01x09 - Front Toward Enemy

[bunniefuu]

DINAH: Cinnamon coffee?

I got the good stuff from
the spice shop on Atlantic.

I look that bad?

You look how you should look.

Have you been sleeping?

No.

Let me write you a prescription.

You know I hate that stuff, Mom.

Rafi called for you again.

Yeah?

You tell him I'm bedridden?
Crippled with grief?

I'm not telling him anything.
It's not my place. But, Dinah...

as much as I approve of this,
it's not you.

Talk to me at least.

I can't stop thinking about it, Mom.

What do you remember?

There... (SIGHS)

There were b*ll*ts
flying everywhere.

And it's like that happened
in slow motion.

When...

When Sam was dying...

that happened so fast,
I couldn't stop it.

And my brain keeps rewinding it
over and over again.

And now you're wondering
what right you have to be alive.

You can't answer that question.

But it's normal to ask it.

But blaming yourself isn't
helping you to get through this.

His... His mom's asked me
to speak at his funeral.

What am I supposed to say?

That... That he d*ed doing what
he loved? Well, that's a lie.

That he wasn't alone at the end?

What the hell does it matter?
He's dead.

- Sweetheart...
- He believed in what I told him.

He d*ed for the truth.

So do I tell the truth,

or do I just say things to
make them all feel better?

FARAH: What do you need to tell them?

- MICRO: Anything?
- FRANK: Same.

She hasn't gotten out of
that bed since we got here.

I think she's devastated.

I don't think she had anything
to do with her partner's death.

Tell you what.
She's either dirty...

or the woman is
a total sh*t magnet.

Why don't we just send her
a little encrypted e-mail...

set up a meet?

Remember the last time
you sent her an e-mail, right?

You wound up dead.

Look, you agreed to
contact her, right?

Yes, I did.

You acted like an assh*le,
and I agreed.

If we're gonna do this,
we only got one sh*t.

Treat her like
a high-value target.

(MICRO GRUNTS) I gotta take a leak.

(GRUNTS)

Oh, man.

(SIGHS)
(expl*si*n)

(ALARMS BLARING)
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

(expl*si*n IN DISTANCE)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(ALL SINGING) ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday, dear... ♪

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

(NEWSCASTER ON TV) What
you're looking at is

video taken by an employee

of the Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms

field office
at the Wall Street pier.

Two other explosions occurred
at the NYPD's 10th Precinct

and the federal courthouse
in Foley Square.

And we should say,
everyone in this video is alive,

though some others
were not so lucky.

We are hearing several
people have been k*lled

and dozens more injured.

The FBI and the police department
are at the scenes...

"If you do not,
I will know that you are one of them."

(SIGHS)

"If you do not,
I will know you are one of them."

"The United States government
has become a tyrannical force..."

using its power to persecute
teachers and citizens...

trying them in a court
like criminals

for seeking to defend themselves
as the Constitution allows.

They wanna take away our g*ns,
our freedom...

"and then we will be unable
to defend ourselves."

"I have acted in defense
of our liberty and identity.

I have acted for all of us,
to do what is right."

This letter's from the bomber.

- (SIGHS) Sure sounds like it.
- Mm-hmm.

And... And he sent it to you directly.
Did... Did you touch this?

Well, yes, obviously,
until I realized what it was.

Okay, so the first thing
you wanna do is, we're...

we're gonna call the FBI.

This letter may be the only
evidence of who this guy is,

what he intends to do,
what his state of mind is.

God, I don't know
if I'm horrified or excited.

Maybe a little bit of both.

Guess that makes me
just half a terrible person.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.
This just got interesting.

"You have championed
the common hero before, Miss Page."

I believe
you understand that sometimes

a man has to make a stand

for what is right, what is true,
even if the law stands against him.

I ask you in the name
of this country we love

"to print my words as a call to arms.
If you do not..."

"If you do not,
I will know you're one of them..."

"...and you and everyone at your
liberal paper will be on my list."

- Then he writes...
- "Give me liberty..."

KAREN: "...liberty,
or give me death."

"...death."

