03x04 - La Fuerza

[bunniefuu]

TERESA: Previously on Queen of the South...

MAN: (speaking Spanish)

-Are you working for Camila?

-No.

JAMES: Since the first day we met, I've been trying to keep you alive.

Whether you wanna believe it or not, I'm still trying to.

But you have to trust me.

You want me to trust you?

I don't even know you.

Why did you come back?

I wanna do things differently.

So I'm asking you.

Please let me in.

No more cat and mouse, General.

I want blood.

When will she get what's coming to her?

Today.

Do you think she's trying to move against me?

That's why we need to make our own moves.

When the heroin business is up and running, we won't need her or Reynaldo.

Took us six months to build what we have here in Malta.

You burn Rocco, and you burn it all.

I knew we were gonna rob a bank.

(g*nshots)

(grunts)

(panting)

(yells)

Whoo!

If I ever see you again, you're gonna be screaming.

(tense music)

(water turns off)

(bell dings)

(country music playing)

You all right?

Yeah.

It's been a long trip.

How far is your place?

Not far.

It's just up the road.

(tires rustling on pavement)

POTE: I smell pork.

JAMES: My money's on the sausage.

Not there, cabrón.

There.

JAMES: Easy.

We should go.

Excuse me.

Check, please.

That's County Sheriff Jed Mayo.

Harassing illegals is his favorite hobby.

I'll show him my pinche papers.

JAMES: Don't call attention.

The good news is he's for sale.

Worst case.

(police radio chatter)

OWNER: What the hell is this?

I already paid you sons of b*tches this month.

This ain't the place for that kind of tone.

Here, boy.

Hey!

Mm.

(ominous music)

♪ MAN: Please, please.

No, no.

(engine turns over)

(both speaking indistinctly)

(speaking Spanish)

POTE: I don't know about this place.

♪ TERESA: There's dirty cops everywhere.

I have to stop running at some point.

We'll make it work.

♪ ♪ We've got just that one access road coming in.

These pole cams set up to alert us to any uninvited guests.

And that perimeter fence.

Be careful.

It's electrified.

You gotta be kidding me.

¿Qué pasó, Pote?

JAMES: Charger and Tonto, they work for us now.

I know some local players.

They've got good distribution.

But not consistent product.

I've been working on something since Malta.

We're gonna sell on the dark web.

I have a guy.

His name is Ivan.

He's built me a site.

Didn't work out so well for the Silk Road guys.

Rocco was insane.

But cryptocurrency makes sense.

It's safer.

Less risk.

And less profit.

What kind of volume can we move that way?

We're gonna connect with a thousand mid-level dealers.

People who can handle, I don't know, a kilo a month.

We're never gonna have to meet them.

We're gonna ship through a legitimate front.

And get paid with cryptocurrency.

Mail-order cocaine?

You said you wanted a better way of doing business.

Arizona's carved up by five narcos.

JAMES: Nothing comes in and out without their say-so.

They're called "La Comisión." But the power between the five isn't an even split.

There's Taza.

His tribe controls the border.

So everything goes through him.

And Pecas, he brings in the most product.

He's the boss.

We're gonna ship out of state.

We won't be cutting into anyone's territory.

No, but we still need to transport through it.

JAMES: They cut a deal with that corrupt Sheriff Mayo.

He makes sure no one else's product can get through.

And they pay him a pretty penny for it.

About seven miles out that way is a mass grave.

It's filled with the bodies of dealers who thought just what you're thinking now.

Set up business here.

And don't give La Comisión a taste.

(indistinct shouting)

JAMES: The graveyard of ambition.

Trust me.

We wanna break into this market, it's gonna cost blood.

(tense music)

(chimes clinking)

CAMILA: (speaking Spanish)

(ominous music)

CAMILA: Mucho gusto.

(speaking Spanish)

♪ Muerte.

(dramatic musical sting)

Teresa.

EPIFANIO: (grunts)

♪ (g*nsh*t)

(gasps)

(breathing heavily)

(line trilling)

LOYA (over phone: Camila.

-I need you to come.

Right away.

REPORTER: This roadblock you see behind me, is intended to put a stranglehold on smuggling along the I-10 corridor.

It's an operation being spearheaded by a man with a deplorable record of civil rights abuses.

Sheriff Mayo, what is your response to those who say that you are unfairly targeting Mexicans -during these sweeps?

-You call it profiling.

I call it common sense policing.

And I'm doing the job that the voters of this county elected me to do.

REPORTER: Sam Espinoza, Action 12 News.

