Chapter Text
New York's Critical Incident Response Group is brought to Seattle to investigate how and why a well-
known Fire Department official was abducted during daylight hours from his own home.
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Dripping water: plip, plip, plip...and pounding in his ears-his captors have plugged his ears. The area behind his left ear THROBS-he recalls being hit during the scuffle when armed intruders broke into his and Andy's home and dragged him out. By their stances and fighting styles, the assailants are clearly ex or current military (probably Navy SEALS or Marine Force Recon; he can't figure out why as noisy as the battle was why it drew so little attention from neighbors...or ANDY...
"You broke my buddy's jaw big man...he ain't pleased, less say. Hey-I'm talkin' to you, Mud!" delivering a kick to his captive's side. Sullivan just barely swallows a scream.
A second voice called mildly "He cain't hear you, Bro."
"Who tha the fuck are YOU: AL SHARPTON??! You defendin' the mongrel's now??!"
"Jus sayin' Bode. And NAW: that's the last thing I would do-defend 'them'. It's just that we was told not to mark him up too bad; already he's got that big bruise behind his ear, and who knows if you broke a rib or two just now...tha boss is liable to try'n smoke us-who can tell, these days?"
"Yeah, alright. You right man. You right. let's get 'im up; clean 'im up...and we better check in with Charming."
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Major Crimes Detective Damien Asante takes the referral from his Chief of Detectives concerning a suspected abduction ['the wife of the abductee phoned Tanner ; in her mind, he seemed less than enthusiastic about gettin' into it...maybe because he and she were involved years ago...he and I will go a few rounds later: BELIEVE THAT! but for now, it's yours, D...now look this is fuckin' high profile: it's ROBERT SULLIVAN, and with Tom out for paternity leave you're running shit']
New York's Critical Incident Response Group is brought to Seattle to investigate how and why a well-known Fire Department official was abducted during daylight hours from his own home.
**FBI Interrogation Room-Seattle field office**
**
Assistant Director Edgar Reade, Supervisory Special Agent Kurt Weller, SA Tasha Zapata (Reade), William Patterson, and Jane Weller (all from the NYC Critical Incident Unit) share the room with Washington State Police Major Jeff Gminick, King County Sheriff's Investigator Valentia Navarro, and Seattle Police Chief Leon Hendricks. The witness's legal counsel (Daniela "Dani" Nùñez) is also present). They are questioning a witness to a daylight abduction of one of the Seattle Fire Department's highest-profile members: Battalion Chief ROBERT SULLIVAN aka *Fire Zaddy* ...
--Questions Part 1--
Reade has already briefed his team to allow SPD's MC to take the lead in the questioning: Damian Asanate enter the room a bit later (he allows Navarro to begin the questioning as he and Sullivan have a familial relationship):
" Mrs. Sullivan; please accept our sympathies regarding the abduction of your former spouse, and please excuse what I'm about to ask you...do you and Chief Sullivan have a cordial relationship?" she asks.
"We're in love," Andy replies simply. "We're divorced, and the split was not exactly amicable but we'd come to realize that we still care deeply for one another. We live together which isn't common knowledge."
"I see. There's a child, correct? What is his or her age please-only as a possible witness?
"Luisa is 18 months old. She slept in our bed that night; neither of us saw or heard anything."
"Yes. And, I apologize in advance for this next question: the child is yours and Chief Sullivan's or?..."
"Correct. May I ask why that is relevant?" Andy asks, puzzled.
The comely King County Investigator shared a look with Chief Hendricks, who nodded 'go ahead': "Some information provided to the strike force er...conflicts with what you said about the paternity of your child. The relevance is should the conflicting information be true it is a possible avenue of investigation. A disgruntled parent, perhaps."
"NO. Luisa is Robert's daughter. I have no problem with a paternity test if that would settle the question."
"You saw no other people in the period after your divorce until your reconciliation with Chief Sullivan...or BEFORE?"
Dani interrupted: "Don't answer that, Andrea; Investigator Navarro...their child is not quite 18 months old. Family testimony and hospital records as well as the attending OB will all attest to Luisa's paternity. There is no other person who can truthfully claim to be her father if that is where you're going with this."
"Our only purpose is to explore all possible areas that may lead to finding who abducted Robert Sullivan-if he was IN FACT abducted, and if so WHY. A jilted ex-lover or a man deprived of his child we consider legitimate avenues to pursue. We can set that aside for now though we will explore it. Let's talk about the break-in...please take us through the events as best you can recollect if you will Mrs. Sullivan-step by step, please."
"We showered together, then I bathed and fed the baby while Robert made smoothies in the kitchen downstairs. I was upstairs put ting on make-up...when I went down to the kitchen andthe patio door was open-BROKEN...and my husband was gone. Robert is a former Marine; he's six feet four and well over two hundred pounds...whoever took him had to be uniquely skilled. I phoned 911 immediately and they responded within five or seven minutes-about that."
Asante: "One of the responding officers was Ryan Tanner...you and he are personally acquainted is that correct?"
"Yes...correct."
" And John Gibson-known to you as Jack?"
"He and I had a casual relationship-an intimate one which happened when Robert and I broke up earlier that year. I stopped
seeing him shortly before Sullivan and I reconciled. and NO: there has been nothing between us after that. Luisa was born on
July 12, 2021. Your
--End Questions Part 1--
**
AD Reade asks Patterson to coordinate with the task force's communications pros and with Gord Enver (Rich Dot Com) back in
NYC; "Wellers-I'm curious as to why no other emergency calls went out other than Sullivan's wife...Tash and I are on interviews at
at the SFD HQ and also the station house where the victim worked out of. It's 1310; let's link up again at 1700."
A knock on the conference room door, and a whispered conversation: "Assistant Director; there are two Texas Rangers here to see
you," says Jules Karr.
Reade mumbles a curse word and says "G'head; we'll catch up," to the group; to Jules Karr, he says to show the Rangers in. "Rangers
Barnett and Perez from the Austin, Texas branch Sir." After a round of handshakes, Trey Barnett continues "Our Captain believes that
a group of criminals we're chasing might be connected to your abduction."
Reade and Zapata exchange glances and Tasha asks "How so?"
"A paramilitary group calling themselves GREY FLAG who are heavily comprised of former Marine Corps vets have been tied to the
same types of criminal activities in Texas and elsewhere...a list found on their leader after a shoot-out had a familiar name on it:
ROBERT SULLIVAN," says Cassie.
TBC