"Damn it, this is the fifth time this month, I better get triple over time or even quadruple..."
"I don't think that exists Jude."
"I was making an allegorical illusion."
A snort rang through the cramped operations room as Nevil Olsen doubled over, a fit of guffaws and deep laughs spilling out. "Jude, please, don't read any more of those self help books. No woman is going to swoon at your feet when you say words like that." Nevil had to duck as a wrench came flying his way. "Shit, watch that."
"Then you watch making fun of my selected reading prose." Jude retorted, turning back to the monitor board to try and determine where the electrical short was this time. He really hated being pulled from bed at 3 AM to try and find out why the sensor alarms had gone down again.
"Fuck, this is probably going to be a case of another rat gnawing through something. I swear, why Franklin doesn't just pony up the money to get a pest company in here..." Jude paused and turned to his co-worker, both men saying the next line in unison.
"Because it would be bad PR for the company."
They both chuckled, Nevil adding, "And he might actually have to open up that fat wallet of his, which I am sure would cause him and his wife to have a coronary."
"Ohhh watch what you say. Rita is convinced Mrs. Franklin has this whole place bugged and has a tighter ass than Mr. Franklin," Jude said, trying to add a mysterious inflection to his voice.
"The only bugs in here are Florida Cockroaches. Damn, I ran into a nest of those the other day, those fuckers hiss and I think they bite." Nevil shuddered a little as he finished filling out the sheet on his clipboard. "Section G is clear."
"Shit, that means it's one of mine."
Nevil made a high five sign. "Yesssss that means I get to go back to bed. Enjoy your quadruple overtime." He teased going to hang up the clip board. He paused as he noticed one of the warehouse cameras was showing only static. "Hey, did you clear the..." He looked over the monitor labels, "International docking point 54? The camera is down."
"Hang on," Jude grunted as he moved to another bank of switches. He tapped a dial, kicking at a panel when the dial stayed the same. "There might be something..." He got down and pulled the panel he had kicked open and used a penlight to look at the wiring. "Looks good here."
"Which means something on site maybe. Just like the others. Come on, let's do this, I am sure we'll be getting a call any moment if we do not finish." Nevil moved and grabbed a lantern high-beam flashlight from the wall as well as picking up the thrown wrench.
"You know, he told us in the meetings the earlier breakdowns were just kids trying to mess around and of course the rats and bugs gumming things up. But, what if there is something else?"
Nevil looked over at Jude, the dim lighting making it hard for him to accurately read his partner's expression as he handed the wrench back to Jude. "Something else?"
"You know, sabotage."
Nevil pulled up short, the door to the operations room hitting him in the back as he'd not moved totally out of the building. "What the hell? What have you been reading Jude? Or should I ask what have you been smoking?"
"It's nothing like that Nev, shit, I just mean... I talked to Janice and that whole supposed malfunction of the docking mechanism, that was a lie. Nothing mechanical was wrong. Janice said someone was using a remote to control the cranes and booms. She did a complete reboot and system check, there was nothing messed up. And no way kids can rewire stuff like this. Hell our fancy college engineers don't understand half of this stuff. Add in Franklin has scrimped and cut corners and had some under the table non-unions in here..."
Nevil sighed, he'd been listening to the dock workers mutter and mumble. The non-union stuff just one of the many gripes going round, helping to build a pretty disgruntled work atmosphere at Franklin Shipping. It didn't help that Franklin had just secured another round of government, national and international, bids and now was one of the largest freight/cargo shipping and dock management companies for the Port of New Orleans. It seemed the grimier Franklin got, the better his company did. Many in Nola had conflicting views about the private financing of the public port as well as how individual companies did business.
Franklin Shipping had been the forerunner in modernizing and building much of the sorely needed infrastructure and facilities for the Port. For every step Franklin was allowed to take to strengthen his private business, he made quite a show by gifting the city with needed equipment, structure and financing capital. Everyone hated how Franklin Shipping operated, yet the city and those she supported needed these vital pieces to stay afloat. Going to bed with the devil was never easy or glamorous, but sometimes it was a necessary evil. Since state funding was never enough, city officials conceded some moral lines in order to gain the monies needed. Reputation was as much at stake as functionality, so, deals were made, hands dirtied a bit, and life continued to flow in and out of the Port of New Orleans, false smiles plastered on everyone's face.
"Fine, so it's not sabotage," Jude shrugged as they reached the warehouse. "What could it be? A poltergeist?" Laughing at Nevil's face, he yanked open the door, a loud explosion sounding into the night, a white cloud billowing upwards as the door and half of the wall blew outwards in a fiery rush.
**
Not believing in coincidences Nikki and Nora arrived at the port to look into the newest attack on Franklin only to find the scene overrun by people in contamination suits. As they drew closer Nora spotted Captain Daniels of the Harbor Patrol, just inside the crime scene tape, and began to lead Nikki in his direction. "Oh great," she complained when she spotted FBI emblazoned across the back of one of the investigator's jackets.
