03x01 - Protect and Swerve

[bunniefuu]

The weapons are flowing south.

The Contras are pushing back.

That's how you're funding this?

If we win this w*r, we can change the course of history.

They charged you with a 187 PC.

m*rder one.

Alton.

You wait till I'm in here to be a f*cking dad?

Stop. Stop! Don't you f*cking come back here!

Wait! Stay the f*ck away from me!

Franklin. Don't hurt him.

This is about getting my nephew out of that prison.

So, if there is anything that you can do, do it.

I don't think our Mr. Reed Thompson's just some drug dealer.

I think he works for the government.

And now, well, I think we work for him.

DEA! Hands up!

Hands up, hands up.

We've been instructed to shut down every facet of this operation and walk away.

Cut Lucia and Gustavo loose.

What agency would want to shut down a DEA operation?

Give me just long enough for us to give the Nicaraguan people their democracy back, and I promise you that I will hand over every distributor, every dealer and every supplier that we work with along the way.

If you falling for Claudia, that's bad for business.

That's a problem.

I didn't invent this rock.

But I'm-a blow it up.

Mr. Wright.

Officer Wright. How can I help you, Officer?

Stay the f*ck away from me and mine.

That all?

It's all there.

Come on, now. You know how this works.

Come on, just give me the rock.

Bitch, this only nine. Nuh-uh, that's ten.

You saying I can't count? Just count it again.

Hey, get out of here. Give me the rock, and I'll leave.

Hey. Just come on.

It's just one, one f*cking dollar. Hey!

Hey, walk away.

f*ck this. You out of your g*dd*mn mind?

Hey!

Whoa!

12 units, all two-bedroom, one-bath, nine of them currently occupied.

All with water damage and shoddy wiring.

Any idea when the heat last worked?

I am pretty sure it does.

And I'm sure the inspections will reveal good bones.

And the Summer Games has this whole area on the rise.

We have a lender we like if you decide you want to move forward.

We make an offer, it'll be cash.

I'd like a minute with my partner, if you don't mind.

I'll be right outside if you need anything at all.

Man sell any harder, he's gonna pull a muscle.

You know, price per square foot still seems high.

Needs a lot more work than we thought, and not just new carpet and paint.

Mm. But long term?

This is the place.

Hey, Louie!

Come on, now!

sh*t.

Getting dressed all the g*dd*mn time.

Yeah, boy, you look good.

Hey, come on.

Hmm? You ready?

Yeah. I'm waiting on you.

What you mean, waiting on me? You made me late to my own g*dd*mn opening. Hey.

Take a breath.

Come on.

It's gonna be perfect.

I'm so proud of you.

Mm-hmm. Mm.

I'm the luckiest m*therf*cker in the world.

It's just in front of 5 o' clock at AM stereo KDAY Santa Monica and...

You ain't going too short, right?

I got you, baby.

Hey, Fatback, he going too short?

Oh, sh*t!

What?

What? Oh, come on.

Leon told me to dress nice.

sh*t. Nice according to who, the Solid Gold dancers?

Hey, you good, Rob. Don't listen to him.

Hey, we cool? We good, man.

Hey, you got a minute? Come on, little n*gga.

Rock sell over there. Man, I ain't want no rock.

I'm trying to get on. Heard you was the man to see.

Hey, come back later. Like, when?

Like when you get some hair on your little balls. Watch out, yo.

Hey, man, come on, man, give me a chance.

All right, I'm ready. Man, I'll sell that sh*t like you ain't never seen. Get your bitch ass out of here, man.

We said no. Leon, man, come on.

Ain't you got to be in school or something like that?

I have another question for you, Reed.

I love Los Angeles.

Go every few months, I stay at the Chateau, eat at Mr. Chow.

Party... well, everywhere.

This time, we went to the Roxy, you know it? Oh, yeah.

Yeah, on Sunset. On Sunset, right.

I'm there, when I see Burt "Rentals" come in.

Oh, come on. Burt Rentals.

