Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Previously on The Shield…

KAVANAUGH: He screwed my ex-wife with the sole purpose

of making this investigation seem like a personal vendetta.

This guy's just pissing… He's pissing all over us.

I've made your coffee.

Now, I've been patient.

You need to go.

Okay, stop. Stop. Stop!

I'm gonna take a deal.

Gotta report for processing tomorrow.

SHANE: Gotta wait for you to get to Mexico.

We got money in an account for you. It's all set up.

I'm not going that route.

They'll make you give us up.

Why did you even come back here tonight

if you weren't planning on leaving?

Shane?

We're gonna find out who did this.

And we're gonna kill him.

VIC: It's Guardo. We stepped on his drug protection twice.

Killing Lem was a message to stay away.

You've murdered two of your own team members.

[ALL SHOUT]

You're done with Mackey. You're off it.

I have proof that Vic had Lemansky killed.

EMOLIA: I say that Vic used me as a middleman

to set up the hit on his guy.

I'm just trying to get you to tell the truth.

It's just somebody else's truth, that's all.

You got Emolia to lie for you.

You just stepped onto an entirely new playing field.

I hope you know the rules of the game.

[COUGHING]

[CAR DOOR OPENS]

RONNIE: Sorry.

Claudette had us running down a lead

on the San Marcos house slaughter.

That was Robbery Homicide.

SHANE: Get their loafers dirty knocking on doors.

-Who's the bag of bones? -VIC: Jupo Nunez.

Founding father of the Salvadorans.

Granted parole yesterday

after 50 years of a life sentence.

RONNIE: Why the early release?

VIC: He's terminal.

Lung cancer. [COUGHING]

[CAR DOORS OPEN, CLOSE]

[JUPO COUGHING]

VIC: Hey.

You think you can hang on long enough

to answer a few questions?

JUPO: Do I know you?

VIC: Vic Mackey.

You're before my time.

But your male nurse probably heard of me.

He's the Farmington cop, Grandpa.

Had the run-ins with Guardo.

You're the one raging war against us.

Came to tear down a dying man?

My beef's with Guardo.

He calls the shots now.

I built this gang from the ground up.

Guardo, all of them, owe me everything.

VIC: Leaving you here to live in paradise

after a lifetime of service.

It's one hell of a pension plan.

[COUGHS]

You came here to insult me?

I came to give you a chance to salvage your life's work.

Now, you give me Guardo.

I turn on one of my own, I disgrace myself.

The Salvadorans lost their honor after Guardo killed a cop.

You old-school guys, you knew never to do that.

And in return, we showed you a level of respect.

Giving him up's a step towards restoring the glory days.

I don't know he killed one of you.

VIC: We do.

Besides, maybe a new leader

would have a better sense of history.

How to treat their heroes.

The new generation, no respect for the rules.

It's disgraceful.

What's worse is kids like your grandson here

are gonna have to pay the price for that disrespect.

That gat he's hiding under his shirt? That's a felony.

Who knows what else I might find if I decide to be a hard ass.

Guardo killed an officer?

All I have is a number.

It's where we call him to give him a message.

-Vic, it's Asher. -VIC: What's going on?

I'm at your house serving a search warrant.

For what?

I don't know.

Well, who's there?

ASHER: Kavanaugh, Wagenbach, Captain Wyms.

Anything you need me to do? Anything to clean up?

No, there's nothing to find.

But thanks for the heads up, though.

Jesus Christ. Kavanaugh's at my place.

He's got a search warrant.

Based on Emolia's bullshit story?

Hey, hey. Is there something that I need to know?

What the hell's that supposed to mean?

Is there anything there to find?

About Lem or anything else?

No.

DUTCH: Nothing in Vic's closet.

You? Just leftovers.

DUTCH: Did you look in the trash?

This is a brand-new jacket.

Garbage is what God made unis for.

Thought you were gonna take a personal day.

It's Thursday. I figure I'll take it tomorrow,

get the three-day weekend.

Check the bathroom, would you?

Claudette!

Claudette.

Yeah.

Found this folded up in the trash.

