Erin was seated at her desk completing the paperwork assigned to her by Voight. She sighed as she attempted to tune out the conversations of her colleagues discussing a new case they had just received, even though it seemed small. She still wished she could contribute.
Voight had informed the team that a new member would be joining temporarily to substitute for Soifon, and this member would remain even after Soifon's return, given Erin's current desk duties for the following months.
'When is the new detective arriving?' Jay inquired as he approached Erin's desk after wrapping up a discussion with Ruzek about the case. Erin glanced up and shrugged in response. 'I'm not sure. Why? Looking for a girlfriend?' she teased, observing Jay's reaction.
'Oh, no, I have a date tonight with the prison guard, Millie,' Jay replied with a smirk. 'But I'm sure Ruzek or Atwater might be interested, or even Voight,' he playfully suggested, causing Erin to chuckle.
Erin firmly stated, 'No, Voight is currently seeing Benson, so I highly doubt it.' She proceeded to remind Jay of Voight's involvement with the special Victims Unit Sergeant and commented, 'Besides, I believe this individual is too young for him, and being related to him would make it rather inappropriate.' Playfully punching his shoulder, she inadvertently caused him to choke on his coffee.
Jay, recovering from his near mishap, inquired, 'Wait, really? I thought he only had Justin.' Erin chuckled and reassured him by saying, 'She is his niece.' She explained that Voight rarely discusses her due to her absence from his life.
Jay acknowledged this information and was about to inquire further when Voight emerged from his office with the new detective who would be joining their team for a while.
Voight captured everyone's attention by introducing Alice Voight as the newest member. To Jay's observation, the individuals appearing most intrigued were Ruzek, Atwater, Ashley, and himself, while Mouse was notably absent as he was downstairs working in the basement.
Erin gazed ahead attentively while listening to Voight explain, 'Alice is my niece and she's here to temporarily take Erin's place until Soifon returns. Please treat her with the same respect afforded to all other team members. And I must stress she is off-limits.' This statement elicited chuckles from Erin and Alice, particularly amusing Jay who had been given a similar warning by Voight two years earlier when he had flirted with Erin upon becoming partners.
Erin teasingly inquired, 'What's on your mind, Halstead?' prompting a playful glower from Jay as he reminisced, 'I recall the advice Voight gave me when we first partnered up.'
Despite the jest, Jay reassured, 'But there's no need to worry this time,' gesturing towards Ruzek who warmly greeted Alice. Erin chuckled and agreed, 'Indeed, no matter what unfolds, we're sure to be entertained.' Jay nodded in concurrence, adding, 'That's certainly true.'
Ruzek inquired, interjecting Jay and Erin's light-hearted banter, 'We will be conducting interviews with local residents to gather information, and Jay will accompany Alice to a store to inquire about any relevant details,' Voight explained, signaling to Jay who acknowledged.
Alice, sharing a smile with Jay, remarked, 'I am eager to collaborate with you.' Jay reciprocated the smile and suggested, 'Likewise, we can depart promptly if you wish.'
Voight approved with a nod, instructing, 'You may proceed, and Halstead, the same guidance applies to Alice as it was for Erin.'
Jay, assuringly, responded with a gulp, 'Rest assured, sir,' as he departed with Alice, disregarding the amusement of their colleagues. Jay was mindful that he did not wish to be in Ruzek's position when Voight realized the latter was eyeing Alice instead of him.
Voight instructed the rest of the team to resume searching for leads as he returned to his office, with Erin following him due to a lack of other tasks.
Upon realizing it was lunchtime, Erin expressed her intention to leave, to which Voight agreed, reminding her to not overextend herself. As Erin prepared to depart, Voight cautioned her to be cautious, especially with a dangerous individual at large.
He entrusted her with his keys so she could drive to meet Soifon for lunch, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance. Erin assured him she would be careful, accepted the keys, and left the office. Once reaching Voight's truck, Erin entered the vehicle, fastened her seatbelt, and set off towards Molly's, where she was meeting Soifon.
Soifon's P.O.V*
Upon stopping at a red light, Soifon released a sigh and patiently awaited for it to change to green. She casually tapped on the steering wheel while glancing over at her phone, noticing a recent text from Erin, 'Hey, babe, I'm on my way to Molly's.'
Soifon couldn't help but smile as she responded with, 'I'll be there.' After sending the text, she resumed driving and was prompted by a car honking behind her as the traffic light turned green.
While driving, she grew concerned upon hearing a persistent ding sound coming from the car. Upon checking, she noticed that one of the tires was running low on air pressure.
Soifon pulled over into an abandoned parking lot to assess the situation, expressing her frustration by muttering, 'Just what I need, a flat tire,' before putting her phone down and exiting the vehicle after parking it.
Upon walking around the other side of the car to the flat tire, Soifon bent down to inspect the issue. She winced as she felt something sharp protruding from the tire, pulling back when it pricked her finger. 'Ouch,' she muttered, observing the blood on her finger 'I don't think that's a good sign.' She stood up and made her way to the trunk, unaware of another vehicle approaching from behind.
As she opened the trunk to check for a spare tire, she frowned upon not finding one, regretting not putting it back after using it with Erin.
'Ah,' she exclaimed, hitting the back of the car, then grunting as pain shot up her stomach, 'I forgot about that wound,' she said as she held onto her stomach.
Upon hearing the sound of her phone ringing, Soifon proceeded to answer it, fully aware that it was Erin calling. However, she inadvertently collided with a figure standing behind her, causing her to let out a yelp. Just as she was about to turn around, a pair of robust arms encircled her neck. The woman with raven hair gazed up to identify her assailant, only to feel the grip around her neck intensify, prompting her to let out a whimper.
As Soifon began to emit muffled screams, Ace tightened his hold on her, sternly commanding her to be silent with a harsh remark. This caused the woman's grey eyes to widen in fear. Just as she was about to retort, Ace swiftly covered her mouth and nose with a cloth, preventing her from speaking.
Soifon struggled as she detected the scent of chloroform. Despite her efforts to resist by scratching Ace's arm, he paid no heed to the stinging sensation caused by each scratch. He simply tightened his grip until she ceased her attempts after a few minutes.
In a calculated manner, Ace waited until he sensed Soifon's physical resistance diminish in his grasp before transporting her to his vehicle. With a hint of derision, he uttered 'Nice try' as he secured her hands and feet, proceeding to cover her mouth and nose with a chloroform-soaked cloth to ensure her unconscious state.
Upon accomplishing his objective, Ace positioned himself in the driver's seat, departing the scene and leaving Soifon's car untouched. A self-satisfied expression adorned Ace's countenance as he made his way to the hideout, marking the completion of the initial phase of his scheme.