"Last Exit to Brooklyn"
Author:carmen_085
Disclaimer: I don't own any Third Watch characters. I do own all original characters appearing in this story
Author's Note: Aftermath of 9/11 in this chapter. Please be aware if this is upsetting to you. One more chapters and this story will be finished. I plan on a sequel that I will preview in the next chapter
Chapter 29
Vindicated
I am selfish, I am wrong
I am right, I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along and
I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself
September 21, 2001
Ten days...that's how long they had been down there. Liz could have been fooled though because it felt like a life time. Twelve hours on...twelve off; sleep, dig, eat, sleep, and dig some more. Every part of her ached and each morning she wondered if she would be able to do it again. Leaning back against a building she slid down to sit on the ground. Pulling the dust mask off her face she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her blue t-shirt and pants stuck to her; caked with dirt and grime. Staring straight ahead she looked at nothing and everything at the same time.
In the beginning they were excited to get down there; so sure that hundreds of people needed rescued. Atlas had gone with her every day to search; he too was energized by the prospect of finding someone alive in that mess. But one day turned into two, and then three, four, and five. And they never found a single survivor. A few people were found in those first few days but she knew for a fact that it was less then twenty. Over a thousand people searching night and day and all that's all they could find. And as each day drug on they began to accept that there just wasn't anyone left to find, but they never stopped looking.
Dipping her head down she closed her eyes. Early on the morning of the twelfth the Lieu from Brooklyn called her. Callahan was missing. He took a few rookies and headed over the Brooklyn Bridge right after the first plane hit. He was working the street when he saw an explosion across the river in Manhattan. The Lieu told her Callahan made one of the first official reports of the attacks. She wasn't surprised, he was one of the smartest people she had ever worked with. He checked in with his rookies to the Tower Two Command Post and they were sent up in the building to aid in the evacuation. No one had seen him since.
That day she couldn't wait to get down there with Atlas and find him. From all her time in Brooklyn Atlas knew Callahan well and could most certainly smell him a mile away. She was sure he would be there somewhere, buried in the collapse still alive. Out of everyone she knew, he would be the one to find a way to survive. Honestly she couldn't even imagine Callahan not making it. He was almost indestructible in her mind.
That first day they stayed down there sixteen hours looking everywhere for him. She probably moved ten tons of debris all together as her arms were literally shaking by the end of the day. Atlas went into every crevice, down every hole, and across every gap sniffing every square inch until he just couldn't do it anymore. And then at the end of that first day something caught his attention and he ran over a hill of debris intent. She was tired and she had no idea what had gotten into him but she was still hoping against hope that they could find Callahan. So she forced her legs to move and she crawled up that hill. On the other side in the gray light Atlas sat staring at the ground. Behind her machinery roared on but all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. A chill ran up her spine as she inched closer. A dark blue shirt peeked out of the debris. Cautiously she knelt down and began to move rocks aside. She heard Bosco come up beside her but she didn't look at him. His hands, bloodied and nearly ripped to shreds, worked silently beside her as more of the shirt came into view. Her breath hitched in her throat when she realized it was a uniform shirt. Her pace picked up and Atlas whined beside her. Working toward the top of the shirt she became almost frantic. And then she stopped because at the collar of the shirt there was nothing...nothing in the sleeves and nothing past the last button. Bosco slowly wiped the dust from the front of the shirt; red letters 'FDNY'. Liz shot up to her feet. It was a torso...everything else had been ripped off. Her legs started to move away and then before she knew it she was running.
She ran for at least five blocks...far away from the pile and the harsh white lights that illuminated it all night long. She heard Atlas's collar jingling behind her but she didn't turn around. When she could no longer hear the shovels or smell the jet fuel she stopped. It wasn't the first mangled body she had seen down there but it was the first in a uniform and the first she really thought could be Callahan. Covering her face with her hands she breathed in and out. She felt Bosco's hands on her shoulders a short time later turning her towards him. Holding her tight in his arms she lost it and began crying hysterically. They stayed there for a while not saying anything. There was nothing she could say to explain how she felt and there was nothing Bosco could say to make her feel any better. They went home silently that night a sense of hopelessness creeping into their hearts.
That was the last time she cried. Since that night she kept her head down and did the work she knew she had to do. After five days she knew that he was dead. No way he could still be alive that long pinned in some crevice. They would find him eventually or maybe a piece of him like they had been finding of everyone else. An ear...a foot...maybe a leg with a few toes still attached. Yesterday they found a man's torso still half clothed in a business suit. When they lifted it out, a woman's hand with an engagement ring fell out from inside. It made her sick and she had to look away. The force it took to rip someone apart and then literally insert two body parts from different people inside one another was something she could not understand. All she knew was that this was only going to get worse.
She watched Bosco as he moved another bucket. He hadn't slowed down once in ten days and she was beginning to worry that he was coming apart. He wasn't sleeping, barely ate, and worked like a dog for twelve hours straight. He stopped, rubbing his lower back as he bent backwards staring up at the sky. Bosco had lost weight and his face looked thin and drawn as she stared at him in the waning daylight. If possible he took the news of Callahan worse than she did. The man had given him a second chance when no one else wanted to, and that chance changed Bosco's whole life. He never thanked him for that but Liz was sure that Callahan knew.
That night, when they finally found each other again, was that closest that her and Bosco would ever be. A moment filled with love in every way. And not just love but also immense relief and gratitude that they were both still there. But since that night and after they learned how much they had actually lost both of them couldn't help but to drift apart slightly. Liz didn't need to ask; she knew that Bosco felt guilty that he had lived and Callahan had not. Two men in the same place on the same day doing the same thing. The only difference between them was that one of them was in the wrong building.
Bosco pulled the dust mask off his face and walked around in circles. He hadn't slept more than two hours in the last ten days. Every time he closed his eyes he thought about orange and khaki tumbling end over end and when he didn't think about that he thought about Callahan ripped into so many pieces they would never find him. And if he got even a moment's reprieve then there was Jackson. Just as Bosco had suspected the son of a bitch was alive. He turned up at the house the day after while they were all down at the pile. Told the boss some bullshit about being hit over the head by a piece of debris. Said he walked almost a hundred blocks from downtown back to his place in a complete and utter daze. He had, of course, learned that Bosco was still alive and had time to process that fact before they actually came face to face. That moment came the morning of the thirteenth when Bosco and Liz walked into the roll call room together and he was there leaning against the wall like it was just another day. Like two days ago, as the world was coming to an end, his only concern was trying to kill another cop. Like he wasn't a thug, a thief, and a murder. Like he didn't give a shit because he knew at the end of the day they had no real proof of anything.
It was just one more thing that was slowly eating away at Bosco. Really it was the least of his problems right now. He would never stop until he took care of this for Faith but somehow in the last two days her death just didn't seem as important. He knew that sounded awful but it was true. Eight months ago he couldn't think of anything worse than losing a single cop, now he wondered how he could ever be so naive. In the last ten days it felt like he had lived another life. It was hard to imagine ever going back to the way it was. And as each day passed he wondered if he and Liz would survive this. So many things had come between them and they both carried a burden of grief that neither could adequately put into words. So they didn't. They loved each other more than anything but this was so complicated and so overwhelming they just didn't know where to start.
