The Wire (2002–2008): Season 1, Episode 3 - The Buys - full transcript

Yo, shit is late.

Yeah, they still
vialin' up.

Usually come off
the train street-ready,

but this time
they gotta vial.

Y'all got
any testers, man?

- Yeah, later.
- Later?

Y'all got
any testers, man?

Nigga, it ain't even 9:00
and you fiendin' on it.

Get the fuck
out of here, man.

Damn.

Yo, why you act
like that, yo?

What, for these
junkie motherfuckers?

So, you just gonna
take his money all day

and treat him
like a dog?

How I'm supposed
to treat him?

I don't know.

But you ain't got
to punk 'em like that.

He punked hisself.

He a goddamn
drug addict.

And you a goddamn
drug dealer.

So?

So what?

Oh, what, the customer's
always right?

Yo, we in
the projects.

The customer
be fucked up.

You can't give
these niggas shit, man.

Why not?
Why can't you?

Shit, everything else
in the world get sold

without people
taking advantage.

Scammin', lyin',
doin' each other dirty.

Why it got to be
that way with this?

'cause they dope fiends.

Yeah, but the game
ain't gotta be played
like that, yo.

You can't tell me
this shit can't get done

without people
beatin' on each other,

killin' each other,
doin' each other like dogs.

Without all that

you ain't got five-oh
down here on our backs
every five minutes,

throwin' us around
and shit.

Shit, man.

You think five-oh would care
about niggas gettin' high?

In the projects?

Man, five-oh be down here
about the bodies, yo.

That's what they be
down here about, the bodies.

Squires,
young squires.

Ah, what you want,
nigga?

A little bag o' styles, man.
A little bag o' styles for you.

Check it out,
check it out.

Only five dollars.

What's up with that?

Five dollars make you
a gallant motherfucker,
right there, boy.

Him, we know.

♪ If you walk
through the garden ♪

♪ You better
watch your back ♪

♪ Well, I beg
your pardon ♪

♪ Walk the straight
and narrow track ♪

♪ If you walk
through Jesus ♪

♪ He'll save your soul ♪

♪ You gotta
keep the devil ♪

♪ Down in the hole ♪

♪ All the angels sing ♪

♪ About Jesus' mighty soul ♪

♪ And they shoot you
with your wing ♪

♪ Keep you close
to the Lord ♪

♪ Don't pay heed
to temptation ♪

♪ Oh, your hands
are so cold ♪

♪ You got to
keep the devil ♪

♪ Way down in the hole ♪

♪ Way down in the hole ♪

♪ Way down in the hole ♪

♪ Way down in the hole ♪

♪ Way down in the hole ♪

What are we facing
from the riot?

Three witnesses'
statements.

All of them saying
the officer's assault

on the youth
was unprovoked.

You know how that goes,
Commissioner.

People's idea
of police brutality is
whenever we win a fight.

What does
the state's attorney say?

He says it goes
to a grand jury.

That's him doing
Pontius Pilate.

The grand jury
doesn't indict,

he looks clean
for passing the buck.

And if they
do indict?

They won't.

Criminal histories
on our three witnesses...

one longer
than the next.

Drugs, weapons, assault,
more drugs.

Shitbirds throwing dirt
at good police.

Just the same, Lieutenant,
I want you to rethink

whatever tactic
led you to send three
plainclothes officers

to do field interviews
at the high-rises

at 2:00 in the morning.

Yes, sir.

I take it your people
have union counsel?

Yes, sir.

Sir, I would request that
pending the grand jury review,

Officer Pryzbylewski be placed
on administrative leave.

I can use him in-office,
but I don't think

we should have him
on the street until
the grand jury signs off.

That's putting our tail
between our legs.

I think our
official stance

has to be he did
nothing wrong out there.

A 14-year-old
is half-blind.

And two of ours
were injured as well.

Goddamn right.

They were fucking
shooting at us out there.

Bobby,
what do you think?

Keep 'em off the streets
until it clears the courthouse.

Okay, then, we wait
on the grand jury.

Lieutenant.
A moment, please.

What happened
out there?

Did you know they were in
the high-rises without backup?

I tell you yes,
I screwed up.

I tell you no, I'm putting
my men in the jackpot.

Do you still
want me to answer?

