—Hang in there, buddy. The ambulance will be here soon.
But the security guard couldn't hold on any longer. His body jerked twice, and the light faded from his eyes.
Slowly pulling his hands away, Ethan dropped to his knees.
He looked down at his palms, completely covered in blood.
He was furious. The man had only been doing his job. Ethan didn't know if he had a wife or kids—he had just tried to help, and ended up dead because of someone else's greed.
A tense shout rang out beside him.
—Drop your weapon!
Ethan simply showed his badge, and the two patrol officers lowered their guns.
Looking at the fallen guard in front of him, he clenched his fists.
—Detective, what happened?
One of the patrol officers approached cautiously, glancing at the bodies scattered around before asking nervously.
—Do you have a handkerchief? —Ethan asked, not answering directly.
The officer beside him glanced at his bloodstained hands and quickly pulled out two handkerchiefs, handing them over.
As he wiped his hands, Ethan picked up the phone he had tossed aside and dialed a number, jaw tight under the watchful eyes of the two officers.
Jin's urgent voice came through the line.
—Dispatch notified us. The sergeant and the others are on their way. Are you hurt?
—I'm fine, I wasn't hit… I need you to put out an alert on the attackers' vehicle.
Ethan gave Jin the details about the van. Then he hung up and stared coldly at the office buildings in front of him. Only three people knew he would be here with cash—and he already had a strong suspicion who had sold him out.
Seeing his expression, the two patrol officers didn't ask any more questions. They tactfully returned to their nearby squad car and began setting up caution tape.
Within moments, several patrol cars arrived at high speed. An attack on an officer had struck a nerve. The scene was quickly secured by seven or eight officers helping maintain order.
By then, Ethan had regained his composure. He returned to the car, grabbed the radio, and spoke.
—Jin, did you find anything on the vehicle?
—The patrol units tracking them found the minivan abandoned. There's some blood, but it looks like they got away.
—Tell them to check nearby surveillance cameras —Ethan said, turning to the arriving officers. Find witnesses and figure out which way they went.
At that moment, Hank's gray Cadillac screeched to a stop beside him.
Two more vehicles followed close behind. Everyone from Intelligence—except Detective Sumner—got out. Hank lifted the caution tape and stepped in quickly.
Seeing the four bodies on the ground, Hank frowned.
—What exactly happened? Were they coming for you or him? —Voight asked, his voice rough.
They had only been told that Ethan sent out an urgent call for backup after a notification from Platt. They still had no idea what had actually happened.
Under his colleagues' concerned gazes, Ethan clenched his jaw.
—No… they were coming for me —he said calmly, pointing faintly at the fallen guard—. He just got caught in the crossfire.
He paused briefly, organizing his thoughts before continuing.
—The rest were attackers… five of them, plus the driver, I think.
Aside from the one whose face was destroyed, the other two had already been brought over by patrol and unmasked. Both were Black men, apparently in their twenties.
Seeing the bullet wounds, Ruzek shook his head in disbelief at the kind of bad luck it took to go after Ethan.
—Hey… you okay? Didn't you go out for lunch? —he asked casually, though his eyes were sharp.
Ethan looked up, slightly surprised by his presence, studying him for a second.
—I'm fine —he replied, shrugging lightly— It just… happened fast.
Erin stayed silent. Her eyes moved over him, scanning every detail—his face, his hands, the way he held himself.
She was looking for the smallest sign, any hint of an injury that hadn't surfaced yet. She knew adrenaline could mask pain long enough to go unnoticed.
When she found nothing obvious, the tension in her body eased.
—I thought you were hurt… —she started, then stopped, shaking her head with a faint, unfinished smile.
Ethan tilted his head, studying her.
—I'm fine… thanks for worrying, but they weren't trying to kill me. They just wanted to rob me —he added quietly, not looking at her—. They didn't expect me to be armed. It looked improvised… they thought I'd be an easy target. They were rookies.
Erin let out a small breath.
—You're a magnet for trouble… —she said dryly, though there was relief underneath.
—Yeah… maybe that's true.
—And by the way… what exactly were they trying to rob you of?
At the question, Ethan's expression darkened.
At that moment, his phone vibrated.
It was the real estate agent, Reed.
Ethan didn't answer. He looked at Hank.
—Only two people knew what was in those bags. And they're in that building.
Everyone followed his gaze.
The tall office building gleamed under the light.
—Well… let's see what they have to say —Hank muttered, tilting his head slightly as his eyes scanned the place— They already know who he is… this should be easier than it looks.
