March 26th, 2009 10:03 am.
New York Public Library
Mulberry Street Branch
10 Jersey St, New York, NY.
Right now, he hated Derrick Storm. He'd put his character through just about everything he could think of. Near death situations, gadgets galore, deadly women, and of course Derrick's father had made an appearance. And this was the problem. He had run out of situations to place him in that his readers would believe accept even and now he had nothing. Nothing that was fit to print that is. If he could admit it to himself he was tired of the writing period, maybe this would be easier to face. Maybe what he thought years ago was that writing was something influential for him. A way to convey what he had been through, but instead he decided to create a fictional character. One that had recently met with a very large caliber bullet to his head. Exit wounds can be very messy.
Now he really can't decide what he will tell his publisher when she calls and she will call him. Maybe he can feign amnesia or some other mind-altering disease that'll get him out of listening to her scream and yell at him for killing off his star character with no way to come back from it for hours on end. What he needs now is something new he just doesn't know what it is or how to find it. He's done the people watching routine so many times that he's sick of it by now. Making up stories for people who look like they are spies, or Secret Service agents, or even terrorists have lost its appeal. And so, he sits here in one of the calmest settings he loves. The New York Public Library. When he's lost and he hits a wall in a book he's writing, this is where he comes to get away to clear his head and reflect. And usually, after about two or three hours of just thinking about what he wants to do, he's off to writing another adventure again for Derrick Storm.
His cell phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out he looks at the caller ID. But Rick doesn't have numbers stored in his caller ID he has pictures. And the picture that pops up is one he really hates to see. He associates her with the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Disney character of course because he wouldn't be that cruel. Thumbing the decline button on his phone because he really doesn't want to talk to her now, he places the phone back in his pocket. He stares at the blinking cursor on his laptop screen, and he's still drawing a blank. He needs inspiration something that will drive him something that will make him think and he hopes he finds it soon because if he doesn't he just might stop writing altogether.
So, as he gathered up his stuff put his laptop back in his case, and picked up his half-eaten lunch and he made his way out of the room all while he was in being as quiet as he could possibly be. As he walks past the information desk he gives a friendly wave to Agnes the part-time information clerk and she returns the gesture. He thinks about stopping at Washington Square Park to just sit and think. He likes the thought so he changes the exit he usually uses. Checking to see that he has everything he steps down into the vestibule. Just as he was about to open the door to the Mulberry Street exit he saw him. A man with a medium build and black hair. Tattoos were covering his lower arms and up the side of his neck. He had stopped just about in front of him precisely in front of the lobby door. The man spun around to face the threat and as he did his hand raised and he had his finger on the trigger of a gun. Retreating back inside the lobby somewhat but not completely back to the library, he made sure he was out of the line of fire but was still able to see the scene unfold in front of him. Because what he saw next had him standing there in surprise. She was tall and had long brown chestnut hair, and she had the features of a model, high cheekbones, luscious full lips, and killer hazel green eyes. As she came to a stop, her hand automatically dropping to her weapon and she withdrew it from her holster keeping it pointed down at the sidewalk. She took cover behind a box truck that was parked at the curb in front of the library exit. As he watched the standoff progress taking place directly in front of him it felt surreal. This made him wonder so many things. The first thing he thought about was how could she run in those ridiculously high heels without falling and breaking her neck along with other body parts. The tension between the two outside started to grow higher. She demanded that he put his gun down and he countered back with "I'm not going back to jail, cop." and disobeyed her order stubbornly. He thought this was a classic case of he said, she said. Soon after she had started talking to the armed man, two men ran up behind and slowed close to her but still at a safe distance away with weapons drawn. They too had taken up tactical positions flanking the woman. The older Latino was at her six behind a U.S. mailbox and the younger Anglo-Saxon man was in a nine o'clock position taking cover near a hot dog vendors cart.
Nothing was said until she had looked to her back up. When she saw them covering her she restated her demand for the suspect to lay down his weapon. The exchange of words next was not what he expected.
"I'm in charge here bitch! Nothing you can do or say will change that. I'm walking away from this and when I do, you and your partners will be in body bags."
Beckett steeled herself at the comment. Sure, she had heard worse, but she hated to be called a bitch. She shook it off and thought that maybe if she calmed his fears down it would work to their advantage.
"Miguel, I promise you that no one will end up in a body bag if you put down your gun."
