Previously on SWAT...My dad killed a cop.
Doesn't matter that it was a decade ago.
Soon as word gets around, it's gonna be
the same old thing. HONDO: You got one warning.
You mess with Gamble,
you mess with 20-Squad, that means you mess with me.
I really like you, and I know we said it was only casual,
but I don't want to lose you.
I know you've taken this job overseas, but
I was wondering if maybe--
I was thinking of turning the job down.
[shouting, clamoring]
HICKS: He's already released the inmates in the control unit.
He wants to start a damn riot.
This is your final warning: you stay back.
[clamoring]
HICKS: You're an incompetent moron.
You've got no business running this or any prison.
When my wife hears how you handled
things today--SWAT handled what you couldn't!
And now you want to shift the blame
for your mistakes onto SWAT?
You're finished.
I guarantee it.
♪
[chuckles]
You know, I was really about to complain about you
dragging me in early, but watching you choke down
whatever that is might be worth it.
Well, Maggie loves them.
I think I'd rather eat my salad than drink it.
But, listen, I got a heads-up last night
that Deputy Chief Bennett's coming by SWAT today
to conduct her biannual review.
Well, Bennett oversees the department.
You got to do it sometime.
Two months early?
I might buy there's no ulterior motive
if she wasn't married
to David Bennett.
Warden Bennett from the prison where we put
that riot down a couple of weeks back.
Oh, I remember him.
I heard he was put on suspension. He was.
Pending a Department of Corrections inquiry
happening next week, which I'm supposed to testify.
And then suddenly Deputy Chief decides to visit?
You think she's coming here to influence what you say?
I didn't mince words with the warden during that riot.
I told him I thought he was incompetent
and unfit for his position.
And immediately he brought up his wife's name and her rank.
Okay, but that's on him, sir, not her.
I crossed paths with the deputy chief
a few times when we were both on patrol,
and I always found her to be a stand-up cop.
Well, all right, I-I hear you, but, uh...
I mean, she's risen up.
And you reach a command position,
you got to play politics.
And that can change a person for the worse.
You handle it just fine.
Why don't you reserve
judgment for when she's here?
I'm gonna go suit up.
All right.
Hi.
[sighs] You sure you have to get going?
I... could skip my morning workout,
then I'd have time for breakfast
or maybe...
[chuckles]
Oh. Olivia,
please tell me that was not a prized family heirloom.
It was a gift from my mom
to celebrate my first published story.
[groans]
I'm just kidding. [chuckles]
Thrift store trinket.
It's not a big deal.
But the look on your face? Priceless.
Okay, if this is how you want to play,
you can take another assignment and head right back out of town.
Uh, no, thank you.
After a week in a crappy motel,
I missed my bed, my shower,
and my good Wi-Fi.
Well, I missed you.
Well, maybe you could come with me next time.
Not to the middle of nowhere.
I'm on a panel next month in New York.
Maybe we could make a romantic weekend out of it.
Next month?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah. [stammers]
I have to check my schedule at work.
Team's been pulling a lot of extra shifts.
Sure.
Yeah, that makes, um...[phone buzzes]
Victor.
Sorry, but I need you to leave.
Now.
- Really? - Yeah.
Something's come up.
I'll see you later. Okay?
Right.
Later.[door opens]
[door closes]
What do you think?
Someone forget to put equipment away after a workout,
or is finding all this in Gamble's parking spot
more than a coincidence?
After Hondo told people not to mess with her?
- They'd be crazy. - Or really not want her on SWAT.
At least she's in Oakland packing up
the rest of her stuff and doesn't have to worry about it.
Yeah, but we're here.
I don't think the security cameras see
far out enough to tell us what happened.
I don't think so, either.
Morning. Hi.
Someone's chipper.
I earned it today.
Check these out.
ALFARO: Ooh!
DEACON: Limited edition,
ForceFlow shoe collaboration with, um...
Flexxer. He's a local graffiti artist.
We're aware. Dude can't spray-paint a flower
on a sidewalk without going viral.
These are crazy cool.
And freaking impossible to get.
- Yeah. - The last drop sold out instantly.
I didn't take you - for a sneakerhead. - Oh, no.
That's definitely not for me.
Matthew's been desperate to find a pair,
so got up early this morning,
headed over to the store, waited in line a couple hours.
Okay. Dad of the year.
Well, I almost wasn't.
No, they sold out as I was
three people from the front of the line.
But, thankfully, a woman in the parking lot,
she bought the wrong size.
Turns out they're Matthew's size,
so I lucked out.