(foreboding music)

-Hey.

-Hey.

If La Comisión has the Sheriff in their pocket, why is he setting up roadblocks on their routes?

Maybe he just wants a bigger piece of the action.

Like I said, he's just in it for himself.

Can you get us a meeting?

JAMES: With La Comisión?

You sure about that?

TERESA: Yes.

-Yeah, I know some people.

I can make a call.

Thank you.

Yeah.

♪ I don't know what you want me to tell you.

Really?

It's not like she's on her own.

-Yeah, I know that.

-I've got nothing for you.

The DEA lost sight of Mendoza when she got b*rned in Malta.

Then you need to work your sources harder.

I want her found.

Do you understand?

Just how much access do you think I have?

I'm still on suspension.

And I just gave you one of Boaz Jimenez's shipments.

400 kilos for you to look good.

You think that comes for free?

-Do you?

-Camila, calm down.

Don't tell me to calm down.

You know, that woman took everything from me.

sh*t.

-It's nothing.

-It's something.

Come.

It's a small cut.

Hold it here.

It's not as bad as it looks.

Sometimes I wish I had a different life.

♪ Sometimes we all do.

♪ This is not a good idea.

I don't care.

♪ (moaning)

(panting)

♪ POTE: We're buying a winery?

TERESA: We can't operate from James' compound.

We need a base.

WOMAN: [indistinct speech] POTE: Is that who I think it is?

Oh, it's so good to see you, girl.

Yeah, that's her.

Good to see you, Kelly Anne.

You look great.

POTE: The red hair don't fool me.

KELLY: So the realtor said I could give you the grand tour.

This is the main room, obviously.

There's a wine tasting bar over there.

How soon can we close the deal?

Uh, pretty damn quick.

The owner's desperate to unload.

And I've already got a straw corporation set up to be the owner of record.

The police looking for you?

Officially, I'm a missing person.

KELLY: And it's Priscilla now.

By the way, those papers you gave me worked like a charm.

Wow, that's a heavy door.

Okay, here we go.

Isn't this cool?

It's like our very own little Batgirl cave.

(electronic music)

We can put our production down here.

Oh, guys.

Those stairs there, kind of takes the wind out of you a little bit.

Okay, so these big silver things, uh, uh, I think they're vats.

That's where they make the wine.

KELLY: Yep, over here there's a tunnel that leads off the property here.

So...

(grunts)

KELLY: You know, for security.

-If you say so.

TERESA: Thank you, Kelly Anne.

Are you kidding?

God knows where I'd be without you.

-How's Tony?

-Oh, good.

Yeah.

He loves his new school.

Oh, he made the soccer team.

He's getting good grades.

TERESA: He's big.

KELLY: Yeah, I know.

Everything's taken care of with the money you gave me.

But, you know, he asks about you.

It's too dangerous for him to see me.

It's better this way.

I understand.

Okay, well, what do you guys think?

Is this our new home?

-Let's make an offer.

-Oh, deal.

Bring it in for a hug, girl.

You want a hug too?

(cell phone vibrating)

Nope?

No.

He's not--(giggles)

He doesn't hug.

♪ -Yeah.

JAMES (over phone): It's on.

We meet with La Comisión in two hours.

I'm ready.

♪ I just got word the DEA seized another one of Boaz's shipments.

300 kilos of cocaine.

And a surprise, 100 kilos of Mexican brown heroin.

Colombians will not be pleased.

Another seizure, and Boaz is bringing in heroína behind their back.

No way they're gonna stand for this.

CORTEZ: You will be hearing from Reynaldo soon, I'm sure.

Not even that niece of his will defend Boaz on this one.

♪ Mom, you wanted to see me?

Yes.

Excuse me, General.

Is everything okay?

It's about the Widows' March.

I don't want you to come, Isabela.

It's not safe.

You know, it's a protest against the cartels.

And there's been threats.

We're honoring Papi's memory.

How could I not be there?

Your father would insist upon your safety above all.

You know that.

What aren't you telling me?

You know, I told you that my nana believed in omens.

And she was always right.

I had a nightmare.

I'm not gonna let you do this by yourself.

I already lost Papi.

I'm not gonna lose you too.

(tense music)

JAMES: We're meeting at a casino owned by Taza.

His tribe put all their assets into it.

When it failed, that's when Taza turned to selling dr*gs.

They meet on Taza's territory, but it's Pecas who calls the sh*ts.

He's the redhead with the temper to match.

We don't wanna cross him.

♪ TERESA: And the others?

JAMES: They carry their weight.

