The Cape

Hey.

What are you doing in here?

He had a bad dream.

Palm City Police are out in force today,

as the mayor announces his new Chief of Police, Tom Ross,

at a noon day press conference at City Hall. Check you later.

This despite recent terrorist threats made against the new Chief

by the masked killer known as Chess.

Now, we'll have much more on this developing story...

Be safe.

Got you.

See you later, Trip. Bye, Dad.

Palm City Police Department, can I help you?

Hey, Billy. Hey, man.

Good morning, Donna.

You sure about that?

Orwell says the threat to the new Chief is coming from inside the department.

What the hell are you doing on Orwell's blog?

Orwell is the only one that seems to know what the hell is going on in this city.

He just put up a new list of corrupt cops.

Jenner and Brooks are on it.

No.

This is our vision of better days ahead.

A day when a police force can execute its most basic purpose,

to fight crime.

Get me a man on that north corner. We're looking a little thin there.

I'm on it.

Together, we can save Palm City with your support.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Palm City.

It's a new day ahead.

Let's roll.

Hope that Chess moron had a front row seat.

Backstage pass.

Hey, Bobby. What are you doing, man?

You and Garcia are my bodies on the Chief.

You just called me off.

The hell I did.

Chief!

Chief!

Hey, buddy.

That's good.

That's really good.

You've got to... You've got to turn your hips.

Boom.

Got to keep your hand up.

I know you'll get him, Dad.

I love you.

ARK Corporation. Come on, man. We've been through this.

It's time, Vince.

We're detectives.

We need to be solving crimes

not worrying about getting shot in the back by one of our own.

Yeah, but ARK? I mean, come on. What is it, some billionaire?

Peter Fleming? I mean, how does that work?

After the Chief's murder, everything has changed.

From what I'm hearing, Peter Fleming, the ARK Corporation,

they're going to take over the police force.

We need guys like you, Vince.

You know what? Talk to Dana.

She seems to be the only one of you two with any sense.

I thought you'd be happy.

I just want to know it's what you want.

I mean, you've always wanted to be a cop.

I'd still be a cop.

A private cop. A corporate cop.

I mean, how am I supposed to do my job

if I can't even trust the guy next to me?

No, I get it.

I get it.

ARK is taking over the force in six months. I get in now,

I get good benefits. Time off.

Time off? What's that?

Hmm. Hmm.

Operating in war theaters in 17 nations,

ARK Corporation is setting a new standard in privatized law enforcement.

Chairman and CEO, Peter Fleming,

now plans to bring ARK's solutions to cities all across America.

Mr. Fleming.

This is Vince Faraday. The detective I told you about?

Right.

There's a shocking amount of police corruption in Palm City, Detective.

I hope you've kept your nose clean.

I don't take bribes. No.

Forgive me. That, uh...

I was rude.

Do you realize that ARK Corporation is paid billions of dollars

to train police officers in Afghanistan,

while American cities are left to crumble in neglect?

I want to change all that.

This can be a great city again, Vince.

Yes, sir. I believe that.

But first, we have to rebuild the trust.

Well, these are good people.

Yeah, of course they are. Well, you're a hometown guy, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Born and raised.

I used to play ball over in Ditmas Park.

My father was a Palm City sheriff.

Wow. Then, you must have mixed feeling about this, a privatized police force.

I just want to be a cop.

Good answer.

These people don't know me, Vince.

I'm a faceless bureaucrat.

They need heroes like Vince Faraday.

Marty will sort you out.

And I want you on the clock first thing Monday morning.

Thank you, sir.

"He propped his glasses on his nose,

"cleared his throat, and read aloud.

"'There amid..."'

He's got to finish his school reading.

We're on it.

Good night, sweetheart.

Good night, Mom.

Do it.

Okay. Now. Where were we?

"The Cape dove off the rooftop,

"barely dodging the jets of fire

"streaming from the gauntlets of The Arsonist.

"'Let's see if that Cape burns, ' The Arsonist sneered.

"'I should have killed you while I had the chance.'

"Beneath the city, beneath the streets,

"the vermin of the city teems and grows and grows unchecked.

"They need a hero."

Hello, Vince. This is Orwell.

I've been watching you. Sorry to hear you're leaving the force.

Palm City needs honest cops like you.

I guess you bought into the hype that ARK Corporation will save us all.

Well, not so fast.

This is L-9, super-expanding chemical explosive.

Officially doesn't exist. But we know better, don't we?

This is what L-9 did to Chief Ross.

How did L-9 reach Palm City?

This man, Dominic Raoul, a.k.a. Scales.

Not just a pretty face,

Scales runs the biggest smuggling operation on the West Coast.

And this is Chess.

My sources tell me Chess and Scales struck a deal,

and a massive shipment of L-9 is moving by train tonight.

Let's see if you're still a cop, Vince.

We'll be in touch.

Vince!

Vince.

You alone? Yeah, I'm alone.

Did you bust this lock?

And you're opening boxes. Vince, this is illegal.

You think that's illegal?

"Pammy Pees. Hours of toilet training fun."

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking recall.

It's a weaponized shell of L-9 chemical explosive.

I checked six boxes. All the same.

That is what killed the new Chief.

So, what the hell is it doing in an ARK freight car?

Vince, it's a billion-dollar corporation.

Lot of moving parts.

Come on, Marty. In this city, those moving parts

seem to include organized crime and WMD.

Look, we're going to get out of here. Okay?

I'm going to make some phone calls, I'm gonna clear this whole thing up.

Wait. No, no, no. I got this!

Marty.

Marty, what did you do?

Do you play chess?

I ask because you have an aggressive opening.

In the game, I'd call it the Latvian Gambit.

You forced me to fine-tune some things.

What's the plan for the L-9?

But we are in the middlegame.

Pawns become crucial.

And out of your inexperience,

you left your king vulnerable.

Your family.

Dana.

Trip.

Don't you dare.

Don't you dare!

My life is like a game of chess.

Chess must pay for his crimes.

ARK will make him pay. And when they do,

the Mayor will turn over the police to me.

And when the coroner's report is released,

it will be your skin they find under Chief Ross' fingernails.

This is check, Vince.

Marty, don't. Don't do this. Don't do this. Please, don't do this.

Tighter.

You have one move left.

Run.

There he is.

News Copter 7 is on the scene now,

and we will continue the live coverage...

Hey, oatmeal okay, hon? ... of this breaking news story.

Sure.

Where's Dad?

I don't know. He must have had to go in to work early.

Hey, Mom. I think they caught Chess.