A loud horn sounded and the digging stopped. Liz sprang up to her feet. This had happened at least thirty times before and it meant that something was going to collapse. So when they heard the horn everyone ran. Her legs ached as she stopped at the command post a block away. Bosco came up behind her breathing heavy. Everyone was quiet as they waited. Creaking of metal and a loud grinding sound and then nothing. Ten minutes later someone got on the loud speaker and told them the shift was over and to go home. The pile had shifted and no one was permitted back down there until the engineers came in. Liz sighed as she pulled the dust mask off her forehead and threw it on the ground. Wordlessly, her and Bosco walked toward their RMP. Her boots scraped along the ground as she was completely exhausted. Bosco looked back at her and let out a sigh.
"Tired?" It wasn't what he said but the way he said it. Yes it was a completely idiotic question as she was beyond exhausted at this point just like everyone else but it was his tone that made her stop in her tracks. Taunting and snide she wondered why he was talking to her like that. Still she couldn't be mad at him; she loved him too much.
"What's wrong?" Bosco stopped as he swung the RMP door open a little too forcefully. Why was she such a good person? Why did she always have to take the high road and be so goddamned understanding. It's one of the reasons why he loved her so much but right now it was making him mad.
"Nothing. Just thought you would want to keep going until we found..." He stopped and looked down before looking away shaking his head. "Never mind." Getting into the car he slammed the driver's door as he waited for her to get in. Slowly Liz walked to the passenger side and leaned in the window. She stared at Bosco until he made eye contact with her.
"He's dead, Bosco." Her voice was smooth and even. The raw emotion completely blunted by days of unfiltered human carnage.
Grinding his teeth back and forth Bosco sneered at her. "I know... Everyone's fucking dead." Sighing she pushed out of the window and opened the door, sitting down in the passenger seat.
"I think we both need a day off...a day away from this. I'm exhausted and I know you're not sleeping..." Before she could finish he cut her off.
"Don't tell me what I need." The car was quiet with a tense silence. "I talked to the boss this morning. I'm going to switch to overnights." The words came out of his mouth and he instantly regretted the whole idea. Liz let the air out of her lungs and turned away. For the first time in ten days she felt tears come to her eyes. What he said was that he wanted to work the pile overnight but what she heard was that he wanted to get away from her. Shaking her head she looked down at her hands. Right now is when they should be coming together not falling apart. Still she loved him and she wanted to give him the benefit of every doubt.
"Bosco I know you got a lot of shit going on right now. We all do. And we still need to finish this thing with Faith..."
"I don't give a damn about Faith anymore. She died. Big fucking deal. So did a lot of other people." Liz looked at him in shock. She couldn't believe he just said that. Nodding toward the open passenger side door, Bosco snapped at her impatiently. "Are you going to close that sometime today? Or are we going to sit here all night?" Liz was pissed now but more than that she was sad. She didn't know this person in front of her.
"NO. I'm not going to close the fucking door. What is your problem?" Her blue eyes blazed into his and given any other set of circumstances Bosco would be incredibly turned on right not. But not tonight. He was digging the hole and there was no use stopping now.
"What's my problem? Well...let's see for ten days I haven't slept more than two hours because every time I close my eyes I see..." He almost said it. I see a man in orange and khaki falling to his death. "I see body parts in buckets and then I wake up and I see body parts in buckets. And you're right Callahan's dead. He was in the wrong building I was in the right one. Lucky me." Liz reached across the console for his hand. Bosco wanted her to hold his hand. He wanted her...no he needed her right now but he just couldn't do it. He wasn't mad at her; he could never be mad at her. He just didn't know how to deal with the way he was feeling right now. Pulling his hand away he shook his head. "Don't do that."
That was it. He had used up all his chances and then some. Now she was hurt and she was really mad. "You know I never figured you for one to leave a partner behind but looks like you got no problem with it." Bosco looked at her in surprise. He kind of thought she was going take all his shit laying down.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well first you dump me to work alone down in this mess and now you do't give a shit about Faith or finishing this thing with Jackson. So yeah I guess that's what you are. Things get hard and you take off."Her words hurt him more than she knew but she wasn't wrong. He was trying to run away from everything that hurt. "So go ahead. Leave." He flinched as she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. She stood there on the curb before leaning into the window. When she spoke her voice was raw with emotion, "You can try and hide all this from me but I know you, Bosco. And I can see you." He met her eyes and in that moment he wanted to fall apart and just let everything go. "I won't give up on you." He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. Seeing this she sighed. Pushing back from the window she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll see you around partner."
Liz walked away tears coming to her eyes. She wanted to turn around and run back to him. Beg him to let all this go and just be like it was before. But she heard the RMP peel out and her heart sank. Turning she sat down on the steps of a bank. It's windows had been blown out by the collapse and it was covered up with plywood. No one was around. Liz covered her face and willed herself not to cry. She thought about Dave, her first partner in the NYPD and the first person who really believed in her. Dave who never knew what hit him that night in Brooklyn. And Dave who died long before the whole world went to shit. She thought about Callahan, if possible he believed in her even more than Dave. Callahan who always found a way to watch over her and keep her safe even when she was deep under. And Callahan who was probably in so many pieces they would never find all of him. She thought about Faith, a woman she never met who managed to change her entire life. Faith who kissed her children good bye every day and strapped on a bullet proof vest just trying to make a living. And Faith who died a death even more unjust than those she was working day and night to find. When she closed her eyes and she thought of Dave and Callahan and, of course, Faith...all these people that changed her life in some way; only one thought came to mind and it was that she needed to keep going. None of them would have given up and she couldn't either. Not on herself, or Bosco, or doing what she knew was right.
Sully navigated the RMP through what seemed like an endless stream of check points. In the passenger seat Davis rested his head against the window as his eyes numbly stared at block after block of emergency vehicles. The streets leading into ground zero, as the media had begun to call it, were jammed with emergency agencies that had come from all over the country. Everyone wanted to help and that was great but Davis just wanted it to be over. The twelve hour shifts, the digging, the waiting and the wondering, the abject exhaustion and despair. He dreamed of his normal life...his routine and then he reminded himself that he still had a life and for that he should be grateful.
Today they had gotten a break. Instead of digging they spent twelve hours at a check point on the Holland Tunnel getting yelled at by pissed off motorists. Sighing Davis closed his eyes, he just wanted to go back to the radio car. Answer calls...eat pizza...bitch about Bosco ducking...do paperwork. It was more than the normalcy he wanted...he needed to feel like he was doing something useful again. Like he was actually helping someone and accomplishing something. He knew the work they were doing at ground zero was important but it was just so...so disheartening. The families of those people suffer one loss...a major one, this is true, but for those who were digging that loss was felt over and over again. The sorrow not nearly as intense but the unending repetition heart breaking in its own rite. And not just heart breaking but exhausting both mentally and physically.
