Not Exactly How We Planned

[“Big Rich Town” by 50 Cent (featuring Joe) plays during the opening credits of the show.]

[Unknown 50 Cent song plays as images transition between a man getting dressed and the activity in streets. Chatting in the background as James “Ghost” Patrick steps out a black limbo with his wife, Tasha Patrick. They watch as people are trying to get into the club.]

TASHA
Tell me I'm beautiful.

JAMES
You know you are.

BOUNCER
Boss is here.

JAMES
[As him and Tasha walk down an exclusive back hallway] Y'all hear that? The boss is here.

[“Escape - Charity Strike Remix” by 3LAU, Paris & Simo, and Bright Lights plays as they enter the club scene.

JAMES
To Truth!

ALL
Truth! - Whoo!

JAMES
Let me make some rounds. Baby, I'll be back.

TASHA
Where you going?

JAMES
I've got to handle some details.

TASHA
Don't you have people for that?

JAMES
[Laughs and kisses here] It's called "customer service," Tasha. I do this part myself [leaves].

TASHA
Excuse me, more champagne, more vodka, more everything.

LAKEISHA
Mm, wait, wait, hold up. Bring some Henny and bring some Patron.

JOSH
Head count's at four-hundred and it's not even midnight. Fire marshal told us to keep it under three-twenty-five, so if he shows up, we're fucked.

JAMES
[People dancing and cheering] - Place is fucking bananas. You might be worth the risk.

JOSH
I told you, that's all behind me now, and I delivered. This is the best goddamn nightclub opening the whole year. My whole database turned out.

JAMES
Yeah, you know the right people. And it's bangin' tonight, but we stay in business if we keep the music hot, the women hot, and make it damn near impossible to get in this fucking door.

JOSH
Even for my VIP's? Come on.

JAMES
Fuck your VIP's. We gonna redefine the word.

[A red-haired waitress walks around the bar, past James, as she grabs more drinks. “Super Swag” by DJ Godfather (featuring Lil Mz. 313) plays in the background.]

SHAWN
Hey, boss, they want you downstairs.

JAMES
Who wants me?

SHAWN
Tommy. Should I come too?

JAMES
You wait in the car.

TOMMY
You think you can fucking steal from me and then just walk the fuck away?

MIGUEL
I didn't do anything, man! She don't know nothing! Okay, look! Hey, hey, look! Hey, I stole from you. Okay, it was me. Look, please, man. [Sobbing] - Okay, it's not her fault.

TOMMY
[Walks up some steps and points a gun at the girl, lying on the ground with a blindfold over her face] You're right there, Miguel. It's not Maria's fault. It's yours. You have your opportunity to make this right. All you have to do is tell me where you hid my shit.

MIGUEL
I can't. I can't.

TOMMY
He's not listening to me, Maria. [Flips her on her side] Here, you talk to him.

MARIA
[Whimpers] Miguel, dile lo que hiciste con el dinero

JAMES
[Bust through the door] What the fuck is going on?

TOMMY
Ghost, meet Miguel Alvarez and his fiancée Maria. Cruz was driving his route when this motherfucker jumped him, shot him in the head.

JAMES
Cruz, so he got…

TOMMY
The money! A whole day's paper.

JAMES
We get it back?
TOMMY
No. He handed it off before Victor tracked him down. Wasn't enough to kill him. This greedy motherfucker stole Cruz's phone, led us right to his place. Found him in bed with her. Moron thought he was home free, about to have his celebration fuck.

JAMES
Why the fuck would you bring him here? Hmm? It's opening night. I got a full house upstairs.

TOMMY
I thought you'd want to teach this motherfucker a lesson.

JAMES
And the girl?

TOMMY
He needed some persuasion to talk.

JAMES
What? We got to let her go. Tommy, think. This girl has brothers, cousins, someone who gives a fuck about her. You fuck with her, they come running, looking for her.
They come with machetes or they come with guns. Hermanos Tainos, Soldado Nation. People we deal with, or worse, people we don't.

TOMMY
Say good-bye to Maria, Miguel.

MARIA
[Sobbing] Oh, Miguel. [Babbles in Spanish]

MIGUEL
Hey, I'm sorry.

[James begins to take the top half of his suit off]

MARIA
Miguel, por favor. Miguel, baby! Miguel! Miguel!

JAMES
Go home, take a shower. I'll send my man here with you, okay? You give him these clothes. You go to work tomorrow like nothing happened. If somebody ask you, you and Miguelito broke up, understand? Escuchame. You were never here. Entiende? Entiende?
MARIA
Si. Si!
JAMES
You stay with her till she's out of the shower, and then burn her clothes.

MARIA
[Whimpers] Miguel! [Screams]

MIGUEL
Maria! I'm sorry!

