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—I don't need it —Halstead objected as he moved his jaw to make sure it was still in place—I'm fine.
—Suit yourself —Ethan replied.
Before Burgess or Ruzek could protest, he pointed toward his vehicle.
—You two, get in. I'll take you to get checked out.
Their condition contradicted any attempt to claim they were fine. Although they could walk without difficulty, their swollen, bruised faces justified a medical examination.
—Good job.
Antonio approached Burgess and raised his fist.
—You were excellent tonight.
—Thanks.
Burgess smiled and bumped fists with him.
The others also came over to congratulate her with pats, fist bumps, and high fives.
Burgess's face lit up. This was exactly the opportunity she had been waiting for: a chance to prove she could be useful to Intelligence and earn the team's respect.
When everyone began to disperse, she walked alongside Ruzek toward the Ford Interceptor.
Ethan didn't follow them immediately. First, he walked over to Erin's vehicle.
Nadia was sitting in the passenger seat, wearing an expression that was difficult to read.
—Hey —Ethan called to her through the window—Are you okay?
—Yeah. Thanks.
Nadia forced a smile.
She had nearly become a hostage, but that wasn't what tormented her most. The worst part had been using again; for her, it had been a major setback in her recovery.
After so much effort, she had finally managed to climb out of the abyss. Now she felt as though she had just fallen right back into it.
She was smiling, but her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.
—First, thank you for what you did tonight. For Burgess and for the Unit, I won't forget it. —Ethan said seriously— I owe you one. Whenever you want, whatever you need, I'll help you. That's a promise.
He held out his hand.
—Just tell Erin to get in touch with me.
Burgess had already told him what had happened inside the house. Nadia's decision to sacrifice herself to protect the operation had impressed him. Not everyone would have had the courage to take that step, knowing what it could cost them.
Nadia looked at Ethan's calm smile. Little by little, she relaxed her fingers and accepted his hand.
—Thank you.
Ethan looked at Erin over the roof of the vehicle.
—Take Nadia home so she can get some rest. I'll take care of Burgess and Ruzek.
—All right —Erin replied as she started the engine—. I'll see you later at the station.
—See you there. Drive safe.
Seeing Erin's vehicle pull away, Ethan returned to the Ford Interceptor and got behind the wheel.
First, he took Burgess and Ruzek to the hospital. After examining them and ruling out any serious injuries, the doctor recommended that they rest at home and take painkillers if the pain got worse.
Ethan dropped Ruzek off at his place and then drove toward Burgess's apartment building.
—Are you going to keep grinning like an idiot the whole way? —he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye—
—You wouldn't understand —Burgess replied without losing her smile—. It's the first time I've taken part in an operation this important. It means a lot to me.
When she smiled a little wider, a sharp pain shot across her face.
—Ouch…
She frowned and pressed the ice pack against her mouth again. With her other hand, she opened the bottle they had given her at the hospital, took out a couple of painkillers, and swallowed them with some water.
—You did well tonight. Just don't get your hopes up too much. The team's full for now, so don't get discouraged. —he commented.
—I know, I'm not that stupid. But every journey begins with a single step. —Burgess replied—Now that I've taken the first one, getting into the Intelligence Unit is only a matter of time.
Ethan had to admit that her confidence was admirable.
A short while later, the Interceptor stopped in front of Burgess's building.
She gathered her belongings and carefully climbed out. After closing the door, she hesitated and leaned back toward the window, as though she wanted to tell him something.
Ethan's phone vibrated on the dashboard.
The screen lit up with Voight's name. Ethan answered and listened for a few seconds before ending the call.
—Did you want to tell me something? —he asked, showing her the phone—. Something came up at the station, and I have to go back right now.
—It wasn't anything important. I just wanted to thank you.
Burgess raised a hand and smiled.
—You'd better hurry.
—All right.
Ethan gave her a farewell gesture and pulled away. The Ford Interceptor's lights disappeared down the street and vanished around a corner.
An icy gust made Burgess shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself and ran toward the entrance of the building as the snow continued to fall.
When Ethan returned to the district, he went straight upstairs to the operations room. Antonio was the only one still there.
The door to Voight's office was closed. Through the glass, Ethan could make out the Sergeant talking to a large, bald man wearing a white shirt.
When he saw Ethan arrive, Voight pointed first at Antonio and then toward his office door.
Both of you.
Inside.
Ethan rapped his knuckles against Antonio's desk to get his attention. Neither of them knew what was going on, but they entered the office together.
The man speaking with Voight was Commander Perry, the head of the 21st District.
—Chief —they both greeted him with a nod.
