The next morning, the unit was back in the bullpen, working on paperwork. The atmosphere was calm but focused. Dawson walked in, visibly upset. The unit greeted him, but he didn't respond. Instead, he walked straight to his desk and, in a fit of anger, tipped everything off it.
"Dawson, what's going on?" Burgess asked, concerned.
"Hey, man, you okay?" Atwater added, worried.
Dawson sniffled, trying to hold back tears. "They've got my son," he said, his voice breaking.
The room fell silent as the weight of his words sank in. The team exchanged worried glances, knowing this changed everything.
The unit was gathered around, still processing the news about Dawson's son. Voight stepped forward, his voice firm but compassionate.
"Dawson, take a breather. We'll handle this," he said.
Dawson nodded, reluctantly stepping away to collect himself. Voight turned to the rest of the unit, his expression serious.
"Alright, listen up. Lindsay, Halstead, I need you two to start canvassing the area where Dawson's son was last seen. Talk to anyone who might have seen something," Voight instructed.
"Got it, Sarge," Erin replied.
"We're on it," Jay added.
"Burgess, Atwater, I want you to check in with our informants. See if anyone's heard anything about a kidnapping," Voight continued.
"Will do," Burgess said.
"We're on it," Atwater echoed.
"Ruzek, Jules, I need you to go through any recent surveillance footage. Look for anything suspicious," Voight directed.
"You got it, Sarge," Ruzek responded.
"We're on it," Jules added.
Voight looked around at his team, his determination clear. "Let's bring Dawson's son home," he said.
Erin and Jay walked briskly towards their GMC in the precinct parking lot. Erin headed straight for the driver's side, but Jay quickly intercepted her.
"Move," Jay said firmly.
Erin raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Seriously? You think you can drive better than me?"
"I know I can," Jay replied, grinning.
Erin rolled her eyes but stepped aside, letting Jay take the driver's seat. She climbed into the passenger side, buckling up.
"Just don't get us killed, Halstead," she teased.
"No promises," Jay smirked.
Jay started the engine, and they drove off, ready to start canvassing the area for any leads on Dawson's son.
Erin and Jay arrived at the area where Diego was last seen. They scanned the surroundings and noticed a strange woman smoking a cigarette, leaning against a wall. They walked over to her, their badges visible.
"Excuse me, ma'am. We need to ask you a few questions," Erin said as she approached.
The woman looked up, her expression guarded. "I don't know anything," she said defensively.
"We just need to know if you've seen anything unusual around here," Jay said calmly.
The woman shrugged, clearly trying to avoid their questions.
"Haven't seen a thing. Just minding my own business."
Jay crouched down, smirking as he looked her in the eye. "You know, I could arrest you for obstruction of justice. Or maybe for that little stash you've got in your pocket," he said.
The woman's eyes widened slightly, and she shifted uncomfortably.
"Alright, alright. I saw a guy with a kid. He was acting real shady, heading towards that old warehouse," she admitted nervously.
Erin and Jay exchanged a glance, then Jay stood up, nodding to Erin.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Erin said firmly.
They turned and headed towards the direction the woman indicated, ready to follow up on the lead.
Erin and Jay were back in the truck, heading towards the old warehouse. Erin pulled out her phone and dialed Voight's number. Jay kept his eyes on the road, driving with purpose.
"Voight, it's Lindsay. We got a lead. A witness saw a guy with a kid heading towards an old warehouse near the area Diego was last seen," Erin said into the phone.
Voight's voice crackled through the phone, filled with urgency.
"Good work. Stay on it. We'll meet you there with backup."
"Got it, Sarge. We're on our way," Erin nodded, hanging up the phone.
She looked over at Jay, who was focused on driving.
The Intelligence Unit arrived at the warehouse, their vehicles pulling up in a coordinated manner. Antonio Dawson was among them, looking determined and anxious. He started to march towards the entrance, but Voight intercepted him.
"Dawson, hold up. We need to do this right," Voight said firmly.
Dawson glared but nodded, stepping back. Voight turned to Erin and Jay.
"What did you find?"
"A witness saw Marco heading here with a kid. We think Diego's inside," Erin said quickly.