MARIA
Miguel!

JAMES
Well, well, here we are, miguelito. Que orienda. You and me: two men who would rather be anywhere but here. Conyo. I know I had other plans. How 'bout you? I know you had a plan, Miguel. You didn't hit my money man by chance. Someone told you where to go, who to hit.

MIGUEL
Man, I ain't gonna tell you shit.

JAMES
[Wrapping up his fist] Mira, mira, mira. We let Maria go.
- [Whimpers] - Tell me who set this up and I'll let you go too.

MIGUEL
I can't. I can't. I can't. Please, man. Please, okay? I swear to God. I swear to God. Oh, God.

JAMES
No hables, we both know how this ends. Neither one of us walks out of here a happy man, huh?

MIGUEL
I don't wanna rat. I don't. [James punches him.]

LAKEISHA
What?

TASHA
Yes.

JOSH
Mrs. St. Patrick. You seen the boss? I want to show him the numbers so far tonight. We're killing it.

TASHA
No, but you can show them to me.

JOSH
I don't know if I'm supposed to do that.

TASHA
You can show them to me.

JOSH
We're having an amazing night. Off the charts.

TASHA
[Clicks tongue] If you say so.

LAKEISHA
He's cute.

JAMES
[Lifts Miguel up.] Your problem is, Miguel, you suffer from a serious case of misplaced loyalty. The men you're protecting sent you out to steal from the wrong motherfuckers tonight. Either they overestimated you or they underestimated us. But they left you hanging out to dry, partna. [Throws Miguel to the ground] Tell me who hired you? And then you can come work for us. Tonight, you sleep in tu cama. You still have a choice, Miguelito. Escoge.
MIGUEL
Si hablo, matan me familia. I’m not afraid to die.

JAMES
And I'm not afraid to kill you. [Gunshot]

MIGUEL
Uhh!

JAMES
Clean that up. I want the shit spotless, like it never fucking happened! [Walks up towards tommy and begins getting dressed] This shit makes no sense. We had nineteen drivers delivering product tonight, right?

TOMMY
Twenty. [?]’s caught a bachelor party, had to stay on to deliver.

JAMES
And this motherfucker here hits Cruz, when he's holding the money from all the day runs? Plus we did that brick drop tonight.

TOMMY
The wholesale shit.

JAMES
Right. So Cruz is carrying today's cash from our whole fucking organization, Tommy. The whole fucking organization. If he gets here twenty minutes later, after he's made the drop at the house, they get nothing. What does that tell you?

TOMMY
Asshole was working with one of our people.

JAMES
What if it's someone who knows our fucking business? Tainos, Rock Street Killahz, Soldado Nation.

TOMMY
Why would they bite the hand that feeds them? They fuck with us, they lose their distro.

JAMES
Because everybody hates middle management, man. Maybe they wanted to go straight to the source.

TOMMY
Shit, none of these guys got the stones to fuck with Lobos directly. Still, the Soldados or Hermanos Tainos wanted to take us down, they'd hit all our people, all at once.

JAMES
Which means we have to take everybody off the street, now. Close the store? We can't afford to get hit again. If one of our people is behind this, we don't know who they're working with. We don't know who to hit back. We can't stand around with our dicks in our hands waiting on the other guy to make his next move.

[Tommy begins to call somone]

MAN
Yo. What's up?

TOMMY
We're canceling Christmas. Shut it all down, now.

[“Jump Up In The Air And Stay There” by Erykah Badu plays, there’s a bachelor party.]

BEST MAN
Just buy enough to keep the girls happy. We got a long night ahead of us.

[Cuts to James on an elevator headed up while he’s getting dressed. Cuts to different dealers around the city getting a text #1 86 at 10:51 PM]

BEST MAN
What?

DEALER
I gotta go.

BEST MAN
Wait, where you going? Wait. Where you going? Dude? I'm the best man. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?

[Cuts to James walking down a back hallway backing into Truth’s main floor]

JAMES
Table 45 was drinking Wataribune Sake. Take that back to the bar, and when you're done, flip the bottles at 72, 68, and 64. They all need to order another round.

HOLLY
I think they're slowing down.

JAMES
Then get them up and out, holly we got people outside who want to give us their money. Go.

TASHA
Oh, my God, I had so much fun.

LAKEISHA
I know, me too, girl.

TASHA
Thanks for coming.

LAKEISHA
All right, babe. Call me later.

TASHA
All right.

LAKEISHA
Okay.

JAMES
Get home safely, Lakeisha.

LAKEISHA
Hi. Thank you.

TASHA
Everything okay?

JAMES
Yeah. You good? Entertaining our guests?

TASHA
It's late, baby. Why don't we go home? You know, we could do a little celebrating of our own.

