The A-Team (1983) s01e08 Episode Script
The Out-of-Towners
[Man.]
Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn"t commit.
These men promptly escaped from a maximum-security stockade to the Los Angeles underground.
Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.
If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them maybe you can hire the A-Team.
There you go, mister.
Better than if you bought a new pair.
Hey, Nicky, it's getting late.
You better be getting home before it gets dark, huh? Yeah, sure, but didn't you want me to help you bring up some cartons from the storeroom? Oh, no.
No, not now.
Tomorrow, tomorrow.
Go on now.
Get.
Get out of here.
Go on.
- Hey, kid, are you any good? - I'm supposed to be getting home.
Come on.
Let's see some service, man.
We told you what would happen if you call the cops, old man.
- I won't say a word.
I promise.
I won't say I won't.
- I know, I know.
- [Groans.]
- Watch what you're doin', punk! Mr Laskey! - [Groaning.]
- Mr Laskey! Just take it easy, Mr Laskey.
Take it easy.
- [Buzzing.]
- Pardon me, sir, do you have any metallic - objects on your person? - I'll bet this is a first for you.
We'll miss the flight, B.
A.
Good, 'cause I don't wanna do this anyway.
I'm sorry, Hannibal.
I said I'd try, but I just can't.
Now, you said you'd give it a shot.
- You'll learn to love flying.
- Soaring among the clouds! Soaring, soaring, soar - Sorry.
- Now, if you weren't gonna go Face could've scammed us a jet, and Murdock could've flown us.
We're saving 2,500 on expenses.
Now, he booked us on a commercial flight - because you said you'd fly if it wasn't Murdock at the controls.
- You didn't tell me he said that.
You said you'd fly with another pilot, but not me? You said that? - Yeah! - Wise choice.
- [Man On P.
A.
.]
Flight 403 to New York now boarding Gate 12.
- They're boarding.
Here.
- Swallow.
- What are these? I don't take no pills.
Well, they're for air sickness.
They're not prescription.
They're off the shelf.
Just a precaution.
You better not be trying to drug me, Hannibal.
Now, why would I try to drug you when you've already agreed to fly? I'm lookin' out for you.
Forget 'em.
Get sick.
[Jet Engines Whirring.]
- No, no! I ain't goin'! - B.
A.
, don't be that way.
Whole thing will go by just like that.
- The flight is six hours, man! - Once you're up there, it's nothing.
It's the take-off that's the worst part.
That's when the gas starts pouring over the wings - Murdock! - and the engine starts to spark, and the whole thing could just Believe me, we'd never feel that one.
- B.
A.
! - Hannibal, you should've drugged him.
Four, three, two, one.
Air sickness pills.
A good leader prepares for every contingency.
Uh, excuse me.
[Man On P.
A.
.]
Flight 122 from Los Angeles now arriving Gate 6.
- You okay, B.
A.
? - Yeah, I guess so.
Well, they say these things make you drowsy but I told you not to take two more over Chicago.
- Over Chicago? Where are we? - # I dig Manhattan The Bronx and Staten, ahh ## - We're in New York? - You slept like a baby in his mother's arms.
What you talkin' about? I don't remember gettin' on no aeroplane or falling asleep either.
Well, no more of these for you.
I suppose you don't remember that sweet little thing over there either, huh? If she had given me her number and said, "Call me," I'd remember.
Her number? For a guy who doesn"t like to fly you sure did it right.
Man, I still don't remember.
Didn't Face say he was gonna meet us here? Yeah, that's what he said.
How was the flight? Good, I guess.
- You driving? - When in Rome Hannibal said we"re following the gopher back to its hole on this operation so I figure if you"re gonna tail somebody in New York they"ll never suspect a taxi.
Well, this is it.
What do you think? - [Door Chime Rings.]
- Hi, guys.
Welcome to New York.
- Did you have a good trip? - Not bad.
Guys, I'd like you to meet Tracy Richter.
Tracy, I'd like you to meet my team.
Hannibal Smith.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Howling Mad Murdock.
- Howdy-doody.
- And B.
A.
Baracus.
- Hi.
Tracy and her mom have the bakery across the street.
- Best danish in the city.
- Thanks for coming here to help us.
Man, this place is full of junk.
B.
A.
, I didn"t exactly come here with a bankroll.
I had to lease this store, and it really set me back.
So I had to scrounge most of this stuff out ofjunkyards and secondhand shops.
- [Clicks Switch.]
- Hey, man, I was watchin' first.
You're making me miss the best part.
Oh, man No, no, this is good too.
Watch this.
B.
A.
, you want to come back here? Your friend sure has a weird sense of humour.
Yes, he has a weird sense of something.
[B.
A.
.]
Face, we"re gonna need a monitor that works.
Check those out.
Maybe they're a little better.
Face, you got anything for me? Well, uh These things look like junk.
Are these things gonna work? - Who knows? - Oh, wonderful.
Best I could do.
I, uh, got it all out of this.
Ever meet any of these guys waiting for the world to end? - Yeah.
- Weird.
Anyway, it's all I could get, which wasn't easy.
Most of the other buyers were plainclothes cops snapping pictures and taking down names.
They better work.
Better start laying the cable, B.
A.
, for the camera.
And we have to find another location for the monitoring.
We own a bakery shop across the street.
I'm sure you could use that if you could convince my mother and the others to still hire you.
Still hire us? Yeah.
Amy explained it all when she called you yesterday, right? - Right? - No.
I didn't get a chance to call.
