"The Thin Dead Line"
Angel pulls up outside of the hotel, walks into the empty lobby and over to the desk. He shoves some papers lying on top of it to the floor, turns and stands in the center of the lobby.
At the new office, Wesley is wishing some demons would show up. He'd like a little action. Gunn doesn't think quiet is a bad thing. Wesley points out that it's good for the public but it's not going to keep them in business. They have to make a name for themselves.
Gunn reminds him they haven't even been able to agree on a name for the business, unless Wes and Cordelia have decided to go with his suggestion of naming it after himself.
Wes and Cordy both agree that they don't agree with that idea.
Wesley says that no matter what the name of the business, they need to be out doing something that will generate business. He doesn't figure evil will come to them.
A woman and a young girl enter the office. The woman says she's looking for Wesley. Wes introduces himself. The woman is a friend of Virginia's, her name is Francine. Cordelia wonders if she's "one of Virginia's rich friends."
Francine tells them that Virginia told her Wesley specialized in "strange phenomena." Cordelia assures her that's true. She invites them to sit down and tell them the problem. As Cordy's talking, she walks behind the young girl who has taken a seat and is startled to notice an eye looking at her from the back of the girl's head. She tells Wesley.
As Wes takes a closer look at the eye, Francine tells them her daughter was walking home, something grabbed her and bit her. When she woke up that morning, she had the eye in the back of her head.
Wesley asks the girl if she knows who or what attacked her. Francine tells them her daughter doesn't know anything, she's been in shock since the incident. She assures them that money is no object, she'll pay whatever is necessary. She wants to know if they can make it go away.
Wesley believes they can, they'll get started right away.
Francine wonders what would do something like this.
Wes assures her they'll find out, but it might take awhile, there are a lot of nasty things out there.
At the teen shelter, Anne is handing out bedding. There's frantic knocking at the door. She opens it. Kenny and Les are on the other side. Kenny tells her he knows it's past curfew but they need to come in. Anne tells him he knows the rules, it's after 10:00. Kenny tells her they can't stay outside, they have to come in.
Anne tells them that even if she was willing to bend the rules, there aren't any beds available. Les says it doesn't matter, they're willing to sleep on the floor. Kenny asks her not to make them go back outside. Anne lets them in. She steps outside a moment, looks around, then goes back in and shuts the door.
Outside, from the shadows, a uniformed cop looks on.
Merl's in his place, packing. He turns, startled to see Angel standing there. He wonders if Angel ever thinks of knocking. Angel says he doesn't get to see that look on Merl's face when he knocks. Angel asks what Merl is up to. Merl tells him he's leaving. Angel says he's not leaving, he's going to tell him what Merl knows about his "friends."
Merl tells Angel there's a meeting tomorrow night involving some brass from W&H, he thinks it's a new demon account. He gives Angel the time and place. He tells Angel that's it for him, he's finished with the role of informant, he's leaving. He says Angel can have that bit of information for free, just like all the other information he's ever gotten from him. He wishes Angel good luck in bringing down W&H.
Angel asks why Merl is in such a hurry to leave.
Merl says Angel is one reason, along with everybody else in town who thinks they can come to his place and beat him to a pulp when they want information, and they don't pay. He says that Wesley understood a "working relationship" at least, he had a little respect. He figures Angel doesn't care about anyone but himself.
Angel doesn't think Merl is in any position to pass judgments.
Merl asks how Wesley is, by the way, and the other two Angel fired. He asks if they're doing okay. Angel doesn't answer. Merl figures Angel never even bothered to find out.
Angel tells him the information about W&H had better be solid.
Merl repeats the time and place and tells him it's been nice doing business.
At the shelter, Anne asks Kenny if they can talk a minute. Kenny takes a seat on the couch next to Les. Anne wants to know how he's doing, he hasn't been around for a while. He tells her things are okay, she knows he's not fond of shelters.
Anne asks why he came in the night before.
Kenny says it was cold. Anne reminds him it was 65 degrees outside. He says he comes from warmer climes, that was cold to him. Anne asks him again why he came in.
Kenny tells her it had to do with cops, they've been harassing everybody. That's not new, but last night he and Les were just hanging out and a cop approached them and hit him hard.
Anne wonders what he was doing at the time.
Kenny assures her he wasn't doing anything. He says after the cop hit him, he threw Les against the wall, almost breaking her arm. The next thing Kenny knew, the cop was reaching for his nightstick so he and Les made a run for it.
Anne asks if he didn't try to arrest them. Kenny tells her no, the cop walked up to them, told them no loitering, then hit him. He chased them until they made it to the shelter.
Anne realizes they have a problem. Kenny wonders who she's going to call, the cops? Anne has an idea.
Anne walks into the office where Gunn greets her by name with a hug. Wes and Cordy introduce themselves. Gunn tells them that Anne runs a teen shelter near his neighborhood.
Anne says it's been quite a while, she's surprised he still remembers. Gunn gets the dig, but tells her he's been busy working. Anne asks if she can talk to him about something.
Anne fills Gunn in on the kids being harassed by cops, no provocation, no apparent reason for it. Gunn notes that this isn't his usual area. Anne remembers that he used to hunt -- she stops herself before she says it. Gunn assures her it's okay, Wes and Cordy know about all of that. Gunn tells her he still does hunt vamps, but he's learned there are far worse things. Anne figures cops beating up her kids is one of those things.
She checks her watch, says she has to get back. The shelter gets busy after sunset and someone needs to be there to keep things under control.
Gunn
tells her he'll accompany her back to the shelter, the streets aren't
safe. Cordelia wonders if Gunn is sure he wants to miss out on the excitement
she and Wes are having poring over books, researching the third eye
case. She explains the matter to Anne who thinks the eye in the back
of the head thing sounds kind of -- handy. She asks what kind of demon
is responsible. Wes says they don't know yet but when they find out,
they should be able to get rid of it. Cordelia points out that creepy
things are common for Angel Investigations.
