…chat to all of our clients, and then we'll fix everything.
See ya.
Where ya going?
I'm going home?
Yes.
As described in the Sixth Provided Rules of Behavior,
"To lie, defraud, or in any other way manipulate human beings
or human institutions for the sole purpose of self-enrichment."
What do you call yourself?
I'm Sugar.
Then give me a break with that shit, Sugar, I know what I've done.
You just get here?
- Few weeks. - And?
How does this compare?
It's interesting.
- Yeah? - Yeah, I mean, I haven't seen a lot
and, you know, I haven't traveled much.
I haven't chosen an employment. But it's…
it's interesting.
I chose kindergarten teacher, and I loved it.
"Mrs. Rosenthal. Good morning, Mrs. Rosenthal."
I mean, they taught me more than anything.
And one day during nap time,
I was poking around on the school computer,
and I was exposed to what they call the financial markets, and I was hooked.
That was that.
All of a sudden,
finger painting with six-year-olds was not that interesting anymore.
What's finger painting?
Where they dip their hands in color,
and then they draw with their fingers.
So, I stopped teaching,
I started a hedge fund and then…
- You know what you'd like? - Papaya?
- No papaya. - Toast, dry, no butter, no jellies.
- And no cinnamon, I'm allergic. - I'll have a Caesar salad,
a hanger steak with crinkle fries and green beans.
And yes, I am ignoring the rule against consumption of animal meat.
I'm sorry?
Talking to him.
For dessert, do you like the ladyfingers or the chocolate torta?
One of each, but no cinnamon.
I have the same allergy.
We should be honoring these bodies.
I have been…
by giving it what it wants.
It all works, you know.
In case you ever get curious.
It's good you're going home.
Excuse me.
There you go.
If you need anything else, let me know.
Hi.
Yeah, I love you.
My sister.
So what are you thinking job-wise?
Maybe a psychologist, something with animals.
Okay, what else?
Tell me.
A policeman.
Explain.
Well, human beings in crisis…
and needing help from injustice…
misfortune.
I don't know, they share a variety of experience, it kinda…
…it kind of excites me.
I can see that.
There's some violence in that.
I mean, not much. Maybe, but…
you know, I'd be careful.
- Would you? - Uh-huh.
Or is that kind of sort of part of the excitement?
No.
No, no, I…
Violence?
No. I'd be careful.
All right. Steak will be right out.
Thank you.
This is a good thing.
Your family, your friends…
They're gonna be at home waiting for you.
Why would they want me now?
It wasn't just the sex and the food and the money.
It's a slippery slope.
One thing after another.
By the end, I'd done worse things.
Well, home is still home, you know.
No matter what we've done.
Home is still home.
I'm glad it was you they sent…
…to take me back.
Me too.
I've never cried before.
Can we stop and get some Kleenex?
Of course.
It's beautiful, isn't it?
And every night it's different.
I'm gonna miss the finger painting.
Be back in a minute.
That was actually one of my favorite parts.
No.
No! No, no!
No!
No.
The slippery slope.
One thing leads to another.
- Hey. - Hey.
Hey, I brought you a bunch of microdasys.
Come on in.
Yeah, it's from the prickly pear genus.
And it's quiet too.
That's the thing I love the most, is the quiet.
And if you don't mind my asking, how do you afford it?
We don't.
It's free.
- It's free? How's that possible? - It's a federal grant.
Some new billion-dollar program they started for new housing.
- They? Who's they? - The city.
We had to qualify.
Yeah, have a job or be looking for one,
pass a drug test, that kind of stuff…
"Demonstrate constructive engagement with society."
That's what they said?
Still, we're so grateful.
I bet.
God, that's good, guys. So happy for you.
Human beings…
what they can do to one another.
Making each other qualify to live…
It is quiet.
Tyler Ko?
Yeah?
Yeah, I wanted to ask you a couple questions about Ji Moon.
I mean, fucking Ji.
I still can't believe it.
I mean, I can 'cause he's a drug addict, but still…
it fucking sucks.
Can I come inside?
Sure, whatever.
When the last time I seen fucking Ji…
…how did I hear that he died, that kind of stuff.
- And what did you tell him? - Nothing, just like we practiced.
- I was aces. - I'm sure you were.
- You think he believed you? - I think so.
- I'm really good at lying. - But you're not sure?
Nah, sorry, man, I'm not.
Vega's suspicious.
It's only a matter of time.
Ji? Hey. There he is.
Hey.
Brought you some walnuts.
I read they help with withdrawal.
Oh, no. Yuck.
I was hoping for some gummies.
No gummies. Can I sit?
Garry tells me you're… you know, you're doing better.
Yeah, I'm not dead anymore.
Wow. Well, then this place is worth every penny.
Nah, man, thanks to you. For real.
You were smart enough to have it on you. The Narcan in your bag, I mean.
