Hell on Wheels (2011–2016): Season 1, Episode 2 - Immoral Mathematics - full transcript

(FLIES BUZZING)

(BANGS)

(HORSE WHINNIES)

It's Durant.

What the hell is he doing here?

- Are you the Chicago Tribune reporter?
- Yes.

Did you photograph this body?

Yes, sir, Mr. Durant. But just the one body.

What is wrong with you, man?

- I'm sorry. I thought...
- Just the one won't do.

Get those bodies back off the wagons.



Come on, snap to, boys.

I want this scene photographed
exactly as you found it.

I want an unblinking look
at the horror perpetrated here.

More arrows. We need more arrows.

(GRUNTING)

He can't feel anything.
He's dead, for God's sake.

The maps.

- Did you find them?
- No, sir. Nothing anywhere.

Keep looking.

MAN: Mr. Durant, over here.

DURANT: Robert.

Pack up everything.
Bring it all back to Hell on Wheels.

(MEN GRUNTING)

(MAN SHOUTING)



They found Johnson's body.
Everybody back at the camp talking about it.

Get the hell back on that cut.

Cullen Bohannon?

Did you hear about
Daniel Johnson's murder?

Who wants to know?

Why you so spooked, son?

I guess I still ain't quite cottoned
to the sight of Union blue riding up on me.

(SCOFFS)

Well, you ought to be happy to see us.

Yeah, why is that?

The boss wants to talk to you
about taking Johnson's job.

(EXHALES)

(MEN SHOUTING)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING)

Come on.

Here you go, Mickey.

- Thanks.
- Yeah.

I thank thee, Lord,
for this bounty you have placed before me.

Sit down. Sit down.

Horse thief.

Thor Gundersen.

Head of security for Mr. Thomas Durant.

They call me The Swede.

I'm Norwegian.

But no matter.
We are all Americans now. Hmm?

Even you rebels, yes?

Daniel Johnson told me that
the two of you was cut from the same cloth.

(SCOFFS)

Yeah, I don't think so.

Why is that?

Did you not like him?

He's my boss. That's about all there was to it.

And drinking companion, yes?

We tore it up some.

I understand the two of you
was tearing it up some

on the night he was murdered.

In fact, you were seen
leaving the saloon with him.

Hmm?

Yeah.

I'm not here to talk about Johnson's job,
am I?

Is that what they told you?

(BOTH CHUCKLING)

You a law man, Mr. Swede?

Hmm?

Because I don't see no badge.

No. There's no official law out here yet.

Then what authority you got
to be interrogating me?

Mr. Durant has appointed me to bring
some order to the chaos out here.

When was the last time
you took a look outside, Mr. Swede?

Looks to me like chaos is winning.

Well, when harlots
and dipsomaniacs are killed,

I lose not a minute's sleep.

But Daniel Johnson
was a valuable asset to Mr. Durant.

Daniel Johnson was hated
by just about every man who worked for him.

Any with a reason to kill him?

Perhaps one of the Negroes?

I heard he had some trouble with them.

I don't know nothing about that.

Hmm...

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, that leaves only you then.

You know what? I'm done here.
This ain't no court.

(GRUNTING)

This here's Beauty.

She's an old piece, but she still shoots true.

(GRUNTING)

I'm gonna give you a chance
to confess to this crime.

(GRUNTS)

(PANTING)

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

Where is she?

Hello, little brother.
What are you doing way out here?

Where's the woman?

I don't have her. Yet.

You kill white men, it's one thing.

But you take one of their women,

you'll have every damn one of them
hunting you down.

I'll count coup and get more scalps.

I hope it was worth it.

What about the scalps you took?

You act so pure now,

but I remember there was a time
when you loved the taste of blood.

Jesus has forgiven me for that.

Jesus may have forgiven you,

but do you think your white friends would?

You better find her before I do.

(GRUNTS)

Hey.

Hey!

You'd be surprised how fast
you get used to the feel of them things.

What the hell are you doing here?

Want to know if you fixing
to be testifying on me.

I don't know, ain't decided yet.

(GRUNTING)

I know about that sergeant.

Heard Johnson say some other things, too.

Things about men getting killed
in churches and such.

Yeah, what's your point?

Point is, if I be hanging for Johnson,

you gonna drop down right beside me
for them folks you done killed.

Tell you what.

You tell your story, and then I'll tell mine.

