Chapter 08
Erin woke up to the silence of the jail cell.
Her mouth felt dry and coarse. She tried calling Jay's name but no sound came out of her. She looked for water and found a water bottle, some food and two pain killer tablets to her side. She was pleasantly surprised but she couldn't help but feel horrified that Jay wasn't around. She could not get herself to stand up as her back ached like hell. She sat back and took the tablets, although she felt the emptiness in her stomach, she had no appetite at all. She slowly found her voice as the water went down her throat. This time she really called for Jay. But no response came. The room was lit by a mobile lamp and she just laid back down on the cold floor until the pain killers started working and slowly drowned in the drowsiness that felt more like just exhaustion.
She woke up again to the deafening silence of the Jail cell. This time she was more aware of her surrounding and what happened to her. Although she had no idea about the time or the date, she could clearly recall her last memories. She remember realizing that she was dying and she could still fell Jay's presence as she took what felt like her last breath. But she was alive. And that fact brought her fear that Jay must have agreed to what ever they said just to save her. She stood up with some considerable effort to try and walk to the jail door but she froze in place when she saw the pool of blood in front of her. She was not a stranger to blood, she had seen enough blood and dead bodies to drive someone crazy but still manage to sleep at night. But the fact that this blood could be Jay's struck her to the core. She sat slumped where she took her first step unable to do anything else.
Trying to process the situation she tried to come up with anything that could indicate that this pool of blood was someone else s, but then where was Jay? So many emotions hit her at once that she knew if she doesn't get a grip she was at the verge of a panic attack.
If Jay is dead...then she did not tell him that she loved him. He died without knowing how much she loved him, she didn't even accept his offer to move in. She didn't tell him how much she wanted to be with him that she wanted him to move in with her. But she held back her idea waiting for him to come back after this mission. Now if he is dead... he died not knowing any of that. Erin couldn't believe how stupid she was to hold back on him . The guilt she felt was insurmountable. If she could just turn back time...
Will Halstead looked like a broken man as he slowly made his way in to the Med. He had finalized on the area where the soldier might have fallen in to the river with the help of Mouse. He was a doctor so his knowledge with mouse's math gave them a not so narrow area to work with... though his mind said it would more likely be a shot-and -thrown in to the water situation. More and more he thought about it, images of Jay lying in the bottom of the river came in to his mind. He really needed to use a break from the hospital because he was slowly coming to a position where he was doubting his ability to do right by his patients and that was dangerous. He had just turned his car to the apartment parking lot when he got a call from Al asking him to come back to the hospital and he turned his car without even asking why.
Ruzek and Al was waiting for him at the main entrance like two thieves.
"Can we talk some where private" Al asked and Will took them in to their rest room.
"What is it" He asked impatiently as he closed the door shut.
"We need to talk to that soldier" Al stated shortly while Ruzek didn't look so confident."It's the only living lead we have so far"
Will looked at the two of them giving him the bandit vibes. He knew his brothers team wasn't the ordinary when Jay asked him to patch up a young man as a help to Voight, in a basement, in the middle of a gun fight. Will realized something about himself that night. If he could keep cool in the middle of a gun fight like his brother, maybe he wasn't an apple so far fallen from the tree as his father used to say. Fast forward to the present, he remembered he has to talk to his father about Jay's MIA status sooner. The two were never on the same page about anything but he knew deep inside his father loved them both. But he shook himself to the present where he was in the room with Al and Ruzek.
"How are you going to do that?" he asked.
"We've been monitoring the doctor inside, he has to pee within the next hour" Ruzek blurted and Will found himself gaping his mouth. Al quickly chimed in to the situation with real details.
"oh, we are just going to use the air vent to kind of , you know, get in to the room while the doctor is using the bathroom, gonna lock the room from inside and have a quick word with the soldier and probably get out of there before the doctor comes back"
"do you know how crazy you sound? Will blurted out. "What if he comes back before you get out of there?"
"He won't, we'll lock the room from inside" Al provided
"What if the patient gets in to cardiac arrest while the doctor is locked out? this patient is in very very poor shape, his heart is very weak?What about all the germs you two will take in with you?
