At the gym, Cyn is working out with Antonio and Jay. She was sparring with the former and she blocked some of his strikes, as well as dodge some of them. And the end though, she came out on top.
She loves to sharpen her skills and hand to hand combat skills. "Not bad, Dawson. Keep training as hard and maybe you'll surpass me one day."
"Being in the military hasn't made you cocky." Dawson wasn't a bad fighter at all in Cyn's books. She certainly was smart to keep her guard up and not underestimate him. "So I heard your mom was a CI."
"Yeah she was. Helped put a lot of bad people in prison. Mostly gang members. Made the streets a bit safer. She's doing good though." Cyn replied. "How are things with your kids?"
"Diego is doing fine. Eva is still... Eva."
Cynthia nods. "Too bad we didn't invite Gabby here. Watching you two fight at that time was awesome."
"I didn't think you would bet on me. I thought you would bet on Gabby."
Cyn shook her head. "I love Gabby and all. But you are more proficient then she is. Do not tell her I said that. Although..." Cyn looked around and said, "Secretamente esperaba que te ganara. (i was secretly hoping she'd beat you.)"
Antonio laughed and said. "tal vez tú y yo deberíamos tener un partido algún día (maybe you and I should have a match one day.)"
"en cualquier momento y en cualquier lugar, novio. (anytime, anyplace, boyfriend.)" Cyn playfully elbowed him. She can say for certainty that Antonio is a good cop. And a good fighter.
The sound of punching bags gets her attention as she turns to see Jay striking said punching bag. She observed his moves and in her opinion, his form isn't bad. She's knows for a fact that Army Rangers learn a fighting system that blends techniques from wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, and judo with weapons skills from Kali, a Filipino martial art. "Hey Ranger Boy, when are we gonna spar?"
"I don't like that look in your eye." Jay laughed, as did Cyn.
"So that's a no then?" Cyn asked, laughing.
"Nah, you're doing great—just keep dropping your left every time you throw your right cross, it'll be fun." Toni advised.
Jay does that and Cyn is impressed as she takes off her gloves besides Antonio. And as Jay takes off his, there was something he wanted to ask Dawson and Grant, but he's not sure if he's gonna get a straight answer from them, less so from Grant. But he asks anyway. "Is Voight dirty?"
'Oh hell.' "Not our department." Cyn replied for both herself and Dawson. She stays out of most of Hank's business, and doesn't ask too much.
"So that's a yes."
'No, that's not a yes.'
"I almost went down the tubes when I was in vice, which was right around the time I stopped judging other cops."
Cynthia knows a bit about that. Antonio joined the CPD at a young age and after passing the academy, had Trudy Platt as his Field Training Officer. He pulled Platt out of the line of fire when she was shot during shootout.
He then soon showed his abilities to ranking officers and was quickly assigned to the VICE unit and worked with them for a few years before transferring.
Hank recruited him into the Intelligence Unit because of his determination and honesty.
"I'm not looking for judgment, just a definition. Do I learn from him, or do I keep my distance?" Jay asked.
Cynthia said. "A bit of both." She then sees Erin coming in. "Hey Erin."
"Hey." He turns to see that she's here. "Jazzercise is, like, a block south."
"Yeah, nice muscle tee." She eyed his outfit.
"This is perfectly acceptable attire for the boxing gym."
Cyn smiles as she sensing a sarcasm coming up.
"No, absolutely, and the bonus is you don't have to change later when you break-dance."
"Oh!"
Cyn and Toni chuckled when the former said. "Oh sis, you cookin his ass." She then noticed Justin coming in. "Hey, Justin is here."
They all see Voight's kid come in. "Justin. This is Antonio and Jay. Me and Cyn work with them. Antonio's buddy owns the gym, hence the 30% discount.
Dawson frowns. "20%. Nice try."
Cyn laughs. "Yeah, all right."
Jay asked. "How you doing?"
Justin just stares at them coldly, not shaking any of their hands. Kinda given them an attitude. "I gotta make some calls."
Cyn sighs, but she was in no position to judge him. She would have been the same way if she was in his shoes. Then again, given where she grew up and how some cops treated her, she definitely would have. "He's like our little brother. Erin and I are trying to keep him out of trouble. You know what am saying?"