- Didn't get a chance to call? - All right.
I just didn't call.
One of the store owners, Mr Laskey got beat up yesterday, just before Face and I arrived.
He"s in the hospital and hurt pretty badly.
So the other store owners are scared and having second thoughts about hiring us.
Hey, man, if they decided this yesterday, maybe I didn"t have to fly.
Even though flying's not that bad.
Look, these guys are taking money from these people in exchange for not destroying their shops or hurting their families.
- They need help, Hannibal.
- Yeah, it's the old protection racket.
They"re taking so much money from us now I don't think we can afford to keep the store open another month.
These people are frightened.
Someone has to do something for them.
[Man, German Accent.]
They beat up Mr Laskey, and they broke Mr Daniels"s fingers.
I don"t care if you came all the way from Los Angeles.
You should go home, Mr Smith! We have here already enough trouble.
Why would we want to making more trouble for ourselves? Bernie, they busted up my place twice and they've taken my money for months.
Now, yesterday, they took my display case and threw it right out of the window.
And when I told I 'em I wasn't gonna take it any more, that felt great! Yeah, and then they broke your fingers, huh? And the next time they may break your neck.
Next time it won't be anything, if we go to work, Mr Shatzman.
Hey, little brother, where you goin'? - [Door Closes.]
- Who hit you? That creep, Digger, when I got some polish on his sock.
He went nuts.
Threw my shoeshine box out into the street.
Busted it up good.
He didn't even pay me for the shine.
You see? You see? Even the young boy.
That's how these monsters treat people.
You want us to fight them? Huh? We don't even know who they are, who sends them, where they come from.
Mr Smith, when Stan went to L.
A.
to find you your contact quoted a very expensive price.
Well, anything is worth it to get rid of these leeches.
But we haven't got anything left to pay you with.
What you say, little man? I busted my buns saving up for that shoe box.
Took me a month.
This is all I got left.
Every cent.
But I want to chip in to help.
$3.
68.
That just about covers our fee.
And if you fail, then things will be worse.
They won't fail.
I've seen what they can do.
- They won't.
- Then it's all agreed? [Murmuring.]
- All right? - Ja, ja.
Tomorrow's the grand opening.
[Chuckling.]
It's them, Amy.
The grocery store.
If it starts to look bad, let me know, and I'll be in there.
[Dings.]
- Hey, wait a minute, that's my whole week's.
- Interest, brother, interest.
When you pull Scully and me down here to remind you that you're overdue then we have to charge you for personalized service.
Next time, keep your own calendar.
- Ow! - It's cheaper all around.
B.
A.
, they're heading towards Hannibal's shop.
- Fresh coffee.
Sweet and light.
- Thanks.
You know, I think we were getting a better picture on this yesterday before B.
A.
messed with it.
- Isn't he just wonderful? - Wonderful.
[Amy On Walkie-Talkie.]
Face, Murdock, they're heading towards Hannibal's shop.
Good day.
Good day.
We're looking for the man who owns this joint.
Ja.
That is me.
Ah, may I be of assistance, please? You got to be kidding! This blind dude fixing TVs? Oh, my nephew helps with that.
He is not here today, but you can leave with me your television and tell me your problem.
We don't have any problems.
We're insurance salesmen.
Insurance? Oh, thank you, I have insurance.
Not the kind we have, Pop.
- What was that? - Oh, that's my buddy knockin' over some of your goodies.
I hope he isn't hurt.
- What's going on here? - Here's what I'm talkin' about.
Lord knows what can happen to somebody like you who ain't got the right kind of insurance.
Now, we got great monthly rates.
Check it out with your friends on the street.
I never heard of such a thing.
I come here to work, to do business.
Look, we got a special introductory rate.
One grand down and you get the last month free.
l I wasn't here last month.
That's it! [Static.]
Houston, we got a problem.
So much for videotape on these guys.
- What are you doing? - We can't leave Hannibal with no contact.
There's only 110 bucks here.
Less than our usual down payment, but we take instalments.
We'll be back for the other 800 in two days.
- Two days? - And so you won't forget Scully's gonna mark your calendar for you.
[Chuckling.]
One, two! Boy, I'll never know why they call these things portable.
They're so doggone heavy.
Yeah, uh, give me a hand with this.
It's What's the point of surveillance? What's the point of protection? - What happened? - A cracked rib.
Good Lord.
I don't understand.
I thought you were supposed to be able to handle yourselves.
I think I did very well, considering the circumstances.
Oh, you could've handled those bags of gristle.
They were just hired muscle, Murdock.
I had to let 'em go so B.
A.
could follow them back to their home base.
I suppose a doctor's out of the question.
I'm fine.
I love it when a plan comes together.
They stopped off and rousted storekeepers in three other neighbourhoods.
We movin' uptown now, passin' 86th Street.
Charlie, you keep saying we're going, but we don't.
I want to show you that dress they have before they sell it to somebody else.
But it's this, then it's that, then it's just a sec Give me a second, baby.
I've got business, here.
Oh.
Now we're really not going anywhere.
Made the run down on the East Side.
No problem.
There's a new fish opened up a shop down on Delancey Street.
- Blind dude.
- Was he civic-minded enough to join the neighbourhood community chest? Oh, yes.
We're gonna get back to him in a couple of days and get another contribution.
Charlie, you promised.
Oh, give it a rest, would you, baby? Go to the powder room find a run in your stocking or something, huh? Let me check this out here.
Hold it right there, buddy.
