Detective Ln; An Adam Ruzek Love Story

A War Zone

Yn's POV

While Adam and I were laying in bed, our phones rang. There was a new crime scene we had to go to. "Wait" I say and grab Adam's arm to stop him from getting up. "5 more minutes in bed?" Adam smiled and leaned over to me. "How can I say no to you" he asked before placing his lips over mine. And then minutes later, we were at a crime scene. Erin and Jay arrived minutes after us.

"What do we got" Erin asked. "A call came in. Suspicious package by the lake. Family was setting up for their kid's birthday party. Roger and Ashley Basinski over here. The mother found a backpack soaked in what she believed to be blood. Recovered right over here" Adam said and pointed to a spot. "She open it" Jay asked. "Yeah, and she found a surprise inside" I say. Just then, a little girl's screams hit my ears. We all ran towards the shore to see a body being washed up. Adam and Jay ran into the water while Erin lead the girl back to her family.

I ran over to check on the body to see if the man was still alive, but I knew when I saw him that he was dead. His body was blue and pale. He had a few open chest wounds, and his forehehead kind of caved inwards. The man's lips were also gone, and his teeth were all messed up. "Oh god" I say and clutch my stomach.

Erin and Jay went to the morgue and found a tattoo on the man's body which they sent to Mouse. "Hey, anything come back on the tattoo" I ask. "Yeah, I went through the intake records at the morgue... checked every death certificate from April 22, 2010... by hand. They're not online" Mouse said. "So that's a no then" I ask. "No. It's Grace Clarendon. Cause of death: leukemia. She was 14. LKA for her mother is at the bottom of the page, right hand side. You're welcome" Mouse said and handed me a file.

"Tyler Clarendon. This woman outlived both her kids. His new best friend was Tony Chin. 20. Junior at Central Chicago U. No criminal record, but the last few weeks, he suddenly appears all over Tyler's social media profile" Antonio said. "Mouse, you dump his phone records" Voight asked. "Yeah, there's dozens of calls between Tyler and Tony Chin, all less than two minutes in duration and at all sorts of crazy hours" Mouse replied. "Have Atwater and Ruzek take a run at this guy" Voight said.

Hours later, Adam and Antonio did some digging which lead us to a boat. "Sarge, boat's owned by John and Christie Fitzgerald. They're a well-connected Chicago couple who made a good chunk of change in construction. I just checked with Customs. As of three days ago, they've been on vacation in Italy" Erin said. "Any border crossing to Canada" Voight asked. "None." "But their son, Scott, attends Central Chicago U. Goes by 'Scoot.' He and Tony Chin were in Chem I together" Al said. "All right, Mouse, get me a nexus on the phone records for him, Tony Chin, and Tyler. And have patrol pick this Scoot up and bring him in here. I want to talk to that guy" Voight said.

Mouse just sat at his desk staring at his phone. "You not wanting to be here isn't gonna work either, Mouse. You want to stay, then do your job. You don't want to stay, that's a separate conversation" Voight said. Mouse had told me that he was offered a high position in the Rangers Unit of the army. And he really wanted it. The thing was, unless his felony charge was cleared, he couldn't take the job. "I've done my job. I've done my job since the day I got here. Busted my ass for you. I never... never once asked for OT. And all I'm asking for is a favor... a favor so that maybe I can live my life the way that I'd like to" Mouse said. "Don't go out like this, Mouse. You've come too far" Voight said before walking into his office.

Mouse and Jay then went into the kitchen, and I could tell that they were arguing. So I entered the kitchen to break up the fight. "Hey, hey, guys. We're done here. Okay? We are on a case. Mouse, go back to your desk" I say. Mouse listened and left the room. "I'm gonna get through to him. And he's gonna be all right" Jay said. "Listen. What you two went through and what you carry is real. And you know that if you ever need my help carrying it, you just have to ask me. Why are you not listening to him" I ask. "Because going back is not the right move for him" Jay said. "For you. Him going back is not the right move for you. I love Mouse like a brother Jay. And if he decided to go back, I'd be a bit upset because I'd miss him. But if you were the one that wanted to go... would you let anybody stand in your way" I ask before leaving the room.

Al and Voight brought Scoot in and interviewed him. We got more information which meant more leads. "Walter Ng. Hardcore crime boss in Chinatown. Alleged to be in everything from prostitution to high-stakes gambling" Antonio said. "He's been identified as the source of the fentanyl coming into Chicago, so he is responsible by coercion for Tyler's death" Voight said. "His operation's slick. The modified fentanyl originates in China and gets shipped to Ng's connect in Blind River, Ontario. And our boy Scoot... he zips up from the marina. Tony Chin brings a couple of college kids to mule it down" Antonio said.

"Marine unit says they put oxygen tanks and a GPS in weighted backpacks along with the dope. If the Coast Guard rolls up, dump the bag, come back later that night, press a button, and boom... floats to the surface" Adam said. "Then from Canada, they head here, south of Mackinaw City, Michigan. They stop to refuel at Rowley's Bay. Then down into Chicago" Antonio said. "Where Scoot gives the drugs to Red and several other scumbag dealers, and they sell it to kids on the street" I say. "We can't touch Ng because he's modifying the chemistry of the fentanyl" Erin said. "Yeah, but as soon as he processes it here in Chicago, we can hit him with calculated criminal drug conspiracy and accessory to murder" Voight said. "Any word on why he allows himself to be called Scoot" Adam asked. "None yet."

"Sarge, can I stay back from this one? I've got some business to take care of" I say. "Sure Ln. If you want to stay, then you can stay" Voight said. I nodded and headed into the garage where Mouse was sitting by some computers. "Mouse" I say to get his attention. He turned around and spotted me. "Hey Yn. What's up" he asked. "I just want you to know that I am behind you 100% for whatever you decide to do. If you want to go back to the Rangers, then I'll let you. And that's why I got you something" I say and slide a piece of paper over to him.

"Is this-" I cut Mouse off. "Your felony discharged? Yeah. Platt owed me a favor. And I decided that it was time to cash it in." Mouse set the paper down and gave me a hug. "I love you so much" he said. I smiled and clutched him tightly. "I love you too Mouse" I say as tears began streaming down my face. "Try to call me as much as you can. I'd love to hear your voice every once in a while. And I put your picture on my desk." "You have been an amazing friend Yn. One of the best I have ever asked for. Thank you" Mouse said. "No problem. Now, I think this calls for a trip to Molly's. I'm paying" I say. "You know how much I love free drinks" Mouse said. "Lets go."