The episode opens at a police auction where seized property is being sold. Vic quips that he should've brought his checkbook. The city attorney signed injunctions to keep One-Niners off the street, which will seriously cut into Antwon's profit margin. One of the items up for auction is the Yamaha crotch rocket that Lem shot from under Weebo last episode.
Antwon meets up with Shane and Army at a gas station. He wants the address of a heroin dealer who's hurting his business, along with half the inventory. Stealing drugs is going too far for Shane's new partner: "We don't move product, get hung up in your shit." Way to finally have a backbone there, Army. Shane will beep Antwon when everything's settled. Yeah, beepers definitely weren't still a thing in '05. That's the year I got my Nokia brick.
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| Ah, memories. (Photo credit) |
Monica announces to the Barn at large that the police auction netted over $900,000. The injunctions against the One-Niners are all thanks to Danny and Julien's hard work; officers will be allowed to arrest if they see two or more One-Niners together. The ATF did something similar with the motorcycle gang the Mongols and essentially wiped them out.
Vic has a huge pile of mugshots to match with the injunctions. Lem comes downstairs, very concerned about Angie. Her friends told him she hasn't been at school for days and she normally checks in with Lem every week. Angie wouldn't want to miss her mom's funeral, which is tomorrow. The teen has family in Georgia, but Lem didn't find any packed luggage at Mom's apartment.
Lem has a theory (and no idea how correct it is): Antwon could've found out that Angie gave up the location of the drug cul-de-sac. Monica asks Vic if there's any chance there was a leak. Yeah, and his name is Shane Vendrell. Of course, Vic doesn't tell her that. Lem is literally biting his lip so he doesn't mention it.
Monica is glad Internal Affairs cleared Lem on his third officer-involved shooting in four years. You'd think they'd be further up his rear end than Art was up Raylan Givens'. I suppose the fact that one was a bad judgment call and the other two were justifiable helps. However, the captain is sure Lem's current boss wants him back. Lem's taken the rest of the week off to look for Angie. Oh man, what they find is gonna absolutely break the big fella's heart.
In the clubhouse, Lem thinks it's a pretty big coincidence that Angie went missing the night of the raid; they both know Shane's been whispering in Antwon's ear. Vic doesn't think Shane would be part of hurting a young girl. Lem lists all the other things Shane's done. "We were all part of that," Vic says dismissively.
Lem reminds him of a very big change: the Strike Team is no longer around to keep Shane on a leash. Who knows what he's capable of alone? "He didn't do this," insists Vic, who is far from objective when it comes to his best friend. Lem is pissed. The only thing he can really do to vent his anger is slam the door.
"Oh, you knuckleheads make it way too easy!" Vic shouts triumphantly as he, Ronnie, Danny, and Julien happen upon a group of One-Niners playing basketball. He and Ronnie serve the injunctions and explain the ground rules. One guys can't believe it could be illegal to hang out with his brother. Julien asks if they're actually related. "Yeah, like we came outta the same vagina," the gangbanger snarks. I'm mildly impressed he knows the anatomical term. Julien shrugs that he doesn't make the rules.
Vic and Ronnie's next stop is a bar. A customer with dreadlocks punches someone in the face, then tells Vic that he's an undercover DEA agent. A likely story, but Vic puts him in cuffs so they can go check it out. Well, it turns out he was telling the truth. But Agent Hendricks can't or won't say why he's investigating the One-Niners. Monica presses the issue and gets a talking-to from Hendricks' handler about how federal cases take priority.
Vic indicates the bulletin boards full of One-Niner intel and says they know more about the gang. Monica offers to do the drug bust for the DEA so Hendricks can get close to Antwon. The handler, Lamberti, gives up some information of his own. The One-Niners have started trading stolen cars in exchange for heroin imported from El Salvador. The middleman is a Salvadoran named Spider.
