CHAPTER FIVE ||| DEEP DOWN

"i got a call last night for a big gig. i'm meeting A few guys just outside chicago tonight. they told me to pack a bag for a few days" ash explained to her team as she leant against her desk. The teams eyes trained on her as they all listened closely, Taking in the risks and ensuring they were fully prepared for what Laid ahead. Yet the look on Jays Face didn't go unnoticed, Not to Ash.

"hell no, we can't keep track of you for days" Jay argued, His brows Closely knitted together as his eyes darted toward voight, The man who was supposed to look out for his team, Yet as Jay waited for the sergeant to agree, he was met with
silence.

No one said a word, the Team remained Focused on Ash's words, Waiting for the woman to fully confirm she was comfortable with the task at Hand.

"i can do it. set up a few wires in my clothes, car, phone. shit like that it'll be fine. i got this" ash said confidently, She didn't have a single doubt in her mind. She'd do what she had to do. There was no chance she was bailing, Not on her team, Not on her family, Not on the Girls who needed help.

In Her mind there wasn't a single reason she couldn't do it. In her mind, She didn't need help. She didn't want help. And a little added adrenaline never hurt. Adrenaline was Almost a drug.

Adrenaline was a certain drug That Ashley had almost become dependent on, She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to live without the thrill of being a street racer... Being a cop.

"ash, you sure?" antonio questioned, Wanting to unsure Ash's confidence was known. If she was confident, So was everyone else. and that was needed. she couldn't have them second guessing her.

"i'm sure" she confirmed. Her eyes glued to Antonio's. Neither of their Glances shifted, Yet Ash could Feel Jays eyes on her, She could feel his worry from Across the Bullpen.

***

"look ash before you go, i just wanted to apologise again. i don't want anything to happen to you okay?" jay took ash's hand in his as they were suiting up in a garage, The way he took Ash's hand without hesitation made her glance around the room to quickly Ensure no one was paying too much attention.

"i'll be alright jay. i promise" Ash reassured gently squeezing Jay's Hand, The look in his eye resembled the same concern she'd seen before. The same look remained deep within his eyes every time she was in danger.

"you need anything. you even just feel a little bit uncomfortable say your safe word and i'll be there" Jay nodded, Vowing not only to Ashley but to Himself that he wouldn't let her Get hurt. He couldn't even stomach the Idea.

As The Pair looked at Each other Ashley Nodded, Yet Jay's heart Ached With the fear of being unable to protect the people he cared about, Being unable to protect Ash.

"ash i love you" Looking up at Jay her throat dried up, aiding her inability to speak as she processed the words that had left the Lips of none other than Jay Halstead.

As if her heart stopped, Ash remained silent. Trying to piece together her thoughts and form the right words. And just as she went to speak the roar of a booming exhaust filled her ears, pulling her from the tense conversation.

"i have to go but we'll talk later alright?" Nausea spiralled through her stomach as she watched the man's expression drop as he nodded. Ash's chest constricted with anxiety as she walked away from him, Internally thanking the gods for saving her from the conversation.

Walking Toward her car, She reminded herself to take a few deep breaths. She couldn't fathom the words Jay had just uttered. She had no idea how she was supposed to go about it. The recent betrayal, Her life. She couldn't take it.

Pushing the overwhelming emotions deep within her soul she focused on becoming Kelsey. Only Kelsey. Opening the door of Her nissan Skyline she took one last breath. She was Kelsey.

"ash you ready?" she heard kev through the radio as she secured her seatbelt, sighing she turned the engine on ready to go. Ready to package herself away to become Kelsey, A character Ash had created in her mind. A character who resembled who Ashley Once was.

"yeah." she muttered into the radio her heart instantly racing as she sped out of the high rise garage Intelligence had set up in. following a few cars she recognised she sped down the road. help from a far she remembered.

following the cars a few miles outside chicago took longer than she thought, The typical Chicago Traffic averaging her speed. Yet her mind remained focused on the words Jay had said.

her undercover phone rung pulling her from her consuming thoughts. reaching to the passenger seat she grabbed it. sighing she answered the phone pressing her foot harder against the gas.

