Vic found out the truth about Lem's death and threatened to kill Shane. As insurance, Shane put together a package detailing every corrupt thing the Strike Team ever did.
Shane got back in bed with the Armenian mob. Local boss Kesahkian is dying in the hospital and his daughter Diro is poised to take over the family business. Shane arrested Rezian, a port boss who could've stolen Diro's crown. Vic warned Diro about the life expectancy of Shane's business partners, so she ended their arrangement.
Knowing Vic was the reason Diro got cold feet, Shane retaliated by telling her Vic ripped off the money train a few years back. (Of course, he left out that the whole fucking thing was his own idea). Diro concluded that Vic must be "dealt with."
Romero, who had his arm hacked off during the San Marcos murders, refused to talk due to diplomatic immunity. The police "lost" a mysterious suitcase of cash that Romero had with him. Vic is certain Edgar-veda and Cruz are involved in a conspiracy related to San Marcos. The suspicions were further heightened after Vic learned Romero went to college with Edgar-veda and Cruz.
Cruz provided Vic with something that could prove valuable to saving his job: the supposedly destroyed photo of Edgar-veda being forced to give oral sex to Juan the gangbanger. In exchange for this, Cruz ordered Vic to stop digging into San Marcos.
At home, Edgar-veda answers a phone call from Vic, who announces he's in the councilman's driveway. Vic warns that Edgar-veda won't want to have this chat where his family could overhear. Before stepping outside, Edgar-veda gets his gun from a lockbox and hides it in the back of his pants.
Vic's appeal is scheduled for the next day. Edgar-veda tells Vic he came to the wrong place for a pep talk. Vic shows him the picture; Edgar-veda claims it was Photoshopped. Vic was hoping his former boss could nudge the review board in the right direction. Edgar-veda tosses the picture on the ground, insisting it's fake. Vic retrieves the photo as Edgar-veda goes back inside.
Shane paces outside Mission Cross Hospital, smoking a cigarette. For a second, I think Mara's gone into early labor. He goes inside and hovers by Kesahkian's room. A muscular Armenian is guarding the door. Diro motions for the guy to let Shane in.
The hospital doesn't mind gangsters hanging around because Kesahkian's been a generous donor. Jesus, even the hospitals in Farmington are corrupt. The doctors told Diro that her father only has a couple of days to live. Diro gives Shane an envelope of cash for his tip about the money train heist.
Shane knows the Armenians have been under the radar "since the feet-chopping ended." It might be a good idea to let bygones be bygones; dead cops are bad for business. The port is temporarily shut down and the mob can't take another hit. Well, Diro gave the information to her father's pals in their native land, so what happens next is out of her hands.
Shane understands her being upset, but you don't win this game by being stupid. "I'm not playing a game, Shane. Are you?" she asks. Shane is just thinking of the big picture, the same excuse he used for murdering Lem in cold blood.
At the Barn, Vic is greeted by Edgar-veda's lawyer Ben. The detective's threats will not go unanswered. "The truth is not a threat," says Vic. Ben will be pursuing criminal action against Vic for extortion and a civil suit for defamation of character. Since Vic conducted his blackmail off-duty, the police department won't pay for his lawyer.
Ben practically gloats, "You're ineligible for a police pension and you'll be out of a job soon. You'll have to liquidate your assets to fight this." He promises that Vic is for "seven years of legal hell." As opposed to the six he's already weathered?
Vic's next stop is the bar where Edgar-veda met Sara the hooker back in Season 4. Cruz is there, drinking with an Asian woman half his age. Vic wants every copy of the oral sex picture and the backstory that goes with it. If Cruz isn't agreeable to that, well, Vic has no choice but to find out how he's connected to San Marcos.
Cruz assures Vic he's not involved criminally. Vic wonders why he's so afraid of what could come out. Cruz is sure Vic is too dumb to connect all the dots and was hoping to save himself from having to resort to drastic measures. Like murder? Vic knows that's a possibility, so he apologizes.
