¡Bang!
The man fell heavily, smashing the chair against the floor.
Antonio moved at the same time. He ran after another hooded man who was trying to control the crowd and pressed the barrel of his gun against his neck.
—Don't move… or I'll shoot.
Ethan didn't stop. He kicked another man, lifting him off the ground, and in the same motion spun the Remington and slammed the butt of it into him. The blow sent him crashing into the man beside him.
Both fell to the ground, groaning. One of them curled in on himself, writhing like a cooked shrimp.
—Don't move!
Ethan stepped on the back of the man he had just taken down and pressed the barrel of his gun against his head. Under Hank's orders, Atwater moved quickly, restrained the man Ethan had kicked, and secured the handcuffs around his wrists.
The last hooded man froze, surrounded by four assault rifles aimed at his chest.
—Drop the weapon! —Hank roared—. Slowly. I don't want to shoot… don't make me.
—I'd love to —Ethan added coldly, his finger already resting on the trigger as he stared the man down—. But go ahead… do whatever you want.
Atwater licked his lips, tense, watching the scene.
—Don't shoot…
The hooded man was breathing hard. Finally, he lowered his weapon slowly and let it fall to the ground.
The moment he did, the other agents moved in immediately, subdued him, cuffed him, and began disarming the rest.
Ethan lifted his foot off the man's back.
This wasn't over yet.
Getting them to talk was only the first step. The hard part would come next: finding out who was behind all of this… and how to take them all down.
The scene was under control. Olinsky and Atwater stayed behind to keep watch.
The others, escorting the hooded agents, headed down the stairs.
Following Hank's instructions, they left those people with one last shred of dignity.
Their hoods stayed on.
Even so, Hank easily recognized his former partner.
As soon as they turned the corner, he shoved Jimmy violently against the wall, his eyes filled with disappointment.
—Why?
Ethan and the others ignored Hank and kept escorting the detainees downstairs.
Letting him say a few words wouldn't change anything.
Jimmy had been under control the whole time and hadn't seen Hank or Olinsky.
Only now did he realize who had arrested him.
—Hank.
Jimmy growled angrily.
—What the hell are you doing here?
Hank didn't hesitate.
—You're under arrest —he said coldly—. Suspected of robbery and murder.
Jimmy stared at him in disbelief.
—Are you insane?
Hank slammed his fist against the nearby wall, frustration clear in his voice.
—I can understand doing it for money… but killing that kid?
—Robbery? Kid?
Jimmy blinked, confused. A second later, anger flared in his eyes.
—Are you talking about this morning's case? What the hell does that have to do with me?
Hank frowned, not looking away.
Jimmy shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.
—This has nothing to do with that. This is an operation we've been preparing for six months —he said, pointing at the cuffed men—. We were going after a Triad leader.
Principio del formulario
Final del formulario
—Oh, really?
Hank stepped closer and stared him straight in the eyes.
—Then what is this? An arrest operation that requires wearing hoods?
He tugged at the hood several times, then yanked hard on his clothes.
—Where's your badge? Your ID?
—I've been working this area for eleven years —Jimmy replied through clenched teeth—. Everyone here knows my face. And all my men have families… I wasn't going to risk them.
Jimmy stepped forward and pressed his forehead against Hank's.
—You've operated like this before too… or don't you remember?
Doubt crossed Hank's mind.
Could there be a mistake?
—We were just following a lead… —he finally admitted—. You had the same SUV used in this morning's robbery.
Jimmy rubbed his wrists as soon as the cuffs fell to the ground. The red marks from the metal were already forming on his skin. He took a deep breath, trying to contain the anger boiling in his chest.
Then he looked up at Hank.
—You can call my superior —he said tensely—. He authorized this operation.
He gestured sharply toward the men cuffed on the ground.
—An operation your damn detectives just ruined.
He stepped back and let out a bitter, frustrated laugh.
—Damn it, Hank! We've been after that bastard for six months. Six months watching, waiting for the right moment… —he gestured around— and now it's all gone to hell.
Atwater and Antonio exchanged uncomfortable glances as they finished securing the detainees. Erin watched the scene silently, clearly aware that something didn't add up.
Hank didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on Jimmy, weighing every word.
Jimmy shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, still furious.
—You know what's going to happen now? —he muttered—. The target's going to disappear. His men too. All this work… wasted.
He stepped closer to Hank again, lowering his voice.
—So yeah… call my superior. Do it right now.
His eyes burned with anger.
Hank hesitated for a moment. Then he sighed and bent down to remove his cuffs.
—You, kid, you hit too hard.
