PART III - Chapter 33: SOMETHING ELSE COMES ALONG

Chapter 33

Something Else Comes Along
(Ó 2010)

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Chicago, Illinois

7:54 AM

“Damn.” David said under his breath as he pulled the red necktie from his neck and then began to tie it for the third time in order to get the proper length and knot. To him the morning was frustrating even before he had awakened. For this morning at 10:30 he and Noel had to appear before the board of the “Vigilante Task Force“, and the now two persons in charge of that board, Alderman’s Dee Dee Stillwater and Jorge Garcia, who joined the task force some two weeks prior. He was frustrated also with the fact that he always had to appear before this “task force” in a suit and tie, however what frustrated him the most is that he knew that they were all going to repeat the entire monotonous vicious cycle of what was coming. He and Noel would be interrogated mostly by Stillwater, and now by Garcia, where the two Aldermen would be informed that there was no change in the investigation. That both detectives were still at a dead end with no suspects, not even a person of interest. Then both he and Noel would have to sit and take the scolding from now both Aldermen, who then would give them their monthly threats of getting some results “or else”, whatever “or else “would mean was never disclosed. Then the two Aldermen would call for a press conference to vent their anger over the lack of results that the police department has not produced.

David, Noel and Captain Xiang would watch as Stillwater, and now Garcia used the press to keep any investigations from being turned onto themselves for the involvements that the police suspected them of. For the three men had to in the past be humiliated by standing behind Dee Dee Stillwater as the media cameras rolled. The three men knew that these monthly meetings were really the only way that Stillwater, and possibly now Garcia could fish for information on any suspicions that may be turning their way. Plus their suspicions grew to as how deeply connected that both Stillwater and Garcia just may be to Pieter Chekov.

This is the malicious cycle that David and Noel had tolerated every month. They would sit through it, take what was dished out, then dreaded the next thirty days or so until the next meeting. These meetings were not getting any easier either, main reason being that the vigilante had not surfaced in over a year and a half, which had made the investigation come to a grinding halt. As did any further news on the whereabouts of the only suspect that they had, Logan I Morrow. Neither David or Noel had ever heard back from Captain Jean-Luc Pontius since they spoke with him that morning. Which made their plans to just “bury him” more easy.

David’s third attempt with the necktie was now successful, as it always had been every time he had to don one on, it would always be the way he wanted it on the third try. He then stepped into the bedroom and retrieved his suit coat from off the unmade bed and proceeded to go downstairs to the kitchen for his morning coffee. As he came down the stairs he could tell that the morning outside must be glorious for the light coming through the windows was brilliant. He stepped into the kitchen and found Regina doing one of her usual morning routines, standing at the counter where the wall phone was, on the phone in an engrossing conversation with her best friend Elyce. She was in her pink terry cloth robe holding the phone with her shoulder so as to hear Josie while holding her coffee cup with both hands. There was a small twelve inch television on with the volume off and where she was standing she was blocking the view of the screen.

David gave a small wave to her to get her attention, she looked up at him and he pointed to his tie so that she could see, without speaking to each other he asked her if she accepted the tie that he had chosen, and she nodded her approval. David then went to the cupboard that was away from where she stood and got his Chicago Bears coffee mug. He filled the cup and added his cream and sugar, stirred it, stepped over to Regina and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. She pushed her lips out in a pouting way to retrieve her kiss, all the time not changing her position, because when she and Elyce were speaking to each other on the phone, there was nothing else around in the world that was happening.

David then stepped around the counter to where there were a couple of stools on the opposite side, he was about to sit when he saw something unbelievable on the television. It caused him to stop and stare with some bewilderment. On the television screen was a live broadcast. The picture looked as if it were coming from a helicopter. There was a large building, a skyscraper, and it had large plumes of smoke billowing from it. The building looked somewhat familiar to him and he could not place it. He began to wave again to Regina to get her attention. She noticed the wave and she returned it with her famous “I’m on the phone with Elyce” wave-off, but David began to continue to wave to her again, this time with a slight bit more urgency.

“Kiss?” He first asked gently, but with no response from her. “Kiss?” He asked again with a bit more seriousness, but Regina waved him off again, still engrossed with her phone conversation. Finally David asked with some sternness, “Regina!”

Regina gave him a sharp glance back, her expression was one of slight anger, because he dared to make her break away from here phone conversation. “What IS IT David?” She asked crossly.

David pointed firmly to the television and asked, “What the hell is THAT?”

