Protector

The Secretary of Defense is prepared to send an additional soldiers

to support ongoing combat operations in Eastern Europe.

Las Cruces and the border region

are an easy target for human traffickers.

By order of the President, we are mobilizing

30,000 additional troops for deployment to the Middle East.

Tonight, the Pentagon is calling

the latest escalation a dangerous situation.

Human trafficking is a problem on a global scale.

And it also leaves an impact right here in New Mexico.

People think that its international or its over borders,

and-- and its domestic and its occurring right here in our state.

For more about this new deployment of US troops to the Middle East.

The State Department recommends

that all Americans return to the United States

while commercial flights are still available.

The overwhelming majority of victims we see are actually domestically born.

I need help, I need help!

The cartels are getting away with this.

It's funny how much training I've had in taking a life.

Years with the 3rd Cav, then the regiment, special ops.

A lifetime of experience.

I can tell you to the exact second

how long it'll take you to bleed out

if I make an inch long incision in your carotid artery.

Tactics, weapons, munitions,

covert ops, black ops, battlefield triage,

the logistics of death.

I've studied it all in great depth and detail.

Yeah.

I've been taught all there is to know about taking a life.

But...

Giving a life, bringing someone into the world...

caring for a child?

No one tells you jack shit.

You're on your own.

Chloe!

-Happy birthday, baby. -Hi, Mom.

I'm so sorry mommy can't be there.

Look at you, you're three years old.

Can you believe it?

I can't believe it.

-Yeah. -Happy birthday.

Mwah.

Surprise!

How are you six already?

- I don't know. - I love you so much, baby.

I love you too. You look pretty.

- Hi, I love you. - Hi.

Oh, well, look, we're having a party here too.

Did you have a good party at school?

Yeah, Dad brought cupcakes for my class.

- Yeah? - It was really good.

Baby, I promise, I promise I'm going to be there next year.

Keep your eyes closed.

I didn't miss every birthday.

I expect tears of joy

and I expect a lot of thank you.

-Please, give it to me. -Uh, uh, uh, uh.

And the ones I made it back for were the happiest,

most precious moments of my life.

Hey, baby.

They say on average,

a child spends the first 18 years with their parents.

Then after they move out, when you add up

all the remaining time you see them,

the visits home, the vacations together,

the precious snatched moments you share with them,

for the rest of your life,

you're lucky if you see them for one more year.

That's it.

How long?

I mean, another two, three months.

So I'm not going to be able to make it for the start of summer.

And I'm so sorry.

No, it's okay.

It's okay. You don't need to apologize.

I understand the protocol.

And things change and you can't control it.

So...

-Thank you. -You're like my best friend.

I just hope you know that.

I'm thinking about you.

Always.

I just want you to stay safe, okay?

So don't worry about anything else.

Just...

Just please, uh...

be safe because I love you.

Me and Dad love you.

I will. I promise.

Well...

I already lost the first 15 years.

And...

when Chloe's father died, I...

I had to make a change.

I had to come home for good.

I had to make things right.

Hi. Hi.

-Happy birthday. -Happy birthday.

That was fun. I had fun.

-Didn't you, baby? -Yeah, it was fun.

Hey, do you want to open up another present?

Um, yeah, I mean, do you want to do it later?

-I think it'd kind of be better. -Okay, okay.

I mean, is everything okay, baby?

Yeah.

Yeah, I-- We just--

We wanted to, like, have plans later.

Oh. Well, I mean, okay.

Like, how much later?

Um,

nine-ish.

Nine? I mean, that's-- that's late.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's fine.

Well, nobody ate my cake.

I mean, it's so funny.

Erica was, like, gluten-free now?

When did that even start?

Um, yeah, she gets sick if she has gluten, Mom.

Oh.

Oh, my God, what about your friend that was, like,

always talking about her wellness journey and her sugar intake?

It's so like you.

- What? - -I'm sorry that no one ate your cake,

but it's my birthday, and I kind of just, you know,

wanted you to be there for me

and do stuff that we wanted to do.

What are you talking about?

-I, like, did all this for you. -All this?

-Yeah. -I'm 16, Mom, I want to go out with my friends.

-I know, baby. -No, don't call me baby.

Okay, I'm not a little kid anymore,

but you wouldn't know that, would you?

Because you weren't here, were you?

-I was doing my duty. -Your duty?

-Yeah. -To who?

You won't get it.

Somehow, somewhere, I slipped through the cracks, didn't I?

-That is not true. -Yes, it is.

Because you were fighting to keep everyone else safe. Everyone but me and Dad.

-What are you talking about? -You don't care about us. You forgot about us.

You think you can just come home and fix things?

I can try.

You don't fix things, you break things.

Chloe.

Chloe?

You must be hungry. You want something to eat?

Chlo?

All right, you know how I feel about locked doors.

Open up.

Okay, in advance, I'm sorry about this.

Goddamn it, Chloe.

-Your mom? -Yeah.

-Yo, what does she want? -I don't know.

Did you tell her you were going out?

-What? -I didn't tell her.

-Are you serious? -Yes.

-Oh, my God, that's so unlike you. -I know.

I mean, like, it's my birthday. She wanted to go out.

- Naughty now. - I want to see you guys.

Period. Period. You know what?

- To the birthday girl. - To the birthday girl.

Happy freaking birthday.

Happy birthday.

Hey, cheers.

Don't look now.

-But at the end of the bar. -Wait, what's that?

Don't look.

-He's cute. -Oh, trouble.

- He's a ten. - He's a ten.

-She's not going. -Oh, you're going.

-No, no, remember after-- -Hey, you ready?

-She's not going to go. -Hold on. 20 bucks She says she does.

-Oh, really? -I believe in you.

Hey, it's Chloe. Let's see if I call you back.

Oh, here we go.

The birthday girl needs a drink, right?

-Thank you. -Yeah, of course.

Um, I-- I hope you don't mind me asking.

How old are you?

18.

Okay.

In a year.

-Okay. All right. -Or two.

-See ya. -Bye.

Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Well, you gonna try it?

Here's to you.

Happy birthday.

Ellie! Hey, girls.

-Where is-- Uh, where's Chloe? -Excuse me?

- You heard me. - She's in the bar.

What? You-- you left her alone?

- She's with Ben. - Who's Ben?

He's a nice guy. Don't worry.

He's a nice guy?

What the fuck do you know?

Chloe!