The Shield (2002–2008): Season 2, Episode 8 - Scar Tissue - full transcript
Ronnie. Ronnie. Ronnie?
Armadillo?
- Armadillo, right?
- Uh-huh.
No, no, no. Don't move, Ronnie.
They're comin'
All right,
here you go.
You're gonna be okay,
Ronnie.
Right.
Don't move, buddy.
- Take care of him, will ya?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- We're gonna fix this, brother.
- Hang in, man.
I'm sorry
about your guy.
This was Armadillo,
wasn't it?
Are you staying
at the hotel?
No. Vic and I were discussing
a domestic abuse case.
She's only been here a few minutes.
There's nothing she can tell you that I can't.
- Give me a call if you need anything.
- I will.
Jesus.
What is it with this guy
and burning?
First, traces of flesh
on the stove burners at his house.
Now this.
Armadillo
was looking for you.
I know.
Trust me.
One of ours?
I'm gonna help you
take care of it.
Claudette, don't take this
the wrong way...
but I don't need your help.
We gotta find Armadillo before somebody
matches his face up to Ronnie's.
How you wanna
handle this?
The way we should've weeks ago...
flush out every shithole in the
barrio until we find this prick.
- Sounds like a plan.
- Then we end it.
Once and for all.
- Vic.
- Hey, no speeches.
Armadillo burned my guy.
I'm gettin' him.
I just talked
to the hospital.
Looks like they're gonna
be able to graft most of Ronnie's face.
Thanks.
I'm gonna contact Justice, bring in
a surveillance team to watch your back.
- You wanna baby-sit us?
- No, I just wanna keep you alive.
We can take care
of ourselves.
The last thing either one of us needs
is the feds thinking that we can't.
Just let us do
what we do... sir.
Hey, you didn't see Ronnie.
I can imagine.
Okay.
All right, pull 15, 20 grand
from the retirement fund.
We're gonna need to grease some greasers
to get to Armadillo.
Does this mean you're giving us back
our keys?
We won't let you down.
I went to see Ronnie.
He made a preliminary statement.
- It's enough to put an all-points
out for Armadillo.
- Good.
- Where's Mackey?
- He's trying to flush out Armadillo.
You turned him loose
on this guy?
One of his guys was maimed last night.
He wants to be involved.
I know he's involved.
How involved are you?
- Excuse me?
- With Mackey.
I see what's in it for him.
What's in it for you?
Stop looking for conspiracies
that don't exist.
Just investigate
Ronnie's attack.
You're taking T& A
to a whole new level, Van Bro.
Inner-city realism wasn't sellin'.
People like to be titillated.
- Ain't that the truth.
- What you need, Mackey?
- One of my guys got hurt last night.
- Damn. Dangerous times, man.
- Who did it?
- Armadillo.
I been hearin' some impressive things
about that Mexican.
Impressive how?
Word is he don't trust
L.A. talent.
He's shipping his own folks
from Mexico City to run the consolidation.
Some smart-ass C.E.O.
Here. I want you to spread this around
and spread the word.
I'm willing to pay for info
on Armadillo.
All I need's a location.
I'll do my thing, baby.
You do that.
Ready for
the big day?
Oh, yes. I picked up the rings this morning.
I'm glad you're coming.
Wouldn't miss it.
Julien.
I just wanted to tell you
in front of your training officer...
that, based on your six-month review
and your performance lately...
I've put your name in
for a P-2 promotion.
Really?
- Thank you.
- Good work.
Keep it up.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Wow.
I'm just feeling
so blessed right now.
I got a great job,
a wonderful wife, a new son.
I just feel like God is
really looking out for me now.
If you ever meet someone,
you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
- This way. Hurry.
- What is it, sir?
Oh, Christ.
No, no, no. Don't touch him.
One-Tango-13 requesting paramedics,
code three.
Copy, One-Tango-13.
- One-Tango-13, additional units requested.
- Copy that.
Hey,
what do you got?
Little Pop, Los Mags O.G.
Just got out of Pelican Bay
last week...
and he is not happy about Armadillo's
power restructuring neither.
You got the bone.
He's got the pick.
Yo!
Welcome home,
Little Pop.
I hear you're having some problems
with your Torruco brothers.
I had it good inside.
I was movin' drugs, smokes,
a little gambling.
I made enough to keep my mom
straight out here.
Armadillo moves
into Pelican Bay.
I take his ink,
kick him back his cut...
and then he promises me
a piece out here.
So I took my parole...
come on home.
Armadillo had
a change of heart.
That choco. He brings up these real
Mexicans from M.C. to run things.
Suddenly I'm a goddamn wetback
in my own country.
Errand boy, getting beers
for these pendejos.
No money, no respect.
I ain't got nothin'
out here...
and I'm too old
to start over.
I gotta get me
back inside.
It's gonna take me months to get back
the respect and the juice that I had.
I sympathize
with your situation.
What can you tell me?
There's this wiry vato named Quazi,
works out of the back of his garage.
He's Armadillo's personal paper boy
from down south.
Prints his visas,
his green cards.
You get him.
You get Armadillo.
Thanks.
Hey.
Jail's too good for him.
You fillin' out back orders
for Ellis Island, Quazi?
Where's Armadillo?
- Put your hand in here.
- Que?
Do it.
No, no, no!
No, no, no!
Aaah!
Armadillo, ?d?nde est??
?D?nde?
?D?nde?
Well?
He says he's in some house
in the Little Jewel.
We need an address,
amigo.
This was a message,
not a mugging.
Tell me about it. They left the wallet,
a watch, 50 bucks.
Witnesses?
That guy saw an Asian teenaged male
running down the alleyway...
into the back
parking lot.
Red hooded sweatshirt,
black pants, tennis shoes.
- What about the victim?
- His name's Lee Kusa.
He's Thai national.
He's legal.
Doesn't sound like
a gang thing.
Wasn't a robbery.
It's weird.
Cameras. Find out who they belong to,
whether or not they're working.
You'd better hurry. The cheap places
only have them on a one or two-hour loop.
Hey!
