"Training Day" -- by David Ayer TRAINING DAY by David Ayer REVISED DRAFT August 18, 1999 FADE IN: INT. BEDROOM - PREDAWN In a Simi Valley housing tract. It's dark. CLOSE ON ALARM CLOCK 4:59 AM. WIDER ANGLE: Eyes glisten in the clock's shine, patiently watching the time. BZZZZ! The ALARM SOUNDS. A hand that's been hovering over the clock drops. Silence. JAKE HOYT, a fit young man, rolls over, throws an arm over his sleeping wife -- JAKE It's time. -- she's not there, just empty blankets. He sits up. HIS POV LISA, his wife, in a rocking chair in the corner. BACK TO SCENE Jake is surprised. How'd she sneak off? JAKE What are you doing up? She pulls back the blanket, she breast-feeds their infant daughter. LISA Mooooo. She lavishes kisses on her baby. CUT TO: CLOSEUP - BRASSO is squirted on terry cloth. A badge is rubbed against it in precise circles. WIDEN TO: INT. KITCHEN - DAWN Jake, scrubbed, shaved, in T-shirt and jeans, studies the gleaming badge, snaps it in its case, clips it to his belt. He tosses a duffle on the counter. Searches through the police gear. Lisa taps a police baton on his shoulder. He takes it. JAKE Thanks. LISA Wrong day to forget stuff. He shoves it in the bag. Zips it. JAKE She go back to sleep? LISA Mmm-hmm. Ate like a pig. She grabs a pack of English muffins. LISA Want some eggs for the road? JAKE I gotta roll. Gotta beat the traffic. He grabs his duffle and pressed uniform off a chair. He kisses Lisa's cheek, her neck, her lips. Heads to the door. The PHONE RINGS. Jake stops. Lisa answers. LISA Hello? (beat, laughs) Hi! How nice, thank you. (beat, giggles) Yes, sir. He's right here. (to Jake) Jake. It's Alonzo. Jake takes the phone. JAKE Hello? ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) Hoyt? JAKE Yessir. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) Meet the Lieutenant yesterday? Get the welcome aboard speech and all that? JAKE Yessir. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) He's a good guy. Backs his boys. You all checked in? Your sheet signed off? JAKE Yessir. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) You're not on the squad until I sign it. And that depends on how you do today. JAKE Yessir. I know. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) On your way to roll call? JAKE Yessir. I'm not out the door right now. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) Hoyt. JAKE Yessir? ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) Patrol fairies go to roll call. We don't go to roll call. JAKE Yessir. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) There's a coffee shop at Virgil and Raymond. See you there at ten. Be in civvies. Comfortable shoes. Got a back-up gun? Something pocket-sized? JAKE Yessir. I have a three eighty stainless with nine rounds of silver tips. ALONZO (V.O.) (filtered) Bring it. Cuffs, too. We're gonna be in the office all day, but who knows, maybe we'll do some business. Told you, we're an aggressive unit. JAKE I know, sir. That's why I signed up. I want to thank you for giving me the oppor -- -- CLICK! Alonzo hangs up. Jake too. He stands there. Nervous. Grabs his stomach. LISA What's wrong? JAKE Feel like it's football tryouts. Wish it was tomorrow so I'd already know if I was on his squad or not. LISA It's not tomorrow. It's today. And it's gonna work out. I know it will. JAKE I gotta relax. (snuggles against her) Don't have to show up until ten. She breaks the embrace -- sore breasts -- Ouch! JAKE Soon they'll be mine again. Jake chases them with cupped hands as she retreats, giggling. Their game. CUT TO: INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY Jake struts through the door, confidently looks around. JAKE'S POV DETECTIVE SERGEANT ALONZO, in a flannel shirt, reading the paper in a booth. The gun leather tough LAPD vet is a hands-on, blue collar cop who can kick your ass with a look. BACK TO SCENE Jake walks over. Slides in across. Alonzo's eyes will never leave his newspaper. JAKE Good morning, sir. A young waitress pours Jake coffee, offers a menu. Jake waves it away. JAKE I'm okay, ma'am. Thank you. ALONZO Have some chow before we hit the office. Go ahead. It's my dollar. JAKE No, thank you, sir. I ate. ALONZO Fine. Don't. Alonzo turns the page. A long beat. Then: JAKE It's nice here. ALONZO May I read my paper? JAKE I'm sorry, sir... I'll get some food. ALONZO No. You won't. You fucked that up. Please. I'm reading. Shut up. Jake does -- Jeeez, sorry. Pours a ton of sugar in his coffee. TIME CUT TO: INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY The waitress pours refills. Alonzo reads. Jake fidgets. JAKE Where's the office, sir? Back at Division? No response. JAKE Gonna be nice not roasting all summer in a hot black and white. Alonzo sighs, carefully folds his paper. Glares at Jake. ALONZO Tell me a story, Hoyt. JAKE My story? ALONZO Not your story. A story. You can't keep your mouth shut long enough to let me finish my paper. So tell me a story. JAKE I don't think I know any stories. Alonzo waves the paper in Jake's face. ALONZO This is a newspaper. And I know it's ninety percent bullshit but it's entertaining. That's why I read it. Because it entertains me. If you won't let me read my paper, then entertain me with your bullshit. Tell me a story. JAKE A real one or should I make one up? ALONZO (sighs) Where'd you do your probation? JAKE Van Nuys. ALONZO Right. The Valley. No cute little anecdotes about your time on the mean streets of Van Nuys? Writing underage smoking cites at the shopping mall? Jake thinks. Bingo! He's got it. JAKE There was this D.U.I. stop. ALONZO A D.U.I. stop. Wow. Go on. JAKE We were on the mid-watch. ALONZO We? You and...? JAKE Debbie. ALONZO Debbie? The fuck's Debbie? JAKE My training officer. Debbie Maxwell -- ALONZO -- You're T.O. was female? JAKE Yessir. ALONZO She white? Black? JAKE White. ALONZO She dyked out or she any good? JAKE She's pretty good. ALONZO So you and Debbie are pullin' a mid-watch? JAKE Right. It's a real quiet night. A yawner. We're rolling on Vanowen. I'm driving. And this Acura, just a beautiful car, comes out a side street. In excess. All over the median. So I light it up and hit the wailer. Guy drives on like I'm invisible for ten blocks before he pulls over. Plates ran clean. I approach. Debbie covers. Driver's this huge white guy. Can barely keep his eyes open. I field test and arrest and I'm belting him in our unit. Debbie's tossing his car. She calls me to the vehicle and shows me a snubbed .38 and two shotguns, all loaded and locked. ALONZO No shit? JAKE No shit. She calls our supervisor and I keep searching. I find five hundred grams of meth in the dash. Turns out our D.U.I. was on bail for distribution. He was on his way to smoke his ex-partner before trial. (proudly) We prevented a murder. Alonzo is astonished. ALONZO ... amazing... Jake beams -- some story, huh? ALONZO You're driving around the Valley with a fine bitch in your car for a year and the most entertaining story you got is a D.U.I. stop? Never hit her up for some Code X in the back seat? JAKE I have a wife. ALONZO You also have a dick. Alonzo shakes his head in disgust. Jake is crushed. ALONZO Let's go. Alonzo tosses a twenty on the table. OFF his heavy wedding band we: CUT TO: EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY Jake and Alonzo crossing. Alonzo sizes Jake up, smirks at his dorky running shoes. ALONZO You look, walk and talk like a cop. Grow your hair out. Alonzo stops at: G-RIDE A narc-machine supreme. A tired, candy blue 1978 Monte Carlo with mismatched rims, curb feelers, window tint. ALONZO Gimme that menu. Jake pulls a Chinese menu from under the wiper. Hands it to Alonzo, who folds and pockets it. ALONZO Get in. S'un1ocked. Jake's turn to smirk as he climbs in. INT. G-RIDE - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Jake buries his shoes in beer cans and coffee cups. He notes a car seat in back. Alonzo twists a screwdriver in the shattered ignition, pumps the hell out of the gas. After forever, the ENGINE CATCHES -- VROOM! JAKE This is a piece'a shit. ALONZO Don't worry. My baby puts out when she has to. Alonzo rubs the dash lovingly and backs out. JAKE Where's the office? ALONZO You're in it. Jake reacts. Then smiles -- This is kind'a cool. ALONZO Rover's in the glove box. Wanna ten-eight us? JAKE Yessir. ALONZO Shitcan the sirs. I'm not your domestic violence awareness instructor. Jake takes a Motorola radio from the glove box. JAKE What's our I.D.? ALONZO Nora fifteen. JAKE (into Motorola) Nora fifteen, ten-eight. DISPATCH (V.O.) Nora fifteen, ten-twenty. Jake checks the street signs -- Virgil and Raymond. Before he can tell Dispatch, Alonzo snatches the Motorola. ALONZO (into rover) Nora fifteen, South on Rampart at 6th. DISPATCH (V.O.) Ten four. Alonzo SQUEALS out of the lot, tosses Jake the rover. ALONZO Bad guys are listening. Don't trust the radios. Never let anyone know where you're really at. Ever. Jake nods and smiles -- makes sense. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Heading South on Alvarado, passing MacArthur Park. It could be San Salvador or Guatemala City. Jake is mesmerized by the crowds. JAKE This looks like the Third World. ALONZO It's my world. Alonzo lights a smoke. Settles in his seat. ALONZO Today's a training day. Gonna show you around, give you a feel for the business. I have thirty- eight cases pending trial. I have sixty-three active investigations. There's another three hundred and fifty cases on the log I can't clear. I'm supervising five officers. That's five different personalities, five different sets of problems. You, Officer Hoyt, if you got the guts to succeed, will be number six. I don't have time to baby-sit or hold hands. You have one day to show me who you are and what you can or cannot handle. You can't hack narcotics, feel free to work a pussy desk pinching check kiters. Hear me, Officer Hoyt? JAKE I hear you. ALONZO Good. Gonna show you reality. Think you can handle it? JAKE Yeah. ALONZO Why you wanna be a narc? JAKE I want to serve my community by ridding it of dangerous drugs. Alonzo gives him a look -- Don't b.s. me. JAKE I wanna make detective. The boy is ambitious. Alonzo likes that. ALONZO Stick with me and you will. If you can unlearn the bullshit they've filled your head with. You gonna be passing out baseball cards and carrying old ladies' groceries like the rest of the newfucks Washington's flooded the streets with? JAKE Sergeant, I'll do anything you want me to do. ALONZO Stand by, because narcotics ain't about staying in the car and looking good. I bet you write great paper, Hoyt. (before Jake can answer) You do. I checked it out. Cover your area, cover your ass, but not necessarily in that order, right? JAKE Right. Are you going to teach me that old school hard-charging beat up everything that moves Rodney King shit? ALONZO That's not police work either. We're the new breed. We use this... (taps his head) This is our tool. Alonzo stops at a light. A shiny new police cruiser pulls alongside. The driver sips a Big Gulp, his female partner writes a report. They look more like co-eds than cops. Jake eyes the driver. Who gives him a smile. Then Alonzo looks at the driver. When their eyes meet, the Driver looks away, intimidated, and makes a right turn. Alonzo grins at Jake, his point underscored. ALONZO How long you been married? JAKE A year. ALONZO Gotta kid, right? JAKE (smiles) A nine-month-old girl. ALONZO I got four kids. All boys. You want a son, lemme know. I'll do your old lady up. I can't miss. Jake angers, though he knows he is being tested. JAKE Let's not talk about my family. ALONZO It's cool. I can respect that. I'm married. I have my queen, too. I remember what it's like to have a pretty young bride. Bet you still fuck her face-to-face. JAKE (clenched teeth) Can we not talk about my wife? ALONZO Kick back, kid... You're so in love it's comin' out your eyes. The day you bring the old lady to the office is the day you don't go home. If you don't hide your love deep inside, the maggots are gonna find it and chew on it. Jake realizes Alonzo is right. Alonzo hands him a card. ALONZO That's our Chaplain, Lieutenant Hayes. Give him a call. Invite him and his wife over for dinner. He's a good guy and no dumbshit. You and your woman need any kind'a help, call him. I'm serious. Jake takes the card. Kind of smiles. JAKE Thanks. I will. They cruise a beat. JAKE Who's Mr. Clean? Alonzo nails him with surprised look. ALONZO Where the hell you hear that? JAKE From a Van Nuys Robbery Detective. Told me to ask you that. ALONZO (smiles, shakes his head) Asshole. Alonzo pulls onto a street of dense apartments. Parks along the curb. JAKE What's here? ALONZO Transactions... See the Salvatrucha one-cut on the fence, trying not to look like he's slangin'? Jake looks, sees a young, bald cholo, Neto, just hanging out. ALONZO That's Neto. Works for me. JAKE Informant? ALONZO I got eyes everywhere. He gets to peddle reefer, make a little cash for the family. I get a heads up when shit goes down. The barrio on-line. JAKE And you trust him? ALONZO Fuckin' right I trust him. Sprung his mom from I.N.S. detention. Alonzo watches his mirror, perks up. ALONZO Here we go. INSERT - MIRROR A new VW Beetle pulls onto the street, moving slow. BACK TO SCENE The VW passes the G-Ride. Jake glimpses three people inside, two guys in front, a girl in back. Hipster university students. ALONZO Shit's going down. JAKE'S POV The VW stops. Neto looks around, crosses to the driver's window, a drink cup in hand. Neto plucks a foil pack from the cup. Trades it for the driver's ten. Neto walks away. BACK TO SCENE ALONZO See the hand-to-hand? JAKE I saw it. The VW drives off, fast. Alonzo pulls out. Follows it. ALONZO When was your last felony stop? JAKE Couple weeks ago. ALONZO You need practice. JAKE They look like college kids. ALONZO They need a lesson. I want these hemorrhoids grabbing glass. I got front. You got back. Alonzo pulls his gun. Jake reaches for the Motorola. ALONZO Stay off the rover. Jake puts it away, pulls his gun. Alonzo stomps the gas. The G-Ride HOWLS. The VW is at the corner, about to turn -- SCREEEEEECH! -- Alonzo slaloms to a stop, blocking its path. His pistol aimed through Jake's window at the DRIVER. ALONZO Police! Lemme see your hands! Jake draws a bead on the girl in back. JAKE Police officers! Your hands! The kids gawk at the two narcs for a stunned beat. JAKE Don't look at us! Look straight ahead! ALONZO Driver and right front passenger! Palms on the windshield! JAKE You in the back! Palms on the side window! Look straight ahead! ALONZO Driver! Use your left hand, put the vehicle in park. The Driver is mortified because: DRIVER ... it's a stickshift... ALONZO Shut up, dickhead! I'll shoot your face off! Take the keys out of the ignition. Throw 'em out the window! The Driver does, quickly, as Alonzo jumps from the car charges the Driver, shoves the gun in his face. These are just scared kids. The girl tries not to cry. ALONZO Fork it over, smartman. DRIVER What, sir? Alonzo grabs his ear, tugs violently. ALONZO The fuckin' marijuana I just watched you purchase! The Driver hands over the foil pack. PASSENGER I'm very sorry, sir. I didn't know he was bringing me here. ALONZO Shut up, dumbass. You're here now! Gimme that pipe! There's a pot pipe on the floor mat. The PASSENGER picks it up. Reluctantly hands it to Alonzo. PASSENGER My mom gave me that pipe. ALONZO What else you got? DRIVER Cigarettes...? ALONZO Gimme those too. He gives him a squished packed of Marlboro reds. The girl lowers her hands -- bad move. ALONZO Control your suspect, Hoyt! JAKE Miss! Palms on the glass! Alonzo sees her lip quiver. ALONZO Cry and I slap the eyes outta your face! Back to the Driver. ALONZO You aware this is a gang neighborhood? That gives him pause -- no kidding -- Alonzo grabs his ear again, shakes. ALONZO I see you here again, I take your car. You can walk home while your girlfriend pulls a homeboy train... Hear me, reefer addict? DRIVER Yes, sir. ALONZO Thank you for your cooperation -- Safe your iron. Jake holsters his gun. Follows Alonzo to the G-Ride. ON VW The kids trade shell-shocked looks, grabbing glass. Then lower their hands. ON G-RIDE Alonzo and Jake climb in. As they drive away, the gir1 nails Jake with a look of revulsion. Jake reacts. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Alonzo laughing. Jake didn't like what happened. It shows. JAKE Was that training? How to roust students for dime bags? ALONZO They have no business being here. Sooner or later that little smart- ass white boy college puke is gonna get jacked. I saved his life. JAKE Taught him a real lesson. ALONZO Sure did, buy your shit on campus. (beat) I like your moves. Someone trained you well. Jake smiles to himself. Alonzo opens the foil, sniffs -- ALONZO Shitty dime. Check it out. -- hands it to Jake. Who takes out a bud. ALONZO See the small hairs? The undeveloped seeds. How it's all stems? Jake nods. ALONZO It was picked immature. See how flat it is? Classic brick-pack Mexican. See how brittle it is? It's not bud season. It's from last year. Jake is amazed. Alonzo snatches the bud, crumbles it in the pipe, tosses aside seeds. ALONZO To be truly effective, a narcotics detective must know and love narcotics. A good narcotics detective should have narcotics in his blood. JAKE You going to smoke that? Alonzo smiles devilishly, offers Jake the pipe. ALONZO You are. JAKE Hell if I am. ALONZO What? You a Mormon? A Jesus freak? JAKE No. I'm not losing my job. ALONZO (re: the pipe) This is your job. JAKE I can't do it. ALONZO This isn't some kind of test. Take a fuckin' hit. JAKE I became a cop to keep people from using that poison. ALONZO (laughs) This ain't a review board. We ain't doing rails. Just leafy green bud. Jake stands firm, shaking his head. SCREECH! Alonzo stops in the middle of the street, pulls his gun, jams it in Jake's ear. CARS behind them HONK. ALONZO If I was a dealer, you'd be dead. Turn shit down on the street and the Chief hands your wife a crisply folded flag. Jake stares stubbornly at Alonzo. Alonzo pockets the gun. Lights the lighter. And takes a huge hit, blows smoke in Jake's face. ALONZO I don't want you in my unit. Not even my division. Go back to Valley. Get the fuck out of my car. A staring contest. Jake decides to play the game. JAKE ... Okay... He takes the pipe, takes an absolutely huge hit -- ALONZO Alright. That's how it's done, son. -- And is racked with a spasm of coughing. ALONZO Betrayed by your virgin lungs. Jake takes another hit -- a passing driver watches -- blows the smoke in Alonzo's face. Alonzo laughs, resumes driving, takes a hit. They pass the pipe around a few times before Alonzo tosses it on the dash. ALONZO It's cashed. They cruise in a strange otherworldly silence. Jake is clearly messed up, his head lolls from side to side. ALONZO Shit, you took some mansized hits. You gonna be okay? When's the last time you smoked out? JAKE ... Twelfth grade... ALONZO Left that out of your service jacket. Knew you had secrets, everyone does. Didn't know you dig dusters. JAKE What are dusters? ALONZO You know, dusted bud. Dippers? C'mon, dipped in P.C.P. Primos. Sherm, Kool, P-dog, Angel dust... Didn't you smell it? Taste it? JAKE (horrified) ... I've never done it... ALONZO Now you have. Remember the smell for next time. Think I'd inhale that shit? Jake is scared as hell, pale, sweaty. JAKE Oh, no. No. No. No. ALONZO Gonna kick the shit out of Neto. Motherfucker's lacing crappy bud to get that unsuspecting return client. Hell with his mom, I'm deporting the bitch. JAKE I'm gonna get piss tested. I'm gonna get fired. ALONZO I told you, Lieutenant's got our backs. We know a week before we piss. JAKE (panicking) Shit. How could you do this to me? Shit. Shit. Shit! Alonzo slams an elbow across Jake's throat. ALONZO Fuckin' chill and ride the high. You're an adult. You chose to smoke. Live with your decisions. You cool? JAKE I'm cool. ALONZO Besides, no one put a gun to your head. Jake shoots him a look. CUT TO: EXT. HOUSE - DAY A well-tended craftsman on a steep hill of fixer-uppers in Echo Park. The G-Ride parks out front. ALONZO Get your shit together. Alonzo and Jake cross to the door. The steepness of the hill is disorientating to Jake. Alonzo knocks. ALONZO This is my Road Dog's pad. Wanna see what he thinks of you. JAKE What do I say? ALONZO You'll think of something stupid. Someone peeps through the peephole. A tall, heavy man in a bathrobe with long, grey hair answers. This is ROGER, old before his time, a little sick. Happy to see Alonzo. ROGER Hey, brother, get your ass in here. CUT TO: INT. ROGER'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Roger and Alonzo hug. ALONZO Did I wake you? ROGER No. C'mon in. Please have a seat. Alonzo and Jake sit in big chairs. Three beepers, three cell phones on the coffee table. Roger sits, takes a bottle of whisky, three tumblers from a liquor cart. Pours booze. Jake looks around at the modest traditional furniture. The Hummel figurines. Photos on the wall. ALONZO Alright. Time to get my swerve on. Roger gives Alonzo a concerned look. ROGER Heard you had a beef in Vegas. ALONZO I'm cool. People talk shit. ROGER You know I got your back. ALONZO I know. Thanks. They clink glasses, chug booze. Jake doesn't. He stares into the liquid, enraptured by its smoky patterns. ALONZO C'mon. Be polite. Jake takes his tumbler, sniffs, sips. Winces. Roger runs a finger up Jake's crew-cut. Jake recoils. ROGER Went and got yourself a daisy- fresh scuzz-headed rookie. Roger leans back in the couch. Jake is looking around the room again. A BEEPER BEEPS. Roger checks it. Dials a cell phone. Alonzo gesturing for Jake to drink. He almost empties his glass. ROGER Wassup? (beat) Collect first. Step to that cat with something to flash. He'll lay you down. (beat) Righteous. Later, dude. Roger hangs up. Studies Jake. ROGER Jesus, Alonzo. He's high as a motherfucker. The hell you give him? Alonzo tosses the foil pack on the table. Roger takes it, smells the PCP and shakes his head. ROGER Where'd you grow up? JAKE North Hollywood. ROGER What's your last name? JAKE Hoyt. ROGER (it clicks) You play strong safety for North Hollywood High? JAKE Yessir. How'd you know? ROGER I follow all the good players. His BEEPER BEEPS. He checks it, sighs. Dials a cell phone. ROGER It's me. Whassup? (beat) Can't do a thing for you. Your mess. You clean it up. Don't be callin' me. He hangs up. Freshens the drinks. ROGER (to Jake) Here's a joke, boy. One day this man walks out of his house to go to work. He sees this snail on his porch. So he picks it up and chucks it over his roof, into the back yard. Snail bounces off a rock, cracks its shell all to shit, and lands in the grass. Snail lies there dying. A BEEPER BEEPS. Roger checks and ignores it. ROGER But it doesn't die. It eats some grass. Slowly heals. Grows a new shell. And after a while it can crawl again. One day the snail up and heads back to the front of the house. Finally, after a year, the little guy crawls back on the porch. Right then, the man walks out to go to work and sees this snail again. So he says to it, 'What the fuck's your problem?' Jake stares at Roger a beat. Then starts laughing. Really laughing. Maybe too much. He wipes his eyes. JAKE That's messed up. That wasn't funny. ALONZO Then why are you cackling like a jackal? JAKE I dunno. ROGER Figure that joke out and you'll figure the streets out. ALONZO Don't listen to him. There's nothing to figure out. The street's nothing more than senseless bullshit. JAKE Uh-uh. I got 'em figured out. ROGER You got the streets figured out? JAKE Yeah. It's all smiles and cries. ALONZO Give up. You're too high, space captain. ROGER Hold on -- smiles and cries. I hear you. JAKE You gotta control your smiles and cries. No one can take them away so... they're all we really have. Roger and Alonzo trade looks -- sharp kid. Alonzo pats Jake's shoulder. To Roger: ALONZO Think this greenhorn can handle undercover? Roger scrutinizes Jake a beat. Smiles and nods: yes. ROGER You were just like him. ALONZO (laughs) Fuck you. ROGER Same silly-ass look and everything. Saving the fuckin' world. ALONZO That lasted a week. Alonzo stands, shakes with Roger. ALONZO Brother, I gotta get back in my office. Thanks for the snort, dog. What're you up to today? Roger gestures at the phones and beepers. ROGER Think I get out of the house? A BEEPER BEEPS. Roger shakes with Jake. ROGER Take care, Hoyt. You're gonna do okay. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY South on Rampart. Jake senses he passed a test. Alonzo smiling at him. JAKE What? ALONZO He liked you. JAKE Who is he? One of your snitches? ALONZO He's no snitch. He's a good man to know. C'mon, let's find some action in Niggertown. (off Jake's look) N-wordtown. What are you, Hoyt? You ain't pure whiteboy. You mixed? JAKE Italian, Irish and Mexican. ALONZO No shit? You're all fucked up. How's the Espanol? JAKE Mas o menos. ALONZO Work on it. People'll be plotting the worst kind of shit behind your back. Alonzo parks in front of a liquor store. CUT TO: EXT. LIQUOR STORE - DAY Alonzo crosses to the G-ride with a sixer of beer -- INT. G-RIDE - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY -- Climbs in. Sees Jakes's eyes are closed. ALONZO C'mon, man. Open your eyes. You'll make it worse. Nothing. ALONZO Sit your ass up. Hoyt! Jake locks bleary red eyes on Alonzo, jokingly: JAKE Who're you? ALONZO The fuckin' zig-zag man. JAKE Cool. I'm a cop. ALONZO You're a little bitty boot. Alonzo cracks beers for him and Jake. ALONZO C'mon. It helps. Believe me. Jake takes one. Swigs. Alonzo lights a smoke, pulls onto Normandie. Does a doubletake. ALONZO Oh, damn! Jake looking around wildly. JAKE Oh, shit! What? What? What? ALONZO Relax. See that savory Mexican mama? JAKE'S POV A beautiful Mexican woman pushing a baby carriage. CAMERA PLAYING OVER her in luscious SLOW MOTION. BACK TO SCENE Jake stares, mouth open. Alonzo points out more beautiful Latinas gracing the sidewalks. ALONZO Mmmm-mmmm. The brown woman is the fine woman. Give her ten more babies to push around. Thick and tasty. Love to get up in that... Your old lady white? Fuckin' Nordic cheerleader, right? JACK Wrong. She's Chicana. Light- skinned. ALONZO I like my meat dark. C'mon, pound that beer. Have another. Gives you ballast. Alonzo tosses his empty out the window. Jake too. Alonzo cracks two fresh beers -- Jake takes one, drops it, soaking his leg. ALONZO Dumbass. Don't spill it. You gotta learn how to party. JAKE I'm fine. ALONZO You gotta be able to handle a high. It's a necessary job skill. I'm not kidding. It's an alcohol world down here. You gotta be able to hang. To get fucked up and talk shit with sketchy sociopathic dumbasses and not pass out and get your shoes stolen. JAKE I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. But Jake looks decidedly green. He sips beer. HICCUPS mightily. Alonzo brakes, flings open Jake's door. ALONZO Not in my car! Jake leans out, vomits onto the street. He hangs there a beat, dry heaving. ALONZO Okay, okay. Well's dry, kid. He yanks Jake in by the collar. Keeps driving. JAKE Sorry. ALONZO Wipe your chin. Jake does, rinses his mouth with beer, spits out the window. JAKE I'm cool now. Had to unload the groceries. He leans his head on the window pillar. Jakes's eye absorb the street's tableau of unworldly gliding by. Palm trees and sunshine. Paradise and hell in one. His lids begin to drift shut. Then Jake sees a flash of movement in an alley. Suddenly alert, he paws at the doorhandle. JAKE Activity on the right? Stop the car! ALONZO Siddown, Hoyt. Everything's fine. JAKE Stop the fucking car! ALONZO C'mon, relax. You're trippin' -- Jake grabs the gearshift, throws it in reverse. The transmission GRINDS, tires SCREECH. The engine stalls. Jake is out like a shot -- EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY -- He dodges an oncoming car. ALONZO Get the fuck back here! Jake into the alley. ON G-RIDE Alonzo pulling to the curb. ALONZO Dumb-ass kid. ON JAKE Running like a deer. He enters the alley. Sees a book bag on the ground -- A dumpster ahead. Jake rounds it. Fast. HIS POV A devastatingly beautiful Latina SCHOOLGIRL, pinned against the wall by a tall CRACKHEAD. Her nose dots blood on her uniform blouse. BACK TO SCENE The Crackhead hauls back to smack her. Jake Charging. JAKE Police officer! You're under arrest! The Crackhead punches Jake's throat. Stops him cold. Jake