Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001): Season 2, Episode 7 - She'll Do to Ride the River With - full transcript
When a woman goes against the State Police's beliefs that her father was a casualty of his own drunk driving, Walker believes her and stumbles across an illegal ring of toxic dumpers.
I know you're trying to hit
those potholes purposely.
Oh, then wake up, man.
I told you I was
gonna pick you up at 6.
I didn't get in from
Houston until after 3.
Well, you know what they say
about long-distance romances.
What do they say?
They're deadly.
Not when you're dating a buyer
from Neiman Marcus. Okay,
what'd she get you this time?
Check it out, man.
A brand-spanking-new pair
of hand-tooled booties. Yeah!
Booties. That's right. Booties.
I think they're alligator.
No, they're not alligator.
But they are a skin
that reminds me
a lot of your humor.
What?
They're croc. Ha-ha.
Get out of here.
They are not crocodile.
What is it?
Is there somebody in there?
Stop. Texas Rangers.
I'll get it.
I'll meet you at the
bottom. All right.
Hand-tooled crocodile vamps.
Can't keep anything.
Hang on, I'm coming!
Catch the rope!
Hang in there.
Here it comes!
Hang on!
Come on. Come on!
Man or woman? I don't know.
Didn't talk.
Probably in shock.
But from the weight, it
must be a male, man.
You're wrong, Trivette. What?
It's a woman. Oh.
And I think she's
in love with you.
I... I don't beli... Oh, God.
Hm.
Lookie here.
Got paralysis, an abscess...
loss of feathers.
Hm.
Well, find, uh... Find
out what did this.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Uh, yellow clay.
That you, Gathers?
I've got the shower first, Dad.
Daddy?
Daddy?
Where are you?
Good morning. You calling
to ask for the shower first?
Daddy, what are you
doing out so early?
It isn't even 7 yet.
I had to take some samples.
Before dawn?
I couldn't sleep.
Hey, how about you putting
on a stack of flapjacks?
I want lots of butter.
And I want heavy cream
in my coffee this morning.
No way. It's carrot juice
and trail mix for you.
You've got an LDL of 380.
That's not a high
cholesterol level.
Yeah, if you're a Clydesdale.
Now, get home, will you, Daddy.
I worry when you go out alone.
I'm on my way. I'll be
there in two shakes.
Okay. I love you, Dad.
I love you too.
Oh, you son of
a...! Hey, Gathers?!
Dad?
Daddy?
Daddy, is that you?
Daddy?
Daddy, are you all right?
Daddy?
Oh, my God.
Daddy?
Daddy!
No!
We gotta get me some
dry clothes right now.
What about old Blue?
Old Blue can get
her own clothes.
We're just five
blocks from my place,
and then straight
to Animal Control.
Eighty-one-27, this is dispatch.
Grab that.
Eighty-one-27, it's
Trivette. Go ahead.
Got a 10-50.
A bad one out on 22 in
Talford County. One fatality.
Highway Patrol requests backup.
Unable to respond at this time.
Repeat, unable to
respond at this time...
This is Walker.
We're on it.
Sorry, partner.
You'll just have to drip-dry.
And grab yourself a breath mint.
I don't need a breath mint.
It's the dog.
It's not the dog.
What do we got?
Stay.
What happened...? Don't.
Don't ask.
What do you got?
DUI presumptive. I
found that in the cab.
ME punched the guy's trach,
got a blood
alcohol level of .25.
His ID is in the black bag.
The guy was a vet.
What is it?
Yellow clay.
Hey, Harm, what
do you got there?
So where's the crowd
we're supposed to control?
Over there.
I want his bag.
You have no right.
I'm his daughter.
Now let me through.
You're going to have to stay...
How can I help you, ma'am?
You can help me by finding
out who killed my father.
You saying this was a homicide?
I'm saying this is not
a drunk driving case.
My father hasn't touched
a drop in five years.
Go run a check on
Dr. Slade, will you, Billy? Yeah.
Look, just let me have
his bag, and I'll go.
Okay.
Thank you.
What makes you
think he was murdered?
The way he's been
acting the past few days.
He was nervous, afraid.
That's why he went
out so early this morning.
Doing what?
Taking core
samples. Corral fill.
He was gonna test the soil.
Do you know why?
No, he wouldn't say.
Any idea where we
can get this soil tested?
Look, Ranger, I may be
blond and Daddy's little girl,
but the bag says
"Slade and Slade" on it.
Whoa.
Female assertiveness, one.
Walker, nothing.
Miss Slade, here,
let me help you.
We'll give you a ride
back. Is this your dog?
Uh, hah, no.
You ought to be
ashamed of yourself.
The poor thing's
severely malnourished.
Come on. Dog's a
hundred pounds easy.
Her coat is filthy.
Looks like she
might have distemper.
If I had the strength right now,
I'd call the Humane Society.
I'm sorry. No, it's not my dog.
Come on. We'll give you a lift.
What was that you were saying
about female assertiveness?
So how'd you name her?
Who?
The dog.
She's a brindle-colored
Dane. Why'd you call her Blue?
The place where we
found her. Great Blue Lake.
I checked all over
for any more samples.
Nada.
Do you know where
your father keeps his files?
Cabinet in the study.
Mind if I take a look?
No.
Go ahead.
Hah.
Well, I'll be danged.
Jenny Slade.
Hah.
Well, here's the soil profile.
There's iron and aluminum
in the leaching zone.
Could you say
where it came from?
Yeah. Half of east Texas.
It's common roadside dirt.
My father could
have been anywhere.
God, the man was
so damn protective.
Ever since...
Ever since what?
My mother died.
I remember her.
She was all-around women's
champ four years straight.
Didn't she, uh...?
Yeah.
Back in '83.
She got thrown.
Snapped her spine.
There was brain damage.
Took her six months to die.
I'm sorry.
After that, my
daddy just... broke.
He fell into the bottle.
But I brought him back.
He's been sober now since '88,
and I swear that man
didn't die from drink.
