Sanctioning Evil (2022) - full transcript

We're on site at the perimeter.

Clear the area,
light civilian activity,

be aware of remaining stragglers
after last nights skirmish.

Copy.

Hear that?

Scout, check it out.

Sergeant Barnes, please rise.

After a thorough review
of facts in this case,

this court has
reached its conclusion.

You got eyes on Sarge...?

I see you Jimmy.



Tell the kid to put the
gun down right now!

Put the gun down on
the ground now, slowly, now

It's my fathers gun.

What is he saying?

It's his fathers gun, he
doesn't want to put it down.

He has to put it down or

someone's going
to get hurt. Tell him!

I have to honor
my father's memory,

I cannot leave his gun here.

Lower the gun now
or they will shoot.

I must take it home with me.

Tell the kid to put
the gun down now!

I have to honor
my fathers memory,

he died here, I cannot
put his gun on the ground.



Put it down now, they're
going to shoot you.

What's happening Sarge!

Lost in translation,
hold your positions!

Hold your fire!

Under your command

innocent civilian
lives were lost.

United States military
has a zero-tolerance policy

pertaining to the
unsanctioned collateral damage

of civilians on the battlefield.

Therefore you and the
members of your unit

are hereby found guilty

of all the charges
brought against you.

You'll be discharged
from your post

and stripped of all rank and
benefits associated with it.

What the fuck did you do?

He had a weapon and they were
hiding right behind that dune...

I take no pleasure
in reading this verdict,

but you should be thankful that
your actions have not damaged

our trust and nation building
efforts in the Middle East.

They were gonna kill me.

We'll bury him here and
no one will fucking know.

He's just a kid.

He's a fucking kid,
Jesus fucking Christ.

Sarge... Sarge.

Congressman Ambrose, do
you have a closing statement?

Yes I do, thank you your honor.

As a ranking member of the
House Armed Services Committee,

I have many
thoughts on this case,

but only one thing to say...

I'm calling it in. Base.

Go for base. Come
in... go for base..

- Sgt. Barnes...
- What's your call sign?

Thank you for your service

as an Army Ranger

in operation Clear Freedom in
Faryab Province, Afghanistan.

That's all, your honor.

Staff Sergeant Barnes,

you are now dismissed.

We'd be wise not to appeal.

Says who?

Uncle Sam. I mean, you still
have dental through the VA.

People kill for dental.

People kill for dental?

Can you please kindly get
the fuck away from me.

Did you hear me?

- Hey Barnes.
- Disappear.

You look like you could
use a cup of coffee.

- Aren't you the guy that's...
- The only one fighting for you.

That's what you were
going to say, right?

Nah.

Well, good thing
I said it for you.

Hey, let's take a walk.

There's too many
ears around here.

Yeah, I can use a fucking walk.

I think we can both agree
that you got fucked in there.

- Mm hmm.
- Off the record, of course.

Look...

look you're not the first
to be sacrificed to save face...

Right now there's not
much I can do about that.

But I will help you in any
way I can, I give you my word.

Yeah, I've heard that before.

Not from me you haven't.

And I wouldn't appeal
if I were you, all right.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

You're not going to further
your cause in that court.

Yeah.

Slogans from
politicians, it's unique.

I'll level with you.

My uncle served in Nam,

when he came
back, he was a ghost.

Society had no use for
him so he took his own life.

And I won't let that happen
to our troops ever again.

Come on, get
you a cup of coffee.

How do you take it?

Black.

Come on.

America, welcome to
. I'm your host...

Hi honey, is that you?

Who else would it be, mama?

You're home early.

Yeah boss let me out,

Just go wash my hands.

You want me to fix
you something to eat?

Nah, it's all right Ma,
I'll figure something out.

Ma.

Now you know
that I can go out and

and get some more
milk if you'd like.

What are you doing up Ma?

Hey, hey, hey, hey...

See you know what
your problem is?

Hmm.

So used to doing
things on your own.

Mm hmm.

What am I here for?

How about I go out
and get us some milk?

Sounds good.

Office of Congressman Dakota
Ambrose, how may I help you?

Reginald Barnes,

Sergeant Retired for
Congressman Dakota.

One moment please.

Well your vote will get
us past committee

and that moves the ball forward,

so what do you say, do
we have your support?

Sorry to hear that, congressman.

I'll have to get it done
without you. Yeah.

Come in.

The call came in.

All right, well, send
everyone home early.

Cancel the cleaning crew
and schedule him for five PM.

Okay, I'll arrange everything.

Okay.

Oh and...

find my brother.

I have no idea where he is.

Thank you for sharing.

We're only as
sick as our secrets.

Anyone else like to share?

Anyone?

Seth,

anything you'd like to
share? The floor is yours.

Hello.

My name is Seth
and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi Seth..
- Hi Seth.

It's...

Been a rough week for me. I...

Actually I don't think
I'm ready to share.

I'm sorry, you guys.

- Thank you Seth.
- It's okay.

That's okay. One day at a
Time, Seth. I appreciate you.

Anyone else?

Anyone have that burning
desire they'd like to share?

I'll share.

Hello, my name is Dani
and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi Dani..
- Hi Dani.

Man it's been a
minute since I shared,

also had a rough week,

also though a good week,

I got to see my kids again,

Yup.

My husband...

ex-husband, excuse me,

he's a... sorry, excuse me,

he's finally agreed to let me
see my kids more now so...

they're everything to me.

