Confidential Informant (2023) Movie Script
1
[upbeat music playing]
Congratulations, Learner.
You cracked your first case.
Thank you, Lieutenant Hickey.
Learned a lot from you, sir.
You knew. Didn't you?
If I was in Mike's shoes,
I might have done
the same thing he did.
And slept well.
These guys put their lives
on the line every single day
hunting down assholes.
We sleep good at night,
because these guys deal
with the ugly shit,
so we don't have to.
That's why the rules matter.
I'm after the truth.
The truth is that
sometimes the department
doesn't protect your family
after you spent your whole life
protecting everybody else's.
- [Hickey] Cops.
- [thunder rumbles]
Most of them are good people.
Good men and women.
But when a police officer
comes from war,
they're a different
kind of cop.
Their life, their job...
They'll never be
the same again.
Doing what's gotta be done
takes on a different meaning,
and another type of war starts.
[grunts]
Where are you hit?
How are we gonna
get out of here?
[groans]
[Tom] A helicopter.
What do you think?
[Mike groans]
[Hickey] After a few years
of active duty,
Thornton and Moran joined
the New York City
Police Department
as undercover narcotics cops
during the crack epidemic
of the nineties.
They went from eating sand
to pounding the pavement
under yours truly.
They can be a real pain
in the ass sometimes.
But wherever they went,
you always knew
they'd be in it together.
Only death was gonna
separate those two.
["Till Death Comes"
by Cypress Hill playing]
- [coughs]
- [thunder rumbling]
[speaking Spanish]
Hey, hermano,relax.
We're just having some fun.
You don't get high
on your own supply, cabrn.
- [speaking Spanish]
- Hey, hey. Let's go.
[speaking Spanish]
["Till Death Comes"
by Cypress Hill continues]
[coins clinking]
[speaks Spanish]
Hey, yo, I-- I seen it.
They're all in there
waving it around, shit-bragging.
There's a lot of motherfuckers
up in and out of there
all high and shit.
[coughs]
What's he wearing?
What's up with his girl?
I-- I don't know, man.
You-- I don't know.
It's gray, black,
some-- some shit.
I don't know, man. I didn't--
I didn't catch that.
Gracias.You stay low.
Yeah. All right.
Our guy's there.
He got a buddy in there.
You ready?
Another day, another door.
[thunder rumbling]
Entry to the leader.
CI states two suspects present.
Possession of gun.
Rock and roll, boss.
Unit, stand by
for the green.
[thunder rumbles]
[whistles]
Hey, yo, Papi.You good?
- Yeah, I'm good. You the same?
- Yeah? Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
- Anyone holding?
What you want?
I want you to kiss that
motherfucking concrete.
Yeah, nigga. Yeah,
drop that shit, huh.
Don't fuck around.
Yeah, spread that shit.
- What you got on you,
motherfucker?
- Ain't got shit.
Don't lie, nigga.
What the fuck you got? Hmm?
Told you I ain't
got shit, man.
What the fuck is this? Okay.
Okay. Lie now.
Put your hands behind your back.
Don't fucking move.
Got your ass now.
Front secure.
Okay, unit. You got the green.
[tires screeching]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[Mike] Police! Raise your hands!
Raise your hands!
Get down! Get down
on your back! Everybody down!
[man shouting in Spanish]
[women screaming]
Okay, okay!
[woman 1]
Who are these fucking--
Shut your fucking mouth!
Get the fuck out!
Where are you going
so fast, flaco?
Fucking!
Shut your mouth!
Shut your fucking
goddamn mouth!
- What's her story?
- She's bragging about
her boyfriend
- fucking killing a cop.
- Tom, Tom.
It's not worth it.
He's a cop killer.
We need the case.
[Jenny] Jimmy O?
What's been going
on with your guy?
He's got a car-alarm
remote. No keys.
Wanna give it a whirl?
Sure. Stand by.
[police siren wails]
[Mike] One of our cops is dead.
Benito, you're looking at life
for killing a cop,
and that is a long-ass
stretch of 22.
But I didn't kill no cop.
Hey, I believe you,
but you was there.
So you're swinging
with your boy,
unless you own this.
You make yourself look good
by saying,
"Yes, I am a drug dealer."
You know?
"But I don't kill cops."
And then you tell us
what Renaldo did,
and you got another big problem.
We found a ton of shit
in your crib,
so we need your connect.
I don't wanna sell drugs.
I've got a kid.
I need to feed my family.
There's things I gotta do, man.
Hey, man, I'm listening.
I'm not judging you.
We all do what we gotta do
for our family,
even if that means that
doing what's right by them
ain't exactly right.
But you're not doing them
any good if you go away, right?
So, give me the cop killer
and your connect,
and I will make this
right with the DA.
When I say
I'm gonna do something,
I see it through to the end.
Chayo.
Good fucking job.
Hey.
Write down what Chayo
did to that cop.
Do you want, uh,
soda or something?
Yo.
What's up?
You were looking
to hook me up,
even though I did wrong?
There's all kinds of rights
and wrongs in this world.
You know, sometimes
you gotta do a smaller wrong
for a bigger right.
You got a dead cop's gun,
your teeth in his nightstick,
and you don't wanna
say anything.
What am I gonna say?
I did it?
Benito's gonna say you did.
Okay. So? Whatever.
Or maybe there's something else
you wanna share.
It's okay. Go to court.
Take my chance.
Your girlfriend said
Chayo killed the cop.
You're gonna die in jail.
Hey, cop, we all dead, okay?
Five, ten, maybe 50 years,
but we all die sometime.
Doesn't matter.
[Hickey] You made me miss
my Yankees game.
I'm here, I'm old,
and I'm pissed.
I just had to listen
to the CO of Homicide
cry in my ear like
some kind of jilted bitch
because you didn't notify him
of the warrant.
Honestly, we got a tip
from a confidential informant
about a stash house,
a large quantity,
possibly some weapons,
and it was moving soon.
Yeah, it was just
one of those things.
One of those things, smart-ass?
- Yeah.
- How about one of these things?
Wrongfully or failure to,
because Homicide wants me
to put you on paper,
and if I start any sentence
with either or both
of those things,
you two won't see
another vacation day
until the next good
president gets in.
I checked with
the search warrant registry,
but there's no sworn affidavit.
So what I don't know
is if he did or didn't tell you
about the shooter
before the warrant was issued.
Boss, CI-4622 has
confidential informant status,
which means it's not required.
Yeah, and I can't talk
to your informant,
so it's your word
against homicide,
and personally,
I could give a rat's ass.
We're trying to put
a cop killer behind bars.
That's gotta be more important
than a fucking phone call.
Oh, I agree.
But you guys didn't know
before you entered the room
that there was a couple
of cop killers
in there, did you?
[police siren wailing distantly]
[Mike] A last-minute tip
from a CI
about a stash getting ready
to move, so we jumped.
It wasn't until we found the gun
and the broken teeth
that we got suspicious.
There's certain protocols
that have to be followed,
Detective Thornton,
you know, but, you know...
- What do I know?
- Yes, sir.
- I mean...
- Keep your nose clean.
Dad, can I hold
your baseball mitt?
Baseball players call it
a "glove," not a "mitt."
The glove.
[Tom] I won two state
championships
pitching with this old thing
before I joined the Marines.
- Ready to play ball?
- Yeah.
All right, Mark.
Let's show your old man
what you got.
All right.
Ready?
Again.
Whoo. Again.
Good.
Now, the fastball.
What's wrong, Dad?
Hey, you all right?
Yeah.
- You gotta go
to a doctor, baby.
- Yeah.
You've had this thing
for a week.
[exhales]
You sure you're okay?
Yeah, I'm fine,
I'm fine, I'm fine.
- I'm fine. Yeah.
- Yeah? Okay.
All right.
You ready? Take your stance.
Target, not your mom.
- Good boy. Again.
- There you go.
And again.
Dad, when can we go pitch off
a real mound?
When I got time.
[Tom] I'd fooled myself
into thinking
the doctor would tell me
it was something else.
The tests don't lie.
This was the third time
this week I've pissed blood.
My father died
of the same thing
about this age.
[thunder rumbling]
[Mike] You can't really say
civilian life was agreeing
with me in those days.
Besides my partner,
I had nothing but booze
and a stripper.
I envied Moran and his family.
I had no clue he was
in a worse place than me.
[sensual music playing]
Hey, Ginger,
come home with me.
[speaking Spanish]
[grunts]
Come home, baby.
Let's go. Come on.
It's my night
with the kid, Mikey.
Mike, they're gonna cut you off.
- [engine stops]
- [indistinct chatter on TV]
Hey, buddy.
Hey, Dad. Can I sleep
on the couch tonight?
Are you gonna be here
in the morning when I wake up?
Of course I'm gonna be here
and, yes, you can sleep
on the couch.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
I'm gonna go to bed.
[insects trilling]
- [cars honking]
- [police siren wailing]
[door closes]
[Jenny] You talked to your CI,
Seor, or whatever the fuck
his secret squirrel name is?
He missed his meet.
Since when are junkies punctual?
Never.
Hey, uh, is boss gonna
come up with the money
if we need to make a buy?
Yeah. Yeah,
just lay it out,
and I'll give it to you
when you get here.
I don't have that kind of cash.
Here.
Great.
- [Jenny] See ya. Later.
- Later.
Look who it is.
Hey, hey. How's
the good life, Frankie?
I'm getting by.
Man, you know what,
I look forward
to the golden years, you know?
When I can just sit around
drinking on my fat-ass
pension all day.
Fat pension? I'm drinking
Bud Light over here.
I'm feeling generous today.
Get him a shot.
Thank you, Michael.
What's it like?
- What's what, like?
- The moon. The pension.
Well, it's like shit on rye.
No. Strike that. Even worse.
Say it how it is.
Oh, yeah, well, wait till
you're living off half a salary
clipping coupons
like your grandmother.
I fucking do.
Only hitting the bars
that have senior discounts.
Might as well be dead.
But I can't, right?
Because, well, I got debt.
And I got a kid,
so I gotta watch out.
I don't wanna leave it back.
[sighs]
But some days I think, "Hey,
maybe I should have been
taken out in the line of duty."
- [scoffs]
- Huh.
Well, that's a first,
a cop wanting to die
in the line of duty.
It's a game-changer,
I'll tell you that much.
- Keep 'em coming for this guy.
- Do you know that the city
pays the widow half a mil
on top of what
the pension gives?
And then the union throws in
a chunk of change.
And then they got that, uh,
Widows and Orphans Fund.
And they got all kinds
of scholarships--
Thank you, honey.
All kinds of scholarships
up the yin-yang.
The bottom line that I see
is that the family gets paid,
but you paid the bill.
Yeah.
A pension worth
a hundred percent
of your salary,
400 grand in state
and federal tax benefits, right?
Free life insurance.
Free in-state college tuition
for my kid.
Now, my boy,
he won't talk to me,
but that would have been
something, right?
