'Chicago Fire's Joe Miñoso Previews a Menacing Blast from the Past for Cruz (Exclusive)

When Chicago Fire returns for its second half of Season 13, it takes us back to a story that has its roots in Season 1 when Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso) made a decision that has come back to haunt him all these years later.

🤩 📺 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩🎥

If nothing else, Cruz is a family man. And, back in Season 1, when he learned that his brother Leon (Jeff Lima) was involved with the gang Insane Kings, led by Flaco (José Antonio García), he met with the gang leader in an attempt to get Leon out of the life.

“[Flaco] ends up asking Cruz for an unheard-of amount of money and it's impossible to do,” Miñoso tells Parade. “Long story short, there's a fire where the gang member is living or hiding out. Cruz finds him in a burning building and, in that moment, makes an impulsive decision to just close the door and leave Flaco to die.”

Related: #OneChicago Announces First Three-Show Crossover Event in Five Years

Fast forward to Season 13. Cruz has received some chilling omens, like a bullet in his Firehouse 51 locker and an urn with ashes before being confronted by a man named Junior (Richard Cabral). He claims to be Flaco’s cousin and has returned to avenge his cousin's death now that he’s been released from prison. Junior claims to have seen what Cruz did and is blackmailing him to do some nefarious stuff. Will Cruz strike a devil’s bargain to keep his secret?

“It's like a lot of things in life where maybe there's some things you've done that you're not necessarily too proud of that you put back into the recesses of your mind, but that doesn't mean that they're fully gone,” Miñoso says. “So, I think it is very much something that he can never forget, but it's one of those skeletons in the closet that you never share, so you do what you can to move on. Eventually, these things tend to come back and bite you, though.”

Related: Jake Lockett on Sam Carver's Surprising Return to Chicago Fire

Cruz thought he was safe. No one in the firehouse is aware of what went down now that Casey (Jesse Spencer) is gone. Mouch (Christian Stolte) has a suspicion, but the reality is that there’s probably no evidence, but there’s still the fear of exposure.

“I don't know whether or not evidence is necessary,” Miñoso says. “I think the mere idea that somebody can point to the fact that they know that Cruz has done something like this is enough to terrify him into action. I don't think that any one particular piece of evidence that they can say, ‘I'm taking this or that to someone,’ is going to be more persuasive than someone looking at him in the face like you saw in Episode 8 and being like, ‘I know what you did.’”

Tune in to Chicago Fire tonight to find out what path Cruz decides to walk.

Chicago Fire airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Next, Ten Spoilers for the Season 13 Premiere of Chicago Fire, Including the New Chief and Baby News