We'll see who they believe.

Yeah.

Who would believe some nigger slave
over a white man?

(SCOFFS)

Relax, son.

Ain't nobody hanging nobody.

I ain't your damn son.

Well, I'll be out of here by tomorrow.

I imagine that's what
that horse thief done said.

(MAN SHOUTS)

Thanks. Thank you.

Thanks so much. See you again.

- Good luck.
- Cheers.

Good luck.

Did you enjoy the show, sir?

Very moving images of home, boys.

But you don't sound Irish.

I ain't, but my heart was moved nonetheless.

We're all yearning for our homeland
out here in this strange place.

Excuse me, sir, have we met?

We have not.

Folks around here call me The Swede.

You got yourself a prime location here, boys.

Yes, sirree.
Right between the whores and the liquor.

(CHUCKLES)

Picked it out meself.

What is it you want, Mr. Swede?

I like that, right to the point.

And the point is,

a nice location like this
got a nice price attached to it.

I should have realized
there was a reason this spot wasn't taken.

- I should have seen this coming.
- I take it, then, you're the smart one.

- Aye.
- Aye.

So, how much do you want, Mr. Swede?

Once again, right to the point.

Two dollars a week.
The first payment due this Friday.

But that's half our flipping take.

Now, for this two dollars,

you shall have my protection
against all the villains

that surround you in this wicked place.

And what if we don't pay?

Well, you can always move down
to the slaughterhouse.

And what if we refuse to move?

And I thought you was the smart one.

(ROOSTER CROWING)

I used to be a bookkeeper.

- You look like a bookkeeper.
- Mmm.

I was always more comfortable
around numbers than people.

I could control numbers.

The war put a stop to that, didn't it?

You're suffering from the soldier's heart,
Mr. Swede.

Yeah, I can see it in your eyes.

You're still fighting them battles.

I saw no battles. I was a quartermaster.

More numbers.

I never even saw the enemy

until our supply train was captured and

I become prisoner of war.

Andersonville?

That's right.

Way down in the great state of Georgia.

Total chaos ruled.

30,000 prisoners, 14,000 dead.

I weighed 200 pounds when I went in
and 86 when I come out.

I just couldn't make them numbers add up.

I woke one night to one of my own men

trying to eat the flesh from my arm.

He thought I was dead.

I realized that night I had to control people

like I control numbers,

and I learned to practice a sort of

immoral mathematics.

And I did some...

(MUTTERS)

Not so good things in Andersonville,
Mr. Bohannon.

(INHALES DEEPLY)

In the end, I found
I was able to make them numbers add up.

So, have you thought about that confession?

Well, I figure, by your math,
you're gonna hang me either way.

Yeah.

You know why that man
didn't finish eating your sorry ass?

Hmm?

'Cause you Yankees all taste like shit.

Ah!

Get right with your maker, Mr. Bohannon.

Soon as we cut down the horse thief,

you're gonna hang.

(GRUNTS)

(EXHALES)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING)

(GRUNTING)

DURANT: Write this down.

Outnumbered 5-to-1,

eight white Christian souls
were brutally slaughtered

by the marauding,
bloodthirsty war party of merciless savages.

"Outnumbered 5-to1"?

Make it 10-to1.

Amongst the murdered were Robert Bell,

visionary surveyor
of the Union Pacific Railroad.

His beautiful wife Lily,

the Fair-Haired Maiden of the West,

was sullied by the savage pack,

then carried off into slavery
in their filthy camp...

What does "sullied" mean again?

It will mean whatever
the reader wants it to mean.

My road will bring civilization
to these untamed western lands.

And the Fair-Haired Maiden of the West

represents nothing less
than civilization itself.

You see this as sort of a rallying cry?

Yes. Now you're getting it.

Save her at all costs.

Well, yes, of course, save her.

But I also want the federal troops
brought in here

to clear every single last savage
from the path of my road.

(GROANING)

(GASPS)

(GRUNTING)

(SOBBING)

Welcome, brother.

You must be that fellow
they're looking to hang.

You know, Saint Peter himself was

chained like this and condemned to die.

And he was freed by an angel.

I ain't no Saint Peter, sir.

Yeah, and I ain't no angel.

Peace be with you, sir.

And with you, Reverend. And with you.

I hear your prisoner escaped.

We'll find him. It's just a matter of time.

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him.

You be careful. He's a dangerous man.

