"We've got another one chief" Officer Morris exclaimed as he opened the door.
Chief of Police Calvin Powell looked up from the paperwork on his desk, his head sadly shook slowly from side to side almost imperceptibly in disbelief. He regarded the police officer for a second before he sorted the documents into a neat pile.
"What's happened now?" He enquired as he stood up. He winced as he stretched and turned, all in one finely choreographed movement, finally feeling his back crack back into place. "I'm getting too old for this, you know that don't you ? I should have retired when I got the chance... "
"Nonsense chief." The young officer smiled "firstly, you'd miss this...and secondly, who else has got the expertise in all this weird stuff? We need you here."
Powell smirked "Well one of those things is definitely true, the other not so much...I'd certainly not miss this" He paused "well OK. Maybe I'd miss it just a little" he sniffed up theatrically as he walked to the office doorway. "Is that coffee I can smell ? Someone get me a large pot of that stuff, I've a feeling I'm going to need it...OK. fire away. What we got now?"
"You'll not believe this Chief. Indiana air track control just called. They've got a missing flight"
"Oh no !" the chief exclaimed in horror, his kindly demeanor instantly transforming "We've got a crashed plane ? Have the fire crews been informed ? The medics ? What are we looking at ?"
"No chief, you misunderstand. I said a missing flight, not a downed plane. As in its literally gone missing. One minute everything was normal, all looking good on their instruments, and the next second it was just...gone. It was flying over the town when it happened, which is why we got the call..."
The old police chief frowned. "another missing thing ? I think that may even be worse !"
"Worse than a crash ? How can that be ?" Officer Morris questioned.
"Well it's worse for two reasons. It means we have a pattern, yesterday wasn't a one off..." Powell tailed off as he contemplated his own statement, deep in thought.
"And the second reason ?" the junior police officer prompted after a moment.
"hmmm ?" The sound of the voice broke Powell's chain of thought. "oh. The second reason is something a bit more troublesome on this fine warm day...it means we're going to have to go do something about it..."
The blond haired Morris laughed at the older man's joke. "It's what we're here for right ?"
"That it is Morris. That it is...now. what do we know ?"
Officer Morris turned and walked over to the corner of the small room, to where a uniformed woman was writing on a large white board attached to the wall.
"Sarg ?" He said as he waited behind her.
Sergeant Walker turned, straightening slightly as she saw Powell approaching her.
"So. We got a call. From air traffic control. An intercontinental flight failed to check in after their transponder code disappeared from all displays. Been confirmed that no sudden terrestrial collision has occurred..."
Powell held his hand up to stop Walker from speaking "Sergeant. I know you haven't been with us for long, but you should know by now that you don't have to be so formal all of the time. None of that sudden collision talk. If you mean the plane didn't crash, then just say that..."
Walker bristled slightly at the interruption "Yes sir. Sorry sir."
Powell inwardly groaned, resisting the temptation to face palm himself. "You don't have to be sorry Sergeant... forget I said anything, please continue"
The sergeant waited for a second, visibly composing her thoughts. "Well, that's just it Chief. There's not much else we know right now, apart from one other thing..."
All three police officers turned at the sound of the outside door being opened. Powell watched as a small tearful boy was led in to the situation room by two other officers who bent over and said something quietly to him and then showed him to a seat on the far wall. They nodded to Powell as they then went back outside.
Walker spoke up again "Right on cue. That's the one other thing sir...the boy is called Tom Reeves. A jogger found him distressed in the park. He's saying that his father disappeared as they were playing there, must have been around the same time as the plane vanished..."
Powell nodded without letting any emotion show on his elderly face. He walked over to where the boy was sitting. "Hello Tom. My name is Calvin. I'm in charge here. See that lady over there ? That's Sergeant Walker. She's going to ask you a few questions OK?"
Tom looked up at the kindly face, the look on the old policeman's face putting him at ease "Yes, that's fine" He managed to say through sobs.
"Good, good" Chief Powell reached over to a nearby desk and took a paper tissue from a box that was there, handing it to the frightened child, who immediately blew his nose. He started to turn away from him, but stopped and looked back at the boy "You won't be here for long, we will get someone to come pick you up... oh, and Tom ?"
Tom looked up at him, expectantly.
"...dont worry. I have found missing people around here before. We will find your dad, ok ?"