[Gavin DeGraw's singing "I Don't Want To Be"]
[man on TV] 'Violence continued overnight in Iraq'
'with some of the fiercest fighting to date..'
♪ I don't need to be anything other ♪
♪ Than a prison guard's son ♪
♪ I don't need to be anything other ♪
♪ Than a specialist's son ♪
♪ I don't have to be anyone other ♪
♪ Than a birth of two souls in one ♪
♪ Part of where I'm going ♪
♪ Is knowing where I'm coming from ♪
[male #1] 'Come on. Push through.'
Push through. Don't give up on me now.
Come on. You got it. You got it. Don't give up on me.
Come on. Come on. Alright.
♪ All I have to do is think of me ♪
- What's bugging you, Bobby? - Nothing.
♪ I'm tired of looking 'round ♪
Hey.
♪ Or who I'm supposed to be ♪
- You remembered? - You're 18 today.
You haven't talked about anything else for three
whole months, how could I forget?
My family did.
I'm your family now.
You know that.
Go ahead.
♪ I'm surrounded by liars ♪
It belonged to my buddy, Johnny Hughes.
'It's a compass. Carried it with him on every single jump.'
He gave that to me to help me find my way.
Now it's yours.
Doesn't matter where you been.
Only matters where you go.
'Listen.'
I'm not talking to you right now as your recruiter.
Okay, I'm talking to you as a brother
'cause that's how I see you, right?
Yeah, man.
I am proud of you, no matter what you decide to do.
♪ ...trying to be lately ♪
♪ All I have to do ♪
I wanna sign my contract.
- Today. - Yeah?
Yeah!
Oh, y-you're not going to regret this, Bobby. You're not.
The Army put me on the right track, man.
It's gonna do the same for you.
Thank you.
[siren blaring in distance]
That's uh, beautiful.
[instrumental music]
[phone ringing]
[Jeffries] 'Homicide.'
Yes. Lil, dad's on the line.
Mind taking a message?
I'm tied up.
At ease.
Bumper, huh?
That's what they call me. Name's Bobby, though.
Well, Bobby, I found Mike Donley's murder file.
Says here that he broke into
the Prestige Pawnshop over on 6th Street.
And the body was found in an alley a few hours later.
November 5, 2005.
Cops found some of the stolen jewelry near his body.
Figured he was jacked for the rest.
You got some new information?
Found the article from the paper online.
It says the pawnshop alarm got tripped at 11:00 P.M.
So?
Staff Sergeant Donley
was with me at 11:00.
Putting me on a bus to Fort Bragg.
Ticket...from the night of the murder.
He didn't rob that store, ma'am.
It's been four years, Bobby.
What took you so long to come forward?
I'm Special Forces.
Green Berets.
Went from training at Fort Bragg to two tours in Afghanistan.
Just got home.
Well, bus ticket doesn't prove he was with you.
Ma'am, army thinks one of its top soldiers is a criminal.
Gotta make it right.
'Staff Sergeant Donley changed my life.'
The least I can do is honor his.
[theme music]
[Lilly] 'Staff Sergeant Michael Donley.'
Around 28 years old.
He served with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan.
Awarded a Bronze Star with a "V" for valor and a Purple Heart.
Moved back to Philly in 2004
when he got assigned as an Army recruiter.
Long way from bleeding to death in the alley at 6th and Oxford.
Well, he'd just gotten orders to go to Iraq.
Due to deploy two days after he was killed.
[Kat] 'Mike had a few run-ins'
with the cops before he enlisted.
B and E, petty theft.
Old habits die hard.
Well, witness saw someone running from the site
of the pawnshop burglary, wearing an army ski cap
found at the murder scene half a mile from the pawnshop
along with four stolen necklaces.
The rest of the jewelries was never recovered.
Circumstantial. The investigation never tied him
to the burglary conclusively.
So if Mike was with Bobby at the bus station
when the alarm went off, how'd he end up in that alley after?
Catching detective was Walter Gardner.
