01x02 - A Common Enemy

[bunniefuu]

[Bill] Agent Ballesteros,

can you walk us
through what happened

as you approached the compound
on the morning of February 28th?

Yeah. Um...

my team was assigned to approach
the, uh, front entrance, here.

[Bill] And what happened
as you approached?

As we got close,

David Koresh opened the door
and stood there in the doorway.

And it was a double door?

[Ballesteros] Yes,
a double door.

The left one was shut,
Koresh had opened the right.

[Bill] Did you announce
yourself as you approached?

Yes. I yelled, "Police,"

and I said that we
had a search warrant.

[helicopter blades whirring]

- [dogs barking]
- [Bill] And-and what did he do?

There are women and
children in here!

[Ballesteros] When I was
about 15 feet from the door,

he smirked,

then turned, went back inside,
and shut the door behind him.

[g*nshots]

[Bill] And then what happened?

Then I heard a male voice say,
"Get that SOB off the porch."

Then they just started sh**ting.

Heavy, like someone took
a string of firecrackers

and dropped them all around me.

[g*nshots]

Shots ripped through the door.

Splintered the wood.

One struck my right
hand so I, uh...

I dove over the fence

and into the dog pit, here.

So they shot first?

Meaning the Branch Davidians

shot through the door first?

Yes.

[Bill] Agent Ballesteros,

when you were in the dog pit,

were you alone?

Uh, initially, and then
I was joined by, uh...

Agent Willis who
had also been shot.

[Bill] And where had
Agent Willis been shot?

[sighs]

All over.

The wounds he had sustained
were bleeding heavily.

I pulled him over, trying
to get us both flat

to avoid the shots coming
from the second floor.

We couldn't move.

You were pinned there?

Yes.

The medic was trying to reach
us and pull Willis back...

the g*nf*re was relentless...

automatic, high caliber rounds.

Suspenseful music plays

- [g*nshots]
- [people shouting]

[Bill] And how long
were you pinned there?

How long were the
Branch Davidians

firing on you?

Two and a half hours.

[people exclaim]

I eventually looked down
at Willis and he, uh...

[sighs]

Um, so I yelled
over to the medic.

I basically told him there
was no use coming any further.

Dramatic music plays

[faucet running]

Oh.

["Will the Circle
Be Unbroken" plays]

[Clive speaks
indistinctly] over there.

And we picked up
the hoses and...

[Ruth sighs] Welcome
home! [chuckles]

How was it?

It was wonderful.

[Ruth sighs] Oh.

Come here, you.

Oh.

Honey, I missed you.

Oh, you too.

Israel's beautiful.

Can't wait to show
it to you someday.

[chuckles]

- [sighs]
- When the Lord came

For to carry my love away...

We're glad you're
back, you were missed.

You guys hungry?

[Lois] Not really.

Thank you, though. Mm.

You seem different somehow.

[chuckles] Boy, you sure
don't miss a thing, do you?

Oh, quit being humble.

Tell 'em.

- [chuckles]
- Vernon started seeing visions

when we were in Jerusalem.

- Oh.
- Vernon has become

a vessel for the Lord.

- Oh, that's incredible.
- Oh.

Yeah, well, I'm just grateful

that you gave me the
opportunity to go.

Seemed like the
right thing to do.

Well, tell us all about it.

Well, we're still working
out what it is exactly,

what it exactly means.

But when the time is right,
we'll share with everybody.

[sighs]

You know, it was a long
flight and I sure am tired.

I think I'll, uh, go
lay down for a while.

Yeah, I'm... I'm tired myself.

I think I'll do the same.

[sighs]

Ruth.

Clive.

Will the circle

Be unbroken...

You ever wonder what
that would feel like?

By and by...

Hmm? What what would be like?

Have the gift of prophecy?

I bet it'd be scary at first.

How do you know you're
not going crazy?

[chuckles]

Oh, looks like Lois
left her suitcase.

I'll just run it over to her.

I'll be right back.

Hide my sorrow

When they laid her

In the grave

- [Lois moans]
- [smooching]

tense music plays

theme music plays

[sighs]

Are we sure there's
anybody in here?

