"Kate?"
Kate flicked her eyes from her computer screen to meet Jay's cool blue orbs and he raised an empty mug of coffee at her questioning look.
"You want coffee?"
Her stomach churned at the thought and she shook her head, thanking him anyway as he strode past her and into the kitchen. Kate wasn't sure if it was the hot weather or she'd picked up a bug but even the smell of coffee made her feel like she was going to hurl. As a kid, whenever she was sick she would randomly go off her favourite foods and drinks, like the time when she had stomach flu in her senior year of high school and couldn't tolerate even the thought of chicken for a good six months afterwards.
She'd felt a bit off-colour since the convenience store incident but Kate passed it off as a combination of stress and the unseasonably warm weather, hoping that as September rolled in, she would start feeling a bit more like herself. Turning her attention back to the screen, she continued scrolling through the reports, eyes scanning the lines at a rapid pace. She was running financials on Jeyvon Carter, a known member of the South Side Hustlers, to try and figure out why he was currently in their interrogation room being hung out to dry by the rest of his crew for three homicides in Garfield Park.
"We got anything on Carter's cell phone or financials?"
Hank had moved into the bullpen from his office and stopped next to their whiteboard, swiftly absorbing the information displayed before turning to face the team.
"Only thing we know is that Carter exchanged at least three dozen texts with a burner phone in the last few days, all of them in some kind of code." Hailey began tacking some sheets of paper with some of the more pertinent texts onto the board. "We're working with the OCD Lab and the Gang Unit to try and crack it but, other than that, we haven't got much."
"What about financials?"
Hank turned to Kate who pushed to her feet, scooping up the papers at her elbow before she too moved towards the whiteboard.
"Jeyvon's affiliated with one of the most prominent gangs in the city. I wasn't expecting to find much when it came to financials given he probably stores most of his cash in his underwear drawer." Kate ignored Adam's snort of amusement and pushed on. "But I did find a slight red flag in his mother's financials."
Kate tacked a photograph of Jeyvon's Mom to the board and, next to it, stuck a sheet of paper that had four, thick yellow lines at various points, drawing attention to the transactions that Kate had spotted.
"Crystelle Carter has received four separate deposits of £8k over the last month. Each deposit it just below the threshold to flag as suspicious but, prior to that, this woman didn't have two dimes to rub together."
"So we think the mom's involved?" Jay asked, his brow furrowing.
"Personally? I think Jeyvon's been paid to take the fall." Kate hiked her shoulders, eyes drifting around the room to see if anyone had any other ideas. When the room remained silent for a few seconds, Hank started moving towards the interrogation rooms.
"Well, why don't we ask him."
Just before Hank could deposit his gun in the safe, Trudy appeared at the top of the stairs with an unfamiliar face in tow. It wasn't unusual for Trudy to escort visitors upstairs but, from the stony expression on her face, this guest didn't appear to be a welcome one.
"Hank, this is Special Agent Walker North of the FBI."
She met Hank's gaze steadily and a silent conversation passed between the two friends and colleagues before Hank re-holstered his weapon and returned to the bullpen.
"What can I do for you Agent North?"
He came to a stop at the edge of one of the desks, feet planted a shoulder width apart and arms crossed over his chest. A typical Hank Voight power stance.
"Sergeant Voight, can I have a moment of your time?"
Walker had a look about him that had the hairs on the back of Kate's neck standing on end. His smile didn't even come close to reaching his cold blue eyes and Kate couldn't help the feeling of unease that washed over her as he gestured towards Hank's office. Dipping his head in assent, Hank led North to his office and closed the door behind them, leaving the rest of the room in silence.
"Halstead, Upton, you two speak to Carter about the money trail. The rest of you, carry on digging." As the natural deputy when Hank was indisposed, the baton fell to Alvin to allocate tasks to the team. Kate sidled over to Trudy who was still hovering at the top of the stairs.
"What's going on Trudy?" Kate muttered, keeping her voice low.
"I'm not sure but, whatever it is, it isn't good." Patting Kate on the elbow, she turned on her heel and headed back downstairs, leaving Kate to ponder her words alone. Hank was a big boy and she had no doubt that he had dealt with his fair share of sharks over the course of his career. But something about the look in North's eyes had her on edge and she didn't like it one bit.
When Hank took a seat at his desk, he watched as North closed the door behind them, eyes darting around the room to take in the assortment of frames on Hank's walls.
"So, what's this about?"
North pulled his eyes from the frame containing one of Hank's many commendation certificates to look at him.
"I just wanted to come down here and tell you in person that we have found the remains of a man we believe to be Kevin Bingham…the man who murdered your son."
He paused, waiting for a reaction that never came. Hank kept his breathing steady and his face carefully blank as he processed North's words.
"Our forensic team are yet to complete their analysis but we are confident we've found a single strand of DNA on the body."
His heart dropped into his stomach.
"Of course we'll keep you updated. I'm sure you'll be pleased to finally get some closure."
The two men stared at one another for a few moments, both of them refusing to back down.
'He knew.'