JAMES
You take the car. Send Shawn back for me.

JAMES
Alex.
ALEX
Yeah.
JAMES
Could you please escort my wife to the door? Night, T. [To Alex] I'm sticking around.

[Tasha walks to the car.]

SHAWN
Going home now, Mrs. St. Patrick?

TASHA
Where else would I go? [“Wings – Black Boots Remix” by Tony Swoon & Taylr Renee plays.]

JAMES
See that, pop? I did it. Your boy did it.

TOMMY
I've been looking all over for you. Everyone got clear. No problems. Nobody tried shit.

JAMES
All the hustling, all the work. From working the corner for Breeze and Kanan. It brought us here. You know, for two knuckleheads that grew up like us, Tommy, to make it in the city, man, ain't no small shit.

TOMMY
We lost 200k tonight, before we closed the store. Plus whatever we lost since. Can we make up for that by selling drinks?

JAMES
The money ain't the real problem.

TOMMY
Fuck that, it's not the real problem.

JAMES
No, the real problem we need to find out who the fuck is behind this. Miguel died tonight to protect them. We need answers. Quick. Especially after we tell Lobos we got hit.

TOMMY
Shit, I say we don't tell him. He ain't gotta know about this. We pay him. Get the fuck out of there.

JAMES
Nah. We gotta get out in front of it, man. Only six months we're working for him. We got no history built. Lobos finds out about this, and we ain't say shit?

TOMMY
It's our ass anyway. We got his product sitting in a goddamn shipping container losing money by the minute. [Phone vibrates]

JAMES
Your mom?

TOMMY
Yeah. She probably can't fucking sleep again. I'm just saying, Lobos sets fire to people.

JAMES
That guy was fucking his sister, man. We gotta give him his money cash.

TOMMY
Yeah. I got half. But it's out at my mother's. I'll bring it tomorrow. Hey, I heard back from drift. That guy over in E. O. He wants to get up with us next week. Talked about buying from us.

JAMES
Nah, we gotta hold off on Jersey. Not till we find out what the fuck's going on. Can't expand under fire.

TOMMY
Hey, yo. You got some fine-ass-looking girls serving drinks in there, by the way. There was this one red hair, tall. What's her name?

JAMES
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Her name is “Don't touch the merchandise, motherfucker.” Don't touch the merchandise, okay? [Laughs] You ever gonna get over that red hair shit?

TOMMY
Probably not.

[James undresses in his three-sided mirror. He stutters at the sight of blood, revealed on his sleeveless shirt, while taking on his button-down. With both shirts off, he stands in the mirror, with the rolled up sleeveless in his right hand, as he looks down at himself. Turns around, heads to his safe, and sticks the shirt in there with his money. ]
[The cellphone alarm goes off and James wakes up to shut if off.]
TASHA
When did you get home?

JAMES
Late. [Exhales]
TASHA
[As she kisses his body] You know, I could help you relax if you let me.

JAMES
Oh, come on, Tash.

TASHA
Let me.

[They both strip naked and have sex. James begins to have flashbacks of the previous night, of murdering Miguel, during the - what was supposed to be an intimate moment.]

TASHA
Come here.
JAMES
I gotta go.

TASHA
What? Where you going? Ah.

ESTELLE
Okay, here.

RAINA
The sun'll come out - tomorrow
TASHA
Good girl.
RAINA
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun
ESTELLE
Raina, what are you doing?

TASHA
She's rehearsing, mom.

RAINA
The auditions for the lower school play in a month, and I want to be prepared.

ESTELLE
I'm talking about your outfit. It's not flattering in your shape, baby. How about that nice dress I bought you?

RAINA
Nobody wears dresses to school, big mama.
JAMES
Daddy's little girly boo-boo.
[Kisses] Morning, Estelle.

ESTELLE
Good morning.

RAINA
We're gonna have a tea party and play with the castle.
[Cell phone rings] Come on.

ESTELL
Sit up here with grandma.

JAMES
Lobos. No, veremos después. Claro.

TARIQ
So I got Spanish homework due Tuesday. Think dad could hook it up?
TASHA
No. You have to do your own work, boy.

TARIQ
How does he know Spanish anyway?

ESTELLE
Yeah, Tasha. How does he know Spanish? I don't know.

TASHA
He learned before we met.

SHAWN
Morning, Mrs. St. Patrick.

TASHA
Hey, Shawn. What's up, Reina? Ah, Tariq, what's up, boy?

TARIQ
When we gonna hoop, Shawn? I've been begging you forever.

TASHA
Boy, leave him alone. Tariq, he's busy. Got a big job now. You want some breakfast? There's more than enough to go around. Go ahead.

SHAWN
Oh. [He checks Tasha out as he bites into a biscuit while reaches into the refrigerator for orange juice.]

