Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Able 2014 'Yeah, I'm telling you something, man. I'm not lyin'. 'You got to be careful when you're doing these stakeouts.' I did one for six months. I gained, like, 20, 25lbs. You keep eating this crap. I can't gain weight. That's because you're 12 years old! Here. You want something to drink? You're disgusting. Come on. Don't keep it by the water, either. Don't even let it rub shoulders with that. Do you know what? Urine is good for your skin. My grandmother, uh... I swear to God! My grandmother told me. She said, uh... She did! Cos when I would get a zit or something... She'd piss on your face? Get the f...! Are you fuckin' nuts? It's my grandmother! You just told me your grandma said that piss was good for your skin! We got some activity here. Why don't you speak a little louder, Steve(?) Just keep it down. What now? The old man's in bed. The nurse is in there, and then Serna's somewhere in the house. Who's in the back? Who's in the back? Joe. Joe, are you guys seeing anything? Because if you are, it's certainly not coming up here in the van, and we'd certainly like to see what's going on. We've been here for 16 hours. Uh, it's pretty dead. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Alright. Well, just stay awake, guys. And stay on it. Stay alert. RADIO CHATTER CONTINUES IN BACKGROUND Are you nervous? What? What kind of deodorant do you use? I don't use deodorant. Look at you. What? I live in a van. What does that mean? That's bad for you. Causes Alzheimer's. What? Alzheimer's. You get Alzheimer's if you use any antiperspirant with aluminium. I'm sorry. I forgot what you said. What? Asshole! Watch it, watch it. Watch who your superior is, pal. (SIGHS) RADIO CHATTER CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY Serna just picked up the house phone. RADIO CHATTER I got movement in there. Ricky, pan to the right and zoom in. We got him. We got him. We got him. Here we go. Here we go. Zoom back in and stay there. He's on the phone. You guys have transmission? Be quiet. We got it. Dialogue hot? Dialogue hot. Everybody off the walkies now. Everybody off air! We got clicks. Clicks? No! No, Nothing on my end. The line is clear. You guys have any signal out there? Yes, we got it. Please stay off the walkies. I can't talk very loud. I've been sitting by this phone for 20 hours. Now, listen to me, Buzzy. He's gonna clip Israel. 'Clip'? He's gonna kill him? Buddy Israel? I was eavesdropping, but let me lay this thing out. All right. I'm listening. Go ahead Now, what I heard downstairs is, they got a guy, some Swede,... Swede? We have a Swede? ...he's doing this hit. No. Nothing. He's supposedly a specialist, and he ain't coming cheap, so I'm thinking if we just get to Israel before the Swede can, we're in a power position. It's a double-cross. Ransom him back. We get that, we're that much closer to doing our own. Can we bring this off? We keep our mouth shut, play the part, nobody suspects a thing. The old man's on the take. These guys got balls. Let me tell you, these guys got some balls. Jesus Christ, this is our time now. Do you think they really will kick ransom for Israel? Oh, you ain't heard the punch line. But before I get to it, one more thing. I should probably bring it up. Primo wants Israel's heart. What did he just say? He wants to cut his heart out. Jesus. What for? He's been snitching to the world. I can't even blame Primo. You know, he's old school. This is how they ate. No big concern for me, at least. We crew up with someone's cousin, some zip off the boat from Naples. Zip up the boat. Let's get pros. This is gonna blow up huge. You know, there's a pair of broads I think might be very... Which broads? They're reliable. They're good. Two of the best. They hit those Chinamen, took out the big Triad. They're worth every penny. I'll call Loretta. She handles both of them. Odds are they're gonna get into some shit. I might have to put people down. These guys aren't fucking around. How much is the Swede getting? That's the punch line. You ready? Let's hear the punch line. One million flat. Holy... ...shit. If word hits the street that there's a million-dollar bounty, you're gonna have every hit man in the Free World will be looking for him. We got to move quickly. I'll know more tomorrow. I gotta go. He said one million? A million. One million plus the fuckin' heart? And Buddy Israel. Holy shit. These guys want him bad. 'Ladies and gentlemen, here's a guy, 'he is one of the biggest stars in the world, 'and we are thrilled to have him stop by. 'And he has won all kinds of awards. 'He has won entertainer of the year here in Las Vegas 'for the last five years, ladies and gentlemen. 'Would you give a big round of applause, a big Las Vegas welcome,' to a great Las Vegas star, and his name is Mr Buddy Israel! Come on out here! Buddy 'Aces' Israel. CHEERING/APPLAUSE Card sharp, illusionist,... asshole,... And I say this from the bottom of my heart. Retire. ...douche bag, Five-time Vegas showman of the year. The wise guys, for some fuckin' reason, love him. They think he's like a mystic, you know, something special. Good shot. Now, Buddy starts making friends, the connected kind. He's doing the Sinatra thing. Becomes the, uh, unofficial mob mascot. Can I whack anybody? Who am I gonna whack? (LAUGHS) Stop it. Stop it. Now, he's got connections, he's got pull, so he starts to make waves. Wants to live the mob life for real. Bankrolls a couple of B&Es, rich folks, fronts some smash-and-grabs, pawn shops, jewellery stores, that kind of thing. Then he gets his dick wet ` armed robbery. Hit the floor, now! Go, go, go! Vegas lounge act turns legitimate thug. Truth is, Buddy don't know the fucking ball from the bounce. He's a wannabe. Like most wannabes, starts fuckin' up fast and picking up speed. Are you fucking kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? That's good fuckin' work. I love it. (MOANS ECSTATICALLY) This foray shines a floodlight into the entire organisation. Cops get curious, they start camping out, and everything goes sideways real quick. GUNFIRE People get pinched, snitches snitc Next thing you know, Buddy Israel is getting into none other than Mr Primo Sparazza himself. Enforcer, extortionist, killer. Sparazza has been rumoured to have performed in excess of 100 contract murders, including one of the Bureau's most celebrated agents, Freeman Heller. Thought Heller was a double op. He worked for the OSS before joining the Bureau in his heyday. He was our first operative assigned with infiltrating the mob. Fake identity, falsified background, everything that is now standard operating procedure, Heller implemented way back when. I'll show you exactly what I meant when I said 'change my face'. Ands a result, his undercover work was highly successful. Using the latest techniques in cosmetic surgery, I will have my ears pinned back. Removing a slight piece of bone in my chin, I will alter my jaw line. 