Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 16, Episode 15 - Undercover Mother - full transcript

In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses are
considered especially heinous.

In New York City,
the dedicated detectives

who investigate
these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as
the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

[Benson] Van 1, Benson
and Rollins on Howard street.

Party in progress.

Street's quiet.

What do you have on Lafayette?



[Fin] Car 1, all quiet here.

Still freezing our nuts off.

[Amaro] Funny, it's 70 degrees
in Balmy a block west on Crosby.

[Benson] I'm not asking
for a weather report, guys.

[Dance music thumping]

♪ ♪

Carisi hasn't moved
in 20 minutes.

I'll goose him.

Okay, yeah, five minutes.

[Phone buzzes]

_

Hey, what are we talking here?
Five minutes or five hours?

'Cause my wife
gets home at 11:00.

Five minutes.



It's worth the wait.

They're young and fresh.

Better be.

Carisi says girls
are on their way.

I got a minivan with
blacked out windows.

Minivan, two in the front.

All right, chicas,
time to work.

[Benson] Wait a minute.

We know this woman.

That's Selena.

We got her son out of Mexico.

She's back to doing
what she knows.

Fin, Amaro, all units.

The female handler
is known to us.

[Benson] We'll have to secure
her before she gets upstairs.

Copy that.

Targets are in position
on Howard street.

Copy that.

[Benson] We'll get the
girls, you go up.

[Door buzzes]

Selena.

Mm-hmm.
[Door buzzes]

NYPD!
Let's go!

Ladies, hands up.

Hands up, you know the drill.

Up, now!

[Rollins]
Come in a line, form a "v."

Come on, get your hands up.

You know the drill, come on.

We're going this way.

- Come on, come with me.
- You got it?

- Got it.
- Let's go, let's go.

- Let's go.
- Mouths shut, entiende.

How about you shut your mouth?

Up against the rail.
Let's go.

No entiendo, no habla ingles.

Save it, sweetie,

'cause I know
that you speak English.

Police!
Nobody move!

[Amaro] Everybody down, down.

Do it now, down.

Don't shoot.
I'm just getting a drink here.

Put your hands
where I can see them.

[Amaro] Cover me.

[Fin] Keep your hands up.

Over here.

It's a private party.
It's legal.

You run this place?

I'm a waitress.

Come on, it's just a party.

Party's over.
Get down.

[Carisi]
Hey, man, I got to get home.

I got to go home.

Not tonight, Romeo.

Everybody's going to jail.

Come on.

On your feet.

Let's go.

Come on.

Come on.

If you work with us,
we can help you.

Podemos ayudar.

I don't need your help.
I didn't do anything.

After everyone's processed,

take this piece of crap
into holding.

- No entiendo nada.
- Yeah.

[Rollins] You had five
underage girls in your van.

Entiendes that?

They're all 18.
Check their ids.

We did.
They're all fake.

Are those the girls?
The girls from the van?

I'm guessing you already know
the answer to that question.

Can... who's in charge?

I need to talk
to someone, please.

Please, we're losing time.

You got something?
Better be good.

I'm undercover.

For who?

I've been tracking
this ring for a year.

For who?

They have my daughter.

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

You better hope
this checks out.

I need to talk to those girls
you picked up.

Uh, Vice doesn't know you.

- [Rollins] You're not UC.
- I'm not a cop.

My name is Martha Thornhill.
I'm from Calgary.

My daughter Ariel
was kidnapped three years ago.

And you think she was
taken by traffickers?

I know she was.

I've been tracking her
from Toronto

to Minneapolis to Buffalo.

I've seen her pictures
in backstage, sex ads.

They took her to New York
six months ago.

Did you contact NYPD?

- No.
- Why not?

Toronto police
didn't believe me.

Ariel was 13.

We were on vacation in Toronto.
We were having lunch at a cafe.

I went to pay at the register.
I was gone two minutes tops.

The police thought
my boyfriend and I

had something to do
with her disappearance.

