Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - For a Few Lekë More - full transcript

- In the nation's
largest city,

the vicious and violent
members of the underworld

are hunted
by the detectives

of the Organized Crime
Control Bureau.

These are their stories.

♪ ♪

- The KO put me on their plan,

but I can't make calls,
only incoming

and outgoing texts.

- Malachi created
the encrypted texting app

they're using to run
their criminal enterprise.



He's willing to give us
the decryption key

in exchange for lighter
sentencing on other crimes.

- I'm only in America
four weeks,

and I'm still learning
many new words.

- Well, you're doing good.

- When are we gonna
get together?

- Albi don't like
nobody mackin' on his wife.

You mess around,
you get on his bad side,

there's not much
I can do for you.

- It's not what you think.

- You're my boss.

You tell me what I didn't see,
I don't see it.

I will protect your secret
with my life.

The Count of Mont Crist?



"The Count of Monte Cristo."
- You got it.

- So it's not just a sandwich?

- Nah, it's a book, too.

Yeah, I thought
you might like it.

You know, help you
brush up on your English.

- Ah, so, what's it about?

- This is about, uh,
Edmond Dantés,

and it's a guy
who's got everything,

or so it would seem.

- He's got the perfect job,
and the girl of his dreams,

but there are people
who are plotting against him.

They want to take
everything that he has.

That's where
the revenge comes in,

and the intrigue...

- Intrigue?
- Intrigue.

♪ ♪

- I'm just saying,

what kind of name
is the Marcy Killers?

I mean, is that supposed to
strike fear in people's hearts?

Like, "Yo, tell them
the Marcy Killers were here."

I mean, who the hell is Marcy?

Sounds like a teacher's name
or something.

- You serious right now?

- What?

- Marcy?
The Marcy Projects in Brooklyn,

where Jay-Z grew up?

- I know where
Jay-Z grew up, bro.

I'm just saying,
any organization

that has to put "killers" in
their name is soft, all right?

I guess it's better than

the Bonannos or the Colombos,
you know.

- Screw the name,
those guinea bastards

knew how to make money.

You know, back in the day,
the Colombos were bringing in

10 mil a week.
A week!

And that was
on the gasoline tax alone.

- Gasoline tax?
What the hell is that?

- You're aware there's a thing
called gasoline, right?

Makes your car go vroom vroom?

The government, they get
30, 40 cents a gallon on gas.

The Colombos had friends
at the IRS.

They cut a deal to collect
the money for them.

Then they set up
a bunch of shell companies,

and ciao, baby.

Government never sees a penny.

- Isn't the government
gonna come looking for it?

- They'll hold them off
as long as they can--

eight, ten months--

then when the government
really comes calling,

then they fold
the old company,

set up a new one
with a new license.

- It's called a daffodil chain.

- Daisy chain.

- We could use
that kind of thinking

in this organization.

Don't you agree, old man?

Raise.

- Sure.

- Why am I asking you, anyway?

Reggie says your idea
of a big score

is collecting insurance money
on some fires you start?

Where'd you learn
to do that, anyway?

Arson.
- Around.

- Well, you got pinched,
so I guess

you're not very good at it.

So how'd you get pinched?

- Friend of a friend
was in financial trouble.

I did my thing
so he could collect insurance.

- And?

- And a fireman
got burned really bad

trying to put it out,

my friend got pinched
on a different beef,

and he gave me up.

- So you're not a very good
judge of character either.

But we already knew that.

All in.

♪ ♪

- Ooh!

- Call.

- Straight to the ace.

♪ ♪

- Oh!
Ooh!

- Flush.

Well--

I guess we know
who's buying breakfast, Eddie.

- Help me count
all this money, will you?

- Yeah, yeah, I'll take
a little of that for you.

Hey, I'm watching your hands.

- What a hand.

- Hey, where's Rita?

Isn't this her shift?

- The manager say
she called in sick.

- Oh, she did?
All right.

If she calls back again,
uh, give her a message for me?

- A message from?

- Mr. Monte Cristo.

Let her know that
I was asking for her.

- Jesus.

What's your name?
- A'ight brother,

take it easy, all right?