'Eventually, he reached the rank of capo inside the Carlotta crime family, 'but due to some internal slip-up, his cover was compromised.' GUNSHOT 'Primo Sparazza was given a contract to kill him.' Sparazza's a bit of a spectre. Over the years, the serious crimes with which he was thought to be involved with, including Heller's murder, could never be traced back to him. A dedicated viciousness and slavish devotion to mob doctrine has Sparazza's star rise, so they relocated him to Nevada and made him the head of the Las Vegas Cosa Nostra. Water. What's his connection to Israel? Sparazza introduced Israel to the life, gave him his first big break on stage, brought him up through the ranks. And Israel played the situation very shrewdly, slowly amassing the loyalties of Sparazza's top men, with the idea of toppling the throne. You know, I've seen some stupid moves, but` Well, you spend your life pulling rabbits out of hats and sawing people in half, anything seems possible. Israel wanted to touch something real, something dangerous, but what he wound up doing was splitting the family into dual factions ` Sparazza on one side, Israel on the other. The infighting that followed drew the interest of every investigative body operating under the canopy of the Federal government. This is it right here. Presently we have... ...16 federally funded agencies running concurrent criminal probes on selected members of La Cosa Nostra. With Israel being the target of virtually every one. His testimony has the potential of blowing the lid off what's left of La Cosa Nostra in this country. That alone warrants total immunity from prosecution, and a vanishing act into witness-protection program. Wire taps with Serne, Padiche... They mentioned Israel's heart. Well, that corroborates what we know. Sparazza's health is in rapid decline, and before he dies, he has demanded the heart of his sworn enemy. A recently opened, uh, million-dollar escrow account has been traced back to Sparazza. That, and the mention of this mysterious Swede makes the contract out on Israel all the more real. How real? How about six figures for that fool? Count that up! Bullshit. No, baby. They heard about that Triad hit, the work y'all put in, and they recognise the skills. Now, y'all want this? Hell, yeah! Then, I'll get it for you. What? ALL LAUGH There it is! There it is! You got the right business with this one, man. You see? Write that shit down. You sayin' that just because me and baby girl here got a rep, you know, we chipped some nails on some niggas, they want us to go in and drop this Mafioso motherfucker, cos` That's how it works, girl. Those were some serious caps. Word travels. So we supposed to go in there, bustle in this punk, and remove his heart? You go in and pull him out. That heart shit, that's just for flavour. Now, I'm still trying to get the down-low from this cat Padiche, but what we got right now is a number... and a name. Buddy Israel. What else, um, did Padiche say? He said the shit might get hot and might get heavy. I said, 'Cool, 'cos I got two of the hottest, heaviest bitches alive.' Like who? Like Pasquale Acosta. Blood-money mercenary. His countrymen have dubbed him the more dubious... El Estrago. The Plague. American educated, fluent in over a dozen languages, freelanced for the CIA, noted for his, uh,... legendary torture techniques. (SCREAMS) 'He was caught by the SAS in Northern Ireland in prison. 'He chewed off his fingertips to the bone so he couldn't be printed or ID'd by Interpol.' Is it possible that he could be involved in this? A million-dollar hit fee would draw some huge flies. And Acosta's pure mercenary. He has a history of taking on tough kills, and he's certainly not alone. 'Who else?' How about the Tremor brothers? Three of 'em ` same skank mom, different deadbeat dads. They're used for that suicide-style kamikaze shit. Hear about that dinner club in Cleveland? 'Squad car shot to shit, slashed and burned.' 'What happened to 'em?' 'Well, Tremor brothers go rip-shit riot on the whole fucking place. 'Seven dead, 28 wounded, just to get this one fucking guy.' Argh! 'In the course of their melee, one of 'em gets shot in the neck, passes out. 'Another one catches blowback from a jammed piece, he's temporarily blinded. 'Third one gets a bullet lodged in his back, he can't walk.' Higher! They're speed-freak neo-Nazi assholes who read and recite Mein Kamp like it was Mother Goose. They're meaner than shit, they're dumber than hell, and these motherfuckers will go megaton... (LAUGHS INSANELY) ...at the drop of a hat. 'I ain't never heard of him.' Then, listen up, because he may wind up being your main competition. His name is Soot ` Lazlo Soot. A lot of folks want this white boy clapped. Word is, Soot is working for one of 'em. 'Now, they don't know where he's from, how long he's been in the game or even what he looks like, but when Soot decides to move somebody,... ...they're the last ones to see him coming. So there it is. The bond on Buddy Israel expires in 18 hours. It's a gamble. Who posted the bond? Same guys who hired me. Former law firm. Walked out the door after he made bail, hasn't been seen since. If this Israel really is the great white whale of snitches, then, what are we doing messing with the mob who are ` correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're gonna pour boxes of bullets into his ass. Here we go. What incentive is there to track him on something as small time as a fucking skip trace? I take it you're not going. No, I'm going to go into Kentucky and take Fort Knox with a fucking slingshot, and after that, I'm going to` Would you please find your fangs, you fucking coward, and get with this? What is wrong with you? (SNIFFS) Seriously, what is wrong with you? Listen. I know where Israel is. OK? So we have maybe... a day before that location that I know gets grapevined and the whole fucking world gets into this. He's on Lake Tahoe, on the Nevada side. We gotta lay something out, though. You go up in there ad-libbing, they'll shoot your ass. How much are we talking on the split? 45 apiece for you two, 10% finder's fee for me. So what's the timeframe? Fast as we can get you there. We wait any longer, someone gonna dead this fool. 'We lose our witness.' And we lose our case. Now, Israel's manager, a man by the name of Morris Mecklen, has guaranteed us that Israel will enter into protective custody once the government has approved this deal. Now, we have been monitoring Mecklen's phone calls, and we've learned that Israel is at the penthouse level of the Nomad hotel and casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The high-roller suite? It's the last place they'd look. Israel's lawyers were left holding the bag after he skipped bail, and Rupert Reed, one of the firm's partners, has learned of his whereabouts. And he's dispatched a local bondsman by the name of Jack Dupree to pick him up and return him to Vegas. It's very simple, gentlemen. We can't allow that to happen. A Gulfstream is waiting at Reagan National Airport to transport you to Lake Tahoe. I'll be flying to Los Angeles to finalise Israel's deal. No former witness against the mob has been as crucial or as important as Buddy 'Aces' Israel. He's not only essential to our case,... he is our case. And understand that... if an attempt is made on his life, it'll be made by those of the strictest professional calibre. 'They are amoral, ruthless, and without restraint.' And they must not succeed. PHONE RINGS 'Who is it?' 'Yeah, Buzzy, I just got a call. And the Swede has arrived.' 'No shit.' 