Title: The Longest Day
Chapter 2 – In the Blink of an Eye
A/N: Thanks so much everyone! I am so happy so many of you liked the start to this angsty little adventure and yes we all know that both Frank and Danny where there but they never gave us too many details as to what they were doing so did make that up and hope it's okay. Please do enjoy!
Tuesday, September 11th – 7:45am
"Why the hell you so happy this morning?" Renzulli asked the following morning, as Danny neared him with a whistle and a grin. "You finally got lucky last night?"
"Yeah…ha ha," Danny deadpanned as he pulled his locker open to get dressed in his uniform. "Ask me…go on ask me."
"Maybe if you came in here all dejected I'd have thought she might have gotten cold feet. She said yes. Tell me I'm right."
"She said yes," Danny confirmed as Renzulli slapped him on the back. "So more boring takedowns of pickpockets today?"
"Something funner."
"Did you just say…funner?" Danny retorted in seriousness as Renzulli nodded and then slammed his locker shut. "What's going on?"
"Orders from the top."
"Top? How high? Wait…" Danny stammered as he rushed to get his dark navy dress shirt buttoned. "Wait…ah damn," he grumbled as he finished with rest of his uniform, slammed his locker shut and then rushed out of the room and headed toward the roll-call room in wonder.
But as soon as he stepped into the room, he saw his father and knew that his presence alone answered one of the little riddles that Renzulli had left him with a few moments earlier. This must be more than routine if he's overseeing morning assignments. Danny could only wonder as he nodded to his father and then fell into place by his temporary partner as they waited for their day's assignments. What's going on? He'd find out soon enough; but the day wouldn't end as it had started.
"Morning," Frank greeted the uniformed officers before him, locking eyes with his son for a few seconds before he started to rest on a few others before they returned to his notes. He told himself that his son would probably have words for him about a so-called boring assignment but he their precinct was chosen to be part of the new training scenario, he figured Danny might also welcome the scenery.
As Danny listened to the assignment he couldn't wait until the briefing was over to go and tell his father that he didn't want to do a babysitting detail – no matter the location.
"Danny…" Frank huffed in an undertone as the two of them stood outside in the hallway about ten minutes later.
"How come the staff Sargent couldn't assign this? And why am I being assigned this?"
"Think it's above your paygrade?" Frank countered.
"I wanna be kicking ass…not kissing it. That's not my…training session at the Twin Towers? Really? Nothing down there but a bunch of finance geeks. What are you afraid of? Someone lifting their pocket protectors?" Danny spouted in frustration. "I have no choice do I?"
"I didn't really either," Frank confessed as his lips pursed. "What did Linda say last night?"
"She said yes," Danny replied with a small smile. "Back to normal tomorrow right?"
"I promise," Frank told his son as his hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed. "All officers have to do the routine stuff at times also."
"Did you ever have to do babysitting detail?"
"What makes you think I don't now?" Frank shot back dryly. "Tell you what, at the end of your shift, we'll have dinner at the top of the city in the North Tower."
"Can't afford it."
"The Wild Blue bar. We can afford a couple of beers and some wings. Besides…" Frank smiled as he held out his hand to his son to take; Danny extending his hand slowly to take it. "I think we have something to celebrate. Congratulations to my son on getting engaged.
"Thanks dad," Danny smiled as he clasped his father's hand tightly and gave it a few pumps. "See you after shift in the lobby of the North Tower."
"I'll be there," Frank promised as he pulled away and Renzulli approached.
"Ready kid?"
"Hey!" Danny growled as Renzulli snickered.
"Let's go."
XXXXXXXX
"You're quiet this morning. Not typical Danny Reagan. Should I ask what else happened last night?" Renzulli goaded Danny as they reached the police parking are at the base of the World Trade Centers.
"I don't kiss and tell," Danny replied with a cheeky grin as he got out and looked up with a frown. "Standing at the base of those things I feel so damn small," he whispered as he anxiously fidgeted with his police cap for a few seconds before he fell into step with his partner; the two of them heading toward the entrance of the north tower. "So what's going on today?"
"Two guys are doing a Firefighter documentary today. But in addition…"
Danny tried to force himself to listen to what his temporary partner, Anthony Renzulli was saying but he couldn't help but wonder what Linda was doing. Planning our wedding…for real? His mind started to ponder with a sense of unspoken joy. As they neared the other NYPD officers, Danny couldn't help but notice one in particular – who seemed…nervous.
"Hey buddy…you look like you're one breath away from a coronary," Danny stated softly as the younger man looked up with a nervous glance. "What's going on?"
