"Ruzek, find out who the hostage is! I want any and all personal information you can get on her. Make sure she has no Cartel ties and this isn't some sort of set-up. Halstead, get away from the door now! Al, start working on his demands. Antonio, find out if there is a back way into the Admiral's Lounge. I want to get her out of there in one piece before he hurts her. Kim, I want you and Atwater to go with the bomb squad to check the entire terminal. Make sure their dogs cover every inch of this place. Hailey, I want you to get with airport security and the bomb squad. Make sure they cover the rest of the airport. There's no way I'm letting a bomb go off in O'Hare two days before Christmas." Hank Voight barked out orders to his team. "Sarge, let me go in there. I'll convince him to let her go. I'll take her place. I can't let another innocent girl die." Jay Halstead pleaded with his Sargent. "Halstead, you heard what I said. You were not the reason Mariana died that day. She chose her brother's side...the side of the Cartel. I need you to look at the layout of the airport and see if you have a vantage point to take a shot, if needed, between the Admiral's Club and Gate H-9. I want you set and ready to go in case I give the green light." Voight told his detective. As he watched Halstead walk away, Al Olinsky walked up to Voight and asked "Is the kid going to be okay? He hasn't recovered from Lindsay leaving or the undercover Cartel assignment these past few months." "He will be. Where do we stand on the plane and the money?" Voight replied. As Al informed Voight the plows were already out on the runway and the plane was being fueled, Adam Ruzek approached with information on the hostage. "Sarge, our hostage's name is Christine Brennan. She'll be 30 tomorrow. Originally from Boston and living in Chicago the past three years. She's the General Manager of the Beacon Hotel. She's worked for the hotel company since she graduated from Cornell University working her way up through the company advancing faster than any other GM in company. She rents an apartment in a high rise over on North Lake Shore Drive. Her Dad, who is her only family, lives just outside of Boston. Her Mom passed away ten years ago. No siblings, no ex-husbands, no bad break-ups and no criminal activity on record. Here's her cell phone number."
As Ruzek provided this information I sat in the Admiral's Lounge watching Ramon pace and Rico drink straight tequila out of a bottle from the bar. "I think I want to get a taste of her now Ramon." Rico slurred. "We have time to kill so why not have some fun with her now?" "Are you fucking stupid?" Ramon yelled as he stopped pacing. "And put down the bottle! I need you clear headed. And I'm not letting you fuck her before I have my way with her." "Come on man. The last time we were going to share a girl you ended up killing her before I had a chance." Rico begged, oblivious to the fact he was making Ramon angrier and angrier. I continued to pray they would end up killing each other. Before their argument could continue we all jumped at the sound of Ed Sheeran's voice singing "Galway Girl". It was the ringtone for my cellphone. "It's my phone. It's a blocked number." I said as Ramon pointed his gun at her. "Answer it. On speaker." he told me. "Hello?" I said as I answered. "Christine. This is Sargent Hank Voight with the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago Police Department. Are you okay?" the voice on the phone said. "Yes, Sargent. I haven't been harmed or touched other than what you saw before they dragged me in here. You should know you are on speakerphone." I replied. "Ramon, the runway has been plowed and the plane is at the gate. Why don't you let Christine go since the money is being loaded onto the plane?" Voight said. "Is Halstead on the plane? You know that was my last demand if you want Red here to go free." Ramon yelled. After being told he couldn't let his Detective go with him, Ramon replied "Then what happens next is on you Sargent Voight Her blood will be on your hands. Your hands and Halstead's." before hanging up the phone. "Rico, you watch the door. I'm about to teach Voight a lesson he will never forget. All that's going to be left of Red is a corpse when I'm done with her." Ramon said as he moved towards the chair I sat in. "Ramon you said I would have a shot with her. Let me get a little piece before you kill her." an intoxicated Rico said as he moved towards me from the other side of the room. "Back off Rico or I'll kill you before I kill her." Ramon yelled at him. "I'm tired of you and your shit Rico. I don't need you anymore now that I have the plane waiting for me. I don't need your dead weight to carry around anymore." he said as he turned to Rico pulling the trigger and shooting him between the eyes.
As I watched him in horror I sprang into action at the same time. Ramon was far enough from the door and standing over Rico's dead body so I foolishly thought I could make it to the door. If I could just get out of there I would be safe. The police are on the other side of the door I thought as I ran. I heard another shot ring out as "Galway Girl" played on my phone again. Then I went crashing to the ground, in arm's length of the door, as I felt a searing pain in my leg and saw blood start gushing out of my leg. "Next one will be in your head, bitch, if you try escaping again." he said to me as he answered my phone. "What?" he yelled into the phone as I tried to find a way to stop the bleeding. "Who fired the gun, Ramon? Is everyone okay?" Voight asked. "I got rid of some dead weight and then I taught the bitch what happens when she tried to escape. I don't think Red will be running away from me again, will you?" he said pulling me to my feet by my hair. I yelled out in pain as I heard Voight trying to take control of the situation. "Please help me. He shot me in the leg. I can't make it stop bleeding." I yelled out. "Shut up bitch!" Ramon yelled slapping me so hard I fell back onto the floor landing next to Rico's dead body. A dead body with a loaded gun tucked into the waistband. I was weak from the blood loss but was determined not to die. I grabbed the gun, pointed it at Ramon, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. As I opened my eyes the doors of the Admiral Club flew open and three men came running through. Ramon was on the floor holding his arm as a cop grabbed him and his gun. The cop I saw before, with the hard green eyes, that were now filled with concern, knelt next to me. As he told me I would be okay I looked at him and said "I know. I'm stronger than I look but I think I'm going to faint now."