One thing I've learnt in the last seven years—
In every game and con, there is always an opponent,
there is always a victim.
The trick is to know when you're the latter
$0 you can become the former.
Just got to take care of one little problem and it's yours.
I don't want this to haunt me, Paul.
Bury that shareholder, deep.
Today is the last you'll hear of it.
Casino will be yours by morning.
Oh, and by the way,
Jake Green got out today.
Seven years goes by quick, doesn't it?
Have someone keep an eye on him for a while.
Dorothy Macha,
the man responsible for the time I served—
A man who'll pass a death sentence
quicker than you'll pass the salt.
How deep did you bury that shareholder, Paul?
Deep.
Are you sure this is a good idea?
He has to pay us something, doesn't he?
You got more money than you could ever spend.
That's all you think about nowadays.
He owes me, and he owes you.
Now he has to pay.
It's cause and effect.
But he still has to pay.
He has to pay something.
Anything.
I need to see him squirm.
Every man has a weakness.
His...
he'll eat a yard of his own shit
before he'll look bad in public.
Macha's been busy building himself an empire,
and he's done well.
Very well.
He hasn't seen me for nine years,
but he'll know I'm here before I've crossed the state line.
French Paul, his gravedigger to the stars.
He'll tell him to throw me out the door I came in.
But I know Macha.
He won't send me packing till he's shown his audience
that he's still the boss
by giving me a mouthful of words that taste like bullets.
Sorry, sir. This table is closed.
Send him up.
I'm not sure that's a good idea, Mr. D.
He's got better. I mean, a lot better.
All the tables are closed.
Send him up, Paul.
Like I said, every man has a weakness.
Mine? I don't like tight spaces.
Twenty.
Hold on.
Then we'll take the stairs, eh, Billy?
You wanna walk 20 flights, Jake? Don't be silly.
Don't like to feel trapped.
Never did, never will.
Why should a man do what he doesn't like to do?
Look, Jake, if you wanna take the stairs, we'll take the stairs.
There's always a choice.
What's wrong with the stairs?
Go on. Be all right.
Now I've got to spend the next two minutes shaking,
sweating like a crack whore clucking for a fix.
Should've taken the stairs,
'cause it's getting very, very tight in here.
I'm afraid it's only two at the table, Mr. Green.
Freddy, you're done.
Have a seat, Mr. Green.
I hear you've done very well for yourself.
Against all the odds.
Well, they do say,
the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.
I've been warned if I let you sit down at this table,
I might regret it.
They say you've become very ambitious in your maturing
and you now wish to acquire yourself a business...
a business like my business.
But we both know what you are, don't we, Jake?
You're a man who needs a master.
You're an employee.
So what's in it for me?
The pleasure of doing an old employee a favor
by reminding him of the position
nature chose for him.
Rade, how much you got?
What's that got to do with you?
Toss you for it.
He's got you there, Rade.
It's not worth a heart attack. Get on with it.
I'll toss you for a tenth.
You're a risk-taker of the highest caliber,
ain't you, Rade?
I'll take red.
Very impressive, Mr. Green.
You've honed those talents most skillfully.
Pay the man his money, Billy.
You have to teach me that trick sometime.
You're on.
I'll toss you for everything under your chin.
There isn't a problem, is there, Mr. D?
You got a big mouth on a small head, sunshine.
I'll take purple.
You're on.
Come on.
Mr. Green?
Mr. Macha would appreciate it if you came back to the table.
I haven't finished with him yet.
Now would be a good time.
I think it's time to fly, don't you, Jake?
- Excuse me. - Hey, coming through.
Relax.
You're in trouble, Mr. Green. We could help.
Thank you.
Taking the stairs.
Body's not listening to the brain no more.
Should feel pain, but the mind's been frozen...
caught by a puzzle that it can't solve.
It was the man with the card.
How did he know what he couldn't know?
He got lucky, Mr. D, that's all.
Fuck luck! The man's a danger.
Since he's been out, he's made a fortune, Mr. D.
He's fat and comfortable.
He's got what he wanted.
I'm sure we won't be hearing from him again.
He ate seven years, Paul.
Seven years doesn't taste nice.
Not to mention the accident with his brother's wife.
And what the fuck does "I haven't finished with him yet" mean?
Get rid of him.
And I don't want any mistakes.
No crackheads with sharp sticks
acting like silly fucking gangsters.
You take Sorter and Slim Biggins,
you do it quickly, you do it quietly.
We don't know what caused the blackout,
but we've run some blood tests,
and we'll have the results within a few hours.
It's a miracle you didn't sustain any damage from your fall.
Can I go now?
Once you put your clothes back on.
And we'll call you back with the results.
All right. Look, I'll take him on back.
Billy, you go home. It's late.
Go easy now, yeah?
Get down!
Move!
- Joe! - Jake!
- Joe! - Move! Get out of here!
Get in the fucking car!
- Go! - But—
Get in the car.
If I wanted you dead, I would've shot you already.
Sit back and be quiet.
And here he is again.
Following disasters like pain follows pleasure.
What?
You missed?
Sorter never fucking misses.