?V?monos!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Get your ass down.
Down!
- It's okay.
- On the ground!
Aaah! Shit!
Holy shit!
Aaah!
Holy shit!
- You all right, man?
- Crazy bitch!
- Jesus, man!
- What?
Jesus God!
Forget the dog.
Let's go talk to the soldiers.
Let's go.
Caught the guy on camera
getting into his car. Ran the D.M.V.
Got a 19-year-old Asian.
Lives here.
- Great.
- Everybody be careful.
Trust me,
it's not always this easy.
Yes?
Uh, Detective Wagenbach.
We're looking for a Malcolm Rama.
He in shower,
cleaning up.
- Where's Armadillo?
- No s? nada.
- ?No s? nada? Go.
- All right.
Aah!
Same thing for you, Juanita.
Get up. Get up!
Where's your boss?
- No s? nada. No s? nada.
- Same wrong answer.
- All right, that's it. You ready?
- Hey, hey, hey!
- He doesn't know anything.
- We're just trying to jar his memory.
Bring 'em back to the barn.
You're lucky.
I'm looking for Vic.
Uh, Foster.
He's not here.
I tried calling him.
He's not answering his cell.
He's out making some arrests.
Probably turned it off.
Is there something
I can help you with?
- Someone broke into our house.
- When?
This morning.
I was dropping Matthew off
at the occupational therapist's...
and when I came home, um,
the police were there.
They broke the window,
and they set off the alarm.
Um, come on.
Let's talk in private.
Uh, Paula. You ever do
any baby-sitting?
I work here, don't I?
What's going on?
- Someone burned off half
of Ronnie Gardocki's face.
- What?
- Ronnie?
- In your husband's motel room.
We think
they were targeting him.
- Why would somebody want to...
- Didn't Vic tell you?
That Armadillo was greenlighting
his team?
Who's Armadillo?
Uh...
you know,
maybe it'd be easier...
if you answered
some of my questions first.
Okay.
Hey, I talked to Aceveda.
He said I can snag you for a few hours
to help with my case, if you're interested.
- Yeah.
- Great.
Heard about
your promotion snafu.
- Sorry.
- Thanks.
Maybe I can steer you
toward detective work.
You seem to have
a knack for it.
Where were you this morning
at 10:40, Malcolm?
Russell Park.
I run there.
You happen to step into a puddle
of human blood at the park, Malcolm?
You're making a mistake.
Maybe you didn't set out
to hurt the guy, but he's in a coma.
Did he disrespect you?
You dating his daughter? What?
You're going to jail
for this...
whether you confess
or not...
so for our own, uh, morbid curiosity,
you know, why'd you do it?
I didn't.
- We've got a problem.
- What?
- He could walk.
- Come on.
The bloody clothes?
The videotape?
You know how many hours the average juror
spends watching soap operas every week?
I don't know.
Four?
17.8.
Per week.
Jurors like simple stories
they can understand.
- He did it. We caught him.
Doesn't get simpler than that.
- But why did he do it?
Unless he confesses,
at trial we'll be expected to know.
The victim's blood runs straight out of
that kid's car right up to the front door.
Maybe the jury figures we planted it,
sets this guy free to caddy for O.J.
- But he did it.
- Until you know why,
a detective's job isn't done.
- How long has Vic been in the motel?
- A few weeks.
Uh, we're spending
some time apart.
Oh.
I thought maybe he was trying to make it
safer for you and the kids.
Does he have
a post office box?
What?
A place where he might get mail
other than his home address.
I don't think so.
You ever seen any statements
from bank accounts...
that you never knew
existed...
maybe in
a family member's name?
No.
Any big purchases
this year?
- Cars? Jewelry?
- No.
After Matthew's tuition,
it's all we can do just to scrape by.
- Matthew?
- Our son.
He's autistic.
We, um...
We send him to a special needs school.
How much does that cost?
A lot.
On a cop's salary?
Yeah, uh...
- Vic works a ton of overtime.
- Is that what he tells you?
Why are you asking me
about bank accounts...
and P.O. boxes?
I just want to find out...
why Armadillo's
targeting Vic's team...
and I wanna make sure
nobody else gets hurt.
Has Vic done something?
In you go.
- Step back, asshole.
- Hey.
Hey, is everything
cool with you?
Yeah.
You seem like
you're holdin' back a little bit.
We got a thousand eyes
on us right now.
Calling more attention
by cracking skulls doesn't help.
- You wanna change the page?
- Cassie?
What are you doing here,
honey?
- Mommy brought us.
- Why?
Someone
smashed our window.
Where's Mommy now?
Someone broke into the house?
Are you okay?
All right.
- Talk to me.
- Why don't you talk?
Somebody's trying to kill you.
They came to our house.
I had a security system
put in to protect you. It worked.
What if I'd been picking one of them
up from school?
I had a P.I. watching you
and the children.
- What?
- To be safe.
- Without telling me?
- I didn't want to scare you.
You just didn't want to admit
to what you've been doing.
What did Claudette
tell you?
Were you involved
with some drug dealer who died?
- Jesus Christ...
- Were you?
Sometimes
out on the street...
you gotta make deals
to make bigger arrests.
Now, Claudette got you
all worked up over nothin'
I got more truth from her
in ten minutes...
than I've gotten from you
in a year.
How are we paying
for Matthew's school?
You want me to go
find out from her?
I love my kids...
and I want
a future for them.
So right now I really need you to step up
and be on my side.
Mom,
did you see Daddy?
Yeah. You know what?
Dad's busy with work right now.
Okay? Um...
Maybe we'll see him later.
All right?
I've got a team member in the burn unit,
the guy who did it out on the street...
and you think now is a good time
to screw with my family?
I think Armadillo went to your house
looking for you, Vic.
Lucky your wife and kids
didn't end up in the burn ward.
- My family's off limits.
- You tell that to Armadillo.
I'm telling you!
I recommended,
weeks ago...
that the Justice Department provide protective
surveillance for the Strike Team.
They didn't want it.
It's a pride thing.
My report to the city council
is due next month.
And I'm sure you'll be
fair and accurate.
