Tolerance Book II

Chapter Sixty: Unforeseen

Silence fell as Jay answered after pressing the speaker function.

"So did you find what I left for you at Soldiers Field?" Kings' taunting voice enquired.
"No, but then I didn't look for anything."
"You're being very careless considering I gave you a warning "
"True but since when have you ever been helpful?" Jay met Parkers' approving gaze across the room.
"Now where is this animosity coming from?  I've always given you a chance to stop bad things happening.  It's not my fault you fail to save people."
"Is there a point to this call?"
"I underestimated you.  I know by now you've worked out about young Peter.  I have to admit I didn't expect you to make the connection so soon."
"Where is he?" Jay asked only because it was expected, he knew King would not give up his prize so easily.
"Well if I told you the game, or should I say this game, would be over.  I'd much prefer to let you run yourself ragged trying to find him.  Illinois is quite a big state.  The possibilities are ...... endless."
"How about a clue?  After all like you said Illinois is big," Jay requested as he looked at the others with a shrug, it was worth a try anyway however unlikely.
"Well since you asked so nicely," King spoke imperiously, "I will tell you he's in Chicago.  That narrows your search parameters down considerably so don't say I didn't give you a chance to save him."
"So all we have to do is find him in  a city of 8.9 million ...,"
"Within a reasonable time frame of course," King cut in.
"What time frame?" Jay looked at Voight, hoping Antonio and Kevin were having success at the busy transit terminal.
"You have three hours starting ...... now," King instructed before promptly ending the call.

"Hell!" Murphy cursed.
"We knew he'd make it hard," Al reasoned.
"There's hard and there's impossible," Parker put in.
"You sound certain the boy isn't at the station," Voight looked at the Psychologist in surprise, usually he backed Halsteads' theories.
"I'm not ruling it out but it just seems too easy," Parker sent an apologetic look towards Jay.
"I agree," the Detective concurred, "but I'm thinking that's why King will expect us to discount the possibility."
"Well until Dawson and Atwater get back let's narrow down some other possible locations," Voight headed for the door, "we also need to find out why he zeroed it on the Hills family."
"Surely the fact that the boy is ill was the reason," Murphy conmented.
"Yes but of all the ill children he could have chosen he chose this boy," Voight clarified, "I want to know what drew King to him."
"Besides his illness?" Parker frowned as  the AD and himself trailed the Sergeant into his office and sat down while Jay and Al peeled away and went to their respective desks after nodding to Adam who was going through his CIs.
"Yeah," Voight looked at the New Yorkers, "knowledge is power.  It's about damn time we had the same intel King has."
"Can't argue with that," Murphy conceded.
"Now I need to know how long more you two can stay?" Voight changed the topic as he opened a drawer, eyeing the pair speculatively.

Grand Central Station

Antonio and Kevin stood in the middle of the first office eyeing their surroundings intently.   The desks, chairs and filing cabinets had all been moved to the center of the spacious room and covered in canvas sheets for protection.  They had lifted the sheets to ensure there was in fact only office furniture underneath.  The surrounding floor area was empty.   The wall opposite the door was interrupted by a large window.  Other than that the walls were bare.   The Italian-American eyed his colleague and friend glumly.

"He's not here."
"No," Kevin sighed in defeat, when they had received Jays' phone call it had offered a glimmer of hope he had latched onto.
"We knew it was a longshot," Antonio muttered as his eyes scanned the canvas toppings thoughtfully, "a six year old boy wouldn't take up much room  ..,"
"Guess not," Kevin raised an eyebrow as he followed his friends' gaze, "he couldn't be ...,"
"Let's make certain," Antonio directed as he strode over to the nearest covered  object and pulled it off.
"We're probably wasting our time," despite the words the bearded man began yanking the coverings off.
"Jay said to check everywhere because King wouldn't pick an obvious place."
"I know," Kevin recalled, "but where could he hide him in here?"
"Beats me," Antonio shrugged as he uncovered a filing cabinet before moving to expose another object but then paused.
"What is it?"
"Jay also said just match size to a child and picture the boy in whatever we were dealing with ....,"
"So?" Kevin walked over to stand beside his companion in front of the filing cabinet, "he wouldn't fit in a drawer."
"No ... but what if the drawers have been tampered with?" Antonio took two quick strides and carefully pulled on the top handle.