Season 4, Episode 3 of "9-1-1: Lone Star" commences with an emotive ride for Owen and O'Brien, as the latter steers them towards the heart of a haunting tale. O'Brien leads Owen to his nephew Andy's former abode, weaving a melancholic narrative about Andy and his young son, Jake. A year prior, Andy's life became entwined with the sinister web of the Honor Dogs, and mere months before vanishing, he phoned his wife with a chilling message: he wouldn't be returning home. His wife's account paints a picture of fear gripping Andy in his final days, yet the police dismissed his absence as a voluntary departure. O'Brien's quest for truth fuels his involvement with the Honor Dogs, his sole objective—to uncover Andy's fate, though fear of federal incarceration for his nephew lingers. He implores Owen's aid, distrusting the FBI's reach, seeking insight into the group's machinations.
Meanwhile, Carlos and TK find themselves under the scrutiny of a detective investigating Iris's disappearance, the latter's theory rooted in anger over divorce. TK courageously reveals his encounter with Iris, refuting the theory of her voluntary departure, while Carlos's conviction leans towards abduction amidst her work with the homeless. Angered by TK's secret meeting, Carlos admonishes him for not granting Iris more space before rushing to aid in the investigation.
The following dawn brings renewed anxiety for Ryder upon witnessing Owen's bruised eye, which Owen downplays as a mere mishap. A summons from Casey interrupts Owen's workday, her urgency echoed in her voice as she requests his presence at the FBI offices. Owen, though preoccupied, promises to attend post-shift.
The 126 squad is jolted into action by a call reporting a woman's precipitous fall from a cliff. Carlos's heart races with the fear that Iris might be the victim, his interrogation of the woman's boyfriend tinged with urgency and, at times, severity. However, a twist emerges as the detective overseeing Iris's case pulls him aside, revealing the woman to be nothing more than a lifelike sex doll, Krissie. The man's confession of his unconventional relationship and subsequent therapy unravels the misunderstanding. In a compassionate act, Marjan and Strickland stage a heartfelt farewell to Krissie, helping the man embrace closure and move forward.
Later, Owen ventures into the hallowed halls of the FBI offices, where Casey confronts him with the revelation that they are aware the device has found its way back into his possession. Owen, feigning fear, weaves a tale of returning solely to extract the device from its perilous locale. As Casey departs to retrieve another device, Owen, opportunistic, surreptitiously snatches a photograph of Andy from the caseboard, his eyes lingering on the image.
The dawn of the next day brings with it a harrowing 9-1-1 call from Iris, her voice trembling with terror as she utters the words, "I've been kidnapped." Grace, her heart racing, springs into action, guiding Iris through the ordeal while meticulously tracing her location. However, the kidnapper's slumbering form, sprawled atop a mattress, forms an impenetrable barrier, blocking the sole escape route.
In a race against time, Grace enlists Carlos's aid, and together they meticulously narrow down the potential hideout. As the truth dawns, Grace realizes with a jolt that Iris is being held captive within the desolate confines of an abandoned edifice. She swiftly alerts the authorities, and Carlos, fueled by urgency, rushes towards the scene.
Arriving with haste, they embark on a meticulous search, each abandoned house a potential lair. A drone soars overhead, its cameras sweeping the area, in a desperate bid to uncover Iris's whereabouts. But fate deals a cruel blow as the kidnapper stirs from slumber, mere moments before the police can reach her. Grace's connection to Iris falters, leaving her heart in her throat.
Just when all hope seems lost, Iris's piercing scream pierces the silence, a beacon of hope for the officers below. Carlos, fueled by adrenaline, dashes into the house, only to find Iris, barely conscious, her head stained with blood. The paramedics swiftly attend to her, administering first aid amidst her shaken state.
The detective assigned to the case pulls Carlos aside, his voice laced with skepticism. There's no trace of the perpetrator, he informs, casting doubt on Iris's narrative. Iris, transported to the hospital, offers her statement, but the detective's disbelief is palpable. He suspects that Iris's schizophrenia has once again taken hold, despite her diligent medication regimen.
Carlos, his heart heavy with concern, vows to stay by Iris's side, his presence a testament to his unwavering support. TK, his conscience pricked by guilt, concurs that Carlos's presence is vital, recalling his own role in bringing up the matter of divorce with Iris. The weight of their actions hangs heavily in the air, as they grapple with the aftermath of this harrowing ordeal.
Tommy gently admonishes TK, assuring him that self-recrimination is unwarranted. He harbors the misconception that he inadvertently sparked Iris's schizophrenic crisis. While Iris rests in the hospital's embrace, Carlos offers her a steadfast gaze of belief, then departs to reexamine the crime scene, determined to uncover hidden truths.
Concurrently, Owen, a firefighter turned unlikely detective, endeavors to persuade O'Brien to let him aid in the search for his nephew. He pulls out the clandestine photo of Andy, pilfered from the FBI's grasp, and weaves a tale of the Honor Dogs' possible involvement in the theft of ammonium nitrate. Owen speculates that Andy is the FBI's mole and inquiries about the secretive location where the Honor Dogs hone their skills—a place known colloquially as the farm. Together, they devise a cunning strategy to infiltrate this fortress, realizing that entry is granted only to those who bear the group's mark.
Their plan unfolds with a stroke of ingenuity, as they stumble upon a vain pretender in a roadside tavern and manipulate him into revealing the path to the farm. Stealthily, they infiltrate the premises, sneaking into a container-filled chamber where they uncover the stolen ammonium nitrate, alongside an arsenal of weapons.
Owen rushes to a parking garage to rendezvous with Casey, his heart heavy with newfound knowledge. He unloads his findings about the farm and its hidden cargo, only to find himself arrested for his earlier transgression—the theft of Andy's photo. Casey informs him, with a hint of disappointment, that the FBI had already raided the location armed with a warrant, only to discover that the ammonium nitrate had vanished into thin air.
She interrogates him about O'Brien, revealing a shocking twist: O'Brien, an esteemed member of the Honor Dogs, had orchestrated the entire charade to exploit Owen's naivety. He skillfully extracted all the FBI's intelligence on the group, had his men spirit away the ammonium nitrate, and ensured that the Bureau's raid would be fruitless, thereby discrediting their star witness. With a sigh of resignation, Casey releases Owen, declaring their business concluded.
The episode draws to a cliffhanger as Carlos discovers a clandestine underground passage at the crime scene. Following its winding path, he emerges into a secluded house, just as his senses are jolted by a sudden blow to the head. Darkness consumes him, leaving his fate hanging in the balance as he slumps to the ground, unconscious and vulnerable.
