Chapter 2- Let's Start At The Beginning

You guys! I'm so happy that you're liking this story so far. I'm loving everyone's bets on the injury list and the DOA. Thank you for all the feedback thus far and I hope you like this next chapter as it answers some of the questions. This one is big and you're in for a ride. Away we go.

Ten hours ago…

"All right, suspect's name is Ray Burke, a suspected mob boss who's been linked to at least a dozen homicides and several major drug activities in the city. The FBI has been chasing this guy for years and thanks to Will, they finally have enough evidence to bring this guy in. This is a joint task force operation. We're running point on this but sharing information with the FBI along the way." Hank debriefed everyone while Adam taped pictures and intel on the whiteboard. Everyone else was at their usual briefing spot: sitting on their desk's tops.

"Yeah, Will is undercover as Ray's doctor. Ray asked Will to check on some medical issue and the FBI saw an opportunity to plant a bug in Ray's home. Will was successful and they were finally able to acquire vital information." Everyone was reading through their given case file while Jay informed them of Will's involvement.

"If this is the FBI's case, why are we running point," Atwater asked?

"Because we know the area better than them. Plus, getting Will involved got us involved. This mobster is running amok in our city, it should be us taking him down." That silenced everyone for a moment.

"According to the intel, Ray has two sons that appear to be key players in the operation and both live with Ray at the moment. The FBI learned that it's them who are the foot soldiers for Dad. With Ray's health, he basically controls the mob from his living room. Now the sons are out of the house a good portion of the day and Ray lays low for the most part. No evidence of a strong protection detail other then a couple of guards in a car outside the house. We've got an arrest warrant and we're going to do this by the book. If the case falls through, it won't be of our doing. Everyone suit up."

…

"I hate cases involving any kind of mob. Things can get messy and personal so quickly." The team was divided into four cars: Jay and Hailey, Adam and Atwater, Kim and Antonio, and Hank on his own. They were currently en route to Ray's location and for the most part, the ride was quiet. There was always tension before a big raid like this. So many moving pieces and uncertainties went into making an arrest. It was hard to not be slightly on edge. Hailey's comment broke the car's silence. Jay nodded and kept his eyes fixed on the road.

"Yeah, but it's all part of the job, right?! Let's try to not give them an opportunity to make things messy."

"We're attempting to bite the head of the operation off. The tail is sure to swing back at us." Jay slowly exhaled. She was right.

The unit pulled up to Ray's house at various points. Hank took the alley behind the house just in case someone ran. Adam and Atwater parked a block east of the location in an effort to take out the guards in the car. Antonio and Kim found a spot north of the house and elected to walk. Jay and Hailey were front and center of the location. Once Adam and Atwater gave the all clear, everyone was instructed to breach. The time between parking and Adam breaking the radio's silence felt like an eternity. Jay kept running scenarios through his head of how they could be taken out or had their cover blown. The whole time they waited, he couldn't ignore the hint of uneasiness in the back of his mind. Waiting was the worst.

"All clear guys. Guards are handled."

"Breach." Full tact gear was worn by all and long guns were selected. The unit moved methodically and calmly. Kim and Hailey taking the lead with Jay, Adam, Antonio, and Atwater on their flank. Hank remained in the car. Jay counted down and readied himself for a door kick.

"Chicago PD!" After a moment of absolute silence, Jay breached. They moved room by room, two people each. They made it to the kitchen before they saw the blip of a running person.

"Runner!" Kim and Hailey took off, one going through the back door while the other chose the front. Hank put his vehicle into drive and floored it. They chased the perp through the alley, turned right, and then down three blocks till Hailey tackled him. Her element of surprise playing in her favor. Once the perp was cuffed, she turned them over to reveal someone not named Ray Burke.

"Offender is in custody. It's not Ray guys. It's his son." She and Kim forced him upright and threw him in the back of Hank's car.

"10-4 guys. The house is clear. No sign of Ray," Adam replied.

"Something's not right about this," Jay added.

"It's no coincidence that he chose today to not be here."

"Jay, it's not the first time we've hit a house and the perp isn't here. It's all part of working the case." Jay brushed off Kevin's remark and went back to scouring for information. That hint of uneasiness had blossomed into a shouting voice in his head. He couldn't have been the only one seeing the warning signs. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Hailey hit the nail on the head. Mob dealings were messy and he couldn't help but see the writing on the wall. The ride back to the precinct was a carbon copy of the trip out here: silent and unsettling.