We don't open till 4.
00.
Say, Jack, I'm a cab driver.
I come in to pick up a fare.
Say, you need a lift? Uh, look, Charlie, if you're gonna be busy, I can go shopping alone.
You're not goin' anywhere, sweetheart.
Nobody called for any cab, so beat it.
Hey, what are you, uh - What are you smiling at? - Nothing.
It's a crime to smile? Unless I say otherwise.
[Horn Honks.]
The Sugar Hill nightclub on 89th Street.
[Hannibal.]
Okay, B.
A.
, bring it on back.
The Sugar Hill Club belongs to one Charles F.
Struthers otherwise known as East-Side Charlie.
I ran the plates on the car, and they are registered to the club.
I also had a friend of mine at the New York Times put Struthers through the police computer.
He was arrested several times when he was younger but just some minor offences breaking a couple of windows, joyriding.
But later on, he was associated with a number of underworld figures and it's believed that he's a major operator on running numbers, loan sharking and extortion.
But he knows how to keep his own hands clean so no convictions, no arrests.
Sounds like a hell of a guy.
Man, I want to go up there, grab this dude by his heels turn him upside down and shake all the money out of his pockets that he owe these people.
Now what fun is there in that? I think we ought to give Mr Struthers a whiff of his own cologne.
Hannibal, this sounds like one of those plans.
And whenever we use one of those plans somebody always gets mad at us.
- Yeah.
- What kind of tricks you up to now? I think I hear one of them coming now.
Take a look.
Ah.
Surprise! - A garbage truck? - It sure is.
How are you gonna get our money back with a garbage truck? Wait and see, Nicky.
Wait and see.
It's nice, Face, nice.
- It's empty.
- You told me you wanted a garbage truck.
Do you know what I went through to get this garbage truck? I didn't say I wanted it empty.
Now, what good is it empty? - How am I supposed to know that? - Face, I need garbage.
And I don't just mean any garbage.
Ah! You need a specific kind of garbage.
When I say garbage, I mean garbage.
Dirty garbage! Most garbage is dirty, Hannibal.
That"s why they call it garbage.
Oh, he means real garbage.
Only a sucker like you would understand garbage.
Garbage.
First I got to take the cab back.
- Why? - For the night shift.
How do you think I got it? I had to dummy a hack licence to take a job.
Hannibal, you want all these things a taxicab, garbage truck, TV store.
You know, I don't keep all this stuff in a coffee can in my backyard, you know.
Just Just take it easy, Face, take it easy.
B.
A.
and I will take care of the garbage detail 'cause I know exactly what Hannibal wants.
First, we gonna hit the industrial areas and then we gonna hit restaurant row.
They got great garbage! - I shall return.
- [Engine Starts.]
Garbage, ho! - Ho! - [Engine Revving.]
Ho! [Murdock.]
Bogey on the right! Bogey on the right! - We are in target range of some hellacious garbage, man.
- Shut up, Murdock! Mmm! Yes, indeedy.
The thing I like about the A-Team is you get a chance at such diversity.
- Career diversity.
- We're garbagemen, fool! [French Accent.]
Ooh la la! It's just like Mama used to make! B.
A.
! This is garbage.
Smell this.
An ambrosial delight for the olfactory system.
Yeah, man, that was the best load yet.
Wait.
Wait a minute.
The nose knows.
Hang a right.
We got another one comin' up.
Man, how do you put up with yourself? It's difficult at times.
## [Singing.]
Turn right! Turn right! - Gentlemen, there'll be no tables available until tonight.
- We would like to see Herr Struthers.
We fix his TVs.
It's the blind guy from the TV shop on Delancey.
I wonder how he found us.
Uh, Herr Struthers? I believe we have some business to attend.
Hey, Pops, would you leave Mr Struthers alone, okay? Oh, uh, well, my nephew and I we would like to have you have your men not coming down to Delancey Street and extorting money from all of us shopkeepers.
I'm supposed to know what you're talkin' about? He doesn't know what you're talking about, Uncle.
Oh, I'll explain.
Your men, they come down and they threaten to hurt and kill my friends if they don't pay.
Digger, look, would you do me a favour? Give this gentleman and his nephew a drink and put "em at one of those tables.
We did not come here to drink, Herr Struthers.
- What did you come here for? - Well, uh, all together including monies unjustly appropriated interest, damages, incidentals oh, and a minor fee for our collection service $ 166, 200.
- Ja.
- Yeah.
- That's rounded off to the nearest hundred.
- Ja.
Oh, you think my guys and I have been taking money from some fruit peddlers and you expect that I should pay it back.
Ja, if you would be so kind.
[All Laughing.]
Well, I want to tell you, l I don't carry that kind of money with me.
And even if I had, I wouldn't I wouldn't be able to pay it back to you this particular moment.
Don't take my proposal too lightly.
- Listen, what did you want? - 166,200 bucks.
Now that I got your attention I'll lay it out for you.
You get one more trip downtown.
One! And that's to pay back all the money you took from those people on Delancey, Houston and Bleeker Streets.
Just so you don't forget the figure.
Delancey.
Noon tomorrow.
We'll have the soup line.
You bring the bread.
You got any idea when garbage day is around here, Struthers? Oh, come on, fella, don't be like that.
When's trash pickup around here? Uh, tomorrow.
Tomorrow, you and I have an appointment.
Just so you don't forget I thought we'd mark your calendar for you.
[Beeps.]
- You're nuts, man! - I am the one who's nuts, man.
