Voight Residence
Sitting comfortably in the front room on either side of the fireplace with their hot drinks the Sergeant got down to business.
"You agree about meeting King?"
"Definitely."
"We'll discuss it with Parker in the morning but for now how do think he'll react if you approach him?"
"How am I going to approach him?" Jay asked his own question instead of answering.
"We can either do it publicly by drawing him out as a challenge or else try contacting him through the grapevine."
"There's not much of a grapevine," the Detective countered that option, it had become clear during the investigation King wasn't dealing with people who had a propensity for talking.
"So we put something in the paper ...,"
"Like we did when I was supposed to be dying in hospital?"
"Yeah but hopefully with a better outcome," Voight commented ruefully, that operation had been a bust in the end.
"Maybe we should just keep it simple," Jay spoke thoughtfully.
"You have something in mind?" Voight always narvelled at the younger mans' ability to come up with ideas without procrastinating.
"I could let him know I want to meet him .....,"
"How exactly?"
"He knows I'll have to go back to Med .... we know he has eyes on us. If I go there by myself and wait in Reception he'll approach me .....,"
"Why are you so sure?" Voight asked as he drained the last drops of chocolate appreciatively from his mug.
"Because curiosity will get the better of him."
"Might work. Like I said we'll go through it with Parker in the morning."
The Sergeant refrained from giving approval there and then. He was anxious to get the Psychologists' valued opinion. The others no doubt would also have plenty to say but ultimately the seasoned Lawman knew the decision how to proceed was his and his alone. He just hoped this time they could finally reel King in.
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The following morning when everyone had arrived Voight put the idea to Parker and was rewarded with a chorus of questions from the men gathered in the kitchen before the Psychologist snd Profiler could respond.
"I want to hear what Parker has to say," the Sergeant put up his hands demanding silence from his stool at the counter.
"Might work. King's going to be frustrated Jay's still alive. The last two incidents were definitely meant to take him out. King wouldn't have expected him to work out about the hand grenades .....,"
"Why not?" Kevin risked Voights' wrath but he was curious.
"It was too small a thing," Murphy provided the answer as he munched on an apple, he had discussed that very matter with his fellow New Yorker before they left their hotel, "the print was only slightly smaller and on only one grenade. He would have been slightly more obvious if he wanted to be sure Jay would survive."
"You're forgetting it was Voights' office he targetted," the injured Detective decided to remind everyone, he had not been the only one in danger.
"Hate to say it ....," Antonio began but Al cut in.
"..... the others were collateral damage."
"Schucks I think my ego is hurt," Murphy complained sending the moustached man a wink, he fully agreed with his reasoning and besides they had already discussed this.
"Are we any closer to working out how King breached security?" Parker looked at Voight.
"The explosion probably destroyed any hope of tracing how he did it," the Sergeant reluctantly admitted.
"I had everything backed up but I hadn't made any headway," Mouse put in guiltily.
"King has had a lot of luck," Kevin attempted to alleviate the other mans' unnecessary apportionment of blame.
"About time that changed," Antonio intoned gravely.
"About King," Kevin returned to the main subject, "would he agree to meet Jay one on one?"
"Highly likely," Parker nodded, "he's probably frustrated Jay has managed to outwit him twice recently and that ....,"
"I didn't really outwit him," the Detective in question objected from his familiar chair at the kitchen table.
"You're still alive " Antonio opposite him disagreed as he eyed his friends' weary countenance.
"Well the point is King will regard it as being outwitted," Murphy put in, "which won't make him very amicable."
"As if he was such a nice guy before!!" Adams' muffled voice scoffed from where he had his head in the open refrigerator.
"You know what I mean," the HS man rolled his eyes.
"Why would he want to meet Jay," Mouse scratched his forehead thoughtfully, "he can hardly do anything to him in public and that's the only place a meeting could happen?"
"Is it?" Jays' quiet query belied his displeasure at his friends' imperious statement.
"Yes it is," Kevin decided to add his opinion, although the injured man had removed the white bandage around his head leaving in place only a dressing over the scalp stitches his pale complexion still marked him as clearly unwell, "you're not taking on King alone."
"He won't be," Voight assured sending a stern look around the men to ward off any further comments, he understood their worry over the injured man but knew too many issuing ultimatums would only cause their youngest to be even more stubborn where his safety was concerned.
"As for the question of why King would want to meet Jay," Parker addressed the IT Specialists' valid query, "he'll want to show Jay he's not bothered by his latest failures. That he's still very much in control."
"But if Jay instigates a meeting isn't that claiming control?" Adam had decided long ago being a Profiler or Psychologist would be way above his paygrade, it was just too complex.
"Not necessarily. He'll convince himself that Jay is desperate. Someone like King does not accept losing easily. He knows on some level Jay outsmarted him but he'll push that aside. The capacity he has for evil is matched by his capacity for arrogance."
"So how exactly is this going to happen?" Al as usual got down to practicalities.
"Figure we let him approach me at Med," Jay explained, "he'll know I have to go for a follow up appointment .....,"
"And we know he's keeping tabs on you," Antonio nodded in approval, "so technically you're not inviting him to meet, he'll make the choice."
"Hopefully," Jay agreed with a shrug as he stretched his right leg out to relieve the ever present discomfort, the newest injury to his ankle had taught him that dislocations anywhere were extremely painful.