And Jay was right to suspect something to be off. What they didn't know at the time was that Ray found the bug Will had planted a few weeks ago. It took some digging, but Ray's crew was able to pinpoint where the device came from and who was on the other end listening. The son being arrested was just the first step in the destructive, devious plan.

…

It was mid-afternoon and business was running as usual for Trudy Platt. Patrolmen were coming in for their shift while others were attempting to sign out. So many questions about car assignment, partner complaints, and people shoving their way to the front desk, it was rare for her to not snap at someone.

"Ok, ok! You two, you're assigned to car eight nineteen. I don't care if you smell the ghost of farts past, it's this or I put you on foot patrol. You three know how to punch out, why are you still standing here. And you guys, grow a p.." She didn't get to finish because a warning shot rang outside the front doors and soon a fleet of masked, dark clothed men filed into the precinct. A nightmare was unfolding in front of her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

The pedestrians who were occupying the precinct screamed and fled, leaving the police officers in the district in a saloon style stick up with their enemy. The supposed leader of the pack marched straight towards Trudy and placed the firing end of his gun inches above her temple.

"Where are they?"

"Do..do you have idea what you've done? You just walked into a police precinct threatening to kill. Did you really think you'd getting out of here alive?!" The masked man didn't blink and repeated his original question.

"Where are they?"

"Be more specific." That one earned her a slap and another masked person to appear with an officer firmly gripped, gun pressing into their side.

"Tell us where they are or we start killing people one by one. You may get some of us, but look around, you're outnumbered. Trudy's eyes quickly darted across the room, the stairs, and outside the door. They were outmanned. Crap.

"I won't. And you can start with me." The leader let out a loud, sadistic laugh that made Trudy's blood boil with rage.

"Oh no, Trudy. You get to watch everyone in here fall before we turn to you." On that note, the person holding the officer hostage pressed his gun in closer, preparing to perform the shock and awe act, when the Intelligence Unit's gate chimed and the light turned green. In an instant, Trudy went from rage to horror. They had smooth sailing to their targets and there was no way she could warn them. She'd never felt more helpless, worthless in this world.

"Thank you for you help." She was awarded with another swift slap to her face except this time, it was the butt of a gun that met her skin. As she fought consciousness, she indicated the boom of a flash bang and the thud of bodies hitting the floor above her. After that, everything went dark, figuratively and literally.

The Intelligence Unit was divided between the break room, interrogation room, and Hank's office. The first indicator they received of something being wrong was four masked men racing up the stairs, flash bangs waved high in the air. Hank had a millisecond to react before the room turned white and fuzzy. He'd reached for his weapon but a sharp, piercing, white hot sting struck him in his right shoulder, causing his body to freeze and collapse, trying to process the trauma. He blinked away the pain only to be met by another dose of lead and pain. That one took him out of commission and he lay on the tile floor, just trying to focus on breathing and remaining conscious. Antonio joined Voight on the floor seconds later, grabbing for his shoulder and side before succumbing to the pain and blacking out. Meanwhile, Voight inhaled once before hearing the same event occur next door: a loud bang, guns firing, and thuds sounding. He counted five rounds going off before the group moved down the hall to the interrogation room. One of the five bullets must've hit a shooter because someone cursed and half a boot appeared in Voight's doorway. He smiled before finally allowing the welcoming darkness to take him.

…

The kid sitting across from Jay and Adam was anything but a child. He was a full grown, muscular, thirty year old man named Jimmy. Very original. After the unit arrived at the district, it was debated whether the cage or a room upstairs would scare him more. They all figured he'd expected the harsher option so a calmer environment might get him to open up. While he wasn't their intended target, he certainly qualified as a pawn that could be used to take out the king. Jay and Adam were in the room with the not-so-child to begin the talking process. The small amount of time they'd had with him was silent. They laid out everything they knew about this kid's life and all they got was an expressionless stare.

"Jim, can I call you that? We know about your father's dealings and we know your involvement. While we'd love nothing more than to lock you up for life, we're willing to give you a deal. It's your father were really after, not you. Don't spend the rest of your life paying for his bad decisions." Nothing. Jay was about to open the case file and reveal its' truths to Jimmy when the booms of the flash bangs caused he and Adam to jump. Nothing needed to be said or questioned. They both knew. Jimmy finally showed some emotion: a wide grin.

