01x02 - The Strangers Across the Street

[bunniefuu]

sh*t!

Hey.

sh*t.

They're coming...

They're coming this way.

- They're coming over here.

- All right.

Hey, how's it going?

Can I help you with anything?

Yeah, we saw you guys just moved in across the street, and, well, we wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.

- I'm David.

- Jacob.

Nice to meet you.

Consider this a little housewarming.

Thank you.

Wow.

Hey, I'd invite you in, but, um, I haven't got any furniture yet.

Not a problem.

So, what brings you boys all the way out here?

We're...

We're, looking for country property.

We're ranchers.

- Ranchers?

- Yeah.

- It is funny you say that.

- Why?

We were just having this debate on the walk over here.

- Maybe you can settle it for us.

- Sure.

How many cattle can a West Texas scrub carry per acre?

I was at seven.

Thibodeau here was at 12.

And Steve was out there at over 20.

What do you think?

You know, my business partner is the expert on all this, and he's not here right now.

But, you know, when he gets back here, I bet he'll answer that for you.

No worries at all.

Say, we're having a little gathering here this evening.

- Love for you to join.

- Tonight?

You bet.

Man.

Y'know, I got a long day ahead of me.

Well, we'd love to have you and your friends, too.

Well, thanks again for the beer and the pizza.

Really appreciate it.

All right, we'll see you around.

You have a good day now.

One thing we know.

Those guys are not ranchers.

- Hey.

- Hey, Gary.

- Catch the game last night?

- Nah, I couldn't.

But I did catch wind of Mitch Decker's windfall.

Ten million more for HRT?

- Yeah.

- You think that's a good idea?

The world isn't getting any more peaceful.

I don't want my men being outgunned.

Well, if you put more g*ns in people's hands, they're gonna use 'em.

What does that mean?

There's a paradox to power.

The more force you bring to a situation, the more likely you are to meet resistance.

If we could spend some of those resources training agents to negotiate, I guarantee that you would invest a lot less in body bags.

We can't talk our way out of every situation.

This is a good thing, Gary.

A show of force helps bring people to the negotiating table.

You have a good day, too.

Thanks, Sheriff.

Well, it's not Sheriff Harwell's people.

Well, maybe it's Immigration, 'cause a few people here from other countries don't have visas.

I have to go on the record here and say whoever they are...

it doesn't seem like the right move inviting them in.

What do you recommend we do, then, Steve?

At least keep them at arm's length.

It's not a bunch of locals down at Cue Sticks.

Push 'em away, it'll just make 'em more curious.

Show 'em we have nothing to hide, they'll lose interest.

They don't have probable cause.

If we invite them in, we'd be essentially giving them a search warrant.

What are they gonna find here, Wayne?

A bunch of nice people studying the Bible?

- Who knows?

- I agree with them.

I don't think it's worth the risk.

What do you think, Judy?

You know, when I talk to people about this place, they don't understand what we're all doing here, but when they come see for themselves, then they get it, so...

I don't see any sense in putting walls up to keep people out.

This is a confidential conversation, right?

Can be.

What's going on?

I just...

I saw something go down that I didn't think was right.

- And...

- What's that?

Ruby Ridge.

Yeah, heard that wasn't as clean as they made it sound.

No, it wasn't.

An innocent woman was k*lled.

It's not sitting well with me, and, you know, things happen.

I've been involved when things happen, and...

I'm not looking to burn someone, but when they're rewarded for blatant misconduct, I...

So, what's this gonna look like if I decide to file a complaint - against one of my peers?

- I'm not gonna lie to you, Gary.

People who file these complaints do not win any popularity contests, but if you do decide to move on this...

fill out these forms.

I'm not worried about the g*ns.

We've been pretty careful there.

But, Wayne, where are we vulnerable?

Your sister, Michelle.

That's where we're vulnerable.

Texas law allows for marriage at 14 with parental consent, which you have, but marrying more than one woman is illegal.

And sexual relations with someone under 18 who's not your wife is also illegal.

Michelle is where you have a catch22.

It's statutory r*pe or it's polygamy.

Either way, they could arrest you and try to take the kids.

