Cross (2024) s02e05 Episode Script

Climb

1
Previously on Cross…
[Cross] I met her yesterday
at the blackjack table.
- [Rebecca] Is that…
- [Lincoln] You?
Yeah. I liked having you with me.
[speaking Spanish]
Get out! Get out! Quickly!
[Nat] Department of Labor
just found underage workers.
We need talking points,
damage control strategy.
I can destroy Lance Durand.
But with the evidence
you gave me on this drive,
I can destroy the whole fucking system.
We just want to holler at you
about Raymond Price.
He got shot last week over at the Gardens.
I can't give you no names.
But I can give you some initials.
Look, I am telling you,
I don't know nobody named TK.
[dramatic music playing]
[Bobby] You sick motherfuckers.
[Donnie] The feds are in the casino.
- [Rebecca] They're not gonna find him.
- [Clare] Luz,
you said no one's life is more important
than the mission.
That was your rule,
and now you want to break it?
[speaking Spanish]
It has to be this way.
- [gunshot]
- [crying]
[ Carla Morrison playing "Disfruto"]
[Yoli praying in Spanish]
[praying in Spanish]
[Jando] Hispanic male, age 33.
Subject has multiple tattoos.
The largest tattoo is a chest piece.
Dark-haired young woman
surrounded by flowers.
Maybe a saint.

[Jando] Entry wound angle of the bullet
and tissue damage indicate
shot was fired at point-blank range.
[praying in Spanish]
Stippling around the entry wound
along with blowback
and GSR on the right hand
support strong possibility
that the wound was self-inflicted.
- [continues praying in Spanish]
- [exhales]
[Jardo] Death occurred within seconds.
Mija…
[speaking Spanish]
Go with God.
- [ Danielle Ponder singing "Some Of Us Are Brave"]
- If the sky were to fall
I'd be the first to call ♪
Some of us, some of us are brave ♪
Peace and love
to the ones who give praise ♪
Take a bow as the light hits the face ♪
See me now ♪
I'm loud and proud ♪
And to those
who fear leads them to hate ♪
Oh, what a pity
to be locked in that place ♪
I know you see me, though ♪
Some of us ♪
Some of us are brave ♪

[elevator door opens]
[ Vanacore Music singing "Next Level"]
The final things ♪
Keep defending all the castles
where they crown me king ♪
Did it for the glory ♪
Fame isn't easy ♪
And they lie in waitin'
for the day you fade ♪
Believe me ♪
I hear the gossip talking
'bout how I'm the greatest ever ♪
You won't admit it…
[toilet flushes]
Shoot the messenger,
you don't get the news.
Fuck, Bobby! Why are you in my place?
- [music stops]
- Well, I's got a question for you,
Agent Craig, and I just need to see you…
just need to see you answer it.
You found something.
Yes, ma'am.
Show me.
Oh, right this way. Oh. [chuckles]
[Thompson on video] Uncle Sam's got
the tab on this, right?
I'm still paying off my rotator cuff.
[two people chuckle on video]
[Kayla sighs] I needed the ledgers
for Bad Religion.
[Bobby] Just keep watching.
[Thompson] Help.
- You're okay.
- Help me.
You're good.
[table rattling]
[Thompson straining] Make it stop.
Please make it stop.
[grunting]
- Fuck.
- [dramatic music playing]
That's not me.
That's funny. It sure look like you.
It's not… it's a, it's a deepfake.
It's a… it's a deepfake.
- People do that, especially my people.
- Hmm.
Yeah, but why would
they want to do that to you?
Because there's-there's this thing
that's coming to light.
All right, it's a program
they don't want people to know about.
And they're trying to fucking pin it
all on me.
So you saying
you had nothing to do with it?
- I did, I-I…
- No.
I didn't. I-I sold…
untraceable guns,
and-and vetted soldiers for a study.
But I sure as hell didn't fucking know
anything about whatever the hell this is.
We can prove it.
Can your guy remove my face?
I mean, if we can see who's under there,
we'll know who's behind it.
Yeah.
We'll go with your answer for now.
But if there's
just more Kayla Craig under there,
I'll be the one removing your face.
[funky music playing]
All right.
That's the way we do it. [chuckles]
You keep ordering like this,
we're gonna have to start
calling you Three John pretty soon.
I am committed to keeping
y'all in business, Miss Tana.
Well, we are doing just fine, thank you.
Keep it that way.
Yes, ma'am.
[Sampson] Anything good from the autopsy?
Bottom line is Jando says Esteban's death
- is consistent with suicide…
- Mm.
…pending further investigation
due to suspicious circumstances.
It's hard to fake a suicide by gunshot.
You got prints on the gun,
GSR, bullet trajectory.
It all fits.
I know, but it doesn't feel right.
Esteban was angry, not suicidal.
Then why would the mystery woman
from the casino want to put him down?
I don't know.