ESTELL
Come on, here. Here's your sippy. Here's your sippy. Good girl.

JAMES
Shawn. Son.

TARIQ
What's up, dad?

JAMES
How's that history report? Give me a read later?

TARIQ
Sounds good.

JAMES
All right. Have a good day. [Kisses Raina]

RAINA
You too.

JAMES
Good luck, okay?

TASHA
Okay.

JAMES
Daddy loves you. Mwah.

JAMES
Bye.

TASHA
Bye, baby.

ESTELLE
Good

JAMES
Mwah. [Kisses his youngest daughter.]

TASHA
Keep working on it, okay? - Mm-hmm.

JAMES
Tell your moms I said “hello.”

TOMMY
She's getting worse, you know. She can't be out there all the time. [Cell phone vibrates]

TOMMY
Lobos? Better not be changing the fucking time again. By the way, I'm rethinking this whole "tell Lobos we got hit" idea of yours.

JAMES
It's Kantos. Let's see what he wants. - [Beep] - What's up?

KANTOS
You recognize the name Simon stern? Yeah.

JAMES
The cat that owns Parlay, Verbatim, Syrup.

KANTOS
Yeah, plus, like, five other clubs. He's one of the biggest nightlife investors in New York. His office called. Stern told the page six to write up about truth. Wants to sit down.

JAMES
I got a lot of shit on my plate at the moment. We'll talk later.

KANTOS
It's a big deal. He only talks to the major guys. Look, with stern behind us, we can open up clubs in Miami and Vegas end of next year.

JAMES
I'll call you back, man.

TOMMY
What's his problem now? You know what, never mind. We got real shit to do.

LOBOS
Ghost, Tommy. Good to see you again. You have my money, of course?

LOBO’S MAN
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis

LOBOS
[Lobos kicks him] No en voz! ¿Qué eres, un niño de escuela primaria? Pedro. Pedro, por favor, con eso.
JAMES
It’s all there, Todo.

LOBOS
Todo. [Waits.] Pedro? [Pedro nods in agreement]? Si. Now that the business is out of the way, we can eat and enjoy ourselves, eh? How are things? Just fine.

JAMES
Something you need to know. Hmm? We got hit last night.

LOBOS
So I heard. Did you catch this man?

TOMMY
We got him.

JAMES
He knew who to hit, where and when. So until we know how he got his information, we're exposed.

LOBOS
Oh, so he didn't talk?

TOMMY
Unfortunately for him.

LOBOS
Unfortunately for you. You took your men off the street.

TOMMY
Had to.

JAMES
No choice.

LOBOS
You're losing about $25,000 an hour. It's good to see that you knew enough not to let it affect our pay schedule. When I hired you six months ago to be my New York distributor, you guaranteed me a certain level of professionalism. You told me that the Kings, the Bloods, the DDP, that none of them were worth my time. I believe the exact words were, "They're gangs. And we're a business." Hmm? You also told me that only you could guarantee me a safe and secure pipeline - with no interruptions.

TOMMY
Come on, Lobos. You know in this business, there's no guarantees.

JAMES
We have a plan to fix this situation.

LOBOS
Then you don't have time for lunch. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Anta [Halts Ghost from leaving]. Tommy leaves the room and they converse in Spanish].
Translation:

LOBOS
You know, I checked out. Your name is feared on the streets.. If you get the situation under control you could have your own Cartel one day. Understand.
JAMES
Yes.
LOBOS
You live in the country side, take up watercolors while your men take all the risk. You do business two, three days a year. You don't, I'll have to take my business elsewhere. And then, what use will I have for you?
JAMES
We’ll get it done.
LOBOS
Yes, you will.

JAME
Goodbye, boss

LOBOS
Goodbye Ghost. [Ghost leaves] Call the pilot, we’re not leaving tonight.

JAMES
I'll go see Ruiz. You get Anibal and Rolla, deal?

TOMMY
Yeah.

JAMES
See you tonight. And watch your back.

TOMMY
You too, motherfucker. Full detail, right? Even the trunk?

?
Especially the trunk.

TOMMY
Good. I hate the smell of blood.

[Tommy goes to see Anibal at a cookout.]

ANIBAL
Thomas! [Sends everyone away] Where’s ghost?

TOMMY
He sends his regards

ANIBAL
You play Dominoes?

TOMMY
This is not a social visit, Anibal. We got hit last night.

ANIBAL
My bad, I ain't hear that.

TOMMY
Not a word?

ANIBAL
Nada.

TOMMY
Yeah, well, a score like that somebody will brag about. You’ll hear something. Fifty stakes. Seventy-five if you bring him back alive.

ANIBAL
Means that much to you? If it's one of your men, you can kill him yourself. We just want to watch.