"First day on the job."
"Ah well today should be pretty routine," Danny shrugged as he looked at his watch and inwardly groaned when he saw it was only 8:20am. "What's your name?"
"Sam."
"Sam. Nice to meet ya. Danny. You picked a great profession."
"My mom wanted me to be an accountant. Said it was…was safer."
"Accountants don't carry guns."
"Some do," Renzulli interjected in sarcasm as Danny gave him a headshake.
"What house you based out of?" Danny asked once more as Renzulli took a call.
The young rookie nervously replied his answer as Danny started to scan the surrounding area and then back at the rookie. "Just stick close to us and keep your eyes open. You never know what might just fall into your lap," he uttered fatefully as Renzulli slapped him on the back.
"Let's move out."
"We're going inside?" Danny asked in surprise as Renzulli looked back and nodded. "Uh…why?"
"Report of a silent alarm just came in. Listen up. This is what we're going into," Renzulli started as they entered the lobby of the North Tower and disappeared inside.
"Told you rookie…today isn't going to be boring after all," Danny grinned as they headed for the elevator to go up to the 20th floor.
"You keep looking at your watch," Sam commented as Danny looked up and nodded.
"Yeah my uh…my fiancé is doing wedding stuff. Said she was starting early," he chuckled as Renzulli shook his head.
"Oh please Danny, tell us more," Renzulli mocked in a female tone as the steel box finally jerked to a stop. "Okay enough talk. Game faces on. That means you Reagan."
"Yeah I got this."
"You're not detective…yet."
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the office of the jewelry broker that held in its large safe, some of the city's most exotic and rare jewels, Danny's heart rate started to beat faster – but with excitement that he could take someone down and tell his father the babysitting detail wasn't that bad after all.
They stop outside the heavy wooden office door to regroup before they rush in and Danny is forced to push thoughts of his fiancé to the back of his mind until this was over.
He sends a quick text to tell her where he'd be after his shift and then added, 'Probably the only exciting thing that'll happen all day. Love you Danny.'
XXXXXXXX
"Why are you so chipper this…morning…oh my…GAWWWWWWWD! He finally popped the question!" Linda's best friend squealed as she entered Linda's small apartment about 8:30am on the morning of Tuesday, September 11th. "Okay I need all the gory details! Was it really romantic? Did he get down on one knee? Was there a horse-drawn carriage and…"
"Well…it's Danny right," Linda tossed back with a snicker.
"Okay so no horse-drawn anything. Did he at least get down on one knee?" Rebecca deadpanned. "Tell me already!"
"He did. Okay so we went for dinner. Then a walk down by the waterfront and with the backdrop of the twinkling towers he…" Linda paused as her friend sighed happily, "got down on one knee, pulled out a little black box and…and he asked me to marry him."
"That is so awesome."
"I hear that tone."
"No…no tone."
"Bec's come on. You know Leon will propose."
"Can I get Danny to give him some pointers?" Linda's best friend Rebecca retorted dryly.
"Yeah Danny Reagan, love guru," Linda snickered.
"Hey stranger things have happened."
"True," Linda replied with a smile as she headed into her small kitchen.
"Your phone is buzzing!"
"Got it!" Linda called out as she snatched her phone before he best friend could and then read the message from Danny.
"Oh come on…unless it's x-rated you gotta share. Ah hell…share the x-rated stuff," Rebecca grinned as Linda's lips pursed.
"Danny is at the towers today and his dad is going to take him for a celebratory drink at the top of the world after his shift."
"He said all that?"
"Yeah why?"
"Didn't know Danny could spell celebratory."
"Not funny," Linda huffed as she tossed a small picture at her best friend's head. "As maid of honor I expect you to…"
Linda's voice trailed off as she disappeared back into her little kitchen, a smile still fixed upon her lips. She listened to her best friend talking and then suddenly stop and she at first offered a small giggle. But after a few minutes of sustained silence, she poked her head around the wall and looked at the side profile of her best friend on the couch watching the TV.
"What's…going on?" Linda asked with small frown as her friend's gaze lingered on the TV screen and then turned to Linda. "What's…" she started as she looked at the expression of silent horror. "Bec's?"
"Where did you say Danny was today?"
"Trade towers…why? Just routine. Bec's…what's going…on? What's wrong?"
"There's just been a huge explosion in the north tower."
"Danny…"
"Oh God…they think a plane smashed into it."
"WHAT?"
