—Ethan, go to the back door and watch the exit.
Hank's voice came through the earpiece.
—Halstead and Erin, go up and check the situation inside. The rest of you, be ready to support at any moment.
Ethan really wanted to go in, but the decision had already been made, and he couldn't argue with it.
In a unit, there can only be one leader, especially in a department as violent as that one; it wasn't worth debating minor matters, and Hank's authority had to be maintained.
The Chevrolet turned the corner and stopped at the entrance to the back alley.
Since Halstead had returned to duty, under normal circumstances, Erin would have been his partner. They were efficient; they knew each other's moves without needing to speak.
But apparently Hank didn't want them together during operations. Not since their relationship had stopped being a secret.
And, to be honest, it was understandable.
In a unit like that—where a fraction of a second could mean the difference between making it home or not—emotions could interfere. Hesitating to shoot. Hesitating to move forward.
Erin knew that.
That was why she didn't protest when Hank started assigning them separately.
In front of the karaoke bar, Erin and Jay walked toward the entrance.
—Does it bother you?
Erin adjusted the zipper of her jacket, hiding her weapon without looking up.
—What?
—Not being paired with Ethan.
She let out a small breath through her nose, almost a laugh. Apparently, the people at the office had been gossiping about their relationship. Even if it wasn't officially confirmed for everyone, anyone with eyes could see it.
—I'm in Intelligence, not at a prom dance. I work with whoever I'm assigned.
But her eyes drifted for a second toward Ethan, who was on the other side of the alley, checking his weapon.
—Still… it must be strange.
—It is —she admitted quietly— but Hank isn't punishing us… He's protecting the unit.
She paused briefly before continuing, and when she spoke again, her voice sounded more vulnerable.
—And maybe he's protecting us too. I don't know why Hank respects Ethan so much… he even set aside some of his own rules for him.
—You don't think he's his long-lost son, do you?
She exhaled softly and shook her head.
—Don't say stupid things… although, if you think about it, that would explain a lot.
Silence settled between them for a moment.
Then Erin recovered her usual tone.
—Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you.
Jay raised an eyebrow and let out a brief nasal laugh.
—Now I feel even worse —he said with resignation.
For a second, he stared at the ground. Not long ago, he had seriously considered asking her out. Now the idea felt ridiculous.
Erin glanced at him from the corner of her eye and smiled faintly, as if she knew exactly what was going through his head but chose not to mention it.
The silence lasted only a moment.
Over the radio, Hank's voice broke the calm.
—Move in!
Both of them got out of the car without rushing. Jay subtly adjusted his jacket to better cover his badge, and Erin did the same, maintaining the relaxed attitude she used when they were undercover.
The bar door opened with a gentle push.
Immediately, they were hit by a mix of spinning lights, the smell of beer, and the sound of someone butchering an old rock song on stage.
—♪ I wanna know what loooove is… ♪ —a man shouted completely off-key.
Jay frowned slightly.
—We should arrest him too —he said, pointing with his thumb.
Erin couldn't help smiling.
—Focus.
Several streets away, Ethan was alone.
Inside a parked car, with the engine off. His fingers drummed slowly on the steering wheel.
As if counting time.
He lowered the right window and rested his hand on the grip of his gun; if someone came out the back door acting suspiciously, they would immediately meet his fire.
—Pfft.
Less than two minutes later, the earpiece crackled with static.
—Pull back… I repeat, pull back from the area now. Everyone returns to the station.
Hank's voice sounded hoarse over the radio.
Ethan frowned, completely confused.
He spun the wheel and made a U-turn in the middle of the street, provoking a storm of honking horns and curses.
When he turned the corner, he saw Halstead and Erin already leaving the place.
—What happened?
He rolled down the window and signaled to them.
—We'll talk at the station.
Halstead quickly crossed the street, gesturing for him to go first.
Ethan slammed the steering wheel and accelerated. Had they misidentified the target?
When he reached the intersection, there were children everywhere, and several yellow school buses were parked along the street.
A patrol car blocked the crossing, with a male officer and a female patrol officer directing traffic.
Ethan looked closely, and a smile spread across his lips.
Slowing down, he also pulled out his phone to record the scene.
—Beep, beep, beep.
The whistle in Ruzek's mouth sounded half-hearted. He was wearing white gloves and signaling vehicles to pass.
—I'm sick of this. This is garbage. I don't know how you people stand it.