But it's Pecas and Taza we need to convince.

If they like us, we live.

They don't, we disappear.

PECAS: That's the business you should've learned.

Ooh.

Because you have bigger balls than any man I've ever met, to come and sit at our table with a $10 million bounty on your head.

(chuckles)

Saludos, chica.

10 million is a finite number.

I'm here because I'm confident I can make you more than that.

JAMES: Thank you for meeting us.

We know you're busy men, so we'll be brief.

"We"?

(shushes)

PECAS: Go ahead, Miss Mendoza.

I've come to ask for safe passage for my product.

Each one of you kicks in 8% of your profit.

You share risks and provide each other with protection.

What I'm offering is an extra contribution.

You have a lot of enemies back in Mexico.

PECAS: We would not want those enemies to become ours.

Perhaps you'd be better off taking your business out of Arizona, while you still can.

What if I brought something else to the table?

Oh, I'm sure we could think of something.

(chuckling)

Sheriff Mayo.

What do you know about Mayo?

He's setting up roadblocks on your routes to get more money out of you.

What if I could do something about him?

Perhaps we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here.

If Hangman Jed were to disappear tomorrow, our days would be much lighter.

That said, with him, we know what we've got.

Mm, but lately he's become unreasonable.

Greedy.

Cutting into our profits.

PECAS: This isn't Mexico.

You know the kind of heat something like that would draw?

You all have a deal with Mayo.

You can't move against him.

But I can.

Let me help you.

Okay.

Mera mera, we'll play.

PECAS: You get the Sheriff to stand down, you can write your own ticket.

Consider it done.

Thank you.

♪ CASTEL: My uncle put me in a plane as soon as we got word of the load getting seized.

I'm as appalled as you are about what Boaz did.

Boaz and I have spoken.

He has agreed to make restitution to us.

He moved heroin behind our back.

It's a matter of trust, not finance.

Our primary concern right now is that he shore up the leaks in his operation.

CASTEL: It's clear he has una rata in his house.

It's lunacy.

We've reached an accommodation with Boaz, so there's no need for you to concern yourself any further.

Are we clear?

Thank you, Castel.

General.

(ominous music)

♪ They're still backing that hijo de puta.

Yes, Boaz cut them in on the heroin.

While they're making money with him, we cannot touch him.

Not without losing our supplier.

Well, tonight's march is about Epifanio.

We're gonna get his business back.

And the Colombians are gonna turn on Boaz.

If heroin wasn't enough, then we'll do more.

IVAN (over tablet): It's pretty heinous stuff, and you can't un-see it.

When are you arriving in Phoenix?

Tomorrow, I've got a laptop with your sales system set up, and I'll secure your location.

Great, I'll see you tomorrow.

-Great.

-Bye.

James.

Look at this.

I sent Ivan looking for something to use against Mayo.

MAYO: (grunts)

(thud)

MAN: (crying)

MAYO: Quit whining.

Stay awake.

MAN: (screams in pain)

MAYO: Little bitch.

Maybe we should just k*ll him.

TERESA: I had Ivan leak the video to this reporter.

JAMES: Sam Espinoza.

He's been after Mayo for years now.

Now he's got him.

(bilingual hip-hop music)

♪ Mmm.

♪ General.

¿Qué pasa?

Qué pedo?

You seem to be in high spirits for a man who just lost 400 kilos.

I'm trying to...

take it in stride.

(sniffs)

CORTEZ: Is that what I think it is?

The Colombians wanted me to find the rata.

I found the rata.

Cochi's got some great skills with the Kn*fe, no?

Hah, who's laughing now, pendejo?

(laughs)

I hate to tell you this, compa, but I can say with all certainty, you decapitated an innocent man.

CORTEZ: There's your rata right there.

Camila's been talking to the DEA agent that set her up?

Is this even real?

I'm afraid so.

Camila is playing you.

She wants the business back.

And you?

What do you want?

I simply want to be at the right hand of someone who's got a hold of this business.

I realize that you have a delicate situation on your hands.

What, just 'cause our kids are engaged to be married you don't think I'll k*ll the bitch?

Did you forget?

BOAZ: Camila better watch her ass and her damn head.

Damn it!

(tense music)

♪ JAMES: As soon as the Sheriff's out the way, his roadblocks will stop.

La Comisión, they own border guards, you know?

They can wave our shipments through.

(chatter on police radio)

James.

TERESA: The cops are coming in this direction.

(sirens wailing)

Let's go.

(tires screech)

Freeze.

Do not move.

