⋆° დ ༄ RISKY BUSINESS
chapter four. now is always temporary.

Maxine drove down the badly lit streets of chicago, her hands wrapped around her steering wheel to the point that her knuckles were turning paper white. She was seething with anger about her fight with Adam.

They had never been so angry with each other before. But 31 years of built up anger had to come out at some point right?

As she was about to pull over at the curb and go into some bar, she got a text from her partner saying they caught a case.

The brunette girl sighed and started her car back up and went to the address that Jay had texted her.

Maxine arrives at the scene 10 minutes later, and gets out, putting on her vest when Voight and Lindsay pull up not even a minute later.

"House belongs to a dean masters. His file was red flagged to notify intelligence, but he must've been before my time" Antonio says, showing Voight his picture. Hank points to the picture in realizing who he was and says, "oh yeah, him. That robbery at the art institute last year. We liked him as the fence"

"Neighbors heard a woman scream. We knocked, he yelled out that he had a gun and to leave him alone" the patrol officer states.

A few minutes later, Voight walks up to the front door with his team behind him, with their guns drawn, and slams his hand on the door, "Masters! This is sergeant Voight with the chicago police" then he looks at Mickey who holds up a shot gun, "open up. Make this easy on all of us"

"He's gonna kill me!" A woman screams from inside. Voight looks at Mickey who takes the shotgun and shoots the doorknob clean off, making it easier for them to get in.

As they storm in, guns ready for action, Voight yells, "drop it!" To masters who had a gun to the woman's head.

"I told 'em I would kill her" Masters says, moving more into the living room, dragging the girl in front of him.

"Drop it masters!" Voight demands, as they walk into the living room after him.

"We're here to help" Lindsay states.

"Let her go!" Maxine demands, her gun pointed right at his arm that was putting the woman into a choke hold.

"All were trying to do is have a good time. Isn't that right?" He says, pushing the woman's face into a bowl of cocaine.

"Drop it! Hands in the air!" Jay yells. Erin waves her arms in front of everyone and says, "easy. Easy. Easy"

"She set me up! She's trying to get me killed" masters says, still pointing the gun at the woman's head but his hand was shaking tremendously.

"Fine, you're right. We can handle that"

"I got info. I . . . I got info on a deal that's going down and that's why she set me up"

"I don't know what he . . . what he's talking about, I swear to god" the woman exclaims, her hands around the man's arm, trying to get free.

"Alright, we will help you. We will help you but you've got to let her go first. You don't need her. Come on. Give her to me" Lindsay encouraged. Masters hesitated letting her go, but he did.

"I'm dead anyways" he says, then takes the gun putting it under his chin and fires.

Maxines mouth fell open, she had never seen anyone take their own life before. It was shocking to say the least.

~~~

The woman sniffles, talking to Voight as a paramedic was checking her out, "he kept on saying, 'they're coming back for me, they're tying up loose ends'"

"We need to get her checked out" the paramedic tells voight.

"Okay" he says, then he watches the woman leave and turns to the responding patrol officer, "I want a uniform with her at all times. And as soon as she's medically cleared, I want her back at the barn"

"You got it"

Antonio walks over to Maxine, Erin, Mickey and Jay who were sitting on the staircase at the front of the house, writing in his notepad and says, "you know, my sister and her partner went through this. Guy blew his brains out in front of them on a routine call. Gabby was fine but it hit shay pretty hard. Don't be afraid to talk to somebody, anybody. Me. If it sneaks up on you" then he walks away.

Maxine looks at her ex boyfriend who was looking at her with sad eyes, she then quickly looks away, twisting her thumbs around each other nervously. A tell, Mickey had picked up on when they were dating, that she was anxious.

🪩🪩🪩

Maxine walks onto the unit, shrugging off her jacket when she sees Adam sitting at his desk and she rolls her eyes.

Adam looks up from his computer to see his best friend walking to her desk and he sighs. He hated how they left things. But he was so caught up in the moment everything just came out. He didn't mean any of it.

~~~

"Dean Masters was a hotshot artist in his 20's" Voight says, standing in front of the whiteboard with his team sitting at their desks, "Work dried up, picked up a drug habit. He's suspected of not only being a fence but also for forging paintings"

"What was that thing Intelligence had on him?" Antonio asks.

"A stolen Klimt, never resurfaced" Erin answers.

"What the hell's a klimt?" Adam questions.

