​The Wire - The Target lyrics

*The episode opens at the scene of a murder, with red and blue flashing against the dark backdrop of the West Baltimore at night.* [McNulty] *To witness* So, your boy's name is what? [Witness] Snot. [McNulty] You called the guy Snot? [Witness] Snotboogie, yeah. [McNulty] "Snotboogie"... He like the name? [Witness] What? [McNulty] Snotboogie. This kid whose mama went to the trouble of christening him Omar lsaiah Betts? You know, he forgets his jacket so his nose starts running, and some a**hole instead of giving him a Kleenex, he calls him "Snot." So, he's "Snot" forever. Doesn't seem fair. [Witness] Life just be that way, I guess. [McNulty] So who shot Snot? [Witness] I ain't going to no court. Motherf**er ain't have to put no cap in him though. [McNulty] Definitely not. [Witness] He could've just whipped his a**, like we always whip his a**. [McNulty] I agree with you. [Witness] He gonna k** Snot. Snot been doing the same sh** since I don't know how long. k** a man over some bullsh**. I'm saying, every Friday night in the alley behind the cut-rate, we rolling bones, you know? All the boys from around the way, we roll till late. [McNulty] Alley crap game, right? [Witness] And like every time, Snot, he'd fade a few shooters. Play it out till the pot's deep. Then he'd snatch and run. [McNulty] Every time? [Witness] Couldn't help hisself. [McNulty] Let me understand you. Every Friday night, you and your boys would shoot crap, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snotboogie he'd wait till there was cash on the ground, then grab the money and run away? You let him do that? [Witness] We catch him and beat his a**. But ain't nobody ever go past that. [McNulty] I gotta ask you. If every time Snotboogie would grab the money and run away why'd you even let him in the game? [Witness] What? [McNulty] If Snotboogie always stole the money, why'd you let him play? [Witness] Got to. This America, man. Detectives Moreland and McNulty arrive at the Baltimore courthouse. [McNulty] *To Bunk* Guess what he says. [Detective "Bunk" Moreland] What? [McNulty] "Gotta let him play, this America." [Bunk] No f**ing way. [McNulty] Would I make it up? [Bunk] He give you the shooter? [McNulty] Three Newports and a Grape Nehi he's grand juried. It's down, Bunk. *To security guard* Barksdale's in Court 12, right? [Guard] Huh? [McNulty] Project murder, Westside. [Guard] Which one, now? [McNulty] Nevermind. *To Bunk* Gonna sit in on it for a bit. Where you gonna be? [Bunk] I'm gonna drop this off on Nathan, then I'm going to the office. [McNulty] Don't answer no phones, Bunk. [Bunk] Yeah, yeah. McNulty enters Court 12, with Judge Phelan currently proceeding over D'Angelo Barksdale's murder trial. [Prosecutor] *To William Gant* And is that your signature on that photo array card? [William Gant] Yes. [Prosecutor] And those are your initials as well, next to the photo you identified? [William Gant] Yes. [Prosecutor] Mr. Gant, do you see the man you identified from that photo array card sitting in the courtroom today? [William Gant] He's right there. [Prosecutor] For the record, the witness has identified the defendant D'Angelo Barksdale. Your witness. [Defense] Thank you. Just one question, Mr. Gant, have you ever seen this young man before the day in question? [William Gant] No. [Defense] No further questions, your honor. [Judge Phelan] You're excused, Mr. Gant. Call your next witness. [Prosecutor] State calls Nakeisha Lyles, Your Honor. Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? [Nakeisha Lyles] I do. [Prosecutor] Ma'am, can you state your name, please? [Nakeisha Lyles] Nakeisha Lyles. [Prosecutor] And are you employed? [Nakeisha Lyles] Yes, I am. [Prosecutor] And what is your occupation, Ms. Lyles? [Nakeisha Lyles] I'm a security guard. [Prosecutor] And were you employed as a security guard on May 4, the day of the shooting? What were your duties on that date? [Nakeisha Lyles] I was in the booth of 221. [Prosecutor] And is that the guard booth in the lobby of the Fremont Avenue high-rise? [Nakeisha Lyles] Yes. [Prosecutor] And you're behind bullet-proof gla**, with a clear view of the lobby? [Nakeisha Lyles] Yeah. [Prosecutor] Good. Now, Ms. Lyles, I know this may be difficult for you but can you tell us what you saw? [Nakeisha Lyles] A man, you know, he was waiting for the elevator and when another man just starts beating on him and like, the one man, he got knocked down-- [Prosecutor] The victim got knocked down? [Nakeisha Lyles] No, the man with the gun. The man who was knocked down had a gun. [Prosecutor] And do you see that man in the courtroom today? [Nakeisha Lyles] Nope. [Prosecutor] Excuse me? [Nakeisha Lyles] He ain't here. [Prosecutor] You don't...You testified... Ms. Lyles, do you remember when Detective Barlow showed you this photo array? [Nakeisha Lyles] Yeah. [Prosecutor] Good. I call your attention to your initials which identify this photo as the man who shot Mr. Blanchard. Did you write your initials above that photograph? [Nakeisha Lyles] He ain't the one that did the shooting. [Prosecutor] But you identified him. [Nakeisha Lyles] That's cause he looked like the boy that did it. See, the one that did it, I saw him come in the building a week later. [Prosecutor] You saw someone else you thought did the shooting? [Nakeisha