Hello, yes I have no impulse control and this story and your reviews have me so inspired so much. I appreciate your kind reviews endlessly. They absolutely make my day, genuinely. Thank you. xx
We start with a little time jump from where we last left the good people of intelligence (just over 3 weeks on)
Voight hears Ruzek and Atwater before he sees them as they come up the back way into the bullpen and there's a louder than normal slam of the door as they walk past his office.
Greeting everyone there in the bullpen with a nod and dropping their jackets onto their desks.
Hank stands up and watches them as they shake their heads. He can hear what Adam's saying. He's sure it's not an accident.
"Nothing again. All we got was a bunch of deliveries being made and people going in and out of the bar."
"For twelve entire hours," Kev chips in as he releases a loud yawn.
Voight feels Jay's eyes on him without needing to return the stare. He's done this every time someone's come back from surveying the bar. He's done it similarly to Kev and Adam too, vocally when it's been him and Hailey there.
There's nothing that they're gaining by any of this. Sure, they see Barnet most days, but very little else. It's been over 3 weeks and nothing.
He's decided. He just needs to pull the trigger, give the go ahead and hope that Halstead's up to it. Mentally.
Jay's up from his chair and approaching his office and Hank holds up his hand to stop him, making his way out to the bullpen when he spots Platt walking up the stairs, grim-faced.
"What's up?"
"You'll wanna see this. Patrol got a call to Smith Park last night, a body found by a couple right by the WWII tank," Platt hands Voight a piece of paper which he takes from and scans it before he looks back up at the desk sergeant.
"Huh," he can feel the tension and curiosity in the room. Jay's ill concealed frustration not only at the stakeout being a bust again but the fact he's not been able to vent again is silent but so loud.
He looks away from Trudy and moves so he can see everyone, holds up the piece of paper.
"Eddie Stapleton."
He sees Hailey and Jay exchange a startled look and there's a quiet murmur around the room as everyone takes the news in.
Voight turns to Trudy.
"Family been notified?"
She nods, "Yeah, a couple of hours ago and the body's at the morgue. Autopsy's being performed or should be finished right about now."
"Thanks Trudy," Hank replies before he fixes his attention on his team. "Okay. Antonio and Kim, you go interview Amelia Fischer again. Find out how she's dealing with the news. Jay, Hailey, go back to the morgue. Kev, Adam, I want you to run through financials on this family. Dig deep," then to his oldest friend, he points towards his office, "with me?"
The bullpen becomes a hive of activity. Even Kev and Adam seem energized after their long stint of surveillance.
Within 5 minutes, the bullpen's quieter, just Kev and Adam tapping at their keyboards while sipping coffee.
Just Voight and Olinsky in the former's office. The silent language of knowing each other so long, meaning that there's no need to talk, there's just agreement without words.
It's certain now what will come soon.
Kim slams the car door shut and walks toward the house, Antonio joining her just as the front door opens and Amelia Fischer walks out, carrying a suitcase which she lowers to the ground as she pulls the door shut and locks it.
No sign of the children at all.
Just her, and a pair of shades on the top of her head, even though it's definitely not that time of the year.
"Amelia?" Kim approaches the woman who spins round, startled by the sound of Kim's voice.
Antonio walks ahead, "Going somewhere?"
Kim watches the woman as many emotions flash across her features before it's like she suddenly remembers she should be grief stricken and she rubs at her eyes that Kim can see are non-existent.
"I'm going to stay with family."
"And the kids?" Antonio questions as he joins Amelia and picks up her case.
"They're there too. Already, that is."
She's lying. Kim knows it. She doesn't need Antonio to look at her to know he doesn't believe Amelia either.
"Can we talk inside, Amelia?"
"Why do you need to? I know Eddie's dead. I want to get away from this place, all the memories, and I told you everything I could tell you several weeks ago."
The problem is they've got no reason to insist. No evidence to suggest Amelia killed Eddie. They don't even have evidence yet that he was murdered, just that he disappeared and yes, everything looks off as far as Peter Barnet is concerned and his involvement with Amelia and the children too but nothing more than that they can speak to her about.
Yet. Yet being the operative word.
Antonio says nothing, instead taking her case to the car and placing it in the back seat, shutting the door as Amelia watches him.
"Will we be able to contact you if we need to?"
"Yeah, the number I gave to the officers who came earlier."