"Adam, shut him up. I've gotta…uuuggghhh! we need guns." Adrenaline was freely flowing at this point. Adam leapt across the table and attempted to put a thrashing Jimmy in a sleeper hold. By now the table had been kicked aside and the chair containing Jimmy was on its' side. Adam cemented his hand over Jimmy's mouth, screaming a moment later.

"Stupid SOB bit me!" Jay was sitting on the floor and slowly prying the door open, trying to get a vantage point before heading out. He ignored Adam's outcry.

"Shut him up." At his position, Jay took in the four gunman and witnessed one of them falling to the ground. One of his teammates put him there. Bravo, guys. While the unharmed gunmen assessed their friend, the time was ripe for Jay's taking. He slowly stepped away from the room and up the hallway. He was halfway to the locker with the stored guns when things drastically changed.

"I'm in here guys! Go down the hall I'm in here!" Jay froze. All blood was draining from his body and his extremities were quickly weakening. Eyes wide open. He was trapped. No weapon, no hiding spot. Easy prey for his predators. Shit. He chose cover over protection and bolted back for the room. The remaining gunmen striding to his location.

It was during the turning of the door handle when the first bullet struck. It entered the middle of his left side and exited out the front, causing a sudden hot wave of pain and weakness. Jay didn't need a doctor to confirm what he instantaneously knew: his predicament wasn't good. All energy he had migrated to assessing the damage and trying to not pass out. He'd managed to push the door open as he slid the ground, allowing Adam the opportunity to pull him in and slam the door. Shock and fear were starting to set in.

"Jay, man, cmon. Don't pass out. Just breathe," Adam repeated as he pulled Jay's shirt away from the wound. Blood was already spilling out. Adam flung his shirt off and attempted to press it to the hole in Jay's side. However, being the stubborn tough guy he is, Jay stood up.

"I'm good. We need to get this table up against the door."

Adam put it together a hair too late. The one thing neither man considered. He was half shocked Jay hadn't said anything. It was too obvious too late. It was as if time froze and Adam's vision panned out, revealing the next move. The giant square object sitting directly across from him. The advantage the attackers just gained: the two way mirror. Adam only made it to opening his mouth before a bullet met Jay's center mass and forced its' way through his chest cavity, resting somewhere in a chamber of his heart. Whatever battle Jay was already in became a hundred times worse. He was conscious and alert and then he wasn't. The worst case scenario just played out inches from Adam. He blinked and everything stopped. He didn't care what happened to him at this point. He'd most likely witnessed his friend and teammate die. It was one of those moments where you blink and you're suddenly sobbing.

Meanwhile, Jimmy had awoken from his nap and was screaming for his rescue party. Adam ignored everything and crawled to Jay's side, trying to feel for a pulse on his wrists. Jay's eyes were partially open and slowly blinking. His temperature was dropping rapidly and he was uncontrollably shivering. Blood was steadily pumping out of Jay and onto the floor under him. Adam noticed the tears forming in the corners of Jay's eyes. He'd managed to wipe one of the eyes before the door was flung open and he looked up to a masked figure firing at him. Adam was hit in the middle of his right side and left lung. His final thought was to fall on Jay, hoping that his dead body weight would place pressure on Jay's wounds. The world Adam knew faded into darkness. He hoped he'd get another chance to see the sun rise again. With their mission a great success, the gunmen turned to the final piece, the weakest link in the web.

"Thanks guys for getting me out of here. For a second there, I was wondering when you'd show up." Jimmy was released from his cuffs and stepped over the two detective's bodies. He and the gunmen maneuvered their way through the scene and were at the top of the steps when one of them turned to Jimmy.

"Did you tell them anything?"

"No, never. I'd never break for my old man. C'mon. Who do you think I am?!"

"Good." Jimmy was dropped with a bullet between his eyes. His body slumped halfway over the stairs. The remaining gunmen left their dead colleague, dying targets, and rejoined the rest of the group still holding the precinct at gunpoint. Without breaking their gait, the crew filed out of the building. The one holding the officer hostage dragged their victim to the front door before placing the promised bullet in the officer. The whole event lasted nine minutes and was executed with perfect precision. Nine minutes ago, life was running as normal. Nine minutes was all it took to turn lives in a dark, deadly direction.