"Well I appreciate you coming all the way down here. Hopefully you find what your looking for."
The artificial smile North had worn when he arrived reappeared on his face, his head tilting slightly as he considered Hank for a moment.
"I hope we do too." He waited a beat before bidding Hank goodbye with a silent nod, swinging the door open and striding across the bullpen.
Hank waited until he was sure North was gone before letting out a ragged breath, his heart rate steadily increasing as he processed what North had said.
'Surely five years would be long enough to destroy and physical evidence if there was any? There was no way any DNA could still be on Bingham's body after all this time.'
He couldn't panic. That's exactly what North wanted. He came down here to rattle Hank's cage but he hadn't gotten the reaction he was after. Taking a breath, Hank got to his feet and moved towards the doorway, studiously avoiding Kate's pointed stare as he called for Alvin.
Closing the door behind him, Hank dropped down onto the leather sofa, running his palms over his face as he braced his elbows on his knees. Alvin had moved to the window, resting his weight on the ledge as he watched Hank silently for a second before speaking.
"What's goin' on?"
Hank looked up at him, a band of tension tightening across his chest.
"FBI found Bingham's body. According to North, they've found DNA."
Alvin remained stock still as the two looked at one another, the magnitude of their situation sinking in.
"He didn't say what DNA but he said a 'strand' so, from that, I can only assume it's hair."
Alvin's shoulders squared, knowing what Hank wasn't saying. It had to be a hair from either himself or Erin.
"But he could be bluffing. He came down here to see how I'd react."
"So what do we do?"
Hank rubbed a hand over his forehead.
"We wait it out. I'll do some digging, see if I can find out what they've got and we go from there."
"Better give Lindsay a heads up."
Hank nodded and dropped his chin to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut.
'How could this be happening?'
Hank was drawn out of his head when Alvin placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking up into his friend's warm brown eyes, Hank was once again taken over by a wave of guilt as he considered the position Alvin was now in.
"Don't worry. We'll figure it out."
Kate's eyes snapped to Hank's office door when she heard it open and she watched as Alvin moved back to his desk, leaving Hank alone on the sofa. She thought about going inside to talk to him but, before she could even entertain the idea, Hank got to his feet and closed the door. Through the glass, Kate could see him pull his phone from his pocket and make a call but, to whom, she wasn't able to tell.
Her mind was racing with all of the possible reasons why the FBI would want to talk to Hank…who would subsequently want to talk to Alvin. She knew the two of them had been involved in a manner of unsavoury situations over the years which did nothing but increase her already rising anxiety levels. Deciding to keep herself busy until she could talk to him, she headed into the viewing room and watched on as Hailey and Jay questioned Carter. For nearly two hours, they pressed, pushed and pleaded with Jeyvon to co-operate, eventually using the leverage of his mother to get him to play ball.
"We'll get you a deal Jeyvon, protect you and your mom." Jay reasoned from across the table but Jeyvon simple let out a humourless laugh.
"Rattin' on my crew? I'm as good as dead."
Kate figured he was probably right. The South Side Hustlers weren't known for their sympathy or second chances.
With the intel on the real killer, the unit headed down to the garage to gear up and make the arrest. Carter had told them that Jamal "JB" Brown was bunking down at a property in Englewood and Hank had given the orders for Adam and Kim to cover the back whilst the rest breached from the front.
As Kevin knocked the front door in and Jay and Hailey crossed the threshold, Kate spotted Jamal hop out of the second floor window, onto the verandah and down into a nearby alleyway in an effort to evade capture.
"Hey! Stop!"
Kate took off in the same direction as Jamal, Kevin close behind her as she gave chase, hopping over trash bags and boxes that filled the alley.
"5021 Sam, suspect heading west-bound through the alley. I'm in pursuit."
Brown was like a whippet, the long legs of his six-foot frame giving him the initial advantage but Kate had superior endurance. As long as she could keep up, he'd eventually slow down. True enough, Kate sprinted down the streets of Englewood for a good ten minutes before Brown eventually came to a stop in a dead end, leaning his head back and gasping for breath.
"Put your hands where I can see them Jamal."
She approached him carefully, vaguely aware of Hank's voice over the radio asking for a location update but she kept her focus solely on the man in front of her.
"I don't wanna hurt you Jamal but I will light your ass up if you don't show me your hands."
Kate had her gun trained on Jamal who was still surveying his surroundings for a new escape route. Coming up empty, he cursed loudly, resting his hand on the weapon tucked in to the front of his jeans.
"Jamal. Don't do it."
The warning fell on deaf ears and Kate buried two bullets in his chest just as he palmed the grip and withdrew the gun. Jamal dropped where he stood, a crimson stain already beginning to form on his bright white t-shirt. Kate rushed forwards, kicking the gun off to one side before dropping to her knees and covering the bullet holes with one palm, using the other to radio for help.
"5021 Sam. Shots fired. Offender down. Roll an ambo to this location."
Now pressing both hands to the wound, Kate looked down into Jamal's face, noticing how his eyes became glassy with each passing second.