That would have been something
for me to leave him. That's all.
Yeah. I think I'm gonna go
smoke outside.
Thank you, Michael.
Jesus Christ.
Fuck's wrong with you?
Life.
- [exhales]
- [cell phone ringing]
- Seor.
- [grunts]
It's him?
[Tom] Yeah.
[Mike] Thank you, Soph.
[police siren wailing]
[tense music playing]
[sniffs]
[coughs]
[tense music playing continues]
[heavy breathing]
[thunder crashing]
[coughing]
Ah, shit.
Seor, how many fucking days
you been out, man?
I ain't dead, man.
You got my money?
Yeah. We got your money.
Take it in.
I ain't shit to y'all, right?
I'm just a fucking skell.
Why are you saying that?
We've never treated you
like a skell.
You know that. What's wrong?
It's over, man.
It's all over.
Hey, listen.
Any day you want out,
we got a bed waiting
for you in rehab.
I told you that.
Ah, see, I can't--
I can't never get out of this.
- That's not true.
- Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is.
I got AIDS, man.
Fuck, man.
I ain't making it
to Christmas, kid.
I got a daughter.
I got a wife.
I'm just glad she threw
my junky ass out before
I could infect her. You know?
You know why I always
like to come here?
This spot?
See, back in the day,
I was, uh...
I was gonna join the Navy.
You know? And now, uh...
I ain't got shit
to leave my family.
[coughing]
You know, I give these
motherfuckers up...
so that maybe they won't fuck up
some other kid's life
like they did mine.
We've been saving this for you,
just in case
you ever decide to kick it.
Shit, uh...
I knew you was light
when you hit me off, but, uh...
just figured it went back
in your pocket.
No, man, it's a savings plan
for retirement.
You, uh, you still got
that address in Puerto Rico?
Yeah.
Send it there.
My, uh...
My daughter and my wife,
they're with the mom's,
you know, I...
I gotta do right
by 'em, you know?
Anything else?
The...
Don't-- don't tell 'em who--
who it's from, all right?
Anything else we can do?
Yeah, let me hold
your gun for a second.
You don't mean that.
Yeah, I do.
Almost jumped in front
of a fucking train today.
Right, right, right.
Look, uh...
Let's meet back here,
same time tomorrow night
Yeah.
Fuck, man.
What do you say to that, huh?
Take it on the chin.
That's all you can do.
- [thunder crashing]
- [car door closes]
He's not the only one who's
not gonna make it to Christmas.
I got stomach cancer.
Had it for a while.
Bullshit.
What doctor did you see?
Three of them.
Fuck.
What are the options?
Out of options.
Surgery?
No time.
Okay, so then,
uh... then chemo.
It's spread.
It's everywhere.
Dying's expensive.
Insurance covers shit.
[exhales]
I'm sure as hell not gonna
leave my wife and kid
homeless and destitute,
that's a fuckin' guarantee.
[exhales deeply]
Yesterday in the bar,
when Frank was talking about
preferring to die
in the line of duty
'cause it would pump up
his life insurance
and benefit his kids,
it made sense.
It made a lot of sense.
I'm gonna go down the street.
What?
Listen, I'm gonna
need your help.
He's dying. I'm dying.
If I can get Seor
to take me out
in the line of duty,
my family get
a million bucks.
What the fuck?
What are you
talking about, man?
And you... you want
my help with that?
No, fuck that.
He's an informant.
Only you know he's
an informant. Only you.
[scoffs]
This is fucking...
this is crazy.
Do you hear what
you're asking me to do?
- Yeah, I do.
- Yeah, well, the answer's no.
- Fuck, no.
- It's for my family.
You know what?
Fuck you, Tommy.
Yo, I ain't got no business
with you, bro. Fuck.
I ain't your bro, man.
I see you talking
to Five-O over there.
Shit. Five-O just
run up on me.
I-- I ain't got shit.
I know you've seen it.
What I seen was they ain't
searched your ass.
Matter of fact, I think
that they hit you off.
Fucking snitch!
[grunting]
- [groaning]
- [grunting]
Clock's ticking now, bro.
[birds chirping]
- Is it good?
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh, good.
- Delicious as usual.
- Yay.
- I gotta split.
- Mm.
- [smooches]
Have a good day.
I love you.
I love you too. Okay.
See you, buddy.
That's the proposal for you.
Uh, yeah, I'm down.
Um... You, uh, you remember
that money house I--
I told y'all about?
We do that money house, send--
send that dough to San Juan,
and, um, yeah, we got a deal.
Are you sure
he's alone up there?
Yeah, man.
Oh, and, and he knows
where your boy Chayo is at.
[Seor coughs, sniffs]
Just give us the address.
[Mike] Moran was dying.
For most guys, that would mean
collapsing in a puddle
of tears and whining.
But in Moran's case,
it just made him crazy brave.
[dog barking]
We had a lead on a money house
that might bring us
one step closer
to taking down the cop killer.
We had to go for it.
Moran wasn't taking no
for an answer.
[tense music playing]
[Tom] They're awake.
[Mike] Yeah, well, it ain't like
he's gotta get up for work
in the morning.
[door thudding]
[Mike] Polica!
- Where's Chayo?
- [groaning]
[speaking Spanish]
- [door slams open]
- [rifle cocks]
[grunting]
[groaning]
[speaking Spanish]
They're going through
the fucking fire escape!
[yells in Spanish]
Fuck!
[yells in Spanish]
[tires screeching]
[police siren wailing distantly]
[groaning]
Perseverance keeps honor bright.
So, what do you got?
Two male whites with ski masks
crashed the victim's door.
They know exactly
where the money is.
They didn't kill anyone.
You figured
they were cops, yeah?
They spoke bad Spanish,
but I'd say it's possible.
- [grunts softly]
- [indistinct radio chatter]
Drug dealers rip
each other off all the time.
And it's easy to get
a police jacket
in any uniform store in Midtown.
Don't drool over
this one just yet.
Belief's a graveyard.
Oh, Bureau called.
They have that police-involved
shooting coverage on next week.
Boy, I'm looking
forward to that.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
You need some blood
in your alcohol stream.
Here. Eat this.
[soft music playing]
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Am I supposed to eat this
with my hands or what?
[Tom] The wife's worried about
your drinking and your health.
[scoffs] The irony.
Maybe you should give it
a rest or give re--
[sighs]
Give rehab another shot.
Come on, man. I'm fine.
You're not fine.
I didn't save your life
so you could fuck it up again.
[sighs]
[clicks tongue, grunts]
Look, I got, uh...
I got 12K...
in savings.
I know it's not a lot,
but it's yours.
I appreciate it. I do.
I can't do this...
without you.
It's not over till it's over.
- Mike.
- See you later.
[Tom] Whoa.
Two drug dealers got ripped off
by two guys posing as cops?
Yeah. So be prepared
for IAB snooping around.
Does your CI have
anything on Chayo?
No. He's gone away for a week.
I don't know where
the fucker's gone.
[Jenny] Gone away?
Yeah, gone away.
To the fucking Bahamas.
He's at an all-inclusive
shooting gallery.
I know where his bodegais at.
We can maybe do an OP,
see if we can grab somebody.
Good. Do that.
You got rid of the jacket
and the mask?
Yeah. What are we gonna do
about the money?
Mail it to him,
like he said.
Do you really still wanna
go through with this?
Yes.
[Mike] Tom was asking me
to put my neck in a noose.
But how could I turn him down?
He saved my fucking life.
Talk about being between
a rock and a hard place.
When everything's wrong,
that's when life sucks.
Get in! Now!
I heard about Cotto.
Your info was bad.
You didn't tell us there'd be
another fucking guy
in the place.
I heard his stash
is gone, though.
It's taken care of.
I bet.
Get out.
[engine starts]
Shouldn't you just take it in?
- Mm-hmm.
- [chuckles]
And how am I gonna pay
for it, my charm?
Yeah, and your good looks.
- Funny. Hm.
- [laughs]
Hey, what'd the doctor say?
Didn't you see him?
Waiting for results.
Look, I'm fine.
It's all-- it's all good.
I wouldn't worry.
I always worry.
I know you do.
You gotta stop anyway.
I got a moonlight security
gig tonight, so, uh...
So I'll see you tomorrow.
Yes, you will.
[both laugh]
[Anna] Okay.
Sorry, Mike, they're
gonna cut you off.
Hey.
[Mike] It was just going
too far with Ginger.
The alcohol and the drugs
might kill me before
the cancer would kill Tom.
Shit was about to hit the fan.
- [tense music playing]
- [groans]
[inhales, groans]
Look, uh...
You know what? I--
I've been backing off.
I'm trying to put myself
in your shoes.
And I'm not sure I could do
what you're doing right now,
But this ain't
no bargain for me,
okay?
I've been having nightmares.
And they're about to get
a whole lot worse after tonight.
And then I'm the one
who has to face Anna and Mark.
What-- what if
somebody finds out
that your shooter
is our CI, huh?
What then?
My head will be spinning
so bad from the Q&A
from the DA's office and IAB.
Right? But I won't have time
to think about that
because I'll be too busy
working the Chayo caper
and planning your funeral.
That is, until they put my ass
on ice for 25 to life.
So don't act like this
is some fucking picnic for me.
Because it's starting to look
a lot like you got
the easy way out by dying.
You know what? Truth is...
when I'm alone...
it does make some sense.
Having something to die for
is better than having
nothing to live for.
Right on time.
Here.
Give this to Mark.
[sniffs, coughs]
[snorts]
Oh, fuck.
Uh... Fuck.
[snorts]
Fuck. Oh, fuck, man.
Jesus fucking Christ,
you're fried.
Man...
Look, man, I-- I don't think
I can do this, bro.
Fuck-- What the fuck
is wrong with you?
Hey-- hey, listen. I--
I don't think I can do
this shit, man.
You fucking better do it.
- Chill, man. I just--
- Fuck you, man.
- You faggot!
- I don't think I can
fucking do this!
Fuck. Stop. Fuck!
- Polica.
- Oh, shit.
Show me your hands.
[whimpers] Mikey!
- Hey.
- Man, you-- look,
look, look-- I--
What the fuck
are you doing, man?
No, he just fucking
put his gun--
- Drop the gun! What the...
- Fuck!
[whimpering]
- Mike. Shit!
- Drop the gun!
Hey, Mikey look-- [sobs]
- Hey, hey, hey, drop it.
- I'm sorry, man.
Fuck.
[breathing heavily]
Alright. Fuck
Tommy.
Fucking, Tommy.
Fuck.
[solemn music playing]
[tires screeching]
[Mike] Finally, he, uh...
came around, shooting.
We exchanged...
That's good for now.
The DA will follow up,
then the grand jury.
I don't know.
It all seems pretty
cut and dry to me.
Just a few routine questions.
Why were you out there again?
We're working a large sale case.
- For a suspected sale?
- No,
but it's a drug-prone location.
- For sales?
