Chapter Three

Summer means wide open spaces in a whole lot of extra miles.

Last place you want your engine to give out is halfway to nowhere. Out here, vote oil or a week battery is just an ambush way to happen.

“That's why every oil change at Valveline is the oil change of glutes at 18 point maintenance check.”

These text are trained to help spot issues early and give you a run easy. Valveline, instant oil change Wisely. This series is based on the real events of 9/11. However, names, incidents, locations, and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. This series contains strong language and profanity and seems that some listeners could find a serving.

To an air afternoon, we would deepen search and rescue mode, but still short of personnel equipment to find survivors. The air was unreadable and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Make shift mords would be in setup throughout Lower Manhattan.

I didn't think things could get worse. They could. Building seven on West Broadway and Vesti Street wasn't hit by the planes, but by flaming debris from the collapse towers. The vision seven Manhattan, the advice, putting fire in the lower levels of seven world trade, looks like it's been burning for hours. Division copies.

“Robert and log command sending units to check the floors two through eight.”

As it said, the vision says, go ahead, ten. Have each smoke it still won't be at 4/6, speed wise, we may have multiple civilians tracked. We're pretty in traffic. Smoke pushing up, still won't be. I'll tell you one, go.

Once you're exterior building seven indicate fire in the current Voltairea, might be feeding into the lower floors. About 15, smoke increase rapidly, we're blind past 10 feet. Engine 10, equivalent ceiling tiles, check the fire above. Activate fire suppression.

Fire suppression is negative, we don't have water pressure. 15, 15, we don't have water pressure. Make it make it, say we'll be. What? Fire on the 8th floor, engine 10 respond.

Engine 10 respond. Truck is full time, fill you. Radio malfunction. Nade, engine 10 respond. Truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, truck.

Repeat, radio malfunction, Nade, engine 10 respond. Engine 10 respond. I'm Frank Sturiano, formerly the New York City Police Department. Think you know the whole story in 9/11, you don't. This is underground zero.

This is my story of how we took on the mob.

Our helicopters are circling above the pile, almost two million tons of debris that

used to be the World Trade Center. Our very own Tracy Marquez has been on the scene since just after the North Tower was hit. Almost seven hours ago, Tracy, how are you holding up on there? Michael, if this morning's attack represented the worst of human nature, what we're seeing now represents the best.

Volunteers, hundreds of them have formed bucket brigades, passing pails, full of debris from hands to hand, loading them into trucks for removal to collect. I told Joe, I didn't want his ass anywhere near the Trade Center. But he was holding all the cards, and we both knew it. I almost felt sorry for Frank, a straight-up guy, what could he do?

It was business, and we were going to get out taste no matter what. When the boss tells you to plant the family's flag, a genavise does what a genavise has to do. As my brother-in-law, he swore he keep his distance.

“That's how I knew he'd send over a circuit.”

Construction, union rep, Eddie Verne's team. This isn't business, Frank. We're dealing with a national tragedy. And we're all Americans. Your patriotism's impressive. Who kept his squeaky clean image, despite his mob connections.

Not to mention, there could be God knows how many people still trapped in the rubble,

But you mentioned it anyway.

“And we put a money where a mouth is, those trucks outside, the digging equipment,”

crane-operators, rigors, and all hours. You can't wait for the feds. You don't have time.

Our company's built a trade center in the first place.

I'm the guy who vetted him. And I'm not going to override the process to give you guys preference. I know you, Franky. Christ, I know you're dead. And I know you couldn't sleep nights if you had to tell widows and orphans

that you could have saved the husbands. They're moms that dads, but you didn't. So you can maintain your precious vetting status. Open it. Make it.

We just found two survivors in the pile and they're going to mount now. The precious gathering. They want to talk to you, Franky. Hey, Eddie. Mack, that is great news.

Don't you want more of that Frank?

Eddie, get out of my office.

Help us help you. Make you talk some sense in them, will you? Get the fuck out, Ed. Good seeing, Eddie. Say a little bit of family, yeah.

Son of a bitch wants me to override our vetting process. Mack, it's a minor detail compared to how short we are men and equipment. Kind of is, isn't it?

“I mean, if you want to get the job done right.”

You want to see us working hand in hand with the genovies, localesies, and the Columbus, and guys like my brother-in-law? If they can help us save lives, what the hell kind of optics are those? Make you fuck out, thanks, Frank. You saying I should give him a free hand?

I'm saying we don't live at a black and white world anymore. It's been Grayson's the power's came down. Franky, we're here. I'm telling you, we want to be in the front, and it's around. We tell us about the condition of the survivors.

