01x20 - Ace in the Hole

[bunniefuu]

Tell, Trager, three's a crowd.

I cutting the Hornet
/as he's/ asking for problems.

Would you rather have him
come out here looking for it?

Come in.

Hold it.

Now, what's all that for?

I don't like being frisked.

Either we trust each other,
or you can count me out.

You understand now, Steve, why we need him?

Okay, okay.

But if we're gonna talk business, he's all we need.

Okay, guys. Out.

If you have any doubts about me, Gant,
let's hear about them, now.

Oh, he just doesn't like the idea of
cutting up the take 3-ways, that's all.

Maybe he'd like it better
if we cut up each other?

Now, here's the map, gentlemen.
I've circled the areas where...

Mr. Trager.

What is it, Jesse?

Caught this creep nosing around outside.

Who is he?

It's Mike Axford, he's a
reporter for The Sentinel.

I'll take care of him.

This is my party, remember.

Now hold it, hold it.

This guy ain't no ordinary /slough/,

this gotta be done right.

Meaning it wouldn't be?

If we're gonna work together,
let's start right now.

High card decides, alright?

Alright with me.
Fine.

King.

/I don't do it./

Ace.

Sorry Trager,
Axford is all mine.

What are you trying to do?

Taking care of Axford
was my job, remember.

He's dead.

Take him to the car.

I think we've done
enough business for tonight.

All right.

Tomorrow then.

Same time, same place.

All right with you?

Same time, same place.

Another challenge
for the Green Hornet,

his aide Kato and their rolling
arsenal the Black Beauty.

On police records
a wanted criminal,

the Green Hornet
is really Britt Reid,

owner publisher of
the Daily Sentinel.

His dual identity known
only to his secretary

and to the district attorney.

And now, to protect the rights and lives
of decent citizens rides the Green Hornet.

Can't be.

It just can't be.

It looks as if it can.

He's bound on a term to follow
that lead on Trager.

I begged him to
check with you first.

He wouldn't listen to me either.

Poor Mike.

I hope whoever did it,
gets what he deserves.

I hope so too.

What do you mean?

You say right here in your article.

"...as publisher of the Daily Sentinel,
I have in my possession a signed affidavit,

signed by one of the conspirators, naming the
man responsible for Axford's probable m*rder."

As soon as this statement can
be verified by the Sentinel staff,

it will be turned over to the
district attorney Frank Scanlon."

Why wait? Let me see it now.

There is no affidavit.

Again we have nothing on Trager.
But we do.

Show him, Kato.

Come here, Frank.

But that's Axford.

That's right.

But the paper said he was dead.

That's for Trager benefit,
and Steve Gant.

But, where is Gant fit in?

Mike blundered into a top secret meeting.

The Big Boys were forming an alliance,
they invited the Green Hornet to join.

You were there?

Luckily for Mike, we were.

That's quite a combination.

Trager and Gant, huh?

They've been at each other's throats for years.

They're after you now, Frank.

If they join forces,
they can control this town.

Yeah, what's gonna stop them?

Mike Axford.

Axford. How?

Gant and Trager both believe that he's dead.
It's exactly what I want them to believe.

The right moment
I'm gonna use him as bait.

What kind of bait? How?

To create suspicion and doubt
about each other.

Where have you got him?

That room is in the basement.

I have cameras all over the house. There's one
of them up there, closed-circuit television.

Sort of a built-in burglar alarm.

Isn't that risky? Mike might
realize where he is.

No, he thinks he's a prisoner
of the Green Hornet.

How long do you wanna keep him here?

If my plan works,

he'll be free tonight.

Don't worry, /I'll get you the/ Trager on time.

We ought to /be that out/.

They won't be out very long.
/Let's hope it's/ long enough.
If we hurry.

I should've known it.

I should have known it.

Gant's been waiting for a chance to get me
and I have to hand it to him on a silver platter.

Aren't you jumping
to conclusions, Trager?

Am I?

Well, where's Gant?

And you think of one good reason
why he isn't here at this meeting?

No.

Neither can I, but I can
think of some bad reasons.

Like him helping Britt Reid
verify that affidavit.

Then we better go to work.
No, no, no.

As long as Axford stays missing,
you've done your job.

Taking care of Gant
will be my pleasure.

Anything you say, Mr. Trager.

Mr. Hornet.

Are you trying to get us k*lled?
No, but Trager is planning on it.

Why?
Haven't you read the papers?

He thinks you gave Reid the affidavit.

Why me then? There was three
of us in the room, including you.

He's got some sort of information
and you were the one that he's after.

I knew I should
never deal with him.

Well,

thanks for the warning.

I hate to see a good thing go down the drain.

We could have had this town in our hip pocket.

Now it's done before it's begun, huh?

It doesn't have to be.

Meaning?

If you're clean, then Reid has all the answers.
The affidavit, for instance?

You think he'd give it to me?
No.

But what's to prevent you from taking it?

A little persuasion?

Your boy here seems to be an expert at that.

Yeah, how about that, Nixie?

You think we can get away with it, huh?

We can try.

Wish you luck.

Yeah.

Let's go, we don't want to keep them waiting.

Look.

It's him. That reporter, he's alive!

Yeah.

What's he doing on TV?

Closed-circuit, you dummy.
Private TV.

/That things like that watching/
a cell box up the joint.

The Hornet must have
tied him over a Reid.

So he is the squealer.
Where you suppose he is?

Somewheres in this house probably.

We gotta get Trager out here,
let him see for himself.

I ain't the one to double-cross,
/that means it's/ the Hornet.
Yeah.

