Tales (2017) s02e08 Episode Script

I Gave You Power

NARRATOR: Every year, there are roughly 11 million handguns, just like me, manufactured in the United States of America.
[SCOFFS.]
well, not exactly like me.
Nothing has my pure, unadulterated stopping power.
I am the truest goddamn definition of a hand cannon.
Anything gets in my way, that's a wrap.
I'm not your drive-by, bullshit pea shooter.
You put me in your hand, you know you're shaking hands with the devil.
You and me have come to an agreement, and once you wrap your hands around me, you wanna drop anything, from your ex to a goddamn elephant.
They say bullets do all the damage? Well, let's be honest.
It's the gun that tells the story.
Not taking anything away from the melody in a song, but it's the lyrics that are the real mack.
Every strap has a story.
This is mine.
[PHONE RINGING.]
[LOUD BANGING.]
You supposed to be on the road an hour ago, Dale.
Jesus, Christ, - you scared the shit out of me, Rambo.
- Mmm, wasn't my intention, but it's effective.
How you doing today, Dale? Well, woke up white in America.
Can't complain.
Yeah, what the hell took you so long? They were moving slower than molasses on a cold winter's day over there.
Nobody was telling me shit.
That's 'cause you're not supposed to know shit.
You trying to screw me over, you goddamn hillbilly? What? No! No, of course not.
I don't have any reason to screw you over.
I've been at this job for 20 years.
I've got a lot to lose if it goes wrong.
Okay, just add your life to the list if you're bullshitting me.
You sure you're okay, Dale? Yeah, yeah, just a lot of traffic.
So, tell me, Dale, - is it Christmas morning up in this bitch? - Yeah, yeah, um I've got 12 matte black, I've got 10 chrome, I've got five bronze and I got two of these gold.
Oh, come on.
Let's see, son.
[EXHALES.]
That is some exceptionally sexy shit, right there.
- Wouldn't you agree, Dale? - DALE: Oh, hell yeah.
And who would want to experience this sexiness? All this nonsense they're talking about, this gun reform shit? Yeah, this right here, this could change people's minds.
They're trying to snatch away our Second Amendment, put me out of business at the same time.
You know what the real problem is, Dale? Don't you? No? It's them inner-city Black kids carrying illegal guns, killing and shooting each other and fighting over territory that don't even belong to 'em.
Hell, yeah, sound like more of a solution than a problem to me.
[LAUGHS.]
That's some racially-insensitive shit right there, Dale.
Jesus Christ, Rambo! Put that - put that away, man! - Yeah, I can't do that, buddy.
Jesus - hey, don't shoot me, man.
I got kids! - Me, too.
I do.
Now, here's what's gonna happen, Dale.
You're gonna do exactly what I tell you to do.
And if you don't, well, I'm gonna make sure that only one of us gets home to our kids tonight.
But I got some good news! And some bad news.
Good news is, uh I'm gonna take this shipment off your hands.
And the bad news is, well I ain't got any more good news for you.
[BULLETS FIRE.]
And, Dale, I was just bullshittin' about that racially-insensitive shit.
[LAUGHS.]
Yeah, let 'em all take each other out.
[MUSIC.]
C'mon, man, this money ain't about to make itself.
What we doin' today, you workin' or what? Out here gettin' money.
Yada, you know Yada? Hell, yeah.
That's our money.
Bax So you trying to be like Yada? Nah, fam, he ain't hearing me, dog.
Time for us to get ours.
That little gonna be the one to give it to us.
You know I'm with all the smoke.
[MUSIC FROM CAR STEREO.]
Shjit, here come this piece of shit, man.
Yo, I'm out, man.
Cuzzo, you comin'? Nah, man, I'll meet you at Craig.
- Need to handle something.
- Aight, hit my line.
Later.
Run that shit! He had somethin'.
[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS.]
Get your bitch ass around there.
Ooh! [MUSIC TURNS OFF.]
Hey, hey, hey.
Where the hell you think you're going? You really about to do this shit now? Yeah.
Get in the goddamn car, Marcus.
Marcus, Marcus, Marcus.
What's up, my brother? How's it hanging? Yeah, you can kill the small talk, man.
- We ain't homies, bruh.
- Oh, damn.
Oh.
I come bearing gifts and - you go ahead and hurt my feelings.
- Whatever, yo.
Can we get the hell out of here, though? Somebody see us.
Maybe.
You know, it could be good for business if they do.
Yo, goddamn, man! Drive, bro! [MUSIC RESUMES.]
[CAR DOOR SLAMS.]