[James meets Ruiz in the park.]

RUIZ
If I knew who ordered it, yeah, they'd be dead already.

JAMES
What? What?

RUIZ
We got hit too. My money guy, same as yours. They shot my boy, Angel. They shot himin the back of the head. Had a baby on the way.

JAMES
That's fucked up.

RUIZ
Okay, look. I know, okay, you work with other crews. But we got to dead this.You have to stop this before it goes any further. I could lend you men, extra protection.

JAMES
Nah, if they know we ride together, I lose trust of the Tainos and Rock Street.

RUIZ
Can’t trust them anyway

JAMES
Tommy and I are neutral. Tu sabes eso, papa. Come on.

RUIZ
Bueno. Maybe there's something else that we could work out.

[Agent Juan Julio Medina watches Lobos in his car from a distance.]

[GHOST’S KITCHEN]

RAINA
It's the lead, uncle Tommy. If I get it, it'll be like a huge deal. 'Cause I'm only in the fifth grade.

TOMMY
I'm sure you got the best singing voice in the whole place, baby girl.

RAINA
When are you gonna stop calling me that? I'm not the baby anymore. Jasmine is.
I was there when you were born.

TOMMY
You'll always be baby girl to me.

ESTELLE
To all of us, baby girl.

TASHA
Tommy, have some more chicken.

TOMMY
Mmm, oh. Mmm. Thanks, T.

TASHA
You know, if you meet a girl who can cook, I bet we'd never see you again.
[
TOMMY
Laughs] No way that'll ever happen. I gotta come over here and school Tariq in Call of Duty.

TARIQ
Yeah, right, uncle Tommy.

JAMES
Yeah, right. ‘Cause you know you're not supposed to be playing those games anyway.

TOMMY
Oh, my bad.

RAINA
Stars for my little star. Keep working hard on that audition.

JAMES
Hey.

RAINA
Wait, daddy. Are these real diamonds?

JAMES
[Laughs] What you think, huh?

TASHA
If you keep this up, you're gonna spoil her rotten.

JAMES
And you don't complain when I do it to you. [Slaps her butt] Fix me a plate, okay? Tommy and I gonna talk in the office. We got work to do.

ESTELLE
Let me see them diamonds, baby girl.

JAMES
Soldado Nation got hit too.

TOMMY
No shit.

JAMES
Ruiz got a full shipment of weapons from his Florida connect last week. Our drivers can have full use till the shit blows over or until we catch the motherfucker. He offered to have his people ride with ours.

TOMMY
Fuck that.

JAMES
Fuck that. The guns, though, that could work. I know you don't like it. Police stop a driver carrying recreational weight and some cash, Tommy, that's one thing. But a gun in the car, you're looking at intent to distribute, plus the weapons charge. Kanan got what 15 years?

TOMMY
You got a better idea? 'Cause we gotta open up the store or Lobos will move on. Not to mention our people are off the clock, and our customers will find new places to cop.

JAMES
Let's say we find the motherfucker. And it is one of Anibal's people or Rock Street Killahz or whoever.Then what?

TOMMY
Then it's on. Then we take down the whole fucking crew. We show them. We show everybody. You can't fuck with us, like the old days before Kanan went inside.

JAMES
We were young then. Mobile. I got too much shit going on now to go into hiding.
The kids. The club.

TOMMY
Oh, wait, so now the club dictates what we do with the real business instead of the other way around? And we opened up the laundromats to clean the money. I was fine with that. But then you said, "let's open up a nightclub. So we can hide even more.” So I agreed to hide the money. Period.

JAMES
What if there could be more than that though, man? What if it's our retirement plan?

TOMMY
You mean we grow up, go legit, live happily ever after? [Laughs] I'm sor - [Laughing]. We've been hustling together our whole lives. I love this shit and so do you. Focus up. I say we take Ruiz up on his offer. We put the boys back on the street, and if anyone steps, they light that motherfucker up. Agreed?

JAMES
Yeah.

TOMMY
We'll go out and get the guns from Ruiz tonight. I'll set it up. Go without me. Take Julio. I gotta handle a few things at the club. You want a place to clean our money long-term, it's gotta stay open, right?

TOMMY
Now that's the motherfucking hustler I know talking.

[Tasha and Ghost’s bathroom.]

JAMES
I'll see you at the club later. I'm going now. Gotta make sure everything's settled for tonight.

TASHA
Can't that new white boy do that? You pay him enough.

JAMES
It's a business, baby. It needs attention 24/7.

TASHA
So do I. Ghost, what's up? You and Tommy behind closed doors, you running around with this club.
We okay?

JAMES
When we met, what'd you think I was gonna be? Hmm?