Well, Carol told us Wild
Bill and his buddies

stayed here the night
before the robbery.

And it figures there's
still someone in there

who was helping them.

Well, I'm not sure why we had
to be here at the crack of dawn.

[scoffs] You got somewhere
else you gotta be?

Yeah, asleep.

Just like I'm sure
these knuckleheads are.

[door shuts]

[Gary inhales] Here we go.

[A*F agent 1] Hands up!
Get down! Freeze! Freeze!

- Freeze! Get down!
- [A*F agent 2] Down!

- [A*F agent 1] On the ground!
- [A*F agent 2] Get down!

[A*F agent 1] On the ground!

[indistinct radio chatter]

[police dispatcher on
radio] Roger on Unit 121.

[man] Clear!

[indistinct radio chatter]

[A*F agents chattering
indistinctly]

Hmm.

[dispatcher on radio] Yeah,
you were clear. Were you clear?

Hey, excuse me. Do you mind?

Thank you.

[camera clicks and whirrs]

Ah.

[exhales sharply]

Huh. Turner Diaries.

Well, well, well.

[Angie] Why would anyone
need six fax machines?

Beats me.

Maybe it's to, uh, help
spread propaganda, you know?

Something's queued
up to print here.

Let's see.

[fax machine beeps, whirrs]

Taking Aim.

Militia of Montana.

[Angie] Why would bank
robbers in Arkansas

want a militia
newsletter from Montana?

[Gary] That is a good question.

You know, the FBI's
current position

is that these militia
groups don't get along,

so they don't communicate,
but maybe that's changing.

There's a whole box of them.

Hey, what's the
oldest one in there?

- May '93.
- [Gary] Yeah.

That's right after Waco.

[g*nshots]

[Andy the German] Pretty smooth.

You'll need help.

I cannot be involved
in something like this.

Not directly.

[McVeigh] Then
maybe someone else?

No...

no one here.

Then I can do it on my own.

No, you can't.

You need help.

One lone soldier
never won a w*r.

Do you have any friends
that can help you?

Suspenseful music plays

Hey, it's Tim.

McVeigh. I'm in
your neighborhood.

Tense music plays

[Angie] "Let the Federal
government be warned.

True Patriots will refresh
the tree of liberty

with your blood,

as you have spilled blood

at Ruby Ridge and Waco."

You think this is enough
to run his phone records?

Uh, no.

First Amendment, he's
got the right to say

whatever dumb thing
pops into his head.

But that's not
really my concern.

I keep thinking about that
bank of fax machines we found.

If this newsletter
is getting out

to even a handful
of these groups,

it could be amplifying
the message exponentially.

I wonder what kind of
readership this rag gets.

Well, we can just call and ask.

They put their phone number
out on the back of this thing.

[phone rings]

[John on phone] Taking Aim.

Yeah, I run a small arms
manufacturing business

in Oklahoma

and I read your newsletter

at a friend's place
the other day.

I wanted to commend you

on your support of
the Second Amendment.

Uh, I also wanted to inquire

about advertising
in your newsletter.

[John] Yeah?

Uh, but the thing is,
my business partners,

they're not so keen on
the idea of advertising

in such a local paper.

[John] Local?

No. We have a broader reach

than your partners may realize.

That so?

[John] We ship to 43
states and counting.

Well, you know, we have a fairly
sizable advertising budget.

We were looking to go
pretty small with you, guys,

but if you have that
kind of reach...

[John] Offering a deal.

You take out an ad now
and keep it running,

we'll lock in the rate
based on today's readership.

We're doubling our subscribers

every six months.

Every six months?
That's impressive.

So, uh, what's your
readership at now?

Couple hundred?

[John] No. Over 50,000
readers per issue.

[Dan] Well,
Ballesteros hurt us,

there's no getting around that.

Which is why we
should go at him,

get into his past cases.

Was there something in
his personal history, uh,

a domestic dispute or something?

- Slow down there, cowboy.
- [Dan] Careful, that's spicy.

Rocket, I love your enthusiasm,

but Ballesteros watched
his buddy die in his arms.