- Did you?
- [Martha] No.

The three days
they spent grilling us,

that's when we lost her.

Why should we believe you?

We just caught you
red-handed trafficking.

Let me show you, please.

_

[Benson] You live here alone?

Yeah, I've been here
for a couple of months.

I have to keep moving around.

- Hold up.
- Okay.

[Light switch clicking]

Liv, you got to check this out.

[Sighs]

[Camera clicking]

Okay.

See?
I'm not a criminal.

[Benson] We're gonna have
to speak with our DA.

You gotta let me go.

Let you go?

You told our uc underage girls
would come into that brothel.

Ariel was supposed to be there.

Your daughter?
How did you know that?

Ariel called me six days ago.

I gave my number
to a girl that knows her.

She didn't even know it was me.

She was crying.
She said, "mommy..."

They won't let me go."

Who is this girl that
you gave your number to?

- Oh, I can't say.
- You have to say.

She doesn't know
I'm Ariel's mom.

She thinks I'm a madam.

She's my only connection
to Ariel.

I'm not giving up
till I find my daughter.

I'm just not.

This woman was pretending
to be a sex trafficker.

That's a new defense.

But the Toronto
police confirmed

that her daughter Ariel
went missing three years ago.

Police suspected
her boyfriend at the time

of Brian Marks.

He was a pot dealer.

[Amaro] Then Marks died of a
heroin overdose last year.

Police were never able
to implicate.

Trail goes cold.

So Martha keeps searching.

She follows leads from Toronto

to Indian reservations
on the border,

Minneapolis, Chicago,
then Buffalo.

I mean, local precincts
just blew her off.

So she goes deeper
into the life, right,

completely putting
herself at risk

and pretending to be a madam

so she could get closer
to these girls.

Touching story.

Tell me how posing
as a criminal

and engaging
in criminal activity

doesn't make you a criminal?

She's recorded every single job

that she's ever done,

every single pimp
who's ever supplied girls

to the houses
that she's worked for.

I mean, she's better
than any UC we've seen.

That's because
she wasn't undercover.

She's an actual trafficker,
and she's done.

Hold on, she's been
searching for her daughter.

I understand.

And assuming that she
hands over all her records

and turns state's evidence,

I might take that
into consideration.

- Oh, you might?
- Yeah.

It's taken her three years
to get this far.

She's not gonna work with us

unless we help her
get her daughter back.

She's not going back in.

Well, then maybe we
go in for her.

You're gonna charge me?

[Barba] You broke the law.

Kidnapping, sex trafficking.

You are looking at 20 years.

My daughter has been passed from
pimp to pimp for three years.

I've been in New York
the past year.

You've done nothing.

I finally find the pimp
who has her.

You decide to move in now?

You're running a brothel.

I'm infiltrating
to get to Ariel's pimp.

You scared him off.
She might be lost forever.

Martha, we're gonna keep
looking for her.

Please, please,
let me keep looking.

No, you're out of this game.

And if you do not
want to do time,

we need your names, your intel,
all of it.

Martha, the girl who gave
Ariel your phone number,

that's where we start.

I can't.
It'll blow my cover.

I promised her I wouldn't
give her away to anyone.

Well, guess what, you lied.

You thought that Ariel was
gonna be delivered last night?

Selena told my boss
she was gonna bring seven girls.

Then she calls and says
she's just gonna bring five.

Her pimp held back two

so that he could
discipline them.

Who's the pimp?

They call him Timmer.

If a girl gets out of line,

he boot-stomps them
in front of the others.

Who told you that?

I have not saved
my daughter yet,

but I've bought and sent home
six girls.

Bought?

Yes, if a girl causes
enough trouble,

a pimp will sell her for $1,200.

It's a slave trade.

Where do you get the money?

Donations from my church.

Come on, it's a cash business.

The pimps deliver the girls
at the beginning of the night.

When the night's over,
they take them home.

They get 70%.
The house gets the rest.

You were going to buy back
Ariel last night, weren't you?

