03x12 - Custom Made k*ller

[bunniefuu]

The man is dead.

Don't know much about this business, do you?

Had to have at least 450 horsepower.

What keeps us from being Grebs' next accident?

You've hired a brand new head of security.

By forcing Grebs' hand, we have placed ourselves in a state of w*r.

This isn't business anymore.

This is personal.

Knight Rider a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist.

Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent the helpless, the powerless in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

What the Hey! What are you doing?

Don't! lt's done.

l'll be stopping by for payment in the morning.

All right! You call that all right?

That player on the bottom may never get up.

Hey, KlTT, come on, give me a break.

lt's the first hockey game you've ever seen in your life.

The similarity of hockey and a w*r between various caveman tribes on a frozen lake bears a very close parallel.

Are you sure you're not becoming a bit of a snob?

Snob?

Who are you calling a snob?

Good morning, Devon.

Do you know where that word ''snob'' comes from?

Yes, I do.

And if I were a snob, I would not allow you to watch sports contests on state-of-the-art Foundation equipment.

Good morning.

l'm on my way in.

Good.

You've been rather difficult to reach lately, particularly last night.

l got a weakness for dancers.

Dancers pirouette on their toes to the strains of violins and flutes.

They do not gesticulate wildly to the throbbing b*at of bongo drums and saxophones.

Devon, they are innocent girls working their way through college.

Besides, every once in a while, l gotta get away- Away from whom?

l just gotta get away, period.

This subject is closed, for now.

Michael, do you feel the need to get away from me?

No, KlTT, no, l What l meant was, l just gotta get away, you know, the human condition l gotta take a break, get away from life.

You and me, we're partners, aren't we?

Thank you, Michael.

You're welcome.

Two accidents with a connection is one thing, but three in a row lead me to believe that there's a great deal more involved than mere coincidence.

What about the police?

lncidents occurred in three different jurisdictions in two different states.

There's no reason for them to make a connection.

But you made a connection.

They were all successfully involved in the garment industry.

Okay, so that's the pattern.

What's the motive?

Extortion.

l see you haven't lost your street instincts.

l have some evidence and a great deal more speculative information that that's exactly what it is.

Any speculation on who's behind it?

Yes, D.

G.

Grebs.

Enormously well-organized and absolutely deadly.

There he is.

He buys his muscle men at group rates.

He uses the garment industry to clean up his money.

He's got a legitimate cash flow.

At Harvard, they call it vertical integrity.

On the street, they call it monopoly.

Really?

Total control through force.

That's Grebs' game.

KlTT has it all, including a list of the businesses Grebs already has under control.

l'm gonna make sure we really do have a m*rder*r.

Another accident, another statistic.

Homicide goes about its business and the Traffic Detail gets the heat.

You know something?

ln New York, anything darker than pale was a tan.

But out here, you have to cook yourself for a couple of hours each day otherwise, you look like an outpatient.

You did a good job.

Let's have a drink on it.

No, thank you.

To your health and your tan.

You know where to reach me in the future.

The future?

l need you now.

Sorry, l have an appointment in New Orleans, a new client.

l'll buy it.

Put a number on it.

There is no price on my reputation.

So what's it gonna cost me for a delay, $20,000?

You got it.

Call it holding money for the next job, not part of your regular fee, how's that?

Okay, l can arrange that, but for one week only.

Good.

Good.

That should just about tie this whole thing up for me.

l got everything covered, from trucking to fabric supply right on down to the buttons.

All l need now is a few successful fashion houses in the sportswear business.

They run the largest cash flow.

You seem to have everything under control.

You could be wasting your money on me.

Money?

That's easy.

All l do is raise the interest on the money they borrow to make their fall line.

Yeah l'm also the largest factor in this area.

Loan shark.

Factor.

lt's legitimate.

l even pay some taxes.

l'll be in touch.

For $20,000, you'd better.

l have an offer out to O & M Fashions, some guy named O'Malley.

lf he says yes, go to New Orleans.

lf he says no, be in touch.

What's taking so long, KlTT?

It's definitely two different sets of tires.

The second set overlapping the first.

Sam Dennis was forced off the road.

l need more.

What can you tell me about the other car?

Considering the weight of the sports car and its trajectory I would say it exceeded 100 miles per hour and had to have at least 450 horsepower.

It overcame an excellent braking system in order to shove the sports car off the cliff.

Then this M.

O.

fits the other accidents.

What we have here is a series of murders, cleverly disguised murders.

All right, tap into your data banks.

We've got to narrow down the field.

KlTT, give me a list of all the companies and owners coming out with a new fall line.

