From Gun Clips to Money Clips

A/N: Thanks to Long Live BRUCAS for the review!

Chapter III

Frank sat down in the chair, waiting for the guard to clear the room before speaking.

"Sergeant."

Voight grunted. With his arms crossed and tipped back in the chair, he mimicked Adam's position from the day before. Only where there was curiosity with a façade of indifference yesterday, here there was only distrust. Frank felt his stomach squirm.

The second time they had met, the first being when Adam's team had stormed the store, Voight had been seething. He had an officer in the hospital and the perpetrator across the table from him. Frank had rapidly deduced that it was a 'save one's own skin' situation and not a time to play games. They had negotiated a plea deal; and it was smooth until Voight had needled him with the loss of the USB when Frank tried to push for low-security on the basis on non-violence. Frank's temper flared and Voight had a triumphant smirk. Frank still saw that smirk in his nightmares.

"Run it." Voight ground out.

Frank sighed. "I covered all of this with Adam already."

"He's part of my unit. I make the final calls on what cases we take. Run it." The gravel in his voice may as well been solid concrete.

Apparently the man could hold a grudge, Frank thought. He chafed under the realization that his control on this job was slipping, but on the other hand, the pressure of the time limit was more worrisome. He sighed again, and then ran through the particulars of how he'd come to land the job. Or, more accurately, how the job had landed on him.

"What's this 'client' into?" The Sergeant had also yielded to using Frank's terms.

Frank shifted in his seat. That was something he'd avoided talking about with Adam but based on his previous interrogation with Voight, he knew he had to just answer the questions and move on. "Human trafficking and prostitution. The first time I worked for him I knew he did some pimping but I didn't realize how he found his…his girls until after I had already started." Frank squeezed his eyes shut. The horror he had felt at the time bloomed back. When he sat down to make his rules the first one was the easiest – no crimes against the defenceless. When he'd accepted the job to steal the list of UC operatives, the job that ultimately landed him in jail, he'd justified it as cops had guns and they knew what they had signed up for.

"Mmhmm. Keep going."

"He's very adept at blackmail. For keeping his…staff in line as well as clients. Ruthlessly so." Frank ground his molars. He should know, but that was a part of the story he was not sharing with the cops, or anyone. "A competitor must have learned from watching or a victim has had enough. I'm not sure which is true and it doesn't matter. What does matter is someone got dirt on him and has turned the tables."

"What did they find?" Some of the distrust was being replaced by interest.

"I don't know and I don't want to know. All that is important to me is where it's hidden. I'm sure you saw the plans before you came here."

Voight nodded, then he went still and just stared at Frank for a few silent minutes. Finally, he straightened slightly in his chair and asked a simple question. "What do you want?"

Frank knew this was a test. Ask too big and risk them deciding the potential payoff was too small. He couldn't go altruistic as his entire MO up to this point had been about turning a profit. So he did what he did best – negotiate.

"I want to be put into solitary for the duration of the job. I'm sure you and the warden can come up with a bullshit reason. I know you'll try to convert whatever you learn into arrests so when you're successful, I'd like to be moved out of the dorm pop and into a cell. Preferably a double and not a quad."

Voight nodded once, added a 'hmph' and walked out, leaving Frank equal parts hopeful and drained.

"This cacophony of humanity is an assault on my senses."

"What?" Jay's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

Adam shrugged. "That's what Frank said. I mean, it was more of a scuffle, there wasn't even any blood. But he's sitting there rolling his eyes at the noise and flailing. I'm walking him back to the unit when this fight breaks out. He just turns and looks at me like it was such an inconvenience and that he was so above the mediocrity of it all."

Jay dropped one eyebrow. "Mediocrity?"

"His word, not mine."

"How has he not been shanked by now with that kind of attitude?"

"He's smart, like crafty and book and street all combined. I bet he's teaching or helping out with lawyers or something."

"He's moderating the turf war between the three gangs. Nobody wants to touch him and risk having the warden crack down." Voight entered the small apartment and dropped his jacket on the table.

"The warden likes him too?" Jay asked.

"No, the warden likes the peace. Frank is merely the current provider of it." Voight lifted the lid on his coffee and eyed his two subordinates.

After seeing everything Adam had to show, Hank had to concede that there was a thread worth chasing. He'd stated he was going to see Frank at the prison, which led to the first fight. After Hank had reminded Ruzek in no uncertain terms that he was the boss and it was his decision whether they took on the case, Adam had begrudgingly agreed to wait.

Telling him that he was sending Jay to look over the files with Adam, that had brought on the second, and bigger, fight. Words like 'babysitter' and 'competent' had been thrown out which had been answered with 'partner' and 'unbiased'. Due to rank, Voight won this one as well, but there was no begrudgingly about it, Adam was pissed. Rank and hard-earned respect trumped Ruzek's ego, but just barely. Hank had given Halstead the head's up that this partnership was on incredibly thin ice and to not push anything. Knowing that Adam wouldn't actually do anything until Voight returned from his visit would keep the operation in line for now. Respect and rank.

Seeing the two men with no blood or bruises and actually bantering when he returned gave Hank hope that his plan could work. He needed Adam onside to let Jay buddy up on this UC so they could keep an eye on the op and on him.

"What did you decide?"

Jay looked at Adam to explain. "I go in Frank's position. Get taken down with the rest of the crew. Jay does the vault cover and we use his army background for his resume."

"Exit strategy?"

They exchanged glances and Adam started. "We have a few options. Start a surveillance package and build a case against one of the hires, including Jay's identity. Position Jay as an actual UC at the end of the op. We could go standard and trip the alarm."

"Work in progress. When we loop in the group, we'll see what pops."

"Boss…" Adam started.

"No. No arguments. This will be a fully sanctioned op. It's going to take the entire team to do this safely." Voight's tone warned against arguing.

Jay broke the tense silence. "In order to keep up the appearances that Frank's still running the job, he'll need to communicate a bit with the guy…client."

"Frank solved that one himself. He requested he be put into solitary. We'll use his yard time to send in Kim with a phone or computer to do what needs to be done."

Both Jay and Adam looked puzzled at someone asking for a punishment. Adam caught it first. "Ah, the human cacophony."