And her friend.

The girls we picked up
should know Ariel, then.

They're not gonna talk to you.
Timmer owns them.

Not anymore.
And you have a choice:

Cooperate with us
or I'll charge you.

Please, please,
please don't do this.

Please, 'cause my daughter
might be lost forever.

Please.

I promise you,

I'm gonna do everything I can
not to let that happen.

_

You can't keep me here.

You said I wasn't under arrest.

You're 16 years old.

There's a missing persons
report out on you

from West Virginia.

We can send you back home.

[Scoffs] Home.

My step-dad pimped me out
to begin with, so...

Okay, well, we can
put you someplace safe.

We're not gonna put you
back out on the street.

What are you gonna do?

Nail the windows shut?
Lock the doors?

Like Timmer?

- Who?
- I know he's rough with you.

Timmer, Timmer.

I've seen the photos.

Hmm, this?

Yeah, that's nothing.

Just let me go back, okay?

I've got nothing for you.

Okay, listen, come here.

Help me out.
Do you know this girl?

Ariel?

She still alive?

That snow bunny?

That's who this is all about?

So you know her.

Was she supposed to be
at the party last night?

Till she mouthed off.

Timmer stomped the crap
out of her in front of us.

Where is she now?

How long I got to stay here?

I didn't do nothing.

Just let me go.

All right, not today, Pilar.

Fine, arrest me.

Timmer will post bail
or throw me to social services.

I go to a shelter.

I do the night guy.
He lets me run away.

And then you call Selena.

You're catching on.

Lose your girlfriend.

I'll do you right now,
whatever you want.

Never seen her before.

I don't believe you.

You're lying.
Where is she?

We're wasting our time.

In case you're wondering,

child services
picked up your son.

He's in their custody.

Miguel, mijo.
How is he?

What do you care?

We get him out
of Mexico for you,

and instead of making
a home for him,

you go right back
to trafficking underage girls?

I mean, you are
one hell of a mother.

I was just going to a party.

That's not what
the girls are saying.

Lil' mamas, those girls,
all they do is lie.

And you taught 'em.

You know what, Nick?

She is lying.

I'm out of here.
I'm wasting my time.

What about Miguel?

What about him?

No one's gonna
let you post bail,

so he'll go into foster care.

And there is not a judge
in New York

who will ever let you
have him back.

And once you get sent upstate,

you're gonna see him
once a year, maybe.

Man.

Let's get out of here.

Forgetting about
this desgraciada

After we walked out on Selena,
she had a lawyer call.

She wants to see her son again.

Well, I hope you didn't
make her any promises.

Did she give up Timmer?

No, but she did give us
an address

to a party house in queens,
Hollis Court Boulevard,

says she and Timmer
rotate girls there.

Okay, anything on the owners?

LLCS within LLCS,
you know how it is.

Martha, do you recognize this?

I've been there.

The madam's name is Tracy.

[Benson]
Okay, do we run the block?

Yeah, well, it's a rough crowd.

In the last six months,
five 911 calls

for assault, for drunk driving.

They were all investigated,
but no charges were filed.

Somebody's paying off
that precinct.

How about I go in,
I get eyes inside?

How about we stake it out first

so we know what it is
we're dealing with?

But if you see Ariel,
you move in.

We will, if we can.

_

They start early.

It's the lunch rush.

[Camera shutter snapping]

[Indistinct chatter]

Think we got our Timmer.

[Indistinct chatter]

Three girls.

[Fin]
Different crowd from Manhattan.

More ethnic.

[Rollins]
Selena's tip was good.

Well, that won't
help her cause.

Look, I don't see
our girl, do you?

No.

Maybe she's on the other side
of the van.

Hey, do you guys see Ariel?

Not yet.

[Indistinct shouting]

This girl's not gonna make it.

There's always one
having a bad day.

That could be Tracy.

[Fin] She must be pissed 'cause
that girl's strung out.

[Rollins]
Can you tell what's going on?

Maybe she's not happy
with the delivery.

