Zarosguth brought something to my attention that I didn't know. When you move stuff around in here the reviews don't move either so This is actually going to replace Chapter 1 and bump the rest back a chapter but i'll keep it here until we finish this set of stories. To the guest. Yes I had been moving stuff around so it was in some kind of chronological order. I had this problem with the Diary of Jane, particularly the diary sequences were out of order, I just used it as a prop to better help along the story and also as a source of connection between characters. Thank you for also noticing Jane's quirk it's been subtle and not always true but it started near the end of The Gun Show. Suffice it to say if she instigates it, she feels in control of it.
This story is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the people involved in the ditching of US Airways flight 1549, but is meant as a tribute to the good people of New York and New Jersey who helped rescue those 155 passengers from that unfortunate flight. This is a story of fiction that has a basis in reality and as not to disrespect the heroic actions of that day, our two heroines will only participate in that rescue.
Jane Rizzoli watched as Kate Beckett latched the handcuffs around the wrists of their latest arrest. It was the fifth day of her 8 day visit with her new friend from LETO. Although they got to spend the weekend hanging out, Kate had to work and Captain Roy Montgomery had generously agreed to allow Jane to shadow her friend for the week, especially since Rick Castle was out on a book tour around the country.
Montgomery had been impressed with Jane's assessment of the crime scene and watched the investigation closely. A murder in a quiet home in Queens had initially led them to the husband. It was Jane who figured out that the wife's coworker was the one who killed her.
It was cold on that Thursday afternoon and as Kate allowed the uniforms to take him away, Jane turned to look at the jersey shoreline across the river. Kate came up and slung a shoulder over Jane's heavy coat.
"Nice work, partner." She said happily as she pulled Jane in close.
Jane smiled as she looked towards the north. "This place is huge."
"Yep," Kate said, "The view from Liberty Island is a lot better though. You can really get the sense of the size of the city."
Jane nodded, "It's kind of like the river walk outside of Boston." She said as she sighted a small open cab ridged hulled inflatable boat puttering along the shoreline. She shook her head as she watched the man bump the RHIB against the shore and drop an anchor. "I wonder what he's doing."
Kate looked at the boat and the man who was holding a fishing pole. "A lot of fishermen pull up at 67th because there's a really good deli that delivers two blocks over. They get orders all the time for takeout by boaters. He's probably just one of the hardcore ones who fish all year."
"We have a few of those around Boston but even they have a cab to keep warm in." She said.
"Size has a lot to do with it." Kate said, "Parking is a bitch in this town. Parking a boat is worse."
Jane could understand that; she had been forced to park inside the 12th precinct parking deck, in the impound floor for her stay here. "No wonder people don't have cars here." She said with a smile, "Insurance, DOT inspections, Registration, and License, then add on parking fees and these crazy ass drivers. It's just not worth it."
Kate smiled. "A lot of people see it that way, but I save a bunch of money with my Crown Vic."
Jane smirked at her and put an arm around her waist. "That's because no one's stupid enough to hit a Police car…" Her voice faded as she looked into the sky line.
She stared, her mouth opening but no sounds coming out. Kate stared at her for a second before turning to see what had her friend speechless. Kate looked and her mouth fell open as a plane swooped low, flaps extended and pitched for a landing on the Hudson River.
Esposito came up to them with Ryan in tow.
"Hey, we're all done here so we're going-" Esposito never finished that sentence as a loud splash caught the men's attention. Ryan dropped his coffee as the plane skittered south along the river. The Pilot kept it level as the plane whooshed past them at well over a hundred miles an hour as it settled into the frigid water. Esposito yanked out his phone and called dispatch. Ryan turned to Beckett and Rizzoli only to see them running fast along the shoreline towards 80th.
He stood frozen in awe as both women leapt over the rail and landed in the RHIB. The guy who presumably owned the boat was frozen at the sight of the plane as was everyone else who was on the boardwalk. He didn't even notice the two officers who had commandeered his boat.
Kate landed in a crouch on the bow while Jane landed on the stern. "Can you drive this?" She shouted to the Bostonian.
"Hell yeah, I'm from Boston." She said as she took the wheel and cranked over the engine. She jammed the shifter into forward and slammed the throttle against its stops. The ridged leaped up in the water and gained plain before shooting across the water like a bottle rocket. She caught sight of the waves created in the wake of the plane and called out to Kate.