You got my money? What you think? Stop playing with me, man.
Always joking.
Can't have fun on the job, then what's the point? [LAUGHS.]
Go on, here.
Hold this.
Yeah.
Don't shoot me, Mr.
Gangster! Don't shoot me.
[LAUGHS.]
Look at this.
Give me that.
Shit.
Yup, 50 cal.
- Desert eagles? - Mmm-hmm.
Testerosa of testosterone.
Got 'em in yesterday.
So, what you gonna do? Hm? - Hey! We shoppin' or what? - Huh? We shoppin' or what? Yeah, I definitely am.
Ooh, look at you, I didn't take you as the flashy type.
I only got two of those, so Hell, yeah, this me all day.
Well, the heart wants what the heart wants.
You know the deal.
You're not dumb, but you are with a gun.
So it's just a matter of time before you do something stupid.
I can't have this blowing back at me, you understand? Yeah, I get it.
Dumb bum equals a dead one.
Same damn speech, huh? Every time, right? You're a broken record, Rambo.
NARRATOR: You see that look? Shit.
This kid's been putting steel in his hand almost as long as he been able to walk.
But that look right here? That's one of feeling completely empowered.
By holding me, he knows I'm the killer of men, in turn, making him one.
Only thing as intoxicating as power is potential, and I just gave this dude right here both.
[TELEVISION PLAYS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Yo.
- What up? - What up.
- Where you been at? - Told you I had business.
Another school shooting.
Ten kids dead, and the crazy bastard that did it offed himself.
Mm, some real white people shit right there.
Come on, man.
I'm saying, though.
Yo, I'm feeling like this, man.
You having that bad a day, right? Like, shit is so dark.
Then wake up, have a cup of coffee, eat a bullet, it's a wrap.
I'm saying, why you gotta take all these other innocent cats down with you, then off yourself? Do us a damn favor, man.
Put yourself at the head of the line.
Everybody happy.
Yeah, you serious.
Hell, yeah.
You sittin' here stressing over a bunch of dead white folks.
You and me die today, right? You think they give a damn? - Mm-mmm.
- Mm-hmm.
These kids though, man, they ain't bother nobody.
Right, and Jerome's 14-year-old niece that got popped last summer coming home from the beach, you think any of them shed a tear for her? - Hell, nah.
- Mm-hmm.
West side of the Chi got young Black bodies piling up every damn weekend.
Ain't nobody flying they flags half-mast for them.
Am I serious.
Yeah, shit.
Thoughts and prayers.
Talk about some real shit, while we at it.
Put out here, baby.
- This gold? - Yeah.
She put a hole in a body just the same.
- Did she take you to the movies, or something? - Yup, I'm ready to call action on that little Yada.
[LAUGHS.]
Don't you mean "cut"? 'Cause, like, cut is like the end - where technically, if you say "action" - Man, shut up! - You said the shit.
- Goddamn, nah, man.
This what we gonna do.
We gonna run to his spot, take him for everything he got.
We ain't got no location on him.
How we gonna do that? What we gonna do if we have him, we gonna walk up and knock? - [KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
- It's already in action, man.
Already in action.
Yeah.
Dashawn.
[CHUCKLES.]
You know Venus and Vicious, don't you? AKA action and cut.
Mm-kay.
Let's make a movie.
MARCUS: Mm-hmm.
[MUSIC.]
There they go right there, two pieces.
What's good, zaddy? Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies.
Ooh, who's this cutie? This my little brother, Jason.
Hey, lil' bro.
Hey, y'all get in.
Hey! I'm ready.
You aight.
[PHONE BUZZES.]
YADA: Seatbelts on, please, safety first.
JASON: Oh, yeah, definitely, definitely.
- Let's go.
- NARRATOR: This is it, moment of truth.
This is what I was made for.
[IGNITION TURNS.]
[SIREN WAILS.]
So, Antonio Cleveland? - Is that really y'all cousin? - Yup.
And this his spot? C'mon, baby, we ain't got no reason to lie, man.
What's up I'm just saying, he must love y'all a whole lot to just let y'all kick it here while he on the road.
I mean, we're his favorites.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Oh! - [LAUGHS.]
- Especially since he like to party and shit.
We supply the party favors.
- Enough about him.
- Mm-hmm.
What y'all ladies tryin' to do tonight? You already know.
YADA: Oh, it's like that, huh? - Ask him.
- YADA: Okay, but check this.
I'ma go run to the bathroom real quick.
When I get back, we can talk about all that, all right? We done talkin', so you need to hurry that ass up.