She sent him back
for more girls.

Okay, copy.

Well, let's follow him
back to the nest.

We're staying with the van.

Copy, we'll stay
with the house.

Looks like Carisi's driving.

Great.

Okay, slow down, fly boy.

I got it.
I got it.

He'll lose him.

Give Carisi a break.

You want to bet?

Hold up.

We got a supplier.

Easy, easy, man.

That's what I'm doing.

[Fin] Damn.

He's testing us.

So what?
Do a yoo-ee too?

Nah, he's not stupid.

Let him go.

He's coming right back past us.

I told you Carisi
would lose him.

Okay, Nick, relax, okay?
The guy made a u-turn.

Now none of us can follow him
without setting off alarms.

- He was smart.
- Yeah, I'll relax.

- But we got nothing.
- Okay, maybe.

We still got our
beer delivery guy, right?

Illegal delivery of alcohol

to an unlicensed,
noncommercial establishment?

Yeah, it is worth
a conversation.

Let's... let's give them
some lead, all right?

We don't want to pull him over
anywhere near this house.

You know why
we pulled you over?

Tommy?

I don't know.

Missed your quota last month?

How about illegal distribution
of alcohol to a residence.

They're having a party.

Does your boss know
you deliver to a brothel?

Or your wife?

You guys kidding me?

Come on, man,
I'm trying to make a living.

Yeah, sounds like
an admission to me.

[Cuffs clicking]

There you go, okay.

That's Timmer.

Okay, Martha, anyone else?

I know that Asian girl.

That's Nina.
That's Ariel's friend.

That's who I gave my number to.

Okay, good, keep going.

Um...

No Ariel.

Nina says Timmer
uses her a lot.

Either...

She's injured, or...

Listen to me, Martha.

We're doing everything
we can, all right?

I'm gonna get started on these.

And I want you to keep looking

to see if you recognize
anyone else.

I'll be right back.

Martha identified
two of the girls

and the pimp, Timmer.

You run the plates?

Upstate rental minivan.

It's licensed
to a nonexistent church.

[Fin] The guy's cautious.

He makes sure
no one can follow him.

So far, he hasn't crossed
any Bridges or tunnels.

Okay, so we know that the girls
are housed in queens.

But no sign of Ariel?

Not even in a disguise?

No, most of these girls
were ethnic.

I mean, it's a lower-rent crowd
than the loft.

A little white girl like Ariel
would be considered high-class.

Could be a special request.

Snow bunnies bring in
the big bucks.

We need to get into that house.

[Rollins]
Tomorrow's super bowl Sunday.

And we grabbed
half of his girls

at the Manhattan loft.

So he is going to be working

every single one of them
that he's got.

It's also a big day
for beer delivery.

Your friend Tommy,
he lawyer up yet?

Not yet.

I think he's afraid
of calling his wife.

I told you, I deliver beer.

That is all I do.

You never get
a little on the side?

You want to honestly
sit there and tell us

that you don't know
what goes on in that house?

Well, it doesn't take
a rocket scientist...

If I help you guys out,

you let me go home?

We'll see.

Same girls every day, hmm?

No, it varies.

They mix it up.

Different girls, I don't know,

every couple weeks.

How about for special events?

They bring the best girls
and invite the best clients.

150 bucks just
to get in the door.

It's very high-class.

Those are big delivery days
for me.

Kind of like super bowl Sunday.

That's why you got to let me
go back there tomorrow.

It's my biggest day
of the year.

Tell you what.

We'll take that delivery
off your hands.

[Rollins] Surveillance shows a few
pimps and five girls already inside.

[Amaro] Okay, got it.

Okay, give us the word
as soon as you get in.

Rollins and Carisi will cover.

You get a bad feeling,
you get out of there.

[Amaro] Okay.

[Knocking]

- Hey.
- Who are you?

Tommy sent me.

One of his kids is sick
or something.

No, he should have called.

Damn, lady, why don't you
call him yourself?