I screwed up, sir.

It's a good man that's willing
to take one for the company.

Hell with
the company.

I'm defending my own
people here, that's all.

What Major Valchek
means to say

is that he's grateful that
you extended your support

on behalf of
Officer Pryzbylewski.

Fuck-up that he is.

He should be
off the street.

What can I say?

The kid needs
a little guidance,

a little supervision.

Stan here thought that
if he got a young officer

back on the street where
he might start over...

A new unit,
a new lieutenant.

That might
bring him around.

I understand
he messed up here.

I understand that.

Which is why
I'm saying to you,

I owe you for walking
him through this
grand jury thing.

And to compensate,
Southeastern is sending you

two new unmarked units
and a surveillance van.

Plus, you need manpower

while these guys are busy
with this IID thing,

all you do is ask.

Lieutenant.

So, I got suction
with you, Valchek?

That's what I'm saying.

Deputy,
always a pleasure.

A necessary evil.

What?

Valchek.

Is it insubordinate
if I ask what's so necessary?

Thanks for not cutting
Pryzbylewski loose.

If you had,
the department
would be caught

between Valchek
and city hall.

I owe you for that.

This Barksdale,
he's dug in.

It may take more
than buy-bust.

And since it's been
in the press about
the witness--

It's not an issue.

Keep it a tight
little circle.

Give me three weeks
of good street work

and you'll
see this through.

A couple of felony warrants,
a little dope on the table.

That's all
we need here.

Under no circumstances
is it accurate to suggest

that this particular homicide
was the result of the victim

having been a witness
in an earlier case.

Reports to the contrary
are without factual merit.

Are you saying that
you know definitely

that this man was not killed
because he testified?

We think, that--
I mean, that is...

we're looking into the
possibility that Mr. Gant

was involved
in a street dispute.

Which, of course,
would have nothing to do

with his being a witness
in an unrelated case
that concluded weeks ago.

But you haven't developed
a suspect at this time?

No, we haven't.

Ah, bunk,
shame on you, lad.

What'd you
expect him to do?

I don't know,
grab the mic,

shove Rawls
to the ground

declare that all of Baltimore
should rise as one,

because they're
murdering witnesses
in cold blood.

That sounds more like
one of your moves.

Been working on him
two weeks and we don't
even have a photo.

It's fucking
embarrassing.

- Hey, Pat.
- Huh?

We got a job
for you guys to try
to run down.

What is it?

We need a photo
of this guy Barksdale.

We need to know
what he looks like.

So, go down
to the B of I.

Well, you see,
that's the problem, guys.

You see, Barksdale's never
been arrested as an adult,

so, we don't really
have a B of I photo.

And his juvenile record
he had expunged,

so there's no photo
there either.

Then you're fucked.

Yeah.

Yeah, we are.

But seeing as we all
came into work today,

I thought, what the hell,
let's try something different.

So, we know from his mother's
social service record

that Barksdale grew up
in Franklin Terrace, right?

Well, it occurred to me,
being vaguely familiar

with the high-rises
of West Baltimore,

that the housing project
began to take photos

of every registered resident
as a security measure.

Am I correct,
Detective Greggs?

Yeah.

So, you want us to go down
to the housing department

and pull his photo.

Excellent.

You know, you and I,
we think as one.

We're like two horses
together in a harness.

Why don't you fucking
do it yourself?

Sure, if you don't mind
sitting in my desk,

reviewing homicide folders,
taking meticulous notes,

trying to run down
a few new leads.

It's boring,
painstaking work,

but if you don't
want to travel to
the housing department,

I'll switch with you.

Fuck it, Patrick,
let's take a ride.

That was inspiring.

I'm a leader of men.

Yo, wassup with shop?

No re-up.

Why not?

'Cause we out
of red caps.

Stink say we have
a new package tomorrow.

- New package?
- Yeah.

Yeah, man,
this weak-ass stepped-on
shit we got out here

get these
fiends agitated.

Well, look at them,
they still buyin' it though.

Yes, they buyin' twice as much
and only getting half as high.

Yo, what was that?

Hmm?

Castle can't move
like that, yo.

Castle move up and down
or sideways like.

Naw, we ain't
playin' that.

Man, look at the board,
we playing checkers.

Checkers?

Yeah, checkers.

