Gilberto Mendoza is, in Ethan Slaughter's professional, and practised, opinion, the weak link in Cesar Vales' gang, and the young man who's going to dish the dirt on the Mexican crime lord. So, two-thirds of the way through Headhunters, Slaughter abducts Gilberto and stuffs him in the trunk of his car, which he proceeds to drive around. Castle, already having second thoughts about his new "partner", reaches the clear conclusion that "this is wrong."