- Amelia.

- What do you see here, Amelia?

- Eggs?
- And what kind of eggs?

- Over easy?

- Over easy.

That's good.
Well done.

Do you know the difference

between over easy
and sunny side up?

- You don't have
to answer that, all right?

- See, I don't think you do.

See, if you did,
I'd be sitting here

looking at two eggs
sunny side up.

Wouldn't I?
- Relax, it was a mistake.

- How many times I gotta
have it with you bitches?

Every time I come here,
there's a new waitress.

- I wrote it down.
You say--

- Are you calling me a liar?

- Amelia, Amelia.
Place a new order.

- You know, for someone who
doesn't talk much,

you won't shut your mouth,
you know that?

- Hey, he didn't mean nothing.

- Shut up, Reggie.

How well do you know
this guy anyway?

Shows up out of nowhere,
Mr. Firestarter?

Lives in an RV, no family?

I don't trust him.

I don't like you,
and I don't trust you.

- You questioning my loyalty?

Excuse me, Reg.

- Question my loyalty again.
I'll take your eyeball out.

♪ ♪

- That was a bad move, man.

You shouldn't have done that
to Luka.

- Luka...he had it coming.

- Yeah, he did.

But now you gotta worry
about what's coming to you.

- From him?
He ain't nobody.

- No, from Kosta.

Remember Grace?
Kosta's oldest daughter?

- Yeah.

- Luka's her fiancé.

♪ ♪

- What you have
in your hands

looks like
an ordinary cell phone.

It is not
an ordinary cell phone.

It is, in fact,
a hardened encrypted device

developed by
our involuntary guest,

Mr. Adam Mintock.

- Malachi,
we talked about this.

Hey, is it, uh--

Is it really necessary
that I'm handcuffed

to this desk?

- You aid and abet

transnational criminal
organizations

by creating hardened
encrypted devices

thereby allowing them
to traffic

mass quantities of cocaine
and God knows what else,

so yes.

- Fair.

- Okay.

Uh, Jet, what's the deal
with the phones?

- Uh, everything runs
through the calculator app.

Open the calculator,
and you will find

the options for text messaging
in a closed-loop system.

- The user pre-selects a set,
closed group of individuals

who can communicated
device to device.

- Very good.

- And it's all encrypted?
- Indeed.

- You're burying the lede.

- I'm getting there.
Keep your pants on.

First of all,
every iteration of this phone,

we hold the encryption key.

- You're not getting there.

- Will you shut up?

The beautiful part is,

every message sent
by any user of these devices

will be passed
to a Task Force server

where it will be decrypted

and available to view
in real time.

- So we get Bcc'd
on every text message

that the KO sends
to their secured phones?

- The KO, and any other
criminal organization

that uses them.

These guys all get their phones

from the same vetted
and trusted dealer.

- How are we supposed
to get these phones

into the hands of
said criminal organizations?

- Now you may speak.

- I just create the tech.

Like the gorgeous lady said,

they get their phones
from another distributor.

- This guy, Admir Marku.

He supplies phones
to the KO, Marcy Killers,

and half a dozen
other criminal organizations.

What we have to do
is convince them

that their current
encrypted phones

have been compromised.

- How do we do that?

- Arrest Marku.
- Exactly.

And set up Malachi,
creator of the tech,

as the new sole distributor.

- Eddie!
- Yeah?

- I told you, man.
What did I tell you?

- I don't know.
What'd you tell me?

- Kosta wants to see you.

- Okay?
- No! Not okay.

Do you have any idea?

Look, just go.

Okay?
- Where?

- Anywhere.
Just not here.

Look, you want my car?

I got some cash.
- I don't want your car.

I don't need that.
Reg, you're overreacting.

- I'm not overreacting!

I've been through this before.

- With who?

- My father.
Okay?

- Reggie--
- I'm telling you.

- It's gonna be all right.
Don't worry.

It's all right.
Don't worry.

♪ ♪

- Where?

- Boxing gym. Kosta's office.
3:00 p.m.

- Damn it, Stabler.
- It couldn't be helped.

- It couldn't be helped
that you busted a guy's nose

for yelling
at a waitress?