Yo, why y'all playing
checkers on a chess set?

Yo, why you
give a shit?

Man, we ain't
got no checkers.

Yeah, but yo,
chess is a better game, yo.

So?

Naw, holdup, holdup.

Y'all don't know how
to play chess, do you?

So?

So, nothin', man.

Look, I'll teach y'all
if you want to learn.

C'mon, man,
nah, c'mon.

We're right in
the middle of a game.

Calm down, chill out,
I want to see this.

Look, y'all can't be
playin' no checkers
on no chessboard, yo.

A'ight, a'ight,
all right, man.

Now, look, check it,
it's simple, it's simple.

See this?

This the kingpin,
a'ight?

And he the man.

You get the other dude's
king, you got the game.

But, he tryin'
to get your king, too,

so, you gotta
protect it.

Now the king,
he move one space

any direction
he damn choose,
'cause he's the king.

Like this, this,
this, a'ight?

But he ain't
got no hustle,

but the rest of these
motherfuckers on the team,

they got his back.

And they run so deep,
he really ain't gotta do shit.

Like your uncle.

Yeah, like my uncle.

And you see this?

This the queen,
she smart and she fierce.

She move any way she want
as far as she want.

And she is
the go-get-shit-done piece.

Remind me
of Stringer.

And this over here
is the castle,

it's like the stash.

It move like this
and like this.

Dog, stash
don't move, man.

C'mon, yo, think.
How many times we move
the stash house this week?

A'ight? And every time
we move the stash

we got to move
a little muscle with it,
right, to protect it?

True, true,
you right.

A'ight,

what about them little
bald-headed bitches,
right there?

These right here.

These are the pawns.
They like the soldiers.

They move like this,
one space forward only,

'cept when they fight.

Then it's like...

or like this.

And they like
the front lines.

They be out
in the field.

So, how do you get
to be the king?

It ain't like that.

See, the king
stay the king, a'ight?

Everything stay
who he is,

'cept for the pawns.

Now if a pawn

make it all the way down
to the other dude's side,

he get
to be queen.

And like I said,
the queen ain't no bitch.

She got all the moves.

A'ight, so, if I make it
to the other end,

I win?

If you catch
the other dude's king
and trap it,

then you win.

A'ight, but if
I make it to the end,

I'm top dog.

Naw, yo, it ain't
like that, look.

The pawns, man,
in the game,

they get capped quick.

They be out
the game early.

Unless they some
smart-ass pawns.

Nagras.

Can you fucking
believe this?

This shit
is prehistoric.

What else they got
down there in property?

Eight-tracks?
Victrolas?

Fucking department's
a joke.

We got to get with
the feds somehow.

They got lightweights,
wireless, micro-recorders.

Yeah, DEA
got those.

I wear this on a warm day
and they're gonna know.

Even if they do a half-assed
search, I'm done.

Nagras, Jesus.

You can't send his ass
into the projects

with this shit
taped to him.

That ain't gonna play.

I'm saying.

McNulty and the girl,

the lizard from narcotics,
they've got the file.

Who are you
partnered with?

McNulty, but he don't
have shit to do with me.

And I don't want nothing
to do with him neither.

Major, I'm a fifth wheel on
a car that's going nowhere.

Bring me home.

Soon enough.

Look, you're my eyes and ears
in this mess, right?

And I don't want
no more surprises

like that
newspaper article.

If McNulty's planning
anymore bullshit like that,

I got to be able
to tell the deputy
before the shit flies.

Then you come home with
a favor in your pocket.

How bad is that?

Lieutenant.

You get Carver
and Prez back tomorrow,

but Prez
is in-office.

No police powers,
no street work, nothing.

If the building catches fire,
he stays in the office.

What about Herc?

Medical 'til Monday,
at least.

I wonder what you gotta
do to get thrown off
this police force.

Keep on with
some of your shit,
you just might find out.

Where are
the fucking run-sheets?

Behind the board.

You all go
for a taste?

Hey.

We got your picture,
don't you fucking
worry, McNulty.

This is Barksdale?

Avon Barksdale.

I don't think so.

Read my lips.
Avon fucking Barksdale.

His name's on the form
in the file.

Well, excuse me
for giving a shit,

but I can't help
but notice this is
a middle-aged white man.