Voight nodded, signaling the team to move in. They all drew their guns and cautiously entered the warehouse.
INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
The team moved through the dark, cluttered space, their flashlights cutting through the gloom. They came across a locked room.
Voight stepped forward and kicked the door open, revealing a disturbing scene: a bed with cuffs on the wall. The unit gasped in horror.
"Everyone, stay sharp," Voight said grimly.
Jay noticed a laptop on a table, the screen showing a video of Diego looking terrified. He started speaking in Spanish. Dawson stepped closer, understanding every word.
"Voight, over here," Jay said, pointing.
Voight and the rest of the team gathered around the laptop. The video ended, and Voight turned to Dawson.
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'Please, help me. I'm scared,'" Dawson whispered, his voice filled with emotion.
The unit sighed and looked down, the weight of the situation hitting them hard. Voight pulled out his radio, calling it in to dispatch.
"This is Voight. We found evidence of Diego. We need immediate backup and a forensics team at the abandoned warehouse on 5th and Main," he reported.
The unit had gathered crucial information about the kidnapper's identity. They rushed to the coach station, moving quickly and with purpose. Voight led the way, heading straight for the station manager's office.
INT. COACH STATION - MANAGER'S OFFICE - DAY
Voight burst into the office, startling the manager, who looked up in confusion.
"Can I help you?" the manager asked, confused.
"We're with the Chicago PD. There's a kidnapper on one of your coaches. We need your help," Voight said urgently.
The manager's eyes widened, and he nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What do you need?"
"We need one of our guys to go undercover as a passenger. Jay, you're up," Voight said decisively.
Jay stepped forward, ready for the task. The manager nodded and picked up the phone, calling the coach driver.
"This is the manager. We have a situation. Is there a man with a child on your bus?" the manager asked into the phone.
The driver whispered back, confirming the presence of the suspect. Voight took the phone, his voice calm but firm.
"Listen carefully. We need you to pretend the coach is having mechanical trouble. Pull over and keep everyone calm. We'll handle the rest."
The driver agreed, and Voight hung up, turning to the team.
"Let's move. Jay, stay sharp."
Jay nodded, heading towards the coach with the rest of the unit following closely behind.
The unit walked out of the station, moving quickly towards the coach. Jay broke into a run, reaching the coach first. He stepped on board and quietly explained to the driver who he was.
"I'm Detective Halstead, Chicago PD. Just act normal," Jay whispered.
The driver nodded, smiling and acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Jay walked down the aisle, scanning the passengers. He spotted the suspect with Diego, who looked scared.
Jay gave a small, reassuring smile and sat two seats behind them. He discreetly pulled out his cell phone and texted Erin.
"Got eyes on them. Two seats ahead. Suspect with Diego," Jay texted.
Erin received the text and quickly informed the rest of the unit.
"Jay's got eyes on them. They're on the coach. Let's move in carefully," she said.
The team moved with precision, ready to apprehend the suspect and rescue Diego.
The driver, following Voight's instructions, pulls over to the side of the road. She speaks into her microphone,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're experiencing some mechanical trouble. Please bear with us." The passengers groan in response.
Jay gets himself ready, walking over to the driver and pretending to be an innocent passenger. The suspect, however, recognizes him as a cop. He gets up, pulling Diego close and threatening to shoot him.
Jay pulls out his gun, shouting.
"Everyone, get off the bus now!" The passengers scream in panic, rushing to the exit as Jay pushes one of them towards the door.
Once the coach is clear, Jay looks back at the suspect, pleading with him to let Diego go. The suspect only holds Diego tighter. Suddenly, Jay's phone buzzes with a message from Voight:
"Grab onto something."
Without a second thought, Jay grabs onto a nearby chair. Just as he does, Ruzek crashes into the coach with another vehicle.
The impact sends Diego flying forward into Jay's arms. They fall into the chairs, the world spinning around them.
Antonio Dawson, Diego's father, takes advantage of the chaos. He shoots the suspect down, ending the threat. Jay reassures Diego, whispering.
"You're safe now, Diego." He hands Diego over to his father, relief washing over him as the situation comes to an end.