One Day Is Today

Chapter One: A Rift In The Makeup

Task Force was a half hour away from District 21. Unlike the city, this building in Evergreen Park had a huge parking lot. We did not have to circle the lot very long to find a spot. Kevin and I got out of the car and waited for the others to get there. We did not want to walk in alone, because we had no idea where to go. Once the guys showed up we shared a fearful frantic glance because we were out of our comfort zone but also optimistic.

1:00 PM CST

Walking into the Task Force building felt like a staging for a new apartment. The walls were white, the color pallet was too rare for Chicago and the entire rustic appeal we came to know and love went unnoticed. To say the least it was gone. As we head toward the front desk we knew we were in for a treat. The employee's directed us to the fourth floor. We were informed that the building was divided into different zones, but they all served one purpose as a whole. The first floor was full of conference rooms, the second was mainly for target practice, the third floor was the Interrogation Unit and as expected the fourth was Intelligence.

Standing in the Intelligence Unit of the Federal Task Force contributed to our sense of culture shock, we were not prepared for this environment at all. I could only imagine what Erin was feeling right now. Every room had multiple computers, a certain number of chairs and a large projection screen that had flat screen TVs mounted into the wall as if they were stacked on top of each other. I was so impatient, all I wanted to do was see her face, but we had to scan hundreds of different rooms until we found the right one. Our Intelligence Unit was a quarter of this place in size. I could tell after I opened the fifth door this was the room because she was standing in the front with two men. I motioned to the guys as I walked through the door and took a seat. She was uneasy. She kept fidgeting with her gun holster before everyone was seated. It was great to see her. But seeing her in a more professional atmosphere wearing a pantsuit did not hurt either.

1:30 PM CST

"Thank you, for being here today.' began Lang 'We hope this year goes even more smoothly then the last with the help of Erin Lindsay who is no outsider to the state of Illinois. She was a detective last year in the Intelligence Unit at District 21 in Chicago." Erin really was nervous. I told her she had every reason to be, and that she was meant to do this last time we spoke. I assumed that's what was going through her mind as she forced a grin.

"Alright let's get started, shall we.' said Lang after a few minutes, 'This city like any other has seen its fair share of crimes in neighborhoods and counties, but this case we are dealing with today is the first of its kind for Chicago. With that said, I am going to hand it over to Lindsay.'" explained Lang. "Yes this case is new but these four boys are no strangers to the headlines.' said Erin, 'Tyler and Gabe Barrett are brothers and so are Eric and Jared Black. Our records show that they are cousins. They spent all last year escaping custody but no more. If C.P.D. could focus on the boys' facial analysis, two out of the four cousins have visible tattoos on their arms and necks. Voight nodded in recognition that he noticed the differences between not only the four cousins, but the brothers as well.

5:00 PM CST

As Erin concluded, Lang spoke. "We give you full jurisdiction on the premises while you are working on this case and any future cases. We are willing to provide you with anything that you would need to work on this case as I can see from your expressions that you are not familiar with our technology." Voight hesitated for a minute and then spoke, "Is it possible for us to work on this case on our own turf? The case would be easier for us to complete." As Lang decided whether or not to grant us the opportunity to work at 21 we could tell Erin was all for it. Lang proceeded "As long as you stay in full contact with Lindsay and do not do anything out of the ordinary for our standards you are able to work on this case at District 21." As we exited the room, each of us glanced at Erin. I mumbled something under my breath that was only loud enough for her to hear, and as I turned the corner I noticed she was blushing.