The circled area is where Portillo Autobody is.

Where Lemansky was killed. Yeah.

Mackey said he'd never been there.

We… We should keep looking, because if he's this sloppy

maybe there's more.

You've read the statement?

Swear it's entirely truthful?

Everything about Detective Mackey?

EMOLIA: Yes.

CLAUDETTE: Okay. Sign and date here.

Finished the search of Vic's house and found these.

This is a matchbook from Tama's Costura.

Where Emolia's been working.

Vic said he hadn't seen or spoken to her

since he cut her off as an informant.

Of course, we don't know when he picked up the matchbook.

Five hundred dollars cash tucked inside his Yellow Pages.

The exact amount that Emolia said

Vic offered to give Lem up to Guardo.

Vic or the other guys return our calls?

Not yet.

Was the cash loose in the phone book?

BILLINGS: It was in that envelope.

Send it to the crime lab, see if you can get Vic's prints.

Fine, but if you ask me, this is all bullshit.

There's no way Vic offed one of his own guys.

[DISPATCHER OVER RADIO, INDISTINCT]

…original call was placed by security…

Phone number tracks here. Nydia Hernandez.

I knocked. No one answered.

So, what now?

We go inside.

Wait for Guardo.

Take him someplace private,

find out how he got close to Lem.

Then we're gonna kill him,

and anybody else involved.

[SIGHS]

DISPATCHER: All units stand by

for crime broadcast.

Wanted for questioning, Detective Vic Mackey.

Farmington detectives requesting any information

on his current location. All units…

SHANE: They must have found something at your house.

VIC: There's nothing to find.

Why would they issue an APB?

Why don't we just go back to the Barn,

see what the hell they found and clean this mess up right now

before we dig ourselves in any deeper?

Now may be our last shot at Guardo.

He's right.

We're all clear.

Looks like she's Guardo's cooch.

What are we gonna do with her?

I don't have too much concern

for Guardo's loved ones.

[♪♪♪]

All right. Someone's here.

Don't get trigger-happy.

I want this guy alive long enough

to ask him questions.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DIALS PHONE]

NYDIA: Hola, es Nydia.

¿Esta Guardo?

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

[WHISPERING] Shit, he's not there.

NYDIA: Gracias.

[PHONE BEEPS OFF]

SHANE [WHISPERING]: What's she doing?

She's making lunch.

CLAUDETTE: How's foot patrol going?

It's okay, but community relations is boring.

We're not getting any action.

A friendly face on the department's important.

People need to feel comfortable bringing their problems to us.

Robbery Homicide faxed this over.

It's a composite of the man

seen leaving the site of the San Marcos house murders.

Get copies made. Pass it on.

If you're here to get an update on Vic,

I'm too busy.

I'll try to find someone to get you up to speed.

I might have to wait a while.

The cupboard down there looks pretty bare.

Half my men are out looking for Vic,

the other half are helping RHD

with this house slaughter.

Would it make your life any easier

if I could get you additional personnel?

Cops, I need.

A future bill in my mailbox, I don't.

You've been captain for a week.

Your homicide rate's quadrupled.

What are you talking about?

The San Marcos triangle's a no-man's-land

between Wilshire, Central and Farmington.

The body count should've been divided out

in equal percentages.

Their captains managed to dump all 12 on you.

How'd they do that?

Well, you're low on the totem pole.

It just happened.

Crime stats will go down.

All I need is time to make my imprint.

Actually, things are only gonna get tougher.

The Mexican Police Authority is consolidating three prisons.

So any inmates with three years or less

left on their sentences are being released.

Based on gang affiliations, you can expect a large influx

to cross the border, end up in Farmington.

Some are probably already here.

Okay. How does this work?

Well, I file the paperwork for a budget bump.

As far as the Wilshire and Central captains,

I'll try to persuade them to even out the percentages

so that our district doesn't take the entire hit.

It's that easy?

No.

But that's how it is.

Now, uh, what can you tell me about Mackey?

RONNIE: Jesus, how long does it take

to eat a salad?

