.
Then I got a look at her...
and that's
when all the fun started.
It's not a good idea
to be looking...
at Mr. Doyle's girl that way.
I remember a guy once told me
this is a free country.
Jocko, this guy thinks
it's a free country.
Now you're free to go.
Sheriff's office is over there
in case you want to complain.
Your light's out.
I seen it,
right outside the window.
You know what I'm going
to do about it?
Not a goddamn thing.
But I know what you ought to do.
You ought to get your spare,
put it on your car...
and drive out of town.
Ain't that right, Bob?
You got to forgive old Bob.
He ain't much for talk.
Hold it.
Let me tell you something.
If you're sticking around,
don't be coming to me for help.
You're on your own here.
We already got a fella
in the window of the undertaker.
Do yourself a favor...
first thing, get a firearm.
First customer I seen all week.
Want a whiskey or a beer?
Don't have much else to offer.
Whiskey.
You under prohibition?
We don't pay much attention
to it here.
You got a phone in this place?
Who you want to call?
My mama.
We got phones,
but they ain't workin'...
since you need a switchboard
operator to run them.
You got electricity?
Got that.
Runs on gas generators.
Hope they stay working.
Nobody left to fix them
if they go bust.
Tell the truth...
most of what they call
decent folks have been run off.
Really ain't much left here
but a ghost town.
Some damn sheriff...
making a profit
staying in the middle...
grafting off both sides.
I think Mr. Doyle
bought him off first...
or maybe it was Strozzi.
Who's Strozzi?
That's the other gang here.
Strozzi and the Italian fellas.
Both gangs took over this town,
run off all the regular folks.
Come from the same big city...
but they don't
like each other much.
Bootleggers.
You got Strozzi
at the Sweetwater...
and Doyle's bunch
down at the Alamo.
They leave me be
because I stay to myself.
They think I'm crazy.
What the hell are you doing?
I'm going to go see the fellas
that wrecked my car...
have a little talk with them.
I hadn't gotten
a real warm reception...
but I started thinking
maybe this was my lucky day.
A crook for a sheriff...
and two bootlegger outfits
that hated each other.
If I played it right...
I could make some easy money
and move on.
I thought I made it clear...
who you can and can't be
looking at around here.
That's Mr. Doyle's property.
I came here to see you.
Did you get that car of yours
fixed yet?
I'm running a little low
on cash.
I was wondering if you could
help pay the damages.
I guess you'll have to kill me.
It'll hurt if I do.
Tell Mr. Doyle if
he'd have hired smarter guys...
none of this
would have happened.
It's all about booze.
Gets smuggled through here
from Mexico.
We're part of a family operation
in Chicago.
So what we got here is close
to a civil war...
except now we got a truce.
This truce ain't gonna last...
especially after Hickey
gets back.
That's why you're here.
Who's Hickey?
Hickey
is Doyle's right-hand man.
He's a sweetheart.
Looks like somebody
carved him up for Sunday dinner.
Talks like this.
Forget it.
What about you?
You got a name?
Smith.
Smith what?
You got a first name?
John.
That's a good one.
You on the run?
Where are you from?
Back east.
John Smith from back east.
I heard you wanted to see me.
That's right.
What's the matter?
Did I interrupt something
important?
She was doing her nails.
This is Lucy.
She a real nice girl.
She got a big mouth, but
she's going to keep it shut...
and act very friendly now,
right?
Lucy, would you please
take Mr. Smith to his room?
I guess Strozzi hired himself
another bum.
Got it all figured out, do you?
Yeah. I'm a fortune-teller.
Working for Strozzi
has its advantages.
You're going to love your room.
The skirt was from
just outside of Cicero.
Strozzi said he had her sent
here to keep up his morale...
but that's the first time
I ever heard it called that.
You try and keep it
down up here, OK?
My room's right underneath.
I'll try not to make
too much noise...
when I'm jumping
up and down on the bed.
Sunday dinner was a real event.
Strozzi might have been
a small-time hood...
but he tried to run things...
like he was somebody important
back in Chicago.
He had an army of 20 shooters.
As far as I could see,
most of them were goofballs.
It was all
right out of some dime novel.
How's the food?
Good.
I brought these mamas in
from Chicago.
Food here was terrible.
It's good, huh?
Yeah. I like garlic.
All right.
What is this? Nobody waits?
You're late.
I had important business.
While you were doing
your important business...
things are happening.
We now have a new employee.
Mr. Smith,
this is Giorgio Cormonte.
Killed Finn. That's Doyle's
best guy next to Hickey.
