In the fourth episode of Cross season 2, the tension mounts as Alex Cross and Kayla come to the conclusion that Agent Larsson attempted to take Esteban's life. This revelation implies that Esteban acted in self-defense when he killed the man. Although Larsson has been flagged as a corrupt cop, the authorities remain unmoved until their investigation is complete.
In Sunrise, Florida, Esteban is found fast asleep on the sofa, exhausted after his efforts to gather evidence against Crestbrook Industries. He has uncovered a massive paper trail pointing directly to their doorstep, revealing years of exploitation of child labor. Despite his best efforts to address this through proper channels, nothing has changed. There are pictures, documents, and even official reports, but no one has thought to go to the press with this information!
In Toledo, Ohio, an impromptu investigation by the Department of Labor leads to the discovery of illegal laborers in a factory, resulting in its immediate shutdown. Crestbrook, particularly Lance, is furious when he learns of this and Paul's death, who was in charge of their labor force logistics. Lance quickly shifts into damage control mode to address the situation.
Back at the station, Cross delves into cold cases regarding severed fingers, one in particular dating back 12 years to a man named Mitch Morgan, who was killed in Hollywood, Florida. This links back to the casino chip found at Esteban's hideout, which was clearly marked with the same area. As Cross and Kayla work together to piece together the puzzle, they grow closer, much to John's disapproval. Kayla also has her own case to handle, as she meets with Bobby Trey in a Chinese restaurant. It turns out that this is just a front for a hidden operation in the back, complete with a team of workers on computers determined to track down Ibrahim.
The group's search for Bad Religion leads them to a video of a soldier named Sergeant Thompson in the midst of an experiment. He takes a block and stabs himself in the face, crying for help the entire time. The person conducting this experiment is revealed to be Kayla, explaining the blackmail material against her.
As for Esteban, he awakens and explains to Rebecca that he's been looking for her for the past two years. He stayed away beforehand, knowing precisely what she's been doing, whilst also fighting against the system. He knows that it hasn't worked, so he's intending to team up with her and destroy the company and the system with the evidence he's gathered. Esteban is done with his side of the fight though and intends to disappear, going into hiding after handing over this evidence. Rebecca agrees to help by flying him out of the country to safety. Before that though, she sorts him out a room in the Presidential Suite at the hotel in Hollywood, Florida.
John doubles down on helping LaDonna in this chapter, managing to learn that a guy called T.K. stands between LaDonna and her freedom. LaDonna feigns ignorance over who this is, but she's clearly keeping it from them. This motivates John to work and try to find the guy.
Speaking of finding people, Berto takes up residence at Cross' place. The kids seem to be chill with it too, and as we soon learn, Berto's sister is actually in Ohio and part of that raid we saw earlier in the episode.
Over in Hollywood, Kayla and Cross realize that this is a case of justice rather than revenge, turning everything they've gathered so far upside down. They have no idea that Esteban and Rebecca are upstairs screwing around and talking about their past.
Speaking of screwing, Kayla and Cross are still reeling over what happened between them. Predictably, it happens again, and now that they're much more sober, they have sex again. It appears they're both catching feelings for each other.
Unfortunately, Donnie and Gabriela's sister catch wind of the feds sniffing around the casino and alert Rebecca. They think it's too risky to move him and they need to deal with this - fast. Rebecca's own rule states that nobody is bigger than the mission, and she knows what she has to do.
While Rebecca heads back to the casino, Kayla and Cross speak to the casino security, who find footage from six months back. There's a woman who has been frequenting the casino for the past two years, and she links back to Rebecca, who pops up on the cameras too.
It doesn't take long for Cross and Kayla to find Rebecca on the casino floor, and a chase ensues through the backrooms of the hotel. Unfortunately, Rebecca manages to get away. In fact, she doubles back to the rooms and drops off what she has for Esteban.
However, she's clearly upset, and when Rebecca turns around, she brandishes a gun, shooting Esteban before clearing out. When Kayla and Cross show up at the suite, they're too late. Esteban is left dead and Rebecca drives away, distraught over what she's done.
