The next day the two managed to get to the crime scene and Tasha managed to remove the tape from the VCR, but did not have time to put it back in place. When Edgar found out they were in his apartment and had a bad fight.
- You should have put the tape in the closet. - He said infuriated.
- I know, i know. The tape was stuck. I was lucky to get her out of there.
- What if they find out there's one missing? What if they find out it's mine? - He was nervous and screaming. - What's gotten into you?
- What's gotten into me? - The Latina spoke calmly. - Thanks to me you're not the prime suspect. I'm trying to help you.
Reade is silent and realizes how stupid he's being. Natasha was doing everything she could to get him off an indictment for the coach's death and he was proving to be ungrateful.
- I'm sorry, i'm sorry. - He said sitting on the couch.
- Do we have anything else to worry about? - The brunette asked.
- A private security guard saw me in front of Jones' house yesterday.
- But did you identify yourself?
- I was in my car.
- I'm going to take care of it.
The Latina was leaving when her friend called her. - Zapata. Thank you.
Natasha left his apartment and went to the neighborhood security agency where she blackmailed one of the security guards saying that the guy he saw in the car is an FBI secret agent and that if he brought it to the authorities' knowledge would expose his identity by ruining a case they've been working on for a long time. The boy refused to help her, but the Latina said she knew who his girlfriend was and that her tourist visa had expired some time ago and the girl was in the country illegally. The boy gave in and tore the sheet with the license plate of the noted car.
Natasha knew what she was doing. She could have been jeopardising her career, but it was her best friend's freedom and most of all she was the man she loved. She couldn't let him pay for the death of a disgusting guy like Coach Jones, even if he was guilty.
- How'd it go with the security guard? - Reade asked as soon as she returned to his apartment.
- It won't be a problem. - The Latina replied. - But I can't say the same about Jones' autopsy. - She went on. - The cause of death was asphyxiation. He died choking on his own blood. What are you hiding from me?
Natasha threw a briefcase with autopsy information on the coffee table.
- I don't… - Reade started but was interrupted by the brunette.
- If his timeline was true and if he was in the basement, heard a noise and went up immediately, Jones would still be alive, choking. - She was very upset because she wanted explanations. - Do you want to change history?
- I told you the truth. - The man said.
- How long were you in that house? Now she was screaming.
- That was me! - Reade also shouted. - I killed him! Is that what you want me to say? It wasn't me and I didn't ask you to cover anything up, if you think I killed you, call the police. Call now!
They knew that they could not continue this conversation in a civilized way, because it had already gotten out of control for a long time. Natasha left leaving him there with her own thoughts.
The next day Natasha receives another call from Josh in the middle of the day.
- We got the murder weapon. - The cop said on the other side of the line. - Some cops found a knife in a jackass near Jone's house.
Tasha could only think of the missing knife in Reade's kitchen.
- What kind of knife?
- I don't know, he just got here. - Josh replied. - The killer must have thrown it in the sewer on his way out.
- Is it connected to any suspects?
- I think Yamada's seeing this now. - Yamada was another police officer in the district.
The latest information made the Latina even more concerned, as Yamada was at the time with the prosecutor who handled the charges against Jones and Reade in the boardroom. All she could do was realize that Reade was getting more and more in trouble.
The FBI building was being raided by a killer named Akkadian who was blackmailing them into handing over a dangerous man who was in the building. The agenstes had to separate inside the building to locate theman.
Reade and Natasha went together and the latina told him that the knife had been found and the boy told him that the prosecutor wanted him to point out a list of names taken from the tapes that were found in the house who might be the killer.
- I'm going to take care of the knife. - The Latina said. - Go to the lab today and you won't be the first test to go.
- That's crazy. I don't need you to take care of the knife. - He spoke as they advanced through the halls of the building. - Because I didn't kill him.
The two were called by Patterson on the communicators and directed to the fifth floor which is where they suspected Akkadian's presence.
- We have to take care of that knife, Reade. - Tasha said when they reached the fifth floor. - If they didn't suspect you now they suspect after you blew them up with them in the room.
- Let him suspect. I don't care anymore.
- I care because I'm involved now too.
- We don't have to do anything! - Reade was altered. - I was in the camp, I'm the one who wasted time, I was there that night. When did you get into this? No one asked you to commit a crime, you solved it yourself! You don't bet anymore, but you're still addicted to risk.
This hurt Natasha in a way that she backed off. Reade had no right to use his past to compare it to a totally different situation that was happening at that time.