Regina turned to see what her husband was pointing to. When she saw the image of the burning building she gasped into the phone, “Oh my God! What is that? Girl, do you see what’s on the TV?”

“Is that downtown?” David asked. He then turned around. There was the breakfast nook and the table was there next to a large window that overlooked the backyard. It was facing south, towards the direction of downtown Chicago. David looked to the sky; he was trying to see if he could see any of the black smoke from the burning building. He then stepped over to the side door that led to the wooden deck of the backyard and he stepped outside. It was beautiful outside, cool, crisp air, no clouds what so ever in the sky, which was a bright blue. If there was any smoke from one of the tall buildings downtown he would have seen it.

He then heard Regina call to him, “David! Baby, it’s not here, it’s in New York!”

He came back into the house, Regina had turned up the volume on the television and David heard the newscaster saying, “This accident happened just a few short moments ago. Again repeating, some preliminary reports are saying that just a few moments ago, a plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. We don’t know if there was anyone on the floors at the time. We are still trying to confirm all reports that seem to keep flooding in, but eyewitnesses on the ground are telling us that yes, indeed what appears to have been a passenger plane has accidentally struck the building causing a tremendous explosion and fire…”

David upon hearing what the reporter said began to wave his index finger and nod his head back and forth, “No, no, no, no, no.” He said with a skeptic tone.

“What do you mean ‘no’ baby.”

“I mean no … that planes do not ‘accidentally’ fly into the World Trade Center, or any other building in New York.”

“Oh baby come on!” Regina said, “You always have that policeman’s skepticism about everything, this could be just what they said, an accident.”

“No my love,” he answered, “It’s not like here, planes are not supposed to fly over the city of New York at all.” David then watched the broadcast for a few more minutes with Regina, and now also with Elyce who was still on the phone and had turned on her own television to watch. David then retrieved his cup of coffee and finished it as he watched and listened to the broadcast. He then went back over to the coffee pot and poured himself another cup. He then left Regina in the kitchen as she continued to watch the broadcast and speak with Elyce on the phone. He then began to make his way across the living room.

“You be careful with that coffee baby, don’t spill it on anything.” She called to him.

David stepped over through the living room and entered his den. There on top of his desk was his brief case, and next to his case were his notes for this months meeting with the Vigilante Task Force. He thought to himself of why he had to even make such notes, that he could just keep the same ones and just repeat it at every meeting. Just find a way to change the words around somehow. He sat down and opened the notes and began to go over them. He took a large swallow of his coffee and placed the mug on his desk. He looked at his watch and saw that it was just a few minutes past eight o’clock. He had plenty of time before Noel would be there to pick him up.

Suddenly … Regina screamed from the kitchen, “OH MY GOD!!! DAVID!! BABY!!”

David jumped from his desk and looked out of the doorway of his den, “What! What is it?”

“A plane! It just crashed into a building!”

He began to step back to the kitchen, he seemed a bit confused and said, “Kiss, I know, you and I were just watching it.” He then stepped into the kitchen to see Regina with a shocked expression, she had dropped the phone on the floor, her hands were covering her mouth and she was starting to cry.

“No baby no! Another plane! Another plane, it just hit the other building! I saw it; it just flew into it and exploded!” David saw that she was very upset, he went over to her and placed his arms around her, she buried her face into his chest and began crying, he looked to the television and saw that the South Tower of the World Trade Center had indeed been struck almost directly in the center of the building. Huge plumes of black smoke where now billowing from the skyscraper. Regina cried, “Those people! Those poor people! What about those people?”

David continued to look to the television screen all the time trying to comfort Regina. He then whispered, “This … this is Osama bin Laden.”

“This is what?” She asked.

“Not a what sweetie, a who. That son-of-a-bitch … he’s not as crazy as everyone thinks.” David then reached down and picked the telephone receiver from the floor and spoke into it, “Hello Elyce? Yeah she’s okay, listen dear, I have to hang up, I need my phone line open, she’ll call you back when she can.” David then while still holding on the Regina made his way back to wall unit and hung up the phone. He then took Regina over to the chairs by the counter and had her sit down. He took the seat next to her and they both then sat with their eyes riveted to the screen. In two minutes time the phone rang and David picked up the receiver, “Hello.”

“Dave! You see this shit?” It was Noel, “What the fuck man?”

“I think it might be that bin Laden guy we heard about some time back.”

“That crazy terrorist asshole? The guy who declared war on the United States? He just some crackpot. What makes you think it’s him? I mean he‘s clear on the other side of the world for Christ sakes.”

