đ„ Read 25 Chapters Ahead! đ„
Join my Patreon and get:
đ 25 Advance Chapters
đŹ Early updates
â€ïž Directly support the story
One subscription unlocks everything.
Thank you for supporting!
đ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TemporalPhantom
_______________________________________________________________________
Shortly afterward, everyone left the house.
Organizing a concert of that magnitude required hours of preparation. Sound, lighting, wardrobe, choreography, security, and production crews were all working at the same time, and any delay could affect the others.
The concert would not begin until that evening, but they needed to arrive at Soldier Field well in advance.
Before noon, the area around the stadium was already packed. The number of people who had come solely to show their support had exceeded all expectations, and the authorities had been forced to expand several of the planned security perimeters.
Ethan watched the crowd from inside the vehicle.
He had taken part in operations involving dozens of police officers and had seen entire neighborhoods surrounded during a manhunt, but he had never witnessed a gathering like this. The crowd seemed to stretch in every direction, a sea of T-shirts, signs, and raised phones.
Fans with VIP access waited near a private entrance. Some had been there since before dawn and knew enough about events like this to understand what the guards' sudden movement meant.
The private security personnel formed a line beside the barricades. Uniformed officers cleared the corridor, and several police officers reached for their radios.
A moment later, the convoy appeared.
The crowd reacted immediately. Thousands of people leaned forward, cheers rose in a single wave, and hundreds of phones began recording. Some fans were crying; others waved signs bearing messages of support as they tried to make out Taylor behind the dark windows.
Ethan quietly clicked his tongue.
He could understand loving music, but that level of devotion was still beyond him.
Then he remembered Danny.
Suddenly, the fans did not seem so excessive. However obsessed they might be, at least none of them appeared to want to kill the person they admired.
Taylor reached for the window control.
âNo âChloe said immediatelyâ. It isn't safe.
Ethan wore an earpiece and had a radio clipped to his clothes. Through them, he monitored the private security team's communications and the shared channel used by the police. The officers had already confirmed that the corridor was clear and that everyone inside the first perimeter had been screened.
Even so, he checked the rooftops, the windows of nearby buildings, and the security line before making a decision.
He pressed the control and lowered the window just enough for Taylor to put a hand out, but not enough to expose her face.
âFive seconds âhe warned.
Taylor smiled and began waving.
The response was immediate.
The shouting grew so loud that even the vehicle's windows seemed to vibrate. Several people pushed against the barricades, and the guards had to brace their shoulders against them to keep them in place.
âTaylor!
âChicago stands with you!
âWe love you!
Taylor continued waving for a few seconds. Those people had traveled for hours to support her after the attack, and she wanted to acknowledge them somehow.
Ethan kept one hand on the control as he watched the crowd. As soon as the vehicle approached the next security checkpoint, he raised the window again.
âThat's enough.
Taylor did not argue. She settled back in her seat and watched the fans through the glass as the convoy moved slowly forward.
Soon afterward, the vehicles passed through the restricted entrance and disappeared inside Soldier Field. The metal gates closed behind them, muffling the noise of the crowd.
Inside the stadium, the activity was no less intense.
Technicians moved across the stage, checking cables, speakers, and moving platforms. The lighting crew tested every spotlight while snippets of songs played during the sound check.
K-9 units inspected hallways, dressing rooms, storage areas, and service zones before clearing them for closure.
Ethan accompanied Taylor during rehearsals and used every break to walk the routes between her dressing room, the stage, and the emergency exits. He wanted to know every door, staircase, and corridor they could use if something went wrong.
The hours passed quickly.
In the afternoon, the stadium gates finally opened. The first fans rushed in and began taking their places, while Soldier Field's stands gradually filled with lights, signs, and a murmur that grew louder by the minute.
Little by little, the sky darkened, and the atmosphere outside grew increasingly intense.
Ethan had spent several hours practically glued to Taylor's side.