- No, for users.
We're looking for intel.
You know, you catch a guy using,
he gives you a name,
you throw back the little fish.
- So you let him go?
- I did years in narcotics.
That's how it's done. Move on.
Did you identify yourselves
as police?
Yeah. We were doing a car stop.
We said "police."
We had the light on.
Yes, but you were
in plainclothes.
I yelled "police" twice.
Before or after the shooting?
What the fuck?
[scoffs]
Lieutenant, there is no doubt
that he knew we were cops.
- Obviously. Learner, let's--
- I even yelled it in Spanish.
Hablas espaol?
Yeah, just basic
street stuff, you know?
"Put up your hands.
Where do you live?"
We both do.
Did.
That's all for now, Mike.
We'll be in touch. Scram.
What the hell's
the matter with you?
They're standard questions.
The guy just lost his partner.
Exercise a little discretion.
[thunder rumbling]
[Mike] Ginger,
the alcohol,
the drugs...
Nothing makes sense anymore.
["Amazing Grace" playing]
It was a beautiful service.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
- Mrs. Moran?
- Yes.
Kevin Hickey.
Did you work with Thomas?
I knew him. Yeah.
You have my sincerest
sympathies.
Tom was a brave man.
A very decent man.
Sadly, sometimes loss
shows us true value.
I didn't need to lose him
to know his value.
Yeah, I'm sorry. I, uh...
I don't quite know
what to say at these things.
I'm sorry for you
and for your son.
The whole department's
behind you.
Thank you.
- Mrs. Moran.
- Yes.
I'm Joe Mangano.
I'm your police union delegate.
I imagine you're concerned
about the expenses piling up.
Oh, we... we have no money.
I mean, his 20,000-dollar
life insurance paid,
but that doesn't cover
the back payment
on his mortgage and PSOBs
not coming in for a year.
We, we, we--
We can't cover this.
I understand.
Believe me, I get it.
And I want you to know that
we're going to cover everything.
It's the least we can do
for your husband's sacrifice.
If it's all right,
I would love the opportunity
to explain the next steps.
May I walk you out?
Okay.
Thank you.
[thunder rumbling]
- Gary.
- Mike.
[Gary] Well...
recovery is rarely
a straight line, brother.
Every day is a new day.
Have a seat.
All right.
We are a fellowship
of men and women
who share their
experience, strength,
and hope with each other
that they may solve
their common problem
and help each other
to recover from alcoholism.
The only requirement
for membership here
is a desire to stop drinking.
[Tom over recording] It's Tom.
Leave your number.
[beeps]
[Mike] What time tonight?
Give me a call.
- [beeps]
- [clicks]
Ask him if any
of these voices
sound familiar.
It's Tom. Leave your number.
What time tonight?
- Give me a call.
- [clicks]
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
He says maybe the first one,
but he's not too sure.
All right.
Tell him to listen again.
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
I don't think he wants
to get involved, man.
Tell him I don't care
where he got the money from.
He's a fucking drug dealer.
- Tell him.
- Look...
I have to be here.
You volunteered for this shit.
Yeah, big boy.
But what if these
are dirty cops?
He said he doesn't know.
Look, you're on your
own crusade, white knight.
I'm done.
[Kurt] Hey, Mike, got a minute?
Um... I'm not gonna make
a whole big how-to-do about it,
'cause I'm sure you wanna
move on with things,
um, but just...
we-- we want you to know
that we're glad you're back.
So, uh, just to...
[clears throat]
...bring you up to speed, um,
I ran the perp from
your shooting, um, to see
if there was a connection.
Jenny asked you to run him?
No, I mean, he was a user,
and your shooting wasn't far
from the bodega,
so I thought maybe,
but that really doesn't matter,
because it was a dead end,
so he's out.
We did get some
surveillance photos,
and we're hoping that
Chayo's one of them.
And, uh, we're gonna try
a buy attempt in the hallway
that Jimmy O's trying to set up.
And we'll see what happens
from there.
What's up?
I have a couple
of old complaints
on you and your partner.
Now, I don't wanna
bring you down officially
in light of what's happened.
Thing is, I still need
to address them.
I don't know, maybe if I knew
a few things off the record,
we could squash this, huh?
Is there something
you wanna ask me?
'Cause just come
right out and ask it.
No disrespect, but, um,
was your partner
having financial problems?
This is, uh...
this is off the record?
Of course.
Oh, off the record.
Go fuck yourself.
And no disrespect.
Of course.
[sighs]
- [dogs barking distantly]
- [Anna sighs]
Anna, just relax.
He talked more to you?
It's, uh, it's a cop thing,
you know?
No one, uh, can understand you
like another cop.
Well...
maybe you know more
about him than I do.
What are you getting at?
Was Tommy taking money
on the side?
Never. No.
If he was, Mike,
I have a right to know.
Anna, think about it.
If-- if he was taking money,
don't you think you and Mark
would have everything
you needed and wanted?
- Yeah.
- What about that shit box
he was driving,
held together with bubble gum
and rubber bands, huh?
And where's this coming from?
I don't know.
Someone just came around
and they were asking questions.
The IA guy?
- Learner?
- Yeah.
Look.
There were these drug dealers.
They lied.
They said we ripped them off.
That's it.
I just buried my husband.
Do I deserve a little peace?
Yes. Yes.
You do, and you will have it.
And that guy,
he won't mess with you again.
I promise you that.
Thank you.
Take a look at the yellow
and tell me what you make
of that shit.
Hey, you wanna play games?
Okay, you play with me.
You leave Moran's family
out of it, understand?
God, it is dangerous
to be you in this world
right now, Learner.
Seems pretty upset for a guy
who's done nothing wrong.
Yeah, I wouldn't push
the envelope.
He's got the personality
of a landmine right now.
We've been told.
Hey, why is Tom's locker
empty right now?
Take it easy.
Learner took it.
He's playing his game.
When he doesn't find shit,
he'll bring it back.
Moving on.
We're gonna try to make
a buy attempt in that lobby
to try to get a pipeline
into Chayo.
I need you on point.
So I'm asking you...
Yeah, I'm good, boss.
- I'm good.
- Okay.
I'm thinking Moran
and Thornton might be good
for impersonation robbery.
Because?
They're narcotics.
They know the players.
Moran was buried
in bills and expenses.
His house was in foreclosure.
- And?
- It's motive.
Hell, if that's a motive,
I'm a suspect.
They both spoke broken Spanish.
The victim,
to the perp's Spanish,
was white boy-like.
I re-interviewed them, they said
he could be Moran and Thornton.
Everybody speaks broken--
Hey, wait a minute.
You're saying the victim
somehow heard Moran
and-- and Thornton speak,
and since then they made
some kind of voice comparison?
How'd you manage that?
I'm resourceful.
That's a stretch.
That's a lot
of what-ifs, Learner.
Don't open up a can of worms
on the say-so
of a drug dealer, okay?
If I know anything
about that pair,
they can keep a secret.
They've been joined at the hip
since Desert Storm,
and one of them
ain't talking at all.
See, what you got here
is a tinderbox.
You got a dead cop,
a hero partner, and a widow.
If you're wrong about this,
that jarhead is gonna stick
his foot so far up your ass,
and there'll probably be
a line behind him.
All right. Well,
the next thing I plan is--
Close-- close the door.
No, don't. You'll be
on the other side of the door
when you close it.
Got it.
[speaking Spanish]
Okay. Okay.
Oh, shit.
No, no, no. There goes Five-O.
I told you it's gonna be
fucking hot out here.
I ain't doing no sale
in the streets.
All right, let's do
this quick, then.
Without a doubt, son.
You know?
10-4. 2-5-5. Lobby out.
[Mike] What's fucking
Learner doing here
in his black cop car?
[speaking Spanish]
It's a rip-off,
move in, move in.
[Jenny] 2-5, that's your radio.
You're breaking up.
Get down there, 2-5-5.
[tires screeching]
Hey, hey, hey, hey, Papi,
what's with the biscuit, man?
Yo. Yo, can you help me out?
- Fuckin' bum!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey.
[tense music playing]
[Jenny yells]
- Give me your hand.
- Don't fucking move!
- [shouting]
- [struggling]
- Give me your hand.
- Don't you fucking move!
- Turn around!
- I got him, I got him,
I got him.
- Come on.
- Hey.
[indistinct]
Everybody okay?
- Yeah, boss. We're good.
- Yeah.
What in the fuck
were you thinking? Huh?
Another cop almost got killed.
You had no business
tailing them on a buy.
And here's another question
for you, Detective.
It's a police operation.
Cops are involved.
Shots are fired.
And you don't even bother
to get out of your car
to see if they're okay?
- I fucked up.
- You bet you fucked up.
You're not to follow them
anymore. You got that?
If I can't follow him,
I'm gonna need to get
into the confidential
informant files.
Well, that's fairly impossible.
What the fuck for?
These two cops have more CIs
than anyone on their team.
The perps from this robbery
knew exactly where
the money was hidden.
Now, I have a feeling
that they're either using
CI information
or that the shooter is either--
All you got is conjecture,
all right?
My gut is right on this, sir.
Why are you defensive of him?
Why do you keep shutting me out?
Ah, you hold your horses, pal.
You watch those accusations.
I'll tell you
what you're gonna do.
You're gonna
interview Thornton.
You're gonna close
this thing up, okay?
Just your basic
fucking police work.
- Is this police work?
- Yeah.
Turning a deaf ear
to your subordinate
when he's telling you that
he may have legit corruption.
Closing a blind eye
to the evidence he presents you.
Learner, you're about
an inch away
from getting bounced
out of the IAB,
and that's pretty tough to do.
But you're also a cunt hair away
from getting your ass kicked.
Why do you want him so bad?
I don't know what
you're talking about, sir.
- I'm just doing my job.
- No, no.
You've had a hard-on for him
from the start.
Now, why is that?
They don't follow
the rules, sir.
They do whatever
the hell they want.
Guys like that,
they give the department
a bad name.
Guys like that made this
department what it is today.
Yeah.
[door opens]
Have a seat, gentlemen.
- Mike.
- Lieutenant.
Hickey. How are you?
Well, sit down. Yeah.
[Hickey sighs]
All right, oh, where's that
damn tape? Oh, here it is.
Okay.
Here we go. Now...
[groans]
I'm sure we have got
better things to do,
so let's just jump
right into this.
- Everybody ready?
- Yeah.
Okay.
Uh...
Have you ever loaned
your partner
a large sum of money?
Uh, what's a large sum?
A thousand bucks?
I see he was in quite
the financial bind.
- Is that a question?
- It's a fact.
Detective Moran's
financial status
has no bearing on allegations
against Detective Thornton.
Do you know how much we make?
Learner, can we get
to the point?
Did you or your partner
ever meet a CI
outside of the job?
No. Never.
Outside of drug houses,
has a CI ever informed you
about money spots?
That's not enough for an arrest
or a search warrant,
so what good
is that info to us?