- You don't care about me, you use my life to gamble.
- It's all right. - Sadness and disappointment could be seen in his eyes. - I'm out of here!
- Zapata! - Reade regretted it the moment he just said it all, but the Latina didn't hear him anymore and went out towards the track.
In the midst of confusion, Akkadian found them and knocked Reade down, leaving him unconscious. The bandit took Tasha with him and used her as a shield.
When Reade was found by the other agents he was desperate for what might happen to his partner.
They were together when they heard the agent's voice from the communicators.
- To the agents who protect Rich Dotcom. I'm in Administrator C-One's office. Akkadian injected a neurotoxin that will slowly kill me... He's going to leave three vials. One is the antidote, the others will kill me on the spot. Leave Rich alone and he'll tell you which one to use.
Reade begged Weller to let Akkadian take Rich, as Zapata's life was worth much more than his, but both were convinced that the bandit would not hand over the tray agent if they cooperated with him.
They set up a way to catch the Akkadian by swindling the camera in the room to trick Akkadian.
Reade found Tasha who was barely breathing. The Latina had her body thrown over a chair and did not move. The vials the bandit was referring to were on a table in the corner of the room. The boy held her in his desperate arms.
- Zapata! Stay with me! "He asked out loud.
Meanwhile Akkadian was captured and killed and did not get a chance to find out what the antidote was. Reade and another agent who was with him realized that Tasha was making signals in Morse code with her fingers in an attempt to indicate which vial was with the antidote. Upon realizing it they quickly applied to the brunette who gradually returned to normal. Reade felt relieved, because after the fight they had he felt guilty about what had happened to her and could in no way lose her.
- Shouldn't you be in the infirmary? - Reade asked as soon as he saw her in the locker room getting ready to leave.
- Tell the doctor you let me go. - The girl answered indifferently.
The two looked at each other and sadness and regret were visible in both for what happened earlier.
- I thought pushing her away was the way to push her back. - Reade said sorry. - It was a mistake.
- I didn't listen to you about what I wanted to do. I'm sorry, i'm sorry.
- You must promise me you won't take the knife. - Reade asked. - I can stand what can happen to me, but I couldn't stand it if something happened to you.
- I promise.
But that's not what Natasha did. The Latina went to the police and managed to remove the knife, but what was not her surprise to discover that the knife was the same one that saw Freddy collecting along with his objects the day he put him out of Reade's house. Now I had evidence that led to the real killer and I couldn't find a way to undo it.
Another argument occurred when Reade learned that she had picked up the knife. Natasha wanted to find a way to return the evidence, but Reade did not agree to incriminate Freddy.
- Throw away the knife! - Reade asked when they talked about a case in the conference room.
- I can't do it. An old colleague saw me at the station. - Tasha explained. - At any moment the lab will see that the knife is gone. When that happens, I'll be lost.
- I should have thought anted of stealing it.
- I've thought about it. You think I didn't think I could go to jail? - The woman had red eyes and stared at Reade. - You are my best friend. It was a risk I took to save him. But I'm not going to jail to save Freddy, and that's what's going to happen if I don't return the knife.
- You don't understand. I made Freddy testify. I got him into this again. If I hadn't done it, maybe nothing would have happened. - Tasha understood Reade. He blamed himself for Jones' death even though he wasn't the one who killed him.
Natasha knew i had to return the knife. Along with Reade he found a way to return the evidence in a way that no one noticed.
At night they were all in Weller's apartment celebrating a case when Tasha arrived with the news that he had managed to return the knife.
- Are you all right? Reade asked when he found her.
- I just want this to be over.
Reade pulled her out for a hug as a way of thanking her.
- Thank you, i'm sorry. - The man said sincerely.
- For what? - The Latina mocked.
- You thought I was guilty and you took my side. - He explained.
- You'd do the same for me.
- I don't know... - He joked and got punched by his friend.
That night while drinking and celebrating Tasha did not stop looking At Reade who was also surprised by her looking at her. She couldn't specify the greatness of what they had, but it was something too intense. She crossed the barriers of friendship for sure, but the brunette didn't know if she would ever pass it, not that she didn't want to, because every day that passed she knew she needed him more and couldn't bear to lose him even more for something she wasn't to blame for.
Today going over these events she knew what strengthened a relationship, it was not only the feeling of both, but the pains traveled along the way. That's what she and Reade had back then, a relationship woven into chaos, amid the pain. And everything they did for each other made them stronger.