01x05 - Dog Soldier

[bunniefuu]

I'm sorry! Sor...

[Grunting]

Both: Three-1,000, four-1,000, five-1,000, six-1,000, seven-1,000, eight-1,000, nine-1,000, ten-1,000.

Ready or not, here we come!

Hyah!

Dylan: Say your prayers, Indian.

[Toy g*n clicking]

[Gasping]

[Engine shuts off]

Neel! I got her!

Neel?

Charlie: I looked everywhere. I've called all the neighbors.

Mr. Fielding? Please, sit down.

You need to put out an Amber alert or something, right?

I mean, all we have is his shoe.

That's my son!

Neel is our foster son.

He's been with us five months.

Charlie: He was playing with our daughter, Addyson, and our neighbor's boy, Dylan, in the empty lot at the dead end.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything else in the woods?

Just that his horse was there, but he wasn't.

Has Neel ever tried to run away before?

Tracy: Never.

We were two weeks away from adopting him.

From what we've heard, Neel's birth parents are a real mess.

They're addicts, I think.

Now, maybe they found us. Maybe they took him.

I'm going to the reservation to look.

Better if you stay here and don't jump to any conclusions.

There's no time!

Yes, there is.

This is all hard to believe, I know.

We get a few cases like this every year.

Usually, the child comes back in an hour or two with a line of trout, wondering why everybody's so upset.

[Dog barking in distance]

Neel Cody, 8. I just texted you a photo.

Hang on.

Yeah, Branch.

Check the registered sex offenders in the county...

I want an alibi check on every one of them.

Uh-huh, good.

You ever run away from home?

Yeah, once, when I was 13.

Lost my temper.

Walked out of the house in the middle of winter.

Have your shoes on?

Boots, I think.

Kid doesn't run away with just one shoe unless he wants to run in circles.

What are you thinking?

Can't discount what Mr. Fielding said about Neel's biological parents.

And half of all abductions are family members...

Custody disputes.

Well, if you're gonna take a kid in broad daylight, this is as good a place as any.

Trees for cover, a road to get away.

No screams.

What?

The daughter never said anything about any screams, so Neel either didn't see his attacker and the person covered his mouth or...

Neel saw a face that didn't scare him.

Is that what you think or what you hope?

[Dog barking in distance]

Vic: Hi.

What's that, a dinosaur?

It's a parasaurolophus.

[g*n cocks]

What do you want?

Mrs. Cody: First you take him away, and then you lose him.

Mrs. Cody, we didn't lose Neel.

We're just trying to locate him.

What do you mean by "take him away"?

They took our son right out of school and put him in a foster home.

Didn't even have the decency to tell us.

"They"?

Family Services.

Told us it was for Neel's own good.

They said we were addicts.

Said a neighbor talked about abuse and neglect in our house.

All lies.

Did you try to fight it in the court?

[Scoffs]

A Cheyenne in a white court. Ever read history?

That's not what I meant. I...

Ever try to visit Neel in the foster home?

I walk 3 1/2 miles to my day job.

Minimum wage, part time.

I come home, I shut my eyes for a few minutes, then I head out to my night job.

In a month, if no one gets sick, maybe I have the money to finish rebuilding that engine.

Then maybe I'll find something full time with better pay.

And then we can talk about hiring a lawyer to get Neel back.

Ruby.

This week's fan mail and love letters.

I put together an impromptu press conference with a mobile unit from Casper.

They'll share the video with the other networks.

Should be on every TV set in the state by end of day.

Also dug up the arrest records for Neel Cody's Cheyenne family.

Vic: Reckless-driving citation for his mother from 10 years ago and a dropped drunk-and-disorderly for the father.

That's it?

My grandma's got a longer rap sheet.

Looks like their biggest crime's just being poor.

I got to tell you, if someone walked into my kid's school and took my child away, I'd be pissed enough to take matters into my own hands.

You really think the car was broke down?

It was. I looked. No alternator.

That doesn't mean they couldn't have borrowed one.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

I'll get the tribal police to keep an eye on the family.

Oh, Branch...

You follow up on the sex offenders?

Yep. Eight registered in the county. Every one of them accounted for.

Good. Now head over the group home where Neel used to live.

See if he's hiding with any of his friends.