Burt Rentals! I can't believe it.

I want to say hello to him, but he is on his way upstairs to a private club.

I was so angry.

The shame of being nothing.

Okay. f*ck that place!

I never go back there!

I want to start my f*cking private club next door!

And I want you to be my partner.

Sorry, what?

Wh-Wh-Wh-What, what?

Right now, we are connected in business only.

This is something we can do that will entwine us, ensure we are both in the circle together, the true f*cking partners.

Yeah, um, yeah. That's... Yeah.

You know, obviously, I'd love to be in the circle with you.

You know that. I just... I don't know anything about nightclubs.

You know the city.

And between us, we have more money than Dios.

Unless you know of a reason why you don't want to be my partner.

Listen, um...

... before we agree to this, I-I think there's something that you probably need to know.

It's a little tricky, but, um...

Okay. The DEA raids on your facility, it was on the news, but that's not how I...

... I-I first heard about it.

See, I first heard about it from Lorena, because she used to be DEA.

What was it that turned you?

Reed, here, he convinced me that I was fighting an unwinnable w*r.

So...

Thanks.

Thanks for your honesty.

It means everything.

So, let me know when you've found our space.

To Rigo and Reed's.

That sounds good.

That sounds good. See you.

Hasta luego.

"To Rigo and Reed's".

Oh, come on.

You good? Uh-huh.

All I'm saying, you should've asked us first.

Jammin' Jeromes is the best sh*t out. Ain't nothing better.

What about, like, Saints' Sexy Sounds?

Broken Boxes and Bullshit.

Leather and Loud sh*t.

Hunky Unkie's Sultry Sounds.

Y'all n*gg*s funny. I'm gonna get my p*stol, though, for you.

Y'all f*cking... f*cking up in my sh*t.

I have to say, I had my doubts, but I was wrong.

This is wonderful, Jerome.

Mom and Dad would be so proud.

Thank you so much, Cissy.

Thank you for coming by, too, Alton.

Black-owned business in a black neighborhood.

Congratulations, my brother.

Thank you. Yeah.

You know, this is just the start, too.

This is just the start? Going nationwide next year.

Ooh. Be bigger than that... RadioShack?

Oh, no. Make sure this one work first.

Was hoping I'd see you here.

Eva and Shon-Shon. How y'all doing? Good?

Not as good as y'all. Better if somebody'd offer us a f*cking drink. Hey.

This is my best friend, Leon. You met him?

Hey. Well, the bar this way. So, let's go.

Grab me something, all right? Yeah.

Damn. Look at you. You look great.

I feel great.

Got into Spelman.

Wow. That's... that's amazing.

Congratulations.

So, uh, guess that means you leaving us now?

Not till next month. Okay.

Classes don't start till September, but... Mm-hmm.

I want to get settled, find a job.

A job? Nah, you got to be on them books 24/7.

Here. Yep.

Franklin, no. Been meaning to give you a graduation gift anyway.

So you can focus on school.

Come on, it's the least I can do.

Hey, picture time!

Family, I need you outside.

If you ain't my g*dd*mn family, stay out my f*cking frame.

Come on.

Okay, come on. Come on.

All right, everybody outside. Come on.

He ain't took a picture in 15 years.

Well, hey, uh, don't worry about that.

You know how to use it, though?

Just tell us where you want us to go, Jerome.

Hey y'all, come on, let's take this picture so we can...

Oh, no, you go ahead. It's all right.

Come on, man, get in here. Hey, where Opie at?

Bring old man Peaches up in here.

Come on in. Hey, Opie!

There it is.

You okay to start unloading? Yeah.

We can't ignore this.

If the Medellín Cartel has a source inside the DEA, we have to alert them. I hear you, but listen.

You start rattling those cages now, and then Rigo's gonna know that you're still in contact with the DEA; then we're all at risk.

Teddy? These are federal agents. They're good people.

I'm not gonna let this go, and neither should you.

Okay, so let me take care of it.

I can have word trickle down some other way, some way that doesn't lead back to us.