- Perfect. - Mm-hmm.
Oh, man, I don't know how to break this to you, but...
these are fakes.
They're knockoffs. You got hustled, Deac.
No, no, I checked. [chuckles]
Trust me, - before I paid, I checked. - No, no, no.
You see this tag?
The thread color's wrong.
On the real deal,
it's black.
See?
DEACON: Oh. Oh, yeah.
They are fake.
Can't believe I fell for it.
These are crazy good dupes.
Thread color is the tiniest detail.
Yeah, I wouldn't have known to look for it
if I wasn't a sneakerhead myself.
Yeah.
Thing is... [stammers]
Victoria and Sam, they're easy to please.
But now that Lila and Matthew are teenagers,
they're into so many things that I just,
I don't understand.
So when Matthew mentioned the sneakers,
I thought, "Oh, here's a chance. I can do something
to light up his world, like when he was little."
Maybe he won't know - the difference. - Oh, no.
He'll-he'll know.
Let's go to work.
[grunts]
[car alarm chirping]
TAN: Hey!
Hey, LAPD!
Hey! Olivia!
Stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop!
[horn blares]
Move, move, move! Move!
Hey! Slow down, man!
[groans]
[panting]
This is LAPD officer Victor Tan
reporting a kidnapping in progress.
Victim's name is Olivia Navarro.
Olivia's phone is off, so we can't track her location.
Any hit on the plates?
We ran 'em, the van popped back as a rental.
Kidnappers used a fake name.
Rental office's security cameras were down.
Damn it, she's been taken.
And our only lead is a dead end.
Okay, give it time, man.
We put out a BOLO.
HICKS: We're not the only ones.
I just got off the phone with the DEA.
They're looking for the same car.
It turns out it was used to abduct
Special Agent Gabriel Rodado
about an hour before Olivia was taken.
They have any idea why?
Agent Rodado is part of the DEA's fight
against a Mexican drug cartel.
Doorbell cam caught this of Rodado's abduction.
That's the man I saw.
That's the guy who took Olivia.
HICKS: Name's Pedro Legarra.
He's a top lieutenant for the Vallarta cartel,
and I'm afraid it gets worse.
DEA figures
he snuck across the border
by private plane, and he wasn't alone.
Mechanic recognized El Sabueso, aka...
the Bloodhound.
HONDO: So we have a major cartel boss
- on U.S. soil? - A sadistic one.
Bloodhound doesn't care if you're a rival or civilian.
He thinks you crossed him,
he'll torture and kill you all the same.
Olivia's tough, but she can't fight off someone like that.
If-if she's not dead already, she's--HONDO: Hey, hey, hey,
Don't do that, don't do that, look at me.
We're not gonna stop hunting the Bloodhound
until everyone he's taken is found safe.
♪
Sergeant Harrelson and Officer Tan, this is DEA Special Agent Bryant.
I understand you witnessed the abduction of the journalist?
Olivia Navarro. She's my girlfriend.
I saw her get taken, I couldn't stop it.
Agent Rodado is my partner.
Any DEA intel I can share
to help bring both of them home safe, I will.
The Bloodhound coming in person to kidnap two Americans?
It just feels extreme to me.
Even if the DEA was working to take down his cocaine operation.
Do you have any idea what triggered it?
Recently, Agent Rodado and I started handling
Maria Lozano, the Bloodhound's former mistress.
We were turning her as an informant.
HONDO: Well, that kind of betrayal,
he was probably trying to silence her personally.
I assume the DEA upped Maria's security?
We are still trying to locate her.
At the time of his kidnapping,
only Agent Rodado knew Maria's location.
How-how is that possible?
Well, five days ago,
there was a break-in at Maria's safe house.
Investigation found no link to the Vallarta cartel,
so the agency denied
my partner's request to move Maria.
So he moved her himself, off-book?
Rodado's been working against the cartel for years.
He knows how they operate.
When he told me Maria was in danger, I believed him.
And he was right.
But you don't know where Rodado moved her?
No. I begged him to let me help,
but he said he didn't want agency flak coming down on me.
He was probably protecting me from the cartel, too.
When the Bloodhound questions you,
it's violent.
ALFARO: So the Bloodhound snatches Agent Rodado
as a way to get his ex, but why grab Olivia?
Tan, is she working on any stories
about the cartel or coke trade? I don't know.
She doesn't discuss active stories at home,
same way I don't tell her about ongoing cases.
All right, call Olivia's editor, find out.
Does the DEA have any idea
where the Bloodhound might've taken Agent Rodado and Olivia?