Look at his interview notes. Almost nothing here.
Well, Walter was a Marine.
And he wouldn't have pushed too hard
if it was gonna disgrace a war hero.
No. Questioned Mike's recruits, other recruiters.
Got their phone numbers, some alibis, not much else.
Then we re-interview 'em.
Where are we on the murder weapon?
Pulled a .380 slug from the body
casing from the scene.
[Miller] 'No matches in '05.'
I'll run it again
see if it's surfaced since then.
Test the hat and jewelry for DNA.
Well, Mike's supervisor
First Sergeant Gomez is coming in.
Well, talk to the widow, too.
Dad. I was uh, I was gonna call you back.
I tried you three times.
Well, I'm busy.
Not too busy to be seeing Finn.
Well, I thought that's what you wanted
for me to meet your family.
At our house, not behind my back.
I can't get into this right now.
He's gone.
I found your card in his things.
We had an argument. He stormed off.
Well, teenagers do that.
Not Finn. Not until recently.
Oh, you're saying it's my fault.
Of course not.
[male #2] '...files you asked for.'
He took some cash
a thousand dollars, the car too.
He's been gone since yesterday morning.
I was hoping there was something you could do as a cop.
I'll get into it.
Okay.
[male #3] 'Mike was hardcore.'
Up in the Afghan mountains, there was an enemy ambush.
He held them off for two days.
Took two rounds.
They medevac'd him out
and he's back in rotation
less than two weeks later.
Well it doesn't answer my question
about his state of mind, Sergeant Gomez.
It's First Sergeant Gomez.
'He struggled a little bit at first.'
'It was hard going from combat to recruiting'
till he realized how vital the mission was.
How do you mean?
As a volunteer army, it falls on the recruiter
to send support or troops overseas.
It wasn't easy in 2005.
Not a popular war.
How'd Mike do at it?
He was our top recruiter.
DEP's really took to him.
- DEP's? - Delayed Entry Program.
That's what we call prospective recruits.
Well, 6th and Oxford's a tough block.
A lot ofdrugs, gangs.
What do you think he was doing there?
Well, it's like I told the cops back then
most of his DEPs lived in that area.
Well, dangerous neighborhood to be making house calls.
Mike grew up there.
He had a lot in common with those kids.
That's why he succeeded.
Shared experience.
We're going to need access to Mike's recruiting files
and phone records.
You'll have to speak to my officer in charge.
Well, we'll do that, First Sergeant Gomez.
Uh, near the end..
...Mike was distant.
I'm not gonna lie to you.
I was worried for him.
We'd just gotten back from the Poconos.
Belated honeymoon.
It was supposed to be relaxing, but he was
tense, distant.
You two have any money problems?
You don't join the service to get rich.
How did Mike feel about getting his orders for Iraq?
I don't know.
I found out after he died.
He didn't tell you?
Like I said, he was distant.
Your husband saw combat in Afghanistan.
A lot of soldiers..
...change..
...when they come back from war.
Look, those last few weeks.
Mike was troubled. I was concerned for him.
I just assumed it was because of these kids.
His recruits?
They brought a lot of problems
with them.
Bottom line, it wasn't Iraq I was afraid of.
[The Jayhawks' singing "Stumbling Through the Dark"]
Johnny Hughes was small. Lousy at sports.
Came from a town with no opportunities.
- Ain't gonna lie. - "Ain't?"
It's a turn of phrase.
It's bad grammar.
I'm trying to connect with the kids.
Well, you can still connect with proper English.
Okay.
Um, I'm not gonna lie Johnny had a hard life.
Well, he didn't let that keep him down.
He enlisted on his 18th birthday, he went airborne
and he made something of himself.
[knock on door]
It's after midnight, Mike.
What do you want me to tell her?
To go someplace else.
Fine.
Sergeant Mike, he's gonna kill her.
'What happened?'
They were throwing things at each other.
He said he was gonna go get a gun.
- He means it. - We need to call the police.