Cruz asks how Operation Save My Job is going. Vic repeats that he needs the original, all the copies, and the story behind the Kodak moment; Edgar-veda is claiming Photoshop. He can't do favors for Cruz if he's stripped of his badge.
Shane sits down with Rezian at the jail. It's just too bad what happened at the docks; orange isn't a good color for the Armenian. He offers to help him regain his freedom. Rezian doesn't think so; trusting Shane got him in trouble in the first place. "Importing untaxed gas landed you here," Shane argues, showing him a cell phone picture of the ledgers. He could make them mysteriously "vanish" from the evidence lockup.
Shane had to end his arrangement with Diro because "she's got some bad intel on a couple innocents she thinks robbed the Armenian money train." He needs to know who's coming over from Armenia to do the hit. "If Diro's smart, and she is, she'll take care of the retaliation herself. Hire locally," says Rezian. Most likely, Zadofian would be the one she'd trust to do the whacking.
Rezian warns that the money train robbers won't be the initial victims. Diro will target their wives and children first. Shane is quiet as he ponders exactly what he just set in motion.
Tina has found 3 California driver's licenses issued to Zadofians; there's a father/daughter combo in Whittier and a single man in Glendale. Shane asks for the particulars on Glendale's car first; that town is 15 short minutes from L.A. Can she pass the make and model on to Wilshire and Pasadena?
Vic shows up in Edgar-veda's driveway with another envelope. "What now?" asks the councilman, "Pictures of me screwing the Bush twins?" Nope, just Juan's original memory stick and all the copies. Vic knows Juan later "got his skull crushed in County" and bets Edgar-veda had something to do with it. And how did he get these pictures? From Cruz in exchange for stopping the San Marcos investigation.
Vic is curious how Cruz got the pictures from Juan and why Mexican and American officials wanted to bury the San Marcos murders. Cruz's college friend Romero was the only survivor. Vic needs his badge for longer than three days to prove Cruz is involved. Edgar-veda claims it's too late to do anything about the review board hearing.
Edgar-veda goes to the Barn and asks Claudette to return Romero's briefcase of money ASAP. Vic thinks following it will uncover a conspiracy that led to the San Marcos murders: "You know this goes much higher than three cholos with machetes." Claudette agrees to do this "off the books, but if it blows up, it lands on you." Considering the manner in which a member of that precinct was recently killed, poor choice of words.
Claudette asks Edgar-veda if there will be any surprises at tonight's review board. "Shouldn't be," the councilman says innocently. The captain hopes not.
Over the police radio, Vic hears a BOLO (be on the lookout) for a 2003 Lexus, issued by Farmington Detective Shane Vendrell. Holding a pen cap in his teeth, he scribbles down the license plate number and driver's name. Vic parks his car at Glen Ridge School. Corinne walks out with Matt and Megan, thanking Vic for bringing their son's backpack.
Vic hugs the kids and tells them to have a good weekend at Grandma's. From across the street, Shane watches Vic carry Megan to Corinne's van. Shane puts his truck in gear to follow her. Just then, Tina calls his cell to let him know Zadofian's car was spotted in Little Armenia. Should she have officers stop him? Shane just wants the address.
Shane cocks his gun as he exits his truck. As he approaches Zadofian, Diro calls him from the hospital. Zadofian isn't where Shane thinks he is; she and Shane need to discuss how to handle their "problem."
 |
| (Image credit) |
At the hospital, Kesahkian's bodyguard pushes Shane against the wardrobe and takes his gun. The doctor advised Diro to turn off life support, which she refused to do. Shane tries to call off the hits on Vic and Ronnie; their families don't deserve to be hurt. "We can't separate the ones we love from the choices we make," says Diro. This hits home for Shane because Mara knows the truth about Lem.
"You need to accept the fate of your associates," Diro goes on. Shane can't stand to see his friends die. Diro adds Shane will be punished in kind for his betrayal; she heard about his chat with Rezian. "You can't kill Vic's wife and kids," Shane begs. Diro shrugs that she can't stop what's in motion.
