003 ╱ the weigh station
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LEANING AGAINST the Bar's now shattered window, Cassandra aims her gun at the speeding car─ that starts firing bullets at her.

Cassandra begins firing her gun back at the vehicle hitting the back window and shattering it before looking inside the Bar once again.

"Wolfie 5021 emergency. I need backup at 4292 South Emerald Street." Cassandra demands calling backup to the location while rushing back inside the Bar.

"Jay?" Cassandra voices placing her gun back in the holster placed on her hip, "Hey, come here." Jay responds from behind the bar.

"Was anybody hit?" Cassandra calls out looking around at the others civilians in the Bar resurfacing from underneath the tables from the gunfire.

"Cass, I need more towels. I need more towels." Jay demands.

"Give me towels, now." Cassandra demands looking at the blonde bartender.

"Yeah, here." The bartender responds shakily giving some towels to the blonde detective.

Cassandra passes Jay the towels─ immediately putting pressure on Maddie's gunshot would hearing the girls panicked gasps, "Help's on the way." Jay says trying to relax the injured girl on the Bar's floor.

Cassandra rushes out of the building immediately leading the paramedics─ Brett and an unknown in to where Maddie's gasping on the floor still.

"Shot to the neck. My partner's got her behind the bar." Cassandra explains stepping out of the way so Sylvie and the unknown paramedic can do their jobs.

"All right. We got it from here. I need the stretcher, the back board, and kerlix for the bleeding." Brett demands immediately pushing Jay away from Maddie's weakened figure.

Jay looks up breathing heavily throwing Cassandra a pissed off look receiving a raise of the hand from said woman, "We'll get him." Cassandra firmly mutters.

✹

AFTER BEING cleared and available to leave the Bar, Cassandra drives Jay back to the district to update the others knowing they've been called in.

The blonde woman follows behind Jay cracking her neck from the stress she went through alongside Jay earlier─ while Jay wipes his friend's blood from his hands.

"So you knew the victim?" Voight questions, "Maddie Callahan. She worked there." Jay responds.

"No I.D. on the shooter?" Voight asks looking at Cassandra since she was the one firing back at the said offender(s).

"No. But patrol's going door to door in the neighbourhood looking for witnesses." Cassandra explains.

"That was the hospital. Your friend's in ICU, but she's alive." Antonio states looking at Jay.

"Thanks." Jay mumbles, "Hey, it's not your fault," Antonia firmly states before looking up at Voight.

"Someone needs to talk to Bembenek." Antonio demands, "Oh, Olinsky's already on that." Voight utters.

Erin and Kevin rush into the bullpen from the back entrance─ Erin immediately walks over to Cassandra and Jay making sure they're both okay due to being in the middle of the shootout.

"A black Arcadia was found abandoned in Englewood. It matches the description of the getaway vehicle, but there's no prints. They torched it." Atwater explains.

"White male just checked into a South Side clinic about a half hour ago, two bullet wounds." Adam reveals.

"All right. Lindsay, Severide, Antonio, get on it." Voight states looking at the three who immediately nod and grab their jackets from their desks.

Jay gets up also picking up his jacket going to leave with the three to look for the guy with two bullet wounds.

"No, no, no, Jay. You're in protective custody until this dies down." Voight firmly demands looking at the man.

"They shot my friend. They nearly killed me and Cassidy." Jay angrily responds.

"You got a target on your back. You're not going anywhere till that target's removed." Voight states.

"So I'm under house arrest?" Jay quizzes in disbelief, "You wanted to see us, Sergeant?" Kim inquires walking into the bullpen alongside her partner Sean Roman.

"Halstead doesn't leave your sight until I say so. And he stays here at the 21st." Voight mutters receiving a glare from Jay, "You got it." Roman confirms nodding his head.

"They don't have to stay up here to keep an eye on me. You─ you got to be kidding me!" Jay exclaims.

"Keep an eye on him." Voight demands looking at the uniformed officers who nod in a quiet response.

Cassandra flinches as Jay angrily throws his jacket onto his desk exhaling deeply excusing herself from the bullpen and making her way down to the carpark to await for Erin and Antonio.

Antonio soon arrives at the car without Erin confusing the blonde woman, "Uh. Where's Erin?" Cassandra questions confused.