'The old man's sent for him, 'so get yourself on a plane and get your ass to Lake Tahoe.' Are you fucking kidding me? Fuck you. Goodbye, good luck, Godspeed. Good day, sir. What the fuck` Where are you going? Urgh. You call Mecklen? I got machine. What did you say? I leave message. I know you left a message. What did you say? You're staring at me like I just asked you the fucking square root of something. What did you say to Mecklen on the little motherfucking machine? That you were returning his call and you were very, very concerned. Wow, that's fantastic work, man! You have the wisdom of a 6000 or 7000-year-old man. That's fantastic. We don't have to fill up the whole blackboard after all. Do me a favour, will you? Now, will you tell me what that is? What? Look at the collar on that coat. What does that look like, that stain? Uh,... I dunno. The cinnamon roll. (IMITATES HIS ACCENT) Da cinnamon roll. The cinnamon, da roll of da cinnamon? That, uh, looks like, uh, jizz. Yeah. Eastern European jizz. That looks like some fuckhead shot his load on a $12,000 calfskin jacket. The twist is, it's my $12,000 calfskin jacket! So you've got the semen, OK, you've got the human ejaculate, that's been allowed to soak in for, like, seven hours, all right, work its way into the fabric fuckin' fibres` If you like, I send out. To what? Incinerate? Hugo! There isn't a fucking laundry detergent or dry-cleaning product known to man that will get that clean. Some shit, suffice it to say, just don't wash out. You want an apology? Only if you really, truly mean it. I very sorry. PHONE RINGS Are you a colossal fucking idiot? I am, yeah. Get the phone. It's probably Mecklen. Get Vittoli up here and start cleaning. All right? And please, for me, will you do one thing? Yes, sir. Go ahead. Uh, we're about three miles from the Nomad now. Do this in the next day or so. Get to Israel before the Swede can. All right. We'll be awaiting word. All right. We got time. You wanna grab something to eat? Yeah. Any word on this Swede? No, just the mention in that phone call. There's no Swedish hitman on anyone's radar. Well, maybe he's that good, you know, never been caught. Maybe, but that's very unlikely. Jesus, I tell you ` engineering this kind of play against Sparazza, going to the lengths these two guys are going ` they're playing some long odds. Coffee, anything? I don't wanna order without` No, we cool. No, thanks, darlin'. So, I spoke to Loretta this morning, and she told me more or less you have a plan of attack. My associate, I can get him on the phone, and, uh, if you could just speak to him and, uh, tell him the plan. Your plans. What you got in mind? Pussy. I'm sorry? Pussy. Pushy? Puss-see. Pussy! (LAUGHS) Yeah. Israel likes pussy. And we like... that he likes... Pussy. Correct. (SIGHS) Well, enough said. (CHUCKLES) Hey, Jack! Great. Good. Super. Come on in. Good to see you. I'm Pete. Hello! Rip Reed. Come on in. Good, good. Great. What's, uh... Hello? Great. Come on in. Sorry about that. Hey. Hollis. Rip Reed. Hello, Hollis. Come on in. So, uh, Jacky tells me you guys are a couple of ex-cops, huh? Yeah. We, um, we worked vice, like, six years. Four. Six, vice. Four, six ` they didn't teach you how to count, I guess, huh? But I bet you guys got a bunch of stories. Right? I don't. I grew up kinda soft, with the private schools, and the little blazers, you know, and, uh, everyone talked things out, you know? No-one ever threw any blows. You know, to this day, never punched in the face. Imagine that? I'm pretty much pantywaist. I don't say this to be self-deprecating, I just don't got much opinion of myself. I'd much rather be like you guys, you know, big swingin' dicks taking care of shit. Sadly, this is it. This is... You know, it's disgusting. 'Thanks, God!' Pile a piss-poor physique on a small cock and hereditary alcoholism. 'Appreciate it' (!) I'm babbling. I do that, drunk. Let's get to the business in hand. This wanted felon here, Buddy Israel, little Rick Springfield, I guess, and his bail bond bobbin' around there out at the lake. Rip? You got nothing to worry about. I've assembled a team. We're gonna go in, and we're gonna get this guy. And everyone is gonna leave the theatre grinning. That's great. You're feeling it, you're feeling it, you're feeling it, huh? Come on. Outstanding! Get it up there! Come on. Come on, man. And bones it! Huh? Right there. And then padlock it, and then you put the chain on it. That's a new one I'm workin' on. Am I gettin' the hairy eyeball off that guy? No, no. No, no. No, no. He's all right? He's all right. Tell him. This is good, though, what you're telling me. All right? I need to hear this stuff. Little boost helps allays my fears. I pass that piece of mind along to my partners. All right. Hey, man. That's not yours. Put the fuckin' rabbit down. Appreciate it. Get your dick-beaters off it. Couple of things ` the hangers-on, his posse, you know, they're all strapped, or packing, whatever the phrase is. Strapped. Strapped now? So they got guns. What else? He drinks, self-medicates, total cliche, this guy. You know? He's a strung-out, washed-up, has-been jerk, snitch, fuckin' drunk, seven-layer loser. Right? I'm prayin' that he puts up a fight! Please, please, please. Rape him, if it's possible. Punch him in the seat or something, you know? Hit him in the brown. I dunno. Anyway, I believe we had a retainer... for services rendered. $50,000! 50 grand for this fucking suite? Calm down. Don't tell me to calm down. That's all they're gonna give us. Look at the attention we giving them, man. They're campaigning like niggers ain't hot. We hot. And they losing a whole floor's worth of business saying it's under construction. I'm not shelling out that kind of bread for this shithole. All right? This is a junior suite in Vegas, so fuck this and the fucking Animal Kingdom` What? Vittoli no answer the phone. Go down there and get him. Go down there! Come on. Let's go. Has Mecklen called? No. When do we get concerned? We don't get concerned. We'll see movement on this soon. All right? We just got to knock off a few more hours. These flowers have wilted. Call the florist. I need you to chill. I need you to call the florist. When your guy gonna call? That's what's happening. Hey, yo, Beanie! (CLAPS HANDS) Hey, ladies. Get up. Beanie? Bag 'em and get some more on the deck, alright? Alright, y'all. We did the damn thing. Now, proceed to the front in an orderly fashion, or how the fuck y'all want to, but get the fuck home. Let's go! Step lively! Get your ass up! Put your clothes on, girl! You acting like you all on sundial. You all need to be on stopwatch! (EXHALES) Dammit. I didn't realise how fucked-up I was till I just saw your ass, girl. You went from Beyonce to Bigfoot in less than six fucking hours. Fuck you, pussy! Hey, we did that dance, bitch. Kick rocks! Ow! GIRLS LAUGH (SHOUTS) (LAUGHS) Hey, y'all got sick leave? Cos y'all just got fucked up! Yes, you might be missing some work. Oh, hell, no! This is your life! GIRLS SHOUT AND CHATTER ALL YELL Po's got a gun! GIRLS SHOUT AND SHRIEK ALL YELL Take your shit, bitch. Thanks, Paul. (LAUGHS) Israel's awake. There was apparently a fight with some, uh,... some prostitutes, but he wasn't involved. What, like, an actual fight? Yeah, a fight. Jesus. A scuffle. A donnybrook. Yeah. He had one of his men call a madam for another group of girls. We're gettin' robbed here, man. Three days staring at Sparazza's house, this guy's got hookers up there fist-fighting. Aww, look what you're missing. Have you checked this stuff out yet? This is unbelievable. You know that Sparazza's had major elective plastic surgery? 