I know all about it.
And you hire him.
What do you think that
looks like in keeping a truce?
You want to tip Doyle off?
Plus, who the hell is he?
Doyle's guys are scared of him.
He was in town 20 minutes,
he killed one of them.
Doyle ain't gonna do a thing
with Hickey out of town.
The only thing that cockroach
might try...
is to hire this guy for himself.
I don't like it.
I don't like changes
at the last minute...
and I don't like new faces...
You got a problem with me,
take it up with your boss.
I just work here.
So I decided to give up
my free room.
I had seen the real thing...
and these guys
were a long way from it.
I wasn't sure if he was getting
a wooden box ready for me...
or if he just wanted
to say thanks for the business.
Look who's here.
Last time I saw you...
you was gonna have a talk
with some fellas.
Next thing I hear,
one of them's dead.
Conversation
sort of went downhill.
Ain't that right, Bob?
He don't talk much,
but his ears work good.
You got a room you can rent me?
I'm surprised you ain't stayin'
at the Sweetwater.
There's a room upstairs.
I can use the money.
You got a name? Mine's Joe.
OK, Joe.
You let me know
when this runs out...
and I'll give you some more.
You got girls for hire
in this town?
Hell, yes.
You in west Texas.
Round the corner,
third door on the left.
You can certainly afford them.
You remind me of this guy
that used to come see me...
when I worked in New Orleans.
He looked a lot like you.
You ever been to New Orleans?
He was nice.
He wasn't as quiet as you,
though...
but you two almost
look like brothers.
Except he had tattoos.
I think that he was
in the navy.
And he used to come and see me
every Friday or Saturday night.
His name was Clarence.
I had a lot of fun
in New Orleans.
Sorry I ever came
to this lousy town.
There's nothing to do here.
...So I took every kind
of dance class imaginable...
because
I wanted to be a dancer...
and so I came here
because it's off-season...
Get out of here, girls!
Go!
I didn't have nothing
to do with it.
What?
I didn't have nothing...
Who set me up?
They forced me!
They said they'd kill me.
I didn't have no choice.
Give me a name.
Give me a name, goddamn it!
It was a guy that worked
for Doyle.
It was Doyle's bunch.
Please don't tell them
I told you.
Shut up!
Please. I'm sorry.
Her name was Wanda.
Crossing me
was nothing personal.
She was just trying
to make a living...
in a world
where big fish eat little fish.
Come on.
By the time the law showed up,
I was long gone...
but the sheriff
didn't let me down.
He investigated
the whole thing...
then arrested the hooker.
I went down to the Red Bird
and asked that old geezer...
who runs the place
where I could find you.
Where are we headed?
A juke joint outside of town.
Strozzi wants everybody there.
He's going to make
another speech?
He don't keep me
too well informed.
Giorgio's always acting
like he's in charge...
because he's the son
of somebody important...
Strozzi's boss in Chicago.
Strozzi and Giorgio
are really cousins.
Strozzi don't admit it, though.
Not a family man.
Where does that leave you
and him?
Celina's was a fast 20 minutes
out across the desert.
Two stories of wood
in the middle of nowhere.
It was the kind of place...
that looked like the special
was chicken-fried steak.
Strozzi told me that Giorgio
and the other guys...
got a hot head
about the money you're getting.
Giorgio don't like you too much,
in case you haven't noticed.
Why does a guy send
his girlfriend to come find me?
Strozzi figures
I wouldn't be dumb enough...
to do anything out of line,
so he sent me.
That must make you feel
real proud.
Quit being a shitheel,
all right?
I get enough of that
from Strozzi, thank you.
You sure you're not dumb enough
to do anything out of line?
I'm just curious.
Your boyfriend got a first name?
Only in the bedroom.
As usual,
she was trying to act tough...
but anybody could see
it was paper-thin.
Even with a second-rater
like Strozzi...
she was in way over her head.
For Christ's sweet sake.
It took you two long enough.
Kiss my ass.
It's raining outside.
Hard to drive in the rain.
Like he said,
what took you so long?
Maybe you don't hear too good...
it's raining.
You're getting to be more of
a wise-ass Polack every day...
and it ain't so cute no more.
You know what happens
to wise-ass Polack dames?
They get their wise asses
kicked!
When I was in this whorehouse...
Doyle sent a couple guys
to visit me.
I had to kill them both.
You killed
two more of Doyle's guys?
Is that bullshit,
or is that true?
I don't give a damn about Doyle.
If he lost two men tonight,
that's good news.