realizes how huge this guy is. Gulp. CRACKHEAD Gonna fuck you too, cop. ANOTHER CRACKHEAD dives from the shadows and tackles Jake. Both go down hard. Crackhead #1 stomps Jake's head. Jake gets his arm around Crackhead #2's neck, squeezes -- the forbidden choke hold. Alonzo enters the alley. And just stands there, watching. Jake rides out Crackhead #I's vicious kicks as Crackhead #2 convulses from hypoxia. And finally goes limp. Jake lets go, sweeps Crackhead #I's legs out from under him and hops to his feet. Crackhead #1 stands too. The Schoolgirl looks on, stunned. CRACKHEAD #1 You're ass is doomed. Jake growls, snatches him up like a rag doll, spins him, slams him hard. In a flash, Jake twists him into a pretzel, drops a knee on his neck, grinds his head into the asphalt. Clicks on the cuffs. CRACKHEAD #1 We didn't do shit. Bitch is crazy and shit. Crackhead #2 coming to, starting to stand. Jake crosses to him, pins his head with his knee. Slips a pair of flexicuffs from his sock, zips them on the man's wrists. CRACKHEAD #2 Man, you fuckin' up, slick. Homegirl tradin' her ass for cookies. JAKE Shut the fuck up, sir! ANGLE ON ALONZO Smiling, impressed by his raw skill. JAKE Thanks for the help. ALONZO Should'a shot 'em. Jake crosses to the Schoolgirl. JAKE We're police officers. You okay? You hurt? SCHOOLGIRL (to the Crackheads, shaken but tough) You fucked up! My cousins are from White Fence. They're gonna blast you fools! Pinchi mayates! ALONZO Miss! Relax! Are you okay? SCHOOLGIRL What? No. No, I'm not okay. Lookit my nose... My mom's gonna trip out. Alonzo gingerly examines her nose. ALONZO Honey, it's just a nosebleed. Put ice on it. Don't be walkin' around here alone. Tell your cousins to get your back. You know what those pieces'a shit were gonna do. Probably got AIDS. Why aren't you in school? SCHOOLGIRL I was going to a ditch party. ALONZO You almost became a ditch party. Go home. Go home. Now. She grabs her book bag and gets out of there. JAKE I gotta get her statement. ALONZO Unhook em'. We're not racking up arrests. JAKE (shocked) Kick 'em loose? ALONZO No. Get some shots in first. JAKE I have a punching bag at home. I want them off the street. Alonzo squats by Crackhead #1. Searches him. ALONZO Hear that, bro? My dog, here, wants to lock you up. Been to the bootyhouse? Grabbin' ankles for the big boys? CRACKHEAD #1 Suck my dick, bitch. I know people. ALONZO Kick back, who's-who. Alonzo finds rocks in one sock. Some twenties in the other. He pockets the cash and crack. Searches Crackhead #2. ALONZO Where's your horn? CRACKHEAD #2 Ain't got no horn. Alonzo finds a glass pipe. ALONZO So what's this, chief? Gonna make you eat it. Instead, he grinds it underfoot. ALONZO Ya'll lucky I got pressing business today -- You, stand up. Alonzo hauls Crackhead #1 to his feet. Unlocks the cuffs, tosses them to Jake. Crackhead #2 strains against the flexicuffs. ALONZO (to Crackhead #2) You get to keep those. He steers Crackhead #1 to a wall -- cocks his fist. ALONZO Ain't the first honey ya'll pinned to a wall, huh? Close your eyes. Crackhead does. Alonzo knees his groin -- oof! -- He falls to the ground, whimpers in the fetal position. ALONZO Next time I cut your dick off and shove it up your ass. (pats Jake's back, winks) I'll leave you three alone. Gonna grab some beer. Alonzo exits the alley. Jake watches Crackhead #1 whimper, Crackhead #2 writhe in the gutter. It's futi1e to beat these men. Jake takes pity, walks away. CRACKHEAD #2 Pussy motherfucker. Gonna see your ass again. Gonna fuck you up, bitch. Won't see shit coming. Creep like a ninja and crack your head open. Blow your house up. Punk-ass white boy. Now you in my world, motherfucker. Jake stops and turns around. He stoops to pick up a pink Hello Kitty change purse. INSIDE CHANGE PURSE The Schoolgirl's MIA bus pass and her freshman ID from Immaculate Heart High School. BACK TO SCENE Jake glares at the Crackheads. JAKE You assholes! She's fifteen! CRACKHEAD #2 (grins) She all woman. Tax that ass for days. Man! Jake could kick his brains out. Somehow, he turns and walks away. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Jake steams. Alonzo offers a beer from a new sixer. Jake refuses. Alonzo counts and pockets the money he took. Notes Jake's stare. ALONZO Wanna book sixty bucks? Where're the suspects? JAKE (ice) You let them go. ALONZO Get over it. You wanna go runnin' and gunnin', stay in patrol. This is Investigations. Leave the garbage for the garbage men. We're professional anglers. We reel in the big ones. Should'a dished out some shoe leather. You'd have a big 'ol smile on your face. JAKE I get my shits and grins booking bad guys, not beating them. ALONZO Man... The fuck you doing running alone into an alley full'a cracked-out monkey-strong motherfuckers? Those hemorrhoids wouldta killed you without mercy or hesitation. JAKE That's why they belong in prison. ALONZO They lost their money, their rock, got beat down and now the eses from White Fence are gonna smoke 'em. Jesus, what more do you want? JAKE Justice. ALONZO Is that not justice? JAKE That's street justice. ALONZO What's wrong with street justice? JAKE Let the animals wipe themselves out, right? ALONZO If only they would. But it don't work like that. They wipe out the good folks. Notice how it's always school kids, mommies and ass-bustin' family men catching stray slugs in their noodles. You protect the sheep by catching the wolves. It takes a wolf to catch a wolf. JAKE What? ALONZO You protect -- JAKE I heard you. Whatever. A beat. JAKE When do you lock anyone up? Seems like you're too busy keeping people out. Bad mistake. Alonzo slaps him. Glares at him. ALONZO Shut up, boot! Nothin' but shit 'tween your ears. They build prisons cause'a me! Judges have handed out fifteen thousand man years of incarceration time based on my investigations. My record speaks for itself. How many felons have you collared? Dickhead. Now that it's clear who's the boss, they drive in tense silence for a long beat. Alonzo digs in his pocket -- ALONZO Here... -- hands Jake the rocks he found. A beat. JAKE I'm not smoking crack. ALONZO Good. I'm glad to hear that. Toss 'em in the glove box. Jake does, sees several more rocks under some papers. ALONZO Comes in handy. Like a debit card. (offers Jake a beer) You earned it. C'mon. Jake refuses. ALONZO No matter what I say, I want you to know, you did the right thing. Reminds me of when I could chase down anyone and fuck them up. You're a good cop. You got fire. That was some amazing shit back there. JAKE Thanks. ALONZO That the choke hold I saw you applying? Isn't that a big no-no, procedure-boy? JAKE Well... I was getting my ass kicked. ALONZO You did what you had to do. Alonzo gives Jake a beer and grins at him like a proud dad. ALONZO You got a magic eye, Hoyt. You have a magic fucking eye. Up your street I.Q. and you'll do some damage, crime fighter. They clink cans. Jake smiles. CUT TO: EXT. NORMANDIE AND VERNON - DAY The G-Ride rolls through the intersection. If you don't know the neighborhood, stay the hell out. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY The area fills Alonzo's eyes with memories. ALONZO This is Southwest Div. Did my probation here. Learned a lot here. Good things. Bad things. Kicked some ass. Had my ass kicked. JAKE Back in the days. ALONZO Yeah, back in the days. Today's my date of employment. Know how long I been a cop? (as Jake shakes his head) Thirteen years. Seven more and I cash outta the game. JAKE No shit. Happy anniversary. Jake holds out his hand. Alonzo shakes it. Kills his beer, cracks another. ALONZO Thanks. Thirteen's an unlucky number but the seven to go cancel it out. Alonzo turns on Adams. He reaches over, digs in the glove box. Pulls out a photograph and hands it to Jake. INSERT - PHOTO A spit-and-polish, young cop in crisp blues, white gloves, holding his Beretta at inspection arms. BACK TO SCENE Jake looks at the photo, then at Alonzo. Realizing: JAKE You're Mr. Clean. ALONZO I had a few misconceptions when I started out. (points out a house) On the left. See that house? Dude named Spooky lived there. Mean old vato loco. Mexican Mafia. No one fucked with Spooky. Even got respect from the cops. We'd keep an eye on his house. You like dogs? JAKE Gotta six-year-old Rottweiler. Not too bright, but I can trust him with my kid. ALONZO Rotties are good dogs. Dobermans are better. Spooky raised Dobermans. On my second week of patrol, when I was not knowin' shit, we roll by Spooky's one night. I observe this old, black fool, named Too Fine, all drunk, beating the shit out of this female Doberman. Beautiful dog, seven months old. Too Fine's whoopin' her with a garden hose. This dog's just crying, shaking. I grew up with Dobermans. I was pissed. I tell my T.O. 'I'm gonna take him.' And my T.O. is like: 'No, no. It's cool.' He fuckin' waves to Too Fine and this motherfucker smiles and waves back and keeps hitting the dog. Thought I lost my damn mind. Tells me Spooky gave him twenty bucks to beat the shit out of it. My T.O., this good 'ol boy, looks me in the eye and says: 'Teaches 'em to hate niggers.' Almost quit right there. Almost got out of the fuckin' black and white and took the bus home. Jake looks at Alonzo. JAKE That's fucked up. That's one of the most fucked up things I ever heard. ALONZO Just remembered that. Every time I'd seen it all, the street'd show me something even more fucked up. I know you didn't see no shit like that in the Valley. JAKE No, I haven't. Jake takes a last look at the photograph of young Alonzo and replaces it in the glove box. Alonzo enters an alley cutting through several blocks. ALONZO Double-nickel Crips control shit here. They come up hard. Come in here running undercover shit and get made as a narc, the O.G.s'll booty-bust you then some thirteen- year-old wannabe'll curbstone you. Feed your dead ass to a pit bull. Youngins here fight for the right to dump a cop. Everyone wants a name. JAKE That really happen? ALONZO No, Hoyt, I'm pullin' your dick. Anything can happen. It's loony tunes here. Keep an eye out for rock stars. Alonzo pulls on a side street where PEANUT, a young gangster, is ready to serve them. ALONZO There's one. Don't let him see your face. And don't let anyone run up on us with a shotgun. Alonzo pulls out a twenty, stops near Peanut, who crosses to his window. PEANUT What you want, homie? ALONZO (flashes twenty) Twenty. Gimme a big-ass chip. Peanut takes a rock from his pocket, gives it to Alonzo, reaches for the twenty -- CLICK-CLICK! Alonzo cuffs him to the steering wheel -- ALONZO Let's take a ride, asshole. -- Stomps the gas, SCREECH! Peanut runs to keep up. Alonzo stops at the end of the alley. ALONZO You from double nickel? PEANUT Ain't from shit. ALONZO Again: Where you from? PEANUT My mom. ALONZO Your mom? From her ass? You a butt baby? PEANUT Fuck you -- -- SCREECH! Alonzo races in reverse down the alley. Peanut is yanked off his feet. His legs drag in the dirt. Alonzo stops, lights a squished Marlboro. He has Peanut's attention. ALONZO What do they call you? PEANUT Peanut. ALONZO You in double nickel, Peanut? Peanut nods. ALONZO See, respect me, I respect you. Talk shit, I fuck you up. Ah'ite, homie. PEANUT Ah'ite. ALONZO Who's the boss? PEANUT You. ALONZO No, dumbass. Who you slangin' for? Peanut clams up. Alonzo grabs the gearshift. ALONZO Gimme a name or your hand. Choose now. Peanut stares at his hand, flexes it. Alonzo revs the engine. PEANUT Mr. Mighty. Alonzo shoves forty bucks in Peanut's hand, unlocks him -- ALONZO Back to work, poo-butt. -- and drives away. Peanut flips him off. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Jake adds Peanut's rock to the glovebox. JAKE He was just a kid. ALONZO Kids or not, gotta make 'em sing. JAKE Who's Mr. Mighty? Let's get him. ALONZO Nope... can't catch that fish. JAKE Why not? ALONZO Lives in the unincorporated part of Lynwood. We don't wanna deal with County Sheriffs. Fuck that headache. Wastin' our time here. Let's head East. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY The G-Ride cruising through an even worse area. Alonzo scans the urban wasteland for prey. Sees a gaunt DEALER on a corner. Hands Jake a twenty. ALONZO Your turn. JAKE What do I say? ALONZO Adlib, dumbfuck. He pulls over. The Dealer crosses to Jake. DEALER What you want, homie? JAKE Crack. Twenty dollars' worth. DEALER Fuck you, rookie. He quickly walks away. Alonzo smiles. ALONZO Fetch, boy. Fetch. Jake bolts from the car. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - ON DEALER - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY walking. He sees Jake, starts running. Jake gaining, tackles him. Gets the Dealer in a compliance hold and cuffs him. Alonzo pulls up, sees Jake grinning. ALONZO Love doing that, huh? (searches Dealer) Who you work for, fuckstain? DEALER Can't work. I'm on disability. ALONZO Bullshit. You crackin'. Jake finishes searching. ALONZO No rocks? JAKE No rocks. DEALER (laughing) Aw, dang. See? Ya'll ain't got shit. The man comin' up short again. Alonzo exits the car. Glares. ALONZO I never come up short, fool. (to Dealer) Open your mouth. The Dealer does. Sensing to not play with Alonzo. ALONZO Lift your tongue. He does. DEALER See. I ain't be gottin' shit. ALONZO Gimme a pen. Jakes does. Alonzo grabs the Dealer's neck. Forces the pen in his mouth. Down his throat. He gags -- Urgh! Vomits. DEALER Motherfucker! Jake is stunned. Alonzo inspects the spattered sidewalk. Sees Saran-wrapped rocks. ALONZO Lookie those. DEALER That's corn. ALONZO That's Jimmy crack corn... One, two, three, four, five... six. How'd you swallow that shit without water? DEALER Fuckin' bullshit! Fuck you, civil rights violatin' motherfuckers. Alonzo slaps him. ALONZO Gonna act like a man or a bitch?! Got you cold. Gimme a name and stay on the streets. The Dealer mulls it over. DEALER He in County. ALONZO Who? DEALER Sandman. He's shot callin'. ALONZO Unhook him, Hoyt. Jake unlocks the cuffs. Alonzo steps over the vomit. ALONZO And collect the evidence. JAKE Fuck you. ALONZO You're learning. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Jake keeps looking at Alonzo, half impressed, half appalled. ALONZO What? JAKE You don't give a fuck. Alonzo grins, dials a cell phone. ALONZO Afternoon, Bob. It's Alonzo, Rampart Narcs. (beat) Good, and you? (beat) Great. (beat) Yeah, that's right. I made it. The big one three. (beat; laughs) 'Course I'm on the street. Hey, partner, got your gang book? (beat) Okay, I need a res. Alias is Sandman. If he's not in Ghetto Boys, try the Mobsters... might be in custody. (beat) No, I'll hold. (to Jake) Bob Ramirez. Intel coordinator for Seventy-Seventh Div Crash. (into phone) -- Yeah, Bob, still here. Shoot. Alonzo jots the information on a notepad. ALONZO Okay... Thank you, sir. That's gonna do it. Have a good one. Alonzo hangs up. JAKE We go after the Sandman? ALONZO We go after the Sandman. Jake smiles. CUT TO: EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET - DAY Graffiti on a wall: GHETTO BOYS HOOD -- SANDMAN The G-Ride glides INTO FRAME and OUT. ANGLE The G-Ride parks in front of a house. Alonzo and Jake exit. Alonzo pops the trunk. Inside is a microwave box, toaster, a boombox, a TV. JAKE Gonna open a Circuit City? ALONZO It's unclaimed shit from property. I pass it out to informants, victims, witnesses. Help their families out. Alonzo fishes out an assault vest, tosses it to Jake and dons an LAPD windbreaker, POLICE across the back. ALONZO Intel says his mom's in the residence with two female juveniles and a possible male juvenile. JAKE If he's not here, why are we here? Alonzo pulls a paper out of his pocket, unfolds it. ALONZO We gotta serve this search warrant. It's the Chinese take-out menu Jake handed him earlier. JAKE We can't do that. ALONZO Yes we can, supercop. Ding-ding, that's the schoolbell. He slams the trunk. Pulls his gun. They cross to the door. JAKE Get a real warrant. ALONZO I wanna get shit done. They step onto the porch. Take sides by the front door. ALONZO Don't get me killed, new guy. He knocks on the security screen. ALONZO Police! Search warrant! Silence. Alonzo knocks again. Nods at Jake. JAKE L.A.P.D.! Open the door. Nothing. Then: WOMAN (O.S.) Kevin ain't here. He up at the Honor Ranch. ALONZO L.A.P.D.! Please open the door or we kick it in! Ma'am?! CLICKING. The door is unlocked, opened. An attractive black WOMAN stands on the other side of the security screen. Alonzo waves the menu. ALONZO Search Warrant. Unlock the door and back away. She does, Alonzo snaps it open, rushes in, Jake follows. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Jake and Alonzo swinging guns around the room. There's two scared toddlers in a play pen. The Woman on the couch, pissed. JAKE Stand up, ma'am. He searches the couch for a weapon. ALONZO Anyone else in the house, ma'am? WOMAN My nephew, Dimitri. He in the bedroom. The boy is ten. ALONZO Cover her. Gonna clear the house. JAKE You can sit. Please keep your hands on your knees. Alonzo exits through a doorway into the kitchen. ALONZO (O.S.) Kitchen's clear! We HEAR Alonzo moving through the bedrooms. ALONZO (O.S.) Bedrooms're clear! Bringing out the kid! Alonzo marches Dimitri, 10, into the living room. The youngster trembles. ALONZO S'okay, son, we're the good guys. Go sit on the couch with your aunt -- House is code-four. Gonna start my search. Alonzo exits. The Woman glares at Jake. WOMAN I wanna read the warrant. JAKE (reacts) My partner has it. She looks out the window at the empty street. WOMAN Where's your back-up? JAKE Ma'am, please be quiet while we conduct our investigation. WOMAN You got the gun, boss. (sotto) Crooked-ass motherfuckers. The kids stare at Jake like an occupying soldier. He crosses to Dimitri, smiles. JAKE Hey, little man. How's it going? Jake tries to shake. Dimitri crosses his arms, looks away. The Woman smirks. O.S., the SOUNDS of Alonzo tearing apart the bedrooms like a hurricane. Making a hell of a mess. The Woman stands. JAKE Ma'am. Stay seated. WOMAN Who you be thinkin'? Comin' in like you pay the rent. JAKE Ma'am, sit down. WOMAN Both ya'lls stink. Drinkin' all day. Gotta get liquored up to do business? Alonzo is suddenly quiet. Jake backs to the doorway, peeks around it. Sees a dresser with a mirror. IN MIRROR Alonzo shoves something big down his raidjacket. BACK TO SCENE JAKE Siddown. WOMAN Gonna shoot me, boss? Kids, don't look. The drunk policeman gonna shoot me now. Alonzo enters, excited, grinning. ALONZO Didn't find shit. Let's go -- Sorry about the inconvenience, ma'am. Thank you for your cooperation. He and Jake head for the door. WOMAN I wanna see the warrant. ALONZO Here. He hands her the menu as they exit. CUT TO: EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY At the end of the block, three big GANGSTERS buy popsicles from a Mexican vendor. ANOTHER ANGLE The Woman bursts out of the house, screams at Jake and Alonzo as they climb in the G-Ride. WOMAN Fuckin' jackers! You ain't no fuckin' police! Get the fuck back here with my money! She sees the gangsters. WOMAN Why ya'll standin' there lookin' pretty?! Blast them fools! The gangsters trade looks. Start running towards -- G-RIDE Alonzo sees the gangsters. Tries STARTING the CAR. The engine won't catch. ALONZO C'mon, baby. Don't do me like that. The gangsters getting closer. ALONZO Fuckin' bitch! Start! Nothing. Alonzo piles out. Raises the hood, taps the carb with the butt of his gun. ALONZO Start it! Jake twists the screwdriver. No dice. He sees a Glock pulled from a waistband. Alonzo tapping. JAKE Gun! Gun! Gun! ALONZO Start it! VAROOM! Alonzo slams the hood. Climbs in. SQUEALS from the driveway. The armed gangster drops to one knee. The G-Ride tear-asses away in Glock's sights. POP!-POP!-POP!-POP!-POP! A ROUND SHATTERS a taillight. ANOTHER pierces the trunk -- INT. G-RIDE - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY -- the back seat -- the front seat -- the six pack -- and finally the dash. Jake reacting to beer spray. Alonzo rounds the corner, tosses the wounded cans out the window. ALONZO Shit... Let's hit a liquor store. Jake fingers the hole in the dash. ALONZO Gun! Gun! Gun! Jake startles, Alonzo laughing. ALONZO First time you been shot at? JAKE (lies) No. ALONZO Yeah, it is. JAKE That wasn't cool. That wasn't cool at all. What the fuck were you doing in there? ALONZO Looking for narcotics activity. Scales. Baggies. Guns. Coke. Bud. Etcetera. JAKE Cash...? ALONZO Say it, motherfucker. JAKE She was screaming about money. ALONZO Bitch was talking shit. Trying to get us blasted by her homies. Jake's eyes fall to a brick-shaped bulge under Alonzo's raid jacket. ALONZO What? JAKE I dunno. I'm just a new guy. A daisy-fresh scuzz-head boot. You tell me what. ALONZO I don't deny my shit stinks. I will never deny that. So why do I got the best arrest and conviction record in the county. Why? 'Cause I don't handicap myself with bullshit. JAKE I thought that bullshit served a purpose. ALONZO You thought wrong. There's hemorrhoids walking free on the streets right now who've killed fuckin' three, four, five people. I know it, they know it, every detective on payroll knows it. Why do these turds still float around? The rules. I take down the duly deserving. I'm not locking up Mr. Nine-to-five, Mr. Family Provider. Jake shaking his head angrily. ALONZO C'mon, communicate. What aren't you saying? Talk to me. A beat. Then Jake fixes Alonzo with a stare. JAKE I think... I think you're a rogue cop. Alonzo laughs his ass off. Wipes his eyes, he laughs so hard. ALONZO Fuckin' Hoyt, man. Know what? You're alright. You are alright. Jake gives him an "I'm not stupid" look. ALONZO You're in a privileged position to learn a thing or two if you can keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. If you're serious about doing good out in the real world, this is the place to learn how. If this shit shakes you up, go back to Division and cry to the Watch Commander. He'll find you a nice job lighting flares and measuring wrecks. Decide now if you want to be a wolf or a sheep. If you want on my squad, I'll sign your card. Alonzo stops the car. Reaches over and opens Jake's door. ALONZO If not, get out of my car. Jake looks at Alonzo, he turns away and reacts. JAKE'S POV They are parked in front of a police station, steps lead up to a pair of glass doors. BACK TO SCENE Jake sits there a beat. He gives Alonzo a final look. Then gets out of the car. EXT. POLICE STATION - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Jake stiffly marches up the steps. Then stops. And turns. Alonzo staring at him. Waiting for him to change his mind. A beat. Jake shakes his head: no. SCREECH! Alonzo is gone. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION LOBBY - DAY Jake badges the elderly sergeant desk and is buzzed into the offices. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION OFFICES - DAY Jake stands just inside the door. Taking in station life. HIS POV Station queens of all sorts. Overweight cops talk on the phones. Pension jockeys tap away at keyboards. This is about as far from the action as you can get. BACK TO SCENE Jake looks at a sign over a door: "WATCH COMMANDER". Instead of crossing to it. Jake looks at his hands, dirty and scraped from fighting. Jake turns around and exits. CUT TO: EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY As Jake descends the steps, the G-Ride pulls up. The passenger door opens. Jake climbs in. Shuts the door. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Alonzo holds out his hand. Solemn. ALONZO Welcome to Narcotics, Officer Hoyt. Jake beams, shakes his hand. JAKE I'm going to do my best. ALONZO You do and you'll run the unit someday. (a beat) You hungry? Let's code seven. CUT TO: EXT. CENTRAL AVENUE - DAY The G-Ride pulls onto a side street then winds its way through a maze of shabby streets. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Jake nervously glances around one of the toughest parts of the city. A strong point adorned with wrought iron and concertina wire. JAKE What are you doing? We'll be killed coming in here. ALONZO Oh, you've heard about this neck of the woods? JAKE No man's land. (points) You got Broadway there, dividing the eastside-westside Hispanic gangs. And Adams Boulevard there is the only thing separating the Rolling Twenties Bloods from the Hoover Crips. They said never come in here with anything less than a platoon. ALONZO (impressed) On top of that, area's an administrative nightmare. Four L.A.P.D. Division boundaries meet here. Rampart, Central, Southwest and Newton. That makes everything that happens here the other guy's problem. Jake is really uncomfortable. JAKE I thought we were going to eat. Alonzo gives him a reassuring look and stops in front of a cul-de-sac of run down houses and apartments. He HONKS. A little kid runs out of the corner house. He eyes Alonzo then hops on his bike and rides OUT OF VIEW into the cul-de-sac. A beat. The little kid returns. Waves Alonzo into the cul-de- sac. Alonzo turns onto the dangerous dead-end, driving around a poorly parked van. JAKE That little kid's a lookout. ALONZO Lots of eyes on us right now. Never come up in here without me. For your safety. I'm serious. JAKE Okay. Why do you have a golden pass? ALONZO Because I'm square with 'em. But they know if the line is crossed, I'm leading the platoon in here. Alonzo parks in front of some apartments. Jake and Alonzo get out. An old woman sweeps her doorstep and glares at Jake. ALONZO Buenas tardes, Dona Lucila. The old woman smiles, nods. Jake and Alonzo pass a long driveway as they cross to some stairs. JAKE'S POV At the far end of the driveway, gangsters work out and drink. One of them is benching over 300 pounds. BACK TO SCENE ALONZO Don't look at them. Alonzo and Jake climb the steps. ALONZO See that dude benching? JAKE Yeah, Jesus. ALONZO Exactly, you run into him; you pray. Real quick hands for a big guy. Used to make money boxing but he fucked that up. Alonzo knocks on a door. JAKE What's here? ALONZO A loving touch. WOMAN (O.S.) Quien...? ALONZO Policia, senorita. The door opens, there stands SARA, a ravishing Salvadoran in a housedress. She hugs Alonzo, plants a big kiss on him -- SARA Hi, papi. -- then notices Jake and backs off. ALONZO He's just my new guy. She holds out her hand. They shake. SARA Hi. How are you? JAKE Good, thank you. SARA Come in, come in. Welcome to my house. Alonzo enters, Jake follows. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - DAY The living room is filled with Salvadoran kitsch. A 2- year-old boy on the couch watches cartoons. Alonzo motions for Jake to sit. ALONZO You had a rough morning. Relax and let her hook you up. He disappears into the bedroom. Sara hands Jake the remote. SARA Here. Take this. I have cable. You watch what you want. This is your house. Don't be shy. She crosses to the kitchen. Sounds of POTS, DISHES. Jake is about to change the channel. The kid gives him a look. He puts away the remote. Sara returns with a massive tray of food, chicken stew, beans, rice, salad, tortillas, the works. She sets the mouth-watering spread before Jake. SARA This is El Salvador food. I hope you like it. JAKE Thank you. This is great. I'm starving. She hangs a beat, eabarrassed. SARA I'm sorry. I have too... Jake knows. She runs off. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - DAY Sara hands Alonzo a beer. Alonzo lays back on the bed with a huge grin. She surveys him, smiles. SARA Wow. That's something different. You're smiling. ALONZO Wassup, woman? Lookin' good today. SARA (unties his shoes) Well, happy man: you didn't say 'hi' to your son. He's been asking for you. ALONZO Yeah, well... I will. She removes his shoes, massages his feet. SARA How's your wife? ALONZO Why the fuck you comin' at me with all this shit? Don't you have a brain? I'm in a good fuckin' mood for the first time in who knows how the fuck long and you start talkin' shit. Man. Just shut the fuck up. Take that shit off and get your ass in bed. SARA (crosses her arms, glares) I'm not a piece of something for you to bark at, mister. ALONZO I'm sorry. Please get your ass in bed. I gotta get back to work. She thinks it over. Slips off her dress -- Wow! SARA This is because I want to. Not because you tell me to. ALONZO Whatever. CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY (LATER) Jake dozes, his plate wiped clean, an arm around the little kid, still watching cartoons. Alonzo enters, invigorated, he kicks Jake's foot. ALONZO Let's go. We're rollin'. Gotta meeting in fifteen. Jake stirs, stretches. Stands. Alonzo shows him the door. ALONZO Go to the car. JAKE I wanna thank her for the food. It was great. ALONZO I'll tell her, don't worry. Jake tussles the kid's hair. JAKE See you later, little man. Jake exits. Alonzo picks up his son. Hugs him tight. Kisses him. ALONZO Hey. How you been? Been good? Gettin' heavy, mister. Mama says you miss me. Sara watches from the bedroom doorway. Seeing Alonzo like this rips her apart more than anything he says. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Near downtown. The noon sun high and bright. JAKE What about your queen? ALONZO Sara's my princess. JAKE I like her. She's a really cool lady. ALONZO So are her two sisters. They look fuckin' good and they party. How'd you like to be in the middle of a bitch sandwich? Come to Vegas with us. JAKE No, thanks. I get mine at home. ALONZO You're missing out. I should know. JAKE Her kid looks just like you. He's number five. ALONZO Number six. JAKE Six kids. That's all? Or you holding royal court in a few more houses? ALONZO I'm only aware of six. JAKE It's easy to make a baby -- ALONZO -- And hard to take care of one. Fuck you, okay? No one's going hungry. Everyone gets plenty of what they need: toys, shoes, clothes. JAKE Love? Alonzo shoots a look at Jake. ALONZO Let's not talk about my family. CUT TO: EXT. LA GOLONDRINA - DAY A great place for lunch and cocktails. Alonzo and Jake cross to the entrance. Alonzo, his raidjacket tucked underarm, hands Jake some Visine. ALONZO Use it. Jake does. Alonzo opens the door. JAKE Who's here? ALONZO Don't speak unless spoken to. CUT TO: INT. LA GOLONDRINA - DAY A lunchtime business crowd dines in burgundy leather booths amidst a forest of wrought £ron. Alonzo leads Jake into: INT. CORTEZ ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Empty. Save for the back table. Three scary 40ish bruisers in nice suits, DOUG, STAN, AND LOU, share a pitcher of beer. Doug and Stan see Alonzo, react like they've seen a ghost. So Lou turns around, sees Alonzo. And quickly stands. It's tense. Like there could be a gunfight. Jake's hand creeps near his gun. Alonzo and Lou converge, trading serious questions and answers with their eyes. Jake watches Stan and Doug. They watch him. Alonzo and Lou grab hands grimly. LOU (softly) I don't know why I'm meeting you. I don't talk to dead men. ALONZO (smiles, winks) Ain't dead yet, you prick. They shake vigorously, smile big. Everyone relaxes. LOU (claps his back) Fuckin' Alonzo. Heard you just tucked lucky number thirteen under your belt. Hey, man. Congratulations. ALONZO Thanks, Lou. What, marked your calendar? Lou smiles, taps his temple. Doug and Stan shake with Alonzo. It's clear he makes them uncomfortable. DOUG Congratulations. Good to see you. STAN Congratulations. You made it through another year of this madness. LOU Who the fuck is Ricky Rookie? Alonzo grabs Jake's shoulder, pulls him into the huddle. ALONZO This is Jake Hoyt, first day on the squad. Jake shakes Lou's hand. Sees an LAPD Captain's badge on his belt. Jake realizes these guys are police administrators. ALONZO Jake, this is Lou Jacobs, interagency task-force coordinator. You ever have to talk to a fed, talk to this man first. He'll get your back. JAKE Pleased to meet you, sir. ALONZO This is Stan Gursky, senior investigator for the L.A. County officer involved shooting team. Think about him before you pull a trigger, okay? Stan will rock your world if you make a bad call. JAKE (shaking with Stan) Pleased to meet you, sir. ALONZO And this is Doug Marcab, Metro Burglary. Does high-dollar cases for the Poodle crowd. Your Van Gogh takes a trip. Doug'll find it. JAKE Pleased to meet you, sir. Lou takes Alonzo's arm. LOU Have a seat, guy. Alonzo slides into the booth after Lou. ALONZO (to Jake) Shoo, boy. Shoo. He points out the adjacent booth. Jake crosses, sits, his back to their table. LOU Seems like a good kid. An attractive tall blonde waitress, JULIE, brings a fresh pitcher of beer. ALONZO Fuckin' elbow benders read my mind. LOU Look's like you're way ahead of us. ALONZO I'm always a step ahead of you guys. Julie smiles at Alonzo. JULIE There's the mystery man. Thought you gave up on us. What've you been up to? ALONZO Been good. JULIE More bad than good, right? ALONZO You know it. JULIE Mmmm-hmmm. You need to eat. Combo plate? ALONZO No. I'm good. Toss the kid, there, a taco and a beer. Alonzo grabs the pitcher, starts pouring. Julie walks away. ALONZO Why the long face, Doug? Feds seize your house or something? Chuckles from Lou and Stan. DOUG Fuck you, Alonzo. STAN Doug had a bad day in court today -- Tell him what happened. DOUG You tell him, think it's so funny. STAN He went to a sentencing hearing. On a three strikes case against a silk-suit catburglar type. Fuckwad pulled fifteen Encino burglaries. DOUG Spent twelve months trying to catch the suspect, a real slickster, gave up nothing. Captain rode my ass the entire time. What broke it? Luck. Caught in the act by a fuckin' patrolman. We had him. It was the prosecutor's first serial burglary case but he slam- dunked it from a stepladder. Clockwork trial. Jury deliberates half a day. Comes back guilty on ten out of eleven counts. The fuckbag was looking at a twenty- five mininum. STAN Mininum. Bye-bye, toilet-licker. DOUG Sentencing was today -- LOU -- Judge is female. DOUG Right. Female judge. ALONZO Who? DOUG Landers. The stress-case brunette. ALONZO I know her. Sharp lady. DOUG Before this guy goes to the hearing, he gets a hold of some peanut butter and packs his ass crack with it. So there he is, standing tall before the bench to give his statement and he shoves his hand down his pants and comes out with a gob of fuckin' extra- chunky Jiff. Could'a heard a pin drop. Bailiffs wouldn't come near him. He looks the judge right in her eyes and licks his fingers clean. Holy shit. The judge, she screams. All these homeowners are there to read statements, they run out of screaming. Alonzo is breaking up. Stan and Lou, too. ON JAKE laughing too. Julie returns with a beer and a taco plate. And walks away with a flirty smile. BACK TO STAN STAN No, wait, here's the punchline... DOUG Judge Landers, she says: (falsetto) Oh, this poor man's insane, he can't go to prison. (himself, grim) She ordered him to psychiatric. ALONZO (floored) You are fucking kidding. She fell for it? DOUG Time she found out it was sandwich spread, the order was signed and he'd been transferred. ALONZO Proceedings closed. DOUG Proceedings closed. STAN Fucker'll do six months in the puzzle factory before they say he's normal and kick him loose. DOUG So a maggot gnaws on a wrinkleneck. Real or not, lock him up. He's repulsive not insane. LOU Little kids eat their own shit. STAN Not my kids, Lou. ALONZO It's called coprolagnia. People do it for sex kicks. STAN Bullshit. How do you know? ALONZO Had a case when I worked vice. LOU Only in America. ALONZO If the asshole's clever enough to play the system like that, I say he earned his freedom. DOUG I see him on the street, I'm gonna fuckin' do him. ALONZO Take his bullets, Stan. Laughs. Alonzo pours a fresh round. ALONZO Hey, listen to this, my new guy, right? Been showing him around town. Scored some reefer for him to smoke. But he wouldn't. So I run through the whole bit, the gun to the head. Everything. 'Okay,' he says. I light up and it stinks like burnt rubber, right? I pass it to him anyway. The detectives grin knowingly. STAN You're an asshole. DOUG Kid's gotta learn. ALONZO He sucks the shit down. Showing me he can hang. We're in MacArthur Park and he starts screaming and jumps out of the fuckin' car. And runs down the street. Omigod. I thought he lost it. The detectives are hooked. So is... JAKE Listening, sipping beer. ALONZO So I chase him down this alley and, holy shit, he's jamming two huge crackheads and there's this pretty girl with a bloody nose. Kid stopped a rape. STAN No shit. ALONZO No shit. LOU Kid's got a magic eye. ALONZO That's what I told him. Kid's a prince. Jake beams with beer-buzzed pride. ON DETECTIVES ALONZO His first day on the squad and know what he tells me? (pathetic voice) 'You're a rogue cop.' Roars of laughter from the Detectives. Lou refills beers, holds up his glass for a toast. LOU Okay. Okay, ladies... Here's to the craziest, most bounce back, nine lives cop to darken the streets of this fine city. Congratulations for -- ahem -- honorably completing thirteen years in the most fickle job a man could be married to. Glasses clink. The men drink. Lou turns to Alonzo, quiet, serious. LOU You should be at Division hiding under a desk. ALONZO Best way to fix a problem is to look it in the eye. LOU I'm not the problem. ON JAKE He turns, sees it's a serious pow-wow. Overhears: STAN Heard you had an expensive weekend in Vegas. How'd you fuck up so bad? ALONZO How could I know? Vegas ain't my town. I'm not omniscient. LOU You should hop a jet outta here. ALONZO Why? It's an easy fix. LOU (laughs) How? ALONZO I can cash out an account. STAN Whose? ALONZO One of mine. My first. The three suits shudder, trade looks. LOU You're fucked up. ALONZO Someone steps on his tail, he'll cry like a coyote. I can't keep him off the radar forever. He's a security risk. LOU Do your job and no one steps on his tail. ALONZO Fuck him. I'm taxing him. A beat. Lou acquiesces. LOU It's your call. Alonzo smiles. And the men speak in hushed tones. Jake turns to look. JAKE'S POV Lou, Doug, Stan and Alonzo stare back at him. BACK TO SCENE Jake snaps his eyes to his plate. The men murmur. Julie arrives with a fresh beer. Softly: JULIE You should know when not to listen. She quickly exits. CUT TO: EXT. LA GOLONDRINA - DAY Alonzo and Jake exit. It's obvious something big is going down. Alonzo is excited, happy, the raid jacket underarm. He crosses to the valet -- ALONZO Gimme the keys for the grey one. -- receives a key ring. Alonzo crosses to one of three plush unmarked Crown Victorias in the lot. Jake watches him open the trunk and empty his jacket inside. Alonzo returns the keys to the valet. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - DAY Alonzo drives away. Dials his cell phone. ALONZO It's me. We gotta green light. Fax the warrant to the clerk and tell her to get the judge to sign it. I want you and Paul to bring it to the van. And bring some picks and shovels. Sign 'em out from maintenance. Copy that? (beat) Good. Hurry the fuck up. He hangs up. JAKE How much was in your jacket? ALONZO Forty G's. JAKE What for? ALONZO You wanna know? JAKE I wanna know. ALONZO Nothing's free in this world. Not even an arrest warrant. Jake didn't want to know. JAKE Who's it for? ALONZO A real bag of shit. A genuine bad guy. Been investigating this vile bastard for ten years. He's a big fish in a big pond. Today I fry him. The squad's gonna get some glory. Talkin' name-making shit. We'll be getting handshakes from the Chief and Mayor. Wanna piece, new guy? A beat. Jake smiles. Sounds good. JAKE Hell, yeah. I wanna piece. ALONZO Knew you would. CUT TO: EXT. ALLEY - DAY In an old, hilly L.A. neighborhood near downtown. The G- Ride parks. Alonzo and Jake exit. Cross to a Pacific Bell repair van that Alonzo knocks on. VOICE Go away. ALONZO Daddy's home. Open up. The door opens. Alonzo and Jake climb in. INT. STAKEOUT VAN - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Crammed with surveillance gear. Monitors show neighborhood streets, houses. TIM and JEFF, late 2O's, dressed in jeans but obviously cops, play Streetfighter II. The stubbly pair has been holed up for two days. Jeff knocks Tim out. TIM Jerk. JEFF The chick always wins. Jake and Alonzo sit on milk crates. Jake examines the fascinating gear. Tim opens the cooler he sits on, tosses beers to Alonzo and Jake. ALONZO Guess what, guys. Jake's joined the team. TIM Great. (shakes) Here's my official welcome to the squad handshake. JAKE Thanks. Jeff and Jake shake next. JEFF Welcome aboard. How's the first day? Don't worry. Gets worse. Tim hits PLAY on a VCR. TIM Check this out. ON VIDEO MONITOR Two amorphous human heat signatures hump with compeling intensity on infrared surveillance video. BACK TO SCENE ALONZO What's this shit? TIM Infrared. Trained a thermal scope on a house down the street. JEFF Some Asian chick. Lives alone. Everyday some asshole from work follows her home, throws in some pumps and bails. TIM This was too good to pass up. You know we love yellow-tail. Check this out. ON MONITOR Same couple, same intensity, clearly seen through a window via a camera atop a phone pole. TIM I threw on the climbing irons and got a camera on her window. JEFF This afternoon we're spiking her wall for sound. Tim and Jeff beam proudly. ALONZO No. You're not. Erase that shit. They trade looks. ALONZO I'm not fuckin' kidding! Erase that shit. And any other horny housewife tapes you made. Right fuckin' now! Alonzo smacks the back of Tim's head. Tim hits the VTR buttons. TIM Ow, man. I'm erasing. Jesus. Alonzo studies a clipboard. Hurls it at Jeff. ALONZO What's this? Day camp sign-in? Redo the logs. Neatly. (taps a blank monitor) Why isn't this on? TIM Respect. I don't wanna watch the dude in his living room. Alonzo CLICKS it ON. Rewinds the tape of the VTR it's connected to. JEFF Why are you being a dick? What's wrong? ALONZO What's wrong? All you've done for two days is jerk off and play sega. You pinheads even see me in there this morning? JEFF No one went in there this morning. ALONZO I should snap your neck. Instead, he hits play. INSERT - MONITOR A living room. A familiar one -- Three beepers, three cell phones on the coffee table. Roger in his bathrobe, having a drink with Jake and Alonzo. BACK TO SCENE Jake stares at the screen, stunned to see himself. Jake gives Alonzo a confused look. JEFF Okay. I'm sorry. We haven't been diligent. How can we take this gig seriously? Who's gonna fuck with him? ALONZO We're gonna fuck with him. We're serving an arrest warrant. Tim and Jeff trade serious looks. JEFF We can't arrest Roger. Alonzo ejects the tape. Tosses it to Tim. ALONZO Erase it. Alonzo notices an unmarked police sedan pull up to the van. ALONZO Here we go. Least someone on the squad has their shit squared