One Police Plaza

"Hector santana, 24 from Williamsburg arrested last night with four ounces by two uniforms doing a routine traffic cops stop. Hincamp and Melago."

"Melago," Eames comments.

"Her Captain calls her the queen of arrests in an attempt to win her detective shield back," Ross confirms, "Anyway, it's Santana's third strike."

"So, what's he selling?" Eames questions as she looks for the angle.

"Claims he has information on the tourists."

"Good luck to him on that," Daniel remarks annoyed with their current case and doubtful that Santana actually has useful information.

"Waited for his lawyer. She's in there with him now."

That was their cue to get busy squeezing Santana for whatever crumbs he was dropping. They were getting no where with the cops involved and as frustrating as it was, it was to be expected. No one likes to be the rat and no one wants to be investigated by IAB and void their pension.

"We have your word that you will speak the DA on Santana's behalf?" Santana's lawyer tried to help get the best deal for her client.

"Depends on how helpful he is. Start helping, Hector." Eames was not going to make it easy for him. If he wanted a deal, he had to work for it, give up something actually useful.

"Word in Red Hook is that someone in Testarossa's crew clipped the English couple. And the gun had another body on it."

Promising. "Keep Going."

"Do I get protection?"

Yeah, it doesn't work like that. All you offered is speculation. Details got protection. "Not until you give us a name." Eames was firm.

"And get myself whacked."

That was a risk and he was under no obligation of sharing. He could take the original sentence and spend the rest of his life behind bars but he didn't want that. I don't care either way. Jail or body bag. He was a criminal. So yeah, death was a risk. Did he think the risk was worth it? "Or go to prison for life." How much did he want to avoid prison?

"Your call."

"Life in prison for ten lousy ounces."

"What did you say?" Eames' demeanor changed. Now, we have something to work with. Not once did a criminal cop to more than he was caught with. She was inclined to believe his story that he did buy ten ounces. That left six ounces unaccounted for. Who ended up with the missing drugs?

"Ten ounces. One last deal. I was gonna get out."

"You had ten ounces?"

"Yeah. Right. I bought them from Testarossa. Eleven grand. I bet he tipped off the cops. There was no reason to pull me over. I don't got no broken tail light. I didn't run no red light."

"The arresting officers logged four ounces."

His lawyer investigates the papers.

"Is that what they did?" Santana asks her. She nods an affirmative. "Well that's nothing new."

"Well, neither is accusing cops of stealing drugs," Eames snarks in a defensive attitude. Goren would love this case. He lived for taking down crooked cops.

"No, No, No. Forget I said that. I don't want any more trouble."

"Tell me more about the cops who pulled you over and you think these two were tipped off from Testarossa?"

"I don't know about them. All I hear he's got two ex-cops on his payroll"

"Oh, you'll say anything now." Oh Brother. Criminal with an axe to grind with NYPD? She heard all sorts of things when their back was against the wall.

"No, really. Two big white dudes. Me missing six ounces. Bet they tipped it back to Testarossa."

"I know some guys in the 6-4. It's a clean house," Daniels vouchered.

Eames did an internal eye roll. After all, she was aware of two detectives that she didn't trust to be clean: Stoat and Melago. Now, she would usually go to bat for cops. She wanted to believe that they were well intentioned respectable officers and she would defend it to holy hell. This case reeked of impropriety and she wished Goren was here to play alongside her and sniff it all out. They loved sniffing out the baddies because it gave the entire department a bad rap and they didn't the deserve the badge that was given them.

"I read the arrest report. Santana was pulled over for a broken tail light. Ever hear that before?"

"You're saying you believe him?" Her eyebrow lifted as she looked at her Captain. He definitely knew more than he let on. Especially, if he was siding with con over the blue brotherhood.

"I'm saying it needs to be investigated. Like the gun he knew about, the one stole from PD. If you two aren't comfortable with this…"

I am not uncomfortable but he needs to put his cards on the table. Full disclosure. What were we getting into? Eames was not one to back down especially where corruption in the department was a concern. "Any reason we shouldn't be comfortable with this?"

