TEASER

PAGES 1-6

1. INT. TATTOO PARLOR – NIGHT

CLOSE ON our hero, FRANK SALTZMAN (26), gritting his teeth. Beads of sweat collect on his
forehead as we listen to an incessant buzz coming from off screen. Widen to a TATTOO ARTIST
beside him working methodically, administering a few final touches bathed in blue neon light. We don't
get a real good look at the fresh ink, but one thing is certain – dozens upon dozens of tattoos cover
Frank's arms and torso. We hear another voice come from off screen. Pretty convincing, Franky-boy.
Frank swallows hard, surveys the work blanketing his skin. It fucking better be. The voice off screen
continues. Now comes the tricky part.

2. INT. RUSSIAN BATHHOUSE – NIGHT

We're behind Frank as he walks towards a sauna, tattoos still out of view. Whatever artwork he does
have attracts the curious glances of other RUSSIAN MAFIA-TYPES. He sets his hand on the sauna
door, takes a deep breath, and pushes it open.

3. INT. RUSSIAN BATHHOUSE – SAUNA – CONTINUOUS

We get our first good look at Frank, naked and covered in dozens upon dozens of Russian gang and
military tattoos. He takes a seat on a bench flanked by two enormous RUSSIAN GANGBANGERS.
Three more ELDERLY RUSSIANS sit opposite, every one of them covered in similar tattoos as
Frank's. However, we notice that they each have a tattoo Frank does not – an eight pointed star, the
mark of a “made” Russian gangster. We're tight on Frank as the Russians stare daggers. He's just
walked into the lion's den, and these fuckers look hungry for fresh meat. We push in on Frank's face
through the steam, and as we reach an ECU we MATCH CUT TO...

PAGES 7-8

4. INT. LAPD ACADEMY – CLASSROOM – DAY

...the SAME FACE, but cleaner. Fresh shaven. Frank is class wearing an LAPD trainee's uniform. A
CHYRON reads SIX MONTHS EARLIER. Frank has a notebook and pen, writing. To his immediate
right sits a Hispanic trainee, LUCY MENDEZ, and to his left, a large Korean trainee, SHAWN LEE.
Frank sneaks a quick glance at Mendez, then returns to writing in his notebook.

5. INT. FIRING RANGE – DAY

POLICE TRAINEES, including Frank, Lee, and Mendez, stand on a firing range. As we travel down
the line, we hold on Frank unloading a clip with near perfect accuracy and reloading his Beretta in a
second. He's a perfect trainee.

6. EXT. TRAINING FIELD – DAY

POLICE TRAINEES practice hand to hand combat in pairs. Frank and Yates stand in a circle, and
Yates pushes forward. Frank nimbly counters Yates's attack and SLAMS him to the ground hard. Yates
gets the wind knocked out of him, but Frank extends a hand and pulls him up.

7. EXT. LAPD ACADEMY GROUNDS - DAY

Line after line of LAPD Trainees stand attention in full uniform, among them Frank, Yates, and
Mendez. In unison, the Trainees mouth “I WILL” and the ceremony is completed.
8. INT. BAR – DAY
Frank, Yates, and Mendez throw back tequila shots at a local bar.

PAGE 9-13

9. INT. CHIEF'S OFFICE – MORNING

Frank talks to police chief about his scores at the academy. What it is he hopes to accomplish. Here we
get a bit of his backstory (the fake one). Why he wants to do this low level police work when he's
clearly capable of something more technical. Frank tells him that he grew up on the streets of
Brooklyn, knows it well. Wants to give back to his community, protect them. Chief dubious, but gl.

PAGE 14-17:

10. INT. LAPD PRECINCT 47 – DAY

Here we meet the other main characters. His partner, several other characters including dispatcher.

PAGE 17-21:

11. Frank's first two days on the beat. Solves two rough cases, including stopping a robbery in progress.
Partner hesitated, but Frank took control and wins the Chief's respect.

PAGE 21-22:

12. Frank assigned to a team of young cops including Lee and Mendes. Going to take on bigger cases
under chief's discretion. He'll work closely with Cordova, who leads the NYPD organized crime unit.

PAGE 23-25:

13. End of day. Frank chats with dispatcher. Be careful what you wish for.

PAGE 26:

14. Formally introduce the new cops.

PAGE 27-29: Introduce the case. The son of a suspected Russian mob leader has been connected to a
drug trafficking ring in the Valley, specifically Reseda.