You just gonna smack me on my ass? [ALL LAUGHING.]
Hey, man, hurry up.
What y'all tryin' to do.
I think we need some music.
- Word.
- You mind? No, help yourself out, ma.
- So I'm thinkin', - [MUSIC PLAYS, DOORBELL RINGS.]
- my brother in the bathroom - That's what you thinkin'? Looks like y'all got a package.
What? Ain't got no package.
Eight o'clock, what she talkin' about? [TOILET FLUSHES.]
Yo, we about to tear these broads up! [LAUGHS.]
Back up, back the fuck up.
DESHAWN: Y'all know what this is, get on the ground.
Bitches, too! Yeah, now you.
Yo, where it's at? - Where it's at? - I ain't telling you shit.
- Shut up.
- [LAUGHING.]
What, you ain't telling me shit? "Shut up"? [GUN FIRES, WOMEN SCREAM.]
[JASON GROANS.]
Whoo! Yo, go check upstairs.
Hmm, it ain't have to be like this, man.
Hmm? Just let me know where it's at! Jackpot.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Oh, shit! Yeah, yeah.
Yo, Yada! Yada! Bring your bitch ass out here before I kill baby bro! [BREATHES DEEPLY.]
Come on, Yada.
Come on, man.
Just do it.
[GUNSHOT ECHOES.]
NARRATOR: Whoa, this is power and grace.
I am ballet and pop-lockin', tap, jazz, modern and breakin'.
No one moves like me, I'm Alvin Ailey if he was the baddest b-boy to ever rock the box top.
I am the complete choreographer of destruction.
JASON: No! [WOMEN SCREAM.]
Yeah, yeah, stop moving! You're making me nervous, hmm? [JASON GROANS AND CRIES.]
JASON: Wake up, bro! - Wake up! - Come on, we gotta go.
We gotta go! JASON: Be alright, bro.
Get up, man! [CRYING.]
JASON: No! Can't pop me, what you think I'ma do? Alright, tossed my shit on the way over here.
Fool, you gonna have to get rid of your piece.
Nah, I ain't doin' nothing.
What? No, I ain't getting' rid of this, I ain't gettin' rid of her.
NARRATOR: See that? Commitment, investment.
You know whose house we just robbed? Antonio Cleveland.
Bullshit.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Yeah, yeah, and we left two witnesses.
So what? Yeah, so what? - Venus and Vicious ain't no snitches.
- What about Jason? What about him? You killed his brother.
It's only two ways it's about to pan out.
Either it's Jason and his boys gonna come back for us or the cops will.
You the only one in the hood with a gold gun.
- You ain't hard to find.
- Aight, aight, aight, aight, aight.
I say we keep this cash, we gonna keep this dope, and we gonna bounce.
- We can get another gun.
- Aight, aight, aight, damn, aight! Man.
Man, he good, man.
Nah, she good.
Nah, man.
Nah, man, this is You see the shit I got in this bag? She good, man.
She good.
I could keep her.
She good.
Ain't nobody, nobody seen it.
Nobody seen it, nobody seen, we good.
Damn! [WHISPERS TO HIMSELF.]
Goddamn.
NARRATOR: You gonna hurt my feelings, man.
Just use me, throw me away like I don't get a say in the matter? We had fun, though.
Let's get this shit over with, man.
I got places to be.
NARRATOR: Hey, who's that? Who's there? Marcus, that's you? I knew you couldn't leave me behind.
Watch out.
Where he go, huh? There little princess go.
Bring your ass here, boy.
Come here.
Get your ass up! Get your ass up! What, you thought you was gonna get away, little bitch? Huh? You know this scene, here, boy.
It's the same every day.
We chase you, we beat that ass, you get your shit taken, little Today's no different.
You thought this was, boy? Huh? Stand up! What you thought this was, boy? You thought "seek and ye shall find," right? NARRATOR: Damn, just put me down, kid and walk away.
- Trying to hide and shit.
- TEEN: Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo Touch me again! Go ahead! Go ahead, touch me one more time! I bet that shit ain't even real.
Do something.
- [GUNSHOT FIRES.]
- Oh shit! NARRATOR: The most real thing you ever gonna see.
Yo, yo, yo, chill, chill, chill! NARRATOR: I am the absolute truth, the marker of time.
I was playing, breh.
Now who's the bitch? Bounce! [BREATHING QUICKLY.]
Hey, son.
How was school today? - It was good.
- That's good.
You want a sandwich to hold you over til dinner? No, I'm good.