He's got a list of wealthy friends with properties in L.A.
We're running them down now.
All right, SWAT'll take the cartel's
less glamorous connections.
They must have a local gang
that they use to distribute their coke.
Los Magnificos.
But they're just boots on the ground, a tool.
A tool with stash houses all over the city,
ready-made to hide out.
I think I might have a way in.
Back in Long Beach, a kid I dealt with in Juvenile Division.
- His older brother was Los Mag. - All right.
See if he's willing to talk.
All right.
[knock on door]
Exactly.
All right, thanks.
Deputy Chief Bennett.
You picked a hell of a day to visit.
Yeah, I heard. Bloodhound's in Los Angeles.
What's being done?
Well, we put out a BOLO on the car that was used
in the kidnapping,
and we're working hand-in-hand with the DEA,
looking into the cartel's L.A. associates.
Good. Well, I can up the urgency of the BOLO with Patrol,
and we should get GND looped in, as well.
They're already aware.
Respectfully, SWAT's got this.
Well, you know, in my experience,
one tiny missed detail can lead
to deadly consequences.
[chuckles]
Look, you can double-check
SWAT all day.
It's not going to change what I say at your husband's inquiry.
I never asked for that.
My husband made his own choices in how he ran his prison.
If he made mistakes, he will answer for them.
If he gets fired, it could impact your career.
I'm a Black woman, Commander. I am more than used to
people judging me for things that are outside my control.
So I will just continue
to do my job well,
and either they will see how good I am,
or they're not worth winning over.
And that's what you're doing now,
your job?
Yes. LAPD has
the opportunity to not only rescue two innocents
but capture a cartel leader,
striking a blow to his entire drug organization.
I'm not trying to hover,
but I will be sticking around SWAT HQ today.
All right.
I'll keep you up to speed.
Thanks.
Okay, thanks. - I'll give him a call. - Got it.
ALFARO: What's that about?
Someone might be messing with
Gamble again. Her parking spot
was blocked, so I got the name
of the gate guard on the early shift.
Gonna ask if he saw anything.
But that isn't important right now.
What did Olivia's editor say?
Does he know of any
in-process story she was doing
- on the Vallarta cartel? - No,
and most of her reporting has been related to the Middle East.
The only mention of a Mexican drug cartel
was in her coverage of a student protest
in Mexico City, but that was five years ago.
There has to be something more current,
some reason she was taken.
We know Agent Rodado was grabbed
to find the informant.
Could Olivia know something
aboutMaria Lozano? I doubt it.
The DEA would know
if she'd been around, asking questions.
It's just another dead end.
This morning,
I didn't want to make plans with Olivia.
She was trying to hide it, but she was upset.
And that was the last conversation I had with her.
You'll have the chance to fix it.
I hope so.
[sighs]
So you know this Manuel Flores from Juvenile Division?
I helped his younger brother when the kid
had a tough time in his group home.
Manny had already moved to Los Angeles
and joined Los Mags.[phone buzzes]
Wait, this might be him.
Nope, but I got a lead on
a pair of those sneakers
that Matthew wants. How?
Annie went to a bunch of stores.
- They're all sold out. - Online resale.
Powell and I set up an alert on a couple web sites.
I appreciate it, but I've already been scammed once.
I'm not about to go online and buy it from some random.
Relax,
these sites come with buyer protection,
and I will help verify anything you buy.
Look.
$500?
As a starting bid? No, no, come on, not gonna happen.
I was happy to wait in line,
but this sneakerhead stuff
is just way out of my league.
It's disappointing,
but I'm not gonna get Matthew the shoes.
Look, I promise you, we can get it.
Is this the guy?
Yeah, that's him.
Manny, thanks for coming.
I only came 'cause you once helped out my baby brother.
So, here I am. What do you want?
We want to know what Los Mags have been up to today.
DEACON: All right, I'll give you a hint.
You and your boys are involved in the abduction
of two people this morning.
Is that right? Nah.
'Cause if you guys had proof, you'd have a warrant.
ALFARO: Cut the crap.
We know Los Mags do the Bloodhound's bidding in L.A.
Like the cartel guy?
You guys do realize we ain't in Mexico, right?
Yeah, well, neither is the Bloodhound.
He's here in the city,
and we think you know where he's hiding.
All right, I gotta--
What, to go warn the Bloodhound?
Look, man,
we're not involved with him, all right?
Maybe we used to be, but not no more.
We cut ties.
It's not easy to ditch the cartel.
Which is why I need to go warn my boys
to lay low until the Bloodhound leaves town.