Al and Ruzek exchanged a glance. They knew there were a lot of things in their plan that could go wrong. They knew their plan was stupidly dangerous but it was all they could come up with. But they had never given a thought about the condition of the patient. The mere thought that the patient could talk was enough for them.
Will was now scratching his head. Ruzek slumped on to the couch and Al leaned on to the wall and disappeared in to his own thoughts. They knew they had to find a way, but risking the life of another soldier was just not a valid option.
Hank Voight was a man who knew intimidation since birth. When he stood on the door steps of the lab manager he put on his best face forward to make the man agree with him for a talk.
A petite woman opened the door and she looked at Hank Voight questioningly.
"I'm Hank Voight from Chicago PD, intelligence department. Is Mr Sandro Agani home?" The woman disappeared in to the house and a man in his late fourteens appeared. He closed the door behind him and motioned Hank Voight to a side.
"I'm hank..." he started but was cut short.
"I heard, how can I help" The man asked and Voight could actually feel something all over this man. His face looked defeated. Voice sounded unsure and his fingers were slightly shaking. He so looked like a rabbit confronted by a wolf, that Voight almost feared the man was going to bypass him and runaway.
"I need to talk to you somewhere private, would you come take a ride with me?"
The man looked dejected and then protested right away just like Voight expected. "I'm an innocent Lab manager, what talk do you have with me, besides I'm in a hurry, maybe we can postpone this to a later hour"
"You are the lab manager with the heaviest army security given to a private facility I have ever seen. You promised two of my detectives that you will inform the pentagon about the information we have from a CI but they never showed up. I don't believe you forgot to do that, but maybe you did informed a particular Army personal about it and now one of those detectives are missing. I think we have a lot to talk about before I speak to pentagon directly"
" I was actually on my way out to the office, maybe we can talk outside" The lab manager said to Voight's delight. They both got in to their vehicles and Voight followed the Lab manager until he parked outside a busy breakfast shop. They went inside like they didn't know each other but as soon as they were inside the Lab manager took Voight by his arm and walked fast inside a narrow door to a private booth. The owner is my friend, private booth is open for me anytime" he said as an explanation to the questions Voight reserved. "This is the only place on earth I believe to be really private"
The owner walked in, they exchanged their pleasantries and a mouth watering breakfast arrived. Finally everything was settled to the Lab manager's liking and he looked ready.
"Tell me about captain Reed" Voight shot the first question at the first chance.
The dejected feeling was back on the lab manager's face and he was silent, gazing at the steaming breakfast like it will somehow save him from the gauntlet that is Voight.
" I promise you that I will not expose you, that's all I can promise you. But the lives of two of my detectives maybe in danger. They are my family. If you help me with this I will forever be in your debt, but if you don't I will still find a way to save them, and I will forever hold you responsible. believe me, holding a grudge with me... that has never...never worked out fine to anybody in the past...so"
"Stop" said the lab manager wiping his sweaty palms with a tissue. " I've heard enough threats during the past month and I'm having enough of it." He threw the tissue to the bin like it was Reed himself.
"I will tell you what I know, because one; I'm having enough of dancing to Reed's tune, and two; because your two if my doubts are right your two ditectives are not the only one whose lives are in danger. Why am I dancing to Reed's tune? because he threatened my family. My son is 12 and my daughter is only 10 and I have been like an obedient dog to him. But now I have an idea where that bastard Reed is heading and I'm willing to reveal what I know because I think this is bigger than I ever thought it was. But please tell me you can keep my family safe. I can't go to the authorities. If they apprehend Reed, my family will be in more danger, because Reed isn't the only party in this. You were what I've been hoping for, a third party Reed is oblivious to who can solve this without involving the military."
Voight shook his head in agreement and silently took his notepad out of his coat pockets. This was going to be one hell of an interview.
Will walked to the coffee maker at the end of the hallway. He looked nothing like a man with a devious plan but an exhausted doctor who was looking for a boost from the caffeine. He poured himself a coffee from the machine and gave a sweet smile at the soldier who was walking at him. The smile was returned but a subtle doubt laced with and Will waited until the soldier filled his cup to the brim and was about to go.
"Will Halsted" He stretched his hand out to a shake. The soldier neither introduced him nor was he interested in a handshake but took time to give Will a good look.