I'm just doing him
a favor here.

I got eight cases here,
more in the van,

and it's a busy day.

Do you want 'em or not, huh?

All right, come on.

All right, now.

[Amaro] Where do you want 'em?

[Woman] Table.

Here's good?

That's the table, ain't it?

Hey, how you doing?

Hey, how old are these girls?

What do you care?

NYPD.

Hands where I can see them.
Hey.

NYPD!
Hands up!

Hands, now.

Put those phones
down on the table now.

Get down.

You serving minors, huh?

What the hell is this?

You shaking me down
on super bowl Sunday?

Consider it a hostile takeover.

Come on.

This house is now our house.

Which one of these
is your phone?

The leopard one.

If you're the cops,
where's the warrant?

It's on its way.
Now listen to me.

If you work with us,
we'll work with you.

What are you talking about?

The party is gonna
go on as planned.

But you're gonna tell us
who's coming.

How many Johns, pimps, girls.

[Fin] No surprises.

And when they bust them,
we're gonna bust you too.

You make it look good,

nobody's gonna ever know
that you cooperated.

If I say no?

Amanda, how many underage girls

- you got over there?
- We got two.

You say no, you're talking
federal charges.

I didn't know, I swear.

Save it.

This girl...

She ever work here?

Haven't seen her in a week.

Maybe she got arrested.

She didn't.

Make some calls, get her here.

Yo, I don't even know
who she with.

[Carisi] Well, find out.

And then tell the pimp
that you got a special request.

You got a whale here
who's willing

to pay top dollar
for snow bunnies.

I'll do what I can.

Yeah, you will.
Stand up.

Un-cuff her.

Listen, anybody asks,
I'm Bethany.

I'm here to help you out
for the day.

And I'm your new supplier.

I'm with some girls here
fresh from Vice.

And I'm your whale.

Make the Cal

I need six of the
youngest-looking UCs you've got,

appropriately dressed.

I also need the house
wired for sound and video.

Yes, today.

Asap, thank you.

So Ariel will be at the party?

We've put in a request.

Timmer said that
he'd make some calls.

Okay, okay, all right,
I'll come with.

No, no, Martha.

That's not happening.

I know Tracy and Timmer.
I know how they work.

Listen, you need
to go to your apartment.

You need to take care
of yourself and get some sleep.

I don't sleep.

I've slept a total
of two hours a night

over the past three years.

When Ariel's back,
I will sleep.

I don't know how
you're still standing.

Well, moms don't sleep.

You know that.

They told me
you have a little boy.

Does he ever get sick?

Too often.

Oh, when Ariel was little,

she used to get
the worst ear infections.

She couldn't sleep.

If I left the room, she'd cry.

So I'd have to sit by her side.

I would read, I would sing,

till she fell asleep.

And then I would just
sit and watch her.

I wasn't tired at all.

I want that back.
I want her back.

Please, let me be there.

Are you going
to a super bowl party?

Um... something like that.

Well, I'm glad
you're getting out.

[Doorbell dings]
Ah, that's my date.

Oh, do you want me to get it?

Come here, yeah.

- Come here, big boy.
- He wants to go to you.

- Come here, big boy.
- There you go.

I'm gonna miss you.

I'm gonna miss you tonight.

But you know what?

Next week, just you and me.

All week.

Ready to roll?

Ha, let's do this.

Okay.

Good night, little love.

Love you.
Love you.

Okay, player, is this more
like what you're looking for?

Oh, you a Seahawks fan?

I'll make sure nothing's
under-inflated tonight.

You do that, baby.

[Carisi] So you want to put your
money on the pats, all right?

They're gonna make sure
new England wins this,

even if they got to rig
the last play of the game.

[Man] Come on, now.

All right, let's go, ladies.

Mix, mingle.

Gonna be busy tonight.

Uh-uh, uh-uh.

Who the hell is she?

She's my sister-in-law Bethany.

Works a house in Nassau county.

I told you I needed the help.

We expecting a big night.

