Chapter 6

"What do you mean you're here to interview Detective Bryce?" Danny bristled as Jamie walked into the squad room at the 5-4 the following Wednesday morning. "You do realize he's one of the good guys, right? Or did you switch over to IA when I wasn't looking? I mean it's been a little hard to keep track of what your position is lately. Did you make it to Deputy Commissioner yet?"

"Can it, Danny. I'm just doing my job," Jamie retorted as he put his things down on the table in the squad's box, his own gold shield flashing on his hip as he took his jacket off. "We've got a complaint from one of the alleged perps arrested during the sweep while Bryce was working the mugging case so I need to investigate. That's all, end of story. This whole thing is turning into a PR and legal nightmare for the department. We're full swing into the summer tourist season and this guy is still running around on the loose. Dad's taking a lot of heat, you know."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in charge of running interference for the Commissioner now too," Danny bit back. He was fully frustrated with the case by this point and none of the leads he and Baez had run down panned out. He'd been on overtime for weeks and his own sergeant had been barking at the entire squad lately, so the last thing he needed was for his little brother to be here reminding him of that fact.

"Just ask Detective Bryce to come in here, Danny," Jamie said evenly, refusing to be drawn into anything. It had been his new approach to dealing with his brother lately, but he couldn't help but add a little jab anyway, "And quit taking my being here so personally."

"He's entitled to a PBA rep you know, before you interrogate him," Danny snapped as he left the room, still angry.

"Noted, Detective," Jamie replied back as he rolled his eyes and sat down. "Today is sure starting off in a fine fashion," he thought to himself as he pulled his papers out of his bag.

###

Eddie and her partner Mark Wilson were patrolling the Lower East Side district near the epicenter of the mugging incidents later that morning. The two had been paired for nearly a year now, ever since Eddie had returned to duty after Jamie's illness. Their partnership had seen a few ups and downs over the last six or seven months, especially after the events of the Denison case came to light, but they were back on track now and enjoyed working together. Wilson could see though that today Eddie wasn't exactly up to par.

"What's the matter, Reagan? Buyer's remorse setting in already?" He still had to mentally check himself not to use her maiden name of Janko since her marriage to Jamie in February.

"No Mark," she answered. "Still completely happy with the house. Well I will be when we actually get to move in. I'm just not feeling great today, and my back is hurting again."

"Maybe you're finally coming down with that bug that was running through the precinct. You were one of the sole survivors not to catch it before," he noted.

"Yeah, maybe," she replied back distractedly as her eyes lit on man sitting in the shadows on a bench near the wooded park they were passing. He seemed to be studying an elderly lady as she was unknowingly making her way down the street towards him. "Stop! Mark! Over there! Check out the guy on the bench. He fits the description of our mugger and look how he's watching that woman!"

Wilson quietly parked the RPM at the curb on the other side of the street. "You could be right, Janko," he said, forgetting himself in the moment.

"Should we call it in?" Eddie asked as they continued to observe the situation.

"I don't know..." Wilson started to answer just as the man leaped to his feet and pulled the hapless women into the bushes near the bench.

"Call for backup! That's him!" Eddie yelled as she threw her car door open and ran across the street. "Police! Freeze!" she yelled with all her might as she came upon the man punching his helpless victim who was lying prone on the ground. The perp never turned around, but instead scrambled quickly to his left in an effort to get up and run. He was met with a flying kick to his shin that knocked him down flat and Eddie was on him instantly, driving her knee into the small of his back and wrenching an arm behind him. Wilson stepped on the man's other shoulder and between the two of them he was subdued and cuffed in no time. Eddie sat back breathing heavily as her partner drug the struggling man to his feet and handed him off to the two backup officers that had just arrived.

"Get him in our car, and get a bus here for the victim!" Wilson barked as he caught his breath. "Nice work, Reagan," he smiled as he turned around to congratulate his partner. He was stunned to find her doubled up on the ground, clutching her stomach and grimacing in pain. "Eddie! What is it?" he yelled as he kneeled at her side. "Let me see! Are you hurt? Did he get you with something?" There was no weapon to be found and Wilson was shocked to see blood on Eddie's uniform. He grabbed his shoulder radio. "12-Edward, Central. I have a 10-13, officer down at my location! Roll a second bus forthwith!" he ordered as he tried to ease his partner down to the ground.

"Oh, God! Wilson. It hurts!" Eddie cried as she rolled to her side in a ball. "I don't think the perp touched me! I don't know what's wrong!"

"It's okay, Eddie. Look at me!" Wilson ordered. "Look at me! You're going to be fine, okay? Whatever it is the docs will fix you right up. I promise," he said as he took her hand. "You just hold on." It was only a few minutes before the medics showed up to rush both women to the hospital.

###

Jamie had just arrived in the conference room in his father's office at 1PP for a debriefing on the serial mugging case with Deputy Commissioner Miller when the first word was relayed through Lieutenant Gormley of the arrest of a possible suspect. Frank entered the room with DCPI Moore and the five men and Detective Abigail Baker took a seat to await further news, each of them hoping that the end to this summer's siege was in sight.

Gormley's phone buzzed just a few minutes later and he anxiously picked it up. "They got him!" he said as he pumped his fist, "Two officers out of the 12th bagged him as he was attacking another woman." The look of jubilation on his face was quickly replaced by shock, however. "Say again," he replied in disbelief as he turned around and held the phone closer to his ear.

"What is it, Sid?" Frank asked with that familiar sense of dread sinking into his heart.

Jamie caught the tone in his father's voice and instantly stopped breathing. He knew the second he saw the Lieutenant's face what the answer to that question was going to be.

"10-13, one of the officers is down on scene," he paused before he looked up and confirmed what Jamie already knew. "It's Officer Reagan."

Without hesitation, Jamie immediately dropped everything, his phone bouncing off the floor as he knocked the chair over while he stood up to race to the door. He was met with his father's hands and a full body block as Frank grabbed him before he could make his escape. Garrett was suddenly gripping his shoulders from behind as well. "Hold on, son," Frank said as he held him firmly, pushing him back a few steps. "Whatever's happened I will get you to her. I promise." Jamie was just about hyperventilating by this point, having forgotten to draw breath at all until now. Frank looked back to the Lieutenant. "What's the situation?"

"Unknown, sir," Gormley replied. "The perp was unarmed. Officer Reagan collapsed after he was already subdued. Both she and the victim are en route to St. Victor's."

"Okay, Jamie. Look at me," he demanded in a deep voice, giving his son a little shake to ground him. "Look at me. Did you hear that? He was unarmed," Frank's throat was tight as he looked into the frightened eyes of his own child. "He was unarmed," he repeated, willing that information to somehow register in the back of Jamie's panicking mind. "Whatever it is, it's not that," he emphasized, knowing full well where every Reagan's thoughts went upon hearing that call. Joe had been a 10-13 at one time too, with four bullets in his chest. "Now let's get you to her. Baker, have my detail waiting downstairs, please." His dedicated assistant was three steps ahead, having already called for the SUV as she dashed into the entryway to clear the elevator. Frank and Garrett each held tightly onto one of Jamie's arms as they guided him down the hall. He was numb and still not responding. Gormley followed closely behind, having grabbed Jamie's phone and messenger bag off the floor. He handed the items to Garrett before the doors closed. "Sid, stay here and monitor the suspect's situation with Chuck." Frank commanded. "We'll call as soon as we know anything." With his free hand he was pulling out his phone to warn Linda so she could be waiting as Eddie was brought into the ER.

"Yes, sir," Gormley responded as he and DCLM Miller watched as the doors closed in front of them. "Godspeed," he muttered.