But… check this.
- [Sampson] Hmm.
- [Cross] He has a tattoo of her
on his chest.
[Cross] The way it's designed
makes me think
she was "the Light" he talked about.
- Mm.
- I know.
And look at her face.
Isn't that the same lady he painted
on the subway tunnel in Chicago?
That makes even less sense.
That would mean both of them were
trying to put down Lance Durand.
And why would you want
to kill somebody from your same team?
Well, maybe Kayla and I got too close.
That would make him a risk
she couldn't afford.
- Mm-hmm.
- That's cold. [chuckles]
And we have no idea who this woman is?
No.
But you know who might?
Lance Durand.
Man, don't even get me started on him.
Hey, did you see the footage
from the raid in Toledo?
Out here using kids as slave labor.
His janky ass been lying to us
since day one.
I know you pressed him before,
but he didn't crack.
That was a love tap.
This motherfucker
about to get a full dose today.
- [applause]
- [Hillary] We were also shocked to hear
what was in the news.
[Lance laughing] It's not very often
you get to meet your heroes, am I right?
[Hillary] Yes, and I understand
that you and, uh,
- President Obama are good friends now?
- Uh…
[Hillary] Uh, you mentioned during
our break that he called you yesterday.
What did he say?
[Lance] Uh, he's, uh, uh,
candidly, I think he's disappointed.
I got a lot of phone calls from friends
who are disappointed
over, you know, the last couple of days.
[Hillary] Yes. This is regarding
the revelations that… and I quote…
"Crestbrook Industries has used
undocumented migrant children
to work in their plants and fields."
And, um, what did you say?
I mean, I'd love to know, because he can
call you directly for answers,
but a lot of regular Americans
were also shocked, uh,
at the news that they heard.
Uh, I found out
when the rest of America found out.
And, frankly, it…
…it broke my heart.
It's not… it's not who I am.
That's not who Crestbrook is.
It's all good and well to say that,
but it sounds like spin.
Hillary, let me be clear.
I-I did not know,
but that is not an excuse.
Okay? Ignorance,
that's not a, that's not a defense.
I just, I would like
to take a moment right now
in front of the studio audience and-and…
and, um…
[exhales] …the audience at home.
[contemplative music playing]
I want you to know that I take…
full responsibility for this.
That I am…
…deeply ashamed.
And I am so sorry that this happened.
I will accept any punishment
that is coming my way.
And I think it's important
to acknowledge the fact
that I understand that it is on me
to fix this.
[applause]
No. No, no. Honestly.
I appreciate that, but…
[stammers] I can just use this as a moment
to ask what I think is…
is the real question,
the bigger question here, which is…
why are families sending their children
to our country
to work?
[Lance] And the answer is,
those families don't have enough to eat.
That is why I'm supporting
Senator Pete Ashford's
World Hunger Reduction Legislation.
It is the key
to allowing us to spread
our Prosperity Seed around the globe.
The Prosperity Seed that grows
where nothing else will.
And with it,
we will end world hunger forever.
- [applause]
- [Lance] Thank you.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you. Thank you.
- [theme music playing]
- [Hillary] Stay with us.
I think it looks…
I actually think it looks good.
Maybe I leave it on…
- [slow clapping]
- [Lance speaking indistinctly]
That was impressive.
- Thank you.
- [Cross] We come across
professional liars every single day.
- Uh, you might be the best I've seen.
- [Kayla] But, no.
Not better than Ramsey.
- Oh, yeah. Okay, you…
- Yeah.
- Second best. Second.
- Yes. Yes.
I'm sorry, do you have an update
or are you just trolling me?
[Kayla] Just a question.
Do you recognize this woman?
Mm, should I?
Don't answer a question with a question.
- People hate that.
- [Kayla] We have reason to believe
she may be our killer.
Well, I've never seen that woman before,
so I don't know why you think I know her.
Well, you've been lying to us
from the beginning,
- so we can only assume…
- Watch your tone, Cross.
You might be able to speak
to criminals that way, but not to…
Obstruction of justice is a crime.
Human trafficking is a crime.
So, if he walks like a duck…
Okay. Out.
And I'll be on the phone to McElhannon
before you hit the elevator.
- You know what? You watch your tone.
- [Lance] Okay, all right.
Okay, Nat. Look this is a,
this is a difficult question.
And we at Crestbrook,
we embrace the difficult.
So, uh, let me ask you a question.
Is there anything
that Crestbrook can do to make you,
you know, more effective at your job?
Listen, I don't work for Crestbrook.
No, no. You work for Metro PD, right?
But what's your current assignment?
It is to find and stop the person
who's trying to kill who?
Me, Lance Durand,
the CEO of Crestbrook Industries.
So, if it walks like a duck…
[Kayla] Mr. Durand, we asked you
why would someone want to kill you?
You fed us some bullshit
about COVID exceptions.