You wanted to see me?
I contacted Justice.
Starting tomorrow,
they're assigned to your team...
until Armadillo
is in custody.
- What?
- Why?
This is for your own good.
We can't see anyone else getting hurt.
- Who are you to dictate how I work?
- Excuse me?
Vic.
If I were you, I'd be careful about
the next thing you say.
I can't afford to be handcuffed
by some... part-timer...
who thinks she knows
what's right.
I am
a trained litigator...
with a master's
in criminal justice.
Then stay
in the classroom.
The, uh, cripple called.
I mean,
the handicapped... guy...
called.
Hey, Dutch.
Dutch!
City workers found this in a storm drain
a half a mile from the alley.
Looks like our weapon
to me.
- Prints?
- No, but there's a lot of hair and blood.
Check out these etchings.
They're Thai.
I checked out the Thai cultural center
where he volunteers at.
This was stolen from there a couple
of days ago. Maybe that'll help with motive.
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe.
Damn it!
What happened?
I guess the boss
must've got my memo.
Armadillo?
Dude that did this had Mexican prison ink.
Thick dialect.
One of them imports.
- Took my goddamn wheelchair.
How wrong is that?
- Did you get a name?
Better than that. Got the plate.
Blue Ford pickup truck.
God, Van Bro.
Nice work, Van Bro.
Sit tight.
- Help is on the way.
- And a new set of wheels.
Somethin' sporty.
- Hands on the wheel. Now.
- Don't even twitch, bitch.
- Out.
- On the head, Jose. Let's go. Let's go!
Get up there.
We're looking for Armadillo. Any tips?
Oh, I'm gettin' so tired
of playing this game.
Here.
- Here.
- Okay, okay, okay! I know where he is.
Lem, you ride with him.
We'll follow you.
Enjoy the wheelchair,
asshole.
Get in.
He was in line.
Guy behind him sprayed something
in his face with an aerosol can.
Looked like bug spray.
- Was there an argument?
- Well, he always takes forever to order.
So, uh, so aerosol guy
wanted him to hurry up.
When he didn't, the dude said,
"You're buggin' me."
Psst... right in the eyes.
Took off that way.
- I was just trying to order.
- Every day you hold up my goddamn line.
- I was reading the menu!
- Hot dogs, hamburgers. That's it, you idiot!
Hey!
- Jerk-off!
- Homo! Goddamn it!
- You married?
- Yeah.
- I'm gettin' ready
to take the plunge myself.
- Good for you.
- You got any kids?
- Yeah, I got a boy.
You don't want him
to see you in jail, do you?
- No.
- Good.
So, tell me about
the guy who sprayed you.
He's on the top floor.
Back unit.
He says Armadillo's got a few guys,
and they're probably packing.
Get the collaterals out of here.
Take the truck, cover the back.
?Qu? pasa?
You, uh, know much
about Thai culture, Malcolm?
I'm not really into
my roots.
Yet you volunteer at the Thai
cultural center two nights a week.
It's a good place
to meet girls.
Yeah.
And to, uh, pick up
antique artifacts.
This was stolen from there
a couple of days ago...
from a room
you had access to.
You see these, uh,
ornate little symbols?
They represent, uh...
"fertility, family,
bloodlines."
Okay.
- How come you never asked his name?
- Who?
The old man you beat up.
You wanna hear it?
His last name was Kusa.
Came over from Thailand a couple of years ago.
Kusa. Am I pronouncing that right?
- I guess.
- How would you say it?
- I wouldn't.
- So you won't even say his name.
We drop smoke,
head in the front door.
Armadillo runs out the back,
Lem's there waiting.
Let's go. Go...
Wait a minute.
What the hell is this?
- What's goin' on?
- I'm unarmed!
He called,
gave himself up!
- Is that so?
- Turn around.
Looks like he saw
the writin' on the wall.
Somebody did a job
on his face.
Well, it's an ugly world.
More and more.
I was attacked
by the bug spray guy.
- When?
- Three days ago.
I got your partner's card
from the hot dog stand.
About the man who was attacked
with bug spray... he got me too.
Serial sprayer?
That's weird.
It's kind of a dumb case.
He is hurting people,
but...
No, same principle
as a killer.
Driven by inadequacy
and frustration.
One acts out with insecticide,
the other with deadly force.
Why don't you run with it?
- Me?
- We're swamped today.
Be a while before a detective
can look into it.
- I don't know.
- Sure you do. You've got great instincts.
Really?
Calling the cultural center
about that scepter?
I think it's gonna be
the key to finding motive.
Bug spray guy's yours,
right?
Yeah.
Where would you start?
Both attacks took place
within a couple blocks.
- He probably lives within the area.
- Good.
I could call the drug stores,
hardware places...
see if anyone matching our description
bought any bug spray lately.
Sounds like
detective work to me.
Come on, Claudette.
Let me go inside with you, back you up.
Don't take this the wrong way,
but I don't need the help.
We both been
working this case.
- Between what you and I know,
we can trip him up.
- I'm gonna try this alone.
If you can't
make up your mind...
I'll ask Lanie
to make the call.
Give her
the facts of the case.
You've got a lot of your plate.
Where'd you find the time?
Drug trafficking...
consolidating a Mexican power base,
murder.
Am I leaving anything out?
Oh, yeah.
Juvenile rape.
So you say.
Let's hope that genius I.Q.
means you know how to help yourself.
We've got you on tape
making a death threat.
That could be anyone's voice.
I'll challenge it in court.
What about the testimony of a cop
with his own grill mark?
You gonna challenge that too?
What happened to your face?
You used to be
so pretty.
I'll only
give my confession...
to Detective Mackey.
You don't make demands.
Not to me.
I speak to Mackey...
or my lawyer.
I want to talk alone.
The first few weeks
are the worst.
Then the skin gets hard.
The stinging goes away.
It's time for me to leave.
You should have left
when I gave you the chance.
My business here is done.
Everything's in place.
Now you're going to
help me get home.
- Help you?
- You have no choice.
The second you did this to me,
you gave me control.
