S.W.A.T. (2017) s03e09 Episode Script
Sea Legs
1 Ah.
I'm sorry for calling so late, but I don't do my first bump till midnight.
I'm not here to party, but if you still have a girl for sale, I'm interested.
How much can you afford? Depends on her age.
15.
Bulgarian.
She's got those blue eyes, and the skin of a doll's.
Beautiful, huh? She's a steal for 60 grand.
50.
I can give you 25 tonight, another 25 after she turns a profit.
(MAN SPEAKS BULGARIAN) Let's go.
Your name is Kella Prodic? You came to this country ten years ago from the village of Ozora? It was 12 years ago, but yes.
I have a cousin in Ozora.
He says no one's ever heard of you.
Ozora is a big village.
Not that big.
Search it.
Jakob, what the hell is this? Wait, you called me.
I'm just trying to do business here.
Light it.
You always have cigarettes, but I never see you smoke.
What's this? A microphone? Jakob, it's not what you think.
What are you? Some kind of spy for one of my rivals? - No.
I swear.
- (SNAPS FINGERS) No! (MUFFLED SCREAMING) - (BUZZING) - (GRUNTS) You better do this before I change my mind.
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE) I know that's not supposed to be that funny, but that's funny.
You know, of all the tac gear we tested at the SHOT Show in Vegas last month, these vendors were our favorites.
TAN: Yeah, we invited them out to L.
A.
, so you and Hondo could judge for yourselves.
Appreciate you guys setting this up.
Besides hitting the SHOT Show, what other kind of trouble did you guys get into in Sin City? Mm, mm, mm.
Strictly business.
We hit the floor bright and early every day.
Yeah, I'm sure you guys kept a rigid curfew.
So how much did you drop at the roulette table? Oh, nice, Deac, accuse the Asian of having a gambling problem.
So a couple grand, huh? Hey, me, Luca and Tan were just private citizens enjoying the scenery, maybe contributing to the local economy.
All right, so we've got enough in the budget for this quarter for one new piece of equipment.
So let's, uh, test these out in the field and may the best gear win.
All right.
Trisha.
Hey.
This is Sergeant Kay.
- Sergeant.
- Hi.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to have LAPD SWA test our newest NVGs.
Where's Luca? Luca is in San Francisco seeing a specialist for a hip injury.
He reinjured it a few weeks back.
We talked about getting drinks while I was in town.
I'll have to text him, see how he's doing.
I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
So, Trisha, why don't you tell me what sets your NVGs apart from the ones we currently use in the field.
Well, these are the first night-vision goggles combined with thermal imagery, giving the wearer a 360-degree view.
They basically give you eyes in the back of your head.
You got me.
Nice.
Well, color me impressed.
Our refracting mirror technology is ten times better than any NVG on the market.
All right, well, we'll, uh, we'll test it out in the field - and get back to you.
- Can't wait to hear what you think.
- (PHONES CHIMING) - Oh.
What's happening, Commander? This is Sergeant Ben Sikora, LAPD Organized Crime.
He's got a code red situation involving one of his officers working undercover.
At approximately 0030 this morning, one of my undercover officers, Ava Ilic, met with suspects who run a sex trafficking ring - and disappeared.
- HONDO: What about surveillance? Anyone from your team got eyes on her? Ava got a call from one of the suspects requesting a last-minute meeting.
She called me en route to a brothel located in Echo Park, but she never sent me the address.
- Any pings from her phone? - Zero.
Ava's cell and her secret recording device both went dark at the exact same time this crew ditched all their cell phones.
Who is the crew? HICKS: Jakob Varga.
Got a long list of felony priors.
He's the top dog of a pack of Hungarians.
Organized Crime's been after him for six months.
Laszlo Kithclo.
Dragan Vilic.
Zeno Noche.
These are Varga's enforcers.
Known on the streets as "Bal Kez," which in Hungarian means "the left hands.
" In certain verses of the Bible, the left hand is considered to be the evil hand.
And believe me, these guys live up to the name.
HICKS: Varga's boys are mainly known for moving high quantities of club drugs.
A year ago, Organized Crime received intel that they extended their operation into sex-trafficking teenage, even preteen girls.
- How long has Ava been undercover? - SIKORA: Three months.
Ava's Serbian she's got the look, she knows the language.
We had her posing as a madam looking to buy some girls to start her own brothel.
And you got some of your team sitting on the Hungarian LKAs? Yeah, but so far, no sign of Varga or his soldiers.
All right, where do we start? This is my surveillance log.
It's a list of bars and clubs Bal Kez - either runs or is known to frequent.
- All right.
Let's suit up, start blasting off hinges until we find her.
Becker, thanks for filling in for Luca.
My pleasure.
Hope he's better soon.
That makes all of us.
First place we hit is Fero's.
It's a hipster dive in Los Feliz that Varga called before he dumped his phone.
Intel shows Varga's a silent partner in the bar where Bal Kez sells bad cocaine and counterfeit Gucci bags.
I've chased a lot of Eastern European crews, but this outfit is the most vicious I've ever seen.
I don't want to imagine what they're doing to Ava if her cover's blown.
You can ask these guys and they'll tell you, I don't go preaching at work, but I don't think it's in God's plan to let Ava die today.
I haven't been to church in years, but if we get Ava back, I'll join your parish's choir.
Ava's parents are heading down here.
I need a point person to act as liaison.
Sir, I can handle the parents.
Excellent.
Thanks, Alonso.
Volunteering for bad news duty, that's pretty righteous of you.
(TIRES SCREECH) LAPD Vice has raided this bar before.
According to their report, it's got reinforced steel doors.
- Damn, what's that? - It's called a "door-blower," straight from the SHOT Show, baby.
Let's go.
Wait till you see what it does.
Street, you're up.
- Ready to rock, Hondo.
- HONDO: Go.
LAPD! You drop that bag! - We've got a warrant.
- Right side clear.
Jakob Varga.
Where is he? I just run the bar.
(WHISTLES) Got to be at least 200 grand here.
Your tips? Must be mixing the baddest drinks in town.
