Caray, Caray!

Mauro described to Ginebra the streets, the GPS map, and the security cameras on them relative to locating the street urchins.

Mirey, Paz, and Lupita really let Salomón have it over his “confession” of guilt. Vermin stood behind all the women, observing. It looked like he intended to use Salomon as a fall guy at some future date. Mireya mentioned her womanizing ex who would never do such things. Salomón was just as defiant as before, likely due to his sibling rivalry with Pepa, whom he seemed also to accuse. This got uglier.

At Fagin's Camp Gorila deliberately knocked down the makeshift table, forcing the children to scramble for whatever food had still been on it. Samara and Monito watched from the delapidated bus as Gorila announced he would celebrate with his compensation. He entered the bus and gave Samara a pre-made sandwich while pulling a knife on Monito.

After a fly's eye view of the military- or SWAT team armaments and other gear Mauro issued orders to his 10 or 12 minions. He showed them a photo of Samara and told them they were to leave no witnesses.

Vermin sat at the wheel of the transport van, flashing back to Mauro's offer, the money, and Mireya's threat if he had anything to do with the baby's disappearance. He looked like he was about to vomit. He then called Paz to tell her that Mauro was about to make a move. He sent the address to her while the murder troop exited the building to board. He then ended the call and pocketed the phone. Paz took off. The murder troop entered, Mauro took the shotgun seat, and Vermin looked nervous.

Gorila ordered all the children to go to sleep as the murder troop prepared their weapons for a massacre.

Esteban chewed out a male detective for abuse of authority and failure to crack the AI recordings. He then sent a male employee (Mendoza) to review security videos of the kitchen. He looked at a family photo on the wall and thought about happier times when Berenice was alive. Gala and Eder joined him; none of them could sleep. Esteban said he believed Paz to be innocent but could not understand why she walked off the job. They mentioned the party and Esteban began teaching Eder some dance steps as Gala took a video [Do men still wear wingtips?]. Bosco came downstairs complaining about the noise keeping him awake... just like Paz' family, Esteban told him to not accuse Pepa without proof. Bosco insisted that Paz and her entire family should be locked up. Esteban said he was investigating this and if Paz or any relative of hers was responsible he would deal with it.

Paz went to the relevant location, She accidentally knocked something over which sounded like crockery. A dog was heard barking.

The other children were not in view at Fagin's Camp. Gorila fell over as Samara and Monito watched from inside the bus.

The van stopped and the killers disembarked. Mauro followed behind them. Vermin kept his cool just long enough. When alone in the van he prayed to God for forgiveness [The believers among us were hoping it went to God's voicemail].

Samara and Monito waited in the bus. Paz was about 15 yards away watching from behind stacks of tires. She mistook the killers for police, cursing that Mauro had police as accomplices. Two boys appeared, one carrying a box of something. They saw the armed men and ran. The killers probably heard their voices and began shooting, even striking the sides of the bus. There was an opening on the bus' floor. Monito pulled up the floorboards so that he, Samara, and Cobija could get out. They went back into the bus' interior after most of its windows had been shot out. Monito slumped and fell on the floor. Samara went back to him to help.

Paz got a voicemail from Mireya telling her to call to say she was alright. She did not call back.

Monito told Samara he would be alright and told her to run. She pleaded with him to get up. Since Cobija had run out she finally went out after him. Monito was bleeding and said “I don't want to die.”

Salomón was packing his backpack as he argued with Pepa. Apparently Pepa had a secret that he knows [Por favor, please let it not be what I suspect it is]. Mireya demanded to know if either of them knew where Paz was or heard from her. Salomón tried to leave with his backpack, claiming innocence of spiking the food. Mireya tried to stop him. She was shouting and crying at the same time. This finally ended in a three-way hug with her sons.

Vermin was sweating as he waited for the killers to return.

Samara went back to empty campsite and heard Cobija's bark. Paz was there and saw her.

Gorila (Fagin) was leading the other kids away.

The killers entered the campsite with Mauro following. Gorila flattened himself against a wall and waited for them to pass but he ran too quickly. Mauro turned around and followed him.

Samara found Cobija and Paz found them. As the three began to move Samara said they had to save Monito who had been injured. However, they heard an adult male voice – possibly Mauro's – and could not go back. They went back the way Paz had come in as Mauro chased the Fagin. In movie tradition he caught up with him and both drew their weapons. Mauro called Abdul and said “Kill them all” and after the usual verbal game about the criminals' intentions Gorila and Mauro fought. They fell into the dirty pool water and continued the fight, apparently unarmed. Gorila told Mauro he had killed the girl. Mauro finally held him under the water in a choke hold.

Paz and Samara were hiding and heard all of this.

As dawn progressed the killers returned to the campsite saying this was a failure because they could not find the girl. They found Mauro who had climbed out of the pool on its ladder and was covered in filth. He told them “My niece is dead.” [We flies on the wall are wondering whether he believed that.] He told them to round up so they could get away before the police got there.

Paz, Samara, and Cobija remained hidden All had calmed down somewhat. Paz told Samara she would not be alone from then on.

Vermin waited outside the van when the killers returned. Mauro – who had cleared some of the mess off his face – told him that Samara was dead. Vermin said nothing as he entered the van.

Full sunlight later...

Paz had not yet returned. Lupita, Mireya, and Salomón were worried. Pepa then got a text message from Paz and everyone calmed down.

Esteban was doing push-ups in the garden when Elvira came out insisting he put on a T-shirt [She is the textbook example of a spoil-sport]. He told her that the forensic report said that none of the food had been contaminated. She already knew but insisted she was firing Paz anyway. She spoke as though she owned the house. Esteban then told her there was nothing in the kitchen security recordings that incriminated Paz or any of her family. Elvira did not care. [Fortunately for us flies on the wall he had not yet donned a T-shirt].

Paz, Samara, and Cobija came out of hiding. There was a child's sneaker on the walkway. Paz entered the bus but did not find Monito. She came out and told Samara she was taking her home. Samara told her she only remembered her father's face, but nothing else.

Elvira announced at the breakfast table that they were going to need a new chef. Bosco gloated. Esteban finally pulled rank as master of the house, certain that the wine had been contaminated. Elvira refused to believe that and tried to pull the class card on him [Why doesn't he just kick her out?]. Bosco tried to put this on Pepa and Esteban emphasized that they are not classist. Neither Elvira nor Bosco had a reply.

Paz, Samara, and Cobija rode on the cable car back to the barrio.

Mauro went home, still dirty. Ginebra asked if he had killed Samara. He nodded. She demanded proof. He replied that he had none, that a kid told him that the kidnapper did it. He then demanded to know why she had no concern for his own safety as “I am your brother.”

Paz took Samara and Cobija home. When Samara saw the mural she asked whether the baby in it was her daughter. Upon Paz telling her that “Maria” was missing Samara said that Cobija could help them look for her... and Monito.

When they entered the house Paz said she was taking care of “Luna” as though she were her own child. Everyone stared at Samara, probably seeing the resemblance to Paz' drawings.

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Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist @ 12:33 PM