A Little Legwork - Part II
Even at their slower pace, it didn’t take them long to reach the office of Detective Andy Garrett. An old police detective gone PI, he was an old friend of Buck’s. His specialty was keeping track of some of the terrorist and hate groups around the country. He was very good at his job.
They went up to his third floor office and knocked. They heard a muffled “Come on in,” through the door. Inside the man’s office was a sense of tightly controlled chaos. Papers were everywhere, but you got the idea that Andy knew where everything was.
He was talking to someone on the phone, but motioned for them to take the chairs across from him.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, ma’am. I understand, but your husband, I’m sorry, ex-husband hired me to find that out. No, I’m afraid I can’t take your money. Because it would be unethical. No, I don’t suppose you would. I have to go now, ma’am.” He hung up and shook his head. “Industrial espionage. Those two have been sniping back and forth for years now.” He leaned back and studied them over his glasses. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“You talked with Buck?” At his nod, Hitomi went on, “As he said, one of our people was attacked publicly by a Fourth Reich robot. Have you heard anything about them lately?”
He snorted and picked up a pencil and started twirling it, “Oh yeah. I’m surprised they even had a robot to sic on you. You sure it was the Reich and not a dodge?”
Hitomi handed the hunk of metal over the desk, and nodded. “Either that, or they’ve started selling them on the black market.”
He shook his head, “No, no, they don’t have the reputation for that anymore.” He looked back up and handed the metal back over, “You really haven’t heard?” They looked puzzled, “The Fourth Reich has been coming apart at the seams for months now. I don’t even understand what they would get out of this.”
Alana looked at Hitomi, who shared her puzzled look, “Detective, I had thought the Fourth Reich had been eating up other organizations for years. We faced an Egyptian death cult last year that wanted to make a deal with Buck to stop them.”
Garrett smiled, “Lemme guess, Beloved Children of Anubis?” He laughed, “Yeah, they had been doing that. Beloved Children of Anubis was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. The Reich got too big too fast, and most of the soldiers that were ‘converted’”, he made air-quotes, “turned and splintered off a few weeks later. Hell, almost all of the old groups are back. Under new names and management, but the same.”
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” Hitomi ran a hand through her hair.
“Well, I can only guess their leader sees you as a threat to regaining his glory. Or he could just be a nutjob. You can never tell with these people.” He took a notepad from his shirt pocket and scribbled an address. As he tore it off and handed the paper to Alana he looked at them gravely, “Look, be careful checking this place out. It is, or was, not sure, an important depot for these crazies. Just because they’re falling apart doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.”
“Thanks, Mr. Garrett.” Alana tucked the paper into her pocket. “We’ll be careful.”
He smiled, “If I know Buck, you guys can handle it.”
They both smiled and said goodbye as they left.
They went up to his third floor office and knocked. They heard a muffled “Come on in,” through the door. Inside the man’s office was a sense of tightly controlled chaos. Papers were everywhere, but you got the idea that Andy knew where everything was.
He was talking to someone on the phone, but motioned for them to take the chairs across from him.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, ma’am. I understand, but your husband, I’m sorry, ex-husband hired me to find that out. No, I’m afraid I can’t take your money. Because it would be unethical. No, I don’t suppose you would. I have to go now, ma’am.” He hung up and shook his head. “Industrial espionage. Those two have been sniping back and forth for years now.” He leaned back and studied them over his glasses. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“You talked with Buck?” At his nod, Hitomi went on, “As he said, one of our people was attacked publicly by a Fourth Reich robot. Have you heard anything about them lately?”
He snorted and picked up a pencil and started twirling it, “Oh yeah. I’m surprised they even had a robot to sic on you. You sure it was the Reich and not a dodge?”
Hitomi handed the hunk of metal over the desk, and nodded. “Either that, or they’ve started selling them on the black market.”
He shook his head, “No, no, they don’t have the reputation for that anymore.” He looked back up and handed the metal back over, “You really haven’t heard?” They looked puzzled, “The Fourth Reich has been coming apart at the seams for months now. I don’t even understand what they would get out of this.”
Alana looked at Hitomi, who shared her puzzled look, “Detective, I had thought the Fourth Reich had been eating up other organizations for years. We faced an Egyptian death cult last year that wanted to make a deal with Buck to stop them.”
Garrett smiled, “Lemme guess, Beloved Children of Anubis?” He laughed, “Yeah, they had been doing that. Beloved Children of Anubis was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. The Reich got too big too fast, and most of the soldiers that were ‘converted’”, he made air-quotes, “turned and splintered off a few weeks later. Hell, almost all of the old groups are back. Under new names and management, but the same.”
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” Hitomi ran a hand through her hair.
“Well, I can only guess their leader sees you as a threat to regaining his glory. Or he could just be a nutjob. You can never tell with these people.” He took a notepad from his shirt pocket and scribbled an address. As he tore it off and handed the paper to Alana he looked at them gravely, “Look, be careful checking this place out. It is, or was, not sure, an important depot for these crazies. Just because they’re falling apart doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.”
“Thanks, Mr. Garrett.” Alana tucked the paper into her pocket. “We’ll be careful.”
He smiled, “If I know Buck, you guys can handle it.”
They both smiled and said goodbye as they left.
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