Look, we don't know their exact condition. Obviously, we hope to find other survivors. What is it true that they wouldn't have been saved if it hadn't been for the equipment brought in by privately owned companies like Alba and Carl from wherever and whoever can provide? Are you concerned that the companies may have links to organized crime?

There's no indication that they have any such links. Can you guarantee that? And the saving of lives remains our priority. Does that mean you'll address the issues of organized crime involvement? Only when you've escaped.

One of the rescue workers handed me a stuffed toy found in the rubble. It was partially burned, but it had a tag around its neck, with its owner's name on it. Can he tell us what the tag reads? A little girl.

Look, I don't feel comfortable giving that sort of information. But when you see something like this, you think about your own children and it's only for the grace of God. No further comments. Thank you. The day before September 10th seemed so long ago, it was like it belonged to another century.

My son Frank Jr. had a little late game. As usual, I was late getting there. Frank was playing third. Joe Bianchi's son, my nephew Nikki, was at the play.

Joe was watching from foul territory near first base, like always.

He'd been there since before the first pitch, I'd always. Joe was never late for anything, and there was never a hair out of place. I pretended not to hear him. Frank. I walked toward the seats behind home play.

Sometimes I couldn't believe the guy. I mean, we grew up together. School had seen him asius. I was his best man, and he was mine. We were brother and lost for Craig's sake, and he was making like he didn't know me.

Frank, he ate. Ignoring him drew the kind of attention I was trying to avoid. So, I walked over. I drove. Finally, I drove. Maybe you thought I was tuberculous, something.

Optics, Joe, you know how it is.

“The kids are playing ball, that's how it is.”

How's my sister? My wife is fine. Thanks for asking. Nikki hit it hard on the ground, but Franky stretched out to his left, caught it, and threw him out. That's all right, Nikki.

Yeah, hit it solid, buddy. Hey, Franky moves good, like your use. You still have that Derek Jeter glove? Yeah, Nikki's using it these days. Your old man spent more and not glove than mine made in a week.

Hey, well, that's the beauty of a case business. Yeah. So, well, we invited Frankie to Nikki's birthday Saturday. I'm taking a bunch of the kids to see the match. He can't make it.

You can't afford to grab pictures with the players. I'm sure they'll have fun. Why should your kid be left out?

It's just a fucking ball game for Christ's eggs.

“What do I tell Nikki when he asks why he's best friend?”

His own fucking cousin won't be there. How do I answer that? Like you always do, Joe. Take the fifth. Come at. I just said, come at. You copy.

Conditions for something under the dusty street side of Building 7. Have you five showed multiple force? Engine 10, read you. Come here, Lairford. There's this whole deformation on the selfless corner.

Advice, point substantial damage, and uncontrolled fires on numerous floors. Windows popping out. No water pressure up there. Happy that, Lairford. All units, maintain distance, face of Building 7.

Grant, let's do one for you. There's noises. Like shifting steel. Drop it. Up of the side.

Eddie, where are you, Joe?

I bought the average man ever. Where are you at? I'm going to talk to the pile. I had to go with Frank, Eddie. Not great.

Through me out of his office. You talked to him? Yeah, but what did Frank say?

“You won't give us nothing on the hiring, Lairford.”

Some of the pictures playing hot. We got all the leverage, but he's a one-butch. What? Now I'm talking to him all. Bring it up.

I don't know the egg. Schools were closed because of the attack. Frank Jr. went to his cousin Nikki's house, saying out. I told him to be home by four. He wasn't.

Hey, honey. Hey, memory. How are you doing? You know, watching TV. It's crazy.

Hey, tell Frankie to come home, Liga. He's an altar boy for five o'clock mass. Uh, you're not here, honey. You left a few minutes ago. Well, he should have been here by now.

Nikki! Frankie went home to me. Yeah, he had to do that. Kind of you left. Maybe he, uh, uh, I don't know.

“Could have stopped at Steve Adellies or Tom Perfeated.”

Want me to have Nikki go look for him? Yeah, if he's not here in a couple minutes, yeah. You know what? I'm sure he's fine, honey. He's uh, he's 12.

Marie, he knew he had mass. He's never late. Just like his father. You talk to Frank? No.

Honey, call him if you worried. He's got enough on his plate. Engine 26 confirmed conditions worsening and building 7. That's 26 moving south. Everyone on PC.

Back it up now. Just command, understood, then buy for instructions. For me, uh, large crack is a moment structure. Command, let it work again. Carcola looks like it's going, you can wait.

