Rebel Ridge (2024)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Writers: Jeremy Saulnier
Stars: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Emory Cohen, David Denman, James Cromwell, Zsané Jhé, C.J. LeBlanc, Dana Lee, Steve Zissis, Brannon Cross, James Badge Dale, Leslie Nipkow, Brecken Ellis, Al Vicente
Synopsis: A former Marine grapples with a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with the local police chief.
* * *
[“The Number of the Beast” by Iron Maiden playing]
♪ Can I believe? ♪
♪ That what I saw that night was real And not just fantasy? ♪
♪ ‘Cause in my dreams ♪
♪ It’s always there ♪
♪ The evil face that twists my mind And brings me to despair ♪
[singer screams]
♪ Night was black Was no use holding back ♪
♪ ‘Cause I just had to see Was someone watching me? ♪
♪ In the mist Dark figures move and twist ♪
♪ Was all this for real or just some… ♪
[siren blaring]
[siren stops]
[“The Number of the Beast” continues faintly over headphones]
[officer 1] On the ground!
Wait! You hit me!
[officer 1] Get on your fucking face now!
Okay, okay!
[officer 1] Stay on your belly!
What’s going on?
Just stay on your belly!
[car approaching]
108.10-26. Pursuit terminated on Coleman Road.
South side of Fern Creek Bridge. Possible 10-52.
Pursuit? I never even saw you, Officer. I would’ve stopped.
[officer 1] Arms out!
[yells] Arms out like a fucking airplane!
What’s the deal, Ev?
Flaggin’ this?
No.
Picked him up crossing 13.
Lit him up. He tore ass.
If you’re saying I fled, that’s bullshit. I couldn’t hear.
I was behind you two miles! Ran code the whole time.
You tase him?
Nope.
It’s not too late. You want to get tased?
No, sir. I’d just like to know what I did.
Is that your bike?
[man] Yes, sir.
We got a report of a stolen bike.
Can I see it?
You got a mouth on you.
I tried to pull you over, and you fled.
Now come on. Get up.
I’m gonna put my hands in your pockets. I’m not gonna get stuck?
No.
[chatter over police radio]
[Ev] Here.
You have any warrants?
No.
I’m gonna check your backpack for any weapons.
You can’t do that.
I can if it’s in your immediate control.
So take it off.
[Ev] I’d have to uncuff you. That wouldn’t be safe for either of us.
[typing]
[officer 2] No hits. [sighs]
That a star and crescent on your arm?
No, it’s something else.
I lost some buddies, who served in Iraq.
Yeah, so did I.
[Ev] Ooh, what’s this?
[man] It’s not a weapon.
It’s not Chinese food.
I didn’t say it was.
May I look inside?
No, you may not.
Look, I can get a K-9 unit here, or you can give me consent to search.
[man] K-9.
I’ll get Kyle on the horn.
[sighs] I’m gonna have to ask you to take a seat.
Watch your head.
[officer 2] He’s got Ziggy at the vet. Hips are shot!
Call Aurora. See if they can send theirs.
Copy.
How long is this gonna take?
You got somewhere you gotta be?
Yes, I do.
Comin’ from the city, probably 45. Maybe an hour?
Am I under arrest?
You’re currently being detained.
Okay, so if I let you search through it, and there’s nothing illegal, I can go?
Look, I’ll make that determination, but I can say
the more cooperative you are, the better.
[officer 2 chattering]
All right, you can search it.
Steve, 10-22 that K-9 unit.
[cell phone beeps]
Hey, man, I haven’t done anything wrong.
[quiet, tense music playing]
[music stops]
That’s a lot of cash you got on you.
It’s not illegal.
But drug currency is illegal.
It’s a good thing it’s not that.
You delivering it?
Yes.
For somebody else?
No, for my cousin, but it’s mine. I’m posting his bail.
You going to Town Hall?
Courthouse.
Same building.
Okay. Listen, I need to be there before 5:00.
What can I do?
That’s over $30,000 dollars. What’s your cousin in for?
Ten is for bail, and the rest,
we’re going to buy a truck, and haul boats.
[chuckles] I’m not a criminal.
Your cousin is. You didn’t answer the question.
What’s he in for?
Possession.
But it was just weed, and he doesn’t sell, so…
[Ev] All right.
For the traffic violation, I’m gonna let you off with a warning.
Thank you, Officer.
[Ev] I assume you’re aware that when you ride a bicycle,
you’re beholden to the same laws as a motor vehicle.
Yes, sir. Understood.
[Ev] This your address?
Pulled up stakes, but I’ll let you know where I land.
[Ev] Please do.
Now, we’re going to hold on to this money.
We’ve concluded from our investigation that this is drug currency.
No.
[quiet, tense music playing]
[Ev] Or I have you on felony evasion and conspiracy.
Conspiracy?
I… I’m bailing out my cousin and buying a truck.
You and your drug dealer cousin sell it the next day for cash.
It’s money laundering.
Listen, I rode down here to slap some sense into him. Okay?
The cash is legit.
I sold my car. I cashed out my stake in a restaurant.
What restaurant?
Kan Long Chinese. Percyville.
I know that spot. Decent dim sum.
Okay, so that’s where the bag’s from. You can ask ’em.
All right.
We might touch base.
In the meantime, you’re going to get some paperwork in the next 30 days.
My cousin doesn’t have 30 days.
I need to get him out now.
You need to listen.
You’ll get a letter saying you’re being sued for this money
because we believe it’s drug money.
If you answer the charges, and you fight for this money…
This can’t be legal.
…then I’ll come after you with a warrant and put you in jail.
Now if you choose not to answer the civil paperwork,
we win it in default.
You’ll never hear from us again.
How about y’all walk me into Town Hall and we can sort this out?
This is sorted.
[Ev] Come on.
[quiet, tense music stops]
You’re pretty banged up. You need us to call you an ambulance?
Uh, no.
All right, you’re free to go.
[heavy metal music playing on cell phone]
[music stops]
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
[train horn blowing]
[train crossing bell ringing]
[metal detector beeps]
[telephone ringing]
[chime rings]
[woman 1 chattering]
[woman 1] Either of you requesting a jury trial?
[woman 2] No.
[man 1] No, ma’am.
[woman 1] All right. Come back Monday morning.
We’ll put you up first thing.
I would not wear shorts in front of the judge.
[man 1] Yes, ma’am.
[man 2] All right.
[man 3] Posting bail or getting married?
Uh, I need somebody to walk me through this…
You’re injured. How’d it happen?
I got rammed off the road.
[man 3] Oh. Hit-and-run?
All right.
Uh, colleague has a practice across the street.
Come by after the weekend,
but snap some pics while you’re still bleeding. Get a plate?
Uh, it was the cops.
They took my cash. All of it. I was on my way here.
That’s a seizure notice. I can’t help you.
Right. They’re transferring my cousin to state prison?
All our inmates are going. We’re renovating the jail.
Okay, so he can’t go. He gotta make bail.
Help me out here.
You’ve come to post bail
without any money?
You already got it.
This seal is the same as the one on your office door, so…
Which is the same as the watermark on my paycheck.
I am a court clerk, not a public defender.
Is that who I should be talking to?
Yeah, if we had one.
This is Municipal Court. We don’t try felonies.
Indigent defense is not in our budget, nor is employee overtime.
Anything else we pick up during business hours.
This is fucking surreal.
How can I get him out if they took all my money?
[chime rings]
[sighs]
Find some more. Is it a drug charge?
Why would you assume that?
It… It’s just a guess.
Elliot. You got to get to a picnic.
I’ll walk him out.
You sure?
Yup. Say hi to Kate.
Oh, ambrosia…
I had intel there were already two potato salads.
Gingy and Jeff use eggs and bacon. You don’t want to mess with that. Just go.
Thank you. Enjoy the weekend.
You bet.
I’m Summer.
Terry.
So you sure they took all your money?
I mean, I got what’s in my wallet.
Thanks, Cindy.
[country music playing]
It’s called civil asset forfeiture.
[Terry] And it’s legal?
Well, it’s a law.
Supposed to help Feds fight cartels.
But they didn’t find any drugs, so…
All they need is suspicion.
‘Cause the seizure isn’t tied to any criminal charges.
And, here’s where it gets real murky,
Chief gets to keep the proceeds, use it for “discretionary funds.”
Whatever that means.
Someone in permits told me he bought a $900 margarita machine for Cinco de Mayo.
Right, so never mind the, uh… Shit. Which amendment is due process?
Doesn’t matter. It’s the fifth and 14th.
But, when they bring this case, you won’t even be named.
It’s literally going to read…
How much money was it again?
36k.
It’ll read The Township of Shelby Springs v $36,000.
Because your property has no civil rights.
But you can help me get it back?
No.