Him and I have had
the most difficult times

communicating in the past and

I just have to
remind myself to...

to just not drink
my way through it.

And I just find a lot of
comfort and grace in this room

and thank you guys
all so much for that,

and thank you so much
for letting me share.

- Thank you Dani.
- Thank you Dani.

Anyone else, anyone...

Hey Seth, hey, can
you hold up a second?

What's up?

Nah, it's just I haven't seen
you in a couple of meetings.

Everything okay?

Yeah, just had a bunch
of stuff come up recently.

Oh.

Anniversary of a friend
who didn't make it.

You know, brings up a...

a lot of shit.

Yeah, I know. I mean,
I know what you mean.

- Yeah.
- Sucks.

I wrote my number down for you.

If you ever wanted
to give me a call,

you need someone to talk to.

I mean, I already
have a sponsor.

It's just for an extra
set of ears to listen.

Okay.

Yeah I will.

Thanks.

You're going to come
with us to the diner?

I gotta get going
but maybe next time?

- All right.
- All right.

Don't forget your lighter.

Thanks.

- Take care.
- You too.

Lady out front,

you know, she told me to
come in here and wait so...

Well it looks like

you're off to a good start
to me, Sergeant Barnes.

You know, I gotta
be honest with you.

After all the letters we
sent went unanswered,

I was beginning to think
we'd never see you in here.

Glad you decided to show.

- Yeah.
- Can I get you something?

Cup of coffee?

Black, right?

Ann, can I get two cups of
black coffee in here, please.

I'd ask how you are holding up,

but that would imply
I don't already know.

A man of your
talents and skill set

should never be under-employed

living in a one-bedroom
apartment with his sick mom.

What the fuck you
know about my life?

Well I do know that as a
result of your conviction,

my esteemed colleagues
were able to pass

a 250 million dollar
appropriations bill

that redirected
critical VA funds

into more important
projects like

re-sanding our nation's beaches.

Conversely, since your
dishonorable discharge,

the only job you've
been able to get

is a minimum wage
warehouse position.

What's this about?

It's an opportunity.

Take a look at that,

say what you think.

- Thanks Ann.
- Of course.

What the fuck is all this about?

Right and wrong,

good and evil,

pure evil.

See,

one of the files in that
folder represents a choice,

the other is involuntary.

You had no more
control over that battlefield

than you do over the weather.

But the man in that other file,

he made a choice a long time ago

to do harm to the most
vulnerable amongst us,

and he's still out there
to this day doing it.

Sir, your wife is on the line.

Tell her I'll call her
back from the car.

Just when I thought I
was done with all this

bureaucratic red tape bullshit,

someone like you
comes back in my life and

gives me a reason to
remain in public office.

We can really make
a difference together.

We?

I don't remember
working for you.

Not yet but that's what
I'm trying to remedy here.

Look, I know

I've failed you in the
past, all right? I admit that.

But this is a chance for
redemption for both of us.

Take the folder,

see how it makes you feel,

my brother Seth will
be in touch shortly.

Okay?

I'd like to thank you

for your continued
service, Sergeant Barnes.

- Seth.
- How'd it go?

Good, I guess.

First contact?

Give it two days and
let it sit till then, all right.

All right.

All right, talk to you soon.

Oh, he's here right
now, I'll call you back.

Congressman.

Hello.

Great to see you again.

Great to see you.

And please keep
up the good work.

I will.

Do you know her?

Yeah, you know I have
a thing for older women.

No, she's like a
donor or something.

The usual?

- Yes, scotch neat, thanks.
- Of course.

You look fantastic,

Sorry I'm late.

I got hung up at work.

Is everything okay?

Yeah it's good,

different, interesting.

How was your day?

Well good,

interesting, different.

Jenny's soccer game was today?

She quit soccer two weeks ago.

When did she?

She wants to do ballet now.

Really?

We're ready to order.

Cool looking car.

Thanks.

Seth.

Barnes. You know, I
pictured you differently.

You talked to my brother.

Mm hmm.

So you know he
wants to bring you in

on this thing
we're starting right?

Yeah.

So I don't have
to tell you this but

the world's got
a fuckin' problem.

Okay.

Are you familiar with Theseus?

No.

Greek mythology.
You know the Minotaur?

Yeah that's the
thing with the horns.

Yeah the thing with the horns,

Theseus killed it.

He acquired great power,

vast wealth,

he even became king.

Rather than keep
it all to himself

he gave it back to the people,

form what was the
start of democracy.

It's a cool story, man.

Theseus got me off the drink.

Theseus made
people like my brother

want to become politicians
and change the world.

Theseus is you.

Look man I only got a few
minutes before I go back inside.

You trying to tell me you
want me to kill people for you?

No,

just the Minotaurs.

You kept the file
and the money, right?

Yeah I got it.

Look it over again, I'll
come for your answer tonight.

Yeah I know my answer.

Give it a little more time.

Think about Theseus.

This is bigger than all of us.

Tonight.

Baby, could you do me a favor

and bring me my
pink pills, two of them.

- Pink right?
- Pink.

You're such an angel.

- Ma.
- Hmm.

I'm gonna step out
for a moment, okay.

Mm hmm.

Do me a favor,

don't watch too much
of that TV, you know,

it does things to you.

You try and be quiet
when you get back,

I'll be in the bed.

I will, I promise.

Hop in.

Where we going?

Look it's cold. Hop
in, let's go for a drive.

Come on.

Where to?

New York City.

New York?

Only the most beautiful
illusion in the world.