SHANE: Just be glad she didn't have to take a dump.

[SIGHS]

All right, she's gone.

[DIALS PHONE]

International prefix.

Guardo's in Mexico. Goddamn it.

SHANE: We're gonna have to wait then.

VIC: Not necessarily.

We can't rush this. We gotta handle it right.

There's an APB out for me. This doesn't wait.

Look, neither one of you can be seen with me.

[SIGHS]

Means I gotta do this on my own.

Why don't you go back to the Barn,

be my eyes and ears.

Gather as much intel as you can.

MAN: Hang on, let me check.

You lied to me, Aldo.

You told me you didn't know where Guardo was.

You keep coming around here asking questions,

the Salvadorans are gonna sniff it out.

You want me killed?

You lie to me again, I'll do it for them.

Guardo's in San Miguel.

Why?

Last favor I have to do for you.

Fine.

He's bringing a load of scrips up next week.

Mexi gangs are making a big play into the game.

How long's he been in Mexico?

Far as I know, just a couple days.

Where's your cell phone?

Now, leave the keys and get out.

Now, get out!

I'll return it with a full tank.

CLAUDETTE: Where have you two been?

Running that lead for Robbery Homicide. What's going on?

We've been calling your phones all morning.

Why didn't you pick up? We turned them off.

We were in the field. We didn't wanna blow our cover.

We heard the APB out on Vic.

You got a search warrant for his house?

I can't discuss the details.

When was the last time you saw Vic?

He called this morning. Said he was taking a personal day.

Wagenbach and I, we need to speak with you two.

Yeah. Yeah, let's get this cleared up.

KAVANAUGH: Your statement taken the night Lem died

says neither you, Vic or Gardocki

had ever been to the Portillo Autobody.

Yeah, that sounds right.

So why did Vic have a map

of the Portillo Autobody in his house?

DUTCH: Emolia told us that Vic was gonna give her $500

to deliver Lem to the Salvadorans.

We found that exact amount

in an envelope with Vic's prints on it.

You think Vic set Lem up?

You're crazier than that ex-wife of his.

Emolia made numerous calls to her Salvadoran contacts

prior to Lemansky's death.

Emolia was outed as a snitch.

She was probably calling to beg for her life.

That doesn't prove anything.

How do you explain all this evidence?

I don't know. Maybe, uh… maybe Emolia planted it.

Or you did.

That's… That's gold.

Please, go on.

I really wanna hear this one.

Well, you investigated Vic for six months,

you had every resource the department had available to you,

you came up with nothing.

Now, in the few days after Lem dies,

you produce a CI willing to testify against him

and the evidence to prove it?

Come on, man.

Sounds like you know a lot about telling tall tales

and planting evidence.

Practice makes perfect, right?

Vic didn't kill Lem.

He's being set up.

Look, it's no secret things ended ugly

between Vic and Emolia.

Maybe this is just bitch's revenge.

KAVANAUGH: So why'd Vic run?

Why isn't he here defending himself,

answering our questions instead of you?

He probably doesn't even know you're looking for him.

Dutch boy, come on, man.

Are you really buying this bullshit?

KAVANAUGH: The evidence is right here.

It's right here.

The only question is what your involvement is.

Vic? It's too late for him.

You tell us where he's hiding,

maybe you can save yourself.

VIC: Como éstas, Tonto, como éstas?

An old amigo of mine bunking down in San Miguel.

His name's Guardo Lima.

I need you to repatriate him to the States.

I'm looking for an amigo too.

Byz Lat soldier.

Rumor is, he's in East LA.

Rocha Garrenzi.

Wanted for three murder-for-hires in Mexico City.

Got his address, aliases.

Why couldn't you bust him down there?

He was protected.

Married a big shot cattle rancher's daughter.

Rocha got tired of milking the same heifer.

Took off with her two niños.

I know about some Mexican drugs coming into town.

You might have some leverage.

If Rocha's arrested in LA

the case could get caught up in international courts.

The mother and the rich grandparents

are looking for a quicker solution.

They're willing to pay.

I'll cut you in.