Okay.
Okay.
Come on. Shh. Shh.
Okay. Shh. Okay. Shh.
Okay.
If you say so, I believe you.
I don't even know if I
can continue the practice.
Shh.
It's okay.
Okay, this is it. You've gone
through ten pounds of stew beef.
Get out of here.
Get... The dog's a leviathan.
'Cause she's still a pup.
Just over half
her natural weight.
She's good for
another 75 pounds.
Hey, remind me to call my broker
so we can buy dog food futures.
Here. This is for her distemper.
She takes one
nights and mornings.
Whoa. Suppositories?
Ally Slade. Honey,
this is Connie Tye.
Yeah, put your father on,
honey. I got an emergency here.
I... I... I'm sorry.
He's...
Uh, can...? Can I help
you? What's wrong?
My prize cutting horse.
He's having some kind of
convulsions. I don't know.
Look, um...
I'd like to help you, but, uh...
I... I can't just now.
I'm... I'm just...
Here, here, here.
Hello. Ranger Walker.
Ranger what?
Look, I need some help
here. I've got an emergency.
She'll be right there.
Okay.
Hey, w... Wait a minute.
How am I supposed
to do that? I can't...
I can't even get over
there. I don't have a truck.
Well, now you do.
Listen, here's something
my uncle Ray used to say:
when you're hurting, the
best thing to do is work.
Let's go. Come on.
It started up last night.
I heard him whinnying,
and I came out to the barn.
He was shivering,
so I... I blanketed him,
and that's when the
convulsions started.
Abscesses. All
through his mouth.
What is it?
I don't know.
Hey, Blue!
Blue!
Blue!
Blue!
Trespassing, boy?
My name is not "boy."
Besides, I had
exigent circumstances.
Just get this
hound off our land.
Man, that dog is ugly.
He's got the face like the
east end of a west-bound mule.
Okay. I'm gonna leave.
And I'm gonna ignore
the aggravated assault.
But do me a favor, gentlemen.
Don't dis my dog.
Come on, girl.
Come on.
Come on.
Hold this.
It looks like Ally's picking up
where her daddy left off.
Ally cat.
Yeah. The one curiosity killed.
It just died... right
there in front of us.
My dad would have
been able to save him.
He had a real
instinct for animals.
All right...
But now it's up to
you to keep on going.
Remember what you said to me?
It said Slade and
Slade on the bag?
Walker.
Really?
Okay, thanks, Billy.
You know...
sometimes we think our
parents can do no wrong.
What's that supposed to mean?
That was the Highway Patrol.
Your father has three
convictions for drunk driving.
Three convictions?
The last one was six years ago.
It almost killed him.
But he got help.
The man hated liquor.
He wouldn't even go
to a restaurant
where it was served.
All due respect, Ally, but...
Isn't it possible that he could
have gone off the wagon?
Ally, wait.
Look... Maybe I
did get out of line.
But look,
will you please get
back in the truck?
Ally, listen... No, you listen.
Horses don't die overnight.
There's something wrong here.
My father tried to
stop it, and he's dead.
Now it's my job.
What is that you say when a
Ranger makes his first case?
He'll do to ride
the river with. Hm.
You know what I was thinking?
I'd ride the river with her...
any day.
Cleveland's leading
three games to one
in this series against Texas,
but the Indians are
behind 6-5 in the ninth.
Nobody, but nobody...
Come on, Cleveland,
use the power.
You always root for
the Indians, Uncle Ray?
Always.
Especially if they get
to the World Series
against the Atlanta Braves.
We gotta stop that
"chop, chop, chop."
Last year they did
a little better, but, uh,
this year they were
really hoping their goal...
Washoe, what is it?
Hm, it's nothing.
That lady horse
doctor you mentioned.
The one with the little ponies.
Is she still on your mind?
What is it about strong-willed
women, Uncle Ray, that...
attracts me?
I sure like them, but...
I'll be danged if I
understand them.
Ah, it's the same thing
with ponies, Washoe.
You wanna tame them, but
if your mount don't throw you
every once in a while,
what joy is there in the ride?
Aunt Ruthie was a
strong-willed woman, wasn't she?
Thirty-six winters.
And the ride was
worth every day.
Hah.
Well, I'll be danged.
You were right, Ally.
Gathers, I'm gonna kill you!
Get your...
Hold it!
Take old Blue to,
uh, Animal Control?
Uh-uh.
Closed till Monday.
I left her at C.D.'s.
Great. She'll eat him
out of house and home.
Oh, hey, don't dis my dog.
Woman, you had no right
to do what you did today. None!
Woman, you had no right
to do what you did today.
I'll go around to the front.
We go in 20 seconds. Okay.
Ally, I've done told you
about talking like that.
Texas Rangers!
You're under arrest!
Get down. Hands
behind your back!
Move! Move! Walker,
what are you doing!
What am I doing?
I saw you being
kidnapped at the clinic.
Kidnapped? We didn't kidnap her.
Yeah, we drug her along,
but we didn't intend for
the law to be involved.
We never meant nothin' to
mean nothin' till you mess up.
Whatever! Kidnapping's a crime!
Wait a minute! Hold on!
Walker, Trivette, I thank you,
but I do not need help when
it comes to Buddy Gathers.
I've been able to take
him since the sixth grade.
What's that supposed to mean?
They wanted me to come
back with them to their place,
and when I said I wouldn't go,
Buddy got a little carried away.
That's kidnapping.
The point is,
I don't need to press
charges or anything.
And I'm glad that
I came out here,
'cause it's brought me closer
to why my father was killed.
Yeah, these are
the guys that did it!
That's a lie!
What are you talking about?
Okay, look. Look.
I went out to the crash site.
I found skid marks.
You were right.
Your father was
forced off the road.
Thank you.
We didn't have nothing to do
with doc's crash.
He's right.
Daddy was out here to check...
No! You hush up. We
don't want this getting out.
What getting out?
More livestock... dead.
Woman, I am warning you.