"Grab on to something!" She turned it into the wave aiming for the relatively smooth water directly behind the commercial airliner.
Kate grabbed hold of a handrail on the console as the boat jumped the wake soaring several feet over the water. "Crazy bitch!" she shouted over the icy wind.
Jane pulled back on the throttle a little before the boat crashed back onto the surface. She shoved the throttle again and turned the wheel to follow directly in the path of the plane. Kate shook her head, and pointed her free hand at her, "Don't you get me killed, Jane."
"Relax." She shouted. "I've done that before. Just not with a wave that big."
Kate looked ahead towards the plane. "Looks like it's settling down."
"We're doing about Forty." She shouted, "But that thing is still moving and it's still going faster than we are. It's going to take us a few minutes to catch up."
Kate took the radio and tuned it into the Coast Guard Channel. "Coast Guard, Coast Guard, this is NYPD Detective Beckett. I have a commercial airliner in the water on the Hudson River. Heading south bound, I say again, commercial airline in the Hudson River."
"NYPD Beckett, be advised that rescue craft are already enroute. All vessels on the Hudson are ordered to lend assistance."
"Copy that Coast Guard." She said as Jane watched several boats already changing course.
"Looks like they came to a stop." Jane said. "There's no more waves around it."
She glanced down at the console and caught sight of a strap dangling out from under the wheel. She grabbed it and pulled out a pair of binoculars. "Here," she shouted to Beckett. "Get eyes on it."
Kate snatched the binoculars up and leaned against the console before yanking off the lens caps and sighting in on the plane.
"Doors are opening." She shouted. "Emergency ramp is inflated on one side." She paused, "Both sides up now."
"Good." Jane shouted. "Those things are good for life rafts."
Kate watched as people started coming out of the plane and piled onto the makeshift life rafts. Several of the emergency windows opened as well and people began to climb out onto the wings of the downed plane. "I got survivors!" She shouted. "They're climbing onto the damn wings."
"That's one helluva pilot to put that thing down on the water intact." Jane shouted as she looked around. "I think we're almost five minutes away. Anyone closer?"
Kate turned and looked, "There's a ferry that doesn't look too far away and another one cruising up. They'll make it before we do."
"Good." Jane shouted. "Hopefully they can take those people off."
"One's dropping a cargo net over the side." She said, "It looks like it's tied off to the boat."
Jane took the binoculars and looked, "It's a Jacob's cradle. They're going to use it as a ladder. Very smart." She passed the binoculars back.
"We better keep a look out for people in the water, we're the smallest boat around so we can pick them up the easiest."
Jane nodded, "Just call 'em as you see 'em."
The ferries did reach the plane first and a man waved them over to the wings of the plane. Within a few minutes it was very apparent that the plane intended to sink to the bottom of the Hudson River. What had shocked both of them were the amount of people who were awaiting rescue.
They made it to the plane and found several people swimming in the freezing water. Kate called them out to Jane and she gently eased the RHIB towards them. Within a minute Jane locked the shifter in neutral and ran to the bow to help Kate pull people onto the boat.
Kate heard the sirens of the NYPD and FDNY boats approaching. She caught sight of them less than a minute away. Seeing a passenger dive into the water and swim for them she stood up on the bow and shouted to the rest of the passengers, "NYPD! STAY ON THE PLANE! DO NOT JUMP INTO THE WATER!"
Jane cursed as a woman she had just pulled on started shaking uncontrollably. Jane tore off her heavy winter coat and wrapped it around her.
"Stay inside this as tight as you can." She said, "We're going to get you to a warm place real soon." She said as she turned back to the man swimming for them.
"Hit the other side," Kate shouted after she pulled the man onto the boat.
Jane took the wheel and spun the boat around. She went around the tail fin of the plane and eased around the wing. Kate made the same announcement to the passengers as Jane started to pull a man aboard the boat. Kate quickly went to help and soon the deck of the RHIB had people who were shivering and looking like drowned rats.
"Where to?" Jane asked.
"Find a fire boat or the Coast Guard." She said, "They'll have EMTs."
Jane nodded and started around the nose of the plane, careful to go around the ferries. Once she was certain there were no more people in the water she cut the wheel and bee lined it towards the flashing red and white lights of the FDNY boat.
