Chapter 13
"Francis, what the hell is going on?" Pops demanded as his son entered.
"Maria?"
"What?"
Jamie and Erin asked simultaneously as they saw Maria walk in, holding hands with Danny and carrying Elena.
"We need to tell you something we have been keeping from you," Frank started.
"Four months ago, I received intelligence from an investigative reporter about a conspiracy to supply and distribute drugs from New York to the entire East Coast. He had an informant that wanted to get out. Before we could meet again, he disappeared. They needed to control law Enforcement in New York and New York state to succeed. Essentially, they needed to remove me as commissioner, which they planned on doing by killing Jamie, for starters. I asked Eddie to go undercover for me to protect Jamie. If they thought he was no longer a danger, they would not need to kill him." Frank paused to take a sip of his water and surveyed the faces of his family. "This ran much deeper than the Blue Templar. It didn't just involve the NYPD, FBI and mayor's office. I approached Eddie and asked for her help."
"You did what!" Yelled Jamie
"Jameson, sit down and let your father finish, then we can both yell at him," Henry gently told his grandson.
He nodded and retook his seat, glaring at his father and older brother.
"Her fall from grace had to look natural, so I concocted her drug addiction and stealing from the precinct. She did it to protect you, Jameson, and this family. She hated herself for all the hurt and pain she was putting you all through. This is on me, not her or Danny. This is the only way I could think of to protect you all and this city." Frank paused there and waited for the explosion.
"Wait!" Shouted Maria, stopping Jamie, Erin and Henry in their tracks.
Handing Elena to her Fiance, she removed the dressing on her wrists and held her arms up for everyone to see. "Two NYPD detectives came to force me to kneel by threatening our daughter," She paused after realising what she had just said.
Danny was smiling when he heard.
"They did this after sedating me." Pausing to take a deep breath, "The bastards were going to sell my daughter while they kept me strapped to a bed drugged to high heaven; I would still be laid there if not for Eddie; she sacrificed herself to let me escape with Elena. You three will keep quiet and not complain. I don't give a rat's ass about your feelings right now. What I care about is stopping this cabal and getting Eddie back. Am I making myself clear?" Demanded Maria
"Yes, Ma'am," answered Jamie
"Understood, Maria," Erin replied
Henry grinned at Maria. She reminded him so much of his Betty, right down to the left foot tapping whilst admonishing everyone. "Understood, Maria," he answered.
Maria approached Jamie and whispered, " Eddie wanted me to 'Tell Jamie I love him, and I am so sorry.' She regretted keeping you in the dark, and she would do anything to protect you; Jamie, don't you forget that. Now, Sargeant Reagan, will you help me get your wife back?"
"Yes, Ma'am, and thank you," he replied
"Commissioner Reagan?" Maria asked, looking at Henry.
"Yes, detective," he answered, sitting bolt upright. "Call me Henry,"
"Daniel, would you cover our daughter's ears, please?" She asked
" Henry, would you like to get to know your great-granddaughter, Elena? Her mother needs to beat the crap out of some members of IAB who threatened her daughter," she asked.
"Something you would like to share, big brother?" Erin asked as she pointed to the tape around his ring finger
He smiled, kissing Elena on her head, "Maria asked me to marry her. And I said yes." He smirked. " I would like to introduce you to the future Mrs Maria Reagan and our daughter Elena Reagan."
Everyone congratulated the newly engaged couple, but the moment of joy was short-lived. They needed to start planning the offensive.
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Officers Cato and Badillo knocked on Captain McNichol's door.
"Enter,"
"Take a seat, officers," First Deputy Commissioner Gillian Buttler asked the surprised pair.
Captain McNichol stood beside her, unusually looking angry. Their CO just asked them to sit and raised her hand to silence her two officers before they could ask anything further.
"I need you to listen to the First Deputy Commissioner; you will understand the cloak and dagger intrigue." Their CO told them
Looking directly at Officer Badillo, " Your former partner, Officer Reagan, was not dirty or a drug addict. She was undercover for the commissioner; they needed to make her fall from grace believable. Things went a little sideways during her mission when Detective Baez and her daughter were taken, and they implicated Officer Reagan. Officer Reagan arranged for herself to be caught by phoning the tip line; she hoped she would be snatched and taken to where they had Detective Baez and her daughter….." Deputy Commissioner paused; Officer Badillo didn't look too good. "Officer Badillo?"
He was astounded by what he had been told, and he was furious with Eddie Reagan, All the shit he had been through with IAB for nothing. Didn't she trust him enough? He felt sick to his stomach. "Sorry, Ma'am, please carry on,"
"She managed to help Detective Baez and her daughter to escape; in doing so, she sacrificed her freedom. We need your help; our findings can't go public yet. We must identify all the major players and have a coordinated takedown. I need you to keep what we have just told you to yourselves; as far as everyone else in this precinct, Officer Reagan is a fugitive wanted for the Murder of a fellow officer. If you agree, you will be fully briefed. I will not order you to do this; you must both volunteer. I must warn you these people have no issues with killing," she told her officers.