Ah, yes. Real original. (SCOFFS)

Patrick Henry,
one of our Founding Fathers

and a real anti-Federalist.

Okay, so, yeah, not so excited.

He just threatened
the entire paper.

Yeah, well, I feel sick.

That this guy thinks that
I'd approve of what he's done?

That is the last thing
that I meant.

Look, what if we print
the letter and a reply?

No, I wanna tell him and everyone else
how this makes me feel.

Okay, well,
that's not up to you or me.

We have to see what
the authorities think

is the best way to catch this guy.

Surely that's making this public?

Someone might know him,
might recognize his handwriting

- or phrasing or...
- Yeah. Maybe.

Just stop. Stop, okay? Don't...

Don't do anything.
Don't say anything.

- Don't mention this...
- Ellison.

...until we have
official instructions...

Ellison, we have an opportunity
to lead the debate on this.

The Bulletin will publish
an editorial if the FBI okays it.

Okay, but I wanna
put my name on it.

No, he wrote to me.
I'm not hiding behind the paper.

That's dangerous.
I mean, he's already singled you out.

Yes, he has.

(ELLISON SIGHS)

All right.

All right, fine.
I'll say something to the FBI.

You can start writing.
I'll make the call.

- Do not touch that!
- Of course.

(PEOPLE SINGING ON TV)
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday, dear... ♪

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

There's nothing in this world
I hate as much as a g*dd*mn b*mb.

g*dd*mn cowards.

They think
they're gonna scare people

into making them
do what they want.

They're wrong.

It just pisses people off,
you know,

brings them together,
makes them stronger.

New York doesn't forget.

Whoever this is,
they're in for a world of sh*t.

You know, if they bring Madani
into work, we might get our chance.

Come on.

Whole city's got its eyes open.

Last thing we're gonna do is
go after a Homeland agent.

(SIGHS) What do you wanna do?
Nothing?

It's better than
doing something stupid.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

How is it going out there?

FBI and NYPD are running things
on the ground, and...

we're working intelligence.

How is Dinah?

I'm not letting you talk to her.
She's a mess, Rafi.

DINAH: Gee, thanks.

I'm okay.

I'll be right down the hall.

I want you to have
all the recovery time you need.

But whatever you've done...

you left that office completely
unprepared for these bombings.

My SAC is out,
I have several dead agents...

and I don't know why.

You might not wanna know.

Survivors say you refused
to name the target...

and filed a false tactical plan.

Have you identified the guys we k*lled?
Who they worked for?

Were they government-affiliated?

You need to answer the questions,
not ask them.

Talk to me, Dinah.

You ever had a partner
die on your watch?

No.

You ever sh*t anyone,
been sh*t at?

You know I haven't.

Every time I close my eyes,
I see Sam Stein's face staring up at me.

He had this look
when he was dying.

He wasn't sad or scared.
He was... surprised.

Like he couldn't believe
it was ending that way.

I can't shake that look.

What do you want me to say?

That this has nothing to do
with Ahmad Zubair and Kandahar.

That Sam Stein and the others
didn't die chasing your ghosts.

I cannot protect you
if I don't know the truth.

The truth?

The truth is what brought us here.

No one wanted to hear it.

KAREN: This bomber is
intent on spreading fear,

but I'm not scared.

I know this city will pull together
like it has so many times before.

The Bulletin may have
printed his words,

but we've also given
his letter to the FBI,

because we have faith in the
institutions that he seeks to destroy.

"We must not tolerate those
who use v*olence to communicate."

This man is not a patriot.

"He's a coward, a t*rror1st."

Jesus Christ, Karen.
Why you goin' after him like this?

- Well, we're about to find out.
- What are you talking about?

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO)
- Girlfriend's on the radio.

Turn that up.

(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

(MAN ON RADIO) Up next,
The Ricky Langtry Show.

Good morning, New York.

You are listening to
The Ricky Langtry Show,

and I am your host, Ricky Langtry.

We have two guests on
the show this morning.

Senator Stan Ori,

a vocal, long-standing proponent
of tougher g*n control laws.

