S9 E5
A Cop Tale -
Chapter 13 - Blinded by the Light
Bron Williams was surveilling the 12th for his target, one Capt Kate Beckett-Castle, from the gang's observation van. They had pre-planned an abduction on the road, and had in place action plans for each route the Capt took to and from her home. They had also pre-planned on the routes she took to her regularly scheduled meetings at 1PP. It was exhaustive preparation planning as she had over eight different routes she could use. His plan was to strike suddenly and have the element of surprise, but Bron knew that the window for the actual adduction was short. They had to act quickly within their time window for success on the op. His teams were in place and on standby with instructions that they would have to mobilize in mere minutes once the word came down.
Then he saw his target. She was leaving with one of her detectives, but where? He put the van in drive and commenced to follow his prey.
—-
"Detective Ellis, do you have all our presentation materials in hand?" asks Kate.
They were headed to 1PP to brief the Commissioner on a project they had developed. It was a computer based application and the brain child of Detective Ellis. It was a program that analyzed several phone call data bases all at once and comes up with a list of connected calls between the individual data bases. It could take several names, up to one dozen, and analyze each of the persons calls. It could then relate common calls between two or more callers and list the times and dates, duration, and locations of each call. It could easily reveal when a group call was made, a 'conference call' as it were, and had been used for some time at the 12th. In effect, the program analyzed the cell phone 'chatter' between various groups of criminal elements that could indicate an 'event' going down.
They were headed to 1PP to brief on this new program for possible use NYPD wide. So far the 12th was the only one using it, but with some success in predicting upcoming major criminal events.
—
"Looks like she's headed for 1PP.", Snake tells Bron.
"Huhmm...it's not time for one of her regular meetings with Commissioner Reagan. Must be a special brief."
"You think it might be on the gang. Her detectives have been digging for a while."
"Now's the time to find out, get the routes she takes when she has her regular meetings at 1PP."
"She uses four routes when going to and from 1PP."
"Call the teams have them ready to strike based on which return route she takes back to the 12th. We will call the route once we know which one she is taking."
—-
The briefing with Commissioner Reagan took all of 45 minutes, the time allotted for it in his busy schedule. As they left the conference room, the Commissioner asked for a private meeting with Kate. Detective Abigail Baker, the commissioner's assistant, had the attendees, along with Det. Ellis, clear the conference room for the two.
"Kate," begins the Commissioner, "I am a little bit concerned for your safety. My intelligence unit tells me word on the street is a hit has been put on you by the Simmons gang. I am ready to authorize additional security for you."
"Don't waste manhours on it Commissioner, Rick has me covered with his own RCI security team."
"Of course, the advantage of having a rich and famous husband who is also one of the first CI's in the NYPD volunteer force. Give Rick my regards, and tell him it's been a while since his Gotham City Poker crew got together."
"He has been busy with our daughter, but plans to take up his poker schedule soon."
"Yes, Lily, she should be around 8 or 9 months by now. She was a cute little baby at her baptism."
"And Rick and I would like to thank you for attending."
"It was my pleasure."
They make their goodbyes and Kate heads back to the 12th.
—-
As Kate starts the drive back to the 12th, she calls the dispatch of the RCI security team, "This is mom enroute to the 12th via alternate route 3."
Drone 3 took off from its perch to capture her movement over the selected route.
As Kate gets on the road to her approach route to the 12th, Lebron in the gang's vehicle pulls in behind her. Seconds later Lebron is joined by two other vehicles.
"React 3, have three vehicles tailing Mom, keep it close."
React team 3 pulls in behind the three Simmons gang vehicles, the observation van, and two large SUV's.
"Dispatch, React 3, talley ho on three tails."
"React 5 are you close, join 3 for possible intercept."
"This is React 5, just pulled behind 3."
"Roger 3 & 5, follow but do not intercept at this time."
—
"Bron, looks like she is taking the 32nd st. alternate route shown on our map", Snake says.