If you want us to be more effective…
- [exhales]
- …at our job,
start with the truth, eh?
You want me to just list my sins?
No, that would take too long.
Just give us the big ones.
You know, human trafficking.
The kind that would
make someone want to kill you.
Alex, I know…
Detective Cross.
Yeah, I don't believe in
those kind of formalities,
so I am going to call you Alex,
or maybe, you know, Al.
[laughs] Feel free to call me
Lance or, you know, "sir."
Look, I know these recent allegations
have given you…
[Cross] Allegations?
We saw a truckload of kids
headed to one of your plants.
That's fine, okay? That's fine.
You can just stay there.
But you have to understand something.
I asked for the best,
and they gave me you two.
I'm gonna assume that you can put
your personal grievances
to the side and just do your job.
You have a suspect, right?
Why don't you go find her?
You know what?
You're right, Lance. You're right.
We are the best.
We are going to find her
and we are going to save you.
But just know this.
When we're done with that…
[tense music playing]
…I'll be pointed at you, sir.
[De Lackner] Excuse me,
if someone died in the DC Metro area,
is this where I would come to find
a homicide detective to assign?
Okay. Crayla called us in for a debrief,
Lieutenant.
It's time-sensitive.
Hey, how's the case going
with your mother?
As soon as I get done here,
I'm gonna run down some leads
on this "TK"
they're saying the shooter is.
- Mm. Okay. Right.
- And Vega's found something at the scene.
Hey, Lieutenant. You sitting in on this?
Hell nah.
I'm here to tell you I can't have
my whole unit sucked into this task force.
You need more bodies, tell the feds.
They can send more bodies.
- Capisce?
- Yes, ma'am.
- Thank you.
- All right.
All right, ladies and gentlemen,
our manhunt is now a woman hunt.
I want you all to meet…
[sighs]
…our brand-new prime suspect.
We believe she killed
Helvig and Hartsfield,
is targeting Lance Durand and was involved
in the death of Lincoln Esteban.
[Goff] So what, she forced him
- to kill himself?
- [Cross] She is the Light
that Esteban was talking about.
He worshiped her.
Now we think either she killed him
or he sacrificed himself,
but they're connected.
The path to ID her is through him.
We found everything from Lincoln's tunnel.
Other than the shrine, she's not in it.
Well, we didn't know
who we were looking for and now we do.
[Hardy] I still don't get
how we're so sure
she's the killer and not him.
Uh, the more we learned about Esteban,
the less he fit the profile.
He wanted justice.
Our suspect is bent on revenge.
The kills are brutal, up close
and include torture.
- That kind of rage means it's personal.
- [Cross] Exactly.
- [Sampson clears throat]
- Now…
something terrible happened to her
or someone she loves,
and she blames Lance Durand.
All right?
This begins and ends with him.
- Terrible like somebody dying?
- [chuckles]
Yes, that would fit, Akbar, yes.
Okay, well, then,
Esteban kept an article from 1998
about a woman that died
of an apparent overdose.
The coroner ruled it as "suspicious."
Danton, Iowa.
Victim was a Gabriela Porras.
She worked as a doctor
at a Crestbrook-funded clinic.
Now, I ruled this out because there was
no connection between her and Esteban.
What if our new suspect has a connection?
[Cross] Nice work. All right.
You and Hardy dig into her,
find out who loved her.
[Sampson] "Porras."
That name sounds familiar.
Gabriela Porras.
Sued Lance and Crestbrook.
Oh, shit.
That same year.
Looks like it was a whistleblower lawsuit
for wrongful death and injury of workers.
We only got
the top half of this complaint.
Fire got the rest.
Mm. Goff, would you get a copy
of that lawsuit in its entirety?
Yeah, I'm on it.
Uh, got an obit.
Porras was survived
by her six-year-old daughter.
There's no name.
Think our suspect could be in her mid-30s?
- Sounds right to me.
- [Kayla] Mm-hmm.
John, tell Akbar she had a kid.
We need a name.
Tell him to check the birth records
and the schools in the area.
Kindergarten to second grade.
Now, Danton's a small town, there can't be
- too many.
- Cool.
[dramatic music playing]
[door closes]
[speaking Spanish]
I brought you towels.
This is new?
It's beautiful.
It's for Lincoln, isn't it?
Yeah.
[Clare] Mm. Hmm.
This would make him happy.
You mean if he was alive?
Wherever he is…
he's smiling.
He should be here.
Maybe it would help
to think of him as a martyr.
[shaky breath]
His death let us go on.
Finish what you started.
It's a gift.
It's a waste.
Only if you don't finish this.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[Akbar] I got a name
on our avenging angel.
I was able to find four female Porrases
in the Danton County, Iowa,
elementary schools
in the time period that we need,
but there was only one named Luz.
[Kayla] Luz Porras.
"Luz" as in "the light" in Spanish, Luz?