Antonio is skeptical, but says. "Good luck."
Erin tells both men. "Just give him a shot." When she leaves, she kicks a punching bag before Cyn decides to hit the showers.
Time Skip
The unit (Grant, Lindsay, Voight and Dawson) came in when they heard a young white female knocked Atwater around.
Cyn is about to find out what this is all about when Kim comes in. "What do we got?" Hank asked.
"Female, White, just got out of surgery.
"I heard female white knocked you around pretty good."
"Damn, Kev, I know you didn't think that little girl was gonna do all that to you." Cyn smirked.
Kev replied. "Whatever she was on gave her the strength of ten men."
"No I.D. All she had on her was this plane ticket." Cyn took it and examine it as Kim continued to explain. "She landed at O'Hare this morning from Cabo San Lucas."
Dawson then asked. "Just how much cocaine does she have on her?"
Kim shook her head. "Not on her. Inside her. 30 balloons in her stomach."
The others looked shocked, mostly Cyn and Erin. Girls being used as drug mules. But Grant doubts this was the Cartel's doing. She knows them enough they won't be this careless. 'This ain't the Cartels. This has white boys written all over it.'
Time Skips
Cyn sees the girl that just got out of surgery and she wonders how a girl like her got into this. "Normally, when cops drag screamers in here, we just give 'em a haldol cocktail and send them into detox, but she started convulsing, and I knew right away this was different.
Dawson sighed. "Welcome to Chicago, distribution of the Midwest."
"We removed 29 condoms full of cocaine, though she swallowed 30. One broke open and started to dissolve into her stomach. The drug leaked into her bloodstream, causing her psychosis, so I ordered emergency surgery." Looking at her patient. "Never ceases to amaze me what people will do for money."
"Well, sometime, people don't fell like they have a choice." Lindsay said in a low tone.
"Because it was taken from them." Cynthia added. "Or they were tricked into it."
"I tested the residue on the broken balloon. It's 89% pure. That's the highest grade I've ever seen."
"Damn." Cynthia muttered.
"All these must be 50k street value." Antonio speculated.
"Easy."
"So what do we think?" Erin asked them. "Cartel's getting smart recruiting all-American types?"
Cynthia noticed something else as she moved next to Antonio. 'Yup. This wasn't the cartel's doing. They ain't stupid.' "You seeing this, Toni?"
"Yeah I do." He replied. "They're full of air pockets. That's why they busted. It's amateur hour. Cartel wouldn't be this careless."
"We need to question her. How soon till she's conscious?" Hank asked the doctor.
"Two, maybe three hours." She replied.
"All right, have Jim contact the TSA at O'Hare. See if we can get an I.D. on this girl."
Time Skip
Once Grant, Lindsay, Dawson and Voight returned, Jay presented them with the names of the girl that's in the hospital. "All right, so our girl in the E.R. is Amber Morris. Amber and her three friends here are all undergrads at the central Chicago university. This is who we're looking for."
Erin spoke after Jay. "We checked Amber's Facebook page. There's pictures of them living it up in Cabo, but not just from this trip."
Then it was Cyn's turns. "Oddly enough, Amber's been down there twice in the last three months."
"First time, she did the run herself." Dawson noted. "This time, she recruited friends."
"We gotta assume all these girls are mules and ingested the same type of balloons packed with coke."
Grant agreed with Voight. For all they know, it's inside of them, chances of it bursting in their stomach is high.
Jin comes up and informs them. "You guys, I ran down those girls' addresses. All three live on campus."
"We gotta move."
"Right behind you, Toni." As grabs her jacket, she glanced at Jay throwing a paper at Erin as a joke of sorts. She shakes her head smiling. 'That boy plays too much.'
TimeSkip
The unit arrived at the camp and enter in twos. With Hank leading them.
Grant went with Dawson to see if Megan is in her dorm. "Megan. Megan Benson." No response, so the two detectives draw their gun and enter and look around. She isn't here.
"They gotta still be here." Grant puts her gun back in her holster and Dawson follows her into the hallway.
"You ever see something like this?"