He wanted us to abduct some fed.
Los Mags don't need the type of heat that brings.
We declined.
That's all I know.
All right.
Get gone.
Look, someone helped the Bloodhound
abduct Agent Rodado, and Olivia, too.
Yeah, and time is running out for us to figure out who.
Any progress?
Agent Rodado moved Maria
from her safe house five days ago.
The Bloodhound and his number two
only came to town yesterday,
so if it wasn't Los Mags,
someone else must've been
doing surveillance on Rodado
and Olivia before the abductions.
TAN: We've been checking out Olivia's.
So far, nothing jumps out.
I spoke with Agent Rodado's neighbor.
He was willing to give us access
to his cameras. Link is in your inbox.
Got it. I'll start going through it.
Tan, let me talk to you.
How are you holding up?
I've been reading through the DEA's files
on the Bloodhound. Probably a mistake.
Story is, he got his nickname from putting a guy in a cage
to be ripped apart by dogs.
I...
And the more time that passes,
the more I think we're gonna bust through a door,
and I'm gonna find Olivia's body.
If you want to sit this one out,
I promise you, it won't change
how hard we look for her. No, I feel bad
for Agent Rodado's family,
having to watch the phone.
At least I'm doing something.
POWELL: Hey, guys, check this out.
This is Agent Rodado's street,
just down from his house.
Car's parked, driver never gets out.
Sits there for three hours until...
HONDO: Another car comes and takes its place.
Exactly. This driver never gets out, either.
BRYANT:They're scoping out Rodado's house.
Hold on. Freeze it, freeze it.
Is that a tat?
Zoom in.
Looks like gang ink.
Running it through GND database.
Doce Asesinos.
12 Assassins.
A-12s for short.
Looks like they haven't been around for long.
Fresh on the scene means they're hungry to prove themselves.
BRYANT:Maybe hungry enough to help a cartel
pull off two abductions.
POWELL: LAPD's got record
of two different A-12 hangouts. Both are downtown.
Looks like one's a restaurant
and one's an empty office building.
All right, we'll split up and check them both. Let's go.
I'd like to ride along as well.
I've got knowledge on how
the Vallarta cartel operates,
and my partner could be at one of these.
Grab your gear.
No sightline.
Windows on the one side are all covered.
I've got eyes on the rental van used in the abduction.
This has to be where they have Rodado and Olivia.
Fall back.
I'll call the DEA SRT,
get the team out here ASAP.
Agent Bryant, mobilizing a team
and getting them here to this location would take
30 minutes, at least. We are right here,
and Hondo's only ten minutes out
at the other A-12 stronghold.
If the Bloodhound's inside,
his lieutenant Legarra is there, as well.
Maybe even more Vallarta muscle.
The DEA's got more experience with them.
SWAT can handle this.
The Bloodhound could be hurting Olivia right now.
I'm not waiting half an hour for the feds.
DEACON: Hey, I got two A-12s coming out.
[indistinct chatter, laughter]
Hey, hey, someone's there.
Go tell the others. Go.
TAN: Get down!
Tan, cover.
- Suspect down. - Moving.
[bystanders shouting, whimpering]
Hold up!
[high-pitched ringing]
Runner!
Second suspect down.
On your stomach!
Give me your hands!
[zip ties tighten]
22-David. Third suspect in custody.
Clear.
I'll sit on him. You two check the back.
Moving.
BRYANT: Left side clear.
Right side clear.
[clattering]
[muffled rustling]
TAN: Someone's inside.
Olivia.
Victor?
Are you hurt?
OLIVIA:What is SWAT doing here?
TAN: I was starting to think...
But you're alive. You're okay.
Yeah, I-I'm fine. I-I'm working.
BRYANT:The rest of the place is clear.
Where's Agent Rodado?
I don't know who that is.
That is a damn lie.
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down.
Calm down? Look around. A camera,
two chairs. She's not a prisoner.
She is a damn guest of the cartel!
Now, my partner is out there
somewhere, maybe being tortured, maybe dead,
and she's just been sitting here, feet up,
waiting to interview
the Bloodhound!
Damn waste of time!
The Bloodhound is hunting an informant,
likely torturing my partner
to find her, and your officer's girlfriend
is trying to conduct an interview with the cartel.
Olivia said she never saw Agent Rodado,
and didn't know he'd been taken hostage
until SWAT told her.
Are we just going to take her word for it?
She's a fame-hungry reporter
looking for a big headline.
Watch it.
She's obviously been in contact
with the Vallarta cartel.
