Almost Paradise (2020) s01e01 Episode Script

- (MUSIC PLAYING) - (GUN HAMMER CLICKS) (GUNSHOT) WOMAN: As a federal employee applying for Code 776 retirement benefits, which is a job-specific disability, you are required to have scheduled therapy sessions and medical examinations to qualify.
But you can still officially sign off for me, right? So I can get my checks? Assuming you make weekly appointments here for evaluations.
I figure with an American presence on the base, I might as well fulfill my requirements here.
180 over 90.
Is that my good blood pressure or my bad blood pressure? It's not cholesterol, Alex.
There's only one blood pressure and it's too high.
Your blood test shows that you stopped taking your ACE inhibitors and vasodilators.
I Googled "vasodilator".
Three words came up.
"Sexual side effects".
Unh-uh.
If you don't take them, with your level of hypertension, - your heart will become enlarged.
- I know.
- A ticking time bomb.
- No, there's no ticking.
Just boom.
Heart failure.
And trust me, that's worse than penis failure.
(SCOFFS) Your opinion.
I want you to wear this for a while.
The alarm goes off if your blood pressure rises above 180 or if your heart rate goes past 170.
- (BEEPING) - I don't think I - This is your hypertension journal.
- (BEEPING CONTINUES) Whenever the monitor goes off, take a reading and record it.
Okay.
All right.
Use it to monitor the things that cause you stress, then avoid them.
Well, that's why I'm here, Doc.
15 years ago, one of my assignments took me to a little isolated beach on this island.
No TVs.
No phones.
I always thought it would be a great place to retire.
So, I sold what little I had and I bought myself a gift shop.
(LAUGHS) No stress.
No drama.
Just peace and quiet.
(MUSIC PLAYING) - This the Paradise Hotel? - Paradise Resort.
Paradise Resort? Hey, man, I don't I don't think this is the right place.
Last time I was here, it was just a bunch of thatched huts on the beach.
Lots of construction.
Best resort in Pacific.
Guests come from all over world.
I don't under I don't understand.
I thought I bought the gift shop outright.
You buy gift shop and apartment.
Hotel own the land it sits on.
- I manage.
- You This is not how I remembered it.
You'll fix.
No problem! This shop give you lots of money! - So much money! - (CRASHING) You fix, no problem.
Your apartment in back.
Water and electricity, get from hotel.
You pay twice a month.
You late, I cut off.
So don't be late.
- (GROANS) - Oh! You fix, no problem.
(BEEPING) (BEEPING CONTINUES) (MOTORCYCLE ENGINE REVVING) This is how we roll in Manila.
You guys ready? Remember, I do all the talking, all right? - Teo! - Gentlemen.
- My man! - Welcome.
- What can I offer you to drink? - Uh, well, - do you have an Old Rock? - Old Rock? - Yeah.
- Excellent choice.
- This way.
- I'll take Hennessy.
Grab a glass.
So this hunk of ice is 10,000 years old.
We sawed it off a glacier on our last trip to Greenland.
So I hear you're the man to speak to about local protection, - distribution, and storage.
- Hold it, hold it, Teo.
You know what? These boys, they're now working for the Manila boys.
- Hmm.
- And on this island, that means me, hmm? - Me.
- Hmm.
(SQUELCHING) And now you're affiliated with me.
You will provide me with local protection and access for my product before transshipment to the United States.
Anyone else want an Old Rock? (MUSIC PLAYING) 790 pesos.
Hey, sweetheart, can I get a Jim Beam neat? Or a beer.
Beer would be just fine.
Hey.
(BEEPING) Look away.
This has nothing to do with you.
And I was really starting to like this place.
Hey, guys.
How are you? Listen, anybody up for a game of Snooker? Hey, Amboy, shove off.
We're busy.
Where's all this mabuhay I've been hearing so much about? - You new here, bitch? - Easy, Lodi.
Yeah, easy, Lodi.
You're starting to sweat.
That vein on your forehead is starting to pulsate.
Your left hand's twitching, your breathing's erratic.
I'd say your blood pressure's, what, 180 over 90? I didn't understand what you said.
But what I did hear was your heart about to come out of your chest.
You may be on your way to a coronary or even an aneurism.
You don't want to die today, do you? - Freeze! Police! - Police! A friend at the American embassy got me this.
Apparently he's spent more time under deep cover than anyone else in the Bureau.
Two years attached to Operation Eradication in the Golden Triangle, Mexico, Colombia.
A year and a half in Spain doing, uh, God knows what.
Apparently, he's some sort of a legend.
What's a U.
S.