Is that fair to say, Senator?

Ricky, thanks for having me.
And yes, it certainly is.

And we have Karen Page,
Bulletin journalist,

to whom the bomber wrote personally.

Karen, you responded with a pretty,
uh, pissy editorial this morning.

You addressed this individual
directly by calling him...

- You called him a t*rror1st?
- Mm-hmm.

Do you have sympathy with
his point of view?

Uh, no. None.

The irony of this bomber's
point of view is terrifying.

You're referring to
the idea that...

that he is using v*olence
to defend the second amendment?

Yes, I am. We have a k*ller
committing murders in our midst

to protest against efforts to reduce
the m*rder rate in this country.

Well, that's your takeaway, Senator.

I mean, uh, you know,
you are the g*n control guy.

Less g*ns, less death.
That simple.

This guy was using bombs,
not g*ns.

Could be some local hero with a hand
g*n puts a cap in this guy's ass.

You could even argue that
the right to put a cap in his ass

is part of the foundation
that America was built upon.

(ORI CHUCKLES) Ricky, really?

That was almost
300 years ago.

Miss Page, wouldn't you agree that,
in this day and age,

- no ordinary citizen
needs to carry a g*n?

- (KAREN SIGHS)
- You're barking

up the wrong tree there.

Have you ever been scared, Senator?

Uh, genuinely afraid for your life?

(STAMMERS) In a situation where a g*n
and the willingness to use it

might be the only difference
between living or dying?

g*ns are a toxin in our society.

In the wrong hands,
they wreak terrible results.

It's barely a year since this city
was terrorized by the Punisher.

You know, uh,
that's hardly the same thing.

Frank Castle k*lled murderers
and drug dealers.

ORI: But where's the line, Karen?

Frank Castle decided
he knew better than the law

and was tried for
k*lling 37 people.

Frank Castle's not a t*rror1st.

- Thirty-seven?
- That they know about.

Castle was a hero to many
who felt that he was doing

what cops failed to do.

Uh, hold it there, folks.
We'll be right back.

Gotta pay some bills.

Got a caller. Says it's him.
The bomber.

Uh, call the cops.

Uh, give them the number.
Maybe they can trace the call.

(CHUCKLES)

This just got interesting,
huh, guys?

- You both ready? All right.
- ORI: Mm-hmm.

New York,
we have a caller on the line

who claims to be
the bomber himself.

Can I get a name?

(LEWIS SIGHS)

No, my name is not important.

Only my actions. (SIGHS)

RICKY: You're talking to New York.
What do you wanna say?

Why did you say those things
about me, Karen?

Because I despise
everything you've done.

Ease up, Karen.

LEWIS: This country
is being cannibalized

by people like Senator Ori.

Shipping our jobs overseas,
selling us out,

then taking our g*ns
so we can't do anything about it.

(SCOFFS) You're such a coward.

Those people that you k*lled,
they weren't making policy.

They were secretaries and janitors
and b*at cops. Regular people.

How does that help
your cause?

Maybe the government
did something awful to you.

I don't know your story.

But awful things happen
to people every day,

and they don't m*rder people
because of it.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

You're just a pawn,
like the rest of them.

And Senator Ori, what a joke.

You don't represent anyone
but yourself.

The w*r is just beginning, and
you are all on the wrong side of it.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Sic semper tyrannis.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

- RICKY: New York, you're dealing...
- (RADIO CUTS OFF)

Wait. I've heard that before.

- Yeah, in history class.
- No, no, no, no.

I heard that...

I heard that somewhere before.

(SOFTLY) Where the f*ck was it?

It's...

it's Curtis'...

Curtis' group.
That kid, he... he said that.

He said sic semper tyrannis.
He said that.

- You sure about that?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

How often you hear Latin?
Yeah, I'm sure about it. He...

Curtis talked to me
about that kid.

He said he's always blaming
others for his problems.

His name is... His name is Lewis,
and he drives a cab.

Lewis and he drives a...
(STAMMERS) Could you find him on there?

Lewis and he drives a cab?
That's not much to go on.