What about Rocha?

I don't care what you do with him.

I just need the kids.

I'll meet you back here.

Oye,

what did this Guardo do?

Why do you want him?

He killed my friend.

[CELL PHONE RINGS]

Yeah?

Hey, it's me. I tried to reach Shane, but he wouldn't answer.

Well, he's up in interrogation with Kavanaugh and Dutch.

-What? Wh…What's going on? -It's not good.

Asher said they found a map

of Portillo's Autobody in your garbage.

Also a… a matchbook from the shop

that Emolia's been working at.

Someone must have put them there.

They're building a case.

You gotta get back here and fight it.

They can't prove anything. I didn't do anything.

It's one thing to have Emolia's statement.

Now they got corroborating evidence.

Just stay put and keep your ears open.

Call Reyes' gang task force.

Find out which Byz Lat is the current king shithead

over in East LA.

I'll call back in five.

I hear they found evidence on Vic.

Yeah.

Maybe a little too much.

What do you mean?

You ever hear of Occam's razor?

The simplest answer is usually the right one?

Good. Now apply that to the Lemansky case.

Out of all this evidence is pointing to Vic,

Occam's razor would suggest he's guilty.

Walter of Chatton was a contemporary of Occam's.

Disputed the razor. Coined his own anti-razor.

What's that?

Chatton believed the world was too complex,

too many variables to assume that the simplest answer

was always the correct one.

Okay.

What do you think's going on?

DUTCH: The Salvadorans had a contract

out on your life, yet you never left town.

Why not just hightail it out of here?

I won't talk to anyone but Jon.

Kavanaugh's not here and you need to answer my questions.

Only reason I'm in this mess is because of you assholes.

[DOOR OPENS]

What's this?

I'm exploring another angle.

I'll catch you up later.

Catch me up now.

Okay, we know Emolia was greenlit.

What if she was trying to gain favor with Guardo

to save her life?

Cut a deal with him?

They kill Lemansky, she pins it on Vic.

Mackey's out there right now

and you're wasting time talking to her?

This interrogation is… is over.

Uh, no, it's not.

I'm not finished yet.

We need every cop we have out looking for Vic.

Private tutoring might buy you favor with your hot unis,

but it doesn't get us any closer to scooping up Mackey.

If you weren't spending your time

exploring potshot theories

and doing your job like you were supposed to,

we'd have Vic here right now

and not some innocent witness.

Come on, Emolia.

[KNOCKS]

What's up?

I have some concerns

about keeping Wagenbach on the Lemansky case.

-Why? -I know he's your guy,

but we may have a perception problem

-should this case go to trial. -How?

A good defense lawyer could argue

that, uh, Dutch's past relationship with Corrine

has strained his objectivity.

Dutch is protecting Vic for his ex-wife's sake?

Their relationship's no secret.

They could argue that, uh, he has a personal stake in this.

Well, what about the personal nature of the case with you?

[CHUCKLES]

I'm still an outsider.

IAD's always gonna have an adversarial relationship

with the people that we investigate.

But with the way this case is breaking,

with the evidence that we have to back it up,

this could be a big win for you.

Finally getting Mackey off the street.

They're building a murder case against him.

And it might actually stick.

We can't let him take this hit.

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

You know, what if, uh…?

What if I said that I was with Lem or something?

You know, I mean, I had a grenade from the bust?

It just went off by accident?

Making up some bullshit story's not gonna help.

Plus you'd be admitting to aiding and abetting.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

We gotta do something for Vic.

The longer he's in the wind, the guiltier he looks.

Hey, slow your roll, homes.

What's your business?

I'm here to see Santi.

Nobody sees jefe without an appointment or a warrant.

Besides, I know the local swine, and I don't recognize your face.

I work Farmington. Same place your shipment

of Mexican scrips is headed to next week.

I don't get to break bread with Santi,

those scrips are gonna end up in my evidence locker.

[CELL PHONE BEEPS]

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

All right, let's go.

All right, I need your gun.

City issue.

I can't do that.

Well, then you can't see Santi.

There.