Antonio gives her a warm smile and opens the driver's door, Amelia nodding her thanks as she slides into the seat as Antonio almost shuts it before he looks sharply at Kim who gets it immediately and takes a step forward.
"Will you be letting Peter Barnet know where you are? Won't he worry if you go without telling him, especially when he hears about Eddie?"
Amelia's an excellent actress, Kim decides. She has to give her credit for that; she has one tell though as she looks toward Kim in the slight gap where the door is still open.
It's a common tell when people lie. Either during the actual telling of the lie or moments before. She shakes her head, albeit a slight movement, as if she's arguing with herself about which version of a lie she'll tell.
"I'll tell Peter when I get there. Just in case he's concerned. Can I go now, please?"
Antonio releases the hold on the door and takes a step back as Amelia pulls it shut and with an uncertain smile, she starts the car and reverses, Kim stepping out the way and watching the car till it's out of sight.
"She seemed distraught," Kim remarks drily.
"I've been more obviously distraught when I've burned my tongue on something or the TV has stopped working."
"Doesn't make her guilty of anything though," Kim walks toward their car, "Well, aside from not caring about the father of her children, that is and greed."
"Not yet anyway, the guilt I mean," Antonio points out as they both get in the car.
"True," Kim agrees, staring at the house till they pull away and back to the 21st.
"So, everything is similar if not identical to the way David Flynn died?" Hailey questions the same Medical Examiner from a few weeks ago.
"Yeah. Excess calcium which points to too much adrenaline leading to cardiac arrest; ventricular fibrillation as before."
"And the glue type substance that could've been tape?" Jay puts in.
"That too. Atwater from your unit called too about Craig Farmer died at the end of last year? I pulled the records, and everything's identical. The cause of death, the tox screens, everything down to the tape on their eyes. It's all the same except for this guy, Stapleton. Two additional things."
"Which were?" Hailey prompts.
"His feet. Specifically, the soles of his feet. Linear bruising, most of it new. Also this is harder to be sure of but at least there's some evidence of pulmonary edema, also the substance around his nose. It likely came from his lungs. I think it points to a specific torture."
Hailey feels like she's missed something and looks back down at the file again, flicking through the pages.
"Waterboarding," Jay's tone is flat. A statement rather than a question. Hailey flicks her gaze upwards immediately to Jay, who looks nauseous.
"Exactly that," the medical examiner confirms looking from Jay to Hailey, a quizzical, concerned expression directed at her but Hailey knows is about Jay.
Jay's lost in a world though, a world that's focused only on answers to questions he has about this case. Oblivious to how they're looking at him then as if it's forgotten, shrugged off, he moves on.
"I'm confused doc," Jay frowns, "The guy's been missing almost 4 months. How come his body was in a good enough state for you to find all this?"
"Some bruising on his feet is older but everything else? Eddie Stapleton died probably twelve hours before his body was found, perhaps less, but twelve is my estimate."
Jay draws a heavy breath, sends a last look toward the body, mutters a thank you and walks toward the door and outside. As Hailey falls into step alongside him, he voices what he knows is going through her mind too.
"So if he was only just killed, what the hell was happening to him all the time he was missing?"
"So she was in a hurry to leave?"
"Yeah Sarge," Kim replies, "There wasn't a hint of grief. Only eagerness to leave. I guess it could be shock, but no. It was like she knew and was waiting for the say-so to go and we got there in time. 5 minutes later and we wouldn't have known where she was or where she'd gone."
"'Tonio?" Voight turns to the man standing next to Kim, "What are you thinking?"
"The fact the kids weren't there. I'm with Kim, they planned this whoever they are. She was either told to get out of there and get the kids out too first for whatever reason or she knew everything and had to be home to be told the news she was already aware of."
"I also mentioned Barnet. She acted as if he didn't know already."
"Acted being the operative word," Antonio concludes drily.
No one comments, but there's a succession of wry smiles around the bullpen at what he said.
"Okay Kev? Pulled anything on Amelia Fischer?"
"We checked her checking account. A joint account with Eddie Stapleton that was normal until a week after Stapleton disappeared. Since then every week, someone has transferred one thousand dollars into the account," Kev pauses for a moment to let it sink in before continuing.
"Do we know who made the transfer?" Hailey asks.