"An artist"

"Named Klimt?"

"Yeah"

"That's a funny name, right? Or am I alone on this? Klimt, say it out loud"

"It's kinda funny, yeah" Mickey says, taking a sip of his coffee and Erin gives him a look.

"So this whole 'they're gonna kill me' thing that Masters was going on about was either about the stolen painting or something else" Voight says.

"Or he was just tripping and talking nonsense" Jay suggests, "I mean, did you see his pupils? He was gakked out of his mind"

"We got a known suspect who took his own life rather than face something heavy duty. We pursue the case"

Al walks onto the unit with a girl who was found at the house with Masters and Hank says, "Lindsay, you take this one"

Erin walks over to the girl and asks, "How you feeling?"

"Like hell" the woman says.

"Yeah. Let's get a cup of coffee" Erin says, then brings them into the break room.

~~~

After hearing about the fact that the girl they were trying to find, Nadia, kicked Adam in his area while he was trying to get her to come with him, made Maxine smile to herself. Only because in the moment she thought he deserved it, but then she instantly felt bad about it.

Maxine walked down the hall near the locker rooms where she sees Antonio and Jay walking out of and walks in to see Adam sitting on the bench with a bag of ice placed on his area trying to make him feel better.

Maxine leaned on the white concrete wall and says, "I heard what happened. Had to see for myself"

"I bet you're enjoying this"

Maxine crossed her arms over each other, "a little bit"

"I'm sorry, Maxie. For the other night. You know I didn't mean any of it. I was just angry"

"Yeah. That's what they all say" she says, pushing herself off the wall before walking away.

~~~

Erin walks into interrogation, closing the door behind her where Maxine was sat, across from Nadia, staring at each other. She sat on the edge of the table and says, "what can you tell us about Dean Masters?"

"Didn't really know him. I went on one date with the guy"

Maxine looks at Erin for a second before saying, "you sure about that? We heard you were his favorite"

"Yeah, I get that a lot"

Maxine chuckles and says, "I bet"

Erin pushes herself off the table and goes to lean against the two way mirror, "so where'd you grow up? What neighborhood?"

"Lake forest. And I was homecoming queen and Michael jordan was our neighbor" sarcasm dripping from Nadia's pink lips.

"Really? You know, we grew up there too. I was the valedictorian and Maxine here was class president. Seriously, how old are you? You know I can find out in two minutes"

Nadia sighed and says, "18 in a month. But I used a fake ID, so don't hassle 'em. I need the work"

Maxine leaned back her chair and says, "so, dean mentioned having problems with anybody?"

"Nope" she clears her throat.

"What were you trying to score? Heroin?" Erin asks and the young girl looks at her. Erin then takes a seat next to her friend and I says, "look, I can get you a fix. You have my word on that. But I need some information first. Why would dean eat a bullet? He had enemies?"

"No. The opposite. Dean was the sharing type"

"Give me a name"

Nadia sighs then says, "santa"

Maxine rolls her eyes and says, "a guy named Santa?"

"No, no. It's um, it's how I remembered it. Noel? Noel harris. Yeah, he brought the skag. He owns some sort of card shop or some desk over on Polk. I don't know. He was rambling."

"Okay, let's go"

~~~

After raiding Master's house, the team falls upon a hidden room in the basement where fake money stamps were, that Masters was making fake money with.

"I mean, that is some serious talent, man" Adam says, looking over the money stamps with everyone, "He's a failed artist?"

"Yup" Erin says.

"It's funny, the things people end up doing when they can't do what they really want"

"Alright, this is agent Joe Hill" Hank annonces, walking onto the unit with a secret service agent, "Secret Service, Chicago Field Office. We go back a-ways"

Mickey goes in for a handshake with the man and says, "Where's your earpiece and your sunglasses?"

"That's only when Obama's in town" Hill says.

"Does this mean we're handing the case over?" Maxine asks.

"No, technically I can't get involved unless there's actual counterfeit currency found, but Hank just thought I could help"

"Oh" Maxine says, giving the man a handshake, along with Erin.

"Now, I thought, uh, counterfeiters were using high end printers nowadays," Jay says, looking at the stamp, then passing it to his partner.

"Well, there's digital tech that'll print a pretty good five or 10 and then you pass it off at Walgreens buying dollar items. That's what we call 'baby laundering'. Using plates, this is old school. Takes some real work" Hill states.

"There's three steps, the plates, the paper, and the printer. Guess who we're looking for now?" Hank says. Jin walks over to the group looking at his phone, squeezing a stress doll and says, "Now, the hooker who kicked Ruzek in the nuts" as Adam shakes his head in disappointment, which still made Maxine chuckle.

"How did she characterize her interaction with Dean Masters?" Jin asks Erin. Erin shrugs and says, "Went to his place once"

"45 text messages between him and her over the last two weeks" Jin says, and Erin immediately walks away to talk with Nadia.