He spat out the whistle and muttered gloomily:
Used to the big cases of the Intelligence Unit, the contrast with patrol duty had completely thrown him off.
All morning, he had been dealing with traffic stops and noise complaints.
—Hey, don't complain.
Burgess approached, biting down on her own whistle.
—Your mindset is the problem. That's why you can't get the hang of it.
—Oh yeah? Then why don't you show me?
Ruzek crossed his arms, imitating Hank.
—Just watch me, rookie.
Burgess lifted her chin.
—You have to put your heart into it.
She began directing traffic with exaggerated movements, swaying her hips almost as if she were dancing.
Ruzek burst out laughing.
—Whoosh!
A sharp whistle came from a passing car.
—That's right, shake that ass!
—Go to hell! —Burgess shouted without completely losing her official posture.
The man who passed by flipped her the middle finger and drove off laughing.
Another car approached slowly. Too slowly. The window rolled down with an electric hum, and a phone appeared, openly recording.
Burgess froze.
—Oh no…
Ruzek stepped forward immediately, extending his hand.
—Give me that damn phone.
The phone lowered slowly, revealing Ethan's smiling face.
—Are you trying to rob me? —he asked calmly.
Ruzek froze.
—Detective Morgan?
Burgess closed her eyes for a second.
—Please tell me you didn't record anything.
—Too late —Ethan replied, turning the phone so they could see the screen— I have full evidence of… —he made a wide gesture with his hand— whatever that was.
—I was directing traffic —she said through clenched teeth.
Ruzek cleared his throat, trying to recover authority.
—This is interference with an officer on duty.
Ethan rested his arm on the window.
—Oh, really? Then arrest an Intelligence detective. I'd love to see how you explain that to Voight.
Both of them fell silent.
—That's what I thought.
Behind Ethan, a horn blared impatiently.
—Come on, Detective Morgan, move the car —Burgess muttered, red to the ears.
—One second.
Ethan pointed the camera again.
—Ruzek, stand next to her. Yes, like that. Perfect.
—I hate you —Ruzek growled.
—This will go down in history… Ruzek, that uniform suits you. Come on, smile!
Another longer horn sounded behind him.
Ethan finally raised his hand in farewell.
—Good work, officers. Keep those hips… I mean, the traffic is moving.
He accelerated with a mocking smile, leaving the two of them standing in the middle of the intersection.
Burgess watched him drive away.
—If he shows that to anyone, I swear I'll kill you.
Ruzek sighed.
—Just make it quick, please.
The embarrassment only grew when the Intelligence Unit vehicles began passing one after another.
Erin was driving with one hand and, like Ethan, holding her phone with the other, laughing uncontrollably. The others didn't hold back and joined in the teasing.
—Beep, beep.
Only when the last Cadillac honked, and they heard Hank's urgent order, did they finally accelerate away.
When the cars disappeared, Ruzek and Burgess were left standing there, drained and discouraged.
Back at the station, everyone sat around a table next to the garage's mesh cage.
After hearing Jay's account, they understood what had happened.
When Jay and Erin entered the place earlier, they had gone straight to the back room, where the illegal casino operated.
When they arrived, they found a squad of police officers already making arrests. As soon as they saw them, several officers raised their weapons and pointed them at them, taking them for intruders. Halstead and Erin reacted immediately, pulling out their badges to identify themselves.
When Hank was informed, he ordered them to pull out while he looked into it.
Everyone exchanged glances. The matter involved active officers; if it wasn't handled carefully, the consequences could be messy.
At that moment, Jin approached quickly and dropped a thick stack of printed photographs onto the table. They were images of officers and detectives responsible for the Chinatown jurisdiction.
—It's this guy.
Jay pointed firmly at one of the photos.
—I saw him with my own eyes shove a gun into a Triad member's mouth and threaten him.
Hank picked up the A4-sized photograph and frowned.
—Do you know him? —Antonio asked when he noticed his expression.
—Yes.
Hank nodded.
—That's Jimmy Shi —Hank said after a moment, leaning lightly against the edge of the desk.—Back then, Alvin, Jimmy, and I were in the Gang Unit.
Olinsky slowly removed his cap and took the photograph between his fingers.
—Jimmy's a good cop. I don't think he's involved in this.
He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb thoughtfully.
—In the end, they decided Jimmy fit better in Chinatown. They wanted to improve relations with the community, so they transferred him to work in that area.