Anne asks about the name. Gunn tells her it's named after their former boss. They're going to change it as soon as everyone agrees on a name.
Anne asks if Angel is the guy in the long black coat. Gunn asks if she knows him. Anne says he tried to help her with something a few weeks ago.
That gets Cordelia and Wesley's interest as they both get up from the table where they've been researching and approach Anne. Anne says his help turned out to be a scam to get at a law firm.
Cordelia notes curtly that he hasn't changed a bit as she and Wesley go back to their books.
Anne and Gunn leave the office. As they walk out, Angel is watching from a rooftop across the street.
Anne pulls a van up outside of the shelter. She and Gunn go inside. Angel watches from a discreet distance.
Inside, Gunn is getting information from the shelter kids. One of the girls tells him that Les nearly got her arm broken. One of the boys says a cop pulled his gun on him, he almost got shot. Anne says they have to do something.
Gunn asks Anne to give him some time alone with the kids. She goes to her office.
Gunn asks if they're scamming Anne. He knows she's not a fool, but she has a soft spot when it comes to them and he doesn't want them taking advantage of that.
The boy tells him they aren't scamming anybody, they're the ones being victimized. Gunn isn't so sure. Gunn asks him exactly what he was doing when the cop pulled his gun on him. The kid says he wasn't doing anything. Gunn reminds him he's seen him dealing on the street corner. The kid says he doesn't do that anymore. Gunn wonders if the cops know that he's no longer in that business.
One of the girls says this isn't a normal neighborhood sweep, it's a war and everybody has been targeted.
Angel is still outside the shelter, standing in the same place he was in when Gunn and Anne arrived. He turns and walks away.
As he's walking down the sidewalk, a cop instructs him to keep his hands in the clear. Angel asks if he's done something. The cop pulls out his nightstick and tells Angel to turn around and put his hands on his head. Angel says there's been some mistake. The cop slams him across the face with his nightstick.
He shoves Angel into the fence. Angel warns him he doesn't want to be doing this as he throws him off and turns to face him. The cop starts reciting Miranda as he attacks Angel. He's hopelessly outmatched but that doesn't stop him, he keeps coming. Angel throws him into the side of a parked car, the cop is motionless.
Angel starts to walk away. The cop gets up and continues his recitation of Miranda as he comes after Angel again with the nightstick. He continues trying to beat him. Angel knocks him to his knees and kicks his head with such force that it's separated from his body.
The cop's head lands on the hood of the parked car. It continues briefly with the Miranda recitation before finally falling silent. Angel looks at the body, the hands are decomposed. He looks at the cop's badge.
At the shelter, a couple of Gunn's crew arrive. Gunn introduces Rondell and George to Anne. Rondell says he brought the camcorder, he asks what Gunn needs.
Gunn tells them there's a problem in the neighborhood, he promised Anne he'd look into it. George asks if this is about the police beating on people. Gunn wonders how he knew about it. Rondell informs him everybody knows about it. Gunn says that he didn't know, someone should have filled him in. George points out that Gunn hasn't been around much. Rondell adds that Gunn's been too busy moving up, "playing demon detective" with his new "family".
Gunn thinks maybe he shouldn't have called them after all and tells them they should feel free to leave. Rondell says they already made the trip. Gunn says they don't have to do him any favors. Rondell assures him they are doing it for the shelter's kids, not for Gunn. He wants to know if Gunn has a plan or not.
Gunn has a plan. He wants Rondell to conceal the camcorder and keep it turned on, then they just wait until the cops harass them. Anne wonders how Gunn can be sure they will. Gunn's sure they will, because "we'll be the ones walking while black." Rondell and George laugh at that as the three of them leave the shelter.
At the police station, Kate Lockley walks up to her desk. Angel is waiting for her. She notes that it's been awhile. He tells her he's been busy. She says she's been busy also, as she pulls a file folder from the cabinet. She's been working a couple of open cases. The murders of two women in a clothing store and "13 lawyers from W&H slaughtered in a wine cellar." She notes that Angel obviously didn't catch up with his "vampire friends" in time. Angel tells her matter-of-factly that he did catch up with them later and set them on fire. She says he sounds like he had a good time but then murder and mayhem are pretty much standard fare for him.
Angel offers that this may not be the best time to tell her, but he just killed a cop. Kate warns him that is not the place to even joke about that. Angel tells her this cop kept talking, even after his head had been separated from his body. He hands her the badge he took off the cop's body. He asks if she can find out who the badge belonged to.
Kate works at the computer and pulls up the cop's identity. She tells Angel she was at the cop's funeral six months earlier. Angel asks her if she wants to "take a ride."
At the office, Cordelia is on the phone with Gunn. She doesn't think his plan of hiding a camcorder and waiting for a beating sounds like a very good one. She thinks she and Wes should back him up, she doesn't want him to get hurt. Gunn hangs up on her.
Cordelia tells Wes Gunn's plan. Wes doesn't think it's a good idea either. He asks Cordelia if she couldn't stop him. She reminds him that Gunn is stubborn. Wes wonders if that's really the plan, he thinks it sounds like a dumb plan.
Cordelia says that Gunn learned from Angel, the master of dumb plans, and learned well. Wes supposes they have no choice but to let him go ahead. Cordelia says she's sure things will be okay, but she doesn't sound very convincing. Wes figures Gunn will call if he needs help, he knows where to reach them. Cordelia agrees, Gunn should do his thing and they'll continue researching the third eye case.
They both sit back down at the table briefly. Wes decides they should really go and save Gunn from himself. Cordelia agrees.