- Luka was calling me out.

I had to react.
If I didn't, it was a tell

letting him know
that he was right

and I'm not who I say I am.

The way these guys operate--
- Don't patronize me.

I know the way
these guys operate.

You could have made
your point

without endangering
the entire operation.

- There's no point
to be made.

Luka challenged me.
What was I supposed to do?

- What you're supposed to do,
as an undercover,

is know who someone is
before you mess up his face.

- You're right, Sarge.

- You're not going
to this meeting with Kosta.

- I have to go.

- You're gonna get sick.
Food poisoning.

We'll check you
into urgent care.

- You want Reggie
to tell Kosta

I'm not there
because of a tummy ache?

If I don't show,
it's the end of the operation.

- And if you do show,

it is highly likely
you're gonna leave

rolled up in a rug.

♪ ♪

We'll surveil you.

- Dad?

- Hey.
Hey!

How are you?
What's with the plants?

- Grandma.
She said our apartment

felt like
an abandoned warehouse.

She's helping us
make it into a home.

What are you doing here?

- I was just dropping
some stuff off.

I gotta get out of here.

How you doing?
How's soccer?

- Good, we got
a big game tomorrow

against St. Anne's.

I'm actually heading out
to a pep rally right now.

Any chance you can make it
to the game?

- I'll do everything I can.
Everything.

Come here.

I'm proud of you.

- Yeah, okay.
Thanks, Dad.

- You're a good son.

- Thanks.

Yeah, thanks.

- Hey, where's Kathleen?
Where's your grandma?

- Food shopping.

Grandma's gonna make
chicken cordon bleu.

- She is?

- Said she used to make it
for you all the time.

- She did?
- That's what she said.

I'll see you later, okay?

♪ ♪

- Hey, Liv, it's me.

Wish I were there.

I'm just calling to say...

I want to thank you
for everything

that you've done for me.

For the kids.

You've been my rock.

And when I said
that I love you...

- If you're satisfied...
- I think you know--

- With your message,
press one.

To re-record, press two.

To listen to your message,
press three.

♪ ♪

This is Olivia.

Leave me a message,
and I'll get back to you

as soon as I can.

♪ ♪

- Are you sure about this?

You got about 15 seconds
to grab him and pull the plug.

- Stabler knows
what he's doing.

- Why's he doing this?
He's got kids.

- You'll have to ask him.

♪ ♪

- Dead man walking.

- Eddie!

- They say one man's death
is another man's bread.

- Have you heard of this?

- I'm not familiar
with that saying.

- It's an Albanian saying.

- I figured.

- I think we've been
very generous with you.

- Yes, sir, you have.

- Let you into our place,
give you a job.

And if I'm remembering
correctly,

we even welcomed you
into our home.

- Yes, you did.

- And this is how
you repay me?

By putting your hands
on one of my top earners?

And for what?

Because he smacked
a waitress?

- He questioned my loyalty.

I'm not gonna tolerate that.

I don't got much--
- Shut up, Wagner

Do we have to listen
to this crap?

- I don't got a lot.
I don't need a lot.

But my reputation...

that means something to me.

Well, just so we're clear...

♪ ♪

- What's the plan here?

How long we gonna wait
before we call for backup?

♪ ♪

- You are not one of us.

You will never be
one of us.

I don't give a rat's ass
if Reggie vouches for you.

♪ ♪

But I do care
if this man vouches for you.

He says you helped him out
the other day,

that maybe I should look
the other way with this thing.

- Are you kidding me?
Jon, we talked about--

- Luka!

Not another word.

♪ ♪

Make no mistake.

You lay a finger
on one of my guys again,

you don't come back
from that, you understand me?

- Understood.

- Take a walk with me.

♪ ♪

- Smooth talker, that one.

- I gotta give it to him.

No way did I think
he was coming out alive.

- In my honest opinion,

I don't care for Luka much.

My daughter,
she loves the guy.

What are you gonna do?

I'm stuck
with the arrogant prick.

- Mr. Kosta, if I'd known
he was gonna be

your son-in-law--
- I don't care about that.