TASHA
The biggest goddamn drug dealer in New York City.
JAMES
You never thought about more?

TASHA
What more? You talking about the club as more? I saw the money you made last night. That's not more, it's less. You are the best at what you do. We have everything. I just want it to stay this way. What?

JAMES
When you come to the club tonight, you need to look like you own the place, not like you trying to get in for free. Wear that purple dress I got you last month. But, baby, I like this dress. I'll send Shawn back, give you time to change.

[“Ohh Shh” plays by Chris Lake and then switches to “Own It” by Mack Wilds]

TASHA
Have you seen my husband?

GUARD
Anybody got eyes on the boss? The boss is prepping the DJ now. I'll take you upstairs.

TASHA
I know where he'll get to me a little sooner. Hey. Mwah.

JAMES
What's up?

KANTOS
The DJ brought backup dancers who are not in the contract.

JAMES
Well, we got extra spotlights on hand? We could find them. Have the guys put them up.

JAMES
[Spots Angie from a balcony and heads downstairs.] Angie!

ANGELA
Jamie

JAMES
Angela Valdes. How long has it been?

ANGELA
I don't know. Almost, Jesus, 18 years.
JAMES
You look the same.

ANGELA
[Laughs] Well, that's proof we've gotten older. Your eyesight's going.

JAMES
[Laughs] My eyes work just fine. What have you been doing?

ANGELA
For 18 years? Not sure there's a short answer.
Choate, college, law school…

JAMES
law school? Okay, big-time.

ANGELA
Stop it. I'm still the same "round the way" girl I always was.

JAMES
Same girl, huh? Not exactly. I don't remember that dress.

ANGELA
Well, I don't remember that suit either, uptown. What have you been up to, Jamie? What have you been doing all these years?

GUARD
Boss, the new DJ's gonna start.

ANGELA
Wait, did he just call you "boss"?

JAMES
I own this place.

GUARD
Kantos said he needs to talk to you now.

JAMES
All right. Um - Sorry, I gotta - You got a nightclub to run.

ANGELA
I get it. You deserve this crown we got it sewn up because we own it it was good to see you.

ANGELA
You too.

[They give each other a big hug]

JAMES
Okay. [Walks away and then comes back] You know what, give me your number. I ain’t gonna let you get away that easy. I’ll call you.

ANGELA
Okay

KANTOS
Mrs. St. Patrick, you're not leaving, are you? The new DJ starts in a few minutes, and I'm sure the boss wants you to be here.

TASHA
Shawn, meet me out front. I'm leaving. [“I’m Good” by Lenisha Nelson is playing when Tasha enters the backseat of the car. Tasha rolls down the driver/passenger partition window in the limo. She puts on a show for Shawn.]

RUIZ
Quien es todo?

PONCHO
Yeah big shipment this time. Esto limpio

RUIZ
Bueno.
NOMAR
We're really giving this away for free?
RUIZ
This time. When we get there, you stay in the car. Me and Poncho will handle the drop.

NOMAR
I set up the meeting with the guy you asked.

RUIZ
Good.

LILIANA
Papi. Can I go to the movies with Rocio and Lara tomorrow after school Be home by dinner, so I can take you to your mom's, okay?

LILIAN
Alright

RUIZ
Now get inside before you catch a cold

LILIAN
Okay, Pa.

RUIZ
Vamonos. Let's go, we're late.

JAMES
Julio tell them to check the guns?
TOMMY
First thing I said to him. Think it bothers them they don't know who they're working for?
JAMES
You think the fry cook at burger king knows the fucking CEO? They wouldn't know that motherfucker if he walked in and asked for extra ketchup. Don't forget.

TOMMY
One of these people might be the reason Cruz got jumped in the first place. Yeah, well, let's hope he or she is afraid to get shot.

JAMES
We'll know soon enough.

TOMMY
Our soldiers are strapped now. We should be too. All this shit going on, how am I gonna explain to Tasha I let you run around with no piece?

JAMES
Let's get 'em out on the street. Time to make the doughnuts.

ANGELA
Not bad for 18 years later. Greg.

GREG
Hey, sleepyhead. You missed our run this morning. When you didn't show up and you didn't answer your cell, I thought maybe something was wrong.
ANGELA
Shit. Sorry.

GREG
Got here and you were in the shower, so I thought I'd grab breakfast.

ANGELA
Greg, I thought we said the key was just for emergencies. Which this could've been. This just feels a little - you don't need to check on me.

GREG
Come on, Angela, I think most women would be happy to know that someone's looking out for them.

ANGELA
You're right. I'm sorry. You just startled me is all. Thank you.

GREG
[Phone vibrates] I gotta go. See you later.

JAMES
Angela Valdes came into the club last night.

TOMMY
From high school? Wow. What's that?