Right over here.
Drinks are on the house! [lmitating Porky Pig.]
Th-Th-That's all, folks.
Get those suckers! The guys who get them stay alive! - I want those guys! - We'll get 'em, Charlie.
Just take it light.
Take it light.
Take it light! They come up here and make a fool out of me in my own place and you're tellin' me to take it light! So far it looks like about A bunch of peddlers hired gunslingers to do this to me.
It had to be a set-up.
Those guys couldn't be TV store owners.
No kiddin'.
Look, I want the whole street.
Get Floyd and get Ripper.
We're gonna go up there early in the morning when they open shop.
We're gonna have us a block party.
Okay, Face, it's hooked up.
String the wire.
Looks like we are preparing for war.
Could be we are.
Tell me something.
You are not really sure that you can get him to pay us back which means that, uh you are not sure that you will be paid.
[Chuckles.]
So tell me, why are you doing this? Anyone can spend their afternoons playing golf.
But don't you think this is more fun? I got 'em coming out.
And they don't look like they woke up on the right side of the bed, fellas.
Stay with 'em, kid.
Let me know if they pick up reinforcements.
Auf Wiedersehen.
- Sorry.
I'm not on duty.
- You are now.
I'm late and I got to get where I'm goin' and you're gonna take me there.
I can't.
If you want to report me to the hack commission - Hit it, Jack, before I come up there and hit your face.
- Oh, great.
[Tyres Screeching.]
I want everybody to get up in their rooms and keep your heads down.
You'll be safe there.
Right away.
You're supposed to go to 149th! That's right! And I told you I'm off duty.
Now, come on, give me a break.
- I'll break your face, man! How about that? - Not the face.
Hey, I told you 149th.
What the heck is that, huh? Safety locks.
They can only be opened and closed by the driver to protect people like me from people like you.
I get out of here, you're dead meat, man! You hear that? Dead meat! And people say cabbies are rude.
Uh, Hannibal, I got 'em coming east on - Dead, man! You"re dead! - Hey, hey! I'm tryin' to have a conversation up here.
What was that? Oh, it's nothin'.
Struthers's coming east on Sixth.
If he was picking up backup, he'd have done it by now.
Well, it's showtime, kid.
Get back here on the double.
Uh, yeah, right.
Firing retrorockets.
That's the cab that was following us all day.
Okay, call in the boys.
Hey! Hey, unlock this damn thing! Let me out of here! Believe me, you'll be safer in there.
And I'd stay down if I were you.
Hey! Okay, you send a few bozos to my club you dump garbage in my place and you think that's a big laugh! Well, now l"m gonna show you what a real mess is.
I'm gonna make you pay! I'm gonna take this out on your hide! Face, we got a couple uninvited guests, and they brought party favours.
I thought you said there was only one car.
Even when they play dirty, they play dirty.
Yeah, but we play dirtier.
[Door Chime Rings.]
What's the matter, your watch stop? You're early.
You got a lot of wise lip responses, don't ya? I hope everybody on this street knows I'm gonna wipe out this neighbourhood and flush it down the sewer.
- What's your wise lip response to that? - $ 166, 200.
That will buy you a safe trip out of here.
Well, buy this.
You're really a jamoke.
Okay, do it.
Bombs away! Throw out your guns! Bull's-eye! [Gunfire Continues.]
Uh Ow! Yeah! Whoo! Murdock! I guess I bobbed when I should've weaved.
[Hannibal.]
Drop it.
Okay.
Across the street in the cab.
Move! Come on, man! Come on, come on, come on! Next time, pick on somebody your own size! Don't ask.
Where are we, uh, going? Uptown.
To your office to look in the safe.
$ 166,200, remember? Hannibal, I know you love it when a plan comes together.
We better get going.
Sooner or later, Struthers is gonna convince the cops it wasn't a bunch of storekeepers who wrapped him up.
Too bad you have to go.
Well, uh, actually, I usually stay behind.
You know, handle any cleanup necessary.
Return the taxi, garbage truck, uh, any other loose ends.
So l"ll probably be here at least another couple days.
That's great! I'm stayin' too.
Tracy's gonna show me all around New York.
Look.
She's gonna show me Central Park the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
You know, where that big hairy ape got [lmitating Gunshots.]
[lmitates Ape, Laughs.]
I, uh, think I'll pass.
That puts us back on a commercial flight.
- That good with you, B.
A.
? - No, it ain't! I called that stewardess.
It was a recording for Dial-A-Joke.
You called that number? That isn't fair.
You're right, and we're gonna talk about this, man.
Hey, later, B.
A.
We're gonna miss visiting hours.
You lucky we're goin' to the hospital to visit Mr Laskey - and tell him how Nicky helped get his money back.
- Looks like it's you and me, kid.
Sorry.
I got an appointment too.
You know that friend of mine at the Times? He's an old boyfriend I haven't seen for a few years and some of that magic may still be happening.
How about a ride to the airport, Face? Oh, sorry, Hannibal, but I gotta get this back for the night shift.
- You can drop me off at the Times.
- Maybe you can drop us off at the hospital.
Whoa! I'd like to give all you guys a lift, but I'm gonna have hell to pay.
You know, I've been pushin' this hack for two days without puttin' up much on the meter, so, uh Well, I'm already scheduled for a real chewin' out from that dispatcher when I clock out tonight.
Gettin' friendly with the rest of the cabbies, Face? Well, they've been kind of short of drivers, so she's been helpin' out behind the wheel.