That's right. This is her right here.
Ms. Waller's first grade class.
Oh, that's got to be her.
You know where she is right now?
That's the thing.
The Luz Porras trail ends
shortly after this photo was taken,
which is also around the time
of her mother's death.
After that, there's no record of the girl
or that name.
And yet, you're far too happy for a man
- with a dead end.
- Bingo.
Because our little Luz has an auntie.
Guadalupe Clara Porras.
She also disappeared around that time.
Now, since the aunt was already an adult
by the time the two of them
dropped off the timeline,
I was able to run a facial recognition
based on how she looked 27 years ago,
and I got a match on a DMV photo.
Meet Clare Matthews.
- Of Sunrise, Florida.
- [Akbar] Mm-hmm.
And our little Luz
is now Rebecca Matthews.
How close is Sunrise
to Hollywood, Florida?
It's the next town over.
And get this, that casino?
Ten-minute drive from their house.
[Kayla] Ah.
We headed back to Florida.
Yeah. We're gonna need
a full workup on Rebecca Matthews
- by the time we land.
- [Akbar] I'm on it.
[Sampson] I'm pulling up
to the crime scene now.
You found something
that could help LaDonna?
[Vega] I'll show you when I get there.
- [sprinkler whirring]
- [indistinct radio chatter]
[suspenseful music playing]
With TK in the wind,
we got our work cut out for us.
What did you want to show me?
I went back through my notes,
like you asked.
- Report says five shots fired.
- Mm-hmm.
Listen to this.
I checked the ShotSeeker audio
from the night of Raymond Price's murder.
At 11:15 p.m., it catches the gun firing.
How many shots you hear?
[gunshots over device]
Six.
But they only found five bullets.
Pulled two out of Price
and three out of the walls.
Here, here and here.
Techs never found any other slugs.
Shit. Then where's the sixth bullet?
Maybe it ricocheted at a weird angle
and went through the window.
We call the techs back,
maybe they can find it.
[mysterious music playing]
What if the bullet found another way out?
Take a look at this.
It's been bothering me,
but now it's starting to make some sense.
All right, you got a trail of blood
that leads to here, right?
Where it pools underneath Price's body,
right there.
Uh, right.
Shot there, moved there, died there.
So why is this area clean?
I mean, the guy is bleeding out
all along here,
and he stops bleeding for this bit
and drops dead right there?
Holy shit.
We got a witness out there walking around
with our sixth bullet in him.
And if he's still alive,
he can tell us who did the shooting.
[waves crashing]
[Kayla] She's poking around,
she's trying to… [snapping fingers]
…get to the bottom
of her mother's death.
- [Cross] This is settin' off alarm bells.
- Exactly.
Then Sheriff Mitch comes to Florida.
Our girl's young, she's female,
he thinks he can scare her off.
- Instead, he becomes her…
- Her first victim.
- But then…
- Then nothing.
I mean, nothing. She just becomes
the most boring woman on the planet.
She graduates with average grades,
gets a few average, non-distinct jobs.
No car, no house.
One credit card she uses to buy
painfully ordinary things on Amazon.
She went underground.
This woman is-is avenging
her mother's death,
gets her first taste of blood
and then goes silent
for ten years.
[scoffs]
A serial killer
with that kind of-of patience,
that kind of discipline,
I've never seen anything like it.
That's because killing
isn't a compulsion for her.
It's a mission.
She wasn't just patient,
she was preparing.
It's… it's a job.
It's obsessively deliberate.
That's why she doesn't make mistakes.
Everybody makes mistakes sooner or later.
We just need to find
the right button and press it.
Well, let's go press some buttons.
[engine shuts off]
[doorbell rings]
[Kayla exhales]
[door opens]
Luz Porras?
No one here by that name.
Right. Rebecca Matthews.
I'm Agent Craig, FBI.
This is Detective Cross.
You met him at the blackjack table.
We'd hoped to speak with you,
but you eluded casino security and ran.
It's not ringing a bell.
Well, we'd like to speak with you now.
About what, exactly?
Lincoln Esteban.
Should I know who that is?
[Kayla] We know that you were in
the penthouse with him when he died.
We also know that you killed
Mitch Morgan and Richard Helvig.
I'm so sorry.
I don't know any of those people.
We know why you're after them,
especially Lance Durand.
What he's done, what he's still doing,
to migrant children.
You're not here to make friends,
so are you gonna arrest me?
Well, you know we can't do that.
Yet.
Then you should leave.
You're not gonna be able
to stop Lance Durand on your own.
Not anymore.
I think we can help each other.
- [door closes]
- Great.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Elle] Jannie?
Jannie, honey, I'm so sorry I'm late.
Damon and Berto needed to be dropped off.
What's wrong?
I was supposed to get
matching hair ribbons
for all the girls at the track meet.