Come on! He's a vet!
I just...

He's Army, all right?
He... He's white, 25 years old.

He's definitely under 30 years old.
Could you just find him?

That narrows it down.
But listen, Frank,

are you sure that
this is the same guy?

I'm g*dd*mn sure. Just...
Come on, David, just find him.

MICRO: Okay, what happens
when I find him?

What do you think happens?

(SIGHS) This piece of sh*t's
going after Karen.

What's the deal with you two?

The deal is just that nobody goes
after her, okay? Not on my watch.

- You wanna go after this guy.
- You're g*dd*mn right.

What would you do
if it was Sarah?

If there was a maniac coming
after her, what would you do?

Sarah's my wife.
Sarah's my family.

Listen to me. Listen.

I'm only gonna say this once.
So is Karen.

If something happens to her,
I...

(STAMMERS)

- (GRUNTS) Just...
- Okay.

Please. (BREATHING HEAVILY)

Thank you.

Lewis, you need to call me.

I heard the radio.
I've been to your place.

I wanna stop this
before anyone else gets hurt.

But you gotta call me,
buddy, all right?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

O'Connor?

O'Connor, you home?

(GRUNTS)

O'Connor, you home?

(SIGHS)

(LEWIS BREATHING HEAVILY)

You shouldn't be here, Curtis.

I needed to come check on you.

Huh.

I figured, um, that you need some help.
You know, talk.

There's a dead guy in that chair.

Seem like
he's been there for a while.

None of that matters... now.

We could still figure this out.

It's not too late to
do the right thing.

Oh, I am doing the right thing.

I can't leave here without you, buddy.
You know that, right?

(SIGHS) Right.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

You can't leave here.

(BOTH GRUNTING)

No, no, uh...

Just stay down, Lewis!

(BOTH PANTING)

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(PANTING)

- MICRO: Frank.
- FRANK: Yeah?

Lewis Wilson.

Age 26,
formerly 1st Infantry Division.

Address is registered to Clay,
Lewis' father.

- FRANK: That's him.
- Look...

why don't we just call
an anonymous tip line?

- Frank, let's call Curtis.
- Nah.

All right? Curtis knows the guy.
Let him deal with this.

Curtis will just try to fix him.

We're doing this my way.

(NEWSCASTER ON TV) No arrests
in the three deadly blasts

that rocked
Manhattan early Tuesday.

The three devices referred to
by the FBI as homemade...

He may have
written you once before.

Nothing sounds familiar?

Uh, not that I can tell. Um, we get
a lot of angry letters, though.

- (CELL PHONE RINGING)
- We might have some in the archives.

Is it okay if I get this?

- Be my guest.
- Thanks.

Karen Page.

The hell are you doing, Karen?
Going after a guy like this.

Because he chose me.

It made me angry that he thinks
I'd agree with his actions.

Yeah, good for you.

Now you got a target on your back.
You happy?

What was I supposed to do?
Nothing?

That's how people like this win,
Fr...

Why are you calling?

- Is the FBI there?
- Yes.

Good. You just stay put
till you hear from me.

Oh, sorry, hold on a sec.
Could I get a little privacy?

Sure.

Why am I hearing from you?

What do you know about this?

Yeah, I know that you need to
stay put until this gets dealt with.

No, what does this have to
do with you? (STAMMERS)

Do you know who he is?

Frank?

If you do, tell me.

I can go to the FBI,
and we can deal with this.

Ah, it's faster my way.

Faster? They're right here.

Why don't we do this
the right way for once?

Right way he doesn't walk away from.

That makes you no different than him.

Hey, Karen, we are plenty different,
and you know it.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

Two guys don't like the way
the world works,

so they do whatever they like?

Do not do this and
say that it's for me.

Yeah, just stay put.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
(DOOR OPENS)

Hey.

Shouldn't you be out there?

- Nobody wants me out there, believe me.
- Hmm.

Hey, hey.

Sex is not gonna make
your problems go away.

Maybe I just wanted to feel
something good.

(BILLY SIGHS)

Do you know that I've
been to 17 funerals?