Monica wonders why the Salvadorans would partner up with the One-Niners. Vic explains that Antwon brokered an alliance while he was doing time in Lompoc; their common enemy is Mexicans. Hendricks has been trying to find out for months where they stash the drugs. Monica has a plan: Locals bust the garage where Spider keeps stolen cars and convince him to give up the stash spot. Vic will round up Spider's family as leverage.
Before this goes further, Lamberti wants everyone to understand that he's in charge. Monica promises not to let him down.
In the clubhouse, Army tells Shane how he dealt with people like Antwon back in Iraq: "We'd wait 'til he was all tucked up in bed having a real nice dream, then we'd cluster-bomb his ass." That'd do the trick, but it's not exactly an option stateside. Shane reminds him they can't do anything until they find out where Antwon hid Angie's body.
Enter Vic and Ronnie. They tell Shane and Army the captain wants their help on the DEA bust. Shane bellyaches about not wanting to work with the feds. Officer Paula tells Vic that his nanny is in the lobby. Since when does he have one of those?
The nanny has a family emergency: her daughter went into labor a month early. She didn't know where else to bring Cassidy except the Barn. Vic's oldest looks sick and miserable, her face flushed. Vic introduces Cassidy to Monica. The captain tells Vic it's okay if he takes his daughter home; Shane can walk point on Spider. Vic will handle it after he calls the backup babysitter.
Antwon is none too happy about Vic's "bald cracker ass" ripping him off. Shane can't do anything about the injunctions; they're above his pay grade. However, he's happy to give Antwon a brick of China white. He tells him about Spider and advises him to hold off on any business dealings. Antwon asks him to keep someone named Verdice off the radar.
Shane calls Vic from outside Spider's garage. Vic gives him the go-ahead to "tear down the web" as Shane puts it. Vic himself takes the lead as they walk in. He spots a Duffel O' Guns and remarks that Spider is sending more than money home to El Salvador. They start checking car trunks and Shane finds a Duffel O' Cash. "Holy shit," Army breathes. Vic guesses it's about $100,000, lunch money compared to what Lem burned up. Vic calls it in.
Dutch and Claudette's latest homicide victim is Raine Powell, who worked at an electronics store. Claudette sees a pink chalk outline and asks, "What's this?" "What's it look like?" asks Scooby the uniform. He assures them he's not responsible. A witness was and he also moved the body. Dutch goes full Ichabod Crane.
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Monica thanks Julien for his help at the community forum. She hopes he still believes in what he said, but she's open to him being honest about his feelings. Julien doesn't think the seizures are right: "You're guilty until proven innocent." Farmington residents can't afford lawyers to fight losing their cars. Monica suggests setting up a legal fund with some of the auction profits.
Lamberti interrupts to say they know where Verdice keeps the heroin. Monica tells Julien to find Danny; they can both ride with her.
Raine's friend says Raine didn't have any financial issues. Raine's boyfriend Bear couldn't have done this because he's a gentle giant. Another coworker reports that Raine had a Type A personality and was a stickler for the rule against employees parking in the store lot. Claudette wants to interview Bear AKA Cornelius.
Vic cautions everyone to keep an eye out for Verdice's dogs and shooters. Julien readies to pop the door with a halligan. Monica and Lamberti watch from the old Strike Team van. Unfortunately for everyone, the warehouse has been emptied. Lamberti blames the local yokels: "Somebody couldn't keep their mouth shut, which is why I don't work with people like you." Monica is sure nobody on the raiding team said anything. Lamberti refuses to let them near Spider again.
Vic, of course, doesn't listen. He pulls Spider out of the van and gives him 30 seconds to talk. It'd be such a shame if Spider's baby brother got deported. Spider tells him that Verdice has a secondary stash spot: a church. That'll buy you a one-way ticket on the old express bus to hell. Vic brings Spider back to the van, where Lamberti is bitching about having to pull Hendricks off the case.
Monica is suspicious about the drugs being moved and Angie's disappearance. Both were Vic's cases. For once, he's being honest when he swears he had nothing to do with it. Vic doesn't see Shane watching them from the doorway. Vic thinks they can salvage things; Lem is looking for the missing girl. Shane strolls out and is a little too nonchalant when he says cook houses move around a lot.
