Manufractured - Book 1 of 3

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

"Westgale's on board with permitting us to look into the AXE artillery collection without Sims's knowledge," said Dave. "In fact, he was furious to learn that the general never reported Director Crisp's substance abuse issues. Here's the official clearance." He slid the document across the desk toward Gil Robichaud.

"That's good to hear. I keep going over what Griffin Sims told me about Rosemary Crisp's drunken tirade. I've been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what she was trying to say." Gil frowned at the memory, perplexed.

"Why was she linking this Ry fellow to The Network?"

Gil nodded. "Yes, what's the connection? And then there's the part about Bedlam. I'm sure Bedlam and The Network have probably had some dealings in the past."

Recalling that as part of the World Harmony Program's strategic planning, Nicole spearheaded an inquest into arms dealers across the globe, Dave decided to give her a call and request a meeting.

Dave felt very uneasy about facing Nicole in the aftermath of the Anya Ahar hearing. Although it wasn't always evident, he had immense respect for both Nicole and her father. When he was eighteen, Dave had appeared in front of Nicole's father in court, where he'd been found guilty of illegal drug possession for the third time. With a stern jail sentence staring him in the face, Dave was very fortunate that Judge Kratz saw something positive in his character. Instead of sentencing him to prison, Judge Kratz ordered him to work for two years in three different youth detention centers while he continued to receive extensive counseling.

Years later, after Dave had cleaned up his act and attained his law degree, he'd applied for a position within the PBA. He was instantly turned away due to his past indiscretions, but once again, Judge Kratz came through for him. He submitted several letters to the PBA, fully supporting Dave's character. This was something he would never forget.

Before Dave's scheduled meeting with Nicole, Gil came bursting into his office. "Now that I've had a chance to review the AXE artillery file, a few things have caught my attention."

"Like what?" Dave asked, knowing it must be important for Gil to enter unannounced.

"First of all, Sims has placed an extension on the file's Weapons Demolition Order." Gil paused, eyeing him expectantly.

"What does that mean?" Dave asked.

"Normally, all the weapons in that collection would have been destroyed by now, unless they came from one of our authorized suppliers. In that case, each item would be analyzed to potentially be placed in our system. However, being that they're from The Network, these weapons are definitely not from one of our suppliers."

"Hmm... does Sims give a reason for the extension?" Dave asked.

"No, nor is he required to. As defense director, he has that power."

Dave mulled over the implications. "What else have you come up with?"

Gil subconsciously leaned in closer. "This is probably the most damaging discovery. The inventory listing shows 258 styngors, but Shamir's current physical count indicated there are 257. I now have our people seeing if these particular styngors are a match to the one that killed Rosemary Crisp and Kurt Hollis. If they are, then our defense director has a lot of questions to answer."

***

When Nicole entered the Freedom Home, she made a visit to General Gibson's memorial shrine. A man in uniform was already there, kneeling in prayer. She recognized him as Garrett Porter.

"Major Porter, I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "The last time I was here, Major Harris was placing your military pendant in the casing on the center mantle. That was such an honorable thing to do."