I'm just glad I was there to use it.
Okay, well, you're right, I'm a fucking genius then.
- I didn't say that. - Well…
- And how's Danny? - He's good. Misses you.
He's excited about the fight.
Yeah? Yeah, I gotta get out of here, man, I gotta get back to training.
We got less than two weeks till Vegas.
Can't do it.
- It's still not safe. - When's it gonna be safe?
I don't know. I gotta figure out how to deal with this deputy who wants you dead.
Where's it at though?
- What's that? - Your plan to get this fucking guy.
I mean, thank you so much for this bag of nuts,
but, like, what are you doing?
I am… working on it.
So, you got one guard at the gates. He's unarmed, right?
We're private, we're secluded, but we're not a fortress.
He can't leave.
Okay, I will strongly recommend that Ji finish his treatment here.
- Good. - But…
- we're also not a prison. - I can see that.
- Who is this guy? - He's a good kid.
He just got a little…
unlucky out there.
I mean, he unluckily picked the wrong time to rob a hospital, so…
- True. - Not like he's Mother Teresa.
And he's 33, Sugar, which is far from him being a kid.
All good points.
- Thanks, Garry. - All right.
I brought him some walnuts. Not a hit.
- He says he has candy in his bag. - Yeah.
We try to keep 'em from the sweets when they're detoxing,
but he's past the worst of it now.
Hey. What's this?
His phone, I guess.
You said he was here with someone?
I don't know.
Take the money. Grab the phone. Get that tracker. Let's go.
But he shouldn't have a phone.
Where did this come from?
- Bro, what are you talking about? - The phone, bro, where did you get it?
Your phone?
What the fuck, dude? You just forgot you had that?
Yeah, I guess. I don't know. I had some serious shit going on!
- Clearly. - All right. Come on, let's go. Thank you.
Let's see about that.
So, here's your next.
30,000 more units from my friends down south.
Still the shit?
Yeah. Pure Apache.
Same deal? Ten cents a pill?
- Yeah, yeah. Same deal. - Fucking A.
Explain this fucking Fire Sale thing to me again,
in like business terms, 'cause I don't get it.
Business terms?
Okay, you identify the clientele,
you stake out the territory, and then you flood it.
Well, like, why like this?
I mean, nobody's making money.
You have so many questions, ese.
What the… Fuck do I care? I mean, we're making our nut.
I was just curious. That's all.
Yeah, yeah. I could see that.
Close.
- What does that mean? - Meaning we're near to making a case.
No, but, Tom, we're not close or near. This is… This is it. We're right there.
Okay, but Deb says in cases like this--
In cases like what, Tom? He's right… He's on the video.
He's on the video with no visual evidence of narcotics.
There are inferences, but he's… he's careful with his words.
Any good attorney will make a case for an alternate explanation.
And Vega walks?
She sees he's dirty.
He's obviously dirty.
It just, you know, might take time.
I don't have time, Tom!
He's a deputy. He took an oath. He put on a badge, Tom.
It makes him worse!
He should be easier to get, not harder!
You understand?
There is a way out of this.
- It's not anyone's first choice. - Tell me.
I don't condone. I don't condemn.
It's a wild fucking world out there.
- We make rules that work for us. - What are you talking about?
Vega's divorced, yeah?
Kids are with the mom?
He lives alone.
Just saying.
Nah, nah, nah, I can't do that.
Okay.
No, I can't.
Good.
I should be working, but I don't have any ideas.
Or maybe I don't have any ideas that I like.
And I just want to be here…
with her.
What?
It's funny.
Aquila, the eagle.
And then, Cygnus.
And then, Lyra.
Lyra's just like a rectangle and a triangle inverted.
See?
- And that? - Which?
The one like a horse kicking its legs?
- There? - Yeah.
That is Boötes.
The Herdsman.
Boötes?
And beyond that, if…
if it weren't for the light pollution and Arcturus being so bright,
we'd see the galaxy Triangulum,
2.9 million light-years away.
What's so special about that one?
There's nothing special. I just…
I like it.
Well…
not too shabby.
Dinner and a movie and an astronomy lesson.
It was a nice date.
- Yeah. - Right?
It was.
Food in my teeth?
No. No, your teeth are fine.
Maybe you're not ready?
Maybe not.
For some
whatever reason I will not take personally.
You shouldn't.
It was a very nice date regardless.
Yes, it was.
- Good night then. - Good night, Charlotte.
I tried not to say anything, Mr. Sugar, but he scared me.
I'm really sorry. I told him everything.
Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!
Okay, okay. All right, I'll do one drink! I'll do one drink!
Look, I can have him on a plane in 6 hours.
I can get him an apartment, whatever you need.
Korea?
Fuck, man. There's no other way?
We gotta put him on a plane immediately. Danny, it's the only way to keep him safe.
Okay, but can't we just move him first, you know?