Angel and Kate are walking through the cemetery. Kate points out the grave of the dead cop. There's no sign of anything amiss. Angel asks if the cop's killer was caught. Kate says he was, he's awaiting sentencing. Angel notes the funeral was six months ago, but the ground has been disturbed within the past few weeks, someone's been digging.
Kate looks at the apparently undisturbed ground and asks Angel how he knows this. He says nothing, just looks at her. He asks if there are many cops buried in that cemetery. Kate acknowledges there are.
Angel walks over to another grave he senses has been disturbed and asks about it. Kate says the deceased was a vice cop. She wants to know what's going on. Angel tells her someone is digging up dead cops and putting them back on the streets. Kate asks how that's possible. Angel explains zombies, reanimated dead that walk and talk but they are controlled by someone else.
Kate rushes to her father's grave. Angel runs after her. She asks Angel if her father's plot has been disturbed. Angel assures her it hasn't been. She needs to know if he's sure. He tells her he is. Kate starts weeping. After a moment, Angel asks if she's all right. She wonders who's responsible for this.
Cordelia and Wes arrive at the shelter. Cordy asks if Gunn is there. Anne tells them he left a while ago. Wesley asks if he said where he was headed. Anne says she thinks he was going to 45th street. Wes says he'll start there. He tells Cordelia his cell phone will be on if Gunn shows up, she can call him. Cordy tells him to check in with her.
Cordelia notices Anne could use some help and asks what she can do. Anne hands her a load of laundry and asks her how her folding skills are. Cordelia figures she can fake it. Cordelia turns to see a girl coming down the stairs, wearing her top, the one Angel donated to the shelter with the other things. Cordelia doesn't realize it's hers, she's bummed because she was told by the clerk that it was "one of a kind."
Anne starts to shut the door when a big guy, Jackson, blocks the way. She tells him there aren't any beds available. He pushes past her and tells her he doesn't mind sharing as he leers after a couple of girls walking up the steps. Anne suggests he leave. Cordelia thinks that sounds like a good idea. Jackson doesn't intend to go anywhere, as he shoves past Cordelia. Cordy begins to protest but Anne tells her to let it go, she doesn't want any trouble.
Jackson runs into one of the kids, Ray, and asks if he's been avoiding him. Ray says he hasn't. Jackson wonders why Ray is nervous, he asks if Ray thinks he's going to kill him. Ray doesn't know. Jackson tells him he wouldn't kill him there. He laughs and walks away.
Gunn, George and Rondell are walking down a deserted sidewalk. They note that things are too quiet. Rondell points out the street sign, they're about to step onto gang turf. He figures that explains why there aren't any cops around, even they're afraid of that neighborhood. Gunn reminds him he told him at the shelter he could leave. Rondell says he agreed to do this, he'll do it.
Gunn and his friends turn to face the source of a clicking sound. A uniformed cop comes toward them, tapping his nightstick against the outside of the building as he approaches. The cop asks what they're up to.
Gunn tells him they weren't doing anything, just taking a walk.
The cop tells them to assume the position, hands up against the wall, feet spread apart. Gunn looks back at Rondell who has the concealed camcorder running. Gunn asks the cop if they're being arrested. The cop tells him to do what he's been told to do. Gunn asks again if they're being arrested. The cop again instructs him to assume the position. Gunn says he's not looking for an argument, he just wants to know what law they've broken. The cop approaches Gunn with the nightstick raised and tells him he's not going to ask him again.
Wesley comes running down the sidewalk toward them, shouting that he knows Gunn, he's sure he hasn't done anything. The cop pulls his gun, turns and shoots Wesley, who slumps to the ground in a sitting position, his back against the side of the building.
As Wes tries to get up, Gunn grabs the cop, knocking the gun out of his hand. George picks it up. Gunn and the cop go at it briefly. The cop reaches for a gun concealed in an ankle holster. George shoots him. Rondell says they need to get out of there. George is freaking that he just shot a cop. Gunn tells the others to help him with Wes.
Gunn and Rondell get Wes to his feet as George continues to panic over his shooting a cop. Gunn reminds him he didn't really have a choice. As they look at the cop's body, he bolts upright. Gunn and the others take off, dragging Wes along with them.
The cop makes a call on his radio, saying there are witnesses, he needs backup.
Inside the shelter, Cordelia asks what she can do to help. The EMT tells her to keep pressure on Wesley's wound to control the bleeding. She does that, trying to be comforting at the same time.
Anne asks Gunn if they're safe. He figures they're safer inside than outside. He tells her to be sure all the doors are locked and keep everyone away from the windows.
Gunn sees Jackson and asks what he's doing there. Jackson is ready to let the cops come, he figures he can handle it, as he raises his shirt revealing a gun. Gunn wonders if that lifestyle choice works for him. Jackson reminds him that he knows where Gunn came from. Gunn says that one doesn't tear down the community where they come from, they do what they can to build it up.
Jackson suggests Gunn get out of his face. They each have their "own thing". Gunn points out that Jackson's "thing" hurts everybody and asks him why he figures nobody cares about what's been going on in the neighborhood. Jackson figures it's because they're racists. Gunn admits that's part of it but the other part are people like him, punks with guns who only continue the cycle. Jackson doesn't see it as his problem. Gunn says it's his problem because his friend got shot. Jackson isn't going to be losing any sleep over the death of a white guy.
Gunn grabs him and shoves him against the wall. Anne intercedes, telling him they can't afford that right now.
Inside the shelter, the EMT tells Gunn that Wesley is getting worse, they need to get him to the hospital right away. Gunn tells Cordy they can't take Wesley outside, she's seen what they've done. Cordelia tells him in no uncertain terms that they are going to get Wes to a hospital and she doesn't care who's outside waiting.