Come on. I'll show you.
Black Angus.
Six of my best head
just up and died.
Same symptoms:
convulsions, hair loss
and abscesses in the mouth.
Called Doc Slade, and he
thought it was the anthrax.
That's why we brought Ally here.
To keep her from talking.
If word like that spread,
nobody would buy our beef.
We'd lose the ranch.
It's been in our family
for six generations.
No way that was gonna happen.
Trivette.
Bore holes.
This must be where
Daddy took the samples.
Remember the yellow clay?
Yeah.
Whoever killed your father
must have switched the samples
with the ones we
found in the truck.
That's motive and
probable cause.
You're under arrest for...
Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
They have the wrong tires.
They have 16-inch
desert duelers.
And the tires on the
truck that killed Dr. Slade
were 20-inch rims.
And besides, barn swallows
don't die from anthrax.
So, what was my father after?
Well, there's only
one way to find out.
And that's to take a test
sample from one of these steers.
Hey, you... You can't do that.
We can and we will.
Can't we?
Aww...
C.D., man, nothing is
working on this mud.
Look at this. Butcher's wax,
mink oil, saddle soap.
It's probably not just mud.
Look, I may come
from Baltimore, buddy,
but I know dirt when I see it.
Probably not just dirt.
Well, then what is it?
Road oil.
Damn it, Jimmy. That
dog has knocked over
that water dish again.
Give me that mop,
baby. Please, honey.
That dog is so blind,
she can't see through
a barbed wire fence.
Her breath is so bad,
it would crack a mirror.
She can pass more gas
than a bull at corn time.
When does she go?
8:00 Monday morning, all right?
Animal Control's coming by.
They better. Or
that mutt is gonna
take an unscheduled
flight outta here. Boom!
Hey.
Don't dis my dog.
Hey, guys. Did Ally show
up with the test results yet?
Not yet. Cordell, I
think I've got a lead
on those animal deaths.
Over 200 dead
animals in ten years.
And where they
found the carcass,
50 percent of the time,
they spotted a UFO.
Then we're...
We're looking for...
Little green men. Yeah.
Why not?
We all know that
there are 16 billion
planetary systems in
this Milky Way alone.
Now, let's assume
that 1,000 of those
has intelligent life.
You know, watching MTV
and drinking Gatorade.
Stands to reason
they'd need some stock.
Hell, Texas has got the
best stock in the universe.
C.D., you gotta stop reading
these science fiction magazines.
Okay. But if aliens didn't do it
and the Gathers didn't do it,
who the hell was out
there with Doc Slade
when he was punching
them holes in the ground?
I don't know.
C.D.'s.
Yes, ma'am. Fine, fine.
Uh-huh.
Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
Say hello to Ralph for me,
will you, please?
Damn. That was Nellie
Ashford out on 421.
She just had some cattle killed.
Except this time,
she saw who done it.
Who?
Men from Mars.
Well, uh... Let me see, uh...
There I was, up on the back 40,
getting ready to call them in,
when I saw it.
Saw what, ma'am?
The ship.
A space vehicle,
I think they call it.
It weren't no saucer, though.
It was long, with
these tentacles
coming off on the back
and them flashing lights.
What exactly makes
you think they were...
What?
Spacemen?
Why, the suits, son.
They's all wearin'
these big, white suits.
Didn't look like ET, though.
Looked more like, uh...
the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Ghostbusters.
This lady's two pints
short of a quart, man.
Is that all, ma'am?
All except for the mother ship.
Mother ship?
There was this hellish wind,
and a deafening roar,
and it come down like
the wrath of Jehovah.
And it took her.
My poor babies.
All five of 'em. Dead.
Excuse me, ma'am, but
we only saw four outside.
That's what I've
been trying to tell ya.
It come down,
and it took her
right up in the sky.
Okay, here's the drill.
We check with the county
ag-departments and the EPA.
We've lost more than 50
head, cattle and horses.
They've all died within
48 hours of symptoms.
We're still waiting
for the tissue analysis
on the Gathers' angus.
And so far, old
Nellie's the only one
to report a close encounter.
Any pattern to the deaths?
Not so far.
Um, they're all clustered
within a two-mile radius,
but other than that...
Hey, wait a minute. Wait
a minute. Look at this.
All the ranches connect
to County Route 421.
You're right.
Let's go.
Wait a minute.
Let's keep the
shades down on this
until we know what
we're dealing with.
We don't want a panic.
Right.
I'll take the hot bricks
of the hood any day
over your lovely country roads.
It's the same stuff we
saw at the Gathers' place.
It's just road oil.
See, that's what I don't
understand about Texas.
Why isn't the oil in the
truck where it belongs?
What's it doing stuck
on my new boots?
You go to a gas station
and get your oil changed, right?
And most gas stations sell it
for a few cents a gallon
to these little
mom-and-pop truckers.
And then places like this here,
where the roads are unpaved,
they lay it down in the
summer to stop the dust.
Hey.
We just got the results back
from Austin on Gathers' steer.
He was full of TCDD.
What the hell's that?
One of the deadliest
chemicals ever made.
2-3-7-8
tetrachlorodibenzodioxin.
Dioxin?
Yep. They sprayed it in Vietnam.
Remember Agent Orange?
Some veterans still
say it causes cancer.
Ten years ago,
horses started dying
near Times Beach, Missouri,
after they sprayed
dioxin-laced oil
on farms and corrals.
Then how come it showed up here?
Wait a minute.
Wasn't there an article
in the Star Telegram
about Fort James closing down?
Yeah. The army post?
Part of the cutbacks. Why?
What do you think
the chances are
that Agent Orange is
still there from the war?
Worth a try.
Right.
Okay. Thanks, colonel.
Walker, Trivette on tach two.
What'd you find out?
Army had a hundred drums
of Agent Orange in storage.
About a month ago, the
drums started leaking,
so they contracted
with a waste company
to haul the stuff away.
What's the name
of the waste hauler?
You're gonna love this.