- That's what I'd like to know.
- All right, that's enough.
Hickey, if this keeps up,
we're filing a grievance
to the accusatory tone
of your investigator.
I mean, you're not
investigating allegations.
You're making accusations.
Duly noted. Move on.
Have you seen Mrs. Moran
since the shooting?
What the fuck does that
have to do with anything, huh?
If your all so close,
and I know you spend nights
over there on occasions.
Ah, Learner, where do you get
the balls for this?
Come on, can we move on?
Can you explain this?
I make it to be a ski mask.
I found that
in your partner's locker.
Says you.
It was obtained during
an ongoing internal
affairs investigation.
Then why isn't it vouchered?
Excuse me?
Well, it should be
in a property envelope
with a voucher attached
marked as investigatory evidence
in order to, you know,
ensure the chain of evidence.
I mean, you could have bought
that on the way over here.
Okay, I'm wrapping this up.
That's enough
of that. All right.
It's okay. He's just
playing at being a cop
'cause he's never
actually been one.
I got nothing
to hide, so...
You got nothing to hide?
Then let me ask you something,
- off the record, of course.
- Sure.
But remember, last time.
You still fucking
your dead partner's wife?
- Okay. Mike!
- Mike.
- I fucking warned you!
- Forget it. Forget it.
Forget it. Go on.
Go on. Fuck him.
- Did you hear what he said?
- I don't give a rat's ass.
This is still an investigation
and you never raise
your hands, right?
Hickey. Asshole.
What the fuck was that?
I wanted to send him
over the edge,
make him come clean.
Come clean about what?
I know he's dirty.
You've jeopardized
other cops' lives.
They're definitely gonna file
a grievance against us.
You jackpotted your own career,
and worst of all,
I'm gonna get one up the ass.
This investigation is over.
I'm keeping the tape.
Are you gonna let
this assault go?
Buddy, for a minute,
I almost helped him.
[exhales]
Kid from the hallway gave up
what might be Chayo's main digs.
[police siren wailing distantly]
[Mike] Catching Chayo
was Moran's last wish.
Talk to me, Harnischer.
What's going on?
[tense music playing]
I don't see the fucker.
[Jenny] No sign of our subject?
Be advised, Leader, no sign
of our subject as of yet.
10-4. Keep an eye on him.
Tell him to keep watching.
He's gonna fall asleep.
Detective Cruz.
Detective Cruz.
- What can I do for you?
- I need some information
pertaining to
a registered informant.
I think you might have
something I need.
[sighs]
Where the fuck is he?
10-4. Keep an eye on him.
Ohh...
I think our man just showed up.
Be advised,
subject just arrived.
Yeah.
There you are.
[Kurt] Okay, subject
at location now.
Nice. He's got him.
I need this information,
por favor.
[speaking Spanish]
You need a request
from your CO stating why.
Hold on.
And if a judge approves it,
I will notify you.
Those files are very sensitive.
You live in Queens, right?
What's this about?
Your auto insurance here says
that you live in, uh...
New Jersey.
Heh. Wasn't that something?
Close enough to commute
to the city,
yet far enough away for a drop
in your insurance premium.
Wow.
Excuse me?
In this crazy city,
you have nothing better to do
than mess with me.
Which way would
those files be?
- Gracias.
- Mm.
Who's the guy?
Gotcha.
Gracias.
Talk to me, Harnischer.
What's going on?
- What's going on?
- Shh, shh. You hear that shit?
Is there a back door
to this building?
You're gonna have
to repeat later. There's
a motorcycle buzzing around.
Take a plate
on that motorcycle.
[tires screeching]
- What's this fucking guy doing?
- What the fuck?
[gunfire]
Talk to me,
Harnischer! Kurt?
Oh, fuck!
10-13, Central. 10-13.
Shots fired. 357-1457 Street.
[police siren wails]
You know the policy
on vehicle pursuits?
We shouldn't have even been
out there in the first place.
We're so undermanned.
Well, then why were you?
- Your guy is very fortunate.
- Fortunate?
He's in critical
but stable condition.
What's that mean, Doc?
It means he got shot
in the liver.
Lost a lot of blood.
Doesn't look very lethal,
but that could change.
- Did you recover the bullet?
- You kidding?
A lot of blood in there.
We were packing the liver.
I mean, if we saw it,
we could have grabbed it.
What, is it still in there?
Yeah, I mean, the area
where he got shot,
the bullet's caught
between three blood vessels.
We call it the Bermuda Triangle.
Unless he got a clear shot,
we wouldn't go after it.
Is he gonna be okay with that?
Sure, unless you're worried
about lead poisoning.
Usually, going after a bullet
is more trouble than it's worth.
- Trust me.
- Oh, we don't need
the evidence.
We know who shot him.
Later on, when he wakes up,
you can send your team in
to see him.
I wouldn't let that motherfucker
nab me with a scalpel.
Here he comes.
Don't give him anything.
Mike,
I have to place you
on suspension.
We should wait
for Mike's delegate.
Doesn't matter at this point.
What are the charges?
Fraternizing with
confidential informants
outside of departmental
guidelines, for starters.
I need your gun and your shield.
I'd rather give them
to a real cop
than an empty suit.
Mike,
watch yourself.
Be advised,
Sergeant Sullivan,
once these two are found
guilty of wrongdoing,
charges will be brought
against you
for failure to supervise.
Back the fuck off.
- [thunder rumbling]
- [rain pattering]
It's over, Mike.
It's Detective Thornton,
you fucking prick.
Not anymore.
I've seen your records.
You guys did some...
Huh.
Good work.
A thankless job.
But...
somewhere along the line,
things went sideways.
This won't go away.
It's gonna haunt you
and the Moran family.
You don't know shit
about the Moran family.
It's your last chance, Michael.
Last chance at what?
Redemption.
What happened that night?
I told you what happened
that night.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Tell me again.
- A hero fell.
Look, I know you don't wanna
destroy his legacy,
but it's better this thing
comes out right,
- the way you want it told.
- No.
Come clean, Mike. Huh?
Be honest.
It's gonna come out anyway,
one way or the other.
Take a shot at freedom
while you still have it.
Why did Seor kill Moran?
He's a fucking junkie.
I don't know.
He was your junkie.
- What did he have on you guys?
- He was high.
- Why were you out there?
- He was suicidal.
I don't fucking know.
- Suicidal?
- What? Yeah.
What were you doing out there?
Nothing. I told you already.
Why did your CI want him dead?
- I don't know.
- You don't know?
They're both dead.
Why did he kill him?
They were both already dead.
All right?
Seor was dying of AIDS.
He was suicidal.
He was leaving a wife
and kid destitute.
And Moran, he found out
he had cancer.
He had weeks to live.
We robbed that dealer
to send the money
back to Seor's family.
At least, maybe they
would have a chance.
And we staged the shooting
so Moran's family
would get the full
death benefits.
You know, Seor, he was
supposed to kill himself.
But, uh... [scoffs]
...he got scared.
He couldn't do it,
so he started shooting at me.
It's got a happy ending,
you know,
'cause they're dead
and their families
are taken care of.
Are you happy now?
You wanna shame a hero cop
who knew he was dying,
who sacrificed his last days
on this earth with his family
so he doesn't leave them
in a mess.
You have at it, Learner.
You couldn't shine
his fucking shoes.
[police siren wailing distantly]
Congratulations, Learner.
You cracked your first case.
Thank you, Lieutenant Hickey.
Learned a lot from you, sir.
Hm.
You knew, didn't you?
Knew what?
You knew.
[scoffs]
That's why you kept
trying to deter me.
[exhales]
Yeah, I lost a partner
on the job once, you know?
Over the years, I stayed
in touch with his kids, and...
they're doing well.
They're happy.
Seventeen years.
We took care of him.
Yeah.
If I was in Mike's shoes,
I might have done
the same thing he did.
And slept well.
It's our job...
to protect the community,
uphold the law.
They broke the rules, sir.
Rules. [sighs]
There's no rules.
These guys put their lives
on the line every single day
hunting down assholes.
We sleep good at night
because these guys deal
with the ugly shit,
so we don't have to.
That's why the rules matter.
There's no room for error.
An error means a funeral.
That's right,
it's life or death.
Strap on a bulletproof vest
for what?
Shitty paycheck,
the alcoholism, the nightmares.
If you're lucky,
that means you're still alive.
America without cops
would be like--
like God without his angels.
It's not for everyone, sir.
Damn right it's not.
You're so focused on the manual
that you're willing
to tear down someone
who's spent the last 12 years
keeping the wolves at bay.
I'm not trying
to tear anyone down.
I'm after the truth.
The truth is that
sometimes the department
doesn't protect your family
after you've spent
your whole life protecting
everybody else's.
I call Detective William Learner
of the Internal Affairs Bureau
to state the charges
and specifications
against Detective
Michael Thornton.
I must inform the board
at this time
the parties of the Internal
Affairs Bureau concerned
with allegations of misconduct
against Detectives
Michael Thornton
and Thomas Moran
wish to withdraw departmental
and criminal charges.
Was this a self-initiated case?
I apologized to the board
for misleading you.
I acted hastily.
To pursue these charges
would be a disregard
for the facts.
And what are the facts?
My suspicion was based
on a now proven false allegation
and supported by an unfortunate
string of coincidences.
I request that even my filing
on these charges
be expunged from the record
so to not blemish these
detectives' untarnished records.
Um...
Effective immediately,
your suspension is rescinded.
You may resume your assignment.
Yeah, club soda with lime.
Well, club soda.
I'll take yours then.
You won't be needing this.
- A toast.
- Cheers.
- To Chayo getting nine.
- Salud.
- Yes, yes, yes.
- We got it, we got it.
- Hear, hear.
- Long time coming.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Yeah.
- We got them.
Salud.
I was just passing by the bar
to see how you were doing.
Yeah, I'm good.
Hey, where's your guy?
Believe it or not,
he transferred out
and into narcotics in Brooklyn.
Well, I did not see that coming.
No, me either.
He's a Boy Scout,
but, you know,
he'll be all right.
[exhales]
Is that Vietnam?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, two tours.
You know, war's like
surviving a tornado.
Well, you know that.
Moran knew that.
Once the storm is over,
you don't even remember
how you survived it. Hmm.
It's never really over, is it?
No.
One thing's for sure.
You don't come out
the same way you went in.
See, you were born 20 years
too late for the job.
They don't want guys
like you and Moran anymore.
A long time ago, long before
they even invented light bulbs,
some smart-ass
named Machiavelli,
I think he said, um,
"It's better to be loved than--"
No, "it's better to be
feared than loved."
I mean, what's that say
about us, huh?
That we're a bunch
of fucking animals?
Mm.
But we're also the zookeepers.
Is that love?
[insects trilling]
[birds chirping]
Is that your dad's
baseball mitt?
It's not a mitt, it's a glove.
I stand corrected.
Spoken like the son
of a real baseball player.