Billionaires,

junkies,

homeless,

all on an island you gotta
pay sixteen dollars to get into.

You know the only thing
separating the homeless guy

from the CEO living
in a penthouse?

It's the fucking elevator.

We fix what we can.

I've already tried, man.

Four tours...

look at me now.

Look, if you're feeling
sorry for yourself

maybe you're not the guy
my brother thinks you are.

Hey, you see this spot
right here, pull over...

yeah,

I'll get out here.

Hey,

glove-box.

That's for you.

Or not, choice is yours.

Is that a yes?

Let me get a beer,

whatever you got on tap.

Why the fuck were they
out here at the first place?

We can bury him here
and no one will ever know.

We can't cover this, man.

Use your head.

Did you pick him up?

About fifteen minutes ago.

Where is he?

- I'm waiting outside.
- Outside?

He went into a bar.

Well, you going in after him?

No.

Where's his head at?

I'm gonna let him figure it out.

Okay, let me know
once it's confirmed.

Yeah, all right, will do.
Gotta go, I'm back on.

You waiting for me? Why
didn't you come inside?

I go in there, I drink,

I drink it all.

I'll do it.

I'll take you home.

Tomorrow we'll
go see my brother.

Thank you for making
the right decision here.

Feels like the choice was yours.

Nah, you always have a choice.

Until you don't.

Outside of your court martial,

there's no memory
of who you are,

the sacrifices you made.

You're a shadow, which
makes you perfect for this.

So if you're really ready,

my brother and I will make sure

you're well compensated
for your services here.

You still have the file?

You know what needs to be done.

Then let's get to work.

Oh and...

toss that in your pocket.

Emergencies only.

Jeez, you startled me.

There's a blue jay,
just beyond that cluster.

It's beautiful.

I got some great shots of that
guy the other day, gorgeous.

Can I see them?

Yeah.

Look at that.

Fantastic.

Nice, ain't he?

Love it.

Shh.

Don't move.

You hear me?

You hear me clearly?

Yeah.

Now, walk.

Turn around,

have a seat.

Please,

I don't know what this is.

Take whatever you want.

My camera, my wallet.

I don't want anything from you.

This is for what
you do to little kids.

I'll disappear, I promise.

You don't have to do this.

I know a lot of
people, bad people,

you don't have to do
this to me, trust me.

I'll go far, far away,

I got a problem.

That's yours, not mine.

You need a light?

Excuse me.

Light for your cigarette.

Sure.

There you go.

Mind?

Sure.

Thank you.

No prob.

Bad habit, you know.

I suppose.

It's not your
only bad habit, is it?

Excuse me?

So from a holistic
point of view, federally,

Honey,

There's an oversight
going on, and how do we...

Can you turn the
volume up on the TV,

I can't hear a thing.

Local organizations
with some national support.

Thank you.

The National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children

said in 2019 they
reported more than

421,000 missing
children to the FBI.

- What is the biggest factor
- Horrible...

behind these trafficking rings?

Horrible.

Look, it's different...

How them new meds
working for you, Ma?

They made me feel a bit foggy

but...

then sometimes I can...

remember clearly.

The doctor said they'd
make you a bit sleepy.

Yeah they do,

But funny,

I can see Diane's face

sometimes so clearly.

You know,

she never liked peaches.

Something about them,

and she'd start
scratching her arms.

Do you remember?

Nah, Ma, I was a little
bit too young for that.

You followed her around
her like a lost puppy.

I know, that part I remember.

She couldn't go anywhere
without you by her side.

Breaks my heart...

when I hear about
missing children

on the news.

People never recover.

Need a blanket Ma?

I'll get you another one.

No..

In local news,
residents are still on edge...

No this is fine.

As a series of unsolved gangland
style murders continues.

Another body with bullet wounds
was discovered earlier today

at Palisades State Park as
police continue to follow leads

Mr. Yost?

And investigate.

Who's asking?

I was told you was the guy to
see about a straight six engine.

Maybe.

Depends on what you're driving.

Oh, well my pops

gave me his old ride.

I keep it in the
garage. You know,

beautiful cherry red
ninety two impala.

Decided, you know,
do a little work on it.

You sure about that?

Because...

they stopped making
the straight six in ninety.

Is that right?

You don't even know
what you're driving.

Who was it you said
referred you to me?

Ah, shit.

- Sergeant Barnes.
- Seth.

Dakota.

Outstanding work,

you've been more effective
then we could've imagined.

But...

on this next one we're
gonna need you to...

go a little further.

What does that mean?

What my brother's
trying to say is

we're gonna need you to start
working your way up the ladder.

The ladder? I thought
you guys had all the info.

Not all of it.

After a few names
the trail goes cold.

Look, listen,

we need you to try to...

squeeze...

as much information
as you can out of them,

that way we can try to
put the pieces together

and figure out who's
responsible for this.

Yeah,

you want me to squeeze
some more info out of them,

mm hmm,

You all right?

I need you guys to
understand something.

The service you ask for has
to be on par with the money.

Well if it's a

pay increase you're looking for,

we can handle that.

Take care of yourself, Barnes.

Doc, doc.

Man, I appreciate you
doing this for me, you know.

Not a problem, all in a
days work. Where is she?

Yeah she's in the truck,

you know, she's running
a fever. It's like a 102.

I'm just so worried about her.

And what's your
daughter's name again?

- Betty.
- Betty.

Betty Hartley.

Jesus, Jesus Christ.

I don't know Betty, I
swear I don't know her.