Drug Enforcement special agent doing here? Ex-special agent.
He went loco.
They gave him a 776.
Means they kicked him out.
Agent Walker.
What are you It's a hypertension journal.
Lots to log.
Why didn't you tell Detective Mendoza and the other detectives that you were a U.
S.
DEA agent? Could've been my nerves, 'cause they were yelling at me.
You broke up a sting operation we've been working on for three months.
You were about to be killed, all right? I made your partner as an undercover soon as he walked in the door.
Trust me, I didn't want to get involved, okay? But when I saw the hitter sit behind you in the booth they were there to kill him, not to sell to him.
You sure of that? Go check the bald guy's jacket.
Left pocket, garrote wire.
In the right pocket's a hunting knife.
Garrote wire? I've never seen anybody around here using a garrote.
That's impressive.
How would you like to work with our department? We don't need any help from outsiders.
She's right, and I can't.
Man, you've read my jacket.
I got issues.
Look, I'm sorry that I busted up your play.
From what I've read, you have a unique set of skills and experience that our local department doesn't have.
We could use your assistance.
(BEEPING) She's good.
She's great, all right? She fooled me.
She could handle this.
You don't need me, okay? You made a mess out of this case.
Now you have to fix it.
Doctor's orders, you know? I look WOMAN ON RECORDING: Breathe in deeply.
You are alive.
Breathe out, let go.
Breathe in, grateful.
The sun warms you.
Breathe out.
Relax.
Breathe in, fullness.
All will be well.
Breathe out.
Relax.
You're dead now, DEA.
(STRAINS) Dude, are you kidding me? I just got the trim right! (GROWLS) Somebody just tried to kill me.
Agent Walker, please have a seat.
I don't want a seat.
I don't want a seat! I want to know why I almost had to wear an ascot for the rest of my life! Somehow word gets out there's an ex-DEA agent on the island? - Are you suggesting that - Unbelievable, man.
You would risk my life to force me to help you.
What kind of a monster do you think I am? - How many kinds you got? - (LAUGHS) But you bring up a good point.
Our problem has become yours as well.
Now until we wrap this all up, you're in danger.
Now, we can offer to keep you locked up to protect you, or Or I can help you solve this case.
It's really up to you.
Six gang-related shootings and three dead from overdose in the last four months ever since "frost" hit the streets.
It's a synthetic heroin derivative cut with speed.
Makes crack look like aspirin.
We've now learned that the Manila Boys have infiltrated and recruited two local gangs for distribution.
Kobe Rodriguez did six years in Quezon City for drug peddling and assault.
He arrived on the island two months ago, dropped off the radar two weeks ago.
We find him, we choke off the frost pipeline to the island.
- It's crap.
- Excuse me? Oh, I'm sorry.
It's this heart monitor.
It's a piece of crap.
I mean, and it works great, but it's designed to look like a Maccata.
Problem is, that says "Made in China".
Maccata is an American brand.
You see, to sell these puppies, they make it look and sound like it's homegrown.
It's not.
It's from the far east.
Now if Joe Schmo finds out where they're made, that drives the prices down, limiting sales and inviting unwanted competition.
I'm so glad you're paying attention.
This has the look and feel of a local gang operation trafficking outside of Manila.
It's not.
It's fake.
These drugs are intended for the United States.
- You got all this from your watch? - You said it yourself, frost is a synthetic heroin.
Now, Asia, they have the ability to manufacture synthetics in legitimate drug factories.
Right? Smuggle it out illegally before the officials even knew it was part of the infrastructure.
I'd say the ingredients were smuggled on the island and cooked right here.
Helps develop the drug and finance production.
And they ship it off to Los Angeles, Seattle dispersed across the States.
So couldn't Kobe Rodriguez still be in charge of all this? My attacker had a pistol.
Instead of shooting me, he tried to garrote me.
These guys are trying to make a statement under orders of their new boss.
- And who is that? - An operation like this can only come from one of three places China, Taiwan, or Malaysia.
Triads they don't have time.
They're not about to risk coming to some high-profile resort island on the Philippines.
So you got Taiwan and you got Malaysia.
All you gotta do is figure out which one.
Oh, and by the way, I'm always paying attention.
Guys, guys.
If it's already an established drug house, why don't you just go up and knock on the front door? Might I remind you that you're only here to observe and advise? So if you got something useful to say, say it.
Oh, all right.
Okay.
Didn't mean to offend you.
Stakeouts are a very important information gathering tool.
What's up with Silent Bob here? Does he ever talk? - When I have something to say.
- Hey, man.
They're moving.