15 of 'em. 15 separate procedures since 1952. Look at the work he's had done! Nose, three times. Eyes, eyelids, jaw... He'd take every has-been actor in Hollywood. Easy. Wall-to-wall felony offences, murder, of course, extortion, arson, grand larceny, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, and a paternity suit, just to, you know, round out the portfolio, and not one single criminal charge laid against him. You can't kill over 100 people without knowing how to tip-toe. But the Bureau know he killed Heller. Why not go after him for that? Heller was buried by the agency. Any time an operative failed, or was perceived to have failed, he was blackballed. Look at what happened to Ness! Ness, the untouchable, took down Capone. Heller got shot and killed. Sparazza walked. How much longer do you think? Who knows? Locke has been with the lawyers from justice since yesterday afternoon. Israel's manager is acting as his attorney. That's what's holding things up. I wanna be in that penthouse a second after this deal is done. Israel's obviously paid the hotel staff off. We're not gonna have any trouble with the hotel staff. You show them your ID with the letters FBI in all caps, it's instant compliance. I've seen it happen 100 times. Special Agent Gerald Diego, FBI, San Francisco field office. We're conducting a series of impromptu inspections for the Nevada Gaming Commission. And we'd like to speak with your head of security here. OK. Just one second. 'Where'd you get these?' Same place that rents to the guards. Alright. There's a shift change at 9am. The graveyard gets off, we're gonna slip in with the daytime guys when they go on. What about access cards, pass keys? We'll get those when we get inside. Basically, there's two security levels, OK? You got your casino floor, count-room surveillance, then you got general security... I guess your friend don't wanna hear this. Hollis! Get the fuck out of the car. Come on. Want me to put a gun to your head? Yeah, we've been through that already. Quit acting like someone took a shit in your cereal bowl. All right? Reed paid us 50 grand. What am I doing? Am I standing here? Am I standing here? Your attitude is fuckin' horrible! Cut it out! Two security levels ` the one we're going in under the guise of, general hotel security. They're basically in charge of standing around the lobby with their dicks in their hands. ENGINE ROARS, DEATH METAL BLARES TYRES SQUEAL A 35-person employee contingent that goes in 9 o'clock in the morning... ENGINE AND MUSIC DROWNS OUT DIALOGUE MUSIC COMES TO DRAMATIC FINALE AND STOPS SPLASHING Come on! Get over here! BOTH GROWL AND SHOUT GRUNTING AND SHOUTING CONTINUES Argh! You stay down! You stay down! (SHOUTS) I forgive you, darlin'. I sure do appreciate that, man. I can't blame you. Me and my brothers were wanted by the law. I would've killed you for it, too. You would've? Oh, hell, yeah. We was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. So don't feel so bad, chief. Oh, damn... Alright, then. You know, up here in heaven, it's beautiful. Really? I'll see you up here someday. You think so? I know so. SOUNDS OF PUNCH-UP CONTINUE IN BACKGROUND Small world. Alright! Enough grab-assin', goddammit! Go grab them suits in the car, pitch some poor fellas in the lake. Follow me over to the hotel. YELLING IN BACKGROUND DROWNS OUT DIALOGUE (SHOUTS FURIOUSLY) Let go of my arm! That's gonna be real incognito, goin' in like that (!) Brilliant! Shh. Why don't you just chill right out. Would you like two beds in your room? Oh, mm-mm, we're not together. No. Oh, come on, baby. Don't be shy! Just one bed, please. Hey! Come on, baby. You know I'm playin' with your pretty ass. Let me ask you a question ` how often you let hoochies like that stay up in here? Oh, well` I mean, cos y'all must be burning sheets by the ton. Uh` As a female, that shit right there don't get you? OK, it's bitches like that the reason why niggas don't pay our species any mind. They don't respect us. We just meat for male consumption. Pieces of ass and pussy, something pretty in lipstick that can suck a fucking cock. Shh! Shh my ass! She asleep. I'm trying to wake this bitch up. Come here! Come here. Bitches like that make me weep for what could be. If we-all sisters everywhere, black, white, brown and yellow, put our shit down one time a unified front, you know the female race mobilised, baby, movin' as one! You feel me? I'm gonna need a mini-bar key too. "Say your name, then say, 'How can I be of assistance?'" 'I don't understand.' 'I didn't ask for your understanding. 'I asked for your name, followed by the phrase, "How can I be of assistance?'" 'My name is Vittoli. How can I be of assistance?' 'Bravo.' TWO SILENCED GUNSHOTS SQUEAK OF REWINDING AUDIO My name is Vittoli. How can I be of assistance? REWINDING AUDIO IMITATES VITTOLI: My name is Vittoli. How can I be of assistance? My name is Vittoli. How can I be of assistance? REWINDS My name is Vittoli. How can I be of assistance? GARGLES/SPITS My name is Vitolli. How can I be of assistance? My name is Vitolli. How can I be of assistance? (COUGHS) Vitolli! Vitolli! ECHOEY, INDISTINCT DIALOGUE Bernard wants you now, top. Where are you, you big lug? Vitolli! Come on, bitchy bitch. You open this fucking door! DOOR OPENS Ah! SILENCED GUNSHOT # 'Save Yourself' ` The Make-Up # # My lips could feel the kisses. # My tongue could taste the wine. # Blood was flowing freely # through those limbs of mine, oh, yeah. # You're my Dr Frankenstein. # Oh, yeah. # You're my Dr Frankenstein, oh, yeah. # Oh, baby, yeah. # You crank me to the sky. # You opened up the lids # that covered up my eyes... # Listen. Let me tell you something. You know what? Listen to me. The deal is off in five minutes unless they give us something. 'I don't know what to say to you. It is what it is.' Bullshit! It isn't. Listen, I don't know how to say it any louder, Morrie. I am not giving up my boys. 'They are bricking us on that particular issue, pally. I've been cohabitating with these people for the last 30 hours. These are the premier cocksuckers of all time, man, and I feel beaten by them. I feel bloodied. You're just gonna have to play ball` No, no, I don't have to do shit, which includes cooperating with these fuckers, until I get what I want! 'Listen to me. If you have to give them someone, give them Hugo. Alright? I can take that. He needs that regimented prison shit. It's bigger than that. They want everybody ` Ivy, Beanie, Hugo, the works. This is not a fucking swap-meet, alright, Morrie? I'm not giving up my boys, and you fucking know that. I gave you Sparazza, I'm gonna give 'em Sparazza and the West Coast syndicate, gift-wrapped. 'Get it fuckin' done!' Listen to me, kid. Let's not antagonise this any more, OK? 'If we push this, they are gonna revoke your protective status,' and that nullifies any agreement we've got, and that is mate, checkmate, kiddo! Alright. Israel rolled! He's given 'em all up? His entire entourage. He doesn't have a friend in the world. We gotta move. Son of a bitch. The justice lawyer sign off? Yeah, that's happening. Look, if he's gonna run, he's gonna run now. We gotta go. I'm gonna call security, make sure the whole place is locked down. We got to keep him in that penthouse! 'I'd like to take a look at the penthouse.' No, uh, I'm sorry. The penthouse is currently under construction. Look, can I, uh,... speak to you privately? Gary? Let's get our personnel up on the catwalk over 12. The rolls that table's been gettin'... (CHUCKLES) It's tough, huh? This is tough. I don't know how you do this. I mean, you have to keep your eye on everything. And everybody, all the time. Yeah, it can be hard, sure. I bet. So, Bill, if I'm getting this right, you currently have the, uh, penthouse level under construction? That's correct. OK. But with these down, doesn't that pose a major security concern? I mean, as you say, you got to keep your eye on everything the whole time. Well, we were worried about the dust and debris from the work going on up there ruining the cameras. So you shut 'em off? Yes. 'Hey, Bill, there's some situation on 12.' Table 12. OK, I need somebody over at table 12. A little blue-haired lady there who's rolled about 14 times. Thank you. 'Problem at table 14.' Table 12! 