Sully slowed the car to a stop and Liz got in the back. The door slammed shut wordlessly as his eyes flickered in the mirror. She didn't look at him and he took that to mean that something was wrong. Letting off the brake they drifted into the stream of emergency vehicles heading away from the glowing white lights of the pile. Daylight had begun to fade into night as the city was bathed in a orange purple light.
"You guys want to go get some pizza?" She hoped they wouldn't say no. Not only did she need someone to talk to right now she also craved something ordinary.
Davis immediately perked up. Both he and Sully were exhausted but they hadn't eaten anything all day. "Yeah...Yeah I could go for a slice. Sul ?" Sully wanted to go home and get in bed. Scowling at the road he shook his head.
"Sure...why not." Thirty minutes later they were sitting around a pizza box. The pizza shop was empty except for them and the owner who kept tossing sympathetic glances across the counter. Liz stared at her boots as Davis made small talk about their detail. Sully sat back in his chair staring at her in the buzzing fluorescent lights.
"What's wrong?" Davis stopped talking as Liz raised her eyes from the dirty linoleum floor. Meeting Sully's eyes briefly she quickly looked away as a wave of emotion came over her. She shook her head as she looked back down again.
"I don't know what to do...I feel like I'm losing him." Sully let out a long sigh. Liz quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. Leaning forward she rested her elbows on her knees as she covered her face.
Reaching across the table Sully touched her arm. "Listen...you and Bosco are meant for each other more than any other two people in the whole world." He paused licking his lips as he looked away for a moment. "I know this can't be easy right now but things will settle down and you'll see...it will get better."
Liz nodded as she sat back in the chair. "I don't mean to pry, Liz." Davis's voice was smooth and comforting and she thought she could listen to him all night. "But what's his problem?"
Davis had a point. What was his problem? Everyone had lost something; he was luckier than most. "Well there's Callahan..." The two men nodded and grunted. They didn't know him but they knew how much he meant to both Bosco and Liz. "I...I think something happened down there that he isn't telling me."
"You mean on the eleventh?" Sully spoke up as he looked at her skeptically.
Nodding she met his eyes briefly. "Yeah. He told me everything but I think there's something he's holding back...something that's eating him alive." Sully nodded as he shrugged his shoulders.
"He'll tell you eventually. That's how Bosco is...he needs to compartmentalize it before he can talk about it." Liz looked like she didn't believe him as she leaned forward on her knees, her head hanging down. "I'm sure Jackson isn't helping either." She let out a wry laugh.
"I hate that fucking guy. He should be dead instead of Callahan." She had thought it about a million times but this was the first time she said it out loud. Davis shook his head as he sat back in the chair.
"Oh come on...you know people like that never die." Snorting Liz looked away in disgust. Ain't that the truth...good people never win.
"He lived but that doesn't mean he's won." They both stopped and stared at Sully. "Listen...what if there's still a way."
Liz sighed loudly as she looked at Sully doubtful that anything could work. "We don't have any proof...never did."
"Yeah but what if there's something we missed? What if there's someone else to talk to ? And I know this makes me sound like an asshole but listen. When we looked into this before people didn't give a shit about us...now everyone wants to help us." Using the attacks as leverage in this made her feel sick but he wasn't wrong. Liz closed her eyes for a moment and deep inside her she heard Dave's voice...and Callahan's...and a light female voice she could only assume was Faith's. This was it...they had to look again because someone...or something was out there that would close this for good.
She smiled a little at the thought of putting Jackson away for good but wouldn't allow herself to get too excited about it yet. "I don't think Bosco is going to help right now. He told me today he doesn't care anymore about Faith. That it seems unimportant after everything else."
Sully shrugged and shook his head. Her death had been dwarfed by the immense loss of life on the eleventh but that didn't mean it was unimportant. And not for a second did he believe that Bosco didn't care anymore. "He'll come around. In the mean time you have us."
Liz looked at their faces. Neither of them flinched at the idea of working all day and all night. "Are you sure? I mean I know you're tired."
Davis didn't hesitate as he quickly spoke up, "We need a win, Liz. Because all we're doing now is losing." Nodding she couldn't agree more. It would feel so good to make something right.
"I've been thinking about all this, you know, since the eleventh. Working down at the pile I keep going over this case in my head. I guess it's easier to think about this than everything else." Sully stopped talking for a moment and sat back in the chair as he rubbed his knuckles deep in thought. "I...I think that we should go back to the truck driver and see if he'll testify now."
Liz had heard about George Ramirez and that he saw the crash but didn't want to testify. Sully wasn't mad about it and said the guy was worried about his family. "You think he will now?"
Sully nodded, "He might." Liz began thinking about Lysette and if she could find her again and convince her to come to the DA. She wondered if the girl had taken her advice and gone to the GEMS program. It was a place to start. And yet that's all they had. An uncooperative truck driver and a hooker. It didn't inspire much confidence.
"Hey did anyone look at the businesses near that intersection? See if any of them have surveillance?" Davis spoke up and Liz was immediately intrigued although doubtful.
"If they didn't find tape of it then it's probably long gone. Taped over thousands of times by now." Liz sighed loudly.
"Hey its worth a shot..." Sully was being uncharacteristically positive. "Maybe it will be just enough to put that bastard away for good." A small smile came to Liz's face as she imagined Jackson's cell door clicking shut.
Bosco moved slowly as the line in front of him inched forward. A stream of never ending navy blue waiting to get through the final check point into ground zero. Adjusting the bag on his shoulder he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he sighed. It was his first overnight shift and he was already wondering if maybe this had been a mistake. When he asked the Lieu to switch him over he was mad and exhausted and clearly not thinking straight. He slept very little through the night and almost not at all during the day. He kept thinking about Liz down there without him and the idea of it all made him sick. He had been so stupid...why did he do this?
A few days ago the military had begun guarding the checkpoints around the site. His fellow officers finally released back to their precincts to try and be normal cops agains. He snorted to himself...what was normal? Bosco wasn't sure he could ever move beyond this and be normal again. For part of him it would always be the eleventh. Flashing his ID the national guardsman nodded solemnly as he moved into the "cold zone", an area where they could leave their personal effects that was considered safe. An area where they would run over and over through the night as debris shifted and that god forsaken horn blew once again.
Dropping his bag he stuffed a handful of gloves and a couple dust masks into his pocket as he pulled his NYPD hat down low over his red rimmed eyes. Shoes dragging over the pavement he marched toward the pile and what they considered the "hot zone"; an area full of danger. Deep inside of him he ached to have his partner by his side right now. He had no idea why he said those things to her..why he pushed her away like that. All he knew was that he wanted her there by his side. Closing his eyes for a moment he breathed in; his nose stinging with the stench of jet fuel and rotting human flesh. He saw a blue sky and an orange shirt falling end over end right at him. Snapping his eyes open someone handed him a bucket as he took his assigned area and began to dig.