JAMES
Eighteen years.

TOMMY
How'd she look?

JAMES
Mm.

TOMMY
That good, huh? She married now, she got kids?

JAMES
No ring, didn't say nothing about kids.

TOMMY
You tell her about yours?

JAMES
Well, we didn't talk that long.

TOMMY
Oh, shit.

JAMES
What's that supposed to mean?

TOMMY
What that means is what are you thinking about doing? When that girl moved away, she seriously fucked you up. I was there, remember?

JAMES
Aw, come on. That was a long time ago.

TOMMY
Well, Tasha's a good woman, man. You ain't never fucked around on her before. Why do you want to go sniffing around pussy from high school?

JAMES
Tommy, first of all, I can't believe you starting some shit about monogamy. You got more bitches than a goddamn pound, but second, I know me and Tasha got a good thing. I'm not trying to fuck that up. It's just got me thinking, you know, about the road not traveled, that's all.

TOMMY
"The road not traveled"? You are a rich, successful motherfucker. What more do you want?

JAMES
I want to see how Angela turned out.

TOMMY
No, you already saw how she turned out. Anything else is just you trying to heal wounds from childhood.

JAMES
You gotta stop watching that Dr. Phil shit.

TOMMY
That man knows what he's talking about.

JAMES
Shut up.

TOMMY
Sit down. You shut up.

JAMES
No, shut up. So long, motherfucker.

TOMMY
You didn't ask about that thing we did the other night.

JAMES
You clean it up like I said? Then there ain't nothing to ask about. What, you think I forgot?

TOMMY
Yeah, I do.

JAMES
Get the fuck out of here.

LAKEISHA
Can I borrow this?

TASHA
No way, girl. That's new. But the Gucci, you can have that.

LAKEISHA
Damn, girl. Ghost keeps you laced. Yo, I don't care. I'll take your hand-me-downs as long as you're giving them out. So this is what happily ever after looks like. You hit the lottery, girl. Niggas ain't getting married like that, and certainly not rich niggas.

TASHA
He wasn't rich when I met him. Hmm. You know, Keisha, clothes and bags are nice, but there are some things about ghost you can't see.

LAKEISHA
You don't gotta play modest with me, Tasha.

TASHA
I'm not playing modest.

LAKEISHA
I'm not gonna die of jealousy over here, especially if you're through with these boots. Hold up, what size you wear again? You know I don't get all this European shit.

TASHA
[Cell phone chimes, vibrates] Hey, baby.

JAMES
You out shopping with Lakeisha yet?

TASHA
We're still at the house.

JAMES
Good. I got something in the oven I need you to take out the oven. Tasha, you heard me? I need you to take it out before it burns.

TASHA
Yes, I'm on it.

JAMES
Yeah. [Hans up]

TASHA
Thank you, baby. Okay, I'll see you tonight. [Hangs up] What was that? He left me some extra money to go shopping. I'll just go get it. I'll be right back.

LAKEISHA
You see what I mean? You hit the motherfucking lottery. Damn.

ANGELA
Hello?

JAMES
Angela.

ANGELA
-Jamie?

JAMES
You surprised I called? I told you I wasn't gonna let you get away again, and I meant it. Come have lunch with me.

ANGELA
I can't. I have a presentation in front of my whole office today.

JAMES
Yeah, and if I know you, you've been studying on that shit for weeks.

JAMES
Come on, girl. You gotta eat.

ANGELA
Where?

LOBOS
Are you sure this is the place?

JAVIER
Yes, his man said he would be here.

LOBOS
You can’t afford another mistake Javier. As it is, you’re lucky you have another other…Talents. Excuse me. You are Carlos “Vibora” Ruiz

RUIZ
Felipe Lobos I thought you were a bedtime story.

LOBOS
Aren’t you a cliché

RUIZ
You said you are having problems with your current distributors

LOBOS
He is not as reliable as I was led to believe.

RUIZ
So you call Puerto Ricans? You’re the first Mexican I’ve known to do that. Forgive my surprise.

LOBOS
I do business with niggers. At least you and I speak the same language. I don’t care who your mother fucked. I want to make money.

RUIZ
Bueno. Should we make business then?

LOBOS
Bueno.

[Hip-hop music playing from headphones and a pick up is made.]

ANGELA
New York's so different now. Citi bikes, no cars in Times Square. White people living uptown.

JAMES
[Laughter] You been gone a minute.

ANGELA
Mm. You finally got your nightclub. Your dad would've been proud.

JAMES
I told you about my father's nightclub? He lost the place before we met. I didn't remember I told you that.

ANGELA
I think we told each other everything back then.

JAMES
Hmm.

ANGELA
The last time we had lunch, I'm pretty sure there was no linen tablecloths.