JAMES: It's Mayo.

How the hell did he find us?

(suspenseful music)

♪ Show me your hands.

♪ REPORTER: (speaking Spanish)

MAID: (speaking Spanish)

CAMILA: (speaking Spanish)

♪ Get down.

Let's go.

Come on.

Go.

Why aren't you taking us to jail?

Well, I never said you were under arrest.

MAYO: But we do have business that needs to be settled.

MAYO: Let's get out.

Get out.

Get out.

On your knees.

Put your face on the ground.

Oh, my God, it's the reporter.

I think you know Mr.

Espinoza.

I don't know who you think we are.

Hey, hey, hey, let's cut the bullshit, shall we?

Save us all a lot of time and grief.

You wanted my attention, right?

Now you got it.

Then let's keep it between us.

You can let him go.

MAYO: You're the one that brought him into this.

Poking around my business.

And then out of the blue, this reporter calls me, starts telling me about this video he got sent.

So I'm thinking you sent it to him.

Get up.

On your knees.

Get up.

Look at me.

Look at me.

He asked me if I have any comment before he goes public with it, like he's fixin' to stick it up my ass.

Gonna stick it up my ass.

-Like he's got me by the balls.

SAM: (grunts)

MAYO: So, you know, he says that to me, and suddenly, I got a question for him.

(suspenseful music)

♪ Hold this.

Hold this pen!

Stick it out there.

That's good.

You keep it there.

(breathing rapidly)

Okay, so, my question is...

Is the pen truly mightier than the sword?

Don't do this.

(muffled whimpers)

MAYO: Ah!

SAM: (muffled screams)

It would appear not.

(whimpering)

(blade swishes, sloshes)

SAM: (gurgles)

(grunts)

(body thumps)

From the look of things, you should not have sent that video.

MAYO: This is my town.

I got eyes everywhere.

You think I don't know who you are?

You think I don't know you got a $10 million bounty on your head?

We can double that for you in cash.

We'll give it to you and we'll get out of Phoenix tonight.

You think I just started this life yesterday, son?

I'll stay with you until someone brings the money.

-I'll stay with you.

MAYO: You shut up.

You'll stay with me?

Yeah, you'll stay with me.

Tonight.

Time and place of my choosing.

MAYO: Try and play me, my first call will be to Camila Vargas.

Aaron, put this woman in my car.

AARON: Come on.

This way.

Bury him.

After all, it was you two got him k*lled.

♪ ♪ (woman vocalizing)

How could you let them take her?

We didn't have a choice.

They were gonna k*ll us right there.

They would've had to k*ll me first.

He could be selling her to Camila right now.

Mayo's a greedy pig.

If he could get more money out of us, that's exactly what he's gonna try.

They wouldn't have left me alive otherwise.

When they meet for the money drop, we get one sh*t.

We have to take the Sheriff out.

Him and his deputy.

If he show his face.

(cell phone vibrating)

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Listen.

There's an old drive-in in Mesa.

I'll sh**t you the address, okay?

That's where he wants to meet.

TERESA (over phone): Send Pote with the money, okay?

I understand.

One hour.

POTE: She wants us to take the Sheriff out.

Are you sure you can even handle this?

You worry about Teresa, not me.

(engine revs)

(somber music)

TERESA: Why do you treat your own people like this?

Why you say that?

These ain't my people.

I'm my own people.

Anyway, it's for their own good.

(baby crying)

MAYO: You see that little mocoso there?

It's criminal what his parents are doing to him, the kind of life they're condemning him to.

Me, I was born right here in Arizona.

This is my state.

My county.

But some people still don't see it that way, you know.

They see this handsome face, and they see a criminal.

A welfare leech.

And you know why?

It's because of them.

That's why.

I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten my ass kicked by white kids when I was growing up.

(chatter on police radio)

I gotta be twice as hard on my own kind to change people's perceptions.

All my life I've been hearing about White Man's Burden.

Then I finally come to realize that I'm laboring under Mayo's Burden.

It's like it's my own personal cross to bear.

It's what it is.

(cell phone vibrates)

TERESA: He's on his way with the money.

MAYO: If I get even a whiff that something's off, you're dead.

REPORTER: (speaking Spanish)

♪ (tense music)

♪ Okay.

Bring it here.

You're not touching sh*t while she's still in the car.

Boss?

We're gonna get out nice and slow.

Don't do nothing crazy and get yourself sh*t.

♪ ["Everybody Wants to Rule the World" playing] ♪ (singing in Spanish)

♪ MAYO: Aaron?