Friends, guys that I served with.

You think I don't know
what this feeling is like?

Yeah, were any of them your fault?

Yeah, if I wanted to go that way.
Sure.

Maybe if I'd sh*t this guy,
or stopped that guy.

Been there a second sooner,
stayed a second later.

So maybe.

Or, sh*t, blame the enemy.
How about that?

Sometimes...

Sometimes it's the dead guy's fault.

You ever think about that?

While you're lying there?

Maybe Stein screwed up.

I mean, how'd he manage
to get himself stabbed

when he was the one with the g*n?

It doesn't matter
if I'm out there or in here.

Bad guys keep doing bad sh*t,
the world turns.

You get back on the horse.
That's what people like us do.

And there's a pretty
big horse for you...

to jump on the back of right now.

If you can't do that...

maybe it's time to call it a day.
There'd be no shame in it.

Is that what you want?

Permission to quit?

Look, I can't go back,
even if I wanted to.

Federal agents are dead,
and Stein d*ed for nothing.

As soon as everyone figures that out,
I'm finished.

I... I used Frank Castle's
name as bait.

I went after the people trying
to k*ll a dead man.

You see how crazy that
makes me look, right?

You were just trying
to do the right thing.

No one will give a sh*t.

Yeah?

Well, they weren't there.

Neither were you.

(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

- Yeah?
- Hey, where are you?

At the Wilsons'.
No sign of him or the old man.

Listen, Frank...

I've been thinking about what you said.
You're right.

If you can do something about this guy,
you have to, you know?

Even if I don't like it.

(SCOFFS) What is this?

You're giving me permission
I never asked for.

You have to do whatever it takes
to take care of the people you love.

What are you trying to
tell me, David?

Listen, I got a trace from
Wilson's cell, different address.

He got a call about
30 minutes ago from Curtis.

Now Curtis is
at the same address.

- 83451 Van Buren.
- God damn it.

Absolutely. None of my concern.

My view of law enforcement
is let them do their jobs.

What I'm proposing
to do is twofold.

Firstly, that we see that
the victims of this terrible event

are looked after and...

Exactly. And secondly, that...

Yeah. Secondly,
that we do not lose sight

of what drives this t*rror1st.
He...

I appreciate that.

Your support will make
all the difference.

Yup. And thank you.

He's in. Contact his office
for transfer of funds.

And make sure
his name is prominent

in the, uh, programs.
Who's next?

Mr. Russo, the security consultant,
is here.

Ah, Mr. Russo.

I'm Stan Ori.
I hope we haven't kept you.

Not at all.
It's a hive of activity around here.

Yeah, I'm planning
a fundraising gala here at the hotel

to benefit the victims of
the bombings.

Raise awareness on the issues.

And a clear act of defiance
in the face of terrorism.

Yeah, and setting yourself up
as this guy's enemy.

I guess that's why I'm here.

A, uh, friend in a high place
told me you were the best.

Your friend was right.

I'm interested.
As a m*llitary man,

what's your take on this t*rror1st?

Professionally,
he's a thr*at to be neutralized.

Personally...

he's a murdering coward
I'd take out in the blink of an eye.

And you... you don't worry
that v*olence begets v*olence?

Senator, I make my living
out of v*olence.

And that doesn't bother you?

Says the guy looking
to hire armed security.

Listen,
if we're gonna work together,

you need to start
seeing us as insurance.

If everything goes well, well...

then you'll wonder
what the hell we're doing here.

And if it doesn't...

then we'll be the reason that you
get to keep having these debates.

I am a prominent voice
in the anti-g*n movement.

If someone trying to att*ck me
gets sh*t in the head...

you can see
how that wouldn't look good.

These principles of yours...

they worth dying for?

When can you start?

Right away.
Isaac and Simon will stay

while I organize the
rest of your detail.

And if this guy does come after you,
then...

they'll do their best to subdue him
in a humane manner.

(CHUCKLES)

Very dry, Mr. Russo.

- Welcome aboard.
- Thank you, sir.

- You good?
- Yeah.

Eyes on Ori.