Okay, listen, full disclosure, Varga called me, said get the cash from the safe and get it ready for Danika to pick up.
- Who's Danika? - His girlfriend.
All right, she should be here any minute.
No sign of Ava.
All right, let's lose the rigs outside.
We're expecting a visitor.
PILOT: Be advised, suspect approaching the bar now.
LAPD! Turn off the vehicle, place your hands on the dash! Lady, turn off the car! Tires! Keep your hands on the wheel! Deacon, go.
Out of the car, out of the car.
Let's go.
- Where's Jakob Varga? - (MUFFLED SHOUTING) Ava? (GIRL SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SIKORA SPEAKS BULGARIAN) It's okay, it's okay.
You're safe.
I got you.
I got you, come on.
- I got you, I got you.
- (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) What's she saying? "Thank God for sending you.
" Undocumented immigrant from Albania.
According to Organized Crime, you're Varga's number one girl, and we caught you trying to pick up a bag of cash so you could split town together.
What about that girl tied up in your trunk? No sympathy for her or the others Varga sells as sex slaves? Jakob took me from my village when I was 15.
Five years, I worked in one of his brothels.
Was I sad? No.
I wanted to be his best earner, his most beautiful, and I was.
A year ago, he took me off my back and put me by his side.
Back in my village, I had nothing.
Now I have a condo, nice clothes, drive a Maserati.
Thanks to him, you're about to be living in a ten-by-ten cell.
You don't owe him anything.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) The girl in my trunk, she's better off here.
Just like I was.
Her name's Juliana.
She was snatched from her village in Bulgaria a month ago.
Smuggled over in a shipping container with three other girls.
How old is she? 15.
The others were 14.
Does she have any idea where Varga is? Or remember any place they took her? (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) She was blindfolded and moved around in the trunks of cars.
She doesn't have a clue.
WENDY: She's suffering from PTSD.
With everything she's been through, it's no wonder.
We need to get her to a hospital for a rape kit, pregnancy and STD tests.
(SIKORA SPEAKING BULGARIAN) I told her to go with you, to the doctor.
(QUIETLY): No.
You keep it.
And what's gonna happen to her? Because she's an undocumented minor, I have to alert Social Services.
Anything out of Varga's girlfriend? Besides her demented take on the American Dream? No.
But we found something in her purse.
It's a barbershop in Echo Park owned by Jovan Balic, immigrated from Belgrade 20 years ago.
Priors for stolen goods and pandering.
- Check out the back.
- TAN: We ran the number.
Belongs to a burner phone that was deactivated - right after Ava disappeared.
- What do the words mean? "Virgin skin, good prices.
" (SCOFFS) - Lovely.
- Danika must have been handing these out to potential customers.
When Ava last called you, she said she was meeting Varga and his crew at Echo Park.
I bet that barbershop's just a brothel for Varga to supply girls to.
You know the place? No.
It wasn't ever on our radar.
Well, now it's on ours.
HICKS: Alonso.
This is George and Lexi Ilic, Ava's parents.
Chris Alonso.
I'm sorry I'm meeting you under these circumstances.
You're in good hands with her.
Ava.
Do you have any news? We haven't located her yet, but we arrested a suspect who we're hoping can point us in the right direction.
We knew Ava worked undercover, but she said there were safeguards in place.
- What happened? - I know this is hard.
Please follow me.
I'll be in and out with my team, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you want.
And I'll update you as soon as I learn something.
(EXHALES) Thank you.
Ava's our only daughter.
When she joined the police, it wasn't exactly the career we pictured for her.
But we supported her.
Just wish she would've told us how dangerous this job really was.
She was just trying to keep you from worrying about her.
I got to get back to my team, but I'll come back and check on both of you.
Promise us you'll find her.
I can't make any promises, but believe me, we're doing everything we can.
Okay.
(QUIETLY): It's okay.
You got to try this thing.
From the SHOT Show? X-1 Baton rifle.
Each round has the kinetic energy - of five shotgun slugs.
- Deacon, you, Tan and Becker take the three side, clear it top to bottom.
The rest of you are with me.
Let's move.
LAPD.
STREET: Drop the blade! - Out.
Get out.
- Drop it.
The girls.
Where are the girls? I'm just a barber.
We got a warrant.
Barber my ass.
Deacon, we got a rabbit.
Chris, flex-cuff him.
Street, two! - Go, go, go, go, go! - Hands behind your back.
LAPD SWAT! Drop your weapon! I'd give it a nine.
(GROANING) Check this out.
Move.
(SIKORA SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (QUIETLY): Next room.
Tan, kick it.
Left side clear.
Right side clear.
Two, two, two.
LAPD! STREET: On the ground! On the ground now! Hands behind your head! MAN: Check with him.
Take them to Cienaga South, notify Dr.
Wendy Hughes you got more female victims.
- Yes, sir.
- Have you ever seen this woman? No.
Never.
Listen, I'm telling you, I never hurt those girls.
HONDO: We found something.
Get the barber back in here.
Roger that.
Let's go.
SIKORA: Ava's purse, gun and cell are gone.
Her lighter.
It was her recording device.
If Varga found her surveillance mic, he knows she's either a cop or a snitch.
Where the hell is Varga? Him and his guys came this morning, wanting money I owed him.
Said he was leaving town.
Did Varga have this girl with him? Yes.
He said she was patkány.
A rat.
The, uh, bathroom's through there.
Take him to holding.
What are you doing out here? That man, is he involved in Ava's case? He's a suspect we picked up from a brothel that Bal Kez sold girls to.
The Hungarian gang? I've read about them in the paper.
That's who Ava was undercover with? I'm not supposed to share any details.
We're hoping she's hiding somewhere until she can get us a message.
And if she isn't? Listen, just-just stay by your wife's side and stay strong.
All right? Can you do that for me? (QUIETLY): Yes.
Uh Of course.
Sorry.
You know, that's about the tenth time I've seen you check that.
I keep waiting for it to ring and it's Ava, telling me she's safe.
I've spent ten years in Organized Crime running undercover operations and never once lost an officer in the field.
