Relapse

Wrong Side of the Table

Erin POV
I bit my lip and kicked myself for getting caught like this. I'd known narcotics had been on the case for quite some time but nobody had warned my about my old unit being on the case. I watched my old partner, Jay Halstead disappear around the corner. Antonio Dawson stood me up and told me to put my hands on the wall. He quickly searched me, pulling my two small knives and gun out from the belt I was wearing. He tossed them to Adam Ruzek and pulled my arms down behind my back rather roughly. I didn't say anything knowing nothing I could say would make the situation better for myself. I chewed on my lip as I was shoved into the back of one of the cars. My old unit regarded me with mixed emotions. No one tried to talk to me which was probably for the better.
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The two guys I had been on the mission with and I were led to separate interrogation rooms. I was hit with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. How many times had I sat here in this room? How many times had I been the one trying to get answers out of people? The one difference between those times and now was that I was on the wrong side of the table. The one thing I hated most about being in this room was not being able to see who was on the other side of the one way glass. No doubt some of my unit was observing me from outside. I tried to sit relaxed adorning a nonchalant expression. How did I end up here?

I knew that intelligence was probably almost done with the other two people. Truthfully none of us knew very much, but they knew less than I did and that was saying something. I kept trying to see who was outside but it was a fruitless effort. Really I didn't know if anyone was there at all. After what felt like eternity even though I had no way to check the time I saw the door open. There seemed to be some discussion happening in the hall about who would go in.

Finally Hailey Upton and Jay hurried into the room closing the door. I had only known Hailey for a short period of time. Jay on the other hand I had known for much longer and not just in a professional sense. He glared at me and though my first instinct was to avert my eyes I held his stare. After a while he turned away and I felt a flare of triumph even though I shouldn't have. Despite knowing it wouldn't work I kept trying to see outside the glass. I stared at every corner and even tried looking out with my head turned to the side.

"Did you even hear a word I just said?" Jay asked interrupting my efforts.

I shook my head and began trying to make out who was standing on the other side of the wall.

"Stop doing that, look at me not at the wall," Jay grumbled.

"Who's out there?" I asked challenging him.

He paused he seemed to have decided telling me wouldn't cause any harm "Just Voight."

I hadn't talked to him sense they had found me in the alley. I'd been avoiding him not really wanting to discuss my current situation.

"What were you doing out there?" Jay asked seeming to be barely holding back his anger.

Two years ago I had left Chicago without a word to him. He had called me a few time, but eventually I changed my phone number. I'd still been talking to Voight until six months ago. Until the night that my whole world changed.

Hailey reached across the table and unlocked the cuffs on my wrists. I'd kind of forgotten that they were there. I rubbed my wrists with the palms of my hands. They were red and irritated from me resisting them when we first arrived at the district.

Up until now, Antonio had been the only one really willing to deal with me. When they told me to get out of the car I had immediately been overcome with the need to get out. Antonio had put his hand firmly on my shoulder and began guiding me inside. I'd shrugged his arm off for no other reason than I wanted to walk up alone. Before I could walk inside out of the garage I hesitated. Antonio placed his hand between my shoulder blades to guide me along. I'd promptly elbowed him and the others quickly rushed over to assist Antonio. I'd put up a good fight but had been quickly overpowered. I knew it would be easier if I just went willingly like the other two men on my mission, Mark Sanchez and Nick Cettermen, but my instincts from my youth had kicked in leading me to fight. In fact Sanchez and Cettermen had been so well behaved I'm not convinced that they didn't do interviews in the break room instead of in here.

"C'mon Erin we could do this over coffee in the break room if you would just talk, the other guys are clueless, but they said that you're in way deeper than they are, " Hailey pleaded.

Jay took a different approach, "Look, Erin we have you for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer along with all the other thing you've done. We were going to drop the first two charges but we don't have to. If you cooperate then those charges disappear if  not things will just keep getting worse for you. Your choice."

I knew Jay was right but I decided to keep up this act for now.

"I'm assuming you won't get me a lawyer if I ask for one," I stated cooly.

Jay muttered something about not being able to deal with this right now and he got up and walked out the door leaving me having a face off with Hailey. 

Hailey sighed, "No, Voight would not get to excited about getting you a lawyer. You know what speaking of Voight if you'd rather talk to him instead of me I can go get him now?" Hailey challenged with faux innocence.

She knew I would much rather talk to her over Voight. She stood up and began to slowly make her way over to the door, daring me to stop her. I didn't really want to talk to her but I certainly wasn't ready to face Voight. 

"Fine," she stopped and looked at me, "I'll talk."

"Great," she sat back down and smiled.