Hey, you want
something different,
you give me another name.

That's the only
Avon Barksdale in the
housing department files.

You've got
your smokes?

Have a nice
fucking day.

Maybe he's white.

No, I mean, really,
what do we really know?

Avon Barksdale,
31 years of age,

born Provident Hospital,
West Baltimore

to Willette Jackson Barksdale,
father unknown.

Educated
Baltimore City Schools.

Early address is in
the same public housing

where he now controls
the drug trade.

No flash,
no profile,

pretty much comes up
out of nowhere.

No work history.

No tax information
we can look at.

No cars in his name,
no driver's license.

No kids.

No priors either.

Oh, yeah, his vague
CI information that states

he stays in
various apartments
out in the county,

addresses undetermined,
of course.

He moves from
girlfriend to girlfriend,

might have another
girlfriend in New York,

he likes to work out,

and he used to box Golden
Gloves when he was younger.

I've been working
on this guy for two weeks

and the truth is
we don't know shit.

Golden Gloves?
How'd you hear that?

I don't know.

I think I got that
from a DEA file.

Uh, from a CI

who claimed to know him
way back when.

So, you write
everything down?

Yeah, everything.

I got that bomb, y'all.

Blue tops, blue tops.

Double shorts,
in the hole, man.

Got blue tops,
lookin' for blues?

In the hole, y'all.

Blue tops,
red tops.

Got that chronic...

Red tops,
two for 10.

Blue tops, blue tops.

Keep your jab moving.

Move with your right.

Left, right, left, right,
two punches.

I got a few questions
I wanna ask you, Mack.

Keep your hands moving,
work to the body some, man.

So, who's
your target?

- Barksdale.
- Who?

- Avon Barksdale.
- Never heard of him.

That's the thing.

This guy's got
the Westside Projects
locked up.

He's tied to maybe
a dozen murders,

he's completely
off the radar.

Avon, what was it?

- Barksdale.
- If you say so.

DEA has a couple pages
on him from Naddis entries.

Nothing in NCIC,
no adult arrests.

I've been working drugs
for the bureau since '98

and I can tell you we got
nothing on him that I know.

This little thing

is the smile
of the week.

Watch this.

What was that?

Get the door.
Get the door.

Career case.

Not that my bosses
give a damn at this point.

Why not?

Why not?

All them mopes
in bracelets

and not one of 'em
named Osama.

Still, I owe you, brother,
what do you need?

A couple of
lightweight body mikes.

Wireless,
remote taping capability.

That's all?

Hey, where I come from,

we're just happy
to be in the 20th century.

All right,
who's running the case?

So I can tell
my squad supervisor.

Daniels,
out of narcotics.

All right, no problem.

Shit, fucking rain, man.

All right, all right,
y'all know what the fuck
this is.

Up against the wall,
hurry the fuck up.

C'mon, let's go,
c'mon, let's go.

Going to the back,
going to the back.

Ain't got time
for this shit.

Got some red-tops,
some testers.

Get 'em around
the corner.

Hurry up, take 'em around,
take 'em around.

Shit, man, what the fuck
you lookin' at me for?

Get your ass
around the corner.

I want that shit,
that's good.

Keep it movin',
keep it movin'.

Yeah, you see that?

Aw, yeah.

Third from the end,
that's the stash.

Some real raggedy-ass
shit here, boy.

Very sloppy.

Hmm.

How old
are your kids?

Mike is eight,
Sean's 10.

That's the hard part.

Yeah, that's the hard part,
but, you know.

So, how often do you
get to see them?

Every other weekend.

Trying to get more,
but she's fighting me.

Why would she fight
you on that?

She's getting even.

Getting even?

You must've been
fuckin' around.

I'm just sayin'.

- You're right.
- It's always the case.

When a woman
lookin' to get even,

there's gotta be a little
extra something there.

Hey, Bubs, how come
you got all this wisdom

and your life's
so fucking hard?

I been wondering
on that myself.

So, how about you?

You ever been married?

What'd I say?

You ain't gonna
say anything, I am.

What?

If you a dog, you barkin'
at the wrong pussy.

What, so,
I'm a dog now?

Meow.

Yo, Bubs.

I date women.

There we are, we've got
something else in common,
I date women, too.

