Wild Cards

- Previously, on wild cards... - Working with a cop? - This is gonna get us

Both what we want. - You two. I said,

"no big swings," and what do you do?

- Swung big. - I followed you

Because I knew I couldn't trust you.

- That's insulting. - This your girlfriend?

- This is not my girlfriend. - We're comrades.

- I always surfed with my brother. - Where is he?

He's dead.

- So... Are you nervous or excited?

- About what? - Well, it's our day off

And the boss wants to talk to us.

- So? - So it could be good,

It could be bad...

Maybe we're getting promotions.

- Max, get off of the chair. Right now.

Or maybe I'm getting a badge.

Yeah.

That's definitely what it is.

Here we go.

- Don't have a lot of time. The commissioner called me

- About the two of you. - She's the best.

- Remember two seconds ago when I said,

"I don't have a lot of time"? - Sorry. I'm just excited.

- We're about halfway through your probational period.

The commissioner recognizes that you solved a few cases

And she wanted me to pass on her appreciation.

She's just the sweetest.

- She also reads every case report.

While she's happy to take the winds,

She's concerned about the direction

This team is heading in. - Well, "concern"

Doesn't sound so good. - Max.

You've crossed the line a few times.

When you're working for us,

The ends don't justify the means.

We have to do everything by the book.

Everything.

And you. It's your responsibility

To teach her that and keep her in line.

Understood.

So I'm not getting a badge?

Thanks for the lift home. - If we're gonna work together,

You need to be more professional.

- How can I be more professional if I don't have a badge?

- They don't just give you a badge. You gotta earn it, max.

Go to the police academy, putting five to seven years in uniform, and then maybe,

You make detective. - They gave bon jovi

An honorary doctorate. I can't even get a badge?

It's not the same thing.

Hello?

Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.

What's going on?

Are you hurt?

Okay, just don't move. I'll be right there.

Who was that?

- Get out of the car, max. - I'm not getting out

Of this car until you tell me what's going on.

And I think you know me well enough by now to know

If I say I'm not getting out of the car--

- All right, fine. An old friend needs help.

Well, I'm ride or die.

Let's go.

fine.

Okay, stay here.

Rachel?! Rachel!

Rachel!

Ellis!

- Hey. - Hey!

- You okay? -I'm fine.

Who's this? - Max.

- I said to come alone. - I know. What happened?

- I'll tell you in the car, but we have to go now. - Okay.

Come on!

Sure. You can... Ride shotgun.

It's only a... One door.

Right, okay. Drive.

Two svus boxed me and six armed men surrounded us.

.223 assault rifle round.

- They got me at a precise location.

Two freeway entrances a mile in either direction.

- For a quick getaway. So they were pros.

- The two suvs ambushed me. They shot out the engine

And the tires, and then grabbed the package and sped off.

- What was the package? - Not "what," "who."

A guy named albert ripley. He was an accountant for the mob,

Set to testify against them tomorrow.

- Do you think this has something to do with the mob?

- Or one of their rivals. - You were the only person

Transporting him? - And the route was kept airtight.

- Why didn't you just call it in? - I can't.

The leak might have come from the inside.

I don't know who to trust.

This guy albert ripley is the most valuable witness

We've had in years. He could put away half the mob captains.

I have to get him back by 10 a.M. Tomorrow.

- I think I know where this is going.

- I need your help, but no one can know.

- All right, fine, I'll help you.

Yes!

That was riveting.

Even kinda hot.

- You can't come, max. - I'm coming.

- Who are you? - We work together.

- We're partners. - You have a partner?

- It's a long story. - But a good one.

- You can't come, max. It's too big of a risk.

- Risk... What? - Going back to jail.

The hell is she talking about?

- It's another part of that long story I mentioned.

I'll explain later.

- Look, I trust ellis with my life, okay?

I've known you all of two seconds,

So thanks, but no thanks. - Suit yourself.

- First, we need to know the crews in town

Who could pull off something like this.

- I might be able to help with that.

How?

I know all the wrong people.

It's true. She does.

Cole, are you sure about this?

"cole"?

How do you two know each other?

- We... Used to work together. - We were engaged.

You were engaged?

Get down! Get down!

- So who did they grab? - Albert ripley.

- The count? - Yeah.

- You know him? - Just by name.

You want some be-bop, you call coltrane.

You want some magic, you call houdini.

You need to hide some money, you call the count.

He's the greatest artist of his generation

When it comes to numbers. - We need to find who took him.

- If he's still alive. - If it wasn't the mob,

He's definitely alive and well. I can think of a lot of people

That would like to have the count at their disposal.

- Who would you call to hire a crew this good?

- Get me early release and clear my daughter's name,

We can talk.

- Cole, you might have to work with a con artist,

But I'm not making a deal with one.

Okay, wait, wait.

George, come on. You know that she can't get you released.

Okay? But if you help us, maybe she can put in a good word

For some extra privileges? - If we get albert back.

You tell me, kid.

It's okay, dad.

- There's plenty of brokers for rock 'em, sock 'em jobs,

But something like this, there's only one:

The fortune teller. - "the" fortune teller?

- Who's that? - I've only ever heard of her.

- Say you get your hands on the schematics

Of a government gold reserve.

It's great information to have, but useless to most people

Because who the hell could pull that off?

- So the fortune teller can assemble that kind of a crew?

Bingo.

But don't you two go waltzin' in there.

She'll smell a cop a mile away. - We're not letting her

Go in there. - Ooh, then better start working on your resume,

'cause the fortune teller won't give you anything.

She may not give my daughter anything,

But at least with her, you got a shot.

What do you think?

We're running out of time.

- So we go with the devil you know. Okay, let's do it.

Give me a hug, honey.

What's with these two?

They were engaged.

- No way! - Yes, way.

- Max. - Wow. Hey, you're gonna need

The latest passcode. Tell her,

"love is evil, it will make you fall in love with a goat."

- Okay. - By the way.

Fortune teller and I, we got some history.

- What kind of history? - The messy kind.

- Dad. - Max, let's go.

We're done here.

- So she just keeps a change of clothes in your car?

- She says it's part of the trade.

Tools to help her transform

Into whatever the mark's most receptive to.

- Speaking of marks, what about you and her?

- What about me and her? - You just said

She'll become anyone to get what she wants out of people.

What makes you think she's not doing that to you?

Because I would know.

It's a temporary arrangement. - Right.

She does her community service, you get your desk back. Simple.

That's the plan.

Whatever you say.

A seeker.

Please sit.

You seem troubled.

If you only knew.

A man?

A woman?

Both? - Remind me to never play poker

Against you. - The cards tell me