Jay Halstead's past

20- Intelligence

Jay's POV

Once we get to the top, everybody looks at us, because there are sixteen of us, with eight families, and you could say that our appearance was not necessarily very discreet. As soon as the team sees me, they're all surprised, to say the least. And as soon as they figure out that I'm in the flesh here in front of them, the girls run out and hug me, and the boys either hug me or check me out. Then they ask me questions. To be honest, I think it's too cute, it shows that they all care about me. We really are a family.

"How are you?" Hailey asks me

"How long have you been back?" Kim asks me

"Is everything all right?" Alvin asks me

"Why are there so many people?" Adam asks me

"Why are they all hurt?" Antonio asks me

"Are you okay? I saw you hurt." Kevin asks me.

And as soon as Kevin said that, everyone shut up.

"Ok, ok, I'll answer all your questions. Just wait two minutes. Diaz, come here." When I say that, everyone looks at me confused. Diaz approaches me and we go somewhere else.

"What's going on, Halstead?" Sergeant Diaz asks me

"You'd have to give me the phone with the secure lines. I need to make a call." I say. Diaz gives me the phone.

"Thank you. Please leave, it's a classified conversation, and please make sure the others don't say anything about the mission." And on that, he leaves.

So I take the phone in hand and call Commander River.

CR: "Commander River"

H: "Hello Commander, I am currently in Chicago, and we have all our families, however, I wanted to know what information I could disclose given that I know my family and they may ask questions."

CR: "You can reveal that they are under protection because a threat has fallen on them as a result of a mission and that it should not be taken as a joke vis-à-vis who we are dealing with. And if that's not enough, you can say that one of the biggest terrorist groups has them in their sights. You cannot divulge other information without asking us for agreement."

H: "I get it, Commander. Thank you and see some more."

CR: "See Lieutenant Again"

On that, I hang up. I go out to join the others. All eyes are on me. I approach Diaz and take him aside. I give him the phone back and ask him what the others said.

H: "What did the others say?"

D: "They introduced themselves, we discussed among them. Sergeant Voight and your friends asked what was going on and I stood in the way before anyone answered and said you would say things in due course."

H: "Okay, thank you. Anything else?"

D: "No"

H: "Okay, let's go back and I'll say what I can."

D: "Okay."

We go out and I put myself in the middle of the office and I start answering questions as I see full of confused heads to why I am so discreet and on my guard.

"So to answer your questions, I'm fine. I just came back. No, everything's not fine. There are so many people because civilians are under protection and so are you. They are all injured because they are all injured. And yes I am and yes I may have been hurt too. But nothing serious, everyone is fine." I say, and everyone is as confused as before. And I'm back with a million questions asked. There are so many

"Why is everyone under protection?"

"How did you hurt yourself?"

"Why are we under protection, we're the best unit in town?"

"Something to do with your mission, son?"

And once again everyone was silent.

"You are under protection because a threat has arisen from one of our missions. And even if we're the best unit in the city, I doubt you could defend yourself against his people. That's why you're all gonna pack up your stuff, you're gonna get your guns, we're gonna go by your house and we're gonna go to a safe house. Non-negotiable." I say my last sentence firmly to make it clear that this is very serious.

So they go out and get their stuff. Once their stuff is picked up, we go down and check the vehicles again...