Texas Quality
Environmental Services.
It's out on Highway
Five in Rango.
Place looks deserted.
You'd think with
all these volatiles
there'd be a guard posted.
Anybody home?
Well, let's find out.
Boy, I tell you, if
you breathe the air
in this place for too long,
you wouldn't
wanna have children.
Oh.
Thinking what I'm thinking?
Yeah.
Okay, this is the part
where I ask you to stay behind
because it's too dangerous,
and you say, "No way.
"Just because I'm a woman
doesn't mean I
can't take risks."
So let's just cut to the chase
and say that you'll stay
behind as a lookout.
Okay.
Okay?
Oh, good.
Let's go.
Oh, man. You know what?
Army said it's supposed to be
completely lined with concrete,
and then stored
the barrels in rows,
and then buried in
activated charcoal, man.
The floor's just sand.
It wouldn't hold water,
much less dioxin.
And half these drums are empty.
Then where'd all
the poison go to?
I got an idea.
You got an idea?
Where's Walker?
Don't even ask. Come on.
So that's how they do it.
You wanted to know
where the poison's going?
This toxic waste
hauler, Texas Quality,
is hooked up with
this waste oil company.
They're mixing the
chemicals in with the oil
and spreading it
all over the roads.
Fine, but if I'm gonna go
for conspiracy to dump,
I'm gonna need proof of a link.
Ran a D & B on Texas Quality.
They're part of a parent company
called Lonestar Nash.
Guess what Nash spent
the last year buying.
What? A string of
waste oil companies.
Little mom-and-pop haulers.
Star City Waste
Oil was one of them.
Toxic dumping is
an intentional crime.
We're gonna have to
catch them in the act.
So, what does that mean?
It means we have to
catch them in the act.
What the hell are
you trying to pull?
An oil sample.
Here's your warrant.
Oh, is that right, Rastus?
Maybe you better haul
your black butt outta here
before I spread it
all over this road.
Back off, mac.
Hey, listen, pal, I
can talk to that black...
Be nice and let my
partner do his job.
Get back in that truck,
or come in swinging, jack.
Got it.
Now get this truck
back to the garage
and don't drop one ounce
of oil on the way, okay?
Or I'm gonna to
come down on you...
real hard.
Tingley, Cotter, come here.
I leave you two cretins
in charge for a week,
and the bottom falls out.
What the hell are
you saying, Nash?
They found dioxin
inside of that cow we snatched.
You know... we had a
good thing going here.
They pay us ten, maybe 20 grand
for a load of toluene,
maybe a bit of benzene,
some trichloroethylene.
We mix it with waste oil,
and then we
spread it on the road.
Get paid both ends.
Pure profit.
And you two idiots
have gotta screw that up
by picking up a load of dioxin?
Now we have the Rangers on us.
Well, what do you want
us to do with it, Nash?
I still got 60 barrels
of that crap left.
I want you to dump it. Anywhere.
Doesn't matter. I don't care.
Just lose it.
Get back to work!
Start pumping!
Hey, something's going down.
I just got back
from the landfill.
The place is swarming
with white suits.
We contacted the
Bureau and the EPA,
we got a team of HAZMAT
specialists flying in.
Well, they won't be
there long, so let's go.
C.D., can you get Alex for us?
Oh, no.
What is it?
I think she's having a seizure.
She must've picked
up some of the dioxin
when she ran
onto Gathers' place.
She's contaminated. I know it.
I can't stand to
see another one die.
She's not gonna die.
Ally, come on. Treat her.
Her glands are swelling.
Take off her collar.
If Daddy was here, he'd know...
Ally, you can do it.
Just do what you've
been trained to do.
I don't know the treatment
for dioxin exposure.
We'll find it. We'll find it.
Come on.
Okay. I'll meet
you at the landfill.
Come on.
It's okay.
Tom, you seal those barrels?
Hey!
Come on. Come on, let's move it.
Where's the drop gonna be?
Great Blue Lake.
Good. Let's do it.
Trivette, this is Walker. Over.
Trivette, can you read me?
Trivette, if you're
receiving this,
I'm going to Great Blue Lake.
Great Blue Lake.
Come on! Let's move it!
We got 3,000 gallons
of this stuff to get rid of!
Pull that other hose free.
Thought you said it
was going down here.
We're late. Look, I'll
take the responsibility.
The place is empty.
We are dead in the water.
Look, counselor, it's just...
Wait a minute.
Walker must have... I
know where they're going!
Turn around! Turn around!
Turn around.
I told you to flush
it and hurry up!
Yes, sir.
Cotter, Tingley,
you come with me.
What's going on?
Tingley, start the car.
Cotter, you dump
this stuff and do it now.
Aah! Cotter!
Throw that lever!
You smoked old Doc Slade,
poisoned the ground.
Now my dog's dying.
Let me tell you, if she dies,
I'm gonna personally make sure
the men of the
African Brotherhood
up in Huntsville get
a key to your cell.
You got that, Rastus?
You're under arrest, Nash.
Don't even try it.
Stuff it.
Get him outta here.
Help! I can't...
Well, who in the hell's
gonna go get him?
Well, you're the
triathlon swimmer.
I'm not going in there again.
Yes, you are... No, I'm not.
Yes, you are.
Excuse me.
Not.
Are.
Not.
You are.
I can't believe you
got her well so fast.
I got lucky.
She hadn't fully
absorbed the dioxin,
so I flushed her stomach
with charcoal and sorbitol.
Gave her a sedative,
and three hours later,
she was pawing at my fridge.
Uh, this is for you.
What's this for?
Just kind of a way
of saying thanks for...
all your help.
And being one heck of a vet too.
I don't believe it.
Let's go get him!
Pull over!
Let me see your
hands. Let me see 'em.
What's the problem, Ranger?
Why'd you try and kill this dog?
Well, she couldn't hunt.
I'd drop a bird,
she'd just sit there.
Lazy hound.
All she do is lay around,
eat and break wind.
Well, she's trained now.
