This story will have a case that is extreme. Please know that the details of the case - names, streets, locations, functionality, etc - I chose are fictional. All main characters and memorable buildings are based on the TV shows Chicago PD and Chicago Fire on NBC. All Rights Reserved.
Jay Halstead
January 7th, 2015
District 21 of Illinois
Chicago
8:00 AM CST
The guys and I were getting ready for the briefing on our first case of the year when Olinsky walked in with Voight from his office. We were a little apprehensive to start this case since Erin left. Currently no one took her position, but Voight had a few names in the running to fill her shoes. He would not say who those names were, but we had a few guesses and suspicions. He is quite particular when it comes to Intelligence; he would not just choose someone to take over Erin's responsibility he was not familiar with, she is the closest thing he has to a daughter.
Voight began to inform us of the case at hand when his phone rang. Although none of us could see who it was, he seemed very anxious to answer it, and that was not normal behavior for him. Most days he would let it go to voicemail. He walked out of the room so fast we could hardly hear him say "Talk to me" to the caller. As I glanced around the room, it was evident in the expressions on the guy's faces as well as Nadia's that Voight was acting unusual.
11:00 AM CST
Hours passed since Voight answered the phone. Today started out like an ordinary day in Intelligence, but it was clear it would not end the same way. For the time being, we started with the substantial proof Voight gave us-names, addresses and routes in Chicago-we would find anything we could to share with him once he returned. Atwater was able to find multiple license plates registered to the addresses we were given; I could tell he noticed something strange. He was getting ready to call dealerships when Voight walked in. I have only seen him like this from time to time, Voight was usually very stubborn after phone calls, and he only smiled when...within minutes I made the connection. I knew who was on the other end of the line.
"Listen Up!' he said in a cheerful tone, 'Change of plans! Not only are we working this case, but we are going to take it on from a different direction.'" We looked at each other confused. "What other direction is there exactly then how we always sealed the case? Sure, the techniques we use are different then the common approach, because of his beliefs but we never liked the common methods." Jay thought. Voight cleared his throat, "Believe me, I would not be saying this if it was not right for us. One of our own needs our help. Lindsay trusts us to be the eyes and ears of Task Force on this case. I told her we would be honored, and on our way over once I prepared you guys. Let's go!" We grabbed our jackets and left.
Federal Task Force of Illinois
Evergreen Park (30 Minutes away)
12:00 PM CST
I'm not going to lie; I thought driving without her was going to be harder than I could handle. I think Atwater could see I was hurting so he decided to drive with me and opened the passenger door. I shook my head before I opened mine. When I sat down I gave him a look. "Man what was that? We both know you drive and I'm the passenger. Why did you decide to take shotgun?" Kevin hesitated, "You and I both know you are struggling without her man. I saw you glancing in her direction a couple times, by accident or repetition I do not care. But you need to drive to take your mind off of losing her as your partner." I understood where he was coming from, but all I could do in response was nod my head. I started the car and put it in reverse, I looked over and I could tell we were on the same page. I was grateful he was willing to let me do this.
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.
District 21 of Illinois
Chicago
5:30 PM CST
Once we got back to Intelligence we did not waste any time. We started printing out the cousins mugshots, and for the Barrett brothers we added a zoom detail to better identify the signature of their tattoos on their arms and necks. Atwater pulled up the license plates and added them to the board indicating which plates where registered to each cousin. After setting up the evidence given by Lang and Lindsay we were about to look into the cousins criminal backgrounds when Voight walked in from downstairs. "Guys we did a lot today. Just because we spent most of our day away from here does not mean you have to put in overtime. Trudy and I are willing to let you go home. We will start tomorrow morning from where we left off. Enjoy your night!" As Voight walked back downstairs we all agreed to meet up at Molly's to see everybody from Firehouse 51 since their shift was almost over, we figured Lindsay would meet us there.
Molly's Irish Pub
Chicago, IL.
North Side
6:00 PM CST
The atmosphere at Molly's is like walking into your childhood home after being away for a long time. All these memories flood your mind and you realize it's not the building itself but the company that makes it feel comforting. Molly's is owned by Gabriela Dawson, Christopher Herrmann and Brian "Otis" Zvonecek, members of Firehouse 51. Most nights they take turns manning the bar, but tonight they were all working. Gabriela is Antonio Dawson's younger sister. He is a detective at 21 with Kevin Atwater, Alvin Olinsky, Adam Ruzek and I. As I waited for Erin to show, I realized that a photo of Leslie Shay and Gabby was on the wall behind the bar. It was one of the last photos Matt Casey; Gabby's fiancé took of them walking to work with their coffees in hand carrying on a conversation as they laughed; the photo was printed in black and white then placed in a gold frame. Leslie and Gabby worked together on Ambulance 61 for five and a half years. She died on May 13th last year. It was totally unexpected and heart breaking. Gabby and Shay's best friend Kelly Severide learned last week that she died due to an arson explosion on this call at an abandoned building, everyone else survived. There will always be a rift in the makeup of this city for what happened to Shay.
Erin got to Molly's an hour and a half later. She apologized for being so late but we told her not to worry, that we were not here for very long. Before she walked up to the bar, she turned her head and gave me a look. I suppose she had something to tell me later tonight, but she was not willing to say anything in front of the guys and Burgess. Kim Burgess is a police officer at 21. I could see Erin talking to Gabby, Otis and Christopher before she left the bar. Molly's went completely silent as Erin walked over with Severide to our table. She came over next to me and raised her glass as I put my arm around her waist. At the top of her lungs she said "To Leslie Shay, a lady who had as much heart as she did spunk!" The room erupted with hundreds of bottles clanking in cheers.
9:00 PM CST
Erin and I left Molly's about an hour later. I knew something was wrong, so we said good night to the guys and everybody from 51 and took a walk to my apartment because it was closer then hers. We were a block away when Erin started to cry. Something must have happened at work after we left. She was in no shape to explain so I just rubbed her back as we walked through the gate and up to the door. I let her in first as I shut the door behind me. She walked to the bathroom as I sat down on the couch and waited for her. I heard the door open; she sat down next to me. It was a while before she spoke. "I don't know what I was getting myself into; Task Force is not what I expected it to be. I thought I would be able to be one step ahead, taking down the bad guys before they cause any damage like I've always done. But I'm not getting the same acknowledgement. All I get are harsh words and painful stares. I thought Lang asked me to join Task Force because of my work ethic and quick decision making skills, not so he could boss me around." Erin said through sobs. I waited a few minutes before I answered so she could catch her breath. "I am so sorry that happened. I figured there was something a little different about the way he handled his Intelligence Unit. But you could also say the same about Voight, he has strict rules too and you were able to abide by them. You will get used to the way he operates Task Force. I promise you will, because you are the strongest person I know."
Halstead's Apartment
Chicago, IL.
North Side
10:30 PM CST
Before the night left us with clarity, Erin and I spent what was left of the remaining three hours talking and I do not say that lightly. For once in our lives, the walls we built up came shattering down. We spoke about our hopes, dreams and fears. In those moments, even though we did not mention it out loud-I knew with certainty now from the look in her eyes-there was potential.