What? No! Don't kick me out!
Let me handle this, alright?
I'm all she's got.
You can't go over there again.
The man is going to kill you.
I'll be fine.
Come on, Victoria.
[door opens]
[door closes]
Victoria Montero.
Our weekly dose of drama.
Her stepdad was a violent alcoholic.
Mike always intervene?
He was like the United Nations.
I was sure one day he'd go over to Victoria's
and he'd never come back.
Sergeant Donley saved my life. No question about it.
He's the reason I survived my teens.
Is that why you came back to the same recruiting station?
As soon as I served my time in Iraq
I requested recruiter duty doing for the kids
what Mike did for me.
I understand Mike intervened
in some family trouble you were having.
If by family trouble you mean my
mom and stepdad trying to kill each other? Yeah.
I heard your stepfather was a violent man.
How did he take to Mike helping you out?
He loved having Sergeant Donley around.
Big hero in the house, macho crap.
Any idea where he was the night of the murder?
No. I was working.
And your mom, how did she feel
'bout Mike trying to send you off to war?
She didn't care as long as she
got half of my $20,000 signing bonus.
- That's a lot of money. - No kidding.
I was working part-time in a bodega, stocking shelves.
So, Mike was offering you an opportunity of a lifetime.
Yeah. It was a lifeline for a lot of us.
But not everyone saw it the same way.
[Foo Fighters singing "Miracle"]
Does the Army teach you how to shoot and jump out of planes?
No doubt. But combat is such a small part of what we do.
Victoria wants to learn about computers, right?
She can qualify for advanced training
on the best technology in the world.
Plus, they'll be taking care of my rent, food, and medical.
So, you guys, no community college is going to do that.
Is there risk involved? Of course there is.
But if it weren't for the army
I wouldn't be standing here today.
And I'm not alone in that.
And it's not just about what the Army has to offer you.
- 'A chance to die?' - Dad?
This the guy who's been stalking you?
Staff Sergeant Donley, sir.
You need to stay away from my son.
- Stop pressuring him. - Nobody's pressuring me.
Army clothes and stickers.
Thinks this is all some damn adventure movie.
- Now, let's go. - No, no
'I'm staying with Sergeant Donley.'
Damn it, Kevin. Let me make this clear.
You are notenlisting!
Do you have a problem with the military, sir?
I served four years in the navy.
I have no problem with Kevin signing up in college.
ROTC. But he is too smart to be a part of your quota.
I agree, sir. Kevin is an outstanding kid.
Maybe if you would just take the time to listen to him
you'll understand why he's interested.
I don't care why.
And this is the last time I'm gonna say it.
You stay away from him.
Guy didn't get it.
The more he fought, the more he pushed his son to enlist.
That's how kids are.
That what happened? Kevin enlisted?
He went infantry. He was on patrol
maybe a week into deployment in Iraq.
Killed by a sniper.
Jerry Harkin, went off the deep end when his son got killed.
Arrested for D&D, loitering.
And a DUI on the night of Mike's murder.
Guy lives in Chestnut Hill.
So, what's he doing in North Philly at 2:00 a.m.
a mile from where Mike was killed?
Looks like our grieving father
may have made good on his threat.
Keep my guns under lock and key. They're all registered.
I don't see how one could have been used in a crime.
- You mind if we take a look? - Don't you need a warrant?
Only if you got something to hide.
I got it.
Remember a Sergeant Mike Donley?
Died a few years ago, right?
[Lilly] 'He was murdered.'
Are you suggesting I shot him
and then brought the gun home?
Wouldn't be the first.
"No," is the answer you're looking for. I didn't kill him.
Well, you blamed him for your son's death.
I blamed everyone for Kevin's death.
[Lilly] 'I heard from Mike's fellow recruiters'
that you called the recruiting station a few times a day.
Doesn't ring a bell.
Threatening you were gonna "make him pay."
That ring a bell?
You know, the school gives out our information.
Phone numbers. Everything.
To the military.