Look, man, I know this has you all twisted, but this wasn't her first time undercover.
She knew the dangers.
She trusted me to make the calls to keep her safe.
And I let her down.
If you didn't think she could handle it, you would've called off the meet.
I just wanted Varga so bad.
Maybe it clouded my judgment.
And then when she called me, I-I should've, I should've told her to turn around.
N-Now I can't even face her parents.
When Street first joined my team, he went undercover to bust a crew of car thieves.
We lost him for a while.
Just like Ava, all his comms went dark.
What happened? We barely got his ass back.
But I waited until we got Street back safely before I beat myself up about it.
Get your head back in the game, because right now, Ava needs you.
The girls we found at the barbershop, how are they doing? Physically, they'll heal fine.
Mentally, it could take years.
What I wouldn't give for five minutes alone in a dark alley with Varga.
- All I'd need is four.
- WENDY: I'm not sure if this means anything, but the girls mentioned being blindfolded and put into trunks with bags of coffee whenever they were being transported.
Wait a second.
In Danika's Maserati, wasn't there, like, 50 pounds of coffee in the trunk? Didn't you guys bust a suspect named Petavich at the brothel earlier? Yeah.
Yeah, he posted bail about a half hour ago.
Why? Well, we just got a call.
There's a barricade situation at his home.
I swear.
Don't lie to me! Tell me where my daughter is.
It's George Ilic, Ava's dad.
He's got Petavich hostage? 30-David.
Hold your fire.
Our suspect is Ava's father.
I'm going in.
I can talk to him.
Negative.
He's not an innocent civilian.
He's a suspect with a gun.
You want to talk him down, you do it from here.
PETAVICH: My wife, she died.
I've been all alone, so I see a girl once a week.
- We mostly just talk.
- This girl.
Did she say anything about my daughter? No, no.
But she told me once that Varga took off her blindfold somewhere in a back room where she met an old man grinding coffee while reciting her poetry.
George, it's Officer Alonso.
Don't come in here.
I'll kill him! SWAT has the house surrounded.
We need you to put down the gun so no one gets hurt.
Why should I listen to you? You haven't found Ava.
Maybe I can.
George, we've got new intel on Ava's whereabouts.
By doing this, you're just slowing us down from finding her.
Think about your family.
You want to make your wife a widow? If you don't put down your gun, SWAT will put you down! That's the last thing anybody wants.
Especially Ava.
Come on.
Put it down.
Suspect's unarmed.
LAPD! LAPD! Down on the ground! Do it now! Hands behind your back.
30-David.
Suspect neutralized.
Ava's father may have put her in more danger.
The only way he would have known about the Hungarians' involvement is if you told him.
Am I wrong? George happened to see Petavich when we hauled him in.
And when he saw him, he asked if he was responsible for his daughter's disappearance.
- Maybe he saw it on my face.
- Damn it! - What were you thinking? - I wasn't gonna lie to him.
I mean, what if it was one of your kids who was kidnapped? Wouldn't you want to know who was responsible? Don't throw hypotheticals at me.
You screwed up.
Then punish me.
- Not Ava's dad.
- Please.
It's too late for that now.
If you read my jacket, you know my mom died when I was 13.
I know every word in your jacket.
Your mother was killed in an accident on the 5 Freeway.
I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with this? When I was in the seventh grade, a cop pulled me out of class and drove me down to Hollenbeck Station.
He parked me on a bench, where I waited for an hour.
Then these two other officers were walking by, talking about a woman who got turned into highway hamburger.
- Oh, geez - Laughing about how sorry they felt for the Caltrans team who had to scrape her off the road.
Then they finally noticed me and asked me for my name.
When I told them Alonso, they could barely look me in the eyes when they told me it was my mom who died.
It's a shame you had to hear it that way.
When I became police, I swore nothing like that would ever happen on my watch.
I was just trying to be honest and respectful to Ava's parents.
All right, yeah, it's Get back to the team.
And let's bring Ava back alive.
What's with the history books? So we found coffee in Danika's trunk.
The Serbian girls then told Dr.
Wendy something about laying on bags of coffee.
And then Petavich admitted that the girl he visited in the brothel met an old Hungarian man who was grinding coffee.
So we got to thinking there's got to be a connection, right? We started digging and found this guy.
Anton Boros.
Came over from Hungary in '79 after being released from prison for killing a business rival.
Boros he was a nasty piece of work back in the day.
Considered the Hungarian godfather of L.
A.
He's been off LAPD's radar for a decade.
Organized Crime never got enough to indict him.
Assumed he was inactive.
A gangster who happily retired? That doesn't happen very often.
What's Boros up to now? He owns a café in Echo Park, specializing in Hungarian coffee.
So Boros isn't as retired as everyone thought.
(SPEAKING HUNGARIAN) LAPD SWAT, ma'am.
He's closed.
You ever seen her? Never.
What's your relationship to Bal Kez, Jakob Varga? Are you helping them smuggle underage girls here - from the old country? - You have the wrong person.
- I'm running a café.
- Yeah? Then what's this bad boy for? - Security system.
- Her name is Ava Ilic.
She disappeared yesterday, and we think that Varga and his boys are keeping her hostage.
Ilic.
Serbian, hmm? Well, I'm sorry for her family, but I have no idea what you're talking about.
All the years that you outsmarted the cops and never spent a night in jail.
It'd be a damn shame if you spent the last years of your life in prison for somebody else's crimes.
If I tell you all I know about Jakob Varga, I won't be arrested? Deal of a lifetime.
I am not part of Bal Kez.
I-I supply the coffee to mask the smell, so the girls don't know where they're coming from.
And where's that? The Salton Sea.
Alkaline beds.
Dead fish.
Is Ava there? Is she still alive? BOROS: I don't know, but a girl so pretty, he wouldn't just throw her away.
No.
She's too valuable.
This is 20-David to Command.
Tell air support we need the hawk ready to fly.
The Salton Sea Thought all they had here was hippie burnouts and meth heads.
- That and Coachella.
- BECKER: I'm telling you guys, the Sea's got nothing but bad juju.