Trudy Platt returned to the world as the SUVs' tires screeched away. Someone was standing over her and speaking, but she couldn't comprehend it. She brushed off hands trying to hold her down and wobbly stood.

"I don't need help. Get upstairs. Go! They're the ones in trouble, not me." Going against every fiber in her being, Trudy trudged up the stairs. This was her fortress, her territory and someone just had the gumption to storm the castle. She walked over the dead body at the top of the stairs and started shouting names in vain. It was obvious that responses weren't coming. She made it to Voight's office before letting out the first round of tears. There isn't an exercise or demo in the police academy that prepared you for the scene upstairs. There is nothing to prepare you to see friends and colleagues lying on a dirty tile floor in varying degrees of trouble. The stench of sulfur from the flash bangs and repulsive odor of blood made her want to vomit. Uncharacteristically, she wanted to turn around and lie on the piece of floor she woke up on. Upon finding Voight and Antonio, she dropped to the floor and lightly placed a hand on Voight. He jolted awake and grabbed her hand. She coaxed Hank to a calm level before repeating the process with Antonio. His reaction wasn't as drastic as Hank's and he was soon sitting up against a wall, totally in a trance. She then entered the break room to see Atwater holding his hand's over a wound on Kim's abdomen. Tears were dripping off Atwater's face while he yelled at Kim, telling her to not close her eyes. Trudy tried to examine the wound dripping blood on Kevin's arm and shoulder but he shook her off. Hailey was resting against the fridge, eyes glassed over with tears while clutching her side.

"Help is coming guys. What do you need me to do?!" Atwater ignored Platt. Hailey snapped out of her gaze to answer.

"Where are Adam and Jay?"

"I don't know, I'll go find out. You guys stay there!" Faint sounds of ambulances were sounding in the distant as Trudy made her way to the interrogation room. The air almost felt thicker the closer she got. Evil was residing back here and it honestly made Trudy's skin crawl. The officers she shooed up here were staggered between the doorway and the victims with differing amounts of pure, utter shock on their faces. There was clear evidence of a struggle. The thrown table and displaced chairs were proof of that. The hole in the two-way and the two bodies in the middle of the room were the final straw. Trudy made it about a foot before vomiting. As the paramedics pushed their way to the scene, Trudy brought her knees, arms and head to a point and heart-achingly sobbed for the impending loss she was convinced her district was about to endure.

…

Do you recall the episode of ER where Carter and Lucy get stabbed on Valentines night and Dr. Benton is straddling between the two of them, mayhem happening all around? That's perhaps the best way to describe the chaos of the ED when Intelligence was brought in. Dispatch alerted Med of eight incoming traumas and merely gave brief descriptions ranging from stable to critical and needing to be directed to an OR. As the first ambulances rolled up and were being unloaded, the faces of the doctors and nurses were serious but a bit startled as they recognized the patients. Hank and Antonio were the first to arrive followed by Kim, Hailey, and Atwater. Jay and Adam were minutes out. Conner Rhodes was the only surgeon on the floor at the time and was the one directing traffic. Ethan was given an infuriated Voight while Natalie was assigned Antonio. Kim and Atwater were assigned to other doctors and their interns. It took Will milliseconds to figure out why he was held back from the action.

"Where's Jay?" Everyone was too consumed with their patients to answer Will's half question. Will stepped in front of Rhodes and interrupted.

"Conner, put me in."

"No. You're too close to this."

"Like hell. I'm taking Hailey." Without waiting for the go-ahead, Will grabbed the gurney and took her to trauma four. Rhodes wanted to protest but honestly, he needed the help.

"What've we got," Will asked?

"Thirty year old female with gunshot to the lower abdomen. Breathing is steady and heart rate is elevated, 120/60." Will helped transport Hailey from the gurney to a bed and began examining the wound. The bullet was a still in her side but missed vital organs. He checked her reflexes and attached a cannula under her nose before asking questions about her name, location, and what she remembered. He also called out tests and medication to alleviate the elevated heart rate. Hailey's responses sounded like a computer, just spitting out information with no life behind them. A classic sign of someone in shock. The fear in the pit of Will's stomach was making its' ascent. The lack of knowing what happened to all of them was concerning and the lack of Jay's arrival wasn't promising.