Lyles] Right, a week later. [Prosecutor] Ms. Lyles, when you spoke with the detectives you never said anything about-- [Nakeisha Lyles] I tried. I called Detective...Yeah, Detective Barlow on May 13th at 2:00. But he didn't call me back. [McNulty] *To Stringer Bell* Nicely done. [Prosecutor] You called Detective Barlow? [Nakeisha Lyles] Yeah, twice. Yeah, I wrote it down in the log. McNulty enters the back offices of the court to find Detective Barlow on the phone. [Detective Frank Barlow] I need a price for pressure-treated. [Man on the phone] $14. [Barlow] That's the price that you were going to quote me? Do you feel that, Mikey, do you feel it? Cause I swear to God that is my f**ing dick in your ear. [McNulty] That's nice. [Barlow] Hang on, you f**ing thief. *To McNulty* What's up? [McNulty] You been down the hall lately? [Barlow] What? [McNulty] Your case just hit the wall. Barksdale's crew, they turned it. [Barlow] Two eyewitnesses and a statement. No f**ing way, pal. *To person on the phone* You listen to me, you little sh**, there is no way in hell I am paying that. Back on the street of West Baltimore, police carry out a small time buy-bust [Snitch] You use my goddamn car to chauffeur that dusty b**h around. [Detective Kima Greggs] Yo, ease up. [Snitch] You don't understand. I did it for that man and he do this. [Greggs] Getting heated ain't gonna help. [Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk] Greggs, what's your bird saying? [Gregs] It ain't what she says. [Herc] Yeah? What do you say? [Greggs] I say we wait, sh**head. [Snitch] That's him. [Greggs] All right, easy, girl. Yo, Herc, you got that? [Herc] Yeah, we see. [Greggs] Are the uniforms on the horn? [Herc] They're on hold. [Snitch] That's Ghost. [Greggs] All right, good, Tiff. Now tell me what I'm seeing, girl. [Snitch] He gonna get little Mike. [Greggs] Then what? [Snitch] Mike come back with the money. [Greggs] Wait on the drop, take the car when it's deep in the block. I don't want no foot chase. [Herc] Copy. [Herc] The driver's mine. Get the house on the left. [Officers] Get down. Get on the ground. Get up. Put your hands behind your head. Get your hands up. [Herc] Shut the engine. [Carver] Get that motherf**er around the corner. [Herc] Hand the keys out. Drop the keys out of the car. Drop them now. Get out of the car. Get down right here, right here. [Carver] Pa**enger, put your hands out of the car window. Both hands out of the car window. Use your right hand, open up the car door. Slowly. Step out of the car. Down on the ground. [Snitch] That's it, take his a** to jail. [Herc] You got him, Carv? [Carver] I got him. [Herc] Look at this sh**. [Carver] Cross your legs. [Herc] Look at this. [Snitch] You see what he did? Do you see what he did? Why he throw the gun on my car? sh** gonna scratch the paint. [Greggs] Stay in the car. [Snitch] Tell him to leave my car be. [Greggs] Stay in the f**ing car. [Snitch] That sh** just ain't right. [Herc] Whatcha doing with something like that? What you got here? [Carver] You should've seen the way this b**h was looking at me, Kima. [Herc] Ugly little f**er almost sh** his pants he was so scared. [Carver] Right? [Greggs] Two guns, remember? Two? [Carver] It's all good, Kima, ease up. McNulty and Barlow return to Court 12 to hear the jury's decision in the case of D'Angelo Barksdale vs. the State. [Madame Forelady] All rise. Court 12 of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City is now in session. [Judge Phelan] Be seated. Madame Forelady, you have a unanimous verdict? [Madame Forelady] As to the defendant D'Angelo Barksdale how say you to the charge of murder in the first degree? [Juror] Not guilty. [Madame Forelady] How say you to the charge of murder in the second degree? [Juror] Not guilty. [Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice] Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. [Judge Phelan] Be seated. [Wee-Bay] It's you, daddy, yeah, that's right. [McNulty] At least you made them work for it. [Judge Phelan] Be seated. The jury is to be thanked for its services in this case. Deputies will return defendant Barksdale to pre-trial for processing prior to his release. [Barlow] *To Stringer Bell* Think I give a f**? I'll be chalking you off one night. ["Stringer" Bell] You have a nice day. [Wee-Bay] Yo, Stringer, let's go. **McNulty leaving the court** [Madame Forelady] Detective? Detective. Judge asked to speak with you. Cut to Detective McNulty sitting in the Judge's corridors. [Judge Phelan] What the hell happened out there? [McNulty] We lost. [Judge Phelan] Were you on this? [McNulty] The case? [Judge Phelan] Yeah. [McNulty] No, it was Barlow, with an a**ist from McLarney. [Judge Phelan] If it was Barlow's case, why are you in court? [McNulty] No reason. [Judge Phelan] You just like coming to court on murders you don't even work? Just for the thrill of it? When you start cumming with the customers it's time to get out of the business. [McNulty] You shouldn't talk dirty now that you're a judge. [Judge Phelan] Now that I'm a judge, I can say anything I damn please. [McNulty] That Barksdale kid, he's a cousin to Avon Barksdale. [Judge Phelan] Who? [McNulty] Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell. The crew that's been running Franklin Terrace for a year. [Judge Phelan] Stringer