No bullets work for you?

Take a hit. Relax, ése.

No, thanks.

I'm good with the contact high.

So, what brings you to the East Side?

I need a location on a Byz Lat

still drying the Rio off his back.

Name's Rocha.

So let me guess.

I hand him over, and my scrips make it into town.

Great minds think alike.

Rocha's valuable to the bosses.

More valuable than your scrips?

You don't wanna bust that shipment, friend.

You're not giving me any other choice.

You bust it, you're declaring war.

Not only on the Byz Lats, on all the Mexi gangs.

VIC: I didn't know there was a peace.

I'm gonna give you some money for your time.

You forget my face and the scrips.

I don't need your money.

I need Rocha.

I'm offering you an olive branch.

If you prefer shock and awe, I can arrange that too.

Back off, pendejo.

GANGSTER 1: Watch it, homes. Little homey's shitfaced, ése.

Junior missed the short bus to school today.

Tell him to lower that weapon.

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

I ain't afraid of no cops.

I'll do it.

[GUNS COCKING]

GANGSTER 2: Whoa, whoa.

You got no bullets, cerdo.

All that smoke make you forget?

I got one in the chamber, dickhead.

Your homeys were too stoned to notice.

One of you shoots me,

my muscle twitch takes out your bad boy here.

So either you and I are gonna leave this basement together

or we're gonna leave this life together.

You decide.

[WHISTLES]

Make it all right. También.

[ALL YELLING IN SPANISH]

VIC: Stay back.

Back off.

You got until the next red to tell me where Rocha is.

He's putting a hit on a One-Niner.

Jumped my lieutenant.

Which One-Niner? Which one?

Which one?

It's going yellow.

Name's Big G. He deals on Eighth and Alameda.

By Colvin High?

When's this going down?

Later today. All right.

Rocha doesn't show up, or you warn him,

and I'm gonna show up

with a hell of a lot more than one in the chamber.

Now, get the hell out.

Well, shit man, at least slow down, ése.

Get out!

Slow down, man.

[GRUNTS]

Big G.

Man, check you niggas later, all right?

Yeah, so?

Your lucky day.

Someone's planning on killing you.

And I actually give a shit.

Well, then, I guess I best be going, then, right?

You're not going anywhere.

The killer can't find you, then he can't kill you.

And that's gonna be a problem for me.

Hey, what if this vato does a drive-by,

gets shots off before y'all get to him?

This guy's a pro. He's gonna step right up to you

put two in your chest, and one in your head.

Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel better, right?

Get back to your spot.

[SCOFFS]

Hey, thanks for coming in.

Two unmarked police sedans

have been parked outside my house all day long.

I was a cop's wife long enough to know that there's trouble.

When was the last time you saw or spoke to Vic?

Last night.

He said that someone was trying to pin Lem's murder on him.

A warrant was filed for his arrest this morning.

For what? For Lem's murder?

He would never in a million years…

Evidence is pointing in that direction.

What evidence? Oh, my God. You don't believe this, do you?

I mean, there's no way that he would ever do anything.

Kavanaugh's generated some proof.

Listen, you need to prepare yourself

for this to go either way.

You need to start preparing the kids, okay?

Corrine, wait…

What are you doing to my husband, huh?

Ex-husband. I know that you hate Vic,

but that doesn't give you the right to destroy my family.

Vic had Lemansky killed because he was a threat.

-The evidence proves it. -CORRINE: I don't believe you.

I don't believe any of this.

Let's go somewhere else so we can talk in private.

Get off me. Where do you wanna go, huh? To my house?

You wanna put your hands all over me again?

Pin me up against the door?

Try to screw me to get back at Vic

in some… some demented, twisted way?

I only asked you questions. Yeah, right.

You used your badge to get into my house

and then you tried to touch me.

-I didn't feel safe. -Um, Corrine…

No, listen to me. He…

He entered my house under false pretenses.

And then he tried to sexually assault me.

I wanna file charges.

Are you sure about this?

Take my statement or I'm gonna file charges somewhere else.

Just stay there.

[GUNSHOTS]

Drop it!