Hey, Thibs.

How you doin'?

All right.

What'sWhat's going on?

Well...

we have a bit of a situation here.

And we could really use your help.

When a message as important as David's comes into the world, they'll do anything they can to stop it.

That's why we need to button things down from a legal standpoint.

Michelle having had children with David is where we have an issue.

I want you to marry Michelle.

That'll solve our problem.

- Take your time.

- All right.

- Whatever you need.

- Thank you.

What's the matter?

You really have to ask?

What is it?

Thibodeau?

Do you not wanna marry him?

No, this has nothing to do with Thibodeau.

Then what's it got to do with?

You.

- Me?

- I was 12 when David had his vision that he should take me as his second wife.

And nobody knew what to do about it...

until your dream telling you that God demanded it.

AndAnd just like that, I became his second wife.

And just like that, I had Serenity, and...

and just like that, she might be taken away from me all because of your dream.

I mean, what about my dream?

Who cared anything about my dreams?

- Hasn't David been good to you?

- That's not the point.

I love David, but I never had a choice in any of it.

You think I would choose to share my husband?

That dream was real, Michelle.

God demanded it, and I know you know it, too.

We follow God's lead regardless of what we might want.

We need to hurry and get these inside.

Storm's coming.

Our informer who defected from the group said the g*ns are in this room here.

It's on the second floor.

You gotta confirm it.

All right, I'm on it.

Jacob, leave the sidearm.

Come on.

You're gonna send me in there unarmed?

These guys know g*ns.

They're gonna...

They're gonna notice it.

Right now, the plan is to have two groups of agents bring ladders to this wall here.

And that's where we'll make our dynamic entrance into the g*n room.

To get a good sh*t of you coming out with the children and the g*ns, I'm gonna need my camera guy embedded with your men.

Angela, that's too close to the line of fire.

Ed, you brought me in to manage the press.

Let me do my job.

Hey.

David asked me to drop by.

- Here I am.

- Okay.

Yeah, come on in.

- He's in the chapel, so...

- He is?

Yeah.

We're about to start our evening Bible study.

- It's in there.

- Okay.

Thank you.

Who are you?

Jacob.

My name's Jacob.

David invited me over.

These are the women's quarters.

- You're not allowed to be up here.

- Hey, I'm terribly sorry.

I just got lost.

I was looking for the chapel.

Chapel's this way.

Come with me.

Okay.

Just like the newspaper gives you the hot scoop of what happened yesterday...

scripture gives you the hot scoop of what's going to happen.

The Bible is a book of prophecy...

that talks about all of us here in this room.

Now, we know the Book of Revelation speaks of what?

- The Seven Seals.

- The Seven Seals.

And the opening of those seven seals will bring the end times, when God will establish His kingdom here on earth.

And it also talks about a what?

- Lamb.

- A lamb.

A lamb who can open those seven seals for the rest of the world to understand.

I am that lamb.

Now, I've already proven to you how the first four seals have been opened.

We here in this room have been brought to Mount Carmel to open the fifth.

How do we know when that's gonna happen?

Opening the fifth seal...

as I've been telling you for years...

will begin when the armies of Babylon come to our door to spill our blood.

We will then be tested, mind, body, and spirit.

Not all of us will stay for those final moments.

But those that do...

will have a special place in God's kingdom.

It's a big choice.

The biggest one you'll ever face.

Now...

It's been brought to my attention...

that someone here has broken a rule.

And in order to make an example of them...

I'm gonna give him a licking...

in front of all of you.

Follow me.

Who snuck in here and ate the ice cream?

Who was it?

I did it, Dad.

Come here.

You placed this ice cream ahead of all of them in this room.

Are you ready for your licking?

Yes, Dad.

All right, then.

Go on, then.

If we're all just one body here...

Cyrus' sins are all our sins, and we are all guilty of putting ourselves first.

And for that...

we all deserve the same punishment.

You had your fill.

Go on.

I'm getting one?

So, what are all these people doing here?

This is a place where people come to find answers, Jacob.

- Answers to what?

- Whatever questions they have.

The world isn't always a friendly place.

It can really grind a person up, break their spirit, throw 'em out like garbage.