"No, and the thing is that one week it's a cash transfer. Next week it's from an account that we dug into and got nothing on. No links to Barnet. We're still looking at it, but it fits with what she told Burgess and Antonio the last time they saw her. Except a thousand a week is serious money."
"Could be a cover? Perhaps they're moving it on, using it for something else?"
Adam turns around directing his answer to Antonio's suggestion, "No. She's moving it on but into clothes stores and lots of 'em."
"Okay, well keep digging," Voight instructs then he turns to Jay and Hailey.
"It's the same MO as David Flynn and Craig Farmer too; Cardiac arrest. Evidence of tape above the eye," Jay explains.
"There was more, though. The medical examiner said that she found evidence of bruising on the soles of his feet, some of it older, some new," Hailey pauses, glancing at Jay before continuing, "and evidence of pulmonary edema, there was fluid around his nose she believed came from his lungs."
"They tortured him," Olinsky says quietly, but loud enough for all to hear.
Jay grimaces, "Yeah. And it looks like the torture happened over a sustained period. His death was recent, the medical examiner estimated his time of death as probably early yesterday or the day before."
Voight raises his eyebrows at the information.
"The pulmonary edema? What kind of torture is that?" Kim inquires.
"Waterboarding."
Hailey watches Jay. The facial hair that's grown, the tired eyes. The way he looks at the ground, rather than at anyone else, switching his attention quickly to the board. Anywhere but toward his co-workers. How the hold he has on the file appears steady, but she sees a slight tremble.
She internally sighs and looks to her side, sees that she's not alone in her observation of him. Al. And probably Voight, too.
Jay had been quiet on the way back from the morgue. Silent nods to her attempt to start the conversation. She could guess why but sensed it wasn't the right time. When would ever be the right time to have a conversation like that though?
"Whoever these people are, they're sadistic sob's," Adam stands up, flexing his neck from side to side.
"Yeah. Yeah, they are and we also got Anthony Hunt still missing too," Voight walks toward the board, staring at it for a moment then he turns, looks at Jay for a long moment and nods.
"Ok Halstead, I'm putting you under," At Jay's loud exhale of relief, Voight steps closer to him holding a hand up, "You go in with a wire, this is checking everything out, that's all. I get concerned about you. Anyone has doubts about this, I will pull you and we go the slow way, understand?"
"Sarge," Jay responds quietly.
"Day after tomorrow. Be ready," Voight says to the room and everyone murmurs their assent.
Another step forward perhaps, Hank Voight hopes it doesn't come at a cost.
Jay's ready. He is. It's just that all afternoon he's not been able to put the images of Eddie Stapleton's body out of his head.
He's seen gruesome in this job before. Seen the worst that people will do to each other. None of them resonated like this, though. The torture. The thought of the torture that the man endured potentially for all the time he was missing. It almost resonates too much.
He sits in the toilet cubicle on the seat, bent over. His hands covering his mouth. Jay's wanted this opportunity since that early morning all those weeks ago. He knows his play, knows exactly what to do. Had it firmed up in his head since day 1.
He's a professional and he will get this done. Doesn't mean that he's weak for dwelling on the details of what Stapleton went through. Flynn and Farmer, too. Keep telling yourself that Halstead, he admonishes himself and stands up.
Jay flushes the toilet he hadn't even used and opening the cubicle door. Almost crashing back into it when he sees Olinsky standing there in front of him, leaning against the wall.
"You're like a cat Al, how long you been waiting there?"
Al shrugs, "Lost count after ten minutes, how you doing, kid?"
Ten minutes? Jay peers at his watch. Shit. How spaced out was he?
"I'm okay, also not a kid," he points out with a half smile which Al returns but there's doubt there, concern.
"You've never talked much about your time in country. I think we learned more about it from Mouse than ever from you. Sure you're okay with this? Sure you're up to it? The torture these people endured it can bring back memories you think you pushed down, and that's now, you haven't even gone under yet."
Anyone else Jay thinks he'd bristle. He'd bite back some comment to show how annoyed he was at their doubt in him, not concern, doubt because that's what it is to him at least. Al's different. Quiet. Dangerous for all that, but still never to Jay. He's considered. He may call Jay kid, but he doesn't treat him like one.
"I know you think you're up to it. Been preparing for it for weeks," continues Al, "explains the facial hair. Wondered for a little while then I figured it out. All I'll say is to be careful for your own sake. No case is worth giving up your sanity for."