I don't like what I'm seeing. Everybody out, let's get everybody out of there. Oh, units operating near the perimeter of building 7 for Perfeated. It's drawn to a safe perimeter. This is precautionary.

This is HQ. It is not precautionary. They withdraw now. They get withdraw completely. Affirmative, we're establishing a collapsed zone around building 7.

Repeat collapsed zone around the entire building. Commander, rescue one copy collapsed zone. We're pulling back now. That's 26 moving south. Everyone on 15, back it up now.

Command, let it work. Just to give you a moment, I'm sorry. We're supposed to be hard. We're supposed to force more columns inside the building to get exact. Jesus Christ.

We are the area around building 7 and a million.

Yeah, we're at a floor. The entire top section is shifted. The bridge has came down on the street. Everyone on the street. Michael, there are Blacks' outside building 7.

Firefighters and emergency rescue personnel are running out of the buildings on the best-day street side. There seems to be a look like the wall is bowing outward. Bill, Bill, he's 70s holy. He's ordered on a south-east Frankie here. No, Nicky didn't find him.

All right, we're none of the kids have seen him. God, Marie, where you could be?

Hello, Connie.

Building 7 just came down.

I know, we're watching. Who's we? Mean your sister. What's she doing there? She came over with all of you, okay?

Frank.

“Over in the pile, they found this stuff toy.”

A little toy with a tad on it. No, we trace the girl who owned it was on one of the planes. We haven't found her. Oh, honey. Let me talk to Franky.

Connie. No, yeah. Oh, yeah, he had a mask. He's not a mask. Where is he?

Connie, where's Frank? I don't know.

What do you mean, you don't?

I don't know, Frank. Well, we'll call me when he gets there. That's all you have to say. What do you want me to do? We find it.

You mean, leave work? Yeah, leave work. I can't. We need every officer available. To help with your other officers.

I'm talking about you. And you're son. I can't leave.

“I got God knows how many people who may be dying,”

and their people son too. I know, they're important. They're more important than us.

Connie's talking to Frank now.

And what's he saying? I don't know. I'm outside. How am I supposed to know where Franky is? You know everything that goes on around here.

What all of a sudden, you nephew goes missing. You got no idea? I'm going to talk to Joe. What? What does Joe have to do with it?

Why are you asking me? I've been watching TV Joe. Ever since the tower was came down. Me, they've been talking about the family's involvement in rescue operations.

We come up, Frank's run in rescue operations. I'm not an idiot. Frank's call, I'll call you back. You better call me back. I said, I'll call you, I'll call you.

I knew a barn park slope where Joe and I wouldn't be recognized. By the time I got there, it was almost dark. Joe was already there. How many people did you lose? 37 police officers around 200 firefighters, six paramedics.

That's the count so far. Jesus Christ. How do you think of the come out? Take the fine, the very catch, the water, the whole thing. I don't know.

We're looking for the black boxes from the plains. I decided I wasn't going to say anything about Frankie until Joe did. Well, how's things otherwise? What do you mean? Everything else.

Connie, the job. Connie in the job. Holden it together. Marie, it's not easy your sister. I told you, I told you it's a bachelor party.

Yeah, I guess I didn't hear you. I was wearing that hook as legs for earmuffs. Marie, still love you, you think? Let's put it this way. I try to keep a disappointment to a minimum.

So she'd miss you if you won't go on. But as much as Connie and Miss you, but I'm not going anywhere, Frank. You mean, if you can help, oh, I can help it. It's better your best efforts.

How far you prepared to go? Depends how far you are.

“Would you be willing to see your family go to pieces?”

Some ways it already has. We started in the same place. If everything that's changed, we're not that different after all. Sure we are. And if we're trapped doing what we're doing, it's because we chose to be.

Meaning? Meaning if it comes down to seeing our lives collapse like the towers, then we will. Because it's who we are. Start a warning.

Connie, is Frank your back? Yeah, yeah, he's back. He's fine. He's okay. Good. You said he went to genomes for a slice. I said he went with the girl, but he wouldn't tell me her name.

You believe him? I don't know. But I'm not going to make a thing of it. How come?

Joe and I stared at each other.

“Could have been 10 seconds or maybe an hour.”

His eyes gave me nothing.

The world we were brought up in,

you don't mess with a man's family.

“But we weren't part of the same world anymore.”

And we never would be again.

Training's legit.

“It's the smart choice for smart folk and care for their steed.”

Some trust the instant oil changed. But starts with valolum. That ain't instant oil change. Change wisely. Underground Zero, 9/11 in the mob,

is a production of thoroughbred studios, Goldhop Productions, and I/Hard Podcasts. [BLANK_AUDIO]