Gunn tells Cordy to get the door while he helps Wesley up. Wes asks where they're going. Gunn tells him they're going to get him to a hospital. Wes thinks that sounds like a good idea.
Cordy opens the door and sees police cars pulling up to the front of the building. She closes the door. She tells Gunn the cops are outside.
The cops approach the shelter. Inside, Gunn directs the barricading of doors and windows.
The Captain is in his office, sitting behind his desk. Angel enters the office and starts checking things out. The Captain asks what he's doing. Angel says he's just looking around as he picks up an open box with a medal displayed in it. The Captain asks who he is as he takes the box from Angel's hand. Angel introduces himself. The Captain tells him if he needs something, someone at the desk can help him.
Angel says he's the one that he needs to talk to, about some dead cops. The Captain figures maybe they should talk about Angel instead as he stands up, pulls his gun and shoots Angel, twice.
Angel doubles over. When he stands back upright, he's in vamp face. He wants to know how to stop the zombie cops.
The Captain starts to aim for another shot, Angel grabs him and throws him across the office. He picks him up by the throat, raises him off the floor and asks again how to stop them.
At the shelter, the cops are assaulting the building, ripping the grates off of the windows, attacking the door with a battering ram. Inside, Cordelia is trying to reach 911, but can't get past the "all circuits are busy" message. The cops continue their assault on the building.
In the Captain's office, Angel still has him in the same position, still demanding the answer to his question as he slams the Captain's head into the wall a few times. The Captain says they were good cops who died in the line of duty. Angel suggests he should have left them that way. The Captain says he's not going to betray them as he wrenches loose from Angel's grasp and beats a retreat through a panel in the wall. Angel follows.
At the shelter, things are frantic as the cops are making progress gaining entry through the broken windows. Gunn and others position themselves just inside the windows, using whatever is handy to beat back the cops trying to get in.
Anne bolts one of the doors then is grabbed by the leg from outside of the window. She screams as she beats on the cop's hand holding her by the leg. Cordelia rushes over to lend a hand. Anne gets free. They try to block the window with a piece of furniture, but the cops are coming through it. They decide to retreat.
Jackson pulls his gun and opens the door. A cop greets him with a nightstick, beating him to the floor. Gunn intercedes, beating the cop with a stick until he gets him outside of the door, then shuts the door and locks it.
Cordelia calls for Gunn's help as she and the others are struggling against a surge from the outside against another door.
The Captain retreats to his shrine, a room filled with candles and black magick paraphernalia, photos of the dead cops cover the wall. Angel, still in vamp face, comes in and asks how it is he's controlling the cops as he looks over the objects strewn about.
At the shelter, the cops burst through the door and stream through the windows. The place is overrun.
At the police station, Angel approaches Kate's desk, sits on the other side and tells her he's taken care of their problem. She hands him a folder she's been looking at, crime statistics for that precinct. She says that until three months ago the neighborhood was not a good place to be; murders, rapes, robberies, assorted mayhem. She notes that is what they've given back to the people who live there. Angel says he can live with it. Kate figures he's learned to live with a lot of things. Kate says the job is making her crazy. Angel knows the feeling.
A woman hands Kate a folder. She opens it, notices the name and asks Angel if Wyndham-Price is the guy who works for him.
At the hospital, Gunn is sitting at Wesley's bedside. Wes wakes up, much to Gunn's obvious relief. Gunn asks how he's doing. Wes thinks he should be in a lot of pain. Gunn offers that kind of comes along with being shot. Wes looks at the IV in his arm and asks if it's morphine. Gunn nods. Wes says it's "bloody lovely" and laughs. Gunn smiles.
Outside in the hall, Angel looks in on Wes through the window of his room. He turns to leave and comes face to face with Cordelia who wants to know why he's there.
Angel tells her he heard what had happened to Wes. Cordelia figures it's a shame it took one of them getting shot to make Angel give a damn. She goes on to tell him that Wes doesn't need him, none of them do. He walked away and he can do them all a favor by staying away. She walks on past him and into Wesley's room.
Angel turns and watches her go in, then walks slowly down the corridor, headed for the exit.
Site design ©2000 TAO Designz
All Rights Reserved
Written by: Jim
Kouf & Shawn Ryan
|
Original Air Date: February 13, 2001 |
Angel pulls up outside of the hotel, walks into the empty lobby and over to the desk. He shoves some papers lying on top of it to the floor, turns and stands in the center of the lobby.
At the new office, Wesley is wishing some demons would show up. He'd like a little action. Gunn doesn't think quiet is a bad thing. Wesley points out that it's good for the public but it's not going to keep them in business. They have to make a name for themselves.
Gunn reminds him they haven't even been able to agree on a name for the business, unless Wes and Cordelia have decided to go with his suggestion of naming it after himself.
Wes and Cordy both agree that they don't agree with that idea.
Wesley says that no matter what the name of the business, they need to be out doing something that will generate business. He doesn't figure evil will come to them.
A woman and a young girl enter the office. The woman says she's looking for Wesley. Wes introduces himself. The woman is a friend of Virginia's, her name is Francine. Cordelia wonders if she's "one of Virginia's rich friends."
Francine tells them that Virginia told her Wesley specialized in "strange phenomena." Cordelia assures her that's true. She invites them to sit down and tell them the problem. As Cordy's talking, she walks behind the young girl who has taken a seat and is startled to notice an eye looking at her from the back of the girl's head. She tells Wesley.
As Wes takes a closer look at the eye, Francine tells them her daughter was walking home, something grabbed her and bit her. When she woke up that morning, she had the eye in the back of her head.
Wesley asks the girl if she knows who or what attacked her. Francine tells them her daughter doesn't know anything, she's been in shock since the incident. She assures them that money is no object, she'll pay whatever is necessary. She wants to know if they can make it go away.
Wesley believes they can, they'll get started right away.
