Chapter 5
Everyone at the 55 Firehouse were just sitting down to dinner when the call came through. "Engine 55, Tower 100, Ambulance 55-2 Boyd and 55-3 Charlie report of a Ten-seventy-five at the Blue Oyster hotel and nightclub; a place were HE once had worked. There are reports of people trapped.
Jimmy looked up at the radio then down at his plate of food. Not again he though.
By the time Engine 55 pulled up to the scene it was no a 4-11. Smoke poured from windows. The building reminded Jimmy of a Las Vegas like place. It had the hotel rooms on the 3-20th floors and the dance/nightclub on the 1-2nd floors.
People in the hotel rooms were hanging out their hotel rooms, waving white bed sheets hoping that the firemen on the ground below would notice them. The fire had spread quickly. From the Nightclub up to the 15th floor. The smoke was black as night, the ash coated the back of Jimmy's throat. Jimmy donned his gear and placed on his mask and turned his Scott Pack on. He went to the door of the nightclub to try and make entry. His attempts failed and the intense heat and flames drove him back out side.
Tower 100 was responsible for setting up rescue. They raised ground ladders as quick as they could. Three guys helped set up the Arial ladder. Even as quick as they did this. People in the room couldn't wait. They began jumping out of their windows. It was like popcorn at the movie theaters. Flying everywhere. They would hit the ground with this sickening thud; the thud was the sound of their bones breaking as they landed. One by one they jumped, and one by one, their charred broken bodies piled up along the street. There were at least 85 people lying along the street of the hotel. All who had jumped, they whined and moaned in pain. There were still more people trapped inside, still more people jumping. It was a holocaust.
Jimmy looked around; he knew it was the worst fire he had ever seen in his career.
The fire was finally under control and Jimmy and the other guys from Engine 55 were able to make entry into the building, where there were many more victims that never made it out. In all they pulled out 21 bodies in addition to the 59 bodies already outside. They were the ones who jumped but never made it.
The Arson team had found another manila envelope again addressed to Jimmy. He opened it slowly afraid to see what was inside it. He saw more pictures and a letter. He pulled the pictures out. He covered his hand with his mouth. He looked at all of the pictures then began to gag. It was pictures of Tori again, this time pictures were of her in her bedroom window. Topless. Jimmy suddenly felt he was going to throw up and ran to the side pf the building.
He gathered him self. He still had to read the letter. He didn't think it could get any worse then the pictures, but he was wrong.
My rage or terror will not stop,
The fire wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning of the end.
For in a few days to come I will
Unleash my wrath. I will show what
I can do. If you want to stop this
Then you and the GIRL have to help.
I want a drop of money. $50,000 to the trashcan
In central park.
Right out side the zoo.
You will be the one who makes that
Drop.
Another 50,000 dropped in
The alley off of 121st and Arthur,
Maybe if you're lucky the fires will stop.
I want her. I want Torrance Marie Boscorelli
To make this drop, ALONE.
Maybe if she is lucky I will
Let her live.
You will get another letter,
Tomorrow night that will tell you
What day and what time.
All that I can say for now is.
Hush little Torrance don't
Say a word, for I
Will buy you a mocking bird.
Don't Pull Back the Curtain
The Man Behind the Curtain.
Jimmy looked at the Captain. "We need to get this sick SOB." He said. "Not only is setting fires but he's taking pictures of girls outside their bedroom room. Half nude pictures!" He slammed the envelope in his hand.
Bosco and Faith walked into the station house after their shift was over. "Look just because I read Cosmo." Bosco said. "Does not mean I am gay damn it. I read to learn about women."
"Yeah I'm sure you do, and let me guess you get Playboy for the articles." Faith said to him as the walked into the locker room.
"Yes that's exactly why I get Playboy." Bosco said trying to defend him self.
Faith shook her head. "Sure you do Bos."
Sgt. Christopher opened the door to the locker room. "Boscorelli can I have a word with you when you finished."
Bosco stood up and saluted him. "Yes sir!"
Christopher looked down at Bosco who was standing in his boxers. Bosco looked down. "And wear some pants Boscorelli!"
"Yes sir!" Bosco said while blushing. He turned around to see everyone laughing. "Oh what like you've never been caught with your pants down before."
Bosco got dressed and went out side. "You wanted to see me sir." He said.
"Yeah, uhm there's been another letter. It was found by Arson, once again addressed to Jimmy."
Bosco looked over at him, and stayed silent.
"I put a watch out on your house. There should be an RMP when you get there." He told Bosco.
"Why? Why do I need an RMP Sgt?" Bosco asked.
Sgt. Christopher took a deep breath and handed him the envelope. "There's some pictures inside I think you should see."