Ethan studied the image carefully: an Asian man with bright, piercing eyes, carrying the unmistakable aura of someone used to imposing himself through force.
—Now he's doing well. He's got his own team.
Hank continued, his tone measured.
—The only thing I can say is that his clothing matched the men in the surveillance video exactly —Halstead added, spreading his hands cautiously— And his attitude was clearly aggressive.
The phrase "corrupt cop" crossed everyone's mind like a silent gunshot.
It wouldn't be the first time. Some officers turned their jurisdiction into their own backyard—a source of power and easy money.
Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose, uncomfortable with the implication, and chose to remain silent.
—Why don't we follow them and find out what's going on? —Erin suggested seriously. However, the mere possibility that Jimmy, Hank's former partner, might be involved hammered in her mind.
—That won't be necessary.
As expected, Hank shook his head firmly.
—It wasn't him.
—How do you know? —Erin replied.
—I just know.
Hank's answer was categorical.
Under normal circumstances, in a case like this, you couldn't simply abandon such an advantage just because the other side belonged to the Chicago Police.
There were many corrupt cops; Jimmy wouldn't be the first, nor the last.
But he was Hank's former partner, which made things far more complicated.
Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke.
—Fine! —Erin raised her hands helplessly.—You're the boss. You make the calls!
Ethan noticed Jin looking at him, his eyes full of pleading.
He smiled at Jin and opened the file in his hand.
—Hank.
Ethan pulled out the photograph of the boy who had been shot and slowly placed it on the table.
—Everyone here wants to find the people who murdered that kid —he said firmly, placing his hands on the table and looking at everyone present— And I trust your judgment. If you say it wasn't him, then it wasn't him.
He paused briefly before continuing, lowering his voice slightly.
—But that doesn't mean the rest of his team is clean.
He straightened slightly and pointed at the open file on the table.
—I suggest we dig deeper… or at least talk to him. If anyone knows what's really going on in those streets, it's him. And right now, any lead is better than moving forward blind.
His words left a brief silence in the room.
The others exchanged surprised looks. They hadn't expected Ethan to be the first to contradict Hank.
In the unit, everyone had theories about the peculiar relationship between the two. There was even a half-serious bet going around about whether Ethan had donated an organ to Hank or whether he was actually his lost son.
The reason was simple: Hank could easily ignore the opinions of anyone else in the room… but not Ethan's.
Between them, there had been an unspoken agreement since the day Ethan accepted the position: he worked with Hank, not for Hank.
Hank picked up the photograph from the file again and studied it silently, thoughtfully, letting Ethan's words settle before saying anything.
—What's your plan?
—It's simple —Ethan said calmly.—Right now, he knows we're looking for the casino robbers. He won't suspect anything; as far as he knows, we're just conducting the investigation, and it's natural for us to seek his help. After all, they know the area well.
He leaned slightly forward, as if arranging his thoughts while speaking.
—Why don't we approach him under the excuse of talking about what happened today? We can see what they know, listen to what they have to say… and, at the same time, measure their reactions.
He paused briefly before concluding:
—Let's kick the hornet's nest… and see what flies out. 🐝
Ethan pointed at Erin and repeated his earlier words.
—We'll handle surveillance. You can talk to Jimmy and see what you can get out of him. You know him better than any of us.
Hank looked around. Except for Olinsky, everyone else seemed unwilling to give up that advantage.
Olinsky let out a small nasal chuckle from the back.
—The kid's got a point, Hank.
—Fine. But we'll do it my way —Hank said firmly.—Remember, as far as we know, they're cops just like us. So keep it civil and don't escalate things. Understood?
The room exchanged looks.
—Understood —Jay answered from the back.
Erin nodded seriously.
—I understand.
Hank dropped the photograph onto the table with a frustrated motion, as if the weight of the decision still bothered him. Then he looked at Ethan.
—I'm following your plan because I trust you. But unless you have something solid, you won't do anything against Jimmy's unit.
Ethan nodded.
—Agreed.
Olinsky pushed his chair back and stood up calmly.
—Then we'd better get moving.
Hank picked up the file, closed it with a sharp snap, and headed for the door.
—Alright… let's see what Jimmy has to say.
He didn't need to give further instructions; everyone else understood perfectly.
With Jin's research, they quickly found Jimmy's current location.
They all set out again, driving toward Chinatown.