Chapter 235 - The Signal

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Muñoz ignored the women on the couch. He picked up one of the rolled-up bills, leaned over a line of powder, and inhaled sharply.

He straightened abruptly and shook his head. His eyes immediately took on an excited, manic gleam.

His gaze swept over the women on the couch until it settled on Burgess, the most attractive of the group. He stared at her long legs covered in black stockings, and his eyes seemed to burn even brighter.

—Get up, bitch!

At the shout, Nadia quickly touched Burgess's arm, and they both stood.

—Was I talking to you, bitch?

Muñoz pointed his fingers at Nadia, mimicking a gun.

—You sit down.

Nadia raised her hands and slowly sat back down.

The cocaine had left Muñoz in a state of euphoria. He breathed heavily as he examined Burgess from head to toe.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at him.

—Come on, try some, bitch… let's have some fun —Muñoz ordered, swaying on his feet.

—What's wrong, sweetheart?

Burgess leaned toward him in an attempt to distract him.

—I'm not your fucking sweetheart. Snort some… so you can loosen up that white ass of yours.

Muñoz pointed at the tray with twitchy movements.

—No, no, no —Nadia interjected, hurriedly getting to her feet—I'm sorry, but neither of us touches that shit. We quit.

—That's right —Burgess confirmed.

—Hey, brother —the man in the yellow jacket interjected—If they don't want to do it, leave them alone.

—What the hell did you say? Who are you calling brother?

Muñoz lunged at him like a rabid dog and grabbed him by the throat.

—Are you trying to steal the bitch from me?

He brought his face close and stared at him.

—Look at her. How do we know they don't work for the police?

Judging by his reaction, they wouldn't pass that test unless one of them took the drug.

Nadia had seen a photograph of Millares and knew he still hadn't arrived. It wasn't time to send the signal.

She looked at the tray while fighting a battle within herself.

Thanks to Erin's help, she had been clean for some time. She never wanted to touch drugs again, but she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her either. For the first time in her life, someone truly cared about her and supported her.

—Hey, calm down!

Nadia made a decision. She looked at Muñoz and smiled.

—Relax. This is a party. We came here to have fun, and that's what we're all going to do.

She bent down, picked up one of the rolled-up bills, and brought it to the powder. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply.

Seeing her do it, Burgess clenched her fist.

Before she could react, Muñoz invaded her personal space again.

—How about you and I have a little fun first?

His foul breath struck Burgess's face. She suppressed her disgust and nodded with a smile.

—Sure. Why not?

—Then let's go.

Muñoz grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairs at the back of the room.

—Wait.

Burgess resisted.

—I forgot my purse.

Seeing the impatience on Muñoz's face, she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back.

—Please, the condoms are in there.

—Hurry up —Muñoz growled, releasing her.

—Here.

Nadia was somewhat dazed, but she still remembered why she was there. She picked up the purse and handed it to her.

Burgess took it while watching her with concern. However, this wasn't the time to think about Nadia. She was in danger too.

If Millares didn't show up soon, she would have to send the signal early.

She gripped the purse tightly and slowly walked toward Muñoz.

—Well, well…

At that moment, someone emerged through a small door at the back.

The man approached with an arrogant swagger while looking Burgess over.

—I like her. You found something like that and weren't going to wait for me?

His hair was shaved, and a tattoo encircled his neck.

—Rolo, took you long enough, my friend.

Muñoz bumped fists with the newcomer and pointed excitedly at Burgess.

—If you don't mind, I'd like to try this bitch first.

—Of course, no problem —Millares replied, returning the greeting—What's mine is yours. Go ahead.

After confirming the target's identity, Burgess felt relieved.

Clutching the purse, she followed Muñoz upstairs. When they reached the second-floor hallway, she slapped him on the ass.

—Go on into the bedroom, big guy. I'm just going to freshen up in the bathroom.

—Why do you women always have to make everything so complicated? —Muñoz growled—Hurry up, or you'll have trouble with me afterward.

—Don't worry. I'll be quick.

Burgess gave him a flirtatious look and swayed her hips as she entered the adjoining bathroom.

The space was small, but it had everything necessary: a toilet, bathtub, sink, and a window beside it.

As soon as she entered, she closed the door and slid the bolt into place. Suppressing her panic, she quickly opened her purse and pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen until she dialed the number.

—I have eyes on Millares. There are five men on the ground floor and one on the second floor. There are also several escorts. They're armed.

—Understood —Voight replied.

The call ended immediately.

Burgess slowly exhaled. She nervously drummed her fingers against her purse while waiting for the team to move.

A few blocks away, Ethan remained inside the Ford Interceptor with the AR-15 resting across his thighs. He never took his eyes off the Cadillac parked near the house.

In situations like that, time seemed to pass with unbearable slowness. Every second dragged on as if the clock had stopped.

Suddenly, the Cadillac's hazard lights began to flash.

Ethan immediately opened the door and stepped out with the rifle in his hands. At the same time, the doors of the other vehicles opened, and the members of the Intelligence Unit emerged onto the street.

They gathered behind Voight's Cadillac and crouched to remain out of sight.

—There are a lot of people inside. Stay alert —Voight warned—We have five armed men on the ground floor and one on the second floor. Everyone else is either one of ours or an escort.

There was a considerable difference between facing a dozen armed men and facing six. However, the presence of civilians would also complicate the assault.

—Watch your crossfire —Voight continued—I don't want any civilians hurt, and I need Millares alive. Understood?

—Understood —everyone replied in unison.

Voight quickly divided the team.

