.
- In the nation's largest city,
the vicious and violent members of the underworld
are hunted by the detectives
of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
These are their stories.
[dramatic music]
The OCU is shutting down.
This task force was started
because of what happened to my wife.
I have always done everything for the good of this unit.
I'm doing this for my family.
We're also your family.
- I'm not taking the job, William.
You're making a huge mistake.
- My place is here with my team.
[gunshots]
Always has been.
* *
[engine revs]
[phone ringing]
Hey, honey.
- Hey, babe. I can't talk right now.
I'm busy.
- Where are you? I got dinner for us.
I'll be home soon.
Tino, what are you doing?
I'm taking care of us.
- I told you I don't want you to do that.
Tino, please, you're going to get us both in trouble.
You got to turn around right now.
Tino.
[siren whoops]
- [sighs] I can't believe this.
- Tino. - Babe, I got to jump.
- Tino. [line beeps]
Ti--
[siren whoops]
* *
Pull to the side.
[siren whoops] Let's go.
[siren chirps]
- [grunts] [engine revs]
* *
[tires screeching]
* *
Tino?
[doorknob rattling]
Tino, is that you?
- Tino? - [grunts]
[screaming, sobs]
* *
- You have an impressive and interesting history.
I see you discharged your weapon
10 times in the line of duty.
Two weeks ago was the 11th.
My question is why.
- The guy had a gun pointed at my sergeant.
- Why do you want to go back to work?
- What do you want me to do, go into retirement?
It's not about what I want.
- I have to provide for my family.
- Well, let's talk about your family.
Let's not.
- I understand your wife--
- What is it you want to hear from me?
That's not how this works.
- That is exactly how this works.
- I just want to understand your state of mind.
That's why I don't like this.
I don't like this.
- This is required after firing your weapon.
- Mm-hmm.
Detective, I'm here to help.
- You want something deeper, and there's nothing there.
I'm a cop. There was a situation.
I made a decision. I did my job.
Now I want to go back to it.
- You know, Detective, I see a lot of cops.
They come in here.
They don't want to talk.
They have this idea that opening up is weak somehow.
[chuckles]
I say to them, if that's true,
why are you so scared to do it?
[soft dramatic music]
* *
I'll approve your RTD.
Thank you.
But just in case.
Thank you.
* *
[phone ringing]
Detective Stabler.
Hey.
Where?
Where are you?
Listen to me.
Don't talk to anyone.
I'll be right there.
OK. [engine turns over]
[door buzzes]
Can we take these off him? He's a friend.
I'll take full responsibility.
Tino.
What's going on?
I screwed up.
- What do you mean you screwed up?
What happened?
- These Cubans from Miami-- - Uh-huh.
I went out there last week
to earn some extra money doing races, you know?
I mean, Sherie planned on starting a family.
All right.
- So I start winning the races, and this guy walks up to me.
He's like, yo, you wanna earn some real money driving?
I'm like, what I got to do?
He says just to meet up with a van in the Bronx.
And all I had to do was if I see a cop,
run interference.
What was in the van?
- I heard them talking about some kilos,
but look, I didn't ask no questions.
- Tino, look, I mean, that's serious.
I don't got the sway to get you out of here.
It's not about that.
They took my wife.
- What do you mean they took Sherie?
- The same guy that got in touch with me out there
got in touch with me here and said,
they're going to keep her
to make sure I keep my mouth shut.
- What guy? - I don't know.
They gonna kill her.
- I need your help. - OK.
I need you to help me.
- OK, look, I'ma do everything in my power to find her.
Everything.
[tense music]
* *
- [knocking on door] - Sergeant Bell?
Deputy Inspector Thurman.
Oh.
Come in.
Nice to meet you. [chuckles]
It's just Ray, by the way.
We can dispense with all that other formality.
May I call you Ayanna?
Sure, have a seat.
Yeah.
Sorry to just drop in.
I was just so excited to meet and show my appreciation.
