7. A Tree Falls

Complete story — includes the ending

Nelson Rodriguez, a young Guatemalan boy, is kidnapped in broad daylight in Spanish Harlem by a man driving a black SUV. While investigating the violent disappearance, the team find a world dominated by illegal immigrants and the 'coyotes' who smuggle them over the border. The search is greatly hindered when hardly any witnesses come forward, for fear that they will be deported when they talk to the authorities. Even the boy's family are initially reluctant to report the disappearance. The squad speculate that a 'coyote' may be to blame for the kidnapping, but another theory emerges that suggests that the missing boy's desperate plan to save his family may have led him down an even darker path. During the case, Martin discovers a ten year old girl who has had her left ear cut off. Enraged, Martin shoots a suspect in cold blood, killing the man with Martin and Viv realizing that they need to get their stories straight or risk bringing an investigation down onto the team.