Chapter Text
Jay Halstead had been living under someone else’s name for so long that it barely registered when his burner phone started vibrating. The man he was supposed to be didn’t exist outside this motel room, with cheap carpet, blackout curtains that never quite blocked the light, the smell of old smoke in the walls. A duffel lay open on the bed: cash, a second passport. What a life. He thought.
The phone was ringing again.
Jay exhaled before answering. “Halstead.” There was a pause on the other end. Not hesitation, but calculation.
“We need you in New York,” the voice said. “Now.”
Jay straightened without thinking, muscle memory taking over. “What happened?”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“A container was detained at the Port of Newark early this morning. Five women inside.”
Jay closed his eyes.
“How many alive?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“None.” The agent continued. “False manifest. Shell import company. We think this might be connected with the network you’ve been mapping.”
Jay dragged a hand down his face. The room felt smaller.
“How long was it sealed?” he asked.
“Long enough.” He didn’t swear or raise his voice; just nodded once even though no one could see him.
“I’m on my way,” he said.
When the call ended, Jay stood there for a moment, staring at the wall like it might give him something back if he looked hard enough. Then he moved, burner phone into the duffel bag, passport zipped away. He scrubbed his hands in the bathroom sink until the water ran cold, like it would wash off some weight settling into his chest.
They were too late. Again.
It was her day off. A real one, not a work from home, stay available kind of day. The morning run was still a big part of her routine, but today she took her time, stopped at her favorite coffee shop around the corner of her place and made her way back. Hailey had flipped her phone face down on the kitchen counter the second she walked into the apartment. She noticed some movement in the bedroom.
“I thought you had left already,” she said, leaning against the doorframe.
“Yeah, I should have,” Alex replied, still adjusting his tie. “Stella’s been texting me for the last half hour asking if everything’s set for our meeting at 9.”
Hailey looked at the clock. “Well, it’s 8:46, so you can officially consider yourself late.” She smiled as her eyes tracked him. “I love this suit.”
Alex grinned. “I know you do.” He grabbed his phone, then paused. “Don’t forget we’ve got that dinner tonight. Someone’s dropping off your dress later today.” He crossed the room, stopping in front of her. “Try to actually enjoy your day off.”
“I’ll do my best,” Hailey said, kissing him goodbye.
Alex walked out of the apartment and Hailey sat on the couch and played the show she was watching the night before. Three episodes of Modern Family later, her phone started buzzing across the counter. She ignored it. It buzzed again, and again. Hailey exhaled through her nose and went to grab her phone.
Three missed calls from Nora, her colleague. One voicemail.
“Hey, Hailey. Sorry to bother you on your day off, but we might have an update on your case. We need you at Port Newark as soon as possible. Call me and let me know when you’re on your way.”
Great. Hailey thought. She was invested in this case, for the past four months they have been chasing a human trafficking organization, but at the same time, she couldn’t remember the last time she actually had a break from work.
Hailey returned one of Nora’s calls. She picked up right away.
“Hailey, I’m really sorry I had to call you,” was the first thing she said.
“No, don’t worry,” Hailey replied, already moving toward the bedroom. “Just give me a few minutes to get ready. I can be there in about an hour.”
The container had been taken to the furthest corner of the terminal, as if distance alone could make it easier to handle, away from the main flow of trucks and people. Yellow tape waved in the wind, snapping loudly against itself every couple of seconds. Hailey ducked under the tape; her badge was already out. The air at the docks was cold, heavy with diesel fumes and the distinguish smell of a crime scene.
Nora was already there, standing a few feet from the open doors, tablet tucked against her chest. “I’m glad you made it,” Nora said quietly.
Hailey gave a short nod. “What do we have?”
“Manifest says textiles,” Nora said, looking down at her tablet. “The company has been operating out of Jersey for less than six months. Clean paperwork, and all traces are already gone. It’s like they never existed.”
“Do we already know where it came from?” Hailey asked.
“Came through Savannah,” Nora replied. “Listed as a domestic transfer after that. It moved twice before getting here.”
Hailey straightened slowly. That many transfers with a domestic routing, it was well thought out, the more stops, the more distance between source and responsibility.
“Who flagged it?” she asked.
“Port authority scanner picked up irregularities overnight.” Nora hesitated slightly. “By the time they opened it…”
She didn’t finish, Hailey didn’t need her to.
“Do you think it’s connected?” Nora asked.
“It has to be. And they know we’re getting closer. The way they’re changing locations, moving the girls around, it’s getting creative, to say the least.” Hailey let out a quiet sigh. “I just hope we can put an end to this soon.”
“We’ll run IDs as soon as possible. Hopefully we’ll get something today.” They started walking back toward the parking lot.
“Backup’s coming in for this case,” Nora added. “I overheard a conversation at the office before I left. They’re bringing someone in from Organized Crime. Looks like our cases are overlapping.”
“That’s good. The more help, the better at this point,” Hailey said. “Do you know how this is going to work?”
“Not really. From what I heard, he was undercover. Maddocks seemed to like him.” Nora shrugged. “Last name Halstead. That’s all I’ve got. I had to leave in a hurry.”
Hailey froze for half a second. This couldn’t be happening.
“Hailey? You good?” Nora asked.
“Mm, yeah. Sorry.” Hailey’s expression smoothed back into something neutral. “I’ll meet you back at the office. Are we briefing today?”
“Yes, at 2 p.m.” Nora said, sliding into her car.
Hailey walked again the wind to her car.
She tried to call Vanessa multiple times on her way back to talk about this situation, but it went straight to voicemail. Was she ready to see Jay in person again? Was this person even Jay Halstead? Halstead is not an uncommon last name. But it had to be, “I was a Halstead once.” she thought, her mind drifting. “Nope, I’m not doing this.” she said out loud.
The drive was able to calm her down a little bit. Since the divorce, and after leaving Chicago, therapy helped her a lot. "Maybe I should schedule an extra session this week." She made a mental note. And now, she has a new life, a loving boyfriend, everything anyone would want. Deep breaths. She reminded herself. This would happen sooner or later.
The briefing room was already half full by the time Hailey walked in. Fourteen girls in four months. Only five positive IDs. The rest were just blank spaces, no records, no family coming forward, nothing solid. It was like some of them had never existed at all.
“Same organization,” Maddocks said while entering the room. “We’re confident now. We’re still not sure about the recruitment process, if you can call it that, they’re adapting faster than we are.”
Her phone buzzed once in her lap. A message from Vanessa: Call me when you’re done.
She locked the screen without replying.
The door at the back of the room opened. Hailey felt it before she saw him, a small shift in air when someone new walks in and half the room instinctively looks up.
She didn't do it right away.
Maddocks was looking towards the door. “Perfect timing,” he said. “Everyone, this is Jay Halstead, he’s coming from an undercover operation with Organized Crimes to help us with this case.”
Hailey finally looked up.
Three years was a long time and no time at all.