Teenagers no one understands them, no one wants to.
[LAUGHS.]
Can you help me with my homework? Sure, baby, just give me a second.
[PHONE BUZZES.]
- - [PHONE PINGS.]
NARRATOR: Bullets fly, mothers cry.
The reason I exist, at this moment, I'm not really sure why.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Yo, what's up? You want some? [GUNSHOT FIRES.]
Raymond?! Mama, I don't feel so good.
Wha no, Tiffany! Tiffany! No, no, talk to Mommy! Talk to Mommy! Tiffany! Tiffany! [CRYING.]
Talk to Mommy! Raymond, Raymond, go get some help! Get some help! Baby, call 9 NARRATOR: Nah, this ain't right.
Her life ended before it even started all because of me? What did you do?! Oh, my God, you killed my baby! [CRYING.]
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
No! [CRYING.]
What's up, Leo? Varga, get over here.
This our killer? He's the shooter.
EMT gave him something to calm him down so his answers are a little slow.
- But it's clearly accidental.
- Where's the murder weapon? He said he found it on his way home from school.
- He was being bullied - See, I don't give a shit about what his sob story is.
I asked you a question: where's the murder weapon? Kid said it was huge, like from Urban Warfare NYC whatever the hell that game is gold, - black inlay handle - Hey! Where is it? Where's the gun? - [MUMBLING.]
It felt good in my hands.
- Where is it?! - It felt good in my hands.
We're looking for it.
This was clearly an accident.
You need to recover that gun.
If I wanted to dump it now what does he do? Guys! Guys! Lookee here.
Right under our damn noses.
Bag that, please.
NARRATOR: Everyone's got an agenda with me, but who really has a plan? We may look alike, but me and baby bro in that baggie ain't the same.
You can always tell a veteran from a virgin.
Maybe one day it'll have its chance to realize the life of a gun is exhausting.
I don't really wanna do this shit no more.
It's warm, but warm beer is better than no beer, ain't that right, Chrissy? Yada's dead, he got robbed, so my money and my dope, well, it's all gone.
And my gut's tellin' me it's the two girls that are rollin' with Marcus and Deshawn.
Look at you right there.
Your face just lit up like the Vegas strip? ain't that right? Ain't that right.
Look, Venus and Vicious, they ain't got the heart or the brains between the two of them to do all this shit, come on.
[LAUGHS.]
I ain't got time for your bullshittin'.
You got an address for me? Ha, you serious? Yeah.
- You sure they gonna be there? - Yeah.
'Cause I know how shady you can be, Chrissy.
Whatever, man.
Aight, look, you asked for it and I got it for you, all right? [LAUGHS.]
It feels so good just to have a little bit of money, don't it? It does, I feel like nobody can tell me shit.
- I'ma give my mom some - RAMBO: Evening, ladies.
Nah, nah, nah, nah, it's not like that, really.
You see, I was just in the neighborhood and I see that you're unescorted and clearly you're just done shopping.
So being the gentleman that I am, I figured, well, I could escort you.
I remember a time when these streets were a hell of a lot worse than they are now.
Truly, probably, like, what, 20 years ago or so? The city was so damn broke, they couldn't even afford to pay teachers or garbagemen or even cops.
- Well, what's that got to do with us? - Pump the brakes, sister.
I'm just about to let you know.
You see, for months, it looked like Afghanistan.
Nobody was safe until, well, they start taking care of the cops.
So what I'm trying to say is, it may be bad but it can get a hell of a lot worse.
And you may not like it but it don't hurt to have a cop as your friend.
[SCOFFS.]
Now, ladies, I use that term loosely too, y'all know why I'm here, don't you? Don't you? Yeah, well, we ain't seen them dudes in a week.
- No? - Nah.
Okay.
What about you, sweetness? You seen 'em? Uh? Hey, what the Oh, this is a real nice purse.
Yup.
Wow, you can afford this right here? We don't know shit.
Look, I said we ain't seen 'em so we ain't seen 'em.
Oh, loyalty, I like that.
I mean, I get it.
I do.
I completely understand what loyalty is but, uh, I would just remember the conversation that we had, okay? It's always good to have a friend, because I would hate it, I would I mean, it would break my heart if I had to drag those fine asses of yours in for accessory to a murder.
- Murder? - Uh-huh.
- We ain't killed nobody! - Have a good night, ladies.
Call them, 'cause this some bullshit.
VENUS: [ON THE PHONE.]
Can you believe this crazy cracker's talkin' 'bout "everybody needs a friend" like we on some Sesame Street or some shit.