—I'm sorry! —Ethan looked at Hank—
He knew exactly how hard he had hit. Fortunately, the blow had only stunned them, since the impact had landed on the vest.
Hank also knew Ethan had hit hard, so he immediately called an ambulance.
—Alright, now let's talk about the case.
Jimmy couldn't just take a beating for no reason; at the very least, the full story had to be clarified.
Since they were already involved, it would be inappropriate to say the case had nothing to do with them now.
Hank patted Jimmy on the shoulder.
—We'll talk on the way.
Erin stepped aside while speaking into the radio, one hand pressing the earpiece to hear better over the noise. Her expression, tense until then, changed immediately.
—What?… say that again.
On the other end, the voice sounded agitated.
Erin looked up at Hank.
—Where?
She listened for a few more seconds, nodding slowly.
—Copy that. Keep us updated.
She released the radio button and walked back toward Hank and Jimmy. Her face was now completely serious.
—Hank…
Everyone looked at her.
—They just reported over the radio —she said—. There's been another attack on a casino.
Jimmy frowned.
—Another one?
Erin nodded.
—Same pattern as this morning. Armed men, tactical gear, went in fast and got out before patrol units arrived.
Antonio let out a low whistle.
—At the same time?
—Practically —Erin replied—. The call came in a few minutes ago.
Hank looked at Jimmy. Jimmy looked back.
The realization hit both of them almost at the same time.
If the attack was happening now, then Jimmy's team couldn't have been responsible for the earlier robbery.
Jimmy let out a dry, humorless laugh.
—See? —he said, slightly spreading his hands—. I told you this had nothing to do with us.
Hank clenched his jaw, processing the information.
—Where was it? —he finally asked.
Erin подняла the radio again.
—At a massage parlor a couple of blocks away, Jade Paradise.
—That's less than ten minutes away.
—Then we better move —he said without looking back—. Because the guys you're looking for… are still out there.
When they arrived at the place, the area had already been cordoned off.
Ethan closed the car door and Antonio got out with him. Several others stepped out of nearby Cadillac SUVs: Hank, Jimmy, and another Chinese police officer.
They all showed their badges, lifted the caution tape, and quickly headed upstairs. Ethan approached a nearby patrol officer and quickly gathered the latest information.
Then he entered the adjacent monitoring room.
—Same as this morning: they go in, shoot, take the money, and are gone in under five minutes.
—Eyewitnesses said they had no reason to shoot.
—The casino staff were already cooperating, but they still couldn't escape death.
Watching the video on the screen, Jimmy frowned. No wonder the Intelligence Unit had targeted his arrest team.
If he weren't involved, he would've made the same call.
The number of people, their clothing, even their firearms—all were similar.
He clenched his teeth, not expecting the others to understand their operational patterns so clearly.
They all left the monitoring room, and Hank looked at Jimmy.
Jimmy stopped walking.
—Look, this is Han, he was our informant.
A few steps away lay a body. The man was on the floor, motionless; his head had several bullet holes, and the blood around him had already dried.
Jimmy clenched his fist in anger.
—Today's location… he gave it to me.
There were no further findings at the scene, and they quickly returned to the precinct.
In this way, inexplicably, the situation turned into two teams working the case together.
Rushing up the stairs, they ran into Burgess and Ruzek. Both looked disheveled; Burgess's hair was messy.
When they saw everyone, they still looked a bit embarrassed.
Ethan was the first to extend his hand to Burgess, a smile on his face.
—Nice work.
He had just received the news that they had taken down a thief.
—Thanks.
Burgess's face flushed slightly as she bumped fists with Ethan.
—Congratulations.
Atwater, coming up behind, smiled and opened his arms, and the two shared a strong hug.
While the Intelligence Unit had been busy, Burgess hadn't been idle either.
—Ruzek.
As the others approached, Alvin removed his hat and asked with a subtle expression:
—How's your day going? Learned anything useful?
—Yes, detective… I learned my lesson.
Ruzek was a smart man and had long realized why he'd been sent to patrol—it was a lesson in humility.
Alvin nodded in satisfaction.
If Ruzek still hadn't understood, Alvin wouldn't have minded keeping him in patrol until he did.
Ethan led the way into the bullpen.
The place, which should have been empty, had a Latina woman sitting there. She looked to be in her twenties, with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a gray and black casual suit.
Noticing someone coming up the stairs, she quickly stood up.
Her police badge hung from her belt.
Ethan removed his gun and asked, confused:
—Who are you?
However, the woman ignored him and looked at the people behind him.
Hank stepped forward, spread his hands, and said:
—How can I help you?