"You want to risk bringing him to Med?" Kevin frowned.
"It's a public place," Voight spoke up understanding the concern as he pointed to Mouse, "and we're going to have the whole place under surveillance."
"Still seems risky," Kevin didn't really like the plan.
"It's all risky," Adam countered, he figured it might work.
"But are we going to take him down at Med?" Kevin wanted clarification.
"Yes," Voight spoke resolutely.
"Okaaaay," Kevin eyed the blunt Sergeant before looking over at Jay trying to decipher what he was missing then decided to throw caution to the wind, "what exactly is the plan because putting Med in the firing line is pretty out there?"
"What he said," Antonio immediately backed his confused friend up because it didn't make sense to him either and he noted several other bemused expressions
"We discussed this over breakfast," Voight motioned to Jay ruefully, "before y'all came and we know it's a risk but not if we do it right."
"Sarge?" Adam resisted the urge to raise a hand as if he was in class, Voight had a habit of returning him to his school days!
"What is it Ruzek?" the gruff man demanded as he watched with a sigh as the last jam donut was removed from its' box by the ever ravenous Detective.
"Won't Goodwin object to ...,"
"Not if I assure her there will be no danger to staff or patients," the Sergeant stated firmly.
"You can't give that assurance," Murphy had held his tongue at the revalation of the plan but couldn't remain silent any longer, it seemed rife with danger.
"I don't give assurances lightly," Voight spoke earnestly, "and this isn't up for debate."
"Sarge you didn't tell them the whole plan," Jay prompted, wanting to put his friends and colleagues out of their misery.
"If we get the go ahead from Goodwin there won't be any real patients or staff in the Waiting Room we use. We were initially going to use Reception but that would be impossible to control."
"You might have led with that part," Murphy chided on behalf of the others, knowing the Chicago men could not talk so freely to their Superior.
"Who is Goodwin?" Parker enquired hefore the Sergeant could argue about his leadersip tactics.
"Ms. Goodwin is the Administrator at Med," Adam smiled around the final bite of his sticky donut, "she's one tough lady but kind."
"So you reckon she's going to agree?"
"Yes because Sarge has an ace up his sleeve."
"Oh?" Murphy eyed the Detective speculatively.
"Ms. Goodwin has a soft spot for Jay," Antonio elaborated followed by a chuckle as he was the target of an expertly aimed banana from the fruit bowl on the table, "just stating the truth!!"
"Hell what is it with you Halstead? Do you charm everyone you meet?"
"I don't do anything!" the flustered man defended as he glared at his teammates who were laughing unrepentantly.,
"That just makes it worse!" Murphy groused in mock chagrin as he nabbed the uneaten fruit missile from Antonio, he'd just have to convince his tastebuds it was a jam donut!
"Have y'all finished?" Voight eyed the men with a serious expression. The time for taking down King had finally come and this time they would succeed, failure was not an option he was willing to accept.
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21st Precinct - Following Day
Leaning against the desk in the reception office with his arms folded Jay looked the picture of nonchalance as he listened to Sergeant Platt. Looks could be deceiving however. As drills and hammers of industrious Builders and Carpenters sounded from upstairs the gravity of what had happened was impossible to ignore. He was here however for a totally different reason.
"Have you told Voight?" the no nonsense woman asked with a stern look that belied her concern.
"No," the tired mean reluctantly admitted.
"He needs to know. They all do."
"They'll over react ...,"
"Halstead you and I both know Voight is not prone to over reacting so don't waste time trying to convince me otherwise."
"Look Sarge you know the guys. They'll go into full Mother Hen mode if I tell them."
"Now that I believe. "
"Why did you come to me with this?" the Detective asked the question he had been pondering since the formidable Sergeant had phoned him in the hospital on the afternoon of the explosion.
"It concerns you the most."
"Yeah but following protocol dictated you should have notified Sarge and ... "
"You giving me a lecture on how to do my job?" Platt asked ruefully.
"No Sarge. I was just curious," Jay hastily offered, he genuinely hadn't meant to cause offence.
"You thought this matter was closed," Platt sighed, "and it probably still is ...,"
"Despite the note?"
"Despite the note."
"King is clearly the priority but I wanted to give you a heads up to get your head around it because you have enough to be dealing with already."
"Thanks Sarge, I appreciate it."
"Forget the thanks," Platt brusquely rejected the show of gratitude, "it's been a few days. You need to tell them .... and Will."
"I know ...... I'll do it. I promise."
"Today."
"Today," Jay repeated in reluctant affirmation.
In the cab on the way to Voights the injured Detective thought about the new problem. The subject of the discussion with Platt had come totally out of the blue. Her decision to notify him first rather than Voight of the note delivered to the 21st had been well intentioned and much appreciated. The fact that his friends had not followed up with him about Platts' phone call at Med was testament to just how ragged and tired the Unit was thanks to their relentless and seemingly futile attempts to stop King. Normally such a call would have resulted in a myriad of questions and teasing. Same had been notably absent however this time. Not that he was complaining about that aspect. No his only complaint on this occasion related to him again being responsible for causing hassle for his friends and colleagues. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes behind the sunglasses he wore to hide his black eye. He longed for a do over, for a simple life but knew he had to accept reality. He needed to talk to Voight and the others ...... then Will ....
tbc