I didn't take you for the superstitious type, Becker.
DEACON: All right, Boros owns ten acres in an area called Bombay Beach.
It's an old resort turned ghost town.
Barely any residents or police presence.
There's dozens of abandoned buildings on the property.
Varga and his boys could be holding Ava in any one of them.
So we're gonna touch down a half mile out, move in on foot and then we take them by surprise.
Who's game for 360 NVGs? Deac? We're passing over the Salton Sea now, Sergeant.
VARGA: Miklos is coming from Vegas.
He's got a new underground club.
Gonna buy all three for a cut-rate.
I threw the snitch in for free.
(GRUNTS) We got to make you look presentable.
The plane is all set? We leave at midnight.
Private charter.
Palm Springs to Vancouver, then to Budapest.
Sheriff Perry.
I appreciate the welcome to your turf and y'all having our backs.
Pleasure's mine, Sergeant.
Only one main road in and out of here.
I got deputies stationed on both ends.
That's good to know.
I'll hit you on the radio as soon as we locate the suspects.
Calvary's waiting, hammers cocked.
All right, let's move! Deacon, you and Stevens take the east.
Tan, you and Becker south.
Me, Street and Sikora will search the north.
We don't want them to know we're coming, so use your NVGs instead of tac-lights.
- Everybody set? - Set.
Let's get it done.
Sikora, cover right.
- Engine's still warm.
- HONDO: Check the plates.
Hondo.
Registered to Varga's girlfriend.
Street, cover me.
(AIR HISSING) Deac and Tan, we got possible location of the suspects.
The Low Dive bar.
Requesting backup.
Street, take the three side.
Me and Sikora got the one.
Sikora, let's go.
Get the converters.
26-David, on the three side.
(GRUNTS) If those are cops, they'll have to shoot through you.
(MUFFLED): No! No! Ava! What are you doing? Get back! - We got shots fired! - DEACON: On our way, Hondo.
Street, you got any movement on the three side? Negative, Hondo.
LAPD! - Right side clear! - Left side clear! (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) Hondo 26-David, I've got eyes on four male suspects and a female coming out an escape hatch 50 yards out, splitting up in all directions.
Those shots were just a diversion.
They took Ava.
Sergeant, I need you to stay with the girls in case they circle back.
The rest of us, fan out.
Let's find them.
LAPD! Drop your weapon! We got shots fired! DEACON: Keep your tac-lights off.
We don't want to be targets.
Tan, Becker, you take suspect one left side.
Stevens, you're with me on the right side.
Becker, I've got a runner.
LAPD! Drop your weapon! Suspect down! Stevens, down! 30-David, suspect down.
Cover! Two suspects sighted on the west end.
Varga's got Ava.
Street, you're on Dragan he went right.
I'm on Varga, move! Got 'em.
(GUNFIRE) (GUN CLICKS EMPTY) (YELLING) (YELLING) HONDO: Varga! Give it up! You got no place to go! (BOTH GRUNTING) (YELLS) Ava, now! Suspect down.
George, they found her.
Please tell me.
Ava's safe and is being medevacked to a hospital as we speak.
Thank God.
Sorry, but you have to be taken to men's central and booked.
I'm gonna do everything I can to help.
At least my daughter is alive.
Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER) Hondo, you and your team did one hell of a deed out there tonight.
Pleasure's ours, sir.
Out of all the gear we tried out in the field, these are the winners.
I'll call Trisha, tell her we're gonna put in an order.
Big sale to SWAT bet Trisha rewards Luca big-time when they go on that date.
Well, speaking of Luca, the specialist up in San Francisco said it's not just his hip he's having complications with his back, so they're gonna have to keep him up there a while longer.
How much longer? Well, I don't know.
Depends on the results.
All right, listen up.
We all reach out to Luca, and we show him some love.
Deac, next time you talk to God, - tell him I appreciated the help.
- (CHUCKLES) Hey, listen, there's choir practice at my parish every Saturday at 5:30.
I can't sing a lick, don't think you'd want me.
How about a cold beer, then? I wish I could, but some of us have more paperwork than others.
Understood.
Pleasure working with you.
Alonso! Commander.
The odds of getting Ava back alive weren't in her favor.
- How's she doing? - Good.
- Considering what she's been through.
- Good.
I just got back from the hospital.
Her mom's by her side.
I wish her dad was, too.
George Ilic used a gun to take a man hostage.
That hostage had sex numerous times with underage girls brought to this country in shipping containers.
The D.
A.
won't just sweep this under the rug.
Sir, regardless of what happened, I'm still an advocate for Ava's family.
Assistant District Attorney Kemper is handling the charges against Ava's father.
Now, I phoned and suggested they be dropped down to misdemeanors, but Kemper didn't seem too willing to budge.
Maybe you can convince him.
Thanks.
Should we be worried about Luca? Nah, he'll be back in no time.
Guy's indestructible.
Listen, for you guys at your age, it's easy to take a hit and jump right back, but for the rest of us What, are you "Old Man Deacon" now? Nah, I'm just saying.
Once you hit 35, it gets harder and harder to bounce back, that's all.
Those little aches and pains that you used to laugh off? Now they got you limping for a week.
Oh, come on, Deac, we know you and Luca both got a couple more decades in you.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) Nah, the only thing I know is that there's an expiration date for all us doing this job.
And sometimes, you see the end coming straight at you and sometimes it sneaks up on your six.
Thought you went home and crashed.
Nah, I had some paperwork I had to finish up.
More responsibility, more work.
I feel you.
Be careful what you wish for, right? (LAUGHS) Yeah Listen, I hope after all of this, you take some vacation days, get your head right.
I already put in for six weeks.
I haven't taken leave for years, but my wife's always wanted to rent an RV, head across country.
(CHUCKLES) Hey, listen, man.
Thank you.
Nah, come on, man.
Getting Ava back was a team effort.
No.
I mean for your honesty.
I've done countless undercover missions and I never once cracked.
I was in a dark place.
But your words well, they got me through it.
As team leaders, sometimes we got to be reminded that the weight of the world isn't always on our shoulders.
