Chapter Text
It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and cloudless, the sun bright and warm. Leaves were just starting to emerge from their buds. Birds sang on their branches, and squirrels chased each other amongst the green grass. It was spring in the city, and even Norman Rockwell couldn't have a more perfect picture.
It was a beautiful day.
But isn't that how all the worst days start?
"Do you really think Anna's ready for this?" Kim asked as they walked up the steps to the safe house. "She nearly had a panic attack yesterday while Valdez was prepping her."
"She's going to have to be," Jay said. "She knew this was a part of the deal when she came on board."
It was more than a little unsympathetic, and Jay knew it. But over the weeks and months of working with Anna on the Escano case, Jay's feelings towards Voight's informant were…complicated, to say the least. He didn't dislike her, but he couldn't exactly say he liked her either. And he definitely didn't trust her.
"She'll be fine," Voight assured. "Let's just get her to the courthouse."
Jay knocked on the apartment door, but there was no answer.
"Anna," Voight reached around him and rapped on the door. "Come on, we got to go."
But again, no one came to the door.
"Get it open," Voight ordered, his hand already on his gun.
Jay mimicked him as Kim unlocked the door and pushed it open. They rushed into the apartment, guns at the ready as they scoped out the rooms. The kitchen, the bathroom, the bedrooms and the closets were all clear. And not only clear but cleared out. There were no signs that anyone had been living there at all.
Voight was on his phone right away, calling Anna. "Straight to voicemail," he said. "Alright, do another sweep, see what you can see. I'll get a forensics team in and see if they can find prints, DNA, any trace of anyone who could have taken her."
"Sarge," Jay shook his head. "There's another possibility we have to consider here."
"And that is?"
"That she left willingly," Kim said. "There's no signs of struggle anywhere in here."
"So Escano hired a clean-up crew."
"Or," Jay countered. "He paid her off. Offered her enough money to set her and her son up for life. And she took it."
"She wouldn't do that."
"Voight—"
"Either way," Kim cut across. "We need to let Valdez know that she's not here."
"Call her," Voight ordered. "Jay, call the forensics unit, get them out here and do another sweep. I'm going to go and see what the uniforms know."
Jay put in the call to dispatch and started a more thorough search of the apartment, but there was still nothing. The beds were made, and the drawers were empty and closed. The only signs of life in the whole place were some take-out containers in the fridge.
"I can't get Valdez on the phone," Kim said as soon as Jay made his way back into the living room.
"She probably has it turned off for court," he shrugged. "Did you try one of the others? They should all be there by now."
"Same thing," she shook her head. "Kevin's went straight to voicemail, and Hailey and Adam's just kept ringing."
That was a little more unusual.
"Patrol's got nothing," Voight came in, cutting off the conversation. "Anna and Rafa had a pizza delivered last night around seven, but that's it. There are no cars in or out of the building between twelve-thirty and five this morning, same with people."
"They could have left through a back entrance," Jay said. "Had a car waiting a few blocks away."
"Get PODs, security footage, anything you can—" Voight was cut off by his phone buzzing in his hands. He looked at the message, and then his jaw clenched.
"What is it?" Kim asked.
Voight held his phone out for them to read what he had. A text from a blocked number. 'I'm sorry -A.'
Silence fell over them. There was no question about who the text was from or what it meant. "Maybe OCD Tech can trace it," Kim cleared her throat. "We can call them on the way to the courthouse."
Voight took one last look around the living room before turning and heading towards the door. "Hurry up."
Jay barely even started the engine when dispatch came over the radio. "All units, be advised," the voice chirped. "Reports of a 10-80 at 2650 S California Ave."
Kim looked up at him quickly. "That's an explosion."
"That's the courthouse."
*
The scene was chaos when they pulled up. Firetrucks, ambulances and squad cars littered the road and sidewalk. Smoke and dust were still rising out of where the windows used to be.
"Voight," a deep voice called out. It was chief Boden.
"Wallace," Voight said grimly. "What happened?"
"Near as we can tell, an explosion went off in courtroom 101," the chief started, but Jay completely tuned out. That was the same courtroom their trial was supposed to happen in, the same courtroom Hailey was supposed to be in.
"You have people inside," Boden's question brought Jay back to reality.
"Half my team was supposed to be in that room," Voight answered.
"Please, Chief," Kim begged. "Tell me there are survivors."
Boden put a hand on her shoulder and reached for his radio. "Squad 3, Truck 81, report."
Silence.
"Squad 3," Boden called again. "Truck 81. Report."
It felt like forever until finally, the radio squawked to life. "Coming out with some victims now, Chief."
The paramedics rushed past them as the first wave of people came walking out. Jay held his breath as he searched the dust-covered faces for any sign of his wife and his friends.
"Adam!"
Jay breathed a sigh of relief as Ruzek walked down the courthouse steps. Capp helped guide him down to the curb, but he seemed otherwise unharmed other than being dirty and shaky. That had to be a good sign. Boden let Kim go to the man, and Jay returned his attention to the door watching as the last of the walking wounded made their way out.
But as the first wave of people started to slow and firefighters headed back inside, Jay felt the dread in his stomach grow again. Kevin hadn't come out yet, and neither had Hailey.
"We got more coming, Chief," Jay heard Stella's familiar voice ring out from the radio. "Tell the medics to get ready for the next wave."
This time as people made their way out the doors, it was under the support of one or two firefighters. Kevin was a part of this group, flanked by Mason and Stella. His left arm was tucked tight across his chest, and his eyes seemed unfocused as the pair helped guide him down each step slowly before they passed him off to the medics to do their assessment. Voight checked on him as Jay watched the door, his teeth biting into his lip. Where was Hailey?
"Chief," another voice rang out from the radio. "We need Brett and Violet in here. And a stretcher."
The two medics sprang to their feet, directing others to take their places amongst the green and yellow-tagged victims as they rushed inside with their jump bags. Capp and Tony hot on their heels, the stretcher in tow.
"Jay," Stella approached slowly. "Jay, it's Hailey."
He didn't even realize his feet were moving until he felt Boden, Stella and Mason holding him back. "Hey-hey, no, you cannot go in there."
"Let me go."
"Halstead, stop."
"Get off of me."
"Jay," Stella grabbed his face. "Listen to me. Kelly has her, okay? He's got her, and he's bringing her out now."
"Stella," he choked. "How bad is it?"
She didn't say anything.
"How bad!"
"Stella," Sylvie called over the radio. "Get 61's door open. We're loading and going."
The brunette raced to the rig and ripped open the doors as the stretcher came into view. Jay felt his knees buckle as he caught sight of Hailey sprawled on top of it. Her usually bright blonde hair streaked with dust and blood, and so was the rest of her. A long wooden spindle had lodged itself through her thigh as Sylvie worked to stem the blood leaking free from the wound at an alarming rate.
"I'm going with her," Jay said, more to the air than anyone in particular.
Stella stopped him. "You can't, Jay."
"The hell I can't," he snapped and ripped away from her. "That's my wife!"
"And they need room to work," The firefighter snapped back. "Jay, Kelly needs to go. He needs to help stabilize that piece of wood so it can't do any more damage. He can't do that with you in there."
"Stella, I need to…" he trailed off, his throat tight.
"You need to stay here and let the others help Hailey," she finished for him. "Jay, I will take you to Med myself, I promise. But right now, you can't do anything for her. You need to stay here."
He nodded, blinking back his tears as Cruz closed the door to the ambulance, and it took off from the scene. "They got her, Jay," Stella assured. "They're going to do everything they can for her."
Jay nodded again and turned away from her. He walked a few steps away and then doubled over on his knees as he threw up all over the sidewalk.