It was dark now as Liz smoothed her hair in the car window. She was in Harlem at a place called GEMS. A former prostitute ran a program there for other girls who wanted to get off the street. They provided a range of services but most importantly they provided a family for women who had none. A support system for those who needed it most. She dealt with the woman who ran the program, Rachel, when she was working Brooklyn Vice and she found her to be extremely well put together. So much so that she referred several woman to her that wanted to get out of the life.
Opening the front door she cautiously stepped inside a well lit room. In the back she could smell something cooking and hear laughter. The normalcy of that moment made her smile. Time had a way of standing still at that awful tragic pile of debris; she thought maybe that's just the way the world was now. But she was wrong; not even five miles away amongst a group of people, who had suffered devastating losses of their own, life had found a way to go on.
"Can I help you?" A girl not more than thirteen years old was standing behind her smiling. Liz shuddered thinking a child so young had been out on the street selling herself not long ago.
"Uh...yeah. Is Rachel here?" The girl nodded cheerfully and disappeared around the corner.
A few minutes passed before a young dark hair woman appeared. "Can I help you?" Liz was a tiny bit disapppointed that she didn't remember her but quickly reminded herself that this woman probably dealt with hundreds of cops.
"Yeah my name is Liz Jensen I used to work with Brooklyn vice now I'm at the 55. I came across a girl about a month or so ago that I referred here; I was just wondering if she ever showed up. I'm trying to find her to follow up on a case she helped me with." It wasn't a total lie. "Her name was Lysette Jones."
Rachel immediately nodded and Liz felt her spirits soar. It was a sign. This was all going to work out after all. "She's in back. Been here for about three weeks. I think she's going to really turn it around."
A few minutes later Lysette appeared in an apron covered with flour and Liz had to do a double take. She looked clean and healthy; her thick curly hair tied into a pony tail she wore an easy smile. When she laid eyes on Liz, however, immediate recognition followed by a look of fear. "Am I in trouble?"
Liz smiled letting a relieved laugh escape her lips. "No...No of course not. Do you rememeber who I am?"
Lysette nodded slowly. "Yeah. You and your partner wanted to know about that cop."
"That's right." Liz swallowed hard. There was no sense in beating around the bush. "I'm here because I need you to help me. I need you to come with me down to the DA and tell her what you told me and Bosco that night."
Lysette shook her head. "But what if he comes back and hurts me ? That cop guy. I just got my life together."
Liz nodded her understanding. "That guy from the track...the one who told you that Yokas didn't deserve it. He's dead." Her eyes raised in surprise as Liz continued, "and his partner thinks he got away with this but we're going to make sure he goes to jail. Lysette if it's the last thing I do I will make sure that piece of shit gets locked up."
"And if he doesn't ?" If it was anyone else Liz would wonder if they were being uncooperative or adversarial. But she knew how far Lysette had come and how much the young woman was afraid to lose.
"Bosco and I will protect you." She looked behind Liz briefly.
"Where is Bosco?" That was a good question. She knew where he physically was but mentally he seemed to have disappeared.
"He's down there...digging." A sympathetic look crossed Lysette's face as she nodded.
"Oh...I thought about both of you that day. I was hoping you guys were alright." Liz was touched not only by her words but really how far she had come.
"Will you at least think about this for me?" She didn't want to push her too hard.
Lysette nodded. Liz turned to leave not wanting this situation to become forced or awkward. As she reached for the door knob a voice from behind made her stop. "I'll do it." Slowly she turned as Lysette took a few steps toward her. "I'll do it. I'll testify or whatever." They were both silent for a moment. "I'm getting my GED in a couple months and then Rachel's going to help me get into college and..." She closed her eyes clearly ovewhelmed by emotion. "And then I'm going to have a real life." Liz smiled at her as she reached out and touched her arm.
"I'm so happy for you." Lysette's eyes popped back open as her face with steeled with a new resolve.
"None of that would have ever happened without you and Bosco. So whatever you need me to do I'll do it." Liz let her eyes slip closed for a moment as she exhaled a breath that she didn't know she was holding.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." Lysette nodded and smiled. "I'll call you when I know when we are going to the DA."
Walking out the door Liz waited until she was outside to let her lips spread into a wide grin. This was going to happen. It was really really going to happen.
Sully raised his hand to knock on a door that was not entirely unfamiliar. Red and worn it looked like thousands of doors in New York yet it was different. A commotion inside and then the lock clicked and the door swung open. Sully opened his mouth to say something but the young man staring at him spoke first.
"Oh man." Taking a step out he closed the door behind him as he leaned against his paint chipped entryway. George Ramirez didn't bother with shoes or a shirt as he stood before Sully on this late summer night wearing nothing but a pair of black gym shorts and white socks.
"George.." Sully wasn't sure how he was going to convince him to do this. He was pretty clear before that he wasn't getting involved. But things were different now...at least Sully hoped they were. "I need to talk to you again."
George sighed but didn't say anything as he shook his head. Why wouldn't these people just leave him alone?
"I need you to think about coming down to the DA to give a statement about what you saw that day. We...we think we'll have enough to finally put that cop away."
"You think you'll have enough ? That guy came to my house...he had a gun. My kids live here, man." George turned around and Sully felt a sudden panic. This was going worse than he thought.
"I know you're scared but I also know you can't forget this. Faith...her kids. I know you think about her face and what you saw. George I'm not even asking anymore...I'm begging. Please...Please come to the DA with me. I'll do everything I can to protect you." Sully threw it all out on the line; this was his last chance.
Ramirez paused for a moment, his hand on the door knob, before slowly turning around in the dark. The yellow foyer light above him buzzed as a siren echoed somewhere in the distance. Licking his lips he looked over Sully's shoulder across the East River downtown. "You know I was down there that day. I had just made a delivery in Chinatown and when I looked up this huge fucking plane flew right into the building. I thought I was dreaming." His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the door jam. "I didn't know what to do. I don't know how to help anyone...I just drive a truck."
Sully sighed as he shifted his gaze to the ground. "Nobody knew what to do, George."
"I wanted to run away. Get back to Queens as fast and I could and get my kids. I was afraid. I didn't want to be down there. I...I didnt know what was next. Bombs in the streets, another plane..." He shook his head in retrospective disbelief. "But I was worried about the truck and what would happen if I left it there So I got on the FDR and it was jammed but all I could think about was getting out of there. And then just as I'm coming up onto the Triboro the second plane...the explosion made the whole bridge shake. People were running across the bridge through the traffic...it looked like a movie Officer Sullivan."
"I know...I still can't quite understand it myself." Sully didn't know what else to say. He didn't have the emotional capacity to deal with anyone else's grief right not but for some reason he didn't mind listening.
