TIES THAT BIND, Jay Halstead

006.

The FBI jet touched down at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the gray skyline looming under a blanket of overcast clouds. For Jay Halstead, the sight was suffocating. It had only been a month since he left Chicago, but returning now felt like being dragged back into a storm he wasn’t ready to face.

He stared out the window, his jaw tight, memories clawing at the edges of his mind.

“You okay?” Emily asked from the seat across from him.

Jay forced a tight smile. “Yeah. Just thinking about how cold it’s going to be.”

“You don’t seem like the type to be bothered by the weather,” Emily said with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s not the weather,” Derek teased from behind them. “It’s the baggage. Am I right, Halstead?”

Jay didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the tarmac as the jet taxied to a stop. Across the aisle, Alba watched him closely like always. She didn’t say anything, but her sharp gaze missed nothing. That was Alba’s way—silent, cold, and impossible to read.

When they exited the jet, the bitter Chicago wind hit them immediately. Garcia, who had joined them for this case, shivered dramatically.

“Why do all the bad guys pick the coldest places?” she complained, pulling her coat tighter.

Spencer adjusted his scarf and offered her a small smile. “Statistically, there’s no correlation between climate and criminal activity.”

“That doesn’t make me any warmer, genius,” Garcia muttered, though her tone was fond.

Jay walked ahead of the group, his shoulders tense. He knew this city too well, and the thought of running into anyone from his past made his stomach churn.

At the field office, JJ took the lead in briefing everyone. “We’re dealing with a human trafficking ring that’s been moving young women from Virginia through Chicago. CPD’s Intelligence Unit has been monitoring the operation and will be working with us.”

Jay stiffened at the mention of CPD. He hadn’t told anyone in the BAU about his history with the department, and he wasn’t eager to now.

Alba’s voice cut through the room. “Let’s keep this focused. We’re here to shut down the operation and bring the victims home. Personal feelings stay out of it.”

Jay shot her a glance, but she didn’t look at him. Her words were directed at everyone, but they felt like a warning meant for him.

The briefing was interrupted when the door opened, and Sergeant Hank Voight walked in, flanked by Kim Burgess, Kevin Atwater, and Adam Ruzek. Voight’s sharp eyes scanned the room, landing on Jay.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Voight said with a smirk. “Jay Halstead. Didn’t think I’d see you back here so soon.”

Jay stood, his posture rigid. “Voight.”

Voight’s smirk faded into something more serious. “FBI now, huh? Never thought you’d trade the streets for a desk job.”