That's the dispatcher.
Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn"t commit.
These men promptly escaped from a maximum-security stockade to the Los Angeles underground.
Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.
If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them maybe you can hire the A-Team.
There you go, mister.
Better than if you bought a new pair.
Hey, Nicky, it's getting late.
You better be getting home before it gets dark, huh? Yeah, sure, but didn't you want me to help you bring up some cartons from the storeroom? Oh, no.
No, not now.
Tomorrow, tomorrow.
Go on now.
Get.
Get out of here.
Go on.
- Hey, kid, are you any good? - I'm supposed to be getting home.
Come on.
Let's see some service, man.
We told you what would happen if you call the cops, old man.
- I won't say a word.
I promise.
I won't say I won't.
- I know, I know.
- [Groans.]
- Watch what you're doin', punk! Mr Laskey! - [Groaning.]
- Mr Laskey! Just take it easy, Mr Laskey.
Take it easy.
- [Buzzing.]
- Pardon me, sir, do you have any metallic - objects on your person? - I'll bet this is a first for you.
We'll miss the flight, B.
A.
Good, 'cause I don't wanna do this anyway.
I'm sorry, Hannibal.
I said I'd try, but I just can't.
Now, you said you'd give it a shot.
- You'll learn to love flying.
- Soaring among the clouds! Soaring, soaring, soar - Sorry.
- Now, if you weren't gonna go Face could've scammed us a jet, and Murdock could've flown us.
We're saving 2,500 on expenses.
Now, he booked us on a commercial flight - because you said you'd fly if it wasn't Murdock at the controls.
- You didn't tell me he said that.
You said you'd fly with another pilot, but not me? You said that? - Yeah! - Wise choice.
- [Man On P.
A.
.]
Flight 403 to New York now boarding Gate 12.
- They're boarding.
Here.
- Swallow.
- What are these? I don't take no pills.
Well, they're for air sickness.
They're not prescription.
They're off the shelf.
Just a precaution.
You better not be trying to drug me, Hannibal.
Now, why would I try to drug you when you've already agreed to fly? I'm lookin' out for you.
Forget 'em.
Get sick.
[Jet Engines Whirring.]
- No, no! I ain't goin'! - B.
A.
, don't be that way.
Whole thing will go by just like that.
- The flight is six hours, man! - Once you're up there, it's nothing.
It's the take-off that's the worst part.
That's when the gas starts pouring over the wings - Murdock! - and the engine starts to spark, and the whole thing could just Believe me, we'd never feel that one.
- B.
A.
! - Hannibal, you should've drugged him.
Four, three, two, one.
Air sickness pills.
A good leader prepares for every contingency.
Uh, excuse me.
[Man On P.
A.
.]
Flight 122 from Los Angeles now arriving Gate 6.
- You okay, B.
A.
? - Yeah, I guess so.
Well, they say these things make you drowsy but I told you not to take two more over Chicago.
- Over Chicago? Where are we? - # I dig Manhattan The Bronx and Staten, ahh ## - We're in New York? - You slept like a baby in his mother's arms.
What you talkin' about? I don't remember gettin' on no aeroplane or falling asleep either.
Well, no more of these for you.
I suppose you don't remember that sweet little thing over there either, huh? If she had given me her number and said, "Call me," I'd remember.
Her number? For a guy who doesn"t like to fly you sure did it right.
Man, I still don't remember.
Didn't Face say he was gonna meet us here? Yeah, that's what he said.
How was the flight? Good, I guess.
- You driving? - When in Rome Hannibal said we"re following the gopher back to its hole on this operation so I figure if you"re gonna tail somebody in New York they"ll never suspect a taxi.
Well, this is it.
What do you think? - [Door Chime Rings.]
- Hi, guys.
Welcome to New York.
- Did you have a good trip? - Not bad.
Guys, I'd like you to meet Tracy Richter.
Tracy, I'd like you to meet my team.
Hannibal Smith.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Howling Mad Murdock.
- Howdy-doody.
- And B.
A.
Baracus.
- Hi.
Tracy and her mom have the bakery across the street.
- Best danish in the city.
- Thanks for coming here to help us.
Man, this place is full of junk.
B.
A.
, I didn"t exactly come here with a bankroll.
I had to lease this store, and it really set me back.
So I had to scrounge most of this stuff out ofjunkyards and secondhand shops.
- [Clicks Switch.]
- Hey, man, I was watchin' first.
You're making me miss the best part.
Oh, man No, no, this is good too.
Watch this.
B.
A.
, you want to come back here? Your friend sure has a weird sense of humour.
Yes, he has a weird sense of something.
[B.
A.
.]
Face, we"re gonna need a monitor that works.
Check those out.
Maybe they're a little better.
Face, you got anything for me? Well, uh These things look like junk.
Are these things gonna work? - Who knows? - Oh, wonderful.
Best I could do.
I, uh, got it all out of this.
Ever meet any of these guys waiting for the world to end? - Yeah.
- Weird.
Anyway, it's all I could get, which wasn't easy.
Most of the other buyers were plainclothes cops snapping pictures and taking down names.
They better work.
Better start laying the cable, B.
A.
, for the camera.
And we have to find another location for the monitoring.
We own a bakery shop across the street.
I'm sure you could use that if you could convince my mother and the others to still hire you.
Still hire us? Yeah.
Amy explained it all when she called you yesterday, right? - Right? - No.
I didn't get a chance to call.
- Didn't get a chance to call? - All right.
