CH16
"Central, Jerry. Mother is in Labor. Copy?"
"Jerry. Central. How many is mother expecting. Copy?"
"Central. Mother can expect 4 extra immediate. Copy?"
"Copy that Jerry. Stand-by."
"Sir, our team is going to be caught in no-mans land."
"DAMN IT. …. Ok, have the team proceed. Expedite. Tell Jerry to move to secondary and engage."
"Yes sir. Central to Tom. Copy?"
"Central. This is Tom."
"Tom. Mother is in labor. Expect 5 babies total to arrive immediate. Proceed to primary. Expedite. Copy?"
"Tom. Copies."
"Jerry. Central. Copy?"
"Jerry. Go Central."
"Jerry. Move to secondary and engage. Copy?"
"Central. Jerry copies."
NYPD RV:
"Beckett, we move too soon and we could blow this." Roy searches.
"I understand sir. But if we delay, State is going to loose everyone. We've already lost four. We can't loose any more." Kate pleads hoping he can see the light.
"Sergeant. Load your team and get them moving. Top speed. State is going to need you."
"Yes sir. On our way."
"This better work out Beckett." Roy cautions.
"Come on, your with me. Get Espo and Ryan in their cruiser. We are going to back them up in case anyone gets past them."
Roy and Kate head out of the RV and over to Espo and Ryan to give them their orders. Then Kate and Roy get in their cruiser with Kate driving.
"Central. This is Tom. I have two down and under heavy fire. Copy?"
"Get NYPD moving. I hope they are ready."
"Sir, just got a message from NYPD. They are already under way. ETA 1 minute to breach."
"How did they know? Never mind. Tell them we need them to hurry. And tell Tom the Cavalry is already underway."
"Tom. Central. Cavalry en-route. ETA 1 minute. Copy?"
"Central. Tom copies. Thanks."
"Jerry. Central. Cavalry is en-route. ETA 1 minute minus. Copy?"
"Jerry copies."
The armored vehicle crashed thru an exterior wall just as planned. Coming to a stop the 6 man team that was inside disembark and proceed to sweep the area. The remaining 6 men of the team split up into teams of two to catch anyone that tries to escape and makes it past the two cruisers.
The State team was in trouble. They already had 2 men down and 2 more were lightly wounded. It was at this time that Jerry showed up and engaged from a flank position catching them by surprise. Also at that same time the NYPD vehicle chose to crash thru the wall.
Of the 5 people that they were all after in the short fire fight, only 1 decided to surrender.
At this time a truck with a crew cab came around the corner of the building and was heading west. The two cruisers had spotted it, as had one of the 2 men teams outside. All 3 moved to intercept. The two cruisers ended up being on each side of the truck. When suddenly the 2 men popped up and emptied their clips into the front of the truck.
This damaged the radiator and the engine which promptly blew a rod thru the block. The truck came to a stop and the driver and passenger both got out and jumped into the bed of the truck and began to open fire on the 2 cruisers.
Javi and Ryan stopped and bailed out the passenger side of their car and fired their weapons from the cover of the car. Kate and Roy had done the same. The 2 men from the NYPD team and changed clips and were moving forward and firing thru the cab into the bed.
Ultimately the 2 men in the truck had been killed. (ballistics would later show that they were killed by shots from the 2 men from the NYPD team.).
They had one man in custody. Six dead of the men they were after. One of them (from the truck) turned out to be James Rook. The NYPD team had suffered no injuries. The State team was not quite as lucky. They had 4 injured from the armor piercing bullets being fired at them. Two would return to active duty within the week. The other two would require almost 2 months. But thankfully no deaths.
A search of the truck had yielded a laptop computer that the guys in tech were going over to see what it contained. They also had a burner phone on the guy who had surrendered. He of course had immediately asked for a lawyer. And refused to say a word.
In the warehouse they had HK automatic weapons, hundreds of rounds of armor piercing bullets. Still in boxes that showed where they had come from. New York State National Guard, 88th Brigade, 2366 Fifth Ave, NY.. A search of the burner phone showed that it had called and been called by a single number. Which turned out to be another burner phone.