- This is the best car you could find? - What? It's nondescript.
That's the problem.
It screams nondescript.
Does it offend your fragile sense of masculinity? Yeah, but that's not the point.
The point is never appear like you're trying not to be noticed, right? This is a resort island, man.
People come here, they want to feel special.
They want to be noticed.
You know who doesn't want to be noticed? Criminals and undercover cops.
And when you're surveilling, you don't want to look like either one.
Rule number one, forget you're a cop.
Forget you're a cop.
How could that go wrong? Bingo.
- They making a drop? - Up, up, up.
Right there.
Malaysian flag.
Pretty sure that boat didn't sail in from Quezon City.
- Gang of Four? - Yeah.
We're up against some pretty bad guys.
They're leaving.
Should we follow them? No.
- We get on that boat.
- Okay, let's go.
Let's do it.
Hey.
Whoa, whoa, hey.
Hey, boat's this way.
We're going to a judge.
We're going to get a warrant.
- We're going to do this right.
- You want to do it ri All right, let's do it right.
All right.
I gotta go I gotta pee.
Uh, where's the head at? Right there.
Okay.
Sorry, guys.
I apologize.
I gotta pee.
I'll be back.
(SIGHS) Ooh, I love it when people are prompt.
What do I see here? Very nice.
Good job, gentlemen.
Very good.
Unh-uh, unh-uh.
I got it.
That's a lot of money.
Who the hell are you? Who, me? I'm just the guy you've been trying to kill.
Guys, seriously.
Put the guns down, huh? Violence never solved anything.
Well, I guess in your line of work sometimes it does, doesn't it? - Where's he going? - ERNESTO: Do you think he's on the boat? - I bet my badge on it.
- So we just wait for him.
He said look like you want to be noticed.
That's exactly what I'm going to do.
Oh, whoa.
Ooh-hoo.
(RADIO FEEDBACK) WALKER: Not true about you guys eating dogs, is it? I'm only asking because I was hoping you'd be serving lunch.
You have 30 seconds to convince me not to kill you.
Kill me? You're going to want to kiss me.
- We're going into business together.
- Business.
Really? - Yeah.
- Now what kind of business would I be doing - with an American DEA agent? - Ex-DEA.
Ex.
- I've gone rogue.
- Really? Why would you do that? - Hypertension.
- Hmm.
So now you're a criminal.
Fifteen years I've been in the weeds, watching guys like you get richer and richer.
Guys like me only get beaten, broken.
For what? You know, for nothing.
I've been on the losing end of this drug war for way too long.
Okay, so, what? You're the Benedict Arnold of the U.
S.
drug enforcement.
I like to think of myself more like, and I'm not a fan, LeBron James, you know? I take my talents to the best fit.
LeBron James? That's a good one.
You know, you earned yourself another 30 seconds.
Sell me.
Supply and demand, right? You can make great quantities of supply, but it's going to cost you a fortune to reach the demand.
That's were I come in.
I ain't the only soldier that realized that this war on drugs was a joke.
I got a network, current and former DEA agents at the highest level that can move your stuff into the U.
S.
, make officials look the other way when your cargo hits the dock.
Gentlemen, I am your free pass to the American market.
- Sounds expensive.
- Yeah, but here's the best part.
You don't pay me.
I pay you.
- You pay me? - I told you, we're on the same side, okay? Now, I don't want to work for you, I want to work with you.
Me and my guys, we know all the players.
We know how to reach the demand.
- We need access to your supply.
- So you buy drugs from me, - sell to the U.
S.
- Yeah.
Okay, and how are you getting all this money? Money comes from your competitors.
- How so? - Seized mountains of money, cash, in evidence lockers.
Lockers that I got access to.
Okay, if you're really an ex-DEA agent, what were you doing in the beerhouse? Man, I was trying to contact you! I've been trying to get ahold of you, man, but then you send your errand boys in there.
They're getting ready to kill a couple undercover cops.
I had to do something, all right? I want to work with you, I do, but not if every cop on this island has a personal vendetta to bring you down.
It's too hot.
Too much heat, even for me.
How soon can you get your hands on the cash? How about tomorrow? Two million sound like a good start? - We should have a drink to seal the deal.
- Now you're talking.
So, this hunk of ice is 10,000 years old.
The purest substance on Earth.
- Gracias, amigo.
- De nada.
Ahh Now I want you to see what happened to the last man who disappointed me.
Say hello to Kobe Rodriguez.
Now you won't be disappointing me, right? Whoa, man.
You're surprisingly strong.
- Pilates.
- Ah.