David answered, “Because he’s a crackpot terrorist who has money, a lot of money, money enough to carry something like this out. How’s Mari?”

“She’s pretty shaken up, she watching it right now with me.”

“Regina’s the same, guess you had better get here earlier, we just might get called in anyhow.”

“I leave as soon as I can, let me get Mari calmed a bit before I go.”

“Sure thing, see you soon.” David said and then hung up the phone. He then sat next to Regina and watched as the news reporters and staff were scrambling, going from sight to sight, from reporter on the scene to reporter on the scene trying to make some sort of sense to just what was happening to their city of New York. They both sat there speechless as they observed the chaos on their small television screen. David then heard a knock at the door and he yelled out, “Come in!”

The door opened and it was Noel, he shouted back, “It’s me guys!” He then made his way to the kitchen where he found David with his arm around Regina. Noel looked at the coffee pot and pointed to it, “May I?” he asked. Both David and Regina just nodded ‘yes’. Noel reached up to the cupboard for a coffee mug and then lifted the pot from the heating surface. There was a digital clock on the coffee pot which he took a quick glance at, the time read 8:41 AM. “Anything different or new here?” He asked.

“Nothing, just thousands of stunned people that’s all.” David answered.

Just then the news anchor voice came over the screen while the picture still showed the two burning towers, “This has to be a terrorist act of some sort, and many people would probably now be suspicious of the man known as Osama bin Laden, a well known terrorist from a wealthy Saudi family. As you know he did sometime back declared his own personal ‘jihad’ or ‘holy war’ against the United States. However we still caution that is just a speculation.”

“That’s the man you mentioned baby.” Regina said.

“Good call man.” Noel said, “I should have known you would know that, you keep up on all that current world bullshit.”

David just waved it off and continued to listen to the news anchor who continued reporting, “For our viewers on the west coast, in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific who may be just waking up and tuning in, the World Trade Center Buildings, one of the most majestic structures of the New York City skyline were both struck by two separate, what appeared to be, commercial airliners for what just may be the most horrific terrorist attack on American soil. Two separate planes, approximately twenty minutes apart each stuck the buildings causing two tremendous explosions. You can see here on the video replay a plane as it strikes the second tower. Hold on please for a moment …” There was silence for a moment, and then the voice of the news anchor return, this time in a more concerned tone. “We just have received word of and explosion at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., we are trying to connect with our affiliate there, apparently there has been a tremendous explosion at the Pentagon, hold please,” then the picture switched to a view of a location just down the street from the Pentagon, where just like the Twin Tower, there was a huge black plume of smoke billowing from it.

David began to stand from his seat slowly and he said quietly, “Son-of-a bitch,” he looked over to Noel who looked back at him, “Jeezus H. Christ … man … we’re under attack.”

“What?” Noel asked confused.

“Baby, what are you saying?” Regina asked concerned.

“I’m saying, it’s really happening, we’re under attack.”

The news anchor then came back on the air where he was speaking to a reporter on the scene, “… can you fill us in on just what’s happening there?”

The reporter, a man with black hair in his thirties was standing down the street from the Pentagon, he was pointing to the area where the plume of smoke was rising from the distance, “… preliminary reports are saying that a jet liner of some sort has struck the Pentagon …”

David now became agitated, “Son-of-a bitch,” he said and began to pace, “son-of-a-bitch.”

Regina now becoming worried herself asked, “Baby what do we do?”

Then the phone once again rang, David quickly went to the wall unit and grabbed it off the hook, “Hello!’ He somewhat shouted into the phone. Regina and Noel stood by and listened as he said, “Yes, yeah Boss,” he mouthed to Noel, “it’s Xiang,”. They then listened to his side of the conversation with Captain Xiang, “Yes sir, he’s here with me right now. Yes sir, we’ll be there ASAP. It’s been cancelled? Yes sir. We’re on our way.” He then hung up the phone.

“What did he say?” Noel asked.

“He said for us to get down there right away that they are calling up every officer to duty until this gets sorted out. That we have to switch to uniforms when we get there. Needless to say, our little meeting with the Task Force has been postponed until further notice.”

Regina then asked, “Baby, what do I do?”

David thought for a few seconds, he stepped over to her, placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and then said to her reassuringly, “Kiss, you have to stay calm, call the schools and get the kids out and get them home.” He looked to Noel and added, “Also, call Mari, tell her to do the same. Once she has her kids, tell her to then bring them over here, she and their kids will stay here with us until we get this sorted out. All of you stay here until we get home. I don’t know how long this is going to be. But, better you’re all together here.”