So they can solicit our children.
How can that possibly be right?
Took out your frustration on Mike.
It's unnatural to outlive your child.
That's why you started drinking heavy.
Caught a DUI blocks from where Mike was shot.
I was at a bar in the neighborhood.
Desperate to know why your boy had to die.
No one would have blamed you for going after him.
I didn't have to go after him.
He came to me.
[Mike] 'Ma'am.'
I just want to tell you how honored I was to know your son.
Kevin was an inspiration.
Thank you.
He want to make sure the body's still cold?
Just offering his condolences.
- He has no right. - Don't make a scene.
Jerry.
Ethan, right?
Yeah.
Your brother talked a lot about you.
[Mike] 'I'm sure that everybody's telling you'
you got to be strong for your pop
and that you got big shoes to fill.
None of that answers any of your questions, right?
About why this all had to happen?
I wish I could tell you.
I can't.
No one can.
But if you ever get sad about your brother..
...I want you to remember this.
Sorry. Uh.
[breathing heavily]
Take your time.
He, um..
He told my son Ethan that..
he shouldn't feel sad
about never seeing Kevin again.
Because every time he saw a soldier on TV, in the news
on the street.
Anywhere, that..
that he was seeing a piece of Kevin..
That Kevin was now
a part of something bigger.
You know..
I might...not have agreed
with Mike that much but what he said
stays with me today.
It's how I get by.
[Kat] 'Got ballistics on the guns'
'Rush and Valens took from Jerry Harkin.'
No match on the murder weapon.
What about DNA from the crime scene?
Inconclusive.
No traces found on the army ski cap
or on the pieces of jewelry found by Mike's body.
The Army came through on Mike's recruiting files
and cell records from 2005.
The night of his murder, he received several calls
from a disposable cell phone.
A burner phone like that is sold over the counter.
No way to trace it unless we get the serial number.
Well, contact the manufacturer.
Find the store that sold it.
Whatever you need to convince them to help.
I'll get on it.
Hey, boss.
Mike took meticulous notes on his recruits.
Who needed money, which ones had trouble in school.
[John] 'Any of these guys look good for the pawnshop break-in?'
Took the names of recruits
cross-checked with criminal records.
Trey "Meathead" Newman. One of Mike's prospects
before he got popped for the first of many felony arrests.
"Burglary. Assault." "Burglary" again.
Meathead had a thing for smash-and-grabs.
Just like our pawnshop.
Serving eight to twelve up in Frackville.
- Thought I'd drop by. - Send my regards.
[Kat] 'You had options as a teenager, Trey.'
Career soldier on one hand.
Career criminal on the other.
How the benefits compare?
- Ain't no thing. - You had a chance, though.
With Mike Donley's help, you could have been something.
You want something from me?
What do you know about the pawnshop
break-in on 6th Street?
I know pawnshops is small time.
And you just scream big time, Meathead.
That's why we're here.
Murder's as big as it gets.
[sighs]
Sergeant Mike was a pain in my ass.
But I didn't kill him.
Maybe he pushed too hard.
- Made you push back. - Pushed? No!
I was being pulled another way.
[hip-hop music]
Come on, Trey. You can do it, man. Stay on my hip.
I can't.
Hey. Come on. Look me in the eye, man.
Do not give up on me because I will not give up on you.
You understand? Come on.
[rap song playing]
There you go. There you go. You're doing it.
Oh, look at you.
Hey, come on, man.
[song continues]
You got something belonging to us.
Trey ain't not gonna be needing no army.
He already got one.
6th Street Mafia.
In for life.
I don't think so.
It's your funeral.
[groaning]
Go for it.
[grunting]
Sergeant Mike, chill!
[Trey] 'I'm serious, man.'
'You're hurting him. Stop it.'
You okay?
Bumper?
You and me gonna be having a reckoning.
Come find me. I ain't running.
[Mike] 'Army will shape you up.'
That look in Sergeant Mike's eyes
when he was squeezing Bumper's throat.
