As the episode unfolds, Thony (Elodie Yung) stands in anticipation beside the Coyote van, her heart sinking when she realizes Fiona (Martha Millan) and Chris (Sean Law) are absent from its confines. Recognizing their faces from a snapshot, a menacing Coyote (Jamie Javier Guerrero) asserts that they never resurfaced from a brief halt in the desolate sands. Determined, Thony insists that Dante (Clayton Cardenas) locate them; if not, she vows to take matters into her own hands.
Meanwhile, Fiona, an injured Chris, and Camila (Esmeralda Camargo) trudge along power lines, their hopes pinned on the promise of a nearby city. Instead, their eyes meet only the vast, unyielding emptiness of the desert.
In a secluded spot, Nadia Morales (Eva de Dominici) encounters bounty hunter Logan (Gurinder Sindher). She presents him with Armando's photograph and a cool $100,000, with the sweetener of an additional $1 million upon his discovery. She hints darkly that he may have been seized by the carte. Logan, steely-eyed, promises to track him down.
With a finger tracing a path on a map, a Coyote reveals the location of their pit stop. Urgency laces Thony's voice as she presses Dante to compel the Coyote to backtrack to the ruins. He declines, promptly alerting Jorge Sanchez (Santiago Cabrera), who is in the company of Ramona Sanchez (Kate Del Castillo) at a glitzy casino. They confront Nadia about engaging a hunter for Armando's whereabouts. Ramona disowns any link to her nephew's disappearance and cautions against hiring Logan. Noticing ASAC Katherine Russo (Lisa Weil) in the vicinity, Nadia underscores the urgency of tapping into her resources. Ramona counters, urging her to step aside and let them handle it for everyone's safety. Before departing, Jorge hands Nadia a business card for Sombra Gallery.
Back at her abode, Thony is greeted by JD Harris (Ryan Sands). His demands for information on Chris and Fiona's whereabouts meet with a stony silence. He warns her about skipping her appointment with CPS Social Worker Susan Redman (Rekha Sharma). She assures him she'll be punctual, and when he offers to accompany her, Jaz (Faith Bryant) interjects, emphasizing his necessity there. Luca (Sebastien LaSalle, Valentino LaSalle), meanwhile, beams with delight at the prospect of more time with Jaz.
Shortly thereafter, Thony forcefully inserts herself into a Coyote vehicle, her resolve hardened as she sets out to track down Chris and Fiona.
Russo confronts Nadia head-on regarding the liquidation of her assets amounting to a staggering $1 million. Nadia, dripping with sarcasm, claims she's on a spending spree for shoes far beyond Russo's financial grasp. Russo retaliates by announcing a freeze on Kamdar's estate, pending the resolution of their legal battle.
Chris expresses genuine anxiety about their well-being should they be compelled to endure the harsh desert conditions. Fiona, though attempting to steer him away from pessimistic thoughts, her resolve crumbles upon discovering a child's shoe, a poignant reminder of their vulnerable situation. Meanwhile, Camila, armed with an aged pair of binoculars, spots a glimmer of hope in the form of distant water tanks.
In a tense confrontation, Jorge forces the Coyote's vehicle to a halt and commands Thony to accompany them. Her refusal prompts him to fire a warning shot into the ground, sending shockwaves through the air. The Coyote, unmoved, dumps her bag on the dusty ground and speeds off, leaving her with no choice but to reluctantly obey Jorge's orders. As they approach the water tanks, Chris's strength fails him, collapsing to the ground, only to find the tanks bone dry—a cruel twist of fate. Fiona, driven by desperation, abandons Camila and Chris to seek help, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Jorge and Thony arrive at the ruins, their expectations dashed as they find the area deserted. He attempts to reassure her by citing instances of people surviving the desert for a week, but her mind is elsewhere, haunted by Luca's upcoming CPS interview. As Chris regains consciousness, Camila nurses him back to health with a piece of cactus, their only source of moisture in the parched landscape. In the distance, a plane catches their eye, a beacon of potential rescue. She snaps a picture, clinging to the slim hope it might bring them salvation. He wraps her in a reassuring embrace, whispering words of comfort.
Back in the city, Nadia discovers her office safe ajar, with Armando's photograph staring back at her, a cryptic note bearing the figure $100 million taped to the back—yet no cash in sight. Panicked, she dials Russo's number, her voice trembling with urgency.
In the desert, Jorge's resolve to continue the search for Chris and Fiona wavers, but Thony stands firm, refusing to allow him to involve border control. He insists their routes are secure, but her mind reels back to the harrowing tale of a woman giving birth on one of their journeys. Her spirit crumbles further upon stumbling upon a corpse, the sight of Chris's cap driving home a sense of guilt and despair.
Elsewhere, Luca extends an invitation for Jaz and JD to move in with them, a gesture met with resistance from JD who asserts their independence. Jaz, caught in the crossfire, fears JD is forcing her to choose between him and Fiona. She reassures JD that Thony is doing everything in his power to rectify their situation and bring Chris and Fiona home safely.
Nadia alerts Ramona that the FBI has imposed a freeze on her financial accounts, leaving her in a bind. Ramona boasts of having underground contacts who could potentially assist Nadia in reclaiming her funds, albeit through unsavory channels. Just then, Nadia's phone buzzes with an incoming call from Auntie Kate.
Meanwhile, Fiona's reality begins to distort as a group of undocumented immigrants surrounds her. They forcefully pull her towards a smuggler's truck, known as a "Coyote," amidst her desperate pleas to save her son. Elsewhere, Jorge and Thony confront an armed Frank (Stephen Monroe Taylor) and Barbie (Cassandra Ballard). A sudden alert blares over their radio, warning of a nearby Coyote truck. Jorge finds himself under attack but manages to seize Frank's weapon. Frank, in a moment of desperation, urges Barbie to shoot him. Thony retrieves a handgun from Jorge's Jeep and fires a shot into the air to disperse the tension. Jorge promptly knocks Frank unconscious, while Barbie surrenders her gun and is subdued by Jorge. Thony commands her to use her radio to pinpoint the location of the Coyote van. Barbie begs not to be abandoned, but Jorge disables their vehicle with a burst of gunfire. Thony leaves her a bottle of water, punctured by a bullet as a grim reminder of her predicament.
Inside the Coyote van, Fiona, Chris, and Camila find themselves under attack by vigilantes. With the driver fatally wounded, the truck careens to a halt. Thony and Jorge race to the scene, just in time to witness the van's occupants struggling for breath as exhaust fumes envelop the interior. The van's gate refuses to budge, prompting Fiona to weaken it with a screwdriver, allowing a trickle of fresh air before collapsing from exhaustion.
Thony and Jorge force open the gate and Jorge administers CPR to the unconscious Fiona, who finally gasps for air. Later, they arrive home, where Gizelle (Natasha Elias) arrives to collect Camila. Chris seizes the moment, snapping selfies and giving Gizelle his number before she playfully kisses him on the cheek and departs.
Nadia's phone rings again, this time with Auntie Kate on the line. She firmly tells Russo never to contact her again. A cryptic text message arrives, urging her to meet Ramona. Elsewhere, Jorge drops Thony's van at her place, revealing a vial of Devil's Breath—a potent hallucinogen—that he found in the van used during Armando's abduction. He vows to investigate its origins before departing.
On the rooftop, Nadia confronts Ramona, their conversation interrupted by a distant explosion. Ramona proposes a macabre solution: using the insurance payout from the destroyed sportsbook to cover Armando's ransom. As they sip their drinks, the episode draws to a close, leaving their fate shrouded in uncertainty and intrigue.