Bell? [McNulty] That was him in court with the legal pad and the gla**es scaring the living sh** out of every witness. Him and the rest of his crew, Wee-Bey, Savino, Stinkum. [Judge Phelan] I saw them. [McNulty] You think about clearing the court? [Judge Phelan] On what basis? It's an open court in a free nation of laws. [McNulty] I thought it was Baltimore. Barksdale has five out of seven towers in the Terrace. That's 10 stairwells in five high-rises, going 24l7 for dope and coke. And that's just the towers. The low-rises, the avenue corners, they're all his, too. [Judge Phelan] How do you know this? [McNulty] Everybody knows it. [Judge Phelan] Define "everybody". [McNulty] Everybody on the Westside. Barksdale and Bell, they're the new power. I mean, they've dropped Beat three cases in court doing the same thing they just did. [Judge Phelan] Who's working on them? [McNulty] In the department? Nobody, really. We're a little busy doing street rips, you know, community policing and all that. [Judge Phelan] So, if it's not your case, why do you care? [McNulty] Who said I did? Camera cuts to BPD's Narcotics Division [Herc] One more time. [Carver] Stop playing. [Greggs] f** me. You got submission numbers for the ECU? [Herc] Nope. [Greggs] Get them. [Herc] Why me? [Greggs] You want the collar, do the submissions. [Herc] You giving me the start? [Greggs] It's your turn. [Herc] What's the extension for ECU? [Carver] Do I look like your b**h? [Lt. Cedric Daniels] We taking the Mercedes? [Greggs] No, I promised my girl. Car's in her name. [Carver] Narcotics. Lieutenant. Line 2. [Herc] Here you go. [Greggs] f** me, I cannot type. [Carver] Who the f** can? Millennium been and gone and we still f**ing around with Smith-Corona. [Herc] We need to get them computers hooked up. They promised to train us a year ago. [Carver] What would an a**-ignorant motherf**er like you do with a computer? [Herc] I don't know, trade stocks and sh**. [Greggs] Jerk off, you mean. [Carver] We get them computers hooked up, Herc'll be deep into some p**n and Kima'll still be bangin' out her 24s on that old piece of sh**. [Lt. Daniels] Gotta go upstairs. [Greggs] What's up? [Lt. Daniels] Deputy's throwing some kinda piss-fit. [Greggs] Major know? [Lt. Daniels] He's up there now. [Carver] With a mouthful of piss, probably. [Herc] Like our major don't know what that tastes like? It's the chain-of-command, baby, the sh** always rolls downhill. [Carver] Motherf**er, we talking about piss. [Herc] Piss does too, think about it. [Carver] sh** rolls, piss trickles. [Herc] Downhill, though. [Carver] You don't know that for sure-- [Greggs] Not to change the subject on you two charmers but why are there only two ECU numbers? [Herc] Dope and guns. [Greggs] Two guns, right? That's three. [Herc] f** it, Kima. You want a job done right, you gotta do it your own self. [Carver] He means that we are an effective deterrent on the war on d** when we are on the street. [Herc] f**ing motherf**ers up, right? [Carver] Indeed. [Herc] f** the paperwork. Collect bodies, split heads. Split them wide. [Herc] The Western District way. [Greggs] All right. You heroic motherf**ers k** me. Fighting the war on d** one brutality case at a time. Girl, you can't even call this sh** a war. [Herc] Why not? [Carver] Wars end. You gonna write that down? McNulty meets up with Bunk at a crime scene [McNulty] How happy am I to see my pager go off with your call number? [Det. "Bunk" Moreland] Smoke 'em if you got 'em because this motherf**er is as ripe as they get. [McNulty] We aren't up, Nolan's squad is up. [Bunk] I know. [McNulty] But you had to answer the f**ing phone. [Bunk] Got to pay down my credit cards. [McNulty] Not off him, you ain't. I leave you alone for a minute, what do you do? [Bunk] All right, I heard you. [McNulty] Say the words, Bunk. [Bunk] Come on, man. [McNulty] Speak to me. [Bunk] So, you gonna cut and run on the Bunk? That sh** ain't right, Jimmy. All right, then, this is my case. My file. This sh** comes back a murder you ain't gotta do sh** but stand there and laugh at me. You happy now, you b**h? [McNulty] This'll teach you to give a f** when it ain't your turn. [Bunk] It ain't even gonna be a murder. This motherf**er probably came in here to take a sh** and just fell out. I bet there ain't nothing to it. [McNulty] You hope. [Bunk] Where you going? [McNulty] Back to the office, where I belong. [Bunk] You mouldering motherf**er. Don't even think about coming back a murder. Don't even think of that sh**. Lt. Daniels and Major Valchek leaving a debriefing with the Deputy Ops. [Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek] By tomorrow, Lieutenant. Don't fail me. **Valcheck exits scene** [Greggs] Major's pissed. [Lt. Daniels] He should be. He didn't have answers for the deputy's questions. [Greggs] About what? [Lt. Daniels] Avon Barksdale. [Greggs] Who? [Lt. Daniels] That's what I said. [Greggs] Who the f** is Avon Barksdale? [Lt. Daniels] According to the right honorable Judge Phelan a Westside player who apparently indulges in the occasional murder. Now, as of today, I never heard of Mr. Barksdale but by tomorrow. [Greggs] All right, what do we know? [Lt. Daniels] According to the judge, he has the Westside high-rises. The Terrace, mostly. [Greggs] Sounds like a bunch of bullsh** to me. [Lt. Daniels] Maybe