Help! Teddy! Ted... Matt?

Matt? Matt?

Whoa. What's wrong?

You okay? Whoa, whoa.

Okay, okay, okay. Whoa, whoa. What's... f*ck.

What hurts? My, um...

Did you have any numbness in your hands today?

Do you have any nausea?

Yeah. Yeah? He's having a heart att*ck.

Oh, come on. I'm only 13 minutes late.

Hey.

It's not my fault.

Eva didn't want to leave. Listen, it's okay.

I don't want to spend our last month together fighting.

All right?

Besides, it's not like I can come down and check on you every night at school.

Here, sit with me a minute.

What's all this?

Ah, it's bills, taxes.

Life.

You have fun?

It was okay. Just you and Eva?

And Shon-Shon. And Shon-Shon.

Shon-Shon, she the one who came in with the hickey on her neck? Dad.

What? Come on.

What'd y'all do?

We went ice fishing. Ice fishing, huh?

Did you catch anything?

Yeah.

One of them big ones.

You know, with the long, pointy nose.

Ooh, a marlin. A marlin.

Yeah. But, uh, Eva slipped, dropped the rod, and it got away.

That's too bad.

Oh, man.

So, uh...

Word is Franklin's uncle has a new speaker joint over off Western.

Hear anything about that?

Wow.

Mel, Mel.

What I said earlier is true.

I don't want to fight.

You've worked so hard.

You've done everything I asked.

I just want you to be smart.

Anything else?

I love you.

Man, I been wanting to f*ck her.

Nah, man, that bitch got summer teeth, you know?

Sum...?

You know, some are here, some are there.

Her teeth are kind of f*cked up.

Hey, I got to piss.

Some bushes over there, bro.

Look, I ain't pissing in no bushes.

Then hold it, n*gga. I ain't good to hold it.

That sh*t causes bacteria, give you a bladder infection.

How the f*ck you know that, n*gga?

'Cause my mama a nurse's aide.

Yeah. sh*t, hey, your mama can nurse me.

Man, hey, we've been long enough.

Let's roll. Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

There it is! Yeah, ice cream.

All right. You all right there? Yeah, we good, man.

See that sh*t?

Hell yeah. Hell yeah.

Ah, sh*t.

Hey, what-what the f*ck you two doing?

That the re-up truck, n*gga.

Means it's loaded with cash and rock.

Also mean them boys strapped.

And Manboy told us scope out the projects, not rob no truck.

We only scoping the n*gg*s out so we can rob these m*therf*ckers.

Once we get the sh*t, you just make sure you're ready, a'ight?

n*gga, I ain't no getaway driver.

Hey!

sh*t.

Oh, sh*t!

Come on.

Oh, sh*t.

m*therf*cker!

Levon and Dejon? They brothers.

Used to stay off Hoover. Word is they with Manboy.

Who the f*ck is Manboy?

Drew Miller. We all went to Foshay together, before his family moved Eastside.

f*ck kind of name is Manboy? Who gives a sh*t?

Why he all up in our business?

Look, word is they cook and sell their own sh*t for a while.

Maybe looking to expand.

But we got to answer this sh*t, Saint.

I want to know everything: where they stay at, where they sell, where they cook and who the f*ck put them on our truck.

Hold up.

Are you saying them boys is dead?

Yeah. I told them n*gg*s that sh*t was seven kinds of stupid, but they wouldn't hear me.

They just ran up on them n*gg*s like they was the A-Team.

You dumb m*therf*ckers.

I told y'all who them projects belong to.

Was you even listening to my story?

You should've stopped them. I f*cking tried!

And a fine f*cking job you did! Hey, chill!

You know how them n*gg*s was.

You couldn't tell them sh*t.

This ain't on Tyrell.

I didn't teach y'all how to cook up this rock so you could get us all k*lled.

You best figure out how to handle this sh*t.

'Cause Saint and 'em, they don't play.

Hey, look, first, I need you to tell me everything you know about Saint, your boy Leon, and everybody else in their crew.