(g*n COCKS)

Curt?

- (GRUNTING)
- (SHUSHING) Hey.

Hey.

Hey, hey. (SHUSHING)
Hey, Curtis, look at me. It's me.

Hey, you do not move, okay?
You stay still. You got that?

- (CURTIS BREATHING HEAVILY)
- You just stay still. (SIGHS)

- Look at me. Look at me. (SHUSHING)
- (MOANING)

Look at me. I got you. I got you.

- (GRUNTING)
- Come on. You're all right.

There you go. (SHUSHING)

All right.

What happened here, Curt?

CURTIS: I tried to stop him.

Little bastard kicked my leg
out from under me.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Back in the day, you know
I would have snapped him in two.

I know you would, Curt.
Hey, I know you would.

I know you would. You just...

You... you be easy, okay?
You just...

- Easy.
- (COUGHS)

Where you going?

- Where you going?
- I'm gonna clean you up a bit.

See about getting you out of here.

Hey, Frank, just get out of here.
Call...

Get out of here and
call the cops, man.

Come here.

Come here. Hey, drink this.
That's it.

Go on.

- Good.
- (GRUNTS)

(GROANING)

He b*at me.
b*at me with my own leg.

Come on, Curt.

You remember that, uh...

that EOD class we took?

And what they said about Claymores?

CURTIS: Seven hundred steel balls

comin' at
you 1,000 meters per second.

FRANK: A lot of g*dd*mn balls, huh?

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

- What is that?
- My cell phone. In my pocket.

My...

(RINGING CONTINUES)

(LEWIS BREATHING HEAVILY)
You're supposed to be dead.

FRANK: This Lewis?

And you're Frank Castle.

They said that
you were k*lled.

Yeah, well, they say
a lot of things, kid.

I guess they needed you gone.

Too many people were on your side.
People like me.

People who know that
we have to...

to take matters
into our own hands.

Is that what you're doing here, Lewis?
You...

you taking matters
into your own hands?

Someone had to.
Same as you.

(CELL PHONE BEEPS)

Kid, what does this have to do
with Curtis?

(LEWIS ON SPEAKERPHONE) Curtis...

Curtis chose the wrong side.

No. No, you're wrong there.

I promise you,
he's never been

on the wrong side of
anything in his life.

Just... You gotta trust me
on that one.

Come on, Lewis.
What's the plan here, huh?

I mean,
how does this end?

You gonna wait for the cops
to show up?

You gonna blow them all to hell?

You take on the establishment,
kid, that...

that will not end well.

They will find you and k*ll you

before you ever make a dent,
I promise you.

I already made a dent.

Listen to me.
You need to let Curtis go, all right?

You let me get him out of here...

and then you turn yourself in,
all right? Just do it, yeah?

Nobody else needs to get hurt.

- LEWIS: Is that what you did, Frank?
- What?

No, you fought your w*r,
and now I am fighting mine.

You are nothing like me.
You are nothing like me.

People I went after,
I stood in front of 'em.

I looked them in the eye
before I put 'em down. Not you.

You're a coward.
You hide behind these g*dd*mn bombs.

You got a United States Marine here!
A United States Marine!

You're nothing but sh*t
on my shoe, you...

(STAMMERS) You trying to
get us k*lled?

FARAH: You decided to go?

I owe it to Sam.

When I first came to New York,
Sam's career was going nowhere.

And then I came along.
I lit a fire under him,

gave him something to chase.

He trusted me.

And he d*ed for it.

So, yeah, I'm gonna
speak at the service.

And I'm gonna tell the truth.
All of it.

It'll mean
the end of my career.

But the federal agents, the press,

someone will have to
act on my words.

They can't bury it then.

Even if they bury me.

Grand gesture.

Yeah. The only one I have left.

It's a dangerous time, Dinah.

I want you to reflect on
all this before you act.

Mom, the last thing
I need to do...

is spend another minute
reflecting, okay?

I understand your need.

But if you do this,
there is no turning back.

I know.

All right, then.
But consider one question first.

I wonder if, deep down,

you want to burn all your bridges
because you're scared to return.

