chapter 8

Pierce the room like a cannonball..

Jay sat in the back of Voight's unmarked car, the engine rumbling quietly as they made their way back to the district. Voight was in the driver's seat, eyes straight ahead, his face a hard mask of determination. Antonio sat beside Jay, his jaw clenched, staring out the window as the city's lights blurred past them.

The weight of everything they'd uncovered pressed down on Jay like a vice. His mind kept cycling back to Erin—where she was, what they were doing to her, and if she even had a chance. Voight's plan was their best shot, but it didn't stop the gnawing fear in Jay's gut.

As they turned onto a quieter street, Jay's phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out, his heart racing, hoping against hope for some kind of breakthrough.

It was a message—from Erin.

For a split second, Jay's heart leapt. She's alive.

But then, as he opened the message and scanned its contents, his blood turned to ice.

"Don't try to find me. They're watching everything. They know. I'm sorry."

Jay stared at the screen, his breath catching in his throat. Erin was alive, but she was in deeper trouble than he'd feared.

"What is it?" Antonio asked, noticing the change in Jay's expression.

Jay handed him the phone, his voice tight with barely controlled fear. "It's from Erin. She's warning us off."

Antonio swore under his breath, and even Voight glanced at Jay through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed. "What did she say exactly?" Voight's voice was steady, but Jay could hear the tension in it.

Jay repeated the message, and for a moment, the car was filled with a heavy silence.

Voight's hands gripped the steering wheel harder. "She's trying to protect us," he said, his tone low and grim. "They've probably got eyes on everything. Her phone, maybe even her location. If we make a move too soon, they'll know."

Jay's mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic storm of worry and anger. "So what the hell do we do, Sarge? We can't just sit here and wait while they've got her."

Voight's gaze was hard as he looked at Jay through the mirror. "We need Marcus to crack. He's the key to all of this. He knows where Erin is, and he knows we're getting closer. The moment he slips, we'll have her."

Jay wasn't satisfied with that. Not by a long shot. He knew Marcus was dangerous, and with Erin's life hanging in the balance, every second felt like a missed opportunity. But he also knew Voight wasn't wrong. Charging in without knowing the full picture would only get Erin killed—or worse.

They pulled up to the district, and Voight parked the car, his expression unreadable as he turned to face Jay and Antonio. "We play this smart. Marcus thinks we're on his payroll, and that's our advantage. He's arrogant, and he's going to make a mistake."

Jay's fists tightened as he stepped out of the car. "And when does he do that?"

Voight's eyes burned with an intensity that mirrored Jay's own. "We take him down, and we get Erin out."

Antonio stepped out, his jaw set, but his mind clearly running through a dozen scenarios. "I'll check into any other connections the Andrews brothers have. Someone has to be slipping up somewhere."

Jay followed Voight inside, his body tense with barely contained frustration. As they entered the bullpen, the rest of the Intelligence Unit was already hard at work, digging through files, making calls, and coordinating the next move.

Ruzek approached them with a grim expression. "We've got Marcus in interrogation. He's not saying a word."

Jay's pulse quickened. He wanted to be in that room, wanted to see Marcus' smug face and make him talk. But Voight's voice cut through his thoughts. "I'll handle him. You two stay here and keep digging."

Jay was about to protest, but Voight's stern look shut him down. He knew better than to argue with Voight when he had a plan.

Voight walked off toward the interrogation room, his shoulders tight with purpose. Jay watched him go, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He felt helpless, trapped between his duty and his desperation to save Erin.

Antonio patted his shoulder. "We'll get her back, Jay. We just have to be patient."

Jay nodded, but patience was the last thing he had right now. Every second that ticked by was another second Erin was out there, alone and in danger. And he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand waiting.

Voight's eyes darkened, his jaw tightening at Jay's outburst, but he didn't respond right away. He let the weight of Jay's words hang in the air, heavy with raw emotion. The room was thick with tension. Jay's frustration was palpable—like a storm barely held at bay. Everyone felt it. Erin wasn't just another case, and they all knew it. For Jay, this wasn't just professional—this was personal, deep, raw. Despite the two years of absolute silence that had passed between them, she was still Erin. His Erin.

"I know it's Erin," Voight finally said, his voice low, controlled, but with that familiar edge that demanded attention. "But if we go in there guns blazing, we lose her. And I'm not willing to risk that. You want to help her? Then keep your head in the game. You think this is easy for me?"