away. CUT TO: EXT. ALLEY - DAY The sedan parks by th G-Ride. Out steps MARK, a black clothes horse in Italian silk. And PAUL, a steely-eyed, clean-cut chicano in a turtleneck. The van doors open. Jeff and Tim climb out. JEFF Nice suit, Mark. TIM Beautiful suit. Now Alonzo and Jake get out. Six cops huddled in an alley. Jake fits right in with the motley bunch. Paul hands Alonzo the warrant. ALONZO Thanks. My picks and shovels? MARK In the trunk. Gonna dig a ditch? ALONZO You are. Great suit. MARK Fuck you. ALONZO (shakes with Paul) Howdy, killer. PAUL Alonzo, what the fuck's going on? ALONZO Don't worry. I talked to the three wise men. It's all good. His men trade looks, they have total trust in him. Jake is a little nervous. PAUL If we can get away with it, let's go for it. Fuck Roger. (re: Jake) Who's this? JAKE Jake Hoyt. First day in the unit. I'm coming from Van Nuys patrol. He holds out his hand. Paul scoffs. PAUL Why's he in on this shit? ALONZO Gotta pop his cherry sometime. PAUL (to Jake) Stay outta my way, boot. Alonzo notes Jake's unease, shows him the warrant. ALONZO It's the real deal. Signed by the judge. Thank the Sandman. PAUL Roger's not gonna be too keen on going back to the pokey. ALONZO I don't care what Roger thinks. (addresses everyone) Our safety comes first. He gives us shit, we give him lead. Let's do this right so everyone can go home and do the wife and girl friend thing tonight. (checks his watch) Suit up, ladies. Time to punch in. CUT TO: EXT. ROGER'S HOUSE - DAY Five cops crouch outside the door with shotguns, machine pistols. Assault vests and helmets worn over civvies. Jake and Jeff to one side. Paul, Mark and Tim to the other. Paul and Mark give the door several quick, powerful kicks. Wood splits, hinges tear. It falls open. The five cops surge into: INT. ROGER'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Roger reads on the couch, the morning paper. He's non- plussed to find himself surrounded by police, weapons. MARK Freeze up! You need to not move, breath, think or blink. ROGER What are you clowns doing here? PAUL Shut up! -- New guy! His hands move, blast him. Jake aiming his shotgun at Roger's head. JAKE I'm on him. Roger, holding his newspaper, recognizes Jake. ROGER You know what you're doing, son? Jake nods: yes. PAUL Drop what's in your hands. Before zero. Five. Four. Three. Two. CLUNK-CLUNK! Two tiny derringers hit the coffee table. Roger had been palming them. Paul sweeps them aside with his foot. The cops relax a little. Roger folds his paper. Sets it down, takes off his reading glasses. A principal besieged by truants. ROGER Alonzo's gonna kill you guys. Alonzo enters the shattered door. Holding picks, shovels. He drops the tools. They crash to the floor. Roger crosses his arms and glares at his friend. ROGER What's going down, Alonzo? ALONZO I had lunch with the three wise men. You gotta render unto Caesar. Roger sees the tools and knows exactly what they are for. ROGER Those goddamn vampires want my pension. ALONZO No, man, it's not like that. You're just getting taxed. They got their boat payments and God knows what. I'm sorry. They're makin' me do it. I'm just a lowly civil servant. ROGER Fuck you. You're their bitch. What happens with me? ALONZO Don't worry, bro. I promised you'd never go back to prison. I got your back. You won't even miss what I'm gonna take. I hate doing this. Orders is orders. Sorry, dog. ROGER No, you ain't. Cop. ALONZO (to Tim and Jeff) You guys are gonna work. Get the tools. (grabs Jake's shotgun) Gimme the boomer. Tim and Jeff gather the tools. Alonzo hands Jake a pick and leads the three men to a bedroom door. Roger pours a slug of Crown Royal as Paul and Mark guard him. ROGER Who's paying for my floor? ALONZO The city. INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Alonzo flips the bed. Taps the floor with his toe. ALONZO Open the floor. Right here. Jake, Tim and Jeff begin chopping. It's quick work to tear a large hole in the wood. ALONZO Hop in, Hoyt. Couple'a of feet down, there's a locker. Jake jumps in. Attacking dirt with his pick. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - DAY (10 MINUTES LATER) Jake, Tim and Jeff haul a trash-bag-wrapped footlocker out of the hole. JAKE What's in it? ALONZO Open it. Jake tears away trash bags. Alonzo takes a pick and snaps the lock. Jake opens the lid -- taped bundles inside. JAKE It's coke? ALONZO Go ahead. It won't bite. Jake grabs a bundle. Hefts it in his hand. JAKE Hmmm. A good five kilos. Alonzo hands him a penknife. Jake pokes a hole -- nothing pours out. ALONZO Cut the damn thing open. Jake does -- it is a brick of fifty dollar bills. Alonzo is relieved to see the money. Jake likes its heft. JAKE This is sweet. ALONZO That's a hundred grand in your hot little hands. There's four million bucks in there. Alonzo slaps Jack's back. ALONZO First day on the job and you're in on a three million dollar seizure. JAKE You said four. ALONZO Told you, nothing's for free. Gotta grease the rails to make the big moves. Alonzo grabs a pillowcase. Tosses bricks of fifties in it. Hands it to Jake. ALONZO Here. Lucky to get this, day-one- motherfucker. JAKE What's this? ALONZO Sweet green clean legal tender. Start the kid's college fund early. Get the old lady a minivan. However pleasant the heft, Jake could never accept. He returns the pillowcase to Alonzo. JAKE No way. Only checks I cash say City of L.A. on 'em. JEFF Someone didn't sleep through Ethics. ALONZO You said you wanted a piece. JAKE Not like this. ALONZO I understand. I'II hold on to it for you. Not everyone's comfortable the first time -- Let's wrap up. Alonzo drops the pillowcase in the locker. Exits. Jake, Tim and Jeff follow. CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Roger reads a Vegas odds paper. Alonzo, Tim, Jeff and Jake enter. Roger glares at Alonzo. ROGER What have I done to those guys? Are they nuts? Am I supposed to stand still and let them horsefuck me? ALONZO No. We can put you out of your misery. Alonzo tosses Jake the shotgun. ALONZO Lemme tell you a secret, Hoyt. If you kill someone on duty, they have to be your slave in the afterlife. (points to Roger) There you go. Start an entourage. JAKE You want me to shoot him? Paul, Mark, Tim and Jeff snicker, crack smiles. Roger too. Jake plays along, points the shotgun at Roger. ROGER You'd be doin' me a favor, kid. JAKE Bang -- There. He lowers the weapon. ALONZO Not gonna to do it? JAKE Of course not. This isn't funny. Alonzo smiles. Takes the shotgun from him. ALONZO Man, youngsters these days. Can't get shit done unless you do it yourself. Alonzo aims at Roger... BOOM! Roger is punched ragged with BUCKSHOT, lifted off his couch, knocked into the wall. Jake jumps back. A peal of laughter from Tim. Contagious giggles from the others. Roger gurgles. Jake stares wide-eyed at Alonzo. JAKE Holy shit! Jake's shock elicits more giggles from the squad. PAUL Finish him. Jake watches Alonzo cross to Roger, blindly gasping. ALONZO He's finished. Alonzo takes one of Roger's derringers from the floor. Slaps it in the dying man's hand. ALONZO C'mere, Jeff. You took fire coming through the door. Jeff smiles, gets in position so Alonzo can shoot him. JEFF Alright. Gonna get some time off. He braces himself. Alonzo aims Roger's hand. Pop! A BULLET THWACKS harmlessly into Jeff's vest. He removes his sunglasses from a pocket. JEFF Watch my Oakleys. Jake looking at Roger, it's hard watching him die. Again Jeff braces. Pop! The THWACK of another BULLET. ALONZO How's that? Jeff probing his hand under the vest. JEFF Fine. Alonzo drops the gun in an envelope marked: EVIDENCE HANDGUN. Jake can't believe what he just saw. ALONZO Listen up. This is the scenario. Mark and Paul kick the door. Jeff is first through. Roger opens fire. Hits Jeff twice. Jeff coughs -- bright foamy blood in his hand. JEFF Oh, shit. ALONZO One go through? Jeff answers by coughing more blood. Tim runs to him. TIM Siddown, dude. Jeff does. Tim opens the vest -- a hole in a seam on the edge. Underneath, bruised puckered flesh drools blood. TIM You shot him! JEFF You fuckin' shot me! TIM Call a rescue. ALONZO You're fine. You'll get a medal. JEFF Call the R.A.! ALONZO Let me run the scenario and I will. Okay -- Mark and Paul kick the door. First through is Jeff. Bang. Bang. Gets hit. Wounded. Second through is our new guy, Hoyt. He drops the suspect with some fine shotgun work. (points at Mark) Who shot Roger? MARK The new guy. Came in spraying. ALONZO Paul? PAUL The boot shot him. ALONZO What'd you guys see? TIM Hoyt blasted him. JEFF Hoyt went for it -- Now will you get me a fucking rescue ambulance? Jake looks at these guys. They look back, smiling, smirking. He feels dizzy, sick as the nightmare sinks in. Jeff coughs blood. Alonzo tosses his rover to Paul. PAUL (into rover) Eleven forty-nine. Nine-nine- eight. Shots fired. Shots fired. Man down. Fifty-nine fifty-one Baxter Street. ALONZO (slaps Jake's back) Good job, son. Congratulations. Gonna get a medal of valor. JAKE ... I didn't shoot him... ALONZO Roomful of cops says you did. JAKE Fuck you. I don't care. I didn't shoot him. You did. Alonzo pulls his gun. Aims at Jake's face. ALONZO (as a newscaster) A Los Angeles Police Department narcotics officer was killed serving a high risk warrant in Echo Park today. An L.A.P.D. spokesperson said the young officer was survived by his wife and infant child. (himself) Shit gets deeper. Get the picture? JAKE I got the picture. Jake strikes -- twists back Alonzo's gun sharply -- sweeps away his legs with a kick. Alonzo finds himself on his back, Jake's knee on his neck, staring down the maw of his own pistol. JAKE That's the second time you've stuck a gun in my face. Won't be a third. Paul presses his Beretta against Jake's temple. PAUL Be my pleasure putting a hydrashock in your melon. Tim, Jeff, Mark gawk at the Mexican standoff. PAUL But I'm gonna be cool. Open your hand slowly. Drop the weapon. Jake's free hand inches to his holstered gun -- JAKE (super-calm) Hey, sorry, man. Relax, okay7 -- and snatches it -- He swings on Tim -- who swings his .45 on Jake. A three-way standoff. JAKE Wanna shoot me, Paul? Go ahead. Because these two are gonna be wiping my ass in the netherworld. A beat. Then: TIM Alonzo. This is bad. PAUL This dude's a fuckin' fed. ALONZO He's no fed. Just a choirboy with heart who got the drop on you fools. Everyone, let's take a deep breath and defuse this -- Jake? You hear me? JAKE You can't just spring this shit on me. I never signed up for this. ALONZO I hear you. I know you're angry -- Paul, Tim, please put down your guns. TIM Hell no. PAUL Choirboy first. SIRENS approach. Lots of them. ALONZO Both of you: guns down. Now. Paul and Tim reluctantly lower their weapons. Jake lifts his knee off Alonzo's neck, stands and backs away, aiming both pistols at Alonzo, who climbs to his feet. ALONZO Jake, use your ears and listen. Sometimes we take shit all the way. That's the nature of the game. We don't do this every day. No one will ever again ask you to pull a trigger you don't want to -- Mark, where're you transferring to? MARK Westside Homicide. ALONZO Westside Homicide -- Only made detective last test. Jake, give me eighteen months and I'll give you a career. We make the big arrests. We make the big seizures. When someone's in my unit they're in all the way or not at all. I thought you were man enough to handle this shit. Alonzo calmly pours himself a whisky. ALONZO Five proven, decorated officers say you were the shooter. Investigators are gonna pull a tube of your blood and test for intoxicants. Remember all the P.C.P. you smoked today? Jake does, wincing at his stupidity. JAKE You've been planning this all day. ALONZO I've been planning this all week. You start talking crazy shit, I will make sure the right sample goes to the lab. Still wanna talk your babynuts around the block? You won't make it to the corner. But if you're cool. You're a hero. A virgin shooter above suspicion. Jake looks at Roger, gasping like a beached carp. The SIRENS are getting closer. Alonzo gulps his drink and -- Pfffffst! Spits the booze in Jake's face. Jake is blinded. Paul seizes Jake's wrists and aims the pistols at the ceiling. Alonzo wrenches the pistols from his hands. Jake wipes his eyes, looks at the roomful of crazy cops, scared. Paul points at Roger's other derringer, laying on the carpet. PAUL Alonzo, there's two shots in that stinger. Let's kill your boy right now and say Roger dumped him coming through the door. Mark, Tim, Jeff like the idea. Jake doesn't. And lucky for him, neither does Alonzo. He stands protectively in front of Jake. ALONZO No. We're not killing him. He's a good guy. Man's got the magic. Just having a little freakout is all. We've all been there. I say he's cool. No one's gonna hurt him. Jake and Alonzo trade a look. The SIRENS are close. Alonzo returns Jake his gun. ALONZO Hoyt, you gotta decision to make. In thirty seconds, this place will be overrun with patrolmen. Go outside and clear your head. Or shoot me now. Jake is only too happy to get out of there. Jake crosses to exit, pauses, an afterthought? JAKE Hey, Paul. Crack! Jake nails his jaw. Paul staggers, almost falls. To Jake as he exits: PAUL You're dead! I'm takin' you out. I don't care. ALONZO Kick back, Wyatt Earp. Gotta respect a motherfucker who puts you on queer street with one punch. Alonzo catches his men trading looks. ALONZO Kid's got more balls than all you faggots combined. CUT TO: EXT. ROGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD - LONG SHOT - ROGER'S HOUSE - DAY from a distant hilltop. The ambulances and black and whites out front shimmer in golden afternoon heat. OVER: PARAMEDIC (V.O.) (filtered) Patient is a white male approximately forty years old, six one, two hundred fifty pounds. Eight buckshot wounds in the torso. First wound: left chest wall, fourth intercostal space, anterior axillary line. Second and third wounds: eighth intercostal space, mid-clavicular line. Fourth and fifth wounds: right chest wall. Tenth intercostal space. Posterior axillary line. Two distance-distorted LAPD paramedics wheel out Roger on a stretcher. PARAMEDIC (V.O.) (filtered) Sixth wound: left lower quadrant, mid-clavicular line. Seventh wound: left lower quadrant, anterior axillary line. Eighth wound is an exit wound. Left lower quadrant posterior axillary line. ZOOM IN -- Amidst the heat mirages, Alonzo talks to a uniformed sergeant. Two more paramedics wheel Jeff outside on a stretcher. Mark, Tim and Paul following. PARAMEDIC (V.O.) (filtered) There is a sucking wound at the first woundsite. Superclavicular in-drawing. Abdomen is rigid. Stand by for skin signs. Patient's skin is pale and cool and diaphoretic. Here's the vitals: B.P. sixty and palpitated. Respiration thirty- one, decreased on the left with hyper-resonance. Roger is lifted into an ambulance. Alonzo dismisses Jeff's paramedics and huddles with his men. CUT TO: EXT. ALLEY - DAY Alonzo crosses to the G-ride with an armload of gear. Pops the trunk. Dumps everything inside. He shuts the trunk. Dials his cell phone and gets in the car. ANGLE ON JAKE leaning against a phone pole. Watching as Alonzo pulls a clipboard from under his seat and puts on reading glasses. Alonzo begins writing a major incident report as he talks on his cell. A beat. Alonzo STARTS the G-RIDE. Motions for Jake to get in. INT. G-RIDE - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY Jake gets in. Alonzo with his reading glasses, the clipboard on his steering wheel, filling in the report, talking on his cell phone, laughing. ALONZO -- you're gonna be scrubbing the bathtub, homie. Later. Alonzo hangs up. Preoccupied with filling in little boxes on the report as he drives slowly down the alley. ALONZO Why didn't you take off? JAKE There's nowhere to run. ALONZO Roger was D.O.A. at Good Samaritan. Let's get the paper rolling now. Alonzo looks at Jake, sees his torment. ALONZO Justifiable homicide in the line of duty. Anyone'd be proud to have that in their jacket. JAKE Not this way. Say I don't play along? ALONZO At this point it behooves you not to fuck around. That's the truth. And Jake knows it. We can almost hear his heart breaking. Jake stares out the window a beat, clenching his jaw, finally he looks at Alonzo, stares at Alonzo's scary, empty eyes. Amazed to be utterly trapped by them. JAKE It can't be like this. A beat. ALONZO It is like this. Jake has a lump in his throat as they drive in silence for a long beat. ALONZO Look, the money I gave you, keep it. JAKE Told you, I don't want it. ALONZO Just take it. Throw it in the ocean. Barbecue it. Just take it. It would make the boys feel better. JAKE Fuck their feelings. ALONZO Jake, they're worried. JAKE About what? ALONZO About you. You didn't make anyone feel you were on the team back there. JAKE Fuck the team. You guys are insane. I'll go back to Valley and cut parking tickets. And tell Paul: he comes near me again, I'll shoot him. ALONZO I'm really sorry I exposed you to that today. It was ugly but it was necessary. Roger sold dope to kids. World's a better place because he's gone. Never seen no one die before? You're too damn soft. Bet you never missed a meal in your life. JAKE (glares at Alonzo) Missed a lot of meals growing up. Why? (pantomimes shooting up) Because the folks had to do their shit. OFF Alonzo's amazed look: JAKE That's right. I'm in the cop business to lock up the criminals and poisoners. Not be one. Alonzo sizes up Jake anew, laments not knowing that earlier. ALONZO What happened today was -- JAKE -- was murder and armed robbery. Wait. We had badges, it's different. ALONZO Dammit, boy! Why can't you open your eyes and see? Jake can see. Too clearly. Softly: JAKE That man was your friend and you killed him like a fly. ALONZO (ice) We weren't friends. (consoling) All the shit you're feeling now, it's going to go away. I know you're scared. JAKE I'm not scared. ALONZO You're terrified. I know you are. Because I went through the same shit. Everyone has. Jake, there's gotta be dirt on you if anyone's gonna trust you. After this is behind you, a whole new world will open up. I walk a higher path. I can give you the keys to all doors. JAKE What are you talking about? ALONZO I'm not the asskicker I once was, but you are. Want to run my unit? My guys are good but not one of those clowns is a leader. You are. Want my job? You got it. Wanna lock up criminals? This is the best place to do it. Do your time and make detective. Play the game, grow wise and change things from the inside. Jake looks at him. And realizes Alonzo is right. ALONZO Let's get to the hospital and talk to Stan. He'll tell you what to say to the D.A.'s guys. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SUNSET A large hospital near downtown looms in the distance. TILT DOWN -- to reveal the tough old barrios below it. Cholos drink on the sidewalk. Play grab-ass and listen to MUSIC. CUT TO: INT. G-RIDE - MOVING - STREET Alonzo parks near the gangsters. JAKE What's here? Alonzo points out a well-tended, quiet, quaint house near the Cholos. ALONZO Informant of mine's in Chino. Promised I'd help out his family. Alonzo gets out. Opens the trunk. Loads up his arms with appliances. ALONZO Sometimes I bring food. Believe it or not, I like to help out the community whenever I can. (a box falls) Shit. Hoyt, help me with this. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SUNSET Jake gets out, takes some boxes. And they cross to the house. With Jake following. Past staring Cholos. A drunk PeeWee maddogs Jake. Jake maddogs back. PEEWEE You know where you're at, fool? A VETERANO shoves the PeeWee aside. VETERANO The fuck outta the way, punk. It's business. He shakes with Alonzo. VETERANO 'Sup, dog. Thought you were missing in action. ALONZO 'Sup, man. You know I'm never lost. Jake and Alonzo cross to the house. AD LIBS of "Those're cops," spread through the Cholos. At the house's door, Alonzo knocks. A beat. A little girl cracks it. ALONZO Hi. Got some stuff for your family. She closes it. A beat. The door opens to reveal SMILEY, a huge, drunk Veterano sleeved with prison tattoos. He looks at the two cops. Massive, impassive. Smiley never smiles. SMILEY Kitchen's this way. Alonzo enters. Jake hesitates. Then follows. CUT TO: INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SUNSET The little girl does homework. Two fine Cholas watch the Spanish newscast. An old man dozes in a chair. Family photos on the wall -- A proud line of warfighters, lots of military uniforms. Alonzo and Jake follow Smiley into: INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ACTION - SUNSET SNIPER and MORENO, big and intimidating like Smiley, have been playing poker around a beer-bottle covered table. Smiley, Alonzo and Jake enter. SMILEY Put it on the counter. Alonzo and Jake place the boxes on the counter. Sniper, Moreno, ignore Alonzo. And vice versa. ALONZO Can I use the head? SMILEY Go for it. ALONZO (to Jake) I'll be two seconds. We're already late. Alonzo exits to a hallway. Smiley opens a box. Pulls out a nice CD player. MORENO That's nice. Lemme get that. SMILEY You get the Osterizer. This is mine. Smiley opens a microwave box. Jake reacts. JAKE'S POV The box is crammed with cash from Roger's locker. BACK TO SCENE SMILEY Dreamer! Got your bony ass in here! DREAMER, 19, an attractive young lady, enters. Smiley stacks the heavy packages in her arms. He tops it off with the pillowcase of Jake's money. SMILEY Count that shit in the bedroom. DREAMER Thanks, eh. I was doing stuff. Learn to count, math whiz. SMILEY Wait up. Smiley pulls a small electric money counter from a drawer. Dreamer's hands are full. So he balances it on her head. SMILEY Don't drop it. She gives him a dirty look and exits. Smiley takes his seat and picks up his cards. He eyes Moreno. SNIPER You looked at 'em. MORENO No I didn't. Smiley tosses them to Sniper. SMILEY Deal again. SNIPER Play cards, cop? JAKE Not really. MORENO Beer? Moreno offers one. Sniper deals in Jake. JAKE No thanks. SNIPER C'mon and play a hand. MORENO Don't be rude, dude. One hand. SMILEY Don't sweat it. We ain't playin' for money. JAKE We gotta go. SMILEY Alonzo's probably taking a dump -- Go ahead and have a seat. Sniper finishes dealing. Jake looks at the cards intended for him. JAKE Okay. One hand. Jake sits. Now he can see a shotgun against the wall by Moreno. The three Cholos check their hands, signal for more cards. Jake checks his cards. MORENO How long you been a cop? You look like you're in high school. JAKE Nineteen months. MORENO Like it? JAKE I should'a been a fireman. MORENO My cousin's a fireman. And his kid's a Police Explorer. Gonna be our man on the inside. SNIPER I'd love to be a jura. Drive around all day getting fucked up. Talkin' to the ladies. Any heads that talk shit, fuck 'em up. SMILEY Listen to your bullshit. You couldn't hack takin' orders -- They order you around all the time. You gotta do everything they say, huh? JAKE Yeah, it's pretty strict. Especially when you're just starting out. SMILEY Sounds like the service. You serve? JAKE No. Never been in the military. But half the guys I work with were. SMILEY I was in the Army. Ranger Alert Battalion. Carried a machine gun. SNIPER Kick back, Rambo -- Waddaya got, dog? JAKE Huh? SNIPER Your hand, homes. Oh -- Jake lays down his cards. JAKE Three of a kind. SMILEY Man... didn't get squat. He tosses away his hand, Moreno, too. Sniper shows his cards with a grin. SNIPER Two pair. Sniper collects the cards. Shuffles. SMILEY What are you doing? The cop won. SNIPER I got two pair. SMILEY Three of a kind beats two pair, dumbass. MORENO See why we don't play for money? Smiley slides the deck to Jake. SMILEY Your deal. Jake looks down the hall. Getting up: JAKE We have to go. I'm gonna get Alonzo. SMILEY Kick back and party. Smiley pulls aside the curtain. JAKE'S POV An empty street. The G-Ride is gone. SMILEY (O.S.) Ain't nobody out there for you. ON JAKE He feels like a toddler lost in a department store. He sits back down. Moreno laughs. MORENO Alonzo played you like a booger. SMILEY Deal. Jake shuffles. Smiley lights a joint. Offers it to him. SMILEY It's P.C.P. Wanna hit? JAKE No thanks. I already smoked out today. SNIPER Shit. I'll step on that P-dog. Sniper takes it, inhales. Jake dealing cards. The joint rounds the table. MORENO Lemme see your cohete. SNIPER Your gun, dude. Let him see your gun. Under your shirt. Jake is outnumbered, outsized, outgunned. All he can do is take the pistol from his holster and show Moreno. MORENO That's down. What is it? A three eighty? JAKE Three eighty stainless. Double action. Nine round mag. MORENO Lemme see it. Ain't gonna blast no one. Jake hands it over. Moreno examines it with skilled hands. MORENO Fuck a vat up with this. He hands it back. To Jake's relief. SNIPER Gimme two cards. Jake does. Dreamer enters. DREAMER There's extra. SMILEY I know. That's ours. Set it aside. Sure about the count? DREAMER You count it if you don't believe me. SMILEY Okay. Thanks -- Gimme three. Dreamer grabs a beer and exits. Jake deals three. SMILEY Alonzo pulled off a miracle, huh? Times are tight. That's a lotta cash. SNIPER Who'd he jack? JAKE (dealing cards) I dunno. SMILEY He jacked Roger. Blasted the dude. Moreno guffaws. Sniper chuckles. MORENO Damnnnn. Alonzo's scandalous. SNIPER That's some cold shit. Vato'll jack anyone. MORENO Alonzo's a low-down dirty ruthless vato. SMILEY That's why I never shake his hand. He don't respect shit. (to Jake) Know what all the money's for? JAKE No. SMILEY Alonzo's a hothead. Last week in Vegas some dude was talking shit so Alonzo beat his ass and killed him. Turns out the dude was somebody. He ran a big game and owed big money. Now Alonzo owes the money. JAKE How do you know? SMILEY I'm the man in the middle. I hear shit. They gave Alonzo till today to pay up. His name's already on a list. There's a crew up from Sinaloa to do the mission. They're gonna blast him. No one thought he could get cash like that. SNIPER Dude made a pact with the devil or some shit 'cause only a miracle could'a saved his ass. JAKE It's no miracle. SNIPER Alonzo takes care of business. SMILEY Cops get crafty in a clinch. MORENO And get away with it -- Been to jail, cop? SNIPER That's a stupid question. If he's been to jail, he wouldn't be cop. JAKE You can be a cop as long as you've never been convicted of a felony. MORENO There goes my chance. I got like eighty strikes. SNIPER Fuck cops. Cops turned out my little brother. That went over Jake's head. SNIPER You hear me? JAKE What? He got arrested? SNIPER No. Two fuckin' juras turned him out. They took his manhood. They booty-tagged him in the back of a black and white. JAKE That can't be true. SNIPER Do I look like I'm lyin', motherfucker? JAKE I didn't say you were lying. I just haven't ever heard anything like that. SMILEY 'Cause you're a rookie. Put in a few years' work and you'll know what's up. MORENO Makes me wanna turn out a cop -- Ever had your shit pushed in? JAKE What? MORENO I had my shit pushed in. SNIPER Me too. My shit's been pushed in. Smiley? SMILEY (grins) I'm always gettin' love from the homies. Smiley caresses Jake's thigh under the table. He almost leaps from his chair. Everyone laughs. SMILEY Jumpy motherfucker. SNIPER (disgusted) He's a fuckin' buster. MORENO You never been booty-busted? Jake tries to laugh. But it's getting weird. SMILEY Hey, cop. Win this hand and we won't bust you out. MORENO Unless you want us to. Laughs. Sniper reveals his cards. SNIPER I got two pair again. MORENO (tossing his cards) Didn't get shit. SMILEY (grins) Gotta straight. SNIPER Uh-oh. This jura's gonna be wearin' a dress. Everyone looks at Jake -- well? He lays down his cards. JAKE Full house. SMILEY Lucky fucker. SNIPER You won. Deal again. Smiley taps the deck. Jake looks at it. At them. MORENO Deal, homie. Jake picks up the deck. Starts dealing. SNIPER There's a new chick in the neighborhood. SMILEY Oh yeah? What's her name? MORENO Vanessa... Vanessa Salguero. Everyone but Jake laughs. SMILEY I seen her around. Think she's a good girl or a bad girl? SNIPER She's a good girl. Innocent. Easy to play. MORENO How's she like the neighborhood? SNIPER Dunno. (to Jake) How you like the neighborhood? Jake realizes he's Vanessa. Laughter. Jake finishes dealing. Sets down the deck. Smiley arranges his hand. SMILEY Gimme three. MORENO Fuck this buster. Let's get this shit over with. Looks of agreement are traded. Moreno grins at his