So, pretty much
everyone in CID's
worked this out but me?

Well, shit, wasn't
nothing to figure out,
I told 'em.

I guess I missed
the press conference.

Look, it's better that
than to have every police

on three shifts houndin'
you every goddamn day.

Cops are dogs.

Yeah.

It's not like I was,
you know, walkin' around,

wavin' some dyke flag
in the air or some shit.

Hey, I know I look like
I could go either way.

Ooh, Lord, yes, you do.
Yes, you do.

It was just somethin'
I had to put out there
to get through the day.

- I should've known.
- Should've known what?

I worked with one
other female police officer

who was worth a damn,
only one.

- A lesbian.
- Yeah.

In the beginning,
you're in your radio car,

alone,
working your post.

Most women aren't
getting out of that car.

Right.

Not without side partners
showin' up.

They're intimidated.

Physically.

They gotta be.

You weren't?

Yeah, at first.

But, you know,
talkin' about some old,

you know, straight-out-of-
the-academy-type scared,

you know
what I'm sayin'?

I wasn't about
to stay scared.

You know, you get
your ass kicked,

you know,
once or twice,

you realize it's not
the end of the world, right?

Mm-hmm.

Most of the women,
they don't want to
believe that.

Some of the men, too.
They don't even
want to go there.

- You think
'cause you're gay?
- I don't know.

But is there any other
fuckin' way to police?

All I know is
I just love the job.

That'll be $3.20.

Keep the change.

Thanks,
have a nice day.

♪ Baby say, yeah,
baby say, yeah ♪

♪ Would you die for me
like you cry for me? ♪

♪ Baby say, yeah,
baby say, yeah ♪

♪ Would you feel for me
like you comfort me? ♪

♪ Baby say, yeah,
baby say, yeah ♪

♪ Girl, I would be,
you're my dime for me ♪

♪ I know that you're lovin' me
'cause you thug with me ♪

♪ You're a slug to me,
my baby ♪

♪ You goin' feel for you
like I comfort you ♪

♪ The world's bugged
but you feel me ♪

♪ Girl, we'll connect
the dots ♪

♪ We'll hit the spot,
between me ♪

♪ You ride hard,
I ride drop... ♪

Hey, yo,
Dee comin' up.

Where's it all go?

Huh?

The money.

Where all
the money go?

22, four,
give or take.

From the low-rises?

Damn, boy, you must
have that crew hummin'.

I don't remember a day
we ever got this much
from the courtyard.

It wasn't
even check day.

You doin' good
out there, Dee.

We'll be doin' even better
when we get that new package.

New package
same as old, man.

- Say what?
- Ain't no new package.

Just gonna put
that same shit

out in a different
color gelcap is all.

Might spike that shit
with some procaine

or some caffeine,
but otherwise the same.

String, man, people are
already coming back on us,

tellin' us
that shit is weak.

I know, the shit is weak.
But, you know, shit is
weak all over.

The thing is, no matter
what we call heroin,

it's gonna get sold.

The shit is strong,
we gonna sell it.

The shit is weak,
we gonna sell twice as much.

You know why?

'Cause a fiend, he gonna chase
that shit no matter what.

It's crazy,
you know?

We do worse,
and we get paid more.

The government do better

and it don't
mean no nevermind.

This shit right here,
Dee...

is forever.

That's your bonus
right there.

And you make sure
you buy something that
you wouldn't otherwise.

Thanks, man.

All right.

Hey.

Hey.

You remember me?

Do I remember you?

I was in here the other day,
you wanted a drink.

Did I get a drink?

Afraid not.

Then why would
I remember you?

You want
to be remembered,

you going about it
the wrong way here.

All right.

Lerry.

The usual.

This here's
my uncle's place.

You kin to Orlando?

Naw.

Orlando's like
the up-front man, you know?

My uncle's
the money man.

Where you from?

Right here.

Baltimore.

I know Baltimore,
but, like, where?

You know
Turner Station?

Down past Dundalk
near the Point.

Oh, the Point.

So, you a country girl.

You mean county.

Where I'm from,
the county is the country.

Where was that?

So...

are you workin'
with your uncle?

I'm his right hand.

Yes, you is.

You want to ride
with us in the van?

No.

Why not?

You think
it's a waste?

