Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Nine: Casualties

Bucktown

Three days later a lead had finally been found in the abduction case but it was not one that gave Jay or his friends any solace.  Standing in the narrow alley as the ME and Forensics worked around them the Unit grimly eyed the three bodies sprawled out on the ground in the eternal harsh pose of death.  Cookie, Beard and Tattoo looked nothing like the Abducters Jay knew.  Their bloodied, mangled foreheads attested to their violent removal from this life.  Each man had been shot point blank in the back of the head.  The torn, jagged skull fragments and flesh on the foreheads divulging the messy exit wounds associated with high velocity shots.  Adam, Kevin, Mouse and Antonio moved off to the side as Voight and Al took up Sentinel positions beside the green eyed man whom had been silent since he identified his Captors on arrival.  The two older men knew no words would ease their friends' burden.  It had become clear that their youngest member bore no ill will towards his Abducters for he was sure they had simply gotten into something over their heads.

"No one could have foreseen this," the moustached Detective stated gently.
"If I had identified them they would be in custody not here," Jay argued succinctly.
"You don't know that," Voight countered, "whoever is behind this means business. The three of them were probably marked for death from the outset."
"But why?" Jays' turmoil bled into his tone, a rare occurrence.

As the three men conversed Adam and the others could hear the discussion and felt helpless. Like the older men words of comfort eluded them.  Without knowing why their friend was abducted they were left floundering in their investigation.  Jay hadn't been asked to disclose any information while he was heing held captive so the instigation for such a drastic measure was unknown.  Abducting a Police Officer was a risky move in itself yet someone felt compelled to do so.

"I've been thinking about the abduction," Antonio stated quietly, "what if the point was to have Jay out of the way for that particular timeframe?"
"Doesn't make sense," Kevin shook his head in disagreement, "he'd have been doing the same as he is now, investigating the Williams' murder .....,"
"..... and looking after Tommy Carson," the Italian-American concluded in concurrence.
"What else? There has to be something else we're missing," Mouse spoke up, the whole situation unnerved him and with three dead bodies it meant the elusuve Perpetrator or Perpetrators were cleaning up shop.
"Well there's the usual paperwork for other cases," Kevin mused, "but I don't think any of those had crucial information people wouldn't want noted."
"It gets to paperwork stage information is already out there," Mouse agreed with a sigh, this was beyond frustrating.
"There's one possibility no one has mentioned ......," Antonio looked at the others hesitantly before lowering his voice so it wouldn't carry, "what if the abduction had something to do with Jays' past. His ....,"
"What?" Adam demanded loudly receiving a sharp kick to the shin.
"Keep it down!" Kevin warned, less than impressed.
"But ....,"
"Guys Jay would have already considered the possibility," the IT Technicians' quiet assurance held no doubt, "it's something he factors into every situation if there is any possibility at all of a link."
"He say something to you?" Adam half accused, not happy he hadn't considered the likelihood.
"No he never said a thing," Mouse responded evenly then added without rancour, "LT always looks at things from every angle.  His old man is always going to be a factor to be considered in situations like this."
"That's one hell of a gift he passed on!" Kevin aired his disgust at the deceased Halstead patriarch, barely managing to restrain the volume of his voice.

Voight eyed the crime scene with a calloused eye. His dispassionate approach was born of too many such sights.  The finding before them did give one clear indication. The execution style murders tied in with Williams' similar demise. He spoke grimly, devoid of satisfaction that there was now a plausible, if somewhat tenuous, link to Gambini.