[ending music playing]
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
Congratulations, Learner.
You cracked your first case.
Thank you, Lieutenant Hickey.
Learned a lot from you, sir.
You knew. Didn't you?
If I was in Mike's shoes,
I might have done
the same thing he did.
And slept well.
These guys put their lives
on the line every single day
hunting down assholes.
We sleep good at night,
because these guys deal
with the ugly shit,
so we don't have to.
That's why the rules matter.
I'm after the truth.
The truth is that
sometimes the department
doesn't protect your family
after you spent your whole life
protecting everybody else's.
- [Hickey] Cops.
- [thunder rumbles]
Most of them are good people.
Good men and women.
But when a police officer
comes from war,
they're a different
kind of cop.
Their life, their job...
They'll never be
the same again.
Doing what's gotta be done
takes on a different meaning,
and another type of war starts.
[grunts]
Where are you hit?
How are we gonna
get out of here?
[groans]
[Tom] A helicopter.
What do you think?
[Mike groans]
[Hickey] After a few years
of active duty,
Thornton and Moran joined
the New York City
Police Department
as undercover narcotics cops
during the crack epidemic
of the nineties.
They went from eating sand
to pounding the pavement
under yours truly.
They can be a real pain
in the ass sometimes.
But wherever they went,
you always knew
they'd be in it together.
Only death was gonna
separate those two.
["Till Death Comes"
by Cypress Hill playing]
- [coughs]
- [thunder rumbling]
[speaking Spanish]
Hey, hermano,relax.
We're just having some fun.
You don't get high
on your own supply, cabrn.
- [speaking Spanish]
- Hey, hey. Let's go.
[speaking Spanish]
["Till Death Comes"
by Cypress Hill continues]
[coins clinking]
[speaks Spanish]
Hey, yo, I-- I seen it.
They're all in there
waving it around, shit-bragging.
There's a lot of motherfuckers
up in and out of there
all high and shit.
[coughs]
What's he wearing?
What's up with his girl?
I-- I don't know, man.
You-- I don't know.
It's gray, black,
some-- some shit.
I don't know, man. I didn't--
I didn't catch that.
Gracias.You stay low.
Yeah. All right.
Our guy's there.
He got a buddy in there.
You ready?
Another day, another door.
[thunder rumbling]
Entry to the leader.
CI states two suspects present.
Possession of gun.
Rock and roll, boss.
Unit, stand by
for the green.
[thunder rumbles]
[whistles]
Hey, yo, Papi.You good?
- Yeah, I'm good. You the same?
- Yeah? Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
- Anyone holding?
What you want?
I want you to kiss that
motherfucking concrete.
Yeah, nigga. Yeah,
drop that shit, huh.
Don't fuck around.
Yeah, spread that shit.
- What you got on you,
motherfucker?
- Ain't got shit.
Don't lie, nigga.
What the fuck you got? Hmm?
Told you I ain't
got shit, man.
What the fuck is this? Okay.
Okay. Lie now.
Put your hands behind your back.
Don't fucking move.
Got your ass now.
Front secure.
Okay, unit. You got the green.
[tires screeching]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[Mike] Police! Raise your hands!
Raise your hands!
Get down! Get down
on your back! Everybody down!
[man shouting in Spanish]
[women screaming]
Okay, okay!
[woman 1]
Who are these fucking--
Shut your fucking mouth!
Get the fuck out!
Where are you going
so fast, flaco?
Fucking!
Shut your mouth!
Shut your fucking
goddamn mouth!
- What's her story?
- She's bragging about
her boyfriend
- fucking killing a cop.
- Tom, Tom.
It's not worth it.
He's a cop killer.
We need the case.
[Jenny] Jimmy O?
What's been going
on with your guy?
He's got a car-alarm
remote. No keys.
Wanna give it a whirl?
Sure. Stand by.
[police siren wails]
[Mike] One of our cops is dead.
Benito, you're looking at life
for killing a cop,
and that is a long-ass
stretch of 22.
But I didn't kill no cop.
Hey, I believe you,
but you was there.
So you're swinging
with your boy,
unless you own this.
You make yourself look good
by saying,
"Yes, I am a drug dealer."
You know?
"But I don't kill cops."
And then you tell us
what Renaldo did,
and you got another big problem.
We found a ton of shit
in your crib,
so we need your connect.
I don't wanna sell drugs.
I've got a kid.
I need to feed my family.
There's things I gotta do, man.
Hey, man, I'm listening.
I'm not judging you.
We all do what we gotta do
for our family,
even if that means that
doing what's right by them
ain't exactly right.
But you're not doing them
any good if you go away, right?
So, give me the cop killer
and your connect,
and I will make this
right with the DA.
When I say
I'm gonna do something,
I see it through to the end.
Chayo.
Good fucking job.
Hey.
Write down what Chayo
did to that cop.
Do you want, uh,
soda or something?
Yo.
What's up?
You were looking
to hook me up,
even though I did wrong?
There's all kinds of rights
and wrongs in this world.
You know, sometimes
you gotta do a smaller wrong
for a bigger right.
You got a dead cop's gun,
your teeth in his nightstick,
and you don't wanna
say anything.
What am I gonna say?
I did it?
Benito's gonna say you did.
Okay. So? Whatever.
Or maybe there's something else
you wanna share.
It's okay. Go to court.
Take my chance.
Your girlfriend said
Chayo killed the cop.
You're gonna die in jail.
Hey, cop, we all dead, okay?
Five, ten, maybe 50 years,
but we all die sometime.
Doesn't matter.
[Hickey] You made me miss
my Yankees game.
I'm here, I'm old,
and I'm pissed.
I just had to listen
to the CO of Homicide
cry in my ear like
some kind of jilted bitch
because you didn't notify him
of the warrant.
Honestly, we got a tip
from a confidential informant
about a stash house,
a large quantity,
possibly some weapons,
and it was moving soon.
Yeah, it was just
one of those things.
One of those things, smart-ass?
- Yeah.
- How about one of these things?
Wrongfully or failure to,
because Homicide wants me
to put you on paper,
and if I start any sentence
with either or both
of those things,
you two won't see
another vacation day
until the next good
president gets in.
I checked with
the search warrant registry,
but there's no sworn affidavit.
So what I don't know
is if he did or didn't tell you
about the shooter
before the warrant was issued.
Boss, CI-4622 has
confidential informant status,
which means it's not required.
Yeah, and I can't talk
to your informant,
so it's your word
against homicide,
and personally,
I could give a rat's ass.
We're trying to put
a cop killer behind bars.
That's gotta be more important
than a fucking phone call.
Oh, I agree.
But you guys didn't know
before you entered the room
that there was a couple
of cop killers
in there, did you?
[police siren wailing distantly]
[Mike] A last-minute tip
from a CI
about a stash getting ready
to move, so we jumped.
It wasn't until we found the gun
and the broken teeth
that we got suspicious.
There's certain protocols
that have to be followed,
Detective Thornton,
you know, but, you know...
- What do I know?
- Yes, sir.
- I mean...
- Keep your nose clean.
Dad, can I hold
your baseball mitt?
Baseball players call it
a "glove," not a "mitt."
The glove.
[Tom] I won two state
championships
pitching with this old thing
before I joined the Marines.
- Ready to play ball?
- Yeah.
All right, Mark.
Let's show your old man
what you got.
All right.
Ready?
Again.
Whoo. Again.
Good.
Now, the fastball.
What's wrong, Dad?
Hey, you all right?
Yeah.
- You gotta go
to a doctor, baby.
- Yeah.
You've had this thing
for a week.
[exhales]
You sure you're okay?
Yeah, I'm fine,
I'm fine, I'm fine.
- I'm fine. Yeah.
- Yeah? Okay.
All right.
You ready? Take your stance.
Target, not your mom.
- Good boy. Again.
- There you go.
And again.
Dad, when can we go pitch off
a real mound?
When I got time.
[Tom] I'd fooled myself
into thinking
the doctor would tell me
it was something else.
The tests don't lie.
This was the third time
this week I've pissed blood.
My father died
of the same thing
about this age.
[thunder rumbling]
[Mike] You can't really say
civilian life was agreeing
with me in those days.
Besides my partner,
I had nothing but booze
and a stripper.
I envied Moran and his family.
I had no clue he was
in a worse place than me.
[sensual music playing]
Hey, Ginger,
come home with me.
[speaking Spanish]
[grunts]
Come home, baby.
Let's go. Come on.
It's my night
with the kid, Mikey.
Mike, they're gonna cut you off.
- [engine stops]
- [indistinct chatter on TV]
Hey, buddy.
Hey, Dad. Can I sleep
on the couch tonight?
Are you gonna be here
in the morning when I wake up?
Of course I'm gonna be here
and, yes, you can sleep
on the couch.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
I'm gonna go to bed.
[insects trilling]
- [cars honking]
- [police siren wailing]
[door closes]
[Jenny] You talked to your CI,
Seor, or whatever the fuck
his secret squirrel name is?
He missed his meet.
Since when are junkies punctual?
Never.
Hey, uh, is boss gonna
come up with the money
if we need to make a buy?
Yeah. Yeah,
just lay it out,
and I'll give it to you
when you get here.
I don't have that kind of cash.
Here.
Great.
- [Jenny] See ya. Later.
- Later.
Look who it is.
Hey, hey. How's
the good life, Frankie?
I'm getting by.
Man, you know what,
I look forward
to the golden years, you know?
When I can just sit around
drinking on my fat-ass
pension all day.
Fat pension? I'm drinking
Bud Light over here.
I'm feeling generous today.
Get him a shot.
Thank you, Michael.
What's it like?
- What's what, like?
- The moon. The pension.
Well, it's like shit on rye.
No. Strike that. Even worse.
Say it how it is.
Oh, yeah, well, wait till
you're living off half a salary
clipping coupons
like your grandmother.
I fucking do.
Only hitting the bars
that have senior discounts.
Might as well be dead.
But I can't, right?
Because, well, I got debt.
And I got a kid,
so I gotta watch out.
I don't wanna leave it back.
[sighs]
But some days I think, "Hey,
maybe I should have been
taken out in the line of duty."
- [scoffs]
- Huh.
Well, that's a first,
a cop wanting to die
in the line of duty.
It's a game-changer,
I'll tell you that much.
- Keep 'em coming for this guy.
- Do you know that the city
pays the widow half a mil
on top of what
the pension gives?
And then the union throws in
a chunk of change.
And then they got that, uh,
Widows and Orphans Fund.
And they got all kinds
of scholarships--
Thank you, honey.
All kinds of scholarships
up the yin-yang.
The bottom line that I see
is that the family gets paid,
but you paid the bill.
Yeah.
A pension worth
a hundred percent
of your salary,
400 grand in state
and federal tax benefits, right?
Free life insurance.
Free in-state college tuition
for my kid.
Now, my boy,
he won't talk to me,
but that would have been
something, right?
That would have been something
for me to leave him. That's all.