Whatever this is, it
wasn't me, please.

That doesn't matter, doc.

What matters is that
you give me the names

of the people that you're
selling the footage to.

I don't know, I don't
know their names.

Emory Bastile.
Emory Bastile.

What type of man steals
the innocence of a child?

I never touched Betty, I swear.

I never touched her.

You wouldn't lie
to me would you?

No.

Yes.

Can I help you?

I want to know how
you've been selling

underage content for so long

without so much as a
warrant for your arrest.

Don't do it.

Nice.

Tell your employees that

they have the
rest of the day off.

Hello, thank you.

Let everyone know they can
take the rest of the day off.

I'm closing up shop.

Listen to me,

I'm going to ask you a
few questions, all right?

And If you don't give
me the answers I need,

I'm gonna continue to
hurt you, understood?

Mm mm.

- Understood?
- Mm-hmm.

Who do you work for?

Man,

I don't know.

Who?

Phala, man.

Fucking Phala.

Phala?

His name is Phala,

but they call him the boss.

Where can I find him?

You're putting me
in the grave man.

Where can I find him?

He runs...

an operation...

for some heavy hitters
out of his restaurant...

on Green point and

Huron in Brooklyn.

Don't-no, no, no, no, no, no.

Listen man, I'm just a courier,

I'm a go between.

I don't know what these
guys are doing or selling,

they use my servers
for storage and uploads.

I get a wire from the
Ambrose Group every month.

- The Ambrose group?
- The Ambrose group.

Good job.

Good job,

you did good,

did real good.

Okay, okay.

After you're clean,

after you're clean, bud.

Beautiful isn't he?

Is that the same one?

Sure is.

He looks healthier.

Something wrong with him?

Between his broken hoof and

fractured hip, a lot,

but he's doing good now.

He looks strong.

With the right support,
care and nourishment

anything is possible.

We've been making a
lot of progress, I mean...

Yeah I know.

People are beginning to notice,

even the authorities.

Yeah I've been tracking that.

Then why'd you leave
a witness behind?

He wasn't part of it.

And you made that
assessment all on your own?

I did.

An intricate operation like this

only works if all the
pieces are in place.

I don't care if they
sweep the floor,

if they're guilty

we don't leave them breathing.

That's big words coming from

a man who's keeping
his hands clean.

We can't afford
to get sloppy here.

We all know how things
turn out if that happens.

Hey,

he's on edge,

Nah, don't make excuses for him.

He's a grown man.

All things considered,
we lucked out with this guy.

I mean, the demons
he lives with...

What,

shit from over in the war?

No, his psychological
profile before he served.

His father was killed in
an accidental shooting,

a friendly fire incident on
base when he was ten.

A year later when he was
11, his sister went missing.

They found her body
under an overpass.

He never mentioned
a sister to me.

Maybe not.

That's the real
reason he's doing this.

Kill me?

C'mon,

what's the matter with you kid?

Why do you hurt little kids?

Okay, I get it, I get it.

Whoever sent you,

I'll give you double what
they gave you, right now.

What do you know
about the Ambrose group?

Ambrose?

Who the fuck is Ambrose?

Are they the ones that sent you?

Do you know who I am?

Are you a fuckin' idiot?

You're gonna fuck in kill me

over a bunch of dirt faced kids?

Yeah.

Hey, come on
outside to the front.

All right.

Give me a few, all right.

Hop in.

- Coffee's for you...
- Thanks.

Heard you like it black.

Yup.

Where we headed?

Got to go pick up my
brother. He's waiting for us.

What are we doing here?

Come on, let's go.

We got something
to show you inside.

Think fast.

The place is yours.

My wife's involved
in some real estate.

We have a couple of these,

rent 'em out.

Should be plenty of space
for you and your mom.

There's an SUV in the garage.

Registration is in your name,

in the glove box.

Sound like a good deal to you?

Yeah.

Sounds like a hell of a deal.

Seth, enlighten us.

Expansion.

Jeff Douglass,

right here in the Garden State.

Are you serious?

You guys have been
doing your homework.

Mm-hmm.

Good man there.

Yeah, we want
you to recruit him.

Okay.

Look, you served with him.

You know him better than anyone.

So, of course we
want your input, but

we think he's perfect.

Oh, yeah.

Show him the target.

Wait

Hold your position, Scout.
Lost in translation

This can't be real.

Is this legit?

It's confirmed.

Nah, nah, no way, man.

What happened to your arm?

The mark returned fire.

Did you see a doctor?

Yeah, me.

You all right?

That's our guy right there.

Stay in the car.

Hey there, private.

Barnes, fuck

whoa.

What are you doing here?

I could ask you the same.

You look good.

It's been what, like a year?

Yeah, it's been
about a year, man.

So what have you
been up to, huh?

I'm busting my ass
six days a week here,

what do you think, you know.

Yeah, I've been doing the same.

Fucking dishonorable moniker

following me around,
doesn't help right?

Yeah.

I'm making ends meet though.

You looking for work?

Nah.

Actually it's the opposite,

something specific.

Remember that thing we
talked about back in the day

up in the Faryab Province?

You serious?

It's covert.

Pays real money, you know, a
lot better than this bullshit.

Using your skill set.

Real people.

How about we talk
about this in the car?

You know, a lot of eyes
and ears around here.

Gimme a minute. Let me just

tell my foreman I'm
gonna take a break.

Jackie.

Yeah.

I'm gonna take a quick
break. I'll be right back.