Sometimes kids have a way of keeping secrets from...

[clears throat]

... Adults.

You said you wanted to see me, dad?

Vic: We need a favor.

A Cheyenne boy, Neel Cody, has gone missing.

We need your help.

Oh, that's horrible.

And interesting, because my boss is handling the Neel Cody adoption for the Fieldings.

Dad, I can't believe you're asking me this.

He's not. I am.

I understand it's attorney-client privilege, but all I want is a legal way for you to get us access to Neel's file.

Translated in Wyoming... You want me to break the law.

No one's breaking the law. But, Cady, uh...

You know how volatile these custody battles are.

We're trying to find the truth.

There have been a lot of accusations on both sides.

Which is why this is being handled in court.

God, are you always such a goody-goody?

No. And there's a difference between being a goody-goody and not wanting to get disbarred.

Vic, now, Cady's right.

She can't help us find this poor missing boy, even if she wants to.

Thanks for coming by, Punk.

Okay, look...

I can't tell you anything about the Fielding adoption.

That's private.

But I might have some insight into the byzantine bureaucracy of the state.

I'm sorry. Can you translate that into Philadelphian for me?

I might be able to point you in the direction of some public records that are not covered by attorney-client privilege.

Ryan: It isn't like Neel to run away.

[Sighs]

I'm just worried sick.

You have any opinion on the Fieldings?

I try to be impartial, but I must say, I wish more foster parents were like them.

What about Neel's biological parents?

You hear any stories about them? They ever come around?

No. I mean, this kids are throwaway kids.

I mean, once they leave the res, they're kind of forgotten.

I mean, I don't mean to sound r*cist.

It's just the way it is.

Okay.

You wouldn't happen to have Neel's paperwork, would you?

Chaos is sort of our organizing principle around here.

Neel's papers are probably down with county already.

Well, if you hear anything...

Give a call.

Smallest thing may help.

[Sighs] I heard you the first time, Mathias.

All I'm asking is you keep an eye on the Cody house.

Yeah.

Always a pleasure.

[Rain falling]

[Knock on door] Ruby: Sheriff?

We got a crying woman in our lobby.

My son is missing.

How old is he?

35.

Your 35-year-old son is missing?

[Voice breaking] And then I saw that television report, and I knew I had to come in, but I... just couldn't make myself come through the door.

Slow down, ma'am. Now... now, what's your son's name?

Jeremy... Jeremy Thompson.

He hasn't returned any of my calls.

I'm afraid for him, Sheriff, for what he might have done.

Why are you worried about Jeremy?

He was a [Sniffles] teacher's aide in Tulsa.

They said he... touched one or two of the boys.

He admitted to his sin.

He did his time, and then he moved back to live with me about a year ago so that I could help him.

Your son is a sex offender?

He never registered. [Sobs]

I didn't want him persecuted. He promised me.

I wanted him to have a fresh start, but...

But now I fear evil has got hold of him again.

Ruby, put out an Amber alert for Neel Cody now.

We got to find this boy, and soon.

[Static]

Ruby: The Sheriff's department of Absaroka County, Wyoming, is issuing an Amber alert for a missing 8-year-old boy...

Neel Cody.

In connection with this abduction, we are seeking a man named Jeremy Thompson, driving a silver-and-white 1995 Ford F-350 pickup with Wyoming license...

Lights out, guys.

... "24-30-c-6-h."

We have reason to believe the child is in imminent danger.

[Scuffling]

You said there was two missing Cheyenne boys.

I pulled in at 6:00 a.m., and my supervisor's not even here.

No note, no nothing.

Your supervisor... is that Ryan Shank?

Yeah. I've tried calling. No answer.

Neel Cody, another Cheyenne foster child, was abducted yesterday.

Now two more are missing.

That's 3 in less than 24 hours.

Oh, God. You think they were taken?

It's starting to look that way.

Did any of you see this man last night?

No. We were sleeping.

What kind of car does Ryan Shank drive?

Uh, a Ford Explorer, gray.

I'll make sure Ruby updates the Amber alert.

Could you show us Shank's office?

These the boys that were taken?

Yeah, Cierre and Michael.

And Ryan...

He would do anything to protect them.

Are the boys' case files in here?

They should be.

Thanks for your time.