I was gonna ask Uncle Sampson
to stop on the way home from school,
but then I had debate, and Coach says
you have to, "Eat before the meet,
- or you'll be slow on your feet."
- Slow on your feet.
- And…
- You forgot the ribbons.
Now it's too late,
and everybody's gonna be mad at me.
You know, some folks…
especially us girls…
feel like we got to get everything right.
Be everything for everybody
who needs something from us all the time.
But the truth is, Jannie,
you can't be anything for anybody
unless you look out for yourself.
So…
…forgive yourself
when you make mistakes.
And even ask somebody else
who has a little less on their plate
to bring the damn hair ribbons
- to practice.
- [soft laugh]
Does that sound good?
- Yes.
- Good.
Are you here because
you're being everything to everybody?
[laughs softly] No, baby girl.
I'm here because I love you.
[gentle music playing]
All of us?
Of course.
Let's go get your bag.
If we leave now, we can get
the hair ribbons before practice.
- [phone ringing]
- [shower running]
[Kayla] Oh. Sh…
Hey. Hold on a second.
Hey, Bobby, can your guy
remove the deepfake?
[Bobby over phone] Could've,
but we got a problem.
His whole op got raided last night.
Did you…
did you mention him to anyone?
What? No. No, of course not.
Well, then, I'm thinking someone
really don't want you
to see underneath that rock.
Do you know anyone good enough
to unravel that video? Mm?
Yeah, I-I do, but he's FBI.
We can't use him.
I can't risk being exposed.
Hmm. Well, we might
have different definitions,
but to me, you already exposed.
[tense music playing]
Fuck it, this is "break glass
in case of emergency" time.
His name's Bruce Folsom.
I'll send you the info.
[phone beeps off]
[Cross] Where are you?
Whoa.
[laughs] Right here.
Right here with you.
What?
[phone buzzing]
- Cross.
- [Rebecca over phone] I've been thinking
about your offer, Detective.
I'm ready to talk.
The Royal Bombay, tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
Yeah, that's fine.
I'll see you there.
[pulsing music playing]
[Donnie] You're not gonna meet
with that cop.
They got nothing on me.
That's even more reason to steer clear.
Law enforcement was a part of the plan
from the very beginning.
That was the plan for after
we take down Lance Durand.
Now is too soon. You can't do it.
- I'm not asking.
- [Clare] Luz,
we're on your side.
But acting rashly now
won't bring Lincoln back.
Don't talk about him.
We all wish that Lincoln
didn't have to go that way,
but that is life.
He was an innocent,
and he's dead 'cause of me.
I got to live with that.
[somber music playing]
We're gonna take a ride.
And I'm not asking.
[Bobby] Give the thick girl a bounce.
Yeah.
White boy like you
need all the juice you can swing.
[grunts]
Sorry… do… have we,
have we met before?
No, but we got a friend in common, though.
Kayla Craig.
Yeah. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
She need a favor.
And she say you owe her.
[Rebecca] A Crestbrook plant? Why?
[Donnie] You'll see.
[somber music playing]
- What is this place?
- [insects trilling]
This is why I do what we do.
My family's farm is just over that hill.
[sniffles] Close enough
that we could smell the diesel fumes
from the trucks that rolled in.
Then they started dumping
chicken waste in the fields.
Only they didn't call it "dumping,"
they called it "composting."
Poison.
It dried to a dust
and it covered everything.
It covered every inch of my house.
My little sister started using an inhaler.
My dad, he didn't have the energy
to work in the fields like he used to.
But by then, it didn't matter,
because this factory used so much water
it ran our wells dry
and we couldn't grow anything anyway.
And you wanted to make them pay.
I snuck in here one night
and I lit up that chicken coop.
I wasn't planning it,
I was just fucking angry.
And then I heard the screams.
[pulsing music playing]
Now, that's the front door.
[clears throat]
It had metal handles,
and when I touched them, I could feel
my palms sear down to the bone.
This is where it happened?
I jumped in through a window, but…
with the smoke, it was so black inside.
Couldn't breathe.
I found the bodies piled up by the door
when I tripped over them.
How was I supposed to know they have
goddamn kids living in the chicken coop?
Donnie, hey, Donnie, it's okay.
- Okay?
- I can still hear them in my dreams.
I can fucking smell them.
I, too, know what it's like
to carry something, Luz.
You didn't know what you were doing.
I did.
Pain can be an anchor, pulling us down,
but it can be a reminder, too.
Reminding us
that we have a debt to the dead.
And if you let that cop get in your head,
we don't pay that debt. [sniffles]
That means those kids, Lincoln,
they died for nothing.
You think about that
when you talk to that cop.
[ Loopa Scava & Cayetano playing
"Bel Epoque"]
[exhales]
- [line ringing]
- [Roy] Come on, Kayla.
You better fucking answer.
[line continues ringing]
[phone buzzing]
- Boss.
- [Roy] I need you back in D.C. now.