All right, you got
it. We're on in five.

All right.

Mr. Douglass.

Mr. Douglass was my father.

Fair enough.

Jeff, this is Seth.

You have a driver now, Barnes?

Oh no, I'm not a driver...

Relax, I'm just kidding.

I take it Barnes
brought you up to speed

in what we're trying
to get done here right?

Well, not really.

But I'll tell you this.

I'd follow this man
right here anywhere.

Jeff's a specialist, rifle.

Sniper?

That's correct, sniper.

This you?

Yeah that's me.

What step you on?

Step two.

Working them over again.

We came to be aware that a
power greater than ourselves

can restore us to sanity.

Sniper rifle, huh?

Yeah.

So you guys gonna tell
me what we're doing?

Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Get in here.

Hey.

What's up, brother?

You better watch yourself.

This is your house?

Yeah.

You robbing banks too?

Ay, after you get fucked,
you got to find a way, right?

She's on the table.

Can I, Can I get you...

Shh...

Jeff, we're doing some
important work here.

You know.

This ain't some gun for
hire one for done bullshit.

I'm here.

Yeah.

What is that?

It's a Remington M
twenty four sniper rifle.

That's how you address me?

Ah come on with that bullshit.

What is that, soldier?

This is a bi-pod based
Remington M twenty four

with a five three mount to
twenty four inch heavy barrel.

The trigger's been
readjusted to a..

Feather touch.

Point nine kilogram pull.

This rifle holds a three
hundred mag shell

and has a minimum effective
firing range of 300 meters

in the motherfucking night.

- Oh, yeah.
- Yeah.

Yeah.

Jeff,

the target is
Jimmy Varin, Scout.

You serious?

That's his file.

Checked it out, did
my own research.

It's true.

He's done some
fucked up shit, man.

You know, shit we saw

but it was just the
tip of the iceberg.

Now...

if you're in, there's
no turning back.

Take your time,

do it right.

Sure, I can't get you something?

I'm all right, thanks.

Whoa, whoa, what the fuck?

Holy shit. This is
above our pay-grade.

Hey, we need to
get some tech in here

to sweep this thing.

Congressman.

Thanks, Ann.

Good afternoon, Mr. Barnes.

Hey, close the door.

I know the last one was
difficult, but it had to happen

And I'm assuming
that Jeff was careful.

No loose ends, nothing
that can come back to us?

You know what your problem is?

What's that?

You want to swim without
getting your feet wet.

Please don't question
me about my men,

especially the men
you asked me to recruit

to kill another one of my men.

Let him go, Seth.

He needs to
reconcile with himself.

We'll give him a couple of
days then we'll reach out.

Think maybe we should
go to that funeral service.

Of course.

Let's get Barnes a new
phone, put a tracker on it.

I want to know where
he's at at all times.

Done.

Hey Ma,

why don't you have
a drink with me huh?

I'll get it for you.

You just eat

and stop fussing over me,

I ain't dead yet.

Okay.

No problem.

- Let's see what we got here.
- Mm hmm.

This is good. Thank you.

Where you find this?

That was in my stuff.

Probably got it out
of one of your boxes

or something, I
was looking at it.

Mm.

Jesus.

She was about twelve or thirteen
years old in this photo.

I was hanging up
clothes on the line to dry

in the backyard,

and she was, she was by my side,

and then she ran off

to go grab a dress
that had come loose.

I went back in the house

to get some more clothespins.

And when I got
back she was gone.

Ma, come on. I know, I know.

Hey, I know. I know, Mom.

She was gone...

When I turned around

seemed like she
just disappeared.

Mom. Right here, mom...

I'm right here...

I ain't going nowhere...

Excuse me.

May we have a
word with you please?

Ahh, of course.

I'm FBI Special Agent Reynolds.

And this is my partner,
Special Agent Kensington.

We have a few questions
we'd like to ask you

if that's all right.

Anything I can do to help.

This is my wife, Sarah,
and my brother, Seth.

Do you mind if
they stick around or?

Not at all, ma'am.

It's pleasure to meet you.

Likewise.

Sir. Were you a
friend of the deceased?

Ahh well he's one of
our nation's veterans,

whether active or inactive,

I always try to show my support.

Did you know Mr. Varin?

We spoke, ahh, it
was a few years ago.

I was a member of the panel

that presided over
his misconduct case.

Well, if you think you
might have any information

that could help out
our investigation

please feel free to contact us.

Absolutely. Thank you very much.

Thank you, congressman.

Sir.

So sorry to bother you again.

I personally wanted to thank you

for all the work that
you do for our vets.

I'm a former service member.

No, thank you for your service.

Absolutely. All right, good day.

Dakota...

Yeah, baby?

Did you know that man?

Behind every smart,
successful man, right...

Yes. Yes, I knew him.

I know a lot of people.

Can we pull off to
the next rest stop?

I want to grab a coffee.

Yeah. I need a coffee too.

Just be a second, babe.

Do you want anything?

Ah, water if you can.

Coming right up.

So,

how do you know that FBI agent?

What are you talking about?

Kensington, the FBI
agent from the funeral.

How do you know her?

I don't know her.

You two looked at each other
like you fucked last night,

now she was introducing you

to her boyfriend
for the first time.

What?

Where the fuck...

do you know her from?

Why are you going
to AA meetings?

I thought we
handled that problem

with the rehab I paid for.

We did, it's the AA's
just maintenance.

Do we have a problem
here? I mean how the fuck..