There's no way the jury is
gonna see him as the bad guy.

Agreed. Any air time
we give Ballesteros

is just a loss for us, so
we should just tell him

to have a nice day and move on.

[Dan] Well, you know, I'm
not saying that either.

Ballesteros will
never be the bad guy.

Not after what
he's been through.

We're not gonna win that.

And our clients will never be
the heroes either 'cause...

well, the jury
doesn't like them.

Hell, the whole world
doesn't like them.

We need to show the jury

that this is a story
about failed leadership,

on both sides.

How long did you train for
the raid on February 28th?

About a week.

And during that week,
did you ever prepare

for a peaceful entry

or-or ways in which you
might avoid violence?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Well, what I mean is that
the-the warrant you obtained

was a knock and serve warrant,

which means you're supposed
to knock on the door

and-and serve a search warrant.

My question is, is why wasn't
that part of your plan?

We had information
that suggested that

the residents at Mount Carmel

might try to k*ll themselves
if Koresh was arrested.

We were trying to go in with
speed and force to avoid that.

- [scoffs] What?
- [people murmuring]

[Dan] And, uh, what
was the operation

to raid Mount Carmel called?

Operation Trojan Horse.

Is that what you called it?

How did you refer to
the raid internally

among the other agents
during training?

Operation Showtime.

Operation Showtime?

Well, that's interesting.

Why Showtime?

Were there... Were
there cameras there?

There was someone filming, yes.

Oh. Well, that's great.

Why are we even arguing
about what happened?

We, we should just
watch the tape.

Can we see the tape,
Agent Ballesteros?

No.

No? Why not?

Because it was lost.

- It was lost?
- [people murmuring]

Well, that's unfortunate.

Does the, uh... does the
A*F film a lot of its raids?

I couldn't answer that.

Well, have you been involved in
other raids that were filmed?

Not that I remember.

And how long did it take
for the EMTs to arrive

to help your wounded?

- How long?
- Yeah. How long?

Hours. Not until
after the ceasefire.

Didn't your leaders
make any contingencies

for you and your men in
case there was a problem?

No.

No?

No, there was no
contingency plan for us.

[Dan] Well, what
about Happy Meals?

McDonald's Happy Meals.

Did your leaders make any plans
to have Happy Meals on hand?

Yes.

[Dan] And how many Happy Meals
were brought on this raid?

A hundred.

A hundred Happy Meals,

but not one ambulance,
just in case?

Why the Happy Meals?

[Ballesteros] They thought
it would look good on camera

after the raid
to-to show the world

that we were
treating these kids.

- On camera?
- Yes.

The cameras that were lost
after everything went haywire?

Yes.

[clicks tongue] Now,
you testified that

the Davidians shot first.

Yeah, I did. They, they did.

And then you and Willis
took cover in the dog pen?

Right.

Boy, those dogs
must have been mad

the way you guys were
attacking their home.

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained. Watch
yourself, counselor.

[clicks tongue] Were
you scared of the dogs?

- No.
- No?

Why not?

The dogs were dead.

- They were dead?
- Yeah.

- They'd been shot?
- Yes.

So when you say the
Davidians shot first,

what you really mean is
that the Davidians shot

after you charged in
and started sh**ting,

k*lling their dogs?

[sighs]

You don't have to
answer right now

because you already did
about ten months ago.

Uh, in an interview you
gave to the Texas Rangers

a few weeks after the incident,

you talked about hearing g*nf*re

as you approached
the front door,

is that correct?

Well, I'm-I'm not sure.

I don't remember what I
said in that interview.

It was a long time ago.

[Dan] Well, let-let
me remind you.

It says here you heard shots

as you exited the trailer

and assumed it
was the "dog team"

who went in first
to sh**t the dogs

so they wouldn't attack
anyone during the raid.

Does that sound about right?

I-I may have said that before,

but I don't believe
it to be true now.

The first shots were the ones

that came through
the door at us.

The shots you jumped
away from into a pit

that had dead dogs in it?

Yeah.

I wanna thank you
for your service.

Thank you.