I don't know what happened.
Something went wrong.
I had him in my sights...
three times.
You never miss, let alone three times.
Somebody told him we was coming.
Something is very wrong here.
Yeah, something's fucking wrong all right.
Don't make me angry, Slim.
I might have missed him, but I ain't gonna miss you,
not at this range.
Maybe it's better you just drive.
Doreen, Mr. Green.
Mr. Green, Doreen.
Good morning, Mr. Green.
Avi.
Mr. Green.
Mr. Green, Avi.
Sit down.
I gather you're quite the player.
I'm a bit of an enthusiast myself.
I thought... maybe we could have a few games.
I think you should tell me what's going on, don't you?
We have your medical results from the hospital.
It's not important how we got them.
What is important, however, is...
what it has to say.
You will die within three days from a very unpleasant ailment
that contaminates your blood and organs.
Thanks, fellas.
Get back to you on this one, yeah?
Mr. Green.
30 seconds and you can be on your way.
Longer you listen, the sweeter the pitch.
30 seconds.
We've already saved your life once.
The next time will not be for free.
We shall assist you under two conditions.
These conditions are not negotiable.
Oh, I'm being grafted.
Condition one...
we will bleed you dry.
Have to pawn a pet shop before you bleed me dry, my friend.
You will give us every penny you have got.
- This is a con. - It is only natural...
that you think that you are somehow being conned,
but think a little harder
and you'll realize that this is not a trick.
Now, condition two...
you will do as we tell you without argument.
This includes answering any questions that are asked.
You don't have a lot of time.
And in reality, you don't have a choice.
Now the most sensible thing to do would be to get a second opinion.
Macha has unleashed his legions.
We can protect you from the dangers you face.
That is our deal.
You have three hours to decide.
After that, you will be beyond our help.
Think I'm gonna part with my hard-earned cash
for a set of homemade hospital results?
I don't think so. Not today.
I don't have good news, I'm afraid, Mr. Green.
They've thought this one through, all right.
Oh, they're smart.
Smart as a pair of little boy's shoes.
She has to be in on it.
That's how they got the results.
Gotta find someone they couldn't have got to.
Well, Jake...
we...
there's no easy way to tell you this.
You...
you have a rare blood disease.
How'd they get to him?
He's in on it.
More than a few days, I would think—
- How much they pay you? - What?
- Who? - How much?
What are you talking about?
You got five seconds.
Five.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
- Four. - But I—
- Three. Two. - I don't know!
I have no idea what you're talking about!
When you're winning, who thinks about losing?
But when you're faced with what I'm looking at...
a new and cold reality dawns.
A fact we like to ignore...
you can not win.
The only prize they guarantee when you play this game
is that you will lose.
It's only a question of when.
I made a mistake.
You never miss, so why now?
And why three times?
Well, I had a bad feeling.
Feeling?
I'm not sure if I paid you to have feelings,
now did I, Sorter?
I paid you because you're the best in the business.
Why would you let feelings confuse that relationship?
Hmm?
Listen to me.
Urgency has become something of an issue...
so if you could restrain those feelings
until you've completed the mission,
I would be most grateful.
Do you think you could do that for me?
Sure.
I'd appreciate it.
If there's one thing I've learnt about experts,
they're experts on fuck all.
If there's a rule, you can bend it.
If there's a law, it can be broken.
And from now on, I'm breaking all the rules...
because desperate men do desperate deeds.
Cash just seems to remain king, doesn't it?
New bills. Not too many of them in this town.
Mmm-mmm!
I love a new bill.
Represents so much hope.
Look how clean and stiff it is.
It even smells proud.
Your work starts now.
You'll be driving.
We are—
And I apologize for the unnecessarily dramatic moniker—
loan sharks.
People hate and fear us just like you
will learn to hate and fear us.
We know how much you love a dollar bill,
and it won't be easy watching them fall through your hands,
because it will be your money that we will be loaning.
Don't say a word.
Just hold the bag, and if we nod, leave it on the table.
There is nothing left.
It's a very sad story, Mr. Horowitz.
My sympathies are with you and your colleague.
Maybe I am being conned.
Maybe I am being fooled.
Excuse us for having to know the reason for your loan,
but we have to assess our clients very carefully.
They say the sentence has been passed, the certificate signed.
So? What's the point?
The point is, this is the only option.
If you snap those fingers at me again, I'll fucking break 'em.
You know our rates, right?
And our policies?
No offense, gentlemen, but you have a reputation.
I wouldn't be speaking to you if I had a choice.
It's a strange thing,
but I still don't like to give it away.
I know I can't take it with me,
so why the pain?
Why the fuck does it still hurt?
And greasing the sheaths of these two pricks
isn't making it any easier.
What did I sign up for?
I try to make sense out of it.
Not now,
'cause it doesn't make sense.
Hang the old brain up for a while.
It's just been getting me into trouble anyway.
Just know if you start a job, then finish it.
In three days, we'll have it.
- I promise. - Yes, you will.
Goddamn right.
Their idea of discretion is to choose a motel
whose only clients are blood, come, and Afro Sheen.