JAMES
I don't think we had chairs.

JAMES
We grabbed a slice at the counter at Ray's on Sutphin.

ANGELA
You kept refilling your coke. The manager was giving you that evil-ass look. You kept going.

JAMES
The sign said, "free refills. I was trying to get you to stay longer.

ANGELA
I almost missed my train.

JAMES
That was the idea. That was the idea.

ANGELA
Choate was the opportunity of a lifetime. But that doesn't mean it was easy to go. Jamie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left the way I did.

ANGELA
Your parents made you go.

JAMES
But I didn't fight them. You said you'd be back for Christmas.

ANGELA
My family moved to Sunnyside after I left.

JAMES
I had the same number. But you were just [Whoosh] Gone. And then when my pops died, I thought then, at least, you would reach out.

ANGELA
I should've been there for you. But I just knew that if I called, if I heard your voice, I would go back.
I would've dropped everything for you. Everything my parents worked for, everything I'd worked for So I made a choice.

JAMES
I wouldn't have asked you to come back. You didn't belong in the hood.

ANGELA
Neither did you.

JAMES
Ah.

ANGELA
But now we're both out, just like we always planned.

JAMES
Not exactly how we planned.

ANGELA
Oh, shit.

JAMES
What?

ANGELA
I gotta go.
JAMES
Now?

ANGELA
I gotta get back to the office.

JAMES
All right.

ANGELA
Thanks for lunch.

JAMES
Mm-hmm.

ANGELA
Mmm. Hey…you still remember the Spanish I taught you

JAMES
Un poquito. Chinchi

ANGELA
Bye.

JAMES
When can we do this again?

ANGELA
I'll call you.

TOMMY
Don't fill out the total.

KANTOS
Why not?

TOMMY
I'm gonna confirm your count at the bank. I'll take that.

KANTOS
Every club I've ever managed, I always do the deposit.

TOMMY
There's a first time for everything. Deposit slip?

KANTOS
I already signed it. Want a fresh one?

TOMMY
Nah, I'm sure yours will turn out fine. Look, we hired you for your contacts, not your reputation.

KANTOS
Hey, about that boss never told me how you found out about that.

TOMMY
None of your fucking business how we know. As long as you work for us, this is how it goes. We don't have a problem, do we?

KANTOS
No, we don't.

FRANKIE
[Laughs] Was just about to send out a search party for you. You're never late.

ANGELA
I know. Sorry. Lunch ran long. Frankie, I know you went out on a limb for me. I'm not gonna blow it.

FRANKIE
If you do, it's both our asses.

SAXE
Congrats on the promotion, Valdes.

ANGELA
Thanks, Saxe. You're on this now?

GREAG
Just got assigned. If I request reassignment, they're gonna ask why.

FRANKIE
I'm Francesca Lavarro, chief of criminal division along with my deputy, A.U.S.A. Angela Valdes. I'll be leading this task force. Our goal is the prosecution of one of the most notorious drug traffickers in our hemisphere, Mexican national Felipe Lobos. Lobos's brutality and vicious nature are well documented. For everyone's safety, please remember the task force is top secret. And no one, not even your families, can know the name of the target of this investigation. Agent medina, can you please bring everybody up to speed on Lobos's movements in New York this week?

MEDINA
Lobos landed at Teterboro airport on Tuesday. Once a year, he comes to New York to meet with his banker and his American attorneys. Now, he did make those meetings, but I followed him to a third, to meet this man Carlos "Vibora" Ruiz. Leader of the due loco set of the Soldado Nation Gang.
We learned that, one, Lobos has one single distributor for his product in New York City. Two, he's not entirely happy with his distributor. And three, soldado nation and Ruiz are too low-rent for Lobos.
They're not organized enough to distribute his product. And he was not shy in telling Mr. Ruiz he did not give a fuck!

ANGELA
[Laughter] We have permission from the Mexican government to detain and prosecute Mr. Lobos if we can build a compelling case against him.

FRANKIE
We can't touch him unless we know we can put him in jail.

ANGELA
Who can give us the names, places, and dates we need to convict Lobos? His New York distributor. Unfortunately we have no idea who that is. We do have a profile of the type of criminal we're looking for. He's a highly organized individual with an established network in place. He already knows how to move money through the system, is violent enough to control his territory, but still has something to lose something Lobos can threaten to keep him in line. So why is Lobos looking to replace him? What could've gone wrong? There must be some element out of his control. [Pink Sneakers attempts to kill one of the carriers] Whatever the reason, this problem between Lobos and his local guy is exactly what we need to exploit, because the man we're looking for is in grave danger from Lobos and from us.
We can give him a way out, but only if he decides to take it.

JAMES
[Cell phone vibrates] Tommy, what's up? I'm on my way.