Didn't Branch say that Ryan Shank said he was gonna send over Neel Cody's file as soon as he got it back from the county?

That's right.

It was right here.

Right with the others.

What the hell are you doing?

Sometimes you can learn a lot about a person by looking at their bookshelves.

Right. And what have you learned?

A lot of science fiction... Asimov.

High-school yearbooks, which is odd for a man Shank's age.

He's either sentimental or living in the past.

For years, the county has been taking Cheyenne children off the reservation and placing them in homes run by white men and white women.

But we expect that, don't we?

What we don't expect is for the county to misplace one of these children.

And we don't expect Sheriff Walt Longmire to allow a pedophile to roam our streets at will.

Do you think the Sheriff would be doing so little if the pedophile was a Cheyenne or Lakota?

All: No!

You bet, he would not.

Still think you want my job, Branch?

Guy really doesn't seem to like you, Sheriff.

You're not Facebook friends, I take it.

I don't expect everyone to like me.

I expect them to leave politics out of it when we're dealing with missing kids.

Kids? Plural?

Did Ryan Shank ever call you about Neel's file?

Not yet. It sounded like there was a lot of red tape involved.

He lied. The file was in his office the entire time.

Was Shank up to something?

He's missing, along with two boys from the group home.

You think he took them? You talked to him.

You get any kind of a hit off him?

He was upset.

But under the circumstances, that seemed normal.

Dig deeper. Vic, give him a hand.

Contact the missing boys' biological parents, see where they were last night.

I'm gonna go deal with the bureaucracy.

Seems both kids had the same social worker.

Maybe she knows something worth knowing.

According to Mr. Shank's files, you handled all three boys' cases.

Is there anything else that links them?

Abuse, neglect, malnourishment.

That's what links them.

Unfortunately, it's also what makes them typical.

There are so many native children to help, but with our limited resources, there's only so much we can do.

Do you have much contact with Ryan Shank, the group-home supervisor?

I do. Why?

You think Shank might have acted inappropriately with these kids?

Oh, wow. I, um...

[Sighs]

Look, you have to be very careful with those kinds of accusations and rumors when you're working with kids.

Right now, we're just trying to find him.

When's the last time you spoke with him?

Last night.

It was a pretty mundane conversation, but it was... weird that he called so late.

Little after 10:30.

You dealt with any emotional parents lately?

No, but, uh...

I did have a Cheyenne gentleman visit me recently, um, about a friend's situation.

I tried to explain to him the proper guidelines for appeal, but he was not interested in having that conversation.

He became enraged.

The child that man came to discuss, Cierre...

He was one of the boys taken from the group home last night.

Henry: I was not enraged.

I was insistent.

She said you were pounding on her desk.

A rhetorical flourish.

Henry, why were you even there?

They took Cissy Ponson's son.

They claim she was a falling-down drunk, that her car was here at the red pony morning, noon, and night.

Was that the case?

Cissy Ponson is my employee.

A single mother. She does not drink.

What did the social worker say when you told her this?

She said there was nothing she could do.

Wow.

I assume you know that Cissy's son has gone missing.

Jacob Nighthorse told me.

[Chuckles] He seems to be taking a particular interest in this matter.

Good. Everyone should.

A pedophile is on the loose.

I want to find these boys as much as he does.

The more Nighthorse makes this a political issue, the harder it is for us to do our job.

Or maybe he is making sure you all do your job.

[Sighs]

I apologize.

But, Walt, you have to understand how upsetting this situation is on the res.

There used to be a saying among the white people who settled the west...

"k*ll the lndian, save the man."

Sometimes it seems like nothing has changed.

[Sighs]

No cream...

Two sugars.

Thanks.

Got to say, I'm surprised to see you compromising your ethics.

There's no compromise. These are all public records.

There's nothing unethical about helping all of you navigate the state bureaucracy.

Besides, even though Neel's a client, the other two boys aren't.

sh*t. Hey, Walt!

Walt!

Shank and Jeremy Thompson wrestled together in high school.

They know each other.

Cady: Okay, that is creepy.

You think they had an arrangement or something?

Like a child-sex ring?

Why would Ryan Shank abduct these boys when he could just walk right down the hall?

For money?

Ruby: The Amber alert worked!

They got him.

Which "him"?

Hey, guys, knock it off!