XXXXXXXX
"I said…keep your ass still!" Danny growled as he spat some bloody saliva onto the ground and looked up at Sam who watched with an impressed expression. "This cut lip is never going to heal."
"Okay so we need to get this clown down to booking and then back here on our detail," Renzulli told them as he looked at Sam's partner. "This was a joint effort. You wanna take it in?"
"Really?" Sam asked eagerly as Danny smirked.
"Yeah kid…you earned it," Danny told Sam as he handed the cuffed suspect toward the rookie; Renzulli nodding in agreement. "And only 8:45am. Lots of day left for some corporate ass kicking."
"Don't…listen to him," Renzulli groaned as they neared the elevator to go down to the main north lobby. "Alright…one right down and then..." was all he managed before everything around them started to violently shake. A loud explosion was heard and all of them were knocked off their feet.
Tuesday, September 11th – 8:46am the North Tower is hit
"What the hel…" is all Danny managed before he stumbled to the side before he fell to his knees and then rolled onto his other side.
"What's going on!"
"I don't know…" Danny groaned as he tried to re-orientate himself and get back on his feet.
"Earthquake!" Sam bellowed.
"Wrong coast!" Danny shot back.
"Explosion…of some kind could only cause that," Renzulli guessed as the alarms around them started to wail.
"Damn big one!" Danny huffed as he got to his feet and then helped Sam get upright. "What floor?"
"Will that screw the elevators?"
"Get to the stairs!" Renzulli ordered as people started to exit their offices and look at each other with wondering expressions.
"So much for today being routine," Danny muttered as he grabbed their cuffed perp and started to drag him toward the stairs, Sam and his partner bringing the accomplice.
Just as he entered, he felt his phone starting to buzz and figured it was either his father or his fiancé and told himself that he'd text them back as soon as he was outside and had a better idea of what was going on and then tell them not to worry – he was okay. Around them people rushed down the stairs, many chatting excitedly on their phones, speculating what might have caused the explosion but not quite knowing just what was going on.
"Gonna hit the damn Stairmaster before shift tomorrow."
"Yeah move your fat ass Reagan," Renzulli chirped as they continued down the stuffy stairwell. "If they're gonna evacuate this whole building…" his voice trailed off as his phone started to ring. "Yeah I'm sure it's the Chief."
"He's meeting in the south tower," Danny informed them as they reached the tenth level.
"Are were there yet?" Sam lightly chuckled as Danny couldn't help but smile in return.
They finally reached the lobby and along with myriads of others, rushed toward the lobby entrance and then outside. And Danny was finally able to look up and see just what was going on. "Oh God… " he whispered in horror as he stared at the thick, black, billowing smoke that poured from the building. "What the hell!"
"Park these guys in the car and then we gotta help clear out these people!" Renzulli instructed as he called for reinforcements.
"What? You can't leave us in the car! Hey!"
"Yeah…wait hold on…hey!" Renzulli called out to two other officers. "Take these guys to the nearest precinct and then report back," he directed before he turned back to Danny. "Danny…we gotta help evacuate this place."
"Right," Danny agreed just as his phone rang.
"Danny! Som…it the Nor…ower! ..wh…are you?"
"Linda? You're breaking up. They need the lines clear. I'm outside. I'm okay. Gonna help with the evac. Gotta go."
"Think…'s…a…lane … it the …ower."
"What? Linda, baby I gotta go. I love you."
XXXXXXXX
"Danny? Danny!" Linda shouted as she looked at her friend in horror.
"Linda, what's going on?"
"Danny…he's going back in."
"WHAT? But a plane just crashed into the building!"
"Don't think he heard…me. The line was cutting in and out pretty bad."
Linda turned back to the breaking news coverage on their local station as her heart started to race at top speed. "This…this can't be happening."
XXXXXXXX
"Let's go Reagan! We gotta get all those people out!"
"Yes sir," Danny replied as he looked up once more and cursed, seconds before he rushed back inside the North Tower; his mind wondering just what was going on and praying this would end soon with no more casualties that he assumed were killed in the explosion. He knew his fiancé was worried but what about his father? And would his father tell his mother? Worry her needlessly? He wasn't sure.
But all he could do was hope it ended quickly and peacefully.
He'd be wrong.
The longest day was just getting started and it would end with one of the blackest marks in the city's history.
A/N: so am going to toss in a few OCs to round out a few storylines and a bit extra police action before the big event but—here we go. How will Mary hear about her family? Will Linda be called into work? And just what terror are Danny and Frank going to face? Please do review with your thoughts before you go and thanks so much.