It's rather extensive, I'm afraid.

There are hundreds of companies involved.

Okay, now eliminate the ones in business over two years.

All right, now scratch out the ones with a Triple-A Dun and Bradstreet.

Can't touch people with money like that.

Anything else?

How many left?

All right, lose them, too, just give me the ones in high-risk fashion.

That's sportswear.

Just the hot ones.

We're down to nine.

Okay, key their owners with the DMV and crosscheck job accidents on the police band.

Then give me the top two.

That'll make our potential victims list.

Which one?

They're both prime.

All right, then l'll pick.

DebJo Fashions?

You got it.

Be good.

Be serious.

I'm always good, Michael.

You know that.

l know that.

Move over.

No, no, contrast, darling.

l need contrast.

Yes! That's it, it's perfect, here.

Hop up on the car, and give me a little profile and a lot of leg.

Good.

lt's coughing.

lt?

''He,'' darling.

So he has a cold.

Now hold it.

Good.

That's not ''holding it.

'' lt sneezed.

lt?

l told you, he probably has a cold.

Now will you get back up on the hood play deaf and be beautiful for me.

Good.

l'm sorry, we're not open to the public.

That's all right.

l'm not the public.

We see salesmen first thing in the morning and l know you're not a buyer- My name is Michael Knight.

The only thing l'm here to sell you is some help.

Oh! Okay, l've heard that sales pitch before.

How are you going to help me?

l'm going to help you kick Grebs off your back.

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

l think you do.

He's pushing you a little bit too hard.

Who are you?

What do you know about my business with Grebs?

Money.

He's got it and you need it.

But once he gets in, he'll never let you out.

You're wasting my time.

No, l'm not.

You see, you need about $50,000 to get fabrics for your fall line.

You've got hot designs, accounts receivable, more than enough to cover.

But you got no cash.

Grebs has got that.

He's trouble, l'm not.

Debra.

Which one of these wools falls better over the hips?

Well, that's not important now.

Joan, l'd like you to meet Michael Knight.

ln shining armor with a leather jacket and a blank check, or so he says.

Wait a minute talking East Coast.

Remember, l'm from the Midwest.

l can't give you a blank check, but l can give you some straight talk.

You girls have got a great business going here.

You deal with Grebs long enough and he'll pick you apart, piece by piece.

l'm not sure what l'm supposed to say.

You're not supposed to say anything.

Just think about it, huh?

Don't take too long.

Well, we'll have to talk it over.

Great.

That's how to get ahold of me.

Oh, yeah, can you tell me how to get to O & M Fashions?

O'Malley?

Yeah, he's in the same boat you are.

Maybe, but he's got a loaded paddle.

You, get out of here.

Go back to Grebs and tell him l can take care of myself and my business.

And to stay away from both of them.

Relax, Tom.

He's not one of Grebs' people, l know them all.

Besides, the g*n's not loaded.

Yeah, put that thing away.

lt's the unloaded ones that do all the damage.

So he's not from Grebs.

So he ain't Santa Claus either.

Point is, he ain't one of us.

You, get out of here and take your conversation back to the gutter.

Why don't you let him talk first?

Not to me.

Bet that guy has got a lot of friends.

Yeah, l'm one of them.

He's a good man.

Forgets that he's not a kid anymore, but we all like to do that.

You got a place here, too?

They're all mine, one time or another.

When cash gets tough, l front them money on their accounts receivable.

A factor.

Well, then you're in competition with Grebs, huh?

Could be a little dangerous.

lf l can keep people in business, l can deal with them again and again.

l'm a legitimate part of this industry.

l believe you.

Then also believe you should wait a few days before you talk to Tom again.

I'm glad we're leaving.

We'll be back.

Two down, seven to go.

Michael, I'd prefer you park me in a lot next time.

The people one comes in contact with here You'll love our next stop, Michael.

: Muriel's Menswear.

Can't be worse than the first two.

l'm talking dead ends.

You think they were tough?

Muriel's been 52 years in the garment business.

Born in Brooklyn in ought-nine.

Ought-nine?

Wonder if she ever saw the Brooklyn Dodgers play.

Michael, one of our keyed license plates just flashed on police band.

An automobile-train collision three miles north of here.

I'm afraid it's Tom O'Malley.

A witness placed a second car leaving the scene westbound.

A red and white custom sedan.

Speak of the devil.

Let's get him before he causes any more accidents.

He'll be hard to catch, Michael.

We'll have to plot a course doubling back against traffic.

Don't say it, do it.

Did you get a make on him?

I'm afraid not.

Contact was too brief.

There he is, Michael.

All right, we nail him.

You in a rush?