"People were beating on the truck. They wanted me to let them in the back...get them out of there. I didn't know what to do. So I just kept going. On the other side of the bridge a cop stopped me and said the city had closed the bridge down. I...I didn't even care anymore. I just had to get my kids. So I left the truck and I ran. But the whole time I kept looking over my shoulder at that smoke coming from downtown." Ramirez paused for a moment as he looked Sully in the eye. "And I thought about you...and part of me hoped that you were safe because you seemed like a good man and a good cop." Sully didn't know how to take that as he just smiled a little. "And part of me hoped that you were dead because then I would be free of this...I wouldn't have to lay in bed wondering if I did the right thing...I wouldn't have to see her face in that car...and most of all I wouldn't have to wonder about her kids and if they were getting on without their mother." Sully didn't know what to say. He never could have imagined that this was still bothering him so much.
"Even if I was dead you would still have to live with it." Ramirez nodded before looking Sully in the eye.
"I know. But I always knew you were going to come back around. To find me...to force me to make this right."
Sully shrugged. "I can't force you to do anything." Ramirez looked at him before turning and opening the door. "But I know this won't go away until you do." Stopping for moment he stepped into the doorway. Turning back he looked at Sully one last time.
"I know."
The six train clicked and rumbled out of the station as a gust of warm air blew the brim of the hat on his head. Reaching up, Ty Davis pulled it back down low over his eyes as he took a deep breath. This was it. He had only been on the job a couple of years but now he was on his own to get this done. It wasn't really plain clothes or undercover but he was still doing police work without a uniform and for that fact alone he was excited. Jogging up the subway stairs he was met with the sounds of sirens as a fire truck thundered past on Lexington. He was tired; they had been down at the pile all day digging. But that didn't matter right now, this was important to him as it was to the rest of them. Crossing the street his eyes drifted into the intersection. It happened right there and no matter how many times he went past it he would never be able to forget that day. And now he had a chance to make it right; he couldn't screw this up.
Bells on the door jingled as he walked inside a bodega that sat right at the corner. He hadn't noticed any cameras on the outside but he was betting there was at least one inside. A young hispanic kid stood behind the counter wearing an 'I Love NY' t-shirt as an American flag hung loosely over the door. Ty tried to appear as casual as possible as he sauntered up to the counter.
"Yeah?...You want to buy cigarettes?" The kid looked at him questioningly as he pulled out his NYPD ID and sat it on the counter. "Oh man...I don't know nothing..."
"You don't know nothing?" Davis let out a laugh. "Come on man, you don't even know what I'm going to ask." The kid pushed back from the counter and crossed his arms. He couldn't have been more than sixteen. Davis decided to just go for it before this got any worse. Licking his lips he looked at the door before leaning his elbows on the counter. "Where's your security cameras?"
"We don't got any." Davis didn't believe that. Places like this were always getting robbed.
"Oh come on now...I know that isn't true." Behind him he heard a door open and foot steps.
"Can I help you?" An older man with a thick dominican accent appeared from behind an aisle of potato chips. Davis stood up as he subconsciously changed his approach. Holding his ID up for the man to see he tried to appear non confrontational but assertive. "Officer Davis 55th precinct." Was that what you were supposed to say? He wasn't sure. He had never been out of uniform. The older man nodded slowly looking expectantly at Ty. "I'm here because my friend, Officer Faith Yokas, was killed in the intersection right there." He gestured out the door as the man's eyes momentarily followed him before looking back. "She was in a car accident...and I think another cop caused it. I...I thought you might have surveillance video of the crash."
The man looked at Ty for a long moment before nodding toward the back room. The kid at the register let out a loud pssth as he mumbled something under his breath. Davis quietly followed the man down a dark hallway into a small office. A yellow light buzzed overhead as stacks of paper threatened to tip over. "A man came in February a few days after the accident. It was late at night and we were about to close." He sat down on the desk and crossed his arms as Davis leaned against the door frame. "He stuck a gun in my son's face and smacked my head off the counter." Davis raised an eyebrow. "He was big and blonde and said that if I opened my mouth he would kill my son. I thought he just wanted to rob us but he was looking for the video tape of that accident. I tell him we have no cameras but he didn't believe me." The man sighed. "I thought he was going to kill my son...so I gave him what we had and he left." Davis's shoulders noticeably slumped.
"It's ok, man. You had to protect your kid." He couldn't hide his disappointment. Whatever was on that tape must have been good if Jackson wanted it that much.
"A few weeks later I see that same son of a bitch out in the street dressed like a fucking cop..." He paused as he sneered looking completely disgusted. "And you know what I laughed at him. Cops like him think they they can do anything to people like me. And I guess he can...but he wasn't smarter then me." The man reached into the drawer beneath his legs and pulled a vhs tape out. Holding it out to Ty he smiled a knowing smile. Davis couldn't believe his eyes.
"Is this...?"
"I was here that day...I went outside and I saw that lady cop getting pulled out of the car. She looked real bad. I saw the driver of the truck who hit her sitting on the curb crying...I saw her partner fighting the paramedics to get to her. And I knew...she was somebody...she meant something. So I come back inside and I look at the tapes and I see that other car push her in front of the truck. I knew someone would come for that tape. And I don't mean that blonde bastard...I knew a friend would come looking and want to know why. So I made two copies just in case and I kept this one locked up until the right person came to get it."
Davis suddenly wished it was Bosco here now instead of him. Sure he cared about Faith, but Bosco was most definitely 'the right person'. Despite that Ty couldn't help but to feel overcome with excitement. "I can't tell you what this means. Will you come to the DA and tell her what you saw? Tell her that he came here and threatened you and your son?"
The smile on the man's face faded as he shook his head. "I can't Officer Davis...I'm not legal in your country." He gestured toward the tape in Ty's hand. "You'll have what you need right there." Davis looked at the tape in his hands before looking back up at the man. He doubted that the DA would try to deport him yet he understood the hesitation.
"Thank you. I promise you'll never see that cop again." The man nodded sadly.
"I hope." Ty turned to leave before looking back once more.
"It's not my country...it's our country." The man's dark eyes smiled as Davis left the store feeling better than he had in a long time.
Liz paced back and forth in the hallway outside of the DA's office. From the bench in front of her Sully watched as he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. Davis sat back tapping his foot nervously as he fidgeted side to side.
"Would you two relax?" Liz scowled at him momentarily before resuming to wear a path in the carpet. "We have enough...this is going to work out."
Looking at the clock on the wall it was almost noon. Lysette wasn't here, George wasn't here, and they had a tape none of them had even watched. Maybe this was a mistake. Liz looked toward the stairs for the hundreth time today. Sully followed her eyes and could practically read her mind.
"He'll be here." Bosco...she went over to his place this morning and got him out of bed although she wasn't sure he was sleeping to begin with. She told him everything; that they had Lysette and George and a video tape of the crash that would be proof it was no accident. She babbled on and on like an excited child and when she was done his expression hadn't changed one bit. Defeated, sad...like none of this meant anything to him anymore. He asked how she could take a day off from digging at the pile when she knew that Callahan was still down there somewhere. Faith was dead and she was never coming back just like everybody else. But it meant something, though, and they had to finish what they started.
