Okay, things are heating up in the barn with our infighting, and I manage to crack a code in this week's episode before my husband with the smoking cell phone (okay, so maybe you figured it out too, but let me have my glory for one week, huh?). More on that later.

Hiding out in a hotel, Shane’s getting off the Oxycodone, and beginning to document all of Mackie’s transgressions. He places it all into two manila envelopes. Insurance policies?

Hernan, the Federal agent under cover, contacts Lem and Ronnie. Seems the cover up for the San Marcos murders is more elaborate than expected. He asks them for a lifeline. Meanwhile, the retaliation for the murders is getting bloodier, the Byz Lats shot up a street festival. Seems Hernan lied about it being a Mexican on Mexican crime, when in fact it seems to be the Salvadorians as originally expected. They devise a gang sweep of both groups, picking up Hernan in the group. Aceveda‘s community connection sees it as a Latino Blitzkrieg. I just don’t trust his contact, Mr. Button-down Community Leader. I could be wrong, but when Aceveda told him that there was a Fed inside the Salvadorian gang, I had a feeling - just a feeling - that was information not falling on deaf ears.

The ICE is trying to shut down the gang sweep, putting Hernan in danger. Julian earned his slot this week, outrunning one of the big gang bosses during the bust before any of the other members of the team could. Turns out the massacre was about sharing a drug market. Hernan is going back undercover to try and settle the beef between the warring factions.

Mara shows up at work looking for Shane. She tells Vic that she knows about Lem. Mackie’s tousling of her toddler son’s hair was so threatening, perhaps a foreshadowing of the power struggle? Shane is not happy about the visit, telling her that Vic is capable of hurting them. Shane requests a transfer back to vice, but he will have to work with Mackie for his last two weeks. Once again it seems that Mara’s big mouth is going to get them in trouble

While making a deal to hand him a few key players in exchange for peace, Vic gives the gang baddie the untraceable phone to make a call and LEAVES THE ROOM! See, the last call he got was from Hernan. Can’t imagine that the gang leader won’t search the calls received on the phone (Maybe because of a tip off from Mr. Button Down? Okay, I’m stretching here), but I can’t imagine this won’t go badly. The Mexican official’s — seems his name is Eduardo — hacked-off arm is still a mystery which Dutch and Steve are checking into. As they're tracking down Eduardo’s ex, Steve offers to teach Dutch about women. Oh my — comic relief. They eventually find her, but she hasn’t been told there was anything wrong. You assume he is in pieces somewhere, but they find Eduardo in the hotel room with a bandaged stump where his arm was. He cries diplomatic immunity, but Dutch brings him in anyway (okay, he was witness to a brutal massacre).

Article Author: Ann Hagman Cardinal

Ann Hagman Cardinal is a freelance writer as well as the Marketing Director for Vermont Collge of Fine Arts. Her first novel, Sister Chicas--co-authored with two other Latina writers—was released in 2006 by NAL/Penguin Books. …

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