Tolerance Book II

Chapter Ninety-Three: Persuasion

Although the response to Jays' words had been as expected the young man was determined to put forth his best argument as to why the, admittedly vague, plan he proposed was ultimately a viable one, irrespective of any risks involved. As he glanced at his attentive audience he spoke decisively and laid out the simple strategy. Once he had finished looks were exchanged around the room. Adam was the first one to point out the obvious.

"You basically want to set up the same situation here that we did in Med?"
"It worked there," Jay shrugged nonchalantly.
"You've got to be kidding!" Antonios' incredulous tone made it clear he was questioning his friends' sanity.
"It didn't work," Adam grumbled crossly, "you got abducted!"
"The main part worked," Jay insisted calmly, "King came to us .... to me .... we play it right and he'll be drawn out again."
"Excuse me but where do you intend to draw him out?" Marks queried with a frown, he was grappling with maintaining some semblance of power but his question belied his effort.
"That remains to be seen."
"Not much of a plan," Al as usual summed up the situation concisely, he wanted to support his young friend but wouldn't sugar coat the reality they were dealing with.
"You agree we need to get him to show himself again," Jay stated confidently, "we need to make it happen."
"He's not going to fall for you going to another hospital appointment even if we could set up something," Voight pointed out practically, he wasn't enamoured with the idea at all.
"I've been thinking about that."
"Course you have!" Adam rolled his eyes in disgust, this was ridiculous.
"What have you come up with?" Parker eventually joined in, the Psychologist in him was curious as to how the Detective would persuade his friends that risking his life again was necessary.
"Well we've established King knows certain things about me. If he's done his homework he'll know I hate being tied down and ....,"
"Sort of like being minded by concerned friends," Kevin interrupted ruefully.
"Right. So I take off and let King find me."
"That simple? You make it sound like a walk in the park," Murphy tossed his fellow New Yorker a look before focusing on the younger man, "and no one here believes it's going to be that easy."
"I didn't say it would be easy."
"There are too many variables over which we have no control," Voight opined after contemplating the matter.
"We haven't exactly had much control to date," Al was the one who stated the particular hard truth they were all familiar with in an effort to aid his young friend.
"It's too risky," Voight glared at the unwelcome comment.
"Our job is risky," Jay reminded softly.

"How would your plan even work?" Marks found himself asking, much to his surprise.
"I'm figuring there are a lot of parks around Vancouver," Jay responded hoping the local man might give him some support, "King approached me before in Central Park. It shows he's comfortable in that type of setting and ......,"
"It's not happening!" Adan shook his head fervently.
"Let's hear him out," Al instructed evenly, ignoring the hard look sent his way.
"Since we know he operated a business here for years we can assume he's familiar with the various parks and that will make him feel more confident ....,"
"Kind of like he's on home ground," Marks nodded accepting the logic.
"Yeah and that will make him think he has an advantage over us."
"Over you!" Adam quickly interjected, this was not going down, no matter how his friend spinned it!
"Hate to admit it but he does have an advantage," Kevin commented seriously, "we have no idea where he's hiding out."
"Nothing new there," Antonio sighed unhappily, he was getting a bad feeling.
"Well we can use his confidence against him," Jay stated firmly, "he's arrogance will always blind him to certain things. He's always going to think he's in control."

"There's another angle to be considered," Mouses' voice eventually entered the discussion.
"What's that?" Marks frowned.
"King has been trading in Canada for years under Jays' name. That indicates whatever connection he has to Jay is an old one and ....,"
"There's no connection," the man in question quietly disputed.
"There's no connection that you're aware of," Al corrected mildly.
"It doesn't matter in the overall scheme of things," Jay insisted, he did not see the point in dwelling on the unknowns.
"You really don't know why he's after zeroing in on you?" Marks enquired before the tactless import of his words caught up with his brain and he hastily continued, "I'm sorry! I'm not doubting your word it's just ....,"
"If Jay said he doesn't know he doesn't," Adam sternly cut in sending the Canadian a withering look that could have rivalled Voights' most lethal.
"Hey I get it," Jay stated unoffended, he knew the whole situation was hard to understand so couldn't blame the other man for being curious, "it doesn't make sense he's focusing on me when I don't know him but clearly he has a reason for his ..... actions."
"Hell of a way to get your attention," Murphy put in, "you really think he's going to allow you get the upper hand?"
"I'm hoping the fact we're back in Canada where he lost his fortune means he's after coming full circle."
"The fact the killings in New York started shortly after his financial ruin would definitely tie in with that being the trigger," Parker mused thoughtfully, "but there's still also the fact that he homed in on terminally ill people in many instances. As we previously discussed his brothers' illness may have prompted that. That gives us two possible triggers but there are no guarantees."
"We all know that," Voight concluded with a nod, "so Halstead if we go ahead you're not going to be alone."
"Sarge the only way this will work will be for King to have solo access to me. Anyone else being there will scare him off."
"Then forget it," Adam stated firmly.
"Let's go over what options we have," Voight ignored the comment in favour of making some form of progress, no matter how small.