Here, we take in that garbage...

clean it up, put 'em back together again.

For some reason, pain makes some men hateful and others kind.

You have that kindness.

Thanks.

If I had to guess, you were raised by women.

Yeah.

Yeah, my mom.

Me too.

Mom and Grandma.

Your mom, she still alive?

Yeah.

Something wrong with her?

Well, she's got dementia.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, well, my mom lived her life exactly how God wanted her to, and then God pays her back like this?

I mean, come on.

You know the shortest verse in the Bible, Jacob?

Nah.

- "Jesus wept." - "Jesus wept." One of the biggest problems we have as people today is, for some reason, they have it in their head that they shouldn't have any troubles.

That suffering is a mistake.

Or it's unfair.

Or it's God being ornery.

But what if suffering is the point...

so that we can learn to let go and be easy in the spirit?

You might think you know the reason why you're here...

but I know why you're really here.

God brought you to me...

to help you find your way.

What's wrong?

I started to enjoy myself.

You can enjoy yourself a little bit, David.

I am your wife.

I know.

But we can't succumb to the pleasures of the flesh.

We have to rise above that, as hard as it can be sometimes.

What if it is Child Services?

Usually, agents from Child Protective Services are women, not men.

But what if it is?

David, we follow Talmudic law here.

We live our lives by the rules laid out in the Bible, and we all here believe that's the right thing to do, but...

those men live by man's law, not God's.

I worry that if we're going to be judged by man's law, we're more vulnerable than you think.

What are you really scared of?

I'm afraid they're gonna come after our children.

No.

They can't.

They don't have the right.

But what if they think they have the right?

What then?

Hey, Ed.

What's, What's all this about?

Operation Showtime.

We're planning the as*ault.

- So, where you at?

- Well, I've been inside.

I searched the floor the informant had flagged down, and, I couldn't...

I couldn't find any weapons.

The weapons are in there.

I need you to step up your efforts.

Get creative if you have to.

If you want the guy that bad, he jogs past our place every morning, so you can pick him up then and there if you want him.

And how many joggers have you seen being arrested on the news?

- I'm sorry, and you are?

- I'm Angela Duke.

Special agent in charge of publicity for the A*F.

Look, right now, all I can get is a knockandserve search warrant.

I need more than that.

You have to find me something.

I'm on it.

I had a friend run our neighbors' plates, and they're all registered to a government building in Houston.

They're federal agents of some kind.

We don't know that.

David...

what more do you need?

They're not ranchers.

Why are you refusing to see this?

Steven...

you yourself came here to disprove me.

But when I showed you the truth, did you not believe me?

- Yes or no?

- Yes.

Yes.

Wayne, your wife dragged you here kicking and screaming.

But when I showed you the truth about your son, did you not believe me?

Yes or no?

You both stayed.

Why?

Because there are people in this world that can hear the truth.

That man, he's searching.

God sent him to me.

Who am I to turn him away?

David, your heart is in the right place.

But...

you are opening us up to a whole lot of trouble.

Why take the chance?

Because I can turn him.

- Hello?

- Hey, Mom.

- Hey!

- I got some good news.

Are you still down in that commune in Texas?

Mount Carmel.

Yeah, still here.

Yeah, well, I saved up enough money to get a ticket.

I wanna come down and see this place that got you so interested in the Bible - all of a sudden.

- Yeah, maybe soon, Mom.

Why, it's like you're afraid I'm gonna tell that David joker that the Bible's just a bunch of man sh*t, which it is, by the way.

Yeah, that's kinda my worry.

So, what's the big news?

Um...

I'm gonna try to fly up and visit you soon.

- Okay?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I'd like that.

Dave, listen.

I know you found something there that means a lot to you, but I just want you to remember to keep a little bit of yourself for yourself.

Okay?

- Yeah, Ma, I will.

- Love you.

Okay.

Love you, too.

Bye.

You look nice.

Thanks.

Thank you, Thibs...

for all that you're doing for us.

Yeah, no, it's...

I don't wanna see anything happen to you or Serenity, so...

That's sweet.

Stop being so nervous.

It's not like we're actually...

getting married.