"My brother was a Ranger, served Afghanistan and god knows where else. when ever I see military I feel connected, can't help it, sorry "
"I understand". The soldier said now accepting the handshake Will offered.
"where is he now" he questioned back. Will was glad he started a conversation somehow but debated whether he should tell the truth. He remembered something Jay told about being successful at going undercover.'half truth is always better than downright lie".
"He served only two tours, medical reasons you know...he couldn't anymore. PTSD and..." The soldier nodded in understanding. "Sorry to hear that, give him my regards"
"Sure, be safe" Will said halfheartedly knowing he was about to drug this guy. He made a mental note to never involve in this type of thing considering how anxious he felt for the pretense he was doing. He sure should have given Jay more credit for the line of work he is in.
As the two parted Will somehow; to his surprise, managed to successfully make his turn so sudden that his hand brushed against the soldier making him drop his coffee. The coffee was all over both of them, and will started apologizing profoundly.
The soldier responded calmly when he saw how disturbed the doctor had become. "it's alright, it's alright" , he repeated until the coffee was wiped off his uniform by Will to his own satisfaction. Without hesitation Will Halstead started the second part of his act.
"The coffee machine needs a refill, so please take my coffee" He offered.
"It's alright I can wait"
"No, please, its' my bad so please accept this coffee as pardoning me"
The soldier couldn't say 'no' to Will's hilarious request for pardon and he took the coffee cup with a smile. " Okay Doc, Coffee accepted as pardon".
Will waited until the soldier disappeared to wipe the sweat off his forehead. When he entered the rest room, Ruzek was anxiously waiting for him.
"How did it go?" He asked as he followed Will to the sofa.
"I didn't faint"
A chuckle escaped Ruzek at that. "That bad?"
"It went well, but I feel terrible for what I did to that soldier."
"but you did it for a good cause"
"yeah, I keep telling myself that, but doesn't make me feel any better"
"You know what will make you feel good? if everything works out fine and we get anything out of that guy"
Will smiled faintly at that. Anything was better than nothing. "the GHB I put in his coffee will start working withing 5 to 15 minuets. Is Al ready? he asked.
"You put GHB?" Ruzek questioned with wide eyes. "Isn't that some date rape drug?"
"It is in the street, but in the hospital its an anesthetic. I used a very small quantity so it should give him a bit of dizziness for about half an hour. Its not enough for full unconsciousness"
"Okay" agreed Ruzek and they waited for the next two very long minuets.
Ruzek stood in a position where he could see the soldier pretending to engage in a very boring long telephone conversation. Two minuets was gone but the soldier looked fine. This time he actually took a call to Will who was still at the rest room.
" Are you sure the amount is enough?"
"Relax, it could take up to 15 minuets to act" came the reply.
Ruzek started punching his phone with a game. His eyes from time to time set on the soldier to see signs of dizziness or tiredness as an early sign of what was to come. Still nothing.
He took another actual call to Al who was waiting at the other end of the passageway that ran along the ICU 1 ward, ready to catch the soldier at the right time. Al had camouflaged himself with a few accessories, with a change of clothes he was unrecognizable in the cameras. The plan was for AL to catch the soldier as he give in to his dizziness. While the Army doctor comes out to see the commotion and start first aid, Will will come with a five second delay to allow the Army doctor to start with the soldier and then swiftly gain access in to the room through the opened door pretending to check on the patient while the Army doctor is busy. This will be the golden moment and the highest point of risk when he will be able to speaks to the patient.
Ruzek ran through the plan in his head and found a lot of gaping loop holes in it, but it was the best they could come up with without head on loosing their jobs. So he stopped looking at his watch or at his phone for the time passed because it inevitably made him look nervous. He delved in to the game and was about to win the virtual battlefield solo, when he heard a loud thud. The soldier had fallen flat out at his post with no warning signs. Didn't the Doc said it wasn't enough for full blown unconsciousness? Ruzek's natural reaction was to run to him but since no one was around, he took time to send a pre drafted text to Will and Al with one click. He couldn't forget that there were CCTV cameras and he had to act naturally. He then stood up and briskly walked to the soldier like any civilian human would do. he saw Al appearing fast at the start of the passage way. Will must be on his way. Everything for the first five seconds went well...until Maggie appeared through a door in the middle of the passage way.