Alright, Kato, they seen enough.

When the phone rings, answer it.
Make sure they hear you.

Alright.

Hello.

Oh, yes, Mr. Reid.

Axford? He's fine.

No, nothing so far.

But there's a strange car
parked across the street.

U-huh.

Yes sir, I'll get the license number,
just in case.

That did it, Kato, they're on their way.
Meet me at the car.

Mr. Reid's office.

Miss Case, I don't have any time
for questions, just listen, please.

Mike is alright.

He's hot, red hot.

That's why we had to keep you
in the dark. Do you understand?

No,

I don't understand.

But don't let that bother you any.

We're leaving him off at his place.

He probably won't come /to for/ hours,
but if he calls in, tell him to stay put.

We don't want anyone to know
that he's alive, alright?

Yes, I got the message.
Shall I repeat it?

Thanks a lot.

What did she say?

She's furious that we didn't
tell her the truth about Mike.

She's furious?

Wait until Trager finds out.

And that's the way it was.

Ain't that right, Nixie?
That's right.

Are you sure it was the reporter?

What's the matter with you?
You think I'd be stupid enough to lie?

The Hornet knocked your g*n, remember?

That chauffeur was faking when he said the guy was dead.
And why did the Hornet turn him over to Reid?

Well, so he could split us up.
Isn't that what you're trying to do, Gant?

Let's talk first. You can always sh**t later.

There's been enough talk already.

Maybe Trager would like to hear
the truth for a change.

I'd like to hear what you did with Axford?

If I could trust your friend Mr. Gant,
I'd tell you exactly.

Under the circumstances all I'll say is,
I hid the body where nobody will find it.

You ain't gonna believe it, are you?

It's a lot better than your story.

Or do you believe in ghosts too.

I don't know.

I'm telling you, I saw that Axford guy, alive.

Where?

At Reid's.

Well, then let's go to Reid's.

I'd like to see Axford for myself.

Yeah, let's do that.

Mr. Reid's office.

Mike!

How are you?

Look, Casey, you've got to believe me.

I'm cold sober.

And I'm home!

I don't know how the devil
I got here or what day it is.

Let me speak to the boss.

He's not in.
I don't know how to reach him.

But he left strict orders for you to stay put.

What are you talking about?
I've got a story that can't wait!

It'll have to wait, Mike. You step out of
your apartment and you could be dead.

How did you know?

I'm so mixed up I thought it was just a dream.

But I got a peach of a headache
that says it wasn't.

You go back to bed, Mike, please.
You can talk to Mr. Reid in the morning.

But Casey, get...

There's nobody upstairs either.

Well Gant?

Axford doesn't seem to be
anywhere in the house.

He's gotta be.

There. The TV.

It showed him in a room somewheres.

In that case he is still gotta be there.
Let's see.

Hm, that's very funny, why aren't you laughing?

Hi Gus, I ran out of smokes, can you...

Hey, Mike.

You... you're alive?

You're not dead?

Do I look that bad?

Come on, Gus, stop acting like I'm a ghost.

Mike, don't you read your own paper?

What are you talking about?

Right here on page 1.
Gus, I just asked you...

"Missing. Feared Dead."

What kind of story is this?

Hey, Mike, what about the smokes?

There's a locked room down the basement.

That must be where they hide him.
Yeah. Show us.

Here it is.

Open it.

Excuse me, please.

Let me.

Well.

I'll tell you this is the same room.

That's the /cart/ he was on.

Ain't that right, Nixie?
That's right.

Good try, Steve.

But not good enough.

Well, listen, Trager.
Why should I /see to me/, huh?.

If I wanted out of this deal, I've gotten out.
You are out, way out.

Take him upstairs.

Upstairs.

Let's go.

Hey, look!

Are you thinking what I am?

What is it?

That that affidavit's in there.

I'd sure like to get my hands on it.

There's one way to find out. Stand back.

Hey, here it is!

Who signed it?

This is ridiculous.

Who signed it?

Ah, you 2 bit squealer.

You signed it!

Would i frame myself?
Would I confess to k*lling Axford?

I don't wanna know who you are frame
could happen be up/ or a Hornet.

Why would I want to frame anybody?

It was my idea to include all of you in on the deal.

I was ready to throw in
my rackets on the deal also.

This sounds like a double-cross,
pure and simple.

And I ain't gonna status /dope../.
You haven't got any choice. You just gonna take it...

Shall we join them?

Not yet.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Hold it, hold it.

Axford.

He ain't dead.

He's only knocked out.

There it is, Trager,
the double-cross.

And it ain't you, and it ain't me.

Yes Britt, I'll get the police there immediately.

No hurry, they'll sleep for awhile.

I gave them all a dose of Hornet Gas.

Yes, Mike got notes on the whole thing.

You'll have more than enough
to make the charges /stick/.

Mike?

Well, he got into a little more trouble,
but he'll be all right.

In fact, we're taking him home right now
and putting him back to bed.

You say you want to see me as soon as I came in.

We're worried about you, Mike.
We called your apartment.

Eh, I slept late, or I thought I did.

Then I went out to get some coffee to try to
wake up, so I could straighten out the story.

But even after 6 cups...
/In/ here, maybe this will straighten you out.

Oh, no.

Do I have to read the paper
to find out what I'm doing?

We're very proud of you, Mike.

Why, I didn't write a line.

/Oh/, Mike, it's easy to hire a man to write the news.

But you're the kind that makes it.

Thanks.

But if it's all the same to you, boss,
I'll stick to bylines.

Headlines are too big a headache.