When they were close enough, Kate called out to them, "We've got people from the water!"
A fireman nodded and shouted up to the wheel house. Within a few seconds Jane bumped the rubber tubes of the RHIB against the side of the fireboat.
Instead of a ladder, several of the grey emergency blankets were dumped on them and two men were climbing over the rail.
The fireman shouted down to then. "Take these medics and the people to the cutter over there." He pointed to the large ship steaming towards them. "We have to get the people off the plane."
Jane nodded and waited for the two men to drop to the deck. Two boxes were dropped to them as Kate passed out blankets. They nodded to Jane and she eased up on the throttle and pointed the boat towards the Cutter. Within a few minutes they were alongside and Jane easily kept pace with the ship as Kate and the medics helped the passengers up onto the bigger ship from the gang ladder along the side of the ship.
One medic stayed on their boat and once the last passenger was off, Jane gunned the throttle again.
The medic eyed her as she stood tall against the frigid wind as she expertly piloted the small craft back to the crashed plane. She wore no jacket, Just a pair of Jeans and a turtleneck shirt. He eyed the other woman as well. She was dressed in a heavy parka and jeans with stylish boots.
"So who are you people?" He asked.
"Detective Beckett, NYPD." Kate replied as she turned away from the wind. "That's Detective Rizzoli."
"It's only like twenty degrees, where's her coat?" He asked incredulously.
"She gave it to one of the elderly people we pulled out of the Hudson." Kate said, "Don't worry about her. She's from Boston Police and she's used to cold weather."
Jane could feel the pins and needles of the icy air as she drove the boat back to the crash. Fortunately between growing up with the sub arctic air of Boston winters and her own penance of freezing water, she was very much used to the cold but even she knew that she was going to have to warm up soon. She pushed the thought out of her mind as she eased around one of the ferries and came up to one of the wings.
"The plane's starting to list a little." Jane said.
"There aren't many left here and the evac seems to be going well." Kate said, "Swing around to the other side."
Jane complied and soon they found a few more people standing on the very edge of the wing.
Kate passed her a look and Jane understood, she turned the RHIB towards the wing and gently eased next to it.
"Elderly and children first." Kate shouted. And several of them came towards them. "One at a time and we'll take you off this thing."
Within a few minutes they had six more on board and the medic started going over them as Jane turned the boat towards one of the bigger boats. Once again they unloaded their passengers and Jane turned back to the plane. By now it was submerged except for the very top edge of the rudder. They made another pass around the plane and found the last passenger climbing aboard one of the rescue ships. He had a black sweater on with four gold stripes on each shoulder.
Jane knew that was the pilot of the plane and the man who had saved these peoples lives. Once aboard he looked back at the plane and Jane slowed the boat. His eyes turned towards them as Kate came up to stand next to her friend. Jane stepped away from the wheel and snapped out a salute. Kate followed immediately.
He nodded to them and returned the gesture. They lowered their arms and Jane took the wheel again and turned the small boat towards the Jacob's cradle hanging off the huge ferry. She looked over at the medic.
"Your turn." She said.
He took off his coat and draped it over the console. "I don't know where you two came from but you saved a lot of lives today."
Jane shook her head and pointed to the pilot, "He saved a lot of lives today."
"We just ran a taxi service." Kate replied. She handed him his med kit and he nodded.
"He did indeed." He said as she took hold of the makeshift ladder. "You two take care."
They nodded as he started the climb. Jane spun the wheel and poured on the fuel and headed back the way they came. Once they were far enough Kate shoved the coat at her.
"Put that on. I'm not letting you sleep in my bed if you get sick." Kate took the wheel from her and Jane slipped her arms in to the coat.
"Whiner." She replied.
"You say that now but I have a feeling that you're the whiner when it comes to being sick."
Jane scoffed as she buttoned the coat. "This guy is friggin' huge. I'm swimming in this coat."
Kate laughed as Jane took over again.
"Where did you learn to drive like that?" Kate asked.
Jane smirked, "In college I knew a guy who had one of these. We used to go out and jump the wakes of big freighters and yachts that were steaming along the coast. He did it to get lucky. I did it for the hell of it."
Kate smiled, "Did he get lucky?"
Jane scoffed. "Really? You're just going to put it out there like that?"
"Just trying to understand the mind of Rizzoli." She said with a chuckle.
