Tolerance Book III

Chapter Seventy-Three: Concern

After Als' no nonsense question the tension increased as both Antagonists continued glaring at each other. The Surgeon sighed. For his part however the moustached man decided to voice some home truths to the hard headed men.

"Okay so you two want to butt heads? Fine, just do it when the Kid isn't blowing in the wind. He deserves so much better from you both."
"Al!" Voights' tone held a threat but his gaze remained on Will.
"Don't even try it," the Detective warned completely unfazed before he added plainly, "anytime today would be good."
"This is between me and Voight!" the redhead argued belligerently.
"No it's between all of us because if anything happens to the Kid we'll all have to live with it."
"He's right," Conor spoke up, "we all have the same goal. Get Jay back safe ...,"
"And you two having a glaring match is wasting valuable time," Al pointed out grimly as unlike the Surgeon he wasn't going to let the pair off for their bad behaviour, "and I for one don't appreciate it."

Conor eyed the two Opponents and noted their reactions to the final declaration from the seasoned Detective. He was beginning to lose hope of a resolution when all of a sudden a smile broke across the Sergeants' features as he turned to his old friend.

"Hell you're getting crotchety in your old age."
"Me?"
"Yeah you," Voight nodded then turned back to the surprised older Halstead sibling with a rueful expression, "sometimes I get a bit ...,"
".... crotchety is the word he's looking for," Al interrupted with an innocent look.
"I was going to say ... blinded ... by my concern."
"Guess I can understand that," the redhead accepted the olive branch knowing it was a rare gesture then admitted, "I ..... can be the same way."
"Okay so now that's all sorted can we get our boy back?" Al checked with a wink as he headed back to his watching friends at the table without waiting for a response.
"Guess he told us," Voight wrily noted.
"Guess he did," Will agreed, his earlier frustration dissipitated as he finally accepted now was not the time to waste energy on futile arguments.

Central Park

Sitting on a bench soaked in moonlight by a pond could have been a romantic scene if not for the fact his companion was not of Jays' persuasion and only deadly intentions were on offer. Sighing internally Jay glanced from the aforementioned tree to Billings then back again after realizing a vital detail.

"You done playing games?"
"What?" the older man sat up straighter, unable to hide his surprise at the question.
"You heard me."
"I assure you Detective I don't play games."
"Now that's a lie," Jay stated confidently but quietly.
"Why do you say that?" there was a note of disapproval evident in the Serial Killers' voice.
"You said you want me to shoot a person in that tree."
"So?"
"So there's no one in the tree."
"Hah! Detective I think you're either exhausted or that head wound is playing tricks on you."
"Nope."
"What makes you think there's no one there?"
"Because that rifle wasn't visible when we sat down," the green eyed ex-Sniper recalled without doubt, "and no one climbed into that tree while we were sitting here."
"He obviously was there before we got here and just moved the weapon," Billings countered dismissively.
"Nope."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Any Sniper worth his salt plays by the number one rule first and foremost."
"What rule?"
"You stay still once the target is in sight. In this instance of course although we're not the targets once we were in place he should have remained motionless ....," the former Ranger explained casually, the weapon had shifted of its' own accord.
"That's rubbish ...," Billings cut in.
"Nope."

Jay knew he was taking a gamble, a dangerous one at that, but he needed to gain some control over the other man and he was satisfied he was reading the current situation correctly even though he didn't understand the motive for such a ruse. It was clear Billings had something else planned and the Detective wanted to find out just what that was sooner rather than later, hence the direct approach.