Heels clicked behind her as a sense of relief washed over when she say Lysette. Wearing what was probably the best clothes she had she offered an awkward smile. Sully and Davis both nodded wondering if she remembered them from that night months ago. "Where's Bosco?" The words came out low but Liz could see the shock on her face. From the beginning this was Bosco's fight and everyone knew it. Not trusting herself to reply she shook her head.
The door to the DA's office opened and an elderly woman smiled. "Ms. Markum will see you now." Liz tried to appear confident although she was far from it.
The secretary led them down a hallway into a conference room. DA Markum sat the the head of the table as Liz estimated there were no less than tweleve chairs. Their group of four looked even weaker than before as the DA peered at them over her black rimmed frames. "I understand you are here today because you believe a cop...Officer Brian Jackson...may have intentionally caused a traffic accident that killed another cop...a um...Officer Faith Yokas?"
Liz was quick to speak up. This was it; no turning back now. "Yes ma'am. That as well as other crimes."
"Other crimes?" She looked down at her papers before shaking her head; her voice sharp and questioning. "And why have you not taken this to IAB first?"
Sully wasted no time at that. "Internal Affairs investigated the crash and found no wrong doing. They indicated to us that their investigation was closed." She looked at Sully long and hard before looking back down at the papers in front of her. The door creaked open and Liz felt her heart speed up. The elderly woman appeared once again, apologetic for interrupting.
"I'm sorry Ms. Markum but this young man got lost. He says he is here for Officer Sullivan." George Ramirez stook behind her wearing a wrinkled white shirt and a crooked tie. He looked unsure but also relieved that the burden he had been carrying for months would finally be lifted from his shoulders.
The DA waved him over and George quickly took a seat next to Sully; the older man practically beaming that he had come through at the last minute. "Alright then. What kind of proof do you have against Officer Jackson?"
Lysette and George both made statements that any cop would have been proud of. They left out no details and remained calm. DA Markum was intimidating but softened slightly when she realized how hard they were trying. Liz, Sully, and Davis played the surveillance video for the first time hoping that it would be enough to put Jackson away. The tape was grainy and as it played Liz's heart was pounding. It showed a clear view of 55 David approaching the intersection and stop before Jackson's RMP came ripping in behind. No brake lights were ever seen from the rear of Jackson's patrol car and it definitely looked like he made no attempt to stop. There was a surprise on the tape , though, and Davis finally knew what the shop owner meant when he said that they would have more than enough. There were two cameras that looped into one recording. The camera on the side caught a hesitant looking Geidel shuffle up to a pay phone, make a call, and then run back around the corner. A few minute later 55 David races by with Jackson wasting not a second to pull out behind.
Sully sat back in his chair. If they were in any other place he would slap Ty on the back for a job well done. The smiles on all their faces were quickly wiped away as the DA sat back in her chair. Sighing loudly she rubbed her temples. "I can't condone the fact that you did this without IAB..." Her eyes looked between Liz, Sully, and Davis. "And I assume your commanding officer knows nothing about this either." They looked down and she had her answer before anyone said a word. "Despite that I cannot deny that I am afraid you may be right about everything." Liz immediately perked up while trying not to seem too happy. "I need someone to go and get Officer Jackson and bring him down here."
Sully and Davis were out of their seats before she was done talking. Jackson was working today so he wouldn't be hard to find. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding Liz felt alive again. Through all the pain and tragedy of the last two weeks they had finally managed to do something right.
Bosco stood in front of his living room window and stared down at the street. A few people walking by, someone with a dog on a leash, and a car stopped at the red light. Much the same scene that Liz saw on the morning of the eleventh; it looked so normal but in reality nothing was normal anymore. Bosco leaned his head against the glass as he let his eyes drift close. In his mind he heard Liz pounding on his door and he jumped. His eyes fluttered open as he felt an ache so deep inside him. She was so beautiful standing there this morning looking tired but so very much alive. Her eyes twinkled with a renewed hope as she looked about ready to burst with excitement. He wanted so much to get swept up in it all but he couldn't let that happen. One more tragedy, one more disappointment and he would never be able to put his life back together. But more than that he felt guilty; how could he spend worrying about something that happened to him months ago? Faith's death affected a small circle of people; all of which had moved on except for him. Every morning when he woke up it was still the eleventh for him. He saw all of their faces in his mind and he wondered if they were still down there. There was Callahan, the Port Authority Chief, the ESU guys looking for tools, the woman in the red dress, the man in the gray suit, and of course khaki and tan falling end over end through the sky. Closing his eyes Bosco was forever grateful to his friends that they picked up the torch when he no longer could, but he couldn't deny the guilt he felt right now. This was his fight and they were doing all the fighting.
His eyes wandered to the box of Faith's belongings on the floor. It was time to put it away and move on. Kneeling down he forced the clothing and the papers to the bottom of the box. He tried to look through it a hundred times but he just couldn't. Closing the flaps something caught his eye. A white enveloped peeked out with 'Bosco' written on it in familiar fancy cursive. Pulling the letter out he held it in it hands staring as if he didn't know what to do next. How had he never seen this before? He thought about putting it back in the box and sealing it all up for good. Whatever it said didn't matter much anymore. But he just couldn't. Faith had wrote those words to him and no matter what he could never turn his back on her. His hands were shaking slightly as he peeled the envelope back.
Bosco,
If you're reading this letter it probably means I'm not here anymore. I'm sorry for that. I know you counted on me to be there for you. I needed you more than I ever let on. You have been my only real friend for as long as I can remember. I need you to know some things, my partner, and never forget them.
You are stronger and better than you will ever believe. I have never met someone who overcame so much and still had the will to live. Nothing will ever beat you down, Bosco, you will always find a way through it.
When love comes let it in. I know you have been hurt so much in the past but don't let that stop you from letting the right person love you. There will be someone so perfect for you, I just know it. I often times wished it could have been me but that wasn't in the cards. You were meant for someone else. And when you find her love her with everything you have. She will never fail you , I promise.
Look after Emily and Charlie for me. They trust you but more importantly I trust you. Fred is far from perfect but he will do anything for those kids. Just be there...stand in my place the best that you can and never let them forget how much I loved them.
Lastly, I know by now you have probably realized what happened to me was no accident. No matter how it happened I need you to know that it was Brian Jackson. I saw him kill a dealer and he told me he would kill me and it looks like he did. He's dirty, Bosco, and he's a murderer. You need to stop him before he hurts anyone else. I know you can do this and you will do this because partners always have each other's back.
I love you and I miss you. I'll see you soon
Faith
Bosco's heart was pounding as he read one sentence over and over. I know you can do this and you will do this because partners always have each other's back. Behind the note were more papers. Eyes scanning over them Bosco hands began to shake. All along the proof he needed was sitting right in that little box on the floor.