You know, nothing's expected of you.

Well, it'd be okay if you did expect a little.

I can handle it.

Come on, Thibs, you know you can't see the bride on her wedding day.

- It's bad luck.

- Okay.

All right, here it is.

What do you think?

It's...

It's beautiful.

Was that your dress when you married Steve?

Yeah.

Hey.

Michelle, I know your mom's not here, but she'd want you to have something nice for your big day, something special.

- Go on, try it on.

- Okay.

You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about something.

- Yeah.

- Um...

Just be careful giving David advice.

What's that?

Well, it's just...

you're the mother to one of his children now.

You might not think that makes a difference, but it does.

He'll listen to you now.

So I need you to measure your words a bit better, Judy.

See, when I speak, I speak for all the mothers, not just myself.

Just...

need you to follow my lead a little better.

- Mind if I bend your ear for a minute?

- Sure.

What's going on?

A friend came to see me.

Word is you're thinking of filing a complaint.

Look, Gary, I don't know what your problem is with me, but I don't have a problem with you, and I don't want one.

When I negotiate, I always try to see five steps ahead, you know?

But you have a tendency to react to what's going on in the moment.

Sometimes you don't see the big picture.

Say what you wanna say, Noesner.

I see the direction the Bureau's heading in, and I don't like it.

You know as well as I do the more firepower you get, the less chance I get to solve things peacefully.

You really see yourself as some kinda Boy Scout, don't ya?

But you're digging in the same filth as the rest of us.

Your hands are no cleaner than mine.

Remember Sperryville?

I do.

Take a look at the big picture here.

Look five steps ahead of what happens...

if you decide to come after me now.

All right.

Come on, let's go over it again.

- I got it.

I'm telling you, I got it.

- Do you?

Yeah.

So, I go to the wedding, and I show him my illegal g*n, and he'll show me his illegal g*ns.

We good?

You happy?

Is there a problem?

Come on, man.

This whole thing doesn't smell to you?

- 'Cause it really smells to me.

- They wanna do this, we gotta do it.

And don't forget, this guy belongs in jail.

You're good, right?

Glad you made it!

I was just thinking about you.

Thanks for coming.

- So was I.

- Come on in.

We're all here together today to celebrate love and family.

Because that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Do you, David Thibodeau, take Michelle here to be your wife?

I do.

And do you, Michelle, take this rock star, David Thibodeau, to be your husband?

I do.

Then I pronounce y'all husband and wife.

Go on, then.

Kiss your bride.

Go on.

Congratulations.

"The young women will dance for joy," and the men, old and young, will join in the celebration.

"I will turn their mourning to joy.

I will comfort them." You know what that is, right?

That's scripture.

It means get your butt out there and enjoy yourself.

Nah, man, I'm not a dancer.

I don't do that.

Shyness is a sin.

You're safe here.

So, let it go even for just an hour or two.

Don't make me, man.

Don't make me...

All right, you're making me do this.

- You ready?

- No, come on.

Hey, everyone!

Everybody stop!

This is Jacob.

He lives across the street.

And I could tell he's a real good guy.

So, who here wants to be his friend?

- That's a lot of people.

- It sure is.

You gotta let it go.

You gotta let it go.

- Come on.

- I promise you, you'll have a good time.

Here we go.

Come on, Jacob!

You're home late.

Yeah, I had some drinks after work.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Yeah.

You don't seem fine, Gary.

He was right.

- Who was right?

- Mitch.

He's right.

I'm no better than him.

What are you talking about?

Sperryville.

There was a guy.

He had his exwife and his kid at gunpoint.

I must've talked to this man for 13 hours.

And then I tricked him into stepping outside so we could k*ll him.

And we k*lled him.

We sh*t him right in the neck.

He looked so confused to be dying.

And the worst part is...

I didn't feel anything.

Nothing at all.

My fifth child almost d*ed at birth.

He was rendered blind and disabled, and to be honest, it broke me.

You know what a messiah is?

Like Jesus?

Messiah means "anointed one." The Hebrew word it comes from means "anyone who turns your eyes to God." - Okay.

- When I met David...

he told me, "Your son, Jamie..." he's your messiah.

