Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty- Four: Federal Investigation

21st Precinct

As Jay had predicted the FBI Agents assigned to the case were less than enamoured with his refusal to divulge his source. For over an hour he had sat in Voights' office with the aforementioned man and two brusque Federal Agents who had flown in from, of all places, Seattle. That information had been imparted offhandly but it divulged there was something bigger going on. The Chicago FBI Field Office would normally have sent personnel. Voight and Jay both suspected, without the need to confer, that the presence of Seattle Agents signified a major investigation was already in the pipeline. Fifty-six year old grey haired Special Agent in Charge Mike Collins stood over six foot tall. His stocky build a testament to a lack of exercise and where his sole focus lay, on the job. His blue eyes reflected a sharp intelligence and he had an air of authority which he had no doubt honed over the years to get his way.
His brown haired, brown eyed forty-nine year old shorter Partner, Rod Pearson, clearly spent time in the gym. His tailored suit delineating the well toned muscle underneath. Despite his slighter and less imposing frame Pearson also exuded an air of authority.

Voight shared a look with his Subordinate. They had been going around in circles. The Visitors insisting all information had to be shared and Voight and Jay refusing to comply. He addressed the Agents in his usual no nonsense fashion.

"We're wasting valuable time. Halstead will not disclose his source no matter what pressure you bring to bear ....,"
"But .....," Collins began to argue again only to be cut off.
"How many are missing in Seattle?" Jay decided to ask his own question.
"Why do you think anyone is missing in Seattle?" Pearson challenged the man in the chair beside him.
"Hah!" Voight rolled his eyes, he wasn't in the mood for games.
"You're here," Jay shrugged.
"So can we get down to business? Voight asked gruffly.
"We have twenty-one missing ....," Collins finally divulged after a brief silence.
"Damn!" the green eyed Detective cursed softly.
"We know Gambini has operations in Seattle," Voight stated, "have you tied him to any of the missing?"
"Five had known links to him," Pearson explained after receiving a nod from his Partner, "but there's nothing that would give grounds for an arrest."
"Our Victims are both male and female," Jay shared readily, eager to finally get down to business, "our Victims range between sixteen and twenty-three ....,"
"Ours are between sixteen and twenty-four," Pearson put in thoughtfully, "it's a pretty wide age spectrum."
"All homeless?" Voight checked.
"Yeah," Collins confirmed unhappily, that factor had hidden the disappearances for a long time.
"When did the first one disappear?" Jay asked.
"Four years ago " Pearson supplied solemnly, it rankled him that someone was targeting homeless people with seeming immunity.
"Same timeline as ours."
"You're on this hecause of Gambini?" Voight asked bluntly, there was no point in pussyfooting around.
"You don't think over thirty missing people warrants investigation?" Collins challenged, not answering the question.
"You don't think thirty-four missing people warrants investigation?" Voight tossed back tersely.
"We're all on the same side," Jay spoke softly but firmly after sharing a knowing look with Pearson, the two older men were both Alphas it appeared but squabbling would not benefit anyone, "let's work together to get answers."
"What he said," Pearson put in steadfastly ignoring the glare from his Partner.
"Young ones today have no respect for their Elders," Voight finally broke the silence that had fallen with a rueful look at Collins, his youngest Detective was right.
"It would seem so," Collins agreed in mock despair before becoming serious, "okay let's work together and find out what happened to those missing. How familiar are you with Gambinis' operations?"
"We've been getting acquainted," Voight referred to the Units' in depth research into the Mob Boss.
"But you knew about him before this," the SAC stated rather than asked.
"We take all illegal activities in our jurisdiction seriously," the Sergeant pointed out, "he's been on our radar a long time but he runs a very tight ship ...,"
"Which accounts for his success," Pearson acknowledged unhappily, they had the same problem in Seattle.
"So what's the FBIs' take on why the Victims were taken?" Jay asked forthrightly, with their resources he assumed they had a theory by now.
"So far we have absolutely zilch," Collins reluctantly admitted.
"What does your Profiler say?"
Voight asked curiously.
"Not much he can really offer at this point in time. Without any Victims or crime scenes there's nothing of consequence to go on."
"You reckon they're dead?" Jay asked softly, there was no need to specify who he was referring to.
"At this point it seems likely although we have no bodies."
"Unfortunately that doesn't mean anything," Pearson reminded grimly, they all knew bodies could be dealt with in any number of ways to ensure they were never found.
"What intel do you have on Gambinis' people trafficking?" Voight decided to share their most recent line of inquiry as a show of co-operation.
"There's nothing to suggest he's running that type of operation in Seattle," Collins noted, "how sure are you that Williams saw something relating to trafficking?"
"I'm not," Voight readily admitted, "we just put it together with the missing people."
"Your Witness can't ....,"
"There was no Witness," the Sergeant quickly corrected what he knew was not a casual reference then sternly warned, "so don't even try going down that route again ...,"
"I told you my Source can read lips," Jay spoke solemnly, "that's how we know what Gambini and Williams said to each other but that's it. My Source is in no way a Witness and ...,"
"It's interesting you don't refer to your Source as a CI," Collins noted.
"The subject is closed," Voight cut in before his Detective could respond, purposefully not denying or confirming if the Source was an Informant to further muddy the waters if the Feds went digging.