~~~

"PODs found a match to the delivery van with the jesus fish on the back" Jin says, showing the team the footage he found.

"Hmm" Erin hums.

"You know, the symbol is actually called 'ichthys', but..."

"Jin"

"Fine, you know what? Keep calling it a jesus fish. Knock yourself out" Jim says, typing on the laptop, "I also found something else"

"Tabernacle?" Jay asks.

"Yeah, this van's registered to the Tabernacle of Divinity. It's a storefront church on 63rd and Cal. They use it to deliver meals to the elderly"

"That's Pastor Mike's place. An ex-GD" Antonio says, "Supposedly underwent a jailhouse conversion a few years back. Guess it didn't take"

"Alright, I'll show Nadia a line up of this guy and his associates. If she picks anybody out, I'll get a warrant" Erin says, walking away.

🪩🪩🪩

After raiding the Tabernacle of Divinity. The team meets out back where the guests of honor are being put into the back of cars, when Jay says, "No plates. No paper. No sign of any printing operation"

"We really think Pastor Mike has the skills for counterfeiting?" Maxine asks Voight.

🪩🪩🪩

Maxine was in the locker room, splashing some water onto her face. She grabs a couple paper towels to dry her hands and face off when she sees Adam going to his locker and she sighs.

"Can we talk or are you just gonna stay angry at me for the rest of our lives?" He asks, leaning against the lockers.

"What could you possibly have more to say? Huh? You didn't hurt me enough, you wanna add more fuel to the fire?" She asks, throwing the paper towels away.

Adam groans in frustration, "I didn't mean any of it. I told you that. You just take everything to heart"

Maxine scoffs ready to walk out when she feels a tight grip around her wrist, "let go of me"

"See? This is what I mean?"

"You literally told me I followed you around like a lost puppy for the last 31 years, Adam. You can't just say that to someone, expecting them to forgive you the next day saying 'you take everything to heart'. I'm your best friend!! not someone idiot you just met"

"Maxie, I—"

"No-" she cuts him off, "stop talking. You hurt me. Betrayed me. More than Mickey has. So from now on, we work together. And that's it". Then she walks away.

Adam could feel the steam leaving his ears. He has not been so angry in his entire life. How could she compare him, her best friend to her ex boyfriend who didn't tell her he came back from the rangers and said nothing. He was blown away at the fact that she could so easily walk away from him like that.

~~~

Antonio leaves Hank's office with Secret Service agent Joe Hill and says,"Alright, Pastor Mike was contracted by this man.." then he tapes a picture onto the board, "Glenn Ward. Now, Ward has done federal time in Leavenworth for counterfeiting. But how Ward and his printing crew hooked up with Dean Masters and Noel Harris is anybody's guess. And why the two of them are both dead now? Who knows?"

"Pastor Mike didn't say why Ward wanted them dead?" Mickey asks.

"He didn't ask"

"It could be any reason. Somebody wanted a bigger cut, threatened to snitch, banged somebody's girlfriend" Erin says.

"Any one of those scenarios"

"One of Ward's aliases is Denis Diderot" Hill says.

"A counterfeiter and a fan of french literature. Can't wait to meet him" Al says.

"Hey, Sarg" Adam says, as he walks onto the bullpen from the tech room, "Jin just did a name check against new leases on commercial property rentals. He got a hit" then he hands Voight the file, "A foreclosed chemical building on Cicero"

"Alright, unless anyone's opposed to overtime, let's go find our printer" Hank says, as the team get up from their desks to head to their lockers to get vested up.

~~~

Mickey walks down into the roll up to see his ex-girlfriend, the woman he loves with his whole heart, having a difficult time putting on her bullet proof vest and he goes over to try and help.

"Here let me help"

"It's okay. I got it"

"Please . . . "

Maxine sighs, "whatever"

"So . . . "

"Let it out, Jacobs"

"I've never seen you and Ruzek fight"

"Because we've never had this big of a fight before"

"It's not because of me, is it?" Mickey asks, tightening the straps on the vest. He would hate to break up their friendship just because he got to tell her the truth about him coming back.

