IN BLOG WE TRUST - Part 3

Old NFO -
What Gordon didn't know was the ID had already been passed to Dispatch and they had keyed the name into the NCIC database, which popped a screen alert inside a government facility located outside Washington, DC.

LT Ambler sat up quickly when the alert popped in, as this was the first real alert he had ever seen.

He scrambled through his checklist and started notifications up the chain, even as he copied off the specifics of the query-

Time- 0950

Location- Philly

Query Orig- Philly PD Dispatch- query for Mikal Rosakoff

Query Type- Standard wants and warrarents, address, SSN, DL, etc.

"Mister" Firestone arrived before Col Hart, and immediately started quizzing Ambler, even though there was no additional information available and everything was still on the screen. LT Ambler simply handed the log to "Mister" Firestone, and waited for the Colonel.

When the Colonel arrived, he asked what else LT Ambler had done, the LT said, "Nothing Sir, didn't want to start a proxy check as this might be a routine request from a traffic stop or something like that."

The Colonel said, "Well, go ahead and activate the tracker, lets see what Mr. Rosakoff is up to right now."

Lt Ambler, turning slightly to block is access code, keyed in the command to activate the tracker, and waited for the ping and cycles to finish their secure protocols.

Suddenly he leaned toward the screen, then said, "Col, he's dead! Looks like he is in Philly, but I've got to translate these points onto an area map to confirm exact location."

Colonel Hart leaned over, picked up the phone, dialed a 16 digit number and as soon as it was answered said, "Activate Sureshot Protocol"; then hung up.
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Snigglefrits -
Winchell tried to concentrate on his assigned work without much luck. Every since Jackie brought it to his attention Mikal was nowhere to be found, he’d been concerned.

Mikal hadn’t been very reliable recently. He’d show up for work late and leave early, but he always did at least show up. He’d known Mikal for what seemed like forever, but lately they never talked and water cooler rumors had spread like wildfire.

Mikal was hanging out in the shadier part of town. He was seeing questionable women. Some rumors even claimed he had a drug problem. Knowing the results of the random drug testing The Company regularly did proved the last rumor to be untrue, so Winchell wasn’t sure the others were any more accurate.

He glanced over at Jackie. Every time the door opened, her head snapped toward it. As the day wore on, her look of concern grew. She been trying to call him every five minutes, getting nothing but voicemail.

Winchell thought about calling someone, but was at a loss as to who to call. Mikal had no family left and had long been divorced. Briefly, he considered calling Andrea, the ex-wife, but quickly nixed that idea. Andrea considered The Company to be what ended their marriage. She didn’t take kindly to anyone remotely involved with the company calling on her, for any reason. Since she now had her perfect husband, the 2 kids, and white picket fence out in the suburbs, it wasn’t likely she’d know what was going on with Mikal anyway.

Winchell stood up and stretched. It wasn’t like him to involve himself in the lives of others, but this was Mikal. No matter how distant they were now, they had once been close friends.

He walked over to Jackie. “After work, why don’t we ride over to Mikal’s place and see if he’s dodging our calls or sick. Maybe he had one too many last night and turned the ringer off on his phone?”.

Jackie knitted her brows together. “I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is just not right. Are we taking your car or mine?”.
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Deathlok -
Winchell told Jackie that he would drive. Normally, any chance to use a vehicle made in the 21st Century as transportation was a blessing, but Winchell had an unexplainable love for his car. A “crapshoot” to drive. Winch had no doubt that somewhere in Vegas, some odds maker was laying a line on whether or not the Cavalier would reach it’s destination. 2 to 1 on whether it would even start.

“You and this car. You really need to take this thing out back and shoot it. It would be the humane thing to do, Winch.”

“Fuck That! This car loves me. It’s saved my life more than once. We have a kindred spirit.“

“Yeah, I always said that you were a little loose in the steering box.”

“Nice! Hey! It beats driving around in “The Beast.”

“There is that.”

On the drive over, Winchell started thinking about Mikal.

“So, what was this conference call about?”

“Some new prototype. It’s still in the development stages. I don’t know too much about it.”

Winchell did a quick double take and then tried to regain his composure. Could they have been meeting about him?
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Momster -
Stalling for time while he tried to figure out the connection between his meeting with his supervisor and Mikal he reached over and turned on his mp3 player. The sounds of Nickelback filled the car.
Jackie chuckled softly and said, “I swear you were born in the wrong century.”
“Good music is good music it doesn’t matter how old it is.” Winchell said with a grumpy tone.
“You just keep on believing that and maybe someday thin ties will come back too.” Jackie said, still laughing.
Holding his very unfashionably thin tie with his free hand he waved it in Jackie’s direction, “This is a very nice tie.”
Jackie laughed at him again this time louder. Winchell pulled up across the street from MIkals apartment turned off the car and pointed up at the third floor corner apartment.
“That’s his place you want to stay here or come with me?” Winchell asked.
Jackie got out of the car smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt and looked up at Mikal’s apartment window before answering, “I’ll go with you.”
“Ok” Winchell replied closing the car door with a thump that made the whole car rattle.
They started across the street when a coroner’s wagon pulled up in front of the building. Two men exited the wagon went to the back and removed a gurney complete with empty body bag laying on top, tossed there like a sack of dirty clothes . They disappeared into the building. Jackie looked at Winchell worry clouding her pretty green eyes.
“This doesn’t look good.” She murmured.
“We don’t know it’s for MIkal,” countered Winchell.
“What are the odds that he’s late for work and there’s a stiff in his building at the same time?”
Looking down at his feet Winchell replied, “Well there’s only one way to find out, let’s go inside.”
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Meanwhile, back at the station house. . . .

Go To Part 4. . . . .