The guy had some demons.
Bumper?
You mean Bobby Kerns?
Yeah, that's right.
Sergeant Mike made life hard for me
with all that karate crap.
They would have made me pay for it if I didn't quit training.
What about Bumper?
I got busted a couple weeks later.
Lost track of him.
He the type to go looking for payback?
Getting punked like that? On 6th Street?
Would have been a necessity.
[Rush] 'I thought Bobby Kerns'
had a clean record.
Till we got the DA to open his juvie file.
A dozen arrests before his 17th birthday.
Something he neglected to tell us.
Past isn't the only thing he lied about.
Spoke to Army CID.
Bobby's alibi for Mike and himself fell through.
He wasn't on the 11:00 P.M. bus to Fort Bragg.
'Took the 5:00 A.M. instead.'
Means he had plenty of time to rob the pawnshop. Kill Mike.
Why would Bobby bring us the case if he was involved?
Sometimes people need to confess.
They just don't know how to do it.
Hello?
I'm on my way.
Everything okay, Lil?
Yeah. Um..
I just got to take care of something.
Dad!
Atlantic City.
Nothing happened.
My car got towed.
Well, it's not my fault
that the impound lot doesn't open until the morning.
You're up at 6:00 A.M. with me to go pick it up.
And pay for it.
Fine. I won, like, 500 bucks anyway.
With money you stole from me.
Maybe this is a conversation you two can have in the morning.
Easy for you to say.
You don't have to think about his future.
Then maybe just not inside my car at 2:00 A.M.
If Cornell admissions finds out 'bout your little adventure
they'll rescind your acceptance like this.
So what? I'm not going there anyway.
I wanna be a cop.
What? Don't be ridiculous.
What's ridiculous about being a cop?
I meant for him. Oh, but it's okay for me?
Don't be defensive, Lilly. I'm not attacking you.
No, it's just my job.
Which, by the way, is how we found him.
Oh, I should have guessed that you'd be the one to narc me out.
We waited two hours outside that casino for you.
If it wasn't for us, you'd be taking the bus home.
Gee, thanks a lot.
- Watch your tone. - Or what, dad?
You'll walk out on me too?
[knocking]
Inside!
What are you waiting for?
You stood me up four times for dinner.
Least you can do is try my lemon chicken.
Come on. Let's go.
Please, help yourself.
There you go.
- Thank you. - My pleasure.
Well, now..
...don't we make quite the tableau?
[chuckles]
I'm sorry that it took such a dramatic act of stupidity
on my son's part to finally get you here.
- Mom! - Napkin?
It does gives me an opportunity to clear the air.
'For the last few months, I sat back while you and Paul'
participated in this excruciating ritual
of...secret meetings, intrigue, angst.
'Four perfectly ruined'
pot roasts later, here we are.
- Celeste. - 'No, I'm not done.'
I know you've had some hard times.
Your mother, God rest her soul
'your work.'
But honestly, we all have something, right?
It's really no excuse.
I'm thrilled that you've been spending time with Finn.
And despite my husband's
unfathomable recent behavior, he is too.
But the drama stops tonight.
'Hmm?'
We're family.
Full stop.
That means birthdays, holidays
hospital visits, God forbid, funerals.
The whole thing. Whether you like it or not
Lilly Rush, you are tied to us for good.
Are we clear?
Okay.
[instrumental music]
Hey, Bumper.
Nice to see you again.
Unfortunately, you left some key information
out of your story last time we talked.
Juvie record for one.
Assault, robbery, weapons possession.
What does that have to do with anything?
Where were you when the Prestige Pawnshop
was broken into?
At the bus station, like I told you.
See, now that's a lie, Bobby.
You missed the 11:00 P.M. bus.
I'm going to ask you again.
Where were you when the burglary went down?
- At the bus station. - 'Yeah, 5:00 A.M.'
That gives you plenty of time out there on the street.
[Lilly] 'Oh, we got witnesses remember you that night'
'looking for Mike.'