We got him! We got him!

Hey, come on!

The kids are in there!

[g*nsh*t]

Jeremy... mind if we talk?

[Vic grunts]

You can't do that. I got rights.

So do we.

What are these?

Jeremy: They're vats for heating candle wax.

My boss had me drive over to Salt Lake to pick them up, and now I'm gonna be late for my delivery.

Then why didn't you just unlock the damn door?

'cause these jerks aren't cops, and you need a warrant.

That's the law.

So is registering as a sex offender.

Don't move.

[Camera shutter clicks]

[Door opens]

Well, looky here. Is this the pervert?

Jacob, how can I help you?

Has he told you where the kids are?

He's not talking. That's his right, so...

Oh, yeah? Well, that's good to know.

What about the rights of the children?

What's your angle here?

What?

I don't think you'd take a glass of water if there weren't some kind of profit involved.

There is an angle here, Sheriff, but it's not mine.

A whole lot of money is being made off of our children.

Each of these foster homes receives federal money for the children in its care, but they get double for lndian kids.

Double.

You know, to motivate foster families to take them in.

That's a good thing.

Not when they've been kidnapped from good Cheyenne families.

Are you saying people are kidnapping these children for profit?

Not people. Your government.

Branch, come in here.

Nighthorse wants to talk politics.

I got work to do. Let's go.

Ruby, tell Henry we're on our way.

Where are we going?

Luke, you didn't speak up when I was here before, but...

I really need to know...

Have you seen this man?

I don't want to make any more trouble.

These are good people, Luke.

They're my friends.

You're not in trouble. All we want to do is help.

Did you see this man?

I saw Hotamétaneo'o.

Grandma always told me that if I didn't behave, then Hotamétaneo'o would come through the window and take me away.

Vic: I'm... I'm... I'm sorry. Hota... Hotaméta...

H... help me.

There was a band of Cheyenne warriors in the 19th century.

They were called Hotamétaneo'o, or dog soldiers.

It was believed they could change shape from man to dog... And back again.

I broke Mr. Shank's radio this week.

That's why Hotamétaneo'o came.

When did the dog soldier appear?

Right at midnight, as grandma always said.

How did you know it was him?

I saw his face.

And what did he look like?

He looks like a soldier.

He had a scar right through here.

Henry: Each dog soldier wore a leather strap.

They would stake that strap to the ground and fight to the death.

These men were figures of defiance, figures of hope.

The U.S. army hunted them down one by one, but there were rumors of one remaining survivor.

And this is who Luke saw last night?

Yes.

No.

Well, which is it?

It was no spirit.

That kid saw Hector.

You do not know that.

Henry, Luke described the scar.

But kidnapping has never been a part of Hector's repertoire.

Okay, I'm sorry. Who is Hector?

Hector is a former boxer who lives on the reservation.

Since most Cheyenne do not trust the courts, they often hire Hector to right their wrongs.

Which means he makes his living knocking out the teeth of thieves, rapists, thugs, and wife-beaters.

Hector is an unfortunate necessity of reservation life, but a necessity nevertheless.

So, we show the kid a picture of Hector and just...

We're done with it.

I would if one were known to exist.

Ruby: Walt! Walt!

What is it?

Highway patrol found Ryan Shank's car.

It's near Spotted Horse in Campbell County.

What's it doing way out there?

[Insects chirping]

[Police radio chatter]

Found it right here.

Keys are in the ignition.

Vic: Here, boy.

[Smooching]

Aww. Come here.

That better not be a child's ear.

It's not a kid.

Vic: It's a Shank.

He was ran over. What do you think, Henry?

Has the dog soldier struck again?

Where's Jeremy Thompson?

His alibi checked out. Had to release him.

[Cellphone ringing]

It's Ryan Shank.

This is Deputy Connally.

Walt: Shank's dead.

What happened?

m*rder*d. Had his cellphone on him and this.

I gave him that yesterday.

I told him to call if anything happened. We got a suspect?

We do. I'm sending you to the reservation to look for him.

People are dying. We need to find these kids.

Who am I looking for?

Hector.

The Hector?

Take Vic. She'll fill you in on the way.

Cady: Dad, who's Hector?

Uh, I think he's the kidnapper... and possibly now a m*rder*r.

