Tolerance Book III

Chapter Eighty-Four: A Familiar Waiting Game

Homeland Security Headquarters

Instead of making a decision immediately on the way forward Murphy had requested a private word with the Sergeant in his office.  Now alone the Assistant Director leaned back in his chair and eyed the man before him intensely.

"Keeping a Forensics' team away from Woodhaven could prove a big mistake."
"I can't argue with that," Voight acknowledged frankly, he was not going to try to steamroll his way in this matter as he had too much respect for the New Yorker.
"You got anything else besides your gut to go on?"
"Not right now."
"Sometimes I hate this job!" Murphy exlaimed, still unsure what he should do.
"You and me both."
"You think they're close by?  Where?"
"If I knew that I'd be one happy man!" Voight scoffed.
"Billings didn't own any other property in Woodhaven."
"Which leads me to believe ..... he's still at the residence."
"We looked everywhere," Murphy reminded with an arched brow.
"Maybe we didn't."
"Voight this is no time for cryptic comments!"
"All I'm saying is maybe there's more to the residence than we know about," Voight explained evenly before continuing, "Mouse is checking House Plans and ....,"
"Why didn't you share this before?"
"I'm sharing now," the Chicago man shrugged, "besides it only struck me a short while ago.  So ..... what's it to be?"
"I won't send in a team," Murphy eventually concluded after a long silence while he contemplated the matter, "at least not until we have the results of the checks."

Voight knew it was the best he was going to get and appreciated the chance the Assistant Director was taking.  If it turned out the Sergeants' instincts were off then Thompson would have a stick to beat the New Yorker with.  Voight however was determined to stand by his new friend no matter what pressure the erstwhile Director tried to exert.

Brooklyn - Woodhaven

As the minutes turned into hours Jay endeavored to reign in his frustration.  So far he had been unable to glean any information that might indicate the Killers' next objective.  Although calm on the outside the Detective was becoming increasingly concerned by his lack of progress.  Any subtle attempts to goad the older man into imparting information had been deftly rebuffed.   Now as the man again seemed to be fixated by the clock the green eyed man decided it was time to be more forthright.

"So are you just going to hide here forever?"
"Getting anxious to leave Detective?" Billings asked his own question with amusement clear in his voice.
"Just wondering when I can go home."
"That presupposes an awful lot."
"It does?" Jay asked in mock innocence, he was acutely aware his life was in the Killers' hands.
"You are a lot of things Detective but a fool is not one of them," Billings scolded then added, "perhaps you could try asking a proper question and for the record  I prefer frankness to subterfuge."
"How long are you staying here?" Jay accepted the challenge readily, not even attempting to deny his earlier attempts to garner details from his companion via a circuitous route.
"Interesting you said 'you' instead of 'we'."
"Figure you don't need me anymore."
"You figure wrong."

Although he was finally getting somewhere the auburn haired man was not about to celebrate.  His adversary still held all the cards.  Jay suspected his Sniper skills might be what the other man   needed him for although he had not alluded to same.  If that was the case the road ahead was going to get even trickier.  He did not ask for clarification however as despite the reference to frankness he knew there was a limit to what would be revealed. Deep down he hoped his friends somehow found them before they left Woodhaven.  It might save someones' life.

Homeland Security Headquarters - Canteen

At ten after nine that night the Unit, sans Voight and Mouse, sat at a couple of tables pushed together in the nearly empty canteen.  Conversation had been sparse.  No one was really in the mood for idle chatter and things had become too serious for the usual stress relief of banter.  Kevin looked around the grim faces and sighed.  Offering platitudes was not going to help.  As the hours had come and gone each man knew the less chance there was of getting their friend back alive.  Kevin decided to speak plainly.