I want to see her communications with them.
Maybe we can use that to locate my partner
and save someone who actually needs saving.
So far, she's refusing to share
any info on her cartel contact.
This is ridiculous.
All right, enough. Enough.
As a journalist,
Ms. Navarro can legally protect her sources.
Now, Agent Bryant, you're welcome to try
and get a subpoena, but in the meantime,
SWAT's gonna pursue other avenues to find
Agent Rodado.
I understand that he's upset about his partner,
but he's wasting his time.
No judge is ever gonna go for that.
I would've said so in his presence, commander,
but I didn't think you needed my backup.
Well, maybe next time, deputy chief.
[door closes]
All right, Hondo didn't find anything
at the A-12's restaurant spot?
Well, Patrol's got eyes on that and the office building
in case the Bloodhound shows.
I doubt it. The A-12s had plenty of time to warn him off.
Alfaro and I will take a run at the A-12s we grabbed,
and see if they know where the cartel is holding him.
Get Hondo, and find out
what your girlfriend is willing to tell us.
[door opens]
I'm sorry, okay, but I can't reveal
any information about sources.
It would put my contacts in serious danger.
You have to understand that.
HONDO: We don't need to know your sources,
but if you're as stand-up as Tan says, you can help us
without compromising yourself.
There is a DEA agent
still missing. His life is on the line right now.
Look, I never assumed
the Bloodhound came to the U.S. just to speak to me,
but I swear, I never saw Agent Rodado.
I only know where the cartel took me,
and SWAT already found that. Okay, think.
You were in the car with Pedro Legarra.
He's the cartel's top lieutenant.
You might've overheard something.
Wait. There might've been something.
I don't know if it means anything,
but their clothes...
The other guy in the car was whining about the smell.
Said it was from making a delivery to a fish market.
Well, I'm guessing Legarra wasn't here
running idle errands in L.A.
What if that delivery was Agent Rodado?
Then that fish market's probably where the Bloodhound
is holding him right now.
We need to find it.
Thank you, for helping. But Olivia...
w-what were you thinking,
trying to meet with a sadistic cartel leader
just for a story?
It wasn't about the story, Victor.
I wanted to get intel.
What do you mean? Intel about what?
Five years ago, I covered a protest in Mexico.
Students were outraged about state officials
taking cartel bribes.
They had public support, until three of the student leaders
just disappeared.
The bodies were never found and their families
have no idea what happened to them.
But the rumor was the Vallarta cartel was behind the killings.
Okay, and what makes you think the Bloodhound
would tell you anything about these murders?
He's obsessed with his public image.
He's trying to be the new Pablo Escobar,
he's building schools and hospitals...
- With drug money. - Sure.
So I was going to play to his vanity,
suggest what a hero he'd be if he could just
give some closure to the missing students' families.
I thought maybe that way I could actually
get some answers for them.
But I've lost that chance now.
He won't agree to meet with me again.
I'm not going to apologize for finding you.
I-I saw you being taken by a violent cartel.
I thought that I was gonna to lose you.
[sighs] Or-Or that maybe I already had.
Look, Victor, you've been through a lot.
Okay? I really don't think we should talk about this
- right now. - D-Do you not understand
how much I care about you?
I know that you would've done anything to save me,
I know that, but when I'm not in danger,
I don't get it.
You're always holding me at arm's length.
This morning, I-I...
I never meant--
Then what did you mean?
You're keeping this casual.
But I stayed in L.A. so I could be with you.
So if that's not something you want,
then you need to let me go.
[sighs]
None of the A-12s we scooped up know
where the Bloodhound is holding Agent Rodado.
Did you and Hondo talk to the DEA?
They said the Vallarta cartel has no ties
to any real fish markets in L.A., so...
we're guessing it's got to be code for something.
Powell's scouring through the DEA files on the cartel now,
looking for some kind of lead. [phone buzzes]
Oop.
[sighs] Damn it.
Look, I know you said you're done
looking for Matthew's sneakers,
but I got a hookup at a cool boutique in WeHo,
- thought maybe she can help. - That's nice of you,
but the demand for those shoes is... bonkers.
Yeah. She responded with the laughing-crying emoji.
Said, "I bet the only people with extras
are Flexxer and the Ludlow family."
Who's the Ludlow family?
Well, they're big-time venture capitalists.
No clue what they'd have to do with a graffiti artist, though.
She said they're Flexxer's biggest investors.
Guess it's some industry secret.
Yeah.
Makes the art more valuable
keeping up the street front, huh?
Well, interesting, but useless.