Shane lunges forward to the bed and grabs Kesahkian's throat, lobbing Diro's own words at her: "We can't separate the ones we love from the choices we make, right?" He orders the bodyguard to return his gun. Shane then steals the bodyguard's gun and cigarettes. When the guard tries to follow Shane, Diro stops him. Zadofian can handle him too.
Vic jots down the address where Romero's driver stops to drop off the suitcase. Shane tries to call, but Vic is screening. Vic goes across the street and pretends to be buying a newspaper. He steps into the office the suitcase recipient came out of and starts digging through their mailbox.
A secretary asks if Vic needs help. Vic lies that he works nearby and got a letter addressed to this office by mistake. There's no sign out front, so Vic asks what they sell here. The secretary gets cagey: "We're a service provider." She can't give more details because "I just answer the phones."
Vic asks if they need copiers, claiming he's a salesman. He'd love to take a look at the current setup; he's behind on his monthly sales quota. The secretary wants him to leave because nobody's really supposed to be in here. Vic opens a door and sees a rack of what appear to be military style rifles. He chuckles, "I guess this isn't a copy room."
Vic flashes his badge at the secretary. He wants to know everything about her boss Aramboles. She keeps up her "I just work here" routine. Vic asks about the one-armed man who just left a suitcase full of money. Secretary could potentially be charged with conspiracy and illegal transfer of currency out of the country. Who is Aramboles and what does he do?
Secretary recently moved to the States from Mexico City. Aramboles claims to have been military intelligence south of the border. When he offered the job, she took it because it beat the hell out of dancing in a strip club. Vic inquires about all the computer equipment. Secretary thinks Aramboles is a security consultant.
Aramboles is going to the bank before an important client meeting. Vic makes a deal with her: "You forget I was ever here or I tell your boss you gave me a tour of his closet full of guns and goodies."
Back outside, Vic ignores another call from Shane. Edgar-veda gets in the car with some more information. Aramboles really was a military investigator assigned to a cartel task force. He was fired last year; the rumor mill said it was because he switched sides. Edgar-veda isn't sure what the connection is between him and Cruz.
Edgar-veda hasn't talked to his old pal much lately. Didn't even cash the check Cruz wrote for his campaign. Vic wants Edgar-veda to cozy up to him again; there has to be a bigger motive behind Cruz giving Vic the compromising pictures. Cruz will expect Edgar-veda to ask him for help. As a good-faith gesture, Vic hands Edgar-veda the jump drive containing the pictures.
Billings conversationally asks Dutch how last night was. Dutch shrugs, "Fine." Billings mentions his night was entertaining. A body lies in front of what looks like a small store. Danny reports the victim's name was Joe Barnes AKA Miracle Joe. "Jesus, no," mutters Dutch.
Miracle Joe was a local homeless man who survived 20 years' worth of Farmington "riots, earthquakes, gunshots, stabbings, beatings." A homeless woman saw a teenager who works for Ray Stodds dump Joe out of a pickup truck "like a bag of garbage." Ray is a local extortionist who charges homeless people to beg on the freeway ramp.
Shane jogs up to Corinne as she and Cassidy open the back hatch of their van. The former Mrs. Mackey doesn't want to talk to Shane or Mara. Shane asks where Matt and Megan are. "Not here," snaps Corinne. Shane tells them to come with him. "Does Vic even know you're here?" asks Corinne.
She's not going anywhere without more details.
A black sedan cruises past, making Shane nervous. He yells, "Just get back in your van right now or someone's gonna kill you and your goddamn kids!" "Call Dad," Cassidy tells her mom. Shane scoffs that he's been trying to do that for an hour. He takes Corinne's phone; she's in danger because of Vic. If she calls the precinct, Vic will go to jail in addition to losing his job.
When Corinne tries to walk away, Shane grabs her arm. She notices he's holding his gun next to his leg. Shane tells them to get in the van, promising not to hurt them. "Then put that away," says Corinne. Mother and daughter climb in the van, likely against Corinne's better judgment.
Danny gives Dutch a sketch of the person seen dumping Miracle Joe's body. She sees a worn photo of a young black boy on Dutch's desk. "That was the nephew Miracle Joe always talked about seeing someday," he explains, "It was in his wallet."