Okay? Okay? Okay. Okay.

You're late.

Just thought you ain't never been late before.

Everything okay? Yeah, I just hit a little snag.

It's nothing you need to worry about, but, uh, I am gonna need a little more time to get you the product.

How much time?

Not long. just a few days.

I'll let you know when we're ready for... for pickup.

That it?

Uh, no, listen.

Uh, prices are rising.

So, for the foreseeable future, we're gonna be dealing at 15 a key. 15?

50% hike, just like that?

Yeah.

You watch the news?

Read the newspaper? Yeah.

Right, so then you know that the DEA is on a rampage down in Colombia.

Yeah, I know that, but I just kind of thought you was immune to that sh*t.

What?

You know, thought... thought you was immune.

You thought that I was immune to what, supply and demand, or...?

Never mind. 15's fine, hmm?

Yeah, no, no, I know it's fine.

I just... I'm just curious... why it is you think that I'm not subject to the basic laws of economics.

Hey, Franklin?

I don't know what it is you think you know, but I urge you to remember that I am the only reason that you are breathing free air right now.

I'll put you back in that cell any g*dd*mn time I want.

Someone will be in touch about the shipment.

Mm, you forgot to sign this page.

Did I? Sure.

And you forgot to sign this page.

Sorry.

Okay. What?

Nothing. Mm-mm. That's not gonna fly.

What was our deal?

You ask, and I tell you.

The truth. So, what is it?

Something about that sh**ting in the projects the other night?

Nah. Then what is it?

It's Reed Thompson.

What about him?

Well... I may have overstepped.

Said something I shouldn't have. Like what?

Franklin, you said he needed you. I know. I know.

That you had to be in this, but as long as you're pushing his-his product, he would protect you. And I still believe that.

So, what's the problem?

Mm.

I've had some terrible days in my life.

But nothing worse than when I saw your face behind that glass.

I'm in with you on this, from now on.

You said you had it under control.

And I'm happy to do everything I can to help.

But it's up to you to protect everyone.

Can you do it or not?

Of course.

Hey, Pops.

Pops?

Hey. Welcome home, boy.

How's the ticker?

Uh... she's still ticking.

Yeah, I-I went ahead and-and, uh, briefed Dr. Wills.

You have an appointment Friday morning at 1000. Mm-hmm.

Get this thing a second look.

Yes, sir.

Theodore.

Sir.

You're looking well.

As are you.

You hungry?

I'm just tired.

Yeah, I-I made up the spare, so, uh... in the back.

I-I wasn't sure if you'd both be staying.

I-I just figured I'd stay on the couch.

If that's all right. That's fine.

Yeah. Come on, let's-let's, uh...

It's good to see you.

Yeah.

Let me get that. I got it.

I got it.

Cookhouse on Avalon and Manboy's crib on Rosecrans.

Now, they got dealers working the Pueblos...

Cut the head off, the body will fall.

How many folks you need?

Four for each house. We got to talk a*tillery.

I mean, the pistols will get it done...

... but we want to get our hands on something heavy.

Sorry to interrupt, but, uh...

Manboy here to see y'all.

Manboy? You sure?

Well, I ain't ever met the n*gga, but that's what he say.

He alone? Look that way.

Is he strapped?

Hey. Make sure he clean, then send him in.

Fatback.

Keep a lookout.

Make sure it ain't a setup. Peach.

Okay.

Leon.

Y'all don't play with that security, huh?

Feel like I should tip them n*gg*s, pat-down I just got.

'Sup, Lee? 'Sup, Saint?

'Sup, Drew? It's been a minute.

Been more than that.

You must be Jammin' Jerome.

n*gg*s out in Compton talk about your sh*t.

Woofers blowing panties clean off.

My bad. I didn't know there was a female in the house.

How you doing? My name is Drew.

Everybody call me Manboy.

I'm Louie. Oowie.

Louie. How you end up with these... these undesirables? Hey, little boy.

The f*ck you want here?