(SIGHS)

Yeah, the thing I just can't
figure out is whether this is on a, uh,

an open circuit or a closed.

You know the difference?

Uh...

I think a, uh...

a closed circuit means
any wire I cut, that's it.

But open, some go boom, some don't.

The problem is I just cannot
figure out which is which.

So either way, we're screwed.

(SIGHS)

You know, maybe what happens

is supposed to happen,
and if we get in the way,

same old sh*t's just gonna
come back around.

Yeah, and maybe that kid hit you
a little bit too hard in the head.

There's been plenty of times
I wished for it.

Ah, come on.
That's bullshit, and you know it.

You think
I woke up in the hospital

with a missing leg,
full of good thoughts?

Hey.

I'm proud of everything
that you've done since then.

You didn't feel sorry for yourself.
You didn't wallow.

You got on with it, yeah?

You helped people, Curtis.
That's what you did.

You wanna know why?
I'll tell you why.

'Cause every time I'm talking to them,
I'm talking to myself.

You think I don't
wake up screaming...

thinkin' on what
I used to be?

Wish for it?

sh*t. I got my ass
b*at by a kid.

It's not your fault.

You ever feel helpless?

I have.

And I swore
I'd never feel it again.

But here I am.

I'd rather I had d*ed
in that last b*mb than be...

sat here, strapped to this one.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

Yeah.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

I called the cops.

FRANK: Okay. I figured you would.

- LEWIS: I don't wanna hurt you, Frank.
- FRANK: And why is that?

You're not my enemy.

We should be working together.

If that's what you want, kid,
you got it. Just...

You just tell me which one
of these wires to cut, yeah?

You tell me how I get Curt out of here,
and, uh, I'll be right along.

I don't know
if I can trust you.

Trust, it's... it's got nothing to do
with it, right? You can...

You can trust someone,
they still let you down.

Curtis ever tell you about
how he lost his leg?

LEWIS: No.

There was a, uh...

There was an IED.
It went off in a market.

You know, it was a big one.
It was... It was bad, you know.

Women, kids...
There's body parts everywhere.

People screaming, you know.
It was... It was madness, you know.

People were trying to
make sense of it.

You know,
all wild-eyed, but not...

not Curt.

He was cold as ice, you know.

He was in the middle of it.
He was doing his job.

He was...
He was holding this kid...

puttin' him back together.

He was the best damn
corpsman I ever saw.

See, my job, I was supposed to
secure a perimeter.

That's when I saw
this woman walking at us.

She was 7, 8 months pregnant.
She was walking right at us.

It wasn't even like that.

(STAMMERS) It was.

It was.

I saw her.

My job was to keep her away.

The only problem, Lewis,
is when I looked at her,

I saw my wife back home,
who was pregnant with my kid.

I should have put her down,
but I froze.

I couldn't squeeze that trigger.

And when she blew herself up...

well, she k*lled that kid
that Curtis was working on.

She blew off Curtis's leg, too.

Now I dragged him out of there.

He thanked me for saving his life,
but the truth is...

I ruined it.

(SIGHS AND SNIFFLES)

Come to the back window, Frank.

Yeah.

- Hear that?
- (SIRENS WAILING IN DISTANCE)

- They're coming?
- Yeah.

Yeah, I hear it.

But I'm gonna
stay right here.

Get out of here. Go!

(STAMMERS)
Frank, you son of a bitch, please!

I don't give a damn about the past,
and you don't owe me anything.

I am not leaving.

Let me ask you a question, Lewis.

Why'd you join up?

- I wanted to serve my country.
- (CHUCKLES) Come on.

That's elementary school sh*t,
and you know it.

Joined up because
you wanted to fight, right?

You wanted a taste.
To get some. It's okay.

Me, too.
And now what you're doing

is you're using the flag, right?

You use it to wipe off the sh*t

that you've done
since you've been home.

Home?

Home?

- No, there is no home.
- (KICKS WALL)

Not as long as
hacks like Karen Page

think they can write or say
whatever it is they want.