Touts and children,
that's all you're gonna get.

Bingo.

Where did you
get this?

Now, look at
this piece of shit.

I'm good to go,
right?

Come here, let me see.

Detective Sydnor's
ensemble

is the latest
in Westside Project wear.

Have your torn cammies
by Versace,

stained sweatshirt
by Ralph Lauren.

- Where you miked?
- Down in my dip, man.

I figure they ain't gonna
go down there anyway, right?

I don't know, Sydnor,
the way you twirlin' around,

might be the first place
they look.

Fuck you.

I ain't showered in two days,
I ain't shaved in four.

Right now,
I am one ripe,

nasty son of a bitch.

Yo, Bubs.

What you think?

This your man, huh?

Yeah.

Is he low-bottom
enough for you?

Clothes is tore
down enough,

but he could
use a little bit
more stains,

more dirt.

What's this here, man?

It's my
wedding ring.

Shit, you married
to the needle, boy.

That shit been pawned off,
if you for real.

Dead giveaway.

You could stand
to lose about 20 pounds,

some yellow
in your teeth,

fresh bleeds
on the hands.

Okay, so maybe
I should go out

and shoot up some dope for
about a year or two, right?

Come back when I can
really carry the look off?

I'm jus' sayin',
I'm jus' sayin', man.

The more tore down
you look, the better.

You gonna go down
in them towers, man,

they gonna
check everything.

Yo, how 'bout
the shoes?

I know you ain't got
no problem with the shoes,

fucked up
as they are.

Let me see
the shoes, man.

See?

You walkin' down them
alleys of the projects,

man, you steppin'
on the dead soldiers.

Dead soldiers?

Yeah, empty vials.

You can't walk down
a Baltimore street

without that shit crackin'
underneath your feet.

You want to know
if a fiend for real?

Check the bottom
of his shoes.

Okay.

Have him dance
on some empties
before we go out there.

Get us killed.

He hurt your feelings?

Little bit.

Shit.

♪ Hit it ♪

♪ It takes two to make
a thing go right ♪

♪ It takes two to make it
outta sight ♪

♪ It takes two to make
a thing go right ♪

♪ It takes two to
make it outta sight ♪

♪ I wanna rock
right now ♪

♪ I'm Rob Base
and I came to get down ♪

♪ I'm not
internationally known ♪

♪ But I'm known
to rock the microphone ♪

♪ Because I get stupid,
I mean outrageous ♪

♪ Stay away from me,
if you're contagious ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm the man,
no, I'm not a loser ♪

♪ To be an MC
is what I choose to ♪

♪ Ladies love me,
girls adore me ♪

♪ I mean even the ones
who never saw me ♪

♪ Like the way that I rhyme
and have soul ♪

♪ The reason why, man,
I don't know ♪

♪ So, let's go 'cause ♪

♪ it takes two to make
a thing go right ♪

♪ It takes two to
make it outta sight ♪

♪ It takes two to make
a thing go right... ♪

Four hand-to-hands.

Two to me,
two to Bubs,

with me close enough
to mark it.

From who?

Kids, mostly.
Young-ass hoppers.

It's a start.

They pretty tight
out here, Kima.

You don't hand no money
to nobody that matters,

you don't get no product
from nobody that matters.

You want
to go back in?

Shit, we copped
from every crew out here.

Ain't we supposed
to go off somewhere

and fire this shit up?

Yeah, let's get
the fuck out of here.

Well, now.

Did you get to see
where the money went
after you handed off?

No.

Nothing but touts
and runners here.

But then again,
you told us so.

I didn't say that.

But as a matter
of fact.

Everyone else
roll out?

I--

you were, uh, upstairs
and out of pocket,

so, uh,
I cut 'em loose.

Just as well.

I'll give 'em
the news tomorrow.

What happened?

I told the deputy
we had a few hand-to-hands.

Low-level people.

He wants us
to put everything we get
into search-and-seizures

and hit the projects
Wednesday afternoon.

- Lieutenant.
- I know.

Does he think
that's what gets us
Avon Barksdale?

The buys we made,
they don't even go
past the courtyards.

I need you to scratch
together everything we got
from the hand-to-hands

and shape it into PC
for the warrants.

A few locations
at least.

But we don't even know
what doors to hit.