PAGE 29-31: They tail him for several nights, but there's no signs of any trafficking. Only goes to
dinner, a strip club, a local Russian bar, then turns in for the night.

PAGE 31-32: Strike One. Chief tells them they need to get closer. Cop volunteers to tail him closer,
says he can speak Russian, so he won't seem out of place. Chief agrees.

PAGE 33-35: Patches things up with girl from page 14.

PAGE 36-37: Frank at strip club. Takes photograph of money exchanging hands, but tells chief he
wants to go after him. Frank tails Antonov to a seedy building in Sheepshead Bay.

PAGE 38-39: Reveal that he's not trafficking drugs, he's trafficking humans. Young women.
END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE

PAGE 40-44: They plan a raid on the seedy building, but when they get there, they're all gone. They've
lost them.

PAGE 45-46: Frank taken off the case, this is too big for you. You already got too close and you blew
your shot. Now they're gone and they know we're after them.

PAGE 47-48: They get a break, learn that the traffickers are at a dockyard. They decide to go rogue and
go after them.

PAGE 48-52: They ambush the traffickers and the trafficked girls manage to get away, but all hell
breaks loose and two partners are shot. One KIA.

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

PAGE 52-54: Frank dismissed from the force. Chief wants nothing to do with him.

PAGE 54: Cordova meets Frank secretly at a local diner. He tells him that conventional means won't do
when dealing with the Russians. What do you propose? “I can protect you from the Chief.”

PAGE 55-56: Frank gets his tattoos. Body covered in them.

PAGE 57: Frank walks into the Russian bath house. The lion's den. Over V.O. Of the chief talking to
Cordova about Frank. Reveal that Frank's father was in the Russian mob. Frank watched him die. He's
not just going after Antonov. He's going after the whole goddamned crew.

END PILOT.
11. INT. POLICE CRUISER – DAY
There's awkwardness in the air between Frank and Mendez. Shitting where they eat. It's boring.
Nothing happening. They stop at a gas station.

12. INT. GAS STATION – DAY

Frank gets a cup of coffee and advil for his hangover. He pulls out his card to pay but immediately
notices the shop is using a debit card skimmer, but doesn't shine a light on it. Pulls out cash and pays
the clerk. He tells Mendez about the skimmer and that he thinks they should go inside to confront the
clerk, and she says she'll back him – but as they do, they get a call over the radio for a robbery in
progress. Mendez pulls the gas pump from the cruiser and they get back in the cruiser. The skimmer
will have to wait, at least for now.

13. INT. POLICE CRUISER – DAY

En route to the robbery in progress, the police cruiser sputters and grinds to a halt. What the fuck? Not a
great start to either of their police careers.

ACT TWO

14. INT. CHIEF'S OFFICE – DAY

Chewed out by chief. Reassigned to traffic duty.

15. EXT. POLICE MECHANIC – DAY

They tell Frank that the gas that was used in their cruiser was diluted and caused the engine to break
down.

16. INT. GAS STATION – NIGHT

While off duty, Frank goes with Yates to the gas station and fills up a gas can with fuel. Outside, Frank
overhears three Russians talking, one of which is heavily tattooed. One smokes a cigarette. Frank pulls
out his phone and begins recording. He overhears one of the Russians mention “cargo”.

17. INT. POLICE STATION – CORDOVA'S OFFICE – DAY

Frank meets Cordova, a detective who specializes in organized crime. He tells Frank that the chief can't
explicitly tell a FNG to go out there – that's where he comes in. Frank tells Cordova that he's from a
Ukranian family that speaks Russian. Frank plays the audio clip for Cordova that mentions cargo.
Cordova says that the Russians in the area mostly conduct low level scams, and that the cargo might be
new skimmers, bootleg electronics, etc, but he'll investigate.

Chief/Frank convo: To be honest, Russians know almost nothing about the Russian mafia in the USA.
Americans usually don’t differentiate Russians from Ukrainians, Belarusians, Georgians, Armenians,
Azerbaijani, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, etc. So the gang you call Russian mafia can easily be a
Lithuanian or former Soviet Jewish gang, for example. Normally, Russians know about the US Russian
mafia from Hollywood movies only. If we take Russia for example. The 90’s were the time of gangs.
Nowadays, former gangsters (who are still alive) are 50 + y. o. The most successful gangmembers
became legit businessmen or even small-level politicians. Nobody “controls” neighbourhoods anymore.

Not so much Russian mafia, but a Russian gang consisting of many eastern bloc nationalities called the
dying stars. Mexicans have monopolized drug trade.