[chuckles] Okay. Thank you.
I mean, yes, you can fight for the money,
but that’ll take you most of a year, and cost you twice what you’re owed.
[breathes deeply]
What I can do is, um…
[indistinct chatter]
[chatter over police radio]
Okay…
Let’s go.
Can’t talk smack.
Chief has more allies than he used to.
Lost a pretty nasty civil suit couple years back.
Had to clean up his act.
He didn’t do so bad a job either.
Okay, his name?
Michael Simmons. Mike.
And what’s he in for?
Misdemeanor possession.
So Elliot was right back there?
Yeah, but fuck him.
I will say bail’s set really high for that charge.
He had priors?
No. I mean, yeah, but they’re expunged.
He’s had a good run. But before, out east, got into some deep shit.
Ended up a cooperating witness on a capital murder charge.
Dude he helped put away was high up in a gang, so…
Okay, and if Mike ends up in a state facility…
Yeah, they spot him? He’ll get swarmed.
Yikes.
[dog barking]
And the transfer’s Thursday, yes?
Yeah.
Okay, so you got some time.
Can you get more money?
I think so.
Gotta make a call.
Okay. Good.
You know a lot.
You a lawyer or…
Eighteen credits shy of a J.D.
Then the bar. So not for a while.
Cool. So why are you helping me?
Well, it’s pretty clear you need it. [chuckles]
And I know what that’s like.
That’s family. So…
I appreciate it.
I appreciate your appreciation.
[chuckles]
Got a number?
In case I turn something up?
Yeah, but I don’t really give it out.
I’ll check back.
Okay.
All right.
[telephone ringing]
[man] Kan Long Chinese, please hold.
No, it’s Terry.
Can you put me through to Mr. Liu?
[man] Oh. What up, T?
What’s up?
[man] Hang on a sec.
[Muzak playing]
[Mr. Liu] Terry, you already want back in the restaurant business?
[chuckles] Never should have left, sir.
[Mr. Liu] Everything okay?
No, sir. Uh, hit a snag.
Might need a wire to tide me over.
[Mr. Liu] Yeah. How much?
Ten thousand.
[Mr. Liu] When?
Early as Monday. Wednesday would be cutting it close.
[Mr. Liu, sighing] That’s going to be rough.
There’s a Western Union?
Uh, just a post office.
So, uh, money orders,
they’re capped at a grand.
So you need ten.
Yeah, I hate asking.
[Mr. Liu sighs]
[Mr. Liu] All right.
Text Ken the zip, any receiving details, and we can be ready on our end.
You need it, just call.
Okay, will do.
Thank you, sir.
[Mr. Liu] You’re welcome.
[contemplative music playing]
[sizzling]
[contemplative music stops]
[birds calling]
Morning, ma’am.
Hey there, how can I help you?
I need to report a crime.
[officer] Oh, good goodness.
And this was cash?
Yes, ma’am. Uh, do you mind?
Oh, that’s fine.
I ran out of juice. Thank you.
Hey, Chief.
[Chief] Mornin’, Jess.
Okay. Can you describe the suspect?
Uh, big guy.
White, blue eyes, about 6’4″.
Must weigh 250, easy.
You got a good memory.
[Terry] Thank you.
Um, I didn’t get his badge number, but his last name’s Marston,
first initial “E.”
Uh… And there goes suspect number two.
Pardon me. Just a minute.
Yes, ma’am.
[indistinct chatter]
I’ll take care of it.
Sir?
You’re gonna need to leave.
I’d like to finish up.
[Steve] A false police report?
Put your signature on that,
it’s a felony.
Cool.
What’s the charge for being rammed off the road,
shit stolen, threatened with a Taser?
Get up.
While I was in cuffs, by the way.
We can pick this up right where we left off.
Now, now, now, now.
We don’t need none of that.
[Chief clears throat]
Mr., uh, Richmond?
Yes, sir.
I was briefed on this matter yesterday
and whatever your concerns might be,
there is no doubt in my mind that you were the subject of a legal interdiction.
Fled an officer of the law, evaded arrest, suspicion of conspiracy.
[sighs]
You’ve been treated with more than due respect.
But right now you’re facing felony charges if you persist in harassing my officers.
Your officers…
Allow me to finish!
Now you sustained minor injuries after colliding with a patrol vehicle,
and you were offered, but refused, medical assistance at the scene.
Seems like any harm that’s come to you is of your own doing.
Now, currently, and under false pretenses, you are in a secure area.
So I’m going to ask you if you’d be so kind
as to cut off your recording device,
and exit my station.
You betcha.
[cell phone bleeps]
May I at least see my cousin?
You can fuck right off.
I would love to, sir. Just as soon as I get my money back.
Did they even include my statement?
I can fully account for the money, where it was from, and what it was for.
The dim sum spot? We made a note.
You said you’d check it out. Did they?
[Chief] Listen up, son.
We are not litigating this here.
You got every right to fight that forfeiture in court,
but until then,
like I said.
What if I didn’t fight it?
What if all I wanted was the ten for bail? You keep 26k, and I disappear.
I just need him out.
[clears throat]
You mind making a Xerox of this for me, Jess?
Yes, sir.
Yep.
We don’t have one here, but there’s a form
that you can sign to disclaim that currency.
[clicks teeth] That bus Corrections or are we chartering?
Chartering it from Corrections.
Comes when?
Thursday. We break ground Friday.
All right.
We’ll follow up on this.
Don’t exactly have visiting hours around here.
But if you come back here at 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning,
you can see your cousin,
and we’ll put this to bed.
Thank you.
Now fuck off.
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
Thank you.
[exhales deeply]
Yes, sir.
[thunder rumbling]
[thunderclap]
[crickets chirping]
[quiet, dramatic music continues]
[music stops]
[birds chirping]
[distant thunder rumbling]
[“Right Brigade” by Bad Brains playing]
[“Right Brigade” continues faintly over headphones]
[vehicle engine rumbling]
[indistinct chatter]
Shit, you just missed ’em.
Who? What do you mean?
We pulled up our schedule.
Hold on.
You said I could see him.
At 9:00 a.m.
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
You’re three minutes late.
[music intensifies]
Hey, yo!
Yo, Mike!
Hey, Mike!
[pounds on bus]
Yo!
Yo!
Terry?
[Terry] Hey, Mike!
[Mike] Terry!
[Terry] Mike!
Fuck is you doing, man?
I’m gettin’ you out!
Nigga, this a jailbreak?
I’m posting bail!
You gotta request protective custody…
Don’t sweat it. They reduced my charge.
As soon as you process!
Told me I’d be in and out.
I’m serious. They’ll know who you are!
How bad I fuck up?
Just stay low! All right?
All right.
All right!
Oh, shit.
Next time, cuz!
[Terry groans]
[Mike] Come on, T! Come on!
Yeah!
Oh, shit! Come on, T! Come on!
[overlapping shouting]
[person] Come on!
Yeah!
Mike!
[Mike] Come on, T!
Yeah!
[screams]
[Mike] Got that cardio, son!
[dramatic music becomes quiet]
That’s my cousin! Yeah!
[music fades]
[tense music playing]
[telephone ringing]
[man] Hello?
You dropped the accent?
[man] Not open.
What, no more 24/7? Look, I’m gonna need those money orders ASAP.
Just texted you the receiving info.
[man] Sir, those aren’t mine.
Yeah, let me put you through.
But Mr. Liu already…
[Muzak playing]
[Mr. Liu] What the hell, Terry?
Sir, uh, things fell through.
I’mma need to pull the trigger on that 10K.
[Mr. Liu] It’s off the table.
It’s urgent. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need it.
[Mr. Liu] I got half a dozen cops here executing a search warrant.
Took my safe. Got dogs sniffing for drugs.
[indistinct chatter on phone]
Wait, how?
[Mr. Liu] You implicated my business in a statement to the Shelby Springs PD.
They contacted Percyville, Percyville came knocking.
I didn’t implicate you. I was accounting for the money in my possession.
I couldn’t have been more clear.
[Chinese chatter on phone]
[Mr. Liu] I don’t doubt that, but you didn’t draft the warrant,
and I’m gonna miss payroll.
I’ll make this right, sir.
[Mr. Liu] Okay. Sure.
[Chinese chatter on phone]
[disconnect tone]
Fuck.
[tense music becomes faint]
[telephone ringing]
Wouldn’t drink the public water.
Hey, were you…
Lemme know when you’ve filled these out, and I’ll walk you over.
You. You’re still wearing shorts.
[man] It’s all I rock.
[Summer] Godspeed.
I’m working.
I’m sorry. These cops, they’re fucking with me.
Yeah. They’re saying the same about you.
They’re transferring him.
He’s on a bus right now.
Sorry to hear that.
You said you could help.
You found something?