Where are we on finding this fish market?
DEA files don't mention it outright,
but I was looking at transcripts
from Agent Rodado's meetings with Maria.
He was working hard to build trust.
Well, I can understand her reticence.
I'm sure Maria saw firsthand
just how violent and vindictive the cartel is.
She's putting her life on the line
just talking to the DEA.
Well, the Bloodhound's a master of torture,
and he's held Agent Rodado for too long now.
Maria was really starting to open up
in the last few interviews.
DEACON: Yeah, look at this.
She says that the Vallarta cartel
smuggles cocaine out of Mexico
using seafood crates with hidden compartments.
POWELL:The smell could help move the product
past drug dogs and into the U.S.
Yeah, but wherever they remove the coke
must also have a lot of seafood around.
That's got to be the fish market
Olivia heard them mentioning.
But the DEA has no record
of the cartel owning any property in L.A.
Well, the A-12s haven't been working
with the Vallarta cartel for long,
but they are doing business with them.
Pull up their financials.
DEACON:Okay, the A-12s received a hefty cash transfer
from this LLC right about the same time
they started surveilling Agent Rodado for the cartel.
Property records show that same LLC
owns a couple warehouses.
One filed for construction permits.
Purpose listed was to install commercial freezers.
What you'd use to store seafood.
That is the Bloodhound's fish market.
More than likely where they're holding Agent Rodado.
Get there.
No security cameras, hardly anyone around.
If the Bloodhound's in there interrogating Rodado,
it's not cartel business as usual today.
He'll have muscle in there with him.
So keep heads on a swivel.
HONDO: On my count.
Three, two, one, go.
[equipment clattering]
Got three suspects. Legarra and two others.
Shots fired on the east side.
24-David. Got drug-processing equipment.
This is where the Vallarta cartel
unpacked their smuggled coke.
[automatic gunfire]
Hondo, Legarra's heading upstairs.
Roger that.[gunfire]
Moving!
[exclaims, grunts]
One suspect down!
Miko, with me.
Drop your weapon!
Drop it! Drop it! Going hands-on.
[grunts] Hands.
Powell...
POWELL: Freezer clear.
HONDO:He's headed for the northwest corner.
Don't even think about it.
20-David. Legarra's down.
Get him up.
Get up there.[pained groaning]
Where's Agent Rodado?
That DEA agent?
He held out a long time.
But everybody has their breaking point.
He told you where he hid the DEA informant?
Sure did. Our boss is on the way
to confirm where his traitor ex-lady is hiding.
And once they arrive...
it's too late.
Hondo, if the Bloodhound gets to Maria before we do,
he'll kill her and Agent Rodado without hesitation.
Then we need to find her first.
We know the Bloodhound
is taking Agent Rodado
to wherever Maria's been hidden,
but Legarra's clammed up.
He won't give us an address.
DEA still hasn't found where your partner might've put her?
Higher-ups questioned the whole field office,
but Rodado acted alone.
Only he knows her location.
TAN: All right, then we need to find it on our own, and fast.
From the amount of blood at the warehouse,
Agent Rodado can't be in good shape.
He wouldn't have given up Maria's location easily.
I can't imagine what they did to him.
This was found in Legarra's pocket.
L.A. Kings case doesn't exactly scream "cartel hitman" to me.
That's Rodado's phone.
Well, Legarra must've taken it off him when they abducted him.
There might be something on there that points
to where Rodado hid Maria.
I'll call Cyber, start the process to crack the passcode.
- HICKS: Good. - BRYANT: Wait.
Rodado's like family to me.
I might be able to guess my way in.
All right, it's worth a shot.
Watching you dash around out there
reminds me when somebody made me run through
a man-made lagoon in a tech bro's backyard.
[laughs] If I remember right, we caught the burglar.
But my boots did smell kind of funny for about a month.
[laughter]
Hey, just between you and me,
is Commander Hicks always this combative?
Excuse me?
Well, I watched him dress down a DEA agent today.
I mean, I'm just wondering if that's the norm around here.
From what I heard, Bryant was in the wrong
and you agreed with that.
Yes, but even when I first walked in,
Hicks was less than polite.
I mean, he seems pretty old-school.
[chuckles] It just takes time to get to know him.
We bashed heads plenty of times
back when I was made team leader.
Oh, yeah? Over what?
Well, it's ancient history now.
Well, coming up in the LAPD when Hicks did,
I can't imagine he was too happy that a Black officer
became - team leader. - Okay, hold on.