You're just paranoid.

Paranoid? The fucking FBI

just showed up to fucking
funeral to question me.

What do you talk about
in these meetings?

I don't talk.

You go to these meetings
and you don't talk?

No, I don't talk.

Oh fuck.

Don't fucking lie
to me ever again.

So what did you think?

There's something there,
just not sure what it is yet.

Hmm. How do you figure?

Why the hell is the Congressman
attending this guy's funeral?

He hardly even knew him.

He's a stand up guy.

You're buying that?

Yeah,

Ambrose has a great record

of helping out the
vets and their families.

I mean he dedicates
all these programs,

that help get them back into
society once they come off tour.

I mean why wouldn't
he be at this funeral?

You're just saying that
'cause you know his brother.

Excuse me, who...?

Come on, you two
know each other.

What are you talking about?

I know you better
than I know my wife.

What's the deal, Dani?

I know him from
AA, okay, that's it...

Yes, I'm in AA. There you go.

How did I not know that?

How long you been in AA?

I've been in AA for three years,

and he's the only
one that smokes,

and we go outside
and we light up a ciggy

and we talk about things.

What do you talk about?

Mostly your wife.

Fuck you Dani. Fuck you.

Fuck you more.

Don't lie to me anymore, Dani.

You got it.

You gonna to invite me in or...?

What is this, performance art?

You're gonna stand there
and stare at me all day long,

or you're gonna invite me in?

What are you doing here?

Look,

haven't heard
from you in a while,

wellness check is all.

Can't be depressed
all on your own, man.

I'm here to talk if you want.

I'm here to give you a gift.

A new phone?

Look, we're gonna lay low

for a little while,
until things cool off

but we got something
big in the works,

gonna need you to be on point.

Talk soon, all right.

Hey Seth.

You know that...

that Greek shit,

that shit you was talking about,

Theseus,

you really believe in it or

were you bullshitting me, man?

Yeah..

Yeah I believe it,

absolutely.

Okay.

Let's go.

Good afternoon Ladies and
gentlemen, everyone who's here.

Sorry for interrupting
the festivities.

Unlike most politicians with
a podium and, a microphone.

I promise I'll keep it brief.

First I would just like to
thank each and every one

of you for coming out
and showing your support

for a cause that is
so dear to my heart.

Your generous contributions

make it possible for
us to expand access

to critical medical care
and programs that re-instate

and retrain our
nation's veterans.

So on behalf of all
service members

past, present and future

and the entire veterans
outreach community,

thank you for your
continued support,

we can't do it without you.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

Don't forget to tip
your bartenders.

- That was good, babe.
- Yeah.

Thanks.

Daddy, that was great. Also
I think you're a gentlemen.

I felt like a silly man.
Did I look silly?

No.

- You sure?
- No.

Hold on.

I got to take this.

You fucking bitches,

where's my mother?

She's safe,

we're not animals,

we just need you to
answer some questions.

Do you know who I am?

I think you do,

so how about you
tell me who you are?

I think that's fair, don't you?

Go fuck yourself.

What the fuck is this about?

Come on buddy.

I'm asking the
fucking questions.

All of them?

I like you, you got balls.

Now tell us

who hired you to kill
Phala in his own restaurant?

You know,

there's a piece of paper
in the side of my jacket,

there's a number on it.

You take a look at that,

give it a call,

and while you're at it,

you can suck my
dick, you fuck in...

Let's find out
who's behind this.

It's good to see you
again, Congressman.

You got your hands in a lot
of things this evening, huh?

Where's my guy, Frank?

You know who he
killed, don't you?

Yeah and I don't care.

Maybe you don't,

but a mutual friend is
not too happy about it.

How do you think I found him?

You could have told us
what Phala was up to.

We would have taken
care of it internally.

Let me worry about that.

Seth, go get him.

What about my
development project?

The guy you clipped
was running point.

Now I'm on the
hook for half a mil.

My family has
gotta eat you know.

How bad did you rough him up?

He's all right.

I'll raise the rest
of the financing

but I then I get thirty
percent of the complex.

My family's gotta eat too.

Hmm..

Twenty-five.

Thirty five, it's Section Eight.

Thirty percent...

You missed your calling,

you should be working for us.

Set it up with my secretary
and get some rest, Frank.

You're too old to be
roughing people up

in the middle of the night.

Just watch your step,
we all have bosses.

Hey, sorry for the mix up, huh?

Put a little ice on it,
you'll be all right.

Ay, ay, ay.

Oh, shit.

What bosses?

Get in the car.

All right. Here we go...

No, no. No.

One, two, three.

Mommy, is that a package?

Can I help you?

Yeah, is Dakota around?

Mm hmm.

Dakota.

Barnes.

This is my wife, Sarah.

Sarah, this is Sergeant Barnes.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

We're just gonna go out back and

just chat for a
second, all right.

Walk around the back here.

My fucking house?

Oh, it's not subtle
enough for you?

I can still make your
life miserable if I want to.

Remember what you said,

about life being a battlefield,

you can't control it
more than the weather.

Well, welcome
to the battlefield.

What are you doing here?

I don't appreciate
being left in the dark,

especially when it comes to me

and my mother
being in harm's way.

You're right,

totally agree,

it should have never
happened. I'm sorry.

Yeah,

and if I even think that
you're lying to me again,

I'm gonna make your life

a living fucking
hell, you hear me?

There's no road map here,

we're in uncharted territory.

- There's risks...
- Yeah...

but you're working for somebody
that's keeping you safe.

