"Alright Meadows, we've got audio and visual. Any sign of Rabbani yet?"
Cordona, Hank and one of the CTU detectives were crammed into the back of a surveillance van, three pairs of eyes glued to the screen that displayed the footage from Kate's button camera.
"Negative. Nothing yet."
"Ok. Stay alert everyone. We know this guy's a slippery fuck."
Taking his finger off of the transmit button, Cordona propped his elbows on his knees and settled down to wait for Rabbani to arrive. Hank was seated as far away from him as he could get whilst still having a good line of sight at the screen, not wanting to be within touching distance of the asshole that broke Kate's heart and got her shot.
"So, how long have you and Kate been…"
Hank levelled Jake with a withering look that very clearly said 'are we really going to do this now?' but evidently Cordona didn't get the hint as he continued talking.
"You know, I didn't expect her to move on so fast…we were together a long time."
He wasn't going to do this now, not whilst she was out there risking her life to solve this case. She should be at the hospital with her brother but instead she was unarmed, sitting in the middle of Bryant Park waiting for a known terrorist and here Cordona was trying to start another dick-measuring contest.
Cordona let out a light, humourless laugh at Hank's silence, his eyes glinting in the dim light as he looked Hank up and down.
"You don't really seem her type either, Voight."
Hank didn't dignify his statement with a response, instead he was focusing his energy on not grabbing this little fucker by the throat and squeezing the very life out of him.
"Who would have thought Kate Meadows would shack up with an old-timer like you, huh?"
Hank had heard enough.
"Are we going to have a problem, Cordona?"
His voice was cold and dangerous but Cordona merely smirked in response, gleeful that he had evidently poked a sore spot. He had absolutely no idea who he was dealing with.
"Ahh, what's the matter Voight? You worried about our girl, is that it?"
He was, he was absolutely terrified. In Chicago, it was his rules. His unit. His city. Hank absolutely hated the thought of Kate being out there without the backup he was used to giving her. But Kate was a first-class detective. In fact, she was probably the best he'd ever seen, even better than he himself was at her age.
'Hell, she's probably better than you'll ever be.'
The mixed emotions battling in his chest said more about him than it did about her capabilities but, before Hank could respond, they were interrupted by Kate's voice as she notified them of Rabbani's arrival.
"I've got eyes on Rabbani. Approaching from the north-east side, grey jacket."
Within a few moments, Rabbani dropped into the seat opposite Kate and the two began talking.
"Yasin. It's been a minute. How's things?"
The young man gave her a genuine, albeit small smile and nodded his head.
"Yeah, it has. What brings you back to New York, Eva?"
"I think you know the answer to that already."
She gave him a sultry smirk, eyes lidded as she looked him up and down. Kate had been undercover as Eva Munez, the daughter of a now-deceased Government Aide who had been killed by American police officers during an assignment in Iran. She portrayed a young woman who had become disillusioned with her country and turned to ISIS as a result, playing right into the hands of Rabbani who had become an avid follower of Osama Bin Laden because of his own personal tragedy when his entire family was killed in an American drone attack in Yemen. As far as he was concerned, the two were kindred spirits, out to seek justice for their loved ones.
Rabbani was a mid-level player in a huge network of terror cells but he wasn't deemed critical enough for their task force to go after him in isolation. In order to get to the top of the hierarchy, they needed Kate's cover intact and so, when the raid on Rabbani's boss went south, she simply disappeared.
"Are we back in business?"
Rabbani eyed her for a moment, a hint of distrust circling in his dark orbs before he rose from his chair.
"Let's take a walk, shall we?"
Ignoring the sinking feeling, Kate got to her feet and gestured for Rabbani to lead the way.
Back in the van, Cordona, Hank and Valdez watched on as the two began to move through the park.
"Be advised, Meadows and Rabbani are on the move. Lindsay, Sanchez, Ryan, I want eyes on her at all times."
"Copy that."
A sinking feeling settled in Hank's gut as he watched the screen showing the pair meander through Bryant Park, people milling around enjoying the mild afternoon, blissfully ignorant of the potential danger they were facing.