so. [Greggs] It's gotta be tonight? [Lt. Daniels] Major wants it filed by morning. Call Andrews at DEA. See what they have on this mope. [Greggs] What about Homicide? if the guy's doing murders-- [Lt. Daniels] Homicide major was in the same meeting. His people will be scrambling to get something on paper, too. I doubt they'll be willing to share, but you can try. [Greggs] Barksdale, Avon. Got a DOB? Camera cuts to BPD Homicide office. McNulty walks in and is met by his Sergeant, Jay Landsman [McNulty] Hey Jay. [Sgt. Jay Landsman] Where the f** you been all day? [McNulty] Drinking, crack smoking. Whoring myself on the streets of Baltimore. [Jay] Okay. Just so you have an excuse. But your f** of a partner picked up the phone, caught a call. [McNulty] Yeah, I saw him out there. [Jay] Yeah, what'd he get? [McNulty] Decomp in a vacant apartment. [Jay] f**. Nolan's squad was up, that one should be theirs. [McNulty] It's a decomp. Maybe it comes back a natural d**h. [Jay] You think? [McNulty] In the Poe Homes, no f**ing way. [Jay] Hold up. Major wants to talk to you before you roll out. [McNulty] What about? [Jay] f** should I know, I'm only your sergeant. McNulty enters the office of Major William Rawls [Major Rawls] Sit the f** down, Detective. [McNulty] Something wrong? [Major Rawls] Put your a** in the chair. You see these, McNulty, you see them? These are for you. These are for you for as long as it takes me to get even. [McNulty] Major, what-- [Major Rawls] Don't "Major" me, you backstabbing, smarta** piece of sh**. What the f** you doing over at the courthouse anyway? Why the f** are you talking to some sh**bag judge? These are for you, McNulty. This one over here is going up your narrow f**ing lrish a**. And this bad boy over here is in your f**ing eye. I'm upstairs answering questions about some project n******g I never heard of who's supposedly beat my unit out of 10 murders. [McNulty] Three. They only beat three in court. [Major Rawls] I got the deputy asking about 10. [McNulty] No, they did 10, we only charged them with three. [Major Rawls] You're full of sh**. [McNulty] Sir, you can check the files. Maurice Scroggins, Toreen Boyd, Roland Leggett. The girl they found in the stairwell in Saratoga Collette something or other. I mean, Major, these guys are real. They beat me up on the Gerard Bogue case just like they did Barlow. [Major Rawls] Scroggins? I don't have an H-file on Scroggins. [McNulty] He was last year, summer. Two in the back of the head, low-rise courtyard. [Major Rawls] Let me understand something. You are having the deputy bust my balls over a prior-year case? Is this what I need from you, you insubordinate little f**? [McNulty] Major, look, I'm really sorry. Phelan, he and I, we go back a little, you know? He wanted to know what I know about the crew in his court. [Major Rawls] I had to go upstairs knowing nothing and explain to the deputy why he's getting calls about murders that don't mean a sh** to anybody. [McNulty] Look, sir, this judge, he f**s me up. He asks me a question and I answer it. I didn't know he was gonna call anybody. [Major Rawls] You have my attention, Detective. My complete, undivided attention. [McNulty] Yes, sir. [Major Rawls] Where you going? [McNulty] I'm 8:00-to-4:00. [Major Rawls] No. You're typing. [McNulty] Sir? [Major Rawls] Deputy wants a report on his desk at 0800. [McNulty] A report? [Major Rawls] Clean, no typos. Make it look right, then put my name on it. [McNulty] Do you want to reference all the murders? Or should I soft-pedal that? [Major Rawls] f**ing horse is out the barn door, right? Let's try not to make me look stupid twice. And when you list the cases, put a little dot next to each one. Deputy likes dots. [McNulty] I'm sorry, Major, really. [D'Angelo Barksdale] n***as crazy in there, yo. Eastside, Westside, everybody beefing. [Wee-Bey] You ain't got no problem, right? [D'Angelo Barksdale] Oh hell nah, we deep in there. Y'all deep down at the courthouse, too. Sitting there, I didn't know what the f** would happen. I'm wondering how y'all gonna make it happen for me, you know? Slick what y'all did with that security lady though. That sh** was tight, yo. [Wee-Bay] Let's walk. What's the rule? [D'Angelo Barksdale] I know the rule. [Wee-Bay] Say it. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Don't talk in the car. Or on the phone or in any place that ain't ours. Don't say sh** to anybody who ain't us. But it was just you. It's your f**ing truck. *Pause* Don't talk in the car. [Stringer] What about Marcel? [Avon Barksdale] No, I ain't inviting Marcel. [Stringer] You want him out? [Avon Barksdale] I really don't give a sh** what you do. Actually, no. Go down there and make that motherf**er pay for his drinks. The bum. [D'Angelo Barksdale] How you doing? [Patron] What's up, Dee, good to see you. [D'Angelo] What up, man? [Stringer] Yo, you remember the cop that tried to pin Gerard on little Kevin? [Avon Barksdale] Which one? [Stringer] White detective, black hair. The one that was knocking on all the doors. [Avon Barksdale] What about him? [Stringer] He showed up in court to watch. [Avon Barksdale] Word? [Wee-Bay] What are you talking to that motherf**er for? Damn, Dee. [Avon Barksdale] He say anything? [Stringer] No, just sat in the back. [Stringer] Yo, what up, money? [Wee-Bay] What