The vacancy that opened up when you declined the position,
which I really respect, by the way,
paved the path for me to move out of IB.
So when they came to me and said
that I could be working with Ayanna Bell,
I jumped at the chance.
I've been a big fan for a while.
How old are you?
- [laughs] I'll be 34 on Easter.
Oh, OK, sorry.
- It's all right. That's all right.
I've heard it my whole life, as I'm sure you have, too.
Well, Ray, congratulations.
It is great meeting you.
I really look forward to working together.
Yeah.
Has anyone talked to you about the new needs
for the department?
What new needs?
- Midtown just uncovered five floors full of asbestos.
We're looking for some temp space.
You have, what, five people working here?
Hey.
- Once more unto the breach, dear friends.
- There he is. - Welcome back.
Well, thanks very much.
Let's not get too excited.
It was just a couple of weeks.
Everyone good?
So you get the info on the Cuban mafia for me?
- Yes, we started with the database in Florida and--
Elliot, everyone.
I want you to meet someone.
Ray, this is Detective Elliot Stabler.
Elliot, Deputy Inspector Thurman,
- or you can call him Ray. - Hey, Ray.
- Pleased to meet you, detective.
I've heard so many wonderful things.
- Sure you got the right guy? - [chuckles]
I'll get out of your hair.
Have a great day.
Let's make you official.
So Lillian gave up on us?
- I will not pretend to know the politics
- that goes down in 1PP. - [scoffs]
Welcome back.
It's good to be back.
Are you sure?
I am.
I'd like to get started.
Let's do it.
Sherie Alvarez.
Last known was her apartment around 8:15 last evening.
- Yeah, Jamie and I hit her gym, checked the cameras,
talked to some witnesses, nothing.
- Put the BOLO out to Transit Authority and DOT
about an hour ago.
- Any luck with her phone? - Still working on it.
- Tino say anything about this crew that was involved?
- A bunch of young guns out of Miami,
they're moving product north.
What I do know is they're into street racing.
You put the best drivers in these chase cars,
you give them the best shot at escaping.
- We have anybody like that on our radar?
- Maybe there's a connection to the corporation
in the South Bronx.
I mean, if you're Cuban, that used to be home base,
- that or Hudson County. - That's a good idea.
I got a connection up there.
You and me, let's go for a ride.
[mellow music playing over speakers]
* *
- Is that--
Who's that?
No, can't be.
Oh, Esteban, good to see you.
You look good.
Are you kidding?
I look great.
- Who's this one? - Detective Reyes.
Oh.
Listen, if he don't treat you right, you let me know, OK?
I'll tune him up.
He's not as tough as he looks.
I need your help.
I need some information on some young faces out of Miami.
They're probably recent.
They've got a connection to street racing.
* *
- There's a woman missing who needs help.
That's Tino's wife.
[tense music]
- Esteban. Talk to me.
Esteban.
Boys out of Miami got people scared, I understand.
Just, who's the man in charge?
I hope you find her.
I do, but, uh,
I've got to protect my own family.
* *
So how soon can I get paid?
- Well, first, we got to count it.
Then we got to weigh it, test the quality.
I already booked my flight.
- Are you in some kind of hurry, Ines?
I'll let you know when we're ready.
Yo, what's going on with that fool that got locked up?
- My guy at Rikers said he's there
through the weekend at least.
- Mm, the big shipment isn't coming till
the middle next week.
OK.
[sighs] Let's move her.
- Wouldn't it be easier if we just took care of her now?
- Listen, we dust her while her husband's in jail, he'll talk.
If she stays with us, he'll keep his mouth shut.
But I don't want to look at her no more right now.
She got blood on my new shoes.
Get her out of here.
.
- OK, Jamie just got something back from the drug unit
down in Miami.
What'd you find out?
Bernanda Menendez.
She did two years for possession,
supposedly got connected with some major players
out of Havana.
She used to race cars down in South Beach.
She the shot caller?
I mean, she's savvy.
She got her degree while she was still in prison.