Tell me why I shouldn't arrest you right now.
Because tomorrow when he buys $2 million worth of drugs from me, you guys are going to close the biggest case of your career.
By the way, where are we supposed to get the $2 million in cash? I got to think of everything? Yes.
All of those places.
Oh, Agent Zivic, this is Detective Mendoza.
We'll be taking over the case from here.
Teo's an international criminal.
This is beyond your jurisdiction.
My team will be running the investigation going forward.
(CHUCKLES) Alex Walker.
I bet you thought you'd never see me again.
(BEEPING) If you didn't want to help, then why did you set up the buy? To help them, not you.
Oh, what? So you hate your country now? Here's the thing, Walker.
I don't want you involved.
I don't trust you.
I know what happened in Spain with Todd Carpenter, and I know about your little episode afterwards.
But I don't have a choice because you already made contact and we need Teo.
(MONITOR BEEPING) (MUFFLED BEEPING) I want a clean record.
I want Special Agent pension, not this disability crap.
I don't want to have to have doctors signing off for me to get my checks.
I can make that happen.
I'll call Washington after the bust.
Okay, we're a go for 1100 hours tomorrow.
Agent Walker! Come on, it's time.
Oh, hell, no.
What the hell is wrong with you? People are counting on you! It doesn't matter.
A couple hours away from taking down - a major drug trafficker.
- Doesn't matter.
- Sober you up and bring you back - It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! If we take down Jimmy Teo or not, it doesn't matter! You know how many people I've seen die fighting this idiotic drug war? And for what? We arrest 'em, they're right back out on the streets in a couple weeks, traded for some political favor, or they're like their boy Teo, a paid asset or whatever! This drug war has gone on longer that World War I, II, Vietnam, both Iraq and Afghanistan, combined! Are there fewer drugs out there? Huh? - Are fewer people addicted? - You need to calm down.
And what about us, huh? What about the guys on the front line? They don't throw parades for veterans of the drug war, lady.
There's no celebration! We're just casualties of this war.
I had a partner in Spain.
Todd Carpenter? And he was one of the guys that cared too much.
And after watching everybody walk again, and again, and again, they got to him.
So he switched teams.
And to prove that he was legit, they gave him an assignment, which was to kill me.
But he didn't.
Didn't he? Trust in my partner was the only thing that I had.
Now what do I got? I can't do this, Kai.
I'm sorry.
Can you take me back please? Kai, what are you doing? My cousins grew up in this town.
Five blocks long.
Lucy Reyes was nine years old when she was shot and killed in that corner.
Stray bullet from a drug deal gone bad.
And three weeks later, her older brother was stabbed in a robbery just at the end of this block.
Is that why you became a cop? My mother was a spiritual leader.
She was beloved by the community.
When she died, it was the only way I could think of to honor her.
Kai.
Why are you showing me all this? Because I don't believe your nerves are shot.
I watched you with Teo.
I saw you at that beerhouse.
You have ice in your veins.
Do you want a note from my doctor? It's not arresting these guys that gives you the shakes.
It's what happens afterwards.
The politics, the bureaucracy? I don't give a crap about politics.
What I care about are these islands, the people who live here, starting with these five blocks.
Kai, I can't.
I'm sorry.
I just, you know I can't.
- I do that, too.
- You do what? Ask the ocean for advice, guidance.
Is that what you think I'm doing? I think you chose to come back to this island because you were looking for something, something you desperately need inside.
- Yeah, and what's that? - Mabuhay.
Breathe it in.
It's all around you, everywhere you look.
So what are we doing? It's just these guys with the DEA, Interpol, okay, they are not like you guys.
You guys you guys are cops, all right? Somebody breaks the law, you go get 'em.
These guys, they haven't been cops in a long time.
They're soldiers in a fog of war.
And in war the only thing that is ever clear is who is alive, and who is dead.
So we do nothing? I'm gonna hate myself in the morning.
(MIC FEEDBACK) You're not gonna screw this up and have one of your little episodes, are you? Your faith in me is overwhelming.
MAN: We have incoming.
Okay, we are a go.
Show us what you got.
(RADIO CHATTER) Team One? Team One in position.
- ZIVIC: Team Two? - Team Two in position.
- ZIVIC: Team Three? - Team Three in position.
How's the anxiety? - Walker, sound check.
- Three, two, one.
Check, check, check.
Can you hear me? You guys good? Good.
Okay, remember, the code word is "avocado".
Don't say it until he's accepted the money, and you can confirm the drugs he's handing you are the real McCoy.
We hear the code word, we'll execute an ingress, you got it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, man.