you got? [Stringer] Come on, I got something for you. [Avon Barksdale] You must feel good. [D'Angelo] You know how that go. [Avon Barksdale] Say what? [D'Angelo] I'm saying, you know, jail ain't no joke. [Avon Barksdale] I don't know sh** about jail. I don't plan on knowing sh** about jail, you feel me? You wanna talk about jail though, you can go sit down next to Marcel. He just got home. [D'Angelo] True, you right. [Avon Barksdale] Sit your a** down. [D'Angelo] I know it ain't go so good. But that n***a, Pooh, he caught me off guard. He came at me like he was crazy. [Avon Barksdale] So you shoot the motherf**er? [D'Angelo] I'm saying, it was him or me. [Avon Barksdale] You in our building. You got people on both stairs. You got more motherf**ing people out in the court. And you got a gun. So, what I'm trying to figure out is how the f** you end up shooting this n***a in front of the security booth with all them people? [D'Angelo] I'm saying, this n***a was coming at me - like he was trying to end me. [Avon Barksdale] This ain't about him. It's about you. You can't play him out of that lobby. You can't take a beating neither. So, the first thing you do, you get all emotional you pull your gun out, you do some dumb sh** that now we got to work around. [D'Angelo] I know. [Avon Barksdale] You ain't said one motherf**ing thing I want to hear. [D'Angelo] You right. I mean, I gotta start thinking more. You be saying that all the time and you right. But I'm saying though unc, I mean the sh** y'all pulled with that security lady. It was tight. I mean, that state lawyer...I ain't never seen a white woman turn so red. You should've been there. [Avon Barksdale] Yo, man, you family, okay? But that sh** cost money. It cost time and money. You gonna make that right? [D'Angelo] Most def, you gonna see. When I get back to the tower, I'm gonna push them n***as. [Avon Barksdale] All right. Come here. Don't walk out of here like that. You family, all right? [D'Angelo] All right. [Avon Barksdale] You know it's always love. [D'Angelo] Yeah. [Detective Cole] Type quieter. [Bunk] You didn't have to wait up, love. [McNulty] Your boy have a heart attack? [Bunk] No, I went that way but Doc Frazier didn't bite when this popped up. [McNulty] You're seriously f**ed. [Bunk] Speaking of f**ed, why are you here? [McNulty] I did bad, Bunk. It wasn't my fault. Really. Judge Phelan pulled me up when the jury let the Barksdale kid go. Him being a judge and all, I let go of some sh**. [Bunk] He raise a stink? [McNulty] Major got busted by the Deputy Ops and I gotta have a report by morning. [Bunk] There you go, giving a f** when it ain't your turn to give a f**. [Sgt. Jay Landsman] Look at them, Cole. Don't it make your dick bust concrete to be in the same room with two noble, selfless public servants? I know I'm proud. **To Bunk** Tell me you put this one down. [McNulty] Of course not. [Jay] Of course your partner here has to go over to the courthouse and lay our business out in front of a judge. [McNulty] So, you heard? [Jay] Major calls me at home, says I should get in early read over your shoulder. [McNulty] It's got dots. Deputy loves dots. [Jay] f** you and your dots. [McNulty] All I did was answer the guy's questions. He's a f**ing judge. [Jay] And the Deputy's the f**ing Deputy. And he, not the judge has what's left of your besh**ted career in his hot little hands. He says so you're walking foot in the Western tomorrow. [McNulty] f** it, I came from Western. [Jay] Where don't you want to go, a**hole? Evidence Control? Personnel? Headquarter Security? [McNulty] The boat. [Bunk] The marine unit? [McNulty] Yeah, those diesel fumes, they make me feel seasick. [Jay] That's good, keep it up. I'll go this against $10, you're riding the boat, midnight shift. [Bunk] Listen to the man, Jimmy. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Yo, Stringer. [Stringer] You here early. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Yeah, I'm on my game today. Eggy put out testers? [Stringer] Uh-huh. D... New deal today. You going out on point, picking up business in the Pit. [D'Angelo Barksdale] What? [Stringer] You the man in the low-rises. [D'Angelo Barksdale] The low-rises? You got Ronnie Mo in the Pit. [Stringer] Ronnie Mo got 851 this morning. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Why you gonna put me in the low-rises when I had a tower since summer? [Stringer] Yeah, you had a tower. And you might have a tower again if you can keep your mind to sh**. [D'Angelo Barksdale] This is f**ed up. [Stringer] You show us you can run the Pit, and you'll be back uptown soon enough. [D'Angelo Barksdale] My uncle know about this? [Stringer] What do you think? Yo, Bey. [Wee-Bey] Yo. [Stringer] Give little cousin here a ride down the way. [Major Raymond Foerster] Have your people deal with Daniels. [Major Rawls] Right. [Major Foerster] You gonna send your man McNulty? Tell him about chain-of-command. [Major Rawls] Tell him yourself, he's dead to me. [Bodie Broadus] Yo, you looking for Ronnie Mo, he uptown. [D'Angelo Barksdale] I know. [Bodie Broadus] You Dee, right? [Wallace] Wasn't you in the towers? [D'Angelo Barksdale] Yeah. [Wallace] Why they put you down here, yo? You mess with the count or something? [D'Angelo Barksdale] I k**ed a n***a. [Background] Last call on green