'Alright.' Uh... So you shut 'em off. Yes. There's personnel stationed at both ends of that hallway 24 hours a day. OK. What kind of personnel? Right now, uh,... a six-man security force plus Vittoli, our executive butler, so... seven men total. Do you have an executive butler on the floor? Just in terms of the men that are up there, my team, serving lunch and dinner and just generally doing upkeep. 'I'm at the table. Is it table... I'm on 12. I don't know what you're seeing right now, Bill.' It's a little blue-haired lady. I'm looking at her right now. Table 12! She is killin' it, alright? I want you to keep an eye on her, that's all! It's got to be frustrating. 'Copy that. I got her now.' Uh,... no guests, though, in the, uh, penthouse. No. Come on, Bill. (SIGHS) You got some, uh,... some sultan. (LAUGHS) Well, who else? (LAUGHS) No. Big spender, huh? No, no. Likes a lot of space? Did you cook up this little, uh, construction thing? No. We've been looking to renovate that area of our hotel for some time now. The security in place is solely to preserve the integrity. Who else has access to the floor? PHONE RINGS I'm sorry. We're covering some very sensitive material here, and I've got to safeguard myself, so if you could just show me your ID again, get your clearance. If you could you tell me who has access to the floor, I think` I have the sole pass and relieve all of the personnel myself personally. Now, if I can just see your ID` Absolutely. 'Hello? Hello?' KNIFE BLADE CLICKS 'Is anyone there? I need to speak to security right away. 'This is Special Agent Carruthers of the FBI. Hello? Is anyone there? 'Hello?' Look at that... blood? Yes, it is. It's filling up your lungs right now. In less than a minute, you're gonna asphyxiate and pass out, but you shouldn't be feeling any pain right now. OK? (GASPS) OK? Close your eyes. Close your... Close your eyes. Don't make this face the last thing that you'll ever see. (WHIMPERS) (SPEAKS SPANISH) Am I... really dying? Yeah. Yeah, William. We're all dying. (WHISPERS) (GASPS/SHOUTS) (BREATHES RAGGEDLY/WHIMPERS) That's a confirmed double homicide. Nobody from security is picking up the line. Gunshot vics, dumped in the lake maybe an hour ago. RADIO CHATTER Yeah, go, go, go! 'We got an ID pending on a Jack Dupree. He's a bail bondsman out of Las Vegas, Nevada.' Did you recover anything from his person? 'Uh, we got a receipt out of his pocket. It was for a uniform rental. 'It was partially destroyed by the lake water`' BOTH: What kind of uniforms? 'Maroon in colour.' Maroon? That's Nomad security. Were these uniforms recovered? 'No, we're still looking.' Fuck! BOTH GIVE RAPID-FIRE INSTRUCTIONS Nobody gets into the hotel, nobody gets out. It's a crime scene. Make it happen. OK? Dupree was going in as security. Yep. I'm gonna be going over to the hotel. You get over to the lake. What are you gonna do? I'm gonna get to Israel before they do. 'I don't think that's gonna work.' We don't need to bring any more shit down on our heads. We gonna hit whoever's between us and Israel. And I don't wanna be killing no women, no matter how they make their living. Wait. I'm getting some feedback off that earpiece. STATIC/RADIO CHATTER That's better? Yeah, much. What are you hearing right now? It was something about some faggot-ass Fed being up in the building. A Fed? Like FBI? Yeah. It's all right, though. It's cool. It was just some little casino inspection. Don't trip. Alright, then. When the trick's at the lobby, I want you to holler at me. 'I'm gonna meet 'em on their way up, blend in real nice. 'Once I'm inside, I'm putting chrome to Israel's head and backing out. 'Anybody gets wind of you`' I'm gonna grip and rip. I'm ready to put some niggas out, trust me. Just remember, it's more of a rescue than rampage, all right? Hey, come on. You know I had to bring Big Momma, though. You got the 50 out? Sure do. What the fuck? You trying to shoot a jumbo jet out the sky? Any of those niggas make one false move, these bitches taking dirt naps. I ain't trying to be up here all day, and I tell you what, that bitch-ass Fed get in the way ` RIP, nigga! BOTH LAUGH That Kevlar web stitching ` that shit is itchy as hell. Mm-hm. Let me ask you a question. You still fuckin' with that little ice girl? I been trying to break a sweat off of that motherfucker. Well, fuck that niggerman. 'Anyway, we got each other. That's all the love we ever gonna need. Feel me? 'You feel me, girl?' Oh, wait a minute. I think the ho train just arrived. Damn! Four skank-ass bitches! That's your crew. Hey, fuck you, all right. Fuck you and this fucking wig, cos this shit is getting on my nerves. 'I'm on my way out.' I'm gonna just, uh, chill in the hallway till they come up in the elevator, and you let me know, alright? You just get up in there and do your thing, baby girl. Momma's got your back. Momma's got your back, baby. PHONE RINGS Buzzy? Yeah, it's me. 'All right. You got clicks? Anything? No, nothing on my end. So, how we lookin'? Looks very good. Fuckin' thrilled to hear it. These guys, you feel it from them? Cold blood, dead eyes. OK. Yeah, good. So you're at the hotel? Everything's alright? It's, uh, quiet. You're not seeing anything? No signs of trouble, nobody lurking, nothing? Absolutely not. We've got nothing to worry about. Israel's in the penthouse now, right? Yeah. I guess he's been holed up there for a week or so. How are we on time? The Swede's been dispatched. He's flying, so... Well, uh, alright. So he's headed to Tahoe, then, huh? Yeah. We're in a bit of a foot-race now. It's a matter of who, uh, hustles who, you know? We've just got to get to Israel first. It's getting done, Sid. We got to get him. Everything, and I mean everything, is riding on this. We're gonna get him. Trust me. Sorry, sir, but this is eyes-only. They told me to hand-deliver. Where did this come from? They dug it up in archives as part of the Sparazza investigation. Has anyone else seen this? Only the director himself. He asked that you contact him immediately. Should we inform Messner and Carruthers? No. Things have changed. Get the director on the phone and have our jet on the tarmac at LAX in half an hour. Sir. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS) (PHONES AND CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE) (BIRDSONG) # Nobody makes soup in a cup # Like Continental Cup A Soup ! # Hey, Hugo. What's happenin', man? Hey, you're good to go in. # 'Big White Cloud' ` John Cale # # When I stand, # my back to the sea, # a big white cloud # looking right down on me. # Sound of the sun # missing my eyes. # Everything's clear... # Hey, man. Where the fuck Vitolli at? What the fuck you mean,...? I can't clean this shit up myself, dog. Hey, don't even think I'm touching my man's coat that I know you nutted all over, you no-aimin' ass. Man, what the fuck was you thinkin', bare-backing them bitches, Hugo? I bet you your dick is disintegrating as we speak, playa. What the fuck is wrong wit' you, man? Hugo! # Time to kill # on the hill. # Looking at bees # licking the trees, # looking for signs. # Wind and the rain ` # Oh, how I love it. # Yes, I love it. # Oh, I love it so. # Oh, I love it. # Yes, I love it. # Oh, I love it so... # So, what they have to say? They're getting close, man. Got to buy a handful of deal points, and then we're getting close. What you shakin' for, man? But it's all good, right? Yeah. Look at me, man. Look at me. What's up? (TAPS RAZOR BLADE) I'm working! (LAUGHS) Yeah, OK. What's up? You believe in loyalty, don't you? Do I believe in loyalty? The kind of loyalty when an otherwise sensible motherfucker like myself leaves my own best interests aside? That's why you're my man! Cos outside a goddamn dog, that kind of loyalty, my kind of shit,... ...it don't get no more dedicated or devout. What are you trying to say? What I've been saying. I need to get your head of security right now. He's not picking up the extension. I know that. What floor are they on? I don't know right now. What floor are they on, Ricky? OK. You know what? That's one of our guys right over there. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me, sir. Yes? How can I help? Special Agent Carruthers, FBI. I need to get to your penthouse level immediately. Well, I'm headed there right now. Is this an emergency? Well, let's hope not. I'm goin' down. (CHUCKLES) I'll bet you are. Faggot-assed redneck. What you say? Just some assholes on the elevator. Are these bitches on a permanent smoke-break or what? Oh, wait, wait, wait wait. The ho-train has left the station. Yeah, they headed straight to you, the skank-ass bitches. That's the role you wanted to play. Yeah, that says a whole lot about you. A ho, ho lot! RINGS DOORBELL POUNDING RAP MUSIC What up, pig? Speak! Come on! Speak! Bitch, I'm about to ball this. (CHOKES) OK, then, punk. That was not made clear to me. This is the first I'm hearing of it. Have you contacted Agent Carruthers? Sound up here's terrible. You or I should speak with the SAC. And he's the guy I answer to. Look, in less than an hour, you're gonna have 40 to 50 field agents arriving in Lake Tahoe without the slightest clue as to why. We're instructed to take Israel into protective custody. That's a two-man operation. What you're describing now is a much larger move. Hold it. Listen, I need to speak with Locke. Get him on the phone. If the situation's changed, I need to hear it from him. Let me see that. Hollis Elmore, Vegas resident. Used to be with their PD. We recovered the car. What car? Dupree's car, an '89 Cadillac sedan Deville. Where'd you find it? Parking structure at the Nomad. Are the overheads necessary? Turn the overheads off! Now! Not exactly low profile, is this? No, sir. Hotel locked down at all? I couldn't tell you that right now, sir. Hugo, what the fuck is wrong wit' you, man? What, you stuck on 'stupid' or something? I know. You rode the little bus to school. Hey, man, stop using that fuckin' lotion, man. You look like a damn muppet. And don't let your bitch cut your hair no more, dog. Look like she put a bowl on that shit, man. Damn! You need to bring your ass down and help me, Hugo, for real. I ain't cleaning all this shit up myself, man. I'm tired, and I ain't no fuckin' cleaning lady, dog. For real, bring your ass down here. Shit. SILENCED GUNSHOT (GASPS) (INHALES PAINFULLY) Fuck. (GURGLES) Oh, hell, no. You didn't do that, dog. What you say to Meck? What I've always been saying ` let's make the fucking deal! You see,... this is one of them rare moments where your ass get a chance to be completely honest. And if I'm asking you what you said to Mecklen, assume this shit is rhetorical. Assume I already know. What do you see right now? You see exactly... and only... what I choose to show you. That is illusion, Ivy. That is a lie that I tell your eyes, making the magic happen in the moment, in that split second. But seeing behind this motherfucker and knowing... that it's all bullshit` Yeah, you on some bullshit. But I can shape it. I can shift it. I can make it as real as this room. That is why I'm valuable here, Ivy, and that is why you are not. I ain't valuable? I am sorry. I love you. I never wanted it to be like this. You know that. It don't matter what you wanted. It's what you did. If you thought old man Primo could twist your shit up,... ...wait till you see what I'm about to do to here. STATIC/FEEDBACK I don't believe this. Battery's completely dead. Oh, forget it. You won't get a signal in here. You'll have to wait. Well, what about that line? Can't you contact your people with that? No. These phones are hardwired directly to maintenance. Once we reach the penthouse, I can call down, I'll have the elevators taken off line, so... 'Pasquale Acosta, blood-money mercenary,... El Estrago. 'The Plague. When he was caught by the SAS in Belfast 'and imprisoned, he chewed off his fingertips to the bone.' Why don't you have maintenance do it? Do what, sir? Shut the elevator down. An emergency shut-down of our entire elevator system? That has to be handled by my staff, sir. How long have you been working here,... Bill? 'Oh my God! I need an ambulance for Bill. I'm in the security room`' Argh! CRACKLING Are you anywhere near the penthous No. But that definitely sounds like gunshots. And I don't know where it's coming from. Somebody got an earpiece, you just picking up their signal. 'Nomad security, lock down the elevators immediately.' Please don't tell me this motherfucker just went off. Man, these fools! Man, fucking security's shutting down the elevators in your building. 'Please remain calm.' That's the power. 'The elevator's service has been temporarily suspended, and will resume momentarily.' ELEVATOR MUSIC 'Please remain calm. Elevator service has been temporarily suspended...' Well, let's get on with it. CHAINSAW ROARS Hold on to that. WHINE OF RETURNING POWER ALL CHUCKLE That's how we do! Now... OK. OK. Now, I'm a registered nurse, and this was my bath not a half hour ago. Oh... We'll take care of that. Hey, Boogie? I need you to go in and get my heating pad,... Nana? ...get my blanket. Nana! OK, Grandma's big helper boy? Nana... Nana... Nana... (CHUCKLES) Grandma get it. Go on! Little angel-butt. I feel like you're eyeballin' me, dawg! I don't like punk bitches eyeballin' me. You got a beef? You got a beef? You want some of this? Yeah! MARTIAL ARTS-SOUNDING GRUNTS AND GROANS See the skills. The skills! Ha! Would you fuckin' stop? Oh, yeah! (LAUGHS INDULGENTLY) Whoo-hoo! (SHOUTS AND WAILS) ...the apparent disappearance of a third. The name of one victim is being withheld, but the other victim is being identified as Jack Dupree. Oh, shit! PHONE RINGS Goddammit! Son of a fuckin' bitch! Fuck! 'A vehicle registered in Mr Dupree's name has been recovered in the parking lot of the Nomad hotel and casino. Don, if you can hear this, I'm in the hotel, north side. 'I changed lives for you.' You never had to wash another man's blood off, dig it out of your fingernails. You had us for that. You ain't never made no real beef on your own. Shit, as light in the ass as you are, you ain't never haven't had to make more than a fucking fish in your whole life. Ivy,... So if you think I'm gonna let your little punk ass, with the dirt I done,... ...listen to me, man. ...sell me off like a fucking field nigger,... You know I wouldn't. ...hand me to the Feds like your last cheque... Whatever you think` ...you out of your motherfuckin' mind. Motherfuck. You're out of your fuckin' mind! GUNSHOTS ALL YELL Mr Israel? I'm in here! Ivy's trying to kill me! Motherfuck you! Fuck you! Get in here! Drop that goddamn gun now or you're a dead man. Christ, Beanie's dead! He murdered Beanie. Put the guns down. Get inside. He's in there. Get him out of here. Jimmy, cuff him. Take him to the service exit. It's quick. Get back here. We'll handle the rest of it. You alright, Hugo? He's fine. He's giving us up to the Feds, Hugo. Get out of here! He working with them people, Hugo! It's all bullshit. You know that, Hugo. Alright? You stay with me. Stay with me. Mecklen's gonna call any second. All right? All right? You with me? You with me, baby? Huh? We're almost home. These two are down. What the fuck is going on? Come on, you fucker. 