"All teams, get ready to hit our target she is using the 32nd st. alternate route as marked on your maps."
The two chase vehicles overtake the van and approach Kate Castle's police cruiser on both her sides."
—
"React 3 and 5, they're making their move, intercept now."
"Dispatch to Mom, execute evasive tactics at will."
"Mom to dispatch, acknowledged."
Kate looks at her side mirror and then her rear view mirror and sees four vehicles behind her and closing fast on both sides.
React 3 and 5 accelerate their vehicles and soon catch up with the Simmons gang chase vehicles.
As 3 & 5 had passed Lebron's van, he pulls off the route, down a nearby alley.
As React 3 & 5 come close to the two Simmons gang chase vehicles, the one vehicles starts shooting. They return fire. The other chase vehicle accelerates, obviously equipped with a nitrous turbo booster, as it makes a quick acceleration, overtaking Kate. The chase vehicle then makes an abrupt turn into Kate's path. Kate hits her brakes, makes a quick turn left, avoiding colliding with the chase vehicle.
Just as she makes the swerve React 3 rear ends the chase vehicle as Kate speeds away. React 5 did a similar move with the chase vehicle it was pursuing. All four vehicles are now stopped on the road, as police sirens are heard approaching the scene. The RCI Dispatch had called for NYPD backup.
"Dispatch, Drone 3, Mom has left my visual range."
"Roger Drone 3, Drone 5 do you have visual on Mom."
"Just now coming within visual range", several minutes later Drone 5 broadcasts, "tally ho on Mom's vehicle, but it looks like the vehicle is stopped in the middle of the road, and both doors are open. No occupants appear to be in the vehicle."
"Dispatch to Alpha Team leader are you monitoring comms."
"Affirmative, leaving current scene, en route to Mom's position."
Alpha team then leave the scene of the four vehicles that they had initially driven to and head to Kate's location. As Espo's police car comes up on Capt Castle's car, it is indeed with out passengers. Espo and Ryan leave their vehicle and come up on Kate's Cruiser.
"Alpha Leader to Alpha ONE."
They hear the voice of Rick Castle, now partnered with Anne Hastings Whittaker, "Alpha ONE, go."
"Capt and Det. Ellis are not in the vehicle and both their cell phones were found on the two front seats.
They hear Rick's voice in response, "Alpha ONE to RCI dispatch, do you have Mom on personal tracker."
Kate had been given a sub cutaneous tracker as a precaution.
"Affirmative, coming up now, we have her proceeding north from your current position, but she will be out of range soon."
Alpha leader and Alpha ONE immediately head north under the direction of RCI dispatch.
Ten minutes after they start toward the vehicle now carrying Kate and Tori, they hear from RCI dispatch.
"Alpha Leader and Alpha ONE, launching Tracker Drone 1 your way before we lose tracker signal. ETA twenty minutes.
Fifteen minutes later dispatch loses the tracking signal.
"Dispatch to Alpha Team, no joy on Mom's signal, keep to present course. Tracker 1 is five minutes out and hopefully will reacquire Mom's signal."
"Roger dispatch, Alpha Leader, we will maintain current course. Let us know if you re-acquire signal."
" Acknowledged Alpha Leader, you were 10 minutes behind Mom based on her last know location."
"Roger that, will alert if we see anything that might be the vehicle transporting Mom."
Alpha team had no prior visual on Mom's abduction vehicle only a tracker blimp on search radar, so they were flying blind on what the abduction vehicle looked like. So as they passed vehicles in front of them they hoped one might be the abduction vehicle.
"Espo, were there not three vehicles initially tailing Kate? So where is the third vehicle?"
"It was a van, and that's what we are looking for."
"Alpha Leader to Alpha ONE, be on lookout for a cargo van as possible kidnap vehicle."
"Roger that Alpha Leader."
Maybe they would get lucky!
—-—