But even with her resume, something's telling me
she's not at the top of the food chain.
[knocking on door] Oh, hold on.
- Sherie's ear pods, brand new and very traceable
through her husband's cloud account.
He sent the password with written consent,
and I got a warrant signed by a judge.
They're moving to the Cross Bronx right now.
Hey, where are you?
About to hit Harlem.
OK, turn around.
We might have her moving down the Cross Bronx.
[tense music]
- Sir, roll down the window. Put out your hands.
Nice and slow.
Hands outside the window.
* *
How you doing today?
Fine.
- Step outside the vehicle, please.
- Where you headed? - I ain't got to tell you that.
- OK, fair enough. Put your hands on the hood.
Search the vehicle.
- Anything? - Nope.
What is that?
Credit card.
What do you got?
- I ain't seen one of these in a minute.
But there's always a combination.
[knobs and switches clicking]
- Sir, it's my duty to inform you
you're not free to go.
Well, we found ear buds and a relatively fresh bloodstain.
And I'm no detective, but I think they're both
going to tie us back to Sherie.
- Well, we're looking at two days for DNA to confirm.
If she's alive and injured, we don't have that kind of time.
What about the driver?
- Well, he clammed up and is asking for a lawyer.
Hold on a second, Sarge.
- Worked in auto crime for a bit before I got here.
That trap is one of the most sophisticated I've ever seen.
A system that complex,
there's only one guy I know who could build them.
- Sarge, we may have a lead. Let me call you back.
- It's impressive work. Circuits are clean.
Relief valve is top of the line.
There's a heat exchanger.
You don't see those too often.
Believe me.
I'd love to take credit for this,
but I've been out of the business almost two years now.
- But in your day, though, right?
- Oh, brother, in my day, I was the Michael Jordan of traps.
- So who's coming off the bench to build like that?
- Maybe someone you worked with? - [laughs]
It should be just that easy, right?
I should just give you a name?
[laughs] I'm no snitch.
- Hey, we're tracking a gang of Cubans out of Miami
who have kidnapped a young woman.
The only thing we know about the trap in that car,
it was designed to hold a person,
and there was blood in it.
- You want to be responsible if we can't find her?
[sighs]
- Let me go! - [speaking Spanish]
- Let me go! No!
[speaking Spanish]
[sobbing]
What happened?
- She was screaming in the trap.
Pulled her out. Had to switch cars.
- I'm claustrophobic! - [grunting]
[speaking Spanish]
Chaz got pulled over.
What?
He's in custody.
- Does jefe know? - No, no, no.
And I want to keep it that way.
We're going to keep it quiet until the drop,
and then we'll deal with all this.
Chaz was our driver.
We can't do this without him.
[sighs]
I'm going to take care of her.
And you find us another driver.
* *
.
So what's our play?
You ever play flag football?
- Are you kidding me? I crushed it in my day.
- Throw up your arm and make sure they go deep.
- [claps] - Here we go.
- Good coverage. Good coverage.
Keep your eye on the ball, number two.
Josh, you hug him. That's right.
Hug that ball.
- Hey, Nestor, how are you doing?
- Oh, hey, no parents on the field at pre-game, all right?
Excuse me, uh, who are you?
- I got it, I got it! [kids shouting]
He's us.
Got your name from Georgio Sanz.
Let's you and I have a chat.
- Joey, cover for me here. - Yeah.
- Look, I've got a legit business now.
- It's a body shop. - Mm-hmm.
- I busted my butt to open it during the pandemic.
I wouldn't do anything illegal.
OK, so street racers come to me from time to time,
- but I don't ask any questions. - Ah.
Building a trap is illegal in New York State.
Just because you don't ask questions
doesn't make you innocent.
Come on, man.
Don't do me like this, all right?
I only got my kid two weekends a month.
- And I'm sure they don't want to see you
walked off the field in cuffs.
What do you need?
- I got here as quick as I could.
What's up?
- You know, I never looked at your entire file
when you first joined the team.
- Even though I told him he had to.