Here, make yourself at home.
You'll be hearing from us.
We can't see Gold.
What are you talking about? I've been here for an hour.
They're the ones who asked for this meeting!
Apparently no one sees Gold.
We got one of his representatives.
Walker.
- Lily Walker? - That's right.
Hi.
Mr. Macha, I don't think we've met.
I'm Miss Walker.
I work for Mr. Gold. Do you mind if we walk?
No, no.
I understand you've been commissioned
to do some work for us.
I thought it might be a good idea if we had a little chat.
Make sure you understand the gravity
of the endeavor you've undertaken.
Yeah, yeah, I do, I understand.
Everything's set. The date hasn't changed.
- I'll get the powder by Friday. - Good.
Mr. Gold has put his faith in you,
and he has people to please.
We've heard you might be having some problems.
No, no, no, no.
We don't like publicity, Mr. Macha.
No, neither do I.
I won't let you down. I won't let Mr. Gold down.
So we're clear?
Mr. Gold doesn't give more time.
Or second chances.
Good day.
There's your money. What now?
Have a seat.
We need to know how much time you did and who you did it with.
- Why? - Why?
The deal is we ask the questions.
I had two choices inside—
14 years normal time or 7 years solitary.
I chose the solitary.
I spent 20 hours a day locked up in between two salty convicts.
I've been down there for more years than I care to remember.
One was a chess master, the other a master con man.
Never seen or spoken to each other,
but they might as well have been married,
they knew so much about one another.
Once a day, the library on wheels would be pushed around
by a pair of axe-murdering twins
who pushed the trolley for 22 years.
My neighbors used to write down chess moves
and concepts of the con
on the back pages of books based on subjects like
Theoretical Astrophysics Part Four,
and The Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics.
They just used them for their con.
I used to intercept the books
because I was sandwiched in between their cells.
Dangerous combination...
chess and cons.
These boys were locked up for ten years with no distractions,
nothing to do but think about how to steal one another's pieces.
Oh, yeah, they thought. They really thought.
I was under the impression that I was the clever bastard before I went in,
but these boys were a completely different class.
Head tricksters of the premier division.
Their sole ambition was to create the ultimate con
and win the ultimate game,
always thinking quicker, always thinking bigger.
Gradually they thought they'd found a formula to the con.
Check. A formula to win the ultimate win.
The formula.
I couldn't understand the depth of it,
but they were confident it was real,
and I believed them.
After all, they'd been right on everything else.
So now they felt they'd had their moment
and it was time for them to leave the confines of their cell.
The concrete and steel wasn't even mentioned.
I didn't even doubt them.
They got whatever they wanted anyway.
You could smell their food through 12 inches of concrete.
Bastards knew it used to drive me mad.
Oh, you bastards.
We were all gonna go together. They swore to me...
"You're coming with us, Jake."
I trusted them. Never for a second did I doubt them.
Next day, they were gone without a trace.
For the next week, the authorities tore the place apart.
Couldn't find evidence of their existence, let alone their exit.
They just evaporated.
Check.
Two years later I was out,
but those two knew everything about me.
Everything.
All my dirty little secrets—
How much money I had, where I kept it.
Hustling bastards cleaned me out.
They didn't leave so much as a pair of socks, only a note.
Rule one...
"You only get smarter by playing a smarter opponent.”
But I had their formula,
and it worked.
It really worked.
Not doing you much good now, is it?
Checkmate.
He needs to get moving.
Give him the addresses.
Why are they dragging this on?
Just clean me out in one hit.
They want me to suffer.
These twisted bastards are making me pay...
pay for my own pain.
A part of me dies every time I think about it.
They found a weakness,
caught me fair and square, crosshaired, blindfolded,
wrapped and packed and cooked,
hard-boiled, well done,
stick a fork in me and see if I'll bleed.
Checkmate.
You're quite good at this game.
Stuck in a trance, somewhere between hell and a hard place.
What I want now is a little peace.
Where are you?
The old lady's house.
Does she have it?
Of course she doesn't have it.
She's barely got a heartbeat.
Where the hell is this woman gonna get that kind of money?
That's what she owes. Any furniture?
No.
Take the dog.
I'm not taking the dog.
Then take the TV.
TV don't work.
Then get your ass over here.
How do you sleep at night?
How'd we do?
Ask the man.
No thanks, darling.
Time's up. Let's go!
Mr. Green. You took your time.
Did you get anything from the old lady?
No.
Did you get anything from Horowitz?
- No. - Why not?
Because he didn't have it.
Listen, pal, either he pays or you pay.
I pay anyway.
Don't be a smartass.
Look, man,
we're not sending you out to polish doorknobs.
You gotta get with it, man.
Doreen, take his car.
You're coming with us.
What is this?
Where was security?
They gassed them. We found them tied up.
Hold tight, Mr. Green.
It was a 12-ton Hermann & Ziegler safe, Mr. D.
It was impossible to break into.
Well, obviously it wasn't fucking impossible to move,
now was it, Paul?
What did anyone take it for?
We don't even use that safe, do we, Paul?
Checkmate.
How in the hell did you do that?