If you think for a second that I'm about to give you
any kind of dirt on Commander Hicks,
you got it wrong.[groans]
The only thing I'll tell you is he will be honest
at that inquiry into your husband's prison.
Yeah, he's gonna blame my husband,
and I'm the one who loses standing.
All the good that I could do,
when someone like Hicks,
who should've retired years ago,
continues on in leadership.
Okay, all due respect, but it ain't doing good
when you've got to blackmail someone to achieve it.
[phone beeping]
I got to go.
Leticia, I'll say this,
the old you would never compromise the badge like this.
Tell me you got something off of Rodado's phone.
He and Maria are running out of time.
Location tracking's a bust. It's totally shut off.
And if Rodado was messaging with Maria on this phone,
he's erased every trace of it.
Call log's pretty basic.
Looks like family, work.
Wait a minute. What's this outgoing call
to somebody named Brandi Rice?
Rodado's mentioned her before. She's an old friend of his.
Okay, but that's the same day
Maria's safe house was compromised.
That ain't the time to be calling a pal
just for a simple chat.
Look at this. Brandi Rice is FBI,
works Assets & Seizures.
Seizures. That'd mean she has a list of L.A. properties
taken by the Feds during investigations.
And if they had a house just sitting there,
maybe Rodado borrowed it, moved Maria there?
Like an unofficial safe house.
All right, I'll call Rice. Grab the rest of the team,
I'll meet y'all at Black Betty. We're rolling out.
♪
BRYANT: Officer Tan.
- I owe you an apology. - No.
You care about your partner.
I know how scared I was for Olivia.
If I thought you were keeping me from finding her, yeah,
- it wouldn't end pretty. - POWELL: Hondo spoke to the FBI.
Rodado didn't tell Rice he was hiding an informant,
but he did borrow - an empty mansion. - Seized from
- a hedge fund manager. - No security cameras,
front gate was tripped five minutes ago.
TAN: The Bloodhound's there.
As soon as he finds Maria,
she and Agent Rodado are both dead.
Team's rolling out.
You coming? We got room for one more.
Absolutely.
[tires screech]
Bloodhound's here somewhere.
All right, patrol's setting a perimeter.
If you find Agent Rodado or Maria,
you get them out ASAP.
Miko and Powell, you got the main house with Deacon.
Tan, you're with me.
Bryant, you can trail our six,
but you are strictly second wave.
Let's do it.
DEACON: 30-David.
Front door's been forced open.
Making entry into the main house.
TAN: Got a vehicle, black SUV.
SUV is clear.
Signs of blood.
Likely Agent Rodado's.
Last man.
Two, two, two.
Clear.
Two, two.
Maria was here.
25-David. One suspect down.
Second suspect down.
24-David. Third suspect down.
We still have to find Maria.
Let's move.
Clear.
Bathroom clear. But where is she?
POWELL:She's got to be here somewhere.
Closet clear.
[shushing softly]
[muffled whimpering] There's something back there.
[clicks]
[gasps] Hey. We're LAPD. You're safe.
We've recovered Maria Lozano.
I knew the Bloodhound would come for me.
- But where is Agent Rodado? - POWELL: Right now,
we just need to worry about getting you someplace safe.
Come on.
♪
TAN: Hondo, two o'clock.
LAPD! Hands up right now!
Federal agent! Stop right there
and let Rodado go!
Back off or he dies.
20-David. Got eyes on the Bloodhound.
He has Agent Rodado as a hostage.
Anyone got a shot?
- BRYANT: No. - TAN: Not clean enough.
All right, Tan, circle around. Get a better angle.
[over comms]: - I'll draw his focus. - Roger.
Rodado needs medical attention, now.
- I don't care! - Come on. If he bleeds out
right here, you're losing your only bargaining chip.
[scoffs] If I let him go, you shoot me.
Either way, I'm dead.
TAN: Shot's not clear.
Just need him a half step to his right.
You need to make a deal, man.
Ain't nobody coming to save you.
Your boy Legarra's already in custody.
The Bloodhound's down.
[panting]: Rodado.
Oh, I got you, buddy.
Come on. Wake up.
He's not conscious.
20-David. I need an R/A to my location, immediately.
HONDO: He's got a vest!
[screams]
- It's over! - HONDO: Stop moving.
20-David. Make that "The Bloodhound in custody."
We're Code 4.
[panting]
Hey.
I heard Agent Rodado's in the ICU.
He lost a lot of blood, but Bryant's with his family,
said the doctors are optimistic.
- How's Maria Lozano? - The DEA is putting her
in a new safe house with beefed-up security.