Get him, Blue! Sic him!
Come on, girl.
All right. What'd you tell her?
I just told her that he had
a pork chop in his pocket.
those potholes purposely.
Oh, then wake up, man.
I told you I was
gonna pick you up at 6.
I didn't get in from
Houston until after 3.
Well, you know what they say
about long-distance romances.
What do they say?
They're deadly.
Not when you're dating a buyer
from Neiman Marcus. Okay,
what'd she get you this time?
Check it out, man.
A brand-spanking-new pair
of hand-tooled booties. Yeah!
Booties. That's right. Booties.
I think they're alligator.
No, they're not alligator.
But they are a skin
that reminds me
a lot of your humor.
What?
They're croc. Ha-ha.
Get out of here.
They are not crocodile.
What is it?
Is there somebody in there?
Stop. Texas Rangers.
I'll get it.
I'll meet you at the
bottom. All right.
Hand-tooled crocodile vamps.
Can't keep anything.
Hang on, I'm coming!
Catch the rope!
Hang in there.
Here it comes!
Hang on!
Come on. Come on!
Man or woman? I don't know.
Didn't talk.
Probably in shock.
But from the weight, it
must be a male, man.
You're wrong, Trivette. What?
It's a woman. Oh.
And I think she's
in love with you.
I... I don't beli... Oh, God.
Hm.
Lookie here.
Got paralysis, an abscess...
loss of feathers.
Hm.
Well, find, uh... Find
out what did this.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Uh, yellow clay.
That you, Gathers?
I've got the shower first, Dad.
Daddy?
Daddy?
Where are you?
Good morning. You calling
to ask for the shower first?
Daddy, what are you
doing out so early?
It isn't even 7 yet.
I had to take some samples.
Before dawn?
I couldn't sleep.
Hey, how about you putting
on a stack of flapjacks?
I want lots of butter.
And I want heavy cream
in my coffee this morning.
No way. It's carrot juice
and trail mix for you.
You've got an LDL of 380.
That's not a high
cholesterol level.
Yeah, if you're a Clydesdale.
Now, get home, will you, Daddy.
I worry when you go out alone.
I'm on my way. I'll be
there in two shakes.
Okay. I love you, Dad.
I love you too.
Oh, you son of
a...! Hey, Gathers?!
Dad?
Daddy?
Daddy, is that you?
Daddy?
Daddy, are you all right?
Daddy?
Oh, my God.
Daddy?
Daddy!
No!
We gotta get me some
dry clothes right now.
What about old Blue?
Old Blue can get
her own clothes.
We're just five
blocks from my place,
and then straight
to Animal Control.
Eighty-one-27, this is dispatch.
Grab that.
Eighty-one-27, it's
Trivette. Go ahead.
Got a 10-50.
A bad one out on 22 in
Talford County. One fatality.
Highway Patrol requests backup.
Unable to respond at this time.
Repeat, unable to
respond at this time...
This is Walker.
We're on it.
Sorry, partner.
You'll just have to drip-dry.
And grab yourself a breath mint.
I don't need a breath mint.
It's the dog.
It's not the dog.
What do we got?
Stay.
What happened...? Don't.
Don't ask.
What do you got?
DUI presumptive. I
found that in the cab.
ME punched the guy's trach,
got a blood
alcohol level of .25.
His ID is in the black bag.
The guy was a vet.
What is it?
Yellow clay.
Hey, Harm, what
do you got there?
So where's the crowd
we're supposed to control?
Over there.
I want his bag.
You have no right.
I'm his daughter.
Now let me through.
You're going to have to stay...
How can I help you, ma'am?
You can help me by finding
out who killed my father.
You saying this was a homicide?
I'm saying this is not
a drunk driving case.
My father hasn't touched
a drop in five years.
Go run a check on
Dr. Slade, will you, Billy? Yeah.
Look, just let me have
his bag, and I'll go.
Okay.
Thank you.
What makes you
think he was murdered?
The way he's been
acting the past few days.
He was nervous, afraid.
That's why he went
out so early this morning.
Doing what?
Taking core
samples. Corral fill.
He was gonna test the soil.
Do you know why?
No, he wouldn't say.
Any idea where we
can get this soil tested?
Look, Ranger, I may be
blond and Daddy's little girl,
but the bag says
"Slade and Slade" on it.
Whoa.
Female assertiveness, one.
Walker, nothing.
Miss Slade, here,
let me help you.
We'll give you a ride
back. Is this your dog?
Uh, hah, no.
You ought to be
ashamed of yourself.
The poor thing's
severely malnourished.
Come on. Dog's a
hundred pounds easy.
Her coat is filthy.
Looks like she
might have distemper.
If I had the strength right now,
I'd call the Humane Society.
I'm sorry. No, it's not my dog.
Come on. We'll give you a lift.
What was that you were saying
about female assertiveness?
So how'd you name her?
Who?
The dog.
She's a brindle-colored
Dane. Why'd you call her Blue?
The place where we
found her. Great Blue Lake.
I checked all over
for any more samples.
Nada.
Do you know where
your father keeps his files?
Cabinet in the study.
Mind if I take a look?
No.
Go ahead.
Hah.
Well, I'll be danged.
Jenny Slade.
Hah.
Well, here's the soil profile.
There's iron and aluminum
in the leaching zone.
Could you say
where it came from?
Yeah. Half of east Texas.
It's common roadside dirt.
My father could
have been anywhere.
God, the man was
so damn protective.
Ever since...
Ever since what?
My mother died.
I remember her.
She was all-around women's
champ four years straight.
Didn't she, uh...?
Yeah.
Back in '83.
She got thrown.
Snapped her spine.
There was brain damage.
Took her six months to die.
I'm sorry.
After that, my
daddy just... broke.
He fell into the bottle.
But I brought him back.
He's been sober now since '88,
and I swear that man
didn't die from drink.
Okay.
Okay.
Come on. Shh. Shh.
Okay. Shh. Okay. Shh.
Okay.
