In the mean time, Clover and Sam follow the paper delivery truck, as it winds it's way to the airport. There the trailer is loaded on a large transport plane. Luckily this is the same airport the gals landed their jet/copter. They quickly load their cycles on their jet/copter and follow the transport.
While enroute, Clover constantly monitors the paper with her contacts, while Sam flies the jet/copter.
Soon the transport lands at the Philadelphia International Airport. The gals land their jet/copter just out of sight and re-deploy their cycles. Within the hour, a US Mint truck tractor comes to claim the delivery. The gals follow the semi.
The truck takes a direct route to the US Mint and goes to the receiving dock. The gals park their cycles out of sight and deploy their jet go-go boots to take them just above the dock, on the roof. They use their contacts to witness the same receiving procedure that was used when they talked to the Mint personnel. Soon the paper is secured in the vault.
"Well, everything went according to procedure here!" says Clover.
"Yes, but they received the wrong quantity! The machine sent them the wrong quantity and they received the wrong quantity, remember? Those papers disappeared around that roller!" says Sam.
"But they should catch that when they print, right?" says Clover.
"That's true. The printing machine also does a count!" says Sam, as she calls Jerry.
"Jerry?"
"Yes, Sam. How's the mission going?"
"We're not really sure, Jerry. It appears that the Mint is being shorted of the special paper used to print money on, by Specialty Paper. What we need to know is when the Philadelphia Mint will print some new money. Then we can check."
"Well, Sam. According to their confidential schedule, they should be printing $100 bills on the third shift today!"
"Ok, thanks Jerry! We'll keep in touch," and Sam hangs up.
"The third shift starts in about one hour, Clover. So we better stick around."
"Ok, Sam. Should we check up on Alex?"
"Good idea!" and Sam dials up Alex.
"Alex here."
"How's it going, girlfriend?" asks Sam.
"Well, not too bad, after I evaded getting shot!"
"WHAT?!?" exclaim Sam and Clover together.
"The guards spotted me when I was tracing the paper, and started shooting! Luckily I was able to outdistance their range with my jet go-go boots!"
"So you're ok?" asks a concerned Clover.
"Fine, girlfriends! I'm now in the process of drilling to the point below that roller. There is a slit in the floor just below it and the paper disappears into the slit. I have the GPS coordinates of the roller on my compowder and I'm drilling towards it to find out what happens to the paper. How about you guys? Any luck?" responds Alex.
"Well, the delivery went exactly as the procedure was explained to us. But the Specialty Paper computer sent the receiving quantity as 10,000 sheets, and that's the quantity they received. But we know that some sheets are missing! That should be caught when they print the money on third shift. That's what we're waiting for," says Sam.
"Well, good luck! After I trace the paper, I'll get back in touch!"
"Ok, Alex!" says Sam.
"Good luck to you, too!" says Clover, and the gals hang up.
Soon the third shift is getting the special paper from the vault to print the $100 bills. Sam and Clover watch intently.
"According to the inventory, how many sheets are in this bundle, Joe?" asks one mint employee.
"It says '9,800' here! Why don't they buy round lots, like 10,000 sheets?" responds Joe.
"I don't know! Maybe it's a security thing! Well, let's get started!"
The girls are astonished! They SAW the receiving people input 10,000 sheets into the computer as being received on second shift. They also now witness on the computer screen the 9,800 sheets in inventory. Where did the 200 sheets go?
"I'm going to go down and check out that computer, Clover! You stay here and watch the printing."
"Right, Sam. I'll make sure they print 9,800 sheets!"
Sam walks over to the air vents exhaust and lasers open the vent. She quietly descends in the vent to where she can go throughout the Mint. Soon she is in the computer room. She calls up the inventory for the $100 special paper. Strange. It only shows the receipt of 9,800 sheets on second shift, and an order of 9,800 sheets! But she and Clover saw the Receiving personnel clearly input 10,000 sheets, against an order of 10,000 sheets! When did it get changed?
Sam continues checking back in the computer records, but the system now shows an order, receipt, and now a use of 9,800 sheets! No entry was made of the 200 missing sheets! The discrepancy would have to be caught by Specialty Paper when they bill the US Mint for 10,000 sheets, and the Mint only received 9,800. Sam quietly goes back through the air vent to Clover on the roof.
"This is weird! The computer records show an order of 9,800 sheets and a receipt of 9,800 sheets! No record exists of the missing 200 sheets!" Sam says to Clover.
Clover responds, "They printed 9,800 sheets of $100 bills, so the paper was accounted for. But won't Specialty Paper be billing the Mint for 10,000 sheets?"
"They should! But we'd better check with Jerry!
"Jerry?"
"Yes, ladies. Update?"
"Jerry, somehow the computer records at the Mint have been altered to show 200 less sheets of special paper received than shipped!"
"The Mint should notice the discrepancy when they are billed!"
"That's what we figured, Jerry. But could you check Specialty Paper's computer to see what quantity they shipped and billed?"
"Let me see…..that's odd. On Specialty Paper's books, it shows that they shipped 9,800 sheets against an order of 9,800 sheets. They will bill for 9,800 sheets!"
"But how is that possible, Jerry? We SAW them make 10,000 sheets! The machine counted 10,000 sheets and that's what it sent to the Specialty Paper and US Mint computers! That's also what the shipping truckline had on their manifest!"
Jerry runs a few more things on his laptop. "That may be true, Sam. But there is only a record for 9,800 sheets on the computer of the truckline as well."
"I'm confused, Jerry! How can the quantities in all three computers be altered?"
"I don't know, Sam! By the way, where's Alex?"
"She's following up on a lead for the missing paper back in Fargo!"
"Maybe you girls should join her. She may need your help."
"Right, Jerry. We'll be in touch!" and Sam hangs up.
"Ok, Clover! Let's get to our jet/copter and get back to Fargo!"
Clover responds playfully, "Fargo? From where?"
Sam responds, "Not you too! Just get over to the jet/copter!"