He has turned your eyes to God.

This disabled child of yours is the greatest gift you've ever known, "and you're the blind one if you can't see it." Thank you, Wayne.

Jacob, your mother's suffering has opened your eyes to God.

Tell me, if she were given the choice...

if God came to her...

and gave her the option that she could suffer terribly, but the result would be that her baby boy would find a deeper way of life...

do you think she would've chosen this suffering?

- I don't know.

- Jacob, your mother...

she's your messiah.

Jacob...

Do you have a g*n on you?

Yeah.

I totally forgot that I had it on me.

Give it to me.

Why would you bring a g*n to a wedding?

I just got it recently at a g*n show.

Empty this mag, Wayne.

No, you didn't.

You didn't get this at a g*n show.

This trigger's been modified.

It's illegal.

Don't you ever bring something like this...

around here again.

That was kind of a nice day, wasn't it?

Yeah.

The best I ever had.

Me too.

Hey, guys.

I wanna thank you for what you did today.

You helped this family.

Both of you.

Sure.

But you know the rules.

No men allowed up in the women's quarters.

Right, sorry.

Son of a bitch.

- This could ruin everything.

- No, we're gonna figure it out.

You were brought in to control this sh*t!

- You can't even control a local newspaper!

- If we...

I don't want to hear it!

Now, they'll know something's up!

This could blow the element of surprise!

Phil, it's Ed.

Gear everyone up.

sh*t.

Hey, hey, hey, hey!

You look lost.

Yeah.

There doesn't seem to be any street signs out here.

- What you looking for?

- A place called Mount Carmel.

- It says here it's on...

- Double EE Road.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, I know the place.

Great.

Something going on there?

"Sinful Messiah." It's catchy.

"If you're a Branch Davidian," Christ lives on a threadbare piece of land "ten miles east of Waco called Mount Carmel." "Married his legal wife when she was 14." "Enjoys a beer now and then, plays a mean guitar, packs a 9mm Glock," keeps an arsenal of m*llitary as*ault r*fles, "and willingly admits that he is a sinner without equal." You know "messiah" doesn't mean Jesus, right?

- What's that?

- They're making him sound like David thinks he's Jesus or something, you know what I mean?

- David?

- Yeah.

What?

- Is he getting in your head?

- Shut up!

Okay, be back in a moment.

All right, so gentlemen, this raid is going down today.

Plans have changed.

We need you to go in there and make sure they don't know we're coming.

David?

Jacob.

Come on in.

- Next time.

- Hey, hey, I gotta go to work.

Say goodbye to Daddy.

- Be good.

Be good for Mom.

- Say, "Goodbye, Dad." Dad.

Where's David?

So, what you reading there?

You know what I'm reading.

A bunch of lies.

Hey, David.

There's a phone call for you.

Not right now.

It's important, David.

You need to take this call.

Stay right here.

- What is it?

- Something's going down.

Some news guy asked me directions here.

I saw a bunch of agents.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah.

They're all suited up.

They're coming, David, right now.

They're coming today, aren't they?

Who's coming?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I know who you are.

And I know who you work for.

I'm just a rancher.

I figured if God brought you to me, who am I to turn you away?

And I'd like to think...

you've gotten to know who we really are, not what's in this garbage.

And I know you have a job to do.

But you can stop this.

I'm sorry, but I...

I gotta go.

Jacob, you have the power to stop this.

So, stop it!

They know!

They know we're coming!

We gotta call it off!

- Get Ed.

- Ed, Vasquez.

Ed, they know.

They know we're coming.

You gotta call it off, man.

- Did you see any weapons?

- No.

Was there a call to arms?

Not that I saw.

Ed, you gotta call it off.

They know we're coming.

Ed?

Ed.

Ed!

They know.

Ed, they know.

Ed.

- Hey.

- Hey.

So, there may be some cops coming here for David.

And there's a chance we'll all be asked to leave the property.

So, you might wanna, I don't know, put some things together, just in case.

Will you hold her?

Stop!

They know you're coming!

Stop!

Hey, they know you're coming!

Stop!

They know you're coming!

They know you're coming!

Stop!