'Forget it. It's done.' Hey, quit saying that. All right? Girl, I just saw muzzle flashes coming from that suite. That's probably where you heard the shots earlier. Israel's ass is a wrap. I ain't come all this way just to pack it up. You think of something. Whatever, man. We could bounce out, chill for a little bit, shoot a little craps, maybe spend a night. Come on, baby. Look, we can break down now` Shit, girl. What? These two dudes just sittin' in the elevator,... all shot up. Whatever it was, it got way past words. What are they doing right now? Dying. So them fellas, the ones that were shot and tossed into the lake, were them police officers, too? Mm-hm. Oh, them are left over after my hysterectomy, so they'd be a few years old. I'm not gay because I have a beard. My fingers are cut off. Oh, poor me! Warren, go and practise your nunchucks now. Leave us be alone, shug. (MAKES MACHINE NOISES) (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) Go on, now, shug! Any time. Any time, fag. I'm sorry about that boy. His momma abandoned him going on a year now, and his daddy, my boy, Del, he's over at the Reno correction facility. He's got some clarity issues. Did some home invasion, sodomy, torture, wrote a bunch of bad cheques. My husband, Bill, committed suicide by hanging about nine months back, and ever since then, little Boogie there's been the man of the house! (LAUGHS) I don't think that's been open since my husband died. I might just borrow this for a little while. That's why we're on walkies. This jurisdiction's a nightmare around here. Any more on Dupree's car? Nothing. You're telling me that nobody noticed anyone getting out of a Cadillac that looked like a Whiffle ball? Where's your guy? I know. Right here. Ricky, this is Agent Messner. Tell him exactly what happened, nice and slow. Yeah. Uh, earlier today there was that guy, uh, Carruthers` Do you know where he is? No. He... Well, security was on him, then later I saw him get on the elevator with the other agent. Hold on. Wait a minute. What other agent? There were no other agents. Our agents are landing here now. There was nobody here. Well, he said he was from San Francisco. Did he give you a name? Uh, Spanish something. It was Diego or Garcia... Run both those names through the database. Something stinks here. Call San Francisco see if they've got any` He was wearing one of our jackets. BOTH: What? Who was? The other agent. He said he was here to do some inspections. And then later, when I saw him get on the elevator with` This man identified himself as a federal agent? Yeah, he had the badge and everything. And when you saw him later, he was wearing one of your security jackets? Yeah. And that didn't seem odd to you? I mean, I thought they gave it to him, so... Walk with me. OK. So obviously, they've got a man posing as one of us. Make your team aware of it, and do it quietly. OK? Um... Fuck it. OK, let's get a tactical team assembled. We're going up. OK. We need to get these elevators powered up. All right. Maintenance, I need somebody to power up these elevators immediately. And I need to get Deputy Director Locke on a hard line as soon as possible. Alright, done. Step back, step back. ALL SHOUT AND PROTEST I thought you were gonna go,... go down and get Vittoli,... get him back up here. We gotta... We gotta pack up. We need to pack it up now. Bring him up here. We got to get packed up, you know, pack it up, alright? Where is he? 'He's dead.' I said dying, not dead. Shit. Shit, girl,... one of them's a Fed. 'Attention, all units...' 'Hello, did you hear me? Did you hear what I said?' Wait a minute. Hold up. I'm getting all kinds of shit over this scanner. Just chill for a second. 'Shots fired, west tower, Nomad...' Now, boy, just lay still for a minute, let me figure out... What the fuck...? Get out the way. (GRUNTS) Fuck. POLICE-RADIO CHATTER You ain't gonna believe this shit. Both these motherfuckers is Feds. No. One of them's not. One of them's bullshit. It's all over the air here. They got an impostor, some fool with a fake badge. You think it might be that motherfucker Loretta was telling us about ` Soot? Wait. Hold up, hold up. What I got here is a Gerald Diego and Donald Carruthers. Check which one's real, cos I'm gonna kill the one that ain't. Stop the elevator. Stop the elevator! (MURMURS/SIGHS) PHONE RINGS They... (SOBS) They revoked the deal. They revoked the deal. They pulled it. What do you mean? What do you mean? We got him, we got him, we got him. What do you mean? I dunno. It was the deputy director, that prick, Locke. He just smashed everything! He wouldn't tell me why. We're done. They're yanking us, Buddy. (SOBS) They killed us. They killed us. (SOBS) (SOBS) PHONE BEEPS PHONE RINGS Three minutes. GUN CLICKS Prepare to move. Elevator door's open. Possible aggression inside. Check your fire. Sugar, floor seven. I'm pinched. In some heavy shit. Fire, my count. You bet. GUN CLICKS ALL YELL Oh my God. Bring it. Argh! GUNFIRE DROWNS OUT YELLING Throw your weapons down! Step out of the elevator! Are these Feds fake or for real? I don't know! Please, Sharice... Argh! Argh! ALL SCREAM Georgia! Argh! Argh! Argh! Georgia, where are you? I can't fuckin' hear you! GUNFIRE AND YELLING IN BACKGROUND How bad? WHISPERS: Mortal. What? Mortal. No! God! Get medics up here! OK. No, no, no. Stay awake. Get me a medic! Get me a fucking medic! (SOBS) Where's the medic? Fuck! You hear me girl? I can't see shit from where I am. I'm moving down for a better sight-line. I got officers down on the seventh floor! Officers down! Have we isolated` Just get in there! Get in there and pin that girl! Stop, goddammit! Sharice? Can you hear me? I'm hit. Oh shit. I don't know how bad this is. Shit. That shit probably got through that Kevlar. It's on its way to the penthouse. CHAINSAW ROARS (ROARS) Move! Move! RADIO CHATTER Hurry! Fuck. Come on! RADIO CHATTER Can you hear me? (SOBS) Get this shit off. Move! Girl, where are you? Goddammit, Georgia, just say something! Argh! Mother` ALL YELL GUN CLICKS Fuck! Fuck! Get me a medic. Get me a medic! I need a medic. (SOBS) (SCREAMS) Somebody get him out of there! Fuck them! (SOBS) Fuck! Fuck! (SOBS) HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR I got three coming down now. Go! Move, move! Forgive me. Check the vitals on this guy. Initiate all clear? Clear! Clear. Floor secure, sir. OK, come in. Where's Carruthers and Messner? Carruthers is dead. Messner's unaccounted for. Account for him! What's your name, baby girl? Georgia. Georgia,... you know, you saved this black man. Yeah. All you gotta be is grateful. You hurtin' pretty bad, huh? I got shot twice. You didn't accidentally shot and killed my boy, did you? Mm. It was really complicated. I was goin' in there like a fool, baby. Straight-rocking, heat-slammin' niggas. For real? Mm-hm. Your boy... very well might have been one of them. I nearly busted on you, too. And what a shame that would have been. What you doin' here anyway? We was after some,... some fool named Israel. Damn, girl, you gonna make a nigga fall hard! Put her down. Put her down, and get up against the wall right now. Show me your hands. Show me your fuckin' hands! Drop the gun or I'll fucking drain you. Put the gun down. I didn't do your man downstairs. I found him like that. Whether you believe me or not, that ain't even the least bit important right now. We can work this out and live, or we can keep doing the same shit we been doing. I ain't got no problem with you or your bureau, so... I think you're better off just movin' on and letting us be. Messner is on his way in. SIRENS WAIL Agent Messner. What's going on? Are you alright? Tell me what's going on. Come on. Sit down. I don't wanna sit. Explain. It's very difficult to