MARCUS: I can't come to you right now.
I don't give a shit where you at, I need you here.
Somebody gotta handle this shit.
- MARCUS: Okay, damn.
- Say we need some more money.
VENUS: Me and Vicious need some more money too, - we gotta be outta here.
- MARCUS: Yo, yo, you know where the baby at, right? VENUS: Yeah, I know where your baby mama live, Motor the Haven Quarter House.
- MARCUS: Tomorrow night, one o'clock.
- Fine, I'll see you then.
MAN: You know, the many tasks I perform as this church's pastor, this is the one that seems to come to me most frequently as of late.
There was a time when there was weddings, baptisms, birthdays, but now it's, it's funerals.
And I stand up here every week and I look down at these boxes of wood.
Sometimes, sometimes they're so small they can hold no more than a child.
I.
bury children, that's my job, and then the parents or brothers or sisters, they take all that sadness and rage and they turn it into something terrible.
They get their guns, turn around, and they go out and bring me more children to bury.
And it just keeps going, doesn't it? This box has someone in it who was loved, someone who maybe was taken too soon and we use that term a lot, mainly because nobody wants to go at all.
So "too soon" is all the time.
Ezekiel 33:8 and 9: "This is what I say to the wicked, you are a wicked person and you will surely die.
And if you do not speak out to dissuade them, they die for their sins and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
But if you do warn that wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sins, though you yourself will be saved.
" You know who you are.
You know what you do and so did your brother in this box right there.
- Amen.
- CONGREGATION: Amen.
[ORGAN PLAYS FUNEREAL TUNE.]
It was quite the turnout.
The hell you want? Well, your brother isn't even in the dirt yet, and his killers are running clean all over this goddamn city.
Seems like I'm the only one that's working to try and find 'em.
[JASON SNIFFLES.]
Look at you.
Might be able to fool that pastor with them puppy dog eyes, but you ain't gonna pull one over on me.
What? You don't want the gun that killed your brother? NARRATOR: Even in this holy place, sadly, I am the ultimate authority figure.
Hey, look at me.
I know who pulled the trigger.
I know where they are, I got it all lined up for you.
All you need to do play the middle.
Look, man, you don't want your brother's death not to mean anything, do you? He may never rise from the dead, but that right there? That gun is resurrection.
Hey.
Don't ever touch a gun without gloves 'cause I got a very special set of partial prints on there that, uh, I'd hate to lose.
NARRATOR: Damn, look how (BLEEP) using this.
Just use me for whatever the fuck they want.
I don't get to say shit, just grab me, just do what the fuck they want, Intoxication and power is a drug that never leaves a hangover.
At some point, my buzz will wear off.
Trust.
You bring the bag? Let's go inside, I ain't doin' this out here.
I didn't come here to meet the wife and kids.
Aight, man, listen, we gonna chop what we got left, find our four corners, don't ever speak to each other on this again.
- We're ghost from there on.
- Yeah, remember me? [WOMEN SCREAM.]
That's a nice strap you got there.
[GUNSHOT FIRES, IGNITION TURNS, [CAR TIRES SQUEAL.]
Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I was right on time.
Oh, shit, is that Yup, that's my baby.
NARRATOR: Maybe this is the end.
Maybe I can finally stop delivering death.
Maybe the cycle of violence will finally stop.
[MUSIC.]
Meet 'em down the street.
Get your ass in there.
[CAR STARTS.]
TV: A murder in Gwinett County has police looking for an off-duty Atlanta police detective, Roy "Rambo" Jennings.
Jennings was caught on a surveillance cam - robbing a delivery truck.
- [DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.]
Well, this is a pleasant surprise, Marcus.
Ain't karma a bitch? Yeah, see, I don't really believe in karma.
It's, uh, a little too coincidental.
You believe in fate, then? It's more concrete.
I tell you what, you want to put down the hardware and talk this out like gentlemen? One problem with that, Rambo.
You ain't no man.
- You a parasite.
- Me? Heh, I see you couldn't wait to get your hands on that gun and use it and play into every stereotype and statistic in your community.
- This wasn't part of the deal! - Yeah, I know the deal.
I'm not dumb, am I? I'm a nigga with a gun so it's only a matter of time before I do something stupid.
Ain't so stupid now, am I, Rambo? Well, only stupid men would kill.
It only perpetuates a circle of violence.
But a smart one, kills to end it.
There's a gun right here.
It's the period, full stop, and my exclamation point.
Good-bye, Rambo.
[GUNSHOT FIRES.]
[MUSIC.]

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