Caught in the Middle

Chapter 4

"Oh, fuck off. Both of you." I shake my head at them and grab the briefcase from the table to leave them to conspire against me. I almost get hit in the face when the door swings open just as I'm reaching for the handle. Vic widens her eyes when she sees me, with the boys chasing after me. "Chief Ross wants an audience." I squeeze my eyes shut and huff in annoyance.

I was this close to being free from this drama, can't they just let me leave in peace? "For fuck's sake. I don't have time for this." I push past her through the doorway and jog down the stairs, with the three of them following short on my heels. The rest of our team is already gathered in the kitchen with Chief Ross standing a few feet away from them.

"Good morning, Chief." I say politely before putting my things down on the counter and standing at attention like the rest of my team. Jack and Beckett follow suit. "At ease, please." No one relaxes like she asks, rather sharing glances amongst each other when the chief starts pacing in front of us. "I have been informed that a secret I've been keeping has come to light. I'm on my way to brief the union of the latest development, but wanted to hear what concerns you all had that I might need to bring up with them?"

She stops pacing to take a defensive stance with her feet, shoulder width apart, and her hands linked behind her back. Seriously! Did this woman think we were going to stone her to death? I roll my eyes at the absurdity of the whole situation. It was ridiculous that the chief of SFD's love life required a formal meeting with the union.

We all stand there with our mouths full of teeth while we wait for our captain to speak on our behalf. The betrayal and jealousy is evident in her crossed arms and the dimple on her chin from grinding down on her teeth. When she stays quiet, even Ross becomes restless. Everyone looks at Andy, trying to implore her to speak her mind.

"Bishop. How do you want us to handle this?" I pull my face in shock before I look at Beckett for confirmation that I wasn't hearing voices again. He looks equally taken aback, just like the rest of the members of 19. "I'm not the captain. You all have your own opinions." I wave my hand at the team and try to calm the bewilderment I know is clear in my movements.

"Okay, but our captain asked your opinion, not ours." Warren says with an annoyed sigh which earns him a fist to the arm from Ruiz. I stumble over my words a few times before I look at Ross pointedly. "I honestly couldn't care less. It's not going to change anything, so you do you, I guess." I give her a strained smile after shrugging at her.

Andy and the rest of the team looks at me with confused expressions when I ask if I can be excused. "Maya..." She hisses it through her teeth when she walks towards me, and I can't help dropping my head back in annoyance. "What will her confessing to the union actually achieve?" I start speaking while waving my hands around the room, before pointing directly at Sullivan and Ross.

"Look, I was the one in the wrong when I blackmailed you, but I have apologized enough. I saw an opportunity to get my job back when I found out, and I wanted to hurt the man who cost me my job to begin with. But if you go through with this, you will be the only one getting screwed over. You will get demoted or transferred. Your reputation will be ruined while he stays a lieutenant and will probably get promoted within the year."

Sullivan walks up behind her and gives me a death glare over her head. I ignore him and the shocked looks on my supposed friends' faces. "The union doesn't need to know about your bad taste in men." He puffs out his chest and starts calling me names under his breath. "Or you can marry him like he did Herrera and the only thread to your job will be your husband."

Andy stops me from leaving the room by grabbing my arm. She quickly drops it when I glare at her fingers wrapped around my bicep. "We're not risking our station by keeping their dirty little secret. If you want us to keep quiet, Robert leaves. And Bishop gets reinstated as captain when the next available position opens up." I drop and shake my head at her, mumbling under my breath to warn her that she just blackmailed the chief.