Are those your girls?

Which ones do special requests?

[Laughs]

They do what I tell them to do.

That's what I like to hear.

You let me know
if you need anything.

Will do.
[Chuckles]

[Martha] You said she
was going to be here.

Where's Ariel?

Carisi says he hasn't seen her.

She's not working tonight.

Wait.
Who's that?

[Martha] It's not a car I know.

Hey.

Where's my blonde, huh?

The skinny one
with the nice rack?

She'll be here, but...

While you're waiting...

Why don't you let my girl Nina
take care of you, huh?

There we go.

He has money.

Is Ariel actually coming?

She'll be here, okay?

Let me make another phone call.

Mystery pimp just pulled up
in the driveway.

Timmer was the last pimp
on that list that Tracy gave us.

Then we got a problem.

Hey.

Who just arrived in
the black escalade?

The bishop.
His ass crazy.

Timmer must have
called him about Ariel.

But he's alone.

You like that, baby?
I know you do.

[The bishop] Timmer.

Who are these trespassers?
I don't know them.

I'm with Tracy.
We're all friends here.

You're no friend of mine, ma'am.

- Aah, what the...
- Shut up, bitch.

Hey, you.

Never speak to
a woman like that.

You're done.

The game hasn't
even started yet.

- Back off.
- Yours is over.

Who are you?
I don't know you.

[The bishop] Now you do!

[Men shouting]

Take it easy, man.

I don't know you either,
superfly.

That's it, this party's over!

Drop your gun.

You're sick, boyo.

I pray you didn't invite
a pig to the party.

Drop the gun.

All right, all right, darling.

- Just take it easy.
- I said drop the gun.

Tracy, tell your bitch here
to take a step back.

NYPD!

[Rollins] Drop the weapon!

Come on, man!

Everybody drop your weapons.

- You sold me out, you're dead.
- I didn't, man!

- You're dead!
- I didn't!

I didn't, man.
I swear to you I didn't!

Everybody here is under arrest.

Give me that gun.

Turn around.

Do I want to know
why you're dressed like that?

We were undercover
at a brothel,

and before we could...

Wait, back up.
Who's we?

Me, Fin, Carisi,
the whole squad.

The whole squad was
undercover at a brothel

on super bowl Sunday?

We don't need
to get your approval.

And we made some good arrests,

and Martha ID'd Timmer.

Martha was there?

I told you she
couldn't be involved.

Sorry.

Sorry? That's it?

Actually, what I was
trying to tell you

is that before
we could rescue Ariel,

Declan shows up,
deep undercover as a trafficker.

And we had to arrest him.

Declan Murphy,
your former lieutenant.

Undercover for whom, Vice?

I can't speak to that.

See if he can.

- Yo, what's up?
- You sold us out.

- It wasn't me...
- Not a word.

We'll cut your balls off,
salt them,

and feed them to the seagulls,
you understand?

Yeah, man.

I said yes.

You two, out.

And you.

No, you, come on.

Take your ugly friend with you.

I don't know that dude.

He's crazy, man.

[Carisi] Hey.

Hey, what about me?

Hey, shut up.

You made us miss the game.

What the hell are you doing?
You put a gun in my face,

then you pistol whip
one of our guys?

That mouse job's one of yours?

Okay, let's do
the introductions later.

You want to tell us
what the hell

you were doing back there?

I should ask you the same thing!

Nine months I'm embedding
myself in the trafficking ring,

and you want to blow it
with a super bowl Vice bust?

That's the dumbest,
riskiest day of the year.

Okay, we're looking
for a trafficked girl.

Just one?

I thought I taught you
to think big.

I'm tracking hundreds.
I'm working for Johnny D.

Johnny D?
We don't know him.

Of course you don't.

That's what took me nine months
to figure out.

And now, thanks to you,

I'm gonna have to spend
a week at Rikers

until that gun charge
is dropped.

I hand the reins to you,

and you gotta bollocks
everything up?

Okay, I missed you too, Declan.

