Episode 3 of Dark Winds season 4 begins with the relentless pursuit of Billie and Albert by the assassin. Her focus has shifted to Albert specifically, who is wounded and struggling. When he collapses inside Billie's uncle's house, it's clear that things are about to take a turn for the worse.
The assassin arrives, sees Albert lying on the floor, and checks the photo in his pocket before moving on. The elder begins to panic, and as Ashley tries to flee, he's shot dead by the deadly assassin.
In the morning, Joe, Bern, and Jim Chee arrive at the crime scene. They examine Ashley's body, which has been pulled into a nearby cave out of the sun. Joe notices the different gunshots, confirming a point-blank range killshot and a long-range strike. The fact that his shoes have been switched and the body is facing West also points to a "respectful" killing, honoring Navajo traditions.
When Billie learns of the news back at the station, she's shocked and can barely contain her grief. Jim Chee is also taking it hard, and starts having nosebleeds brought on by the gash across his stomach that he's been hiding from the others.
Billie opens up and explains that she came back with Albert because he was looking for Billie's cousin, Leroy. Albert had a photo of Leroy, but it was in his possession, which means the assassin could be targeting him next. The trio comes to the same conclusion and, armed with Billie's map, knows where they're heading next.
Jim and Bern get closer while checking over the map, and kiss rather inappropriately at the station. However, they're spotted doing so, and there's a slightly awkward moment when their not-so-secret secret is out.
On the road, Bern keeps her promotion a secret, unwilling to disrupt the positive vibes between them. Thankfully, they arrive at the cotton woods before the awkward dialogue can continue. They find the caravan and go in search of Leroy, but instead, they encounter Phillip Grayson. He confirms that the assassin has been here for a while, and a week ago, her green truck stopped by. This happened before Albert took Billie, meaning she was looking for Leroy before all of this chaos started.
Meanwhile, Joe embarks on a hunt for the assassin, retracing her steps and realizing that she had a prime spot overlooking the area. Unfortunately, the hunter becomes the hunted as the assassin calls Joe while he's traipsing around his house. They discuss the case and it becomes clear that Leroy is the one she's really after. Joe proposes keeping her safe on the reservation to protect her from whoever is paying her to kill Leroy. The assassin is having none of it and tells him to drop the case. With the call ended, Joe exchanges information with Jim and Bern, where it seems like Leroy may have gone back to LA.
When Joe heads home, he realizes the assassin has been in his house and taken a photo of him and Emma in the process. Meanwhile, Bern does her best to help Billie, encouraging her to be patient while they try and work the system and negotiate with the feds in LA. After the incident at his house, Joe sends Chee over to keep watch to ensure nothing untoward happens.
As he sits with Bern, Bern admits that Joe is going to retire soon but he wants Bern to take over. Jim Chee is obviously not happy when he finds out she's lied to him, and has been for a while.
This was Bern's dream come true, yet Jim was enraged by the betrayal and withdrew into his car, seething in solitude. As he rumbled over the events that had transpired, a sudden gush of blood emerged from his mouth, accompanied by the loss of a tooth. Unable to find rest, Chee rode over to Joe's and confronted him about Bern's promotion. He also challenged Joe over Vines' death, eventually calling him a liar. Jim crossed the line, bitterly retorting how Joe drove everyone away, while the latter tried to explain that Chee's similarities to his own personality were the exact reason why he couldn't be in charge.
Having failed to fulfill his duty and protect Billie, Bern awoke to find that Billie was no longer under protective custody. It seemed she was heading for LA to find Leroy. As the episode drew to a close, the assassin caught up to Joe and held him at gunpoint. She demanded that he leave the case alone, but Joe was not about to abandon his honor now.
This woman bizarrely leaned forward and kissed Joe on the mouth, telling him they were very similar and eventually slipped away, retorting "until we see each other again."
