BLUE BLOODS: RETURN TO DUTY
CHAPTER 9
FLOYD BENNETT FIELD
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Monday, April 10, 2016: 8:55 a.m.
Nestled on the southeast tip of Brooklyn, lies Barren Island, home of Floyd Bennet Field, New York City's first civilian airport. Today it is mostly a park with the western side of the old field reserved for the exclusive use of the NYPD's aviation division from which the department operates its fleet of helicopters.
In addition to flying fixed wing aircraft, Joe was also certified to fly the NYPD's newest helicopter, an AgustaWestland twin turboshaft engine AW139.
They pulled up to the hangar in Danny's Dodge Charger which Lt. Carver had assigned to Joe.
"Are you sure you know how to fly that thing?" Jamie asked.
"Of course I do, but we'll have an NYPD aviation officer with us, so relax."
"Great." Jamie sulked.
"Just think kid it could be worse. You could have to sit in the middle with Erin on one side and Danny on the other just like on all those road trips we took as kids." Joe reminded him.
Jamie recalled the number of times he wound up slapped, punched, and otherwise abused as his siblings went at each other, forgetting he was sitting in between them.
"Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner we get there." Jamie grumbled as they headed over to the hangar to meet their pilot.
After collecting their air officer, they headed over to the beautiful sleek helicopter painted in the NYPD's official colors. Jamie and Erin climbed into the passenger cabin while Joe took the left side co-pilot's seat.
He assisted the pilot with the checklist and within 10 minutes, they were cleared direct to the town of Auburn, New York where they would land and be picked up by prison staff and transported inside the prison grounds.
AUBURN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
AUBURN NEW YORK
Monday, April 10, 2016: 10:30 a.m.
Joe, Jamie and Erin had landed in a large parking lot across from the prison, which had sent a car to collect them and transport them across the street and into the area reserved for police officials.
They checked their weapons and cell phones. As an attorney, Erin was permitted to keep her briefcase with legal pads and writing implements, though it had been both searched and x-rayed.
Joe and Jamie were permitted to keep their NYPD Detective shields, and Joe his Federal Agency credentials. Erin had left her New York Bar Association card and New York County District Attorney's Office credentials at home being that for her, this was an unofficial visit.
They were escorted into a private interview room reserved for inmates and their legal counsel.
Unbeknownst to Erin and Jamie, who were both governed by rules applying to attorneys and could have no personal knowledge of such arrangements, phone calls had been made by Frank Reagan to specific officials, both in the Department of Corrections and the Governor's office regarding use of force to extract information.
Frank had accumulated a lot of chits over the years and when it came to extracting information as to who was trying to kill his children, he had happily called in a few.
Therefore, short of murdering or maiming Uncle Phil, Joe was permitted to do whatever he pleased and the guards were instructed to play deaf and dumb.
Any records of medical attention Phil may be required to receive subsequent to the Reagan's visit, would never become an official part of the inmate's permanent file. In other words, it would be Phil's word against that of the entire New York State penal system.
At 10:40 a.m., "Uncle" Phil Sanfino was unceremoniously deposited in a chair facing Joseph, Jamison, and Erin Reagan.
He stared at the prosecutor who had put him in this hellhole and gave her is meanest look. For her part, Erin just stared blankly back at him as if he were a cockroach she would love to stomp.
Then Sanfino looked at Jamie and laughed.
"Jimmy Riordan, or should I call you Jamie Reagan?" Sanfino asked.
"Officer Reagan will suffice." Jamie coldly replied.
"And who's this?" He inquired referring to Joe.
"My name is Detective Joseph Reagan, but you already knew that, didn't you?" Joe asked.
"What are you talking about, Joe Reagan is dead. He was killed by Sonny Malevsky almost seven years ago." Sanfino retorted.
"And yet, here I sit before you." Joe replied.
"Bullshit, prove it." He stated.
Joe pulled out his Homeland Security credentials along with those identifying him as a Detective First Grade with the NYPD.
"This proof enough?" Joe asked.
"Fucking Malevsky." Sanfino replied.
"Your boys aren't very good Sanfino. First you failed to kill me. Then you failed to kill Officer Reagan, and last week, you screwed up your hit on ADA Reagan." Joe replied, stoking the fire.
"Yeah, but I heard your brother wasn't so lucky." He sneered.
"You'll be pleased to know he will be making a full recovery." Joe smiled.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Sanfino shot back.
"Really?" Jamie replied. "That sounded to me like Uncle Phil here just threatened the life of a New York City Police Detective."
"I agree." Erin replied.
Joe stood up and walked around Phil and placed his hands on Phil's shoulders.
"Now, how about we remain civil and you tell me who you have on the outside targeting our family?" Joe asked.
"How about you and your brother and sister take a hike while you still can." Phil replied.
"Not very cooperative is he?" Joe asked.
