What is the name of your team, Commander?

269 5 3
                                    

Erin rushes in to the office, pictures of wanted criminals already up on the screen. She looks around to check for familiar faces, but aside from Kristen, there is none.

Erin: "Whats going on?"
Kirsten: "Special Agent Lindsay, this is Commander Roe" she points to the older gentlemen, in a military suit. Erin plays along, reaches for his firm handshake, and then quickly nods to his comrades standing in fortified positions next to him. All their faces looked composed, not a single expression to help Erin decipher the real reason behind the urgency of the call. Her mind started spinning momentarily: "is it Bonnie?  Hank?"  Immediately she though of the silos and that stormy night. Was everything she worked for in the past four years after she left CPD about to crumble to the ground?
The commander stops her anxieties: " S.A. Lindsay, it is a pleasure. I have heard a lot about you. Your work for the FBI during your undercover ventures has saved many lives, more than we can count". Erin knew she could not relax just yet: "Commander, I must thank YOU, for your service. But what is this all about? I appreciate the kind words, but I doubt your visit is simply that." Roe shares a small smile having heard that Lindsay does not beat around the bushes. He knew why she was recruited to such extent and how well did that turned out for the FBI.
Roe turned towards the screen, everybody listening attentively to what he had to say: "This is Fernando Corras" Lindsay opened the file she was handed while Roe continued: "He is responsible for the forced labour and smuggling of cocaine in the channels all the way to Canada from which they are later imported to the United States of America. His organization has over a thousand people, that we know of. The estimates are much larger. He recently opened up an industry, where my men were sent to rescue children from the forced labour, with the approval and coordination by the Bolivian government."
Erin interrupted: "The FBI has been aware of Corras for a long time, I do not understand why does this have anything to do with the work we have been doing in Chile" she posed the question to the room, but facing Kirsten. As the leader of that room, Kirsten knew she had to reply, after all, Erin had not been given any heads up, and it would be her decision at last to be involved in the job: "Lindsay, your operation has been leading to the Atacama desert in the past couple of years" - "And we have no jurdistriction in it" - "that is right, we don't, but now we can tackle it from another front" Kirsten concluded. Erin: "I don't understand how is my work in Chile relevant to this operation. And frankly, I am not sure how I am relevant to you, commander"
Roe adjusted his suit, still maintaining his rigorous stance: "For starters, you have been in charge of eliminating crucial crew members of this drug organization and most importantly, rescuing, members of their gang to safety. " 
Erin felt attacked by that insinuation, as if the Commander of the unit implied that she had been siding with criminals and therefore setting them free "the FBI is aware of all the associates. The task was to make them choose: protection from our federal government or continuing as a criminal" 
Kristen added: "and that has been very successful; not only in saving lives, but in hindering the cartel from smuggling large quantities of drugs"
Roe realized Lindsay defensiveness: "nobody is doubting this"
Erin continued: "Then, all due respect, I do not understand why the military interest in ME then"
Roe went silent and looked at his team standing beside him. He sent them a nod, to which they left the room in formation. "Special Agent Lindsay, we have a team that is taken hostage by the cartel. We lost all communication but we still have reason to believe they are alive." He took a pause "we want to send you in, use your undercover persona to infiltrate their operation and to lead our team, or whats left of it, to safety"
Erin was growing confused, but her entire nature screamed for more information. She was inspired. She wanted to be the first one through the door, she wanted this challenge, but at what cost. And why her? 
Kirsten had been working with Erin for years now, she saw the conflict in her eyes and hated to do this to her colleague, and friend: "there is more, Erin."
The sudden change in tone and the lack of formality when addressing her, intrigued the detective. She has been analyzing people for so long, she knew this would eventually come to a personal note. 
Commander Roe and Kristen exchanged brief looks, not knowing who should take the lead. 
Erin broke the silence: "What is the team that you lost contact with, commander?"
Roe: "The rangers..."
Suddenly the remaining of the words the commander was uttering became like a whisper to Erin's ears. At that moment, she did not need to look at the piles of files on the table, she did not need to listen to testimonies, nor she needed to discuss it with her supervisor. She knew, Jay was there. Jay was taken on a mission, and he is in trouble. Jay Halstead. Her partner. Jay.


Erin and JayWhere stories live. Discover now