If you say so, I believe you.
I don't even know if I
can continue the practice.
Shh.
It's okay.
Okay, this is it. You've gone
through ten pounds of stew beef.
Get out of here.
Get... The dog's a leviathan.
'Cause she's still a pup.
Just over half
her natural weight.
She's good for
another 75 pounds.
Hey, remind me to call my broker
so we can buy dog food futures.
Here. This is for her distemper.
She takes one
nights and mornings.
Whoa. Suppositories?
Ally Slade. Honey,
this is Connie Tye.
Yeah, put your father on,
honey. I got an emergency here.
I... I... I'm sorry.
He's...
Uh, can...? Can I help
you? What's wrong?
My prize cutting horse.
He's having some kind of
convulsions. I don't know.
Look, um...
I'd like to help you, but, uh...
I... I can't just now.
I'm... I'm just...
Here, here, here.
Hello. Ranger Walker.
Ranger what?
Look, I need some help
here. I've got an emergency.
She'll be right there.
Okay.
Hey, w... Wait a minute.
How am I supposed
to do that? I can't...
I can't even get over
there. I don't have a truck.
Well, now you do.
Listen, here's something
my uncle Ray used to say:
when you're hurting, the
best thing to do is work.
Let's go. Come on.
It started up last night.
I heard him whinnying,
and I came out to the barn.
He was shivering,
so I... I blanketed him,
and that's when the
convulsions started.
Abscesses. All
through his mouth.
What is it?
I don't know.
Hey, Blue!
Blue!
Blue!
Blue!
Trespassing, boy?
My name is not "boy."
Besides, I had
exigent circumstances.
Just get this
hound off our land.
Man, that dog is ugly.
He's got the face like the
east end of a west-bound mule.
Okay. I'm gonna leave.
And I'm gonna ignore
the aggravated assault.
But do me a favor, gentlemen.
Don't dis my dog.
Come on, girl.
Come on.
Come on.
Hold this.
It looks like Ally's picking up
where her daddy left off.
Ally cat.
Yeah. The one curiosity killed.
It just died... right
there in front of us.
My dad would have
been able to save him.
He had a real
instinct for animals.
All right...
But now it's up to
you to keep on going.
Remember what you said to me?
It said Slade and
Slade on the bag?
Walker.
Really?
Okay, thanks, Billy.
You know...
sometimes we think our
parents can do no wrong.
What's that supposed to mean?
That was the Highway Patrol.
Your father has three
convictions for drunk driving.
Three convictions?
The last one was six years ago.
It almost killed him.
But he got help.
The man hated liquor.
He wouldn't even go
to a restaurant
where it was served.
All due respect, Ally, but...
Isn't it possible that he could
have gone off the wagon?
Ally, wait.
Look... Maybe I
did get out of line.
But look,
will you please get
back in the truck?
Ally, listen... No, you listen.
Horses don't die overnight.
There's something wrong here.
My father tried to
stop it, and he's dead.
Now it's my job.
What is that you say when a
Ranger makes his first case?
He'll do to ride
the river with. Hm.
You know what I was thinking?
I'd ride the river with her...
any day.
Cleveland's leading
three games to one
in this series against Texas,
but the Indians are
behind 6-5 in the ninth.
Nobody, but nobody...
Come on, Cleveland,
use the power.
You always root for
the Indians, Uncle Ray?
Always.
Especially if they get
to the World Series
against the Atlanta Braves.
We gotta stop that
"chop, chop, chop."
Last year they did
a little better, but, uh,
this year they were
really hoping their goal...
Washoe, what is it?
Hm, it's nothing.
That lady horse
doctor you mentioned.
The one with the little ponies.
Is she still on your mind?
What is it about strong-willed
women, Uncle Ray, that...
attracts me?
I sure like them, but...
I'll be danged if I
understand them.
Ah, it's the same thing
with ponies, Washoe.
You wanna tame them, but
if your mount don't throw you
every once in a while,
what joy is there in the ride?
Aunt Ruthie was a
strong-willed woman, wasn't she?
Thirty-six winters.
And the ride was
worth every day.
Hah.
Well, I'll be danged.
You were right, Ally.
Gathers, I'm gonna kill you!
Get your...
Hold it!
Take old Blue to,
uh, Animal Control?
Uh-uh.
Closed till Monday.
I left her at C.D.'s.
Great. She'll eat him
out of house and home.
Oh, hey, don't dis my dog.
Woman, you had no right
to do what you did today. None!
Woman, you had no right
to do what you did today.
I'll go around to the front.
We go in 20 seconds. Okay.
Ally, I've done told you
about talking like that.
Texas Rangers!
You're under arrest!
Get down. Hands
behind your back!
Move! Move! Walker,
what are you doing!
What am I doing?
I saw you being
kidnapped at the clinic.
Kidnapped? We didn't kidnap her.
Yeah, we drug her along,
but we didn't intend for
the law to be involved.
We never meant nothin' to
mean nothin' till you mess up.
Whatever! Kidnapping's a crime!
Wait a minute! Hold on!
Walker, Trivette, I thank you,
but I do not need help when
it comes to Buddy Gathers.
I've been able to take
him since the sixth grade.
What's that supposed to mean?
They wanted me to come
back with them to their place,
and when I said I wouldn't go,
Buddy got a little carried away.
That's kidnapping.
The point is,
I don't need to press
charges or anything.
And I'm glad that
I came out here,
'cause it's brought me closer
to why my father was killed.
Yeah, these are
the guys that did it!
That's a lie!
What are you talking about?
Okay, look. Look.
I went out to the crash site.
I found skid marks.
You were right.
Your father was
forced off the road.
Thank you.
We didn't have nothing to do
with doc's crash.
He's right.
Daddy was out here to check...
No! You hush up. We
don't want this getting out.
What getting out?
More livestock... dead.
Woman, I am warning you.
Come on. I'll show you.
Black Angus.
Six of my best head
just up and died.
Same symptoms:
convulsions, hair loss
and abscesses in the mouth.