Although much of the work fell to other people, she still had far too much to do.
Simply greeting the staff, dancers, musicians, opening acts, several celebrities, and acquaintances from the industry had taken them more than an hour.
At Ethan's suggestion, they had also invited several members of the Intelligence Unit and a few of his friends.
Danny still had not appeared.
And with the backstage area crowded with people coming and going, Ethan preferred to have people he trusted stationed at key points.
Having them inside was far better than using them solely to maintain order outside.
Besides, the presence of police officers also helped reassure the staff.
Everyone knew Taylor was the target.
And keeping their nerves under control mattered.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
âMr. Morgan, your colleagues have arrived.
âThank you.
Ethan looked toward Taylor. She was still seated in front of the mirror while a makeup artist finished working on her face and someone else made the final adjustments to her hair.
He rose from the sofa and opened the door.
A large part of the Intelligence Unit was waiting on the other side. Hank and Olinsky stood at the front, accompanied by Antonio, Erin, Halstead, Ruzek, Atwater, and Burgess.
With the exception of Hank and Olinsky, they all seemed far too pleased to be there.
Atwater looked at the activity backstage behind Ethan.
âShit. We're really inside.
Ruzek tried to look over Ethan's shoulder into the dressing room.
âBehave yourselves. We're not here to watch the concert. We have a dangerous fugitive to find before he hurts someone âHank warned.
âWe...
âEthan.
Taylor turned at the commotion. She paused to let the makeup artist step aside, then got up and approached the door.
âAre these your colleagues?
âYeah. They're here to help us with security.
Taylor smiled at them.
âHi. I've already met some of you.
Her outfit for the concert's opening was almost ready: a royal-blue miniskirt, a silver sequined jacket, and a black sports top. The ensemble gave her a bold, energetic look, while her presence made it clear why she was one of the most famous performers in the world.
âGood evening âBurgess greeted her.
Standing in front of her favorite singer, she could barely hide her nerves. Her hands were clenched inside her pockets, and her lips trembled slightly, but she didn't dare make a move that might give away just how excited she was.
The others greeted her with some reserve as well. Taylor wasn't just any celebrity; she had direct access to the highest circles of power and an influence few could match.
The only one who seemed on the verge of losing her composure was Erin.
First, she gave Ethan a look that seemed to say he had finally done something sensible for once. Then she turned back to Taylor, growing more excited by the second, her hands poised to slip out of her pockets.
âAhem.
Ethan cleared his throat before Hank could reprimand her for forgetting where they were.
âMiss Swift âhe said with a strained smile, gesturing discreetly toward his colleaguesâ, as you can see, they're all fans of yours. If you could spare a moment...
Erin's, Burgess's, and Ruzek's eyes immediately lit up. All three looked at Taylor, struggling to contain their excitement.
âI'm sorry. I'm really busy right now âshe replied, pouting and spreading her hands in a show of helplessness.
No sooner had she finished than she felt a reproachful stare directed at her back.
âHa! I'm kidding.
Taylor quickly opened her arms and hugged Erin and Burgess, whose expressions had just fallen.
âCome on. Let's take a picture.
She hadn't even needed Ethan to look at her that way to agree. She had no intention of turning down such a simple request, especially knowing how much it meant to his colleagues.
The doorway descended into a small flurry of activity as Taylor posed for photographs with each of them. Even Hank, still wearing his usual serious expression, ended up in front of the camera when Erin nudged him forward with a barely concealed smile.
He sighed and managed a stiff smile.
While posing for the pictures, Taylor took the opportunity to wink at Ethan. The message was obvious: Look how popular I am.
The little interlude ended shortly afterward. Ethan turned his attention back to work and began going over the security arrangements with the Intelligence Unit.
Although the event already had plenty of private security guards and uniformed officers, they agreed to station the team at several strategic locations. From there, they could stay in contact through their earpieces and respond quickly if anything went wrong.
One by one, the officers left the area and headed to their posts.