This Doyle, he's trying to
outbid me with my own suppliers.
I try to do business with him,
it's bullshit.
We got a shipment coming in
from Monterrey next week.
Mr. Doyle has got one coming in
tomorrow.
This is where you're going
to start to earn your pay.
That's five trucks.
Maybe 200 cases.
We deliver at 200 bucks a case.
That's 200 grand in our books.
Plus, you know
what's really the frosting?
We get Doyle's trucks.
You know how hard it is
to buy a truck in Mexico?
We crossed the border
a couple hours before dawn.
Strozzi had a plan he thought
would make him look good...
to the big boss
back in Chicago.
It involved hijacking, murder,
corruption of the military...
and sticking me
right out front.
Who in the hell are you
supposed to be?
This might be a good time
to give up.
What the hell's this?
I told you we couldn't trust
these Mexicans.
I'm going to send Smith
back with Santo...
to keep an eye on Doyle.
You stay with the trucks
till they get to Matamoros.
It was a massacre.
Couldn't say
I was real sorry...
but it was a rough way
to check out.
I don't know how reliable...
she's ever going to hold up
as a witness.
She's some kind of a vagrant.
Might even be here
for immoral purposes.
How much to get her out?
100 will send her on her way
right away.
I've been thinking about
how Doyle's men knew...
I was at that whorehouse.
I figure your deputy heard me
last night at the Red Bird...
came over here
and told you about it...
and you sold the information
to Doyle.
How am I doing so far, Sheriff?
You are one suspicious fella.
Ain't he, Bob?
Maybe I was a little
rough on you last night.
Maybe I shortchanged you.
If I was you,
I'd get out of here.
Doyle's men are going to think
you tipped me off.
You got a bus
comes through this town?
Yeah. At noon every day.
Make sure she gets on it.
I got some information you may
want to sell to Mr. Doyle.
He's going to find out
soon enough...
but you might be the one
to give it to him.
A shipment of booze
he had coming up from Mexico...
got hijacked by some bandidos.
A tip like that ought to be
worth at least a grand.
You better be right...
because if Doyle should send
Hickey after me...
he's coming directly for you.
I keep hearing about Hickey.
Sounds like a real scary guy.
Let me tell you just how scary.
It goes that when
he was 10 years old...
gets a butcher knife
and cuts his father's throat...
from ear to ear.
Then they stick him
in an orphanage.
15 years old,
he burns it to the ground.
You just make sure you mark me
down for half of that thousand.
Think maybe
you and I should talk.
I don't think
these people appreciate you.
You going to be my hero?
I thought you were just a guy
who did things for money.
I'm just a guy
that does everything for money.
Anybody see you come up here?
Appreciate me?
You don't know the half of it.
I don't have to take it
from these bastards.
Going back to Chicago
on the first thing out of here.
What's so funny?
You're not going anywhere.
You're just blowing off
a little steam.
You hear the way Strozzi
talked to me?
That grease ball?
To hell with him.
Strozzi's out of town
for the day.
So is Giorgio.
So?
Did Strozzi tell you
he's paying me a lot of money?
There may be a way
to get your hands on some of it.
You going to tell me why
you would do such a nice thing?
Because I'm a nice guy...
a sweet guy.
Like I said...
I don't think
they appreciate you.
I think
you're a very smart girl.
You hear things... inside word.
I'm the kind of guy
that likes to have...
all the information
he can get...
so if you give me
the inside word...
I'll give you an extra hundred
or so a week...
just between me and you.
Strozzi and Giorgio were going
to be back the next day...
but I smelled the real money...
was going to come from working
Doyle's side of the street.
They'd make the first move.
Mr. Doyle wants you
to come work for us full-time.
I'm not sure he can afford it.
Try me.
Thousand dollars.
A week or a day?
I'm surprised
you're not mad at me.
I thought you might
hold it against me...
me killing three of your guys.
It's the only cure I know
for being stupid.
Hey, dummy.
Bring us your best stuff.
Right away, sir.
I know you already got a job
working for Strozzi...
but I figure you
for the kind of guy...
who goes
to the highest bidder...
just like those Mexicans...
that were supposed
to guard my booze.
Strozzi was behind that,
wasn't he?
How would you like to kill
Strozzi...
and that little punk Giorgio?
From what I hear,
a guy like yourself...
you only care about the money.
I mean it as a compliment.
That's why we're all here.
Where's Hickey?
You heard about Hickey, huh?
I heard he talks kind of funny.
That's the way you sound when
somebody slices your face...
jams an ice pick
in your voice box.