Called Doc Slade, and he
thought it was the anthrax.
That's why we brought Ally here.
To keep her from talking.
If word like that spread,
nobody would buy our beef.
We'd lose the ranch.
It's been in our family
for six generations.
No way that was gonna happen.
Trivette.
Bore holes.
This must be where
Daddy took the samples.
Remember the yellow clay?
Yeah.
Whoever killed your father
must have switched the samples
with the ones we
found in the truck.
That's motive and
probable cause.
You're under arrest for...
Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
They have the wrong tires.
They have 16-inch
desert duelers.
And the tires on the
truck that killed Dr. Slade
were 20-inch rims.
And besides, barn swallows
don't die from anthrax.
So, what was my father after?
Well, there's only
one way to find out.
And that's to take a test
sample from one of these steers.
Hey, you... You can't do that.
We can and we will.
Can't we?
Aww...
C.D., man, nothing is
working on this mud.
Look at this. Butcher's wax,
mink oil, saddle soap.
It's probably not just mud.
Look, I may come
from Baltimore, buddy,
but I know dirt when I see it.
Probably not just dirt.
Well, then what is it?
Road oil.
Damn it, Jimmy. That
dog has knocked over
that water dish again.
Give me that mop,
baby. Please, honey.
That dog is so blind,
she can't see through
a barbed wire fence.
Her breath is so bad,
it would crack a mirror.
She can pass more gas
than a bull at corn time.
When does she go?
8:00 Monday morning, all right?
Animal Control's coming by.
They better. Or
that mutt is gonna
take an unscheduled
flight outta here. Boom!
Hey.
Don't dis my dog.
Hey, guys. Did Ally show
up with the test results yet?
Not yet. Cordell, I
think I've got a lead
on those animal deaths.
Over 200 dead
animals in ten years.
And where they
found the carcass,
50 percent of the time,
they spotted a UFO.
Then we're...
We're looking for...
Little green men. Yeah.
Why not?
We all know that
there are 16 billion
planetary systems in
this Milky Way alone.
Now, let's assume
that 1,000 of those
has intelligent life.
You know, watching MTV
and drinking Gatorade.
Stands to reason
they'd need some stock.
Hell, Texas has got the
best stock in the universe.
C.D., you gotta stop reading
these science fiction magazines.
Okay. But if aliens didn't do it
and the Gathers didn't do it,
who the hell was out
there with Doc Slade
when he was punching
them holes in the ground?
I don't know.
C.D.'s.
Yes, ma'am. Fine, fine.
Uh-huh.
Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
Say hello to Ralph for me,
will you, please?
Damn. That was Nellie
Ashford out on 421.
She just had some cattle killed.
Except this time,
she saw who done it.
Who?
Men from Mars.
Well, uh... Let me see, uh...
There I was, up on the back 40,
getting ready to call them in,
when I saw it.
Saw what, ma'am?
The ship.
A space vehicle,
I think they call it.
It weren't no saucer, though.
It was long, with
these tentacles
coming off on the back
and them flashing lights.
What exactly makes
you think they were...
What?
Spacemen?
Why, the suits, son.
They's all wearin'
these big, white suits.
Didn't look like ET, though.
Looked more like, uh...
the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Ghostbusters.
This lady's two pints
short of a quart, man.
Is that all, ma'am?
All except for the mother ship.
Mother ship?
There was this hellish wind,
and a deafening roar,
and it come down like
the wrath of Jehovah.
And it took her.
My poor babies.
All five of 'em. Dead.
Excuse me, ma'am, but
we only saw four outside.
That's what I've
been trying to tell ya.
It come down,
and it took her
right up in the sky.
Okay, here's the drill.
We check with the county
ag-departments and the EPA.
We've lost more than 50
head, cattle and horses.
They've all died within
48 hours of symptoms.
We're still waiting
for the tissue analysis
on the Gathers' angus.
And so far, old
Nellie's the only one
to report a close encounter.
Any pattern to the deaths?
Not so far.
Um, they're all clustered
within a two-mile radius,
but other than that...
Hey, wait a minute. Wait
a minute. Look at this.
All the ranches connect
to County Route 421.
You're right.
Let's go.
Wait a minute.
Let's keep the
shades down on this
until we know what
we're dealing with.
We don't want a panic.
Right.
I'll take the hot bricks
of the hood any day
over your lovely country roads.
It's the same stuff we
saw at the Gathers' place.
It's just road oil.
See, that's what I don't
understand about Texas.
Why isn't the oil in the
truck where it belongs?
What's it doing stuck
on my new boots?
You go to a gas station
and get your oil changed, right?
And most gas stations sell it
for a few cents a gallon
to these little
mom-and-pop truckers.
And then places like this here,
where the roads are unpaved,
they lay it down in the
summer to stop the dust.
Hey.
We just got the results back
from Austin on Gathers' steer.
He was full of TCDD.
What the hell's that?
One of the deadliest
chemicals ever made.
2-3-7-8
tetrachlorodibenzodioxin.
Dioxin?
Yep. They sprayed it in Vietnam.
Remember Agent Orange?
Some veterans still
say it causes cancer.
Ten years ago,
horses started dying
near Times Beach, Missouri,
after they sprayed
dioxin-laced oil
on farms and corrals.
Then how come it showed up here?
Wait a minute.
Wasn't there an article
in the Star Telegram
about Fort James closing down?
Yeah. The army post?
Part of the cutbacks. Why?
What do you think
the chances are
that Agent Orange is
still there from the war?
Worth a try.
Right.
Okay. Thanks, colonel.
Walker, Trivette on tach two.
What'd you find out?
Army had a hundred drums
of Agent Orange in storage.
About a month ago, the
drums started leaking,
so they contracted
with a waste company
to haul the stuff away.
What's the name
of the waste hauler?
You're gonna love this.
Texas Quality
Environmental Services.
It's out on Highway
Five in Rango.
Place looks deserted.
You'd think with
all these volatiles
there'd be a guard posted.