We're looking for this girl.

- Ariel.
- [Fin] She alive?

In a sense.
She's damaged goods.

Your friend Timmer
did a number on her

before he sold her to Johnny D.

800 bucks is all he got.

Where does Johnny D keep her?

He's just bought girls from me.

He's never taken me
to his lair.

Buying, wow.

So now you're trafficking.

I'm earning his trust.

And you do not relay that
to 1PP.

Then you...

You tell Johnny D

that you want to buy
Ariel from him.

You overplayed that hand.

He's too smart.
He'll smell the trap.

Listen to me.

I made a promise
to that girl's mother.

That's a promise you're
not gonna be able to keep.

It's too late for Ariel.

Those girls are so broken,
they won't save themselves.

No one's gonna talk.

Johnny D doesn't think twice

about killing
some whore or pimp.

Even a cop.

If alone with him,
given the chance,

I'll put a shiv in him
and just walk away.

But you got to put me
back in holding

before you make
this whole thing worse.

Now, please.

[Rollins] Do you know her?

Her name's Ariel.

I know lots of people.

Come on, where is she?

Nina, helping us
is helping yourself.

I say a word to you,
and Timmer does to me

exactly what he did to her.

What did he do to her?

Everything was supposed to be
all set and ready to go.

This lady pimp...

Martha?

Yeah, Martha.

She was gonna buy us.

Then Timmer walked in on Ariel
on the phone with her,

and he beat her
until she blacked out.

So just call Timmer's lawyer.

I don't want to die.

[Whispering]
I almost got my daughter killed.

You were trying to save her.

Let me talk to Nina.

She knows more
than she's letting on.

She's not gonna help us.

Please.

Please.

I asked for a lawyer.

And I asked
to talk to you first.

You came on like a madam,

said you were gonna
take care of us.

You're just another cop.

I'm not a cop.

- I'm Ariel's mother.
- [Scoffs] Can't be.

Her mom's boyfriend pimped
her out in Canada somewhere.

It's not true.

I've been looking for Ariel

since the day she disappeared.

Ariel has a real mom.

Nobody ever came
looking for me.

Who told you that?

Timmer.

And you believed him?

What do you want from me?

I just want my daughter.

I don't care if you testify.

I don't care about anything.

Just tell me where she is.

I'm sorry.

Nina...

Please, where is she?

Look, this is how it is.

The morning after he beat her,

Timmer drove her to hell.

He killed her?

He took her to Johnny D.

Timmer always talks
about how lucky we are

to be with him.

Johnny D keeps his new girls
chained up for a whole week,

lets all these pimps come in,
do whatever they want to them.

That's how he breaks them.

So this whole thing
was a setup, huh?

So what?

I was at
a super bowl party, baby.

Come on, we know you're a pimp.

We've been following you
for a year.

We tapped your phones,

bugged your house,
and turnt your girls.

[Rollins] Selena, your
bottom, we embedded her.

Martha, the madam, another UC.

It's over.

Nobody's afraid of you anymore.

[Laughs]

Listen, sweetheart.

I'm a local businessman, huh?

With ties to the community.

So...

I think I'll call
my lawyer now, huh?

[Smooches]

[Laughs]

So that's it?
It's over now?

Not yet.
The know what they're doing.

You don't need a lawyer.

Well, it's my right.

We're releasing you
and the bishop.

Illegal search.

Now, bishop thinks
you set him up,

and Johnny D.

So they gonna be waiting on you
when you get outside.

Come on, player,
nobody snitching on them.

That doesn't matter.

It matters what it looks like,

and it looks
like you set him up.

I'm not even looking
at you right now.

I'm looking at a dead man.

Your body just doesn't know it.

I ain't set nobody up,
all right?

Okay, so you want to live.

Where is Ariel?

_

NYPD!

No, no, please, don't!
Please don't...

Okay, take it easy.

I got you.

[Crying] Please, no, please.

It's all right, you're okay.

You're okay.
You're safe.