"kelsey." she answered, Her voice almost Monotone Before the sound of a struggle invaded her eardrums through the phone Quickly followed by a man's voice.

"you have an opportunity today. you're leading a group down to iowa city. along with cargo. crossing state lines will be difficult but i trust you. so hurry up" Her heart jumped to her throat as she heard those words. It was wrong. He trusted her? That wasn't right. Something wasn't right. maybe a test?

"i won't disappoint"

**

following the two other cars Ashley watched them slow down as they approached what seemed to be a warehouse. Her eyes scanning the buildings surrounding. Nothing. Just the warehouse, And five cars packed outside. Cars she recognised.

pulling up beside the cars she followed, she took note of a 1970s black dodge charger. a sudden rush of anxiety returning to the pit of her stomach as she tucked her phone into the pocket of her low rise jeans before getting out the car.

she watched as two men got out of the cars she'd followed there, before turning her head to look at the cars already parked, john, dante and nick getting out followed by another unfamiliar man.

her heart dropped, hairs on the back of her neck standing tall as she tried swallowing the bile rising in her throat. Memories igniting her mind with panic...

she caught sight of her best friend. dominic toretto. Her skin felt as if it had been set alight, Her body burning with anxiety. She had to hold it back. She had to fight the burning emotion that rushed through her veins.

"kelsey this is dom. you two are riding together with josé and nick. you'll take the cargo to the location i've sent to your phone in iowa city, there's people there waiting then one of you will take a loaded truck they'll have waiting and take the backroads back here." The violent beating of her heart thumping against her ear drums almost drowned out his voice.

"alright" she swallowed trying to control her own emotions, Fight against her wavering voice as she watched the two men walk over to her car. Popping her trunk she watched the two men fill her trunk.

Dom walked over filling ash with anger, yet she had to bottle it. She had to bottle every firey emotion rushing through her veins. She couldn't say anything, She couldn't allow herself to react. Her car was bugged. Intelligence was listening. But her worries were confirmed. Everything she'd been so worried about had just been confirmed. Brian was in chicago. Actually in chicago. And she couldn't deny that fact anymore.

this was not the plan. hobbs lied. this was not what they'd agreed too. Dom's hardened eyes remained Glued to Ashley, He could almost feel the anger bubbling through her body.

"let's get a move on then." ash nodded getting into her car, dom followed close behind. Her chest exploding with every emotion aside from content.

She watched as dom got in the passenger seat, she couldn't do anything without blowing her cover. She couldn't say anything. and she wouldn't. What could she possibly say? After all she abandoned them.

Climbing into the car she instantly pushed the key into the ignition, internally hoping everything would be over soon.

turning her key the engine revved, she watched as the car with the other men left and she followed it. The tension in the car growing with every second that passed.

Glancing at the cars in-front to ensure no one could see, she lifted her finger to her lips before pointing at a little device plugged into her car and her phone to Keep don quiet. The muscular man instantly getting the message, Yet the building tension only grew higher.

The bile rising In Ashley's throat grew in the silence as dom itched to Clear his mind. Talk to the woman he'd considered his sister and search for answers. it had been so long, so long since they'd seen eachother. 6 years. he didn't look a year older.

the drive was silent. anxiety rushing through ashs veins, A panic she'd never imagined. she wanted anything but this to happen. she would've been happy with anything but this.

dom reached for the listening device connected to the console of her car Pulling the device instantly breaking it, before taking her phone and powering it off. why did everything have to happen at once?

jay finding out, this case, now seeing dom. she knew it was only a matter of time before her biggest fear came true. and she wasn't ready for that.

"you've been here all these years?" the pure sound of dom's voice bringing back a wave of memories, taking a deep breath she tried to focus on driving. Tried to focus on anything but the fact her past was chasing her.

"uh yeah" this was the first time in years ash had no idea what to say, or how to go about this situation. she felt lost in waves of anxiety as she stared at the road.

