Tolerance Book I (Chicago PD/Med FF) by Frances51163

Chapter One Hundred: Execution Stayed

Adam was relieved to get back to their temporary workplace to update the others on what one Michael Peters had divulged after coming around in the ambulance on the way downtown.  He had phoned Voight after leaving the hospital but was informed by the terse Sergeant that he could brief everyone to save time as Antonio and Al were staying on surveillance duty at the warehouse.

"So what did Peters say?" Kevin demanded as soon as the Sergeant had called for silence from the head of the room, with Moretti at his side.
"Jay saved his life.  Peters was pretending to be unconscious and Jay was told to kill him. Jay made a show of checking his pulse and said it was too late he was already gone."
"Maybe Halstead thought he was dead," forty year old James Summers posed the question thoughtfully from where he leant against a window sill.
"No," Adam shook his head, "when he was untying him from the chair he had been in Peters opened his eyes slightly and Jay winked at him."
"So how come Jay didn't wind up in the alley with him?" Moretti enquired.
"Petrocelli has a soft spot for him," Hank looked at his old friend with a frown, "you have something on your mind?"
"Brown doesn't take dissent lightly."
"According to Peters Jay refused to kill him.  Brown was furious."
"I'd like to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation," Mouse observed ruefully from behind his monitor.
"Yeah.  Halstead must be one cool hombre if he can face down Brown and live to tell the tale," Summers said with genuine admiration in his voice.
"Well according to Al Brown has left the warehouse," Hank began only to be interrupted.
"He should have killed him," Moretti spoke quietly but had the attention of everyone in the room.
"There a problem?" Hank frowned.
"Brown has killed four people we sent in," Summers reminded them of the information exchanged at the first briefing, "okay three were CIs but still he killed them all, without waiting for Petrocellis' orders.  Why hasn't he killed Halstead?"
"Am I missing something?" Adams' patience was wearing thin, he felt like they were out of the loop.
"Look it's great Halstead is okay," Summers quickly placated, "what I'm asking I guess is ... is there something else about your friend that stopped Brown killing him?"
"Besides the fact that he looks like Peterocellis' dead son?" Hank queried as he looked around at the local team as his mobile vibrated.
"Besides that," Hillman agreed from his desk beside Mouse as he paused in his computer work.
"Sullivan has a military background," Hank reminded.
"Exactly," Moretti nodded, "which means they're still planning something."
"We knew that already," Adam noted as he looked around the room then realized something aggrievedly, "ye discounted the military angle?!  We told ye that Jay thinks there is something bigger planned than taking out the Recruitment Officer.  Ye didn't think it was a valid possibility?!"
"Adam clam down," Hank ordered after checking two texts he had received, "this isn't getting us anywhere.  For now I need you and Summers to take over at Petrocellis' house. Brown just got back.  Looks like he's packing."
"Sure Boss," Adam said resignedly as he picked up his jacket and followed Summers out.
"Kevin I want you and Hillman to go over the surveillance equipment for tonight.  I want eyes and ears on that warehouse."
"It's not going to be possible to get anything in the warehouse physically, unless Jay can do it," Mouse cautioned.
"I know that but I want to hear what's going on in there.  This whole thing is too unpredictable.  We need as much intel as we can gather," Hank growled unhappily, uneasy that his youngest Detective was on his own essentially.

Petrocellis' Warehouse

Jay looked across the desk at the hefty middle aged man and wondered if the gun he had just pulled out of a drawer was loaded or not.  He had known standing up to Brown would have consequences but he had hoped they would only result in physical injuries rather than something more permanent.  Voight would shoot him if he got killed!!!

"Brown thinks I am giving you too much trust," Petrocelli finally stated as he glanced at his handgun, "why do you think that is?"
"I don't know Mr. Petrocelli. I've worked hard since you took me on.  I'm not afraid of hard work. It's just .....,"
"Just what?" the older man urged.
"I guess when Johnny told me he might be able to get me some work I didn't really consider the consequences," Jay admitted in embarrassment, "I was too strapped for cash and ....,"
"And now you have some money in your pocket you don't want the job?"
"No that's not what I'm saying," Jay quickly defended as he stifled a cough, "I don't mind manual labour.  Just thought you had some use for my other skills."
"I did say I might need your specific skills but you have twice refused to kill people.  How am I to believe you would carry out a hit?"
"Give me a mission and I'll carry it out.  If it's important to you."
"So why did you really refuse to kill that young man who stole from me?"
"I wasn't going to kill someone desperate enough to steal under the nose of armed guards.  Besides with what you have them wearing he couldn't have stolen much."
"True," Petrocelli looked at the weapon in his hand again before replacing it in the drawer and sitting up straighter on his chair, "you never once looked away from me as I was speaking to you."
"Mr. Petrocelli?"
"That tells me you weren't lying.  A man who lies does not look in someones' eyes all the time as he does so.  You I can trust."
"Yes," Jay nodded in agreement swallowing his inner guilt, hell he hated this job!
"Let's go back to the house," the big man stood up and walked around the desk then stopped before opening the door with a rare smile, "Jimmy and Paul will be glad to see you."

Unknownst to Jay Jimmy and Paul had not expected to see their new friend again.  In the past when Brown took a disliking to someone Petrocelli had taken them out with his handgun so when Jay held open the main door for the mob boss to walk through both men exchanged lookss of relief before covering up their emotions.

"Was wondering if you had chickened out on our game tonight," Paul muttered softly to Jay after he had opened the back door for his employer.
"Not a chance. I plan on winning big," Jay winked as he got into the drivers' seat as Jimmy slid into the seat beside him.

As he headed back towards the house the tired man wondered just what exactly had stayed his execution.  It had become clear to him that Petrocelli had seriously considered killing him.  The fact that the older man said he could trust him left him with a sour taste in his mouth.  The main reason for jumping into Intelligence was to get out of this work. The lines got blurred and the path became murky as one tried to move forward in an investigation without causing harm to anyone and getting the job done.  Unfortunately he knew all too well that those two elements of all undercover missions were subject to variation.  One couldn't always play fair when trying to forge a solid belief system in a make belief undercover character.  He rubbed his forehead as he slowed upon approaching traffic lights as they turned red. Glancing to his left he noticed Adam and a stranger in a parked SUV. Bringing a hand up to his ear he patted it twice as he turned his gaze to the lights overhead.  At least Adam would think all was well he consoled himself after giving the signal.  He just wished the case was over already.  All he could do was hope they caught a break sooner rather than later because he wasn't really sure how much longer he could carry on. A slap on his shoulder from Jimmy reminded him he had been in his own world and he quickly took his cue and moved off since the lights had changed. Damn it!  This was not the time to be sick he scolded himself.  They needed to take Petrocelli down before more people died.  He resolved to put aside his health problems.  He'd get through like he always did and that was all there was to it.

tbc