Chapter One

It was eight o'clock in the morning and a young woman was receiving a guided tour of the UIC Police Headquarters by Detective Lindsay. As it was her first day, she attentively listened to Lindsay's instructions, saying, "Please proceed upstairs. Your handprint has been programmed, granting you access to the bullpen. Give it a try."

Upon placing her hand on the illuminated handprint, Soifon entered the bullpen, accompanied by Lindsay. "Excellent. Let us now proceed upstairs, where I will show you the location of your desk!" Lindsay exclaimed, leading the way.

Upon reaching the bullpen, Soifon observed her future colleagues and felt a sense of relief in recognizing at least one person, or two if Erin's foster father Hank Voight is included. "Over there is Olinsky, that's Atwater, this is Ruzek, and Antonio is located there. You will meet Jay and Mouse later. However, this is your designated desk, where you can personalize it according to your preferences."

"Welcome to the team, Soifon!" Antonio greeted as he walked over to the two.

Soifon gave a small, respectful nod to the elderly man, Antonio, who had walked over to Erin and her. In a confident yet humble tone, she promised, "Thank you, sir. I will do my best!" Antonio beamed in approval of her words. He replied, "I bet you will," and gave her an encouraging smile. After exchanging pleasantries with the two girls, he made his way back to his desk.

Soifon's tone was one of genuine appreciation and relief as she thanked Erin for allowing her to sit near her desk. She wanted the comfort of being near someone she knew in the unfamiliar office environment. Her smile was full of gratitude as she placed her bag on her desk and hung her coat on the chair. Erin's reply was kind and understanding, speaking in a warm, reassuring tone that understood Soifon's apprehension. "Don't worry about it, and don't hesitate to come to any of us and ask questions. We are here to help." Her words filled Soifon with a renewed sense of confidence as if she now had a support system in the workplace.

Warmth shone in Soifon's eyes as she watched her old friend walk away towards her desk. She smiled fondly, excited for the opportunity her friend had been given and the chance for them to work together. She was looking forward to the opportunity to get to know more of her peers, but realized it would take some time to adjust and familiarize herself with everyone. Taking a deep breath, she affirmed her commitment to being the best she could, feeling that working together was going to be an exciting journey.

After a few hours of meticulously arranging the items on her desk, Soifon patiently awaited the commencement of a new case. Voight had assured them that he would provide them with a task. Erin approached Soifon's desk and inquired about her progress.

"How is everything going?" she asked, leaning against the desk. Soifon, sporting a small smile, candidly acknowledged, "At the moment, it is rather boring.' Her friend's smile remained intact as she responded, "I am glad to hear that everything else is going well." Erin placed her hand gently on top of Soifon's desk and warmly stated, "It is good to see you again, Soi."Soifon reciprocated, "Same, it is wonderful to see you as well!"

"Hey, want to go to the basement and meet Jay and Mouse? They're down there. Mouse is actually new too, so Jay's helping Mouse!" Erin enthusiastically suggested. Soifon grinned and replied, "Sure, why not? It's better than just waiting around for a case to come in!" Her comment made the woman leaning on the desk laugh, causing Soifon to chuckle as well.

"Don't worry, Voight will find us a case," Erin assured as she got off her friend's desk. Soifon stood up and pushed her chair back in place.Soifon agreed with a small smile and followed the brunette down to the basement where Jay and Mouse were located.

It didn't take the two women much time to descend to the basement. Soifon could perceive the sound of voices emanating from that level. "Jay will collaborate with us on legal matters, while Mouse will handle phone communications and assist us in surveillance by accessing cameras and conducting research," Erin elucidated as they approached the two men engaged in conversation.

"I am extremely grateful, Jay," Mouse expressed with a smile, as the two women approached them. In response, the brown-haired male returned the smile and said, "Assisting you is not an issue. I am available for support." His attention shifted when Erin called his name, and he greeted her by saying, "Hello Erin, how are you?

The brunette woman regarded Jay with affection before expressing, "I am currently in satisfactory condition. How are you faring?" Jay nonchalantly responded, "I find myself in the usual state." With a playful demeanor, he shifted his attention to the woman standing beside Erin and addressed her cordially, "And I assume you are Soifon, our additional member. Welcome." Soifon maintained a composed expression while observing Jay.

Erin playfully smacked Jay on the shoulder and stated, "Yes, this is Soifon Gray, she will be working alongside us."Soifon glanced at the two gentlemen as Mouse introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Mouse. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He extended his hand for her to shake, which she accepted.

