1
Just a normal Monday, almostSu entered the subway. She looked right and left. It was quite crowded, but there was an empty seat between a nice-looking Afro-American lady in her 50s and an older Caucasian guy. Su sat down between the two of them. Immediately both turned away from her. Without a world, first the woman, then the man stood up and moved further away from her in the train. Su's eyes widened. She looked around. Everyone seems to avoid her eyes. Even the people sitting on the seat after the next to hers turned away.
'I can't believe that!', she thought. 'Is that how it's going to be from now on?' At that moment someone sat down next to her.
"Agent Park!" the familiar voice greeted her.
"O.A.! You can't believe how good it is to see a friendly face! Did you see that?"
The large Arab gave her an empathetic smile. "Yes, that's why I came!"
"I just can't believe that! I didn't even cough or sneeze!" Something went dark in her face. "Maybe I should! Then we could have the whole train for ourselves. Lot's of room!"
O.A. laughed. " You should try that! I like to see that" He winked an eye on her.
"Better not... You probably never murmured something in Arabic or left your bag just a bit further away to make people nervous, did you?"
His eyes widened. " No, I'm neither that evil nor interested in shortening my life than you seem to be." He said a little less amused.
"Ok, maybe, you're right. That's dark and possibly dangerous even for my standards... How come you are taking the sub today?" She changed the topic.
"Your partner has my car!"
Su's eyes widened in surprise. "So, it's official now? You two are an item?"
"What!" O A began to laugh. "No! Where did that rumor come from? 24th floor gossip mill?"
"It's not that far fetched," Su began her defense.
"Yes, it is! You know, I had a girlfriend until recently."
"Until recently!" Su repeated grinning.
O.A. pretended not to have heard that. "Erin and I are just good friends, and you know that. Just because you had better things to do this weekend, doesn't mean other nice and strong friends didn't show up to help!"
"Oh, of course! Svetlana moved out! How was it?"
"Chaotic like every move, but both places look more or less fine by now." He looked content.
"But that still doesn't explain, why she has your car."
"Svetlana has hers to pick up Sophia from day care later on. Erin needed a car to bring her there."
"Yes, she mentioned, Svetlana would still do nanny hours after shift. Hope it works out!"
Su's phone beeped. She looked at the message and smiled. "Speaking of the devil... She's running late. Stuck in traffic."
Now OAs phone beeped. "She seems to have time to do some texting..." He quickly answered. " Wanted to know my parking space."
"That's our stop! We should get out, otherwise we are also late."
"Sure!" They both stood up and left the subway together.
When Su entered the open plan office on 24th it was already busy. She went to her desk. Her boss came out of his office with a bit shy and disturbed looking but quite cute and handsome fellow by his side. They came her way.
"Agent Park!" her boss called her. "Where's your partner?"
„Stuck in traffic, on her way. Is there anything I could do for you?" she asks.
„Maybe. This is Captain Greg Gerwitz. He starts as our new liaison officer with the Army and surveillance expert."
Su stretched out her hand. „Please to meet you, I'm Agent Su Bin Park!"
As Greg hesitated to take her hand, she just smiled brighter, and took his.
„Greg Gerwitz." he got out.
„Captain Gerwitz and Agent Lindsay are former colleagues from Chicago. So, I hoped she could introduce him to everything and everyone, but maybe you can just get him to the tech team on 23rd, and he can introduce himself over there? I got a call in 10."
„Sure, I'm happy to show Captain Gerwitz around and introduce him!"
„Do whatever you want, I need to go. Captain Gerwitz, I hope you have a great first day. If you have any question, I'm sure Agents Park and Lindsay will be able to answer them, or your tech colleagues."
Captain Gerwitz nodded. „Thank you, sir!"
„So, where shall we start? Break room?"
„Mmaybe you could just show me the basics on this floor, and then you can introduce me to the tech team on 23rd that I can have a look at the equipment over there?" He eyed her nervously.
„ Sure! This way! So you know Lindsay back from her time at Chicago PD? How was she back then?" Lindsay hardly talked about her life or work back in Chicago. Su always wondered.
„Uhm, nice?" Captain Gerwitz answered.