So, unless you and your men
want a cell next to mine...
you'll do what I say.
Get your man
to recant his statement...
and get me out of here
long enough to cross the border...
we'll call it even.
What about
the people you burned...
and that little girl
you raped?
Sometimes...
life isn't fair.
You wanted me to hurt you.
Every scar is a victory.
This is just my biggest.
What'd he say?
He just wanted
to gloat.
Guess it's my turn.
He wants to
see his lawyer.
The interrogation's over.
Oh, there he is.
Excuse me.
- Mr. Jarvis Stanley?
- Yeah.
- Let me see your hands.
- Why?
I said
let me see your hands.
Put your hands on top of your head
and step away from the car.
Got a pest problem.
It's illegal to carry bug spray?
It is when you're trying
to blind people with it.
They were all buggin' me.
Ahh. It's not like
I killed anyone.
Actually, it's an assault
with a deadly weapon.
Bug spray's poison.
That's a felony.
Now you're
startin'to bug me.
- He's got me.
- No.
No way.
This does not end like this.
He's gonna play
the brutality card...
if I don't get Ronnie to recant
and set him loose.
- Then that's what we gotta do.
- No.
I couldn't look Ronnie
in the eye.
I did this.
I'll take all the heat,
make sure you guys get a pass.
Come on.
You could be lookin' at jail time.
I barely saw my kids
today.
I'm gonna go
give 'em a call.
What are we gonna do?
What are we gonna do,
Shane?
I'm thinkin'.
God!
Shit!
- Where we goin'?
- To make a deal.
Your family comes from the area in northern
Thailand known as the Hilltribe region...
known for its
tribal wars.
In fact, your family's been feuding
with another clan for over 800 years.
- Not me.
- Rape.
Torture. Genocide.
That's a pretty gnarly
family tree.
The other family's name
is Kusa.
And now I know why
you beat him into a coma.
And now a jury's
gonna know it too.
My dad was pissed.
Your dad.
Old guy comes into the center
and signed the guest book... Kusa.
So I told my dad,
you know, as a joke.
But he went crazy.
Starts talking about killing this guy,
like, really killing him.
So I figure...
I'd scare Kusa away first...
act like I was protecting
the family name or whatever.
Get him to leave
the neighborhood.
And the scepter was to...
drive the point home.
I followed him outside the center,
and I told him who I was.
Before I could say anything...
the old freak
spits in my face.
He starts whaling on me,
screaming at me in Thai.
I only hit him back
to protect myself.
He was half dead,
hanging from a pole.
That's a pretty tough sell
for self-defense.
It was, at first.
But something happened
to me.
Blood.
I never stood up
for my family before.
I know it was wrong...
but somehow it made sense.
Yo, what'd he do?
The guy walked right past us
smokin' weed.
We didn't want to haul him in,
but we asked him to put it out...
blew smoke right in our face.
Idiot.
- Now we know the "why."
- Yeah.
And I couldn't have done it without you.
Thanks.
You know, up until now I was really
focused on getting ahead on the street.
But after seeing
the whole detective angle...
I don't know, it just kinda
felt like we were partners.
There was a real connection there.
Good back and forth.
- Yeah.
- You were great.
Thanks.
What?
Um, K... Uh, Kim's making me dinner tonight.
I've got to, uh...
I have a lot of...
Oh, shit.
What's going on?
- Oh, my God.
- What?
I just...
I almost kissed Dutch.
Oh, my God.
Why?
I don't know. It was a momentary lapse.
Was he devastated?
No. He's the one that
pulled away from me.
- Oh, my God.
- I know. Shoot me.
Keys!
Give me the keys!
Hey, hey, hey!
Get away from him! Hey, hey!
Hey, hey!
Get off of him!
Hands up!
Hands up, everybody!
Watch the knife!
Call a medic!
I'm calling!
On the wall.
Let's search 'em nicely.
Let's go.
Jesus Christ!
Who searched that guy?
- I did.
- How could you miss a knife that size?
It wasn't on him when I frisked him
after the arrest.
Upstairs.
Nope.
What happened?
Los Mag O.G.
with a grudge.
Stabbed him nine times.
Won't say why.
Jesus.
Come on, let's go.
Unbelievable, huh?
Armadillo Quintero.
I thought maybe you might like that
for your personal files.
This case is closed.
File it where it belongs.
You wanna know
what I think happened?
Vic was Tio's drug landlord,
gave him protection.
Tio gave him favors
and a cut of the business.
When Armadillo killed Tio,
Vic fried his face on the grill...
and that's why he didn't
want me to find him.
Why'd you get in my way?
I made a mistake.
You just now
realizing that?
Oops, sorry.
I heard
about your suspension.
I searched that guy
from head to toe.
Call your P.B.A. rep.
Get your side of the story
on record.
Is all of this a joke, Vic?
- What?
- Everything.
Everything that's
happening to me lately.
You're a good cop, Danny.
I miss you.
I know.
I just can't act on that
right now.
Right.
Did you get 'em
to sleep?
I got a guy to replace
the window tomorrow.
I've got things to do
tomorrow.
I'll have 'em call ahead,
make sure you're at home.
Just leave me his number.
I'll take care of it myself.
Okay.
Listen, I... I gotta have
more time with the kids.
Not just dinners. I... I need some mornings,
some weekends.
Hey, they're my kids too. If I wanna
see them more, I'm gonna see them.
You can't even spend three dinners a week,
and now you want more time?
Goddamn it,
don't do this.
I'm gonna make more time.
Okay?
I gotta get back to basics.
Start by bein'
a good dad again.
- You can't promise them that.
- I'm serious.
I gotta make some changes.
Leave the number
for the window guy.
Little Pop heads back
to Pelican Bay...
where he has more respect and business
than he ever did before.
We're gonna cover his mom's expenses
until after the sentencing.
I'll never forget
what you guys did for me.
Don't worry.
We won't let you.
Tell Ronnie
I'll see him tomorrow.
Enjoy the painting.
Not a problem.
Take it easy.
Night, boss.
We both know...
what happened to Ronnie...
that's on you.