"Hailey, you've got internal bleeding in your belly and the bullet is still in there, we're sending you up to the OR now. I need you to sign these procedure forms." Will followed her gurney to the elevators and watched the doors close. He was reentering the ED when his stomach dropped to the floor and his heart was in his mouth. Someone shouted something about needing Rhodes and Will only caught a glimpse of hand to know who the person was on the gurney. His feet instinctively starting running and he found himself standing over Jay, assessing the limp, blood soaked body. Monitors were beeping irregularly and alarms were beginning to go off. Jay was already intubated and breathing via a bag squeeze every few seconds. Will took over that task and quickly connected him to a ventilator hose. He took in the two sources of excessive blood loss and tried his best to control his shaking hands. Busying himself, he began to place pressure on the bullet hole in Jay's left side when Rhodes entered the room.

"Will, step back. You can't do this." Will just shook his head and remained with his job.

"Will! You're not helping him. Back up! Go help with Adam, now!" Common sense finally kicked in and Will stepped away, allowing the surgeon to take over. As he slowly backed out of the room, Rhodes commented something about too much blood loss and needing to be on bypass ten minutes ago. Jay at this point was slipping further in cardiac failure and rounds of epinephrine were administered. Someone finally shooed Will out of the room as a central line was inserted in Jay's neck and the defibrillator was warming up. Will pressed the back of his hands to his forehead as the sound of electric shocks coursed through his brother's body. Ignoring the temptation to run away, Will rotated right and headed for the room next door.

"Page Bekker, I need her in an OR with me in five minutes," Rhodes barked out. He honestly questioned if Jay would make the elevator ride up two floors. He'd reached the point of needing volume rather than blood. Anymore intake of fresh blood would be the final blow to the heart's function. Time to work with whatever was left in there.

"Charge to 360…clear!" Breaths were held for a few seconds before the monitor rewarded some good news: sinus rhythm.

"We're moving. Let's go everyone!" The race to the OR was on. Jay and a myriad of doctors, nurses, and monitors whizzed by Adam's room. Will's eyes followed the herd to the elevator and watched the floor numbers increase, praying his brother would ride that elevator again, alive.

Adam and Jay seemed to be in a race to death. As bad as Jay was when he arrived, Adam was that much worse. While Jay was intubated in the field, Adam was trached, thus the reason for him arriving last. The initial concern was Adam's punctured lung and the bullet still lodged in it. He'd developed a large pneumothorax on the ride to Med and Will had to perform a thoracotomy and insert a chest tube. The amount of blood that escaped through the incision and tube was traumatizing, but Will was able to get everything in place. A scan around the second gunshot wound revealed the bigger dilemma.

"Shoot. It hit his right kidney and he's really bleeding internally. He needs to go up now or he's gunna lose the kidney. Page trauma!" Will reached to unplug a monitor when Adam's eyes rolled under its' lids and partially opened. A small miracle.

"Adam, stay with me. You're in the hospital." Will hit the elevator buttons a few more times, still thinking that sped things up. Adam blinked a couple more times before returning to an unconscious state. As the elevator claimed the final member of Intelligence, Will turned around to assess the aftermath of all that transpired. Each trauma room in the ER was coated in soiled gauze and bloody garments. Nurses went about replacing depleted inventory and janitorial was mopping up messes on the ground. Doctors gathered around the desk in the middle of the ED, shaking their heads. Each trying to process the violence that just rolled through the doors. Will's attention was drawn to trauma one. Trudy Platt was sitting next to a bed with a white sheet over it, crying through a tissue covering her eyes. The body in the bed was a young officer that was fatally shot at the scene and pronounced here. Will didn't see Trudy or the officer arrive but was able to connect the dots. All of Intelligence was in a bed somewhere in the hospital, leaving the officer as the eighth trauma.

The last few minutes were a blur that Will hoped he'd one day forget. He rested up against a corner and slowly slid to the floor. The blood on his clothes and gloves reeked, but he suddenly couldn't move. The weight of what just transpired struck him; evil came to visit his friends and brother. He kept blinking in an effort to delete the sounds and images in his brain, but it didn't work. His few moments with Jay kept repeating and grew louder with every replay. He rolled his head into his chest and let out a couple of tears before regaining composure. He was a little surprised no one noticed him down here. Perhaps they were just giving him some space. Nevertheless, he wanted to slip out of sight before people began asking questions he didn't want to hear or discuss. So he gathered himself up and headed for the stairs; looking for a spot to let everything out.