I poked around. Got poked back.
So, is there anything…
Look, I need this job, Terry.
You gotta go.
I’d use the back door.
[telephone ringing]
[whispering] Okay.
Fuck!
[tense music becomes dramatic]
[music becomes quiet]
Oh, hey, Terry!
Sorry, there’s too many lurkers. Judge walked in on me going over Mike’s file.
You all right?
Yeah, thanks. He’s fine.
But I flagged a bunch more cases with super high bail.
Every one had an adjournment.
What does that mean?
Not sure. I got busted. But something’s up.
Something’s off.
Misdemeanor defendants don’t sit in jail that long.
Why is that?
It’s expensive. This town’s broke.
Okay, so how do we pursue this?
Look, I sent what I could to an old inkjet.
I’ll grab you the print-outs after work, but that’s it.
I wasn’t playing about my job.
I got a little girl.
Okay. But this could get Mike out?
If it’s a big deal. Maybe.
But if your timeframe’s a day? No chance.
My timeframe’s an hour.
What about the money? You said you could get more money.
That’s gone.
Shoot!
[Elliot] Summer?
Hey, listen, what gets Mike out?
Uh, besides bail, a court order.
But the judge won’t sign one.
[Elliot] Summer, what’re you doing?
So my only hope is dropping 10K on your desk?
His desk. Yeah.
Just catching a smoke! I’ll be right there!
[Elliot] Uh, you don’t smoke.
I’m vaping!
What time you take lunch?
What?
I don’t wanna walk in with a pile of money,
and you be out getting a sandwich.
I’ll have the paperwork ready. Okay?
[panting]
What’re you gonna do?
[Elliot] Let’s go. We’re piling up.
I’ll see ya.
[train crossing bell ringing]
[train horn blowing]
[tense music fades]
[printer humming]
[Jessica] Chief, you’ve got an incoming.
[Steve] That’s your DD214.
What are we looking at?
“Richmond, Terrence James, USMC.”
“Paygrade E-4, Camp Lejeune.”
Here we go. “Primary specialty M-C-M-A-P instructor.”
What’s that?
McMap…
Maybe he’s a navigator?
McMap… Why don’t you google that, Jess?
Rifle expert badge.
Ah, they all get that one.
What was it again? “M-C…”
“M-A-P.”
Let me restart this Wi-Fi.
There’s not much else.
“Released from active duty in ’17.”
Some shit about his dental work.
“Character of service, honorable.”
[tense music playing]
Chief, he’s here.
[Chief] Who’s that? Robby or the concrete guy?
Terry Richmond. He’s out front.
Steve?
“Was on active duty during Iraq, but did not himself serve overseas.”
“Never deployed.”
So, no combat experience.
None. It would say.
[Chief] Good.
My heart damn near skipped a beat.
[typing]
[Steven] How you want to handle this?
[Chief] Aw, why don’t you let me run him off?
You hang back.
[Steve] Got you, Chief.
[tense music continues]
Robby, why don’t you go ahead and call lunch.
[Robby] It’s early. Maybe we…
Yeah, Robby.
Just go ahead and call lunch.
[Robby] All right.
Break! Hey, boys, that’s lunch!
[tense music fades]
Chief.
I’m glad you’re back.
You left before you could see my shit-eatin’ grin.
Oh. Lay it on me.
Aw, it’s not the same if you ask.
Man, I thought we had a deal.
Well, that was the point.
Of what?
Misleading you.
I see.
Do you?
Because the offer you made wasn’t unreasonable.
It was more than fair, as far as the trouble it would save.
Well, it still stands.
So you don’t see.
[object tapping]
It wasn’t the offer you made.
It was the fact that you thought you were entitled to make one.
Well, my intentions weren’t to offend…
Straight to hell with your intentions.
You do not stand in my station in front of my officers and set terms.
I wasn’t aware it was a pissing contest.
Come on now. Hm.
Isn’t it always?
So whatever I say, my cousin…
You could offer me eternal life or a catfish sandwich,
and the answer would still be the same.
Especially since you stopped calling me “sir,”
which is the only thing you had going for you.
Well, see, that’s a courtesy I extend only so far.
One of the perks of civilian life.
[chuckles]
Let’s not go reminiscing about the Corps now.
We both know you never left the base.
Checking up on me.
What were you, motor-pool?
No, put in for infantry, but, uh, they found a use for me state-side.
Now good for them.
[spits]
I’ve had no such luck.
So I guess it’s time you headed on,
and be grateful because if I still had a jail…
[chuckles]…you’d already be in it.
I mean, you got me in a tight enough spot as is.
Both of us, actually.
How’s that?
Well… [exhales]
That’s why I’m here.
I’m running out of letters.
See, it’s, and I don’t mean to reminisce,
but, uh, one thing I can’t shake from the Corps,
acronyms.
Man, we got tons that seared into my brain.
I got an acronym for ya.
Allow me to finish.
That Wi-Fi up yet?
It’s coming.
[typing]
[spits]
The acronym you need to worry about right now is PACE.
P-A-C-E. Ever heard of it?
It’s a planning methodology used for comm systems,
but they found it could be applied anywhere.
Nursing, engineering, parachute infiltrations,
posting bail.
So the P is for “primary,”
that’s me riding into town with my bag of money.
A is for “alternate.”
That’s the deal we apparently never made.
C is my “contingency.”
That’s the restaurant owner you put out of business this morning.
And there it is!
[snickers]
Spot-on too, like you just ate shit.
Anyway, you got me burning through all these letters.
And after this conversation, we already on E.
You know what that stands for?
[Jessica] “Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.”
…What?
“MCMAP.”
“Combat system combines hand-to-hand, close quarters…”
[tense music playing]
Oh-oh.
I think he’s on the Wikipedia page,
teaching jiu-jitsu to the 6th Marine Regiment.
Okay.
[Jessica] “Team building…”
“One mind. Any weapon.”
Call in any units on patrol.
[Jessica] Yup.
Here come your peeps.
[Steve] Chief!
You wanna honor that deal or do I gotta transition to E?
[Steve] Put some distance between you!
[tense music swelling]
[gun slides]
[music continues swelling]
Ah. Let’s not do that.
[Steve] Hey! Hey! Hey!
Let go! Move back!
Okay, okay. Don’t shoot.
Move the fuck away from him!
All right. Okay! Okay. Okay.
[grunts]
[tense action music playing]
[people shouting]
[man] Hey!
[Steve gasps]
[gasping]
[people shouting]
[Steve coughs]
Okay. Real quick. We’re gonna stay cool and go inside.
You’re fuckin’ nuts!
Lead the way. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Go! Tell them to safety their rifle.
Why would I?
He’s quiet with good form. If anyone’s gettin’ anyone killed, it’s him.
As long as I’m not the one dying.
I’m scared of him shooting me, Chief.
I’m not waiting on him to go first, and you’re between us.
All right! Go ahead and point that thing the other way!
Go on now! It’s just a dust-up!
[Terry] Safety that weapon!
Open the door.
[Chief] We’ll handle it! We got it!
[tense action music continues]
[Terry] Move.
[telephone ringing]
[music becomes quiet]
All right, center of the room.
[ringing continues]
Sit down.
[ringing continues]
[ringing stops]
[telephone clatters]
Sit down or I sit you down.
[breathing deeply]
All right, where is she?
We’re the only ones here. Skeleton shift.
Bullshit.
Sims is here. You got two on patrol.
All right, if this goes fast, it’ll go as well as it can.
But if you slow me down… it’s gonna suck for everybody.
Jess, come on out!
Come on out, Jess!
Let’s just get this over with.
Sorry, Chief.
Don’t you apologize.
All right, weapon on the deck.
Let’s go.
All right, restrain them.
Their cuffs, not yours.
I’m assuming my money’s in the property room.
You got keys?
Right hip.
[Terry] Go.
Stop.
Go.
[breathing deeply]
Yeah.
Hey, just make sure it’s my…
[footsteps]
Goddamn.
[inhales deeply]
Count out 10K.
Deal’s a deal.
Feel free to round up though.
[Jessica] Okay.
Go ahead.
Stop there.
Is there a back exit?
Side one to the lot, but you still gotta exit out front.
I’m holding on to your weapon. I’ll surrender it to Sims once I’m safe.
You ain’t ever gonna be safe.
Now, I’m assuming those boys out there are forming a redneck SWAT team.
Can you and I agree we both want to avoid gunfire?
Of course.
[bullets clattering on floor]
[cartridges clatter]
Their lives are in your hands.
[tense music continues]
Now your cuffs.
[handcuffs click]
[Jessica] It’s all over now.
[tense music fades]
Chief says back to work.
[man] Where is he?
On QuickBooks setting up your payroll.
Go on.
[insects chittering]
Someone should string that motherfucker up!