Cyn replied to Toni. "No. And you're right. Cartel's wouldn't be this careless. Some are smarter than you think. This has amateur white boys written all over it."
"You think so, huh?" Dawson asked.
Only for Grant to reply with. "I know so."
They then heard Hank radio them. "We're looking for two white males. Could still be in the area. They got our girls."
Grant shook her head. "Told you." Right after saying that, she and Dawson heard a scream and ran straight out into the parking lot. Both take out their guns and stood close as they look around for the source of that scream. But then they head tires screeching and Grant sees a van coming at them. "Toni, watch out!" Both managed to duck out of the way in time and Cyn had her gun trained on the van, but she doesn't fire. Fearing she might hit the girls. They got away and she looks at her partner. "You good?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Time Skip
Cyn was at the hospital with Jay and Erin, waiting on Amber to wake up. She was drinking coffee beside Jay, while he was sitting between her and Erin. The latter gets off the phone with Hank. "So messed up— these girls out there with no idea."
"Yeah." Jay agreed.
"We'll get the guys." Cyn assured her.
"I'm gonna need a drink when this is done. What do you say?" She asked Jay, because she already asked Cyn and she agreed.
But Jay on the other hand. "
"Oh, I don't think your dad would like that."
Both Erin and Cyn frowned at first until the latter figured out. She remembered before leaving, she heard Hank saying "you like working here, you keep it in the pants," which told Cyn that Hank must have saw them playfully flirt or something.
"What are you talking about?" Erin asked him.
"What do you think I'm talking about?" Jay asked.
"Keep it in the pants, huh? That's gonna be hard for you." Cyn chuckled and teased them both. She figured there was something funky going on between those two. But she didn't say anything because if anything, it ain't her business. But she'd keep an eye on Erin just in case. Cause knowing her, she leaves a few broken hearts here and there. It's probably why Hank told Jay that Erin is off limits.
Before Erin could ask Cyn what she means by that, Dr Garcia arrived. "She's awake now. You can come and see her."
"Thanks." Cyn winked at him. "Drinks later?"
"Wouldn't miss it." He winked back.
Time-Skip
Of course Amber wasn't happy to be in the hospital. "I can't believe I'm in here."
Cyn was on Amber's right as she steps forward. "Well believe it, Amber, and whoever you were smuggling for just kidnapped your friends."
Erin, who was on Amber's left steps in. "So if you don't give up who's behind this and we find your friends dead, you're gonna be facing narcotics-induced homicide all by your lonesome."
"I can't."
Both women rolled their eyes, as they can't believe she's protecting the guys that kidnapped her friends. "Are you listening?" Jay asked. "You're lucky we found you. Now, all you're gonna have is a scar on your stomach, but your friends, they'll likely O.D. and wind up in some alley."
"And if that happens, I promise you, you will never forgive yourself. You need to help us save them, Amber." Erin adds, trying to convince her.
Amber starts to tear up. But she's still trying to protect him. "I love him."
Cynthia shakes her head as she steps close to her. "Baby-girl, the guy that used you for this... he doesn't love you. Because if he did, he wouldn't have involved you in all of this. You can still save your friends. Do the right thing for them, Amber."
After thinking it over, Amber spills. "I did it once, and it was fine. Then he promised my friends 5 grand each to go. It was my boyfriend's idea, him and his brother."
'Of course we're looking for brothers.'
Time Skip
Once they were done talking to Amber, Hank and Antonio arrived to see the trio.
"We're putting out an investigative alert on Sean and Brendan Collins." Erin said.
"They're the dealers we're looking for." Cynthia added secondly.
"Sean's the boyfriend. Amber says him and his brothers, they hang out at a tattoo shop called "Underground Ink." That's where they sling the product." Jay speaks last.
Hank nods. "Good work."I'll get Olinsky and Ruzek to set up on this tattoo shop."
"Oh man." 'Why do I get the feeling boy wonder is gonna mess up?'
Timeskip
Once they got back, Hank showed his team two more guys. "The Collins Brothers are known thugs from Bridgeport. Both have records for armed robbery and aggravated battery."
"Basically they've graduated to drug smuggling using naive college girls. Unbelievable." Cyn already hates these guys. 'Careless motherfuckers.'