The perimeter had 23 claymores all on remote detonators. No one knew why they didn't use them.
They had the guy who had done horrible things to Jessica, but they did not yet have her killer.
It was 3 days till the funeral for the slain officers. Kate and the boys were feeling better. They had the guys who had killed them. The gang squad was happy. They had one less gang to worry about that had gone on a killing spree. They just didn't have their main crib where they were based.
It was now 2 days until the funeral. The tech team had found who they got their bullets from, out of the laptop and the Navy had decided he was theirs and taking him from the NYPD claiming jurisdiction. He had immediately asked for a lawyer. His name was James Simmons. Kate couldn't even find out how long he had held the position he was in. Or even who he reported to. They had been told not to investigate. It was not their jurisdiction. She had put in a request for his personal address, but it was intercepted and she got dressed down by the Judge Advocate General of the Navy.
To say Kate was pissed would be an understatement. Kate wanted to know, and she was going to find a way if it killed her.
The Navy were in the process of removing him from the holding cell of the 12th and out to a waiting black SUV. He was escorted by 4 men and forced to wear a vest. Just as he reached the door of the SUV he collapsed onto the sidewalk, bleeding. This was followed by the sound of a rifle shot.
Two of the men picked him up and put him in the SUV which immediately drove off. The other two men had pulled their weapons looking for the shooter. Knowing they would probably not see him.
Kate got a report later that day from the Navy telling her that he had been shot through his right arm. The bullet had punctured through both his lungs, gone through the lower chamber of his heart, and out thru his left arm and had deflected off of the sidewalk to an unknown location. Without the round to do ballistics on, the results were inconclusive. However it was believed that the round was an armor piercing .50 cal. Round. This size of round is fired by a Barrett 82A1 Semi-automatic sniper rifle.
Meaning the sniper could have been a mile away, or more when he/she took the shot.
To achieve this result with a high powered sniper weapon meant who ever the shooter is, was highly trained. Possibly is or was in the military and had been trained as a sniper at the United States Army, 197th Infantry Brigade, based at Fort Benning, Georgia. Meaning that the NYPD had no jurisdiction. They just had to hope they would be filled in on what anyone found. Yeah, Kate was not holding her breath about that.
Kate was meeting a brick wall. She had got the gang members and the guy who had raped and done terrible things to Jessica. But anything beyond that was getting her no where. She was getting madder every minute as the day wore on. Who had shot Simmons? Who was the guy who had surrendered? How did they get all those high powered weapons and all the military ammunition?
'What the hell was going on?' Kate simply thinks to herself.
NY Hotel Room:
Bracken's phone is ringing. "Yes."
"It's done. And Lockwood will be out sometime next week after finalizing and a dry run thru." A voice tells him.
"Rook?"
"NYPD and State Police took him and his men out. Still no word on how they found him."
"One problem solved. Keep digging. I need to know if there is a leak."
"Yes sir. What about Beckett?" The voice asks.
"Finish her at the funeral. Just like Simmons."
Yes sir." And the call ends.
Rick's House:
Rick was standing in the kitchen making himself a light snack. His daughter was at school. "What to do with the rest of the day?" Talking to himself.
Taking his snack down to his office. He turned on his laptop and started looking at the local news. There was a public funeral tomorrow for the 4 slain officers. A warning about street closers. Everything for half a mile around the site was being shut down. Businesses were being told to close for half the day. Office buildings were going to be searched and anyone entering would be screened. News helicopters were banned. NYPD helicopters were all going to be in the air that day.
One of them was sure to be the new Bell 412EP. Probably with half the Tactical Squad on board. Wouldn't be surprised if 2 of them were not already in wet suits with tanks and regulators already on board. High powered search light, night vision, infrared scanner and radiation detection equipment. Call sign Aviation 22.