"It was at first. Then we just started yelling at each other. Years of built of rage I guess"

"Can I give some unsolicited advice?"

Maxine rolls her eyes, "no"

"Well, I'm saying it anyways. I've never in my life, seen two people more close than you and Adam. Maybe this fight was good for the two of you. You can't just skate through life not having disagreements and fights with someone"

"But he hurt me. Friends aren't supposed to betray each other"

"True, but you know Ruzek could never and would never truly hurt you. He has always just been protecting you. From me all these years, from life. He just wants what's best for you. And honestly, him not telling you I called probably was for the best. I'm still a mess after Afghanistan"

"You always knew what was best for me"

"Max, I know you like the back of my hand"

Maxine smiles and goes to hug the man before her. Caught by the surprised hug, Mickey smiles and wraps his arms around her petite waist.

"And if you need to talk to someone about Masters killing himself. You know I'm a good listener"

And he was. Maxine knew this first hand. After she would have a shitty day in class or at her waitressing job, she would always go back to hers and Mickey's apartment and just rant to him about it. And he always listened, never complained. He always just looked at her like she was a piece of art. Taking in every detail he could.

🪩🪩🪩

Jay and Maxine slowly walk to the front of a building with their guns drawn and Jay takes out his walkie and says, "Quiet out front"

Hank and Antonio check out the back where there is a truck parked out back with Ward's things in it ready to go and Hank says over his walkie, "We got eyes in there yet?"

"Not yet" Al says, as he and Adam try to get a visual from inside the warehouse, "Alright, we're up. Counterfeit central"

"Alright, we're going in" Hank says, as he, Antonio, Erin, Maxine, Mickey and Jay stand at the door to go inside the building. Jay kicks in the door and yells, "Chicago PD!"

The counterfeiters start shooting at the intelligence unit, who fire back.

After quite the gun war and getting Ward into custody along with the other counterfeiters. They set them down on the ground in the building where there are stacks on top of stacks on top of stacks of fake money laying around.

"George, 5021 emergency. Shots fired by police and at the police. Roll an Ambo to 1356 south 13th street. Notify the dicks in the crime lab, plainclothes officers are at the scene" Jay says into the radio, as Antonio, Erin, Mickey and Maxine look at all the fake money.

"To bad it ain't real" Dawson says. Adam gets on top of the fake money pile and says, "Wait, Erin. Get a picture of me for my album cover"

"You're an idiot" Erin chuckles, taking out her cell phone to take a picture of him while the others laugh. Maxine stood away from them, watching her best friend act like an adorable idiot. Hating the fact that she and Adam were still fighting.

She loved Adam with everything she had. He was always there for her. And Mickeys words stung her cold heart. She knew they were true. But she still felt hurt by the words Adam said to her.

"Call Agent hill, tell him we found the mother load" Hank says.

"Yeah, we do all the work, Secret service comes in and takes all the credit" Antonio says.

"You want your face on the front page of the paper?" Hank says, taking out his ringing cell phone, "Voight"

🪩🪩🪩

Maxine sits on her brown leather couch, sipping on a beer while she scrolls through the channels on her tv when she hears a knock on the door.

She sighs and turns the tv off, before getting up, setting her half empty beer on the coffee table and walks over to her front door and looks through the peephole.

She hesitantly opens the door to find her best friend on the other side.

"I'm so sorry, Maxie. I said some awful things that I didn't mean" he says, holding a bouquet of daisies. Maxine sighs and grabs the flowers, "how'd you get flowers this late?"

"The owner was about to close and I bribed him"

"You said some pretty hurtful stuff, Adam"

"I know and I really am sorry. You know I'd never purposely hurt you. I just wanna protect you from all these assholes"

"While I appreciate that. You know you can't right?"

"Yeah"

Maxine takes in a deep breath, "okay"

"Okay?"

"I can't stay mad at you. I need my best friend"

Adam smiles big and surprises Maxine by bringing her into a bear hug like they did when they were kids.

"I love you Maxie. Please, let's never fight again. That was awful" Adam says, letting go of the hug.

"I love you too, giant. And okay, deal"

"Always" Adam says, holding out his pinkie. Maxine hooks her pinkie onto his and says, "and forever"

authors note;

🥺💓🥲