It's all on you.
- Yeah.
- You sure?
That's him.
Armadillo?
- Armadillo, right?
- Uh-huh.
No, no, no. Don't move, Ronnie.
They're comin'
All right,
here you go.
You're gonna be okay,
Ronnie.
Right.
Don't move, buddy.
- Take care of him, will ya?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- We're gonna fix this, brother.
- Hang in, man.
I'm sorry
about your guy.
This was Armadillo,
wasn't it?
Are you staying
at the hotel?
No. Vic and I were discussing
a domestic abuse case.
She's only been here a few minutes.
There's nothing she can tell you that I can't.
- Give me a call if you need anything.
- I will.
Jesus.
What is it with this guy
and burning?
First, traces of flesh
on the stove burners at his house.
Now this.
Armadillo
was looking for you.
I know.
Trust me.
One of ours?
I'm gonna help you
take care of it.
Claudette, don't take this
the wrong way...
but I don't need your help.
We gotta find Armadillo before somebody
matches his face up to Ronnie's.
How you wanna
handle this?
The way we should've weeks ago...
flush out every shithole in the
barrio until we find this prick.
- Sounds like a plan.
- Then we end it.
Once and for all.
- Vic.
- Hey, no speeches.
Armadillo burned my guy.
I'm gettin' him.
I just talked
to the hospital.
Looks like they're gonna
be able to graft most of Ronnie's face.
Thanks.
I'm gonna contact Justice, bring in
a surveillance team to watch your back.
- You wanna baby-sit us?
- No, I just wanna keep you alive.
We can take care
of ourselves.
The last thing either one of us needs
is the feds thinking that we can't.
Just let us do
what we do... sir.
Hey, you didn't see Ronnie.
I can imagine.
Okay.
All right, pull 15, 20 grand
from the retirement fund.
We're gonna need to grease some greasers
to get to Armadillo.
Does this mean you're giving us back
our keys?
We won't let you down.
I went to see Ronnie.
He made a preliminary statement.
- It's enough to put an all-points
out for Armadillo.
- Good.
- Where's Mackey?
- He's trying to flush out Armadillo.
You turned him loose
on this guy?
One of his guys was maimed last night.
He wants to be involved.
I know he's involved.
How involved are you?
- Excuse me?
- With Mackey.
I see what's in it for him.
What's in it for you?
Stop looking for conspiracies
that don't exist.
Just investigate
Ronnie's attack.
You're taking T& A
to a whole new level, Van Bro.
Inner-city realism wasn't sellin'.
People like to be titillated.
- Ain't that the truth.
- What you need, Mackey?
- One of my guys got hurt last night.
- Damn. Dangerous times, man.
- Who did it?
- Armadillo.
I been hearin' some impressive things
about that Mexican.
Impressive how?
Word is he don't trust
L.A. talent.
He's shipping his own folks
from Mexico City to run the consolidation.
Some smart-ass C.E.O.
Here. I want you to spread this around
and spread the word.
I'm willing to pay for info
on Armadillo.
All I need's a location.
I'll do my thing, baby.
You do that.
Ready for
the big day?
Oh, yes. I picked up the rings this morning.
I'm glad you're coming.
Wouldn't miss it.
Julien.
I just wanted to tell you
in front of your training officer...
that, based on your six-month review
and your performance lately...
I've put your name in
for a P-2 promotion.
Really?
- Thank you.
- Good work.
Keep it up.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Wow.
I'm just feeling
so blessed right now.
I got a great job,
a wonderful wife, a new son.
I just feel like God is
really looking out for me now.
If you ever meet someone,
you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
- This way. Hurry.
- What is it, sir?
Oh, Christ.
No, no, no. Don't touch him.
One-Tango-13 requesting paramedics,
code three.
Copy, One-Tango-13.
- One-Tango-13, additional units requested.
- Copy that.
Hey,
what do you got?
Little Pop, Los Mags O.G.
Just got out of Pelican Bay
last week...
and he is not happy about Armadillo's
power restructuring neither.
You got the bone.
He's got the pick.
Yo!
Welcome home,
Little Pop.
I hear you're having some problems
with your Torruco brothers.
I had it good inside.
I was movin' drugs, smokes,
a little gambling.
I made enough to keep my mom
straight out here.
Armadillo moves
into Pelican Bay.
I take his ink,
kick him back his cut...
and then he promises me
a piece out here.
So I took my parole...
come on home.
Armadillo had
a change of heart.
That choco. He brings up these real
Mexicans from M.C. to run things.
Suddenly I'm a goddamn wetback
in my own country.
Errand boy, getting beers
for these pendejos.
No money, no respect.
I ain't got nothin'
out here...
and I'm too old
to start over.
I gotta get me
back inside.
It's gonna take me months to get back
the respect and the juice that I had.
I sympathize
with your situation.
What can you tell me?
There's this wiry vato named Quazi,
works out of the back of his garage.
He's Armadillo's personal paper boy
from down south.
Prints his visas,
his green cards.
You get him.
You get Armadillo.
Thanks.
Hey.
Jail's too good for him.
You fillin' out back orders
for Ellis Island, Quazi?
Where's Armadillo?
- Put your hand in here.
- Que?
Do it.
No, no, no!
No, no, no!
Aaah!
Armadillo, ?d?nde est??
?D?nde?
?D?nde?
Well?
He says he's in some house
in the Little Jewel.
We need an address,
amigo.
This was a message,
not a mugging.
Tell me about it. They left the wallet,
a watch, 50 bucks.
Witnesses?
That guy saw an Asian teenaged male
running down the alleyway...
into the back
parking lot.
Red hooded sweatshirt,
black pants, tennis shoes.
- What about the victim?
- His name's Lee Kusa.
He's Thai national.
He's legal.
Doesn't sound like
a gang thing.
Wasn't a robbery.
It's weird.
Cameras. Find out who they belong to,
whether or not they're working.
You'd better hurry. The cheap places
only have them on a one or two-hour loop.
Hey!
?V?monos!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Get your ass down.
Down!
- It's okay.
- On the ground!
