Tolerance Book III

Chapter Fifteen: Going Solo

21st Precinct: Canteen

Jay eyed the stern looking Sergeant entering with Al trailing behind and frowned. This could not be good! He finished pouring a glass of water and then turned to give the newcomers his full attention.

"Who's the target?"
"Paul Adams. He's meant to be shot within twelve hours," Voight understood his young Detectives' direct approach, they didn't have time for chit chat.
"Damn! Guess that explains the suits," Jay shook his head in disgust even as he mentally acknowledged the challenge King had set for him.
"Be one helluva black eye if Adams is taken out. The powers that be don't like high profile killings. Guess King wanted people to hate you," Al commented sotto voce earning a glare from his old friend in the process which resulted in a shoulder shrug, "no good sugar coating it."
"Well we don't have much time to set something up since ...," Voight began.
"Not sure it will be necessary," Jay interrupted after considering the choice of target more carefully, "could be a game play."
"Yeah you kill one of the most popular Singers around or someone dies," Al shook his head.
"Not what I meant."
"Explain," Voight ordered, eager to obtain an explanation.
"Adams is too famous. King would have known I couldn't take him out within that short time frame .....,"
"Twelve hours gives you plenty of time," Al arched an eyebrow, his fellow ex-Sniper was well aware of this.
"Normally yes but Adams is embarking on a world tour ...... tomorrow."
"You a fan?" Al asked wrily.
"Nope but his tour has been on every newsstand this week," the auburn haired man threw his friend a dirty look before adding, "so King is setting me up to fail or .......," Jays' words pettered out as he reflected on the directive from the late Serial Killer.
"Or?" Voight prompted when it became clear the younger man wasn't going to continue.
"Or he's sending a message," Jay sighed as he rubbed a hand tiredly over his face as his cell rang, "back in a second."

"You agree with him?" Voight turned to Al as the door closed behind Jay leaving the two older men alone.
"Kid's got good instincts."
"King would expect us to fake an assassination," the Sergeant spoke thoughtfully, "the trick will be to make it look real enough that there are no doubts."
"Slight flaw with that plan," Al pointed out ruefully, "no way Adams is going to agree to go into hiding, especially on the eve of a world tour!"
"I can be quite persuasive," Voight stated grimly.
"We can't give a timeframe for how long he would need to lay low. Going to take some time to track down whoever King paid to oversee the operation."
"And we don't know how many UnSubs we're looking for."
"So basically we're facing an impossible situation," Al noted calmly, "but we've come out on top before and we will again."
"You giving yourself a pep talk?" Voight asked sardonically as Jay re-entered the room looking decidedly unhappy.

"We have a problem," the young Detective got right to the point.
"Talk," Voight instructed, one more problem was more than they needed!
"I was just told to be sure to really kill Adams ......,"
"Who phoned you?" Al checked as he sat up straight.
"Well that's where it gets odd. It was King .... his voice I mean. It was obviously a recording."
"What did he say?"
"That there are eyes on me," Jay shrugged, they had figured as much.
"So we need ....," Voight started to give instructions.
"Sarge," Jay quickly cut in, "I need to handle this. Do you trust me?"
"You know I do."
"Then let me do this."
"What exactly is 'this'?"
"I'm going to do what every Sniper does before a job."
"Which is?" the non military man asked testily.
"Do a recon of the targets' location," Al supplied knowingly.
"So what aren't you saying?" Voight demanded.
"I'm hoping when whoever is out there sees that I'm taking the instructions seriously they'll assume I'm going ahead with the hit."
"Stalling isn't going to work for long."
"I know," Jay nodded vaguely, a number of thoughts going through his mind as he tried to come up with a way to safely circumvent the dead mans' orders.

A knock on the door was preceded by Adam sticking his head in. His features tense.

"Sarge the FBI want to interview Jay. Now."
"Can you buy me some time?" Jay asked the Sergeant ignoring his best friends' confused look.
"Hell I'm good at office politics," Voight grumbled sarcastically but nodded his willingness to help in any event.
"You want company?' Al checked as the young Detective made short work of checking his handgun.
"Nope. This one I need to do on my own."
"In that case I'll shadow you and then you can lose me. Should convince whoever has eyes on you that the instructions are being followed."
"Thanks Al."
"Hey what's going on?" Adam entered the canteen fully and closed the door to ensure privacy.
"No time to explain," Voight insisted, "tell the FBI we'll be with them shortly. Just don't mention Halstead by name. We want to be as truthful as possible."
"Yes Sarge," Adam accepted the order before looking at the pale man across the room in concern, "whatever you're going to do just don't get dead."
"Schucks never knew you cared."
"I don't but my good suit is in the Dry Cleaners. Can't attend a funeral," Adam explained as he turned to leave the trio.
"I'll try to remember that," Jay stated seriously, he appreciated the sentiment hidden in the apparently offhand words.