Rick had moved closer to the door and watched with more intent as they seemed to be at a stalemate. Then he noticed two things. First, she eyed to the Latino to move up to a better tactical position and secondly, she slowly returned her weapon back to its holster. If it were him in her place he'd never relinquish his weapon in a situation like this, but then again, he was trained to shoot first and gather intel later. Miguel still had his weapon trained on her as she slowly came out from behind the box truck fully exposing herself. In the back of his head from where he was, this was a mistake on her part. She was too trusting. Slowly she advanced and Miguel's hand holding the gun started the tremor more as she did.
"Don't take another step! I'm warning you!" Miguel shouted and Beckett stopped dead.
"Miguel, I'm sure that we can come to an agreement here. Because now if you shoot me it would be cold-blooded murder. And that's something that neither of us wants."
Rick could see the shift in Miguel's body language. From his past experiences with bad guys, he knew he was going to break, and soon. Slowly without anyone noticing in the vestibule which had grown now to many people, he lowered his laptop case and threw what was left of his lunch in the trash can. Then he removed his coat and placed it on top of his laptop case. Looking up he saw that the scene remained unchanged. He placed his palm flatly on the brushed aluminum door frame and the other on the handle ready to take off through the door in a split second. Beckett took a hesitant half step forward and that's when he pushed the door opened slowly. The next sound he heard stilled him. Miguel had cocked the hammer back on the handgun and his forearm went rigid.
They all heard it and Javi countered by doing the same as Kate's hand went back to her own weapon.
"Miguel, this doesn't need to end in bloodshed namely mine."
"Take another step and you'll find out! Just stop moving cop!"
Foolishly the detective started to move but not to advance on him and Miguel's finger twitched on the trigger. If he waited for any longer someone would get shot. Making the decision he pushed the door open the rest of the way. The movement drew Miguel's eyes to his right and at that moment Rick surged forward the three feet towards Miguel with his arms opened wide to grab him around his mid-section. The feeling of his body slamming into the armed gunman brought him back to a similar situation in Afghanistan. The second they landed on the sidewalk his rage took over. He was hitting him with both fists relentlessly. It was not until the Latino came up from behind him and tried to pull him off their suspect. Without even realizing it on one of his upswings into Miguel's head he inadvertently elbowed the Latino in his eye socket. The result was him reeling backward onto his ass. His partner the Anglo-Saxon was already moving towards his downed partner. It wasn't until the female Detective put her hands on his shoulders to pull him back and off their suspect when he stopped. She moved him back to the wall library and sat him down. She was saying something but he could not comprehend what it was she was asking him. All he could do was stare at what had happened before him.
Xx
March 26th, 2009 9:22 am.
12th Precinct Homicide
205 Mulberry Street, New York, NY.
"Beckett" her captain bellowed from the doorway of his office.
"Sir?"
"You and your team are up next. But this is no homicide."
"What is it, sir?"
"There's a 10-30B at 41 E Houston St. And since the HRT team is busy uptown your team is it."
"Sir, we're homicide detectives. I and I'm sure my team have no experience in a situation like this."
"Detective, are you questioning my decisions?"
"Not at all, sir. We'll go now."
Montgomery moved closer to her desk.
"Kate, I know that you can do this. All you need to do is just the reverse of what I taught you. Don't look for the next clue, but wait and listen. Get their demands and act on them. Use your common sense and you'll go far."
"Yes, sir!" Kate turned and faced her team. "Guys we have a scene to go to so get ready."
March 26th, 2009 9:31 am.
Bank of Smithtown
41 E Houston St, New York, NY
Two NYPD unmarked Crown Victoria's pulled up next to the entrance of the bank with gumballs flashing brightly. Time was critical. The three detectives jumped out of their cars and quickly put on their bulletproof vests. Detective Beckett surveyed the scene and found that other than the two other cruisers there they were the only ones on site. She moved carefully over to the entrance of the bank her partners ten feet behind her and peered through the window. What she saw was someone who was not in command of the situation since the bank manager was doing most of the talking.
She knew that the bank manager was only trying to protect his bank but it could get him killed in the long run so she met up back with her partners to discuss their next move. Only after a solid plan was in place did they execute it. The plan was to have Kate approach the bank and get the suspect's demands and provide him with a contact number so they could talk after she left.
Everything was going according to plan until an overzealous rookie decided to be the hero. Kate had made it halfway across the bank floor when he came in behind her. He thought that he could disarm the suspect and subdue him on his own. The second the suspect saw the rookie following in behind Kate, he thought he was being double-crossed. So, without any warning, he steamrolled into Kate catching her off guard knocking her over and disarmed the rookie cop.