Brian Jackson parked the RMP crooked in front of Abdul's Mini Mart on Arthur and jumped out. He had been laying low long enough and it was time to get back in business. At this point he felt invincible; not only had he survived that clusterfuck downtown he also shot another cop and got away with it. In fact, he tried to kill Bosco twice and while that stupid son of a bitch was still alive he had nothing to prove Jackson had been involved at all. Throwing the door wide open he felt great. He was untouchable.
"Abdul vamanos amigo." The man behind the counter visibly slumped at the sight of Jackson. Completely oblivious Jackson perused the aisles grabbing a bag of chips and a soda. Throwing his goods on the counter he looked at the shop keeper expectantly.
"I don't speak spanish, you asshole." Punching the buttons on the register he scowled at Jackson. Over his shouder a picture of Huey Newton with his fist raised high in the air.
"Yeah I forgot...you like to pretend you're a Black Panther." Abdul refused to be baited and looked at Jackson expectantly.
"Four dollars and twelve cents." Jackson burst out laughing.
"Four dollars and tweleve cents...are you for real amigo?" Jackson was so into himself in that moment that he didn't even hear the bells on the door behind him. "I'm a god damn American hero, Abdul. So fuck your four dollars and twelve cents and give me what you know I came here for."
A five dollar bill appeared on the counter as Jackson whirled around. "Keep the change." Behind him Sully and Davis stood with a smirk that suddenly made him slightly queasy.
"Oh what now?" Jackson rolled his eyes. "You two fuckers just cannot leave me alone."
"He's no hero, Abdul. You can bet on that." Sully smirked as he reached for the chips and soda. "And he won't be needing this where he's going."
"What the hell are you two talking about?"
Davis spoke up as he pointed to 55 Charlie sitting out front. "You're coming with us. The DA wants to talk to you." Jackson felt a flicker of fear inside him. Still he reminded himself they had no proof and never would. Why not go talk to the DA. He had everything to hide but old lady Markum had nothing on him. Smirking he walked toward the door.
"Whatever. If that's what it takes to get Salt and Pepper down out of my ass then great. Let's go."
The bells on the door jingled as a voice from behind made all three of them stop. "Rot in hell, amigo." Abdul stood behind the counter raising his fist in the air. Davis looked back and nodded as Sully just stared. They had no idea how many people Jackson had vicitmized over the years.
Liz tapped her fingers on the table as she stared at the door. The DA had already asked her twice where the hell they were, and she couldn't stall much longer. Liz hoped Jackson suddenly didn't grow a brain cell and skip town. Sitting next to her were Lysette and George stealing coy looks at one another when they thought she wasn't paying attention. The DA had given them the option to leave before Jackson arrived but they both elected to stay. They wanted to see this all the way to the end and Liz felt a certain level of pride. Not because they were good people but because her, Bosco, Davis, and Sully had treated them in a way that made them want to stay. They were more than witnesses; they were allies.
Liz pushed her chair back as she walked over to the window. Closing her eyes she said a silent prayer that things wouldn't fall through after they had come so far. The door swung open and she couldn't help but to smile. Sully and Davis ushered a rather annoyed looking Jackson into the room. His eyes scanned the faces scowling when he landed on George. Seeing this Liz moved to stand behind her two allies in silent support. Jackson smirked at her before rolling his eyes.
"Officer Jackson. Are you aware of why you are here today?" The DA peered at him over her glasses, hand poised to scribble something on her legal pad.
Sitting down Jackson ran a hand through his hair trying to appear as non chalant as possible. "I'm really not sure ma'am." He plastered a quizzical look on his face that made Liz want to smash it off the table.
She sighed loudly as she shook her head. "We have reason to believe that you may be at fault in the death of a fellow officer...Faith Yokas?"
Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "I can't imagine how that would be..."
"You can't?" She looked down at her pad before gesturing toward Sully and Davis. "Your fellow officers are in possession of a video tape that clearly shows your cruiser pushing Officer Yokas into the path of the truck..." She nodded at Lysette and George, "as well as two witnesses that have offered very compelling testimony." Liz felt her palms sweating as she leaned back against the wall for support.
Jackson cast a menacing glance over his shoulder before tuning back to the DA with a look of disbelief. "Ma'am you can't take the word of a prostitute and a truck driver...I'm sure Officer Sullivan...and Davis," he pointed at Liz not remembering her last name, "And her...put those words in their mouths. You know...a way to get out of taking a charge." Liz watched Lysette slump into her chair, and she heard George swallow hard. The DA stared at Jackson. "If we could just go into your chambers ma'am I can explain the video too...it was all a big accident. That's it. I mean..." He looked around the room as he shrugged his shoulders in mock defeat. "I still feel so so terrible about the whole thing."
Sully, Liz, and Davis stared at each other in shock as the DA wrote something down before looking back up. "So you're saying these witness are lying and you can explain everything...that Officer Yokas died as the result of an accident."
Jackson offered a sad smile as he shook his head slowly. "Yes ma'am. It was an accident and I can explain everything..."
The door swug open and before Jackson could finish a blur of black flew across the room landing on the table with a clap and a cloud of dust. "Explain that you, prick." Bosco pointed at the table as he stared at Jackson with burning rage in his eyes. Liz wanted to jump, she wanted to scream, she wanted to kiss Bosco so much it hurt but instead she let her head rest against the wall as a small smile came to her lips. Jackson visibly recoiled as he stared at Bosco , mouth agape. Bosco's eyes never left Jackson as he began to talk. "On September 11th this piece of trash was sitting in the car with me. I can't ever call him a partner because he killed mine. On the worst day in the history of this country he saw an opportunity to kill another cop. The cop he was supposed to be backing up...Me. He waited and waited and then when he saw his opportunity he took it." Jackson looked green as Bosco continued. Pointing at his vest still covered in white dust on the table, "The slug in that vest will match the gun on his hip." Pulling his uniform shirt out of his pants Bosco lifted it up to show the still purple discoloration of his chest. Leaning onto the table he lowered his voice. "You tried to kill me twice but you know what? I'm still here." Pushing back off the table Bosco made eye contact with the DA for the first time. "He killed my partner, ma'am, Faith Yokas." Bosco looked back at Jackson as he shook his head sadly. "He killed her because she went to back him up and she saw him kill a dealer. So he killed her before she could go to IAB." Sully and Davis could only stare as Liz smiled and nodded although Bosco couldn't see her. Bosco closed his eyes for a moment as he made a digusted sound. "She died because of that. She was so so special...she was a wife and mother and...and she was my partner."
Jackson opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word out Sully leaned against his chair pushing him hard into the table. Bosco reached into his back pocket and produce two white pieces of paper. Jackson felt dizzy when he saw the familiar green lines. Looking down Bosco began to read aloud.