Probably why I didn't.
You ready to say sorry now?
You have quite a backstory.
That means he's impressed.
No, I never said that.
Is this you?
That was me, yeah.
- You raced stock cars in Jersey.
- A long time ago, way before I joined the Academy.
Oh.
You any good?
I was great.
- Didn't I tell you he was going to say that? He's cocky.
- [laughs] Well, it works for the part.
What's going on here?
- Elliot made contact with a guy named Nestor.
He owns a shop where he services street racers.
He's going to walk us into the street racing scene tonight.
And we need an undercover to play the part.
- Yeah, we know the crew who took Sherie.
They go to these races to scout for their drivers.
So if we can find out who they are,
maybe they'll lead us to Sherie.
You up for this?
- First undercover op? Hell yeah.
I feel ready.
- Sarge, I think we're off to the races.
No.
All right, Jet and Reyes are going to be backup for you.
Jet is going to create a whole online profile,
social media handles, family stuff.
I need you to study up.
Be on top of your game.
We don't have a lot of time.
You got it?
100%.
All right.
- * It's going down, down, down, down, down *
* It's going down, down, down, down *
* It's going down, down, down *
* Don't care what nobody says *
* Don't care what nobody's saying, plaques on my wall *
* You be hating, talking smack behind my back *
* I smile in your face and keep winking *
* Tonight I'll keep celebrating *
* And I'ma keep innovating *
* Face it like cable you're basic, because I be amazing *
* *
- Let's go, what's good, what's good?
Well done.
All right, you're going to need to check in and pay
the entry fee if you're going to race.
You could always scratch later.
Just looks like you're serious.
- Yo, Nestor. - Hey!
Hey.
[speaking Spanish] Let me see what you're working with.
All right, we're in.
This is bringing back memories.
- So how many of those therapy sessions have
you had to do over the years?
- Let's just say the next one,
I get a free set of steak knives.
[chuckles] How'd it go?
Fine.
- Oh, so you clammed up as usual.
- Did he call you? - He didn't have to.
I'm a woman.
What the hell does that mean?
Oh, come on, Elliot.
We both know you do not open up.
It just irritates me that you've been given
an opportunity to talk, and you won't take it.
Unburden yourself.
I'm done.
- Well, if you've got so much to say,
- why don't you go talk him? - We're not talking about me.
We talking about you. Go back.
- Anything? - Nothing.
- Hey, so you see the guy over my left shoulder?
The leather jacket?
He picked up the trap car from the garage.
All right.
You're going to introduce us.
OK, we're going over there.
Say I'm a friend from out of town.
You good?
Hey, yo.
- [speaking Spanish] - What's up, Nestor?
- Hey. - Good to see you, man.
- Yeah, yo, this is my boy from LA, Kevin.
'Sup, man?
From the Mecca?
You do any racing up there?
- Cerritos, Long Beach, Compton,
wherever the action is.
- Are we going to see any of that
West Coast flavor tonight?
The field looks pretty weak.
Yeah, it's not worth it if one of these amateurs
kicks off and sideswipes me.
What's the payout tonight?
6k.
That's not enough for you?
- No, you race like me, you got bills to pay, no.
- Nestor don't let anyone touch his ride.
[soft dramatic music]
So you must be decent?
* *
I'll lay 20k down to find out.
All you got to do is win.
Oh, I can win.
- You do, and there'll be more where that came from.
Go get your ride, Nestor.
All you got to do is win.
Hey, I told you I can win.
Drivers.
Are you ready? [engines revving]
On the count of 3,
- 1... - Whoo!
2, 3.
Go! [tires screech]
[siren wailing]
[crowd clamoring]
[sighs]
What do you want to do?
The cops are here now.
[dramatic music]
* *
Hey, hey!
[grunts]
- You got him? - [grunts]
- Don't move. Come on. - Man, come on.
* *
.
[door buzzes]
How's the hand?
It'll be all right.
It's not the first time, you know?
Hitting a cop?
