The Lieutenant & The Money Changer

James POV during Season One.

Disclaimer: No money is made from this. This is for entertainment only! All of the verbal dialogue is taken directly from the episode.

Chapter One- Cuarenta Minutos (S1:E2)

I was watching the monitors and I saw Aveline collapse. Another one dead! Damn it! My fist contacts with the table. It stings, but I barely feel it. I watch them cut into her stomach to salvage as many bags as possible. Wasted money if they don't work quick. How much of my time was wasted training her?

I enter the room with authority.

The Charger looks up at me. "22," is all he tells me.

I have to see if I can salvage anymore. I roll up my sleeve and reach into Aveline's stomach and search for a moment before I come back bloody, but with one more bag. "23." I say as I head toward the sink to clean the dead mule's blood from my hand. That's the only way I can think about Aveline without showing my emotions.

To add to my problems. I find out that Camilla's new obsession, Teresa, ran. I know she is busy right now, but Camilla needs to know. A quick text is all that's necessary. 'Teresa tried to run"

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I join Camilla in the 'hall' near Teresa's cell to inform her of the shit going on right now.

"How many have we lost?" She is upset, understandably.

"We lost two bags." I respond.

Camilla asks the question that has be plaguing us for a while now. "Why do they keep bursting?"

The charger blames my chemist. "It's the new chemist. He still doesn't know what is happening. You know?"

"Why are you calling him the new chemist? He's the old chemist now." Camilla turns to me. "And since you found him, you tell him."

I give a curt nod in reply but I don't verbalize a reply, afraid of incurring her wrath in front of everyone.

"Han's plane is leaving soon. Have you thought of a way of delivering to him?" Camilla asks.

"No. Not yet. I mean, this basically happened now." Charger responds.

I look at him. "Let's figure it out. Fast."

"Yeah." Is all he tells me.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

Camilla enters the cell and talks to Epifanio on the phone while Teresa listens. Camilla can't understand Epifanio's obsession with the girl, but she knows Teresa can be useful on many fronts. I tune out the conversation in the cell to discuss ideas with the idiots in front of me. I tune back in when I hear Camilla say to us in Spanish "Drug her up and put her to work."

Is it really necessary? I see Teresa panic. She a pretty Hispanic girl curly black hair that reaches just past her shoulders with milk chocolate eyes. She just wants to live. I see it in those damn brown orbs. She'll do anything to ensure that. Camilla seems to notice this too and stops her goons before they inject her.

Teresa refuses to answer Camilla's questions. I see her go to leave and I think I might actually need to intervene, even though that is not my position.

Before I could say anything, Teresa shouts to her, "Wait!" A pause and Camilla actually turns around to look at Teresa. Teresa continues "I can be more for you. I'll deliver the drugs." I shift positions near the wall, uncomfortable with her suggestion. Not what I expected! Is she stupid? Didn't she hear our conversation? The bags keep bursting!

"I heard what you said." Okay so she did hear. Then why is she so willing to die!

"I'll deliver the drugs that your mule didn't."

Camilla seems impressed by her offer, but need to check her sincerity. Is she saying it to save herself or is she serious? "Well, if you heard us, you know there's problems with the balloons. The police as much as we know what they're doing, they know what we're doing. They can stop the car you're in."

"I said I'll do it." Teresa responds quietly and seriously.

We leave the cell. Camilla tells me to "Get her prepped."

I can't help but fire back and show the same concern she did a moment a go in a hushed tone. "What's the point? She'll just die too."

"Don't worry about her. Better her than the girl you spent months training."

Don't placate me woman! Yeah, I'm pissed that Aveline is dead, but "I don't care about her. I care about getting those drugs to Han. But if she dies first, what's the point?"

"You hired a chemist you shouldn't have, not me." Now Camilla's anger is evident and directed at me as she continues to hiss. "So you don't have another choice but to drive faster, now, do you? Han is an important client. He gets his shipment. And you? You can take comfort in knowing you had no choice."

God damn it! I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. We can't keep losing mules, but we need to keep clients like Han! Camilla walks away while I'm processing our conversation.

I see Teresa being led away to get ready and I glare at her from a distant. If she saw it, she didn't acknowledge it.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I hold up the camera and tell her to "look at me." I snap a quick picture. "You're gonna need a passport." Is all I tell her as I walk away to prep the documents. I enter the room again and she has begun swallowing the balloons. She's a champ. I try not to stare at her, but it proves difficult when all I can think of is the chances of her being the next dead girl.

"Seventeen" I count as she places it in her mouth. "Eighteen." She coughs. "Keep going. Before we know it she has number twenty- two down. "Just one more." I encourage her with a tone that still sounds like I'm ordering her to keep the promise she made.

"Now, that's 23. Don't drink or eat anything else until they come up, okay?" The Charger says.