Don’t get ignorant.
This man is a veteran going through something difficult.
We had a misunderstanding, but it’s over.
Now you go on about your business, and let us go about ours.
[Terry] Hey.
Thanks for that.
It was for me. Not you.
[tense music playing]
Disable the perp locks, please.
Not my cruiser.
I can pull over, figure it out.
Just keep going. I’ll shoot the glass out if I have to.
I see they got you rolling in an old-ass Crown Vic
while they get brand-new Chargers for themselves.
Chief says we need a diversified fleet, in case of a recall.
[police siren blaring]
And I like my Crown Vic.
Hey, you stay cool, I’ll stay cool.
[siren shuts off]
[siren blaring]
What’s that? What’s that mean?
Code 4.
I’m okay. You’re okay.
[man over speaker] Go ahead, 105, just passed you.
Code 13…
No 10 codes. Speak so I can follow.
Be advised. Officers need assistance at the station.
Suspect has left the scene. Now on foot, headed northbound on 13 at Mount Ida.
Suspect is…
I said I’d surrender it. Keep going.
I’m not telling my officers until I know.
Unarmed… but considered dangerous.
[tense music continues]
[man over radio] We need all units on that search. Gets pretty thick out there.
[man 2] Copy, 106.
I’ll drop them on the paint a mile up the road.
Copy.
Sorry.
[man 2] 105. Come in.
105. Do you copy?
[siren blaring]
[tense music continues]
[tires screeching]
[tense music becomes faint]
You good?
[whispering] I’m good.
Good.
Good afternoon.
Posting bail or getting married?
Defendant is Simmons, Michael R.
You want to count it out, Elliot? I’ll get the judge to sign.
[Elliot] All right.
[Elliot clears his throat]
[man chatters indistinctly]
Need you to sign this bail form right here.
Bail form.
[faint tense music continues]
[Summer] I double-checked. Yes, sir.
Um, how was your weekend?
You’re over.
Hm?
This is yours.
I’ll get you a receipt.
Refund if he shows for his hearing. He’ll owe a levy for court costs.
Not a problem.
[Elliot] Oops! Wrong one.
Summer, are these yours?
Oh, yeah. I was just, uh, going over a few cases.
Shouldn’t leave these out.
[Summer] Let me just shoot this over.
[indistinct chatter]
[people shouting]
Did it go through?
On our end, yeah.
Did you hurt someone?
Barely broke the skin.
Think he’ll get out?
Think they’ll send me to where he’s at?
Was that your plan?
I ran out of plan.
[Marston] On the floor! Now! Move!
[music intensifies]
[Steve] Down on the ground!
[officer 1] Slow! Hands!
Knees!
On the ground!
Get those hands up!
Here we fucking go!
Don’t! Oh my God!
[Steve] Taser!
Tell the chief I said…
[Marston] On the floor!
Oh, my Lord!
[officer] Get back!
[men shouting]
[Taser zapping]
[Marston] Get down!
[Terry groans]
[Steve grunts]
[Summer] Stop!
[men shouting]
Gimme your hand!
Don’t hurt him!
[officer 2] Get his arms.
[Steve] Gimme your hand!
Hands! Gimme your hands!
[Elliot] All right, take it easy!
[officer 2] Stay down!
[Steve] Stop moving.
Stop fucking moving!
[Elliot] Take it easy!
[Marston] Cuff him!
A deal’s a deal.
[officer 2] I’ll call medical.
[officer 3] Yeah…
He stays put.
[officer 4] Holding’s full.
[officer 5] Put him in the catacombs.
[tense music fades]
[woman] Open.
[light clicks]
[indistinct chatter over police radio]
Reactive.
[Marston] So he’s good?
Probes were out when we got here. No real tissue damage.
ECG was good. No cardiac history.
You ingest any drugs today? Meth, anything like that?
[Terry] Mm-mm.
When was your last tetanus shot?
I don’t know.
You should get one.
He’s good.
More worried about the mold in here.
This was a jail?
[Marston] It’s a catacombs. Storage now.
[water dripping]
You up for a drive?
Don’t I need to get in front of a judge?
Someone else wants to see you first.
[quiet, tense music playing]
[Marston] Do yourself a favor.
Hear him out.
[object thuds]
[metallic object thuds]
[car door shuts]
[Chief] They confirm which one?
[Marston] Yup.
[Chief exhales deeply]
[quiet, tense music continues]
[Chief] You know the thing about a pissing contest?
Everybody gets piss on their boots.
Do you agree with that?
Sure.
Today should have never happened.
If I’d known who you were, maybe it wouldn’t have.
May I ask where we’re going?
[Chief] Give me a minute here. Okay?
[Terry] Okay.
[Chief] When you came in today and gave yourself the tour, what’d you see?
Not sure how I’m supposed to answer that.
[Chief] You can be frank.
I saw a shit ton of cash, and enough weaponry to support a rifle platoon.
[Chief] That cash is our operating budget for the next two quarters, if that.
All of it legally seized, all of it going back into the community.
Like the margarita machine?
[Chief, chuckles] Heard about that, did you?
Well,
sometimes we… we all need a little something for the morale.
What you saw in that cage was our survival.
Out of six towns, we’re the last in the parish with our own force.
Got us doing traffic control, responding to medical.
Evan here took, I don’t know how many… How many reports you take last year?
Close to 600.
[Chief] Six hundred. [chuckles]
And they cut our budget.
Say they’re going to issue bonds, but they never do.
Crawl up our ass for police reform, but they won’t fund it.
Not only do we got to find our own money, we got to turn a profit.
Those weapons…
Did you get a good look at ’em?
The multi-launcher and the flashbangs… You ever heard of a dazzler?
Non-lethal.
[Chief] Yeah, we have to call ’em “less-lethal.” Liability purposes.
But yeah, we, uh, outsource them to the other PDs.
Protests, riots, suicide by cop.
Civil unrest, it’s a growth industry around here.
I don’t know about the Marines.
Yeah. We got an acronym for it.
[Chief] Well, what is it?
E-O-F, N-L-E.
Escalation of Force, Non-Lethal Effects.
[Chief] That’s the new thing.
De-escalation.
Save the perps from themselves. Everybody lives to fight another day.
Well, I’m all for it.
How about you?
For what?
[Chief] De-escalation.
[quiet, tense music continues]
Sure.
[Marston] Come on out.
Nice and slow.
All right, turn around.
26,000.
Still in there.
What is this?
What’s happening?
[Chief] Well, I’m gonna tell you.
But first, we’re gonna have to take those cuffs off of you
because you shouldn’t be wearing them when you hear this.
And given what happened today, you need to be very, very careful.
As will we.
Understood?
Turn around.
[handcuffs click]
[Chief clears throat]
You can face me.
We’re at Samaritan Hospital Center.
Your cousin is being Med-evaced here as we speak.
He’s coming from the infirmary, so we’re a little ahead of ’em.
Is he alive?
He was attacked.
Just out of processing.
I do not know his current condition.
When I talked to Corrections, they said he was…
stabbed up pretty good.
[shouts] I fucking told you!
Now, you see, that’s what we can’t be hearing from you right now.
What do you want to hear from me?
[Chief] Well, this is tough to take in, so
maybe just focus on that.
We could be throwing blame around here all night, okay?
Just because you was right, doesn’t make us wrong.
Right now, you gotta choose
between a bag full of money
and our deepest sympathies,
or 30 years minimum.
Or worse, if you can’t stay in control.
To what? Walk away?
[exhaling] You had a plan, right?
Paid in full. More than makes up for the bail you’re short.
I didn’t ask to get paid off.
[Chief] Son, I’m trying to make you whole.
Now go haul boats, or sell that truck for cash.
Whatever you decide to do, you do it damn far from here
because if you enter this township again,
this’ll go another route.
Aw, come on, this smells way off.
Not for a steaming pile of shit.
[helicopter whirring]
That’s your bird.
This is your deal.
All you gotta do
is nothing.
What am I gonna say?
You say “okay.”
[breathing deeply]
[exhales deeply] Okay.
Hey, you want to keep that nice.
Seller’s expecting you.
You don’t take possession by tonight,
I’m going to assume the deal’s off.
Then we go that other route.
You’re free to go.
[tense music continues]
[helicopter approaching]
[car door closes]
[car door closes]
[music stops]
He’s not really in the system yet.
Pops up as “in transit.”
He put you down as next of kin.
So I’m seeing if you can claim the remains here, or if they have to go back.
Coroner might put the body on hold since it was a homicide.
So I guess just stay in touch with our office until they figure it all out.
Could you take those off?
Sure.
[faint, moody music playing]
[moody music swelling]
[music becomes faint]
All set?
Yeah.
[music stops]
I salvaged your bike.