Well, we're on a suspect, I can't just…
First flight out, Kayla.
- What? Wait a second. What is this abou…
- [call beeps off]
[Rebecca] Nice table, Detective.
You're late.
I wanted to give you enough time
to get you surveillance team set up.
There's no team. Just her.
Hi.
[quiet chatter]
Uncle Nearest 1856.
Yes.
And tequila and soda with lime.
Anything else?
- Hmm-mm.
- [softly] We're good.
- You ordered for me.
- Yeah.
Coming on a little strong there.
But did I get it right?
Yeah, you know what?
To Gabriela.
No one called her that.
But…
it is connected to her, isn't it?
Part of the ritual?
I mean, you order tequila and soda…
I'm guessing that's her favorite drink…
and then you play, what is it?
Three and 16 on the roulette table?
Her birthday.
And you spin the wheel, you walk away.
And just like clockwork, a few days later,
somebody ends up dead, right?
Just another body
on the revenge tour for Mommy.
It's a theory.
Or it's just a drink.
Not for you.
For you, it's intentional.
You know,
I bet everything you do is intentional.
And what about you, Detective? Hmm?
[Cross] Mm.
Why are you here?
Same reason as you. I want justice.
And what would you consider justice
- for a mass murderer?
- Mm.
A trafficker of children?
And the person
you think killed your mother.
I know he did.
Then why is he still alive?
You were close enough to do it.
No. No, me? No, no.
But I would guess…
- whoever's doing this…
- Mm.
…they must have started down this path
because they wanted justice…
- Mm.
- …for Gabriela Alejandra Porras.
And then they learned that her death
was part of a larger pattern.
- Ah.
- A depraved machine
built to enrich Lance Durand
and his cronies,
and to treat innocent people,
like those children and my mother,
as collateral damage.
You know,
Lincoln Esteban was collateral damage.
But it wasn't Crestbrook
who sacrificed him, was it? No.
It was you.
- I didn't know him.
- Yes, you did.
And I think that you loved him.
And he worshiped you.
You know, it must be so hard for you.
Sign up to fight for truth and justice
just to wind up working for a monster.
Okay.
- [mic beeps]
- [static crackles]
Mic's off. Let's talk.
I believe Lance Durand is entirely capable
- of killing your mom.
- Mm-hmm.
And I bet she's not
the only body he left behind.
That man deserves everything
you plan for him.
He deserves to be watered in blood,
just like his Prosperity Seed.
And what you need to do
is get out of the way.
No, Luz, at any moment now,
we'll gather material evidence
linking you to a killing.
And in the meantime, we are on you 24/7.
You won't get within a mile
of Lance Durand.
That dream in your head?
It died the moment
we knocked on your door.
But you can still stop him.
If you have evidence, give it to me.
We'll take him down the right way.
Come on, Detective, I know how that goes.
He's gonna get
a slap on the wrist and a fine
that won't even amount to what he spends
on a private jet to Davos.
- I won't let that happen.
- You can't help but let that happen.
Do you know what that badge
in your pocket makes you?
An errand boy for the landowners.
Okay.
All right. [sniffles]
Let me tell you something.
[chuckles] Fuck it.
My wife was murdered.
And I was filled with rage.
Just like you.
I wanted justice, I did.
But all of my actions?
They were…
they were all about vengeance.
[somber music playing]
Just like you.
I became somebody I didn't recognize.
I hurt people who didn't deserve it.
Luz…
how many more Lincolns
are you willing to sacrifice?
He sacrificed himself.
If that's true,
then he did it so you could go on.
What kind of future
would he have wanted for you?
What would your mother have wanted?
My mother wanted justice.
That's why they killed her.
It's too late to do it
the way you planned,
but it's not too late
to make sure their sacrifices matter.
If we do it my way, I promise,
if we do it my way,
we can finish the mission.
For them, Luz.
I want 24 hours.
And I want to say my goodbyes. Alex?
Can you promise me
you will take down Lance Durand?
[Kayla] I don't like it.
[Cross over earbud] What's not to like?
Doesn't fit the profile.
We've been describing a zealot
who will stop at nothing.
And, what, she's all of a sudden
just gonna quit?
[Cross] I pushed the right buttons.
[Kayla] Yeah, you think.
Look, if you'd heard what she said…
not just what she said
but how she said it?
Yeah, I couldn't, because my partner
turned off the recording device.
I needed to bond with Luz, okay?
That was part of it.
You should be happy right now.
- Happy?
- Yeah.
Wow. I must have missed
an epic performance.
Did she cry?
She cried, didn't she?
Contrary to popular belief,
the great Alex Cross cannot,
- in fact, see into everyone's souls.
- Mm.
Are we still talking about Luz?
Soneji case all over again.
You making the decisions,
you getting the credit.
- So that's what this is all about?
- I mean, just…
Your relentless need for credit.