‚So, not very talkative.' Su thought. She tried a few more times to get some information on her partners' past while she showed Captain Gerwitz around but didn't get much out other than they worked together in intelligence. When they were just heading out to the elevators, Erin stepped out of one.
„Mouse!" she exclaimed, and immediately hugged Captain Gerwitz. „I'm so sorry, I'm late. Traffic was... bad! She looked him up and down. You look different, good, but different."
Mouse smiled shyly. „The same goes to you Lindsay. The Special Agent in Charge told me, I have to thank you for this position."
„He just asked me after reading your file, if I could recommend you, and I could! I told him there can't be anyone more qualified. I'm glad to be working with you again, Mouse!" She pulled him in for another hug.
She nodded to Su. „So, you already met my partner, Agent Park."
He nodded.
„Showed him around 24th a bit, we just wanted to go to the tech department on 23rd just now."
„Thanks, Su, I can take it from here. I have to get Omar his keys back down there, anyways."
„Yes, I heard, you are trading cars already." Su said with a wink.
Erin turned red. Normally, Su's insinuations didn't bother her, because she knew her and Omar were just friends, but in front of Mouse, that was different. She was happy to see him again, but he was also a link to a past she left behind almost three years ago, and she wasn't sure, how deep his connection to that „past" still was, and if she wanted him to know more than necessary about her private life here in New York. But maybe that insinuation could be useful, if Mouse would think, she has a boyfriend, he might not ask about her child's father. Well, for now he didn't even know about the kid, so, one step after the other.
"Okay, listen up!" she heard her boss, Special Agent in Charge Jeremiah Miller, call from the other end of the office floor. "A short briefing for the day and the months to come."
"We should get back in!" Lindsay said to Greg and Su. They followed on her heels.
"Ah, Agent Lindsay, how nice of you to join us!" her boss began in front of her whole office.
"I'm sorry, boss, traffic..."
"No, worries! I'm really glad you made it because this concerns you as well."
To all, Miller continued: "As you all know, we founded this joined task force of CTU and PCU after the political unrest that followed after, well, the 2016 election and everything that followed. Some of you worked hard for the Russia investigation as well as Ukraine." He nodded in Erin's and Su's direction. "I know we all hoped for more, but it's not our place, and you all did a great job! What comes now, is different. This time we want to be ahead of things from the beginning. There's a new election coming in autumn, and this time we have to make sure there's no interference from any foreign power. Some of this is partly the NSAs job, but we'll have a look at that as well. For this purpose, DIA send us a liaisons-officer. Please, all welcome Captain Gerwitz!"
He waited for the greetings to ebb down before he continued: "This war will be fought mainly online, that's why we need experts like Captain Gerwitz. But we also need to make sure, that the whole voting process and everything connected to it is recountable and comprehensible. There are already people suggesting that there might be voter fraud connected to absentee and mail-in ballots..."
Someone coughed: "POTUS!" Some smiled. SAC continued as if he hadn't heard a thing. „That means for us, we have to be extra careful to ensure that these claims are untenable. That these claims are made, before we have any official nominee from either party, shows it doesn't really matter: Campaign season has already begun. Our country is much more divided than it was 5 years ago when foreign powers began to rig our election. This is a far more dangerous playground today. There will be clashes between the more extreme forces, that's one of the reasons CTU is part of this task force. It's our job to make sure, our democracy survives. Therefore, besides the fields of social media and tech, we'll also have a closer look at other agents from both sides, if we find any hint that those are, or might be, linked to either of the campaigns. If necessary, we are sending some of you undercover, online, in person, or both. But for now, I like you all to work less in the field outside and more indoors. I ask not only the analysts but also the field agents to do thorough research on specific topics and organizations I'll hand out to you all shortly. If you come across anything, that's suspicious and might need an extra interview, we discuss it in a larger group first. The operation should not be open to the public eye, the outcome shall be, the aim is, to have an open and undisturbed election, on which neither party can claim voters fraught in the end. As ridiculous as this country might seem to the outside world at the moment, we want to ensure, that's not leaning to become what some of our long-time allies already call us behind our back: A banana republic!"
Some eyes widened in shock.
SAC ended: „We still are a world power, let's put everything we have to ensure we still are one by the end of the year! Our job is to uphold our democracy! There's no higher goal!"