Francine wonders what would do something like this.
Wes assures her they'll find out, but it might take awhile, there are a lot of nasty things out there.
Out on the street a couple of teens, Kenny and Les, are running
from someone. They stop a moment. Kenny hears their pursuer approaching
and tells Les they have to run. He takes off, she's following right
behind.
At the teen shelter, Anne is handing out bedding. There's frantic knocking at the door. She opens it. Kenny and Les are on the other side. Kenny tells her he knows it's past curfew but they need to come in. Anne tells him he knows the rules, it's after 10:00. Kenny tells her they can't stay outside, they have to come in.
Anne tells them that even if she was willing to bend the rules, there aren't any beds available. Les says it doesn't matter, they're willing to sleep on the floor. Kenny asks her not to make them go back outside. Anne lets them in. She steps outside a moment, looks around, then goes back in and shuts the door.
Outside, from the shadows, a uniformed cop looks on.
Merl's in his place, packing. He turns, startled to see Angel standing there. He wonders if Angel ever thinks of knocking. Angel says he doesn't get to see that look on Merl's face when he knocks. Angel asks what Merl is up to. Merl tells him he's leaving. Angel says he's not leaving, he's going to tell him what Merl knows about his "friends."
Merl tells Angel there's a meeting tomorrow night involving some brass from W&H, he thinks it's a new demon account. He gives Angel the time and place. He tells Angel that's it for him, he's finished with the role of informant, he's leaving. He says Angel can have that bit of information for free, just like all the other information he's ever gotten from him. He wishes Angel good luck in bringing down W&H.
Angel asks why Merl is in such a hurry to leave.
Merl says Angel is one reason, along with everybody else in town who thinks they can come to his place and beat him to a pulp when they want information, and they don't pay. He says that Wesley understood a "working relationship" at least, he had a little respect. He figures Angel doesn't care about anyone but himself.
Angel doesn't think Merl is in any position to pass judgments.
Merl asks how Wesley is, by the way, and the other two Angel fired. He asks if they're doing okay. Angel doesn't answer. Merl figures Angel never even bothered to find out.
Angel tells him the information about W&H had better be solid.
Merl repeats the time and place and tells him it's been nice doing business.
At the shelter, Anne asks Kenny if they can talk a minute. Kenny takes a seat on the couch next to Les. Anne wants to know how he's doing, he hasn't been around for a while. He tells her things are okay, she knows he's not fond of shelters.
Anne asks why he came in the night before.
Kenny says it was cold. Anne reminds him it was 65 degrees outside. He says he comes from warmer climes, that was cold to him. Anne asks him again why he came in.
Kenny tells her it had to do with cops, they've been harassing everybody. That's not new, but last night he and Les were just hanging out and a cop approached them and hit him hard.
Anne wonders what he was doing at the time.
Kenny assures her he wasn't doing anything. He says after the cop hit him, he threw Les against the wall, almost breaking her arm. The next thing Kenny knew, the cop was reaching for his nightstick so he and Les made a run for it.
Anne asks if he didn't try to arrest them. Kenny tells her no, the cop walked up to them, told them no loitering, then hit him. He chased them until they made it to the shelter.
Anne realizes they have a problem. Kenny wonders who she's going to call, the cops? Anne has an idea.
Anne walks into the office where Gunn greets her by name with a hug. Wes and Cordy introduce themselves. Gunn tells them that Anne runs a teen shelter near his neighborhood.
Anne says it's been quite a while, she's surprised he still remembers. Gunn gets the dig, but tells her he's been busy working. Anne asks if she can talk to him about something.
Anne fills Gunn in on the kids being harassed by cops, no provocation, no apparent reason for it. Gunn notes that this isn't his usual area. Anne remembers that he used to hunt -- she stops herself before she says it. Gunn assures her it's okay, Wes and Cordy know about all of that. Gunn tells her he still does hunt vamps, but he's learned there are far worse things. Anne figures cops beating up her kids is one of those things.
She checks her watch, says she has to get back. The shelter gets busy after sunset and someone needs to be there to keep things under control.
Gunn
tells her he'll accompany her back to the shelter, the streets aren't
safe. Cordelia wonders if Gunn is sure he wants to miss out on the excitement
she and Wes are having poring over books, researching the third eye
case. She explains the matter to Anne who thinks the eye in the back
of the head thing sounds kind of -- handy. She asks what kind of demon
is responsible. Wes says they don't know yet but when they find out,
they should be able to get rid of it. Cordelia points out that creepy
things are common for Angel Investigations.Anne asks about the name. Gunn tells her it's named after their former boss. They're going to change it as soon as everyone agrees on a name.
Anne asks if Angel is the guy in the long black coat. Gunn asks if she knows him. Anne says he tried to help her with something a few weeks ago.
That gets Cordelia and Wesley's interest as they both get up from the table where they've been researching and approach Anne. Anne says his help turned out to be a scam to get at a law firm.
Cordelia notes curtly that he hasn't changed a bit as she and Wesley go back to their books.
Anne and Gunn leave the office. As they walk out, Angel is watching from a rooftop across the street.
Anne pulls a van up outside of the shelter. She and Gunn go inside. Angel watches from a discreet distance.
Inside, Gunn is getting information from the shelter kids. One of the girls tells him that Les nearly got her arm broken. One of the boys says a cop pulled his gun on him, he almost got shot. Anne says they have to do something.
Gunn asks Anne to give him some time alone with the kids. She goes to her office.
Gunn asks if they're scamming Anne. He knows she's not a fool, but she has a soft spot when it comes to them and he doesn't want them taking advantage of that.
The boy tells him they aren't scamming anybody, they're the ones being victimized. Gunn isn't so sure. Gunn asks him exactly what he was doing when the cop pulled his gun on him. The kid says he wasn't doing anything. Gunn reminds him he's seen him dealing on the street corner. The kid says he doesn't do that anymore. Gunn wonders if the cops know that he's no longer in that business.