top, last call. [Lt. Daniels] Major? [Major Foerster] Counting what we got from the DEA, how much do we have on this guy? Lieutenant, in my hand, I'm holding how many pages? [Lt. Daniels] Four, sir. [Major Foerster] Rawls had a f**ing phone book. [Lt. Daniels] What can I tell you, they got 10 open murder files. If we had 10 shots at him, we'd have more than a fat file. [Major Foerster] I said that upstairs. [Lt. Daniels] They can't put this guy down for a murder, so they're getting us to do their work. [Major Foerster] Not getting us, they got us. They got you, in fact. [Lt. Daniels] Excuse me, sir? [Major Foerster] Dawson has the York and Cator case, that leaves you. [Lt. Daniels] sh**. [Major Foerster] Look, set something up with Homicide and whoever else you want from your squads. [Lt. Daniels] State's Attorney? [Major Foerster] Yeah, we should call them, too. f**ing sh**storm. **Leaves Office..** [Carver] Lieutenant, line 3. Deputy Ops. [Bubbles] Here we go. Close that for me. [Johnny Weeks] What's the coffee do? [Bubbles] Give it that money feel, so it don't seem so white. [Johnny Weeks] Yeah. [Bubbles] Leastways, you got it on both sides this time. All right, give me the real. [Johnny Weeks] Wait, why are we gonna use real money? [Bubbles] We're not burning no Lemmon Street chumps here. Feel me? [Johnny Weeks] I'm down. [Bubbles] You down? Johnny's down. [Bubbles] You got that gig. Can I get a one-on-one? [Bodie] Yo, Poot. [D'Angelo] Yo, Wallace. This the way Ronnie Mo set it up? Yeah. [D'Angelo] Man, this is f**ed up. Look, you can't serve your customers straight up after taking they money. Somebody snapping pictures, they got the whole damn thing. See what I'm saying? You get paid you send they a** off around the building, yo. Then you serve. All right? We gotta start tightening up, man. No more shortcuts. [Bodie] What's your count? [Wallace] I'm up $270. [Bodie] You want to count it. I mean, I don't know how you do sh** up in the towers, but down here, you want to count it. [D'Angelo] sh**. Y'all n***as been burnt. [Wallace] Huh? [D'Angelo] That's what you got to say? This look like money, motherf**er? Money be green. Money feel like money. That sh** look green to you? [Bodie] It got a dead f**ing president on it. [D'Angelo] I don't give a f** about the president. That sh** ain't money. He ain't no president. [Bodie] What you mean? [Wallace] Hamilton. He ain't no president. [D'Angelo] n***a, is you crazy? Ain't no ugly-a** white man get his face on no legal motherf**ing tender except he president. This sh** happen again, you off the money. You hear me? You ain't even gonna be serving no more. Your a** be out on the bottom end of Vine street s**ing on a 40, yelling "5-0". You hear me? Get the f** out of here. [Bodie] That it? [Bubbles] You need to pace that sh**, man. Johnny, man, you hear me? [Johnny Weeks] I'm cool. [Bubbles] No, man, you gonna fall out slamming that sh** like that one of these days, boy. Yo, man, I'm trying to give you a little game, man but you want to pretend like you know something. [Johnny Weeks] I know a lot, Bubbs. [Bubbles] No, you green. I'm trying to get you brown, man but you still green. [Johnny Weeks] You gonna make me brown? Yo, Bubbs? Let me do the scam tomorrow. Come on, man, I'm ready. Yo, I'm brown. [Bubbles] sh**, man, you ain't even f**ing beige. [Deputy of Operations Burrell] Buy-busts. [Lt. Daniels] Yes, sir. [Burrell] No long surveillances, no Kel recorders, no DNRs. I want to get in and out as quickly as possible. [Lt. Daniels] That makes sense. [Burrell] Phelan isn't just a judge, he's a political entity. If he asks for something, I want to give it to him. [Lt. Daniels] Why is he asking about this Barksdale? [Burrell] He watched his state's attorney get beat up in his court this week. Lost a murder case. [Lt. Daniels] We lose cases all the time. [Burrell] But a judge happens to be asking about this one. Who you using? Lead detective? [Lt. Daniels] Greggs, she's my best right now. [Burrell] I know her? [Lt. Daniels] CID for four months. Came over from Eastern DEU. Who's Homicide sending? [Burrell] That's up to Major Rawls. I wouldn't be surprised if you get McNulty. You know McNulty? [Lt. Daniels] Not really. [Burrell] He's the one who mouthed off to the judge in the first place. [Lt. Daniels] He talked to the judge? [Burrell] Yeah, that's my understanding. So, if he comes over on this, watch your back. You need anything, you ask me. I'll give you all the help I can. But no surprises. [Lt. Daniels] Yes, sir. [Burrell] Keep me briefed. [McNulty] Hi, McNulty, City Homicide. [Receptionist] Is anyone expecting you? [McNulty] Yeah, Special Agent Fitzhugh, Squad 5. He's expecting me, can I -- [Receptionist] Not without an escort. [McNulty] All right. [Receptionist] Agent Fitzhugh to the front. [McNulty] Fitz. [Agent Fitzhugh] Brother. [McNulty] She can spot a bad one. [Agent Fitzhugh] Nothing personal, Jimmy. You know how they are with security nowadays. [McNulty] I know how they are with locals, yeah. So, what's up, g-man? [Agent Fitzhugh] Good stuff. [McNulty] Yeah? [Agent Fitzhugh] Your man gave us a hell of a case. Comes to informants, Jimmy, you can pick 'em. He's one of the better Cl's I've ever worked. [McNulty] You up on a wire? [Agent Fitzhugh] That and more. [Suspects] So, like, he be talking like he