A few apartments
in the low-rises

that we've seen
used for stash, maybe.

Then we write
on those.

Lieutenant, these guys change
stash houses every other day.

Look, the man upstairs
wants to see a circus.

A couple of days from now,
I got to show him three rings.

Christ.

I'm sorry.

We gotta jump.

Is the deputy
ops stupid?

No.

Well, this shit
is fucking stupid.

No, we bring in some arrests,
he takes them to the judge.

He figures
the judge goes away.

And then he buries
the fucking case.

What are we gonna do?

There's nothing
you can do,

except pound out
some probable cause.

We're gonna be here
all fucking night.

Well, I'm not.

Where the fuck
you got to go?

No, I mean,
I can't.

I'm not gonna help them
gut the case.

I'm sorry.

I know
he's your lieutenant.

You gotta do
what you gotta do.

But I can't swallow
this shit anymore.

♪ Mr. Johnson sings
on a corner by the bar ♪

♪ Sold his soul
to the devil ♪

♪ So he can
play guitar ♪

♪ Too cool
to be forgotten ♪

♪ Hey, hey... ♪

Why are you here?

Been thinking
about something.

- Can I come in?
- No.

No?

What's the matter,
McNulty?

No one ever
tells you no?

Sorry.
I should've called.

How do you
clone a beeper?

- What?
- That's what I need to know.

You show up at my door
at 9:00 to ask me that?

They're using
pagers, right?

Every other drug dealer
has a cell phone

and these guys
are all on pagers.

What do you
want to do?

Bunk and me,
when we jack up
the Barksdale kid,

he's got
a Motorola pager.

We give it back
so not to spook him.

You want
to clone it?

Can we do that with a subpoena
to the pager company?

Read that.

What is it?

Affidavit from
a state police case.

A judge signs
something like that,
you can clone a beeper.

Christ.

Probable cause, coupled with
an exhaustion argument.

You got to
show the judge

that other investigative
methods have failed.

You'll also
need a supervisor

who wants you to clone
a suspect's pager,

knowing that it might
lead to who knows what else,

pen registers, wiretaps.

Daniels'll come around.

Daniels will
have your ass.

Thanks.

- That's it?
- What?

No.

Let me understand.

You're married
and a date is a room

at the Best Western
with the blinds closed.

Now you're single
and a date is

you coming over
unannounced

to learn the legal requisites
for a pager intercept.

Pretty much.

No.

Okay, I hear you.

You?

As if you
give a shit.

You're an asshole,
McNulty.

What the fuck
did I do?

Yo, how much more
to that pack?

50, 60.

Re-up's late.

Have Wallace hit Stinkum
on his pager again.

You want something
from carry-out?

Yeah,
lake trout sub.

Pay up.

Damn. You asked,
I thought you was treatin'.

Well, you thought wrong,
I ain't no bank.

You stingy like one.

Just make sure
you give me enough.

No mayo, extra hot,
somethin' to drink.

All right.

- Yo, he go for food?
- Yep.

Why ain't you tell me?
My stomach growlin'
like a motherfuck.

Starve, nigga.

Man, shit.

Yo, re-up's here.

Stink, what up?

What's up, bro?

10 minutes, yo.

- 10?
- Yeah.

A'ight.

Who there?

Y'all got my back,
you heard me?

Get the fuck
in here.

Get your ass down.

Sit your
stupid ass down.

Get the fuck down.

Shit, stay there, bitch.

Yo, yo, get down,
get down.

Get the fuck down,
motherfucker.

Hey, yo,
where it at?

Ain't none here, yo.

Where it at, man?

Aw, shit!

Oh, fuck,
my leg !

Where it at,
shorty?

Kitchen,
under the sink.

Hey, yo,
go on and get that.

Two G-packs.
Let's roll.

Just two?

- Yo, Omar, c'mon.
- Yo, what the fu--

stupid.

Aw, shit !

Let's get
the fuck out of here.

Aw, shit!

C'mon, Poot.

Fuck!

So, your man
saw 'em get jacked?

Yeah, part of it.

And he gets
the tag number?

Good man,
that Bubbles.

Listen up.

Western uniforms will
meet us in the Mount Clare
parking lot.

We start there
and we don't stop
'til we take the doors.