- You're safe.
- Over there.

I got it.

Hey, hey, listen, you're okay.

It's all right.

[Speaks spanish]

Hey, I need an ambulance!

So far, three girls,
all in bad shape.

No sign of Ariel?

[Girl screaming,
metal clattering]

[Girl] Let go of me!

Someone help!
Please help!

Let go of me!
Stop it!

Hey!
Put your hands up.

[Rollins] Let her go.

[Amaro] Drop the glass.

Drop it now!

[Amaro] Drop the glass.

Johnny D, it's over, all right?

[Benson] Hey.

Let her go.

This is the girl you want?

Say good-bye.

You kill her, you die too.

Is she really worth it?

Let her go.

I want my lawyer.

[Amaro] Drop the glass.

Hands against the door.

Come on.
[Amaro] Spread your legs.

[Amaro] Hands behind your back.

[Whispering] Thank you.
Thank you.

Ariel.

Mommy?

Yeah.

Mommy's here.

You're safe.

You're safe.

It's okay.

You're safe now.

You're safe.

Thank you, Amanda.

You've been under a long time.

You okay?

I'm fine.

Some of these girls
are telling me

that you actually
pimped them out.

You can't believe
a word they say.

They're liars.

Huh.

What about you?
You walking the walk?

Yeah, I hit a rough patch.

But...
What doesn't kill you...

Makes you a better detective.

[Door opens]

Heard you found your girl.

We did.

How is she?

Bruising, fractured ribs.

That'll heal.

The rest, though...

One can only pray.

So we took your man down.

Found him in his lair with
four sex slaves as prisoners.

He'll be going away for life,
for federal charges.

Maybe.

He's trafficked
for over 20 years,

no paper trail,
not a single arrest.

Do not turn your back on him.

Can you come in
from the cold now?

You want me back in charge
that badly?

Hmm.

Johnny D. was the king.

For the time being,
he's out of commission.

That makes me
the heir apparent.

The gun charge.

You should be ashamed
of yourselves

for the illegal search.

It'll get dropped.

I'll be back out on the streets
in no time.

And every trafficker
in the northeast

will be kissing my ring.

So make it look good.

Cuffs?

By the book.

[Cuffs clicking]

Till we meet again.

You have a good team here.

Take care of yourselves.

You too, Declan.

_

[Judge] John Drake,

otherwise known as Johnny D,

how do you plead?

100% not guilty, your honor.

[Judge] Counselor?

Not guilty, your honor.

We request R.O.R.

My client has never had
so much as a parking ticket.

Your honor, he was found
in a hell hole

with girls imprisoned
as sex slaves.

He knows nothing about that.

They were girls he trafficked,
bought and sold.

He was taken while holding
a piece of glass

to one victim's neck.

He was also being held
against his will

when who he perceived
as strangers burst in.

The minute he understood
it was police,

he surrendered.

Your honor, he's looking
at life in prison.

He has the means to flee.

There may be other women
in jeopardy.

If ever a situation
called for remand...

Agreed.

Mr. Drake, you are remanded

to a federal penitentiary
pending trial.

[Gavel pounds]

Can you help me?

Turn it, ready?

Go, and...

Hello, young friend.

Good.
Good one...

[Doorbell dings]

Huh.

Who's that at our door?

Who's that at our door?

Melinda.

Everything okay?

I'm sorry to bother you
at home,

but I wanted to keep this
off the books.

- Oh, okay, come on in.
- Thanks.

Keep what off the books?

I need to know the legal status
of your relationship with Noah.

What? Why?

Just tell me.

Have you started
the adoption process?

Well, there's a pile
of paperwork.

But the second that I'm
allowed to adopt him, I will.

What's going on?

There was a hit...

On Johnny Drake's DNA
when it went through the system.

It was a familial match
in an unrelated case,

which is not discoverable
in Drake's current case.

- He never needs to know.
- Needs to know what?

What are you saying?

What I am trying to tell you...

Johnny D. is Noah's father.