Aaah! Shit!
Holy shit!
Aaah!
Holy shit!
- You all right, man?
- Crazy bitch!
- Jesus, man!
- What?
Jesus God!
Forget the dog.
Let's go talk to the soldiers.
Let's go.
Caught the guy on camera
getting into his car. Ran the D.M.V.
Got a 19-year-old Asian.
Lives here.
- Great.
- Everybody be careful.
Trust me,
it's not always this easy.
Yes?
Uh, Detective Wagenbach.
We're looking for a Malcolm Rama.
He in shower,
cleaning up.
- Where's Armadillo?
- No s? nada.
- ?No s? nada? Go.
- All right.
Aah!
Same thing for you, Juanita.
Get up. Get up!
Where's your boss?
- No s? nada. No s? nada.
- Same wrong answer.
- All right, that's it. You ready?
- Hey, hey, hey!
- He doesn't know anything.
- We're just trying to jar his memory.
Bring 'em back to the barn.
You're lucky.
I'm looking for Vic.
Uh, Foster.
He's not here.
I tried calling him.
He's not answering his cell.
He's out making some arrests.
Probably turned it off.
Is there something
I can help you with?
- Someone broke into our house.
- When?
This morning.
I was dropping Matthew off
at the occupational therapist's...
and when I came home, um,
the police were there.
They broke the window,
and they set off the alarm.
Um, come on.
Let's talk in private.
Uh, Paula. You ever do
any baby-sitting?
I work here, don't I?
What's going on?
- Someone burned off half
of Ronnie Gardocki's face.
- What?
- Ronnie?
- In your husband's motel room.
We think
they were targeting him.
- Why would somebody want to...
- Didn't Vic tell you?
That Armadillo was greenlighting
his team?
Who's Armadillo?
Uh...
you know,
maybe it'd be easier...
if you answered
some of my questions first.
Okay.
Hey, I talked to Aceveda.
He said I can snag you for a few hours
to help with my case, if you're interested.
- Yeah.
- Great.
Heard about
your promotion snafu.
- Sorry.
- Thanks.
Maybe I can steer you
toward detective work.
You seem to have
a knack for it.
Where were you this morning
at 10:40, Malcolm?
Russell Park.
I run there.
You happen to step into a puddle
of human blood at the park, Malcolm?
You're making a mistake.
Maybe you didn't set out
to hurt the guy, but he's in a coma.
Did he disrespect you?
You dating his daughter? What?
You're going to jail
for this...
whether you confess
or not...
so for our own, uh, morbid curiosity,
you know, why'd you do it?
I didn't.
- We've got a problem.
- What?
- He could walk.
- Come on.
The bloody clothes?
The videotape?
You know how many hours the average juror
spends watching soap operas every week?
I don't know.
Four?
17.8.
Per week.
Jurors like simple stories
they can understand.
- He did it. We caught him.
Doesn't get simpler than that.
- But why did he do it?
Unless he confesses,
at trial we'll be expected to know.
The victim's blood runs straight out of
that kid's car right up to the front door.
Maybe the jury figures we planted it,
sets this guy free to caddy for O.J.
- But he did it.
- Until you know why,
a detective's job isn't done.
- How long has Vic been in the motel?
- A few weeks.
Uh, we're spending
some time apart.
Oh.
I thought maybe he was trying to make it
safer for you and the kids.
Does he have
a post office box?
What?
A place where he might get mail
other than his home address.
I don't think so.
You ever seen any statements
from bank accounts...
that you never knew
existed...
maybe in
a family member's name?
No.
Any big purchases
this year?
- Cars? Jewelry?
- No.
After Matthew's tuition,
it's all we can do just to scrape by.
- Matthew?
- Our son.
He's autistic.
We, um...
We send him to a special needs school.
How much does that cost?
A lot.
On a cop's salary?
Yeah, uh...
- Vic works a ton of overtime.
- Is that what he tells you?
Why are you asking me
about bank accounts...
and P.O. boxes?
I just want to find out...
why Armadillo's
targeting Vic's team...
and I wanna make sure
nobody else gets hurt.
Has Vic done something?
In you go.
- Step back, asshole.
- Hey.
Hey, is everything
cool with you?
Yeah.
You seem like
you're holdin' back a little bit.
We got a thousand eyes
on us right now.
Calling more attention
by cracking skulls doesn't help.
- You wanna change the page?
- Cassie?
What are you doing here,
honey?
- Mommy brought us.
- Why?
Someone
smashed our window.
Where's Mommy now?
Someone broke into the house?
Are you okay?
All right.
- Talk to me.
- Why don't you talk?
Somebody's trying to kill you.
They came to our house.
I had a security system
put in to protect you. It worked.
What if I'd been picking one of them
up from school?
I had a P.I. watching you
and the children.
- What?
- To be safe.
- Without telling me?
- I didn't want to scare you.
You just didn't want to admit
to what you've been doing.
What did Claudette
tell you?
Were you involved
with some drug dealer who died?
- Jesus Christ...
- Were you?
Sometimes
out on the street...
you gotta make deals
to make bigger arrests.
Now, Claudette got you
all worked up over nothin'
I got more truth from her
in ten minutes...
than I've gotten from you
in a year.
How are we paying
for Matthew's school?
You want me to go
find out from her?
I love my kids...
and I want
a future for them.
So right now I really need you to step up
and be on my side.
Mom,
did you see Daddy?
Yeah. You know what?
Dad's busy with work right now.
Okay? Um...
Maybe we'll see him later.
All right?
I've got a team member in the burn unit,
the guy who did it out on the street...
and you think now is a good time
to screw with my family?
I think Armadillo went to your house
looking for you, Vic.
Lucky your wife and kids
didn't end up in the burn ward.
- My family's off limits.
- You tell that to Armadillo.
I'm telling you!
I recommended,
weeks ago...
that the Justice Department provide protective
surveillance for the Strike Team.
They didn't want it.
It's a pride thing.
My report to the city council
is due next month.
And I'm sure you'll be
fair and accurate.
You wanted to see me?
I contacted Justice.