"Good luck with that, it's a mess in there." Jane barked. "Just get me back to your place where I can get a hot shower and a cold beer or a hot cup of coffee that isn't that turpentine you guys have at the precinct."
Kate smiled. "I'll make it myself just for you."
Jane nodded as she finally pulled the boat up to the seawall where they had taken it from. The man who owned the boat was standing there with a steaming cup, flanked by Ryan and Esposito and much to both of their surprise, Roy Montgomery was standing there with two Styrofoam cups in his gloved hands.
Kate tied the boat up to the ladder as Jane shut it down.
The man called down to them, "You didn't hit anything with that boat did you?"
Jane looked up at him. "Bumped it against a plane, rubbed it against a fire boat, held it against a Coast Guard ship and bounced off a ferry. Oh and I jumped it about six feet in the air."
She followed Kate up the ladder.
As her friend climbed over the rail Montgomery held up a cup. Kate took it and popped open the lid. She sighed as the warm steam invaded her nose.
Jane climbed over after her and again Montgomery held up a cup. Jane repeated Kate's actions before looking over at the man. "Your RHIB was instrumental in the rescue of that plane's passengers. Sorry that your deck got iced up but we were yanking them out of the water."
He looked down at the ice covered deck and then back to her, "Six feet, how did you get it six feet up in the air?"
Jane shrugged, "A plane has a helluva wake to it."
He broke out in a toothy grin, "I seen that."
Jane sighed. "I burned up most of your fuel though."
He nodded, "That's alright. Captain Montgomery bought my lunch and offered to pay for the gas. I'm just glad that those people got off safely."
Kate turned to her CO, "What the hell happened?"
Montgomery cleared his throat. "The preliminary is that the plane ran into a flock of geese and it stalled out the engines when they got sucked through them. You know that the pilot set her down in the river and the CG is reporting no fatalities at this point. But how in the hell did you two end up out there?"
Jane sighed as she leaned against the rail sipping at the hot liquid. "Just the right circumstances. We saw the boat before the plane and we just took it."
"We pulled seven people out of the water and six more off one of the wings." Kate said. "Then we transferred them to the Cutter."
"It just worked out that way." Jane added. "I know I'm supposed to be an observer but…"
"Say no more Rizzoli." He held up a hand to shush her. "You did good and Marquette is going to get a call from me complimenting your heroism today."
Ryan looked sheepish, "Sorry we didn't have your back."
"You were just gone before we realized it." Esposito added.
"Sorry about leaving you behind." Kate said. "It just happened so fast."
They nodded as Montgomery turned back to them.
"You two go ahead and take tomorrow off. You deserve it." He said as he ushered the two other detectives away.
Kate looked over at her friend and smiled. Jane looked drained in the FDNY paramedic 's coat. "So what do you want to do?"
"Shower, food, bed." Jane grumbled. "It all just caught up to me."
Kate put an arm around her friend. "You got it, but let's stop off for a six pack on the way home."
Jane grinned, "You don't have to get me drunk to get me in bed." She joked.
Kate feigned disbelief, "Who said they were for you? Besides I call dibs on the shower so unless you're planning on sharing…"
Jane groaned, "I gave away my coat to an old lady who was freezing to death."
"And got an FDNY jacket for a replacement." Kate said as they reached the car.
"You never play fair, you know that?"
Kate stared at there over the roof of her cruiser, "Remember these words, Jane." She leaned over and Jane instinctively matched her. "Francis Edward Smedley said it best- All is fair in love and war."
Jane scoffed, "That quote has been used to justify bad behavior since the eighteenth century."
Kate rose an eyebrow, "That was awfully historic for you."
Jane snorted as she got in the car.
Knowing Jane couldn't hear her, she replied, "I guess Maura Isles is rubbing off on you." She climbed in and drove them both back to her apartment.
Although I didn't want to take away anything from those brave people who were on the Hudson that day, I did enjoy the idea of our leading ladies helping out in that emergency situation. I hope that you enjoyed it and please be kind and remember that this was a fictitious story and that the actual events from that day belong to the people of NY and NJ who responded to the crash and the 155 passengers of flight 1549. And in no small part, to Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who heroically set that plane down in the Hudson River intact. True heroes are rare and do not get the chance to show their qualities. He has shown himself to be of the finest quality.