"NYPD Memo Book of Officer Faith Yokas Badge number 1141
-February 24, 2001
At 2145 hours while on patrol I was dispatched to 25672 Lexington Ave. for a domestic disturbance. When I arrived I saw another RMP outside the building but central verified no other pending calls. I entered the building and heard yelling on the second divison. I found an open apartment door and observed a black male kneeling on the floor with two actors holding him there at gun point. The black male attempted to get up and he was knocked back to the ground. At that time I was able to identify the actors in question as Officer Brian Jackson and Officer Scott Geidel. A roll of cash fell the from victims clothing and Officer Jackson became angry. They exchanged words and without any threat made toward him, Officer Jackson shot the black male in the head killing him.
-Time and date stamped 2300 hours February 24, 2001 by
SGT. Jason Christopher"
Bosco stopped talking and handed the papers to the DA. The room was silent; Jackson stared down at his hands knowing this was finally it. He told Bosco he woud never have proof but he did...someway, somehow he found it.
Taking her glasses off her face, the DA sat back in her chair for a moment before speaking. "Mr. Ramirez...Ms. Jones could you please step out for a moment?" The two witnesses got up and left, George smirking on the way out the door. When the door shut again Jackson finally found his voice.
"I want a PBA rep and an attorney." Bosco stood straight up not taking his eyes off the DA. He was done with Jackson.
"Officer...I can't even call you that...Mr. Jackson. You're going to need a lot more than that. I...I can't in good conscious let you go today as you are an apparent threat. So I'm swearing out a warrant for your immediate arrest." Jackson felt sick. He was finally nailed and no amount of coy smiles, charming looks, or convienient explanations would make this go away. "You will be held at Rykers until further notice."
Bosco felt every muscle in his body relax for the first time in eight months. It was over...it was finally over. Walking around to the other side of the table Bosco stood behind Jackson as Sully pulled his chair back for him reaching down to remove his weapon from the holster. "Stand up." Reluctantly Jackson stood up putting his hands behind his back. Bosco took a deep breath as he reached past his own cuffs and into his side pocket. Pulling out a shiny silver set he stared at them for a moment. Faith's cuffs. He had been carrying them since the night she died hoping to use them for this moment while never actually believing it would happen. He tried to memorize every detail as he slid them onto that bastard's wrists and clicked them shut. On his shoulder Faith's red, white, and blue NYPD pin. Partners always have each other's back.
Raising his eyes he met Liz's gaze and smiled slightly. She looked at him and in that moment he knew what it felt like to be loved. She did all this and she never even knew Faith. She did it for him, risking her own life and expecting nothing in return. Sully patted him on the back. He was the luckiest guy in the whole world.
Bosco's RMP was parked in front of the court house as the three of them escorted Jackson down the front stairs. They were all quiet as the sun shone bright; a few streets over the machinery of Ground Zero could be heard whining and grunting. Bosco opened the back door and Jackson turned around as his lips parted about to say something. Not giving him the chance, Bosco shoved him into the back of the car without a word. Behind him Sully and Davis stood with their hands on their hips. Extending his hand Sully took Bosco's and shook it warmly pulling him into a casual hug.
"Faith would have been proud." Bosco could only nod as he felt the back of his throat tighten.
"Thanks guys...I couldn't have done it without you."
Ty shook his head "We did it together, Bosco." Looking over his shoulder he saw Liz standing a few feet behind them. "You have a good partner now. None of us would be here right now if not for her." Bosco nodded.
"I know." Pushing past them he stood in front of her with a slight smile on his face. He wanted her so much right now he didn't care who was watching. Reaching out he grabbed her arm and pulled her into this chest. Liz felt a wave of warmth come over her as he held her close. She had missed him so much.
"I missed you." His words were just above a whisper but she heard them.
"I missed you." Bosco felt his chest tighten as he exhaled loudly.
"I'm not always real good at talking about things..." He trailed off as she pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes. Touching her face softely his voice was raw with emotion. "But I promise to get better at it for you. I love you." She stared at him for a moment.
"I love you too" Gesturing toward the RMP, "Now go finish this for Faith."
Letting go of her Bosco nodded. The car was quiet except for the radio squawking on the dash. "You ready for a snack?" Davis produced Jackson's chips and soda as Suly shrugged his shoulders.
"I am pretty hungry." From the backseat Jackson scowled at them as Bosco guided the RMP into traffic.
"This was a pretty great day," Davis offered Sully a chip. A smile came to Sully's face as he watched the car disappear around the corner.
"Enjoy it...days like this don't come often."
Bosco glanced in the mirror as the car started onto the Ryker's Island Bridge. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. In the backseat Jackson was quiet as he stared out the window.
"You know I wasn't always like this. I was a good cop once." Bosco didn't say a word as he kept his eyes straight forward. "Being a cop is all I ever wanted to be. Even when I was a kid. Somewhere along the way though...I just lost it." Bosco looked at him for a moment before averting his gaze again. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of repentence or just another attempt at manipulation. The front gates to the prison clicked shut as the car parked in the sally port. "Bosco...think about what you're about to do to me here...You know better than anyone what happens to cops in there." Bosco cut the engine as he paused for a moment. Jackson feeling like he had struck a nerve continued. "Come on man, you know no matter what at the end of the day you and me...we're the same." Bosco's eyes flicked in the rear view mirror taking in Jackson's pleading expression. "We're both cops. And I know you can never turn your back on another cop."
Bosco pushed the door open as he stepped out. He was done. Dragging Jackson out of the back seat he pushed him inside. The guard at the sign in desk looked up from his paper disinterested. "Yes?"
"Brian Jackson...murder in the first degree." The guard let his paper drift to the table as he looked stunned. Jackson finally looked like he might come apart. Bosco stood straight up and proud. This was one of the most satisfying moments of his life. The guard stood up and took Jackson by the cuffs to the processing room as Bosco leaned against the wall. Normally after signing someone in you can leave but Bosco had one more thing he wanted to do.
Twenty minutes later Jackson emerged from processing wearing rubber shoes and an orange suit. Unlike Bosco he had the benefit of not parading past the holding cell in his uniform. That's ok, though, Bosco was sure at least one person would recognize him in there. He was pale and his normally slick blonde hair was tussled. Pushing off the wall Bosco grabbed Jackson by the cuffs from the guard. "I'll put him in." The guard nodded.
The hallway to the holding cell echoed with loud voices as Jackson's shoes squealed on the floor. "Bosco...Please." It felt so good to hear him beg.
"Shut up." The holding cell came into view and if this wasn't such a happy occasion Bosco might have a had a flash back. Taking out Faith's hand cuff key Bosco unlocked Jackson as he hit the button to open the door. The bars slid open as the two men stared at each other for a long moment. "Get in." Not having any other option Jackson obliged. Bosco exhaled loudly as the door clanged shut making the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. Jackson stood on the other side staring helplessly back at him. Leaning in close this his face Bosco's voice came out low and deadly. "Oh and just so you know...we are nothing alike. You were never a cop." Jackson was silent as he watched Bosco leave.
Walking out of Ryker's his eyes caught a familiar scowling face near the door. The guard who treated him so poorly peered over a book. Winking Bosco offered him a wide smile as he walked out of that place a free man in every sense of the word.
One more Chapter !
Lyrics are from Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated"