"You're a fucking idiot Jamal." She grumbled, watching as his mouth filled with blood, his lungs collapsing with each gasping breath.
By the time the unit arrived behind her, Jamal had fallen still and Kate was sat with her back against a nearby building, legs bent at the knee and hands covered in claret.
"Kate, you good?"
Kevin shouted, his eyes immediately drawn to the blood and fearing the worst.
"I'm fine, Kev. Blood's not mine."
Kate leaned her head back against the brick, closing her eyes and letting out a long breath. This was the part she hated the most. This wasn't justice. This was a consolation prize at best.
"…cancel that ambo and roll the crime lab." Jay, Hailey, Kim and Adam were already retreating back towards the street, leaving Alvin, Kevin and Hank with Kate and Jamal's body.
"Gun's over there Kev. Bag it for ballistics."
Kevin nodded, setting about bagging the weapon for forensics. Alvin approached Kate slowly, crouching down at her side. She was staring at her hands, almost fascinated by how the viscous liquid became sticky as it dried against her skin.
"You okay?" He asked in that quiet, soothing tone he had used with her many times before, as though any sudden noises or movements would spook her. Lifting her eyes to meet his gaze, she considered him for a moment before her eyes drifted over Al's shoulder in search of Hank but he was nowhere to be seen.
As much as she loved Al, right now he wasn't what she needed. He placed a palm on her cheek, drawing her eyes to meet his.
"C'mon, you'll probably need to speak with IRT before we can head back."
Al caught Kate by the elbows and helped to tug her to her feet, not releasing her from his grip until he was sure she was steady. Sure enough, within twenty minutes Kate was pulled to one side by IRT and questioned about the chase and subsequent shooting. She answered all of their questions with confidence and soon she was cleared to head back to the district to join the rest of the unit.
Her hands were still covered in Brown's blood so she headed straight to the locker room when she got back to the district, planting her hands on the marble counter as she stared at her reflection. Despite her tanned complexion, she look pale even to her own eyes. With a sigh, she turned on the taps and watched as the water circling the drain turned pink, the evidence of her altercation with Jamal washing away with each scrub of her hands.
When her hands were scrubbed raw, she headed back into the bullpen to begin the lengthy process of writing an 'officer involved shooting' report. One by one, the team left for the night, the last being Alvin who gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before wishing her a goodnight and disappearing out of sight.
Kate finished the report just before 11pm, printing the documents and walking them over to Hank's office, knocking lightly on the door and waiting for him to beckon her in. He looked just as she felt, completely exhausted. It had been a long day and she was very much looking forward to crawling into bed and curling up against him.
"Hey, reports from today are ready to go to Fischer."
She placed them on the corner of his desk, propping her hip against the table and watched as he leaned back in his chair.
"Any issues with IRT?"
"Nope, all straight forward."
The two fell silent for a few moments until Kate spoke again.
"So, you ready to go or are you still finishing up?"
An odd look passed over his face, his eyes dropping from her face to his desk.
"I'll be a while…you go ahead."
Sensing something was amiss but not having the energy to argue, Kate nodded, pushing away from the desk to brush a gentle kiss to his mouth.
"Ok, see you at home."
Before Kate could pull away, Hank's hand darted out to cup the back of her head, drawing her lips back down to his, tongue darting out to trace the seam of her mouth in a request for entry that she immediately granted.
When the two broke apart, Kate opened her eyes to find Hank's warm brown orbs staring back at her. He slipped his hand from the back of her head to rest on her cheek, swiping a thumb over her damp lower lip softly.
"I love you."
Placing her hand over his, she pulled his palm to her mouth, dropping a kiss to his skin before pecking him on the lips once more.
"I love you too. Come home soon, please."
When he nodded, Kate turned to leave and Hank watched as she flicked her desk lamp off, gathering her things before disappearing from view.
Hank let out a breath, bracing his elbows on the desk and scrubbing his hands over his face, his mind drifting to Agent North. He had always figured that his past transgressions would catch up with him in the end but he never envisaged that he would have so much to lose when they did.
He wanted to lean on her, to tell her exactly what he'd done to Kevin Bingham out at the silos all those years ago. How he forced the man who murdered his son to dig his own grave in the driving rain before he shot him in the face, enlisting the help of the two people he trusted the most to dispose of the body. But he couldn't do it. He would be dragging her into the line of fire with him and she didn't deserve to be tarnished by his half-decade old bad decision.
The only option was to find a way out of this. If he didn't, the future he had started to allow himself to dream about with Kate would be over before it began. The thought of her growing old beside a man who wasn't him or, perhaps even worse, growing old alone made his blood run cold.
Later that night when he crawled into bed beside her sleeping form, he buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply, soaking in the scent of her as though committing it to memory. A small smile spread over his face as she scooted back towards him with a cute little whine, even in sleep her desire to be close to him was evident. Pressing his torso to her back, he banded a strong arm around her waist and placed a kiss to the nape of her neck. His final thought before closing his eyes and allowing himself to be pulled into oblivion was that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, even if that meant keeping her safe from himself.