Danny heard about Kevin and Tina hooking up. "Really?" says Dutch innocently. His tone doesn't fool Danny; witnesses saw Dutch there. Dutch is sure Billings set him up into going to Tina's, but he can't prove it. "Sorry," Danny sounds like she means it. She knows Dutch liked her.
Danny confides she never really had a crush on Kevin. She was just trying to prove she could still get a man with her post-baby body. Dutch guesses that's what the two of them get for being shallow.
"Charging the homeless a panhandle tax. That's real upstanding," Dutch says to Ray. Danny and Tina watch the interrogation from the observation room. A couple passing uniforms snicker at Tina. Danny is sympathetic; it has to suck being the subject of office gossip. "I can't believe Dutch watched," says Tina, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Danny tells the younger woman about the mean prank someone pulled on Dutch.
Tina looks like she wants to cry. Danny knows Tina never had feelings for Dutch; she was just using him to get a promotion. "He had a chance," Tina (probably) lies, "He just never took it." Kevin was just an impulse fuck. He's been avoiding Tina ever since, meaning he thinks it was a mistake. "We all make a few," says Danny, an expert on office romances gone wrong.
Ray ID's the sketch of the teenager as Bones. Dutch asks if Ray had problems with Joe over unpaid "off-ramp rent." Ray claims he quit trying to get Joe to pay. A few months ago, Ray saw Joe get hit by a bus, get up, and walk away: "I figured it was some sorta sign."
Shane parks Corinne's van under an overpass, near what's either an illegal car dealership or parking lot. He knocks on the window, ordering her to get out. He drags her by the arm when she doesn't move. Shane herds mother and daughter toward what looks like a semi-trailer.
 |
| (Image credit) |
"Corinne, I've got my family hiding too!" he calls through the closed door. I'm willing to bet the Vendrells accommodations are much nicer. Corinne shouts his name and pounds on the door. Shane says he'll come back to pick them up when it's safe.
Over dinner, Edgar-veda tells Cruz about a former employee that's trying to create a scandal. He thanks Cruz for the check he just cashed, but he needs more money. Not much, just $150,000. Cruz thinks he can make that happen and asks for another favor. He asks Edgar-veda to anonymously donate money to a private college to fund a voter research study about Farmington. Edgar-veda agrees.
The councilman tells Vic about Cruz's research grant, which is really just a cover for a redistricting scheme. Vic shows Edgar-veda a highlighted map from Aramboles' office; all the buildings noted are owned by Cruz. Anti-terrorism laws have made it much harder to launder money internationally. "The Mexican mob is buying up Farmington?" asks Vic. Basically, yeah.
Vic speculates the Mexicans could set up prostitution rings in the low-income housing projects; the medical clinic would be a way to sell illegal prescription drugs. Vic wants to go after Aramboles. Edgar-veda advises him against it because they risk tipping off Cruz. Vic pleads that he only has three days left on the job. Edgar-veda tells him to be realistic: "This will take three years."
"Help me stay so I can finish this," Vic says desperately. Edgar-veda can't help him. However, Howard Gregson of the review board might be sympathetic to Vic because he has an autistic grandson. Vic mostly pays for the doctors and therapy that Matt and Megan need. Vic refuses to use the kids as an excuse, but that might be the only card he has. Howard could sway another vote in Vic's favor.
Kevin comes out of the breakroom as Tina is walking in and doesn't even acknowledge her. Dutch is eating lunch at the table. Tina wants to talk about last night. Dutch apologizes for spying on her (as well he should). Tina gives him the old "I never meant to hurt you" routine. Dutch tells her she has nothing to be sorry for. He developed an unrealistic crush on her and wants to move past it.
Dutch sees a suspect in Joe's murder being brought in and leaves. Danny informs him that Miracle Joe's nephew is driving in. Dutch can't find Billings and asks his other former crush Danny if she'd like to help with the interrogation. Tina watches jealously from the breakroom.