got some type of record deal, you know? Man, please. That n***a. The p**y has you. [McNulty] Jesus Christ. [Agent Fitzhugh] Pretty f**ing great, huh? [McNulty] How'd you get this on tape? [Agent Fitzhugh] That's not tape. That's live, brother. [McNulty] That's live? [Agent Fitzhugh] Live from a three-story walkup on Homer Avenue in the bottoms of Pimlico. [McNulty] This is going on right now? [Agent Fitzhugh] As we speak. [McNulty] How? [Agent Fitzhugh] Fiber-optic lensing. Camera's behind a hole in the drywall. So small it looks like a nail might've made it. [McNulty] Where's the mic? These motherf**ers sound great. [Agent Fitzhugh] Two remotes behind the baseboard heating ducts. That's about $3,000 of raw on the table today. We followed it all the way from New York. [McNulty] You're up in New York on this? [Agent Fitzhugh] We could be. We're backing into some Dominicans up there. We could have a Title IX on them right now if we wanted. Wrong war, brother. Most of the squad's been transferred to counterterrorism. This thing's the last drug case we got pending and I gotta shut it down by the end of the month. [McNulty] You guys are getting out of d**? [Agent Fitzhugh] Yeah, for a while. We just don't have the manpower to stay on anything big. Not since those towers fell. [McNulty] What, we don't have enough love in our hearts for two wars? Joke's on us, huh? [Agent Fitzhugh] I guess so. Still and all, you give great case, brother. I wish you could've worked it with us. [Dealer] Got some Tech Nine over here, over here, Tech Nine. [Wallace] That's it, here's $20, hook it up. [Addict] Two and two. [Wallace] Hold up. What? [Addict] Just two and two. Come on, man, I ain't got time for this. I gave you $20, man. [Wallace] You gave me $20? [Johnny Weeks] One and a short three. [Wallace] So you get, two-- -$7. Hold up. [Addict] I get $7 back. [Johnny] Come on, man. [Wallace] Calm down. Hold up, hold up, you f**ing me up. Chill out. You dropping sh** on the ground? Hold up. [Addict] I ain't got all day. Come on, man, it's easy. [Wallace] Let's rewind, man. [Bodie] What the f** is you doing? Look at this sh**. Look, n***a. That's the motherf**er right there. [Wallace] Who? [Bodie] The white boy right there. Poot, grab that motherf**er. The white boy. Hold up, man. Stop that white motherf**er. Yeah, motherf**er, yeah, n***a. f** that. [Johnny] What are you doing, man? Calm down, man. [Bodie] Making me run, what the f** is wrong with you? [Johnny] What, man, why you f**ing with me? sh**. [Bodie] This the motherf**er right here with the make-believe money. Seen his a** drop it and sh**. [Johnny] Wasn't me. [Bodie] Motherf**er. It was this n***a, I saw him. Get the f** up. [Johnny] All right, listen, I'm sorry. [Bodie] f** that. What we need to do is, motherf**er burned us for $30. We need to take him to Franklin Ave and throw his a** right onto the motherf**ing expressway. [Johnny] All right, listen, I'm f**ing sorry. I f**ed up, man. [D'Angelo Barksdale] What you got on you? [Johnny] Just the $10 I dropped, man, the real one. [Bodie] What's up? [D'Angelo Barksdale] f** it. [Bodie] Hell, yeah. [Lt. Daniels] For now, we'll work out of Narcotics, with Kima keeping the file. We'll copy everything to Ronnie at the courthouse and your people. [Det. Santangelo] Fine with us. [Lt. Daniels] McNulty and Santangelo will work on the open murders see if anything can be manufactured. Kima and my people will do hand-to-hand stuff in the Terrace. Buy-bust, quick and dirty. We put years over top of some of these people, we'll roll a few. [McNulty] You're not gonna get Avon Barksdale or Stringer Bell or anyone else above the street, not on street rips. [Lt. Daniels] You don't know that. [McNulty] These guys are good. They're deep and organized. They've got everyone running scared. [Lt. Daniels] What do you suggest? [McNulty] Surveillance teams, DNRs, a**et investigation. Keep gathering string till we can find a way in. Either a wired CI or a Title Ill. That's what makes this case. [Lt. Daniels] Is that what you told the judge? [McNulty] Okay, so I'm an a**hole for that. But I'm right about this much. [Lt. Daniels] No mics, no wires. We do this fast and clean and simple. [McNulty] Then you don't do it at all. [Prosecutor] Seems to me you all could've had this fight before calling the State's Attorney's office. [McNulty] Let me ask you something. What do we know about Avon Barksdale? What do we know? The guy's owned all of Franklin Terrace for a year. What do we have on him right now? A DOB? A sheet? A B of I photo? We don't even have a f**ing photo of the guy. [Santangelo] Gimme a break, Jimmy. Two days ago no one on this f**ing floor knew this mope's name. Now he's some kinda criminal mastermind. [Det. Herc] sh**, I say we go down to the Terrace and f** some people up. [Prosecutor] You all don't need a prosecutor, you need a f**ing referee. When you know how you're playing this, give a yell. [Lt. Daniels] We know how we're playing it. My people are going down to do some hand-to-hands. Detectives McNulty and Santangelo are going to the hall to review old murder files and try to manufacture a fresh prosecution. As things heat up, I'll go to the deputy and get us more manpower but this case is not going to sprawl. A month from now, we're all gonna be back at our day jobs. [Prosecutor] Fine. Bring