The Dangerous Storm

three

Yates had already left Chicago with Erin, who was sound asleep in the back seat, when morning arrived. He glanced at the woman, who stirred when the car hit a bump, and said in a formal tone, 'We are almost at our destination, detective.' He then returned his hand to the wheel and patted Erin's thigh."
"Feeling something tapping her thigh, the female detective opened her eyes and realized that Yates had his hand on her thigh. She moved away from his hand as much as she could in the small car, but couldn't create much distance."
Erin hissed through gritted teeth, 'Do not touch me.' Yates chuckled and redirected his hand to the wheel as he resumed driving.
'Where are we going?' Erin asked, attempting to sit up to get a glimpse of her surroundings now that it was daytime and she could see the light blue sky."
"'We are almost there,' Yates replied. He reached behind once again and tightened his grip on her thigh when she tried to move away. 'And the excitement will soon commence. I trust you are prepared.' Yates smirked and left the sentence unfinished.
"You would be wise to release me, for once Voight and the others locate me, you will be in grave danger," Erin vehemently declared as she was jolted against the back seat due to Yates' abrupt turn into a rugged driveway.
She attempted to resist by kicking the seat, but Yates, paying no heed to her words, parked the car near a wooden cabin and exited without acknowledging her protests.
With her eyes shut, the brunette pondered on an escape plan, realizing the urgency before it was too late. Although Yates had previously tended to her stomach wound, causing it to cease bleeding, the pain persisted. As the back door swung open, Yates seized her arm and forcefully pulled her out of the car.
"Voight and the others may fruitlessly search, as they remain oblivious to our presence here in Chicago," he asserted while hauling Erin towards the cabin.
"Should their pursuit prove successful, it will already be too late," he retorted as he ushered her into a room. "You are mistaken; I am well acquainted with my team. They will locate me and ensure my safe return, no matter the circumstances," Erin snapped back.
Yates chuckled at her words and forcefully pushed her onto the bed, securing her arms with handcuffs to the bedpost. "Who said I intended to kill you?" he inquired as he positioned himself atop Erin, causing her to struggle beneath him.
"I am familiar with your methods, Yates, and I know what you do to your victims," Erin retorted with a sharp tone.
"Is that so?" Yates responded, running his hands down her sides and beneath Erin's shirt despite her protests and attempts to free herself. "Get off of me," Erin growled, delivering a knee strike to his abdomen that caused him to roll off and lie beside her.
Rising from the bed, Yates growled at the detective who glared back at him. "You will pay for that, Erin," he warned.
"I see that you won't make this easy," he sneered, striking Erin forcefully across the face with the back of his hand. "That's why I have brought some drugs with me, to calm you down." With that, he left the room to retrieve the necessary items, leaving Erin handcuffed to the bed.
Erin's body tensed when Yates mentioned drugs, and she looked up at the handcuffs in frustration, realizing that he likely had the keys to them. She attempted to twist her wrists in an attempt to free herself, but the handcuffs remained firmly in place.
"You should refrain from exerting too much force on those handcuffs, Erin, as you may harm your wrists," cautioned Yates as he reentered the room, carrying a needle and a vial of liquid.
Erin began to squirm, demanding, "Keep that away from me!" However, her warning went unnoticed as Yates approached her.
Despite her efforts to escape, Yates managed to restrain Erin as he sat back down and injected the liquid into her arm. The brunette bit her lip as the drug coursed through her veins, berating herself for not having enough strength to prevent this.
"It will take effect within the next hour or so, and you should feel more relaxed," stated Yates as he leaned in, removing the needle, and got up and left leaving Erin by herself.
* Antonio' P.O.V*
Antonio arrived at the bullpen ahead of everyone else, deliberately choosing to arrive early so that he would have some time to think before having to interact with his colleagues. Upon reaching his desk, Antonio took a deep sigh and rested his hands on top of it.

As he glanced at Erin’s desk, he shook his head and tightly gripped his own desk. He then noticed Jay approaching, holding a cup of coffee while ascending the stairs.

Antonio quickly withdrew his hands from the desk and casually replied, “Oh, nothing.” He looked at his best friend, who briefly glanced at him before turning away, preventing Jay from inquiring about his well-being.

Antonio questioned, “Where is everyone?” as Jay made his way to his own desk.

“They should be here soon,” Jay responded as he sat down. “Do you think we’ll get Erin back before it’s too late?” He asked, capturing Antonio’s attention.

“Of course we will,” Antonio retorted sharply. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Antonio observed as Jay flinched at his outburst. ‘I apologize, Jay,’ Antonio said, noticing the younger man’s nod. ‘It’s alright,’ Jay replied, ‘everyone is worried about Erin and she’s tough.’ Antonio nodded in agreement. ‘Knowing her, she probably found a way out herself.’

While the two men were talking, Voight and Benson approached the stairs with everyone else following behind. ‘Good morning,’ Benson greeted as she spotted Antonio and realized Jay was already there. ‘So, what did everyone gather from their informant?’ Voight inquired as he made his way to the front of the bullpen.

‘Nothing concrete, but they promised to remain vigilant and investigate any leads,’ Jay replied, and the others nodded. ‘Do you think he would take Erin out of state?’ Jay asked, considering it as a possibility if Yates wanted to hinder their quick search for Erin.

Antonio contemplated Jay’s words. ‘If he did, where do you think he would take Erin?’ he asked, looking at Voight, who nodded in agreement. ‘If that’s the case, we need to contact every state and have them keep an eye out for my detective.’
Mouse ascended the steps, holding a flash drive and a file in his possession. “I have obtained the car along with detailed information regarding its make and model,” he informed Antonio and Voight as he approached them.
Voight and Antonio inquired about the car in a rather questioning tone. Voight, receiving a photo of the car from the younger man, asked, “Could you please elucidate on the make and model of this vehicle?” Mouse, walking to Antonio’s desk and discreetly inserting a flash drive into the computer, responded, “It is a black Toyota Highlander, sir.” He further added, “Additionally, this flash drive contains pertinent information on what transpired and how Yates convinced Erin to relocate.”

Antonio, Voight, and the rest of the group congregated around Mouse, diverting their attention to the computer screen. Mouse explained, “Yates displayed cunning by choosing an alley for their rendezvous, which concealed their entry. However, we managed to capture their activities through a camera placed on the opposite side of the alley. This enabled us to ascertain the make and model of the car.” Antonio expressed his gratitude by patting Mouse on the shoulder, stating, “Proceed to play the recorded footage that you obtained.”

In compliance, Mouse pressed the play button on the camera, displaying the bridge where Erin and Yates were situated. The bewildered group watched as Yates cautiously retrieved a knife while Erin was preoccupied, engrossed in discussion about the case. Their astonishment grew when they witnessed Yates brandishing the knife, inflicting harm upon Erin. Antonio, stunned, remarked, “That is how he gained control over her – through a vicious stabbing.”
And once the video concluded, Antonio turned towards Mouse and instructed, 'Send that to everyone in the vicinity and create copies of the vehicle in question so that we can present them to our Crime Investigation Service, ensuring that they are aware of the specific car they should be vigilant about.' he expressed.

Ruzek interjected, 'That may not yield significant results if Yates has already taken her out of Chicago.' He glanced at Antonio and continued, 'You believe I am unaware of that fact. However, it should consume some time for them to cover each state. Hence, send it to police departments in every state.'

Acknowledging Mouse's commitment, Antonio patted his shoulder and expressed gratitude, 'Thank you for your effort and well done. Inform me immediately if you receive any updates. I will depart now to meet someone who may offer assistance.' With that, he proceeded downstairs, leaving the others standing there.