"She had to meet someone inside. She'll be out in a second." Antonio responds, "Okay." Cassandra murmurs nodding getting into the vehicle.

✹

ERIN, CASSANDRA and Antonio walk into the hospital immediately catching sight of one of the offenders trying to walk away from the three of them.

"Where are you going, Donald?" Antonio loudly questions, "Do I know you?" Donald quizzes smugly looking at Cassandra glaring at him.

"What did you get treated for?" Antonio questions while himself, Erin and Cassandra flash their badges on their waistbands making the male try to hurry away only to be shoved by Antonio and Cassandra to grab the jacket from his shoulder covering the bullet wound.

Erin tilts her head looking at the wounds while taking a hold of the jacket Cassandra was holding.

"Hey, look, I just... ah! I accidentally thumbed the trigger. Pow." Donald voices using his hand to motion a gun going off, "Twice, in the back?" Antonio asks not amused.

Erin shoves the jacket into the man's torso before glancing at Cassandra holding her hand to her chin in a thinking gesture.

"Detective Dawson, I'm going to bet you a week's salary that the bullets they took out of his shoulder are going to match my gun." Cassandra voices still looking at the male.

"You couldn't give me odds high enough to take that bet." Antonio responds.

"You tell us what happened before we get the slugs from the nurse, you're officially co-operative. You wait until after, and you just bought yourself another ten years." Erin mutters.

"I just drove. I swear to god, I just drove. And I sure as hell didn't know a cop was the target." Donald firmly states looking at Cassandra, then Erin and finally settling on Antonio.

"Who was the shooter?" Antonio inquires looking at Donald who looks at them horrified─ but still doesn't answer the question.

"Nurse." Cassandra and Erin simultaneously call out gaining the nurses attention.

"He's my friend, man." Donald mumbles before giving Cassandra, Antonio and Erin the shooter's name─ Karl Forsman.

Which Voight and Kevin eventually arrest and bring him back at the District for questioning.

✹

CASSANDRA LAZILY stands in the bullpen while listening to Atwater explain the body Voight and Antonio just picked up on with two shots to the back of the head.

"Doubling up on squad cars in front of all the homes of the people involved in the Bembenek trial. There's judges, lawyers, clerks." Kevin states placing a photo of Steve Kot's daughter on the crime board.

"Bembenek anticipated that. That's why he's going after their family members." Olinsky voices.

"Two taps to the head without an eye witness. That was a professional hit." Antonio voices looking around at the others.

"And we have no idea how many people are on this list?" Cassandra questions, "No." Voight replies.

Cassandra gently pats Jay's arm as he passes her and walks towards Nadia─ to hopefully get an update on his friend Maddie.

"Hey, everyone, this is, uh, Sheriff Charlene Radigan. She helped me secure phone recordings Bembenek made on a cook county land line." Adam says walking into the bullpen from downstairs.

"Most of the calls are in Polish. Inmates switch to their native tongues all the time when they try to cover up what they're talking about." Charlene explains standing in front of everyone.

"So we're going to need a translator. Forsman kid flipped, right? You think he'd... you think he'd do it?" Adam quizzes motioning to Voight who scoffs standing up to lead the woman into the interview rooms.

"He'll paint my house if I want him to. It's in here." Voight states pointing towards the rooms.

Cassandra sighs sitting down at her desk feeling the effects of running on no sleep and ignoring the flirtatious conversation going on between Adam and Charlene in the middle of the bullpen.

"Are you alright?" Erin questions leaning against Cassandra's desk, "Mhm-sure. I'm all good." Cassandra responds.

"Cassie, you look awful." Erin voices, "Oh. Thank you?" Cassandra chuckles looking at Erin with a faux hurt expression.

✹

VOIGHT AND Olinsky quickly go out and pick up JP aka Joe Price and bring him back to the District for some question since he was called and offered a lot of money to assassinate people from a list.

"Command staff has put together a task force to try and reach out to every aunt, uncle, cousin of anyone involved in the Bembenek trial─ although there's only so much they can do." Antonio explains.

"Hey, that was Chicago Med. Maddie's heading into surgery, so they're going to let me know." Nadia explains standing in-between Cassandra, Jay and Erin letting Jay know the updates.

