Chapter 9
Captain Oaks had issued a 10-13 officer down over the radio on regaining consciousness. She managed to talk to her superiors, but her voice was hoarse. The chain from the handcuffs left a rather spectacular blackening bruise around her throat.
'Somehow, she managed to get her cuffs off one wrist; she smacked me in the head using the cuff. Best started struggling with her, but I must have blacked out at some stage. I regained consciousness to find her straddling me, strangling me using the chain from her cuffs. I don't know why she did not kill me. I found Best with two in his head. I imagine she used my service weapon, as it was gone when I came to the second time. I called a 10-13'
Read her typed statement on the iPad.
"Elizabeth, this is not your fault; go to the hospital and check your throat. I will break the news to his wife. She will be found and brought to justice. You have my word." The deputy commissioner of internal affairs told his injured captain.
'She is a Reagan, like that's going to happen.' She angrily typed on the iPad screen
"The First Deputy Commissioner has taken charge, and the Mayor and governor have suspended Frank Reagan. She is meeting with all her chiefs of departments now at 1PP. The Reagan name does not mean much at the moment. Mark my words, Elizabeth; she will be hunted down and paid for what she has done to Best; she just executed him like he was vermin," she nodded her understanding.
Her throat was excruciating, and it hurt to swallow; she was pleased and would happily suffer the discomfort; they had managed to unthrone the might of Frank Reagan, and the Reagan dynasty was ending. Only Sargeant Jameson Reagan remained an active member of the NYPD. He was neutralised, and he was no longer an issue.
BB
"Come in," announced Danny, waving in his two guests
"Why are we here, detective?" Lieutenant Gormley asked abruptly,
Danny motioned for them to enter and pointed towards his father. Frank was seated at the dining table.
"Detective Baker, Lieutenant Gormley, thank you for coming,"
"Sir…." Abigail started but was interrupted.
"Frank, suspended, remember." He forced a smile
"We need your help, and I can understand if you both want nothing to do with me after the inquisition. I need to explain what has happened. for you to understand completely. 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 uncover it for me to protect Jamie. If they thought he was no longer a danger, they would not need to kill him." Frank paused, waiting for any questions
"So, the footage of her with the drug dealer?" Abigail asked
"Manny Arteter is a deep cover Interpol agent. They approached me when they discovered I was searching for information the reporter gave me, trying to confirm his story. They had caught whispers about his story. They put us in touch with their agent, so he helped. We filmed and leaked the news footage to a few appropriate news outlets. We had to make Eddie's Fall from Grace believable. We read Danny in on our plan to help support Eddie while she protected Jamie. We had to keep it close to our chests; I do not know how high it goes. Eddie thinks the Mayor and governor are not involved but uses her indiscretions to oust me. High-ranking state police officials are involved." Frank answered, "She was using a synthetic powder that looks and feels like cocaine powder. It can be snorted and cause nose irritation and even dilate your pupils. It contains a legal stimulant to simulate the narcotic effect of the cocaine. To fool the mouth swab, she had a mouth spray that gave a false positive,"
"Maria and Elena?" Sid asked
Frank sighed. He still felt responsible for their disappearance.
"That was a curve ball we did not anticipate, and we have been trying to catch up," Danny explained, knowing his father was blaming himself. " Eddie and I hatched a plan; she phoned into the tip line so we could find her." Explained Danny
"The fight in the interrogation room?" Sid asked
"Staged; I needed to pass her some Narcan transdermal patches." Danny noticed the look of shock on Sid and Abigail's faces. "She knew the possibility of having to use actual cocaine if they grabbed her as she hoped they would. The Narcan would help negate some of the drug effects, allowing her to function while still limiting the narcotic effects. We hoped they would take her to where they kept Maria and Elena." Danny explained
"What happened earlier was unexpected. I need your help, but I am asking you as a friend, not your commissioner. I can't risk bringing in Jamie or Erin. They are being watched. We know the New York FBI office has members of the Cabal. We think they have people in the governor's office, DEA—state police, internal affairs and personnel within the NYPD." Frank explained
"Personnel?" Sid asked
"They inputted ghost profiles onto the NYPD system, clean skins if you will. Detectives and patrol officers, complete with their shields, are all official. It is ingenious," Frank admitted. " This 'Cabal' makes the Blue Templar look like amateurs. I trust the people in this house and those from Interpol's Washington office. I know Garret is trustworthy. But he is needed at 1PP," Frank explained. "I will give you both some time to talk.
Abigail glanced at Sid and nodded. "No need, Frank, we are both in. What do you need from us?" Abigail asked
Frank smiled, knowing his inner circle had his back. He always knew he had chosen well.
