Chapter 24: September 11th, 2001

After a long day of paperwork after the Withmour situation, he's old buddies from his old detectives squad went for a drink to the bar to talk.

"Remember that old Desk Sergeant back at the squad?" King asked the group.

"Yeah what about him?" Terry said.

"He died two weeks ago, out of the blue." King stated and then continued to drink his beer.

"He was a good man, he saved my ass once from getting a case thrown out due to me doing a mistake with the paper work on a B&E collar." Danny said.

"Yeah I know right, he was like the overprotective uncle of the Precinct." Terry said.

"So, Danny. Are we gonna talk about that retirement party?" King asked.

"What party?" Danny asked even though he knew that King would bring it up.

"It's only once when Tom Briggs is retiring from the NYPD." King said.

"I will be there." Danny said and then he sat down, having flashbacks back to that day.

September 11th, 2001 - 8:50 AM

Danny was a 6 year veteran of the NYPD back then, a hot-shot 3rd Grade Detective he was married to Linda for 5 years and had a 1 year old son named Jack, on that beautiful cloudless morning, he was heading to Upper Manhattan when Central started going off about an explosion at the North Tower of the World Trade Center, immediately he got the lights and siren going and he was headed to the World Trade Center.

When he arrived, it was a mess something like dust covered the surrounding blocks of the WTC, multiple FDNY, FDNY EMS and also NYPD ESU units were coming down the street. Danny went to the trunk and grabbed his windbreaker put it on and started going towards the North Tower and he was met by his friend Ray Majors from the 16th Detectives Squad.

"Hey, you here too Majors?" Dannya asked they both started running to the tower.

"I wouldn't miss the adrenaline of this shit." Majors answered with a smirk.

"We gotta get gear before we go in, I think I saw some ESU officers with helmets and air tanks wheeling a cart on the other side." Danny said.

"I'll go find them, you can start evacuating the lobby." Majors said as he run off to the other side of the scene.

As Danny approached the lobby, everyone ran outside and started running up the block, some didn't make it because of the debris falling on them, Danny started directing them to a safer route, down the subway on the east side of the tower, then he spotted a woman covered in blood as he approached her he saw the injury on her stomach by a sharp metal that fell off the tower. He ran towards her, putting pressure on the wound.

The woman who was in shock due to the blood loss, grabbed his arm and told him 6 words he'll never forget.

"Tell my family I love them." The woman said to Danny, and then she left her final breath in the world. Danny, shocked by what the woman said to him, he checked her pulse even through he knew she was dead, he backed away slowly and he saw Ray holding the gear.
"You alright, bud?" Majors asked.

"Yeah I am alright." Danny responded, grabbing the gear and putting it on. Both of them went inside the tower and started evacuating civilians with some FDNY Firefighters from Engine 33.

"Hey, we'll go up to the 56th Floor there was a 911 call. Y'all should go up for 10th and evacuate from there." The FDNY Lieutenant said.

"Sure, be safe." Majors responded.

"You too." The FDNY Lieutenant he ordered his company to go up while Danny and Ray were evacuating civilians.

September 11th, 2001 - 9:03 AM

A loud explosion was heard in the South Tower, immiedietly Ray and Danny finished evacuating civilians and ran downstairs, full sprinting and went outside. They saw the South Tower in flames, appearing to be from a plane based off what Central was broadcasting on the radio.

Both ran to the South Tower, going inside and starting helping out people when they spotted a group of 5 PAPD officers going up.

"Hey, where are you guys headin?" Danny asked.

"We are going up to 39th Floor, I heard there's trapped people." A PAPD Sergeant responded.

"Mind if we tag along?" Danny asked.

"Sure thing." The Sergeant responded and they started evacuating the south tower from the lonny to the 39th Floor, when they arrived the door was locked and loud shouting on other side.

Without hesitation, Danny swiftly kicked the door in with Ray and the PAPD Officers and they started rescuing civilians and directing them where to go, then they saw 2 people on the ground with major injuries.

"I'll stay you go." Ray said to Danny.

"You sure?" Danny asked.

"Yeah you need to check in at command." Ray answered.