If you want to swing by my house and grab it.
Pawn it.
It’s worth a couple grand.
I see ’em.
It’s not what you think.
Be smart. No way he just lets me go.
He’s worried about November.
Makin’ a run for Sheriff.
That’s real, what I found.
I don’t know what this is.
Case records that don’t match up with the bail schedule.
And I don’t care.
There’s dozens.
Look, Terry, I…
I know now is not the time.
It’s just we don’t have any…
When we cross to the next town, we should get some food.
Can’t remember my last meal.
Someone wanted Mike in jail.
The others too.
To what end? I don’t know. They all end up walking.
But they were in for 90 days.
No more. No less.
Waiting to be arraigned on charges that don’t carry jail time.
I don’t doubt what you’re saying.
But if the revelation is that your Bama-ass town is corrupt
and my cousin and whoever else got fucked over,
I don’t need convincing.
I didn’t come here to set things right.
I just wanted Mike not dead. Yet here we are.
They can’t just run you off.
Never. It’s called tactical retrograde, and I got off easy.
Well, I can keep digging…
Respectfully, no.
All I need is transpo the fuck outta here.
And if that’s no longer cool, you can drop me off at the next bus station.
Bus station’s past where we’re headed.
[quiet, tense music playing]
[music fades]
[forest creature sounds]
[sighs]
Whatever I say
is gonna fall short.
You got something to write on?
Think it over.
Text me something profound.
Thought you didn’t give this out.
Yeah, well…
All that aside, back there,
I appreciate you giving a shit.
Well, I appreciate your appreciation.
[“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” by Skip James playing faintly]
[music plays more loudly]
[car door shuts]
[car engine starts]
You here for the dually?
I am.
Yes, sir.
I’ll let you take a look at her.
[“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” ends]
[tense music playing]
[faint clattering]
[groans]
[man] Move. Don’t touch shit.
[faint clattering]
[music intensifies]
No.
[groans]
[whimpers]
[car engine starts]
[panting]
[music becomes ominous]
[ominous music swelling]
[music becomes quiet]
[dialing]
[telephone ringing]
[panting]
[ominous music swelling]
[grunts]
[panting]
[music becomes quiet]
[dialing]
[ringing]
Terry!
Mm… I’m in trouble.
[music becomes dramatic]
Summer!
Hey!
Summer!
[water running]
[dramatic music fades]
It’s okay.
That’s the proof. I’ll tell you that right now.
What about another city?
Another state?
It’ll still go on my medical history.
So, you’re gonna risk dying?
Wasn’t enough to hurt me.
How do you know?
I can tell.
So what’d they put in you?
The dosage? You an “almost doctor” too?
I fuckin’ know, Terry.
I go to a hospital, it gets reported.
And if it’s reported, the judge…
Everything gets unsealed.
I’ll never get back custody.
They’ll tell my little girl.
I can forget about taking the bar.
[beeping]
What’s that?
That’s your oatmeal.
How can they hold it against you?
I’m sure a lot of lawyers struggle with that.
[Summer] Addiction?
Yeah.
Related crimes of moral turpitude, not so much.
I pawned a ride-on mower that wasn’t mine.
My father-in-law’s.
Mm-mm.
My husband petitioned for divorce soon as I was charged.
Took our kid.
He was just waiting to pounce. I was a wreck.
Didn’t contest anything they put forward.
Couldn’t afford a lawyer.
Um…
I just sat there in court
listening to how horrible a mother I was.
Made a pretty solid case.
Hey. Come on now.
You know what’s funny?
When I took the mower… [exhales]
…it had this snowblower attachment on it.
I left it on when I rolled it out the shed,
and that’s what bumped the value from petty theft up to grand theft.
I’m a felon
because of a lawn mower accessory.
What?
Nothing. Go on.
Tell me.
I was just going to say that blows.
[chuckles]
Go on. I want to hear this.
That’s about it.
The judge took pity on me.
I promised to stay clean.
He sealed everything up, and I went to work for the court.
Figured however things turned out,
I’d never not be able to defend myself again.
Yeah, I hear that.
What can I do?
You were right.
You should go.
You should grieve.
Mm.
I’ll back off.
Show up to work like nothing happened.
Hey.
You sure you’re okay?
How blue are my lips?
Not very.
Then, yeah.
[“Wayfaring Stranger” by Neko Case playing]
All this talk of defending myself.
Here I am.
It’s the right move.
Taking fuel away from the fire.
You gotta focus on your girl, you know?
I won’t forget about Mike.
I’ll get this truck off your lawn.
[dramatic music playing]
[exhales deeply]
Morning.
Morning, Alex.
[Alex] Morning, Ms. McBride.
[Alex sighs]
[alarm beeps]
Oh, hey. You’re supposed to go see the judge first thing.
Okay.
[dramatic music continues quietly]
[man] Those were the terms of your employment, were they not?
[telephone ringing]
[Summer] They were.
And you understand I can only act on the information given me.
But it’s not true.
That’s not me.
I believe you.
If there’s nothing to it, then there’s nothing to it.
Test’s not gonna lie.
If you wouldn’t mind emptying your pockets, please.
Oh, and leave your purse. Victoria here will take you in.
You all right in there, hon?
[sobbing quietly]
[quiet, dramatic music continues]
[music becomes tense]
Shit.
[indistinct, faint chatter]
[dispatch 1 over police radio] We’re good up here.
[dispatch 2] 106, you’re clear.
[truck engine idling]
[Steve] Kill that ignition!
[engine shuts off]
Now toss your keys out the driver’s side.
[keys jingling]
[tense music fades]
My hands good?
Sure.
Ten and two.
Your lights broken?
How do you mean?
It’s just you waved me down.
So I’m wondering if something’s wrong with your lights.
Something wrong with your GPS?
It was an emergency.
You respond to emergencies around here now?
It was just a friend.
Yeah?
She turned out to be more trouble than you.
It was a false alarm.
You’ll never see me again.
That conversation was had.
Chief handed you a winning lotto ticket.
And you just tore it up.
We got a dozen witnesses saw you storm the station.
Your prints are all over the property cage,
and there’s a missing bag of money.
I’m guessing, we’ll find it right here in this truck.
Feeling smart now?
No, sir.
I’ll give you credit for catching the lights though.
Pretty sharp.
These new cruisers,
you run the lights…
the dash cam starts recording.
Gun!
[gun fire]
[groaning]
Fuck!
[gunfire continues]
[dispatch 2] What are we doing?
[music becomes dramatic]
[chatter over police radio]
[Steve] Help!
[groans and shouts]
[electrical zapping]
[officer] Shots fired with that buckshot!
[Steve groans]
[zapping stop]
[officer] I got him! Clear out!
[zapping resumes]
[grunts]
[truck engine starts]
Get out of the truck!
[gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
Move!
[intense dramatic music playing]
[groans]
[gunfire]
Hit the fuckin’ tires!
[gunfire continues]
[music fades]
[rapid gunfire]
[children shouting excitedly]
You know you can’t be here,
not without a heads-up.
[tense music playing]
We didn’t call anybody.
[chatter over police radio]
[tense music becomes faint]
[music becomes dramatic]
[music becomes faint]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[grunts loudly]
[grunts loudly]
Shit.
[cell phone vibrating]
[Summer] Terry? Terry?
You should stay off the phone. I was coming to you.
[Summer] Don’t. I just got a visit from the police.
Yeah, me too.
You okay? You hurt?
[Summer] They came to warn me.
Said I should leave town. Stay away from you.
[coughs] Yeah, solid recs. Who was it?
[Summer] A friend, same one who followed us yesterday.
That was for me, not you.
[dog barking]
You mobile?
[Summer] Yeah. Yeah, I’m packing up.
All right.
That Volvo, you own it?
[Summer] Only thing in my life that’s paid off.
Okay.
Um…
Bring your title. I got somewhere we can go.
[Summer] Should I pick you up?
No. I’ll be good.
[panting]
[taps head]
All right.
Don’t write this down.
[Chinese folk music playing]
[telephone ringing]
Okay.
Summer?
[people chattering]
Kan Long Chinese, go ahead.
Uh, no brown. White, fried, or sticky only.
Uh-huh.
Uh, shrimp’s a dollar more.
[rap music playing over speaker]
Two soups.
No. Special soups.
[man] Another round of beers, table six.
Uh-huh.
[man] And what’s your address?
[knocks]
[blues music playing over speaker]
[Summer] Oh my God, are you shot?
Yeah. Summer, this is Mr. Liu.
Hi. Sorry, I would have driven faster.
They had Quikclot, but I wasn’t sure if it was the gauze or the sponge, so
I got both.
Burners?
[Summer] Yeah.
Thank you.
And I got coconut water. If you want some.
No, I’m good.
[Mr. Liu] Ah, traveled down pretty clean.