We got brothers and sisters to count on.
Amen.
I'm sorry for calling so late, but I don't do my first bump till midnight.
I'm not here to party, but if you still have a girl for sale, I'm interested.
How much can you afford? Depends on her age.
15.
Bulgarian.
She's got those blue eyes, and the skin of a doll's.
Beautiful, huh? She's a steal for 60 grand.
50.
I can give you 25 tonight, another 25 after she turns a profit.
(MAN SPEAKS BULGARIAN) Let's go.
Your name is Kella Prodic? You came to this country ten years ago from the village of Ozora? It was 12 years ago, but yes.
I have a cousin in Ozora.
He says no one's ever heard of you.
Ozora is a big village.
Not that big.
Search it.
Jakob, what the hell is this? Wait, you called me.
I'm just trying to do business here.
Light it.
You always have cigarettes, but I never see you smoke.
What's this? A microphone? Jakob, it's not what you think.
What are you? Some kind of spy for one of my rivals? - No.
I swear.
- (SNAPS FINGERS) No! (MUFFLED SCREAMING) - (BUZZING) - (GRUNTS) You better do this before I change my mind.
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE) I know that's not supposed to be that funny, but that's funny.
You know, of all the tac gear we tested at the SHOT Show in Vegas last month, these vendors were our favorites.
TAN: Yeah, we invited them out to L.
A.
, so you and Hondo could judge for yourselves.
Appreciate you guys setting this up.
Besides hitting the SHOT Show, what other kind of trouble did you guys get into in Sin City? Mm, mm, mm.
Strictly business.
We hit the floor bright and early every day.
Yeah, I'm sure you guys kept a rigid curfew.
So how much did you drop at the roulette table? Oh, nice, Deac, accuse the Asian of having a gambling problem.
So a couple grand, huh? Hey, me, Luca and Tan were just private citizens enjoying the scenery, maybe contributing to the local economy.
All right, so we've got enough in the budget for this quarter for one new piece of equipment.
So let's, uh, test these out in the field and may the best gear win.
All right.
Trisha.
Hey.
This is Sergeant Kay.
- Sergeant.
- Hi.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to have LAPD SWA test our newest NVGs.
Where's Luca? Luca is in San Francisco seeing a specialist for a hip injury.
He reinjured it a few weeks back.
We talked about getting drinks while I was in town.
I'll have to text him, see how he's doing.
I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
So, Trisha, why don't you tell me what sets your NVGs apart from the ones we currently use in the field.
Well, these are the first night-vision goggles combined with thermal imagery, giving the wearer a 360-degree view.
They basically give you eyes in the back of your head.
You got me.
Nice.
Well, color me impressed.
Our refracting mirror technology is ten times better than any NVG on the market.
All right, well, we'll, uh, we'll test it out in the field - and get back to you.
- Can't wait to hear what you think.
- (PHONES CHIMING) - Oh.
What's happening, Commander? This is Sergeant Ben Sikora, LAPD Organized Crime.
He's got a code red situation involving one of his officers working undercover.
At approximately 0030 this morning, one of my undercover officers, Ava Ilic, met with suspects who run a sex trafficking ring - and disappeared.
- HONDO: What about surveillance? Anyone from your team got eyes on her? Ava got a call from one of the suspects requesting a last-minute meeting.
She called me en route to a brothel located in Echo Park, but she never sent me the address.
- Any pings from her phone? - Zero.
Ava's cell and her secret recording device both went dark at the exact same time this crew ditched all their cell phones.
Who is the crew? HICKS: Jakob Varga.
Got a long list of felony priors.
He's the top dog of a pack of Hungarians.
Organized Crime's been after him for six months.
Laszlo Kithclo.
Dragan Vilic.
Zeno Noche.
These are Varga's enforcers.
Known on the streets as "Bal Kez," which in Hungarian means "the left hands.
" In certain verses of the Bible, the left hand is considered to be the evil hand.
And believe me, these guys live up to the name.
HICKS: Varga's boys are mainly known for moving high quantities of club drugs.
A year ago, Organized Crime received intel that they extended their operation into sex-trafficking teenage, even preteen girls.
- How long has Ava been undercover? - SIKORA: Three months.
Ava's Serbian she's got the look, she knows the language.
We had her posing as a madam looking to buy some girls to start her own brothel.
And you got some of your team sitting on the Hungarian LKAs? Yeah, but so far, no sign of Varga or his soldiers.
All right, where do we start? This is my surveillance log.
It's a list of bars and clubs Bal Kez - either runs or is known to frequent.
- All right.
Let's suit up, start blasting off hinges until we find her.
Becker, thanks for filling in for Luca.
My pleasure.
Hope he's better soon.
That makes all of us.
First place we hit is Fero's.
It's a hipster dive in Los Feliz that Varga called before he dumped his phone.
Intel shows Varga's a silent partner in the bar where Bal Kez sells bad cocaine and counterfeit Gucci bags.
I've chased a lot of Eastern European crews, but this outfit is the most vicious I've ever seen.
I don't want to imagine what they're doing to Ava if her cover's blown.
You can ask these guys and they'll tell you, I don't go preaching at work, but I don't think it's in God's plan to let Ava die today.
I haven't been to church in years, but if we get Ava back, I'll join your parish's choir.
Ava's parents are heading down here.
I need a point person to act as liaison.
Sir, I can handle the parents.
Excellent.
Thanks, Alonso.
Volunteering for bad news duty, that's pretty righteous of you.
(TIRES SCREECH) LAPD Vice has raided this bar before.
According to their report, it's got reinforced steel doors.
- Damn, what's that? - It's called a "door-blower," straight from the SHOT Show, baby.
Let's go.
Wait till you see what it does.
Street, you're up.
- Ready to rock, Hondo.
- HONDO: Go.
LAPD! You drop that bag! - We've got a warrant.
- Right side clear.
Jakob Varga.
Where is he? I just run the bar.
(WHISTLES) Got to be at least 200 grand here.
Your tips? Must be mixing the baddest drinks in town.
Okay, listen, full disclosure, Varga called me, said get the cash from the safe and get it ready for Danika to pick up.