The woman straightened up and replied clearly:
—Hello, Sergeant Voight. I'm Mia Sumner.
—Uh-huh.
Hank looked completely puzzled.
—And what are you doing here, Detective Sumner?
Sumner seemed a bit uncomfortable.
—You haven't been informed yet.
Hank spread his hands.
—Informed about what?
—I'm a detective assigned to the Intelligence Unit. I'm glad to have the opportunity to work with you.
Sumner extended her hand to Hank with a confident smile.
For a second, no one said anything.
Glances were exchanged across the room. Antonio and Atwater looked at each other in surprise; it was clear even Hank knew nothing about this, and something like this almost never happened in the unit.
Hank looked at her outstretched hand, then back at her. He scratched his cheek impatiently before responding.
—No offense… but I choose the people who work with me.
Sumner's smile tightened slightly.
Hank made a brief gesture toward the door.
—So now you know—you can leave.
—Pfft.
Ethan couldn't help letting out a low laugh as the Latina detective's face hardened instantly. He shook his head and returned to his seat, crossing his arms as he watched.
The people behind him said nothing and kept walking forward.
They gathered in front of the board, watching the scene with interest.
Everyone knew Hank's stubborn temperament. A new person had been assigned without consulting him, so it was expected he'd tell her to leave.
Sumner reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card.
—Maybe you should make a call.
At that moment, Hank's office phone rang.
Hank didn't even take the card and walked into his office.
Faced with such a cold reception, the woman didn't back down. She gripped the card tightly, her gaze fixed on Hank as he spoke on the phone inside.
After a few minutes, he came back out. From his expression alone, it was clear he was furious.
—Everyone.
Hank stepped out of the office with an impatient look.
He forgot her name and turned to look at her.
—This is Detective Sumner —Hank said with a frown—. She'll be temporarily assigned to the Intelligence Unit.
At the word "temporarily," Sumner opened her mouth as if to say something.
Hank gestured for her to move.
—Jin!
—Yes, boss.
Jin, who had come up with them, quickly stepped forward.
—Take Detective Sumner to your office —Hank said, one hand in his pocket, looking coldly at the woman beside him—. Give her a tour.
It was obvious Sumner had been pushed down by higher-ups.
Not to mention Ethan—even when Ruzek joined the Intelligence Unit, there hadn't been anything like this.
—Alright.
Jin nodded.
—This way, please, detective.
Sumner looked at the indifferent gazes around her, wanting to speak but hesitating.
She let out a heavy sigh and followed Jin downstairs.
Hank looked around; now, including himself, there were nine people, standing or sitting, gathered around the board.
—Alright!
He clapped his hands.
—We can now confirm there's a gang of thieves out there impersonating Jimmy's arrest team. They're very likely ex-soldiers, and they've been eavesdropping on Jimmy's radio communications.
—They're using the intel from those communications to hit Triad casinos.
—What do you think? —Jimmy looked at Hank—. Back when we were partners, you were always the one in charge.
—Speak!
Seeing Antonio raise his hand, Hank pointed at him.
Antonio leaned over the table, placing his hands beside the board where photos of the robbery, Chinatown maps, and surveillance stills were laid out. His eyes scanned the images as he organized his thoughts.
—I think these guys… are desperate for cash. But they've taken very little in each hit —he began—, so they must be frustrated. Too much risk, not enough reward.
Antonio looked up at Jimmy.
—If they hear over Jimmy's radio that a much larger sum is moving through the area…
Erin immediately understood where he was going.
—They won't be able to resist —she said, leaning against a chair—. They'll go after it.
Antonio nodded.
—Exactly. My suggestion is simple: we set a trap. We use the radio we know they're intercepting… and let them come to us.
Silence fell over the room for a moment as everyone processed the idea.
Jimmy crossed his arms, looking at Hank.
—It's a good idea.
Hank studied the board for a few more seconds: the casino photos, the victims, the black SUV caught on camera.
Finally, he nodded.
—I agree. It's the best we've got for now.
He straightened up and pointed at the map.
—Alright. Then we prepare an ambush. But this time… —his gaze swept across the team—
Jimmy pulled out his phone and said in a deep voice:
—I'll add a few more details with my team.
—If we're putting on a show, let's make it realistic. We'll use a casino seized a month ago.
Jimmy stepped aside for a few minutes, then returned.
—Hank.
He finished his call, pocketed his phone, and walked over.
—The place is ready —he reported—. My men say they can clear it in half an hour.
Hank nodded slightly, evaluating the plan in his head.
He clapped his hands once and asked:
—Do you have any extra gear here?
Hank extended his hand.
—Anything you need.