“Yeah,” Noel said, “that sounds like the best thing, thanks man.”

“Sure thing,” He then looked at Regina who was obviously scared, he then said reluctantly, “We have to go babe.”

She nodded back to him, knowing that this is what he had to do, she then came over and embraced him and gave him a long kiss, “I love you baby, just come home to me.” She then went to Noel and gave him a hug and kiss on his cheek, “Don’t worry Noel, we’ll be here together, I’ll take care of them, we’ll be all right.”

“Thanks Gina.” Noel answered gratefully. The two men then exited the house to the unmarked car that Noel had. Noel took the drivers side and then asked, “Lights and Sirens?”

“Yeah.”

Noel started the car and turned on the emergency lights that were hidden in the grill; he then placed the magnetic strobe light on the roof. He placed the car in reverse and pulled from the driveway, David looked and saw Regina waving good-bye to him from the living room window; he then in turn waved back to her. Once on the street, Noel turned on the siren and then began to drive away. David turned on the police radio, which was now all a buzz with the news coming from New York and Washington DC, a few times they heard the questions of “What about the Sears Tower?”

David pressed down the send button of the radio and said, “Tactical Fifty-seven.”

A response came back from a female, “Tactical Fifty-seven, go ahead.”

“Tactical Fifty-seven is en route to base, ETA five to ten minutes.”

“Tactical Fifty-seven, roger that.”

David then turned down the volume of the police radio, then reached over to the car radio and turned on the local news station. It was carrying the now nationwide broadcast of the happenings in New York and Washington DC. “Repeating, all civilian aircraft have been grounded and ordered to land, all flights across the United States have been suspended until further notice.”

David looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was now almost nine o’clock. “Jeez man, can you imagine what O’Hare alone is going to be like? Damn!”

“There’s probably going to be extra units there right now.” Noel said.

The voice of the radio reporter continued, “President Bush meantime has left Sarasota Florida and is now on Air Force One, his destination at this moment has not been disclosed. The two flights that have struck the World Trade Center have had their point of origins confirmed as Boston Logan Airport. We are viewing as most people are now the flames and smoke still coming from both buildings. We understand that firefighters are still trying to figure a way to combat this fire and have set up a command center in the North Tower. Needless to say, this task they must be planning is going to be very difficult considering how high the fires are … Oh my God!” David and Noel then heard silence and then a strange sound coming from the radio. They first thought it was static; however the sound seemed more like a rumble. Then, the emotional voice of the radio news anchor broke in, “Oh my God … ladies and gentleman … I can’t believe what I am witnessing. The entire South Tower of the World Trade Center … it just collapsed … it’s gone … it has collapsed entirely and has fallen to the ground … a pillar of dust and smoke is all that’s there now. Repeating, the entire south tower of the World Trade center complex has just collapsed to the ground. It has been completely destroyed. One hundred and ten stories of concrete and steel has just vanished before my eyes.”

“Holy shit.” Was all that Noel could say, and it was the only thing that was said. Noel and David now saw the full view of the Chicago Skyline. Both men could not help but look to the sky, searching for any aircraft that may have either the John Hancock Building or the Sears Tower in its sights. Or even worse, both buildings.

“Let’s get there fast Ski, c’mon, haul ass.” Noel then pushed down on the accelerator peddle. Within a few more minutes both men had arrived at their police headquarters. They parked their car and hastily made their way to the building where they found groups of people standing around television sets throughout the building. They made their way to their office where they both opened their lockers and began to change into their police uniforms. The door to their office opened and Captain Xiang entered, “Good you’re both here. I need you to wear your side arms gentlemen; it seems this situation is getting worse.”

Noel asked, “How can this thing get worse Captain?”

“It just came over the news, another passenger aircraft has crashed. This one though crashed in some farm area in Pennsylvania. I don’t know if these are related, but I wouldn’t doubt it. Also, they are evacuating the White House, and the Capitol building.”

Holy shit,” Noel said, “Did you see the building come down Boss?”

A very serious and solemn expression came to the Captains face, he was nodding ’yes’, “Yes I did, it was horrifying. The real horror is yet to come. How many people were in that building and on the ground?”

“It could be … thousands.” David said.

“Yes, it could be, when both of you are dressed report to the meeting room.” The Captain then exited.