I just didn't call.
One of the store owners, Mr Laskey got beat up yesterday, just before Face and I arrived.
He"s in the hospital and hurt pretty badly.
So the other store owners are scared and having second thoughts about hiring us.
Hey, man, if they decided this yesterday, maybe I didn"t have to fly.
Even though flying's not that bad.
Look, these guys are taking money from these people in exchange for not destroying their shops or hurting their families.
- They need help, Hannibal.
- Yeah, it's the old protection racket.
They"re taking so much money from us now I don't think we can afford to keep the store open another month.
These people are frightened.
Someone has to do something for them.
[Man, German Accent.]
They beat up Mr Laskey, and they broke Mr Daniels"s fingers.
I don"t care if you came all the way from Los Angeles.
You should go home, Mr Smith! We have here already enough trouble.
Why would we want to making more trouble for ourselves? Bernie, they busted up my place twice and they've taken my money for months.
Now, yesterday, they took my display case and threw it right out of the window.
And when I told I 'em I wasn't gonna take it any more, that felt great! Yeah, and then they broke your fingers, huh? And the next time they may break your neck.
Next time it won't be anything, if we go to work, Mr Shatzman.
Hey, little brother, where you goin'? - [Door Closes.]
- Who hit you? That creep, Digger, when I got some polish on his sock.
He went nuts.
Threw my shoeshine box out into the street.
Busted it up good.
He didn't even pay me for the shine.
You see? You see? Even the young boy.
That's how these monsters treat people.
You want us to fight them? Huh? We don't even know who they are, who sends them, where they come from.
Mr Smith, when Stan went to L.
A.
to find you your contact quoted a very expensive price.
Well, anything is worth it to get rid of these leeches.
But we haven't got anything left to pay you with.
What you say, little man? I busted my buns saving up for that shoe box.
Took me a month.
This is all I got left.
Every cent.
But I want to chip in to help.
$3.
68.
That just about covers our fee.
And if you fail, then things will be worse.
They won't fail.
I've seen what they can do.
- They won't.
- Then it's all agreed? [Murmuring.]
- All right? - Ja, ja.
Tomorrow's the grand opening.
[Chuckling.]
It's them, Amy.
The grocery store.
If it starts to look bad, let me know, and I'll be in there.
[Dings.]
- Hey, wait a minute, that's my whole week's.
- Interest, brother, interest.
When you pull Scully and me down here to remind you that you're overdue then we have to charge you for personalized service.
Next time, keep your own calendar.
- Ow! - It's cheaper all around.
B.
A.
, they're heading towards Hannibal's shop.
- Fresh coffee.
Sweet and light.
- Thanks.
You know, I think we were getting a better picture on this yesterday before B.
A.
messed with it.
- Isn't he just wonderful? - Wonderful.
[Amy On Walkie-Talkie.]
Face, Murdock, they're heading towards Hannibal's shop.
Good day.
Good day.
We're looking for the man who owns this joint.
Ja.
That is me.
Ah, may I be of assistance, please? You got to be kidding! This blind dude fixing TVs? Oh, my nephew helps with that.
He is not here today, but you can leave with me your television and tell me your problem.
We don't have any problems.
We're insurance salesmen.
Insurance? Oh, thank you, I have insurance.
Not the kind we have, Pop.
- What was that? - Oh, that's my buddy knockin' over some of your goodies.
I hope he isn't hurt.
- What's going on here? - Here's what I'm talkin' about.
Lord knows what can happen to somebody like you who ain't got the right kind of insurance.
Now, we got great monthly rates.
Check it out with your friends on the street.
I never heard of such a thing.
I come here to work, to do business.
Look, we got a special introductory rate.
One grand down and you get the last month free.
l I wasn't here last month.
That's it! [Static.]
Houston, we got a problem.
So much for videotape on these guys.
- What are you doing? - We can't leave Hannibal with no contact.
There's only 110 bucks here.
Less than our usual down payment, but we take instalments.
We'll be back for the other 800 in two days.
- Two days? - And so you won't forget Scully's gonna mark your calendar for you.
[Chuckling.]
One, two! Boy, I'll never know why they call these things portable.
They're so doggone heavy.
Yeah, uh, give me a hand with this.
It's What's the point of surveillance? What's the point of protection? - What happened? - A cracked rib.
Good Lord.
I don't understand.
I thought you were supposed to be able to handle yourselves.
I think I did very well, considering the circumstances.
Oh, you could've handled those bags of gristle.
They were just hired muscle, Murdock.
I had to let 'em go so B.
A.
could follow them back to their home base.
I suppose a doctor's out of the question.
I'm fine.
I love it when a plan comes together.
They stopped off and rousted storekeepers in three other neighbourhoods.
We movin' uptown now, passin' 86th Street.
Charlie, you keep saying we're going, but we don't.
I want to show you that dress they have before they sell it to somebody else.
But it's this, then it's that, then it's just a sec Give me a second, baby.
I've got business, here.
Oh.
Now we're really not going anywhere.
Made the run down on the East Side.
No problem.
There's a new fish opened up a shop down on Delancey Street.
- Blind dude.
- Was he civic-minded enough to join the neighbourhood community chest? Oh, yes.
We're gonna get back to him in a couple of days and get another contribution.
Charlie, you promised.
Oh, give it a rest, would you, baby? Go to the powder room find a run in your stocking or something, huh? Let me check this out here.
Hold it right there, buddy.
We don't open till 4.
00.