Still a couple fragments,
but I’ll leave it in if you’re gonna be moving around.
You should be at a hospital.
Look who’s talking.
This is different.
Yeah, well, Mr. Liu was a field medic in Korea.
Oh.
Thank you for your service, sir.
[Terry] He’s Chinese.
Fought for the other side.
Well, it’s good we can all come together.
Make sure he finishes his.
Hm.
[chatter on radio]
[Terry] Walk me through it.
[slurping]
I want everything.
[Summer] It’s just I didn’t get that far.
It’s what’s keeping me alive.
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
They just tried to kill you.
And no one’s called in the cavalry.
With what they could pin on me, should be a federal task force dropping a tac team
on the roof right now.
[radio shuts off]
They’re keeping it quiet.
Because of what you found.
So…
From what I pulled, it’s clear they’re manipulating defendants’ jail time.
What’s driving it? I don’t know. That’s what they’re protecting.
They got your folder, right? So it’s not just what you pulled.
No. Folder’s why they’re onto us.
The case files are public record. Anyone can look ’em up.
Okay, so is that enough to take to the press, start a ruckus?
No, holding them for 90 days, hiking bail,
the individual acts aren’t necessarily illegal.
It’s discretion of the court,
so the judge can double your fine for tracking mud on his floor.
So he’s in on it.
When the cases do reach his bench,
he lets ’em off, mostly full dismissals.
If anything, he’s pushing back.
So we get kinetic. Find out what he’s pushing against.
We’re over the town line.
We should keep going.
Yeah, well, maybe you.
These officers are quiet because they’re vulnerable.
Whatever window we have,
I guarantee you they’re closing it.
They do,
I’m dead.
Won’t matter where I am.
You think me too?
Bottom line up front?
I don’t see how they let you walk away.
Who knows?
Maybe they’ll cut you a deal.
Hell, they let me walk.
Then I pulled you back in.
Yeah, and it’s good you did.
When they sent me on my way…
I was grateful.
Like my whole life was back ahead of me. I even heard Mike telling me it was okay.
How I train,
what I teach, most of it comes down to self-preservation.
So I guess I just acted accordingly.
Anyone would.
Yeah, but the chief didn’t give me an out.
I gave him one.
And that wasn’t Mike’s voice.
That was mine.
This shit’s far from okay,
and these cops might end up on top.
I’m not pretending here, but they sure as shit don’t get any more outs.
And Mike,
I hope he’s in a better place.
I don’t know enough about the afterlife to trust in it, so while I’m here,
and he’s not,
I gotta haunt these motherfuckers myself.
All right?
What about taking fuel away from the fire?
Mm. It’s different now.
How so?
We’re the fire.
[dramatic music continues]
[Terry] What about your friend on the force?
Think he’d be willing to talk?
Never said it was a he.
“He,” “she” fine.
Codename “Serpico.”
Would they talk? Take this to the state police?
No, they were clear on that.
Warning me was risky enough.
You all right?
[distant thunder rumbling]
Just have a feeling tonight’s going to get pretty dark.
Isn’t that what nights do?
[man] Okay, three, two, one,
go!
[all cheering]
[man] First is Isaiah!
Ryan in second, Jack’s in third, Henry fourth!
Nice heat, guys!
All right, let’s bring those back…
Hey, buddy!
Summer!
How’d you do?
Bad. I got taken out in the fourth-place runoff.
Super cool.
At least you made it yourself. You’re mostly competing against other dads.
Ben. Go cheer.
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
[man] All right, let’s see if we can get a new leader out there! Ready?
[Summer] We know they’re locking defendants up and letting them go.
We have no idea why, but our local PD is willing to kill
to keep us from finding out.
They came into my home!
What do you want me to say?
That you’re on the right path?
Are we?
[distant thunder rumbling]
I can’t answer your questions.
Fuck this guy.
It’d be aiding and abetting.
Whatever it is you’re doing, I can be named an accessory.
I don’t report you the minute you leave, it could be seen as a failure to act.
If I inflict pain before you answer, does that help from a legal standpoint?
Listen. Even if I wanted to, I don’t have the answers to give.
Okay? And that’s by design.
I don’t want to know.
No, that!
You!
You’re a fucking tumor, Elliot!
[quiet, dramatic music continues]
If I did…
If I did want to know…
I would have some questions.
Yeah, like what?
Like how far back does it go? What you found.
Mostly recent, less than two years.
Mm-hm. Why is that?
I searched bail records. Uh…
Probably didn’t dig deep enough.
Or?
That’s as deep as it goes?
And if that’s true, I would also wonder…
[distant thunder rumbling]
…was there something that coincided in that timeframe?
Something pertinent?
The civil case?
[Ben] Dad!
Isaiah won again. Can we go now?
[Elliot] Yes. [clears throat]
Hey!
That case, the settlement, it put pressure on the police.
Oversight.
Turned things around.
Did it?
It’s been quiet ever since.
So there’s your big question.
You got no answers from me.
[Summer] Lawsuit didn’t turn things around.
Turned them upside down.
[distant thunderclap]
[dramatic music becomes very faint]
[chatter on TV]
[man 1 on TV] Well, this is a surprise.
A commission in the cavalry, too, huh?
[cat meows]
[man 2 on TV] I see you got the commission you were after.
[man 3 on TV] You know these men, Rader?
[man 1 on TV] Yes, sir, very well.
This one, Stuart, comes from a rich slave owning family in Virginia.
[floor creaking]
He called you a lying renegade once, and I jumped him for it…
[TV audio stops]
[ominous music playing]
It’s okay.
[music becomes tense]
I’ll talk.
[cat meows]
Jesus.
There’s no need to hurt me.
Where’s Summer?
[Terry] Don’t know.
I was gonna ask you.
Elliot called.
I need for her to hear this.
[Terry] Who? What? Where?
No time for why.
She’s owed it.
[cat meows]
Would you believe I was protecting you this morning?
I’m sure you convinced yourself.
I was afraid they’d do worse, and I’m deeply sorry about your brother.
[Terry] Cousin.
Your cousin.
[breathing deeply]
So why is he dead?
Bishop v The Town of Shelby Springs.
You’re familiar with it?
Just some of the fallout. That the chief was named personally.
Illegal search snowballed into a wrongful death.
Settlement damn near bankrupted the town.
His department was deemed uninsurable.
Got a year to modernize, clean up its act.
And it did, on paper.
Uh-huh, on paper.
So you sell out your bench to protect Sandy Burnne?
Hell no, we wanted him gone.
The reform mandate was a ploy to shut him down,
hand over our contract to the state police.
There was no money for him to comply.
So he goes out, gets his own.
[judge] Did 100,000 in forfeitures his first month.
He cut you in on it?
Me and every other taxpayer.
They seized my cash. You told me it was legal.
It is. That’s what I don’t get.
That money flows back into debt service, payroll, public works.
That’s Christmas lights in December,
fireworks on the Fourth of July, and a nice little old tax cut on top.
Everyone holds their seat.
But how are a handful of misdemeanor defendants a threat to all this?
And boil this shit down… quick.
Liability.
Traffic stop goes wrong,
an arrest gets rough,
anything that might put the department in legal jeopardy, they’ll flag the case.
Kick the charges down to misdemeanors.
So it stays in town court.
Where there’s no public defender to contest the bail or adjournments.
Keep ’em in purgatory.
[Summer] For 90 days.
Why is it always 90 days?
I guess if I was smarter, I’d have mixed that up some.
Didn’t want to hold them a day longer than we had to.
The retention period?
Shit.
The hard drives at the courthouse.
That’s it?
That’s it.
Their dash cam videos. It’s part of the settlement.
We store their footage. They can’t access it on their own.
But you can?
[Summer] Only if it’s deemed evidentiary.
If it’s not held or subpoenaed for 90 days, it’s deleted.
[tense music continues]
All right.
What’s on Mike’s video?
What’d they do to him?
Enough to get us sued.
Have you seen it?
No.
Let me guess. You don’t wanna fucking know.
Wouldn’t matter if I did.
Lose another lawsuit and it’s disincorporation,
Shelby Springs disappears. Swallowed up by the parish.
Y’all gonna leave me like this?
What, alive? Yeah. For now.
You knew Judy.
What would she think about all this?
What you’re doing to me.
Well, if she knew what you did…
she’d want to watch.
These yours? Need to take one before we go?
Mm, I’m good for the night.
This is his wife’s… and it’s empty.
Oh, shit. I forgot to feed the cat.
[Summer] Shit.
Would you mind?
Hey, how many did you take?
Where’s the fucking cat food?
[siren blaring and stops]
[chatter over police radio]
[tense music continues]
[car door closes]
[zipper zipping]
Hey.