Hickey can get
awful messy, though.
This should be an inside job.
We need somebody
nice and neat, like you.
I'll think about it.
You're making a mistake!
Maybe you're just not
very smart.
What the hell
are you holding back for?
You think the meek
are going to inherit the earth?
If they do,
you won't be there to enjoy it.
I might have been
a gun for hire...
but I wasn't exactly
an assassin.
Maybe Doyle figured
there wasn't much difference.
Tell Hickey I said hello.
If I was going
to get into Doyle's wallet...
I needed something big
to sell him.
You don't quit me.
Nobody quits me.
What is it? Doyle?
Did he offer you more money?
Keep the 500 you owe me.
The rest is mine for the work
I did down in Mexico.
You let him walk away?
He doesn't go. Nobody goes.
You get back here,
you yellow son of a bitch.
Put those down!
Something you want to say to me?
Fucking kill you, bastard.
It's not your fault
Giorgio's a half-wit.
You really want to get killed
for a half-wit?
Let it go. Put it down.
Tell Mr. Doyle
I turned Strozzi down.
What the hell
you grinning about?
Goddamn, that was great.
I guess you don't work
for Strozzi no more.
You ever wash these?
Working for Strozzi
had about played itself out.
Until Hickey showed up,
I was out of moves.
I decided to dry out a little.
Went two days without a drink.
For me, that's pretty good.
Sitting out here in the open
might not be a good idea...
for a fella that's got
as many enemies as you got.
I thought everybody liked me.
I'm such a nice guy.
This is Mr. Doyle's girl.
I'm bringing her back
from church.
I guess going to church
makes her feel better...
about keeping company
with Mr. Doyle.
That right, honey?
You don't want to miss out
on the big money.
This little war with Strozzi's
going to be over soon.
Hickey's back.
We got problems.
Strozzi broke the truce,
hit our trucks in Mexico...
killed all our guys,
jacked the whole load.
How's my car?
I fixed that inner tube,
and I fixed that headlight.
She's good as new,
except for that windshield.
I ordered new glass,
but it's gonna take a while.
Will this cover it?
Twenty dollars?
That's way too much.
But I got some information
I'll trade you...
for the change on it.
A fella come around here
asking me about your car...
wanted to look
at the registration...
and check your name.
What did you tell him?
I didn't tell him nothing.
He just went on ahead
and looked anyway.
But guess what.
He didn't find
that registration, did he?
That's right.
You can keep that change.
This fella
say what his name was?
He didn't say,
but I know who it was.
One of them Italian boys
been hanging around town...
named Giorgio.
Thanks.
Jesus Christ!
Somebody answer
the goddamn phone!
Maybe Chicago
found a way to get through.
Looks like I struck pay dirt.
Who's this? Giorgio?
Yeah. Who's this?
You remember me,
the high-paid nobody.
I got a message for Strozzi.
We don't need any messages
from jerks like you.
Don't be stupid.
Just because
I don't work for you...
doesn't mean
I can't be a friend.
I don't want to see
your boss get hurt.
You tell him that Doyle knows...
that he's the one that hijacked
his shipment...
but maybe you got
a bigger problem.
There's a rumor Ram?rez is
going back on Doyle's payroll.
Who knows?
Maybe it's all just bullshit.
You getting this?
Yeah, I'm getting it.
All bullshit.
Good boy. You tell
your cousin to watch his ass.
The Italians were winning
in New York and Chicago...
but they weren't doing too good
in Jericho.
A little past nine
that night...
I got a look at Giorgio
leaving town.
You could almost see
the price tag...
hanging around his neck.
I just came by to tell you...
that me and Strozzi
made it up this morning.
I got an investment there...
so we can forget
about the other day, right?
It was just one time for fun.
Business is business.
I don't want to get myself
in the middle of anything.
Strozzi's
going to take care of me.
I saw that punk Giorgio
sneak out of town.
Where is he headed?
He went to El Morado.
What's he doing down in Mexico?
What he always does...
drinks, messes around,
goes to whorehouses.
I'm surprised Strozzi didn't go.
He must be getting pretty used
to whores by now.
Goddamn you!
What?
I think you're forgetting
about our deal.
Why did Giorgio go to Mexico?
He went to finish doing
some business with Ram?rez...
Pay him off and the cop
they got for security.
I got to go.
We're quits now, right?
We're quits.
That mouthy little cousin
of Strozzi's, Giorgio...
is on his way down
to Mexico right now...
to see a friend of yours,
a fella named Ram?rez.
You know a guy named Ram?rez?
