AN:
Heyo! This is TheProfDoc. Yeah, the Division community here is pretty dormant, but I really want to continue this story to its fullest extent. If someone is reading this, I hope you enjoy and leave your feedback. This is my first story on this site too! I do not own Tom Clancy's The Division, that honor goes to Ubisoft and supporting developers. I simply added my own characters and reworked some of the lore. Note the previous chapter and most of this one occurred before the initial outbreak!
14th Precinct Midtown Manhattan South
11:15 AM
Donnie stared at the empty desk in front of him. Charlie had bled to death on the operating table several hours after he had been shot. He had to personally deliver the news to his wife and two kids who lived in Flatiron district. The drive to and from their apartment was one of the worst he had ever experienced, and Charlie was the first partner he had ever lost. His replacement was still "pending".
He looked out the window to his left, the snow was beginning to fall, and frost started to appear around its edges. Flu season had begun early and seemed particularly vicious this week. Looking around his office space, he had noticed earlier that several of his coworkers were missing. When he inquired with the lieutenant, he said they had all called in sick.
The note he had kept from the apartment had been shoved into his desk, lost to the 5 new homicide cases he had picked up. He figured the dollar bills were part of some obscure laundering scheme Amherst partook in. But there was no time to dwell on the past, the latest homicide was that of a 16-year-old female. Donnie deduced it as a robbery as the victim's wallet and purse was gone. When he asked her parents where she was going, they said she was getting prescription anti-virals for her brother, who had come down with a rather severe case of the flu. The anti-virals were not on her corpse. In fact, there was a staunch increase in drug-related robberies this past week, especially with anti-virals. Of course, Donnie knew there would always be an increase in these types of crimes during flu season, but this was triple what it was last year.
An officer tapped Donnie's shoulder. TARU was done with the CCTV camera that had witnessed the crime.
"Alright let's see." Donnie sighed, getting up from his swivel chair and following the officer.
They entered the TARU room. It was quite cramped, with monitors on walls and on desks, and wires protruding from walls. The TARU technician with the footage was a young fellow, around 23. His thick brown hair hung in patches over his eyes. His face was plagued with acne. Donnie could've sworn he saw him in the Narcotics holding cell.
"Alright, start it up." Donnie said to the technician making a rolling movement with his fingers.
The footage shows the girl walking out of the ROW's Pharmacy on 22nd street clutching a brown paper bag with the anti-virals presumably. She turns a left walking down the sidewalk towards a nearby bus stop. As she reaches the end of the pharmacy's front wall, a man turns the corner trying to grab the paper bag. The bag soon rips, the drugs falling onto the ground. The girl attempts to push the assailant back and was successful in making him stumble back. Once stabilized, attacker drew a revolver from his jeans and shot the girl 3 times as she tried to pick up the drugs. Her body flung back and hit the ground with a thud, and a pool of blood began to form underneath her corpse. The man stared at the corpse seemingly stunned, and then almost as quickly as he came, he stole the drugs and her wallet.
"Damn it." Donnie muttered while looking at the girl's lifeless body. "Why didn't you just run?"
What surprised him about the attack was that the man wasn't in the least bit trying to conceal his identity. He sported a red, tight-fitting T-shirt with the Vans logo in large letters on the front of the shirt. The man's blonde hair was ragged and messy, his eyes were bloodshot. What startled the detective the most was the severe number of rashes, blisters, and bumps that covered the body of the rather thin individual. He could tell the man was sweating profusely by looking at the shirt areas around the neck and the armpit.
"You got facial recognition on this perp?" Donnie asked the TARU technician, who was sipping a mug of orange juice.
"We're running him through the database now." The tech answered. "It'll probably be done in 30-45 minutes."
"Just call me when it's done."
"Alright man"
Donnie walked out of the room heading towards his desk. His stomach made a low, deep grumble. Looking at the clock, he determined it was time for a well-deserved lunch break. The snowing outside had gotten stronger, and the streets below were covered in a thick layer of white. He grabbed his winter trench coat off the back of his chair, putting it on. His ivy cap and golden badge soon completed the "detective getup" he always adored when he was a child.
As he looked for the keys to the charger he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning around he found a woman and Lieutenant Horton. The woman was around 2 inches shorter than him. Her hair was brown, and she had freckles scattered around her cheeks. She was clothed in full black business suit attire. Underneath her jacket, she wore a white buttoned up shirt, with a purple tie. The NYCP detective badge was clearly visible on her waist, and a feeling of dread bubbled up Donnie's stomach.
"Marks." Horton said with a smug grin on his face. "This is detective Baker, your new partner."
Baker held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you detective."
Donnie shook the hand reluctantly, scoffing. "Hort, you've really done it this time."
"What's that supposed to mean detective?" Baker snapped, offended.
The gray-haired lieutenant shook his head, disappointed. "Whether you like it or not Marks, she's gonna be your partner."