One of the girls says this isn't a normal neighborhood sweep, it's a war and everybody has been targeted.
Angel is still outside the shelter, standing in the same place he was in when Gunn and Anne arrived. He turns and walks away.
As he's walking down the sidewalk, a cop instructs him to keep his hands in the clear. Angel asks if he's done something. The cop pulls out his nightstick and tells Angel to turn around and put his hands on his head. Angel says there's been some mistake. The cop slams him across the face with his nightstick.
He shoves Angel into the fence. Angel warns him he doesn't want to be doing this as he throws him off and turns to face him. The cop starts reciting Miranda as he attacks Angel. He's hopelessly outmatched but that doesn't stop him, he keeps coming. Angel throws him into the side of a parked car, the cop is motionless.
Angel starts to walk away. The cop gets up and continues his recitation of Miranda as he comes after Angel again with the nightstick. He continues trying to beat him. Angel knocks him to his knees and kicks his head with such force that it's separated from his body.
The cop's head lands on the hood of the parked car. It continues briefly with the Miranda recitation before finally falling silent. Angel looks at the body, the hands are decomposed. He looks at the cop's badge.
At the shelter, a couple of Gunn's crew arrive. Gunn introduces Rondell and George to Anne. Rondell says he brought the camcorder, he asks what Gunn needs.
Gunn tells them there's a problem in the neighborhood, he promised Anne he'd look into it. George asks if this is about the police beating on people. Gunn wonders how he knew about it. Rondell informs him everybody knows about it. Gunn says that he didn't know, someone should have filled him in. George points out that Gunn hasn't been around much. Rondell adds that Gunn's been too busy moving up, "playing demon detective" with his new "family".
Gunn thinks maybe he shouldn't have called them after all and tells them they should feel free to leave. Rondell says they already made the trip. Gunn says they don't have to do him any favors. Rondell assures him they are doing it for the shelter's kids, not for Gunn. He wants to know if Gunn has a plan or not.
Gunn has a plan. He wants Rondell to conceal the camcorder and keep it turned on, then they just wait until the cops harass them. Anne wonders how Gunn can be sure they will. Gunn's sure they will, because "we'll be the ones walking while black." Rondell and George laugh at that as the three of them leave the shelter.
At the police station, Kate Lockley walks up to her desk. Angel is waiting for her. She notes that it's been awhile. He tells her he's been busy. She says she's been busy also, as she pulls a file folder from the cabinet. She's been working a couple of open cases. The murders of two women in a clothing store and "13 lawyers from W&H slaughtered in a wine cellar." She notes that Angel obviously didn't catch up with his "vampire friends" in time. Angel tells her matter-of-factly that he did catch up with them later and set them on fire. She says he sounds like he had a good time but then murder and mayhem are pretty much standard fare for him.
Angel offers that this may not be the best time to tell her, but he just killed a cop. Kate warns him that is not the place to even joke about that. Angel tells her this cop kept talking, even after his head had been separated from his body. He hands her the badge he took off the cop's body. He asks if she can find out who the badge belonged to.
Kate works at the computer and pulls up the cop's identity. She tells Angel she was at the cop's funeral six months earlier. Angel asks her if she wants to "take a ride."
At the office, Cordelia is on the phone with Gunn. She doesn't think his plan of hiding a camcorder and waiting for a beating sounds like a very good one. She thinks she and Wes should back him up, she doesn't want him to get hurt. Gunn hangs up on her.
Cordelia tells Wes Gunn's plan. Wes doesn't think it's a good idea either. He asks Cordelia if she couldn't stop him. She reminds him that Gunn is stubborn. Wes wonders if that's really the plan, he thinks it sounds like a dumb plan.
Cordelia says that Gunn learned from Angel, the master of dumb plans, and learned well. Wes supposes they have no choice but to let him go ahead. Cordelia says she's sure things will be okay, but she doesn't sound very convincing. Wes figures Gunn will call if he needs help, he knows where to reach them. Cordelia agrees, Gunn should do his thing and they'll continue researching the third eye case.
They both sit back down at the table briefly. Wes decides they should really go and save Gunn from himself. Cordelia agrees.
Angel and Kate are walking through the cemetery. Kate points out the grave of the dead cop. There's no sign of anything amiss. Angel asks if the cop's killer was caught. Kate says he was, he's awaiting sentencing. Angel notes the funeral was six months ago, but the ground has been disturbed within the past few weeks, someone's been digging.
Kate looks at the apparently undisturbed ground and asks Angel how he knows this. He says nothing, just looks at her. He asks if there are many cops buried in that cemetery. Kate acknowledges there are.
Angel walks over to another grave he senses has been disturbed and asks about it. Kate says the deceased was a vice cop. She wants to know what's going on. Angel tells her someone is digging up dead cops and putting them back on the streets. Kate asks how that's possible. Angel explains zombies, reanimated dead that walk and talk but they are controlled by someone else.
Kate rushes to her father's grave. Angel runs after her. She asks Angel if her father's plot has been disturbed. Angel assures her it hasn't been. She needs to know if he's sure. He tells her he is. Kate starts weeping. After a moment, Angel asks if she's all right. She wonders who's responsible for this.
Cordelia and Wes arrive at the shelter. Cordy asks if Gunn is there. Anne tells them he left a while ago. Wesley asks if he said where he was headed. Anne says she thinks he was going to 45th street. Wes says he'll start there. He tells Cordelia his cell phone will be on if Gunn shows up, she can call him. Cordy tells him to check in with her.