March 26th, 2009 9:47 am.
Bank of Smithtown
41 E. Houston St, New York, NY
Miguel Garcia has the rookie cop's gun to his head as he moves him towards the bank exit, he slams him into the glass and steel door almost knocking him over but pulled him back up quickly into a chokehold again. And when they go out into the bright daylight Miguel is surprised to see the lack of police response to a bank robbery in progress. Knowing that the cops won't be able to take him down with his own cop as a hostage he shuffles down the sidewalk. By the time he reaches the street corner of Mulberry and East Houston streets, he's positive that he's clear of the NYPD following him, he strikes the rookie cop on the back of his head with his own gun rendering him unconscious. He falls in a heap at his feet. Deciding to go in a southernly direction he takes off in a sprint down Mulberry Street. He's almost out of breath by the time he gets to Jersey Street. The flow of pedestrian traffic is getting too much for him to run around so he decides to act normal and blend in. He can hear the detectives running behind him and tries to blend into the foot traffic around him. But by the time he gets halfway down the block two marked NYPD units block off the street from the south, cutting off any escape he might have had.
March 26th, 2009 10:03 am.
New York Public Library
Mulberry Street South Exit
226 Mulberry Street, New York, NY.
Beckett has concerns as she runs down the street after Miguel. It's still mid-morning and there are more people on the street than usual for this time of day. She sees her suspect stop to catch his breath or calculate where he is and then two Cruisers pull up at the end of the block. When he bends over to put his hands on his knees to catch his breath again, she loses as him temporarily in the crowd. But once he stands back up he's got her eyes on him. She sees a box truck directly across from the exit of the library so she draws her gun and uses the box truck as cover when Miguel moves down the block. The marked units have four officers responding and they quickly make their way from the south up Mulberry Street two in the street, and two on the sidewalk with weapons drawn. She notices when Miguel sees that he has no escape. Right now, he looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Not moving in either direction. He takes the cops gun raises it and aims it directly at Beckett. In the time he's done this she's already behind the back of the box truck with her weapon drawn taking cover provided by the truck. She looks around the scene to guarantee no one will be hurt, but typical New Yorkers as they are have already cleared the street after seeing the gun drawn by Miguel. The only possible threat she has is if Miguel decides to run to the library to escape and then this is when she sees a very tall man standing at the bottom of the steps inside the vestibule of the library.
March 26th, 2009 10:08 am.
New York Public Library
Mulberry Street South Exit
226 Mulberry Street, New York, NY.
The situation quickly gets out of hand. Her training has taught her that people who are stuck in the corner usually go to extremes to get out of that corner. She knows the time is critical now, not knowing what his next move is going to be. From the corner of her eye, she sees movement in the vestibule. The tall man with brown hair and muscular build place his backpack down on the floor of the vestibule and removes his coat placing it on top of the backpack. He places his right hand on the vertical support of the door jamb and his left on the door handle. By his actions what she can see in her mind is a disaster in progress. She knows that he's getting the idea to rush the suspect and take him down himself. So, doing the one thing she was trained not to do, she puts her gun back in her holster and takes a cautious step forward.
Talking to the suspect as she does, this is keeping him occupied and she takes one more step towards him. It's only then when she sees the rage in his eyes knowing that he's not going to leave this place alive and his comment about body bags runs up and down her spine in a bad way. By the time she takes another half step forward it all happens in slow motion. The door swings open her suspect looks to his right and the tall man with the muscular build is sailing across the sidewalk into their suspect's body.
She's frozen in place and can't move once she sees the man rise up and start beating on Miguel's head. It doesn't take him long, seconds exactly, to have Miguel's head looking like a side of beef. Esposito and Ryan are already trying to get him off their suspect, but when an upswing by the mystery man strikes Esposito in the eye, he falls backward onto the sidewalk groaning.
Ryan quickly takes over trying to stop the barrage of punches by the mystery man. The second she hears Ryan calling name her name she's brought back to the situation in front of her. She instinctively grabs her handcuffs from her case and runs up next to Ryan. She's was taught to secure the suspect first, but this man's hands are just like deadly weapons themselves. So, seeing when he starts to tire, she grabbed his left arm and slaps a cuff on his wrist, then repeats the action to his right. Ryan having the suspect subdued now cuffs him as well. She sits the mystery man down on the sidewalk next to the library and looks at him. What she sees is a man who's not really there, one who's seen a lot of bad things in his life. He's just staring at nothing, in a daze…