Chapter Twenty-Nine

The group around the table became silent as the Mayor entered.

“So this is the ‘emergency committee,’ he said as he sat at the head of the table.

The Army General representing Homeland Security sat in full uniform alongside the FBI head for New York. Also along for the ride were the Fire Chief and Police Commissioner for the City. Further down the table there were a couple of senior representatives of the Water Authority.

“Where are we?” the Mayor asked.

“The hostage area is surrounded. We have SWAT forces at the ready back a ways in each tunnel,” the General said.

“Backed up by uniformed officers,” the Police Commissioner said.

“Yes, but’s what is going on?” the Mayor asked.

“We found three of our fireman downstream. One of them, John was shot in the head. One seems to have drowned, but there is such a look of horror on his face... and then the third seems to have been completely drained of blood,” the Fire Chief began.

“Also two local youths found shot,” the Police Commissioner interjected.

“All found floating in the water system downstream of the incident area,” one of the Water people said.

“We found a teenage girl near the Reservoir. Her name is Nina. She identified the dead youths. She said that there are two other teens in the system that she knows of. It emerged that she and the two dead youths all lived in the apartment block where the fireman John had an apartment,” the Head of NY FBI said.

“How many assailants and how many hostages? Have we established this?” the Mayor asked.

‘We have professional negotiators on the scene,” the FBI man said. “We have contacted one of the hostage takers. He uses the name, ‘Greyman,’ as an identifier.”

“And?” the Mayor prompted.

“They say they have a Fire Service biologist and her assistant as hostage,” the FBI man continued.

“Members of my team, Jane and Peter,” the Fire Chief interjected. “Together with the dead fireman John, they had managed to stop the previous contamination in the water system. I believe they were apprehended while trying to undo the re-infection.”

“And the state of the water?” the Mayor asked.

“Initially there was rapid re-infection followed by equally rapid clearance. The infection came at the water treatment plant but the counter-infection came from upstream,” the Senior Water spokesperson began what might have been a longer explanation. However the Mayor was in a hurry.

“Why under Central Park?’ he asked.

“My team suspected the contamination originated near to the old Central Park Reservoir but was triggered by the processes in the Water Treatment Plant,” the Fire Chief replied.

“So I can summarize that a team of terrorists are in the tunnels and have taken the Fire Department de-contamination team hostage.”

“Good summary,” the FBI man said.

“Do they intend to re-infect the system?” the Mayor asked.

“We’re not sure,” the senior waterman said.

“We need to take them out before they can,” the General pressed.

“Is that why I’m here?” the Mayor asked.

“Yes sir,” the General replied. “We need clearance to go in.”

“Still negotiating however,” the FBI interjected. “We have reached demand stage.”

“We have also detected a commencement of contamination in the system near the water treatment plant,” the Waterman added.

“Demand stage?” the Mayor asked.

“They say they have a decontaminant. In return for a payment of ten million dollars and safe passage out of the city to a destination they will nominate, they will not only stop any contamination, they will provide the antidote.”

“And the hostages?” the Mayor asked.

“They say that the hostages will be left in place for us to remove unharmed.”

“So we have murder, hostage taking and major sabotage to the city and they expect ten million and a safe passage away?’ the Mayor summarized.

“We need to know the nature of the water contaminant and the anti-contaminant,” the senior waterman pressed.

“We need to hit them before they do more harm,” the General pressed.

“Are they well armed?” the Mayor asked.

“We don’t know, they certainly have small arms,” the Police Chief offered.

“And what did the hostages who escaped have to say?” the Mayor demanded.

“The lady known as Leanan was incoherent with shock. The businessman Lived Dutronc said he reckoned at least three hostage takers, maybe four and four hostages but he said he got out in the confusion of the gunfire and could not be sure. Apparently there was some dispute between the instigators after the fireman John was shot and in the confusion he slipped up a tunnel and out.”

“So we should be able to take out three instigators with ease,” the General pressed.

“We kid them along. Get them out of the Water System and then we arrest them. Their offer to leave the hostages in place is a major error. Once we separate them from the hostages we have them,” the Mayor said.

There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

“Try not to kill them,” the Waterman said with a smile. We’d love to know the formula for the contaminant.”

“We’ll do our best,” the General said.

“New York Police should make the arrest,” the Police Chief said.

“Agreed,” the Mayor replied firmly. “General, the SWAT and Homeland security are there to show we have the force if needed but hold them in restraint unless otherwise advised.”

“Yes sir,” the General said reluctantly.

***

Deirdre tipped over the cauldron and rubbed her hands. “Job done,” she said.

“But our cover is blown,” Morag said sadly.

“It was that fireman and his sword,” Deirdre complained.

“We have the magic mystery of the sword left,” Morag continued.

“And the girl Jane and her assistant Peter.”

“They’ll do Dearg Due for lunch,” Morag said with a laugh.

“What’s’ the plan?” Deirdre asked.

“Well Dutronc will be disappointed. He wanted an unknown but reversible contaminant to destroy property values in New York.”

“But that’s what we have,” Deirdre protested.

“We are trapped. We have to negotiate our way put. We can only use the anti-contaminant spell to do a deal.”

“The Sword?” Deirdre asked.

“No we need that. We have to find out how it works.”

“What’s the plan?” Deirdre asked.

“The Greyman will negotiate for you Deirdre, to take them to the anti-contaminant. Don’t characterize it as a spell. Just give it to them. They’ll have to use it to decontaminate the system. Just tell them to add it to water.”

“OK, and then?”

“Tell them to bring you back here so you can demonstrate the anti-contaminant. It is key to the negotiations.”

“OK.”

“It’s vital that you use no overt magic and don’t reveal any magic.”

“OK.”

Deirdre came out of the Reservoir tunnel into a blaze of lights and publicity. The armed guard took her to her place in the Bronx. There she retrieved the backpack containing the anti-contaminant spell.

On the way back in the SWAT bus she incanted the spell. Her armed guards wondered was she mad, but as she made no sudden moves they let her mumble away.

“We need to act faster, the system is getting fully contaminated at a frantic rate,” the senior waterman informed the Mayor.

“Let the Police Chief handle it,” the Mayor replied.

When the negotiator went in with coffee and sandwiches he had a major surprise. The tunnel was empty. All that remained was the charred embers of the cauldron fire and a reddish tinge on the water.

Deirdre led a small group of water officials back into the tunnel and down to the active water system in order to demonstrate the anti-contamination.

Deirdre threw the backpack into the water.

“It will need about a half hour,” she said.

“I’m arresting you for conspiracy to poison the population of New York and for murder,” the Police Chief said, putting a hand on Deirdre’s shoulder. “Cuff and search her and read her rights,” he instructed.

“What happened to the hostages and the rest of the conspirators?” the Mayor asked.

“They just vanished. They must have had a plan B. We are watching every road and Airport and Train Station. They will be found,” the FBI NY man promised.

“In the meantime what of the woman you captured?”

“Illegal immigrant Mayor. Irish we think. In the absence of other suspects we are throwing the book at her.”

“How is she?”

“Calm, she says she hates men so prison is ok.”

“Surely we can execute her for murder?”

“If convicted possibly, but the plea bargain includes providing the anti-contaminant and being cooperative,” the FBI man advised.

“The anti-contaminant worked very well. But we can’t get an analysis that shows the active ingredient. It would be no harm if the criminal was alive and in custody in the event of a re-contamination,” the senior water official offered.

The Mayor made a decision.

“OK. Lets’ get the city back to normal. This is what New Yorkers will expect of us. The law can take its course and they can read about it in the papers,” he advised.

“Yes sir,” the group around the table agreed in unison.