Both men were dressed in a few minutes. The last accessory they dressed themselves in was their “Sam Browne” gun belts. Each man carried a .357 magnum Smith and Wesson revolver. They each took their weapons from the holster to inspect them. The guns were loaded and each man had three speed loaders on the belt along with mace and handcuffs. Both men we satisfied with their inspection of their weapons, they then set the safety switches, replaced the weapons back into the holsters and donned their gun belts.

They then exited their office and made their way to the meeting room where they found all their fellow plain clothes officers now in uniform. Their was a large television on in the from of the meeting room just to the right of the podium and all the officer eyes were glued to it. David and Noel now stood riveted as they saw for the first time the videotaped replay of the South Tower as it collapsed. They were speechless. They watched and listened as the reporters were now broadcasting that the United Nations was being evacuated and now the name of Osama bin Laden was being mentioned as the man who possibly may be responsible for this whole ordeal.

“You called that man.” Noel said, and then he turned to the others, “Dave here, he mentioned that assholes name at his house.”

Just then Captain Xiang entered the room with two more high ranking police officers. “Alright, everybody take a seat please!” He commanded, “Take a seat and listen up, David, turn down that TV set.” David obeyed and turned down the volume and silenced the television, he saw down on the bottom right hand corner that it was now 10:26 AM in New York City. He then took a seat in the front next to Noel. The Captain continued, “Okay people as you know we are now on a high alert. Everything is still quite chaotic; we are now confirming a report that there has been another incident with a civilian airliner. However, this airliner crashed in a field in a place called Shanksville in Pennsylvania, all passengers are presumed dead. All the main government offices in DC are being evacuated, the White house, Congress and the Senate, Supreme Court, everything, even the New York Stock Exchange has suspended operations. There are reports from witnesses at the scene that many people were just jumping from the buildings; they would rather die that way than burn to death I suppose. President Bush is now in his command post aboard Air Force One. All civilian and commercial aircraft in the entire country have been grounded, if they are in the air they have been ordered to land at the closest airport.”

“Sir!” An officer in the back called out, “What about us sir? Have we been targeted?”

“Some initial reports have said ‘yes’ that the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building just may have been targeted, along with other major building in other cities, such as the Trans America building in San Francisco and possibly other important financial buildings in Los Angeles. That’s the primary reason for the grounding of all aircraft. As of this moment all vacations and days off are cancelled, until we know anything else otherwise.” Surprisingly, there were no sounds or moans of protest coming from any of the officers in to room. “We also will be in uniform until, further notice, we want our presence seen and known. All other cases are going too be shelved until further notice. This is a terrorist act, and when this is …”

“OH SHIT!” An officer said and stood up on his feet, and then all eyes went to the television screen, what was now being broadcast caused everyone in the room to gasp and stand up from their seats. Everyone witnesses now as the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed and tumbled to the ground. David quickly turned up the volume of the television set. They stood in shock and watched as the concrete and steel tumbled downward and also destroyed the Marriott Hotel that was located at the base of the where the two towers now once stood.

All stood in stunned silence, they all felt a combination of different emotions, anxiety, confusion, fear, but now anger seemed to be surfacing in all.

David then spoke and broke the stillness, “This is it man. This … is war … this is fucking war …and this … this is our Pearl Harbor.”

* * *

It was late in the afternoon in the small French village where Logan Ian Morrow now again resided. He had been working on the home that he had purchased back for himself all that morning after he had visited the grave of his wife Lily. He had been working on the sun room, which was her favorite room in the chalet. He had stopped his work for the day and when he went to his living room where his television was. He was going to take a well deserved break by watching a scheduled international friendly soccer game. When the screen came to life he was shocked by what he was seeing, the top of the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City was ablaze. He sat in awe of what he was seeing and learning of, then he witnessed as the second plane crash into the south tower, he sat fast in his chair for the rest of the afternoon and watched as his former country grow into turmoil. He was now worried and concerned for the well being of all his former friends back in America, and was fighting the temptation to actually call them to make sure that they were alright. He thought of Jo-jo, and even of Janeane, and how frightened they both must be at this very moment.

He continued to watch all the horrible events that continued to happen in the United States well into the evening. He then thought to himself that this is not what he wanted; this is not what he wanted to make them all forget about him back in America. But … forget him … now they will … forget him … and all that he did. Yes they shall forget all about him indeed, for this has ended his story back there.

The actions of the Chicago vigilante shall be fade away as he did … into thin air.