Some cheered, while other like Mouse seemed confused. „Is that normal over here?" he asked Erin.
She smiled:" He likes to give speeches and remind us about what or who we work for. He's a great motivator, he's maybe not as great in blindly accepting everything from above, which is good during these times, I think, don't you?"
„Yes, I totally agree, I know why I am here, I just didn't expect him to be so bluntly about it. Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
Erin shrugged her shoulders. „Maybe, if it were heard outside of this office, but he trusts us not to blab. So, I hope, you won't as well. The last thing we need is the public thinking the agency that should ensure an unbiased voting process is biased itself."
"Sure thing! Shall we go upstairs now?"
Lindsay was looking at her phone. "Sorry, I have to get that!" She turned away. "Yes?"
"Okay, I understand."
"I'll figure something out."
"I understand, it's just not good timing, but it's not your fault."
"Stay safe, and let me know, what the test says."
"Yeah, it's pretty unlikely. But I still need to know."
"Take care! Bye!"
"Fuck!" She said when she'd hung up.
"What is it?" Su asked.
"This new virus. Covid-19? It seems to have spread in the hospital where Svetlana just began her training as a nurse, and probably also at the dorm where she just moved in."
Su's eyes widened. "Didn't you all go there like yesterday?"
"Yes, we did, but that's not what concerns me most, although it maybe should? I'm more worried about how I get my daughter from daycare early. I hate to leave her there till six pm."
"You have a daughter?"
She'd completely forgotten about Mouse! Shit! She turned to him. "Yes, I have! Two years old." She smiled at him and hoped he couldn't do the math. He was a guy after all, he might not be able to, although he was a math genius…
"I should bring you upstairs now. Maybe Omar is still there, and I can ask him to borrow his car a little longer. I forgot to ask Svetlana for my car back..." She turned to Su: "If SAC asks, I'm bringing Captain Gerwitz upstairs."
They made their way back to the elevator.
"So, this Omar-guy? He's your daughters father?" Greg asked on the way.
"What? No, he's a good friend. Sophia adores him, that goes both ways, but we're not, and never have been, romantically involved."
"So, who is the father then?" he kept on asking.
"He's ... not part of the picture. And if you don't mind, I would really like not to discuss my private life in these halls that are full of investigators, that really like to gossip."
Mouse turned red. "I...I'm sorry, you're right. Sorry..."
They reached the upper level and stepped out of the elevator again.
"Tech's down there. 2466, I think. Shall I bring you?"
"No, it's ok, thanks for bringing me that far. Guess I see you around later."
"Yes, it's nice to have you back in one piece, I'm really glad, you could join us!"
She hoped she got her message clear about her private life without him being hurt or offended, and she really hoped he wasn't in close contact with Chicago anymore.
She found Omar and Maggie at their desks. They turned around when she greeted them.
"Erin! Giving me my car back?" Omar asked with a smile.
"I wish! Sorry, Omar, I've got a problem..." She chewed her lower lip and then began to explain the situation. Maggie jumped in: "Wait! Covid-19 in the dorm ? Shouldn't we all be tested or at least quarantined?"
"I don't know, honestly, I heard there are not enough tests available right now? Svetlana got tested today. If's she's negative, we shouldn't have to worry, I guess, at least that's what she said."
"When will she have the result?" Omar asked.
"Three days. We can't stop working for three days, hell, I haven't even started to work today, and it's almost eleven!"
"Pretty sure, being in contact with a possible deadly virus, gets you a free pass," Maggie said.
"We don't know if we were! I actually came here for another reason. I might need your car again this evening to pick up Sophie. As your Partner just put it, mine might be poisoned by a deadly virus," she said in the direction of Maggie.
"Sure, I can take the subway again!"
"Wait!" Maggie interrupted. " What do you mean, by 'this evening'? You want to leave your cute, possible contagious daughter in day care till the evening?"
"Thanks, Mags for making me feel more like a bad mother than I already am! What other choice do I have? I haven't even started working today!"
Some agents turned her way at her raised voice.