All right, where are you keeping your kids?

Who the hell are you?

Your father-in-law hired me.

All he wants are the kids.

You tell me where they're at and I'll let you go.

The cavalry's gonna show up any minute.

The Moreland Motel, Room 8.

All right. Good.

What about letting me go, man?

Yeah, I feel like shit about that.

How's Corrine?

She's filing charges.

Sticking to her guns. Attempted sexual agg.

You believe her?

I believe she believes it.

I wouldn't have thought Kavanaugh

was capable of something like that.

Makes you wonder what else he's capable of.

Yesterday, you insinuated Emolia might have been lying.

Setting Vic up. Today, not a peep. Why?

Maybe considering everything we suspect Vic's done,

you see him going down for this as some sort of

karmic justice, whether he did or not.

I know he's a bad guy.

The evidence is the evidence.

It's tempting to let sleeping dogs lie

especially when the dog's as rabid as Vic.

But I've got one chance to right this ship, Dutch.

To do it, I have to put an end to a pattern

of silent deals and moral exchanges

that have steered this place off course.

That means to pursue the truth

and the truth only.

Yesterday I thought Emolia was lying to me.

I still do.

I can't prove it, but I'm starting to think

that Kavanaugh's the one that fed her the lie.

It's one thing believing Vic's innocent.

But to accuse Kavanaugh of setting Vic up,

that's a whole other can of worms.

He's already lied to me once.

He said he met Emolia yesterday at Sid's Coffee.

I pulled footage from the 101 freeway cam.

Sid's is clear.

No Kavanaugh. No Emolia.

The truth may not always lead us down the path we want,

but it's the only way to fix this place.

You get Emolia, bring her back down here.

Mommy.

Mommy.

You brought their mother?

She insisted on coming.

Where's Guardo?

I'm really sorry, I couldn't get to him.

That's bullshit.

You didn't tell me how connected he is.

I couldn't get close to talk to him, let alone shanghai him.

I don't give a shit how connected he is,

I kept my part of the deal, I expect you to keep yours.

He's got too many people on his payroll.

It's impossible, I'm sorry.

Maybe he's got you on his payroll.

Look, I'll make it up to you, huh?

These people are paying me well for delivering these kids.

I'll increase your cut.

Plus ask any other favor.

I don't want your goddamn money, I want Guardo!

I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do.

Goddamn it!

[SIGHS]

All right.

Can you get close enough to him to give him a message?

I might be able to do that.

Then you meet me here in two hours.

No, no, I understand, it's just…

I'll call you back.

Uh, Captain, why is Emolia here?

CLAUDETTE: I need to ask her questions.

Great, I'll come with you.

Uh, I… I'd prefer some alone time with her.

But you can't question her without me being there.

The last time I checked,

I was captain of this house, not you.

Now, you wanna watch,

there's a front row seat for you in the observation room.

It's part of her deal.

She's been burned by the people here before.

And I promised her I wouldn't leave her alone.

Fine. But you're just listening.

Emolia, I'm the one said those things about Sebastio,

it wasn't Vic.

He always took care of you two, you know that.

Come on, Emolia, please, don't do this to him.

Emolia.

CLAUDETTE: I love this room.

It's my favorite one here.

EMOLIA: It's kind of ugly.

Cold.

It's not much to look at,

but it brings the truth out in people.

I've fixed a lot of wrongs inside these walls.

That's what we do in here, Emolia:

Find the truth.

I already told you the truth.

That story you been spinning about Vic? I don't buy it.

EMOLIA: That's your problem then.

Guardo wanted to have you killed.

You made up a story about Vic

so that you could get witness protection.

Now, does that sound about right?

You can answer her, it's all right. It's okay.

[SIGHS]

EMOLIA: Vic wanted Lem dead.

Gave me his location to give to Guardo, that's it.

Officer Lowe. Officer Asher, I need you.

I want you out of this room.

That's not gonna happen. The assistant chief himself…

CLAUDETTE: I don't care what deal you made.

Either you leave this room on your own

or I'll have these two officers do it for you.

