The "machine" had previously provided Laia's social security number, but it corresponded to the false identity he used at the time: Charlie Burton, a history teacher who had taught at a high school near Braden Beach for three or four years.
Jack had never met Laia in person, but according to Reese, while his appearance was as ordinary as in his photos—a middle-aged, bald man with a short, stocky build—he spoke in a gentle manner, and there was no way to associate him with a ruthless gang leader.
This preconceived notion, coupled with the damage to his communication equipment and the Russian mafia's pursuit, prevented Reese from detecting any signs of a problem.
Consequently, Detective "Bean," assigned to the docks, ran into a group of Laia's men, who were also on their way to meet him, and was brutally
assaulted by Scarface. Having Fusco interrogate him now was a natural act of revenge.
"That guy won't say a word."
Stepping out of the interrogation room, where the cameras were perpetually awaiting repair, Fusco angrily panted as he wiped the blood from his fist with paper.
"Talking or not, it seems, won't stop Laia," Danny said with a sour look. "Just now, Basile contacted the FBI for protection, but when the Most Wanted Squad arrived, they only found his battered body in a nearby alley.
Witnesses saw two men in NYPD patrol uniforms hurriedly leave."
Jack found it somewhat unbelievable that two of the five LCN bosses had died in the blink of an eye.
While Laia had indeed been planning this for a long time and likely had a number of Mafia members under his wing, the sheer incompetence of these LCN bosses was astonishing.
Basile died without even a bodyguard or close associates. Doesn't this mean that these guys have been completely deserted?
"Someone from HR personally went down as the assassin?" Fusco's focus was clearly elsewhere. "How much money did Leah actually pay?"
Jack's mouth twitched. "I don't know. The IRS just uncovered another secret account belonging to Leah, finding a total of $5 million flowing through it into hundreds of personal accounts, ultimately being withdrawn from dozens of ATMs across the city.
Alice is currently accessing the ATM surveillance footage at the operations center to verify the identities of those withdrawing funds, but I suspect the perpetrators aren't necessarily corrupt cops; they could be disguised."
"What do you mean?" Fusco was puzzled.
"Everyone whose identity we've been able to verify has a thick criminal record, implicated in various violent crimes like robbery and kidnapping. They could practically form a gang.
I've already sent the whereabouts of several of them to Reese and Finch. I hope they can help us figure out what Leah wants to do with those thugs." Whether
Scarface could reveal Leah's whereabouts wasn't crucial. Given his cautious nature, he'd relocate the moment he noticed his men were in trouble.
Jack hoped he could become a key witness, similar to Sammy Gravano and Joseph Valachi, who defected from the Mafia, earning Leah several more life sentences.
Of course, such matters could be discussed later; for now, the only thing he needed to do was ensure his safety and prevent him from being silenced.
After Jubal arrived at the police station with his most wanted criminal team, the NYPD handed Scarface over to the FBI. He would be temporarily detained in the IRS's tax jail, enjoying the privilege of solitary confinement.
Jack then arranged for Detective Bean to continue to establish close contact with Simmons Patrick, a senior contact at HR, to see if he could elicit any new information.
While the NYPD suppressed both internal and external reports of the conflict between corrupt cops and the FBI, the "HR" organization, the one involved, was undoubtedly aware of it.
Jack wanted to know the extent of the cooperation between the two sides, as this might determine whether he could eventually eradicate "HR."
While corrupt police organizations could be considered factions within the police force, they were ultimately different from the Mafia, which was difficult to eradicate. While
corruption within the NYPD might never be eradicated, this type of organized corruption could be eradicated. If eradicated once and for all, it would likely have a lasting effect.
"Have you both arranged for your families?" Jack suddenly recalled a cliché.
When they were dealing with a major drug lord and a colluding special prosecutor, they had clearly considered the risks involved, yet Linda was still kidnapped by someone impersonating a police officer. This time,
the enemy they were dealing with was a corrupt cop within the organization, so they couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake.
Danny nodded. "Fusco's son and my family are staying at my dad's villa starting tonight. Grandpa just called to complain, saying it's like there are three extra active monkeys in the house."
The NYPD Commissioner's villa is essentially the equivalent of a safe zone in a video game, with dedicated guards outside the gate. As long as you don't run into unruly professional agents like the "R.E.D.", there's little chance of trouble. It
was almost evening when they left NYPD headquarters. Jack found Reese near the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, tracking a scumbag hired by Leah.
"Anything?" Jack handed him a hot dog and Coke he'd just bought from a roadside food truck.
"Something's strange," Reese said, ripping open the wrapper and chewing deeply. "He's been following that family over there, a mother with her older daughter and younger son."
Jack took the binoculars from him and first identified the scumbag Reese was following: a white man in his thirties, a recently released ex-convict still on parole.
The information sent by Alice showed that his name was Nash Irving, and he had been in and out of prison numerous times since the age of 14 for crimes such as theft, rape, and accidental manslaughter.
Following the parolee's gaze, Jack noticed a family of three by the fountain: a well-maintained white housewife, her daughter under ten, and her son, only four or five years old, feeding pigeons.
"Who is that family?" Jack asked. "Could it be Moretti II's wife and children? Judging from their ages, only his family fits the bill."
"No, although Moretti II has three mistresses, he has no children." Reese quickly finished his hot dog, opened a Coke, and began to drink. Jack
tilted the binoculars slightly to the side, and a familiar, ugly face came into view.
Simmons Patrick, dressed in an NYPD uniform, quickly walked towards the family, hugged the two children affectionately, and kissed the middle-aged woman on the cheek.
"The Lydians are tracking the families of the corrupt 'HR' cops."
(End of this chapter)