Vic tells Monica about the church. She'll see about getting a warrant. He thinks they should limit this raid to people they can trust: her, him, Shane, and Ronnie.
Dutch reports that Bear wasn't home, but he managed to snag Raine's diary. Claudette tells him about a San Antonio detective whose murder suspect, Kleavon, moved to Farmington last month. All his victims were young black women found in public places. Kleavon's sister lives near the store. Dutch pooh-poohs San Antonio's profile. Whoever killed Raine was a patient opportunist, not a thrill killer.
Claudette wonders why San Antonio PD suspects Kleavon of "killing everybody but Osama." They never found his prints or DNA on the victims. Kleavon insists Detective Huarez has it out for him; he may or may not have remarked on the guy's inability to satisfy his wife. How long will he be staying here? The limit in Texas was 12 hours.
The aptly-nicknamed Bear claims he was driving around by himself last night when his girlfriend was murdered. Dutch reads aloud from Raine's diary; she felt she was going places but wasn't sure about how Bear fit into her plans. She also suspected him of cheating with a girl named Janelle. Bear asks if Dutch saw the entry about his birthday gift to Raine: "What kinda grown-ass man does collages and kills his woman?"
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Monica arrives in the church just as they're finishing up a full-immersion baptism. She tells the reverend some of his congregants may be using the church as a way station for drugs, but is sure the reverend himself isn't involved. She shows him the mug shots of three One-Niners. The reverend says they're in the church kitchen making sandwiches. They volunteer every day and their questionable behavior is all in the past.
Monica appreciates that may be true, but One-Niners gathering in groups is now against the law. The reverend doesn't want her intruding on the house of God, but she's free to grab them up if they set foot outside. Ah, the old sanctuary play. Monica gives her word that the church will be treated with respect.
Army worries about what Antwon will do or say if Verdice gets arrested. He gives Verdice's car a warning honk. Vic and Ronnie pursue. Army panics, floors it, and ends up having a head-on collision with Verdice. He quietly threatens Verdice with death if he doesn't keep quiet. Vic wants to know just what the hell is going on. Army's answer is lame, along the lines of "I stopped him, right?" The reverend hears the commotion and comes out. He tells Monica to stay away from his church.
Dutch is still combing through Raine's diary for clues. Claudette thinks something is off about Kleavon. She asks her partner to come in with her and get a read on him. Dutch asks if it's all just a big coincidence that Kleavon was at so many crime scenes in Texas? He says it is. He supposedly left Texas because "I got sick of the Alamo."
Being new in town, Kleavon doesn't have a job or girlfriend yet. Dutch is curious what he does with all his free time. "People watch," Kleavon answers vaguely. Did he happen to pass by the store where Raine was murdered? Kleavon says no, barely blinking at the gory crime scene photos on the table. Dutch opines that it's "a classic sociopathic non-reaction." Neither of them are sure what they can use to trip him up. Dutch also has an alternate suspect: a coworker Raine lent her bingo winnings to.
Officer Paula asks if Dutch has seen Vic. She's been watching Cassidy, her shift is over, and the emergency babysitter never turned up. Vic isn't answering his cell phone. Dutch offers to call Corinne. Next we see of mother and daughter, Corinne is tucking Cassidy into a bed she made up on an ER consult room couch. She thanks Dutch for bringing her. Dutch reassures her that Vic didn't leave the kid totally alone; Officer Paula was with her. Corinne is still upset about Vic not calling her. Dutch understands how divorces can be. Not when kids are involved, you don't.
Dutch starts to leave, then doubles back to ask Corinne to dinner. She makes the excuse that she has no time between working, taking care of the kids, and trying to sell the house. Also, he works with Vic. Dutch doesn't think that's an issue because they barely see each other. I can't believe he's naive enough to be sure Vic won't care about him putting the moves on his ex-wife.