-You gonna be okay? -Yeah.

CLAUDETTE: I've read your jacket.

You've been in a lot of trouble,

but nothing like this pissing match

between Vic and Kavanaugh.

I'm getting witness protection.

Starting a new life.

I'm doing okay.

You're not doing okay.

You're trapped. You're scared.

You're living in fear.

You're ping-ponging between these two men

who have done nothing but use and abuse you,

and I'd have more sympathy for you

except you let them do it for a buck.

-EMOLIA: For my son. -CLAUDETTE: Your son?

What are you gonna tell your son about this time of your life?

That you let Vic and Kavanaugh steal away your soul?

Or that you were lost

and found the strength to free yourself?

I know you're scared. I'd be too.

I can offer you a way out if you let me.

How?

First, you have to tell me the truth.

You've helped this department out before,

and I can see about arranging protection.

I am offering you a way

to be rid of these men forever. Take it.

Because they're leading you down a path

that is destroying you, your son

and everything around you.

And you know it.

Everything will be all right.

You're gonna be okay, I promise.

I need to, um…

I need to talk to Captain Wyms.

I have to talk to her, please.

Uh, it's o… it's okay. It's okay.

EMOLIA: Promise you'll protect me?

CLAUDETTE: I'll do everything in my power.

But first you gotta tell me the truth.

[SIGHS]

I fed her the story.

Coerced her statement.

Planted the evidence in Mackey's house.

But I framed a guilty man.

You guys make sure you weren't tailed?

Yeah, where's Guardo?

Tonto boned me. Couldn't bag the whale.

Well, what do we do now?

Switch bait. Nydia home?

Yeah.

Hey, hey, hey, man.

What's the plan?

Just follow my lead.

[KNOCKS]

Nydia Hernandez?

Yes. Detective Mackey.

This is Detective Vendrell and Gardocki.

What's going on?

We have information someone's planning on kidnapping you.

-NYDIA: What? -VIC: Our department's

investigating a Mexican drug lord named Salceda.

An informant of ours has, uh, told us that he's…

[CLEARS THROAT]

…well, that he's planning to kill your boyfriend, Guardo,

to take over his drug protection business.

I don't know any Guardo.

You're not his girlfriend?

No, never heard of the guy.

Well, then, maybe we're looking for another Nydia Hernandez.

Well, I'm sorry to disturb you.

If you're not his girlfriend,

you got nothing to worry about.

Wait.

Guardo told me never to talk to cops.

Why would someone want to kidnap me?

It's Guardo Salceda wants,

but he's in Mexico.

Our CI has learned that he plans on kidnapping you

to use you as bait to lure Guardo back to LA.

We were worried we weren't gonna get you in time.

Now we need to get you into a safe house

while we hunt down Salceda.

I should call Guardo, warn him.

No, no, no, we don't know who's listening

on his side of the line. Our intel says that

it's an inside job.

We have to move you now.

How long is this gonna take?

A day, two at the most.

Ronnie will take you to the safe house immediately.

We'll pack some clothes for you and meet you there, all right?

Come on, we better get going.

Okay.

What the hell are you doing? What the hell are you doing?

Vic?

Just pack. I'll explain later.

Never cheated on anything before.

The first time I do, I get caught

taking the dirtiest man I ever met

off the street.

You set another cop up for murder.

Threw away your career. I fail to see the humor.

[CHUCKLES]

I guess I didn't have the practice

planting evidence, manipulating witnesses

and covering my tracks.

You sacrificed your integrity for Vic Mackey.

You were better than that. You used to be better than him.

I still am.

CLAUDETTE: Take his gun and badge.

You're under arrest for interfering in police business

under color of authority.

CLAUDETTE: I assume other charges

will follow.

JULIEN: Put him in the cage?

CLAUDETTE: Uh, no, take him straight

to Police One.

Cuff him in front. Keep it quiet.

At least I have Mackey out of my life.

He's not my problem anymore.

He's yours.

What's this?

It's the message I want you to deliver to Guardo.

A necklace?

You deliver it to him in person.