Yeah. I think I'm gonna go
smoke outside.
Thank you, Michael.
Jesus Christ.
Fuck's wrong with you?
Life.
- [exhales]
- [cell phone ringing]
- Seor.
- [grunts]
It's him?
[Tom] Yeah.
[Mike] Thank you, Soph.
[police siren wailing]
[tense music playing]
[sniffs]
[coughs]
[tense music playing continues]
[heavy breathing]
[thunder crashing]
[coughing]
Ah, shit.
Seor, how many fucking days
you been out, man?
I ain't dead, man.
You got my money?
Yeah. We got your money.
Take it in.
I ain't shit to y'all, right?
I'm just a fucking skell.
Why are you saying that?
We've never treated you
like a skell.
You know that. What's wrong?
It's over, man.
It's all over.
Hey, listen.
Any day you want out,
we got a bed waiting
for you in rehab.
I told you that.
Ah, see, I can't--
I can't never get out of this.
- That's not true.
- Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is.
I got AIDS, man.
Fuck, man.
I ain't making it
to Christmas, kid.
I got a daughter.
I got a wife.
I'm just glad she threw
my junky ass out before
I could infect her. You know?
You know why I always
like to come here?
This spot?
See, back in the day,
I was, uh...
I was gonna join the Navy.
You know? And now, uh...
I ain't got shit
to leave my family.
[coughing]
You know, I give these
motherfuckers up...
so that maybe they won't fuck up
some other kid's life
like they did mine.
We've been saving this for you,
just in case
you ever decide to kick it.
Shit, uh...
I knew you was light
when you hit me off, but, uh...
just figured it went back
in your pocket.
No, man, it's a savings plan
for retirement.
You, uh, you still got
that address in Puerto Rico?
Yeah.
Send it there.
My, uh...
My daughter and my wife,
they're with the mom's,
you know, I...
I gotta do right
by 'em, you know?
Anything else?
The...
Don't-- don't tell 'em who--
who it's from, all right?
Anything else we can do?
Yeah, let me hold
your gun for a second.
You don't mean that.
Yeah, I do.
Almost jumped in front
of a fucking train today.
Right, right, right.
Look, uh...
Let's meet back here,
same time tomorrow night
Yeah.
Fuck, man.
What do you say to that, huh?
Take it on the chin.
That's all you can do.
- [thunder crashing]
- [car door closes]
He's not the only one who's
not gonna make it to Christmas.
I got stomach cancer.
Had it for a while.
Bullshit.
What doctor did you see?
Three of them.
Fuck.
What are the options?
Out of options.
Surgery?
No time.
Okay, so then,
uh... then chemo.
It's spread.
It's everywhere.
Dying's expensive.
Insurance covers shit.
[exhales]
I'm sure as hell not gonna
leave my wife and kid
homeless and destitute,
that's a fuckin' guarantee.
[exhales deeply]
Yesterday in the bar,
when Frank was talking about
preferring to die
in the line of duty
'cause it would pump up
his life insurance
and benefit his kids,
it made sense.
It made a lot of sense.
I'm gonna go down the street.
What?
Listen, I'm gonna
need your help.
He's dying. I'm dying.
If I can get Seor
to take me out
in the line of duty,
my family get
a million bucks.
What the fuck?
What are you
talking about, man?
And you... you want
my help with that?
No, fuck that.
He's an informant.
Only you know he's
an informant. Only you.
[scoffs]
This is fucking...
this is crazy.
Do you hear what
you're asking me to do?
- Yeah, I do.
- Yeah, well, the answer's no.
- Fuck, no.
- It's for my family.
You know what?
Fuck you, Tommy.
Yo, I ain't got no business
with you, bro. Fuck.
I ain't your bro, man.
I see you talking
to Five-O over there.
Shit. Five-O just
run up on me.
I-- I ain't got shit.
I know you've seen it.
What I seen was they ain't
searched your ass.
Matter of fact, I think
that they hit you off.
Fucking snitch!
[grunting]
- [groaning]
- [grunting]
Clock's ticking now, bro.
[birds chirping]
- Is it good?
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh, good.
- Delicious as usual.
- Yay.
- I gotta split.
- Mm.
- [smooches]
Have a good day.
I love you.
I love you too. Okay.
See you, buddy.
That's the proposal for you.
Uh, yeah, I'm down.
Um... You, uh, you remember
that money house I--
I told y'all about?
We do that money house, send--
send that dough to San Juan,
and, um, yeah, we got a deal.
Are you sure
he's alone up there?
Yeah, man.
Oh, and, and he knows
where your boy Chayo is at.
[Seor coughs, sniffs]
Just give us the address.
[Mike] Moran was dying.
For most guys, that would mean
collapsing in a puddle
of tears and whining.
But in Moran's case,
it just made him crazy brave.
[dog barking]
We had a lead on a money house
that might bring us
one step closer
to taking down the cop killer.
We had to go for it.
Moran wasn't taking no
for an answer.
[tense music playing]
[Tom] They're awake.
[Mike] Yeah, well, it ain't like
he's gotta get up for work
in the morning.
[door thudding]
[Mike] Polica!
- Where's Chayo?
- [groaning]
[speaking Spanish]
- [door slams open]
- [rifle cocks]
[grunting]
[groaning]
[speaking Spanish]
They're going through
the fucking fire escape!
[yells in Spanish]
Fuck!
[yells in Spanish]
[tires screeching]
[police siren wailing distantly]
[groaning]
Perseverance keeps honor bright.
So, what do you got?
Two male whites with ski masks
crashed the victim's door.
They know exactly
where the money is.
They didn't kill anyone.
You figured
they were cops, yeah?
They spoke bad Spanish,
but I'd say it's possible.
- [grunts softly]
- [indistinct radio chatter]
Drug dealers rip
each other off all the time.
And it's easy to get
a police jacket
in any uniform store in Midtown.
Don't drool over
this one just yet.
Belief's a graveyard.
Oh, Bureau called.
They have that police-involved
shooting coverage on next week.
Boy, I'm looking
forward to that.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
You need some blood
in your alcohol stream.
Here. Eat this.
[soft music playing]
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Am I supposed to eat this
with my hands or what?
[Tom] The wife's worried about
your drinking and your health.
[scoffs] The irony.
Maybe you should give it
a rest or give re--
[sighs]
Give rehab another shot.
Come on, man. I'm fine.
You're not fine.
I didn't save your life
so you could fuck it up again.
[sighs]
[clicks tongue, grunts]
Look, I got, uh...
I got 12K...
in savings.
I know it's not a lot,
but it's yours.
I appreciate it. I do.
I can't do this...
without you.
It's not over till it's over.
- Mike.
- See you later.
[Tom] Whoa.
Two drug dealers got ripped off
by two guys posing as cops?
Yeah. So be prepared
for IAB snooping around.
Does your CI have
anything on Chayo?
No. He's gone away for a week.
I don't know where
the fucker's gone.
[Jenny] Gone away?
Yeah, gone away.
To the fucking Bahamas.
He's at an all-inclusive
shooting gallery.
I know where his bodegais at.
We can maybe do an OP,
see if we can grab somebody.
Good. Do that.
You got rid of the jacket
and the mask?
Yeah. What are we gonna do
about the money?
Mail it to him,
like he said.
Do you really still wanna
go through with this?
Yes.
[Mike] Tom was asking me
to put my neck in a noose.
But how could I turn him down?
He saved my fucking life.
Talk about being between
a rock and a hard place.
When everything's wrong,
that's when life sucks.
Get in! Now!
I heard about Cotto.
Your info was bad.
You didn't tell us there'd be
another fucking guy
in the place.
I heard his stash
is gone, though.
It's taken care of.
I bet.
Get out.
[engine starts]
Shouldn't you just take it in?
- Mm-hmm.
- [chuckles]
And how am I gonna pay
for it, my charm?
Yeah, and your good looks.
- Funny. Hm.
- [laughs]
Hey, what'd the doctor say?
Didn't you see him?
Waiting for results.
Look, I'm fine.
It's all-- it's all good.
I wouldn't worry.
I always worry.
I know you do.
You gotta stop anyway.
I got a moonlight security
gig tonight, so, uh...
So I'll see you tomorrow.
Yes, you will.
[both laugh]
[Anna] Okay.
Sorry, Mike, they're
gonna cut you off.
Hey.
[Mike] It was just going
too far with Ginger.
The alcohol and the drugs
might kill me before
the cancer would kill Tom.
Shit was about to hit the fan.
- [tense music playing]
- [groans]
[inhales, groans]
Look, uh...
You know what? I--
I've been backing off.
I'm trying to put myself
in your shoes.
And I'm not sure I could do
what you're doing right now,
But this ain't
no bargain for me,
okay?
I've been having nightmares.
And they're about to get
a whole lot worse after tonight.
And then I'm the one
who has to face Anna and Mark.
What-- what if
somebody finds out
that your shooter
is our CI, huh?
What then?
My head will be spinning
so bad from the Q&A
from the DA's office and IAB.
Right? But I won't have time
to think about that
because I'll be too busy
working the Chayo caper
and planning your funeral.
That is, until they put my ass
on ice for 25 to life.
So don't act like this
is some fucking picnic for me.
Because it's starting to look
a lot like you got
the easy way out by dying.
You know what? Truth is...
when I'm alone...
it does make some sense.
Having something to die for
is better than having
nothing to live for.
Right on time.
Here.
Give this to Mark.
[sniffs, coughs]
[snorts]
Oh, fuck.
Uh... Fuck.
[snorts]
Fuck. Oh, fuck, man.
Jesus fucking Christ,
you're fried.
Man...
Look, man, I-- I don't think
I can do this, bro.
Fuck-- What the fuck
is wrong with you?
Hey-- hey, listen. I--
I don't think I can do
this shit, man.
You fucking better do it.
- Chill, man. I just--
- Fuck you, man.
- You faggot!
- I don't think I can
fucking do this!
Fuck. Stop. Fuck!
- Polica.
- Oh, shit.
Show me your hands.
[whimpers] Mikey!
- Hey.
- Man, you-- look,
look, look-- I--
What the fuck
are you doing, man?
No, he just fucking
put his gun--
- Drop the gun! What the...
- Fuck!
[whimpering]
- Mike. Shit!
- Drop the gun!
Hey, Mikey look-- [sobs]
- Hey, hey, hey, drop it.
- I'm sorry, man.
Fuck.
[breathing heavily]
Alright. Fuck
Tommy.
Fucking, Tommy.
Fuck.
[solemn music playing]
[tires screeching]
[Mike] Finally, he, uh...
came around, shooting.
We exchanged...
That's good for now.
The DA will follow up,
then the grand jury.
I don't know.
It all seems pretty
cut and dry to me.
Just a few routine questions.
Why were you out there again?
We're working a large sale case.
- For a suspected sale?
- No,
but it's a drug-prone location.
- For sales?
- No, for users.
We're looking for intel.