Paul?
Not usually, no.
Sam Gold's powder was in there.
It came in yesterday.
No, Paul. You're wrong.
Try again.
You stupid motherfucker.
That shit'll rattle him.
The fuck was it doing on one of our properties?
Why don't you just fucking rape me, Paul?
Pull the troops together.
Break some bones, hurt some people.
- Results. You hear me? - I'll take care of it.
You're damn straight you're gonna fucking take care of it.
The word "excuse"
does not exist in Sam Gold's lexicon.
We're the walking dead until you fucking remedy this situation.
- You understand? - I'll take care of it.
No, I said do you understand?
- Yes. - You'd better.
In the meantime, get some more powder.
I don't care where it comes from
or how much it costs, just get it.
There's only one man that can get us that amount on such short notice.
Who?
Lord John.
No way.
I'm not nourishing the competition.
That's twice the market price.
Come to us to do business
and don't have the money,
waste my time.
Fat Dan, tell the cocksucker to get out of my office.
Point his compass to a boy bar.
Sorry we can't help, Mr. Paul.
Tony'll show you the way out.
All right, hold on.
Hold on.
I am prepared to talk.
Talk.
Do you think I have time to talk?
Tell him to go to some scab-covered old whore and fuckin' talk.
Pete, if you wanna talk,
go talk to the man who made you them shoes.
I'm too fuckin' busy to talk.
Talk.
What do you wanna talk about?
- Okay, get it. - What?
Am I having déja vu, Paul?
Didn't I just say get it?
This is Sam Gold I've found myself chained to!
Mr. Black Magic!
Mr. "I run this game" Gold!
Not some plastic gangster with a pocketknife for backup.
Gold doesn't give second chances, Paul.
I want in, and I want rewards.
Got it?
Paul?
When you make the deal,
keep both eyes on that untrustworthy, greedy motherfucker.
They accept the price?
Yes.
Okay.
They must be desperate.
So set up the transaction, Dan.
Give the deal to Skinny Pete.
Skinny Pete.
Tell him to take enough firepower
to quell any fuckups.
One more thing...
Don't trust those dogs.
If they make you smile,
it's only to steal the gold that's hiding there.
If anyone asks...
you don't speak the language.
After you, Mr. Green.
I'm taking the stairs.
What's the problem, Mr. Green?
Don't like elevators.
- What are you scared of? - Are you fucking deaf?
I said I just don't like them.
Well, tough, 'cause you're getting in.
Everything?
He wants a fucking war,
I'm gonna give him a fucking war!
I don't think it was Lord John, Mr. D.
He knows you'd come looking for him.
Well, he's not far from wrong, is he?
"Cause that is exactly what I am gonna fuckin' do.
Macha set us up,
and you slept through it.
Why didn't you see this coming, fat boy?
I'll take the stairs.
Before we do anything, Mr. D,
we have to get Sam Gold his powder.
- Don't pull the trigger on the Lord— - Shut your fucking mouth!
- I'm getting out. - You ain't going nowhere.
We might as well have just given it to him.
- I'm not. - I said you're staying right here.
Get rid of the Lord...
there will be consequences.
Do I look like I'm afraid of the consequences?
- I'm taking the stairs. - You ain't going nowhere!
You motherfucker, listen!
Look at me!
You think I'm afraid of the fucking consequences?
- Take the stairs! - You listen to me!
Sit down. Get back. Sit down.
You open your mouth one more fucking time,
I'll blow your fucking head off!
Fuck him!
Fuck him.
Fuck the consequences!
Fuck the consequences.
Fuck them all.
Fuck them all!
- Do I look like I'm afraid? - No.
Do you understand me? Do you?
Lou, what's going on?
We're here.
They're here.
How many are there?
Six men.
We're doing the deal in the next room.
We'll trade in the adjacent room.
When do you make the trade?
We've got...
- Ten minutes. - Ten minutes?
Ten minutes.
Don't trust those yellow dogs.
I don't trust anyone.
Lou?
Talk to me, you motherfucker,
or I'll kill you myself.
The consequences can kiss my black ass!
They even stole my watch.
Do not worry. I'll buy you a new one for your funeral.
This has become a large problem, Avi.
There's no such thing as problems, Mr. Green.
Only situations.
Wake up, cocksuckers.
Wake up. The powder's gone.
Sorry, Big Brother.
Wake up, Mr. Green.
Checkmate.
How?
How what?
We've kept you alive, now you can tell me.
How do you keep winning?
Very simple.
You do all the hard work, I just help you along.
The art is for me to feed pieces to you
and make you believe you took those pieces
because you're smarter and I'm dumber.
In every game and con there is always an opponent
and there is always a victim.
The more control the victim thinks he has...
the less control he actually has.
Gradually, he will hang himself.
I as the opponent just help him along.
So...
that the treasured formula?
The formula has infinite depth in its efficacy and application,
but it is staggeringly simple and completely consistent.
Rule one of any game or con...
you can only get smarter by playing a smarter opponent.
Rule number two...
the more sophisticated the game,
the more sophisticated the opponent.
