Quick Justice

By P. J. Gammarano M.A. J.D.

To date, it's still the only 'fortunately-fiction' book written about the Staten Island Ferry.

Hollywood liked an essential part of the plot so much they "borrowed" it, for this author's feeling of "DEJA VU", as that now-famous movie title would suggest!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 6, 2007
• ISBN: 9781462813223

P. J. Gammarano M.A. J.D.

A college professor who is a Health Educator & author of four other XLIBRIS books.

Book preview

Copyright © 2007 by P.J. Gammarano.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Disclaimer of liability: The characters described in this work are fictional and not intended to portray any real persons living or dead. Any descriptions which are to any degree similar to such persons are purely coincidental, and the author and his successors and assigns shall not be deemed liable for any monetary damages of any kind or other remunerations.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

CHAPTER 1

THE JOB SEARCH

CHAPTER 2

GOING TO WOR1K

CHAPTER 3

THE HOUSE BREAK-IN

CHAPTER 4

THE PLAN

CHAPTER 5

MORNING ZERO

CHAPTER 6

SURVIVAL

CHAPTER 7

THE ESCAPE

CHAPTER 8

THE AFTERMATH

CHAPTER 9

INVESTIGATION CONTINUED

CHAPTER 10

THE CAPTURE

CHAPTER 11

THE TRIAL

CHAPTER 12

A BREAK

CHAPTER 13

THE DELIBERATION

CHAPTER 14

THE VERDICT

Book Dedication

To each of my understanding family, students, colleagues,

friends & extended family for their encouragement in my writings, and those in our memories from such similar forms of losses; and

To all parents who raise their children on love, and not hatred.

CHAPTER 1

THE JOB SEARCH

I T WAS JUST another resume he

had sent in the mail. As one of several hundred mailed out to the public and private sector alike, Jeff almost didn’t remember sending it when he got their reply letter. He was promptly contacted when they saw his most recent degree, J.D., since their screening policy required that only attorneys be considered. There were several reasons for this. First, the common base of knowledge would make it easier for investigators to understand each other, communicate better. But more importantly, their sense of actions would be affected, as they would instinctively realize the legal ramifications of their of their activities. The old FBI had moved to this policy years ago. The FBI and CIA were since consolidated, and renamed the CBI. They were in competition with local law enforcement agencies, as was frequently the case. This measure gave the President of the United States a slightly greater handle on what was going on since the directors on board would regularly report directly to the President in closed door meetings. During these sessions, status reports on all active projects would be made.

His interview was at the CBI headquarters in Manhattan. It featured secret doors, and a legendary vault in the basement. The location was formerly an international bank headquarters building. It was converted with the 30 inch thick, three foot diameter walk-in vault area left intact, with its three rooms. One was used to store evidence for high profile cases, and another was for HR (Human Resources) as a meeting room.

Their elevators were in special banks at the lobby entrance. The CBI occupied most of the floors of the skyscraper, but was not listed on the directory. These elevators were called D-grav elevators, because of the newly developed de-gravitation devices. De-grav was designed to eliminate the G-forces normally experienced when travelling upward or downward in an elevator. This device regulated the speed of the elevator car.

The intake screening for visitors to any meeting went beyond a routine airport terminal-like screening for contraband at the headquarters entrance gate. That place too was a natural magnet for groups that would specialize in troublesome activities. The surveillance cameras were a full-time operation for an entire department. But the secret doors always fascinated the contractors who came to work at the headquarters. Even the contractors who were hired to design & install these were only given pieces of the plan so that no outsider would know the entire structure of the building. The guys who worked on the actual door devices were fascinated, and told their hard to believe little stories for weeks.

Another favorite story generator was the vault at the headquarters sub-basement. The custodial staff were the only ones to ever have any business even near the old vault, except for any meetings of top secret nature. Part of Jeff’s meeting was to take place inside this vault, but he didn’t know it until after he was part of the way through the meeting.

His intake screening included his giving up all his personal articles in a tray, as though he were entering an airport. Little did he know that these would be taken apart by experts to examine every intricacy of his belongings to discover his persona. Even those who were not selected or declined acceptance for any reason would be subject to tracking for the next seven years. Interviewing was like being placed on the audit list of the IRS. The subject would be unaware of this activity and perhaps only learn about it much later on (if they were hired), at a point when it didn’t matter.

It was at this point that they learned about his condition. Finding out about his need for lithium occurred outside of his presence when they examined the wallet. He routinely carried a daily does supply of his prescription drugs. If he had a girlfriend with a number tucked away, then they would find it. If he belonged to any clubs or organizations, they would check it out. Any medication would be recognized immediately for a virtual diagnosis on that individual, with the help of lab analysis. It was at that point when they learned that Jeff was on lithium. Their internal policy from when the new CBI director took over. That meant there would be no discrimination on the basis of any disability, including mental health status. So like most other public sector entities, no discrimination would take place here. If otherwise qualified, the candidate was hired. With Jeff’s background as a lawyer admitted in three states and a Master’s degree, his professional profile was desirable. And with solid work experience in diverse areas, he would be accepted with any imperfections.