Say, Jack, I'm a cab driver.
I come in to pick up a fare.
Say, you need a lift? Uh, look, Charlie, if you're gonna be busy, I can go shopping alone.
You're not goin' anywhere, sweetheart.
Nobody called for any cab, so beat it.
Hey, what are you, uh - What are you smiling at? - Nothing.
It's a crime to smile? Unless I say otherwise.
[Horn Honks.]
The Sugar Hill nightclub on 89th Street.
[Hannibal.]
Okay, B.
A.
, bring it on back.
The Sugar Hill Club belongs to one Charles F.
Struthers otherwise known as East-Side Charlie.
I ran the plates on the car, and they are registered to the club.
I also had a friend of mine at the New York Times put Struthers through the police computer.
He was arrested several times when he was younger but just some minor offences breaking a couple of windows, joyriding.
But later on, he was associated with a number of underworld figures and it's believed that he's a major operator on running numbers, loan sharking and extortion.
But he knows how to keep his own hands clean so no convictions, no arrests.
Sounds like a hell of a guy.
Man, I want to go up there, grab this dude by his heels turn him upside down and shake all the money out of his pockets that he owe these people.
Now what fun is there in that? I think we ought to give Mr Struthers a whiff of his own cologne.
Hannibal, this sounds like one of those plans.
And whenever we use one of those plans somebody always gets mad at us.
- Yeah.
- What kind of tricks you up to now? I think I hear one of them coming now.
Take a look.
Ah.
Surprise! - A garbage truck? - It sure is.
How are you gonna get our money back with a garbage truck? Wait and see, Nicky.
Wait and see.
It's nice, Face, nice.
- It's empty.
- You told me you wanted a garbage truck.
Do you know what I went through to get this garbage truck? I didn't say I wanted it empty.
Now, what good is it empty? - How am I supposed to know that? - Face, I need garbage.
And I don't just mean any garbage.
Ah! You need a specific kind of garbage.
When I say garbage, I mean garbage.
Dirty garbage! Most garbage is dirty, Hannibal.
That"s why they call it garbage.
Oh, he means real garbage.
Only a sucker like you would understand garbage.
Garbage.
First I got to take the cab back.
- Why? - For the night shift.
How do you think I got it? I had to dummy a hack licence to take a job.
Hannibal, you want all these things a taxicab, garbage truck, TV store.
You know, I don't keep all this stuff in a coffee can in my backyard, you know.
Just Just take it easy, Face, take it easy.
B.
A.
and I will take care of the garbage detail 'cause I know exactly what Hannibal wants.
First, we gonna hit the industrial areas and then we gonna hit restaurant row.
They got great garbage! - I shall return.
- [Engine Starts.]
Garbage, ho! - Ho! - [Engine Revving.]
Ho! [Murdock.]
Bogey on the right! Bogey on the right! - We are in target range of some hellacious garbage, man.
- Shut up, Murdock! Mmm! Yes, indeedy.
The thing I like about the A-Team is you get a chance at such diversity.
- Career diversity.
- We're garbagemen, fool! [French Accent.]
Ooh la la! It's just like Mama used to make! B.
A.
! This is garbage.
Smell this.
An ambrosial delight for the olfactory system.
Yeah, man, that was the best load yet.
Wait.
Wait a minute.
The nose knows.
Hang a right.
We got another one comin' up.
Man, how do you put up with yourself? It's difficult at times.
## [Singing.]
Turn right! Turn right! - Gentlemen, there'll be no tables available until tonight.
- We would like to see Herr Struthers.
We fix his TVs.
It's the blind guy from the TV shop on Delancey.
I wonder how he found us.
Uh, Herr Struthers? I believe we have some business to attend.
Hey, Pops, would you leave Mr Struthers alone, okay? Oh, uh, well, my nephew and I we would like to have you have your men not coming down to Delancey Street and extorting money from all of us shopkeepers.
I'm supposed to know what you're talkin' about? He doesn't know what you're talking about, Uncle.
Oh, I'll explain.
Your men, they come down and they threaten to hurt and kill my friends if they don't pay.
Digger, look, would you do me a favour? Give this gentleman and his nephew a drink and put "em at one of those tables.
We did not come here to drink, Herr Struthers.
- What did you come here for? - Well, uh, all together including monies unjustly appropriated interest, damages, incidentals oh, and a minor fee for our collection service $ 166, 200.
- Ja.
- Yeah.
- That's rounded off to the nearest hundred.
- Ja.
Oh, you think my guys and I have been taking money from some fruit peddlers and you expect that I should pay it back.
Ja, if you would be so kind.
[All Laughing.]
Well, I want to tell you, l I don't carry that kind of money with me.
And even if I had, I wouldn't I wouldn't be able to pay it back to you this particular moment.
Don't take my proposal too lightly.
- Listen, what did you want? - 166,200 bucks.
Now that I got your attention I'll lay it out for you.
You get one more trip downtown.
One! And that's to pay back all the money you took from those people on Delancey, Houston and Bleeker Streets.
Just so you don't forget the figure.
Delancey.
Noon tomorrow.
We'll have the soup line.
You bring the bread.
You got any idea when garbage day is around here, Struthers? Oh, come on, fella, don't be like that.
When's trash pickup around here? Uh, tomorrow.
Tomorrow, you and I have an appointment.
Just so you don't forget I thought we'd mark your calendar for you.
[Beeps.]
- You're nuts, man! - I am the one who's nuts, man.
Right over here.
