Sunday, September 3, 2006

Part 2
(Yeah, not as much as last time. But at least I can write still. Heres hoping that this lasts a while)

"The question is," Henrietta picked up the arm and laid its hand on Kain's shoulder, "Do these things really work?"
"Without the proper equipment, I don't think we could simulate any results."
"I would think they wouldn't have to work to be sold." Joan said while reading a small note on the back of a photo of a paraplegic child in a Venice hospital.
"Ideas sell better than facts." Kain added.


After a bit more random conversation, the group made their way back up to Kain's office. Slowly, Joan was warming up to the way things were run at HQ; though it still did bug her how relaxed every one seemed. The basic plan for the day was to canvass the surrounding areas around where the arm was found. Joan had suggested someone go back to New York and talk with the lab, but Kain said it wasn't time to bring it to them. This would make since if it wasn’t for the fact that Henrietta’s informants might get caught between now and then.

When they finally left the building, the street looked like it should at nine in the morning. Kain sighed as he checked the street to make sure it was clear to cross, "Most of the buildings here are for offices of large retail chains." He fished in his pocket as they entered the garage, "I'm really the only one who parks here. The others use the garage for the lofts."
"I didn't see one." Joan said as she tried to spot her car in the mess that came while she was away.
"It's behind," Henrietta disappeared behind a van, "The door out is on the third."
"Ah." Joan backtracked to get around two closely parked cars.
"Here!" Kain called from three cars away.
"You could have parked closer." Emily commented climbing over a truck bed.
"That would have been too convenient." Ashley joked as she reached the car.
Joan looked at it, a Chevy Malibu? "You get good pay from the government and you drive this?"
Kain opened the driver's door and unlocked the other doors, "Gets from one place to another."
"Shotgun!" Henrietta yelled.
"Hell no." Ashley used her leg to hold the door closed, "You ride bitch in the back with me and Emily."
"I hate the middle."
"Joan gets shotgun." Kain said, "She's our guest."
Joan shrugged, "Do you four always go out together?" She opened the door after Henrietta slid past her to the back.
"What better combination." Kain got in.
"Hey, don't squish." Henrietta whined.
Emily closed her door, "Boo hoo." She pushed against the door, crushing Henrietta against the already prepared Ashley.
Henrietta started to play cry.
"Now, now, children." Kain said as he started the car, "Play nice or no treat today."
"Aw." The three said in unison, "We'll be good."

Joan brushed her hair back and looked at Kain, "You look like the oldest here. Can you ever be serious?"
"Yes, and only by three years." He tossed a CD case into the back, "Pick one."
"Right." Emily opened it and flipped through the pages.
"Oh, come on." Kain spat out at a passing car that cut him off.
"Here." Henrietta held out an unlabeled CD.
Kain briefly looked at it, "No track listing?"
"Nope."
Kain held it near Joan's face, "Trade out."
Joan hesitated before complying. The radio blared, Joan quickly turned it down. She ejected the other CD, KBCO Studio C-14, and put in the unknown one.
"Ah, Best of 3." Kain guessed as the first song started to play.
"It has a lot of F.I.R." Ashley answered.
"And that's bad."
"No."
"F.I.R?" Joan asked as the light turned green.
"Faya, Ian, Real, it's a Korean band."
"Interesting."
"I forgot to mention," Kain turned the corner to the police department, "We need paper work from their street team."
"It's Ashley's turn." Emily announced.
"Take these." Kain opened up the glove compartment and blindly pulled out a pair of sun glasses as he navigated the parking lot.
"Are you sure?" Ashley asked as she took them.
The car jerked as it hit the curb, "Yeah, I wanna watch."


"Can I help you?" The sergeant at the front desk asked as Ashley walked up.
Ashley flashed a badge, "Yes, I'm with homeland security and I have a few questions about the incident this morning."
"Which incident?" The sergeant asked.
Ashley looked over the brim of the glasses, "Concerning the arm."
"Hold on." He picked up the phone, "Sir, you have a woman from homeland here to ask about the arm...Right...Okay...Yes, Sir." He looked back at Ashley, "He'll be a minute."
She nodded and sat down in one of the waiting chairs. She picked at a piece of food that had hitched on her jeans, "If you had said something, I could have at least dressed the part." She whispered.
"Let them wonder." Kain answered back.
"Ah, Miss." Ashley looked up to see the chief, "Homeland Security you say."
"Sorry, it was supposed to be my day off." Ashley stood and shook hands with the chief, "Susan Reed."
"Lt Mitchell." Ashley followed the chief to his office, "You know," He closed the door, "Some other government agency already came and took all we had on that case." He offered Ashley a chair.
She sat, "Which agency?"
"Welfare I think." He filtered through a stack of files.
"Welfare? Interesting."
"You think this is some terrorist threat?" The stack fell over. He bent over to pick them up off the flour.
"I wouldn't put it passed some internal group."
"Ah, here" He sat back up, "This is a copy of what we picked up after they left."
Ashley opened it; there was only one important piece of information. An abandoned pair of tattered clothes. She held up the photo, "Now, these were found in an alley near by. The look like children's clothes; fairly expensive pair at that."
"We have yet to report it to the other guys. One thing that has not been added, is the fact that those clothes are European made."
"No shit." Ashley closed the file, "Any missing children's report filed yet?"
The chief shook his head, "No, not even an admittance to the nearest ER."
Ashley looked at the photo again, "There is blood on them."
"No match to any DNA on file."
"Can I have these clothes?"
"I wouldn't see why not." the chief leaned forward, "Just as long as you get this sick son of a bitch."
Ashley stood up, "That's my job."
"One more thing," The chief said as Ashley opened his office door, "How did a young girl like you get to workin' for homeland?"
"Skipped a few grades. Wanted to do something about our freedom."
"Nice to know that some of the new generation still has a bit of patriotism."
Ashley smiled as she closed the door.

She had been here once before, late at night, so she knew where evidence was. The specialist who was working there took a few not so inconspicuous glances at Ashley as she bent over to get the evidence box. To make it even worse, the guy even tried to make a small pass at her. He really wasn't much to look at and she really didn't like the vibes coming from him. But in the end, the only big reason she doesn't go out with anyone is, she still had one more year till she could drink legally. Beer helps a lot of dates, in her opinion.

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