"She'll pull through." Cassandra states looking at guilty expression on Jay's face.

"I never should have been there." Jay states looking at the blonde, "Hey. Don't do that to yourself." Cassandra softly demands looking at Jay shaking his head in disappointment.

"Hey, Ruzek and Atwater, I need a cell phone rigged up right now." Voight demands walking out from the interview rooms, "What's going on?" Jay quizzes, "Sit tight." Voight utters.

"I'm tired of sitting." Jay exclaims annoyed, "Sit tight." Voight repeats walking back into the interview room where they're questioning JP still.

Erin, Cassandra, Antonio and Jay stand in the two way window room looking at the others inside the room awaiting for a phone call.

"Jay. No. Don't." Cassandra voices trying to get Jay from walking into the room to be with Voight, JP and the others.

Cassandra looks at Erin with a sigh before listening to the phone call from their burner phone connected to inside the room, "Hello." JP greets answering the call, "JP?" The guy questions confused.

"What's up, Shostak? I have something you may want." JP states, "I want a lot of things." Shostak flatly utters, "Halstead." JP reveals.

"My understanding is you turned down this contract." Shostak states, "And I heard they offered you a lot more money than me. I want half." JP demands.

"Or what?" Shostak inquires, "Or I let him go. And you better think quick. The dilaudid I pumped into him's going to wear off soon." JP voices.

"1/3rd." Shostak suggests, "Okay. I'll take care of it, I'll bring you a photo for proof." JP responds.

"No, no, no, no, no. Just because I'm talking to you doesn't mean I trust you. I want to see him alive." Shostak orders while JP looks at Jay demanding him to take the deal.

"Deal." JP confirms, "Highway between Cermak and Kedzie. 30 minutes." Shostak orders while Cassandra shares a panicked look with Erin and Antonio beside her.

"There's too many risks." Antonio states following after Jay back into the bullpen─ with the others hot on their heels.

"There's always risks." Jay says unbothered, "Jay, you'd be in the car with a hitman." Erin voices walking to her desk beside a quiet Cassandra.

"Who's retired, and who we made a deal with." Jay responds, "Because that changes everything." Cassandra voices after a while of silence.

"We don't know how many people Bembenek wants dead." Jay exclaims loudly walking past her and Erin towards the crime board angrily slamming his fist against making Cassandra flinch again visibly this time─ while she grabs Erin's hand.

"Isn't this enough?" Jay shouts before looking at Voight, "Sarge," Jay voices walking towards Voight on the other side of the room.

"Sarge, I will sign whatever I have to sign saying I went on my own free will, that I wasn't ordered. That'll release the city from all liability. I don't have any beneficiaries anyway," Jay pleads looking only at Voight and none of the others.

"I signed that form the day I graduated from the academy, right before they pinned a badge on my chest." Jay states tapping his chest where said badge goes eventually Voight arrives at the team head downstairs to gather up their stuff ready for the mission.

Cassandra stands in the corner of the basement watching as Erin and Antonio explain the right and wrong ways this could go before Erin walks over to the blonde.

"You gonna be alright?" Erin asks leaning closer to the blonde girl.

"Of course. He won't hurt me. At least─ I hope he won't." Cassandra mumbles walking over to Jay to wish him luck, "Be safe and be smart, all right?" Cassandra demands.

"Of course. Hey, who knows after this I might not have a bounty on my head and I won't have to crash with you." Jay smirks while the others put trackers on the vehicle JP and Jay are going to be driving in.

"All right, Burgess and Roman, you stay close, but not too close, in case we need to call in patrol," Voight states looking at Kim and Sean stood near the exit nodding agreeing with the plan.

"Ruzek, you're with Antonio, Atwater with Olinsky," Voight explains before looking at Erin and Cassandra.

"You two and me." Voight says finishing separating the teams in their teams with a confident nod from all of the said team.

"We got ten minutes." Antonio voices looking around at everyone, "All right, let's hit it." Voight orders making everyone go towards their vehicles to follow JP and Jay towards the location─ and wait for Shostak's instructions.

Once the team arrives at their spots watching as JP parks the vehicle in-between two buildings.