Guess you with him, huh?

I mean, I'll cut straight to it if y'all...

I think that'd be best.

I'm a businessman.

Being as such, I'd say it'd be in my interest to know what the competition up to.

Unfortunately, a couple of my associates took that notion a little too far.

You mean, tried to rob us?

That is indeed what I mean.

But I thought, seeing as though how y'all ain't out your rock or your cash, and two of mine are already cooling, you'll give me a chance to square us.

How you gonna do that?

First, I get my product from y'all.

Y'all sh*t cheaper and purer than anything we're cooking up anyway.

That's it? That's your sh*t?

And I give you the n*gga that got away in the projects.

Say what?

The driver.

I'll tell you where he hiding out at.

Could do with him as you will.

That's my offer.

What y'all think?

I think, 24 hours, either your boy'll be dead and we'd be in business, or you... and everybody you know will be gone.

And we won't.

Either way, you'll know soon.

You want the address where my boy holing up at?

Just in case? Nah.

We already got it.

Thank y'all for y'all time.

I'm-a show myself out.

Bye, Leon.

Our boys, they grew up, man.

Good to see you. Just get the f*ck out.

All right.

Morning. Morning.

You want coffee?

I had mine hours ago.

How're the tomatoes doing this year?

g*dd*mn deer keep getting in 'em.

I should sh**t 'em.

No... I wouldn't sh**t the tomatoes, sir.

God forbid someone discharge a firearm in their own backyard.

I'm gonna get some coffee.

What happened to your brother?

I told you he's... there's damage to the lining of his aorta.

West Point, flight school, Vietnam.

Strong as an ox, that boy.

He ran through walls his entire life.

What was that thing you used to say?

"Ships and harbor are safe, but that ain't what ships are for."

Yeah, but some captains bring their crews home intact.

So, what now?

A few more days, and you run off?

Back to the land of the fruits and nuts and... leave me to take care of him?

I have money.

I'll hire help for both of you.

Oh, that'll solve it.

I have work to do.

What's that?

Shuffling papers for the State Department?

What is so important that you can't clean up your own g*dd*mn mess?

Certainly isn't looking after your own family.

I'll keep sending the money.

Yeah, keep your guilt money. We don't want it.

Take care of yourself.

m*therf*cker!

Met with our LAPD friend today.

It was Claudia, that sh*t at Jerome's.

He sure?

Yeah, he's still on her payroll, too.

I guess she tried to get him to go at us, and when he refused, she found somebody else.

And I guess you ain't told Jerome yet.

You crazy? Hell no.

sh*t, he'd f*cking be sh**ting that club up as we speak.

No, he think it's kids. I'm gonna let him think it.

Yeah. Well, we got a lot on our plate without worrying about f*cking Claudia.

Yeah. I mean...

I'll try and talk some sense to her before we act.

Okay.

Love you.

Hey, Chiquita.

I'm dying of thirst over here.

If only that were true.

How come you're always ignoring me?

Because you don't tip, pendejo.

You want a tip?

Just got to ask.

You m*therf*cker!

Ah, come on, mijita.

That's right, son.

That's enough.

Time to go.

Vamonos.

f*ck.

Ugh. You're the worst bouncer we've ever had.

You should go to the hospital.

No.

No más hospitals.

Then you're coming home with me.

At least there I can patch you up right.

I'll be fine.

Hey.

You know she's not coming back, right?

We're closed.

Even old friends?

Hi, Gustavo.

Got a minute?

I lost Matt.

Means I'm down a pilot, and I have product that I need to get across the border.

And I was hoping to use Lucia's family's farm and their routes.

Lucia's gone.

She left months ago.

No idea where.

You want her family routes?

First, go find her.

I tried.

Only person there's any record of is you.

You get a lot of parking tickets.

Look, Lucia must have talked about the place at some point.

Where it is, who's still there.

She hated it.

She didn't talk to her mother.

I don't see what that has to do with you.

Or business. I mean, if they still have the farm, they still have the trucks, they still have the routes.