Going to pay him back
for the hijack.
How do you like the story
so far?
Good. Keep talking.
He's going to see a cop
down there, too.
This cop's responsibility...
was security
on this side of the border...
so I guess
he's going to get paid, too.
They're probably all planning
their next shipment...
going to use your trucks.
I don't want to be pushy...
but this kind
of information's...
a little too valuable
to be giving away.
Giorgio's very important
to Strozzi.
If something
were to happen to him...
it would be very bad
for Strozzi, don't you think?
Take as much as you want.
You work for me now.
I'll just take that 2,000
we agreed upon.
You work with us,
you work with the winners.
Anything else is stupid.
I'll think about it.
What the hell
are you holding back for?
I don't play this style!
His name's Smith,
at least that's what he says.
This is Hickey.
I told you about him.
Told me all about you.
I been hearing about you
all over town, actually.
I especially liked
that orphanage story.
They tell you about them kids
burning up like candles?
My favorite part.
You shot some of our guys.
I guess I did,
the ones that deserved it.
You got Finn.
He's Doyle's best shooter.
I thought you were the best.
No. Just the best looking.
Enough of this bullshit!
This game is finished.
We got to talk.
I guess you better go talk.
Don't believe everything
you hear.
El Morado was about 30 miles
across the Rio Grande.
The whole town was celebrating
some saint's day...
which meant everybody was
either drunk or working on it.
Doyle took my bait...
and sent a car due south
the next morning.
You didn't have
to be real smart...
to guess who the passenger was.
No, thanks.
Looks to me you're a cop.
You're wearing a gun, right?
That's good.
Maybe you're the kind of guy...
to shoot an unarmed man
in the back.
Make your play.
We're taking you out of here.
Just don't shoot me.
Come on.
She looks like her mother.
It's all right. He's asleep.
I parked a couple of miles
from here and walked in.
Why do you come out here?
Doyle lets me be alone here.
It's the only place
they don't watch me.
Why do you stay with him?
People don't own other people.
A year ago, my husband gambled
with Mr. Doyle.
After he lost me,
he went back across the border.
He was ashamed.
When Doyle
took me from my daughter...
I went to sleep.
All I had left was to pray.
My fear is my curse.
What's yours?
I was born without a conscience.
There's a fella here
come to see you.
John Smith,
meet Captain Tom Pickett.
He is the head ranger
here in my district.
He generally
just comes down when...
Shut up, Galt.
Sit down, Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith and I
are going to have a drink.
We got a lot
to talk about tonight.
I'm here about
a murdered policeman...
got himself killed
the other side of the river...
in some crummy little
Mexican town.
A few locals killed, too...
and a double-dealing comandante
named Ram?rez.
But the man
I'm concerned about...
was an American
on the border patrol.
He had a family. Well liked
by his brother officers.
I guess he strayed a little bit
in some departments...
but he was an officer of the law
just the same.
You know anything
about his death, son?
No, I don't think so.
That's odd.
Don't hardly seem possible.
Mr. Galt here says
you're real well-informed...
on what happens around here.
You saying I did it?
I asked if you knew anything
about it, not if you did it.
The crime has been solved, son.
Mexican police picked up two
armed drifters from Florida...
just across the border,
handed them over to us.
They ain't confessed yet,
but they will.
I just can't get past the idea
that maybe...
one of these two bootleg gangs
had something to do with it.
I learned a long time ago
to trust my instincts.
Listen real careful
because here is the point.
Things in this town
are out of control.
Two gangs is just one too many.
I'm not an idealist.
I know a lot of things
that people do are awful low...
but that's between them and God.
Do you believe in God?
I believe in God.
But what I'm concerned with
is keeping a lid on things...
and what we got here in Jericho
is just way out of hand...
and Sheriff Galt here
can't do much about it, right?
Matter of fact,
it might be fair to say...
that he's part of
the problem, right?
You been going back and forth
playing both sides...
according to Mr. Galt here...
making yourself a lot of money
out of all this.
It's over, son.
I'm coming back here in 10 days.
I'm going to bring
about 20 rangers with me.
I will tolerate one gang because
that is the nature of things.
A certain amount of corruption
is inevitable...
but if I find two gangs here
when I get back...
then in a couple of hours,
there will be no gangs here.
So it's simple.
One gang quits and goes home.
You boys work it out.
I don't give a damn which one.
Just as long as one side leaves
or maybe one side loses.
That's fine, too.
Kill as many as you want...
just don't kill
no innocent people around here.
I wouldn't like that.
It's been real nice
talking to you, Captain.