"what are you doing here?" she asked before hearing her name being called on the radio, kevin's voice bringing her back to reality. reaching over to the glove box she pulled out the radio her heart racing.

"i'm good. don't panic" she spoke into the radio, she could feel doms eyes on her. he had questions, he was hurt and he had every right to be. shoving the radio back into the glove compartment she kept her eyes glued to the road, she couldn't bring herself to look at dom, She couldn't look at him.

"we came to help hobbs. then we found out you were here, we needed to know you were okay.. you're still family.. we thought something happened to you." her clammy hands gripped the wheel tighter, she couldn't tell him the truth. not ever.

"i'm fine i'm a cop now.." she heard him scoff, he could see through anything she could say. any lie. and she knew that. Her brother could see through her lies in seconds as the silence lingered for a while before she broke the silence again.

"how is everyone?" she asked, bile rising in her throat as she sat unable to process dom was sat right next to her.

"good, tej had been trying to set the gods eye up again to find you. they never gave up that you come back" his voice was different she'd never heard this tone before, he was angry, confused and betrayed. And that mixture laced his voice like poison.

"i'm sorry but you just gotta trust that i had my reasons for leaving" ash sighed keeping up with the car infront, she was uncomfortable. she couldn't face had past not like this, even six years later. she wasn't ready.

"you had your reasons? to up and leave without a trace in the middle of the night and completely cut us all off. not even let us know you were okay? that you were alive?" she could hear the frustration in his voice, she understood. But this. This wasn't the way to talk about it.

the silence consumed the car once again and she took her phone from doms hands powering it back on. once it was on she held it up to her mouth taking a breath.

"i'm okay, i haven't been made. i got paired up everything's fine." she assured her team, she knew the reaction jay would've had when her audio cut off.

**

"i'm okay, i haven't been made. i got paired up everything's fine." ash's voice echoed into the surveillance room her team was gathered in waiting for her to confirm she was okay. jay leant over a table letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in as relief settled his nerves.

"she's got this man. you seen that girl? she's got bigger balls than all of us" adam Chuckled patting jays shoulder in an attempt to comfort his friend. jay nodded knowing ash could handle herself yet that didn't help his worries one bit, The thought of her in danger rubbed him the wrong way.

the way they'd left it in the morning made jay feel uneasy, maybe he was right to feel that way. sighing he sat back at the desk with kevin, attaching another pair of headphones to the device that gave them the audio from ash.

the rest of the team dispersed after knowing ash was safe. yet jay and kevin stayed, stayed listening. and all they were listening to was silence.

hours past and nothing, just silence and two sentences between ash and reyes on a phone call, they weren't getting much to go off. and jays bad feeling was only growing stronger with the prolonged silence.

then the sound of ash's phone ringing caught in their ears, the two men listened closely. it was josè.

"kelsey theres a motel, 2 miles up. we're stopping there for the night. continue in the morning"

"alright"

that was all. jay didn't think this was helping the case at all, maybe that was his bias side talking. as a cop he knew this stuff took time. But time was not on their side.

that was when he heard the panicked voice of kelly severide from the bullpen, kev and jay instantly getting up from their seats and rushing to the commotion.

"what's going on?" kevin asked the group, trudy, kelly and the rest of intelligence stood the bullpen panic tense in the air of the room. something was wrong. very wrong.

"someone's been stalking ash, they left these photos on her desk a few weeks ago" he slammed the photos ash received in the bullpen on jays desk, the team looking at the photos. jays blood ran cold, how did he not know about this? why hadn't ash told him?

"then this shows up at the firehouse" he placed a box on the table, jay instantly wanted to throw up panic consuming him as he caught sight of what was inside.

**

a/n- hey guys! i just wanted to thank everyone for the love i've received on this book. It's not my best writing by any means but thank you all so much!

Also i'd really really appreciate it if any the walking dead fans would check out my twd series, I'm actually so proud of it. id love to hear what you all think <3