An Unfortunate Mix-Up ✔️

Chapter 40: Your First Bust

"Are you ready?" Hailey questions as they walk up towards the house, guns in hand, ready if necessary.

"Pretty sure it's too late to be asking that now," Jay replies with a chuckle as he takes his position on the right side of the door. Hailey was immediately in her spot, eyes locked on each other.

"Just promise me you'll be careful...." 

It had been smooth sailing so far since rejoining Intelligence as everyone easily welcomed him back into the fold, excited to find some normalcy considering the past series of months. There wasn't any time to slowly warm up, though, as an immediate case landed on her door - those files Trudy had dropped off for Hank. A couple reads through the evidence, and now they were ready to take down one of the drug gang's associates.

 A nod of the head and they both run their way through the house, checking each room one after another in succession. There were no words that needed to be spoken, as they both fell right into form, covering each other as they scanned each room. They reached the last room in the house, both lowering their weapons together.

"House is clear," Jay radios over the intercom with a sigh. So much for the adrenaline in wanting to take down someone. "What do you want us to do boss? We can wait until he comes home."

"Jay..." Hailey says quietly, catching his attention as she never was someone to interrupt him in the midst of something. His eyes follow his voice, followed by to where her hand was resting. There was a blue blanket underneath her hand, with what looked to be a hand sticking out from underneath it. 

"I'll cover you." He immediately faces the gun in her direction, with a nod as he wanted to see what else remained with the hand. She follows the instructions, revealing the body of what looked to be a young man in his 20s. "We found Blake High."

"This is 5021 Henry. Roll the crime lab to 338 Charlie Street. We have a DOA." Jay lets out a sigh as he lowers the gun, his eyes not leaving Hailey's. "Either someone got wind we were coming, or there's more to this story than we know. I am going to see if there's anything to be found."

"I'll keep watch until the crime lab shows up to see if someone stops by." 

Jay's eyes don't leave the body that laid there, blanket covering the majority of his body except for the hand that was still sticking out. It still disgusted him to see how much gang violence seemed to kill so many with potential. 

His eyes scan the bedsroom, noticing a book on the table. He makes his way over, causing a sigh to escape. It seemed this was a young man that was supposed to have a bright future - given what he was studying.

"So what are you doing once you get back home?" fellow Army Ranger Frank Kenny asks as they remain tucked behind a building, waiting for the signal to move.

"I don't know," Jay replies as he thinks it over. He hadn't ever thought about long-term dreams as a teenager, focused on just trying to get through each day ahead. He then remembers the want to fight for his country, and joining the Army, followed by the quick appreciation for his ability and prompt to join the Rangers. Fighting for the great good and saving lives seemed to be fitting right in for him. "Maybe go to the Police Academy and keep changing the world. What about you?" 

"I want to keep changing the world, but without guns and everything. We're all better if justice is served. I am thinking of finishing out my last two years of Law school to become a lawyer." Jay couldn't help but smile in amazement as he looked towards his younger partner on the squad.

"Given the way you raised that point to the General, that seems like the perfect fit for you." 

They then got the signal, both standing up with their weapons in position. They then moved forward, with Jay following in behind Frank as they began to close the gap between their position and the enemy. The enemy caught early wind of their movements, gun fire filling the air from both sides. Jay let off a series of six shots, before jumping behind a concrete block. He kept his eyes forward at the target ahead, awaiting the next chance to move. 

Though a glance over the block, there'd no way to erase the image before him as he watched a big pool of blood surround the lifeless body of his partner.

"Jay!" The call of his name snaps him out of his thoughts, as his fingers immediately reach to his eyes to remove the wetness before it could be noticed by whoever said his name. "Jay..."

"Sorry," he immediately apologizes, setting the Teachings of the American Law textbook back on the desk, having forgotten his hands were still firmly holding it. 

"Are you okay?" He glances over his shoulder to Hailey with a simple nod, not wanting to say a word in fear his voice would crack in missing his friend. That'd incident may had been now 10 years ago, but Jay could still feel the pain in having watched those dreams shatter before him. "Are you sur-"

"I told you that I was ready to do this, and I meant it." He then begins scanning his eyes over the rest of the room, in hopes of finding anything to change the topic at hand. 

"Okay." He was surprised she didn't press the topic further, as they had become used to each doing that when necessary. 

He just needed to stay focused at the task at hand. There was no changing what had happened then.