Chapter 15

Kim walked into the district and Trudy took her glasses off, giving her an unpleasant look. Kim ran up the stairs, not looking at her because Trudy's glares frightened her.

"My office, now." Hank said when she got upstairs.

"What's this about?"

"I just want to talk to you."

"About?"

"I know you and Ruzek over there have a 'past', if you get what I'm saying."

"What are you talking about? Nothing is going on between us. You have my word."

"Can I trust that you two can work together?"

"Meaning?"

"I'm making you two partners."

"This can't be real..." She whispered as quietly as possible.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I'll be happy to work with him."

"That's good."

She walked back out into the office, Jay started laughing.

"What is so funny?" Kim demanded.

"Nothing."

He tried his hardest to muffle his laughter. Soon, Erin started laughing too.

"Voight trusts you two as partners?" She asked, on the verge of having tears from her laughter.

"I don't dig it." Kevin said.

"You two need to be focused on work, not each other naked the night before." Julie said.

"You got a point there." Antonio said.

"You guys haven't changed at all in sixteen years, have you?"

At the same time, all of them said "No."

The phone at the front of the squad room started ringing. Kim picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Where's my mommy and daddy?" It was Mikayla.

"Is everything okay sweetie?"

"There's a bad man with a gun here in my school. I'm hiding in the art closet. I'm scared!"

"Hold on, we'll be there as soon as we can." She hung up.

"Who was that?" Hank asked.

"Mikayla. The school is on lockdown because there's a gunman inside."

"WHAT?!" Erin yelled.

"Calm down."

"HOW CAN I?! OUR DAUGHTER IS IN THAT SCHOOL!" She said.

"That's not going to happen. She knows what to do in a situation like this."

"Everyone, suit up." Hank ordered as he went into his office to grab his vest.

The SWAT team was surrounding the school, hundreds of police officers keeping watch. There was caution tape in front of the entrance, Erin tried running right through it.

"Miss, no one is allowed in there. There's a gunman inside."

"I DON'T CARE!" Erin screamed and pushed past him.

"Erin, don't."

"He's holding people hostage in there! Mikayla is in there. I don't want her to get hurt!"

"Hold on. I got this." Kim told her and walked right past the officer guarding.

"Miss, no one is allowed in there."

"Let me do my job." She told him.

He was taken aback by her sudden intensity of words, so he let her pass. She walked inside the school, hand on her gun. She found Mikayla's classroom, everyone was hiding under tables, in the closets and every other hiding place in the room there was. Kim sent a message to the teacher so she would know it was safe to open the door. The kids were crying and shaking.

"It's alright, I'm a police officer. I'm here to help."

Mikayla ran into her arms.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm here."

"Are my mommy and daddy outside?"

"Yes they are. Your teachers are going to take you out to see them. Okay sweetie?"

"Okay."

She inspected the hallway, saying it was clear for the kids and teacher to exit the building. Mikayla ran right over to Jay.

"Daddy!"

He picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Daddy's here. You're safe now."

"Mommy's here too." Erin said as she rubbed her back.

"Auntie Kim is in there. I'm scared. What if the mean guy gets her?"

"He won't. She'll be okay."

She inspected the entire rest of the first floor, it was all clear. The students and teachers exited the building. She heard noises up on the second floor. Walking up the stairs, she held it straight in front. A man's voice could be heard yelling angrily. She inspected the left half of the top floor, no one but more teachers and students. She rushed them down the back stairwell. At last, she found the room the gunman was in. He was holding a group of students and a teacher hostage. She kicked down the door.

"CHICAGO PD! PUT THE GUN DOWN!" She yelled. The kids screamed and the gunman turned the gun on her.

"I'm not telling you again you, put the gun down!" She screamed. He turned the gun back on the kids and teacher.

"How about you give me your gun and I'll let them go?"

The kids looked at her with tear filled faces.

"Fine." She dropped the gun.

"Now kick it over to me."

She just sat there and stared at him.

"I said kick it over to me!"

She kicked it over to him. He yelled at the kids and the teacher to get out before he shot them. He picked up the gun and pointed both at her.

"You really think I'm scared of you?" Kim raised an eyebrow.

"You should be." He told her.

"You're just angry and hurt because not enough attention was paid to you as a kid. Now you feel the need to take it out on everyone else because you feel neglected."

"SHUT UP!" He yelled at her.

"Why did you think you needed to hold up an elementary school? These are children!"

He clicked the trigger. "Shut up. You're wrong. I was loved. Not by my father anyway. He was rich and all he cared about was his stupid business. Not about me, my mother or my sister. He doesn't deserve the father title."

"Why do this? What do you think you're going to get out of it?"

He smacked her across the face with the gun. The force threw her to the ground. He got closer to her and pointed the gun right at her head.

"Please don't."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" He kicked her in the ribs.

Meanwhile, everyone was beginning to worry.

"Does anyone know if they've got a view from across the street?" Hank said into his walkie talkie.

"Checking for you now." A voice said back.

"Let me go in there, please." Adam begged.

"No. It's too dangerous."

"What if he kills her?!"

"He won't."

Adam let out an angry huff and leaned against the squad car. Antonio walked over to him.

"Trust Voight on this one. Has he ever lied to us before?"

"No."

"Everything is going to be fine."

Julie walked over too. "She'll be okay."

"I'm just worried about her."

"We all are."

The gunman clicked the trigger one more time.

"If I click it again, you'll die."

"Let me go."

"Not alive I certainly won't." He kicked her again and than punched her.

"I'm going in there!" Adam stormed in, wielding his gun. He found the room and snuck up upon it silently to avoid being heard.

"Last chance. Give me your backup gun and then maybe I'll think about letting you go."

"Nice try, dirtbag." Adam held his gun against the back of the guy's head. He immediately radioed for backup. The guy put his hands up and dropped both guns. The rest of the unit came in and searched him. Adam rushed over to her, barely conscious on the floor.

"Are you okay?" He put an arm around her.

"I don't know."

He lifted her chin up and noticed the right side of her face was bruised and bloody.

"You need to go to a hospital."

"Getting kicked, punched and slap doesn't hurt a bit." She lied.

He took her vest off and undid the top of her shirt. There were bruises scattered all over her chest and upper stomach area.

"That looks like it hurt to me." He did her shirt back up and put the vest back on her. She attempted to walk, but fell.

"I got you." He picked her up and brought her outside. She smiled up at him.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?"

"For saving my life."

"I couldn't risk losing you because I love you."

"I love you too."

"I think you need to take a couple days off from work after this. I have some vacation time starting soon. I'll come stay with you for a few days."

"This was only my second day in Intelligence. I don't want Hank to think I did this on purpose."

"He's not even mad."

"Is Mikayla okay?"

"Erin and Jay took her home. Everyone is fine and that's all thanks to you."

"But I gave him my gun..."

"You did the right thing. The smartest thing you can do in a hostage situation is cooperate with them. You've been taught well."

She wrapped her arms around him in a hug as they walked over to their squad car.