The teenage suspect lawyers up. Claudette brings in a coroner's report; Miracle Joe's cause of death was plain old heart failure. Dutch finds it a cruel irony that Miracle Joe survived all those years on the street in a place like Farmington just to be killed by a heart attack.
Ronnie is about to leave for a clandestine meeting with Vic when Kevin stops him. He heard from a dealer named Burnout about an upcoming gang initiation rite. Burnout also happens to be one of the Strike Team's longest-standing informants. He gripes, "You burned our source for a gang initiation tip?" Kevin thinks stopping four teenagers from jumping into a gang is a good idea and could mean fewer issues down the line. Sounds like a Lem strategy.
"Hey, the cops are coming!" warns a boy who looks all of 12 years old. His friend is on the ground being kicked by other members of the gang. Everyone scatters as the Strike Team and uniforms appear. Kevin asks what to do with the younger kids. "Can't hold 'em on anything," says Ronnie. Their only option is to start calling some parents. Julien helps the injured kid stand and offers to drive him to the hospital.
Vic is none too happy to see Burnout in the cage and equally unimpressed by the tip he provided. Vic confronts Kevin. Kevin asks if Burnout signed a CI contract, which, of course, he didn't. The new Strike Team leader shrugs that Vic won't be needing informants much longer anyway.
Vic argues that gangs beating on their own members "keeps the rage in-house." Julien pipes up a gang is a lifelong commitment; these kids are too young and stupid to know what they're doing.
Shane is alone sitting on a kitchen counter when the doorbell rings. He shoves his gun down the front of his starched and pressed Wranglers before answering. It's a rep from a burglar alarm company, asking to speak with Mrs. Mackey. It's the only way he can reset the alarm.
"I'll go get her," says Shane, letting the guy in. He draws his gun and starts grappling with the alarm rep. They thrash on the floor amongst the kids' toys. Suddenly, there's a gunshot. "Aw, you dumb shit!" Shane yells. The alarm guy starts ranting in Armenian, causing Shane to realize this was a setup.
"It's your lucky day," Shane declares, "I don't have time to bury a body." He gives Phony Alarm Rep a message for Diro: She's no longer queen bee. Rezian is taking over. If Phony Alarm Rep joins Rezian's crew, he can drive himself to the ER. Phony Alarm Rep nods in agreement.
Outside a store, a bloodied woman is loaded into an ambulance. A couple of kids attacked her with a pipe. "This is a simple assault. Why are you here?" Claudette asks Kevin, Julien, and Ronnie. Ronnie explains they broke up a Spookstreet initiation earlier and this might be a continuation. "We don't know that," says Kevin. Hands on his hips, Ronnie repeats if gangs can't attack their own, they start on innocents.
"Anyone who skulls a woman like that is gonna do a lot worse when they join a gang," says Kevin. Julien interjects that they couldn't just watch the kids get beaten. Two kids were being jumped in and they need to find the other one. When Kevin and Julien are gone, Ronnie calls Vic and asks to be picked up.
Vic and Ronnie visit a gang leader named Streetz. They heard his latest recruitment session isn't going so well. The cops broke up the jumping-in party, "then one of your baby bangers bashes a woman's head in." Streetz would send flowers if he cared. And why should he help Vic again? Word is he's getting fired. Vic names Ronnie as his successor if that happens.
Ronnie makes a peace offering: "Schedule another jump-in. I'll make sure it doesn't get broken up." "You don't help us find this kid, we'll show you how we jump someone in," threatens Vic.
Ronnie and Vic drive Streetz around, looking for the initiate. Streetz thinks he sees the kid across the street. Vic follows behind as Ronnie hustles to cut the kid off from the front. Vic gently takes the boy down, handcuffs him, and confiscates a gun.
Danny and Dutch's suspect is clear of the murder charge, but they can still hold him for desecrating a corpse. A public defender can't come to the station until morning. Would he rather spend the night in lockup or tell them what happened?