"Alright." Danny said as he ran out of there and started going down the stairs heading outside. He sprinted to the Temporary Headquarters of the NYPD in a nearby Burger King, as he went inside, he saw his father a Deputy Chief at the time coordinating evacuation and coordination efforts with other high ranking officers of various departments including federal and state agencies.

"Hey dad, how is it going?" Danny said with a windbreaker full of "dust".

"Not good, how are you holding up?" Frank asked.

"Trying my best to wrap my head around this thing." Danny said.

"What's the sitrep?" Frank asked.

"We got trapped people in South Tower mostly, North Tower doesn't have enough manpower to do proper evacuation. We kinda need ESU on South Tower because it's getting very bad over there. We got 3 casualties on the 39th Floor they are being taken care of by PAPD and Ray." Danny said.

"Okay, great. Be safe, son." Frank said.

"Will do, dad." Danny said as he ran outside only to find the PAPD officers with only 2 injured people. He went up to a PAPD officer and asked "Where's Ray?"

"He's trying still to move the 3rd person, it's bad." The officer said.

Danny went full speed in the lobby and quickly ran up to the 39th Floor of the South Tower and saw Ray trying to move the injured person.

"DANNY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He shouted.

"I AM HERE TO HELP YOU FOR CHRIST SAKE, LET'S GO." Danny shouted back.

"YOU NEED TO LEAVE, IT'S GONNA COLLAPSE." Ray shouted.

"I AM NOT LEAVING YOU RAY, WE NEED TO GO." Danny said with anger.

"YOU GOT A KID AND A WIFE NOW GO BEFORE IT COLLAPSES." Ray shouted.

"OKAY, I'LL BE WAITING OUTSIDE." Danny shouted back and then ran down to the lobby to exit the building. After he exited the building and ran outside, and then it happened.

September 11th, 2001 - 10:00 AM

The South Tower collapsed, everything fell like dominos. Danny knew he couldn't outran the collapse therefore he crawled into a ball and prayed to live. Then, after some minutes it finished, he got up and looked around. He saw everything covered in debris and papers from the Tower, he knew that Ray didn't survive that and that saddened him, he proceeded to run to the Temp HQ, and give a sitrep to the bosses.

"There was a collapse of the South Tower, Ray was in there." Danny said to Frank.

"I am so sorry, Danny. Drink some water and rest a bit." Frank said and he gave him a bottle of water.

Danny grabbed it, opened it and started to chug it when he finished he sat down replaying everything in his head, some time passed and he headed to help with crowd control.
He started running to the yellow tape that seperated WTC and other blocks of Manhattan, then he saw an officer trying to carry and injured individual and hurried over there.

"Hey you need help?" Danny asked the Officer.

"Yeah, let's get him to the Paramedics." The officer said and Danny picked up the individuals legs and carried him over to a FDNY EMS ambulance that had 2 paramedics waiting. They put him on the stretcher and then looked at eachother.

"Well that was nice work." The Officer said.

"Thanks you too." Danny responded.

"Name's Tom, Tom Briggs by the way." Briggs responded.

"I am Danny Reagan, 13th Detectives Squad." Danny replied and they shook hands.

"It's gonna be hell of a night." Briggs said as he looked and the towers.

"Yep." Danny replied.

At 10:29, the North Tower collapsed and Danny spent all day and night there helping with everything he could find, he found refuge in a church and slept there before evidence collection started. It was a very sad day for him as he lost a good friend but he knew that he had to push through that to help out his fellow comrades.

Present Day

Danny put down his bear and left some dollar bills, he head to the car. Once he got in he let out a big exhale, put on his seatbelt and drove home. As soon as he pulled into the driveway and went inside the door, Maria was waiting for him.

"I had a flashback of that day." Danny said wiping some tears.

"I am so sorry, baby. Wanna talk about it?" Maria said as he hugged him.

"Nope, I wanna go to bed." Danny said, both headed up to the bedroom but only Baez slept, Danny couldn't sleep due to the flashback that he kept replaying in his head.

For those who gave some and those who gave all on September 11th, 2001. Thank you.