"Avocado".
I got it.
I trust what's in this case won't disappoint me.
What? You at a loss for words? (SCOFFS) - It's a trap.
I did.
- You set me up! You're surrounded by U.
S.
agents, Interpol, local police.
All right, they knew I was meeting with you.
They forced me to collect evidence against you.
There's over a dozen guys surrounding this building right now.
Search him.
I ripped the wire off before I came in here, okay? So far, they got nothing on you.
If you listen to me and do what I tell you, - they won't.
- He's clean.
Jimmy, you gotta learn to reset your default settings from kill everybody immediately to take a deep breath.
Think it through, man.
Either I am on your side, in which case I'm the only shot you got of getting out of here, or I'm a DEA agent, and by shooting me it destroys any chance you got of cutting a deal with these guys that you know you're gonna be offered.
But either way, get that friggin' gun out of my face! Why aren't you guys responding to the radio? Zivic is pissed! You're on the wrong damn channel.
Zivic says they're about to exit the east side, wants you guys to back up the team over there.
- Well, I got to confirm with Zivic.
- You do that.
Tell him why you're on the wrong channel, too.
- So we just leave this post? - Nothing's happening here.
Zivic's got me and the local PD covering.
Hurry.
They're about to move.
Come on, guys.
Let's move! Move! WALKER: Aren't I the guy who called Pablo Escobar a nancy-boy and got away with it? Doesn't he ever shut up? when he got dangled out of a helicopter over a live volcano? The answer's yes and yes! This is gonna be Go! Go! You guys, you gotta move faster, okay? Keep getting rid of all this evidence.
All this stuff gone.
You gotta move faster! Teo, come with me.
Grab your boys.
Gentlemen, let's go! Hold on.
What the hell was that? WALKER: Very nice.
Okay, bringing out the salad.
- Salad? - He's saying Teo's bringing out the drugs.
He's leading towards the code word.
- How did you - Always have an exit strategy, Teo.
WALKER: Just what the doctor ordered.
Can't wait to get a look at the main course.
(SHUFFLING) WOMAN ON RECORDING: Breathe in deeply.
You are alive.
Breathe out, let go.
Everyone inside, now! Raise the anchor, start the engines.
Dump the body when we're out of the bay.
Yeah, right.
That's not gonna look suspicious, huh? An iceberg floating in Cebu Bay with a dead guy in it? You're not going to have to worry about that because you're going to be floating right next to it.
I'm getting sick and tired of this.
- I saved your ass! - You set me up.
You're a liability.
You can't be trusted.
What are you gonna do, huh? You gonna stick me in your little ice sculpture next to the dead guy that your goons killed? Oh, no, no, no.
I killed him with an ice pick to his heart.
I could feel his life leaving his body through my hands, and now you're next.
Good-bye, Mr.
Walker.
On this island, we say "Paalam".
Paalam! Lower your weapons.
- Okay, okay.
- Jimmy Teo, you're under arrest for the murder of Kobe Rodriguez.
I killed him with an ice pick to his heart.
I could feel his life leaving his body through my hands.
(ALL SHOUTING) - KAI: Walker! - (SIRENS CHIRP) (CROWD CHATTERING) - (CROWD SHOUTING) - (RADIO CHATTER) This is an important day for the Philippines.
The arrest of Jimmy Teo signifies the beginning of a new era for law enforcement on our islands.
He's pretty charismatic in front of that camera, isn't he? You know this won't stand.
This is a multi-national narcotics bust.
Teo is coming with me.
Narcotics? Did you find any narcotics? We didn't find any.
No, this is a murder rap, local jurisdiction, and there's nothing the United States government or Interpol can do about it.
You're going up on charges! Perhaps, but he's on our island now and he's our guest, so I would appreciate it if you didn't threaten him.
There's a law against it here.
You can forget about your disability pay.
I got my crosshairs on you pal.
You seem really stressed out.
It's not healthy.
You should have that checked out.
Come on.
Starting to look real good in here, Alex.
Ah, thank you.
Probably should've paid a little more attention in shop class in high school, but, yeah, I think she's coming along.
You hungry? Can you take a break? - I could eat.
- Come on.
I think you'll like this.
(CROWD CHATTERING) (MUSIC PLAYING) Wow.
Everyone! Everyone! Your attention please.
This is Special Agent Alex Walker! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) What's going on here? You said they never threw you a parade.
Well, here it is.
I oh.
- I don't understand.
- Five blocks, Alex.
These are the people who live there, and these are the people you helped today.
What is this? Mabuhay, Agent Walker.
Pure mabuhay.