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Later that night Jay sat in the kitchen of their temporary residence with Al. Everyone else had retired to bed after playing several hands of poker to unwind. The men had spent the remainder of the afternoon discussing various plans. In the end, much to Jays' relief and everyone elses' unease, it was decided that the injured man would indeed need to go solo if they wanted a realistic chance of capturing their elusive quarry once and for all. For his part the moustached Detective was concerned for his fellow ex-Sniper but such concern was not confined solely to the King investigation. He had not mentioned it but he knew the other man was still dealing with an accumulation of things despite his determined efforts to appear fine. He just hoped he was not prone to any more flashbacks. Deciding to air his concern he placed an opened bottle of beer in front of his friend and sat down opposite him taking a sip from his own bottle.

"You trying to get me drunk?" Jay questioned as he accepted the drink with a frown.
"Take more than a beer to get you drunk," Al chided ruefully.
"True enough. So what's on your mind?"
"You have any more flashbacks?"
"No," Jay replied honestly, surprised by the question.
"Would be understandable if you did," Al noted, "you have a lot of stuff to be dealing with."
"Not really," Jay argued, "King is our priority right now. That's all I'm focusing on."
"You can't keep things locked away forever."
"I know that," Jay acknowledged with a sigh, "I told you I would let you know if I had more flashbacks. You saying my word isn't good enough any more?"
"Hell Kid your word is solid gold I'm just doing my due diligence as your friend."
"As my older friend," Jay winked mischievously to show there was no real ill feeling, "I appreciate the concern but really I'm good."
"Now you are lying," the older man pointed out seriously, "but I'll leave it go on one condition."
"What?"
"When we get back to Chicago you take some real downtime."
"I'll think about it."
"Guess I'll have to take that," Al confirmed, this was not the time for arguing.

Upstairs Voight had decided to put out one fire that threatened to derail their efforts. He had asked Adam to join him on their shared balcony. The younger man had been surprised by the request but readily acquiesced knowing he had little other choice.

"You need to pull back," Voight directed as an opening, blunt as ever.
"Sarge?"
"You're putting pressure on Halstead that he doesn't need. Right now he has to have all of our support. You voicing your displeasure is not helping him in any way."
"But Sarge he's not in any condition to take on King by himself. You know that!" Adam was dismayed the older man was implying he was hurting his friend when all he was trying to do was protect him.
"We've had this discussion before Ruzek," the Sergeant reminded not unkindly, "ultimately Halstead won't look after his own needs until King is out of the picture so the best thing we can do is make sure that happens."
"But ....,"
"I get it. In an ideal world we could save him coming into Kings' orbit but this is not an ideal world. We have to deal with the circumstances we're facing."
"He could get hurt again ...... or worse."
"No one is more aware of that than me. Anything happens to him it will be on me," Voight confirmed grimly, "let's make sure I don't have to live with that okay?"
"Yeah Sarge," Adam sighed in defeat, he understood what his companion meant, "I'll keep my mouth shut going forward."
"Now that would be a miracle," Voight stated wrily as he rolled his eyes but he was grateful for the younger mans' agreement to keep his concerns to himself.

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The following morning found Jay sitting on the back porch of the opulent property surveying the aged trees as birds sang to greet a new days' horizon. He had only slept for a couple of hours and those hours were not consecutive. The idea that he would have an opportunity to finally bring King in contrived to make a good nights' sleep elusive as various scenarios played through his mind as he had tossed and turned. In his heart he knew the Killer was not going to give himself up easily and would seek a more final outcome at Jays' hand. That was not going to happen however if the young man could help it. He eyed his hands thoughtfully, the injured one still gave him trouble and remained in a splint. Those hands had meted out too much death already and he was determined not to add to the grim tally attributed to them. Als' words the night before had struck a cord. He had not had any more flashbacks but memories of some long buried missions were coming to the surface in nightmares. He had not shared that with his older friend however in case it would deter him from supporting him in his current endeavour to deal with King once and for all. Jay knew deep down that those resurfacing memories of times mired in pain would need to be dealt with but he was an expert in compartmentalising things and now would be no different. He had succeeded in persuading his friends and colleagues that meeting King was their only real option he just hoped he didn't live to regret it.

tbc