It's not that simple.

Who is it?

A silent partner who has
no interest in stepping out

from behind the shadows.

So that's it,

I'm a fucking lure.

That's it.

I promise I'll keep you safe.

Bullshit,

you can't keep me safe.

We have to navigate
carefully here.

Ambrose group,

why are they wiring money

to a company that's
renting server space?

- The Ambrose group?
- Yeah,

your family name,

it came out when I was squeezing
Emory at the server farm.

My father.

Your father?

He's the whole
reason I'm doing this.

I'm listening.

He was a...

degenerate gambler,

a drunk,

real piece of shit.

Child pornography was a
means of earning money for him.

He had a group...

of friends, a company,

the Ambrose group.

He tried to recruit me
when I was just a kid,

my sister shielded me

and she...

...paid the ultimate price.

What happened to her?

They destroyed her...

and threw her away
like a piece of trash.

Your father?

Cancer, he died before
I could do it myself.

So that's it,

I'm here to clean
up his fucking mess.

He destroyed a lot of lives

and a lot of families and
it's still going on today.

If we don't...

Your sister...

Diane.

You better never, ever say
her name again. You hear me?

I found photos of her too.

She was the same age as my
sister when she was abducted,

and she suffered the
same fate. I'm so sorry.

Why didn't you tell me?

Because when I found out
what happened to my sister,

it didn't make it...

better,

it made it worse.

So who's your friend?

Ah, just an associate at work.

He looked like he
wanted to kill you.

I'm going to go
in the other room.

All right okay,

I'm in the initial stages

of a new project at
the outreach office,

it was some trouble
and we needed to...

Okay, what kind of trouble?

Like staffing trouble.

Dakota, how long
do you expect me

to play the dumb housewife?

You're interrogated by
the FBI a few days ago

and now there's a man
coming to our door with...

like a busted up face.

What happened to his face?

All right maybe I'm working

outside the lines
a little bit here

- but it's to effect real change
- Daddy...

- Hold on sweetie.
- Can you come and help me?

We're fine,

look we're fine, there's
nothing to worry about.

Okay it's not "we" that
I'm worried about.

You know I'd never do anything

to put us in harm's way,
you know that. Okay?

I love you.

Daddy.

All right, I'm coming, sweetie.

Hey who are these little ones.

- That's Jenny.
- Jenny...

And this is daddy...

- Oh that's me.
- Yeah.

I'm sorry D.

I know it's been a while,

I should have been
here sooner but...

I guess I was afraid.

Now I know that you
just didn't run away, baby,

you were taken...

and I'll get the people
that did that to you.

Yeah, I promise.

I have two names for you.

Gordon Pasternak

and Bruno Argenta.

I'm sorry, who are you?

I'm Virginia,

Dakota's silent partner.

These men were my
husband's associates

and they are the reason
we are here today.

How did you know
that I was here?

We have a tracker on your phone.

You should be proud of her.
She was very strong.

She tried to end
their little game.

She almost succeeded.
She stabbed Pasternak.

But...

they ended her life.

How do I know you're
telling me the truth?

You're not just using me
to clean up your mess?

My husband was a
horrible human being.

Even though I never
knew his victims,

I feel a debt owed to
those who survived.

These men are the
head of the snake,

the ring leaders
of the underground

child porn syndicate
on the East Coast.

Remember this isn't
Revenge, Sergeant Barnes.

It's more than that.

It's justice.

They will not be easy targets.

They're guarded and protected.

Virginia.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Seth,

and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi Seth.
- Hi Seth.

Um,

it's been a while right?

I feel like I'm
ashamed I'm even here.

Like I should...

have this thing beat somehow...

like everything in
my life should be fine

and I should be able to
function in the world like

all the normal people in
the outside world out there.

And then I remember that I...

do have a problem
and all the time I spend...

distancing myself
from it just...

makes me feel like I'm less.

Um,

part of me is so used to
beating myself up that...

I forget that...

I do have options.

But coming here helps, so

thank you for that and

thank you for letting me share.

Thank you Seth.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

I'm Dani, I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi Dani.
- Hi Dani.

Ooh I'm struggling
today guys, I'm struggling...

I'm struggling with a secret.

We all know

how we're only as sick
as our secrets, right?

So I'm here to tell on myself.

I'm in a place in my life where

I'm trying to reconcile

my professional life
and my personal life,

and I'm just having
a really tough time

bridging the gap that I just,

it's so frustrating you know.

And I'm trying so hard not to

beat myself up and,

you know come down on myself and

be mad that I'm not
showing up for myself.

Because we all know
it's about progress

not perfection, right?

But it is so hard,

that I just think for a
nanosecond just one drink,

just one. Why,

why can't I have one?

Why can't I be normal
like everybody else?

But I can't have one.

It's a disease inside of me

and I just have
to remember that.

I'm real sorry.

I just needed
to share and get this...

ugly secret out.

So thank you for letting
me share, you guys.

- Thank you Dani.
- Thank you.

Hey.

Hey.

You know you
can still talk to me.

Thanks...

and it's a bit fucking
awkward though, isn't it?

You did good in
your share tonight.

Thank you, it's been a while.

You too, it really helped.

Good...

you know, questioning your
brother was a formality, right?

We questioned everybody

at the cemetery that day.

Should you really
be talking to me

about an ongoing investigation?

No.

- Hey.
- Yeah.

Hey. I called you,

- you didn't pick up.
- You did?