I care about
you making this right.

- And I will.
Whatever you need me to do--

- That's right.
You will.

There's a little piece
of business

going down tomorrow night.

It's a four-man job.
Luka was one of the four,

but he's in no shape to pull
this off, thanks to you.

So you're gonna take his place.
- What's the job?

- Albi will be in touch.

♪ ♪

- Admir.
Admir!

How long have
you been supplying

criminals with encrypted
cell phones?

- Did you know
you were violating

federal RICO statutes?

- Who did you provide
the phones to?

The Triads? Mafia?

Albanians?
Admir. Admir!

- She's a badass bitch,
isn't she?

Evening news.
Way to go, Slootmaekers.

- Is that really
how you pronounce it?

- Pretty much exactly.

That was just the prologue.

Now it's your turn.

You ready to perform?

- Oh, I am always ready
to perform, sweetheart.

- Yuck.

Time to start reaching out
to Marku's client network.

Let them all know,
you're the man to hook them up

with a slick, new, next
generation secure phone

that the cops will never crack.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Hey, uh, look,
what you did for me today...

- I didn't do anything
for you.

We have an understanding,
do we not?

- We do.
- Good.

Then you listen to me
when I tell you something,

and not just smash
somebody's head in.

There's a fight tomorrow night,
Atlantic City.

- Balmer versus Thadford, yeah.
Title fight.

- There's an Albanian boxer
on the undercard, Kid Sula.

Up-and-coming kid
from the neighborhood.

Good prospects.

Should get
the title fight someday.

Favored heavily to win.

Lot of money
in the neighborhood

being put on him.

- What's a lot of money?

- 500,000, maybe more.

The bookie taking
most of the bets

is a Serb,
called, um, Arkan Petrovic.

Now, yesterday,

Kid Sula, he comes to Kosta,

tells him Petrovic
wants him to take a dive.

- Can you believe the nerve
of this guy?

Asking me
to take a dive

against that Mexican bag
of bones.

Unreal, right?

- What'd Kosta say to him?

- I tell you
what you're gonna do.

You're gonna lay down
like a bitch,

and make it look good.

- So what's the job?

- Well, Petrovic,
he keeps all his cash bets

in a safe in a drop bar
on Lydig Avenue.

- And you want me to collect
Kosta's earnings?

- Sure.

While you're robbing the place.

- Here's a novel idea.

How about we prevent
the robbery of the bar

instead of abetting it?

- How do you propose
we do that?

- Say we pull them over
for a broken taillight.

We can get them
on conspiracy,

add it to the indictment.

They'll make bail
the next day,

and we keep building our case.

- That's too many hoops
to jump through.

I am not having him
get arrested again.

- Then we just put
a patrol car

across the street
from the bar.

We still add it
to the indictment

with our UC's testimony.

- We're gonna rob that bar.

- You know you--
you sound excited.

I'm starting to wonder
if it wasn't your idea

in the first place.

- Kosta's finally given me
a piece of business.

- Piece of business.
Do you hear yourself?

- It's an opportunity.
Kosta trusts me.

We get in on more jobs.

Jobs that give us insight

into every aspect
of his operation.

Why do I even have
to explain this to you?

You've had Nova embedded
in the Marcy Killers

for six years.

You gonna tell me
she's never skirted the line?

3:00 a.m. tomorrow night.

- I need you to be safe, okay?

- It's relatively simple.
Smash and grab, in and out.

- I'm not talking
about the job.

I'm talking about where
your head is at

while you're doing the job.

♪ ♪

- Nobody uses the phone!

Put down.

Listen to me.
Nobody uses the phones.

You have to listen to this.

- Admir Marku
has been charged

with violating
state RICO laws,

providing encrypted phones

to various organized crime
syndicates.

We're told the devices
had a singular function,

sending text messages
that can't be decoded

if intercepted by the police.

One source indicated that
the troubles for Mr. Marku

don't end with state charges.

The FBI is interested
in speaking

with the Albanian native,

increasing the likelihood
of his cooperation.

- Now he know better
than to talk.

- Yeah, well,
this thing's useless.

We need new gear.