Perry stood up and adjusted his belt.
—You did a great job on the Rolo Millares case. You recovered all the money, and the brass is very pleased with the outcome.
Ethan waited in silence. That kind of praise was almost always followed by a "but."
—But… —Perry continued, slapping his palm against the desk— you let one of the men responsible get away.
—Muñoz —Voight clarified, leaning back in his chair—. Don't worry. We'll find him. I've got eyes on every street in this city, and he won't be able to hide forever.
Ethan had been following the search ever since they left the house. Patrol units had already checked every address Millares had provided, but they hadn't found any trace of Muñoz.
It wasn't surprising. Unless he was a complete idiot, he would never go to a hideout known to members of his own organization.
Even so, something didn't add up. Judging by Voight's reaction, it was obvious he didn't know the real reason for Perry's visit. So what had they been discussing before Ethan arrived? And why had Voight asked him to come back so urgently?
—Intelligence doesn't need to worry about what happens with Muñoz anymore —Perry said—. Belden will take over the investigation. From now on, he's their problem.
—Belden?
Voight immediately sat upright.
The 21st District had two main units: Violent Crimes, headed by Belden, and Intelligence, under Hank Voight's command.
The relationship between the two groups was far from cordial. Belden had already clashed with Intelligence after withholding crucial information, a decision that ended the career of Julia Willhite, Antonio's former partner.
—Chief —Ethan cut in, crossing his arms—, this is our case. It belongs to the Intelligence Unit. Belden can't just show up now and take it away from us.
—Exactly —Antonio backed him up, straightening—. Violent Crimes has no reason to get involved.
—Detective Morgan, Detective Dawson—Perry reprimanded them, placing his hands on his hips—. Watch your attitude. Muñoz is also a suspect in the murder of a pastor two weeks ago. Belden already convinced the Superintendent to hand him the investigation.
—And what does that change? —Antonio asked, spreading his hands.
—It means Muñoz is now Belden's target, and therefore the case belongs to Violent Crimes. You're out.
Voight narrowed his eyes.
—You mean we'll be working with them? A joint investigation?
—Is nobody listening to me?
Perry's patience was beginning to wear thin. He waved a hand sharply.
—Forget about Muñoz. You're not to keep looking for him or interfere with the case.
Before any of them could protest, he fixed his gaze on Antonio.
—Remember El Pulpo?
Antonio went still.
—He kidnapped my son and nearly killed my partner. Do you really think I could forget him?
—Then listen to something you don't know yet, and it's better you hear it now —Perry said, running a hand over his bald head—. Muñoz isn't working alone, and his connections go far beyond Millares's crew. Belden wants to use El Pulpo to draw out the people behind him.
—Use him? —Antonio took two steps forward—. They're planning to reduce his sentence and let him out?
Perry gestured for him to keep his distance.
—This isn't a discussion. It's an order. And for the record, I don't like it either. The decision was made above my authority.
Antonio understood that any protest would be useless. If the brass had ignored even the district commander, they certainly weren't going to listen to a detective.
Perry turned toward Voight.
—Set up what I told you.
Without another word, he left the office.
Ethan let out a sigh and patted Antonio on the shoulder.
—I'm sorry.
—I'm fine —he replied stiffly.
He looked at Voight for some kind of alternative, but the Sergeant slowly shook his head. There was nothing he could do, at least for the moment.
Antonio stormed out. He grabbed his coat from the operations room and headed down the stairs in long strides.
Ethan watched him leave, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Then he looked at Voight.
—Why did you make me come back? All of that was about Antonio. I had no reason to be here.
—Actually, there's something else.
Voight picked up a note resting on the desk.
—Perry brought a complicated assignment straight from headquarters. That's why I called you.
Ethan sat down across from him and gave Voight his full attention.
—What kind of assignment?
Voight handed him the note.
—A very famous star has been receiving death threats —Voight explained—. The mayor personally requested that Intelligence provide protection.
Ethan looked up from the note.
—You've got to be kidding me.
—No.
Voight's expression remained impassive.
—Since when do we babysit celebrities?
—Since the mayor asks for it and the district commander orders us to comply.
Ethan dropped the note onto the desk.
—Then send a patrol unit or hire private security. We chase murderers, drug dealers, and kidnappers. We don't escort stars around.
—We also investigate death threats —Voight replied—. And since you've been so popular lately, I decided to assign you the job.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
—That doesn't make any sense.
—It doesn't have to.
Ethan looked back at the file with visible resignation.
—Fuck…
Voight gave him a faint smile.
—Glad to see you're excited.