The Shield

Previously, on The Shield.

I'm not walking out on my kids.

- I'm protecting myself from you. - From me?

From divorcing me. From keeping them from me.

Don't touch me.

So we're going to take down a money-laundering ring?

One big hit, ended out, we're set for good.

He's come up with a new way inside.

We only have two weeks to master a new plan.

We're really doing this, aren't we?

Yeah, looks that way.

Look, I'm married now. You can't stay with me.

Married? Julien, what about what we had?

Keep away from me.

Keep away from my wife.

You're running for office.

I'll leave you as captain until that run is over.

If you win, you graduate to city council,...

If you lose the primary, you resign quietly.

When my report comes out next week,...

...it will hit like an earthquake.

So we'll all be buried in the rubble?

Not you. I'm recommending that you be elevated to captain.

Take over here, and run things the way they should be.

Oh, God.

Well, I can't say the content of this report comes as a surprise.

The changes around here can't just be cosmetic.

I agree.

On top of this mess, we have a budget cut. No more O. T.

- What about a pay freeze? - Done.

Even the pension is taking a hit.

A year longer to qualify, less in benefits.

You think I like doing this my first month on the job?

This squad is going to have to cut its work force by 20%.

20%?

How are we supposed to maintain our arrest numbers with a depleted force?

We have to find a way.

Start with the disciplinary cases and the retirement phase-outs.

Then fire whoever you have to to get to 20%.

You want me to choose who goes?

You're the C.O. You know them best.

You want the blood on my hands, not yours.

- I won't do it. - Yes, you will.

Why should I?

I'm on borrowed time here as it is.

You can't afford to lose your job the day before a close election.

For the moment, you are still my employee.

I want the list of who's gone by this evening.

- Tomas. - Julien. Thanks for coming.

This is Gary, my sponsor.

I help with Julien's reorientation therapy.

Look, I came to tell you to stop calling me.

There's no room in my life for you.

You gotta be kidding me.

And you brought him along as muscle?

Look, Julien's made his intent with you very clear.

Any further contact is only gonna damage you both.

Listen, I got no place to stay. I got no money.

Shelters can help you.

Stop trying to keep yourself connected. It's over.

- You stay out of this! - Tomas, I am married now.

I have a son.

My life has to be about them and God.

You fags can hide behind Jesus all you want,...

...but you're not fooling anybody.

That's enough. You've been warned.

- Gary! - My eye!

What's going on over there?

Look up. Oh, God.

All right.

There's a full five paragraphs in the report...

...on the Bob and Marcy case.

Well, it wasn't our finest hour.

I appreciate you including yourself,...

...but everybody knows it was me...

...who let the suspects go with the victim.

Jeffrey Cole, 14.

Been missing since as late as last night.

Are you the parents?

He's the father, but I'm the parent.

Don't be like that.

This wouldn't have happened if he was still with me.

When was the last time you saw Jeffrey?

Last night when I left for work.

When I got back, I didn't want to wake him.

I shoulda checked on him earlier.

I live in Venice.

I called everyone we know there. Nothing!

We'll need a recent picture,...

...so the officers can pass it around to everyone in the area.

- Maybe someone's seen him. - There you go.

Oh, God. If anything's happened to him,...

...I'll never forgive myself.

- The money train's moving up? - We don't know...

...but the ship the Armenians use to get the money...

...out of the country hits port tonight.

It's not due for two weeks.

According to the manifest it's scheduled to ship out in two days.

The Armenians can't be onto us. We've been careful.

Maybe they're just changing things up...

- ...just trying to avoid a routine. - Goddamn it.

There's no room for last-minute surprises.

This kills us.

We can't just walk away from the money train.

Look, I know you need this.

- We all do! - But I'm not takin' any chances.

At least let Ronnie and me try to find out...

...where they might be moving the money train to.

Let's not give up yet.

All right.

But if this thing's not rock solid, we're bailin'.

What's your name?

Kandle. You can light me up at both ends.

Have you seen this boy in the past 24 hours?

- Sorry, sister. - Thanks.

I haven't read the report yet, but I hear there's a whole paragraph...

...on Armadillo getting stabbed to death in the cage.

I saw you frisk him. He got that knife some other way.

Yeah. Tell that to the bosses.

Sir.

Excuse me, sir. Have you seen this boy recently?

Last night. Walking around. He seemed a little lost.

Sure it was him?

He stood out from the sickos.

Did you see which way he went?

He got into a car.

On his own, or was he forced in?

I was running somebody's credit card, and I looked up,...

...and the car drove off with him in it.

What kind of car was it, sir?

Jeffrey attended school in Venice.

Dad lives here, wanted to take his son in for a year.

Mom reluctantly agreed.

Kid's only been in Farmington for two months.

Hasn't really made too many friends.

What's that got to do with him hitching a ride?

Fits the profile.

Isolated, alienated, vulnerable.

He's the perfect candidate to be taken by an adult aggressor.

Two kids were snatched in that area three months ago.

Both taken at different times, bodies found weeks apart.

These are the two kids who were duct-taped and shot in the face?

Yeah. One 12, the other 13.

Both sexually assaulted and tortured.

That's Brent's case. Talk to him.

See if there's anything else pertinent in his file.

We may only have a couple of hours. Kid may already be dead.

I hate to say it, but our best hope is that this deviant's...

...got the boy chained up to a fence somewhere,...

...loves his ass so much, can't give it up for a few days.

That's my son!

Hey, hey, hey! Get off him!

Get off him!

That's my son he's talking about! He's talking about Jeffrey!

Goddamn it, stop it!

It was a stupid thing to say. Now calm down!

We're the ones that are trying to help you, okay?

The only thing that's important right now is finding your boy, right?

Right?

Come on. Let's go talk about it.

The idea of some monster and my boy.

We don't know yet if that's what's happened.

Well, that's what that goddamn detective said.

Look, Dutch-boy's people skills might not be first-rate,...

...but his detective work is.

He doesn't want to know my son.

Jeffrey's a good kid.

He's been through a lot of things, but he's a good kid.

We're gonna do everything we can to get him back to you.

You too?

Yeah. Me too.

How's the dad doing?

He'd be a lot better if we found his kid.

Look, this pedophilia thing's not my strong suit.

I can run with it.

If it's all the same to you, I'd like to lend a hand.

Just tell me how to help.

Okay. Well, the first two victims suffered sadistic torture ritual.

That stuff usually starts at the fantasy level.

What, fantasy, as in kid flicks?

All three abductions took place in the same neighborhood.

If the guy gets his victims there,...

...maybe he gets his porn there too.

Vic and I'll run the smut shops.

Get names of the K.Y. cowboys who prefer to ride ponies.

It won't be easy getting names from a sex shop.

Privacy issues involved.

Maybe we can get around it.

Learn anything new?

I checked Brent's files, ran the names...

...of all the sex offenders who live in the neighborhood...

...where the boys were abducted.

So did Brent. He didn't find anything.

He didn't follow up.

A convicted child molester lives in the neighborhood.

He just didn't register until after the investigation.

Our guys talked to him. They didn't know the connection.

Get Brent's files, consolidate the two cases...

...and the two of you take the point.

You got it.