"Relax Nora. You knew the Feds would come in on this."
"I know but they just make it harder for us to do our job." Nora held up the crime scene tape for Nikki to duck under then followed after her partner. "Hey Captain," she greeted the older officer.
"Hey Delaney. What brings you down here?" he asked, holding his hand out to Nikki, "Detective Beaumont."
"Captain," she returned.
"We're working some break-ins at the Franklin estate," Nora informed him. "Heard about this on the radio, thought it might be linked."
"Did Franklin fill you in on the other troubles we've been having down here?" the Captain asked.
"Only the basics. We were actually going to come down in the morning to ask you for the full report."
"Don't have too much to tell you. Until tonight we thought it was just your run of the mill vandalism. I'll have copies of everything sent over to you tomorrow." The Captain motioned to the federal agents who were closer to the scene, "don't know how much involvement we are going to have now though."
Nora nodded. "I wouldn't mind working with them if they didn't treat us as their personal lackeys. We do all the work and they take all the glory," Nora grumbled.
"Any information you have will be greatly appreciated," Nikki interjected before Nora and Captain Daniels could get into a bitching session. Then noticing Nora tense she turned to spot Philip Franklin approaching with an FBI agent. "Mr. Franklin, sorry about this trouble here," she offered sympathetically.
"Thank you Detective. This is Agent Vargas, maybe now that the FBI is involved we will finally begin to get some answers."
"Maybe..." Nora began harshly.
"I'm sure," Nikki cut in. "With all the departments working together we will solve who is behind not only the activity going on here at the ports but also who is behind the break-ins at your home." She turned her attention to the agent. "I'm Detective Beaumont, this is my partner Detective Delaney. Nice to meet you Agent Vargas."
The agent reached out to take Nikki's hand, "Rachel please. We are going to be working together after all, Detective."
"Nikki."
"So, Agent Vargas. What do we have here?" Nora asked brusquely after observing her partner getting a little too friendly with the agent.
Agent Vargas turned her attention to Nora, "the two dock workers were killed. This," the agent motioned to the mess behind them, "is flour."
"Flour?" Nora asked incredulously. She looked at all the officers removing their contamination suits. "It took thirty of you in contamination suits to come up with flour?"
Captain Daniels tried to stifle his chuckle but Nikki was less amused, "Nora."
Agent Vargas narrowed her eyes as she looked at the blonde detective. "Better to be safe than sorry, Detective. If it was a contaminate and someone had fallen ill..."
"Yes, of course," Nikki interjected. "Would you mind showing us what you've found, Rachel?" she asked as she turned toward the scene throwing one last glare Nora's way.
"Of course, Nikki," Vargas said as she led the detective toward the scene. Captain Daniels stepped away with Franklin to get any information that the company owner may have regarding the two workers who were killed in the explosion.
"Of course, Nikki," Nora grumbled. "That one is going to be a real ball buster."
"Excuse me."
Not realizing someone was standing behind her, Nora turned suddenly. "Oh, sorry Father."
"That's quite alright. I'm Father Timothy, I was just wondering if there was anything I could do. I would like to offer solace to the injured."
"I'm afraid the only victims were both killed, they are pretty much past the solace phase."
"Maybe I could say a prayer over their bodies."
"I'm sure the families will make arrangements for them but I could pass along your name if you'd like."
"That would be very thoughtful of you. I see the FBI is involved, does that mean this is some sort of terrorism?"
"No Father, just some nut-job who wants attention."
The priest strained to look at the scene beyond the yellow tape. "Seems like a lot of commotion for just some nut-job."
"I've been doing this a long time and I can tell you there are a lot of crazy people out there."
"Crazy people? Isn't that passing judgment before you have considered all of the facts?"
"Facts Father? The facts are someone was killed. Add in the way it happened and nut-job is probably being too nice."
"Be careful writing someone off before listening. Making snap assessments and assigning a title based on cursory glances can be harmful and hurtful."
Nora's face contorted in shame as the priest's words smacked her in the face; sounding so similar to what she had ranted about to Nikki when they had sat in the coffee house.
"Well I will pray for a speedy conclusion to this case."
"That's nice Father but actually what we could use are some witnesses, so if you could conjure up a few of those that would be great." Nora's answer slipped out before she could consider how it sounded.
"I'm a priest not a witch," he chided, albeit softly.
"No offense Father," Nora quickly apologized. She really hated it when Nikki wasn't around to stop her from saying the wrong things.
"Yes, I'm sure not."
"I should really get to work," Nora informed him as she began to back away. "I'll send someone over to take down your information."
"Thank you my child," the priest said as Nora went off after her partner. "I'll make sure I pray for you too."