“Did your father report the incident?”
“I don’t know if he would have, but someone who recorded it posted it all online, and the next day cops came to my grandmother’s, talked to him, to me, too, and my sister. The baby was too young for that. I found out later, because I checked, he got suspended for it, and it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like that. So I know that face.”
“He should’ve been fired and brought up on charges. It’s a mark on every cop that he wasn’t, right then and there. Justice can move way too slow, and sometimes the system that drives it breaks down. Not this time, Officer. This time, we’re going to put Doggett exactly where he belongs.”
“Yes, sir. I trust we will.”
“Peabody, pick it up.”
“Angela Delinski.”
From the scouts, she moved to the suspected guards. Eve took over with Iris Beaty/Swan, then Jonah Devereaux.
“Those are the known suspects and their place on this wheel. We have several locations, and all will be covered, either by the NYPSD or the proper authorities. Our main target is the building where the abductees are held. Secondary are the residences of suspects in New York, the funeral home, and Devereaux’s Long Island estate. Main target’s blueprints, Jamie.
“The building has seven floors, including the basement area, and has access to tunnels. Lieutenant Lowenbaum, I leave it to you where to best position your men, but I need all exits covered, including exterior tunnel exits.”
“We’ll work that out,” he assured her.
“The e-team will give us the eyes and ears we need, cut communications, shut down the elevators, including the private one to the top floor and Beaty’s residence. We’ll have both air and water support.”
“I’m gonna cut in for a minute.” Feeney pushed to his feet. “We worked out a little something that’ll do better than the blueprints. Just a portable deal, but…”
He took out a remote, aimed it at the center of the room. A holo, a three-sixty of the blueprints, shimmered on. “I can turn it. It’ll be a little clunky.”
“Nice.” Eve circled it, stepped back into what would be the Hudson, nodded. “Yeah, nice. Okay, yeah, eyes front. Here’s how we take this target down, and priority is the safe recovery and rescue of all abductees.”
She went over every step, every move, adjusted when someone posited an alternative that seemed more solid. She had Feeney speak to the timing and responsibilities of the e-team. Then asked Whitney and Tibble to outline the plans for locations outside of New York.
Then she shifted to other New York locations, assigned teams.
“We’ll have transportation for the abductees, and Dr. Mira will supervise that. We have a conference room where they’ll wait. They must be interviewed, and Willowby and SVU will handle much of that, along with Dr. Mira and other therapists. Once identified, evaluated, and interviewed, those who have families or guardians can be released into their care. The others will process through Child Services.”
She scanned the room, confident she’d chosen the best, the brightest, and the most dedicated.
“Vests, all around. Takedown teams, battering ram. Tunnel team, night-vision, masks, canisters. Rescue teams, count heads after we’ve got that count, and get them all out and to their transport. Questions?”
Not anymore, she thought. Each and every one knew their job.
“Gear up. Transpo on garage level one, all teams, all locations. We move out in twenty.”
She walked over to Officer Carmichael. “After this is done, we clean it up, I’ll have Doggett transferred here. But it could take some time. If you want a couple days’ leave to go down to Baltimore, I’ll clear it.”
“Appreciate that, Lieutenant. I don’t need to see him. This is enough. Son of a bitch made me a cop.”
“No, you did. He might’ve turned you in that direction, because that’s who you are. Somebody else, and it’s hard to toss blame, might’ve said fuck them all. You’ve done credit to your uniform every day I’ve known you. That’s you, Officer.”
“Thank you. Thank you for that.”
After Carmichael left, Lowenbaum moved to her. “Just give me five minutes to go over our placement with you, all locations.”
She locked it in with him. Then turned to her commander and the chief. “Are you going to observe the operation of the primary target?”
“We’ll be here, coordinating the transfer of prisoners, victims,” Whitney told her. “And coordinating with the outside locations and their operations. You have the command, Lieutenant.”