Brother, we need to talk.

I thought you were gonna turn me in.

No. The Lord instructs me to give sanctuary
even to the condemned.

Yeah?

What does he say about
cutting off a pair of cuffs, huh?

You're on your own there.

You know,

you'd best set things straight in your heart
before you go a-swinging, son.

(SCOFFS)

They ain't gonna hang me.

Well, nevertheless,

(CHUCKLES)

One day your name will be called.

And on that day, you must answer.

I know it.

Yeah? What are you gonna say?

I did the best I could in a bad time.

(CHUCKLES)

Now, see,
I understand that better than you know,

but it won't be good enough for him.

So, all you got to do
is get down on your knees...

Yeah. I seen plenty of men get down on their
knees and call out his name in terrible times.

I seen their prayers answered with a bullet
more often than not.

It's hard to comprehend, I... Son, I know.

It's impossible sometimes, but...

But he is here,
and his mercy knows no bounds.

So just bend them knees
and ask for forgiveness.

No, sir. I won't do it.

Because the war took your faith?

Because I don't deserve forgiveness.

(SIGHS)

Oi! We can't use that.

Ma would understand.

And what about next week
and the week after?

This ain't gonna stop. There's nothing
we can do about this bastard.

That's what you said in Boston.

I thought you said
we were never to speak of that.

I got us out of that, I'll get us out of this.

But how?

I don't know yet.

We'll figure something.

One day we'll send this to Ma

and it'll be as thick as a brick.

(CHUCKLES)

My hand to God.

I had some jackrabbit in me, too.

Master gave me a nice pair
of bracelets to sleep in.

Somebody put you in chains,
the natural thing to do is try to escape.

Ain't I right?

Yeah. You're right.

Let's go.

They're coming.

You gonna make a run for it?

I ain't leaving.

They'll find you.

Not where I'm going.

(HIGH-PITCHED SCREECHING)

(GASPS)

(SCREECHING)

(GRUNTING)

(HORSES APPROACHING)

(MUFFLED SCREAMING)

So, it's true.

Mmm-hmm.

All of them?

Everyone but the woman.

Them Injuns get her?

I don't know.

Put the word out, $100 reward
for anyone who finds her.

But not a word about the maps.

Yeah.

Mr. Durant.

Who the hell are you?

Cullen Bohannon,
the man they're looking to hang.

For killing Johnson?

I suppose you're here
to tell me you're innocent?

No, sir.

I'm here to ask for his job.

How do you put your trousers on, son?

Sir?

Over those big balls of yours?

Two minutes. That's all I ask.

Two minutes.

(TICKING)

Did you fight in the war, Mr. Durant?

I served my country in other ways.

Well,

building this railroad
ain't much different than the war.

You got an army out there,
and they need a leader.

I take it you fought for the South,
Mr. Bohannon.

Yes, sir.

And that's exactly why you need to hire me.

You're going to have to explain that to me.

I can't remember a time I wasn't outgunned,

outmanned, or out-supplied
fighting you Yankees,

but I damn sure whooped your asses
more often than not.

- Is that so?
- Yes, sir.

My men rode to hell and back for me,
Mr. Durant.

That's why you need me out here.

What do you know about building railroads?

Well, I had to learn how they was built

so I could figure out
best how to blow them up.

You remember the Baltimore and Ohio
Bridge over the Monocacy River?

I built that bridge before the war.

I blew the whole thing up
using half a keg of black powder.

But I'm done destroying things, Mr. Durant.

I want to help you build this railroad.

Why should I trust my railroad to a grayback?

You didn't have too much trouble
trusting graybacks

when you was smuggling cotton out of
Mississippi during the war, now did you?

You walk a fine line, son.

Forty miles, Mr. Durant.

Ain't no secret you got to
lay 40 miles of usable track

before your government money kicks in.

Now, you and I both know

that you ain't gonna get there
going at this rate.

You don't get that $16,000 a mile,
this whole thing goes belly up.

You're fighting a war, Mr. Durant.
No doubt about it.

You need me to help you win it.

Son of a bitch.

What the hell are you doing, man?

He's the son of a bitch who killed Johnson.
We gonna hang him.

Nonsense.

This is my new foreman.

Find me someone else to hang.

You're the new foreman?

Yeah.

Johnson's things still in there?

Yeah. You want me to clear it out?

Leave it.

Yes, sir.