Went to the gym, neighborhood diner
'but what happened?'
Oh, I had a look at Mike's files.
You were his favorite recruit.
Thought of you like family.
[Lilly] 'So the question is'
what went down between
you and your brother?
I brought this to you.
Why would I do that if I was involved?
Guilt, Bobby, plain and simple.
I didn't make the 11:00 P.M. bus
because Mike was supposed to take me
but he never showed.
- Why? - He changed.
Started missing appointments
losing his temper.
He wasn't the same guy I knew.
Did you do something about it?
I tried.
Staff Sergeant Donley?
Bobby.
Hey.
You okay?
Just having a drink.
You want one?
Missed our morning workout.
'Sorry.'
I was, um..
I went to the barber today.
Old friend of mine.
He gave me this letter from his son Roberto.
I ever tell you about Roberto?
First recruit I ever signed.
Ah, Roberto is with the Corps of Engineers.
Doing water purification in Iraq.
An IED embedded in some scrap metal..
...went off.
Roberto was caught in the blast.
Lost his legs.
So Roberto writes this letter..
...to his dad
telling him to thank me
for giving him the opportunity to serve.
His dad's...broke up.
And I just don't got the words.
Like you say, there's always casualties in war.
'Bobby.'
I do not want to have to go to your funeral.
I'll be fine, Staff Sergeant..
...but you need some coffee.
I'll make a pot.
He said he'd sober up and go home
but I could tell..
He was living there.
When was this?
- Day before he died. - Why didn't you tell us?
If I'd told you about it you wouldn't
have looked into the case.
You don't know that.
People think he was some kind of statistic
collateral damage for the war at home.
Staff Sergeant Donley's a better man than I'll ever be.
If he's some kind of statistic..
...what will I become?
So Mike's living out of the recruiting station
the week before he was killed, how come his wife Kristen claims
they were up in the Poconos on a belated honeymoon?
- Bad memory? - More like selective.
Took a road trip to the cabin where she was staying.
Manager remembers her. She came up alone.
Fits Bobby's story.
But it didn't stay that way.
A man joined her the last night.
Showed the manager a photo of Mike.
Let me guess. Wasn't him.
[snickers]
[Kat] 'I admire you, Kristen.'
Choosing to marry Mike
being a soldier's wife.
It wasn't a choice. I loved him.
Even though you knew that with him..
...the army always came first.
He believed in something. I believed in him.
Sure. But all those months with Mike gone.
- You didn't stray once? - No.
How about after he got back?
Excuse me. I was loyal to my husband.
Not up in the Poconos.
Spent your honeymoon with another man.
Look, Mike moves you to a strange city
no friends, no money and he was never around.
- You're only human. - You're wrong.
Mike must have found out what you were doing.
'You were scared.'
Hell, Mike was airborne, right?
A professional killer. Would have been ugly if he caught you.
Mike wasn't like that.
[Will] 'You said yourself he had changed.'
He was tense, distant.
Could have been afraid for your life.
Maybe your boyfriend
decided to do something to him, self-defense.
I never would have hurt Mike.
The only reason he found out is because I told him.
We'd just talk, you know? We'd have lunch.
It was nothing physical.
Until..
...I stayed true to you through two deployments
to Afghanistan, Mike!
Through every other thing the army's thrown at us.
Listen to me!
I've asked for nothing!
Except for three lousy days up in the Poconos
for a honeymoon that we should have had five years ago.
You couldn't even give me that.
So this is my fault?
That's not what I'm saying.
When you got back from Afghanistan
I thought that we'd be able to spend time.
- It's like you're still gone. - That's crap.
That is crap, and you know it.
You're in a constant state of mourning, Mike, for Johnny.
You write these speeches about him.
You give away his things like they're relics.
I honor him!
You didn't even like the guy!
He drove you crazy!
But you feel responsible.
Iamresponsible.
You are a hero, Mike.
Nobody gives more than you do.
