Voight, standing beside his Dodge Durango and gazing out at the lake, patiently awaited the arrival of one or perhaps two individuals to offer his assistance. He kept his hands in his pockets, with only one person on his mind.
The sound of two car doors interrupted the Sergeant's thoughts, prompting him to turn and observe two dark-skinned men approaching with a light chuckle.
"How are you doing, buddy?" inquired the elder of the pair. Voight extended his hand to greet the two men, expressing gratitude for their arrival. "Thanks for coming," acknowledged the older man, to which Voight nodded, directing his attention to both individuals. "This is my nephew, Carter," announced Perry with a grin.
"Hello, son," Voight greeted the younger man standing beside Perry. Carter expressed his unease about being present, shaking his head nervously and casting uncertain glances at Voight.
"But our uncle believes that you are the most capable of handling this," Carter stated, turning his gaze between Voight and Perry. The gray-haired man nodded in acknowledgment and inquired, "How much do you have?"
"Last week, when we arrived in Chicago, I was compelled to obtain my share," Carter asserted to Voight, justifying his actions. "Refusing would have potentially branded me as a collaborator," he explained as he handed a significant sum of money to Voight.
Carter proceeded to recount an incident involving targeting a mid-level supplier in Englewood under an alias and emphasized the escalating danger of the situation to Voight.
"There is a concerning trend emerging in your background, Hank," Perry warned Voight with a grave expression. Carter expressed his unease by elaborating on a violent encounter with a previous dealer, fearing for the man's life. Voight inquired about Carter's superiors, prompting further discussion on seeking help for the troubling circumstances.
Upon looking at Voight, Carter expressed, 'Like I told my uncle, I don't know who I can trust.' The younger man implied, 'For all I know, they could be paying him off.'
Perry joined in, also focusing on Voight, and insisted, 'You must get Carter out of here, Hank.' He added, 'It's just a matter of time before they bust this whole unit and take him down with them.'
Voight assured Perry, 'My team and I will make every effort.' Before leaving, he nodded to the two and contemplated reaching out to Erin, though he knew she probably wouldn't respond.
· With Erin*
Erin, annoyed by her vibrating phone, reached out to silence it, to which a tired man remarked, 'Why don't you just shut it off?' Erin justified, 'I can't. It's work,' and proceeded to get dressed, putting on a red and black checkered flannel shirt and securing her badge and gun in place.
Erin inquired about the events of the previous night while adjusting her hair and observing the man in her bed, with whom she recalled little beyond accompanying him home from her mother's bar.
'What did you persuade me to do last night?' she asked. 'Oh, quite a bit,' the man replied, sitting up in bed clad only in his boxers and reaching for a pack of cigarettes as he gazed at the brunette who was simply staring at him.
'Do you recall when we attended Rocklahoma?' he inquired, observing Erin preparing to depart. 'I remember using a false ID to gain entry, and…' Erin responded with a nonchalant shrug as she hurriedly donned her boots, determined not to be tardy again and face Voight's wrath.
'Limp Bizkit was opening,' Landon remarked with a smile, lighting a cigarette and wondering why Erin was in such a rush to leave for work. Erin shrugged as she fastened and zipped up her boots. 'Following that, it becomes a bit hazy,' she stated, rising from the bed and turning to Landon.
'I have acquired tickets for this year. What is your opinion?' Landon inquired, gazing into Erin's hazel eyes.
'Shall we reminisce about the past?' Erin retorted as she put on her jacket and picked up her keys, avoiding eye contact with Landon.
Landon smiled at her and suggested, 'We could divert our thoughts from Nadia.' This remark earned him a stern look from the brunette.
'I expressly indicated not to mention her name,' Erin snapped as she made her way to the door, considering skipping work altogether, but understanding that either Voight or Jay would confront her and insist she come to work.
'Ensure to lock up when you depart,' Erin instructed before leaving, entrusting Landon with the task.
As soon as he also left, she hurried to her jeep and drove to the district, running her hand over her face as she dealt with the apprehension of facing work and everyone else, knowing that confronting the situation was inevitable.
· At work*
Voight stood before his team assembled at the whiteboard, stating, "All right, here's the situation." Surveying his team, he noted Erin's absence, a matter he would need to address upon her arrival.
"The Commander's nephew has become entangled with corrupt law enforcement in Jackson Park," the seasoned leader began to outline the unfolding events and their planned course of action.
Pointing to a photograph of Sergeant Dave Roland and his Narcotics Unit on the board, Voight introduced them, observing the reactions of his team, particularly noting Jay's reaction.
"Over the past year, they have been involved in illicit activities targeting drug dealers within their jurisdiction," Voight elaborated, before turning to face everyone, exchanging a knowing glance with Perry, who affirmed the information.
"Their activities encroached on our territory last week…they committed a robbery at a stash house amounting to 200k," Perry disclosed the details, prompting Voight's nod of acknowledgment as he directed his gaze at Antonio, awaiting his input.
"The individual from my high school who used to serve as a sheriff's deputy informed me as I was leaning against my desk," Antonio mentioned. The second-in-command added, "He suggested that the motto on the side of the Jackson Park patrol car should be 'To Steal and Neglect,'"
As Erin approached, attracting everyone's attention. Walking over to her desk, the brunette apologized for being late due to traffic, adding, "Sir," nervously as she greeted Voights with her hazel eyes.
Voight mentioned, "Sergeant Roland previously served in the CPD," attempting to shift his focus away from Erin who had just taken a seat.
Voight informed the group, "Some of you may be familiar with his name. His father held the position of Deputy Chief," as he observed the reactions of the team and Erin, who was paying close attention.
Voight examined the photographs on the board while being mindful not to make eye contact with the female detective. "He had his son assigned to Narcotics immediately after graduating from the academy," he disclosed.
Voight proceeded to provide more details about the case, with everyone in attendance attentively listening. Erin appeared disengaged, hinting that she had been awake all night.
"Carter. He has been a patrol officer for the past two years," Perry chimed in to continue explaining the case. Voight glanced at Erin and then at Jay, who inquired, "So, how should we approach this?"
Disregarding Jay's question, the senior man gestured towards Erin, saying, "My office," as he led her into his office followed closely by her and closed the door with a sigh. "Before you start," Voight interrupted Erin's attempt to justify herself, "have a seat," he commanded, prompting the brunette to comply.
Voight gazed into Erin's hazel eyes and conveyed, 'Aaron, Perry brought this case to us seeking our assistance. Do you understand?' Observing as the young woman grew uneasy in her seat.
'It might become complicated,' Voight continued, expressing his uncertainty and seeking reassurance from Erin to investigate without making mistakes.
'I have a strategy, yet there's an issue…' Voight started sharing his concerns and observations regarding Erin's recent behavior. 'I'm unsure of your reliability.'
Erin exhaled deeply while averting her gaze from the man before meeting his eyes again, 'Hank.' She shook her head.
'I've lost track of the number of times you've been tardy,' Voight interrupted Erin. 'You appear as if you've been awake all night,' he remarked, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.
'The real question… Can I trust you? Yes or no?' Voight inquired, sincerely hoping to rely on her and praying she wouldn't falter under pressure.
Erin whispered 'Yes,' while nodding, with a frown on her face. She was puzzled by Voight's inquiries about depending on her; her recent lateness and tiredness should not be considered indicative of anything significant.