Starting tomorrow,
they're assigned to your team...
until Armadillo
is in custody.
- What?
- Why?
This is for your own good.
We can't see anyone else getting hurt.
- Who are you to dictate how I work?
- Excuse me?
Vic.
If I were you, I'd be careful about
the next thing you say.
I can't afford to be handcuffed
by some... part-timer...
who thinks she knows
what's right.
I am
a trained litigator...
with a master's
in criminal justice.
Then stay
in the classroom.
The, uh, cripple called.
I mean,
the handicapped... guy...
called.
Hey, Dutch.
Dutch!
City workers found this in a storm drain
a half a mile from the alley.
Looks like our weapon
to me.
- Prints?
- No, but there's a lot of hair and blood.
Check out these etchings.
They're Thai.
I checked out the Thai cultural center
where he volunteers at.
This was stolen from there a couple
of days ago. Maybe that'll help with motive.
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe.
Damn it!
What happened?
I guess the boss
must've got my memo.
Armadillo?
Dude that did this had Mexican prison ink.
Thick dialect.
One of them imports.
- Took my goddamn wheelchair.
How wrong is that?
- Did you get a name?
Better than that. Got the plate.
Blue Ford pickup truck.
God, Van Bro.
Nice work, Van Bro.
Sit tight.
- Help is on the way.
- And a new set of wheels.
Somethin' sporty.
- Hands on the wheel. Now.
- Don't even twitch, bitch.
- Out.
- On the head, Jose. Let's go. Let's go!
Get up there.
We're looking for Armadillo. Any tips?
Oh, I'm gettin' so tired
of playing this game.
Here.
- Here.
- Okay, okay, okay! I know where he is.
Lem, you ride with him.
We'll follow you.
Enjoy the wheelchair,
asshole.
Get in.
He was in line.
Guy behind him sprayed something
in his face with an aerosol can.
Looked like bug spray.
- Was there an argument?
- Well, he always takes forever to order.
So, uh, so aerosol guy
wanted him to hurry up.
When he didn't, the dude said,
"You're buggin' me."
Psst... right in the eyes.
Took off that way.
- I was just trying to order.
- Every day you hold up my goddamn line.
- I was reading the menu!
- Hot dogs, hamburgers. That's it, you idiot!
Hey!
- Jerk-off!
- Homo! Goddamn it!
- You married?
- Yeah.
- I'm gettin' ready
to take the plunge myself.
- Good for you.
- You got any kids?
- Yeah, I got a boy.
You don't want him
to see you in jail, do you?
- No.
- Good.
So, tell me about
the guy who sprayed you.
He's on the top floor.
Back unit.
He says Armadillo's got a few guys,
and they're probably packing.
Get the collaterals out of here.
Take the truck, cover the back.
?Qu? pasa?
You, uh, know much
about Thai culture, Malcolm?
I'm not really into
my roots.
Yet you volunteer at the Thai
cultural center two nights a week.
It's a good place
to meet girls.
Yeah.
And to, uh, pick up
antique artifacts.
This was stolen from there
a couple of days ago...
from a room
you had access to.
You see these, uh,
ornate little symbols?
They represent, uh...
"fertility, family,
bloodlines."
Okay.
- How come you never asked his name?
- Who?
The old man you beat up.
You wanna hear it?
His last name was Kusa.
Came over from Thailand a couple of years ago.
Kusa. Am I pronouncing that right?
- I guess.
- How would you say it?
- I wouldn't.
- So you won't even say his name.
We drop smoke,
head in the front door.
Armadillo runs out the back,
Lem's there waiting.
Let's go. Go...
Wait a minute.
What the hell is this?
- What's goin' on?
- I'm unarmed!
He called,
gave himself up!
- Is that so?
- Turn around.
Looks like he saw
the writin' on the wall.
Somebody did a job
on his face.
Well, it's an ugly world.
More and more.
I was attacked
by the bug spray guy.
- When?
- Three days ago.
I got your partner's card
from the hot dog stand.
About the man who was attacked
with bug spray... he got me too.
Serial sprayer?
That's weird.
It's kind of a dumb case.
He is hurting people,
but...
No, same principle
as a killer.
Driven by inadequacy
and frustration.
One acts out with insecticide,
the other with deadly force.
Why don't you run with it?
- Me?
- We're swamped today.
Be a while before a detective
can look into it.
- I don't know.
- Sure you do. You've got great instincts.
Really?
Calling the cultural center
about that scepter?
I think it's gonna be
the key to finding motive.
Bug spray guy's yours,
right?
Yeah.
Where would you start?
Both attacks took place
within a couple blocks.
- He probably lives within the area.
- Good.
I could call the drug stores,
hardware places...
see if anyone matching our description
bought any bug spray lately.
Sounds like
detective work to me.
Come on, Claudette.
Let me go inside with you, back you up.
Don't take this the wrong way,
but I don't need the help.
We both been
working this case.
- Between what you and I know,
we can trip him up.
- I'm gonna try this alone.
If you can't
make up your mind...
I'll ask Lanie
to make the call.
Give her
the facts of the case.
You've got a lot of your plate.
Where'd you find the time?
Drug trafficking...
consolidating a Mexican power base,
murder.
Am I leaving anything out?
Oh, yeah.
Juvenile rape.
So you say.
Let's hope that genius I.Q.
means you know how to help yourself.
We've got you on tape
making a death threat.
That could be anyone's voice.
I'll challenge it in court.
What about the testimony of a cop
with his own grill mark?
You gonna challenge that too?
What happened to your face?
You used to be
so pretty.
I'll only
give my confession...
to Detective Mackey.
You don't make demands.
Not to me.
I speak to Mackey...
or my lawyer.
I want to talk alone.
The first few weeks
are the worst.
Then the skin gets hard.
The stinging goes away.
It's time for me to leave.
You should have left
when I gave you the chance.
My business here is done.
Everything's in place.
Now you're going to
help me get home.
- Help you?
- You have no choice.
The second you did this to me,
you gave me control.
So, unless you and your men
want a cell next to mine...
you'll do what I say.