Faith came out from the locker room. She looked at Bosco. Faith had worked with him for so many years that she could read Bosco like a book. "They found another letter didn't they?"
Bosco didn't say anything. Faith shot a glance over to Christopher who nodded his head yes.
Slowly Bosco pulled the pictures out. He looked through them silently. The vein on his forehead popped. "He was in front of my house. The bastard was in front of my house taking pictures of my sister as she undressed, and I had no idea about this." He slowly read the letter.
"What?" Faith asked.
Bosco handed her the pictures.
After seeing the first two, she had saw enough. "Oh Jesus Bosco. I'm sorry." Faith put the pictures away and handed it all back to Christopher.
"Like I said there is going to be an RMP in front of your house at all times. 24 hours a day. It will stay there till this is over," Christopher told him.
Bosco stormed out slamming doors behind him.
"Hey Jason, thanks for your help." Faith said.
Sgt. Christopher just nodded.
"Bosco! Bosco! Damn it Bosco!" Faith yelled after him.
Bosco turned around. His eyes were red. "He was in front of my house Faith. The bastard took those pictures of Tori right in front of my own friggin' house. How in the hell am I suppose to protect people when I can't even protect my own sister from a pervert? What good am I?"
"Bosco.Its not your fault. You had no idea he was out there. If you did, you would have killed him."
"My own sister. My own flesh and blood and I can't protect from the evil in this world." He said to Faith while trying to hold back both tears of anger and his own rage.
"No you can protect her Bosco. You be there for her. You hold her hand, put a shoulder there for her when she needs to cry. Just be there." She took Bosco by the shoulders and shook him lightly. "I'm sure if he tried to come around and the squad sees him. They'll have faster then you think. Either that or he's bound to slip up and we'll catch him that way."
"Then he wants Tori to make a drop of money. What if something happens? What if I can't stop him from hurting her? You know how dangerous those things are."
"And you know how many officers are at those things too Bosco, both uniformed and planed clothed. Officers that all work with us in the 55. Officers that all know you, all know Tori and won't let anything happen to her. They won't Bosco. They won't let anything happen to her. The day of the drop, there will be so many damn officers watching Tori, that it will probably be the safest place in New York."
Bosco drove up, parked his car in front of the house and sat a few minuets. He could see the living room light on and see that Tori was moving about. He got out, waved at the guys in the RMP and went in. "Tori." He yelled at for her. "Where you at?"
"I'm back here, I'll be out in a second okay." She told him from the bedroom.
She came out and Bosco walked up to her and hugged her tight.
"Dude Maurice I can't breath lighten up on the hold there." She said.
He still held on to her tight.
"Maurice what's wrong?" She asked him pushing him away.
"There was another fire tonight, they found another letter."
Tori began to breath heavily. "Okay?"
"He was outside Tori, he was taking pictures of you from outside." He told her. Bosco sat down on the couch. Tori followed. "They were of you undressing."
Tears built up in Tori's eyes. "Oh my God? What if he comes back? I'm gonna be afraid to get undressed. I'm going to be afraid to do anything Maurice. He could be outside right now." She said to him as she walked up to the window.
"There's going to be a squad parked in front of the house at all days. Night and day. If he even thinks about trying to come back, they'll get him."
Tori looked at him. "There's more isn't there?"
"Yeah you're going to have to make a drop."
"What the hell is a drop?" She asked. "Don't get all 5-0 on me use plain English."
"You gonna have to take a large amount of money to a certain place he has requested."
"When?" She asked him.
"I don't know." Bosco told her. "He hasn't said. He wrote in the letter to Jimmy that he would contact him with that. But all we know so far is that you will take $50,000 to one place and Jimmy will take another $50,000 to somewhere else."
"I don't like the sound of this. It's like a wild goose chase." She itched her hand. It was something she would do when she was nervous.
"I love you Tori and you know I would let anything or anyone hurt you. Right?"
Tori didn't answer him. She licked her lips and looked away.
"Right?" He asked.
"But what if you can't stop him and something happens? Things can happen." She asked him.
"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise you Tori." He took her in his arms and held her. "I mean it Tori, I won't let a damn thing happen to you."
"Why me though? That's what I'm not understanding." She asked her brother.
He couldn't come up with a good enough answer, no matter how hard he tried. It just wasn't coming to him. "I don't know."
She looked down at the floor and kicked a spic of dust that wasn't really there. "This is going to sound rather stupid." She said. "But do you think I could sleep in your bed tonight. In a totally and completely platonic way?"
He could see the fear in her eyes. She was afraid to sleep in her own bed. If the guy was aiming to scare her, get under her skin. Well then he succeeded. He placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. "Yeah I don't see any harm to that, it is platonic so what the hell."
She felt a little bit better now, least if the guy came to hurt her. He'd have to get through her brother first.