I'm just sorry you served
under the kinds of leaders

who thought of everything that
would look good on the news

and nothing about
their own men's safety.

- Objection!
- No need. I'm done here.

Dramatic music plays

[McVeigh] Hey, Terry.

If I was gonna do something,

I mean something big,

would you help me?

Like, what kind of thing?

There's a couple more
depositions we found.

But don't work too hard.

We did good today, huh?

Do you know what this is?

It's discovery for
tomorrow's witnesses.

In other words, it's
all the evidence

the prosecutors have
pertaining to the witnesses

they're gonna call
tomorrow in court.

Now, usually the defense gets
that weeks before the trial.

But in this case, I
get it at 5:00 p.m.

the day before, which
means I have to stay up

until 2:00 a.m. every night
trying to find something

I can use in order to
do my job defending you.

But none of that matters if
the jury doesn't like you.

I don't... I don't understand.

It means I need you to
tell your buddy Ruth here

to stop scoffing
at the witnesses

and I need her to
wear the damn dress.

Today, I have a special
treat for y'all.

I have asked Vernon
to lead the lesson.

Vernon?

The antediluvians
were great sinners.

And they did
everything they could

to misrepresent the image
of God, Paul tells us.

But then, God made a system...

so simple, to be saved, that...

all they had to do was get
on that ark to be rescued.

It was that simple.

Rachel, hand me my Bible.

And now, we look back
on that with amazement,

thinking how foolish
those antediluvians were.

But the thing of it is,

we're far greater sinners
than they ever were.

So how do we know we're
not missing our own signs,

our own opportunity to be saved?

When God tells us,

"Get in that ark, Clive Doyle!"

[all laughing]

[Vernon] How many of us say,

"Well, maybe give me
a minute there, God.

I got all these really
important things I'm doing here.

I got this laundry I'm doing.

The carburetor's leakin'.

Man, there's this
real good episode

of Dukes of Hazzard on the TV.

Maybe I'll get on
that ark after that.

Maybe I can pencil it
in for next Tuesday?"

[people chuckle]

When I had my vision in
Israel and God told me,

"Boy, get those dang
people into that ark,"

I'm paraphrasing here.

I told Him I'd do anything
for you people here.

Even die for you, if
it came down to it.

[whispering] He's
catching people's eyes.

Better be careful.

[whispering] He has a
gift. It's nothing to fear.

- You moving?
- Didn't you hear?

They're shutting down
our undercover unit.

- Shutting you down?
- Yup.

After Waco, our bosses,
in their infinite wisdom,

decided that domestic terrorism
is no longer a primary concern

for us as an agency.

That we should focus
on foreign enemies.

- Uh-hmm.
- Ironically,

Waco also fueled
the very problem

they're trying real
hard not to see.

You know, I would say,
"No offense intended,"

but I would be lying.

[Gary] Yeah. All right.

- Yeah, I got a question for you.
- Yeah.

Do you know who this fella is?

[sighs] Yup. That
is Pappy Millar.

- Hmm.
- Scary dude.

Religious extremist,

founded Elohim City in Oklahoma,

mentored multiple people
who went on to k*ll cops,

federal agents.

- I would steer clear.
- Uh-hmm.

Hey.

You know where this
photo was taken?

Uh-hmm.

That is the Rocky
Mountain Rendezvous.

Happened just after Ruby Ridge.

It was like a meeting
of the five families,

but white supremacist version.

Huh. [sniffles]

Bunch of Nazis, KKK,
all these assholes,

they got together for a picnic.

They decided on a new strategy.

Apparently, they
didn't like the way

they were being
portrayed in the media,

so they decided to start
calling themselves "Patriots."

Guess it sounded better
than Klansmen or Nazis.

Uh-hmm.

Well, you know what Patriots do.

They overthrow a tyranny.

I just had a bank
robber from Elohim City

who must have used
that word 14 times.

I found this photo in his room.

He mentioned there's some kind
of payback for Waco coming.

I would take that one seriously.

[Joe] You coming, Cogdell?

[Dan] Uh, no. I'm gonna
work a little longer.