Investigation and reporting on possible subversive activities at public events was on the agenda of the new (and first) CBI Director. Jack Wilkerson had been named by the President of the United States, and had passed political & media muster easily with his impressive background and outgoing personality. His personality was considered rare in the business of crime fighting. Where most crimefighting agency heads came across like Dick Tracy, Wilkerson was more personable like a game show host or a small town mayor.

Plots to bomb public events were egregious, he firmly stated at his initial statement to the press after assuming the role of CBI Director. It was almost a surprise thing to say, since that sort of thing hadn’t happened in the city. It worried some of the city officials. By saying such a rhing gratuitously is almost a challenge, one police lieutenant remarked to another as they watched Wilkerson on TV.

All professional sporting events were constantly under the watchful eye of CBI law enforcement officials, ever since the World Cup games murder of the Columbian national soccer player who had mistakenly knocked away the U.S. team opponent’s offensive pass into his own team’s net.

Unknown to the general public, Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras were installed throughout every major stadium in the country as a major crime prevention effort. The syndicated TV cameras would be constantly scanning the crowds for the between-inning pretty faces. But a whole other camera crew would be hard at work behind the lenses to ferret out what might look like a subversive act in progress. The World Series and the SuperBowl traditionally enjoyed high level security, but for purposes of crowd control rather than terrorist bombings. The security function was expanded to include training similar to detection of drug couriers. Such surveillance of suspicious looking individuals or even small groups could occur at any time. Large carrying bags would often trigger such camera coverage.

In its first year of activity Operation Sting, as it was nicknamed, was more successful in catching purse snatchers and pickpockets. One individual with a handgun was caught. It was though that he had intentions toward an ex-girlfriend who was now seeing the second baseman of the home team. Other than that, there were no thwarted bombing attempts, not even a single arrest for possession of incendiary or explosive devices.

Internally, the camera crews got their own nickname of peepsters. They were mockingly thought of as paparazzi of sorts, at least by the agents with more difficult assignments. The whole program was in question because of its costs.

National Hockey League (NHL) activities were considered fair game, so to speak. No terrorist groups or individuals had ever tread in this area. It would be quite newsworthy if ever attempted, and more newsworthy if ever actually done.

The CBI office of Personnel screening had selected Jeff’s resume because of his mistake in leaving his hobbies listed, against the career counselor’s advice. He wanted to list ice hockey goaltender because of the many hours he spent with the sport, often sacrificing valuable study time on skating practice, or travelling to rinks in thetri-state area for Varsity games against other colleges. But later on as his career developed with more professional experience, he dropped the hockey activities on almost all versions of his resumes. Jeff’s secret dream was to play hockey again, even if it meant some senior league of old timers his age. At 40, his knowledge of hockey spanned several decades. He was proudest of the picture of him taken with the National Hockey League (NHL) 1967 annual Vezina Trophy winner for best goaltender, Montreal Canadien goalie Rogatien Vachon, while he was at hockey camp and a profesisonal prospect. His resourcefulness as a goaltender carried over into his personal life. He would need this resourcefulness, after he sent his resume to this place.

Jeff Vitaliano never realized that when he submitted a resume to the CBI that he was putting his life on the line, or at least under very close scrutiny. He also didn’t realize that every detail of his personal life would be under agency scrutiny, and that his family could later be at risk as well.

A CBI investigation went beyond telephone calls or letters. They were investigators. This meant investigation. Agents asigned to the prospect of letting one into their fold would travel to wherever it meant finding out firsthand the reliability of the information they had in order to piece together the real picture about a subject.

CHAPTER 2

GOING TO WOR1K

ON HIS FIRST day on the job Jeff met many people. Some acted as though they already knew him. Actually some did because they had been instructed either to be a part of the background research investigation, or to evaluate the entire report of his dossier. Those who did know of his condition mistakenly believed that he would be eager for high risk assignments, such as wearing wires as an undercover drug buyer. They didn’t realize that he valued his life, and conserving it that much more with the meter running as he would like to say.

The schematics were not apparent at first. He understood the basic electrical symbols, but simply thought that it was for some communications equipment. It gave him a chill when he saw footnotes on the drawing that explained what he had studied ordnance in the Navy, and would probably know exactly what this was about, he thought, as he glanced around at the intricate pattern.

This sheet is the copy of the fruits of an unlawful search, the guy in the office said to Jeff.

We got it earlier this month before an arrest. But their lawyer managed to get it supressed and we had to give it back. I don’t see any copyright on it, do you? he smirked over.

I suppose so. I mean not. What do you make of it? Jeff asked cautiously.

Well, we sure as hell know what it is, but we’re not sure where it is or was going to be built for. The authors of this little story sure had no intentions of giving away their little plot.

Or big one. How powerful do you think this firecracker is?

It’s designed to be powerful enough to take out an entire house or the side of a 747.

Jeff wondered how he fit into the good guys’ plans to thwart the bad guys. The CBI had gotten wind of continued terrorism targeted by anti-American groups. The anonymous calls were digitized voice recordings which quickly recited a laundry list of tourist sites & landmarks throughout New York’s Big Apple. The locations read like a complete list of New York attractions. In fact the voice droned so many potentially targeted attractions (in perfect alphabetical order) that the officer taking the first (of several) calls had rolled his eyes and made the remark "Some crank took the phone book and read down a recorded threat lst that sounds like an