- Jumped a guy that was supposed to pay me 20k.
What else was I supposed to do?
[laughs]
Yeah.
You must be really broke.
- I just like money and driving fast, man.
I can respect that.
Cristobal Ruiz,
Guillermo Pasqual, Santiago Elias.
Let's go. You made bail.
- [whistles] - Lucky, hombre.
[soft dramatic music]
- Do you have any idea of the amount of strings
I had to pull to get you out?
That detective you hit?
Reyes had to talk him off the ledge.
- I got us a number. - What number?
- The guy who can get us closer to finding Sherie.
Go get cleaned up.
We did get a number.
- I got something you should hear.
5-2 just sent this over from their phone logs.
Baby, tell me you're OK.
- [voice shaking] I'm OK.
But they want me to tell you something.
- Tell them I'll do whatever if they just let you go.
- Tino, listen, they said you're doing good,
but you got to sit tight.
A couple more days, then they're going to let me go.
Just keep doing what you're doing.
- You understand? - Sherie, I'm sorry.
This is all my fault.
- And they're saying I got to go.
- Sherie, wait. - I'm sorry.
- I love you. - Wait!
- OK, well, the good news is Sherie's still alive.
- And they don't know Tino's talked to us.
- But they need him quiet for a few days more.
That tells me they're planning something.
- [phone rings] - Bill.
- What are the odds they let Sherie go once it's over?
- Well, that's not a bet I'm willing to make.
Sergeant.
OK.
- Let me call the number Cristobal gave me.
It's our best option.
- CSU found prints in the trap car.
They're Cristobal's.
Make the call.
So how do you feel?
- Like we are running out of time and options.
I got some doubts, too.
Why?
He's just like you.
Leaps before he looks sometimes.
I've learned to trust it in you, so...
Plus, we'll have his back the entire time.
Yeah.
- Anything else you want to tell me?
Yeah, thanks.
For what?
- I made another appointment with that shrink.
Well, look at you.
You're welcome.
There is hope for you yet.
- I say that to myself every morning in the mirror.
[chuckles]
I'm in.
Going to meet Cristobal this afternoon.
OK, great.
Stick around because I want to go over next steps with you.
[whirring]
[hip hop music playing over speakers]
* *
You made it.
Give me your wallet.
What is this, a robbery now?
Nah.
I just ain't never seen a California license.
You're from California, right?
Yeah.
- Come on, Fast and Furious. Let me see your license.
[sighs]
When did you take this picture, yesterday?
- Last month, I had it suspended for a year.
I just got it back.
Walk with me.
You have family?
Brothers? Sister?
Parents?
Sister.
Parents are dead.
You know, you can just look this up on Facebook, dude.
I did.
I was making sure it syncs up.
I want you to call your sister.
Lydia, right?
[tense music]
Or don't, and be on your merry way.
All right, all right.
We'll text her first.
When was the last time you answered a number
you didn't recognize?
- You know, I've been thinking about something.
How did you get out of jail
if you had no money and you hit a cop?
Hm?
[phone ringing]
Ask her.
This Lydia?
Kevin?
Whose phone is this?
What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?
And I am not sending you any more money.
Kevin?
- Tell her you'll call her back.
Lyd.
No, no, no, no, that's a false alarm.
I know. All right, bye.
Anything else?
All right, how much money are we talking about?
Because I've had enough of this, man.
First one is free.
- Just to make sure you're in. - Free? Free?
No, I need to get paid.
First one's free.
Or we hold your sister as collateral.
* *
We've done it before.
Meet me at Melrose at 5:30.
Don't be late.
I'll be honest.
I wasn't expecting your call.
Yeah, me neither.
I'm glad you did.
So anything in particular you want to talk about?
- Well, in answer to your question,
I don't like endings.
- My question? - From last week,
when you asked me why I wanted to go back to work.
I don't like endings.
Can you tell me more?
Mm, yeah.
Um,
you know, when I lost my wife, um...
You know, that was the very clear definition of--of...