If the opponent is very good,
he will place his victim
inside an environment he can control.
The bigger the environment, the easier the control.
He'll toss the dog a bone...
find their weakness,
give 'em just a little of what they think they want.
Check.
So the opponent simply distracts their victim
by getting them consumed with their own consumption.
Check.
The word "snake" springs to mind.
Don't knock it.
You only get smarter by playing a snake.
The bigger the trick and older the trick,
the easier it is to pull...
based on two principles—
They think it can't be that old,
and they think it can't be that big
for so many people to have fallen for it.
Eventually, when the opponent is challenged or questioned...
it means the victim's investment,
and thus his intelligence, is questioned.
No one can accept that...
not even to themselves.
Checkmate.
I ain't playing you again.
You will always find a good opponent
in the very last place you would ever look.
You got more tricks than a clown's pocket,
don't you, Mr. Green?
Everything all right?
Can they hear you?
Two minutes.
Yeah, you're okay.
Get out, Jake, as soon as you can.
I had to dig very deep to find someone who'd talk.
They're the last resort.
When no other loan sharks will lend 'em,
your boys move in.
They've stepped on Gold's toes, and he wouldn't touch 'em.
- Gold? - Yes.
The Gold.
Sam Gold.
Mr. Clandestine.
Mr. Ambiguous.
Mr. Mystery.
Get out of there.
Get out of there, Jake.
No one lives and displeases Gold.
No one but your two friends.
Gotta be something wrong if Gold won't touch 'em.
Gotta be something wrong if the Goldfather won't touch 'em.
No one sees Gold,
but Gold sees everything.
The smoke signals say
dodge "em like an angry bullet.
Tell your friend to get out of there.
Jake, get out of there.
Get out of there.
Tomorrow!
You're worse than a stuck record.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow."
Tomorrow's never gonna come, is it?
Hello, it's warming up.
Zack, kick him. See if that jogs him on.
You want to play mother?
I took care of Horowitz. It's your turn.
Change of plan.
I can see what's coming.
Give it to Mr. Green.
Mr. Green.
Shoot Fred for me.
Not dead, stupid.
Just in the back of the knee.
I ain't shooting Fred, Zack.
Sometimes a little voice
tells you to think about number one.
Told you, Avi.
Never had the gumption.
Never gonna have what it takes.
It's easier than you think.
Just one little squeeze.
Just like a tube of toothpaste.
Who the fuck are you two?
You can't see what's right in front of you.
You supposed to be stiff,
cold, and horizontal.
And you still don't trust us?
Shoot him in the kneecap. The debt has to be paid.
Sometimes it's best to listen to it.
Get your ass up, Fred.
Go on. Get out.
He can't do that, Jake.
Then why don't you stop him, Avi?
What the fuck do you know?
Shoot that toad now.
One more step, Avi.
Just like a squeeze of toothpaste.
You realize what you're doing, Mr. Green?
Hold on, Jake.
This isn't the plan.
This won't have a happy ending.
One more step, Avi.
Wake up, Mr. Green.
Aahhh!
Yeah?
Congratulations, Mr. Green.
It's past the third day, and you have risen.
I think you're due for a checkup.
Did the bad guys get you?
There's no such thing as bad guys, Rachel.
Yes, there are. That's why Daddy's friend's looking after us.
Never mind about that.
Why don't you be a good girl.
Go and get your Uncle Jake a cold drink.
It's a bit of a mess, isn't it?
Things will sort themselves out.
Is she all right?
Don't you worry about her.
You just look after yourself.
Well, Mr. Green, I don't know how to tell you this.
Our, uh— our first results, well,
they, uh— they must have been wrong.
Um...
I cannot apologize enough for this error.
Now, you're not a well man, but I think we...
We have to asses our clients very carefully.
There is something about yourself
that you don't know,
something that you will deny even exists
until it's too late to do anything about it.
It's the only reason you get up in the morning.
The only reason you suffer the shitty boss,
the blood, the sweat, and the tears.
This is because you want people to know how good,
attractive, generous,
funny, wild, and clever you really are.
Fear or revere me,
but please think I'm special.
We share an addiction.
We're approval junkies.
We're all in it for the slap on the back
and the gold watch,
the hip, hip, hoo-fucking-rah.
Look at the clever boy with the badge,
polishing his trophy.
Shine on, you crazy diamond...
because we're just monkeys wrapped in suits,
begging for the approval of others.
If we knew this, we wouldn't do this.
Someone is hiding it from us.
And if you had a second chance, you would ask...
Why?
- Why what? - Why am I still alive?
Why did you give my money away?
Why didn't you want 'em to know?
Why didn't you want me to know?
You'll find out soon enough.
Boss, I've been digging around on Lord John.
Came across a couple of cash-talking shit-sniffers
who came up with a name.
Green.
That's right, Jake Green.
- Go on. - I'm working for his brother.
Patrick.
Couple of opportunists,
looking after his older brother.
Got a little bit greedy.
Wanted to impress you.
All right, you take Sorter and Slim Biggins
and enough men to avoid an excuse.
It's about fucking time.
Oh, now that is a picture.