"Sorry, Er. You know, I didn't want to imply that. You are a great mother. Doing all of that without a partner and still showing up to do the straining job we do. You know, I admire you for that. I just wanted to offer to pick my cute sorta-niece up earlier. Work seems to be slow over here today. I could ask to get off early to spend some time with her. I'm on quite good terms with my assistant special agent in charge." She smiled at that. "I m sure he'll let me go early today, and I wouldn't even have to mention a deadly virus, if you want to keep that under wraps for today, and I'm sure my partner here will take over some of my paper work for the day." She smiled at O.A.
"He would, but he would also offer to do it the other way round. That way you could still have my car for tomorrow morning."
"Or I could spend the night at yours, and we can carpool in the morning."
"Wouldn't your 'assistant special agent in charge' miss you?" Erin asked with a wink of her eye.
"I'm pretty sure he'll manage. He has kids himself, he'll understand."
"Would that be ok with you, Omar?" she asked.
"Sure, maybe we can switch tomorrow then, that I get spend some more time with little Sophie as well."
"Let's see how everything works out tomorrow, maybe I can spend some time with little Sophie as well. No, honestly, guys, you just safe me again. That you were in my class at Quantico was one of the best things that ever happens to me, Mags." She smiled at her brightly. "I'll let the day care know, you're picking her up today. Text me, when you know when you can be there."
"I speak to him right away and let you know! Get back to start working. We got this!"
It was almost seven when Erin was finally getting ready to leave the office. Her little girl would probably be asleep once she was home. She picked up her phone to call an uber when it vibrated in her hand and Maggie's picture appeared. She picked up an saw her daughter's face. "Hey cutie pie!"
"Mommy, come home!" She said in a demanding voice.
"I'm on my way baby, just need to call an uber."
"No Uber! Sophie Uber!" She smiled.
Erin looked confused when Maggie appeared on the screen. She smiled. "We're downstairs, waiting for you."
"Sophie's Uber!" Sophia repeated proudly.
"Ok, I'll be down in a minute! Love you, cutie pie!"
"Love you too!" Maggie answered.
Erin waved a kiss at the screen and hung up. On her way out of the elevator, she met Mouse again.
She smiled at him: "Mouse, how was your first day?"
"Quite busy, as yours seems to be. Heading out that late?"
"That's not really late for PCU-standards, and you might remember, I was a bit late in the morning."
"So, I figure your childcare crisis worked itself out?"
"Yes, it has. This child is lucky to be raised by a village. They stepped in." She said as the elevator doors opened again. "And there, they are!"
"Mommy!" Sophia came running. As Erin bend down to get ready to take her in her arms, Sophia fell and began to cry. Erin jumped to get her, and she held her in her arms and began to calm her down. " My poor Baby girl, that wasn't that bad, was it?"
She kissed her temple and stroke her brown hair softly. Greg was watching the whole scene, while Maggie was watching Greg. There was something odd in the way he looked at the two of them.
As Sophia slowly calmed down and her sobs were getting fewer, Erin looked up at Maggie who pointed her head at Greg. Erin nodded.
"Look, Sophie, there's someone I like to introduce you to. Do you think, you can wipe away your tears and have a look?" Erin handed her a tissue. She took it and nodded. Erin turned around to Greg.
"This is my friend Greg from Chicago, you know where Grandpa Hank lives?"
Sophia nodded, and smiled shyly at Mouse, who tried hard to look not as taken aback as he felt. Sophia mostly looked like her mother: brown hair, hazel eyes, dimples, but when she got upset her face and her whole demeanor changed to someone very familiar to him. Could that be true? Was Jay the father, who wasn't in the picture? Was that the reason the two of them broke up? He wasn't ready for that responsibility? He chickened out of fatherhood?
"He's also called Mouse, just like you're favorite stuffed animal at home!" Greg was pulled back to the present.
"Mouse!" she repeated and began to smile.
Greg smiled back and waved at her. "Hi, little Sophie."
Sophie waved back.
"We should get going!" Erin said. "Enjoy your first after work hours!"
"Have a nice evening!" Greg left, while Maggie came closer.
"Who was that?" she asked.
"Shoot, I thought you met, I should have introduced you. I'll tell you, when we get home, and this little munchkin is in bed, where it belongs at this time at night."
"Not tired!" Sophia protested.
"Baby, you just fell over your own feet, believe me, you are tired!"