me your hand-to-hands. Anything on the murders, you can take to Ellen Nathan in violent crimes. I'll clue her in. Anything else? [Lt. Daniels] One last thing: No one does anything at all on the street without me knowing about it first. Chain-of-command, Detective. That's how we do things down this end of the hall. [Bunk] If she's f**ing you on visitation, take her a** to court. [McNulty] Not that simple, Bunk. Judge gives me three weekends out of four, I still need her to cooperate. You know, move it around so when I have to work through a weekend, she switches with me. The judge gives me three weekends but no flex I still lose. [Bunk] You two can't talk this through? [McNulty] No. [Bunk] How is it you always got the whole world pissed off at you? [McNulty] You know Daniels? [Bunk] Narcotics? What about him? [McNulty] He's running this detail. [Bunk] Watch your a** then. [McNulty] He a snake? No, he ain't that. But he's a company man. You know, a prospect. Grapevine says the next district to open up is his. [McNulty] Shortlist for major? [Bunk] He's black, he's still young, he hasn't pissed anybody off. sh**, he even has a law degree. [McNulty] No sh**. [Bunk] University of Baltimore, but still, you know. [McNulty] He's gonna f** this Barksdale thing up. [Bunk] How's that? [McNulty] Buy-bust? He's pissing in the wind. [Bunk] You already f**ed it up, Jimmy. You made it happen. [McNulty] I feel like that motherf**er at the end of Bridge On The River Kwai. What the f** did I do? [Bunk] The bridge of what? [McNulty] You ain't seen that movie? I am f**ed. f**ed is me. [Bunk] God damn it, you gonna make me go another round. Two more. [Stringer] It's all in the game. [D'Angelo Barksdale] I'm saying it was only a couple dollars. [Stringer] It ain't the money. [D'Angelo Barksdale] But we f**ed him up so bad. [Stringer] It's the message, Dee. You can't show no weakness. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Still, I'm saying. [Stringer] What? [D'Angelo Barksdale] String. [Prostitute] You ain't touched that drink. You want some company? [D'Angelo Barksdale] I ain't no john. [Prostitute] Good, cause I ain't no who*e. [D'Angelo Barksdale] I'm not a regular, okay? I work for Stringer. [Prostitute] He pay you, don't he? Come on, buy me a drink. [D'Angelo Barksdale] How much? [Prostitute] $20. I drink slow. [D'Angelo Barksdale] Maybe another time. [Prostitute] Buy me a drink, honey? [Customer] How about you buy me a drink? [Prostitute] Carla. One here. [Det. Greggs] Where you at? [Gregg's Girlfriend] Where you think? [Greggs] You late for work? [Gregg's Girlfriend] A little. How much you got left? [Greggs] Girl, please. Ten pages and all the footnotes. [Gregg's Girlfriend] When's it due? [Greggs] Tomorrow, beginning of cla**. [Gregg's Girlfriend] Long night for you. [Greggs] Long night for me. [Gregg's Girlfriend] I'll make sure and pick up some coffee. [Bunk] So, I drive all the way down to Liberty Road at 2:00 in the damn morning, on a midnight shift I got two murders and a police shooting going down, to do what? To get a goddamn mouse out of my wife's bedroom closet. Can you imagine that sh**? [McNulty] So what did you do? [Bunk] What the f** you think? I got the mouse out as fast as I could and drove back to work. Couldn't do nothing else. Nadine out of her f**ing mind over this little-a** field mouse. She's up on the chair and sh** when I come like some goddamn cartoon. [McNulty] I mean, how'd you catch the mouse? [Bunk] Catch him? I lit his a** up. [McNulty] You shot the mouse? With your nine? [Bunk] First shot k**ed my wife's dress shoe. Got him with the second. What? [McNulty] You shot a mouse with your service weapon? [Bunk] Yeah. [McNulty] What'd you do with the carca**? [Bunk] I cleaned it up, you know. I thought about leaving that little motherf**er as a warning to the others. f** me. It's 3:30 in the morning. I'm supposed to be early relief. Jimmy, man, I gotta change my clothes at least, come on. [McNulty] I'm gonna do this case. [Bunk] What? [McNulty] I'm gonna do this case the way it should be done. [Bunk] It's a buy-bust, Jimmy, get in and get out. [McNulty] f** that. [Bunk] Jimmy. Let's call it a night. [Greggs] Hi, Bubbs. Thought you was still locked up. [Bubbles] Nope. [Greggs] How long you been home? [Bubbles] It's been three months. [Greggs] You don't write, you don't call. Who's he? [Bubbles] A friend. [Greggs] Is he gonna make it? [Bubbles] You still working d**? [Greggs] Downtown, yeah. [Bubbles] I got something for you. [Sgt. Jay Landsman] Last call. [Bunk] f**. [Jay] Found body. 200, Block Amity. [Bunk] I'm a little thin today, boss. [Jay] The whole squad's a little thin, remember? We're down a man since your partner got himself detailed. [Bunk] Yeah. I got it. Jesus. [Bunk] How you doing, Bobby? [Officer] Bunk, what's going on, man? We got one or two shots to the head. No witnesses, no suspects. You got a .380 casing on the ground there. [Bunk] Buddy, do me a favor, bag that for me? So, who called it in? [Officer] No one. 21 Post found him. It's a William Gant, 42, no, 43 years old address on Schroeder. [Bunk] You got pictures? [Officer] Yeah, we got them. [Bunk] Okay, let's roll him. **Flashback** [Prosecutor] Mr. Gant, do you see the man you identified sitting in the courtroom today? [William Gant] He's right there.