Likewise, son.
Only one more thing.
When I come back,
if I was you, I'd be gone.
You tell Strozzi
we got his boy Giorgio.
Tell him, he wants him back,
to bring us a hundred thou...
out to the crossing
at the five-mile road.
Tell him to make it
three in the afternoon.
The trucks.
And we'll give youse two days
to give us our trucks back.
All the vultures
showed up for the exchange.
If I was honest...
I'd have to include myself
in the roll call.
If there was 100 grand being
handed over for Giorgio...
I wanted to take
a real good look at it.
Stick around.
You get the briefcase,
you let go of the rope.
Don't shoot! They got Giorgio!
We're even now!
You got one choice!
Give up your whole operation!
Son of a bitch!
Until I get Giorgio back,
she stays with me!
I guess you know what
I'm going to be doing with her.
Bring him across!
Don't try
anything stupid, Doyle.
Nice and easy, huh?
You don't want to get
the girl killed, right?
Get her back now!
Are you all right?
Did they touch you?
Did they do anything?
I'm going to settle things
with you, Strozzi!
I promise, you wop bastard!
I had a visitor about three
in the afternoon the next day.
She'd had enough of Jericho...
but was too broke
to buy a bus ticket out.
I slipped her 500 bucks.
Usually
I wasn't such a sucker...
but somebody had smacked her
around pretty good.
He's been in a real bad mood.
Ever since his cousin
got traded back for that girl.
Been fighting with Giorgio,
acting like a real jerk...
yelling at anything
that gets near him.
I never seen him drunk before...
but he was really in the bag
last night.
What did you do?
I called him a name.
So he slapped me,
slugged me a couple of times.
He threw my clothes
out on the street...
so I figured I'd get even.
I told him about me and you.
I guess things could be worse.
You get back to wherever it is
you're going...
maybe you should find yourself
a better class of guy.
No guy is going to ever want
to mess with me again.
Your face will heal up.
Your looks are all right.
How is this going to heal up?
Like he said, I got a big mouth.
He had three guys
hold me down.
Told Giorgio to slice it off.
They were real drunk.
But everything
you ever did to me...
you did on purpose, right?
Did you finish
all your business inside...
with the little princess?
Just make sure
she gets on that bus.
You know something, amigo?
I think I just spotted
the chink in your armor.
When you go down...
it's going to be over a skirt.
For most of my life,
I made my own rules.
You don't do any favors.
You don't ask for any.
Watch the percentages.
But you can know the rules
and still do the wrong thing.
The only thing
I knew for sure was this...
Strozzi, Doyle...
and every son of a bitch
that worked for them...
they were all going to be
better off dead.
There's somebody out here
to see you.
I thought it over.
I'll take the job.
You must smell a winner.
I get a thousand in advance.
Nobody's worth that much.
He's good.
Better than that?
Put that goddamned gun away!
Put it away!
Save it for Strozzi!
Suit yourself.
Buy him.
A thousand.
A thousand more when we win.
It's settled.
Let's have a drink on it.
What about the girl?
What girl?
The one you keep.
If Strozzi
gets ahold of her again...
he'll blackmail you
right out of town.
Don't worry about it.
We got her in a safe place
and eight guys on watch.
Eight's not going to be enough.
Strozzi's
got some new triggermen...
coming in town tonight.
Where did you hear all this?
Maybe it's just a rumor.
You want me to check it out?
I want you and Hickey
here with me.
If Strozzi's
got new help coming in...
chances are he's going
to try to rush us here.
You go out to the country,
check on her.
She means a lot to me.
McCool can tell you
how to get there.
The girl upstairs?
You don't have to.
Don't come any closer!
- I'll kill her!
- Put the gun down.
I swear to God, I'll kill her.
Get dressed.
We got to get out of here.
Going to get you to Mexico.
Come on. Move.
Here. Take this money.
Take it. I got it from Doyle.
I want you to use it.
Get across the border
and don't come back.
Come on. Get going.
Go.
I always liked sinners
a lot better than saints.
She was real easy to look at...
but I hoped
I never saw her again.
They're all dead inside.
I found them last night.
Where's the girl?
I don't know.
Strozzi must have taken her.
All of them.
This is a slaughter.
You were right
about those extra triggermen.
Must have taken 15 or 20 guys
to pull this off.
This whole thing
is turning on us.
When you found them out here...
why didn't you drive
back to town and tell us...
instead of
just waiting out here?
I figured the girl ran off
when the fighting started.
I stuck around,
hoping maybe she'd come back.