Do you think Shank was k*lled trying to protect the boys?

I don't know.

Because I might have found another reason why Shank was targeted.

Jacob Nighthorse was right.

For every native American kid, the foster homes get nearly twice as much money.

And Shank's facility has 13 Cheyenne children right now.

It gets $700 extra a month for each of those kids.

And what's odd is that Shank wasn't reporting the additional funds.

So, Ryan Shank was skimming the extra federal money.

13 kids... $700 a month, 12 months a year.

We're talking an extra 100 grand a year.

You were talking about anger on the res concerning Family Services.

Maybe the k*lling was payback.

Hector's a high-school dropout.

He gets paid 200 bucks per tooth.

How does he figure this out?

Ruby: Walt!

What was the name of that social worker you talked to?

Crystal Shoemaker.

[Police radio chatter]

Crystal: I didn't even see the other car.

It ran me right off the road.

I saw this man approaching, and I thought that he...

He wanted to help.

But he grabbed me and he told me to leave Cheyenne children alone.

The next one I took, he said, he'd k*ll me.

Crystal...

We just found Ryan Shank's body.

What?

[Scoffs] God.

W... we're just trying to help these poor kids.

This man who tried to run you off the road...

What did he look like?

He was big...

Dark-skinned.

Cheyenne, I think.

And he had a big scar under his eye.

Nobody on the res will tell my deputies anything about Hector, so I need you to tell me, Henry.

Where is he?

I do not know.

You trying to protect him? Or you gonna help me find these boys?

Hopefully, both.

Three children are missing. A man is dead.

Now that social worker you yelled at a couple weeks ago... she was run off the road by a big Cheyenne man with, and I quote, "a big scar under his eye."

What's it gonna take to convince you this is no spirit, Henry?

I do not know, Walt. Proof?

I am telling you none of this sounds like Hector.

He is not a k*ller.

I still got five years of Hector's arrest warrants back at the station.

Those warrants get forwarded to U.S. marshals unless Hector turns himself in.

If Hector goes into the federal system, he is never coming out.

Let him come in and clear his name if he's innocent.

[Hinges creak]

[Can rattles]

[Grunting]

[Breathing heavily]

[Grunts]

Hector: You dead, lawman?

I don't think so.

Neither was the fat man at the foster home.

When he woke up, I warned him...

To stop stealing our children.

I did not k*ll anyone.

Where are the boys, Hector?

I had a vision... of Cheyenne children returned to their rightful home.

What about the social worker?

Stop looking for the innocent, lawman, and find the bad.

You know, Hector, I can't just let you walk out that door.

This is you stopping me?

That's what this is.

Dad...

Look I...

What the hell happened to you?

I won. I think.

Did that man do this to you?

Hector. Yep.

That's Hector?

Is... is... is he this dog soldier guy?

Hector's, uh, taller.

Did he have the boys?

No.

Well...

I worked all night, looking at the missing kids' files.

And each case was initiated by a call...

Someone reporting neglect or abuse.

But, dad, the weird thing is that when I tried to contact all of these concerned callers, they all turned out to be the same man.

And he lives on the res.

Really?

Yeah.

What did he have to say?

Well, nothing now, because he's in the hospital, unconscious.

He was admitted two days ago.

And his wife says that he took a... a bad fall, but the doctors are pretty sure that he was beaten.

[Knock on door] Um, Henry on line one.

[Sighs]

Found Hector.

Henry: Good.

But I have something better.

Come alone. I just closed for the day.

Henry: They were here when I arrived this morning, in my office.

Back door was wide open.

Who brought them in?

Ask them.

Boys, you doing okay?

People are gonna be very happy to see you.

Um...

Can you tell me who took you?

The dog soldier.

Let me guess.

Took you at midnight, as the myth goes.

No, it was after bed check, which is at 10:00 p.m.

Are you calling Family Services, or can they go back to their real families?

By law... I should call Family Services.

But?

Just 'cause it's lawful doesn't make it right.

This we know.

[Indistinct conversation]

Hector used his one phone call.

You're never gonna guess to who.

Morning, Sheriff.

Hello, Jacob.

This man is being held without being charged with a crime.

Objection. Look at his face.

Hector has been in custody for eight hours.

You have to charge him or let him go.