Not anymore.

l'll take this through myself.

That's against the rules.

Be my guest.

Use all the soap you want.

How could we lose him?

My calculations placed our contact point right at this corner.

What'd he do, go airborne?

No, Michael, but somehow he just seemed to vanish.

There isn't a car like it within four blocks.

l told you, l'm not the type.

l'm not buying it, Lewis.

O'Malley was your friend.

Hell of a pinochle player.

Every day over lunch, for years, we played.

The man is dead.

The man is dead.

Help me do something about it.

You don't know much about this business, do you?

lnnocent people are dropping like flies.

How much do l need to know?

Back on the Lower East Side of New York, this used to happen a lot.

l buried some good friends.

Great, so you want to watch it happen all over again?

Grebs decides to make the trade his own backyard and everybody rolls over.

What can l do alone, huh?

You get a crowd together, l might get brave.

You know, l'm not that young and l'm not a hero.

You are.

You are not alone.

Crowds start with one or two people.

Believe me, l get this thing rolling we'll attract plenty of attention.

Help me, please.

l'm listening.

l'm crazy, but l'm listening.

That's none of your business! Come on, you're not shy.

How much do you owe Grebs?

Why do you want to know?

Because Mr.

Lewis here wants to take over your factor.

He wants to buy out Grebs' debt.

Obviously, you don't know Grebs.

That's not very smart business.

For us, maybe not.

For you, it's brilliant.

What's his rate?

20 points, 25?

l'll take over your whole figure for one point over prime rate.

What?

Why are you doing this?

l can't even get a car loan that cheap.

l got my reasons.

Grebs k*lled Tom O'Malley this morning.

l heard that was an accident.

Yeah, right, just like Sam Dennis was an accident.

Here's the draft.

Fill in the amount.

Add a little cushion if you like.

The money is fine.

What keeps us from being Grebs' next accident?

l will.

l now own one share of common stock in DebJo Fashions.

We don't have any stock.

This is a partnership.

Well, when you do, consider me in on the ground floor.

Right now, you've hired a brand new head of security.

Partners?

Partners.

Michael, l sent you out to stop the deaths, not cause more.

Jeopardizing your own life is one thing but drawing three innocent people in is quite another.

Don't worry, l'll protect them.

As you protected O'Malley?

Oh, sorry, Michael.

Sorry.

That's all right.

You're right, Devon.

l'm telling you, these garment people are a close, tight-knit group.

l wasn't getting anywhere ringing doorbells.

So you decided to go to the opposite extreme.

Michael, l wish you had checked with me first.

Right, and by the time we get through discussing procedure here another one bites the dust.

Devon, look l'm sorry.

l respect what you do.

l really do.

While l was out there spinning my wheels, l saw another man die.

l had to do something.

l assume you have some plan in mind?

l'll let Grebs know there's another competitor on the block.

One that won't go belly up when he snaps his fingers.

And then?

lf l shake him hard enough l'm convinced l'll be the next target for his mobile assassin.

Only l've got an ace in the hole.

KlTT?

Exactly.

Now once l get his driver nailed and he faces m*rder charges all alone ten to one he turns on Grebs and supplies us with all the amm*nit*on we need.

Right.

Michael, good luck, old boy.

$20,000 cash.

l just paid off the debt from DebJo Fashions.

l'd like the note.

Who are you, their guardian angel?

lt's a very good way of putting it.

The note?

Those girls must be doing better than l thought.

l'll have to look into it.

The girls are doing fine.

They just found a better way to deal than you.

ls that so?

Yeah, that is so.

You see, l'm a new partner in DebJo Fashions.

Oh, don't tell me, let me guess.

You're into dresses.

No, l'm into money, and muscle where it's needed.

The note please.

You know something?

l've seen boys like you come and go around here.

The sportswear business is a rough trade.

The girls will be back to me.

l don't think so.

And if l were you, l'd plan to lose some more.

You see, l'm going to move in on every one of your accounts.

Get out of here before l move you out the window.

Pleasure doing business with you.

KlTT, monitor Grebs' phones.

l want to see who he calls.

Very well, but, Michael you have an emergency call from Joan.

She has to see you.

At DebJo?

No, she was afraid to go there.

She's waiting for you on top of the building.

The elevator's on your right.

l'm on my way.

KlTT, l need you up here right away.

Michael, Michael, can you hear me?

Yeah, KlTT.

My preliminary med-scan doesn't indicate any serious injury.

That's easy for you to say.

I can call a paramedic unit.

No, l'll take a rain check.

Where's that k*ller car?

Long gone, I'm afraid.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Not by a long sh*t.