"No!" Sophia said with an angry face. Gladly, Mouse was gone already, because with this face, it would have only taken him seconds to know who her father was. She so much looked like him when she was angry.
Erin kissed her head, "We'll see when we get home."
Sophia fell asleep in the car, and didn't wake up, when her mom lifted her out of the car seat, or when they entered the apartment. She blinked slightly when her diaper was changed for the night and her mom put a wet cloth on her face, but basically slept through the whole bathroom routine. When Erin came out of her bedroom, Maggie greeted her with a bottle of beer.
"The chicken should be here in 20 minutes."
"Thanks, Mags!" She said while she fell down on the Couch. "Honestly, I don't know, how I managed today without you!"
"You know, I love Sophie, and spending time with her. I should thank you for that! I told you from day one: I love to be her village! And you two kept me sane after Jason. So, please, I love to do this, you don't owe me anything, okay?"
"Fine! Cheers to being there for each other!" They clanked their bottles together.
After the first sip, Maggie began. "So, who's that weird guy from the lobby?"
"You mean Mouse? He's not weird, he's maybe a bit anti-social, and a genius."
"He was looking weird at you and Soph!"
"That was probably, because last he saw me before today, I was in a happy and stable relationship with his best friend, or so I thought." Erin became quiet and looked at her beer.
"Wait, he's best friends with Sophie's father? Don't you think it's a bit risky to introduce her to him, if you want that guy still out of the picture?"
"What other choice did I have, you brought her there!"
"But don't you think, he might be able to connect the dots? Didn't you say he was a genius?"
"Not that kind of genius. He's good with math, but I doubt that includes ovulation math's." She laughed softly. "No definitely not, I highly doubt, he knows, when we broke up exactly, and he doesn't even know when Sophia was born, so I'm pretty sure, he doesn't have a clue." She looked at Maggie. "And I like it to stay that way."
"My lips are sealed, you know that. But, as I told you before, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing, if his friend, became part of the picture. Especially now, that you're without a Svetlana."
"No, it's to late now, he would hate me even more, for withholding her from him. And what's there to gain? A more dysfunctional family for Sophie? Being torn between parents? Spending the holidays apart? He lives a happy live with his new partner. We're fine here. We got you and Omar, and Svetlana will be back, and if not, I'll get an Au Pair or nanny, or whatever. And soon enough Sophia will be old enough that's not such a bad thing to stay longer at day care."
"Soon enough she will be old enough to ask for her Daddy."
"Yes, I'm honestly a bit afraid of that. I'm planning on telling her the truth. But bit by bit. So she's the whole picture when she's old enough to understand."
"Which is what?"
"You know the truth! Her father was the first man I ever fell for, deeply and truly, but he wouldn't let me be there for him, when he needed it, after he had always been there for me. He ended it, or paused it, to deal with his demons on his own. That hurt deeply. But he was so selfless and always knew his duty, that he'd come back in a second, had he known, I was pregnant. But I didn't want him to come back to me, because of some obligation or wrongfully understood code of honor. I knew that wasn't going to solve anything between us. And then I had to leave when we were just getting back to a better place. I couldn't ask of him to give up his whole life for me and Soph. So, I never told him. And you were the one making sure, I didn't tell him, when she was born." She looked at Maggie intensely.
"Because you asked me to do so, to forbid you to contact him in any hormonal stage." She made air quotes. "after birth."
" And I was right in doing so. It would have complicated everything unnecessary, and even made things worse for Svetlana."
"Yes, probably, you did a great job with her. Gave her a perspective! Look where she's now!"
"Probably infected with a deadly virus?"
"That's not what I meant: getting her high school diploma, being able to stay in this country. To move out of your protection, getting these horrible people behind bars! She came a long way in this past 2 and a half years, all thanks to you."
Erin smiled. "She did the most work. It was amazing how she managed to properly study this language, study for her high school diploma, all while raising a baby with me. She's the best! I just happened to be the lucky one to make her trust me and trust in herself."
"That wasn't luck, you did that!"
The doorbell rang. "Our Chinese arrived!"
They came out of the movie hand in hand. Haley turned to Jay and smiled brightly.
" Sorry, Babe, I read somewhere, that when the guy picks the movie, you should always say that it was great and you really enjoyed it, but no way!" She laughed. „That was just far too ridiculous, and the plot was... foreseeable at best."