"I don't like it." Hank muttered as he watched them walk towards a quieter area of the park.
"What don't you like Voight?"
"Something feels off. We should get her out of there."
Cordona scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning to face Hank.
"Take it easy, Voight. She can handle herself."
"Oh, I know. She's got the bullet wound to prove it."
Hank shot Cordona an icy glare and the younger man at least had the decency to look sheepish. But the look soon vanished and was once again replaced by a cocky brashness that had Hank desperately grappling to control his temper.
Before the two of them could get into it, they were interrupted by Erin's voice on the radio.
"Cordona, we lost them. I repeat, we don't have eyes."
Hank's eyes darted frantically back to the screen, noting that the lush greenery of the park had disappeared and instead the camera showed damp, dark stone suggested that they had taken cover somewhere.
"…heard through the grapevine that there's another…surprise in situ."
Rabbani chuckled darkly at Kate's statement but, before Kate could react, Rabbani had turned on her with a hand at her throat and pushed her against a nearby wall, fingers crushing her airway as he used his larger frame to pin her down.
"Why are you back Eva? Who are you working with?"
"…n-nob-body…"
Kate could feel her face turning red, her oxygen-starved brain making her feel light-headed and woozy.
Within seconds, Hank was on his feet with a hand on the door of the van when Cordona grabbed him by the front of his jacket and pushed him backwards.
"Not yet Voight! She hasn't used the safeword, we let it play."
"Take your fucking hands off me! I don't care if she hasn't called it. I'm calling it. That prick put hands on her-"
"She'll deal with it. It's nothing she hadn't handled before."
The two men glared at each other before Cordona spoke again.
"She doesn't know how to fail."
Taking a deep breath, Hank reluctantly dropped back into his seat and returned his gaze to the monitor. After a few, gut-wrenching moments, Rabbani released his grip on Kate's throat who sucked in big gulps of air, a hand moving to her abused throat before turning an irritated gaze onto Rabbani.
"The fuck Yasin!?"
He took her gently by the shoulders, a total contradiction to his aggressive behaviour a few moments prior.
"…I'm sorry, it's just…I know there are eyes on me."
She straightened up, leaning her head back against the stone and reached out to rest a palm against his cheek, the bristles of his thick beard ticking her hand uncomfortably.
"Then let me help. Let me in."
The two were silent for a second and the entire team waiting with bated breath to see if Rabbani would take the bait.
"There's one more bomb. The carrier is due to detonate at 4pm."
Kate traced a thumb over his lower lip, eyes following the movement in what she hoped was a soothing manner. It seemed to be working as Yasin leaned in and placed his lips over hers. It took all of Kate's training and willpower not to pull away in disgust, knowing how vital it was that her cover remain in place until they had a location.
With a humm, she pulled away slightly, licking her slightly swollen lips before asking the million dollar question.
"Where?"
"JFK."
"We got him! Lindsay, Sanchez, Ryan, find her!"
Hank was out of the van before Cordona had finished his sentence, setting off at a run in the direction that Kate had vanished with Rabbani. He could hear Cordona behind him, calling in the location to Walker and the second unit but he paid him little mind, his sole focus on finding Kate.
"I think I see them, south-west corner of the park, behind the memorial statue."
When Hank arrived, Kate was sat astride Yasin's prone form, her elbow rising high into the air as she drove her fist repeatedly into his now bloody and bruised face.
"…my…fucking…brother…because of…you…"
Each word was punctuated was another sickening crack as his bones crunched and flesh split under her knuckles. Hank wrapped both arms around Kate's body, just below her breasts as he hoisted her off of Yasin's groaning form. She struggled against him for a few moments before he passed her off to Sanchez and Erin who had appeared behind him just seconds after he arrived.
Turning his attention to Yasin, he gripped the front of the man's jacket and pulled him to his feet, propping him up against the stone. The image of Yasin putting his hands and lips on Kate sent a surge of rage down his spine and Hank too drove his fist hard into Yasin's face, blood and teeth flying from the man's mouth at the impact.
"You think you can put hands on what doesn't belong to you?"
"Hank!"