Get your man
to recant his statement...
and get me out of here
long enough to cross the border...
we'll call it even.
What about
the people you burned...
and that little girl
you raped?
Sometimes...
life isn't fair.
You wanted me to hurt you.
Every scar is a victory.
This is just my biggest.
What'd he say?
He just wanted
to gloat.
Guess it's my turn.
He wants to
see his lawyer.
The interrogation's over.
Oh, there he is.
Excuse me.
- Mr. Jarvis Stanley?
- Yeah.
- Let me see your hands.
- Why?
I said
let me see your hands.
Put your hands on top of your head
and step away from the car.
Got a pest problem.
It's illegal to carry bug spray?
It is when you're trying
to blind people with it.
They were all buggin' me.
Ahh. It's not like
I killed anyone.
Actually, it's an assault
with a deadly weapon.
Bug spray's poison.
That's a felony.
Now you're
startin'to bug me.
- He's got me.
- No.
No way.
This does not end like this.
He's gonna play
the brutality card...
if I don't get Ronnie to recant
and set him loose.
- Then that's what we gotta do.
- No.
I couldn't look Ronnie
in the eye.
I did this.
I'll take all the heat,
make sure you guys get a pass.
Come on.
You could be lookin' at jail time.
I barely saw my kids
today.
I'm gonna go
give 'em a call.
What are we gonna do?
What are we gonna do,
Shane?
I'm thinkin'.
God!
Shit!
- Where we goin'?
- To make a deal.
Your family comes from the area in northern
Thailand known as the Hilltribe region...
known for its
tribal wars.
In fact, your family's been feuding
with another clan for over 800 years.
- Not me.
- Rape.
Torture. Genocide.
That's a pretty gnarly
family tree.
The other family's name
is Kusa.
And now I know why
you beat him into a coma.
And now a jury's
gonna know it too.
My dad was pissed.
Your dad.
Old guy comes into the center
and signed the guest book... Kusa.
So I told my dad,
you know, as a joke.
But he went crazy.
Starts talking about killing this guy,
like, really killing him.
So I figure...
I'd scare Kusa away first...
act like I was protecting
the family name or whatever.
Get him to leave
the neighborhood.
And the scepter was to...
drive the point home.
I followed him outside the center,
and I told him who I was.
Before I could say anything...
the old freak
spits in my face.
He starts whaling on me,
screaming at me in Thai.
I only hit him back
to protect myself.
He was half dead,
hanging from a pole.
That's a pretty tough sell
for self-defense.
It was, at first.
But something happened
to me.
Blood.
I never stood up
for my family before.
I know it was wrong...
but somehow it made sense.
Yo, what'd he do?
The guy walked right past us
smokin' weed.
We didn't want to haul him in,
but we asked him to put it out...
blew smoke right in our face.
Idiot.
- Now we know the "why."
- Yeah.
And I couldn't have done it without you.
Thanks.
You know, up until now I was really
focused on getting ahead on the street.
But after seeing
the whole detective angle...
I don't know, it just kinda
felt like we were partners.
There was a real connection there.
Good back and forth.
- Yeah.
- You were great.
Thanks.
What?
Um, K... Uh, Kim's making me dinner tonight.
I've got to, uh...
I have a lot of...
Oh, shit.
What's going on?
- Oh, my God.
- What?
I just...
I almost kissed Dutch.
Oh, my God.
Why?
I don't know. It was a momentary lapse.
Was he devastated?
No. He's the one that
pulled away from me.
- Oh, my God.
- I know. Shoot me.
Keys!
Give me the keys!
Hey, hey, hey!
Get away from him! Hey, hey!
Hey, hey!
Get off of him!
Hands up!
Hands up, everybody!
Watch the knife!
Call a medic!
I'm calling!
On the wall.
Let's search 'em nicely.
Let's go.
Jesus Christ!
Who searched that guy?
- I did.
- How could you miss a knife that size?
It wasn't on him when I frisked him
after the arrest.
Upstairs.
Nope.
What happened?
Los Mag O.G.
with a grudge.
Stabbed him nine times.
Won't say why.
Jesus.
Come on, let's go.
Unbelievable, huh?
Armadillo Quintero.
I thought maybe you might like that
for your personal files.
This case is closed.
File it where it belongs.
You wanna know
what I think happened?
Vic was Tio's drug landlord,
gave him protection.
Tio gave him favors
and a cut of the business.
When Armadillo killed Tio,
Vic fried his face on the grill...
and that's why he didn't
want me to find him.
Why'd you get in my way?
I made a mistake.
You just now
realizing that?
Oops, sorry.
I heard
about your suspension.
I searched that guy
from head to toe.
Call your P.B.A. rep.
Get your side of the story
on record.
Is all of this a joke, Vic?
- What?
- Everything.
Everything that's
happening to me lately.
You're a good cop, Danny.
I miss you.
I know.
I just can't act on that
right now.
Right.
Did you get 'em
to sleep?
I got a guy to replace
the window tomorrow.
I've got things to do
tomorrow.
I'll have 'em call ahead,
make sure you're at home.
Just leave me his number.
I'll take care of it myself.
Okay.
Listen, I... I gotta have
more time with the kids.
Not just dinners. I... I need some mornings,
some weekends.
Hey, they're my kids too. If I wanna
see them more, I'm gonna see them.
You can't even spend three dinners a week,
and now you want more time?
Goddamn it,
don't do this.
I'm gonna make more time.
Okay?
I gotta get back to basics.
Start by bein'
a good dad again.
- You can't promise them that.
- I'm serious.
I gotta make some changes.
Leave the number
for the window guy.
Little Pop heads back
to Pelican Bay...
where he has more respect and business
than he ever did before.
We're gonna cover his mom's expenses
until after the sentencing.
I'll never forget
what you guys did for me.
Don't worry.
We won't let you.
Tell Ronnie
I'll see him tomorrow.
Enjoy the painting.
Not a problem.
Take it easy.
Night, boss.
We both know...
what happened to Ronnie...
that's on you.
It's all on you.
- Yeah.
- You sure?
That's him.