"Price is getting a call." Adam says into the police radio just on their channels for communication, "Yeah?" JP questions answering the phone.

"Take him out of the car. Show him to me." Shostak demands making JP getting out of the car and walk around to the passenger side pulling Jay out of the vehicle pretending to be unconscious.

Cassandra sits up straighter in the passenger seat seeing Jay out in the open as does Erin in the back.

"This is crazy. The guy could take a shot at any time." Cassandra nervously says looking at Voight, "Satisfied?" JP questions.

"Head to the abandoned storefront on Ridgeland and Roosevelt." Shostak orders having JP get back on the road with the team following closely behind him keeping an eye on their own.

"Shostak is calling again." Adam states as the team begin listening to the phone call or awaiting plans─ Shostak demanded for JP to check his texts making Cassandra bounce her leg anxiously.

"Get me that text, Ruzek." Voight demands urgently, "Yeah. I'm on it," Adam responds.

"It's a picture." Adam reveals sending Cassandra the picture─ who shows it to both Erin and Voight, "It's Price's son." Voight reveals.

Cassandra notices the movement inside the car immediately realising something.

"He's dusting us." Cassandra exclaims grabbing onto the handle above her seat knowing they'll be in a rush for this next bit following after the vehicle hearing the tires screeching in the distance away from them.

Voight, Erin and Cassandra follow hot on the cars tail as the train bells signal to stop which makes JP and Jay ahead of them a little bit.

"All right, go, go, go!" Voight demands loudly over the radio speeding towards the direction Jay and JP just went hoping nothing goes bad with one of their own.

✹

CASSANDRA NOTICES the abandoned car on the side of the road and woman shouting for the police to the side of them.

"Help! Help! Police!" The woman cries out, "Ma'am, Chicago PD. What happened?" Erin questions urging the woman to answer immediately.

"He came up, put a gun in my face, and he took my car." The woman states.

"What kind of car?" Erin quizzes, "All I kept thinking was "oh, lord, please don't take me home today."" The woman rants.

"Ma'am! What kind of car was it?" Cassandra shrieks startling the woman, "Minivan. Gold." The woman─ Susan states, "Which way?" Erin inquires.

Susan points in the direction the vehicle went in immediately making Cassandra, Voight and Erin jump back into their car.

"Thank you." Cassandra exclaims just as Voight puts his foot to the petal making the tires screech as the three of them and the others set on the direction JP and Jay went in.

After a while of searching the streets, Voight's phone on the console rings with an unknown number.

"Voight, I'm and 103rd and central near sag channel. I got a car approaching 500 yards from the north. It's a red Mustang. I think it's Shostak." Jay states, "Stand down! Get out of there!" Voight orders loudly.

"Halstead is at Westbury Field, 103rd and Central." Voight exclaims over the open police radio letting everyone know where to find Jay.

Noticing Shostak backing up and away from them, "Hank, he's making a run for it." Cassandra exclaims making Voight step on the gas following directing after the speeding red Mustang─ that drifts onto the main road where Olinsky and Kevin are in one vehicle.

Antonio and Adam in the opposite one making Shostak change directions and drive beside Voight, Cassandra and Erin on one of the back roads trying to run them off the road only for Voight to twist the steering wheel and make Shostak's vehicle crash and roll for a while.

Cassandra and Erin jump out from Voight's vehicle first noticing Shostak moving.

"Show me your hands! Put them up! Get out of the car! Get out of the car." Erin and Cassandra simultaneously together aiming their guns at the man.

"Get out! Get out! Down on the ground! Get down on the ground!" Erin demands loudly, "Put your hands behind your head!" Cassandra orders while Jay rushes towards the two of them.

"Hey, Cass. Give me your cuffs, give me your cuffs." Jay pleads and the blonde woman gives Jay the cuffs he asks for.

"What's up, Shostak?" Jay taunts arresting the man and dragging him towards one of the vehicles.

"Is he alright?" Cassandra questions running up beside Hank seeing said male demanding that he keep his head down in the trunk of the vehicle that just crashed.

"He's alright. Just call an ambulance in case." Hank suggests looking at the blonde.

"Of course." Cassandra responds quickly calling an ambulance for the boy and awaiting for the arrival of the paramedics.