Come on, we got work to do.

Michael how could you put yourself in a spot like this?

lt wasn't easy, believe me.

lf it weren't for KlTT, l wouldn't be here now.

Well, don't say l didn't warn you.

l didn't like this plan from the very beginning.

Don't rub it in.

He's rubbing it in.

lt's his way of showing you he cares.

l intensely dislike being talked about in the third person.

And l don't need anyone to interpret my statements, thank you very much.

What happened?

l went to meet Joan.

She wasn't there.

lnstead, l found the k*ller car.

l assume there's a reasonable explanation as to why she wasn't there.

Well, she said she saw me leaving the parking structure and- There, there, you see now?

By forcing Grebs' hand, we have placed ourselves in a state of w*r.

Now your friends are vulnerable, and we're obliged to protect them.

l guess you feel pretty strongly about that.

l have never felt so strongly about anything.

And no sacrifice would be too great.

That's right, none, none.

None whatsoever.

Good.

Bonnie.

Okay, g*ng.

lntroducing the temporary home of DebJo Fashions.

What is this?

You mind if l use the phone, Michael?

Go ahead.

lt's not bad for off the rack.

l run a tight operation.

Not like some of these guys who move to Miami and do their business on a phone under a palm tree.

Now, all of a sudden, l'm not in control any more.

People are defying me.

And you, the guy who never misses suddenly, out of the blue, you miss.

l hit him, he's hurt.

Not enough.

You know what your trouble is?

You're too perfect.

Maybe if you took a drink out of a dirty glass once in a while you wouldn't blow the big ones.

You've said enough, Grebs.

Now don't push it.

You're not behind the wheel of a car now.

Like l said we get a couple of people who refuse to go along and if we let them keep breathing before you know it, there's four or five of them, or maybe a dozen and so on, and so on.

None of this would be happening if it wasn't for that Knight character.

l want him gone, Flood.

l want him gone.

l double your fee.

Keep your bonus money.

This isn't business anymore.

This is personal.

This one is on me.

Feeling any better?

Oh, l don't know, l guess so.

Listen, you really didn't have to drive me back.

Call me a little bit paranoid.

l don't want to take any chances right now.

Any regrets?

You mean about standing up to Grebs?

As a matter of fact, yeah.

l'm scared and l don't like being scared.

You kidding?

Nobody does.

Some people handle it better than others.

You, for instance.

Occupational hazard.

He's going to win, isn't he?

Grebs.

ln the end, he'll win.

Not if l can help it.

Michael, what are we gonna do?

We're trapped.

He can just wait us out.

Unless l miss my guess, l don't think waiting is one of Grebs' strengths.

Besides, l've got something in mind that l think is really going to stir up the pot.

Michael, please don't leave me on this dreadful street.

Relax, buddy.

I don't like people sitting on me.

Oh, it's back, perfect.

Black on black, a single strand of pearls! Not you again.

lt talks! Who cares, most drivers do.

Listen, l'm doing print here.

l don't pay S.

A.

G.

So just kind of drape yourself over the fender.

Good.

Perfect.

It's none of my business, but your F-stop should be opened and your shutter speed reduced.

This is ridiculous! No, he may have a point there.

Would you say F-8 or 11?

You're talking to an empty car! Given present light conditions, eight.

Got you.

Hey, is this a ''take'' or a ''leave''?

lt's a ''take.

'' You okay?

Sure.

No, you're not.

What's wrong?

l was just remembering what it was like when Joan and l first moved in here.

We had such high hopes.

We worked nights, weekends.

Nothing was going to stop us.

Now l just have this awful feeling that l'm never going to see this place again.

l got a great feeling that you are.

You don't know Grebs.

You don't know me.

l got some good news for you.

I'm listening.

l called in an old marker from an old friend.

So l got inside information now.

From now on, we'll know everything we need to know about Michael Knight.

What he's planning, where he is, where he'll be.

Just cleaning up some of the mess here for Tom's wife.

His kids are all grown.

They have a life.

But Annie is all alone.

Don't you think we owe her a little something more?

Like what?

She's got enough money from insurance.

Like Grebs' scalp.

l know this is the West, but there's no more cowboys and lndians.

lt's the same difference, you know.

We're just a bunch of small-time operators here fighting the big, bad wolf, you know?

The cattle baron.

And none of us can fight this guy alone.

We need to get a group of our own people together, a posse.

That car must have hit you too hard.

How's your head?

Lewis, l'm serious.

Now how many of the owners can you really trust?

Tom's gone.

l don't know.

Maybe six or seven more.

You do business with all of them?

Used to.

Grebs has them now.