Donnie looked at Baker and then looked back at the lieutenant, a look of staunch indignation on his face. "Fine… asshole"
With this, Horton wobbled over to his office, closing the door behind him, leaving the two detectives looking at each other.
"I heard you're the squad asshole." Baker mocked sarcastically. "Looks like the rumors were true."
Donnie chuckled at the title. "Yeah, I think that title belongs to the guy who just assigned you to me."
"Touché" Baker said, a smirk on her face.
"I'm uh… headed out to grab a bite." Donnie offered reluctantly. "We have a homicide, so you might as well tag along."
"Sounds good, boss." She said following him down the stairs.
Bryant Park, Midtown Manhattan
12:02 PM
"I'll take my regular, Vince." Donnie said to the hot dog vendor, then proceeding to blow into his cold hands.
It was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, with the snow falling profusely. The slightest movement would cause the accumulated snow on top of his ivy cap to fall. He had wiped the snow on the shoulders of his trench coat to maintain its pristine condition. After around two minutes, the vendor had the hot dog in his hands. The bun had a fresh, soft texture. Vapor would rise from the freshly cooked meat, and evidence of the grill is clearly noticeable with the pattern of slight burn lines. A layer of mustard and ketchup would cover part of the top of the hot dog.
"Come to daddy." Donnie sputtered, handing the vendor the appropriate amount of money.
He proceeded to sit down on a nearby bench. Bryant park looked so beautiful in the winter. He admired the gigantic Christmas tree which stood firm, slightly obscuring his view of the New York Public Library. Skaters would glide across the ice, making intricate patterns that Donnie would have fun spotting. He took another bite of his hot dog, relishing its amazing, meaty taste. New York City was truly one of a kind.
"So, about that case…" Baker reminded him, sitting down with her hot dog. "What we got?"
"16-year-old Female, white" Donnie said, gnawing his meal. "Shot 3 times to the chest while trying to get meds for her ill brother."
"Yeesh, got any leads?" Baker responded, clearly startled at the gruesome details.
"Perp didn't even bother to hide his face." Donnie answered, finishing his hot dog. "TARU sending him through facial rec now."
Right after he said that, the detective's phone went off with ringtone as the song "Man On A Mission" by Tony C. Rummaging his pocket, Donnie pressed the designated answer button and then put the cellphone to his right ear.
"Tech," Donnie started, checking his watch. "Couple of minutes late."
"Yeah the blisters on his face really slowed down the progress." The TARU tech responded. "But we got a hit… Winston Recker, Bronx barber."
"I'm sensing a catch." Donnie said in a concerned manner, hoping the perp hadn't been compromised.
"Yeah, he was found dead in his apartment." The tech continued in a monotone manner. "Some viral infection. DCD is already looking into it."
The infuriated detective hung up. "God fucking damn it."
"Something wrong?" Baker inquired, having finished her hot dog. "Didn't sound like good news."
"Perp fucking died." Donnie seethed, pocketing his phone.
"So?" Baker reasoned. "Killer is dead, and the girl got justice. It sounds pretty good to me."
Donnie condensed his beliefs. "Proper justice can't be administered without a judge, jury, and a court. A perp needs to stand trial and serve his sentence, not be wasted before a victim's family could look at 'em one last time in the eye."
"Deep there, Marks." Baker said with a tone of doubt. "Sometimes doesn't work like that man. Not everything can be subject to the law."
Donnie wasn't listening, but instead was looking at the extensive line leading into a ROW's pharmacy and clinic across the street. He noticed the same blisters, blemishes, and bumps he had seen on the dead perp on most of the people in the line.
"Flu season is crazy huh?" He said, looking at the pharmacy.
Baker turned around, looking at the line of people. "Yeah, I think my mom's comin' down with the same thing."
"Something tells me it ain't Flu." Donnie realized, touching Amherst's note in his pocket.
2 Weeks Later
Camp Hudson
5:10 AM
Donnie turned the heater on. Civilians were being shuffled through paths separated by 9-foot-high fences. They were ordered to assist New York National Guard and fellow NYCP units in the evacuation of non-infected civilians. Baker was operating the thermal scanner, their Charger stationed at one of the entrances.
"You heard about the JTF?" Baker mentioned, looking at the monitor at the dozens of civilians passing through the gate.
Donnie let out a laugh, turning the radio on. "JTF? The armed crossing guards? Of course it's headed by a cop from Narcotics! What is Benitez thinking letting a bunch of civilians play cops?"
"I mean I think it's nice that they're trying to help us out." Baker argued, still staring at the monitor. "I mean they could've just left or joined the others in looting. Cut them some slack, Marks."
Baker squinted at the monitor, seeing a yellow-orangish blip in the crowd of green. Speaking into her radio, she notified the DCD unit. "You guys got another one moving towards the gate." She looked up, eyeing the actual individual. "Black jacket with 'North Face' logo, slate jeans, wearing a purple satchel."