"I'm good Al, really."
"You are now or your own version of fine, perhaps. Just be careful," then with a quiet smile as he pushes away from the wall, he adds, "kid."
Leaving Jay to walk to the basin and try to avoid his own reflection in the mirror. The mirror that'll tell him he needs to learn to lie better if this undercover will ever work how it should.
Except perhaps that's the point, because this undercover needs to be about undoing all the hard work he's done to mask everything. To peel back the layers. That's what's scary, that's why he's afraid and is too afraid that if he looks at himself for too long, he'll realize that.
Jay knows the knock on the door and he knows the person doing it. A guy his brother's age should be beyond the rat-a-tat-tat noise by now when he knocks.
Or perhaps the knock is just for him. Their thing. Come to think of it, he's never been around Will much when he's knocking on doors to see whether he does the same knock for everyone.
It makes Jay smile. The thought it's only for him, a remembrance of younger days, even if it's fanciful.
He opens the door, bracing himself for the inevitable and it takes Will two seconds at most before he smirks, takes a step back and looks left and right then tilts his head to one side.
"I'm sorry, but am I at the right address? I'm looking for Jay Halstead, less attractive of the two Halstead siblings and yet here I am and all I can see is The Wild man of Borneo."
Will laughs, and Jay rolls his eyes.
"You're an asshole, are you going to come in or not?"
"Yeah okay, now I know you're my baby brother."
Jay fixes him with a glare but stands aside as Will walks in the apartment and holds the pizza box up high.
"You love me really Jay, chill man."
An hour later and Jay's pleasantly full from the pizza and relaxing with a bottle of beer. Will the same, though the oldest Halstead sibling is looking at the youngest appraisingly.
"So what was so important that you insisted I come over tonight?"
"I can't say too much but I'll be undercover for a little while from tomorrow. Not sure for how long." Jay offers a smile before he takes a swig from the bottle and looks back toward the TV.
"Dangerous?"
Jay shrugs, "It's always a little dangerous, Will. I'll be fine, everyone has my back."
"Just you?"
Jay's always been able to recognize the worry in Will's voice, even if he disguises it well.
"Can't say too much, man."
"Gotcha."
For a moment Jay thinks it's as easy as Will saying one word, nothing else and accepting it, not being a mother hen or actually, a big brother about it.
He recognizes the pang in his chest that's a small amount of disappointment because he can't tell Will that wire aside and his team not too far away but crucially not with him, he will be alone and it is dangerous, it's important too and he thinks maybe at least with the little bubble of nerves he's feeling tonight, something more than 'Gotcha' could carry him through those nerves a little.
Then he feels a finger poke his arm and a quiet, "Look at me, Jay," and he turns his head, sees the concern writ all over his big brother's face and hears," You stay safe, okay, don't do anything too crazy."
And he realizes the comfort for him is fleeting but it seems to calm Will and that's enough, he hopes its enough.
He pokes his brother's arm back and cracks a smile, concealing as always, "I'll be fine," he repeats, "Now shut up, and let me watch the game."
For reasons unknown to everyone in the unit, Hailey hates the anticipation ahead of undercover ops even as much as she hates the moment someone else goes undercover and there's not a thing she can do about it or protect them.
Not that Jay is a rookie or anything. Far from it and as she watches him across the room as Atwater sets up the wire and it all seems fine, he's got a look of schooled calm.
She wonders if he's not fooling anyone else too. Maybe Al, maybe Voight. Perhaps all of them and they're just so used to it they let it go because Jay still gets the job done.
At what cost, though?
Jay zips up the jacket as Kev steps away, the wire setup complete. Hailey walks over to him and hands over the cell Jay will be using.
"One cracked old ass iPhone tested and working just as you ordered Detective," she says with a smile.
"Thanks," Jay pockets the cell and looks around the room, "Ok, that's me ready."
"Got your apartment keys?" Hailey checks.
Jay pats his pockets, feeling for them, "Yep."
They'd gone yesterday morning to set it all up. A shabby, nondescript apartment. Just as you'd expect for a down on his luck veteran apart from his family and looking for a change in that luck.
"Jay, all set?" Voight appears in the doorway and Hailey can see Kev and Adam behind.
Jay nods. Voight eyes him for a moment before he walks away. The time for pep talks and warnings all for yesterday.