There was also going to be formal gathering 2 days after the funeral. All donations would go to a fund set up for the families of the 4 slain officers. It has only just been set up this morning and they were already claiming they had $320,000 in donations. Some from as far away as Japan. The target was 4 million.
It also gave Rick an idea. Yeah, a really good idea. Rick jumped up made sure he had his phone, keys, wallet and had a destination in mind. It was time to do some shopping. Expensive shopping! First though was a phone call to his publicist. He needed tickets, 2 of them for that formal gathering. And he knew just the lady that could get them for him.
12th Precinct:
Kate was not one to give up easily. Well better make that, ever. She had Javi and Ryan pulling financial s and phone records on Simmons. She also had them checking into family members. Where he worked exactly and anything they could get on who worked with him. Let the Feds scream at her all they want. What car did he drive. Where was it. Had he ever traveled outside of the country. If so, were had he gone and when.
She had also asked Lanie if she could pull some strings and get a closer look at his body. Long shot, but you don't win if you don't try. 'Augh, she must be tired. She's beginning to sound like one of those Lottery commercials.'
She decided that she was going to watch the footage of Simmons being shot right out front one more time. The Feds took the original. But Kate had already made a copy. Sometimes the Feds can be soooo stupid. …. Strike that, they were always stupid!
Coffee in hand Kate sat down at the viewer and started her video copy. She played the scene of Simmons being shot over and over again. There had to be something. Ok, one more time.
Then Kate saw something. Not much, but maybe something. Rewind just a little, and play it again. Yeah, something. Re-wind and play. Re-wind and play. Re-wind and play.
It was a quick spark on the brick wall behind Simmons, then another smaller spark on the car parked 2 cars down in front of the black SUV.
Re-wind and play. Re-wind and play. Suddenly it hits Kate. It was the bullet that went thru Simmons. Turning the viewer off and storing her copy back in its hiddy hole, she raced downstairs. Skipping the elevator.
YES! The car was still there. Ran down the street and started looking for the bullet hole. Ten minutes later. NOTHING. "It's here. I know it is." Kate is talking to herself, again.
FOUND IT! Kate pulls out her Victorinox knife – Swiss Tool Spirit Plus, and starts digging for the bullet.
'GOTCHA', as Kate holds it in the palm of her hand. Wrapping her hand around it to form a fist, she races back upstairs. It's late, after midnight and there is no one but the night shift here. She puts the bullet in a baggie and hides it. The Feds are NOT getting their grimy claws on this baby.
Kate has decided it was time to go home. She has a funeral to attend tomorrow, and she is not going to fall asleep part way thru it. Kate is just getting in the elevator and has pressed the button for the ground floor. When her cell phone rings.
"Beckett."
"Good evening Detective." A very soft and all too pleasant voice responds.
"I want to thank you for the other day" Kate tells the voice. Having given up trying to get HER? To give Kate a name.
"You need to find an Armor plate and wear it under your cloths, detective."
"An armor plate? Why would I want an armor plate?" Kate is confused.
"Because you are going to be killed at the funeral today, detective."
"WHAT! Killed. By who? Were? When? Why?" Kate is scared now. Everything this unknown Lady has ever told her has worked out. And she knew they were attacking Rook and his gang. And she knew what was going on when they did to call in that warning. That one warning had probably saved countless lives of the State Rapid Response Team.
But the voice on the phone ignores her questions. "You will need an armor plate detective. Or you will not live to see the completion of the funeral service."
"I can wear my vest." Kate counters. Not sure it was the best idea. Or if they would even let her.
"Insufficient protection Detective. A vest did not help Simmons. You will need an armor plate. Strap it tight to your chest and wear it under your cloths, detective."
"Where the hell am I supposed to get an armor plate?"
"You have friends Detective. Ask one. Or ask a friend with money. He may have contacts with resources.
Good luck, Detective." And the call ends.
The elevator goes 'Ding' and the doors open. But Kate just stands there. Her hand holding the phone slowly lowers. Kate is just staring out past the open doors, and watches them close. The doors closing on her life.