[siren blaring]
[sighs]
You think he’ll make it?
[music becomes quiet and dramatic]
Yeah.
Hey, it’s cool if you gotta step back, start thinking about your girl.
She never left my mind in there.
Him, Elliot,
this whole fucking town couldn’t form a single spine between them.
If I do get her back… When you get her back.
She’s gotta know I got one.
[sighs] Where do you keep the drives?
Basement.
The catacombs?
Yeah, but there’s an alarm.
Yeah. And moisture.
And a lot of rot.
[quiet, drama music ends]
[quiet, ominous music playing]
[crowbar clatters]
[Terry] You got it?
[Summer, whispering] Yeah.
I love it down here.
You can smell the history.
[Terry] Where to?
[Summer] I can’t see.
[Terry] Let your eyes adjust.
Don’t wanna go out like Watergate.
[Summer] Thanks.
[Terry] That ain’t me.
[faint clatter]
[Summer shudders]
[indistinct chatter]
[liquid splashing]
[indistinct chatter continues]
[man] A dummy check and we’re out.
[indistinct chatter continues]
[quiet, ominous music continues]
[Terry] Come on.
You smell that?
That ain’t history.
[Summer] Let’s leave.
[fire roaring]
Oh, shit!
[music intensifies]
Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God! Shit!
[gasping]
Coconut water.
[Terry] All right, they’re expecting a blaze. We got 30 seconds tops.
Okay, pull those. I’ll get these.
[tense music playing]
[sighs] Damn it.
Okay, we exfil.
Weigh our options.
Hold on.
SD cards.
They write over ’em in the field so they never get wiped.
Straight from their dash cams.
It’s just last week’s but…
Mike’s in there?
All right.
[tense music continues]
[Summer] Wait.
What are you doing?
If we don’t restart it, they will.
[men chatter]
It’s a landmarked building.
That “history” down here, for a lot of people?
It’s got a pretty foul funk to it.
Yeah. Let it burn.
[indistinct chatter]
[man 1] Looking now.
[man 2] Just to be sure. Just in case. Go!
[explosive roaring]
We’re good! Move!
Sweep the courthouse, then we’re out.
[tense music continues]
You go. We go. We got ’em.
No. Start the car. I can’t…
I gotta get something back.
[alarm ringing]
That’ll send ’em running.
Go slow, go steady.
Meet me in the alley. Yeah?
Yeah.
Fuck!
[coughs]
[alarm continues ringing faintly]
[alarm continues ringing]
[dog barking]
[alarm continues ringing]
[car engine starts]
[tense music continues faintly]
[alarm continues ringing faintly]
Bingo!
You’re kiddin’.
How’s that for a dummy check?
[breathes deeply]
[faint clattering]
[tense music continues]
Turn that shit off!
[Summer moaning]
Come on. Come on.
[dog barking]
Fuck.
[car engine starts]
[distant dog barking]
[man shouting]
[loud thud]
[officer] Fuck! Fuck!
Shit!
Get the fuck off me!
[grunting]
[grunting and gasping]
You wanna be asleep when I cuff you or awake?
All right, okay!
[groans]
Fuck!
[grunts]
[tense music continues faintly]
Had to assume you’d shoot on sight.
Is she hurt?
Not that I could tell, no.
Where are they taking her?
I don’t know. Look, man. We’re not all, like…
I’m married. Okay? Okay. Hey, hey.
I got a kid. So…
Yeah?
So does she.
So let’s not waste any fucking time.
Get up.
[groans]
[panting]
Get me someone who knows.
[police radio beeps]
106, come in.
This is 103.
[Steve] 103, we’re 10-3. Keep it quiet.
106, is that in regards to the arson or the kidnapping? Over.
You got ten seconds before I start trying new frequencies.
Got some cards I wanna offload.
[cell phone ringing]
Left utility pocket.
[ringing continues]
[ringing stops]
[Steve] What brand are they?
Extreme Pro, 64 gigs.
[Steve] Okay, then. You know Rebel Ridge?
No.
[Steve] Drop you a pin. Settle up.
A swap?
You think I’m stupid?
[Steve] No. I think you’re smart.
Fuck it. First light.
[Steve] How about right now?
No, I got to see what’s waiting for me.
Works out well for you too.
[Steve] Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
You just might see me comin’.
I put too much sauce on that?
Pop the trunk.
Fuck.
[music fades out]
[ship horn blowing]
[tense music continues]
What you got in that?
Number 4 buck, double-aught following.
Lose the number 4,
load up some slugs
‘case he grabs hold of someone.
Check in with Patrol.
He should be here.
Sun’s barely up.
If he isn’t early, he’s late.
[telephone ringing]
[tense music plays faintly]
[ringing continues]
Yeah?
Hello?
You know what’s funny, Chief?
[Sandy] You know, nothing comes to mind right off-hand.
Before two days ago, I’d never really been in a street fight.
I mean, a few scraps in a schoolyard,
but other than that, nothing outside the gym.
Well, I’ve been in plenty.
[Terry] Yeah, I can feel that from you.
That combative energy.
[Terry] It builds up. You know?
[Marston] 108. Got a visual on our suspect.
[Terry] It’s not just you. I know.
They’re on him.
[Terry] Both sides contribute.
Are you taking responsibility or dodging it?
108, can you confirm?
[music intensifies]
Stand by.
[Steve] Copy you, 108.
Standing by. 10…
Pack it up. He’s ready to move.
[Terry] People getting hurt now either way. The fire last night…
[Sandy exhales deeply]
Yeah, I heard about that.
Yeah, it’s gotten out of hand.
Real soup sandwich.
We can agree on that.
Got me thinking about that conversation we had in the cruiser,
about de-escalation.
That also takes both sides, you know?
So I was thinking,
what if we just walk away?
Well, now you’re starting to talk some…
But then I was like, “Nah.”
[call disconnects]
[music becomes intense and dramatic]
[Marston] Don’t you fucking move!
Goddamn it!
Negative! It’s McGill.
Got him all tied up.
He’s goin’ for the cash. Get on the radio!
[tense music continues]
[Jessica] All units, be advised…
[Jessica continues indistinctly]
[tense music swelling]
[screaming]
[Steve] Copy you.
Piece of shit!
[Jessica] Repeat, 10-19.
Suspect is at the station.
Request immediate assistance. Hurry.
[Steve] Find him and leave some for me!
[Jessica] We got walls coming down.
[indistinct shouting]
[dispatch] Copy. 10-76, en route.
Something wrong?
No, actually.
Think it’s all gonna line up pretty well.
Be advised, this is a silent run.
10-85. Nobody runs code.
All right, boss? Can you hold off? We gotta get to the station.
[tense music continues]
How’d I know you wouldn’t show up to your own show…
[gunfire exchanges]
[Sandy coughs and gasps]
[Terry] Hey! It’s okay.
Put that down!
Put your weapon down!
It’s okay!
Get on the ground! I’m gonna shoot!
It’s okay.
It’s a beanbag round.
[Sandy gasping]
Less lethal.
Listen, I know who you are.
[Sandy] Shoot him!
Summer didn’t give you up. It ain’t hard to narrow down.
We call you “Serpico.” Hey!
[Sandy] Shoot him!
Don’t worry about him. Worry about her.
Even if you don’t have my back, I know you got hers.
[Sandy gasping]
What you want me to do?
Hear me out.
[Sandy] Shoot that motherfucker…
Sit down!
[tense, dramatic music playing]
[dispatch over police radio] 102, we are at the scene. We got a…
Whatever’s on these, he’s willing to kill over.
[Sandy] You can go ahead.
Release ’em. See what happens.
[car tires screech]
Yeah. I’m with you on that.
Got this off your boys, though.
All right, here’s the new deal, Chief.
I’m seizing your shit.
When Summer McBride is safe, I hand myself in to the state police.
You get it back.
Otherwise…
It all burns.
[Jessica] Our guys just pulled up.
[Terry] Okay.
[quiet, tense music playing]
A lot of hardware out there.
[Jessica] I’ve seen what you can do.
So believe me. I’ll put two rounds in your head if you move an inch.
105 exiting station with suspect.
Hold your fire. Confirm.
[Steve over radio] 105, you have Terry Richmond? Over.
10-4. Confirm. Hold your fire.
[Steve] 10-4, holding fire.
[Jessica] Nobody dies today.
We’ll sort this out somewhere safe.
[quiet, tense music continues]
Hands on your head.
[officer] Piece of shit.
[Terry] Feel familiar?
[Jessica] Except for the weight of my gun.
Stop there.
Put down the bag.
Chief’s cuffed to the property cage.
Careful, he’s pissed.
He have drives on him?
He did. Says there’s some…
Stolen property.
Where they at?
Well done.
Got to get you out on patrol.
I feel dumb, man.