"I tried it with a cop once," says Corinne. Dutch tells her that he and Vic couldn't be more different. He sure ain't kidding about that. Corinne smiles. Dear God, is she actually charmed by him? Lem or, hell, even Ronnie I could understand.
Monica goes back to the church with a search warrant. The reverend refuses to let her in. Monica doesn't want to use force if she doesn't have to. Vic suggests going back at night, but that could give the good reverend time to flush the stash. Monica tells the search team to use extra caution; there are civilians inside. Stash spot or not, born-again Julien opposes the idea of breaking into a church. Ronnie smashes the glass on the front door with a halligan.
Another baptism is in progress. Vic chases one of the gangbangers through the sanctuary and tackles him right in front of the altar. The reverend preaches about his enemies stumbling and falling. A uniform reports that Julien and Danny caught the other two suspects. No drugs are found on the One-Niners. Monica's voice has a this-is-a-PR-nightmare edge to it as she declares, "We're gonna have to search the whole church and everyone in it."
Shane goes into the reverend's office with Army: "All this Fast and Furious shit, you're sending smoke signals to Vic and the captain." They need to find the heroin before anyone else. In the kitchen, Ronnie is concerned about the health code violations. Shane found a receipt for candles imported from El Salvador. When Vic smashes one of the candles, he discovers a tube of heroin.
Lem has a coroner's report on Angie's mom. He guesses the amount of heroin in her system would've cost $500. "Even a frat boy knows not to shoot that much poison," says Vic. Not to mention the woman barely had two nickels to rub together. Lem adds, "I'm connecting the dots and all I'm seeing is a picture of Shane with Antwon Mitchell." Their conference is interrupted by Scooby, who tells Vic that Dutch took Cassidy to the hospital.
When her ex shows up, Corinne is not a happy camper: "She was sick, you brought her to a police station?" Vic didn't have a choice; Carmen had a family emergency of her own and the backup sitter had a flat tire. He reminds her this is the first time something like this has happened. Even though she seems to think he's a terrible parent, Corinne lets Vic leave with Cassidy.
Raine's coworker reports people set up a shrine of teddy bears and flowers outside the store. Claudette, not in the mood for pleasantries, says, "Your boss found those order forms you've been changing." He's sure Raine didn't know about his side business selling XBOXes and DVD players. However, Raine wrote in her diary that she confronted him and was gonna tell their manager. Uniforms spotted blood in his car.
If the coworker tried to reason with Raine and things spun out of control, that's only second-degree murder. They just need to hear his side of things. Coworker offered her a cut of the profits, but Raine was "a self-righteous bitch" about it and he hates self-righteous bitches. Dutch, hopefully only playing the psychology angle, agrees that Raine had it coming.
Because of this confession, they have to let Kleavon go. Claudette remarks how odd it is to have a suspect but no victim. Well, no victims in California, at least. Dutch thought being on the D.A.'s bad side was bad, but his partner freezing him out is worse. "I can't believe you sold me out," says Claudette. Dutch, shockingly, has no answer to that.
Monica assigns Julien to desk duty for the next few days. If he disagrees with the seizure policy that much, he should consider transferring. Julien stands by his decision not to ransack a church. "There was heroin in the holy candles," Danny points out. That doesn't count for anything as far as Julien is concerned.
Vic offers Verdice witness protection if he flips on Antwon. And also, what did Shane and Army say when they pulled him out of the car? Verdice lies that he was told to get out and put his hands on his head.
"Dutchboy! Hero of the hour!" Vic shouts across the squadroom. Dutch tells him that Cassidy wanted her mom, as sick kids often do. Vic demands to know where does Dutch get off making Vic look like a bad father? Dutch doesn't think Vic needs help in that department. His scrawny neck is saved when Monica tells Vic she saw the tox report. She wants to talk to Lem.
Antwon is pissed that everything seems to be going wrong on Shane's watch; dirty cops used to be good for his business enterprises. "Seeing as you were misusing a house of the Lord, I'd say divine intervention," the Southerner says coolly.