The teenager cracks. He found Miracle Joe's body and dumped him at the Fast Mart; the new owner called the cops on him for loitering once. "So you left a corpse at his front door?" Dutch asks incredulously. Body Dumper says, "Who wants to step over a dead body to buy a Slurpee?" Which, I guess, is a pretty valid point.
Billings reappears in the squadroom. Dutch asks where he's been. "It's nice to know I closed my last case," Billings replies. His doctor just signed off on his disability claim and he's planning to sue the police department. Billings wants $3.4 million in pain and suffering for being forced to work after a serious injury. "I got knocked down trying to break of the fight between Mackey and Kavanaugh."
Oh really, Billings? You got pushed. Lem was murdered and you don't see his parents trying to sue the city. (Something of a surprise given how greedy they apparently are). Billings claims he's had nausea, back pain, and headaches since the incident. Claudette raises an eyebrow: "You understand insurance fraud is a felony?" Billings tells her to read the letter; it's been nice knowing everyone.
Vic brings in the baby banger, announcing, "He was about to shoot someone on a crowded sidewalk." Claudette gives him some rare praise. They discuss Vic's upcoming hearing. "Are you gonna use those last words to save yourself or burn this place down?" she asks. Vic knows the precinct is out of danger thanks to him solving the San Marcos case. Does Claudette really wants to bet the farm on Kevin, so to speak?
Vic reminds her this isn't an everyone-plays soccer league. She needs someone who knows the streets. Vic tells a uniform to call the kid's parents. Kevin gets territorial about the case. Danny rushes up to let Vic know there was a shots-fired 911 call at Corinne's house.
Vic bounds up the porch steps, barking for Asher to tell him what happened. Asher doesn't know. Neighbors reported the gunshot. There's a pool of blood in the living room, but no one in the house. Vic contaminates the crime scene by checking every room for himself. He directs Asher to the family address book and tells him to find out if anyone's heard from Corinne or Cassidy. Vic tries Corinne's cell number and discovers the phone on the kitchen counter.
In jail, Rezian heard he might get off on a lesser charge. Shane says that's what happens when evidence gets "lost." Rezian promises to ensure safety for Vic, Ronnie, and their families if Shane tells him where the Kesahkians are. He also wants $2 million in restitution for the money train, payable in protection and favors. Shane refuses, so Rezian repeats his threat to start the killing with Vic's kids.
Shane lets a sweaty, bedraggled Corinne out of the semi-trailer; an equally worse-for-wear Cassidy follows. Shane's already called a taxi for them. Corinne demands an explanation. Cassidy tries to calm her mother, but Corinne is having none of it. "You know who you married. That's all the explanation you need," Shane says coolly, getting in his truck.
Vic sits on the front steps with Matt and Megan. A taxi drops off Cassidy and Corinne. The eldest Mackey child immediately runs to her dad for a hug. Corinne won't let Vic touch her. She gives him a rundown of their day: "Shane pulled a gun on us. He took us somewhere in East L.A. He locked us in a truck. I thought he was gonna kill us." He claimed he was trying to protect them from Vic.
"Shane's in business with some very dangerous people," Vic explains. His former best friend was probably trying to scare them to get back at Vic. Corinne asks what Vic intends to do about it. He instructs Asher to drop Corinne and the kids at his place. He'll take care of Shane.
Ronnie found a shell casing and a blood trail. He also discovered an Armenian cigarette butt inside. Vic bets it's a warning. He tells Ronnie to keep an eye on Shane: "Figure out what he's doing and who he's doin' it with. Then we're gonna crush him." I'm sure that sounds like an excellent idea to Ronnie; he always seemed to be the closest person to Lem.
Claudette asks Kevin if there's something he'd like to say about him and Tina. She's heard enough people gossiping that she figures there's at least some truth to it. Kevin confirms her suspicions by saying, "You can tell your old partner that I'm not pressing charges for being a peeping Tom."
Department policy requires Kevin to disclose a sexual relationship with a fellow officer, especially one he outranks. Kevin argues that it was a one night stand. He's sure she wants to bring up his performance on the Strike Team; he hasn't had a chance to do anything without Vic scrutinizing him. "I don't want Vic. I want someone with a little Vic," says the captain, "The right kind. And that's not you." Being let go is no skin off Kevin's nose; he brags that he had departments fighting over him.