Cordelia notices Anne could use some help and asks what she can do. Anne hands her a load of laundry and asks her how her folding skills are. Cordelia figures she can fake it. Cordelia turns to see a girl coming down the stairs, wearing her top, the one Angel donated to the shelter with the other things. Cordelia doesn't realize it's hers, she's bummed because she was told by the clerk that it was "one of a kind."
Anne starts to shut the door when a big guy, Jackson, blocks the way. She tells him there aren't any beds available. He pushes past her and tells her he doesn't mind sharing as he leers after a couple of girls walking up the steps. Anne suggests he leave. Cordelia thinks that sounds like a good idea. Jackson doesn't intend to go anywhere, as he shoves past Cordelia. Cordy begins to protest but Anne tells her to let it go, she doesn't want any trouble.
Jackson runs into one of the kids, Ray, and asks if he's been avoiding him. Ray says he hasn't. Jackson wonders why Ray is nervous, he asks if Ray thinks he's going to kill him. Ray doesn't know. Jackson tells him he wouldn't kill him there. He laughs and walks away.
Gunn, George and Rondell are walking down a deserted sidewalk. They note that things are too quiet. Rondell points out the street sign, they're about to step onto gang turf. He figures that explains why there aren't any cops around, even they're afraid of that neighborhood. Gunn reminds him he told him at the shelter he could leave. Rondell says he agreed to do this, he'll do it.
Gunn and his friends turn to face the source of a clicking sound. A uniformed cop comes toward them, tapping his nightstick against the outside of the building as he approaches. The cop asks what they're up to.
Gunn tells him they weren't doing anything, just taking a walk.
The cop tells them to assume the position, hands up against the wall, feet spread apart. Gunn looks back at Rondell who has the concealed camcorder running. Gunn asks the cop if they're being arrested. The cop tells him to do what he's been told to do. Gunn asks again if they're being arrested. The cop again instructs him to assume the position. Gunn says he's not looking for an argument, he just wants to know what law they've broken. The cop approaches Gunn with the nightstick raised and tells him he's not going to ask him again.
Wesley comes running down the sidewalk toward them, shouting that he knows Gunn, he's sure he hasn't done anything. The cop pulls his gun, turns and shoots Wesley, who slumps to the ground in a sitting position, his back against the side of the building.
As Wes tries to get up, Gunn grabs the cop, knocking the gun out of his hand. George picks it up. Gunn and the cop go at it briefly. The cop reaches for a gun concealed in an ankle holster. George shoots him. Rondell says they need to get out of there. George is freaking that he just shot a cop. Gunn tells the others to help him with Wes.
Gunn and Rondell get Wes to his feet as George continues to panic over his shooting a cop. Gunn reminds him he didn't really have a choice. As they look at the cop's body, he bolts upright. Gunn and the others take off, dragging Wes along with them.
The cop makes a call on his radio, saying there are witnesses, he needs backup.
Gunn tells the others they need to stop, he has to try to stop Wesley's
bleeding. They pull him through a broken fence, around the side of
a building and sit him down against it. Wesley tells Gunn to call
911. George doesn't think that sounds like a good idea considering
it was the cops who shot him. Gunn clarifies for George, they need
to call 911 for an ambulance, not the cops. He tells George
to keep watch while he makes the call on Wesley's cell phone.
Kate and Angel enter a police precinct house. Kate notices there's
nobody around. They walk up to the desk, Angel rings the bell. A cop
comes out from a back room and asks if he can help them with something.
Kate shows her badge and tells the cop they're investigating citizen
complaints about excessive force used by some cops in that precinct.
The desk cop notes that's usually a matter for Internal Affairs. Kate
tells him she has a personal interest and asks where everybody is.
The cop says there are just a few of them doing desk duty, crime is
way down in their precinct. Angel wonders who's responsible for that.
The cop says it's teamwork but the Captain was the one who got things
started. Angel asks if they can see him. The cop says the Captain
isn't in, but they can try again later.
Kate asks if the Captain does things "by the book." The
cop tells her she knows what it used to be like, the criminals ruled
the streets in that precinct, even he was afraid to drive to work.
They have a tougher policy now.
Gunn is still attending to Wesley. George figures no ambulance is
going to venture into that part of town. Gunn tells him to get back
to playing lookout.
Wes doesn't feel like he's doing very well. Gunn tries to be upbeat,
assuring him he's seen people survive much worse. The look of concern
on his face says otherwise.
George comes back and tells them the ambulance has finally arrived.
After Wesley is loaded into the ambulance, Gunn tells George and Rondell
to meet him back at the shelter. They take off running. Gunn gets
into the back of the ambulance and sits beside Wes.
As the ambulance heads out of the alley, the exit is blocked by a
couple of squad cars. The driver gets out to see what's up. Gunn looks
out front and sees the police cars. He tries to warn the ambulance
driver but he's too late. The cops shoot the driver dead. Gunn jumps
into the driver's seat and backs the ambulance toward the other end
of the alley only to find it also blocked by a police car.
He drives the ambulance through a chainlink gate and out onto the
street.
Gunn pulls the ambulance up in front of the shelter, gets out and
opens the back. The EMT asks him what he's doing. Gunn tells him he's
trying to keep them alive and directs him to help getting Wes inside
the shelter.
Anne asks what happened. Gunn tells her the cops shot Wes, they aren't
human. She shuts the door and closes the inner metal grated door.
A cop pulls up outside of the shelter and tells the Captain on the
other end of the radio that they have "containment." The
Captain instructs him to wait for backup, then "clean house."
Inside the shelter, Cordelia asks what she can do to help. The EMT tells her to keep pressure on Wesley's wound to control the bleeding. She does that, trying to be comforting at the same time.
Anne asks Gunn if they're safe. He figures they're safer inside than outside. He tells her to be sure all the doors are locked and keep everyone away from the windows.
