11
Megan's Pov
"What are they doing?" Margot asked me eyeing Stellan and Hiroshi, who were sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch with their eyes closed and the backs of their heads pressed together.
"Going over the info they have gathered" I told her but then figured that, that wouldn't help much because the Benedict's aren't used to the way Hiroshi and Stellan do things so I went on "Stellan can see details in other people's memories that they themselves may have overlooked but in order to do that he has to have permission to access that particular memory. If I had to guess then I'd say that they are looking throw the memories Hiroshi has of his three-hour-patrol on the rooftop last night, so that they can compare it to the security camera fudged that the computers are busy collecting. "
"What was he monitoring up there anyway?" Will asked looking up from the three screens that each showed a different program running on it.
"Mostly sounds, I'm sure he was looking for Raven's voice because he's more acquainted with it then mr. Voss's but when his range is so wide he loses some accuracy so they need to bobble check to make sure that he didn't miss it by accident" I turned to the computers to see if the face recognition programs had found anything. How he had gotten his hands on the program I had no idea but then again if I remembered correctly Stellan had picked up hacking in their first year of junior high school and with the speed with which he learns I wouldn't be surprised if he was roaming around the governments databases by the end of that year.
"And are they going to be at it for the next three hours then? Because I would like to clue in Victor to see if he can help in any way" Will asked after I finished talking.
"No, since Stellan knows what he's looking for rather than just looking for something to go off of, it shouldn't take more than thirty minutes. He said that it's kind of like watching a speed up movie." I provided them with the explanation I had gotten from the duo when I asked how their progress report's worked.
"Alright, but do you know if there is another computer here which I can use to Skype with Victor. I think it would be easier if we got him up to date with the situation while those two are at it, but I'm afraid to touch anything here" he gestured to the monitors "the last time I messed with Yves's programs he promised to kill me if I ever do that again, and the stakes are a little higher right now" he finished and that was definitely a spike of fear I felt when he mentioned his brother. Interesting, I had always thought that Yves was the shy and smart one.
"You can use my laptop," Hiroshi said "it's on my desk over there" he gestured his left-hand throws the paper-littered desk next to the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Did you find anything?" I asked seeing as the detectives were coming out of their minds.
"No, I didn't hear Raven or Mr Voss eider" Stellan sighed standing and walking over to his own desk. Then he addressed his partner: "Hiroshi can you get the area map out and the pins" the fact that the man had a cast didn't stop them from working as a well-oiled machine. I helped Hiroshi set up the map and pins as Stellan went over something that had been running on the third monitor.
"Oh, things are getting serious" Hiroshi half laughed "it's been a while since we used the map and pins"
"It's been a while since I had to explain things to people who need a visual aid to understand the layout of this city," Stellan said levitating a red pin to the place where the kidnapping had taken place and then three blue pins near shops and cafes.
"Explain? So you have figured something out already?" the voice that said that was familiar to me from the Skype conversations Stellan had with him when he was helping Victor with his soulfinder.
"Not exactly, I may have a baseline for diffracting the transports they used though" Stellan's voice was calm, and so was his mood. The panic from yesterday was gone, replaced by his usual calm, cool and calculating demeanour.
"Plural?" Hiroshi prompted, seeing he's partner concentrating on pinning different colour pins on the map without lifting his eyes from the monitor, fingers typing away at the keypad.
"Yeah, if you look at the area" a marker was lining one out as Stellan spoke "It's a restricted, you can't drive a truck of any kind in there, and I don't think that the kidnappers would be stupid enough to draw attention to themselves by using one in a restricted area just so it would be easier to transport unconscious body's. They certainly showed more brains in their abduction than that. So there had to have been at least two cars" he raised his eyes to make sure that we were fooling his thought protests. One of the very few subconscious traits he has supposedly picked up over the years of having to re-explain himself.
"And since my program couldn't pick up their faces it's highly likely that they were transported in the trunks of the cars" he was interrupted by Will.
"But if they were facing away from the security cameras then it wouldn't matter if the program was working or not" his logic made séance to me but the look on the detective duos faces told me that there is something that we don't know, that they do.
"Normally that would be true but seeing as we give advice to companies as to how to set up their security cameras for maximum surveillance and the fact that he" Hiroshi pointed mock-accusingly at Stellan "made the program that went through the fudged and there is no way that we couldn't notice them. Not to mention that you are going through the faces that gave the slightest pretence of a match at the moment aren't you?"
I felt a surge of astonishment go throw me, locating the source of the emotion to be Will, who was sitting on a couch mouth slightly agape.