I turn my phone
off during meetings.

Hey what did you call me for?

Dani.

Barnes.

You guys are friends?

Yeah, this is Barnes...

- I'm sorry. We got to go.
- We go way back.

Okay,

next week. I'll
see you next week.

- All right.
- Okay.

Catch you next week.

Long Island City, Queens.

The child pornography
ring is run out

of the back office
in the warehouse.

Now the place is
like a fucking fortress,

they got men at the doors,

the corridors, and
the inner sanctum.

Now they got a house
out in Montauk where

they shoot these films but this,

this is their distribution hub.

Let me see.

Yeah it's a two man job.

Fucking disgusting.

I got Jeff, he's
ready and willing.

Do me a favor and
make examples of them.

No, no,

we're not going to be making
examples out of anyone.

Listen, I want it brutal,

I want it ugly, I
want it painful.

Look, regardless, two
men are gonna be dead,

but it's gonna raise
a lot more red flags if

we make more of
it than we need to.

So like I said,

we do it quickly
and we do it quietly.

- You keep saying, "we."
- Yeah,

I want to be in on this one.

- They could kill you.
- You don't think I know that...

I'm there... I'm ready.

Big bad-ass criminal
mastermind, look at you.

Ready to step out
from behind the curtain, huh?

Mm hmm.

You ever held a gun?

No.

We're not criminals,

we're sanitation workers
taking out the trash.

I'm a criminal, remember?

Rip their fucking
hearts out for me.

- Gordo.
- Yeah.

I'm having an issue with
the credit card processor

coming through our tri server.

- Well can you fix it?
- I'm trying.

Which film?

How many downloads
we talking about?

Give me a figure over here.

Wait, hold on.

Message board is popping up.

People are getting
charged for extra videos,

and they're not
getting any playback.

All right contact the buyers and

tell them we're working on it.

Okay I'm on it.

All right.

Hey.

Maybe you should
stay in the car.

I'm fucking here...

and nobody's telling me
what the fuck to do anymore.

Okay.

Okay.

Remember what I told you,

keep two hands
on that bitch, all right?

Stay close,

stay tight,

remember slow
is fast, fast is dead.

We'll do our best
to keep you safe.

Protect yourself
at all times, you got it?

I got it.

Okay.

I got it.

All right.

Just don't point
that thing at me.

What the fuck was that!

Jeff!?

Jeff.

Stay tight, stay close.

Don't move.

You two, get up, now!

Against the wall.

What the fuck is this?

This is for killing my sister.

And walking around in the
world like she doesn't matter.

We got money, we
got money, take it all!

Fuck you.

And his sister too.

Come on, pick
up, pick up, pick up.

Hey! Is Jenny with you?

Is everything all right?
Where are you?

We're home, she's right here.

What's going on with you?

Dakota?

I got another call
coming in, I gotta go.

I'll be home in a bit.
I just got take out.

Love you.

Hello?

Your daughter is safe
but you already know that.

Do I have your attention?

What do you want?

Always so tense,
you should smile more.

You're much more
charming when you smile.

You touch her, I
swear to fucking God.

I would never touch
the Governor's daughter.

Governor?

Yes, Governor Ambrose.

Has a nice ring
to it, doesn't it?

Just dangling at
the tip of my fingers.

You can't just run around
sanctioning evil, Mr. Ambrose.

That blank check I gave you

for your little adventures
came at a price.

I think you should come see me.

Coming right now.

Fuck.

Yeah.

I need you to come
meet me it's important.

I'll text you the address.

Got it.

Where you going now?

Gotta go, Ma.

Vitamin C.

Mm Hmm.

Dakota...

I did some thinking.

I'm more comfortable with
twenty percent on our deal.

She's waiting for you.

No hard feelings huh?

This is the first building
I ever purchased.

When I found it

I knew the property
value was in the gutter,

but even then I could tell
it was worth something.

You see gentlemen, I have a
knack for recognizing value.

You for instance.

When I found you toiling as a
clerk in the halls of Congress,

you were useless,

And now you're a powerful
Congressman, future Governor.

In that way you remind
me of my late husband.

And like him you
have a weakness,

which brings us to you.

The recovering drunk,

a liability you should've
paid more attention to.

But you did serve your purpose.

Because of you, I have
a rather shocking video

...of an American
politician's brother

directly involved in
the ruthless murder

...of a helpless man.

Ordered and sanctioned
by so said politician.

Your "AA Buddy"

...my niece "Dani",

happens to be very
handy with a smart phone.

Now,

Mr. Ambrose.

Can you guess
what's in my pocket?

No.

You are.

As you climb the ladder,

you'll come to realize that
the rent is paid in favors.

And now, most importantly,
you, Sergeant Barnes,

a true hero.

I think I speak for myself and
the future Governor Ambrose

when I thank you
for clearing our name.

The politician wouldn't have
a future if it wasn't for you.

I'd say we're indebted,

but I think Ambrose
already knows that.

Now, if you all want to stay out
of prison and above ground, then

I'm your only option.

The way I see it...

you'll be doing my
bidding from here on out.

Gentlemen.

Can we talk?

I feel like there's a lot to
talk about after that, right?

Congressional
recess is over, Seth.

I got to get back
to the Capitol.

Hey, I'll reach out soon,

stay out of trouble.

Trouble won't find me.

I know that's right.

Hey Barnes.

Yeah.

You free tomorrow?

Of course.

Why don't you come
down to DC with me.

We got a lot of work to do.

DC it is.