- Who's Danika? - His girlfriend.
All right, she should be here any minute.
No sign of Ava.
All right, let's lose the rigs outside.
We're expecting a visitor.
PILOT: Be advised, suspect approaching the bar now.
LAPD! Turn off the vehicle, place your hands on the dash! Lady, turn off the car! Tires! Keep your hands on the wheel! Deacon, go.
Out of the car, out of the car.
Let's go.
- Where's Jakob Varga? - (MUFFLED SHOUTING) Ava? (GIRL SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SIKORA SPEAKS BULGARIAN) It's okay, it's okay.
You're safe.
I got you.
I got you, come on.
- I got you, I got you.
- (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) What's she saying? "Thank God for sending you.
" Undocumented immigrant from Albania.
According to Organized Crime, you're Varga's number one girl, and we caught you trying to pick up a bag of cash so you could split town together.
What about that girl tied up in your trunk? No sympathy for her or the others Varga sells as sex slaves? Jakob took me from my village when I was 15.
Five years, I worked in one of his brothels.
Was I sad? No.
I wanted to be his best earner, his most beautiful, and I was.
A year ago, he took me off my back and put me by his side.
Back in my village, I had nothing.
Now I have a condo, nice clothes, drive a Maserati.
Thanks to him, you're about to be living in a ten-by-ten cell.
You don't owe him anything.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) The girl in my trunk, she's better off here.
Just like I was.
Her name's Juliana.
She was snatched from her village in Bulgaria a month ago.
Smuggled over in a shipping container with three other girls.
How old is she? 15.
The others were 14.
Does she have any idea where Varga is? Or remember any place they took her? (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) She was blindfolded and moved around in the trunks of cars.
She doesn't have a clue.
WENDY: She's suffering from PTSD.
With everything she's been through, it's no wonder.
We need to get her to a hospital for a rape kit, pregnancy and STD tests.
(SIKORA SPEAKING BULGARIAN) I told her to go with you, to the doctor.
(QUIETLY): No.
You keep it.
And what's gonna happen to her? Because she's an undocumented minor, I have to alert Social Services.
Anything out of Varga's girlfriend? Besides her demented take on the American Dream? No.
But we found something in her purse.
It's a barbershop in Echo Park owned by Jovan Balic, immigrated from Belgrade 20 years ago.
Priors for stolen goods and pandering.
- Check out the back.
- TAN: We ran the number.
Belongs to a burner phone that was deactivated - right after Ava disappeared.
- What do the words mean? "Virgin skin, good prices.
" (SCOFFS) - Lovely.
- Danika must have been handing these out to potential customers.
When Ava last called you, she said she was meeting Varga and his crew at Echo Park.
I bet that barbershop's just a brothel for Varga to supply girls to.
You know the place? No.
It wasn't ever on our radar.
Well, now it's on ours.
HICKS: Alonso.
This is George and Lexi Ilic, Ava's parents.
Chris Alonso.
I'm sorry I'm meeting you under these circumstances.
You're in good hands with her.
Ava.
Do you have any news? We haven't located her yet, but we arrested a suspect who we're hoping can point us in the right direction.
We knew Ava worked undercover, but she said there were safeguards in place.
- What happened? - I know this is hard.
Please follow me.
I'll be in and out with my team, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you want.
And I'll update you as soon as I learn something.
(EXHALES) Thank you.
Ava's our only daughter.
When she joined the police, it wasn't exactly the career we pictured for her.
But we supported her.
Just wish she would've told us how dangerous this job really was.
She was just trying to keep you from worrying about her.
I got to get back to my team, but I'll come back and check on both of you.
Promise us you'll find her.
I can't make any promises, but believe me, we're doing everything we can.
Okay.
(QUIETLY): It's okay.
You got to try this thing.
From the SHOT Show? X-1 Baton rifle.
Each round has the kinetic energy - of five shotgun slugs.
- Deacon, you, Tan and Becker take the three side, clear it top to bottom.
The rest of you are with me.
Let's move.
LAPD.
STREET: Drop the blade! - Out.
Get out.
- Drop it.
The girls.
Where are the girls? I'm just a barber.
We got a warrant.
Barber my ass.
Deacon, we got a rabbit.
Chris, flex-cuff him.
Street, two! - Go, go, go, go, go! - Hands behind your back.
LAPD SWAT! Drop your weapon! I'd give it a nine.
(GROANING) Check this out.
Move.
(SIKORA SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) (QUIETLY): Next room.
Tan, kick it.
Left side clear.
Right side clear.
Two, two, two.
LAPD! STREET: On the ground! On the ground now! Hands behind your head! MAN: Check with him.
Take them to Cienaga South, notify Dr.
Wendy Hughes you got more female victims.
- Yes, sir.
- Have you ever seen this woman? No.
Never.
Listen, I'm telling you, I never hurt those girls.
HONDO: We found something.
Get the barber back in here.
Roger that.
Let's go.
SIKORA: Ava's purse, gun and cell are gone.
Her lighter.
It was her recording device.
If Varga found her surveillance mic, he knows she's either a cop or a snitch.
Where the hell is Varga? Him and his guys came this morning, wanting money I owed him.
Said he was leaving town.
Did Varga have this girl with him? Yes.
He said she was patkány.
A rat.
The, uh, bathroom's through there.
Take him to holding.
What are you doing out here? That man, is he involved in Ava's case? He's a suspect we picked up from a brothel that Bal Kez sold girls to.
The Hungarian gang? I've read about them in the paper.
That's who Ava was undercover with? I'm not supposed to share any details.
We're hoping she's hiding somewhere until she can get us a message.
And if she isn't? Listen, just-just stay by your wife's side and stay strong.
All right? Can you do that for me? (QUIETLY): Yes.
Uh Of course.
Sorry.
You know, that's about the tenth time I've seen you check that.
I keep waiting for it to ring and it's Ava, telling me she's safe.
I've spent ten years in Organized Crime running undercover operations and never once lost an officer in the field.
Look, man, I know this has you all twisted, but this wasn't her first time undercover.