You took your sweet-ass time.
We're starting to get bored.
You should've kept yourselves busy with a swim.
Funny you should say that.
Zack's quite a swimmer, aren't you, Zack?
20 lengths in 10 seconds.
We thought it might be a record.
You wanna try to beat it? Come on in and join us.
I'll just pop upstairs, grab me trunks,
and be down in a jiffy.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Oh, why is that, Avi?
Why do you think we're in this birdbath
when we could be upstairs toasty and cozy,
watching the naughty channel?
How long can it take to get five coffees
and a couple of pizzas?
You're on your own, Jakey boy.
Move!
Aawww!
You gotta tell the boss.
Why me?
Because you're the one who ordered the pizza.
Ohh.
Elvis, come here.
If I wanted vinegar,
I would have ordered French fries.
Get me something with a price tag on it. Okay?
This Mr. Green, what did he do, anyway?
Hey, Hamish.
It's okay. We're among friends.
Come on. What have you got for me?
- What am I gonna tell him? - That's your problem.
But it'd better be good.
I turned up to pick them up...
And that is what I saw.
That's a fascinating story.
I have one question for you.
How?
- How what? - How what?
There were six of us,
plus Slim Biggins, who counts as another six.
How many were there of him?
- One. - One.
So, how exactly did this one
manage to disarm and overpower
a four-time national bodybuilding champion...
drag him half a block...
throw him over a six-foot wall,
and then get him to eat his own gun?
Keep your head down!
Don't fuckin' move!
Lou! Lou!
Lou! What the fuck's going on?
I don't know!
Don't fuck this up!
He went in the kitchen!
Don't drop your guns!
Bastards!
Take the fucking boss down!
Nice and slowly.
Beauty is a destructive angel.
How could anything that looks so good be so bad?
But there is no angel as destructive as their greed.
In the end, she gets them all.
They think they can handle her...
But greed is the only snake that cannot be charmed.
I should have killed him...
A long time ago.
She shot my finger off! That bitch shot my finger off!
Who is it?
Where's Tony?
Happy Tony, Lord John's man.
Not lookin' so happy now, is he?
Don't worry, he's with Assassin Cho Lea Nokaler.
Check she's dead, Lou.
Greed gets 'em all in the end.
No worry. Cocksucker...
Now, shoot straight, Sorter.
Glad to see you got those feelings in check.
Find a couple of Lord John's boys and persuade them
to tell you where my powder is.
What is the first rule of any game, Mr. Green?
The only way to get smarter
is by playing a smarter opponent.
What's rule two of any game?
The more sophisticated the game, the more sophisticated the opponent.
The formula's the same, but where does it stop, Mr. Green?
Where does this game stop?
It stops when you start to give me answers.
Don't let them play head games with you, Jake.
Is it me that's playing head games with you, Mr. Green?
You've heard that voice for so long,
you believe it to be you.
Should've taken the stairs.
This is a con.
Hold on, Jake. This isn't the plan.
This won't have a happy ending.
You believe it to be your best friend.
They should believe their opponents would be their best friend.
Where's the best place an opponent should hide?
In the very last place you would ever look.
Do you know who Sam Gold is, Mr. Green?
The Gold.
Sam Gold.
Mr. Clandestine.
Mr. Mystery.
It's all up here...
pretending to be you.
No one sees Gold,
but Gold sees everything.
You're in a game, Jake.
You're in the game.
Everyone's in this game,
and nobody knows it.
And all of this...
this is his world.
He owns it.
He controls it.
I've had enough of this shit. It's starting to do my head in.
- Tell him you've had enough. - He tells you what to do...
- Look, that's enough. - ... and when to do it.
- Tell him. - I said that's enough, Avi!
Eventually, when the opponent is challenged or questioned...
it means the victim's investment, and thus his intelligence,
is questioned.
No one can accept that.
Not even to themselves.
He's behind all the pain there ever was.
Behind every crime ever committed.
How can I be behind all the pain,
all the crime,
if I don't even exist?
And right now,
he's telling you that he doesn't even exist.
No one lives and displeases Gold.
No one but your two friends.
We just put you to war
with the only enemy that ever existed.
And you, you think he's your best friend.
And they will protect their best friend...
with everything they've got.
Where's the best place an opponent should hide?
In the very last place you'd ever look.
He's hiding behind your pain, Jake.
Embrace the pain,
and you will win this game.
How radical are you prepared to be, Mr. Green?
You got more money than you could ever spend.
That's all you think about nowadays.
Cash just seems to remain king, doesn't it?
Mmm-mmm!
The more power you think you have in Gold's world,
the less power you have in the real world.
You are still in prison, Jake.
In fact, you never left.
Remember who they are, Jake— head tricksters,
word slicksters.
You wanted answers and they gave you riddles.
You know the rules— the longer you listened, the sweeter the pitch.
He's got all the tricks
and all the right answers.
Don't let them do this to you, Jake.
Don't let them turn you against you.
You don't give because it's good.
You give because it hurts him.
Everything all right, Mr. D?
It will be when you take care of my security, Paul.
What are you holding the papers for?
