This film reads chapter 33 of Paul Ferris's book The Ferris Conspiracy. It is called Showdown, and it ends with Glasgow's godfather, Arthur Thompson, unconscious on the pavement outside a pub.
McGraw is a grass
It started with a fire. Billy Thompson climbed on the roof of the Caravel bar, poured petrol through a break in the tiles and lit a match. The plan, Ferris writes, was hatched in prison by Arthur Thompson's son, young Arty, and Jonah McKenzie. The fire brigade saved the pub, but they could do nothing about the words painted big and bold on the road outside: McGraw is a grass.
Being called a grass is bad for business. The bar belonged to Tam McGraw, the Licensee, with his wife Margaret's name over the door. According to the book, he called in favours, and for weeks people were arrested, hassled and beaten on his behalf. McGraw wanted all his enemies off the streets, Tam Bagan and Jonah McKenzie first. Arthur Thompson was increasingly caught in the crossfire, and he suspected Bagan was behind a bullet he had recently taken in the groin.
The showdown
A meeting was called to head off a war. Thompson offered to pay for the fire damage, and McGraw accepted at once. It would never be paid.
As Thompson, McGraw and their backers came out of the Caravel into the daylight, a car screeched up and out jumped Tam Bagan with his team. Nobody had planned it, and nobody backed down. Old Arthur pulled a gun, pressed it to Bagan's head and cracked him on the skull. Then Bagan was on him, with fists and boots, until the old man lay unconscious on the ground.
Straddling Thompson, Bagan went to shoot him with his own pistol. "Don't kill him," McGraw pleaded, knowing it would set Glasgow burning for years. Bagan hesitated, pocketed the gun and walked calmly away, while his crew smashed the front of Thompson's car.
McGraw had saved his life. Thompson believed McGraw had set him up.