Jay clenched his jaw, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides. The muscles in his arms were taut, veins standing out against his skin as he fought the urge to punch something, anything, to release the pressure building inside him.

Every nerve in his body screamed to move, to act, to do something—sitting around felt like torture. But deep down, beneath the burning anger and fear, he knew Voight was right. Charging in blind could cost them everything. And that terrified him more than the waiting.

Antonio stepped in, his voice calm but laced with urgency. "Jay, we're all doing everything we can. We're combing through every lead, pulling every string we can. But if we lose control now, we lose everything. That's what Marcus wants—he wants you to panic. He wants you to slip."

Jay's breath came out in a shaky, frustrated sigh as he pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to block out the helplessness gnawing at him. His mind was spinning, thoughts of Erin filling every corner of his consciousness like a haunting presence he couldn't escape. Was she hurt? Was she scared? The images in his mind were relentless, vivid, and each one felt like a gut punch.

"Voight…" Jay's voice cracked, barely holding back the flood of emotion. He hated how vulnerable he sounded, hated how close to breaking he was in front of his team. But he couldn't stop himself. Not now. "If we don't find her soon—"

"We will," Voight cut him off, his voice sharp and full of certainty, his gaze locking onto Jay's with unwavering intensity. "We will find her. But we don't do it by losing our heads."

The weight in Voight's words was heavy, grounded in the experience of a man who had seen too many things go wrong when emotions took the wheel. There was no room for doubt in his tone, but still, Jay wasn't sure if it was enough to ease the gnawing fear inside him. He wasn't used to this—this helplessness, this inability to act. Control had always been his strong suit, knowing the next move, anticipating the enemy. But this? Erin being out there, vulnerable, and him being stuck in here… it felt like drowning.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Burgess rushed into the room, her face tight with urgency. "We've got something," she said, breathless.

Jay's heart slammed into his chest, and he moved faster than he thought possible, crossing the room in a heartbeat. "What is it? Did you find her?" His voice cracked, betraying the desperation he was barely keeping in check.

Burgess didn't waste time. She handed Voight a tablet, her finger hovering over a still image on the screen. "We pulled surveillance from one of the properties linked to the Andrews brothers. It's an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. Check this out."

Voight and Antonio leaned in as Burgess played the footage. The grainy video showed a black SUV pulling up to the warehouse. The timestamp was from just a few hours ago. A man stepped out of the vehicle, his face partially obscured by the shadows, but they all recognized him—Kyle Andrews.

Behind him, the car door opened again, and a second figure emerged. A woman.

Jay's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the screen, his pulse quickened, pounding in his ears. The woman's face wasn't clear, but her build, her hair—it was Erin.

"That's her," Jay whispered, his voice barely audible as the reality hit him like a freight train. "That's Erin."

His heart hammered in his chest as he leaned in closer, his eyes locked on the screen, searching for any sign that she was okay. Her posture, her movements—anything to tell him that she wasn't hurt. But the footage was too grainy, too distant, and it did nothing to quell the fear clawing at his insides.

Voight studied the footage carefully, his expression hard and unreadable. "Looks like they're moving her. This could be the safe house he mentioned."

Jay's mind went into overdrive. "We need to move," he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth. "Now."

But Voight's hand shot out, his voice steady but commanding as he blocked Jay's path. "Wait."

Jay froze, staring at Voight in disbelief. "What the hell are we waiting for?!"

Voight's gaze was like steel, cold and unyielding. "You and Antonio," he said, his voice low and deliberate. "You go in there. As far as we know, Kyle and his men don't know your true identities. You have a shot at getting close, getting inside. We'll be your backup, but this has to be played smart. We're not just bringing Erin out—we're bringing all of them in tonight."

Jay's heart raced, his hands trembling with barely controlled tension. Every instinct told him to fight, to argue, to demand to lead the charge—but he knew Voight was right. This wasn't just about Erin anymore. If they wanted to end this, they had to take down the entire operation.

He nodded, forcing himself to breathe, to focus. "Alright," he said, his voice tight but determined. "We do it your way. But if they even think about hurting her..."

Voight's eyes darkened. "They won't get the chance."

Jay turned to Antonio, patting his shoulder as they started gearing up. The weight of what they were about to do settled in his chest like a boulder. Every second they wasted felt like a lifetime, but this was it—the moment that could bring Erin home. He just had to keep it together long enough to make it count.