He heard Erin's warning but the blood rushing in his ears made her sound like she was miles away instead of right behind him.
"If you even so much as think about her ever again, I'll fucking kill you. You understand?"
Hands gripped his bicep and gently tugged him away from Rabbani who slumped down the wall, coughing and spluttering as Valdez moved in to put him in cuffs. When Hank turned around, he was greeted with Erin's concerned face but his eyes were drawn over her shoulder to where Corona had Kate's elbow in a tight grip and the fire in Hank's stomach began to spiral once again at the sight.
"…off book like that? Are you fucking crazy?"
Striding forward, Hank grabbed Cordona by the front of his shirt, forcing the bigger man away from Kate with a dangerous look in his eye.
"Easy old man, not like I haven't had my hands on her before." Jake leered, his blue eyes flashing.
Hank stepped into Jake's space, their faces merely centimetres apart, Hank's eyes becoming stone cold.
"And this time will be the last. I'll tell you exactly what I told him." He jerked his head back towards Rabbani. "You lay hands on her again, I'll make sure they never find your body."
Stepping away from Cordona and releasing his shirt, he waited until Jake pushed away from the wall and moved towards his unit before turning to Kate who had watched the exchange silently from her place next to Erin.
Taking a few steps towards her, Hank let out a sigh of relief when he was finally able to take her in his arms, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in her scent.
When Hank eventually pulled away, he took in her tired features and rapidly bruising throat, running his fingertips gently across the darkening skin. Before he could think too much about it, Kate stepped back into his embrace, arms wrapping around his waist as she rested her head on his chest, immediately soothed by the sound of his heartbeat under her ear.
"I'd like to go see my brother now."
Her words were muffled against his shirt but he heard her loud and clear. Walker's team were on their way to the airport to deal with the second bomb and Cordona was in the process of escorting Rabbani to the station. Their work was done.
With a nod, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and, together with Erin, the three of them made their way to New York Presbyterian to await news on Matthew's condition.
The three of them sat in a waiting room for hours on end, discarded paper coffee cups at their feet as time ticked by. Kate was resting her head against Hank's shoulder when Grace Meadows-Kimble appeared at the end of the hallway, a frantic, panicked look on her face as she half-jogged down the corridor, Ted following not too far behind her. When her eyes settled on her daughter, she darted past the nurses station and into the waiting area.
"Katie!"
Kate got to her feet, ignoring her protesting arm as she allowed her mother to pull her into an embrace.
"Hey Mom."
"How is he? Any news? The doctor said he was still in a medically-induced coma."
Kate nodded, letting her know that there was no change in Matt's condition.
Grace's eyes darted to the two people who were sitting with Kate when she arrived, particularly the man who had his arm around her shoulder. Noticing the shift in her mother's attention, Kate introduced the two of them to her mom and step-father.
"Mom, this Erin Lindsay, we used to work together in Chicago but she now works for the FBI here in New York. Erin, this is my mom Grace and my step-dad Ted."
Taking a breath, she paused for a second, trying to find the right words to adequately describe the man next to her. As if sensing her dilemma, he made the decision for her and extended a hand to Kate's mother.
"Sergeant Hank Voight, Kate's boss."
He extended the same hand to Ted who gave it a firm shake before taking his wife back into his arms.
The look on her Mom's face told Kate that she didn't believe for one second that he was just her boss but she chose not to question it. Instead, she merely told them how nice it was to meet them and took a seat across from them, asking Kate to give her the details of the day.
After another couple of hours with still no news, Kate told Erin to go home and get some rest, promising that she would update her if she heard anything. Ted had disappeared to get them some coffee and Grace approached the nurses station to enquire if they had an update on her son.
Kate was lost in her own thoughts when Hank slipped his hand into hers, interlacing their fingers as she turned to look at him.
"If he's anything like you, he won't go out without a fight Kate."
She nodded, silently thanking him for both his words and for just being by her side. Lifting their joined hands to her lips, Kate pressed a kiss to each of his knuckles one by one. Just as she planted her lips to his last knuckle, a doctor appeared in the doorway and the two of them got to their feet.