Captain Ross shifts his eyes then tries to reply with a confident, "No" but its clear to Eames that he's lying. She glances at Daniels and looks at the Captain with a stern "We're in." Obviously, this had to be investigated and with Ross' weird behavior, lately, there was no way she wasn't seeing it through. She just had to know at this point. She knew Daniels was probably not very comfortable where it was heading but she was senior partner. They were on the case and like hell was anyone pulling them off now.

"Okay, go convince Santana to wear a wire." He came to us for a deal. That should be easy. She just needed to remind him of the stakes and how well his cooperation would benefit him.

He agrees and they let him loose for the natural order of things to play out. Melago informs Stoat and Goren that Santana is out and that speaks trouble for them. Stoat picks him up and drags him back in front of Testarossa to sniff him out and find out what exactly he told the police that got him released on bail on a third strike.

Testarossa's Club

Goren pats him down noting a lightweight cigarette lighter. Noting it as a wire, he sneaks it by so they could get the incriminating confession on tape not knowing it would be the wrong move.

"He's clean," Goren proclaims.

"Sit down. Did you cut a deal with the cops?" Testarossa plays heavy.

"Me? These are your guys. I'm two blocks away, I get pulled over."

Testarossa points his nose to Stoat and back at Santana giving the go ahead to work him over.

"Did you? Then, that should have taught you to keep your mouth shut." Stoat shakes off his fist after slamming his knuckles against Santana's face.

"I didn't say nothing to nobody," Santana maintains knowing what would await him if they did have proof he talked.

"The DA bailed you out. That it?" Testarossa mocked.

Stoat hit him again and as uncomfortable as it made Goren he just stood back and watched.

"Did you make a deal with the cops?"

"I didn't say nothing to nobody." Santana maintained.

Stoat investigated the cell and lighter they took out of Santana's pocket seemingly to go through his phone but noting the lightness of the lighter and not one to repeat his mistakes, He turned his attention towards it, dismantling it quickly and finding the wire. Goren tracked him with his eyes and exhaled know everything was just seconds away from going sideways.

"You think I'm stupid?" Testarossa spits out.

"Legal Aid said they didn't have probable cause to stop me."

Stoat paused in his tracks. He looks at Goren and back at the lighter contemplating whether Goren missed it by accident or on purpose. Was he working with the cops? He wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but he also needed to know for sure. "His lighter is a wire."

Testarossa turns to Goren, "You said he was clean."

"Yeah. I missed it." Goren hoped his bumbling act played off genuinely. Surely there would be consequences if they didn't believe him.

Stoat and Testarossa stare at Goren. They are not convinced. "Okay. Then, he's your problem. You take care of him," Testarossa said as he handed him a gun from the back of his waistband.

"Now?" Goren questioned, stalling hoping he was giving himself enough time to be bailed out by the awaiting officers.

"Yeah now."

"Here?" Goren stalled again. He wasn't going to actually murder someone while the cops listened on the other end. Stoat rolls out the plastic. Okay guys, any time now.

"Right here," Testarossa confirms.

Goren is nervous and the abruptness leaves him scrambling for his next plan. The cops are listening. They won't let it go that far. They will come in and put a stop to it. I just need to make it look good like I would go through with it. Any other response would further tip them off that I am undercover. I need to play it as a mistake or it could be my body on the plastic if the cops don't come quick enough. But, I overplayed my hand. I know that. I was too cocky before making a show of the wire. They are not buying that I would be stupid enough to let one go by. They are testing me. Grab the gun and point it at Santana. "Get up."

"I didn't do nothing. Please. You have to trust me. I didn't say nothing to nobody," Santana pled not trusting the cops listening to bail him out of his death.

"Shut up!" Goren screamed. I need to think. I can't think while he's pleading in front of me. Make it look good. Both sets of co-conspirators' eyes were fixed on him. He had no choice. It was either go through with it or get made and catch a bullet once intended for Santana. Please, hurry through that door. Goren nudged Santana then pushed him onto the plastic, gun pointing to his head.

A loud crash is head and the office door comes tumbling down with force. "Down on the ground!" Swat comes through the door, armor on and guns ready and drawn. Goren, still in character, has to convincingly play it off that he wasn't with the cops anymore. He raises his weapon, finger on the trigger, pointing at the other officers. A risky move as just that movement alone would get him a bullet for his trouble but almost immediately Eames pushes her way through and locks eyes with him and saves him from his would be death.