"Had uniforms check their lkas. These guys are in the wind." Erin informed them.
'Damn.'
"DMV came back that Brendan Collins owns a black ford van."
Jim tags in after Dawson. "I'm assuming that these brothers are using throwaway phones now that they know Amber's been arrested."
'Makes since. Amber's arrest wouldn't have been kept quiet for long. They would have figured as much.' Cynthia thought.
"All right, keep digging. Get me any known associates."
While Cyn is doing that, she hears Erin telling Hank that they need to talk. Likely about Erin dating or hanging out with whomever she likes.
Personally, she will not tell Erin who and who can't she date. Only that she has to be careful. Because some relationships don't work out. At least that what one of her squad mates told her.
As soon as Erin left and slammed Hank's door, Cyn's sighs, because she's seen that mood before too many times growing up with her. So she gets up, grabs her jacket and follows her.
"Just send me the address." Erin told Jin and seeing Cynthia following her, she asked, "If I tell you that I'm fine and that I don't need any company right now, well you back off?"
"Not unless this whole mood of yours is gonna affect the case we're working on. And besides, the last time you were like this, is because some dumbass boy got under your skin. So how about you get to drive and we can talk on the way."
Erin rose single eye brow. "You're letting me drive your car?"
"What? Did you think I was gonna let Jay drive mine? Gurl, he needs to earn the right to drive my baby around." Cyn slowly formed a smile and Erin shook her head. Even when she came back from over seas, Cynthia Grant still had her sass on her. Good thing she didn't change too much.
With no other choice, "ok. But we'll talk about it later. After this case. Deal?"
"Deal."
Time Skip
Cynthia was riding shot gun this time, while Jay was in the back. "First I don't get to drive, now I'm in the back?"
"House rules, Ranger Boy. Driver picks the music and decides where one must sit, pillion shuts his cake hole." Erin slightly chuckled at that. She can always count on Cyn to lighten the mood a bit in here. "Plus, I'm sure you riding shotgun half the time gave you some semblance of control."
Erin radioed Jin. "We got eyes on the van yet?"
Jin replied. "Said I'm getting comfy. Okay, got eyes on 'em. Comin' up 76th towards western. Turning into an alley. Heading south towards 77th.
Cyn looks to Erin and nod. "We're on it." They managed to pull up near said Alley and Jay and Cyn were the first to get out, guns pointing at the van, with Erin joining them.
Jay radioed the team. "Got a visual on Brendan Collins."
"Boy don't you even-" Brendan backs up as soon as he sees the three detectives. "Shit!"
Erin radioed. "Van's on the move, headed north on 76th."
Hank asked Jin if he's got it or what. With him replying that Brendan is going west on 75th. They chased the van for about a couple minutes until Hank orders them to box him in. They do so, only for Brendan to make a wrong turn which results in him getting hit by a truck. "Well that's just fucking great."
Time Skip
"Sir, are you okay?" Cynthia asked the truck driver.
"I'm fine." He replied.
Then Grant radioed for emergencies. "5020 scorpio. Emergency. Roll an ambulance to 7320 western."
"Copy that. Ambo on the way."
"He's toast." Hank announce. "The girls!"
They had their guns ready and they carefully opened the door and they found that they're not here.
Time Skip
Antonio had on some gloves to make sure he doesn't tamper with evidence. In the bag must be the throwaway phones. And what appears to be a 9 MIL.
"We had a 9 MIL and a throwaway phone. No trace of the coke or the girls."
"So every second that goes by, the less chances those girls survive."
Dawson replied coldly to Lindsay. "We're all aware of that, Erin."
Cyn steps in. "Come on guys, cool it."
Hank nods at Cynthia, thanking her for stepping in. "Get the phone over to Jin asap. Have him run the calls on it." He looks at Jay. "You're comin with me."
Cynthia asked. "Where are you going?"
"Higher up the family tree." Hank replied before and Jay got into the car.
Time Skip
While back at CPD, "and he says that he's looking after Jay."
"Well considering the guys you dated, I hate to say it, but he's kinda right. And I didn't even like half the guys you were dating. Well... except for Kelly Severide." Cynthia met him before. And she had a one night stand with him before she started dating Fernando. "Look, I won't tell you the same thing Hank told you. But just... just be careful. Okay? And I'm saying this cause I'm also looking out for you. You know?"
