Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty: Grim Discovery

Jay looked at the expectant faces reluctant to divulge a theory he was sincerely hoping was wrong.

"No harm in putting your idea out there," Al encouraged as the silence lingered.
"We need to consider all possibilities," Voight added, "right now we have nothing to go on so any starting point would be good."
"Jay your instincts have never let you down before," Parker stated frankly, understanding the reticence to offer up something without tangible supporting proof.
"It's just Mouse said the Victims have nothing in common," Jay looked at his old Ranger friend, "but they all have something that could be valuable ...,"
"I'm lost," Adam complained as confused glances went around the room.
"Organs," Jay succinctly explained receiving a nod from the IT Technician.
"That could explain the age range," Antonio stated after contemplating the possibility.
"Big money to be made from desperate people," Kevin grimly summed up the organ trading black market.
"But why hasn't any hospital reported Patients coming in after organ removal?" Antonio, like the others, knew medical institutions were obliged by law to report any such instances.
"Because there are no Patients," Jay spoke with a certainty which sent a chill down his friends' spines, they trusted his instincts.
"Now hang on a minute," Collins looked around at the acceptance he saw on the Chicago mens' features, "that's just a possibility it's not a fact ...,"
"It would explain the disappearances," Pearson acknowledged, "but we need something concrete to go on."
"We find a burial site you'll have your proof," Al put in.
"That's a lot of bodies," Kevin mused solemnly, the notion sickened him but it made sense.
"Difficult to hide," Collins pointed out considering the practicalities of such an operation.
"Mouse you said Gambini owns lands in a number of states," Jay recalled, "might be wise to check lands closest to Seattle and Chicago."
"Good idea," Voight readily approved when the green eyed Detective looked to him for permission, if Halstead had a gut instinct he was willing to back it.
"What good is knowing about lands when we can't get a Warrant?" Pearson hated to put a dampener on things but they had to be realistic.
"Four years," Jay commented succinctly.
"What?"
"They've been doing this for four years, that we know of, so by now it's become routine and that increases the likelihood they've become slack."
"That length of time without being caught will have emboldened them," Al concurred.
"And whatever about a Warrant for their lands perhaps the adjacent lands could shed some light."

"Guys the whole organ stealing thing is just a possibility," Collins decided to voice his concerns, "getting a Warrant for adjacent lands wouldn't be easy either."
"If Jay reckons it's organ stealing it is," Adam declared firmly, earning accompanying nods of agreement from the rest of the Unit.
"As for a Warrant we could always just seek assistance from the Neighbours," Al noted.
"Without telling them what we're looking for?" Pearson challenged the cavalier attitude of the Chicago men.
"We could keep it simple," Voight explained after contemplating the matter, "ask them to help us with enquiries."
"And if they press for details?"
"We give them the standard response," Antonio joined in, "it's a case of 'need to know' for safety reasons."
"Like that will work!" Collins scoffed in exasperation.
"You haven't worked with us before," Al stated then grinned, "we can be mighty persuasive by simply being friendly ....,"
"What Al means is we have an ace up our sleeve," the Sergeant decided to put the Seattle men out of their misery, "one green eyed Detective who could charm honey from bees."
"I reckon it's the Irish in him," Antonio lamented with mock chagrin,
"people just like him and ....,"
"Guys I'm not ....," Jay could feel his face going red, at least the parts that weren't black and blue!
"See that," Kevin said triumphantly, "that humble modesty just blows people away. They love him."
"Before Jay explodes how about you just accept the Unit is right?" Parker stepped in to rescue the increasingly discomfited man and looked at the two FBI Agents speculatively.
"Guess we can see if it works," Collins finally capitulated, keeping his doubts to himself.