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you," Soifon remarked as she cordially shook the hands of the two men. Despite feeling a certain level of unease around them, she found herself at ease in Erin's presence. She disregarded these feelings as Erin proceeded to speak and glanced down at her phone. "Voight has discovered a case for us to undertake," Erin informed, capturing Soifon's attention while also keeping Jay and Mouse engaged in the conversation.

Soifon accompanied Erin and Jay as they ascended the stairs to the bullpen in order to receive a briefing on the case. The collective gathering of individuals encircled Voight as he commenced his explanation, stating that a young girl had tragically lost her life due to a drive-by shooting while riding her bicycle. Antonio then proceeded to present a photograph of the innocent child, identifying her as Jade and emphasizing her tender age of eight years. The man with raven-black hair then pivoted back towards the group, continuing his narrative.

Soifon attentively listened to her superior as he provided an explanation, however, she couldn't help but frown upon hearing the distressing news of an eight-year-old girl being tragically killed while innocently riding her bike. She instinctively glanced towards Erin, who shared a similar expression. Voight's voice interrupted her thoughts, instructing Erin, Jay, and herself to speak with Jade's grieving parents and gather necessary information. With determination, Erin responded affirmatively and took the lead, guiding them out of the bustling office. Soifon couldn't help but voice her disbelief, wondering who could possibly commit such a heartless act against an innocent child. Jay chimed in, suggesting that it might have been unintentional, perhaps a misdirected bullet intended for someone else. Despite his hopeful perspective, Soifon couldn't shake off her own nagging suspicion that the situation was more sinister than it appeared. However, there was no time for pondering, as they had to act swiftly.

Upon entering the vehicle, Erin proceeded to drive to Jade's residence in order to engage in a conversation with her parents. Meanwhile, Soifon anxiously shifted in her seat and gazed out the window, attentively listening to Erin and Jay discussing the ongoing case. Jay was about to suggest consulting with the parents, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

" Yeah?"

"Hello, I have discovered something," the voice of Mouse was heard from the opposite side. "Very well, we are all ears!" Soifon leaned forward in her seat to attentively listen.

Mouse informed them that Kevin had recently received a call regarding a red pickup truck. Mouse added that they were currently reviewing the surveillance cameras in an attempt to locate the vehicle.

Erin glanced behind her and inquired, "Do you happen to know the owner of that truck?" She spoke loudly enough for Mouse to hear and added, "Please wait a moment while I investigate."

After a few minutes of a long silence " Alright it says a woman is the owner of the truck named Becca Johnson she's a 35 dirty blond-haired woman. But nothing else is popping up yet." The young man said.

Tapping the wheel with her fingers she turned her attention back to the road" Alright we'll have to ask the parents if they knew a Becca Johnson and see why would she want to hurt their daughter!" The brunette said," Thank you for the information Mouse, we'll talk later keep us in the loop if you end up finding something else."

Soifon attentively listened to the conversation while gazing out the window as Erin arrived at the house. "Very well, let us proceed upstairs and inquire further," she stated. Emitting a sigh, Soifon disembarked from the vehicle with Erin's assistance, expressing her gratitude through a slight nod. Subsequently, both women accompanied Jay towards the residence.

Once the three individuals arrived at the door, Jade's parents emerged from the residence. "Greetings, Mr. and Miss Frank," Detective Lindsay introduced herself, joined by Detective Gray and Detective Halstead. "We are representatives of your daughter and would like to inquire about a few matters, if that is permissible," Erin initiated. "We extend our sincerest condolences for your unfortunate loss."

The couple graciously allowed the detectives to enter their premises and provided them with seating on the couch. Erin and Jay also took a seat on the couch opposite Mr. and Miss Frank, while Soifon remained positioned by the window to attentively listen and interject when necessary. Recognizing Erin and Jay's extensive experience, she intended to allow them the opportunity to lead the conversation.

Erin inquired, displaying Becca's photograph on her phone to Mr. Frank and receiving a negative response. "This woman is identified as Becca Johnson, and we suspect she is the one responsible for your daughter's shooting," Erin informed, placing her phone on her lap.

Soifon attentively listened to the conversation while Erin and Jay posed them inquiries, which lasted for approximately an hour. Subsequently, they departed from the residence. "Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress in locating Becca," Jay expressed with a sigh.

"I could commence asking local individuals and investigating individuals who Becca may be associating with," Soifon offered as she accompanied Erin and Jay towards the car. "That would be beneficial. I will consult with Voight while Jay assists Mouse," Erin accepted.

After several hours of driving, they arrived back at Headquarters and each of them went their separate ways.