[Joe] Yeah. You
wanna just talk

to that waitress, don't you?

[Dan chuckles] Whatever
happens, happens.

[Joe] All right,
man. Good night.

Good night.

Oh. Hey, Jocelyn, can I
get one more of those?

- Yeah. I got you.
- All right.

Suspenseful music plays

[groaning]

[door creaks open]

- [Dan sighs]
- [door closes]

[lock clicks]

[exhales sharply]

What you doing there, padre?

I've been watching the trial

and researching what
happened at Waco.

You're doing a good job.

Always nice to meet a fan.

But you need to go
harder at the government.

[Dan] Listen, I, I
appreciate the critique,

but, uh, I'd like to get
a little privacy here,

- if that's all right.
- [sighs]

You need to pursue the cover-up

with the same energy
that you're pursuing

the incident itself.

You're missing a big story here

because, ironically,

you don't believe
your own argument.

Man, what are you talking about?

You are trying so hard

to make the Davidians look
like they were victims.

They were victims,

during the siege
and every day since.

You're talking about
how the A*F shot first,

but you're not talking
about the b*llet holes

in the front door
that would prove it.

The doors burned up in the fire.

[chuckles] No.
No, they didn't.

Those were metal doors, the
Feds are just hiding them.

No, they were wood.
It's in all the reports

and I'm not having a
conversation about it

with some paranoid
conspiracy theorist

- in the men's room, so...
- William Colby,

former director of the
CIA told me personally

that US Federal Agents were
picking off Koresh's people

during the siege, and then,

he was found drowned, so...

Okay.

Please unlock the door

and get out of the way
before I throw a punch

and embarrass both of us.

This is bigger than you think.

There is so much
more I can tell you.

Information I have,
photos, documents.

I... I just wanna help.

[people chatter]

While we enjoy this
delicious meal,

I wanted to share
something with you all.

I received another message...

a vision from God.

He told me I was to take a wife.

And he was specific, too,
with who that wife should be.

He showed me her face in the sky

with a million shining
suns behind her.

And he told me that together,

she and I would birth
the first of the Elders

spoken of in Revelation,

who will one day sit in
judgment over the end times.

And her name...

was Rachel.

The Lord has commanded
I take you as my bride.

[George] You see it now?

You must be misinterpreting
your vision.

She's just a girl.

The prophecy was clear.

Then your own desires must
be getting in the way.

[scoffs] Believe me,

I don't like this any
better than you do.

But God has spoken,

and I must follow His
dictates where they lead.

You used me.

You just think I'm an old fool.

Did you ever even love me?

- You snake!
- [Lois] Oh!

- [g*nsh*t]
- [people screaming]

[Vernon] Clive, get the bus!

- [g*nsh*t]
- Get out! Get out! Quick!

- [grunting]
- [screaming continues]

[Clive] Come on!

- On the bus, let's go!
- [Vernon] Come on!

- Quickly! Get on the bus!
- [g*n firing]

- Go with them! Go with them!
- [child crying]

[Vernon] Come on! Fast!

Vernon, you... [panting]

- Don't!
- Come with us.

I can't. I can't leave Lois.

It's okay. God told
me I'll be back here.

All right, let's go.

- [engine starts, revs]
- [Ruth gasps]

Put your heads down!

[children screaming]

dramatic music plays

[people chattering]

[sobs]

[breathes deeply]

[all chattering]

Thank you.

God will resurrect them.

David...

everyone we lost.

We'll all be together
again someday.

I don't wanna be in a jail
cell when that happens.

We'll do our best.

The, uh... the front
doors to Mount Carmel,

they were wood, right?

No, metal.

All the doors were metal.

Why?

No.

[sighs]

[Alan] What's this?

Well, that's a newsletter
from the Militia of Montana,

and this is a lovely book
called The Turner Diaries.

We found both of them at that

Aryan Nation
flophouse in Arkansas.

Now, we've also found
copies of this book in raids

in Florida, Nevada, Michigan,
Montana, and California.

Hm.

We're not the book police,
Gary. This is still America.

People can read
what they want to.

You know what this book's about?