Or politicians like Ori sit
and att*ck real patriots, Frank.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

No, they are gonna learn
that they're not safe.

Now I'm getting sick of your
g*dd*mn voice, you know that?

Now I'm gonna walk in there and
I'm gonna cut one of those wires.

Now what are you gonna do?
You gonna k*ll me, kid?

You ready?
You ready to k*ll me?

You ready to k*ll Curtis?
Is that who you are?

Decision's in your hands.

- You decide how this goes!
- Yeah. Yeah, that's right. I do, Frank.

Wow, you're a big man.

Well, then go ahead, big man.
Make your decision!

Are you ready?

You wanna k*ll me?
You wanna k*ll Curtis?

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(SIRENS WAILING IN DISTANCE)

Try the white wire.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Hey...

Hey, hey...

- Hey...
- (SHUSHES)

Frank, no, what are you doing? Just go.
Frank, just go. Just go, man.

Just... just go.

(SHUSHING)

- Frank, just go.
- Look at me. Hey.

- Hey.
- Frank, just go.

Hey. It's you and me, Curt.

It's you and me.

Come on. It's you and me.

(GRUNTING)
(CHUCKLES)

(POLICE SIRENS APPROACHING)

(HORN HONKS)

(OFFICER 1) Stop right there!

He's heading east,
towards Pine Street!

(SIRENS CONTINUE WAILING)

(FRANK GRUNTS)
(WOMAN SCREAMS)

(WOMAN YELLING IN SPANISH)

(SIRENS APPROACHING)

(SIRENS CONTINUE WAILING)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

OFFICER 2: Freeze! NYPD!
Don't move, assh*le!

Hands on your head! Down! Right now!

(GROANS)

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

You want another one, sweetie?

No. I'm gonna be late. Thanks.

Buy you a drink?

Really not in the mood, buddy.

Is that 'cause your partner's dead?

Who are you?

Call me Micro.

- You sent me the video.
- Mm-hmm.

Then a lot of people got k*lled.

You're wondering if I had
something to do with that?

Yeah.

So Frank Castle turns up alive,
and now you're sitting here.

No way that's a coincidence.

So you... you and Castle, you're what?
Partners?

- (SIGHS)
- Are you here to k*ll me?

I'm here because I hope I'm right
and you're not one of 'em.

You know what? Screw you for
thinking I'm part of that sh*t.

You wanna sh**t me,
then go right ahead.

There's a funeral I'd rather not attend,
so you'd be doing me a favor.

I can give you the names of
everyone involved in Kandahar.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO)
- OFFICER: Yeah, we're clear.

MICRO: The CIA operation
was off the books. It was, uh...

totally illegal.

The heroin was funding.
Your guy Zubair,

he caught wind of it, and, uh...

they painted him as a t*rror1st,

pulled him from his
house, ex*cuted him.

Have you got a name?

William Rawlins.

He was the interrogator.
He ran it.

And you can prove all this?

Mmm. I still have
the video files.

But you need Frank.

He was in the room.

He doesn't know you're here,
does he?

ELLISON: Answer me one thing.
Did you know?

REPORTER #1: (ON TV) An
anonymous tip led police

to this house in Queens

where Castle was
fleeing the scene.

- Did you know?
- Police were unable to apprehend

Castle, but this image was
caught on a dashboard camera.

- Facial recognition
software confirms...

- (GASPS)
- ...that the man you are looking at

is indeed Frank Castle.
He is alive.

REPORTER #2: Early reports...

- Hey, turn that up.
- ...of a casualty

and police pursuit of
a fleeing suspect.

So far those reports
are unconfirmed.

Stay tuned as
this story develops.

REPORTER #1: It appears Frank Castle,

- also known as the Punisher...
- sh*t!

- sh*t.
- ...is alive and may...

REPORTER #3: Castle was
tried and convicted

of the murders of 37 people,

all of whom
have ties to the city's

most notorious organized
crime syndicates...

REPORTER #4: We have breaking news
that Queens NYPD Police...

(NEWS REPORTS CONTINUE INDISTINCTLY)

Stay tuned as the story develops.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)