Kasey was surprised she had only been asked to keep her eye on her new partner. She had no idea about the magnitude of what she was involved in. "Count me in, Ma'am," she replied
Officer Luis Badillo sat quietly while he was having an internal battle; he felt betrayed by his former partner. Their partnership was initially challenging, but Eddie had won him over; she was now an excellent friend and exceptional partner he trusted to have his back. He despised the woman, "I am not happy about how I was treated in this matter; I will help you." He turned to Captain McNichol. "When this is over, Ma'am, I want a new house, and I can't stay here and work with her again; I am sorry, that's how I feel," He explained.
" If that is what you want, Officer Badillo, after this is over, I will make sure you have your choice of precinct." First Deputy Commissioner Gillian Buttler answered before her Captain could.
"Officer Badillo, you are now officially suspended pending IA's findings. Get changed and walk home. Detective Reagan will pick you up. Officer Cato, you are now Sargeant Reagan's driver. Keep him safe, and you will be free to help as needed," Captain McNichols said.
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Danny walked up to his father with Luis Badillo, "Officer Badillo, Thank you for agreeing to help. I am sorry for everything you have had to endure…" Luis held up his hand to stop the commissioner
"Sir, please stop; I am here to help. I don't need your apology, sir. It's not you. I feel betrayed by." He answered
Frank expected some pushback from Eddie's partner, hoping he could help her mend the damage they had both caused. "Copy that, Officer Badillo,"
He sat around the table and listened to Frank and Danny explain everything. After two hours, he had been brought up to speed with everything they knew. He looked shocked by what he had learnt. "What do you need me to do?"
"Put this on," Maria told him as she handed him his NYPD uniform with his utility belt and weapon.
"What…" he stopped as he noticed Maria dressed as an NYPD patrol officer, complete with 29 collar brass.
She smiled at the shocked look on his face, "We are going to pull over Doctor Tracy Needham on her way home. Her wife is Captain Elizabeth Oaks of IAB, and we discovered they use her position as head Psychiatrist to make people disappear; that's where they took Ellena and me. We think out of all the players we know of, she will be the weak link. We have a secure place to detain her. After we question her, she will be transferred to the custardy of the CGIS; we can keep her from contacting her compatriots. The Coast Guard will not enter her into the national system under her real name. She will have just disappeared for all intensity and purpose," she explained. "Chop, Chop, I really would like to meet our good doctor,"
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Maria looked across at Luis Badillo as he drove the RMP; he had barely spoken to her since they set off. She knew he was struggling with everything and couldn't blame the man. She would probably feel the same if it had been her partner.
"I can't say I know how you are feeling, Luis. Let her explain to you before you shut her out completely. It might take time. Just give her a chance," Maria told him; he nodded but remained silent.
"Her electronic pass just entered the FDR; she is two minutes out." Announced their earwigs.
Five minutes later, the light blue Mercedes SLK passed their RMP; Badillo turned on the lights and siren as she exited the FDR. This place had been selected for its need for more cameras. The doctor pulled over.
"Are you ok, detective?" Luis Badillo asked Maria; she had been unconsciously rubbing her wrists.
Maria nodded her head and took a deep breath; she had heard the doctor's voice while she was kept in her drugged state. She could only put a face to the voice after being shown surveillance photographs of her with her wife.
"Yeah, I want to hurt her badly, but we need her. Life behind bars will be much more satisfying in the long run. Let's do this.." Maria answered after taking her second deep breath.
"Good Afternoon, Ma'am; please turn off your engine and hand me your keys, please," Officer Badillo asked professionally.
"Why did you stop me, Officer?" The doctor asked
"Accompany me to my car, please, and I will explain everything," He gestured towards the RMP.
" I have an NYPD courtesy card; my wife is Captain Elizabeth Oaks, and she works in Internal Affairs at 1PP. Could you ring her, please?" She asked, handing over her courtesy card.
"Follow me and sit in the back of my RMP, please, Ma'am and I will ring your wife," He asked as he opened her door to allow her to step out.
Maria lowered her head as the doctor passed and pretended to check something near the trunk. Satisfied she was safely in the rear of the NYPD vehicle, she took the Mercedes keys from the seat and collected the leather briefcase.
"Natalie Scriver, " she read from the medical file, "Bitch!" Muttered Maria as she stared at her face from the front of the file, her anger growing as she read the contents. "Murder!" Her blood was boiling. She was done with this little charade.
"Send the van now!" She barked as she stomped back to the RMP, taking her tazer from her utility belt
"Maria, don't do anything stupid," Danny told her in her earwig.
Maria flung open the rear door of the RMP and, without hesitating, jammed her tazer against the doctor's abdomen. She slumped down onto the seat, and Maria handcuffed the shaking doctor.
"Bitch! You and I will have a little chat when this is all over. Just be grateful we need you," snarled the furious Latino
"Maria?" Badillo asked
"Read this, and I will go and help with the car. I need to cool down before I do something you will need to arrest me for," she told him, handing over the medical file.
She walked across and helped move the Mercedes onto the covered car transporter trailer. An Interpol technician quickly deactivated the car's tracker and removed her automated toll E-Z card.
"We will search the vehicle when we return it to the station, Detective. We will let you know if we turn up anything," The CGIS Special Agent explained.
"Thank you for your assistance," she smiled.
"Feel any better?" Asked the female special agent. She was motioning to the RMP.
A smirk appeared on her face, "It helped,"
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