Hailey doesn't take her eyes from Jay and opens her mouth as he turns away, then as he looks back, a quizzical expression on his face, she clamps her mouth shut.
"Were you going to say something?"
Hailey smiles, "Yeah, you ready?"
Jay's right to look unconvinced but he doesn't push it and instead mutters that he is and they walk out together to the truck where she'll drop him off and everything will begin from there.
Thirty minutes later and they're 3 blocks from the bar.
Hailey studies Jay, who looks just like the part he'll be playing. Ryan Foster. Thirty something loner. Fidgety, messed up guy who trusts no one. Shunned his other 'brothers' after he got home, made several wrong decisions and winds up in a bar seeking solace from everything he shunned. Complete with a bottle of liquor in his hand that he's been swigging at for the last few minutes.
Polar opposite of Jay Halstead. Mostly.
Jay looks over his shoulder and out the back of the truck, takes a final swig before he hands the bottle to Hailey and inhales then exhales as though it's his last breath. Last breath for now being Jay Halstead, perhaps?.
"You remember to check in when we agree and I won't come busting up your door to check you're still alive.'' She reminds him.
"Okay," he agrees as he reaches for the door handle.
Hailey reaches out her hand before she can stop herself, "Jay."
He whips his head in her direction so fast, fast enough it could give him whiplash.
As he turns and there's this look in his eyes. It's strange but despite the start in them being partners. Despite the arm's length he holds her at, she can see the potential. In them as partners, but not just partners. Friends. She sees something in him that maybe he doesn't recognize in himself.
Goodness. Dependability and this layer of vulnerability that he tries to hide even despite the things he's endured since Hailey encountered him. This vulnerability and the experiences in his past that keep him grounded, keeps him decent.
Hailey knows what it's like to lose someone. She's not about to tell anyone that, and she won't tell Jay now. It's revealing something so intense and personal at the wrong time entirely and for the wrong reason and just as much, it's a time she wants to forget too.
It doesn't mean though that she'll let Jay go without knowing that whatever happens; she has his back. When now is likely to be the last she'll see of Jay as Jay, unencumbered Jay for who knows how long? Hell, maybe they'll be lucky and it'll be a week and Barnet will crumble.
They don't get lucky often in this world though.
"Hailey?"
"Just wanted to say I got your back. Don't be reckless. Like I said before, stay in touch. I'll be listening, we all will."
"I'll be fine Hailey," he assures her and before she can say anything, he's jumping out the truck and walking away.
"I hope so, Jay, just concerned that's all," she says to the truck that's empty aside from her now then she picks up the radio, "Halstead's walking up now."
"Copy that," Kevin acknowledges.
Hailey shuts her eyes, thumping the back of her head against the headrest, opens them, throws the empty bottle onto the seat Jay had just occupied, turns the key in the ignition and drives away.
The bar's smaller inside than it looked in the pictures. It's half empty too. A bunch of guys, all of them older than Jay sat around in pairs or alone while a bored looking middle-aged woman stands behind the bar mostly staring at her cell.
In the corner, there's a jukebox that plays 70s songs Jay can remember the older guys in the unit playing during the first tour in Afghanistan.
The pictures are mostly of old Chicago. There's nothing that strikes Jay immediately as being a place for vets. Nothing that stands out.
He takes a sip from the double he'd ordered and feels the burn as it clears his throat and makes its way further down.
There's no sign of Barnet. No sign of anything, and that's okay. They know they need to take it slow and Barnet's only a few minutes later than he normally gets here judging from what they learned during those weeks of surveillance on this place.
Out of the blue a few minutes later Jay sees the woman straighten up suddenly and fuss at her hair, displaying a tight smile and Jay turns his head to see who just arrived.
Tall. Whip thin. Haircut likely the same as the last day he served. Peter Barnet. The murderer of Eddie Stapleton, Craig Farmer and David Flynn and whatever's happened to Anthony Hunt?
Who knows?
Jay's damn sure Peter Barnet does and he tenses before taking another long sip from the double.
No more Jay, only Ryan for as long as it takes. Here goes nothing.
I know the chapter was pretty long again but I hope you enjoyed. Undercover Jay or Ryan that is begins in earnest next chapter. Would love to know as always what you think and Ill be back as soon as I can. Take care till then. xx