I want their lookouts
to have as little chance
as possible.

What's with you?

My office.

- I'm not going.
- You're insubordinate?

I'm not jumping out
on something I believe's
gonna harm the case.

You want to write me up
on that, you can.

You think I want this?

I got the deputy ops
on my ass for this shit.

Now I got you
showing me up in front of
the whole damn detail.

I don't mean
to show anybody up.

- Get your vest on.
- No.

I got police work to do.

Motherfucker,
if you felt this way,

why didn't you
call in sick?

- I'm not sick.
- Yeah, you are.

Gimme a 95 on why
you are physically unable

to participate in
today's police action.

What, I'm gonna lie
so you can save face?

Come on, write it up.

I can't jump out
with the rest of my unit

because my tummy hurts.

I'm not gonna help you
gut this case.

If you want to pretend
to be a police,

you go ahead.

Let's do it.

I'm up.

You're on medical.

I'm up, boss.

Give him a vest.

Naw, motherfucker.

It ain't just up
to Stinkum to be muscle.

You got the pit.

Your people supposed
to be ready for the re-up.

You supposed to be
steady for him.

But where you at?

You in the goddamn
sammich shop.

You got 20 thousand
dollar, Dee,

coming into your shop

and you ain't even around
to see that shit right.

Look, I thought re-ups--

No, thinkin' was
what you wasn't doin'

and now we look
like bitches.

You feel me?

We got to
come back on 'em

and you can't even tell
me shit about who they was.

One of 'em
was named Omar.

Omar?

Yeah, Omar,
that's the name I heard.

And they had
a white van.

Yeah, I saw
the van down there.

What kind of van?

Five-oh!

- Wrong door.
- Yeah?

Yeah, switched it
yesterday.

Let's see your hands.
Let's see your hands.

Get the fuck out the way.
Let's see your hands.

Up, motherfucker, up.

Turn around.

All the way up.

Police.

Put your hands up,
put 'em up!

Turn your
monkey ass around.

Why you fucking
with us, man?

C'mon, man, damn,
we wasn't even doin' shit.

C'mon, man.

C'mon, motherfucker,
how that feel?

How that feel?
You fucked up now.

You fucked up.
You feel it, right?

I'm gonna swing it.
I'm gonna swing it.

You hit a cop,
Motherfucker.

Go ahead, play that
cowboy shit, motherfucker.

Go ahead, hold 'em down.
Hold him down.

Hold his arms.
Hold his arms!

Up against
the fucking wall.
Spread your legs.

Don't make me
kick your ass, too.

Motherfucker, come on.

Get him,
get him.

Gonna hit a cop.

What's wrong
with you, boy?

You wanna
hit a cop.

Clean.

Not a fucking thing
in there.

Pick any door
in the low-rises.

What are the chances?

Channel two wants to know
if she can take her cameras

through some of
the places we raided.

She says
whatever we got,
she'll put on film.

Whatever we got?

Drugs, weapons.

We ain't got shit.

I can tell you
were never in patrol.

Right, right.

- Sorry, I'm late.
- What's up?

I didn't want to tell you
in front of the girl.

Her being from
narcotics and all.

Daniels is dirty.

What?

The guy
running your case.

He's got dirt on him.

You know this?

Your own agency came to us with
concerns about him last year.

Integrity questions.

They didn't want to take it
to Internal Affairs,

because that office
leaks like a sieve.

Plus the fact
they couldn't handle a case

if their lives
depended on it.

Yeah, that, too.

You looked at Daniels
specifically?

We did a two-month
assets investigation.

He's got a couple
hundred thousand more

in liquid assets

than any police lieutenant
should ever have.

Maybe he goes
to Atlantic City.

Seriously.

You look at
his background?

Maybe he's got other
sources of income.

Maybe he does.
We never got the chance
to go further.

- Why not?
- We brought it back
to your agency,

the deputy
for operations.
Told him what we had.

You took it to Burrell?

He says, "Thank you,
we'll take it from here."

So we backed away and waited
for something to happen.

And waited.

And that
was a year ago?

Maybe more.

And that fucker's still
a supervisor for narcotics.

So, you tell me
what the hell's going on.

Anyway,

he's running your case,
I just thought you'd
want to know.

Thanks.

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, yeah. ♪