Because you're on the cover of half of them.
If you don't mind me asking,
what has come over you, Mr. D?
Take the credit.
This feels quite good.
Take the credit.
I'm gonna take the credit. They'll never know.
Might come as a surprise to you, Paul...
but I do have a heart.
I have some news about Green.
What?
Whilst you've been sleeping, we've been busy.
Jake!
If Lord John's boys knew where the powder was...
they took it to the grave.
We know Green's behind everything.
It's Jake Green you want.
He's tellin' the fuckin' truth!
He took your powder, not Lord John.
He's been playing games with us,
and he's playing games with you.
He's laughing at me. They're all laughing at me.
They don't fear me.
Shut up!
The drums have been talking.
He'll kill me. Sam Gold'll kill me.
I'm a dead man.
No one gets away from Sam Gold.
What are they saying?
They've been saying
what Sam Gold's been hearin'.
The word "excuse" does not exist
in Sam Gold's lexicon.
This is Sam Gold I've found myself chained to!
Mr. Black Magic!
Mr. "I run this game" Gold!
You're losin' it.
Hearing about the little problems
Mr. Green has been givin' us,
that's embarrassing.
We have an address for his brother.
We can take care of him.
Get him to talk. Do whatever it takes.
Take Sorter and an army.
If they give any trouble, hurt 'em!
Let me read about that in the paper!
Get a hold of Green and get my powder!
Go!
- And what more... - We expecting anyone?
I'll get it.
I said, are we expecting anyone?
Hey, shouldn't you check first?
If you love your daddy, be a good girl.
Hide in that cupboard.
Now.
Check the house.
You know why we're here?
I said...
do you know why we're here?
I've some kind of an idea, yes.
Are you gonna tell me?
Paul, I swear to you,
I haven't got a fucking clue where he is.
He's been moving about.
I swear to you.
I've no idea where he is.
Aah! Aaahhh!
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh.
It's all right. It's all right.
That's it. That's better.
That's better. All right?
I still don't believe you.
You can't trust anyone. I can't trust anyone.
They're out to destroy me. They're out to destroy you.
They're out to destroy me. Can't trust anyone.
I let Gold down.
He'll finish the business...
then he'll finish me.
He's coming. I won't see it coming.
There's a woman here to see you, Mr. D.
Says she cannot wait.
Don't tell me her name.
Says she works for Gold.
Don't tell me her name. Anyone but her.
What's her name?
Walker.
Anyone but her.
And everybody thought you were
such a disgusting man, Mr. Macha.
Here it comes. Here it comes.
Mr. Gold wishes to extend his respect
for such a magnanimous gesture.
But he was wondering...
- That's a wreath. - That's a fucking wreath.
If you can afford the time to give so generously,
why haven't you had time to conclude our business?
Everything's under control. I just need a little more time.
It's anything but under control, isn't it, Mr. Macha?
Mr. Gold doesn't give more time.
And he doesn't give second chances.
You'll be hearing from him.
Good day.
"Good day"? What the fuck does that mean?
Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?
Some fuckin' street hustler?
If he wants to meet me, you send him here
and we'll see what he has to say!
I'll kill him. I'll kill him. I'll kill all of 'em.
I'll kill all of 'em. I'll kill him first.
He'll fuckin' kill us first...
He'll fuckin' annihilate me.
Beg, beg. Take it back. Quick—beg, beg.
Beg, beg. Take it back.
Beg, you idiot. Beg.
Wait, wait! I didn't mean what I just said!
"Good day"? What the fuck does that mean?
That means he's going to end my game...
and I won't see it coming.
I'm gonna make this fair.
This...
is for you.
These...
are for me.
One good chop...
and you'll make the sink.
Okay, that's enough.
Question me again, Sorter,
and we will have a falling-out.
It's all right, baby. It's okay.
Your daddy's fine. It's gonna be okay.
I'm so sorry, baby.
Your daddy loves you so much. You know that, don't you?
It's all gonna be okay.
Say it with me.
Listen. Listen to me, sweetheart.
None of this is real, okay?
It's just a game that the grown-ups are playing.
Now, what I want you to do—
I want you to get in the cupboard,
and I want you to put your fingers in your ears,
and it'll be over before you know it.
That's right. Do as the man says, baby.
Put your fingers in your ears...
- ... get in the cupboard. - Sorter!
- Good girl. - Pull yourself together, man!
Sorter!
We're gonna have to take the girl!
Of course you have.
Now all you gotta do is come and get her.
What we doin' here?
One last treat.
You have a meeting.
Give him what he wants.
I'm sure he'll be very happy.
We'll see you soon.
What are we doin' here?
He's the enemy, Jake! Not me!
Use your perceived enemy
to destroy your real enemy.
Do not listen, Jake.
You've got a gun.
Use it!
Don't wake him up. Suffocate him.
Put the pillow over his head.
Let's suffocate him.
He'd do it to you, Jake.
If you can't do it, then you're not a free man.
You are controlled.
Controlled.
Free man.
Jake, wake up!
Look, Mr. Macha... Oh, don't do it.
Very sorry to have woken you. Please listen to me.