Vic is the hallway waiting for his hearing to start when Asher brings a surprise: Corinne, accompanied by all three kids. They're dressed in what us Southerners would call church clothes: a pantsuit for Corinne, a sundress for Megan, collared shirt and dark pants for Matt, a skirt and sweater for Cassidy. The young Mackeys wanted to come support their dad. Vic is visibly overwhelmed as he doles out hugs and kisses. "We're all here for you," Corinne promises, come what may.
A woman appears to collect Vic. Corinne wishes her ex-husband luck. Vic shocks everyone by turning around and walking out of the building.
Dutch and Danny break the bad news to Miracle Joe's nephew Jim. "You should know your uncle wasn't just a homeless guy. He was a legend around here. Everybody really liked him." Dutch is displaying a rare degree of sensitivity and respect. Jim smiles; his uncle was a likable guy but loved being alone.
Danny returns the picture from Miracle Joe's wallet. Jim hasn't seen his uncle in 12 years. Miracle Joe was his dad's older brother; he quit his job to become a caretaker when Jim's dad became terminally ill. The doctors gave Jim's dad a year to live, but he survived for five. Miracle Joe fell into a deep depression when his brother died and made himself disappear.
The family eventually tracked Miracle Joe down. They tried to convince him to come home, but he refused. Holding back tears, Jim says, "I guess he's with my dad now." A while later, Danny finds Dutch sobbing quietly in the locker room. She sits on the bench beside him.
"I sometimes just get hit by the little things," Dutch says. Serial killers he can handle. (We know). Danny fights off tears of her own and wraps him in a hug. Next thing you know, they're kissing. They hug again, Dutch's cheek resting on Danny's shoulder. Oh, Vic would love to see what his other baby-mama is up to...
Speaking of, Vic is tailing Romero's associate. He flips on the blue lights and siren to pull him over. "Is there a problem, Officer?" asks Aramboles as Vic shines a flashlight in his car. Vic replies, "Don't know yet." He tells him to pop the trunk. The guy suddenly floors it, Vic still hanging out the driver's side window. Vic orders him to stop, elbowing him a few times for good measure.
Vic grabs the steering wheel and drives the car onto the sidewalk, knocking over a trash can. He bodily drags Aramboles out of the car, then starts kicking him in the head and ribs.
Diro is sitting at her dad's bedside when Shane walks in. "Rezian sent you to kill me?" she guesses. Shane tells her to leave before Rezian's friends show up. Maybe she can go back to school in Germany. Is that code like "a nice goat farm in Mexico", you bastard?
Diro refuses to leave her unconscious dad to the mercy of Rezian's crew. Shane all but says he wishes the geezer would die faster. Diro pats her dad's hand, then turns off the ventilator. She crosses herself. The heart monitor beeps to a flatline. Shane tells Diro he's awful sorry about her daddy. "Sentiment will destroy you," the one-time Mafia princess cautions.
Edgar-veda arrives at Vic's location in a taxi. Aramboles is still unconscious on the ground. The trunk is full of surveillance equipment and files. Edgar-veda discovers a picture of Maria, the mayor's financial adviser, in a compromising position. There's more. A paternity suit for a local rabbi, a judge's bills for drug rehab, a DVD labeled SENATOR BRADWELL AND THE CAMPFIRE BOYS.
"Holy shit," breathes Edgar-veda. Vic nods, "That's how Cruz is getting everybody onboard the train to Cartel Town." Good old-fashioned blackmail. This could go far enough up the ladder to save Vic's badge. Is his former boss willing to help him?
Edgar-veda can take the unmarked car; Vic has a ride. He advises the councilman not to let Aramboles see his face. Vic closes the trunk and pushes Aramboles out of the car. He's sure Cruz can take him home. He's also certain Cruz will understand the "lost trunk full of leverage." End of episode, end of Season 6.
No comments:
Post a Comment