Of an ending.
- So this is about the death of a loved one?
Loss.
It's a little more general.
For example, my kids, they're grown.
You know, they've moved on. They have lives of their own.
And...I just feel loss.
[sighs]
I, uh...
it's like the ending of my family.
Um...
I've just had that--
that lens about everything since my wife.
I recently lost a friend,
a very close friend, partner.
- Care to tell me how that happened?
Through neglect on my part.
Fear,
selfishness.
* *
- Sounds like you're a man in need of a new beginning.
- [chuckles] [phone vibrating]
Excuse me.
Uh, Doc, I'm sorry. I got to go.
- Shall we make another appointment?
- Yeah, yeah. - Before you leave?
Yeah, I'll--I'll get back to you on that.
Thank you.
* *
Oh, what are the odds?
Not you.
Sorry about the other night.
Sorry about the eye.
- You could have given us a heads up.
- Yeah, we just--we didn't have time to coordinate,
but we appreciate your help now.
- So I prepped this car for you?
Yeah.
All right.
Well, before I hand over the keys,
there's just one thing we need to cover.
[grunts]
Now we're good.
- You good? - Yeah, good.
- All right. - [sighs]
* *
- All right, mic check, one, two.
I hope you guys can hear me because here I go.
He'll be fine.
Yo!
Hey, what's good?
Yo.
Hold it.
Hey.
[tense music]
Hey.
I already went through this with your boss man.
You still don't trust me, I'm out.
Go ask him.
Wait here.
[sniffs]
[woman crying]
* *
- She's here. Sherie's here.
I had eyes on her.
Back room, straight ahead.
But she seems OK.
Listen, I'm--I'm sorry. I'm ditching the wire.
.
[dramatic music]
* *
[pounding on door]
Yo, what you doing in there?
[knocking]
What do you think I'm doing?
I told you to stay out here.
[flushing]
[pounding]
Open the door.
[pounding]
Open the door!
* *
- I guess you're one of those guys who doesn't
wash his hands after he--
Is that good for you, too?
Let's go.
Do we go in?
- Yeah, but we're not going in guns blazing.
- There he is. What's up, man?
Kevin.
[speaking Spanish]
Hey.
- You're a long way from Cali, aren't you, pretty boy?
You grow up there?
Mostly.
That's funny.
I've never met no one from LA without tan lines.
I could show you tan lines,
but I should buy you dinner first, right?
I like him.
Told you.
- Cristobal tell you we're down a couple of drivers right now?
He did.
And you want to help out?
If the money's right.
- [chuckles] Well, no, that's for the boss to decide.
I thought he was the boss.
- [chuckling] No, no.
The boss man is a real OG.
And lucky for you, we're going to go meet him right now.
[speaks Spanish]
- Come on, Kevin. Trying to be a funny man, huh?
[suspenseful music]
* *
They're heading out.
* *
Follow that car.
Let's get Sherie.
- Police. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move.
Don't move. Show me your hands.
Get up.
- Police. Drop your weapon.
Hand behind your back.
On your knees. On your knees.
- All right, I got these two. You go.
- [crying] Who's there?
Sherie, it's me.
Police, police.
- We're police. - Tino, where is Tino?
My husband, where's Tino?
- We have him. We have him. He's safe.
He's safe.
- Shh. - [crying]
Shh.
Who the hell is that?
Is there a car behind us?
- Yeah, it feels like cops to me.
Why would there be cops?
- How long have they been following us?
- Since we left. [engine revving]
Lose them.
You want to work for us,
you need to prove you can follow orders.
- Just pull over. See if they stop.
We can deal with this the real, real way.
[tires screech]
* *
- What is he doing? - He knows we're following.
Keep up.
- All right, they're chasing us.
- Get us out of here. - I'ma blast these fools.
No, hold on.
[tires screeching]
- [gasping] - All right.
All right.
All right, Cali.
We're going to have fun with you.
Just tell me where to go.
* *
[dramatic music]
* *
[wolf howls]