Kate's heart sank at the look on the doctor's face. She had seen that look before and she herself had worn the same look when she notified the families of deceased victims.
"The swelling on his brain has reduced slightly but the significant amount of trauma to his body caused by the rubble means that he's gone into renal failure. We've got him on dialysis but it's only a temporary measure…he's going to need a transplant."
A whoosh of air left Kate's chest and she was sure that Hank's arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her upright.
"Okay, so…w-what happens now?"
The doctor tucked his hands into the pockets of his white coat.
"He goes on the transplant list and we hope for a match. Given the criticality of his condition, he'll be pretty high on the list but we can't guarantee we'll find a match in time."
Kate shook her head, the prospect of her big brother dying because of a waiting list after fighting so hard to stay alive leaving her cold.
"No. No, he's not waiting. I'm a match. I'll do it."
Both Hank and the doctor looked at her incredulously.
"When Matt first started his internship here, he wanted to know if he would be a match for me if I ever needed a donor because of my line of work."
"Kate, are you sure about this?"
Kate turned to look at Hank, worry written clearly across his face but she merely nodded and squeezed his hand.
"I'm sure."
When Grace and Ted returned, Kate briefed them on the situation, the two of them torn between relief that their son's increased chances of survival and distressed at the thought of their daughter being the one to save him.
Hank was by her side when she was admitted to a nearby room to begin the pre-operative tests and blood-work, watching in awe as she once again sacrificed her own well-being in favour of someone else's.
When the doctor went off to process the paperwork, Kate and Hank were left alone, Kate in a standard-issue hospital gown that was far too big for her frame. He thought she looked pale and tiny amongst the starchy white sheets and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and take her home where she'd be safe. But they had one more hurdle to jump before he could do that.
He was pulled from this thoughts by her exhausted voice calling his name.
"Come lay with me for a minute?"
She shuffled over to give him enough space to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to rest on his chest as he perched awkwardly on the side of the bed.
It hit him like a tonne of bricks in that moment that he'd been in this exact position before. This was how he held Camille when she slipped away in his arms and the thought of losing Kate had his heart pumping at three times the speed in his chest.
As though sensing the change, Kate lifted her chin and placed a gentle kiss to the underside of Hank's jaw.
"It's going to be fine. We'll be back keeping Chicago safe in no time."
"I think that's what I'm supposed to be telling you."
She chucked lightly, running her fingers across his clothed chest, enjoying a few minutes of peace before the next storm hit. But they were interrupted by the appearance of the doctor, Grace and Ted who took in the scene with raised eyebrows.
"We're ready if you are Ms Meadows."
Kate nodded, shifting to let Hank extricate himself from her arms as the nurses began to prepare her for transport. Leaning down, Hank captured her lips in a long kiss, hoping and praying that it wouldn't be for the last time. He reluctantly pulled away but he didn't get too far when her hands darted out to grip his shirt, holding him firm.
"Kiss me again."
With a grin, Hank dipped his head back down and sealed his lips over hers, both of them ignorant to the audience of the doctors, nurses and anyone else who was looking on. When he pulled back, this time he cupped her face in the palm of one hand and traced his thumb across the smooth skin of her cheek.
"I love you."
"I love you."
He watched as she was wheeled off to the operating room, eyes tracking her until she was out of sight and even then his gaze remained rooted to the spot she had vanished from.
It was only when Ted cleared his throat did Hank turn to face the parents of the woman he loved.
"So, her boss, huh?"
The three of them sat and waited whilst Kate and Matt were in surgery. For six hours, they sat almost in total silence just waiting. Hank answered the occasional question, 'how long have you been dating?', 'do you have any children?', 'are you allowed to date a subordinate?'.
"Look, I understand that I'm not the obvious choice for your daughter. If I were in your shoes, I'd have my reservations too." He directed a look at Grace as he spoke. "But I love your daughter more than anything else on this earth. And I'd walk to hell and back to keep her safe and happy."
Grace and Ted shared a look before they both returned their gaze to Hank's face, a knowing smile playing on both of their lips.
"That's all we need to know."