Drinks are on the house! [lmitating Porky Pig.]
Th-Th-That's all, folks.
Get those suckers! The guys who get them stay alive! - I want those guys! - We'll get 'em, Charlie.
Just take it light.
Take it light.
Take it light! They come up here and make a fool out of me in my own place and you're tellin' me to take it light! So far it looks like about A bunch of peddlers hired gunslingers to do this to me.
It had to be a set-up.
Those guys couldn't be TV store owners.
No kiddin'.
Look, I want the whole street.
Get Floyd and get Ripper.
We're gonna go up there early in the morning when they open shop.
We're gonna have us a block party.
Okay, Face, it's hooked up.
String the wire.
Looks like we are preparing for war.
Could be we are.
Tell me something.
You are not really sure that you can get him to pay us back which means that, uh you are not sure that you will be paid.
[Chuckles.]
So tell me, why are you doing this? Anyone can spend their afternoons playing golf.
But don't you think this is more fun? I got 'em coming out.
And they don't look like they woke up on the right side of the bed, fellas.
Stay with 'em, kid.
Let me know if they pick up reinforcements.
Auf Wiedersehen.
- Sorry.
I'm not on duty.
- You are now.
I'm late and I got to get where I'm goin' and you're gonna take me there.
I can't.
If you want to report me to the hack commission - Hit it, Jack, before I come up there and hit your face.
- Oh, great.
[Tyres Screeching.]
I want everybody to get up in their rooms and keep your heads down.
You'll be safe there.
Right away.
You're supposed to go to 149th! That's right! And I told you I'm off duty.
Now, come on, give me a break.
- I'll break your face, man! How about that? - Not the face.
Hey, I told you 149th.
What the heck is that, huh? Safety locks.
They can only be opened and closed by the driver to protect people like me from people like you.
I get out of here, you're dead meat, man! You hear that? Dead meat! And people say cabbies are rude.
Uh, Hannibal, I got 'em coming east on - Dead, man! You"re dead! - Hey, hey! I'm tryin' to have a conversation up here.
What was that? Oh, it's nothin'.
Struthers's coming east on Sixth.
If he was picking up backup, he'd have done it by now.
Well, it's showtime, kid.
Get back here on the double.
Uh, yeah, right.
Firing retrorockets.
That's the cab that was following us all day.
Okay, call in the boys.
Hey! Hey, unlock this damn thing! Let me out of here! Believe me, you'll be safer in there.
And I'd stay down if I were you.
Hey! Okay, you send a few bozos to my club you dump garbage in my place and you think that's a big laugh! Well, now l"m gonna show you what a real mess is.
I'm gonna make you pay! I'm gonna take this out on your hide! Face, we got a couple uninvited guests, and they brought party favours.
I thought you said there was only one car.
Even when they play dirty, they play dirty.
Yeah, but we play dirtier.
[Door Chime Rings.]
What's the matter, your watch stop? You're early.
You got a lot of wise lip responses, don't ya? I hope everybody on this street knows I'm gonna wipe out this neighbourhood and flush it down the sewer.
- What's your wise lip response to that? - $ 166, 200.
That will buy you a safe trip out of here.
Well, buy this.
You're really a jamoke.
Okay, do it.
Bombs away! Throw out your guns! Bull's-eye! [Gunfire Continues.]
Uh Ow! Yeah! Whoo! Murdock! I guess I bobbed when I should've weaved.
[Hannibal.]
Drop it.
Okay.
Across the street in the cab.
Move! Come on, man! Come on, come on, come on! Next time, pick on somebody your own size! Don't ask.
Where are we, uh, going? Uptown.
To your office to look in the safe.
$ 166,200, remember? Hannibal, I know you love it when a plan comes together.
We better get going.
Sooner or later, Struthers is gonna convince the cops it wasn't a bunch of storekeepers who wrapped him up.
Too bad you have to go.
Well, uh, actually, I usually stay behind.
You know, handle any cleanup necessary.
Return the taxi, garbage truck, uh, any other loose ends.
So l"ll probably be here at least another couple days.
That's great! I'm stayin' too.
Tracy's gonna show me all around New York.
Look.
She's gonna show me Central Park the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
You know, where that big hairy ape got [lmitating Gunshots.]
[lmitates Ape, Laughs.]
I, uh, think I'll pass.
That puts us back on a commercial flight.
- That good with you, B.
A.
? - No, it ain't! I called that stewardess.
It was a recording for Dial-A-Joke.
You called that number? That isn't fair.
You're right, and we're gonna talk about this, man.
Hey, later, B.
A.
We're gonna miss visiting hours.
You lucky we're goin' to the hospital to visit Mr Laskey - and tell him how Nicky helped get his money back.
- Looks like it's you and me, kid.
Sorry.
I got an appointment too.
You know that friend of mine at the Times? He's an old boyfriend I haven't seen for a few years and some of that magic may still be happening.
How about a ride to the airport, Face? Oh, sorry, Hannibal, but I gotta get this back for the night shift.
- You can drop me off at the Times.
- Maybe you can drop us off at the hospital.
Whoa! I'd like to give all you guys a lift, but I'm gonna have hell to pay.
You know, I've been pushin' this hack for two days without puttin' up much on the meter, so, uh Well, I'm already scheduled for a real chewin' out from that dispatcher when I clock out tonight.
Gettin' friendly with the rest of the cabbies, Face? Well, they've been kind of short of drivers, so she's been helpin' out behind the wheel.
That's the dispatcher.