Those are exactly the ones l want.

Now, can you round them up?

You try and put together a meeting like that and Grebs will know about it before anybody even sits down.

l made my move.

l put my money where my mouth is.

Maybe it's time for me to shut up.

Maybe it's time you visit Tom's grave and put some nice flowers out there.

Oh, l got it: Teach his wife how to play pinochle.

Sit around and tell a few stories about good old Tom.

Maybe you're not too big to be sitting on the floor, looking up at me.

Now, it's about time you got mad.

So get mad at the right guy, will you?

Get mad at Grebs.

The word is ''enough.

'' You've given enough.

You've taken enough, enough of fear.

Come on, you people have worked too hard all your life to give away everything you've attained.

Lewis, what is it with this guy?

He's selling T-shirts with targets on the back.

Maybe you ought to listen to him.

l did.

You guys know l'm not the easiest person in the world to con.

So what do we do, buy g*ns, circle the wagons?

No, you cut off Grebs supply of money.

You k*ll his cash flow.

l've been poor before and l know what broke is.

Forget all the poetry written about it.

lt's not fun.

l don't want to do it again.

l can't do it again.

Why not?

Why not?

When l first met you, you were a cutter on the third floor.

l backed you the first two years.

You were a good man and a hard worker.

You pay Grebs off and l'll back you again.

You, Joe, you were doing cuffs in a denim factory 12 years ago.

You had guts and a talent and l bet on it.

l'll bet on it again.

You have any idea how much we owe Grebs?

To the penny.

l've been around too long not to know.

l'm willing to back every person in this room.

Then we really got nothing to lose.

You're the only one who can take a bath.

l've been broke before, you know.

Wasn't so bad.

Whether you like it or not, you're a hero.

Yeah, yeah.

They're down there at a meeting right now.

Michael Knight is trying to get the whole group of them together.

And l can give you every name.

So do it.

l will, but l have to know what's going to happen on my end of it.

l set you up with that Debra Sands, didn't l?

l helped make your line the hottest in town.

What else do you want?

l want to run O & M Fashions.

l've struggled for 10 years.

l've even put up with Debra playing showroom chic while l sweated it out in the back rooms.

l want O & M for me! lt's mine.

That's why l pushed on it.

That's why O'Malley and the others are dead.

You're a piece of equipment a piece of rented equipment.

You understand that?

l push the buttons.

l turn you on and l turn you off.

You got that?

lt's not just for me.

l can run that operation successfully.

You know l can.

The names, the names.

There's Lewis, the factor, and there's- The meeting could go on for hours.

You want Michael Knight or not?

You know l do, unless he's too tough for you.

Don't push your luck, Grebs.

Accidents can happen to anyone.

Well, Michael, you've done it.

Yeah, maybe not by the book, but l think it will work.

I certainly hope so.

If not perhaps we both should get one of those T-shirts with bull's-eyes on them.

What is this?

You were listening in, huh?

If I'm going to be a target, I'd like to know about it.

At least you'll be a moving target.

Anything yet?

Nothing out of the ordinary.

l think we've got company.

Affirmative, Michael.

We've got a sharp curve 1000 meters ahead.

Okay, pal, it's time to give him a taste of his own medicine.

All right, l need everything you can give me.

All right, KlTT, let's give him a push.

Three hundred meters to the curve.

He'll never make it past the curve.

You have to slow down.

All right.

You and l are going to talk about a couple of murders and a man named Grebs.

Wise guy, huh?

KlTT, you want to do the honors?

Okay, okay! Thank you, KlTT.

Okay, what do you want to know?

Pop in the cassette, KlTT.

Michael Oh, thank God you got here.

He wouldn't let me go.

Really?

That's not what Mr.

Flood said.

You know, once this guy started talking, he had an awful lot to say.

Cuff them, both of them.

What are you doing?

Why don't you shut your mouth?

Fits like a glove.

lt's supposed to fit like a jacket.

l haven't heard that line since l left New York.

Well, it was time.

Thank you.

Thank me?

Michael, you're crazy.

lf it weren't for you, l'd be back modeling rags on Eighth Avenue.

You probably would look terrific doing it, too.

l'll see you in the magazines.

Not so fast.

Now you can go.

Bye.

He'll be back.

ls this your car?

The last time l looked.

Why?

You ought to teach it better manners.

Darling, this could be your best layout.

This one could make you.

Come back.

KlTT what did you say to her?

Nothing of consequence, Michael.

Yeah, right.

I merely computed her exact weight and advised her of it.

Did I commit a faux pas, as the French would say?

Yeah, as the French would say, but as we say you made a big mistake.

Oh.