Who's that?
Mr. Green?
Mr. Macha. Please. Sorry to have woken you.
Listen to me.
Sorry. Listen at how you sound!
Came to apologize.
Forgive me for the things I said
and for cheating you out of your money.
I couldn't think clearly.
Shut up. No, no, there's still time.
- Shoot the fucker. - Come on, shoot him, shoot him.
He's been trying to kill you. He killed your friend.
Shot like a fucking dog.
That's better, Jake. In control again.
Do the right thing. Take care of your enemy.
Take care of business.
Use any means possible to induce head pain...
- ... and engage the enemy. - Shut up!
- No! - Wake up, Jake!
- No! - What are you doing, Jake?
Leave it, Jake!
You're groveling.
I now realize you're a man to be feared and respected.
Stop groveling.
Where's your pride?
Where's your pride, Jake?
- I made a big mistake, Mr. Macha. - Shut up!
I underestimated your power and your intellect.
- I want you to— - Shut up!
I want you to forgive my stupidity.
Wherever you don't want to go
is where you will find him.
What is it that you're afraid of, Mr. Green?
Why are you doing this to yourself, Jake?
Too tight, Jake.
You gotta get out.
Look at the tiny, tiny space, Jake.
Jake!
- After you! - No, no, no, no!
- Jake... - Stop, stop.
- It's tight, Jake. - I'm scared.
- I gotta get out! - I can hear you.
I can hear you.
- What? - I can hear you.
I'm on to you.
Been listening to the other side, ain't you, Jake?
Listening to people that want to hurt you.
- New people, new! - Not old friends like me.
- People you shouldn't trust. - We're best pals, Jake!
- You wanna get rid of me? - You know life without me?
- You don't know life without me. - Do you know life without me?
No! Because it doesn't exist.
Get rid of 'em, Jake, forever.
They're the enemy, not me.
They're new, I'm old!
I stay, they go!
- I say, you do! - You're weak without me. Weak.
It's us against them, Jake.
It's us against them.
I'm coming to get you.
You wanna get rid of me, do you?
Do you?
You wanna get rid of me?
Me, me, me?
Boom! Ha! Hee!
Still here, Jake!
Can't win this one without me.
Oh, no, no, no.
Know why?
I am you.
You ain't me.
The greatest con that he ever pulled...
was making you believe...
that he is you.
You ain't me.
I am you!
You're not me.
Come on!
Your best fucking friend!
I am you!
You don't control me.
I control you.
You come to my house
with a loaded gun?
You speak to me
like I'm a fucking idiot?
What's your game?
Speak to me.
Speak to me...
or I'll kill you like the fucking dog that you are.
Fear me.
Fear me!
Fear me. Fear me.
Fear me.
You know what's elegant about this little game, Jake?
Nobody knows where the enemy is.
They don't even know he exists.
He's in every one of their heads.
And they trust him...
because they think they are him.
It's beautiful, man.
You have to admire the opponent's elegance.
Check.
You're quite good at this game, Mr. Green.
I know, 'cause I'm quite good at this game.
Check.
The art is for me to feed pieces to you
and make you believe you took those pieces
'cause you're smarter and I'm dumber.
Wake up, Mr. Green.
You can't see what's right in front of you.
I never saw or spoke to those boys in all those years.
You know, I'd have died for either one of them.
One was a chess master, the other a master con man.
Dangerous combination,
chess and cons.
Those two knew everything about me,
all my dirty little secrets,
how much money I had, where I kept it.
Hustling bastards cleaned me out.
My neighbors used to write down chess moves
and concepts of the con on the back pages of books
based on subjects like
The Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics.
Wake up, Mr. Green.
We were all gonna go together, they swore to me.
"You're coming with us, Jake."
We were always going to take you with us, Jake.
You just weren't ready to hear how hard that was going to be.
Checkmate.
The ego is the worst confidence trickster
we could ever figure,
we could ever imagine.
"Cause you don't see it.
And the single biggest con is...
"I am you."
The problem is that the ego
hides in the last place that you'd ever look—
Within itself.
It disguises its thoughts as your thoughts,
its feelings as your feelings.
You think it's you.
Peoples' need to protect their own egos knows no bounds.
They will lie, cheat, steal,
kill, do whatever it takes,
to maintain what we call ego boundaries.
People have no clue that they're imprisoned.
They don't know that there is an ego.
They don't know the distinction.
At first it's difficult
for the mind to accept that there's some—
Something beyond itself,
that there's something of greater value
and greater capacity for discerning truth than itself.
In religion, the ego manifests as the devil.
And of course, no one realizes how smart the ego is
because it created the devil so you could blame someone else.
In creating this imaginary external enemy,
it usually made a real enemy for ourselves,
and that becomes a real danger to the ego,
but that's also the ego's creation.
There is no such thing as an external enemy,
no matter what that voice in your head is telling you.
All perception of an enemy
is a projection of the ego as the enemy.
In that sense,
you could say that 100 percent of our external enemies
are of our own creation.
Your greatest enemy...
is your own inner perception,
is your own ignorance,
is your own ego.