Amila stared at the work of the Zamora cartel. Hondo had found out from Leandro that soldiers were sent in from Mexico and they were already here in the US. That's why they were preparing themselves and there was more to it which is why Marcos had no idea what he got himself into, he only wanted to help his cousin Muriel.
But Amila knew Marcos very well, there was more to what was going on than what he's telling them and she knew deep down he wants to tell her but it was like he was protecting her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Powell who walked in,
"This is the work of the Zamora cartel?", she questioned.
Deacon nods,
"Been terrorizing Northwest Mexico for a decade. They seized power by gathering up all the family members of a rival cartel and burning 'em alive in a pole barn. It's their way of making a statement", he informed them as he did more research.
"Sick bastards", Amila commented.
Deacon pulled up a photo,
"Sancho Zamora. Cocaine Kingpin. Governments been pursuing him for years", he said staring at the photo.
Streets eyebrows furrowed,
"I heard Sancho hasn't left Mexico since the late '90s", he said.
Powell cut-in,
"Why's he suddenly sending soldiers to LA?"
Deacon stopped her,
"Feds don't think he did. At least, not directly. Meet Ulan Zamora. Sancho's only son", he pulled up a picture of a man in his early 20's, "the DEA suspects that he's the one responsible for binging the drugs here. Apparently, he's trying to expand his father's cocaine business into black tar heroin", he explained to them.
Amila rubbed her forehead of the migraine that was forming, it was a lot to take in yet she had a feeling Boyle knew all about it but she had to see Marcos, he was the only one who could have answers.
Amila walked into the interrogation room followed by Luca and Marcos, frowning as she remembered this scenario all too well, putting his head down in shame, his eyes staring at his hands.
Luca cleared his throat,
"What started the cartels beef with Los Nueves?", he asked as Marcos looked up at him,
"We need to get to the bottom of this before people get killed, Marcos", he stated.
Marcos cut him off,
"Man, you got 15 Nueves locked up right? Ask one of them?", he argued eyeing up Luca.
Amila stopped Luca from responding,
"Marcos, you got charged with resisting arrest, okay, those stupid DEA's is not releasing anyone until they get what they want and what they want to know is what the hell's going on and so do I?", she snapped at him which shocked Luca.
Marcos stared Amila in the eyes, hurt flashed across them,
"See now that's messed up. You know me and Shorty ain't got nothing to do with this. But i guess with how you're looking at me....you don't believe me", he said the last part softly. Amila frowned,
"I do believe you Marcos...but...theirs more than what your telling us and it's putting me in an impossible position", she said but the door opened and Street walked in with a not so subtle frown,
"Ballistics came back on the gun Shorty was carrying. It was used in an armed robbery eight years ago. Left the store owner paralyzed. I guess Shorty somewhat matches the suspects description", he said confusedly.
Marcos scoffed,
"Eight years ago? He was 12. That piece might have been resold ten times in the last eight years", he said to them.
Amila looked to Street,
"What happens to him?", she asked as Streets look said it all,
"Shorty's gonna have to enter the system to make his case. I'm sorry", he apologized.
Marcos snapped,
"If they get him on attempted, that's 15 to life", he sighed looking away. His world felt like it was all crumbling down and falling apart. Amila leaned over taking his hands in hers, she squeezed them,
"I'll get someone to take his case, okay", she said softly as Marcos shook his head,
"I didn't want Shorty to run with our crew in the first place. I knew I had to find a way out for us", he leaned forward, his fingers rubbing Amila's,
"So, when our cousin found out she was having a baby, I thought now's a good chance for us four to get away", he said.
Amila knew what he was talking about, a few months ago, he sat them down and wanted to start a new life, leaving this place, this gang life behind. She wanted that with him. She was gonna resign completely from SWAT once they found a place but she had a huge secret of her own that's been weighing on her and she didn't know how to tell Marcos or the team.
"Explains the suitcase you were helping her pack this morning", Street said.
"We got an aunt in Ohio who rents a two-bedroom above her garage. Said she'd rent it to us cheap until we could find a place of our own", he said as Luca looked to Amila not having any idea that she planned on leaving.
Luca frowned,
"Why were you leaving today? How'd you know the cartel was coming?", he fired.
Amila glanced at Luca,
"If he tells you, can you put in a word for Shorty? And get Muriel into protective custody?", she asked as Luca sighed,
"I'll tell you what. He tells us what we want to know and we'll go pick up Muriel ourselves. As for Shorty...", he was cut off by Amila,
"Don't worry about it I got friends within the Feds, I'll talk to them", she said looking to Marcos who's eyes softened his heart beating wildly,
"A few months back, this vato rolls up on Shorty. Said he works for some man down south named Z. Told Shorty he heard our set has a rep for keeping things tight, and Z needs a partner here in LA. Shorty turned him down. We know Z meant Zamora. Didn't want nothing to do with no cartel", his eyes finds Amila, "a while later, the Zamora Cartel and Los Nueves struck a deal", he said explaining everything.
Amila was proud of him for telling the truth yet it still hurt her that he didn't tell her.
"The relationship between Los Nueves and the Cartel, when'd it go sour?", Luca asked.
"Last week", Marcos replied, "Los Nueves sent a truck full of cash to Mexico, to pay the cartel for the product they had sold. But...the truck got hit outside of LA. Three million gone, just like that", he tells them.
Now they knew why the Los Nueces were doing what they were doing,
"So, that's why Los Nueves has been scrambling for cash. They're in debt three million to the cartel", Street figured it out.
Marcos nodded,
"Which means the cartels gonna come to collect. We knew we had to get Muriel outta there. And I couldn't get Amila involved", he said looking at her.
Luca softened his tone,
"Do you have any idea who hit the trucks?".
Marcos went to speak but Amila's phone beeped signaling she got a text, she opened it, her face hardened, standing up she looked to Luca and Street,
"They got a lot of explaining to do", she turned her phone showing a photo of the DEA with the truck load of cash. Luca and Street ran out but Amila stayed back,
"I'm sorry Hermosa", she turned to Marcos who put his head down.
Amila walked around the table, kneeling down in front of him, she placed her forehead against his arm,
"Im sorry I snapped at you. I was just upset and I knew you weren't being honest with me but now I know why you did what you did and I'm sorry", she softly said as he turned to face her. He wrapped his arms around her still cuffed,
"You had every right to be mad at me, hermosa", he said.
Amila gazed into his eyes,
"I'll try to get Shorty out, I promise...please be patient with me on that", she said but he interrupted her by capturing her lips, squeezing her body tight to his. She depended the kiss, squeezing the back of his neck, pulling away,
"I love you Marcos", she whispered as he kissed her neck letting her stand up,
"I love you with everything I have Amila", he said. She smiled walking out, she needed to find Hondo as she had a bone to pick with Boyle.