At least until Legarra and the Bloodhound go on trial.
Guess Maria's gone
from informant to star witness.
[sighs]
Uh-oh.
You got a "scary mom" face on.
Yep.
Let's do this.
Hey, Landry. You've been harassing our teammate.
- I don't know what you mean. - ALFARO: Hey,
don't give us that crap, just stop messing
- with Gamble, you hear me? - I didn't do anything
to the cop killer's daughter.
We talked to the parking attendant.
He saw you this morning.
Saw what?
His word against mine.
Well, his word's good enough for me.
It was a dumb prank.
And plenty of officers here think that Devin Gamble
shouldn't even be here.
You're benched.
Your team leader is aware.
You know... Don't start with me.
You aren't pulling practical jokes and you know it.
I gave my warning, now you run and tell your friends
that I don't do empty threats.
Hey, wait up.
I heard you handed in your witness statement.
Yeah.
Weirdly felt like journalism,
writing up what happened with who and when.
Um, I'm really glad you guys
found the DEA agent in time.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, me, too.
Well, I'm gonna call for a ride.
Uh, I'm all in on this relationship.
100%.
I've been afraid to think about how I feel,
and that's because, deep down,
I know that I'm falling for you.
Look, m-my last relationship messed me up pretty bad.
And the thought of going through something like that again
is scary.
But the thought of losing you today was even scarier.
I-I really had a better plan for this in my head.
[chuckles]
That sounded pretty good to me.
But there's gonna be stuff we can't tell each other.
Are you gonna be okay with that?
I know we're both doing it to get justice for the innocent.
Yeah, we are.
And speaking of,
the Bloodhound is in a SWAT holding cell right now.
I assumed he'd be in DEA custody.
Yeah, he will be tomorrow.
But you got until then to ask him whatever you want.
Who knows? With the criminal charges
he racked up today, he's got nothing to lose.
Maybe he'll open up,
give you some answers about those students that disappeared.
Thanks, but the U.S. Attorney's Office won't be happy about it.
And I don't want to invite
any more trouble for you at SWAT.
Oh, I already talked to Hicks. He's in.
And as for the others,
when has angering some suits ever stopped you?
Okay. Lead the way, then.
[chuckles]
[bag zips]
Deac, we officially struck out.
Every pair of the ForceFlow sneaker collab
is now over three grand online.
POWELL: We're sorry for getting
your hopes up and failing to deliver.
DEACON: Actually...
ALFARO: What the... What...?
- But these are real. How? - DEACON: I know.
Well, your friend mentioned the Ludlow family,
and how they're Flexxer's backers. Yeah.
My security company has worked events
for the Ludlows for years.
I made a call, and they sent me a pair.
Can't believe after all my hard work,
you snagged your own W.
More than you know.
I told Matthew about the shoes, and, uh,
he says he wants to donate them.
And that was after I told him that Flexxer autographed those.
♪
That doubles the resale value.
Yeah. He said he'd never wear a signed pair.
And his youth group's been having trouble
with this fundraiser,
so he'd rather put the money towards that
than to have them sit on a shelf collecting dust.
Someone raised their kid right.
Oh, but they're so cool.
Yeah, I'm gonna take those back now.
[chuckles]
Hey. Thank you.
Thank you both. Thanks for everything.
POWELL:Anytime.
Dad of the Year.
[chuckles softly]
[knocking on door]
Deputy Chief.
I trust you had a productive day observing SWAT.
Please. I assume you know by now my visit
- had another purpose. - Yeah, I told him.
But I was still hoping you would rethink all that nonsense.
You know, I thought about it.
And then I thought about Devin Gamble.
What about her?
Don't play dumb.
Her father killed a sheriff's deputy.
I heard all the uproar when she arrived.
Yet she's been proving herself to be a capable, solid officer.
Well, from what I witnessed tonight,
not everyone feels that way.
She is not accepted,
nor is she trusted.
Gamble is a PR disaster
waiting to happen, and it would be a shame
- if it blew back on you. - Okay, hold on now.
I brought her in. Gamble was my pick.
Never in my career have I bowed to a threat,
and I don't intend to start now.
I will tell the truth at the inquiry into your husband.
I don't care what firestorm you cook up about Gamble.
I stand by my officers.
Then I wish you both luck.
[door opens, closes]
[sighs]
Thank you, sir, for standing by Gamble.
I know you had some doubts.
I still do. She's causing tension, just as I feared.
And now, we need to tread even more carefully.
One wrong move from anyone in this building,
and Bennett will make sure there's hell to pay,
for all of SWAT.