The DCD unit responded on the radio. "Thanks, intercepting now."
Two men suited in white, CERA-issued PPE suits approached the man, pushing and shoving through the crowd to get to his location. The two detectives watched the interaction from the safety of their parked Charger.
The infected man attempted to run back, pushing down other civilians in his way. The DCD units chased after him, with one of them eventually reaching the man. Just as the DCD hazmat grabbed the individual, a gunshot rang out, sending the crowd of people in a frenzy to get out. National Guardsmen guarding the gate slid under cover to avoid getting sniped. Another gunshot rang out, and the gunner of the Humvee stationed at the gate was slumped backward on top of the roof of the vehicle, a hole in his chest and a pool of blood clearly visible. More gunshots rang out as people frantically ran in all directions.
Donnie looked around at the buildings overlooking Camp Hudson's entrance. He saw muzzle flashes coming from a 4-story brick apartment building that included an Indian deli on the ground floor. Glancing back at Baker, both seemed to have the same idea in mind.
Donnie swung the door open, proceeding to take cover behind it. Bullets would ricochet off the door, making a loud ping sound that would make his ears ring. By now, Baker began shooting from her own door, drawing fire from sniper to her. Gripping his Glock 19, Donnie began his mad dash to the building. Seeing this, National Guardsmen and NYCP officers who had hid in cover from the attackers were now providing suppressive fire, pinning them down.
Donnie slammed into the brick wall of the Deli. Once he was secure, he signaled Baker to come over. The group of National Guardsmen and NYCP continued to suppress the gunmen in the building as Baker and 3 ESU officers ran across the street to support Marks. Donnie and Baker stacked up behind the 3 ESU officers, preparing to breach. The lead ESU officer fired his shotgun at the handle of the door, then proceeded to kick it down. They began to sweep the first floor.
"Clear!" yelled the ESU lieutenant.
The group stacked up near the stairs. Throwing in a flashbang, the three ESU officers rushed up the stairs followed by Donnie and Baker. As the ESU lieutenant reached the 2nd floor, a fire axe was swung into his side, and he crumpled to the floor, dying in seconds. A shield-wielding Cleaner stood over his corpse, breathing heavily into his mask.
"FUCK!" screamed one of the ESU officers. "Officer down! Officer down! We've got Cleaners!"
The officer fired his Mossberg into the Cleaner's shield, fracturing it into dozens of pieces. Discarding the handle, the cleaner swung the axe with the power of both of his arms. The officer barely blocked the swing by holding his shotgun at both ends, perpendicular to the orientation of the fire axe and sticking him in front of himself to absorb the blow. A second ESU officer fired a shot at the cleaner, the bullet piercing its head, killing it instantly. A second Cleaner opens the door of an apartment, spraying the Mossberg-wielding policeman with his AK-47. The fatally shot ESU officer stumbles back into a wall, slumping down. Donnie comes up behind the final, distraught ESU officer firing a shot at the at the attacking Cleaner with his Glock, piercing the gas tank attached to its back.
Screaming, the Cleaner attempted to unbuckle the tank, which was leaking gas profusely. Moments later, it was enveloped in a fiery explosion. A loud screeching sound can be heard as the floor above where the Cleaner was collapses onto his burnt corpse. As the floor above them begins to collapse as well, Donnie rushes towards the dead ESU officer slumped against the wall, carrying his corpse over his back. Baker begins to drag the second ESU corpse down the stairs.
Staying low to avoid smoke inhalation, Donnie, Baker, and the remaining ESU officer navigate the distraught deli on the first floor, stumbling around falling debris, broken chairs and tables. Reaching the door, they run out just as the building collapses behind them. The collapse caused a plume of dust to expand from the wrecked building causing them to be blown forward, making Donnie lose consciousness.
3 Minutes Later
Opening his eyes, Donnie could feel a terrible throbbing pain in his head and a deafening ringing in his ears. The corpse of the ESU officer was still on top of him, forcing him to push it off in order to breathe. Baker was already up, being assisted by CERA medics. Soon she was put on a stretcher, soon losing sight of her as she was being rushed into the camp. Pushing himself up slowly, Donnie looked around at the numerous civilian and law enforcement corpses around him, 22 in total. Some were mangled up, their pale, bloated faces causing Donnie to break down, making him to collapse onto the ground once again. The ringing was getting louder, and soon all he could see was black.
The First Battle of Camp Hudson resulting 10 civilians KIA, 4 National Guardsmen KIA, 8 NYCP Officers KIA. 9 corpses of Cleaners were excavated from the rubble of the deli.
In the next chapter, we'll see the introduction of the First Wave SHD agents and the incident which caused the entire Last Man Battalion to be considered traitors. Donnie doesn't seem to be a fan of either.