I mean,
your girl’s free to go.
It’s just, uh…
She’s pretty zonked out.
Thought I gave her a solid search,
but I missed that rig she had on her.
Must’ve hidden it somewhere sneaky.
Shot up in the backseat when I wasn’t looking.
I’d step back.
[fly buzzing]
[Terry] Hold on.
[Steve] Shh. Shh. Shh. Shhh.
Listen.
[snoring quietly]
Oh, man.
That snoring thing.
Shit creeps me out.
At least it’ll be peaceful.
All right. All right. All right. All right.
Step back from the bag.
[officer] That’s fucked.
[Steve] Hold on now, Ev.
We’re okay here.
Are we?
[Steve] Yes, table it.
Once he’s in custody and she’s on her way to the ER.
We wrap this up here. Let it play out.
[Marston] We’re sworn officers!
It’s a gift. We got her on a legit B&E, ties her directly to the fire.
Drives are gone. She goes away, this all goes away.
We’ll get commendations for putting a hole in this motherfucker’s chest!
Stand down.
Do not point your weapon at me!
[shouting]
She goes to the fucking hospital!
[Steve] You’re the shit magnet that started this!
[Marston] Stand down! Don’t do it!
Serpico.
I won’t watch her die!
Put that weapon down!
[gunfire]
[man shouting]
[groaning]
Sorry, Ev. Goddammit.
[Marston] Fuck.
[Sandy] It’s just the leg.
He’ll be back on light duty in a week, drawing full salary.
[McGill] Sir, he’s bleeding bad.
[groaning]
[officer] Looks like you nicked something there, Chief.
Shit.
[Jessica] Call Medical.
No! Now, hold on. Hold on.
Just hold on.
We all saw it.
It was either him or… or Steve.
[Steve] It was him or all of us.
[Sandy] Listen up now.
We can’t turn on each other,
because that’s the way this whole goddamn thing implodes, you hear me?
[men shouting]
[Steve] Hey, watch your back!
[Sandy] I got him.
[man 1] Go around there.
The suspect is armed! He goes down!
He does not get back up!
[man 2] Chief!
[men shouting]
[man 3] Light him up!
[men shouting]
[gunshots]
[Terry grunts]
[canister clatters]
Use those sting balls, the round ones.
[grunts] Fuck.
[Steve] Hold your fire!
[man] Watch his cross flare!
[explosion and gunfire]
[Steve] Go!
[McGill] Fuck!
[gunfire, explosions]
[shouting]
She’s in pretty bad shape. You guys carry Narcan?
[groaning] Above the center console. Most of us got kids.
Roger that. I’ll make a run.
Listen, you hit those disco lights, it’s gonna activate…
Dash cam.
Why? So I can record my own death?
No. Mine.
They got pre-event recording.
You hit the lights, the camera goes live,
records three minutes before you hit the switch.
Figure you got about two minutes left.
Shit, maybe you too.
Unless you put a finger right up in it.
[groans painfully]
Move to flank, he’s got…
[tense music continues]
[Marston groans]
[gunfire]
[man] Incoming!
[coughing]
Not sure who to shoot at.
[man] Move up! Hold your fire!
Then maybe don’t shoot.
[indistinct shouting]
[man] Barnett, go!
[Sandy] West, Tyler, get up here!
[man] Hold your fire!
[indistinct shouting]
[grunting]
[bones crunch]
[agonized grunt]
[man] He’s by the truck!
[Sandy] Which truck?
[indistinct shouting]
[gunfire]
[gunfire]
[Steve] Move the fuck away from him!
[indistinct shouting]
[Steve] Do not fire! Hold your fucking fire!
[man] Where is he?
[Steve] Do you see him?
Call it out!
Do not fucking fire…
[grunts]
Neckbone, motherfucker!
[grunting]
[coughing]
[gunfire]
[grunts]
[tense music becomes quiet]
[gunfire]
[man 1] No shot!
[indistinct chatter]
[man 2] Are those guys on the road block?
[man 3] Keep those boys out of this!
[man 4] Get some water.
[man 5] Can anybody fucking see him?
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter]
[panting]
[man 6] He’s moving!
[gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
[electronic bleeps]
[siren blaring]
[tense dramatic music playing]
Shit!
Go after that car!
Hang on, McBride!
[Jessica] Hey! That’s Evan Marston back there!
[gunfire]
[Terry] Keep that pressure up! I need you to walk me through this!
[Marston groaning]
[music becomes tense and quiet]
[explosion]
[indistinct shouting]
[Marston] Forget the instructions. Throw ’em out. Just open it up.
You don’t know how to… You don’t gotta prime it.
Just pick a nostril and deploy it. One push.
That’s it.
That’s it?
That’s it, man. Just give her a couple minutes.
Here we go! I’m picking you up!
[painful screaming]
[indistinct chatter]
[Jessica] I say we let him out. Take him on the road.
[Terry] McBride, hear me?
I need you to breathe!
[Steve] Fuck outta my…
[gun clicks]
[Marston] Go!
[horn honks]
[Marston] Go! Go! Go!
Oh, fuck!
Put some fire on that vehicle!
We got one of ours inside, another hangin’ off!
[Sandy] Got a stolen cruiser coming your way. Take that son of a bitch out.
[crash]
[dispatch over radio] Negative, do not take that shot.
We’ve got two officers onboard.
[groaning]
There’s glass everywhere.
[Steve panting]
[groaning]
[dispatch] He’s clear, take out the tires. Driver’s side only.
[gunfire]
McBride, you good?
[indistinct chatter]
[quiet, tense music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
On the road! Move! Move!
Hop in!
I’ll package up Ross for the paramedics. Be right behind you.
Call it in wide. We need to be on record before they are.
[tense, dramatic music playing]
[distortion]
[tense music becomes quiet]
The file. You got the chief shooting me on camera.
But the recording needs to survive.
If you’ve gotta bail, the DVR’s in the trunk.
He’s not gonna bail.
[dispatch] They are northbound on 13.
Oh, they’re on us.
[dispatch] This is 103 confirming we still have an officer on board that cruiser?
[Sandy] Negative. We got three armed suspects.
How’re we on speed?
[Sandy] Comin’ up on your left.
[man 1] Copy that, we’ll box ’em in.
Maxed out.
[Sandy] All right, who’s got the ARs?
[man 1] I got one. 103 has one onboard.
[Sandy] 105, 105, stand by for a PIT maneuver.
Are you up for it, Sims?
[Jessica] I got you, Chief.
[Sandy] 105, let me give you some room.
I can pull over.
[man 2] 105, we got your back.
We are standing by.
You guys make the call.
Fuck ’em. Don’t save ’em the trouble.
[Sandy] Execute!
[Jessica] Roger, Chief. 102, 104. Hang back.
[tense music continues]
[Sandy] Take ’em out.
[Sandy] 105, looks like you overshot!
We got a ticking clock here.
Give it another go, or I’ll do it my…
[man 1] Check in, 105. What’s your status?
[Jessica] Gonna need a wrecker. Otherwise, code four.
[man 1] You got the chief?
[Jessica] Affirmative. State Police are standing by.
[man 1] 102, we got a straight shot. We’re 10-59.
What’s a 10-59?
[quiet dramatic music playing]
That’s an escort.
[siren blaring]
[man 2] 10-4. Give Samaritan a heads-up on their inbound.
[panting]
[man 1] Affirmative, 102.
Officer onboard. State police are two minutes out.
[chuckles lightly]
[sobbing softly]
[dramatic music continues]
Medical’s on the way, Chief, but I need to see your hands.
[nurse] All right, we got two incoming.
[dramatic music continues]
[sirens blaring]
[indistinct chatter]
Bed!
[dramatic music fades]
[dramatic music playing]
[dramatic music fades]
[“Again” by Family Band playing]
♪ Give the young one up ♪
♪ Set the old one ♪
♪ Set the old one free ♪
♪ And you’ve been keeping me ♪
♪ In the sweetest fall you dream ♪
♪ Oh, how you love to dream me up ♪
♪ Dig the basement ♪
♪ Wide and deep ♪
♪ How man ♪
♪ Can earn his keep ♪
♪ You’ve been building me ♪
♪ To the sweetest fall a dream ♪
♪ Oh, how you love to build me up ♪
♪ And you watched this place go wild ♪
♪ And you push it back to lie ♪
♪ Again ♪
♪ And again ♪
♪ Again again ♪
♪ Again again ♪
♪ Again again ♪
♪ Again ♪
♪ Give the young one ♪
♪ Give the young one up ♪
♪ Let the old one ♪
♪ Rest ♪
[“Again” ends]
[“Disturbing the Peace” by Gut Instinct playing]
Disturbing the peace!
[indistinct speed metal lyrics]
[“Disturbing the Peace” fades]
