- A principal of an inner city school turns to Ray for help when a Fagin-like criminal has his sights on three of his students who he thinks can do some good if they stay out of his clutches. So Ray goes in posing as a teacher.
- A high school principal, Roy Jeffries, comes to Ray for help when the gang member he hung with decades ago, Floyd Wilson, gets out of prison and returns to his old 'hood to recruit a new generation of members for his gang. Ray and his former client Chief Nelson Riskin use some "tough love" to try to get through to three of Floyd's recruits.—Gislef
- Fred Gollan drives to an estate, and Floyd Wilson is in across the street in a van with three local teenagers, J.J. Evans, Curtis Roberts, and Darvell Keyes.. They spot Gollan, and when the teenagers mock Gollan's expensive Floyd says that he must have made a mistake and should have brought men instead of boys. He says that he'll take Gollan himself, gets out, and comes in to Gollan's study through the window, aiming a gun at him. Floyd admires Gollan's $5,000 Rollex watch and then knocks him to the floor. He complains that Gollan is just another rich dude, and shoots him dead.
Floyd goes back to the car, tells the teenagers there was no trouble, and flashes Gollan's watch at them. Smiling, Floyd drives off.
Several days later, school principal Roy Jeffries goes to an abandoned theater at midnight to meet with Ray. He calls out, saying that his teachers' meeting ran late, and a projector starts up. Its light shines on Roy, and Ray walks up on the stage with Roy and tells him to take the revolver out of his coat pocket. Roy does, saying that it's unloaded, and Ray has him slide it over and confirm that it's unloaded. He hands it back and asks why Roy didn't go to the police, and Roy explains that he was the former member of a gang. He says that J.J., Curtis, and Darvell have had to deal with a lot in life and he's been proud of what they've been able to achieve. He never thought they would join a gang, and Ray says that there's nothing he can do.
As Ray starts walking away, Roy says that he and Floyd were members of the same gang. Roy went to college and Floyd went to prison. Now Floyd is out and all of the neighborhood kids, including J.J., Curtis, and Darvell, are taken in by him. The three teenagers are right on the edge, and Ray considers.
The next day, Ray arrives at Roy's school posing as a substitute teacher. The students in the class are in chaos, and dismiss Ray as a "nerd". Ray calls on Darvell first to tell the class something about himself, and points out that Darvell has tagged the chalkboard. He calls on Curtis next, and when Curtis insults him, says he's surprised that his grade so bad when he has a smart mouth. Curtis walks up and tells Ray that no one talks to him that way and draws a knife. Ray tells Curtis to hand over the knife because it's illegal, and smacks it out of his hand with a ruler. Disgusted, Curtis tells him what he can do with his law and walks out.
That night, Floyd tells the three teenagers and others that they're "n******" and will never be anything else He rants about his old gang, the Chosen Few, are now hanging out at playgrounds and smoking weed. He tells them that if they want something, they have to take it. Floyd tells them to quite if they don't like his new program, points out his former gang member Odell that is still with him, and warns that if anyone cross him then they'll die.
Floyd and the three teenagers drive off in the van, and Ray follows them. They go to the same estate where Gollan lived, park in front of another house, and break in to rob the place. As they go out, the housekeeper pulls up and Floyd grabs her and tells Curtis to kill her. Ray steps out of the shadows and warns that it's a long way from mouthing off in class to murder. Curtis wonders why Ray is there, and Floyd tells Curtis to kill him. Ray asks Curtis if he wants to kill him, and admits that he doesn't want to die. Floyd repeats his order, and then grabs the gun when Curtis hesitates. Ray kicks the gun out of Floyd's hand and takes him down, and the three teenagers run. Floyd yells after them that he'll kill them all, and the housekeeper drives off.
Later at the police station, Ray meets with Riskin and assures him that he repaid his favor. Now he wants Riskin to help someone else. He tells Riskin about how Floyd shot and paralyzed a shop owner back in 1970 and went to prison for it, Now Ray wants Riskin to keep Floyd in jail as long as he can, and to teach the teenagers what happens after they graduate from Floyd's "school".
Ray and Roy go to prison where the three teenagers being held blindfolded. After shoving them around, Ray tells them where they are and says that it's their futures. They insist that they're minors, and Ray tells them that in prison they have to keep their mouths shut. Ray walks out and tells them that they gave up their rights to Floyd. He leads Roy out as the other prisoners start taunting the teenagers, saying that they'll own them. On the way out, Roy says that he's not very helpful that Ray's plan will work. Ray points out that Curtis could have shot him but didn't. The principal asks Ray why he changed his mind about taking his case, and Ray tells him that he has a vested interest in things working out.
The next day, Riskin drives the trio to a cemetery. They demand to see a lawyer, and Riskin ignores them. Ray is there, and he and Riskin take them to Gollan's funeral. He explains that Floyd was wearing Gollan's wristwatch when they busted him, Ray and Riskin go over to pay their respect, and after a moment the trio go with them.
Afterward, Ray , Riskin, and Roy take the trio to an expensive home. They warn that they won't squeal on Floyd, They say that it's all about the gang, and tell Roy that Floyd was right that Roy has forgotten who he really is. Roy points out that they left Floyd to be arrested and he'll be out for revenge, and Ray takes them to their rooms.
That night, Odell rams his car into the police van transporting Floyd and frees him. Floyd tells Odell to find the trio and that they have to die for betraying him, and figures that when they find the trio they'll find Ray as well.