You know, you catch a guy using,
he gives you a name,
you throw back the little fish.
- So you let him go?
- I did years in narcotics.
That's how it's done. Move on.
Did you identify yourselves
as police?
Yeah. We were doing a car stop.
We said "police."
We had the light on.
Yes, but you were
in plainclothes.
I yelled "police" twice.
Before or after the shooting?
What the fuck?
[scoffs]
Lieutenant, there is no doubt
that he knew we were cops.
- Obviously. Learner, let's--
- I even yelled it in Spanish.
Hablas espaol?
Yeah, just basic
street stuff, you know?
"Put up your hands.
Where do you live?"
We both do.
Did.
That's all for now, Mike.
We'll be in touch. Scram.
What the hell's
the matter with you?
They're standard questions.
The guy just lost his partner.
Exercise a little discretion.
[thunder rumbling]
[Mike] Ginger,
the alcohol,
the drugs...
Nothing makes sense anymore.
["Amazing Grace" playing]
It was a beautiful service.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
- Mrs. Moran?
- Yes.
Kevin Hickey.
Did you work with Thomas?
I knew him. Yeah.
You have my sincerest
sympathies.
Tom was a brave man.
A very decent man.
Sadly, sometimes loss
shows us true value.
I didn't need to lose him
to know his value.
Yeah, I'm sorry. I, uh...
I don't quite know
what to say at these things.
I'm sorry for you
and for your son.
The whole department's
behind you.
Thank you.
- Mrs. Moran.
- Yes.
I'm Joe Mangano.
I'm your police union delegate.
I imagine you're concerned
about the expenses piling up.
Oh, we... we have no money.
I mean, his 20,000-dollar
life insurance paid,
but that doesn't cover
the back payment
on his mortgage and PSOBs
not coming in for a year.
We, we, we--
We can't cover this.
I understand.
Believe me, I get it.
And I want you to know that
we're going to cover everything.
It's the least we can do
for your husband's sacrifice.
If it's all right,
I would love the opportunity
to explain the next steps.
May I walk you out?
Okay.
Thank you.
[thunder rumbling]
- Gary.
- Mike.
[Gary] Well...
recovery is rarely
a straight line, brother.
Every day is a new day.
Have a seat.
All right.
We are a fellowship
of men and women
who share their
experience, strength,
and hope with each other
that they may solve
their common problem
and help each other
to recover from alcoholism.
The only requirement
for membership here
is a desire to stop drinking.
[Tom over recording] It's Tom.
Leave your number.
[beeps]
[Mike] What time tonight?
Give me a call.
- [beeps]
- [clicks]
Ask him if any
of these voices
sound familiar.
It's Tom. Leave your number.
What time tonight?
- Give me a call.
- [clicks]
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
He says maybe the first one,
but he's not too sure.
All right.
Tell him to listen again.
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
I don't think he wants
to get involved, man.
Tell him I don't care
where he got the money from.
He's a fucking drug dealer.
- Tell him.
- Look...
I have to be here.
You volunteered for this shit.
Yeah, big boy.
But what if these
are dirty cops?
He said he doesn't know.
Look, you're on your
own crusade, white knight.
I'm done.
[Kurt] Hey, Mike, got a minute?
Um... I'm not gonna make
a whole big how-to-do about it,
'cause I'm sure you wanna
move on with things,
um, but just...
we-- we want you to know
that we're glad you're back.
So, uh, just to...
[clears throat]
...bring you up to speed, um,
I ran the perp from
your shooting, um, to see
if there was a connection.
Jenny asked you to run him?
No, I mean, he was a user,
and your shooting wasn't far
from the bodega,
so I thought maybe,
but that really doesn't matter,
because it was a dead end,
so he's out.
We did get some
surveillance photos,
and we're hoping that
Chayo's one of them.
And, uh, we're gonna try
a buy attempt in the hallway
that Jimmy O's trying to set up.
And we'll see what happens
from there.
What's up?
I have a couple
of old complaints
on you and your partner.
Now, I don't wanna
bring you down officially
in light of what's happened.
Thing is, I still need
to address them.
I don't know, maybe if I knew
a few things off the record,
we could squash this, huh?
Is there something
you wanna ask me?
'Cause just come
right out and ask it.
No disrespect, but, um,
was your partner
having financial problems?
This is, uh...
this is off the record?
Of course.
Oh, off the record.
Go fuck yourself.
And no disrespect.
Of course.
[sighs]
- [dogs barking distantly]
- [Anna sighs]
Anna, just relax.
He talked more to you?
It's, uh, it's a cop thing,
you know?
No one, uh, can understand you
like another cop.
Well...
maybe you know more
about him than I do.
What are you getting at?
Was Tommy taking money
on the side?
Never. No.
If he was, Mike,
I have a right to know.
Anna, think about it.
If-- if he was taking money,
don't you think you and Mark
would have everything
you needed and wanted?
- Yeah.
- What about that shit box
he was driving,
held together with bubble gum
and rubber bands, huh?
And where's this coming from?
I don't know.
Someone just came around
and they were asking questions.
The IA guy?
- Learner?
- Yeah.
Look.
There were these drug dealers.
They lied.
They said we ripped them off.
That's it.
I just buried my husband.
Do I deserve a little peace?
Yes. Yes.
You do, and you will have it.
And that guy,
he won't mess with you again.
I promise you that.
Thank you.
Take a look at the yellow
and tell me what you make
of that shit.
Hey, you wanna play games?
Okay, you play with me.
You leave Moran's family
out of it, understand?
God, it is dangerous
to be you in this world
right now, Learner.
Seems pretty upset for a guy
who's done nothing wrong.
Yeah, I wouldn't push
the envelope.
He's got the personality
of a landmine right now.
We've been told.
Hey, why is Tom's locker
empty right now?
Take it easy.
Learner took it.
He's playing his game.
When he doesn't find shit,
he'll bring it back.
Moving on.
We're gonna try to make
a buy attempt in that lobby
to try to get a pipeline
into Chayo.
I need you on point.
So I'm asking you...
Yeah, I'm good, boss.
- I'm good.
- Okay.
I'm thinking Moran
and Thornton might be good
for impersonation robbery.
Because?
They're narcotics.
They know the players.
Moran was buried
in bills and expenses.
His house was in foreclosure.
- And?
- It's motive.
Hell, if that's a motive,
I'm a suspect.
They both spoke broken Spanish.
The victim,
to the perp's Spanish,
was white boy-like.
I re-interviewed them, they said
he could be Moran and Thornton.
Everybody speaks broken--
Hey, wait a minute.
You're saying the victim
somehow heard Moran
and-- and Thornton speak,
and since then they made
some kind of voice comparison?
How'd you manage that?
I'm resourceful.
That's a stretch.
That's a lot
of what-ifs, Learner.
Don't open up a can of worms
on the say-so
of a drug dealer, okay?
If I know anything
about that pair,
they can keep a secret.
They've been joined at the hip
since Desert Storm,
and one of them
ain't talking at all.
See, what you got here
is a tinderbox.
You got a dead cop,
a hero partner, and a widow.
If you're wrong about this,
that jarhead is gonna stick
his foot so far up your ass,
and there'll probably be
a line behind him.
All right. Well,
the next thing I plan is--
Close-- close the door.
No, don't. You'll be
on the other side of the door
when you close it.
Got it.
[speaking Spanish]
Okay. Okay.
Oh, shit.
No, no, no. There goes Five-O.
I told you it's gonna be
fucking hot out here.
I ain't doing no sale
in the streets.
All right, let's do
this quick, then.
Without a doubt, son.
You know?
10-4. 2-5-5. Lobby out.
[Mike] What's fucking
Learner doing here
in his black cop car?
[speaking Spanish]
It's a rip-off,
move in, move in.
[Jenny] 2-5, that's your radio.
You're breaking up.
Get down there, 2-5-5.
[tires screeching]
Hey, hey, hey, hey, Papi,
what's with the biscuit, man?
Yo. Yo, can you help me out?
- Fuckin' bum!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey.
[tense music playing]
[Jenny yells]
- Give me your hand.
- Don't fucking move!
- [shouting]
- [struggling]
- Give me your hand.
- Don't you fucking move!
- Turn around!
- I got him, I got him,
I got him.
- Come on.
- Hey.
[indistinct]
Everybody okay?
- Yeah, boss. We're good.
- Yeah.
What in the fuck
were you thinking? Huh?
Another cop almost got killed.
You had no business
tailing them on a buy.
And here's another question
for you, Detective.
It's a police operation.
Cops are involved.
Shots are fired.
And you don't even bother
to get out of your car
to see if they're okay?
- I fucked up.
- You bet you fucked up.
You're not to follow them
anymore. You got that?
If I can't follow him,
I'm gonna need to get
into the confidential
informant files.
Well, that's fairly impossible.
What the fuck for?
These two cops have more CIs
than anyone on their team.
The perps from this robbery
knew exactly where
the money was hidden.
Now, I have a feeling
that they're either using
CI information
or that the shooter is either--
All you got is conjecture,
all right?
My gut is right on this, sir.
Why are you defensive of him?
Why do you keep shutting me out?
Ah, you hold your horses, pal.
You watch those accusations.
I'll tell you
what you're gonna do.
You're gonna
interview Thornton.
You're gonna close
this thing up, okay?
Just your basic
fucking police work.
- Is this police work?
- Yeah.
Turning a deaf ear
to your subordinate
when he's telling you that
he may have legit corruption.
Closing a blind eye
to the evidence he presents you.
Learner, you're about
an inch away
from getting bounced
out of the IAB,
and that's pretty tough to do.
But you're also a cunt hair away
from getting your ass kicked.
Why do you want him so bad?
I don't know what
you're talking about, sir.
- I'm just doing my job.
- No, no.
You've had a hard-on for him
from the start.
Now, why is that?
They don't follow
the rules, sir.
They do whatever
the hell they want.
Guys like that,
they give the department
a bad name.
Guys like that made this
department what it is today.
Yeah.
[door opens]
Have a seat, gentlemen.
- Mike.
- Lieutenant.
Hickey. How are you?
Well, sit down. Yeah.
[Hickey sighs]
All right, oh, where's that
damn tape? Oh, here it is.
Okay.
Here we go. Now...
[groans]
I'm sure we have got
better things to do,
so let's just jump
right into this.
- Everybody ready?
- Yeah.
Okay.
Uh...
Have you ever loaned
your partner
a large sum of money?
Uh, what's a large sum?
A thousand bucks?
I see he was in quite
the financial bind.
- Is that a question?
- It's a fact.
Detective Moran's
financial status
has no bearing on allegations
against Detective Thornton.
Do you know how much we make?
Learner, can we get
to the point?
Did you or your partner
ever meet a CI
outside of the job?
No. Never.
Outside of drug houses,
has a CI ever informed you
about money spots?
That's not enough for an arrest
or a search warrant,
so what good
is that info to us?
- That's what I'd like to know.