Actually, Jacob, I have 24 hours before I have to charge him.

Ask your lawyer.

Jacob: Well, if you're holding Hector for kidnapping, you have no evidence to charge him with.

Really?

How do you know that?

Because if you had any evidence, you would have charged him already.

And if those children turn up healthy and unharmed, not only would you be forced to release Hector, but you could be subject to a civil suit.

You yourself could be charged. You could be ch...

You aren't even listening to me, are you?

What? No. Not really.

But you've convinced me. Vic, release the prisoner.

Excuse me?

Walt, what are you doing?

I had a vision... a vision of empty pockets.

Hector's a hired g*n. He only works for pay.

These boys' families... they could never afford to pay Hector, could they?

That is a good point.

Someone else must have paid him... someone with a lot of money.

Interesting.

Just a shame that visions never hold up in your courts.

Hector...

[Camera shutter clicks]

This is me letting you go.

Vic: I'm sorry, but I'm concerned.

Did you get a concussion last night?

No, I'm fine.

Then why else would you let our prime suspect go?

The boys were returned to the Red Pony while Hector was in custody.

By who?

They all claim the dog soldier took them and brought them back.

Okay, what about m*rder?

And attempted m*rder?

Not to mention the b*ating that Hector gave you.

Walt: Sometimes the best way to catch the k*ller is to make them think they're free.

I know who's responsible for the m*rder of Ryan Shank and the thr*at on your life, but I can't prosecute without your help.

So... [Sighs]

Is this the man who threatened you?

Yes. His name's Hector.

He's a Cheyenne mercenary. Pretty scary guy.

[Sighs]

He, uh, did this to me.

[Gasps]

Don't worry.

I brought him into custody late last night.

Oh. That's good to hear.

Released him a few hours ago.

What?

He... he tried to k*ll me.

And you said he k*lled Ryan.

I thought so.

I know on the night of the kidnapping he assaulted Ryan, took the boys around 10:00 p.m., right after their last bed check.

Here's what's confusing.

Ryan made a phone call, 10:34, alive and well.

Called you.

I told you we talked that night.

Ryan had just been assaulted. The boys had been kidnapped.

Why call you? Why not my deputy?

[Chuckles] I don't know.

He called to tell you someone had discovered your scam.

You take Cheyenne kids from their families and place them in Shank's group home and collect the federal money.

[Scoffs]

I don't get any extra pay for reservation children.

Not up front.

Shank took the extra federal money and split it with you.

All those children are in better hands now.

I was following up on reports of abuse or neglect.

All those reports of neglect or abuse were made by one man.

He was your plant.

He'd call in some fake complaints for you in exchange for a little money.

You stole all these children from their homes.

I do whatever I have to do to protect children from neglect.

I'm betting you do whatever you have to do to protect yourself.

I think you saw Ryan Shank after he called you.

I bet he was scared after seeing Hector.

I bet he wanted to come clean, but you weren't ready to turn yourself in, so...

You ran him over repeatedly.

The next night, you drove yourself into a tree to cover up the damage to your car.

Shank had described the big, scary lndian with the scar to you, so...

You knew exactly what to tell me to frame Hector.

I've devoted my entire life to helping children.

That's certainly what a Wyoming jury will see.

They'll see an articulate, compassionate, white social worker accused with circumstantial evidence.

You're right.

They won't see the cynical, b*rned-out sociopath just out for herself.

You'll walk free. Legally, it's the perfect crime.

But there's something you're forgetting.

Hector.

He knows about your scam, Crystal.

He also knows you tried to frame him for m*rder.

[Scoffs] Right. He'll make a great witness.

The scar-faced lndian who kidnapped those boys.

The boys said it wasn't him.

They say a dog soldier abducted them.

The Cheyenne believe in an avenging warrior spirit.

Can take on any form... animal, human.

And you believe that?

I believe in transformation.

I believe we become vessels...

For forces we cannot control or understand.

When you drove over Ryan Shank, maybe it was the spirit of the dog soldier who guided you.

Perhaps that spirit guided me once upon a time, as well.

So...

Congratulations.

Without your confession, we have no case against you.

But the dog soldier knows what you've done, Crystal.

And when he comes for you...

I'm just a phone call and a 20-minute drive away.

I'll come as fast as I can.

[g*n cocks]