It's about trying to ignite

a new Civil w*r in America.

And the hero of this book begins

by using a truck b*mb

to blow up FBI headquarters.

And by the end, they're
storming the US Capitol

to k*ll specific legislators
to overthrow the government.

[chuckles] That's a
little farfetched,

- don't you think?
- No.

Not to mention, this
thing was published

almost 20 years ago.

So how is this
suddenly an emergency?

Because I believe
that these groups

are using this book to help
coordinate their efforts.

These militias, they
used to be separate,

you know, little
pockets here and there,

we could deal with them.

But now, Waco...

has done something to them.

It's... it's united them.

And they're starting
to look more

like a foreign t*rror1st network

than anything we've ever
seen in the US before.

All these separate
individual cells

united by a common ideology...

a common enemy, us.

Okay. Look, Gary...

I know you feel shitty
about what happened at Waco.

Hell, we all feel
shitty about it.

It was a shitty
situation all around.

But it's done, you
cannot undo it.

I'm not trying to undo it.

I'm trying to stop it
from happening again.

And so am I.

The decision's already
been made, Gary,

above my pay grade.

The bureau is now
gonna concentrate

all of its efforts
on foreign terrorism.

Never mind. Okay.

You know what? I-I, uh...

I kept quiet after
Waco, you know?

I played nice. I
kept my mouth shut.

But I'm telling you now,
Alan, in no uncertain terms,

if you won't let me look into
this new "Patriot Movement"

and they do something stupid,

I'm not gonna be quiet about it.

Not again.

If something terrible happens,

I'm gonna have to tell the world

that I warned you
specifically today.

Two weeks.

But if you do anything
even remotely reckless,

I will not wait for the DOJ
review to come back, Gary.

I will fire you myself.

- Do you understand?
- Yes, sir.

So how's a nice girl like
you end up a neo-n*zi?

[Carol] Oh. [chuckles]

Wow, you get right to it, huh?

[Gary] Yeah.

Yeah, I was reading your file.

It looks like you went
to some good schools,

honor student, champion
horseback rider.

A regular debutante.

I was also a pole
dancer at Lady Godiva's.

- Did it say that in there?
- Uh-hmm.

Well, that's quite
a lateral move,

pole dancing to joining
the Aryan Republican Army,

isn't it?

I don't know.

I was mostly in
it for Wild Bill.

What can I say? I guess
I like the bad boys...

[Gary chuckles]

and they just love me.

[Gary] I guess what
I'm getting at is,

did you join just for Bill

or are you a true believer?

I'm not sure a true believer

would be having
milkshakes with a Fed.

[Gary] Right.

What's this about, Gary?

How would you feel about
going back to Elohim City...

for us?

- Like an informant?
- [Gary] Yeah, an informant.

[chuckles]

Bad.

I feel bad about that.

Those guys are crazy.

They ever found out I
ratted out Wild Bill,

well, they'd k*ll me.

They found out I was
working with you all?

Well, they'd k*ll me real mean.

Well, what are they gonna
think if you disappear

now that Wild Bill
has been arrested?

Hmm? That's gonna look
pretty suspicious, too.

If you help us, we
can protect you.

You won't be on your own.

Just like you guys
protected Vicki Weaver?

Or like you protected
those people down at Waco?

No, thank you.

I don't need the
FBI protecting me.

I've been on my
own my whole life.

[scoffs] Don't try
to find me again.

[John Roberts on TV] This is
a CBS News Special Report.

John Roberts at the CBS News
headquarters in New York.

Some six hours after the
FBI launched an operation

trying to bring the
51-day standoff...

People like us were
in that building.

The kinds of people
nobody cares about.

If we burned right
alongside them,

if your wife and
son burned in there,

nobody would have given
a sh*t about them either.

[reporter speaking
indistinctly on TV]

Nobody cares about us,

because they don't fear us.

[reporter] ...when the
main building caught fire

and flames quickly spread

leaving behind a
devastating aftermath...

[McVeigh] But they will.

[reporter speaking indistinctly]

I'm in.

Whatever it is you're doing...

I'm in.

Suspenseful music plays

rock music plays