What do you want me to do?

Hmm? Just show up and say, "Hi, I'm Gustavo.

I want to start a cocaine business with you"?

You'd be amazed at how often that works.

Or stay here, keep getting the sh*t kicked out of you by drunk barflies.

It doesn't matter to me. I'll find someone else.

Can I ask you one more question?

If Lucia's been gone for months, why are you still here?

Just 'cause... if it was me and I was trying to find my girl, I think that getting into business with her family would be a pretty good place to start.

It's Louie.

Pat her down.

She's good.

I have some things to say.

Didn't think they could wait.

Well, you better hurry up. The tub's filling.

I came to apologize, Claudia, for my part in what went down.

I never meant for it to go that way.

But you hurt me.

I hurt you?

I know you're upset, but I'm here to tell you to let it go.

Let the past be the past.

You ever have a migraine?

The pain is crippling.

I've been to more doctors than the Elephant Man.

I took all the pills.

And when that didn't work...

... I took matters into my own hands.

Care to join me?

Be a dear.

See you in the morning. Love you.

Evening, Franklin.

Been spending a lot of time at your mama's house since you been out.

Sure hope you don't have her wrapped up in all this.

I got someplace I got to be, Andre.

Afraid that's gonna have to wait, son.

I'm gonna need you to take a ride with me.

This official?

Nah.

It's just two neighbors talking.

So, you're not gonna tell me where we going?

Let me ask you something.

What you see when you look at me?

Huh?

Certainly not the man who you grew up with.

Who helped raise you after your daddy disappeared into that bottle.

So, what is it?

g*n and a badge, overprotective father or f*cking assh*le? You really want to know?

I really do. I see a fraud.

A man who betrayed his people to a system built to keep 'em down.

Is that what you think?

That I'm one of them?

If the combat boot fits.

Oh, damn.

I mean, did it ever occur to you that I was a spy?

Doing time behind enemy lines.

Trying to protect my people from that system. Oh, yeah?

And how's that working out for you?

I don't know, pusher man.

How's sh*t on your side of the line?

I see. I'm just some nickel-and-dime thug, huh?

In this for the cars and p*ssy, right?

If the gold chain fits.

Ain't no rope around my neck, Andre.

Not like you.

And Joe Kennedy, he was nothing but Mick trash... till he wasn't.

And what'd he do?

Lifted his family up, and his boys... they ran this country.

Now, that's real power.

Not a policeman's salary.

Taking orders from whitey.

You really want to help your people?

Best thing you could do is toss that badge back to the r*cist m*therf*ckers that gave it to you, and get on my side.

Unfortunately, Franklin, that's not gonna work for me.

Don't knock it till you tried it.

That's just it.

I already did.

Bullshit.

Been back from 'Nam a few years.

I was working at the Chrysler plant in Commerce.

When it closed, my wife up and left.

Baby girl to feed, mortgage to pay.

'Nam was a clusterfuck.

But Uncle Sam taught me a few things.

How to secure a location using force, take what I wanted and get out.

What the f*ck you saying?

Huh? You was a jacker? A bank robber?

What I'm saying is, you take something from a man at gunpoint, you gonna feel a way about it.

At least I did.

Now, my bills were paid, but I couldn't sleep.

Got tired of imagining the cops busting in my door.

I still don't sleep that good these days, but at least it ain't my conscience keeping me up.

Now, this rock that you're selling, it's got a special hold.

It ain't weed or Sherm.

It's doing real damage out there.

And I think you know it.

So my question to you is...

How you sleeping at night, son?

Like a baby.

Well, now, you and me... we at w*r.

Your business has gotten too big, and now you exposed.

Your people out there right now doing dirt on your behalf.

Oh, sh*t.

Making mistakes.

Mistakes that I'm going to catch.

No matter how small.

And which I will use to bring you all down one by one.

From your friends to your auntie...

... to your mama.

And then, when there ain't nobody left...

... I'm going to take you, too.

See you soon, Franklin.