- Well, I've been gone
a stretch,

so who's our new tech guy?

- Dude named Malachi, why?

- 'Cause we need
to reach out, that's why.

♪ ♪

- It's eating at you, isn't it?

The Fort Rucker hack?

How'd I do it?
Virus?

A worm?
A trojan?

It's okay.

Jealousy is
a very healthy emotion.

It motivates us to grow,

learn from those
who have achieved heights

you can only dream of.

- It was a trojan, wasn't it?

Tell me I'm right.
It was a trojan.

- I'm sorry,
I have to invoke

my Fifth Amendment right
against self-incrimination.

If I weren't
a detained criminal

handcuffed to this desk,

I think you'd be into me.

Or are the handcuffs
a thing for you?

Hugo "Bank-ol."

It's Bankole.

- "Need to meet up ASAP."

Boom.

Oh, we got MS 13,
the KavKaz Nation,

the Flying Dragons,
and now the Marcy Killers.

- Kosta Organization,
three of the Five Families...

♪ ♪

We're about to have our phones

inside practically
every criminal organization

in this city.

♪ ♪

Mm.

Mm-mm.
Mm-mm.

- Think I saw a smile.

- Shut up.

♪ ♪

Where'd you come from?

Uh, just found this.

It wouldn't happen
to be yours, would it?

- No.
I just found these.

Wouldn't happen
to be yours, would they?

Ah, so you're a dirty fighter.

- You'll never know
unless you invite me

for a drink.

He's not here.

In fact, he's out of town.

- Yeah, you know--

It's a little risky

for me to be seen
with you in public.

I'll tell you what.

Why don't you come
to my house,

and I'll make the drinks.

Albi's in Philadelphia,

and he only ever comes home
to work out of his office.

♪ ♪

- It's gonna be easy money,
all right?

We get in, we hit the safe,
we get out, we get paid.

You check that van?
- It's done.

- Yeah?

Don't tell me
you checked the van

and then I find out
there's a broken taillight

or the tags are expired.

- Van is straight.
- All right.

You got somewhere to be, Eddie?

- No, I'm here with you.
- All right, good.

Listen, we hit
the front door,

boom, you're all over
the bouncer, all right?

He's big.
He's Sumo big.

But I know you got him.

Eddie, you're gonna do
a little crowd control.

It's gonna be,
like, 3:00 a.m. probably,

so there might be
a few stragglers.

Just make sure
nobody gets hurt.

- We were so young
and in love.

He was a son of a bitch
even then.

Gezuar.

- So, if you don't mind
me asking,

why'd you stay with him?

Money!

The promise of a better life
here in America.

- Eh, you don't have
much of an accent.

- Thank you.

I worked hard
to get rid of it.

So tell me
about Eddie Wagner.

- Oh, there's not much to tell.

- Were you ever married?
- No.

- Really?
Why not?

- I didn't want to cause
nobody any pain.

Didn't really want kids.

You got kids?

- Albi and I
couldn't have kids.

He has a low sperm count.

No sperm count.

I had to say
I was infertile

to protect his masculinity.

Lucky for me,

I don't have patience
for children.

They're little rug rats.

♪ ♪

- Everything all right?

- Never better.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- All set over here.

You guys in position?

- 10-4.
We got eyes on the front door.

They should be approaching
from the east.

You got a clear shot
from the west?

- 10-4.
We have an unobstructed view.

- Maldonado, you good?

- All good in here.

Eyes on Petrovic.

- How many people
are inside?

- Twelve, including me.

Petrovic, an associate,
bartender, bouncer at the door,

seven civilians.

- Tell me about the bouncer.

He look like
he's carrying?

- Not that I can tell.

He's a big boy, though.

- What about Petrovic?

- He looks exactly like
the kind of jackass

who would rig a fight
and con people out of millions.

♪ ♪

- Where the hell's your boy,
Sergeant?

- Sarge.

- Oh, here we go.
It's on.

♪ ♪

Uh, we got a problem here.
Are y'all seeing this?

- They'll get out of there
before anyone can respond.

- Everyone relax,
show me your hands,

and no one gets hurt.
You, get over there.