- All right, that's enough.
Hickey, if this keeps up,
we're filing a grievance
to the accusatory tone
of your investigator.
I mean, you're not
investigating allegations.
You're making accusations.
Duly noted. Move on.
Have you seen Mrs. Moran
since the shooting?
What the fuck does that
have to do with anything, huh?
If your all so close,
and I know you spend nights
over there on occasions.
Ah, Learner, where do you get
the balls for this?
Come on, can we move on?
Can you explain this?
I make it to be a ski mask.
I found that
in your partner's locker.
Says you.
It was obtained during
an ongoing internal
affairs investigation.
Then why isn't it vouchered?
Excuse me?
Well, it should be
in a property envelope
with a voucher attached
marked as investigatory evidence
in order to, you know,
ensure the chain of evidence.
I mean, you could have bought
that on the way over here.
Okay, I'm wrapping this up.
That's enough
of that. All right.
It's okay. He's just
playing at being a cop
'cause he's never
actually been one.
I got nothing
to hide, so...
You got nothing to hide?
Then let me ask you something,
- off the record, of course.
- Sure.
But remember, last time.
You still fucking
your dead partner's wife?
- Okay. Mike!
- Mike.
- I fucking warned you!
- Forget it. Forget it.
Forget it. Go on.
Go on. Fuck him.
- Did you hear what he said?
- I don't give a rat's ass.
This is still an investigation
and you never raise
your hands, right?
Hickey. Asshole.
What the fuck was that?
I wanted to send him
over the edge,
make him come clean.
Come clean about what?
I know he's dirty.
You've jeopardized
other cops' lives.
They're definitely gonna file
a grievance against us.
You jackpotted your own career,
and worst of all,
I'm gonna get one up the ass.
This investigation is over.
I'm keeping the tape.
Are you gonna let
this assault go?
Buddy, for a minute,
I almost helped him.
[exhales]
Kid from the hallway gave up
what might be Chayo's main digs.
[police siren wailing distantly]
[Mike] Catching Chayo
was Moran's last wish.
Talk to me, Harnischer.
What's going on?
[tense music playing]
I don't see the fucker.
[Jenny] No sign of our subject?
Be advised, Leader, no sign
of our subject as of yet.
10-4. Keep an eye on him.
Tell him to keep watching.
He's gonna fall asleep.
Detective Cruz.
Detective Cruz.
- What can I do for you?
- I need some information
pertaining to
a registered informant.
I think you might have
something I need.
[sighs]
Where the fuck is he?
10-4. Keep an eye on him.
Ohh...
I think our man just showed up.
Be advised,
subject just arrived.
Yeah.
There you are.
[Kurt] Okay, subject
at location now.
Nice. He's got him.
I need this information,
por favor.
[speaking Spanish]
You need a request
from your CO stating why.
Hold on.
And if a judge approves it,
I will notify you.
Those files are very sensitive.
You live in Queens, right?
What's this about?
Your auto insurance here says
that you live in, uh...
New Jersey.
Heh. Wasn't that something?
Close enough to commute
to the city,
yet far enough away for a drop
in your insurance premium.
Wow.
Excuse me?
In this crazy city,
you have nothing better to do
than mess with me.
Which way would
those files be?
- Gracias.
- Mm.
Who's the guy?
Gotcha.
Gracias.
Talk to me, Harnischer.
What's going on?
- What's going on?
- Shh, shh. You hear that shit?
Is there a back door
to this building?
You're gonna have
to repeat later. There's
a motorcycle buzzing around.
Take a plate
on that motorcycle.
[tires screeching]
- What's this fucking guy doing?
- What the fuck?
[gunfire]
Talk to me,
Harnischer! Kurt?
Oh, fuck!
10-13, Central. 10-13.
Shots fired. 357-1457 Street.
[police siren wails]
You know the policy
on vehicle pursuits?
We shouldn't have even been
out there in the first place.
We're so undermanned.
Well, then why were you?
- Your guy is very fortunate.
- Fortunate?
He's in critical
but stable condition.
What's that mean, Doc?
It means he got shot
in the liver.
Lost a lot of blood.
Doesn't look very lethal,
but that could change.
- Did you recover the bullet?
- You kidding?
A lot of blood in there.
We were packing the liver.
I mean, if we saw it,
we could have grabbed it.
What, is it still in there?
Yeah, I mean, the area
where he got shot,
the bullet's caught
between three blood vessels.
We call it the Bermuda Triangle.
Unless he got a clear shot,
we wouldn't go after it.
Is he gonna be okay with that?
Sure, unless you're worried
about lead poisoning.
Usually, going after a bullet
is more trouble than it's worth.
- Trust me.
- Oh, we don't need
the evidence.
We know who shot him.
Later on, when he wakes up,
you can send your team in
to see him.
I wouldn't let that motherfucker
nab me with a scalpel.
Here he comes.
Don't give him anything.
Mike,
I have to place you
on suspension.
We should wait
for Mike's delegate.
Doesn't matter at this point.
What are the charges?
Fraternizing with
confidential informants
outside of departmental
guidelines, for starters.
I need your gun and your shield.
I'd rather give them
to a real cop
than an empty suit.
Mike,
watch yourself.
Be advised,
Sergeant Sullivan,
once these two are found
guilty of wrongdoing,
charges will be brought
against you
for failure to supervise.
Back the fuck off.
- [thunder rumbling]
- [rain pattering]
It's over, Mike.
It's Detective Thornton,
you fucking prick.
Not anymore.
I've seen your records.
You guys did some...
Huh.
Good work.
A thankless job.
But...
somewhere along the line,
things went sideways.
This won't go away.
It's gonna haunt you
and the Moran family.
You don't know shit
about the Moran family.
It's your last chance, Michael.
Last chance at what?
Redemption.
What happened that night?
I told you what happened
that night.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Tell me again.
- A hero fell.
Look, I know you don't wanna
destroy his legacy,
but it's better this thing
comes out right,
- the way you want it told.
- No.
Come clean, Mike. Huh?
Be honest.
It's gonna come out anyway,
one way or the other.
Take a shot at freedom
while you still have it.
Why did Seor kill Moran?
He's a fucking junkie.
I don't know.
He was your junkie.
- What did he have on you guys?
- He was high.
- Why were you out there?
- He was suicidal.
I don't fucking know.
- Suicidal?
- What? Yeah.
What were you doing out there?
Nothing. I told you already.
Why did your CI want him dead?
- I don't know.
- You don't know?
They're both dead.
Why did he kill him?
They were both already dead.
All right?
Seor was dying of AIDS.
He was suicidal.
He was leaving a wife
and kid destitute.
And Moran, he found out
he had cancer.
He had weeks to live.
We robbed that dealer
to send the money
back to Seor's family.
At least, maybe they
would have a chance.
And we staged the shooting
so Moran's family
would get the full
death benefits.
You know, Seor, he was
supposed to kill himself.
But, uh... [scoffs]
...he got scared.
He couldn't do it,
so he started shooting at me.
It's got a happy ending,
you know,
'cause they're dead
and their families
are taken care of.
Are you happy now?
You wanna shame a hero cop
who knew he was dying,
who sacrificed his last days
on this earth with his family
so he doesn't leave them
in a mess.
You have at it, Learner.
You couldn't shine
his fucking shoes.
[police siren wailing distantly]
Congratulations, Learner.
You cracked your first case.
Thank you, Lieutenant Hickey.
Learned a lot from you, sir.
Hm.
You knew, didn't you?
Knew what?
You knew.
[scoffs]
That's why you kept
trying to deter me.
[exhales]
Yeah, I lost a partner
on the job once, you know?
Over the years, I stayed
in touch with his kids, and...
they're doing well.
They're happy.
Seventeen years.
We took care of him.
Yeah.
If I was in Mike's shoes,
I might have done
the same thing he did.
And slept well.
It's our job...
to protect the community,
uphold the law.
They broke the rules, sir.
Rules. [sighs]
There's no rules.
These guys put their lives
on the line every single day
hunting down assholes.
We sleep good at night
because these guys deal
with the ugly shit,
so we don't have to.
That's why the rules matter.
There's no room for error.
An error means a funeral.
That's right,
it's life or death.
Strap on a bulletproof vest
for what?
Shitty paycheck,
the alcoholism, the nightmares.
If you're lucky,
that means you're still alive.
America without cops
would be like--
like God without his angels.
It's not for everyone, sir.
Damn right it's not.
You're so focused on the manual
that you're willing
to tear down someone
who's spent the last 12 years
keeping the wolves at bay.
I'm not trying
to tear anyone down.
I'm after the truth.
The truth is that
sometimes the department
doesn't protect your family
after you've spent
your whole life protecting
everybody else's.
I call Detective William Learner
of the Internal Affairs Bureau
to state the charges
and specifications
against Detective
Michael Thornton.
I must inform the board
at this time
the parties of the Internal
Affairs Bureau concerned
with allegations of misconduct
against Detectives
Michael Thornton
and Thomas Moran
wish to withdraw departmental
and criminal charges.
Was this a self-initiated case?
I apologized to the board
for misleading you.
I acted hastily.
To pursue these charges
would be a disregard
for the facts.
And what are the facts?
My suspicion was based
on a now proven false allegation
and supported by an unfortunate
string of coincidences.
I request that even my filing
on these charges
be expunged from the record
so to not blemish these
detectives' untarnished records.
Um...
Effective immediately,
your suspension is rescinded.
You may resume your assignment.
Yeah, club soda with lime.
Well, club soda.
I'll take yours then.
You won't be needing this.
- A toast.
- Cheers.
- To Chayo getting nine.
- Salud.
- Yes, yes, yes.
- We got it, we got it.
- Hear, hear.
- Long time coming.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Yeah.
- We got them.
Salud.
I was just passing by the bar
to see how you were doing.
Yeah, I'm good.
Hey, where's your guy?
Believe it or not,
he transferred out
and into narcotics in Brooklyn.
Well, I did not see that coming.
No, me either.
He's a Boy Scout,
but, you know,
he'll be all right.
[exhales]
Is that Vietnam?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, two tours.
You know, war's like
surviving a tornado.
Well, you know that.
Moran knew that.
Once the storm is over,
you don't even remember
how you survived it. Hmm.
It's never really over, is it?
No.
One thing's for sure.
You don't come out
the same way you went in.
See, you were born 20 years
too late for the job.
They don't want guys
like you and Moran anymore.
A long time ago, long before
they even invented light bulbs,
some smart-ass
named Machiavelli,
I think he said, um,
"It's better to be loved than--"
No, "it's better to be
feared than loved."
I mean, what's that say
about us, huh?
That we're a bunch
of fucking animals?
Mm.
But we're also the zookeepers.
Is that love?
[insects trilling]
[birds chirping]
Is that your dad's
baseball mitt?
It's not a mitt, it's a glove.
I stand corrected.
Spoken like the son
of a real baseball player.
[ending music playing]
[music fades]