—Wait.
Ethan stopped them.
—Halstead, Ruzek —he called, gesturing briefly— Stay with these bags. Once forensics is done, help me get them back to the station.
Ruzek's curiosity immediately kicked in.
—What's inside?
—Cash —Ethan said calmly, giving his arm a light pat— Watch it closely.
Silence fell instantly. Several looks were exchanged before returning to him, full of disbelief.
Only Hank reacted differently. He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, lowering his voice.
—How much money are we talking about for someone to hit you in broad daylight?
Ethan exhaled through his nose, as if the number didn't matter.
—Almost… six million dollars. I was on my way to close a deal on a house when they hit me.
He shrugged it off, adjusted his weapon, and turned toward the office building without looking back.
Behind him, the group stood momentarily stunned.
Ruzek lifted his hand, counting on his fingers, muttering under his breath.
Olinsky smacked him on the head.
—Just watch the bags.
Hank scanned the group and spoke in a deep voice.
—I want this kept inside Intelligence. To everyone else, it was a personal attack. These bags contain confidential unit material—no one opens them under any circumstances.
His gaze moved from one to another, firm.
—Tell forensics they can process the outside, whatever they need… but they don't open them. If there's a problem, they call me.
He paused, emphasizing every word.
—Once they're done, you take them straight to the office. No stops, no reports, no detours.
He wasn't about to let this get out of his control.
Everyone understood.
The officers Ethan had named moved quickly to stand by the bags.
He wasn't joking about something like this.
Ruzek watched Ethan's retreating back and smirked.
—Did you know Detective Morgan was a millionaire?
—No idea… but something's off. Nobody carries that kind of cash unless they're dealing drugs or laundering money —Halstead replied suspiciously.
Halstead nudged one of the bags lightly with his heel. He didn't want to think badly of Ethan—so far, even if his methods were aggressive, they'd stayed within the line—but this raised questions.
Ahead, Ethan had no idea Hank was covering for him.
—Don't worry —Hank said in a low voice— They won't get away.
—Hmm.
Ethan nodded, stepped into the building lobby with a cold, dangerous presence, and pressed the elevator button.
Several people were waiting.
They all stepped aside, murmuring quietly about the nearby shooting.
The elevator arrived.
A few people rushed in. Someone tried to follow, but Ethan's look forced him back, and the doors slowly closed.
Inside, the air was tense and heavy.
Erin and Antonio were practically bursting with questions, but seeing Ethan's expression, neither dared to speak.
Ding.
As soon as the doors opened, Ethan's phone vibrated again.
Reed.
Ethan stepped out, eyes narrowed, and stopped at the receptionist's desk.
—I have an appointment with Mr. Reed.
—Mr. Morgan? Is that you?
The receptionist quickly stood up.
—It is —Ethan nodded.
—That's great, your lawyer is already here. They're waiting in the conference room.
She noticed his displeased expression but kept smiling.
As she reached for the phone, Ethan stopped her hand and hung it up.
—No need to call him. Just take me there.
—Alright… this way, please.
She led the way. When they reached the conference room door, Ethan gestured for her to step aside.
—Bang!
He shoved the wooden door open hard with both hands.
Everyone inside turned at once. When they saw Ethan, their expressions shifted—impatience… and fear.
It was all an act. He was watching their first reactions. Ethan narrowed his eyes, catching the subtle tells in their posture and gaze.
Fear flashed in someone's eyes.
Their fingers twitched.
Ethan locked onto the target instantly.
He hadn't expected it.
—Mr. Morgan, I'm glad you're alright. There was a shooting—I thought you might've been hurt. It's a pleasure to see you safe.
Reed stepped forward quickly, smiling.
Ethan ignored his outstretched hand and walked forward slowly.
—I'll be honest with you… You've got a lot of nerve trying to rob me. You're the first one to try.
He smiled coldly, showing his teeth.
—And you almost pulled it off.
He stopped and placed both hands on the table.
—Sabrina… I really admire your courage.
—I don't know what you're talking about —Sabrina said, swallowing hard, forcing a smile.
—Oh, really?
Ethan suddenly grabbed her delicate cheek.
—Look at my hand.
The strong smell of gunpowder and blood hit her instantly.
A blood-soaked hand hovered in front of her face.
Her expression twisted under his grip as she stared in horror.
The metallic scent made her feel like she couldn't breathe.
The sudden turn of events left everyone in the room stunned.