"The plane leaves in about 40 minutes." I give her one more chance to back out. "You understand they could dissolve before then?"

She doesn't offer a response.

We head toward the exit, Camilla picks up Teresa's papers and hands them to me. A medallion is still in her hands. "You were carrying this when they found you." Teresa stares at it for a moment, but then looks back up at Camilla. "It's the only thing you had. The patron saint Malverde. Does it give you faith? Comfort?"

I watch the exchange with furrowed eyebrows, but stay quiet.

"You're gonna need it. Go." And we are off.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I'm in the driver's seat and drive as fast as I can. As we make a turn, her eyes apparently caught the cross hanging from the rearview mirror. "You're religious? That's a laugh."

Just when I compliment her intelligence she says something stupid! "I'm not religious. Whoever they stole this car from is." I respond. I start quizzing her on the passport information so she knows it. "What's your name?" I ask her without any segue as I zig and zag through the Dallas traffic.

"Teresa." Really! I meant her full name. "Teresa what?" I continue my interrogation

"Garcia."

"Address?"

"2414"

No! We have less than forty minutes to make it to the airport and deliver the shipment. We don't have time for this! "7714 Elms Avenue! 77. Study the passport. What's your name?"

"Teresa Garcia."

"Address? Address?"

"7714 Elms Avenue."

"You know driving like a pendejo's not gonna help, right?"

Don't question my driving. I'm trying to keep you alive! "I get there. This is how we do it."

We make a right and I turn to look over my shoulder to make sure no one is following us. When I look back the light is red and there are three idiots in the cross work! "Shit!" I yell as I slam on the brakes. As soon as they are out of my way, I take off again. I sneak a peek at her after I make a left at that light. She looks fine, but I have to hear it from her. "How do you feel? Answer me."

"I don't know."

That's not an answer! I'm going the wrong way on the road, but time is counting down! "If you start feeling numb, tell me."

I make a left and I hit the brakes again, not quite as rough as last time. "Shit!" I hiss. Fucking road work! I hear the worker yell "Can't go through here! The road is closed! It's closed! Can't go through! They're closed here." Cars are closing in on me. "We're never gonna make it." I say realistically.

"We are gonna make it."

See there's that stupidity again! "You've got ten minutes." I finally turn in the seat to face her and I remove my sunglasses, as I realize the shipment won't make it but I can at least keep her alive. "Okay, listen to me. You're not gonna have time."

"No. Drive."

A mule is giving me orders! Hell no! "Throw that shit up now. You're out of time." Please I don't want to lose another one!

"I am not gonna throw it up!"

So stubborn. I love it! Wait, what did I just say? To cover my surprise of my thoughts, I hiss at her. "You're not gonna make it. Throw it up." We are arguing at this point. I've seen the consequences I need to be the voice of reason!

"I am doing this."

Still she fights me. "I'll make you." I say as I reach for her jaw, but my hands end up on her wrists. I'm doing what I need to in order to protect at least one of Camilla's assets.

"Just get off me, you asshole! Drive!"

I'm still gripping her wrist when I try one more tactic. "That wasn't the first girl who died."

She pauses and looks at me like I might have actually found the sore spot for her. "Okay?" I try to confirm if my suspicions are correct. "And I'm not having that again."

"Well, then, I'm gonna die too, because I'm not gonna throw that shit up."

How stupid is she? I glare at her, but she continues her speech anyway.

"So you better put your car in gear, and you better get me to the airport on time. I am doing this job. Drive."

I'm still glaring at her for a moment, before I give up reasoning with this stubborn woman. I turn back to the wheel and put my sunglasses on again. I turn to look at her profile one last time "You're gonna die." I sigh and I start driving again!

I am finally close. The light is red, but I don't even slow down as I drive straight through.

"Airport! Airport!" Teresa yells at me pointing to the right.

"I know where I'm going." I go to pass a silver pickup on the left and I hear the metal crunch on my side as a SUV T-Bones us. I pause for a moment to catch my bearings. I realize we have to finish this running. I unhook my seat belt and get out of the car. Teresa follows my lead, thank god! I grab our 'luggage' out of the back seat through the window and begin moving.

I see our finally turn, the entrance to check in. "Follow me." I say as I'm still jogging.

We are still running until I see a self-check in. I type our information in faster than I thought possible and our boarding passes print. We take off again!

We reach security. Time to make us seem like a normal couple and not a lieutenant and a mule.

"Next." The TSA agent waives us to the desk.

"Whew! See? We made it." I look at her as I speak. I turn back to the TSA agent and chuckle "Man, she's always so last minute." The agent doesn't care, but it helps our story if I continue so I do. "You know, I told her three hours before, and I get there and then she's still packing." He hands us our passports and passes back. "Thanks." I say as I move to the metal detectors. I put the bag on the belt and I start to prep for the detector. I look at her and nod my head to move in front of me.