She knew the dangers.
She trusted me to make the calls to keep her safe.
And I let her down.
If you didn't think she could handle it, you would've called off the meet.
I just wanted Varga so bad.
Maybe it clouded my judgment.
And then when she called me, I-I should've, I should've told her to turn around.
N-Now I can't even face her parents.
When Street first joined my team, he went undercover to bust a crew of car thieves.
We lost him for a while.
Just like Ava, all his comms went dark.
What happened? We barely got his ass back.
But I waited until we got Street back safely before I beat myself up about it.
Get your head back in the game, because right now, Ava needs you.
The girls we found at the barbershop, how are they doing? Physically, they'll heal fine.
Mentally, it could take years.
What I wouldn't give for five minutes alone in a dark alley with Varga.
- All I'd need is four.
- WENDY: I'm not sure if this means anything, but the girls mentioned being blindfolded and put into trunks with bags of coffee whenever they were being transported.
Wait a second.
In Danika's Maserati, wasn't there, like, 50 pounds of coffee in the trunk? Didn't you guys bust a suspect named Petavich at the brothel earlier? Yeah.
Yeah, he posted bail about a half hour ago.
Why? Well, we just got a call.
There's a barricade situation at his home.
I swear.
Don't lie to me! Tell me where my daughter is.
It's George Ilic, Ava's dad.
He's got Petavich hostage? 30-David.
Hold your fire.
Our suspect is Ava's father.
I'm going in.
I can talk to him.
Negative.
He's not an innocent civilian.
He's a suspect with a gun.
You want to talk him down, you do it from here.
PETAVICH: My wife, she died.
I've been all alone, so I see a girl once a week.
- We mostly just talk.
- This girl.
Did she say anything about my daughter? No, no.
But she told me once that Varga took off her blindfold somewhere in a back room where she met an old man grinding coffee while reciting her poetry.
George, it's Officer Alonso.
Don't come in here.
I'll kill him! SWAT has the house surrounded.
We need you to put down the gun so no one gets hurt.
Why should I listen to you? You haven't found Ava.
Maybe I can.
George, we've got new intel on Ava's whereabouts.
By doing this, you're just slowing us down from finding her.
Think about your family.
You want to make your wife a widow? If you don't put down your gun, SWAT will put you down! That's the last thing anybody wants.
Especially Ava.
Come on.
Put it down.
Suspect's unarmed.
LAPD! LAPD! Down on the ground! Do it now! Hands behind your back.
30-David.
Suspect neutralized.
Ava's father may have put her in more danger.
The only way he would have known about the Hungarians' involvement is if you told him.
Am I wrong? George happened to see Petavich when we hauled him in.
And when he saw him, he asked if he was responsible for his daughter's disappearance.
- Maybe he saw it on my face.
- Damn it! - What were you thinking? - I wasn't gonna lie to him.
I mean, what if it was one of your kids who was kidnapped? Wouldn't you want to know who was responsible? Don't throw hypotheticals at me.
You screwed up.
Then punish me.
- Not Ava's dad.
- Please.
It's too late for that now.
If you read my jacket, you know my mom died when I was 13.
I know every word in your jacket.
Your mother was killed in an accident on the 5 Freeway.
I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with this? When I was in the seventh grade, a cop pulled me out of class and drove me down to Hollenbeck Station.
He parked me on a bench, where I waited for an hour.
Then these two other officers were walking by, talking about a woman who got turned into highway hamburger.
- Oh, geez - Laughing about how sorry they felt for the Caltrans team who had to scrape her off the road.
Then they finally noticed me and asked me for my name.
When I told them Alonso, they could barely look me in the eyes when they told me it was my mom who died.
It's a shame you had to hear it that way.
When I became police, I swore nothing like that would ever happen on my watch.
I was just trying to be honest and respectful to Ava's parents.
All right, yeah, it's Get back to the team.
And let's bring Ava back alive.
What's with the history books? So we found coffee in Danika's trunk.
The Serbian girls then told Dr.
Wendy something about laying on bags of coffee.
And then Petavich admitted that the girl he visited in the brothel met an old Hungarian man who was grinding coffee.
So we got to thinking there's got to be a connection, right? We started digging and found this guy.
Anton Boros.
Came over from Hungary in '79 after being released from prison for killing a business rival.
Boros he was a nasty piece of work back in the day.
Considered the Hungarian godfather of L.
A.
He's been off LAPD's radar for a decade.
Organized Crime never got enough to indict him.
Assumed he was inactive.
A gangster who happily retired? That doesn't happen very often.
What's Boros up to now? He owns a café in Echo Park, specializing in Hungarian coffee.
So Boros isn't as retired as everyone thought.
(SPEAKING HUNGARIAN) LAPD SWAT, ma'am.
He's closed.
You ever seen her? Never.
What's your relationship to Bal Kez, Jakob Varga? Are you helping them smuggle underage girls here - from the old country? - You have the wrong person.
- I'm running a café.
- Yeah? Then what's this bad boy for? - Security system.
- Her name is Ava Ilic.
She disappeared yesterday, and we think that Varga and his boys are keeping her hostage.
Ilic.
Serbian, hmm? Well, I'm sorry for her family, but I have no idea what you're talking about.
All the years that you outsmarted the cops and never spent a night in jail.
It'd be a damn shame if you spent the last years of your life in prison for somebody else's crimes.
If I tell you all I know about Jakob Varga, I won't be arrested? Deal of a lifetime.
I am not part of Bal Kez.
I-I supply the coffee to mask the smell, so the girls don't know where they're coming from.
And where's that? The Salton Sea.
Alkaline beds.
Dead fish.
Is Ava there? Is she still alive? BOROS: I don't know, but a girl so pretty, he wouldn't just throw her away.
No.
She's too valuable.
This is 20-David to Command.
Tell air support we need the hawk ready to fly.
The Salton Sea Thought all they had here was hippie burnouts and meth heads.
- That and Coachella.
- BECKER: I'm telling you guys, the Sea's got nothing but bad juju.
I didn't take you for the superstitious type, Becker.