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| Testify, Reverend Shane! (Photo credit) |
Army freaks out about the possibility of Antwon dumping Angie's body in plain sight. "I didn't hear you complainin' about my leadership skills when I was gettin' you blown in that alley," says Shane. Things have gone well beyond what Army is comfortable with. Does Shane have a way to get them out of this?
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Another reporter asks if that justifies interrupting a baptism. "I'd interrupt my grandmother's funeral if it meant getting dangerous narcotics off the streets our children walk on," says the captain. She chuckles at them not to print that comment; her grandma is still alive and kicking in Tarzana.
Later, Monica speculates that if Angie's mom is dead, the girl might be too. Vic will find whoever did it. "When you do, ask about the leak at the warehouse today," says Monica. Vic argues there may not have been one. "Stop bullshitting me," Monica hisses. She trusts his estimation of Shane's character, but what about Army's? Vic doesn't want to start a witch hunt; he knows how it feels to be on the other end.
Monica picked him to head the gang squad because she knows he wants to help the seizures succeed. If Vic can't handle being under a microscope, she needs him to step down. Vic doesn't step aside; he steps up. Monica repeats, "Find the leak."
Army thinks he and Shane should approach things the way you approach a war zone, "where you can't tell the Iraqi insurgents from the Iraqi idiots." Lem suddenly appears from the shadows. He grabs Shane by his jacket, snarling, "You son of a bitch! She was 14!" Army tries to intervene and Lem easily knocks him on his ass.
Lem asks if Shane brought Angie to Antwon or just told him where she was. Shane tells him neither. They have a brief shoving match. "You telling me you're not in bed with Antwon Mitchell?" says Lem. Shane doesn't make an attempt to deny that, just swears he'd never rat out a kid.
"What happened to her, Shane?" Lem demands. "Dude, she was 14. She just wanted to get her mom clean. You tell me what you did!" He grabs Shane again, pushing him against the wall. Shane protests that he didn't do nothing. He couldn't hurt a kid; he's a daddy himself now.
"I know you. I know you're lying," says Lem. Shane looks terrified, as well he should. Not only is his former friend pissed off, Lem also has a few inches on him and probably outweighs him by a good 20 pounds, all of it muscle. Shane reiterates that he had nothing to do with Angie's disappearance and tells Lem to stay out of his face. "I lose the 1% of doubt I got, we'll be mixing it up again," Lem warns. A fight Shane will likely lose, unless he fights dirty.
Julien meets Edgar-veda for coffee. He says Monica only wants to hear opinions that match her own. "Agendas have a way of creating tunnel vision," agrees Edgar-veda, an expert on that particular subject. Julien wants the councilman's help in stopping Monica. Edgar-veda reminds Julien of how he recanted his statement when the ex-captain tried to bring down Vic. "I can handle it," Julien insists, "I'm a different man now."
Vic and Ronnie discuss the garage sting in the clubhouse. Lem arrives, curious why Vic wanted to see him. Vic asks what Lem was thinking going after Shane. They worked together for 3 years, so he should be well aware of the blond's hot head. Lem thinks it's just typical for Shane to run tattling to his best friend. Vic thought he, Lem, and Ronnie had agreed to keep their suspicions to themselves.
Lem asks if Vic is in on this. "I wanna bring down Antwon and find that girl as much as you do," Vic replies honestly. Lem challenges, "Prove it." He wants to rejoin the band. But for that to happen, he has to play by Vic's rules. "Oh, you mean I agree to protect Shane like always, right?" Lem guesses.
Ronnie cues up the VCR. "Shane didn't tell me you went after him. I saw it," Vic explains. On the screen, Army says, "Lem's one crazy-ass white boy." Does he know about them and Antwon? Shane indicates it's nothing that Lem can actually prove: "I'll handle him. You just have to trust me. I'll handle all this shit." That sounds vaguely ominous.
When the tape ends, Lem looks stunned and hurt. "It's not about protecting Shane anymore," says Vic, "It's about stopping him." End of episode.
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