Everyone at the 55 Firehouse were just sitting down to dinner when the call came through. "Engine 55, Tower 100, Ambulance 55-2 Boyd and 55-3 Charlie report of a Ten-seventy-five at the Blue Oyster hotel and nightclub; a place were HE once had worked. There are reports of people trapped.
Jimmy looked up at the radio then down at his plate of food. Not again he though.
By the time Engine 55 pulled up to the scene it was no a 4-11. Smoke poured from windows. The building reminded Jimmy of a Las Vegas like place. It had the hotel rooms on the 3-20th floors and the dance/nightclub on the 1-2nd floors.
People in the hotel rooms were hanging out their hotel rooms, waving white bed sheets hoping that the firemen on the ground below would notice them. The fire had spread quickly. From the Nightclub up to the 15th floor. The smoke was black as night, the ash coated the back of Jimmy's throat. Jimmy donned his gear and placed on his mask and turned his Scott Pack on. He went to the door of the nightclub to try and make entry. His attempts failed and the intense heat and flames drove him back out side.
Tower 100 was responsible for setting up rescue. They raised ground ladders as quick as they could. Three guys helped set up the Arial ladder. Even as quick as they did this. People in the room couldn't wait. They began jumping out of their windows. It was like popcorn at the movie theaters. Flying everywhere. They would hit the ground with this sickening thud; the thud was the sound of their bones breaking as they landed. One by one they jumped, and one by one, their charred broken bodies piled up along the street. There were at least 85 people lying along the street of the hotel. All who had jumped, they whined and moaned in pain. There were still more people trapped inside, still more people jumping. It was a holocaust.
Jimmy looked around; he knew it was the worst fire he had ever seen in his career.
The fire was finally under control and Jimmy and the other guys from Engine 55 were able to make entry into the building, where there were many more victims that never made it out. In all they pulled out 21 bodies in addition to the 59 bodies already outside. They were the ones who jumped but never made it.
The Arson team had found another manila envelope again addressed to Jimmy. He opened it slowly afraid to see what was inside it. He saw more pictures and a letter. He pulled the pictures out. He covered his hand with his mouth. He looked at all of the pictures then began to gag. It was pictures of Tori again, this time pictures were of her in her bedroom window. Topless. Jimmy suddenly felt he was going to throw up and ran to the side pf the building.
He gathered him self. He still had to read the letter. He didn't think it could get any worse then the pictures, but he was wrong.
My rage or terror will not stop,
The fire wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning of the end.
For in a few days to come I will
Unleash my wrath. I will show what
I can do. If you want to stop this
Then you and the GIRL have to help.
I want a drop of money. $50,000 to the trashcan
In central park.
Right out side the zoo.
You will be the one who makes that
Drop.
Another 50,000 dropped in
The alley off of 121st and Arthur,
Maybe if you're lucky the fires will stop.
I want her. I want Torrance Marie Boscorelli
To make this drop, ALONE.
Maybe if she is lucky I will
Let her live.
You will get another letter,
Tomorrow night that will tell you
What day and what time.
All that I can say for now is.
Hush little Torrance don't
Say a word, for I
Will buy you a mocking bird.
Don't Pull Back the Curtain
The Man Behind the Curtain.
Jimmy looked at the Captain. "We need to get this sick SOB." He said. "Not only is setting fires but he's taking pictures of girls outside their bedroom room. Half nude pictures!" He slammed the envelope in his hand.
Bosco and Faith walked into the station house after their shift was over. "Look just because I read Cosmo." Bosco said. "Does not mean I am gay damn it. I read to learn about women."
"Yeah I'm sure you do, and let me guess you get Playboy for the articles." Faith said to him as the walked into the locker room.
"Yes that's exactly why I get Playboy." Bosco said trying to defend him self.
Faith shook her head. "Sure you do Bos."
Sgt. Christopher opened the door to the locker room. "Boscorelli can I have a word with you when you finished."
Bosco stood up and saluted him. "Yes sir!"
Christopher looked down at Bosco who was standing in his boxers. Bosco looked down. "And wear some pants Boscorelli!"
"Yes sir!" Bosco said while blushing. He turned around to see everyone laughing. "Oh what like you've never been caught with your pants down before."
Bosco got dressed and went out side. "You wanted to see me sir." He said.
"Yeah, uhm there's been another letter. It was found by Arson, once again addressed to Jimmy."
Bosco looked over at him, and stayed silent.
"I put a watch out on your house. There should be an RMP when you get there." He told Bosco.
"Why? Why do I need an RMP Sgt?" Bosco asked.
Sgt. Christopher took a deep breath and handed him the envelope. "There's some pictures inside I think you should see."