You know what,
the depths of your insecurity
is mind-boggling.
But don't worry,
I'm fine just catching the bad guy.
I will make sure to say
the real hero is Kayla Craig.
That's not what I want.
- Bullshit.
- No, Cross almighty.
What I want is for you to consider
that, occasionally, you're not perfect.
And this is one of those times.
You are not reading her correctly.
Considered and dismissed.
Then have her turn herself in
to the local FBI headquarters.
No, I can't, that would spook her.
So you're just cool with going
to a rendezvous of her choice?
I will take precautions.
[scoffs] Yeah.
You do that, Alex.
Just make sure you keep
your fingers in your pockets.
What the f… Kay?
[Kayla] I've been called back to D.C.
[pensive music playing]
[footfalls echoing]
What is this Deep Throat shit?
Oh, yeah. We're not, we're not
doing this in the office, Kayla.
Oh, so it's just gonna be
a quickie in the car, then?
All these years, you still can't tell
when I'm dead serious?
What's the problem, Roy?
Now, I knew you'd have to get creative.
I mean, I looked the other way
when you let that psycho Bobby Trey
- out of the cage.
- Mm-hmm.
But yesterday, I find out from my boss…
from my boss…
that your psycho approached
and threatened an FBI tech
at your direction?
Is there a memo?
And an incident report.
Stupid.
I told you the only thing
you couldn't do was use FBI assets.
I had no choice. I have to prove
I'm not the one in the video.
Fuck the video.
I'm your problem now. You understand me?
[tense music playing]
You put me in the boat, Kayla.
If I can only save one of us…
if that… it will be me.
What does that even mean?
Well, for starters, your badge is good
for the next three hours.
- You're gonna get in, get your shit…
- [scoffs]
…get out and do not leave a mess.
Then you will go home and you will wait.
And I might be in touch.
Roy. I didn't want this.
It's important that you know that.
What is this?
You remember when everyone was
real nervous when Ramsey got put away?
Wondering where his treasure trove
of blackmail was?
See, I always thought you were a climber.
It's why I liked working with you,
because I understand climbers, but…
…I was wrong.
You don't climb, you push.
Like you pushed the man
who was in your job before you.
Gets accused of selling
classified documents,
commits suicide before he stands trial.
Or at least, that was the story.
But this proves
that you were actually the leak.
[sucks teeth]
So, do you want to try this again?
- What do you want?
- [knocking at door]
[Bruce] Roy sent me.
Setting up in the kitchen.
[phone buzzing]
[tense music playing]
[Bruce] You coming?
Why? You got some other
blackmailers waiting for you?
I delegated five things.
What do I do with the other ten?
Well, I think you need a plan, baby girl.
And I got you covered.
For you.
I know a lot of people use their phones,
but I like to write things down.
[Jannie] "This planner belongs to…"
- I'm gonna write "Queen Janelle Cross."
- Ooh!
[laughing] Okay, Queen.
- Thank you.
- You are so welcome.
Now, there is a rule,
a very important rule with this.
You control the planner.
The planner does not control you.
Now take a look at mine.
See how I have everything
organized by activity?
Right?
Who's Trevor?
Uh, he's a good friend of mine.
We actually work together sometimes.
Is Trevor your boyfriend?
We'll see.
Jury's still out on that one.
[chuckles softly]
Does Daddy know?
Mm-hmm. He does.
You said that you loved us.
Hey.
I do love you, very much.
[somber music playing]
But your daddy and I…
…that's just not gonna happen.
And I'm sorry, Jannie,
because I know you were hoping it would.
Why won't it happen?
[sighs] I don't want you
to worry about that.
Because you and me, we are family.
And that will never change.
Promise you.
Well, you should've asked me,
because I don't want be
that kind of family.
Jannie.
Can I get another one of those?
[Kayla sighs] Okay.
You know what?
How about a little less drinking
and a little bit more peeling my face off
so we can see who's underneath?
Yeah?
Look, this isn't Face/Off, okay?
When you're dealing with deepfake,
the original image is destroyed
when the new data… meaning, your face…
is introduced to the new image,
so there's literally nothing to peel.
So you can't do it.
No, I didn't say that.
Just waiting on a few last pieces here.
Whoever did this used photos
of your face to train the AI,
which mapped them onto the original face.
But it needs a lot of images of you
from, like, different angles
just to match a moving figure.
See that? See how her head
turned sharply there?
It's 'cause the AI lost
one of the landmarks.
There's no Kayla image data for it, right?
But you get, like, a little speck
of the original face becoming visible.
And you can't make a positive ID
off of a single speck's worth of face.
No.
But I can watch the video
frame-by-frame on loop for hours
and catch every little piece
of where their AI failed.
Put all the little pieces together…
- Holy shit.
- You know her?
[Kayla] It's Felicia.
- [phone buzzing]
- Um…
Yeah, hold.