Get over there!
Get over there.

- My wallet's
in my back pocket; take it.

- I don't want
your American Express, jagoff.

Turn around.

Open the safe.
Open the safe, now.

- 4, 8, 1, 8, 2, 4.

- No shots fired.
Good so far.

- You hear that?

Of course.

There's a patrol car
in the area.

Maldonado, we have a car
from the three six

that's responding
to a 911 call.

- Let's go, let's go,
let's go.

- Gotta get moving.
Gotta get moving!

- All right.
Come on, come on, come on.

Let's go!
Faster!

- You're gonna regret this.
- Oh, yeah?

- You think I'm not gonna find
out who you guys are?

- Oh, yeah?
Let me help you out.

What are you gonna do, huh?

- Put your seatbelt on.

- You know what, maybe I will
take your wallet.

We'll do a little shopping.

- We don't got time for this.

- All right, all right.
Let's go!

Let's go!
Come on!

Come on then,
let's go, let's go, let's go.

♪ ♪

- No, no, no, no!

- Come on, come on!
- Come on, come on!

Let's go!
Now!

♪ ♪

- I'm so sorry.
Are you okay?

- Yeah.

♪ ♪

- Hey, come on!

Yeah, are you kidding me?

♪ ♪

- Thanks.

- It was Stabler.
- What?

- I just heard
from Maldonado.

Stabler was the shooter.

That was a big score, boys.

- More than we thought.

- Hey, you all right?

You had to take
that guy out, all right?

Otherwise it would be you
on the ground,

or one of us.

- Yeah, yeah.
Any idea who the guy was?

- Who cares?
That's what you get

for trying to be a hero.

Listen, you straight?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Kosta's gonna be
a happy man.

Take the van,
torch it somewhere in Jersey.

I'm gonna take
the cash to Albi.

You two, split up,
go home, get laid.

Do whatever you do,
just stay low.

- You know what,
maybe I will take your wallet.

We'll do a little shopping.

- Okay, run it
just before he yells.

Stop.
Okay, punch in there.

Run it.

- No, no, no, no!
- Freeze.

Blow that up.

- I had no choice.

You saw it, right?
The guy had a gun.

Tell me you got it on video.

- You better be glad
Maldonado recorded it.

- Is he dead?

- He's in stable condition
at Bronx Lebanon.

- We ID him?
- Roland Illic.

He and Petrovic run
illegal gambling scams

all over town.

He had an open warrant
for a felony assault.

- Well, he would have
dropped me

if you hadn't yelled.
Thank you.

- Absolutely.

We're gonna be

up to our ears
in paperwork and hearings

when this is all over.

- Reggie gave me
the van to torch.

It's downstairs.

Maybe you can get
some hair out of there or DNA.

- Get Crime Scene on it,
Maldonado.

- Hey, did you get
the Albi Briscu pictures

that I sent
from the house?

- Travel consent forms
for minors,

Albanian passports...

Are we looking
at trafficking here?

- That's what I'm thinking.

- Well, that's a whole new set
of circumstances.

- Whole new set of
RICO charges.

But, more importantly,
there's a girl named Rita.

She's a waitress
at the diner that we go to.

One of her passports
was in there.

- And?

- I haven't seen her
for a few days.

I'm worried.

- We need to bring SVU
in on this?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- Ah, Christ.

- Reminds me of Albania.

- Good, that's what
I was going for.

- I was just laying down
for a little bit.

You know, I wanted to call you,
but, um...

You want coffee?

- You seem nervous.
Are you nervous?

- I ain't nervous at all.

Feel bad about leaving you
the way I did

the other night, though.

- I came by to thank you
for being a gentleman.

That's all.

Most people would have
taken advantage.

- I don't do things like that.
I'm not built that way.

- Not that way, no.

I--I apologize
for passing out on you.

I have to remember
not to drink

on an empty stomach.

- Feel better now?

- I'm starting to.

- What's with Albi's car?

- I didn't even see him.

He must have come home
and gone out again.

He took my car,

presumably to do
something untoward

and needed to be
more discreet.

♪ ♪

I've never done it
in a Winnebago.

♪ ♪