She's looking around as they run the wand over her. I rub my face. We need to get through the check point so we can finish this disaster.

Finally, he says the magic word: "Okay."

I move through the detector and she is worried, I see it as she waits for me. The dog is making her nervous. The agent waves me to my belongings. I nod for her to follow me and she does. So she can be trained. We are running again. I slow down as we approach a corridor. I see one of ours walk away from a door and as we slowly pass, I look up and he gives me the signal that he opened the door for us.

We start to pass the bathrooms on our way and she pulls my arm for the ladies' room, but I stop her. "No. That's not where we go." I pull her slightly before I open a door that reads 'Authorized Personal Only'

I turn on the light and shut the door, she is at the sink with her pretty manicured fingers down her throat. "Come on. Get it out of you" I tell her.

She's coughing and gagging while I look for a container to wash the balloons off in. I finally find a 'Maxwell House' coffee can that I empty and turn on the water in the sink. I pick up the ones that have successfully come up and I rinse them. I silently count them as I drop them in the can. No more have come up. We are three short. I encourage her "Three more! Come on."

"Shit. I can't."

What do you mean? We have twenty. "They're starting to dissolve." I tell her. "Come on, Teresa!"

"I can't."

That's not a good answer choice. "Come on. You have to. Three more. Come on! Three more. Come on. Three more." Nothing! "Throw that shit up, now."

"I can't."

Guess I need to be more persuasive. I spot the spot the soap dispenser. I remove the bottle "Here." I pull her back from the sink and squirt the soap in her mouth. Finally, she retches. "There you go. Yeah." I say as I rinse the two of the final three balloons. She's trying to get the soap out, but I'm focused on the coke. She steps back from the sink and picks the third and final bag up. I dump the can into a baggie. She hands me the balloon she has. I add it to the baggie and place it in the duffle I have been carrying.

She's panting as she tells me "We're good."

I turn toward her and want to say something to comfort her, but we don't have time and it's not appropriate right now.

We begin walking back through the airport. I have the duffle on my left shoulder and my jacket in my right hand. Teresa is following, but is behind me on my right. Han is in a khaki raincoat. We make eye contact for a second and he moves from his spot on the wall and slips the duffel off my shoulder onto his with practiced ease. For once, Teresa is smart if she is unsure of what just happened she says nothing. I put my leather coat back on as we hit the escalator to leave from a surprisingly successful shipment.

When we are outside again, I hail a taxi since our stolen car was hit and we left it in the middle of the intersection.

We're in the taxi and she asks one question, just not the one I expected. "How did you know about the soap thing?"

I pause thinking of the answer I want to tell her; I decide to tell the truth. I'm rarely honest like this. I don't know if it is because I don't know her or if I care about more that I want to, "When I was a kid, I was trying to ditch school. I drank half a bottle. Never did it again."

I expected something vocal from her, but for once she is quiet as a mouse. I look at her. I decided I didn't know what to say. The rest of the ride was spent silent.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I enter Camilla's club office. She seems distracted, but I speak anyway. Here we can be honest. "Hey. She did it." I say as I take a seat in the chair in front of her desk after her nod it was okay.

I pull out my cigarettes and rub a hand over my face to help wipe away the stress from today.

"Epifanio agreed to our terms." Camilla says as I light a cigarette.

"You don't seem pleased about that." I say noting her indecisiveness.

I watch her as she looks back up at me. "I just don't think he would concede so easily."

"Well, maybe he's reaching out." I offer as I play with the cigarette in my hand, rolling it slightly. "Maybe it's his way of making peace."

"Or maybe he doesn't think I'm gonna be here next year."

I take a drag off of my cig to process that thought. Before I can respond to that statement, she segues to the other topic of interest, hers and Epifanio's. Mine too if I'm honest with myself. How is one tiny curvy Hispanic girl causing so much stress.

"You know, this Mendoza girl? Keep an eye on her."

I pull a second cig out and light it. I have to be careful to guard how I respond to Camilla's ideas about Teresa. Since, I don't know how I feel about her.

"I think she might be more useful than I thought. I want you to talk to her. You need to get her to trust you. Tell her, if she's thinking of running away, she shouldn't. If she's thinking of going to the police, they will send her to the ICE, and they'll ship her right back to Mexico. And sooner rather than later, my husband will find her. Tell her, if she wants to die, she should run. If she wants to live, she should stay with me."

I sit relaxed in the chair taking a drag of the cigarette in my hand so that I can act nonchalant about the topic. I need to think about how I feel on the topic. Camilla walks out while I'm deep in thought. She doesn't mention my distraction other than a quick hand on my left arm. I remain seated and think while I finish my cig.