—Sumner, Ruzek, and Olinsky, you'll handle the second floor. Antonio and I will enter through the back door. Ethan, Erin, and Jay will take the front.

Voight drew his Glock and pointed toward the house.

—We move in thirty seconds.

There was no time to waste. No one knew what Burgess and Nadia might be facing inside. The operation was organized in a matter of seconds.

Ethan led the group advancing toward the main entrance while Voight and Antonio disappeared down the adjoining alley.

Upon reaching the porch, Ethan lowered the rifle's barrel and checked his watch.

Ten seconds.

Halstead positioned himself in front of the door with the battering ram raised. Erin and Ruzek formed the second group on the steps; Olinsky and Sumner, the third.

Deafening music, laughter, and shouting came from inside. Outside, the officers' faces were as cold as the night surrounding them.

—Now! —Ethan ordered when the countdown ended.

Halstead slammed the battering ram into the lock.

The door gave way with a crash and violently swung inward.

—Chicago Police!

Ethan entered first. He swept the AR-15's barrel from one target to another, tracking every potential threat.

The partygoers froze at the officers' sudden entrance, some of them caught in rather compromising positions.

—Cops! —one of the Colombians shouted.

None of them seemed willing to surrender without a fight. Some reached for the weapons at their waists, others grabbed the women to use them as shields, and several ran toward the back of the house. In an instant, the living room erupted into a frenzy of screams and uncontrolled movement.

Ethan saw one of the men reach behind his back.

He didn't hesitate.

He squeezed the trigger, and the AR-15 spat out a rapid succession of shots. The stock struck his shoulder several times. The rounds hit the man in the chest, and he fell as the wall behind him was splattered red.

—Ah!

The bald man in the yellow jacket grabbed one of the girls and pulled her in front of him. The woman let out a shrill scream when she realized Ethan's rifle was aimed in her direction.

Ethan kept his sights steady.

The man trusted the hostage's body to protect him, but he had left his lower body exposed.

Ethan fired.

The bullet passed between the woman's legs and struck the man squarely in the groin. Halstead winced at the sight. The bald man released the hostage and collapsed screaming, his hands clamped over the wound.

—Motherfucker! —the man howled, doubling over in pain.

He lost control, shoved aside the woman he had been using as a shield, and exposed his bloodied crotch.

Halstead gave him no chance to react. His Glock cracked three times. The shots brought the man down and put an end to his screams.

Following the plan, Ruzek ran toward the stairs while the others secured the ground floor.

Upstairs, Burgess heard the heavy crash of the door giving way. Gunfire erupted immediately afterward, followed by terrified screams and furious roars.

A brutal impact shook the bathroom door.

Burgess flinched.

—You fucking bitch! —Muñoz roared from the other side.

He slammed into the door again. The wood trembled, the frame creaked, and a fine shower of dust fell from the ceiling.

Suddenly, everything went silent.

Burgess held her breath, thinking Muñoz had left.

Then came the next impact.

The door burst open, the bolt flew loose, and the window glass shattered. Muñoz appeared in the doorway, breathing violently, his face twisted with rage.

—It was you —he roared—You fucking bitch… you're a cop.

Burgess threw her purse at him, but Muñoz swatted it aside. She tried to kick him in the groin, but he easily dodged the blow and used her momentum to throw a punch.

Burgess felt as though a hammer had struck her abdomen.

—Ah!

Muñoz didn't stop. He hit her in the face with such force that he sent her tumbling into the bathtub.

Dazed, Burgess could barely raise her legs and frantically kick at him with her heels to keep him away.

—Burgess! —someone shouted from the hallway.

The voices were rapidly approaching.

Muñoz realized he had no time to continue. He opened the window, hauled himself onto the frame, and jumped from the second floor.

Ruzek was the first to enter the bathroom. When he saw Burgess curled up inside the bathtub, he ran toward her.

—Are you all right? Did he hurt you?

—I'm fine. Go after him! —Burgess replied, clutching her abdomen as she pointed toward the window.

—Understood.

Ruzek clenched his teeth and launched himself through it.

The moment he hit the ground, before he could regain his balance, a shadow appeared beside him and knocked him down with a kick. Muñoz lunged at him and began raining punches down on him.

Ruzek clumsily covered himself with both arms, but several blows broke through his defense. For a few moments, he saw stars and completely lost track of where he was.

When Muñoz's footsteps began to recede, he lowered his arms with difficulty.

The fugitive was already running down the sidewalk.

Two shots rang out from above. The bullets struck the ground near Muñoz, who accelerated even more.

—Suspect fleeing past the front of the house! —Olinsky reported from the window—Go after him!

—Shit!

Ruzek punched the accumulated snow. Then he struggled to his feet and ran after Muñoz.

Downstairs

Ethan and Erin advanced through the living room with their weapons raised, shouting orders over the music and screams.

The escorts instinctively huddled beside the couch. One of the criminals tried to flee toward the back of the house, only to come face-to-face with Voight and Antonio, who had just stormed through the rear door.

The man stopped dead, dropped to his knees, and raised his hands without resisting.

Another shout caught Ethan's attention.

Millares had grabbed Nadia and forced her to stand in front of him. He pulled a pistol from his waistband and pressed the barrel against the young woman's head.

—Don't come any closer, or I'll blow this bitch's head off! —Millares threatened, pressing the gun against Nadia's temple.

Erin's expression hardened.

—Don't do it —she said, readjusting her aim—Put the gun down, Millares. You have nowhere to go.

A sharp gunshot rang out beside her.

The bullet struck the hand holding Millares's pistol. The weapon went flying and landed several yards away.