She didn't.
This one hasn't been fired.
Must have got killed
before he got a shot off.
Strozzi's jealous of me
giving her a chance.
She grew up
in some filthy little village.
Told me her mother
was a Yaqui Indian.
Didn't know much
about her father...
except he was white.
She married
some lowlife wetback.
The only thing
he ever gave her...
was a kid.
Jesus Christ, she only had
one dress till she met me.
The way she looked...
The way her eyes looked...
I couldn't help
taking her out of all that.
We got to hit Strozzi soon.
Get her back.
We have to get this thing
over with.
I'm going to head back
into town...
and see what I can find out.
Maybe Strozzi doesn't know
I work for you guys yet.
We have to get this thing
over with.
Hickey was suspicious...
Doyle was nuts,
and McCool was stupid...
except maybe
I was the dumb one.
If I had any brains...
I would have kept on driving
straight south into Mexico.
Keep it gassed up
and ready to go.
I'll do her, but pretty soon,
you gonna be on your own.
Come next week,
I'm getting the hell out.
T'ain't no business here.
This town is finished.
As usual, it was hot as hell...
and the wind
picked up the dust so much...
you could taste it.
The whiskey helped, but
I didn't want to get sloppy...
so I switched to beer.
Somehow, I had the feeling
the walls were moving in on me.
It's funny
how it all works out.
For one little second...
you think you're going
to get away free and clear.
But you end up
paying the price.
No exceptions.
Everybody pays the price...
even a bum like me.
Take the guns.
What is it?
Strozzi doesn't have
Doyle's half-breed.
McCool went across the border
looking for her.
Down in El Morado...
he ran into a guy
with an interesting story.
He'd seen her heading out.
She'd sold our car to some guy
for a couple hundred bucks...
and took a bus south.
So Strozzi didn't take her.
Maybe, if you believe
the guy's story.
Why would a guy lie?
Which leaves the question
of how she got away.
Big question.
Not that we give a damn.
Indian girl, you know.
It's not like she was
the Blessed Virgin, is it?
Out there in the country...
only a real fine gunner
could nail that many
all by himself.
But you work for us.
Why would you do that?
Maybe you don't work for us.
Maybe you take the money,
do what you want.
You're one of them.
You're an independent.
Who are you running from?
Jericho's a good place to stop
on your way to Mexico...
running from the feds.
Everybody's
running from something.
Working for people like me
and Doyle work for...
has an advantage.
The payroll
covers a lot of ground.
You're scared.
The water's getting cold.
Where is she?
He's nothing without a gun.
After a while,
you stop hearing...
your bones break,
your teeth rattle.
You just concentrate
on holding tight...
to that little part
right at the center.
The rest doesn't matter.
They're going
to take the rest anyway.
Must have crawled off.
Block the streets! Wall him up!
Find him for me!
Search this whole hick town!
Look over there!
Tear up every goddamned inch
of this place!
Find him!
You guys come with me.
Get those cars!
Wall up these streets!
Find him!
Clear!
Over here! Let's go!
Come on!
Find him!
He's here!
He's got to be here!
Search this place!
Upstairs! Behind the bar!
Now! Find him!
You. Where is he?
I know he's here.
Who?
Smith! Don't hold out on me,
you shitheel!
I'll stick a knife
in your throat!
Check the closets!
I'm telling you...
don't you mess with me!
This is not a game!
Don't play around!
You don't want to talk to me?
You won't talk
to anybody anymore!
You think I'm kidding?
Where is he?
Little fella
doesn't want to talk to us.
He came here, didn't he?
Hold it! Goddamn it!
You hold it, John Law!
It's gone way past you!
This thing with Strozzi's over!
You know where he is right now?
He's holed up
with the rest of his gang...
waiting for some new shooters...
that are coming from back east
to help him out.
Where's Smith?
He's at Slim's Roadhouse.
We checked all over.
He ain't upstairs.
Come on! Load it up!
We're going to the roadhouse!
You better be right!
What took you so long?
I had to make it look good.
My helping you out...
don't make
a hell of a lot of sense...
but I'm betting on the ranger.
I know that the big money days
are just about done...
but don't kid yourself, boys.
It could still come down
real hard.
Mr. Smith,
I will help hide you...
but I prefer you be unarmed...
and on your way
the hell out of this town.
That move you made for Doyle's
little honey, in this league...
that'll get you broke and dead,
both at the same time.
By the time we got
to Slim's Roadhouse...
Strozzi's men were trapped
inside the burning building.
The ones that
made a run for it got shot.