You tell him that Nydia's been kidnapped.

If he ever wants to see her again,

he has 24 hours to get 50 grand in cash

in person to LA.

I don't want any part of this,

let alone what you do to him after you've got him.

Vic, come on, think about this.

You're delivering a message. Your involvement ends there.

And I'll forgo my cut for the returned kids.

Okay.

You tell Guardo: Call Nydia's cell phone

when he wants to set the meet.

Hey. Hey, a ransom?

The last thing we need is more dirty money.

I could give a shit about the 50 grand.

Once Guardo finds out Nydia's been kidnapped,

he'll have to come to LA.

Word gets out he can't protect

his own girlfriend,

who's gonna trust him to protect their drugs?

Vic, don't do this.

Please. Lem's gone.

Nothing we can do can bring him back.

You push this too far, man, we're gonna lose you too.

Guardo has to pay.

[CAR DOOR OPENS, SLAMS SHUT]

[DOOR OPENS]

Where's Nydia?

Bedroom, sleeping.

SHANE: This just turned into a kidnapping.

What do you mean?

Vic sent a message to Guardo:

If he doesn't meet us in 24 hours, she dies.

What do we do if he doesn't show?

Oh, he'll show.

-This her cell phone? -RONNIE: Yeah.

If he does show, what do we do with her?

-I don't know. -Vic, this is wrong.

You two don't have to be involved in this.

Go back to the Barn. Keep your distance from me.

MAN: Good job.

How's he doing?

He's beautiful. I'll see you.

How are you? I'm exhausted.

He's been colicky, keeping me up all night.

Well, I do have some good news

I wanted to tell you face-to-face.

Any excuse to get out of the house.

I need some adult time.

You passed the sergeant's exam.

Congratulations. Oh, God.

[SNEEZES]

-Bless you. -[BOTH LAUGH]

I start wearing these as soon as maternity leave is over?

The slot's available effective immediately.

If you don't take it, your name goes back

to the bottom of the list.

Wait, you mean I have to come back to work right away?

Or you pick another slot if it opens up.

That's what happens when men make the rules.

You sleep on it, let me know in the morning.

Hey, either of you two seen or heard from Vic?

If you do, tell him he can go home.

Why is that?

The case against him has been dropped.

So if he's still in the country,

tell him he can sleep in his own bed tonight.

-[SIGHS] -SHANE: You're clear.

You can go back to work.

Just let Nydia go.

We got a reprieve.

Dutch Boy and Claudette saved our asses.

Let's just wake her up and get her out of here, man.

She's how we're gonna get to Guardo.

What happened to no more unilateral decisions?

Shane's right.

I want this guy just as bad as you,

but not like this. This is too risky.

Every second he gets to breathe and Lem doesn't

is unacceptable.

I'll do it myself.

What the hell is your problem?

Can't you listen to anybody but yourself?

Lem wouldn't listen about going to Mexico. He's dead for it.

Is that what you want, man? Huh? You wanna die?

You want to go to jail? You want us to go to jail?

Huh?

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

Go home, get some shuteye.

I'll guard the fort for the night.

Thanks, Jack. I'll just be a minute.

[CELL DOOR SLAMS SHUT]

VIC: You've been a very busy boy.

Planting evidence. Coercing witnesses.

Assaulting my ex-wife.

I learned from the master.

I told you you weren't ready to play at this level.

Wouldn't have mattered even if I was.

The truth is

it isn't your time yet.

But it'll happen.

The universe will take out its trash when it's ready.

Looks like it already has.

You corrupted everything around you.

Turned a good man like Lemansky into a thug and a thief,

and you got him killed for it.

I tried to become you for a minute,

but it wasn't worth it.

I'll take my lumps, go back to my life.

But I won't be the one

hearing my dead friend's screams in my head.

You preach all the existential bullshit you want,

but I'm the one going home to my bed,

while you're still here.

I'm at peace.

Are you?

Soon enough.

[CELL DOOR SLAMS]

[♪♪♪]

♪ Livin' the good life ♪

♪ Throw your hands up ♪