shotgun. Sniper shifts his weight. Smiley whiteknuckling his beer. SMILEY Hurry up, cop. Gimme three. Jake reaches for the deck. This happens fast: Jake flings the deck in Sniper's face. Smack! Cards scatter. Jumps up from the chair, flips the table into Moreno. Smiley SMASHES a beer BOTTLE on Jake's head. Moreno grabbing the shotgun. Crack! Jake socks Smiley's jaw. He goes down, amazed to find himself on his ass. Crack! Sniper uppercuts Jake. Smiley grabs Jake's legs, yanks him to the deck -- kerchack! JAKE'S POV The bore of a 12 gauge and Moreno's leering face. BACK TO SCENE Jake gives up, his broken scalp gushing blood. JAKE ... uncle... Dreamer pops her head in. DREAMER Dang! You guys fucked him up. MORENO Get outta here. Take the girls next door. Or you're next. She gives him the finger, pops out. Smiley pats Jake down. Pockets the gun. SMILEY You fucked up, fool. You know that. He finds Jake's handcuffs -- clicks his wrists together behind his back. He takes his badge, clips it on his belt. SMILEY Look. I'm a cop. Gonna start taxing. Smiley commences kicking the hell out of Jake: SMILEY You're under arrest. For being a cop. For being a buster. For dogging me in the mouth in my own pad. And for bleeding on my clean kitchen floor. You have the right to be kicked. And the right to be slapped. Smack! He slaps him. Everyone laughs. Smiley finishes, panting. SMILEY There. Get him in the bathtub. Moreno grabs Jake's hair, Sniper grabs an arm, they jerk him to his feet. SMILEY Gotta fuck this vato up. They run him out of the kitchen, Smiley follows. INT. BATHROOM Pink carpet and porcelain kitties. They throw Jake into the tub -- shove his face in the drain. Smiley turns on the water -- Jake's blood whirlpooling away. Smiley grabs the shotgun from Moreno. Thumps the butt against Jake's head, flips it, shoves the muzzle in his ear. Snicks the shower curtain shut to catch the spatter. SNIPER Fuckin' do it, eh. SMILEY It's gonna be loud. Close the door. Moreno does. Sniper plugs his ears. Smiley braces for the recoil. Jake is dazed, like steer in a slaughterhouse chute. MORENO Wait. Lemme get his money first. Smiley nods. Moreno searches Jake's pockets, takes his wallet. Pockets forty bucks. Finds the Schoolgirl's pink change purse. Opens it, reacts. MORENO ... dang... He hands it to Smiley. MORENO Here, ese... You are gonna trip the fuck out. Smiley opens it. His face goes dead blank. He hands Moreno the shotgun. Whips aside the shower curtain. Starts slugging Jake. Emphasizes each word with a kidney punch. SMILEY Pinchi... game... playing... cop... where'... you... get... this? JAKE Get what? Get what? Oh, God. Smiley slaps him with the change purse. SMILEY This, stupid. Alonzo give it to you? JAKE No! I found it! SMILEY Where? JAKE MacArthur Park! SMILEY What? Bullshit! Snick! The curtain closes. Smiley take the shotgun. Holds it to Jake's temple. Moreno angles for a peek. MORENO Wait up. I can't see. SMILEY If you're religious, go ahead and get in that last prayer. JAKE (sobs) Omigod... she was going to be raped. I was driving with Alonzo. These two crackheads were gonna rape her. I saw them hit her. I stopped them. They were gonna rape her. I swear to God. I stopped it... I gotta kid -- SMILEY -- Shut up, faggot! Smiley opens the curtain -- stomps Jake's back -- closes it. SNIPER Fuck the fool. Blast him. Smiley aims, braces for the recoil. Jake croaks: JAKE ... I gotta little girl... Smiley pauses. He eases off the trigger. Pulls a cell phone. Dials. SMILEY We're gonna get to the bottom of your bullshit. She's my cousin. She's a civilian. Ain't right involving her. He sits on the toilet. Still holding the shotgun to Jake's head, he waits for an answer. INTERCUT: INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT The Schoolgirl works out Algebra II proofs on a "Hello Kitty" bedspread in a pink T-shirt. She grabs her RINGING PHONE. SCHOOLGIRL Hello? SMILEY Wassup, Letty. Whatc'cha don'? LETTY (SCHOOLGIRL) Hey, Smiley! Just here doing homework. Wanna talk to Tony? SMILEY No. I wanna talk to you. Go to school today? LETTY Yep. SMILEY All day? You didn't ditch? LETTY I went to every class... Why? SMILEY I heard different. LETTY Nuh-uh. SMILEY Cops talk to you today? LETTY (beat) No. A beat. Smiley sighs. SMILEY Tell me what happened. Don't bullshit me. LETTY I got jumped by two niggers. SMILEY You got jumped? LETTY Well... I think they wanted to rape me. I kinda got hit. I mean he just slapped me. But nothing happened, okay? 'Cause this cop came and kicked their butts. They almost killed him but he kicked their asses. A beat. SMILEY What did this cop look like? LETTY He was a white boy. Brown hair. Tall. He looked young. Smiley looks at Jake. That's him. SMILEY Sure you're okay? LETTY I'm fine. Nothing happened. SMILEY That don't sound like nothing. Wanna go to the doctor? LETTY No. I said I'm fine. SMILEY Letty. LETTY Yeah? SMILEY What the fuck were you doing in MacArthur Park? LETTY I was just kicking back at my friend's pad. There weren't no guys or nothing. I swear to God. SMILEY Letty. LETTY Yeah? SMILEY You go there again, I'm gonna beat your ass. I got your bus pass and I.D. Gonna send 'em over. And we're gonna talk more about this. He hangs up. Looks at Jake a long beat. Soaked, bloody, shivering. Click. He safeties the shotgun. Tosses it to a disappointed Moreno. MORENO Ain't you gonna blast him? SMILEY The vato was tellin' the truth. Life's a fuckin' trip, huh? SNIPER This is some trippy-ass shit. Smiley hands the change purse to Sniper. SMILEY Get this to Letty. Smiley stands, turns off the water. He helps Jake to his feet. Unlocks the handcuffs as Jake sways, woozy. SMILEY Thanks for getting my cousin's back. Jake half-smiles, not really sure if he's alive or not. Smiley tosses him a towel. SMILEY Put that on your head. You're gonna stain the carpet. Where the fuckers at? Where'd you book them? JAKE I didn't. SMILEY Why the fuck not? JAKE Alonzo let them go. OFF Smiley's scowl, we: CUT TO: INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT (LATER) Moreno and Sniper help Dreamer pick up broken glass. Jake sits in a chair holding a bloody towel on his head. Smiley returns his badgecase and gun. JAKE Thanks. SMILEY You know this shit was just business. JAKE I know. DREAMER Want some coffee? JAKE No, thank you. Smiley tosses the pillowcase of Jake's money on the table. SMILEY Alonzo gave me that to take care of you. To burn you up on the freeway by your house. I don't want his blood money. So... I don't know. I just don't want it. JAKE I'll take it. Jake picks up the pillowcase and hugs it. CUT TO: EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT Smiley walks Jake past the Cholos, staring at the beaten, wet cop. Jake hugs the pillowcase. Out in the street: SMILEY I know Alonzo paid off his debt, but I'm gonna wait till tomorrow to make the call. His magic ran out. Jake and Smiley shake hands. SMILEY Sure you don't wanna ride? JAKE I'm sure. As Jake walks away: SMILEY You went Sega today, rookie. You're at that next level. Just play their games and do what you gotta do and you'll be cool. They'll make you Chief. (beat) Hey, cop! Jake stops, turns. Smiley smiles. The first time. SMILEY Remember me. JAKE (smiles) I will. CUT TO: EXT. BOULEVARD - NIGHT Jake boards an MTA bus. Flashes his badge to the driver and plunks into a seat. Passengers gawk. CUT TO: INT. MTA BUS - NIGHT Jake thousand-yard-stares out the window. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT The MTA bus FILLS FRAME. A beat. It rolls out to reveal Jake and his pillowcase. Just standing there on the curb. JAKE'S POV The cul-de-sac. No man's land. And very dark, the streetlights have been shot out. Deceptively quiet, except for the little kid riding away on his bike. CUT TO: EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - NIGHT Jake enters, wary. He rounds the misparked van. And sees the street is quiet. The glow of a cigarette on the roof of an apartment building catches his eye. He looks at a building across the street. Sees movement, a shadow, like someone taking cover. ON HOUSE A light turns off. The curtain in the window moves. Jake swallows hard and keeps walking toward Sara's apartment. The G-Ride parked out front. ON DRIVEWAY Thirteen men pour out like hornets from a hive. They are the gangsters he saw earlier. The bench presser leads the way, like a cat that has found a spider to play with. Jake stares unwaveringly into the man's eyes. Bench presser looks at the pillowcase curiously -- Smack! -- Jake threw a roundhouse at his throat, solidly connecting. Bench presser drops on one knee. He struggles for a breath. Clutches his throat. His homies stare in disbelief. ON JAKE He takes a deep breath. TILT DOWN -- Jake's police handcuffs orbit his fist like brass knuckles. The gangsters stare at him. JAKE I have business with Alonzo. It's in his eyes, he will not back down. A gangster with intelligent eyes, obviously next in the chain of command, sizes up Jake. A beat. He gestures for Jake to go ahead. Jake steps around the bench presser, only now getting air through his windpipe. Jake walks into their midst. Their faces follow him. They are behind him, around him. He is outnumbered by these hardened streetfighters. Jake prays he isn't bum-rushed. Now past them, he continues walking toward Sara's building. CUT TO: INT. SARA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Sara sits on the couch, clutching her son. Watching TV in the dark. Something is wrong, she's almost catatonic. We hear MOANS and GIGGLING O.S. ANGLE to see Sara has a black eye. BANG! The FRONT DOOR flies open. It's Jake, his gun out. Jake and Sara look at each other a long beat. Two battered faces in a dead TV glow. She points at the bedroom. Jake crosses, opens the door. Enters. INT. SARA'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION - NIGHT It's a bitch sandwich and Alonzo's in the middle. Jake crosses to the foot of the bed. Stands there. From inside the writhing flesh pile: ALONZO 'Bout time you changed your mind and joined in. The two women stare at Jake, naked and immodest. It takes a beat for Alonzo to recognize the ghost before him. Jake dumps the money on the blankets. JAKE Smiley didn't want the job. Alonzo's eyes bug in horror at the mountain of cash. He ages a hundred years in a second. A man who knows he will soon be dead. ON JAKE with eyes colder and blacker than a shark's. Alonzo can fool him no more. JAKE Know what I learned today? It's not about money. He turns, about to walk away. And turns back around. The women shriek, dive out of the line of fire. Alonzo braces for bullets and instead hears: JAKE It's about respect. Jake leaves. As he crosses the -- INT. LIVING ROOM ALONZO (O.S.) ... Oh, God... Jake exits the apartment. ON SARA A smile slowly spreads across her face. CUT TO: EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - NIGHT As Jake descends the stairs, the porch lights of a house come on. Then the lights of another house. Steel doors open. People tentatively step outside. Women and children, mothers with babies on their hips. Blue-collar fathers in shop uniforms. More porch lights come on. More doors open. JAKE'S POV The cul-de-sac has come to life. The homes are lit, their occupants filling the street, ready to bear witness. BACK TO SCENE All eyes on Jake as he walks down the street. Three young boys follow him. The old woman comes out of her house to watch Jake pass. As do two pretty girls. Jake nearing the gangsters. They block the street. The bench presser stands there, arms crossed, Jake will have to go through him again. Curious eyes wonder what will happen. The bench presser gives Jake a slight nod of respect. The gangsters part for Jake and he leaves the cul-de-sac. ON JAKE As he walks, his innocence is gone, a heavy burden on his shoulders, but there is much strength in his gait. Jake walks past the aloof little kid, riding his bicycle in tight circles. He smiles at Jake. Jake smiles back. CUT TO: INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT Lisa watches TV on the couch, snuggling with a cup of tea, worried. Headlights sweep the curtains. A car pulls into the driveway. Lisa smiles, sets down her tea, sprawls on the couch like she's sleeping, opens her robe provocatively, arranges it just right. We hear the front DOOR OPEN O.S. FOOTSTEPS as Jake moves through the house. Lisa peeks, sees him enter the baby's room in silhouette. LISA (sotto) Guess I'm second in line tonight. She rises, crosses to the bedroom and enters. INT. BEDROOM - LISA'S POV Jake's back is to her, holding his daughter tight. BACK TO SCENE Lisa lays a hand on his shoulder. He turns slowly, reveals his broken, swollen face. And a look in his eyes that says he will never be the same. Lisa sees this and starts crying. She holds him tightly in her arms. He holds onto his wife and child for dear life. PULL BACK, OUT OF the room, HANDHELD THROUGH the house to: TELEVISION Breaking news. A helicopter shot of the G-Ride. Crashed into a light pole. Alonzo lies dead under a sheet, hanging out of his beloved car. An utterly impossible river of blood flows from his head, into a gutter. NEWSCOPTER REPORTER (V.O.) -- has not been identified by name but a police spokesman said the thirteen-year L.A.P.D. veteran was the victim of a failed carjacking attempt near Los Angeles International Airport. Gunfire was exchanged with the suspects, now being sought in an extensive countywide manhunt, described as four hispanic males in their mid- twenties, with shaved heads, wearing white T-shirts and driving a dark late model sedan -- CUT TO: EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT An unmarked police sedan pulls up. We recognize the silhouettes of the Three Wise Men inside. CUT TO: INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT Jake and his wife embracing. The SEDAN HONKS. Jake steps back from her. Her eyes search his. JAKE We served a warrant. I shot a man. Lisa reacts. CUT TO: EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - ON FRONT DOOR - NIGHT Jake opens it and exits his house, ready for absolutely anything. WIDER He crosses to the sedan. The back door opens, and Jake gets in. FADE OUT. THE END
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