He took her in her arms and kissed her. „You may be right, that was just... horrible! But I really enjoyed the company!" he kissed her again.
„Me too", she said, as they parted. „Actually, I enjoyed the whole normal couples date night thing: Eating junk food, going to the movies. Just maybe next time, I get to pick the movie? You clearly disqualified yourself there, Babe!" She looked into his eyes and kissed him again.
He smiled as they parted. „Maybe, if it's not some girl pick about the girl finding Mr. Right through unnecessary complications that only Hollywood authors can think of."
Hailey laughed. "As if that were something, I would pick!" She acted hurt. He kissed her again. "Besides", she continued, "why would I need to watch a romantic movie about finding Mr. Right, if I already been successful in that department and can enjoy the happily ever after with you?" She kissed him again.
"Okay, that was kind of cheesy!" he laughed. "But I liked the premise, I'm Mr. Right, am I?" He grinned.
"Get over it, Halstead! On that note, I need to see the bathroom, before this goes any further..." She waved at him with a smile before she turned to the ladies room. He looked after her with smile.
He got his phone out and turned the flight modus off. 5 missed calls from Mouse and another 8 texts! It was his first day on his new job. Maybe something went wrong? He skimmed the texts first.
"Hey, man, we really need to talk!"
"Please call me, as soon as you get this!"
"Where are you man!"
"Oh, I see you are at the movies!" How did he get that intel? Jay didn't really want to know.
"Call me as soon as the Movie is over!"
"How long is this movie?! Please call me as soon as you get this!"
"Sorry, I don't want to spoil your evening, but you really need to call me!"
"Which movie takes that long! Please call me!"
Jay looked in the direction of the ladies room. Hailey was still standing in line outside. He smiled at her and turned away to call Mouse.
"Hey Mouse, everything okay? How..."
Mouse immediately interrupted him. "Why did you walk out on Erin?"
Jay froze. "What? Where does that come from, man? Wait, you're in New York, aren't you? Did you met her, did she say anything?"
"No, she didn't even mention you. But I met your daughter, her daughter, your daughter." Mouse rambled on.
"My, her what again?" Jay said in shock.
"Daughter, 2 years, very cute, Erin's eyes, hair and dimples, your wailing! Definitely yours!"
"Look, mate, you must have that wrong, we split ages ago, she wasn't pregnant at the time. That must be someone else's kid."
"So why's your name on her birth certificate?"
"My name is on her what again? How did you even get to see her birth certificate? Wait, maybe I shouldn't know that... So, I guess, Erin didn't tell you that."
"Not exactly." Mouse admitted. "But the girl has your demeanor and your name is on the birth certificate! Care to explain yourself?"
"Honestly, I can't, this is news to me. And I am pretty sure, Voight would have killed me by now, if I left Erin with a child on the way. But he hasn't. I guess that's a mistake."
"You're probably right about the killing part," Mouse said thinking. "I can't explain that... But I'm pretty positive she's yours... I thought you knew about her, and just walked out of her!"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Jay became angry. "You know I could never do that!"
"Sorry, man, I should have..."
at that moment, Hailey came out of the women's restroom smiling brightly.
„Yes, mate, you should have! Sorry, I got to go. Talk to you another time. I'll try to get on the bottom of this. Something doesn't add up! Bye!"
He hung up, when Hailey had made her way back to him. She immediately sensed his changed mood. "Something wrong?" she asked.
"Not sure yet." He tried to avoid the conversation.
"Who did you talk to?" she inquired further.
"An old Army buddy of mine. He just started a new job, and... well it's quite personal, I don't want to get into any details." That was almost the truth, although he was aware that she would think it was personal to his buddy, and not him.
"Shall we go home?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, Hailey, I think I have to give you a rain check for the rest of the night." He looked into her eyes. "Would that be okay with you?"
She looked at him. He'd definitely changed. Something bothered him deeply. "Jay, you know, whatever it is, you can talk to me, don't you?"
He gave her a weak smile. "I know Hails, but not tonight. I'm sorry!"
"Whenever you're ready, I'm here!" she gave him an assuring smile.
"I know!" he gave her a small kiss on the lips. "Come on, I drive you home."