explain everything right now. Much larger matters loom. Now, I'm sorry to hear about Carruthers. He was a good man. Director? POUNDING INCIDENTAL MUSIC DROWNS OUT DIALOGUE OK, gentlemen, let's get Mr Israel up on the roof. He's travelling back with us. I can't explain everything right now. No. I... Go back to Washington. What the hell happened? I'm sorry, I cannot disclose anything more right now. So many people are dead. I need you to return to Washington. You'll be debriefed` Explain now. Argh! GUNFIRE There he goes! Don't shoot! It's the butler! This way, please! Don't shoot me! Don't shoot! Please, don't shoot! (SOBS) FBI! (RANTS INCOHERENTLY) Make room! Make room, please! Go all the way around the other side there. Clear the way, here. Clear the way. Fuck! GUNSHOTS Hey! That your car? No. I, uh... Confiscating it. FBI. Oh, you're FBI. Yeah. Yes, I am, so I would advise you to lower your weapon, sir. You're investigating those murders out at the lake, huh? Am I? Three men were ambushed and shot. Two died and had their bodies dumped in the lake. The other had a severe hypothermia,... possible dementia, and would probably be a multiple amputee by week's end. Shit. OK, you're right. I'm sorry. You shot me, and you murdered my friends. Yeah. Yeah, I know. And you dumped us in the lake. Pretty much. You were here hunting a man named Israel, weren't you? Is that who you was here for? Israel? Huh? (LAUGHS) I guess we both got beat out, then, didn't we, huh? BOTH LAUGH Goddamn! Crazy motherfuckers up there. Yeah. Yes, we did, huh? Right. Just... give me the keys and get the fuck out of here. OK. I'm really sorry about all that. Shit gets... Shit gets wild and crazy, it just,... it just up and fucks you for no good reason. You know? (LAUGHS) It's the way of the world! The way it's always gonna be. OK, then. Peace, bro. SIRENS WAIL IN DISTANCE Oh, fuck this. Alright, doctor. Thank you. Where's Israel? What are you doing here? My debriefing. Your debriefing? Your debriefing will be handled in DC, like I told you` No, right now. VOICES IN DISTANCE You were instructed to` GUN CLICKS What are you doing, Agent Messner? Walk. Let's go. You are gonna tell me why no call was made to inform us that the Israel situation had been altered, why I, and my friend and partner, whose body is going to be put in a furnace tomorrow, were never fucking contacted. I cannot discuss that. You can and you will. You are finished. Look at my fucking face. You just figure that out? Get that gun out of my spine or engage the safety, please. GUN CLICKS Thank you. HEART MONITOR BEEPS SOFTLY Make it make sense. They are father and son. Israel's mother was 19 at the time when she and Sparazza had a brief affair, of which Israel was the by-product. That same year, she brought a paternity suit against him. Paternity suit? Our surveillance of Padiche... Bogus and bad information that set off a series of unfortunate events. He's gonna clip Israel. Buddy Israel? Buddy Israel. Buddy Israel. They got a guy, some Swede... A Swede? Any word on this mysterious Swede? There's no Swedish hit man on anyone's... Dr Ingstrom, the Swede, is not a hired killer. He's had sustained arrhythmic episodes, severe cardiac... He's actually the head of cardiology at Stockholm University... Primo wants Israel's heart. Heart? Israel's heart? ...and one of the best heart surgeons in the world. The actual contract went to Lazlo Soot, the man who escaped the penthouse yesterday... Don't shoot! ...in disguise. He was hired by Sparazza to neutralise Israel's entourage. Dr Ingstrom was here to perform the surgery, and, as father and son, they are blood-compatible. You're talking about a transplant, aren't you? You're talking about a fucking heart transplant. You're gonna kill Israel to save Sparazza. No. They dug it up in archives as part of the Sparazza investigation. Sparazza had major elective plastic surgery? It wasn't elective. It was undertaken to save his life. Look at the work he's had done. It wasn't cosmetic. It was reconstructive. Look at the date of the first procedure. 1952... Same year that Sparazza supposedly murdered Freeman Heller. I'd like to show you exactly what I meant when I said 'change my face'. Using the latest techniques in cosmetic surgery, I will have my ears pinned back. Removing a slight piece of bone in my chin, I will alter my jaw line. A procedure known as rhinoplasty will reduce the size of my nose. And if you add facial hair to the equation, gentlemen, you have a face that looks nothing like mine, and more importantly, nothing like a Federal agent's. Oh Christ. I will retain a slight limp. My accent will be a regional Calabrese, my birthplace, Cosenza, Italy. That's him. That's Heller. And my name will be Primo Sparazza. GUNSHOT Now, gentlemen, I understand that this is a dramatic approach. Went deep cover 1940. He coulda ripped the Mafia apart, dismantled most of the organised crime in this country. This is the only way to truly infiltrate organised crime. His superiors were convinced that he had gone rogue, so they gave the order to terminate his cover. All this time we were told that it was Sparazza that had killed Heller. But it was us, the FBI. And we didn't kill him. He survived. But the injuries he sustained required constant surgery, forever altering his features, so he assumed the identity of his alter ego. A figment of Primo Sparazza became flesh and blood. Freeman Heller... was no more. The brass wanted Heller's op removed from official records, so they buried it completely and they wrote Heller off. All the agents from that era, they're dead and gone, so history defaulted to fable till now. Heller's op pre-dated World War II. That's 60 years of amassed Intel. You have any idea how valuable that is? Mm-hm. So you made another deal, didn't you? Israel's deal with the government was tossed out. We're now trying to rehabilitate him so we can attempt a transplant. You're realise that you're doing this to save Sparazza? No, son. I'm doing all this to save Heller. So you sent us in there, bugles blaring, with our bottoms out, for Heller? We need cohesion to move forward. Oh, shit can the cue-card rhetoric and talk to me like a man! You withheld information while Carruthers lay dying in pain and in the dark, and your reasons for doing that are exactly what? Some mob fossil? A monster that the Bureau built? You tell me something ` is he the Rosetta Stone, that's gonna blow the lid off the last 60 years? Possibly. Is he gonna show you where all the bodies are buried? Or... is his ultimate worth... bullshit? Utterly useless? That's the risk we take. Yeah. Empty pockets ` empty pockets paid for by the lives of our own people. You're blowing this way out of proportion. Are you out of your fucking mind? My guy is dead. The Bureau betrayed us. You betrayed us, Deputy Director Locke, you betrayed us the way you betrayed them. You fucking asshole! OK. If you like, I'll take your verbal resignation right here, right now. Do you want your career to end here, now, like this? Your call. Now, I'm prepared to dismiss your behaviour. And in light of what's happened, I understand it, I really do, and I'm truly sorry. But a decision has been made, and we required to abide by it, regardless of our personal feelings, feelings that might run contrary to the collective good, and that, I need you to understand. It's time for you to get on a jet back to DC and make no further inquiry into this matter. Is that understood, Agent Messner? Are we clear, Agent Messner? WHISPERS: We're clear. WHISPERS: We're clear. FLATLINE ALARMS BEEP GLASS MUFFLES FURIOUS YELLING MUFFLED YELLING/POUNDING ON GLASS