"How did you manage that?" he asked after it was clear that Hiroshi had stopped talking.
"We simply made sure that there was a reflective surface in the cameras view aria" Hiroshi shrugged "it was kind of a hassle to go over all the cameras in the city but the results are worth it, makes our job easier and leaves less crime on the street."
"Yes, I see why you would think that but couldn't the criminal have fit both of them in one trunk? Raven is radar small after all. She could probably fit in the back seat and still be unnoticeable." Victor stirred the conversation back to the right topic.
"No, there had to have been at least three perpetrators" Stellan cut of Victors theory curtly.
"Why's that?" the FBI agent asked after no explanation came.
"I keep a list of savants and their abilities, sort of like the Savant Net, but I also keep in mind the potential of their gifts, and I'm quite confident that it's more detailed. Based on what we know of yesterday's events I can tell you that there is no one person how could have done that alone, or at least no one who would have a sufficient motive to."
I could see the surprise on Victor's face even without relying on my gift.
"You have a what? How do you even find these people? And why haven't you told the Savant Net about it? These could be someone's soulfinders" considering that the mind manipulators poker face fell I'd say that he was completely taken aback.
"Savants are all so interesting, no two are ever really the same even if the gifts seem similar, I'm a scholar at heart, of course, I would try to find as many subjects to interact with as possible. As for how I find them. How do you think I found your soulfinder? And for the reason behind not informing you: you never asked" his emotions became a little hazy the way they usually do when people are lying, even though Stellan is a good liar he still can't-fool me at all times.
"Alright, you have your own information sores I can't fault you for that" Victor sighed; it almost felt like he was managing a child. So I'm not the only one who thinks that I thought to myself.
Stellan's Pov
Sometimes I wonder if the people around me think at all. Or if their minds work on slower settings from mine because obviously, I had my own network for gathering different kinds of information. Didn't everyone?
"Anyway, working with the time window we have and using the security cameras put up on the streets leading to and away from the location of the assault. I'd say that it is highly likely that these guys are our kidnapers" I turned the monitor that I had frozen the fudge on.
"They entered the area thirteen minutes before Will noticed the treat. That's enough time to set up an ambush. They left the place twenty-one minutes after entering it, that's not enough time to go shopping if you don't already know what you are looking for, but I can't see them on any of the surveillance tapes of the stores, so they didn't visit any. Also if you look at the way this one's face is creased, it's a clear indication of pain and annoyance." I went on indicating to the lines on the passenger's face that made his expression stand out to me.
"Do we know who he is?" Will asked bending forward to get a better look at the man.
"Yes, if I remember correctly that is Mason Brakeman a savant, his speciality is manipulating memories. He's part of a small-time crime syndicate but doesn't usually get involved in the fights. He's more used as the cleanup guy for when people need to remember things a little differently than they actually were." I went over the significant details.
"And why haven't you put them behind bars yet?" Victor asked "I'm sure you have more than enough evidence on them by the way that you talk" the mind reader once again didn't seem to approve of my choices.
"Because it is not my job to do so." I stated but went on before he could start criticizing me even though it was simple logic "it is more beneficial to me if the city has many small crime groups rather than few big ones they are easier to manipulate and keep under control."
"You sure that you aren't actually with the Yakuza?" Will asked from the couch.
"Yes, I'm quite sure I would be aware if I had ties like that to the underworld." I cave a curt answerer then turned to my partner.
"Hiroshi can you inform mr. Saiku about the situation and have him on the lookout for Brakeman? I don't have the patience to deal with the police right now. And get those autopsy reports while you are there. There are too many pieces in all of this that I'm missing and it never hurts to be thorough."
He just grinned "Sure thing, it should be easier now with the sympathy card in play" he waved his right hand.
Megan groaned "you are unbelievable."
"Not really, it's all about using all the advantages you have without playing your hand to freely," I told her.
"Besides women are impossible to understand so the least we, of the unfortunate male sex can do, is try to keep up in the game of life and hope that we don't come out of it to damaged" my partner gave his take on the situation.
"Tell that to the trail of broken hearts you leave behind" Megan hit the nail on the head with that comment.
"You wound me. I'll have you know I'm a perfect gentleman while handling breakups" Hiroshi said while throwing Megan the car keys.
"Oh and Megan," I called out to my head of staff before she could leave the apartment "while you are waiting for Hiroshi to finish, could you pick out a gift for the immigration workers for dealing with Tanya's and Jamie's plane tickets so fast"
"Certainly" she gave a nod, recognizing this as an order from the head of the house rather than a request from a friend. A line she insists on walking on.