Yeah, hey, um, this is not
a good time for me right now.
[Cross] Look, I'm sorry
I cut the feed, all right?
Are you?
I still think I made the right move,
but I just want to make sure
that we're okay.
That depends.
Are you on the way to the airport?
[automated voice] At
the next intersection,
- turn right.
- Great.
[Kayla] You know, at least tell me
you brought backup.
Yeah, well, I got three cars of feds
waiting for me
at the meet point, all right?
But, Kay, I, uh, I shouldn't have said
what I said yesterday.
I know how hard you worked to get here.
How much you do deserve the credit.
And yet there you are,
off to play lone hero again.
But just think how good
it'll feel to dunk on me
if I'm wrong. Oh…
Alex?
Alex?
[Ashford] How awful is that D.C. traffic?
- [laughs]
- It's the worst.
I just have to say thank you
so much for meeting with me,
Senator Ashford.
Of course.
I admire your organization quite a bit.
[smacks lips] Uh, my aide said
that there would be four of you?
- No, just me.
- Hmm.
But I brought all the details
for the, uh, scholarship
we're starting in your parents' name.
Well, they deserve it.
It's been ten years now, I'm still trying
to live up to their example.
Oh, I bet.
Your mom was the first female judge
appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court.
- [soft laugh]
- She was also
an investor in Crestbrook Industries,
is that right?
Well, back then, it was Crestbrook Farms,
but yeah, she was an early investor.
Which is why
she should have recused herself
from the many lawsuits against Crestbrook.
[eerie music playing]
But instead, she made sure
they all came to her courtroom
so that she could dismiss them
and protect her investment.
What is this?
That's an outrageous accusation.
Forty-three lawsuits,
all dismissed by your mother.
Human trafficking, unsafe work conditions,
underage employees, wrongful death.
Your mother helped Crestbrook Farms
become Crestbrook Industries,
and she did so at the expense of children.
- Can't be true.
- But it is.
And now Lance Durand wants
to take his criminal operation
on the road.
"Prosperity Seed will feed the world."
Sure it will.
- On the backs of child laborers.
- My mother couldn't have known this.
The blood money your mother got
for protecting Crestbrook
bought your education,
your first car,
your weddings… both of them…
and funded every single campaign
you have ever ran.
Except for that last one.
Because Lance Durand paid for it.
[suspenseful music playing]
What are you doing? What are you doing?
Your old housekeeper said your mom
left you more than an inheritance.
She left you her leverage.
[suspenseful music playing]
[metal creaking]
[panting]
[truck door slams]
[Donnie] Sorry, Detective.
But no life is greater than the mission.
[gunshot]
- [grunting]
- [gunshots continue]
[yelps]
[Bobby] Hey, there, Crossy-Cross.
Bobby Trey? The fuck you doing here?
- [shouts]
- [grunting]
- [gunshot]
- [grunting]
[thrilling music playing]
[Bobby] Come on, man. Come on.
Come on, come on, come on.
- Come on!
- [grunts]
Fuck. [groans]
[Cross strains]
[Cross groans]
[Bobby] Fuck no…
[yells, groans]
Fuck!
- [engine revs]
- [tires screech]
[panting]
[Bobby] Kayla Craig seem to think
your life worth saving.
[grunts]
[pained groaning]
[ Milan Credle singing "You Don't Know"]
People talking
like they want the smoke ♪
Want the smoke ♪
I could nuke you, but I let it go ♪
- Speaking on my life like you know
- Like you know
You don't know shit 'bout how I roll ♪
Stepping out the trenches,
see me glow ♪
See me glow ♪
Merking all my demons and it show ♪
- Moving so fast can feel slow
- Can feel slow
Swimming on this track, watch me flow ♪
- MuMu speaking truth, no capping
- Stop running
You can see it in my fruit,
taste the passion ♪
A lot of lies spilled,
preying on the masses ♪
- Catch a predator, now I'm Chris Hansen
- Take a seat
- Bitch nigga clean it up, need a napkin
- Need a napkin
Feel my touch thru the screen,
come and tap in ♪
Niggas suited for the field,
I was Chaplin ♪
Shawdie want the sack,
throwing all the passes ♪
On her phone with my songs,
call it classics ♪
Got instructions,
so I'm moving all in passing ♪
Can't see,
but rejecting need for glasses ♪
Seeing looking-glass self,
I'm a blacksmith ♪
Minus features in this film,
no Brad Pitt ♪
But keep the R rating,
MuMu about that action ♪
For the fam, a coma
you can get clapped in ♪
NU Jerus in the bars,
staying strapped in ♪
I'm making it shake,
I'm making it shake ♪
I'm making it shade,
I'm walking that way ♪
I stay out the way, you in my way ♪
Bitch, I'm keeping it safe ♪
I'm keeping it safe ♪
Let me be brave ♪
Look at my weight ♪

Previous Episode