BB
Eddie was wheeled into a room in a wheelchair; her eyelids were lifted, and a penlight was shone into each eye to examine her pupils. "She is high as a kite; she will be with the fairies for hours. How much coke did she give her?" Laughed the state trooper
"Help me get her out of that jumpsuit." Smirked his partner
"Get out now, and there will be no touching. Do you both understand me?" Warned the Nurse from the door
Both troopers glared at the female Nurse, deciding not to mess with her. The psychiatric Nurse dealt with mentally ill patients all day. Two idiot cops were not going to be an issue, she might work for the Cabal, but she didn't condone rape.
"You have a guest, little lady; try not to disturb her. Mags will be back later to feed you, sweet girl. Your new mommy will be here in a few days." She placed Elena in the crib and left after turning on the baby monitor.
The cocaine was causing Eddie some significant issues, and the Narcan was nullifying some of the effects, but what she had been forced to snort must have been almost uncut, not that she was an expert. Eddie had listened to the Nurse as she saved her from the two state troopers. Eddie felt strangely euphoric. She didn't like how much she was being affected by the coke; her mind was chaotic.
'Damn girl, get your ass moving,' she scolded herself, trying to move. She just wanted to curl up and enjoy her euphoric state.
Elena started crying, 'On my way, little one,' the Nurse announced from the baby monitor's speaker.
"Oh, what's the matter, Baby girl?" Mags asked as she leaned over the crib.
Taking the chance, Eddie moved as quickly as she could and lept at the nurse while she was occupied. She crashed into the surprised Nurse, tackled her to the floor and slammed her head into the floor as hard as she could; the Nurse went limp. In her drug-confused state, Eddie knelt beside the unconscious Nurse. Annoyed with herself for not thinking clearly or quickly enough, she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.
"Mama?" Elena asked
Hearing the pleading for her mother, she managed to gather her thoughts. 'Maria Baez', she started to repeat in her mind. Eddie stripped the Nurse out of her scrubs and searched her pockets. Changing into the ill-fitting scrubs, she examined the keys she had found on the Nurse Barry, according to the embroidered name on her top. "Of course, she didn't have a cell phone on her. That would be far too easy." Eddie complained aloud
She tossed the baby monitor receiver on the floor after turning it off. She examined the syringe; she had no idea what the clear liquid was for.
' Your new mommy will be here in a few days,'
Remembering what she had heard her decision made, she pulled the cap of the needle, plunged it into her neck, and depressed the plunger. Tossing the used syringe to the floor, she plucked up Elena.
" Hi, sweetie, my name is Eddie; let's go and find your Mama. I need you to hold me tightly, my little princess. Your Aunty Eddie is feeling drunk. So, we will be moving slowly. I will try not to drop you. You are such a brave girl," Eddie slurred a little
Taking Elena, she used the wall for support and started her search for Maria. She knew they had brought her to an asylum somewhere. That didn't matter for the moment. She needed to find Maria first. She was in a short corridor that looked like it was in a quiet part of the asylum. She couldn't hear anything that said people were nearby.
"Is mama in here?" Whispered Eddie, trying to keep Elena occupied
Eddie opened the door to a darkened room and found an empty padded cell. Even in her drug-confused mind, she knew the stains on the padded flooring were dried blood. She continued her search along the left side. All three padded cells were empty and stain-free.
The door at the end of the corridor looked different. Unlocking the door with the long key, she looked along a service tunnel of some large pipes. "Way out," Eddie hoped. Closing the door and leaving it unlocked, she continued her search.
"Where is Mama? Is she in here?" Eddie continued her commentary as Elena clung to her neck tightly.
Opening the last door, she found Maria strapped to a hospital bed by her ankles and wrists. Maria wasn't moving, but thankfully, her chest was still moving. She was alive.
"Maria!" Eddie shook her shoulder, and Maria opened her eyes.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry," Gasped Eddie when she noticed how glazed her eyes were.
'Bastards', she thought when she noticed the bandages along both her wrists. She peeled back one dressing and saw the neat row of stitches along her wrist. The longitudinal scar was about six inches long. Eddie knew she couldn't leave Maria here to go and get help. If they discovered Eddie and Elena missing, they would surely kill her instantly.
They needed to escape together or not at all. Eddie had taken first aid classes at the academy and tended to injured people at work, but she was no paramedic or doctor.
In her current state, she couldn't drag Maria and carry Elena.
"Adrenaline, it won't kill her, will it?" She asked herself after remembering a scene from a film. "Hollywood stupid, it is not real," she chastised herself. "You're stoned. Don't be a stupid woman,"
"Mama," Elena yelled, her arm reaching out for Maria.
Tears streamed down her cheeks at the sight of Elena reaching out for her mother. "Damn emotions," sniffed Eddie
"Elena Baez, you are a pushy little girl. I feel sorry for your Mama," Eddie said, kissing Elena. And she walked off to find some adrenaline.