"And I thank you." Erin gets a text. It's from Justin. "Justin is here."
"Let me guess, you took his wallet?" Cyn sent her a look. "Next time, be a bit more subtle with it." Erin and Cyn went outside to see him. His back is turn to them. He's wearing a black leather jacket with a black hoody, dark jeans and black shoes. As the two girls approach them, the greet him. Well Cyn greeted him first. "Hey, baby boy."
"Yo. Is Deputy Dog pissed you both are sneaking out to meet me?"
"You mean Jay?" Cyn asked.
"Figured Erin had a little thing with or something."
Cyn and Justin eyed Erin, teasing her. Sometimes Lindsey doesn't know what she will do without them. She loves them and all, but she does not miss the tease... well... maybe a little.
"Yeah, it's called "work.""
Although Justin and Cynthia are skeptic, the former gets to the point. "Whatever. Did you get it?"
Erin is about to give him his wallet when she pulls it out of Justin's reach and ask. "Why aren't you at the CTA training class?"
"Because I left my wallet in your car, and I don't have my I.D. I rescheduled it for next week."
Cyn and Erin know Justin better than that. After the dinner they had during The Masters Case, it was clear he didn't want to be working for CTA. Which the former doesn't understand why as it's a good paying job. So she asked. "Justin, come on now. Your dad pulled a lot of strings to get you this job, all right?"
Erin joins in. "The least you can do is show up."
"Punch in a little while, make him happy?" Justin asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Come on, Erin, Cyn. CTA is not a career. I got other things cookin', anyways."
Cyn makes that face that says 'oh really?' "Oh is that what it is?"
"Hm-hmm."
He replied and Cyn sees a car pulling up near them. "Is that your ride?" Grant asked.
"Don't worry about it. He's cool. Just an old friend." Cyn is a bit skeptic about that. But sighs and nods. "I'll text you two later. Maybe we'll hang out after work, get some drinks or somthin.'
"Or maybe I'll give you a ride home. You know you have curfew." Erin suggested.
Cyn knows she might regret this but lets him go. "You better have your narrow ass back home, J."
Justin merely smirked while he got in the car. The driver looked towards Cyn and Erin with a strange look. The former has an easy feeling about him and doesn't trust Justin's words when he said he's an old friend. The man merely glanced at them as he drove past them slowly before driving off. "What are the chances of him getting into trouble with him?"
Cyn nods. "Yup. After this, let's pay him a visit."
Time Skip
With the info Hank has gotten, the team found an abandon place and broke in, guns raised. Looking around for the brothers. She was with Halstead and Lindsay as they found Megan Benson.
Dead.
Her belly opened.
"She's just a kid." Cyn muttered.
Time Skip
"Megan Benson. Girl was 19z still in school. What a waste."
This case was getting to Cynthia and Erin. To think this was happening the much younger girls who were still in school is insane. "Why do only one? Where's the other two?" Halstead asked.
"We ain't dealing with a pro. Collins got squeamish and ran." Cyn replied before the doctor came up to them.
"Whoever cut into her, cut into the condom balloons, destroyed most of the cocaine."
Grant and Lindsay sighed, and shook their heads. These guys are being so careless that they end up killing those little girls.
Thanks Doc." Hank thanked her before she left. And he feels his phone vibrating as Antonio expressed his doubts about the Collins doing this. "There's no way Collins can afford to do that to the other two."
Look, I got some business to take care of. See if Jin's got anything yet, all right?"
"Alright, see you then." Cyn replied to Hank before he leaves. "Alright, let's pick up where we left off."
Time Skip
"I was able to obtain subscriber info for all calls from Brendan's cell phone that you found in this van. Only two numbers, first Sean's prepaid cell which has since gone dead." Jim then pointed to a white male with brown hair and a goatee. "But I was able to track it to a dumpster on Ashland. Second, six calls to this guy. Ryan Porter."
Jay read his file out loud. "Ryan Porter. Male, white, 26. Long sheet for possession."
"Worked as a paramedic for three different ambulance companies, fired from all of them."