At the house, Ray dozes in a chair in the living room. The trio sneak out of their room and Curtis draws a knife. They all find Ray, and Darvell and J.J. suggest that they just take off. Curtis figures they have to kill Ray to convince Floyd they're not traitors, and they advance on Ray. Ray is playing possum, and easily disarms Curtis and points out that it's the third time Curtis couldn't kill him when he had the chance. Curtis angrily denies it, and Ray gives him the knife back and tells him to do it. When Curtis wonders why Ray is pushing him, Ray tells him that he needs to see that he's not like Floyd. After a moment, Curtis lowers the knife.
The next day, the trio are cleaning the pool. The other two wonder why Curtis didn't kill Ray when he had the chance. When Darvell complains that they're doing "slave labor", Ray comes out and says that it's honest work, joins them sweeping, and says that Floyd is the slave master. He asks them how much of the take anyone sees except Floyd, and asks why Floyd went to prison if he's so smart. Curtis tells Ray that he doesn't know anything about what goes down in the ghetto, and Ray says that he knows about Curtis's sister who OD'd on angel dust a year ago, and what his mother had to do with the welfare investigator to keep the checks coming in.
Curtis takes a swing at Ray, who easily pins him and says that a lot of people got it bad but don't let it destroy them, and that's what Floyd is doing to them. He suggests that Curtis testify against Floyd and put him away, and Curtis thinks about it and says nothing.
Later, Darvell is in the garage and also working on a sketch of a funeral. A girl, Patricia, comes in and jokingly asks what he's doing. She explains that she lives next door and heard the music Darvell was playing, Patricia admires his sketch and he explains that he's never seen a funeral up close before. Curtis comes in, hears them talking, and says that Ray sure got through to Darvell. Darvell tells him to back off, and that Patricia should stay and Curtis should leave. When Curtis calls her a "money honey", Darvell punches him and the two teenagers fight. Ray and J.J. come in and break it up.
As Darvell storms off, Riskin arrive s and tells Ray that Floyd escaped. Curtis and J.J. are thrilled, and say Ray better hope Floyd doesn't come after him. Ray hits the streets to find Floyd, buy nobody has seen him. He goes into a bar and finds Odell playing pool. When Odell doesn't respond, Ray interferes in his pool game. Odell takes a swing at him and Ray shoves him down on the table and repeats his question.
At his school, Roy is closing the lockers when Floyd confronts him. He accuses Roy of trying to forget that he was once with the Chosen Few, draws a knife, and Roy draws his unloaded gun and threatens to use it. Floyd just chuckles and says that Roy never carried a loaded gun, and advances on him.
Ray arrives at the school to meet with Roy. He finds him dying on the floor, stabbed in the chest, and Roy dies in Ray's arms.
That night as the police take Roy's body away, Ray, the trio, and Riskin watch. Ray asks Curtis why he's there, and he says that they came to see what happened. Furious, Ray grabs Curtis and tells him to take a long look at Roy's corpse. He says that Floyd killed Roy, and walks off.
Later at a club, Darvell meets Patricia. He says that he and Curtis don't fight, and Patricia admits that it's the first time she asked a guy out. She invites him onto the floor to dance, and the two of them go out. Floyd and his men come in, and Darvell sees Floyd on the balcony looking out on the dance floor. Odell confronts Darvell when he tries to leave, and more of Floyd's men surround Darvell.
Later, Ray, Curtis, J.J. and the police arrive at the club after they get a report. Patricia says that they took Darvell. She says that Floyd said he'd kill Darvell at midnight if they didn't meet him where he said, Ray prepares to go there on his own, and Curtis tells him that it's time he learned some things. Curtis and J.J. reminds Ray that Floyd said he wanted all of them, but Ray says he'll have the police take them home. Riskin warns Ray that Floyd has already killed one man, but Ray insists on going on his own.
Ray drives to the rendezvous, remembering Roy dying in his arms. He arrives at the carnival grounds Floyd specified, and Floyd yells from the shadows that he wanted all of them. Floyd comes down with Odell holding Darvell. Curtis and J.J. pull up in a car and tell Floy that Ray is on their side and Roy was as well.
Floyd says that Roy was nothing, and more of his men emerge from the shadows wielding baseball bats, crowbars, and chains. Floyd says that the trio are enemies and Ray led them astray, and rants about how the enemy doesn't care about the brothers. He how five white prisoners cut up his chest in prison, and he promises that he was going to get even. Floyd says that Ray wants to keep them down, and punches Ray. Ray fights back, and Floyd grabs a crowbar and swings.
Ray finally takes Floyd down, and Odell draws a gun on Ray. Floyd yells at Odell to shoot Ray, and the trio get between Odell and Ray, saying that they saw for themselves that Floyd is poison. Curtis says that Roy was always straight with them, and Floyd killed him. The teenager insists that Roy wasn't the enemy if they stopped the fighting.
The police arrive and Floyd's men run off. They take Floyd away, and Ray shakes Riskin's hand in thanks and says that he owes him. Once Riskin leaves, Ray tells the trio that for a second he thought he got through to them. Curtis admits he might have been wrong and high-fives Ray.
Later, the three teenagers drive to the house to show Ray their report cards. They figure Ray will be there and knock at the door. Kareem Abdul-Jabber answers the door and says that he doesn't know who Ray is. They have no idea what Ray's last name is, and Kareem invites them to go with him to shoot a few hoops. Ray watches from the drive, smiles, and drives off.
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