Gunn sees Jackson and asks what he's doing there. Jackson is ready to let the cops come, he figures he can handle it, as he raises his shirt revealing a gun. Gunn wonders if that lifestyle choice works for him. Jackson reminds him that he knows where Gunn came from. Gunn says that one doesn't tear down the community where they come from, they do what they can to build it up.
Jackson suggests Gunn get out of his face. They each have their "own thing". Gunn points out that Jackson's "thing" hurts everybody and asks him why he figures nobody cares about what's been going on in the neighborhood. Jackson figures it's because they're racists. Gunn admits that's part of it but the other part are people like him, punks with guns who only continue the cycle. Jackson doesn't see it as his problem. Gunn says it's his problem because his friend got shot. Jackson isn't going to be losing any sleep over the death of a white guy.
Gunn grabs him and shoves him against the wall. Anne intercedes, telling him they can't afford that right now.
The Captain gets a report that the cops are in place. He tells them
to do the job quietly, no shooting.
Inside the shelter, the EMT tells Gunn that Wesley is getting worse, they need to get him to the hospital right away. Gunn tells Cordy they can't take Wesley outside, she's seen what they've done. Cordelia tells him in no uncertain terms that they are going to get Wes to a hospital and she doesn't care who's outside waiting.
Gunn tells Cordy to get the door while he helps Wesley up. Wes asks where they're going. Gunn tells him they're going to get him to a hospital. Wes thinks that sounds like a good idea.
Cordy opens the door and sees police cars pulling up to the front of the building. She closes the door. She tells Gunn the cops are outside.
The cops approach the shelter. Inside, Gunn directs the barricading of doors and windows.
The Captain is in his office, sitting behind his desk. Angel enters the office and starts checking things out. The Captain asks what he's doing. Angel says he's just looking around as he picks up an open box with a medal displayed in it. The Captain asks who he is as he takes the box from Angel's hand. Angel introduces himself. The Captain tells him if he needs something, someone at the desk can help him.
Angel says he's the one that he needs to talk to, about some dead cops. The Captain figures maybe they should talk about Angel instead as he stands up, pulls his gun and shoots Angel, twice.
Angel doubles over. When he stands back upright, he's in vamp face. He wants to know how to stop the zombie cops.
The Captain starts to aim for another shot, Angel grabs him and throws him across the office. He picks him up by the throat, raises him off the floor and asks again how to stop them.
At the shelter, the cops are assaulting the building, ripping the grates off of the windows, attacking the door with a battering ram. Inside, Cordelia is trying to reach 911, but can't get past the "all circuits are busy" message. The cops continue their assault on the building.
In the Captain's office, Angel still has him in the same position, still demanding the answer to his question as he slams the Captain's head into the wall a few times. The Captain says they were good cops who died in the line of duty. Angel suggests he should have left them that way. The Captain says he's not going to betray them as he wrenches loose from Angel's grasp and beats a retreat through a panel in the wall. Angel follows.
At the shelter, things are frantic as the cops are making progress gaining entry through the broken windows. Gunn and others position themselves just inside the windows, using whatever is handy to beat back the cops trying to get in.
Anne bolts one of the doors then is grabbed by the leg from outside of the window. She screams as she beats on the cop's hand holding her by the leg. Cordelia rushes over to lend a hand. Anne gets free. They try to block the window with a piece of furniture, but the cops are coming through it. They decide to retreat.
Jackson pulls his gun and opens the door. A cop greets him with a nightstick, beating him to the floor. Gunn intercedes, beating the cop with a stick until he gets him outside of the door, then shuts the door and locks it.
Cordelia calls for Gunn's help as she and the others are struggling against a surge from the outside against another door.
The Captain retreats to his shrine, a room filled with candles and black magick paraphernalia, photos of the dead cops cover the wall. Angel, still in vamp face, comes in and asks how it is he's controlling the cops as he looks over the objects strewn about.
At the shelter, the cops burst through the door and stream through the windows. The place is overrun.
In the shrine, Angel finds what he's looking for, a small idol of
the Zombie God. The Captain shouts "no!" as he rushes Angel.
Angel slams him upside the head with the idol, shattering it.
At the shelter the action comes to a dead stop as the cops fall
to the floor, their bodies returning to their natural state of decomposition.
Gunn tells the EMT to call for an ambulance and tells Jackson to help
him with Wes. Jackson declines and walks out. Cordelia assists Gunn
in getting Wes to his feet.
At the police station, Angel approaches Kate's desk, sits on the other side and tells her he's taken care of their problem. She hands him a folder she's been looking at, crime statistics for that precinct. She says that until three months ago the neighborhood was not a good place to be; murders, rapes, robberies, assorted mayhem. She notes that is what they've given back to the people who live there. Angel says he can live with it. Kate figures he's learned to live with a lot of things. Kate says the job is making her crazy. Angel knows the feeling.
A woman hands Kate a folder. She opens it, notices the name and asks Angel if Wyndham-Price is the guy who works for him.
At the hospital, Gunn is sitting at Wesley's bedside. Wes wakes up, much to Gunn's obvious relief. Gunn asks how he's doing. Wes thinks he should be in a lot of pain. Gunn offers that kind of comes along with being shot. Wes looks at the IV in his arm and asks if it's morphine. Gunn nods. Wes says it's "bloody lovely" and laughs. Gunn smiles.
Outside in the hall, Angel looks in on Wes through the window of his room. He turns to leave and comes face to face with Cordelia who wants to know why he's there.
Angel tells her he heard what had happened to Wes. Cordelia figures it's a shame it took one of them getting shot to make Angel give a damn. She goes on to tell him that Wes doesn't need him, none of them do. He walked away and he can do them all a favor by staying away. She walks on past him and into Wesley's room.
Angel turns and watches her go in, then walks slowly down the corridor, headed for the exit.
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