"Not in the least. Maybe something you can do about that?" Jamie asked.
In the blink of an eye, Joe clapped his hands against Phil's ears. The corresponding overpressure rocked Phil's world and he saw stars and felt his equilibrium go completely out of balance. His vision became blurry and he felt nauseous. Worse of all was the high pitched ringing in his ears.
"Now, let's try again." Joe stated.
"It's Noble." Phil answered.
"Bullshit, Noble's a junkie and couldn't find his ass with both hands." Jamie replied.
"He's the one who shot at her and hit your other brother." Phil responded.
"But Noble isn't the one who is running the show or who executed your attorney and five jurors." Jamie retorted.
Phil just stared at Jamie who put it together.
"It's his niece, Bianca." Jamie stated, and was rewarded by a smirk from Phil.
Erin stood up and leaned in. "Why is your niece killing people involved in your trial?"
"Why do you think?" Sanfino asked back.
"Because you put a contract out on Bianca and Noble after the Johnny Tessla incident which you tried to frame me for, and doing your dirty work is your way of having them earn their way back into the family and off that contract." Jamie replied.
"I never had Tessla whacked. That was Bianca, for what Tessla did to you." Sanfino shot back.
"Tessla was a made guy, so if Bianca had him killed, then either you had to take out Bianaca, one of the other families does it for you, or they take you out for failing to follow the rules." Joe stated.
"So now Bianca is proving her worth hoping you'll protect her." Erin stated.
"No, Bianca is proving herself to be worthy of leading Phil's crew in the Cappaziri family. She's showing everyone she's willing to avenge her uncle." Jamie replied.
"Yeah, but you have to be male to be a Capo or Don." Joe replied.
"Not if you have a figurehead, whether it's Phil here in prison, or Noble on the outside. Either way, Bianca is calling the shots." Jamie responded. "All Phil's crew had to be told is that he gave it the green light."
"Not if Phil here is really calling the shots and trusts only Bianca to insure they are carried out." Erin stated, which drew an immediate and visceral response from Phil.
"Excuse me, I have to use the lady's room." Erin said as she knocked on the door to attract a guard's attention.
Once outside, she asked to be taken to the Warden's office as she had an important call to make.
After introductions were made, she was offered privacy in which to make her call.
"This is Frank Reagan" she heard her father answer.
"Dad, it's me. Put a protection detail on Danny right now. You're looking for either Noble or Bianca Sanfino.
"Baker" Frank yelled out, waiting until she entered his office. "Put my reserve detail on Danny immediately, and give them photographs and bios on Noble Sanfino and his sister, Bianca. Consider them to be hostile and dangerous."
"Yes Sir." Baker replied before heading out to execute her orders.
"What about Linda and the boys?" Frank asked.
"Probably a good idea for now. Pops as well." Erin replied.
Erin hung up and returned to the interview room along with a guard.
"Place him in solitaire confinement pending transfer." Erin ordered. "He's to speak with no one, not even his attorney."
"You can't do that" Sanfino yelled out.
"Actually, we can on orders of the Governor of the State of New York." Jamie replied.
"You're heading west old man." Joe smiled.
"What do you mean, where?" Phil asked.
"United States Penitentiary ADX Florence, Colorado. The Super Max." Erin informed him.
"You can't do that." Phil protested.
"Not only can we, the paperwork has already been drawn up and signed. You'll be eating your dinner tonight in a concrete cell with a sink and toilet for company, the same company that you'll have for 23 hours a day, for the rest of your miserable life." Erin replied as she walked up to him and to her brothers' joint surprise, brought her arm back and delivered the bitch slap of all bitch slaps to Phil's face, which would have knocked him on his ass had Joe not been holding him up.
"That's for hurting my brothers. Enjoy Colorado, I hear it's lovely this time of year." She concluded before watching Phil being dragged out of the room, kicking, screaming, and cursing.
Joe and Jamie just looked their sister, shocked by what they just witnessed.
"What?" She asked.
When they failed to respond she smiled. "The only one who gets to put a hurt on the three of you is me".
She then informed them of the phone call she had made to their father.
"That's what Phil meant by 'not if I have anything to say about it'" Joe remarked.
The question is, has he already turned her loose or did we nip this in time? Jamie asked.
"Let's get home and find out." Erin responded.
When they had retrieved their phones, Erin called her office and spoke with Anthony.
"Pull the jury list on the Sanfino case. Have our office notify the remaining jurors, the judge, bailiff, anyone else involved with that trial, they are in danger and to either get out of town for a couple of weeks, or take extra precautions. Send them photos of Noble and Bianca Sanfino."
"I'll get right on it, anything else?" He inquired.
"Yes, please call your friends up in the Two-Eight and at Columbia." She started to say.
"I'll be sure they keep an eye on Nicky." He completed.
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