Every day you're sending support over there
so that Johnny won't have died for nothing.
That's, that's what I thought.
Yeah, but come on.
Be honest.
I used him..
...to meet quotas.
To put..
...fresh bodies in the foxholes.
If that's how you feel..
...then quit.
Not an option.
Then don't.
But please do something because I want my husband back.
Come on. You remember when we got married?
That first deployment, it was nine months, remember?
And we agreed if we could survive that
we could survive anything
no matter what.
Do you still believe that?
Answer one question
Who was it?
I told him, and he walked right out the door.
Last time I ever saw him.
Night he died?
My entire life..
...comes down to one stupid decision.
I'd give anything to take it back.
Who was it, Kristen?
The man you were seeing?
Mike's boss, Sergeant Gomez.
You familiar with the term "Jody,"
First Sergeant Gomez?
It's what we call a man or woman who's cheating with a spouse
of a soldier who's overseas.
It can't get much lower than that, right?
But you didn't even have the decency
to wait for Mike to deploy
before going after his wife.
Where's the honor in that?
There is none.
- I made a mistake. - 'About the affair.'
What about the murder?
So you and Kristen got your stories straight.
Said the same thing about Mike when he died.
He was distant, tense, not himself.
I did not lie about that. Mike Mikewassuffering.
And your answer was to get him out of the way
so you could have his wife to yourself.
You recognize this?
Orders for deployment to Iraq.
For Mike Donley. Who processed them?
It's right there at the bottom of the page.
I did.
See, if Mike reported you for the affair
you would have lost your job at the recruiting station.
You don't get it.
- Mike requested Iraq. - He wanted to go?
He was tired of seeing his kids getting hurt and killed.
Couldn't take it anymore.
I didn't wanna lose my
best recruiter
but it was what he needed.
I was trying to help.
I'm sure you're the last person
he wanted help from.
At first, I thought he was going to kill me.
[grunting]
Do it, Mike! I deserve it!
[panting]
I'm sorry, man. I messed up.
I'll get a transfer. I'll make it scarce.
You and Kristen can work it out.
How am I supposed to work it out?
I don't know, man. I've been divorced three times.
All I know is soldiering.
She expects me to come back home..
...and be okay.
They gave me a medal.
Called me a hero.
Still don't know why.
You held off an enemy ambush for two days.
Or maybe I walked us into it.
'Trying to rewrite history?'
I read the after-action report.
You and Johnny were wounded, pinned down.
Johnny didn't want to move.
I ordered him.
You made a call.
I dragged him down that mountain inch by inch..
...both of us losing blood.
After a while, he got real quiet.
Started staring off at nothing.
You know the last thing he said before he died?
"It's so beautiful."
What do you think he saw?
All I saw were those damn mountains.
You didn't kill him.
They shot me twice. I should have died.
But you didn't. He did.
'You're just one soldier, Mike.'
You gotta know your place in this thing.
My place is over there..
...with those kids I sent.
I know.
It's your orders to Iraq.
You deploy in 48 hours.
Whatever it is you're looking for, I hope you find it.
[phone rings]
Staff Sergeant Donley.
Just...stay there.
Gotta go.
That was the last I saw him.
I never spoke to Kristen again, either
not even at the funeral.
So why didn't you report yourself
to your officer in charge? Take your punishment?
Finding more kids to send over there
instead of me going over to fight myself
that's my punishment.
Who was on the phone?
Always assumed it was Kristen.
So Mike wasn't putting Bobby on the
bus to Fort Bragg the night of his murder.
The guy was confronting First Sergeant Gomez.
When he was supposedly breaking into the pawnshop.
11:30, he gets the call. Leaves the recruiting station.
'Never seen alive again.'
The phone records say that call came from the same
disposable phone called Mike's cell
five times that night.
Someone desperate to reach him.
I tracked the cell's serial number.
It was purchased a few days before Mike's death
at a convenience store on 6th and Girard.
That's close to where Mike was killed.
Yeah, guess who used to worked there
part-time after school.