Erin added before Cyn asked Antonio. "You ever heard of something like this?"
"Yeah I know that M.O. ten-to-one Porter's a play doctor. Busted a few when I worked Vice. EMTs who work for private ambulance companies. They barely make 10 bucks an hour. So the ones who wanna make extra cash sometimes provide under-the-table services."
"Like patching up gangbangers." Cyn now remembered. Her best friend, KJ grew up near gang members and she will tell Cyn that sometimes the gangbangers would drive their wounded to doctors like Porter to get them patched up.
Antonio nods. "Right." Looking to Jin. "Forward Porter's picture to Olinsky ASAP."
Time Skip
Cyn was in the back while Jay and Erin were in the front. She hopes they will catch these guys because after seeing Megan, she's more determined to hunt these guys down and bring them down. "Olinsky. We got eyes on the bad guys. They have two girls. I repeat, looks like the two girls are with them."
'Let's catch these assholes.'
Time Skip
By the time they arrived, Adam and Alvin already had them in custody. Though from what Cyn heard, they were supposed to wait for back up, but Ruzek didn't wait and got in.
'Patience really isn't his strong suit.' Either way though, Cyn was glad that they caught them. Even now she sees Sean being carried out by Alvin. And immediately both her and Erin get pissed.
"Hey. You think you're ever gonna forget what you did to those girls? I guarantee you that will not happen, Collins!" Erin was restrained by Jay.
"This better be the end for this piece of shit." Cyn hopes that it is. After seeing Megan, she wished to see this guy suffer.
Hank walks beside the two girls he raised. "Don't worry. I'll make sure this guy gets buried."
Time Skip
Once Cyn came home, she was tired to be honest. And she... was actually thankful that Fernando said that he was too tired for drinks.
She returned home at 8:00pm and her mom is closing up at the restaurant.
She was thinking of heading to the showers and maybe watch some Madea Plays on tv when she hears a knock on the door. She goes to it and sees that it's Erin. "Hey, feel like going to the bar to talk to this guy?" Cyn looks at the file and sees that it's the same dude they saw near the district.
"Joe Catalano. The same prick who eyed me like some piece of meat."
"Yeah he was in Statesville with Justin." Erin informed, causing Grant to sigh. 'Come on, Justin, you're really shortening your freedom by being with this guy.'
"Alright, I'll follow you. Even in this neighbourhood, you never leave a good car like this here." Cyn goes to put on her jacket.
"Hey if this guy..."
"Don't even say it. I got your back, sis." Cyn knows the assignment and gets into her car and follows Erin to the bar this guy is drinking at.
Time Skip
The two ladies walked into the bar with a confidence that will give any man a pause. Cynthia spots the dude and to say she doesn't like this guy already is an understatement. "We'll have what he's having."
When the bartender was getting their drinks, Joe didn't bother looking at the two gals and merely said. "The last time I drank with a cop, I wound up in county. But two female cops? Must be my birthday or something."
Grant merely scoffs. "Baby boy, you're hardly my type."
"Right, right. I'm thinking black, beefed up, tattooed up, living in some crusty neighbourhood would be your type." Joe glances at Cynthia, and she raised a brow at him. "Sorry, sweetheart. Did I offend you?"
Instead of clenching her jaws and get angry, Cynthia merely smiled and walked towards the boy, looking down at him. "It'll take more than this baby face to offend me." She walks backwards facing him, and taking the small shot she and Erin ordered and she drank it. 'I'll admit, the guy knows his poison.'
After Erin drinks hers, she puts it down and gets straight to the point. "We know how this works. You looked out for Justin inside, and now you think he owes you." He looks back from the tv and eyes the two women again.
"Justin doesn't owe you a damn thing. So stay the hell away from him." Cynthia warns him.
Joe merely opens his mouth and drinks before putting the glass down and looking at the two women. "You can't arrest a guy for hanging out with his friends."
"But we can arrest you for the 1/2 kilo we're gonna find in your trunk." Erin tapped his cheeks after she said that and she leaves with Cynthia following behind her.
'If this fool gets Justin into trouble or killed, I will hunt this guy down and make sure he gets buried. For good.'
Finally I updated this