Anybody home?
Well, let's find out.
Boy, I tell you, if
you breathe the air
in this place for too long,
you wouldn't
wanna have children.
Oh.
Thinking what I'm thinking?
Yeah.
Okay, this is the part
where I ask you to stay behind
because it's too dangerous,
and you say, "No way.
"Just because I'm a woman
doesn't mean I
can't take risks."
So let's just cut to the chase
and say that you'll stay
behind as a lookout.
Okay.
Okay?
Oh, good.
Let's go.
Oh, man. You know what?
Army said it's supposed to be
completely lined with concrete,
and then stored
the barrels in rows,
and then buried in
activated charcoal, man.
The floor's just sand.
It wouldn't hold water,
much less dioxin.
And half these drums are empty.
Then where'd all
the poison go to?
I got an idea.
You got an idea?
Where's Walker?
Don't even ask. Come on.
So that's how they do it.
You wanted to know
where the poison's going?
This toxic waste
hauler, Texas Quality,
is hooked up with
this waste oil company.
They're mixing the
chemicals in with the oil
and spreading it
all over the roads.
Fine, but if I'm gonna go
for conspiracy to dump,
I'm gonna need proof of a link.
Ran a D & B on Texas Quality.
They're part of a parent company
called Lonestar Nash.
Guess what Nash spent
the last year buying.
What? A string of
waste oil companies.
Little mom-and-pop haulers.
Star City Waste
Oil was one of them.
Toxic dumping is
an intentional crime.
We're gonna have to
catch them in the act.
So, what does that mean?
It means we have to
catch them in the act.
What the hell are
you trying to pull?
An oil sample.
Here's your warrant.
Oh, is that right, Rastus?
Maybe you better haul
your black butt outta here
before I spread it
all over this road.
Back off, mac.
Hey, listen, pal, I
can talk to that black...
Be nice and let my
partner do his job.
Get back in that truck,
or come in swinging, jack.
Got it.
Now get this truck
back to the garage
and don't drop one ounce
of oil on the way, okay?
Or I'm gonna to
come down on you...
real hard.
Tingley, Cotter, come here.
I leave you two cretins
in charge for a week,
and the bottom falls out.
What the hell are
you saying, Nash?
They found dioxin
inside of that cow we snatched.
You know... we had a
good thing going here.
They pay us ten, maybe 20 grand
for a load of toluene,
maybe a bit of benzene,
some trichloroethylene.
We mix it with waste oil,
and then we
spread it on the road.
Get paid both ends.
Pure profit.
And you two idiots
have gotta screw that up
by picking up a load of dioxin?
Now we have the Rangers on us.
Well, what do you want
us to do with it, Nash?
I still got 60 barrels
of that crap left.
I want you to dump it. Anywhere.
Doesn't matter. I don't care.
Just lose it.
Get back to work!
Start pumping!
Hey, something's going down.
I just got back
from the landfill.
The place is swarming
with white suits.
We contacted the
Bureau and the EPA,
we got a team of HAZMAT
specialists flying in.
Well, they won't be
there long, so let's go.
C.D., can you get Alex for us?
Oh, no.
What is it?
I think she's having a seizure.
She must've picked
up some of the dioxin
when she ran
onto Gathers' place.
She's contaminated. I know it.
I can't stand to
see another one die.
She's not gonna die.
Ally, come on. Treat her.
Her glands are swelling.
Take off her collar.
If Daddy was here, he'd know...
Ally, you can do it.
Just do what you've
been trained to do.
I don't know the treatment
for dioxin exposure.
We'll find it. We'll find it.
Come on.
Okay. I'll meet
you at the landfill.
Come on.
It's okay.
Tom, you seal those barrels?
Hey!
Come on. Come on, let's move it.
Where's the drop gonna be?
Great Blue Lake.
Good. Let's do it.
Trivette, this is Walker. Over.
Trivette, can you read me?
Trivette, if you're
receiving this,
I'm going to Great Blue Lake.
Great Blue Lake.
Come on! Let's move it!
We got 3,000 gallons
of this stuff to get rid of!
Pull that other hose free.
Thought you said it
was going down here.
We're late. Look, I'll
take the responsibility.
The place is empty.
We are dead in the water.
Look, counselor, it's just...
Wait a minute.
Walker must have... I
know where they're going!
Turn around! Turn around!
Turn around.
I told you to flush
it and hurry up!
Yes, sir.
Cotter, Tingley,
you come with me.
What's going on?
Tingley, start the car.
Cotter, you dump
this stuff and do it now.
Aah! Cotter!
Throw that lever!
You smoked old Doc Slade,
poisoned the ground.
Now my dog's dying.
Let me tell you, if she dies,
I'm gonna personally make sure
the men of the
African Brotherhood
up in Huntsville get
a key to your cell.
You got that, Rastus?
You're under arrest, Nash.
Don't even try it.
Stuff it.
Get him outta here.
Help! I can't...
Well, who in the hell's
gonna go get him?
Well, you're the
triathlon swimmer.
I'm not going in there again.
Yes, you are... No, I'm not.
Yes, you are.
Excuse me.
Not.
Are.
Not.
You are.
I can't believe you
got her well so fast.
I got lucky.
She hadn't fully
absorbed the dioxin,
so I flushed her stomach
with charcoal and sorbitol.
Gave her a sedative,
and three hours later,
she was pawing at my fridge.
Uh, this is for you.
What's this for?
Just kind of a way
of saying thanks for...
all your help.
And being one heck of a vet too.
I don't believe it.
Let's go get him!
Pull over!
Let me see your
hands. Let me see 'em.
What's the problem, Ranger?
Why'd you try and kill this dog?
Well, she couldn't hunt.
I'd drop a bird,
she'd just sit there.
Lazy hound.
All she do is lay around,
eat and break wind.
Well, she's trained now.
Get him, Blue! Sic him!
Come on, girl.
All right. What'd you tell her?
I just told her that he had
a pork chop in his pocket.