The ones that stayed inside
got cooked.
None of them were going
to make it home to Chicago.
Don't shoot!
I know where the money is!
Don't shoot me!
How about it, Strozzi?
What's it going to be?
I give up. You can have it.
You can have everything.
Take it all!
Kill him.
Let's go.
After the fire dies down,
go inside.
Pull out Smith's body,
if you can find it.
He's got to be dead.
He didn't come out.
Everybody in there
has got to be dead.
A little after dawn...
Joe and Galt
got me to the abandoned church.
The bill
for helping the Indian girl...
included kicked-in ribs,
a broken nose...
one eye mashed up
pretty good...
but all I needed was a gun
and some time to heal.
Give him another drink!
We know he ain't dead yet.
We counted the bodies out there.
Maybe you should
take your shoes off...
and look at your toes.
Hickey gets back, we'll be
cutting them off one by one.
I knew by the sound of the car
it wasn't Joe.
It's a funny thing
about people.
One time out of a hundred...
they turn out
better than you expect.
Just your old amigo.
Joe got caught
making his daily run.
The food, the bandages...
they just gave him away.
Hickey?
No. McCool and a couple
of other guys.
Hickey and Doyle are in Mexico.
Doyle's still looking
for that half-breed Indian girl.
Is that a persistent
little bastard or what?
Where'd they take Joe?
They're all over
at Strozzi's hotel.
Doyle moved them all over there
after winning the war.
You think you're going
to fight anybody with that?
I can get a gun with it.
That's the only help
you're going to get.
I always hated it
when I owe somebody.
But sometimes you just got
to play out a bad hand.
There were going to be...
a lot more wooden boxes
in Smiley's window.
But what the hell.
Everybody ends up dead.
It's just a matter of when.
Well, thank you.
God...
Damn!
Go back to the Red Bird.
Get my valise.
Bring another bottle of whiskey.
Right away, sir.
What's that?
It's a message for Hickey.
Him and Doyle get back...
you tell them
I'm out at Slim's Roadhouse.
Slim's Roadhouse?
It's burned to the ground.
It's gone, the whole place.
You all right?
When's that ranger due back?
Day after tomorrow.
That will give you enough time
to get it cleaned up.
I'm just going
to haul those bodies out...
take them out in the desert...
and let the coyotes
chew on them for a while.
Then I'm headed for Houston.
Even Frank the undertaker
is leaving town.
What kind of town are we going
to have without an undertaker?
How about you, Joe?
You're staying put, ain't you?
No, sir. Right now,
I'm going with him.
Like hell you are.
I just want
to see this thing finished.
I earned it.
Joe and I sat up all night
waiting for Hickey and Doyle.
When this thing got started...
all I wanted to do
was make some money.
Somewhere along the way,
it all got personal.
For a guy with no principles...
sometimes
you act kind of peculiar.
Don't go getting mushy on me.
I was just trying to say
thank you.
I hear people thanking me,
I generally start running.
How's your wound doing?
Hurts like hell.
Closest doctor
to here anymore...
is just across the river
in Mexico.
I can show you the way.
Go on back there and hide.
Go find a spot. Go on.
Stay hidden.
You had me fooled.
I really thought you burned up
with the rest of them.
Nah. I knew better.
It was always going to come down
to something like this.
I want you thinking about me
when you're dying.
Looks to me
like you're the one bleeding.
Now hold it.
We can get you a doctor,
get you patched up.
You're going to run this town
with us. I need you.
Give me a fair fight,
he won't need a doctor.
Wait! We don't need the guns!
You, me, and Hickey, we won.
We're survivors.
I haven't found the girl yet.
You know, the girl.
You must know where she is.
You think we can still find her?
We can go to Mexico.
She's up there
in the mountains...
some little village.
She had a kid... a little girl.
I got to get her back.
I'm telling you,
we can be partners.
That's for what he done
to my town!
You going to have him
kill me, too?
No. Don't worry. I'm all done.
I'm just going to watch.
I don't want to die in Texas.
Chicago, maybe.
You can meet me there
if you want...
and try and kill me or...
Maybe you're the kind of guy...
who'd shoot an unarmed man
in the back.
I've done worse than that.
I can't say it all went
exactly the way I planned...
but I was right
about one thing.
They were all better off dead.
Goddamn. I wasn't real sure
this old gun would still shoot.
It looks like you got yourself
a new car.
And that was it.
It ended about the same place
where it started...
out in the desert
on the road to Mexico.
I was just as broke
as when I arrived...
but something would turn up.
It always does.