✹

THE TEAM plus Kim and Sean gather around in the basement of the District once again.

"In about two minutes I got to meet Commander Perry so he can brief command staff," Voight utters looking around at everyone surrounding one another.

"You know, no one out there really knows how we operate─ how we put ourselves in harm's way. If they did, our hands would be tied. And the worst of the worst that we hunt down would go free. So when I say this stays in house, this stays in house so we can keep operating the way we do," Voight continues still looking around at everyone.

"Halstead, what you did today─ what you did for this city? Well, no one will ever know. But this family knows." Voight states smiling at Jay and then the others before walking off to go meet Commander Perry.

"Cheers to that. I'm going to Molly's and getting drunk. Anyone want to join?" Antonio questions smirking at everyone, "Yeah, I'm in." Atwater mumbles walking off to clock off.

"I'm in." Roman also states doing the same thing while Kim and Adam walk into the evidence room and Erin walks off to do her own stuff.

"Come on. I'll drive you to the hospital." Cassandra offers bumping her hip into Jay's─ seeing a smile spread across his face before the two of them walk off to clock off and drive to the hospital together to make sure Maddie─ Jay's friend is doing alright.

✹

JAY AND Cassandra walks through the hospital towards the ICU where Maddie's currently being cared for, "You know you don't have to stay, right?" Jay quizzes.

"I'm not leaving you right now, Jay. Plus, I'll just go home to an empty, quiet apartment." Cassandra says shrugging strolling in through one of the doors noticing Sylvie sitting in the waiting room.

"I thought, uh, paramedics weren't supposed to follow up on people they responded to." Jay says, "I... I didn't know that rule. I'm still new, I guess." Sylvie responds with a small smile.

"Is there any update?" Jay questions watching as a nurse and doctor pass them, "Waiting on one. Maddie's parents and her sister are in there." Sylvie responds gesturing to down the hall.

"You know, I've... I've seen dead bodies, and I've seen people shot in front of me. But uh... I've never seen somebody... take a bullet that was meant for me. That goes for you as well, Cass. You shoved me away without any thought. You just jumped in-front of me." Jay states, "That's what partners are for." Cassandra shrugs with a smile.

A door opens to the side of them just as one of the doctors walk towards the three, "Alec." Jay says standing up with Sylvie and Cassandra.

"Okay, uh, here's the latest. The bullet severed the subclavian vein. The emergency surgery was to repair the rupture. Thankfully the bullet missed the jugular and the spine. So she's going to be in the ICU for at least another week, but we're very optimistic. She's going to be okay." Alec explains.

Cassandra looks at Jay taking a deep breath of relief deciding to be bold─ she slides her hand into his showing him that she's here no matter what.

"That's so good to hear." Sylvie says sighing in relief, "Thanks." Jay mumbles tightening his hold on Cassandra's hand.

"Wow, right? What a relief." Sylvie exhales deeply, "Yeah, yeah." Jay responds.

"A bunch of folks at 51 are down at Molly's if you two wanna join? We'll raise a beer to Maddie. And Kelly's there so I'm sure he'll be pleased to see his sister." Sylvie smirks looking at Cassandra looking down at the thought of her brother still not knowing about her return to Chicago.

"Sounds good. Yeah. I'll see you there. Although, I can't speak for Cass." Jay says.

"Uh. I'm gonna head home actually. But some other time, definitely." Cassandra says with a soft smile.

Eventually, Sylvie leaves the hospital─ "I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. Then I can drop you to Molly's?" Cassandra offers.

"Sounds good." Jay mumbles staring ahead at the wall glumly and numb.

Cassandra finishes in the restroom walking out into the waiting room noticing Jay holding it together mostly before releasing a sob letting all of the feelings out.

Jay sniffles feeling someone squat down in-front of him placing their hand on his knee.

"Come on." Cassandra says motioning to leave with her also wanting to hug him─ but can't since he's currently sat down.

"Shush. I'm here." Cassandra soothes embracing the man who tightens his arms around her breathing in her scent and loving the feeling of being comforted by her.

─────── ∘°❉°∘ ───────
TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
cassidy's past coming out
a couple times in this chapter.
any guesses?

hope you enjoyed!

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