[Lilly] 'You had a tough childhood'
'didn't you, Victoria?'
Your family who didn't give a crap
a dead-end job at the bodega
no hope of a future.
Doesn't matter where you been, only matters where you're going.
I like that.
- Learn it from Mike? - I guess so.
'The Army was your way out.'
Education, benefits, bonus.
- 'How much was it again?' - 20,000.
You just had to wait till your 18th birthday.
Your life was going to change.
Recognize this?
- No. - You barely looked.
Take your time.
Ah, it's a pretty piece.
'Tasteful. Not cheap either.'
You could never afford it on minimum wage.
Well, when this is done, I could do you a solid.
Make it disappear.
Look, what's your point?
Remember the Prestige Pawnshop?
You'd go in there all the time and try this necklace on.
The owner recognized your photo.
If you say so.
Minute you got that bonus
you were going to buy it.
Only problem you didn't pass that Army Entrance Exam.
Wasn't a big deal. I retook the test. Passed the second time.
'Well, after they lowered their requirements.'
Army was hungry for recruits, no matter how unqualified.
Ma'am, I am an outstanding soldier.
Now, but four years ago
you were an angry little girl looking to lash out.
You saw this necklace that you could never afford.
You decided to just take it.
Neighborhood's dangerous.
Stores are always getting robbed.
Is that why your boss at the bodega kept a gun
behind the counter?
Ran it through ballistics.
It's the same gun that killed Mike.
If you respect that uniform at all
you're gonna tell me what happened.
Don't you see
that I'm taking on his work
helping kids change their lives?
It's got to count for something.
Sure, it does.
So be a good soldier, Victoria.
Tell me the truth!
I got the gun.
I smashed the window in the store.
I knew right away I messed up.
That's why I called Mike.
'Cause you had no one else to call.
'Cause I was trying to make it right.
And he was gonna turn you in.
Worse.
He was gonna abandon me.
[Mike] 'Victoria.'
Victoria.
Victoria. Hey, you okay?
I ruined everything, Mike. They're gonna lock me up.
What happened?
I broke into the pawnshop.
I wanted this so bad.
I just..
What am I going to do? Cops are everywhere.
How am I supposed to get home?
You're gonna come clean, okay?
We're gonna go to the cops.
You're gonna give the jewelry back.
It's what soldiers do.
But I'm not a soldier, Mike.
Didn't they tell you?
I failed the exam.
You're gonna pass the next time.
Not if I'm a felon.
I will talk to whoever I have to..
...smooth it over.
My word of honor, Victoria.
I will clear this up for you.
Come on.
[sniffling]
You're gonna study for the test again
and you're gonna ace it.
I'll even get some of the guys
at the recruiting station to tutor you.
Youcan tutor me.
Got my orders.
I deploy Iraq in two days.
What?
- You can't leave. - I have to, Victoria.
I got to serve with the kids I sent there.
Who'll be with me?
Victoria.
My mom's kicking me out
if I don't get that bonus money.
- Where am I going to go? - Put the gun down, okay?
I will help you.
How are you going to help me
if you're not here?
You don't care about what happens!
You're just trying to get rid of me!
Stop that, that is not true.
I thought you believed in me, but you're a liar.
- Like everyone else! - No, I..
[gunshot]
[gasping]
[sobbing]
[gasping]
[Mike] 'It's so beautiful.'
[Coldplay singing "Politik" ]
♪ Look at Earth from outer space ♪
♪ Everyone must find a place ♪
♪ Give me time and give me space ♪
♪ Give me real don't give me fake ♪
♪ Give me strength reserve control ♪
♪ Give me heart and give me soul ♪
♪ Give me time give us a kiss ♪
♪ Tell me of your politik ♪
♪ And open up your eyes ♪
♪ Open up your eyes ♪
♪ Give me one 'cause one is best ♪
♪ Tell me your own politik ♪
♪ And open up your eyes ♪
♪ Open up your eyes ♪
[theme music]