Faith came out from the locker room. She looked at Bosco. Faith had worked with him for so many years that she could read Bosco like a book. "They found another letter didn't they?"
Bosco didn't say anything. Faith shot a glance over to Christopher who nodded his head yes.
Slowly Bosco pulled the pictures out. He looked through them silently. The vein on his forehead popped. "He was in front of my house. The bastard was in front of my house taking pictures of my sister as she undressed, and I had no idea about this." He slowly read the letter.
"What?" Faith asked.
Bosco handed her the pictures.
After seeing the first two, she had saw enough. "Oh Jesus Bosco. I'm sorry." Faith put the pictures away and handed it all back to Christopher.
"Like I said there is going to be an RMP in front of your house at all times. 24 hours a day. It will stay there till this is over," Christopher told him.
Bosco stormed out slamming doors behind him.
"Hey Jason, thanks for your help." Faith said.
Sgt. Christopher just nodded.
"Bosco! Bosco! Damn it Bosco!" Faith yelled after him.
Bosco turned around. His eyes were red. "He was in front of my house Faith. The bastard took those pictures of Tori right in front of my own friggin' house. How in the hell am I suppose to protect people when I can't even protect my own sister from a pervert? What good am I?"
"Bosco.Its not your fault. You had no idea he was out there. If you did, you would have killed him."
"My own sister. My own flesh and blood and I can't protect from the evil in this world." He said to Faith while trying to hold back both tears of anger and his own rage.
"No you can protect her Bosco. You be there for her. You hold her hand, put a shoulder there for her when she needs to cry. Just be there." She took Bosco by the shoulders and shook him lightly. "I'm sure if he tried to come around and the squad sees him. They'll have faster then you think. Either that or he's bound to slip up and we'll catch him that way."
"Then he wants Tori to make a drop of money. What if something happens? What if I can't stop him from hurting her? You know how dangerous those things are."
"And you know how many officers are at those things too Bosco, both uniformed and planed clothed. Officers that all work with us in the 55. Officers that all know you, all know Tori and won't let anything happen to her. They won't Bosco. They won't let anything happen to her. The day of the drop, there will be so many damn officers watching Tori, that it will probably be the safest place in New York."
Bosco drove up, parked his car in front of the house and sat a few minuets. He could see the living room light on and see that Tori was moving about. He got out, waved at the guys in the RMP and went in. "Tori." He yelled at for her. "Where you at?"
"I'm back here, I'll be out in a second okay." She told him from the bedroom.
She came out and Bosco walked up to her and hugged her tight.
"Dude Maurice I can't breath lighten up on the hold there." She said.
He still held on to her tight.
"Maurice what's wrong?" She asked him pushing him away.
"There was another fire tonight, they found another letter."
Tori began to breath heavily. "Okay?"
"He was outside Tori, he was taking pictures of you from outside." He told her. Bosco sat down on the couch. Tori followed. "They were of you undressing."
Tears built up in Tori's eyes. "Oh my God? What if he comes back? I'm gonna be afraid to get undressed. I'm going to be afraid to do anything Maurice. He could be outside right now." She said to him as she walked up to the window.
"There's going to be a squad parked in front of the house at all days. Night and day. If he even thinks about trying to come back, they'll get him."
Tori looked at him. "There's more isn't there?"
"Yeah you're going to have to make a drop."
"What the hell is a drop?" She asked. "Don't get all 5-0 on me use plain English."
"You gonna have to take a large amount of money to a certain place he has requested."
"When?" She asked him.
"I don't know." Bosco told her. "He hasn't said. He wrote in the letter to Jimmy that he would contact him with that. But all we know so far is that you will take $50,000 to one place and Jimmy will take another $50,000 to somewhere else."
"I don't like the sound of this. It's like a wild goose chase." She itched her hand. It was something she would do when she was nervous.
"I love you Tori and you know I would let anything or anyone hurt you. Right?"
Tori didn't answer him. She licked her lips and looked away.
"Right?" He asked.
"But what if you can't stop him and something happens? Things can happen." She asked him.
"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise you Tori." He took her in his arms and held her. "I mean it Tori, I won't let a damn thing happen to you."
"Why me though? That's what I'm not understanding." She asked her brother.
He couldn't come up with a good enough answer, no matter how hard he tried. It just wasn't coming to him. "I don't know."
She looked down at the floor and kicked a spic of dust that wasn't really there. "This is going to sound rather stupid." She said. "But do you think I could sleep in your bed tonight. In a totally and completely platonic way?"
He could see the fear in her eyes. She was afraid to sleep in her own bed. If the guy was aiming to scare her, get under her skin. Well then he succeeded. He placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. "Yeah I don't see any harm to that, it is platonic so what the hell."
She felt a little bit better now, least if the guy came to hurt her. He'd have to get through her brother first.