- Hide him somewhere else? - Where?
What, Utah, New Mexico? It doesn't matter.
I mean, I have resources, but nothing compared to what this guy's got.
- I mean, have you heard of a BOLO alert? - No.
"Be on the Lookout." It means he can have 10,000 cops
looking for Ji in the space of one phone call.
- There's nowhere to hide! - Just until the cop gets arrested?
If he gets arrested, and even then an…
an indictment could take months. He'd be…
He'd be free the whole time.
Look, I know it's not ideal.
I know it's difficult, but sending him home is--
No, no, man. This… That's not a home anymore.
This is, man. I'm his home.
Yo, can we have a minute, please!
Fuck!
This… This cop is no joke. I get it.
Yeah.
And Ji's stepped into shit with this guy,
and I know you've thought it through, Sugar, but…
I don't know, man.
Yo, he's all I got left.
I know.
Don't take him from me, man.
Please?
Same deal? Ten cents a pill?
Yeah, yeah. Same deal.
Explain this fucking Fire Sale thing to me again,
in like business terms, 'cause I don't get it.
Business…
The price of fentanyl is down 90% in Ez4 territory.
Well, like, why like this? I mean, nobody's making money.
It's America. Someone somewhere gotta be making money.
You have so many questions, ese.
I don't have to think of a reason for someone to hurt my son. I know it.
It's all because of Fire Sale.
Careful…
…or they'll get you too.
Drug overdose.
My fifth of the day.
They say the city-wide rates are way down, but I don't know.
Seems busier than ever to me.
Why the colored tags?
WTNs.
"Who To Notify."
Green tag means they have survivors that are known and notified.
And a blue tag means unknown.
Unknown like a John Doe?
It means they're dead and there's no one to tell.
But numbers don't lie.
People can.
Where are these numbers coming from?
He's a junkie. A guy like that…
It's just a matter of time.
The guy from the morgue.
Dr. Peter Bruno.
Old habit from your army days?
Marines.
Right. Semper fi.
Always faithful.
Vega and Bruno are in this together.
If all these people are dying, then who's living in those apartments?
I've knocked on 20 doors.
Only two answered.
That's the thing I love the most, is the quiet.
We thought living in an apartment block, there'd be noise all around us.
But it's very peaceful.
Vega floods the market with cheap fentanyl.
When addicts die,
Bruno steals their identities, calls them a success story,
and bills the government for millions in housing contracts.
I could stop this. Stop it all now.
Stop Bruno. Stop Vega.
Save Ji and countless others.
Vega is the tool.
I could break the tool and silence the whole mechanism.
It's clear to me now.
Vega has to be stopped.
Goddamn it, Jessie.
The rules are to protect ourselves as much as anyone else.
We travel universes…
see multitudes.
We experience new sensations in foreign bodies.
But we must stay ourselves.
Mr. Sugar, there is a gentleman here to see you.
Hey, man.
Late night?
Yeah, you too?
Finally figured it out.
I think we need a drink.
I was at a wedding here once.
There's a dance floor out back.
Blastin' Earth Wind and Fire.
It was fun.
You can't hide him forever.
Look, think of what the kid faces.
If he comes forward, I mean, he's got burglary in the second.
He's got possession of controlled substance
with intent to distribute.
Got identity theft,
and he's looking at doing some serious prison time if he talks, which he won't.
On my word. You'll never see him again.
Look, I know, I know, okay?
I've done the math in my head many times.
Let it go, Ray.
I can't risk it, man, I'm sorry.
You're gonna have to tell me where he is.
Okay, so, you're not gonna do that
'cause you got some PI code or whatever the fuck it is.
It's fine. It's fine.
But, you know, a couple days to think about it.
You're gonna tell me.
How many people you think have died because of Fire Sale?
I mean, how many identities erased?
You don't even know, do you?
No, of course not because you're the muscle.
But who do you work for exactly?
I'm not quite there yet.
I have the other one,
Danny Moon.
The fuck?
Guys, come on, the party's over!
Huh?
He hit a security cop at a grab-and-go a few nights back.
I mean, It's not a big deal.
Any two-bit lawyer can get him out in 30 minutes.
The problem is it's late on a Friday night
and the courts don't open till Monday morning.
We try to look out for anybody who's in there
and protect them from any kind of trouble.
But, you know, these days with the economy and the staff cuts, man.
I mean, we just…
We can't be everywhere.
And you could save him a whole bunch of trouble,
but you're not gonna do that, are you?
You're gonna try to think your way out of this.
Well, do it your way.
All right, so…
…why don't we meet Sunday at whatever place you want.
Pick a spot that has coffee.
See you there.
Hey, Ray.
I was in your house tonight.
A few hours ago.
You were watching TV with your dog, and I was right behind you.
Standing right there…
with a gun pointing to your head.
I could have killed you.
Man.
You should've.