What's up?

♪ Ah, sh*t.

The money's fake.

POTE: Run, Teresa.

MAYO: sh**t at the bitch.

♪ Ah!

♪ (g*nsh*t)

♪ Let's go, let's go.

Vámonos.

♪ ♪ (grunts)

♪ Mami!

Mami, no.

(groans)

♪ Isabela, it's okay.

♪ REPORTER: This was the scene a short while ago after a sh**t involving two police officers.

We have few details at this time, but we're told Sheriff Mayo is in critical condition.

JAMES: If he survives, we're done.

La Comisión will come after us hard.

I thought you were a better sh*t.

You know why this happened.

JAMES: You were ten feet away from him.

You missed.

POTE: Teresita.

They hurt me bad in Malta.

I've been trying to fix it, but it's not getting better.

Why didn't you tell me how bad it was?

Because I am a soldado.

This is all I know.

This is what my father raised me to be.

If I cannot take care of my patrón, I don't belong here any more than you--than your gabacha.

I might not be able to fire a b*llet, but I can take one for you.

And I will.

REPORTER: Reporter Sam Espinoza remains missing at this hour.

His wife has told police she hasn't heard from her husband in two days.

Espinoza was investigating...

Let's get one of these bags and replace it with real cash.

And deliver it to the journalist's wife.

Anonymously.

JAMES: Good idea.

CASTEL: We are so relieved that you're safe.

My uncle is beside himself.

The worst part of it is that it was a desecration to Epifanio's memory.

CAMILA: The sicario was one of Boaz's men.

You still expect me to lay down to him?

You do what you need to do.

CASTEL: You'll get no interference from me or mine.

Thank you, Castel.

Give my regards to Reynaldo.

I will.

(ominous music)

♪ Now we have the Colombians' full support.

I couldn't have done it without you, General.

Boaz fell in your trap like a hen to a fox.

Heroin was your idea.

But you knew that photo of you and Agent Loya would push him into an att*ck.

Bravo to both of us.

Salud.

Salud.

(groans)

I'll mobilize my men.

We'll move on Boaz immediately.

An att*ck on the Governor cannot go unanswered, especially one that left a poor, innocent widow dead.

Speaking of which, that double you hired...

You could've done better.

CORTEZ: Closest I could find on short notice.

Not everyone has a figure like yours.

♪ ♪ Hi, congratulations, missy.

We own the place.

KELLY: Your tech guy's been here all day.

We're ready to go.

Everything is set up for point of sale.

IVAN: Your work space is air-gapped and soundproofed, meaning that you are impenetrable to surveillance.

JAMES: And we've set up infrared cameras all around the property.

With redundancies, in case we get swept.

What does that mean?

Oh, we installed a backup in the main room, so if one set of cameras is shut down, then we have another one up and running, and the entire system is linked to your phone.

Thank you.

Who else can see this?

IVAN: Anyone you give access to.

(chuckles)

It's a--it's a bit Big Brother.

But trust me, you need it.

And...

congratulations, Teresa.

Your wine club is up and running.

IVAN: You're live on the dark web.

We've got some company.

TERESA: It's La Comisión.

You guys stay here.

(tense music)

♪ TAZA: You have a lot of heart, girl.

I'll give you that.

Just give it to us straight.

TAZA: Mayo's in a coma.

Not expected to regain consciousness.

Good news is the undersheriff who's taking over for him comes cheap.

There'll be a little bit of heat to keep up appearances, but he'll play nice, seeing what happened to his predecessor.

PECAS: You lucked out, mera mera.

You put us all in a world of sh*t, but still we come out smelling like roses.

Do we have a deal?

But you haven't heard the punch line yet.

The guy who found Mayo, maybe saved his life, he's an illegal.

(laughs)

PECAS: Tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor.

Answer the question.

(speaking Spanish)

Are you gonna invite us for some wine or...

Of course.

(cell phone vibrates)

Ah, business.

I have to take this.

Hey, it's Pecas.

Came across a little something here in Phoenix.

You might be interested.

There's only one way the Sheriff could've known about us.

Someone in La Comisión sold us out.

One of them probably cut a side deal with Mayo.

If not all of them.

TERESA: Taza backed me.

Pecas tried to stop me from moving against Mayo.

JAMES: I'd say he's a likely candidate.

(chuckles)

(exhales deeply, clears throat)

(wine glasses clinking)

To our prosperous future doing business together.

♪ TERESA: To our future.

Salud.

♪ (film reel whirring)

(typewriter keys clacking)