DEACON: All right, Boros owns ten acres in an area called Bombay Beach.
It's an old resort turned ghost town.
Barely any residents or police presence.
There's dozens of abandoned buildings on the property.
Varga and his boys could be holding Ava in any one of them.
So we're gonna touch down a half mile out, move in on foot and then we take them by surprise.
Who's game for 360 NVGs? Deac? We're passing over the Salton Sea now, Sergeant.
VARGA: Miklos is coming from Vegas.
He's got a new underground club.
Gonna buy all three for a cut-rate.
I threw the snitch in for free.
(GRUNTS) We got to make you look presentable.
The plane is all set? We leave at midnight.
Private charter.
Palm Springs to Vancouver, then to Budapest.
Sheriff Perry.
I appreciate the welcome to your turf and y'all having our backs.
Pleasure's mine, Sergeant.
Only one main road in and out of here.
I got deputies stationed on both ends.
That's good to know.
I'll hit you on the radio as soon as we locate the suspects.
Calvary's waiting, hammers cocked.
All right, let's move! Deacon, you and Stevens take the east.
Tan, you and Becker south.
Me, Street and Sikora will search the north.
We don't want them to know we're coming, so use your NVGs instead of tac-lights.
- Everybody set? - Set.
Let's get it done.
Sikora, cover right.
- Engine's still warm.
- HONDO: Check the plates.
Hondo.
Registered to Varga's girlfriend.
Street, cover me.
(AIR HISSING) Deac and Tan, we got possible location of the suspects.
The Low Dive bar.
Requesting backup.
Street, take the three side.
Me and Sikora got the one.
Sikora, let's go.
Get the converters.
26-David, on the three side.
(GRUNTS) If those are cops, they'll have to shoot through you.
(MUFFLED): No! No! Ava! What are you doing? Get back! - We got shots fired! - DEACON: On our way, Hondo.
Street, you got any movement on the three side? Negative, Hondo.
LAPD! - Right side clear! - Left side clear! (SPEAKING BULGARIAN) Hondo 26-David, I've got eyes on four male suspects and a female coming out an escape hatch 50 yards out, splitting up in all directions.
Those shots were just a diversion.
They took Ava.
Sergeant, I need you to stay with the girls in case they circle back.
The rest of us, fan out.
Let's find them.
LAPD! Drop your weapon! We got shots fired! DEACON: Keep your tac-lights off.
We don't want to be targets.
Tan, Becker, you take suspect one left side.
Stevens, you're with me on the right side.
Becker, I've got a runner.
LAPD! Drop your weapon! Suspect down! Stevens, down! 30-David, suspect down.
Cover! Two suspects sighted on the west end.
Varga's got Ava.
Street, you're on Dragan he went right.
I'm on Varga, move! Got 'em.
(GUNFIRE) (GUN CLICKS EMPTY) (YELLING) (YELLING) HONDO: Varga! Give it up! You got no place to go! (BOTH GRUNTING) (YELLS) Ava, now! Suspect down.
George, they found her.
Please tell me.
Ava's safe and is being medevacked to a hospital as we speak.
Thank God.
Sorry, but you have to be taken to men's central and booked.
I'm gonna do everything I can to help.
At least my daughter is alive.
Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER) Hondo, you and your team did one hell of a deed out there tonight.
Pleasure's ours, sir.
Out of all the gear we tried out in the field, these are the winners.
I'll call Trisha, tell her we're gonna put in an order.
Big sale to SWAT bet Trisha rewards Luca big-time when they go on that date.
Well, speaking of Luca, the specialist up in San Francisco said it's not just his hip he's having complications with his back, so they're gonna have to keep him up there a while longer.
How much longer? Well, I don't know.
Depends on the results.
All right, listen up.
We all reach out to Luca, and we show him some love.
Deac, next time you talk to God, - tell him I appreciated the help.
- (CHUCKLES) Hey, listen, there's choir practice at my parish every Saturday at 5:30.
I can't sing a lick, don't think you'd want me.
How about a cold beer, then? I wish I could, but some of us have more paperwork than others.
Understood.
Pleasure working with you.
Alonso! Commander.
The odds of getting Ava back alive weren't in her favor.
- How's she doing? - Good.
- Considering what she's been through.
- Good.
I just got back from the hospital.
Her mom's by her side.
I wish her dad was, too.
George Ilic used a gun to take a man hostage.
That hostage had sex numerous times with underage girls brought to this country in shipping containers.
The D.
A.
won't just sweep this under the rug.
Sir, regardless of what happened, I'm still an advocate for Ava's family.
Assistant District Attorney Kemper is handling the charges against Ava's father.
Now, I phoned and suggested they be dropped down to misdemeanors, but Kemper didn't seem too willing to budge.
Maybe you can convince him.
Thanks.
Should we be worried about Luca? Nah, he'll be back in no time.
Guy's indestructible.
Listen, for you guys at your age, it's easy to take a hit and jump right back, but for the rest of us What, are you "Old Man Deacon" now? Nah, I'm just saying.
Once you hit 35, it gets harder and harder to bounce back, that's all.
Those little aches and pains that you used to laugh off? Now they got you limping for a week.
Oh, come on, Deac, we know you and Luca both got a couple more decades in you.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) Nah, the only thing I know is that there's an expiration date for all us doing this job.
And sometimes, you see the end coming straight at you and sometimes it sneaks up on your six.
Thought you went home and crashed.
Nah, I had some paperwork I had to finish up.
More responsibility, more work.
I feel you.
Be careful what you wish for, right? (LAUGHS) Yeah Listen, I hope after all of this, you take some vacation days, get your head right.
I already put in for six weeks.
I haven't taken leave for years, but my wife's always wanted to rent an RV, head across country.
(CHUCKLES) Hey, listen, man.
Thank you.
Nah, come on, man.
Getting Ava back was a team effort.
No.
I mean for your honesty.
I've done countless undercover missions and I never once cracked.
I was in a dark place.
But your words well, they got me through it.
As team leaders, sometimes we got to be reminded that the weight of the world isn't always on our shoulders.
We got brothers and sisters to count on.
Amen.