Tuesday, December 05, 2006
When Fiction Meets Reality - Pt. 10
Day Two.
He woke at the first noise, sitting up in bed at once, gun pointed at the door, awake instantly. He slipped out of bed and inched towards the door, listening intently. He heard running water, but had that woken him up? Maybe, maybe not. He wasn't going to take any chances. A quick peek around the corner told him the hallway was empty and he stepped out into it, heading straight for Kiefer's room at the end, checking on him first. If he was okay, he could then check the rest of the apartment.
The bed was empty, the sheets rumpled. The running water came from an open door to the left and Jack made his way over there after a last look down the empty hall to make sure nobody was coming up behind him. He reached the door the moment Kiefer came out of it bathroom. They both reacted in the same split second. Jack lowering his gun and stepping back, Kiefer angling away from the gun and pulling his arm back, winding up for a punch. When he recognized Jack, his arm dropped and they both let out a shallow sigh of relief.
"You okay?" Jack asked quietly.
"Yeah." Kiefer replied, slightly aggravated by the greeting of a gun pointed at his chest. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I woke up to a noise but I don't know what it was. Did you hear anything?"
"That was probably me, I knocked something down in there."
"I'd rather make sure, stay here and keep the door closed."
"You close it, I'm not up yet." Kiefer grumbled, getting back between the sheets. "I've got half an hour left, don't try to take it."
"Roger that boss." Jack joked. Kiefer wasn't awake yet, but he was. Wide awake and fully alert.
He left the room and closed the door behind him. He stopped after the first step he took and opened the door again. "Where's Molly?"
Kiefer lifted his head and checked the clock again. "Polly comes around to walk her in the morning. If she's not here, she's out with Polly. That's probably what you heard."
Jack closed the door again and levelled his gun, going from room to room, checking the premises, finding nothing.
Either he had awoken to the sound of whatever Kiefer had knocked down in the bathroom, or to the sound of the door closing as Polly took Molly for a walk. A smile folded around his mouth as he thought that and he wondered if Kiefer had done it on purpose, hire Polly to walk Molly. He went back to let Kiefer know everything was safe and got a low growl in response.
"Twenty five minutes."
"Copy that." Jack replied, closing the door again.
It gave him plenty of time to take a shower and be ready to start the day. It bothered him to have to change back into the clothes he had been wearing for 2 days now, but he didn't have a choice, so he took a quick shower and dressed again. He came out of the bathroom when Kiefer stumbled out into the hall. It wasn't a good morning and Jack wisely refrained from any comment. Kiefer went into the kitchen and started the coffeemaker. Polly prepared it when she came in to get Molly and all he had to do was start it.
It didn't look like he had slept well at all and Jack wondered if the newest threat had found its way into his dreams. It probably had.
Minutes later, they were seated at the kitchen table, sipping on a pretty strong cup of coffee, Kiefer desperately trying to wake up, Jack feeling uncomfortable for being so damn fit already. Kiefer checked the clock a few times, sighing on each occasion. The time to leave was drawing nearer and he couldn't be bothered to lift his butt off that chair, take a shower and get ready to go to work. He lit another cigarette, offered Jack in a reflex and dropped the pack when Jack declined.
He took another sip of his coffee, sighed again as his eyes caught the clock on the wall and rubbed his eyes with the butt of his hand, trying to force sleep out of them. It had been pretty late last night and it was an early day now, so Jack understood his difficulty to slip out from under the blanket of sleep, it could be pretty hard at times. He said nothing and waited, sipping on his coffee. He had no idea what time they had to leave or what time Kiefer had to be at the studio, he didn't even know if he was going to the studio today. Kiefer finally heaved himself off the chair, put out the cigarette and stretched out, stifling a yawn.
"Give me twenty minutes."
Jack nodded but said nothing and Kiefer went back to his room to get ready. His timing was good, not perfect but almost. He came back, ready to go, 23 minutes later. Jack got Kiefer into the car and turned back to lock up, coming around the car and climbing in behind the wheel.
"Where to?" he asked.
"To the studios."
He put the car in gear and pulled out into traffic, sensing Kiefer's tension. "What's wrong?"
"I should've been there ten minutes ago." Kiefer sighed. "How long will it take to get there? Forty minutes or so?"
"Make that about ten minutes." Jack replied, throwing a switch and turning on his emergency beacon and siren. He stomped the accelerator and the big car leapt forward. He guided it through traffic with steady hand, getting them to the main gate in just over ten minutes. Security was better but since they both had their badges, they cleared it in no time and Jack parked the car at the studio entrance not even fifteen minutes after they had left Kiefer's apartment.
They went into the building and almost ran into Jon who was talking on the phone, his voice tense and loaded with worry. He looked up from his phonecall and saw Kiefer. The sigh of relief was genuine.
"It's okay, he just walked in."
Jack took his cue, jumping in before Kiefer could say anything. "I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again." He felt Kiefer's gaze on his back, but ignored it and continued. "I'm not used to chauffeuring and I ran out of gas. I know I should've checked last night, but I'll make sure it's filled up from now on." Jon gave him a killer look and Jack played the guilt-trip to perfection
"Make sure you get him here on time in the future, we have a schedule to stick to." Jon snapped taking Kiefer by the arm and walking him to make-up. He wasn't even listening when Jack apologized again but walked off briskly, pulling Kiefer along.
The make-up ladies did a good job in getting him ready to go in less than 40 minutes, making up for some of the time that had been lost but Jon stayed with him throughout, so Kiefer didn't get a chance to thank Jack for taking the blame. By the time they took their first break, Jon's foul mood had passed because everybody was giving it their best. Even Kiefer, despite the fact he still wasn't fully awake. It was just one of those days he got through on auto pilot. It happened sometimes. The moment they were alone, Kiefer extended his hand to Jack.
"Thank you."
"What for?" Jack asked, pretending to already have forgotten about it.
"For taking the blame this morning. I owe you one."
"I'll be able to tell Chapelle I already saved your butt once." Jack chuckled, "Get him off my back."
"Talking about your back." Kiefer said, "Wouldn't you want to get some clean clothes on it?"
"Can't leave you alone," Jack replied, "and I live on the other side of town."
"That's bull. Get someone to take over for you for a while."
"Chapelle won't have it."
"Screw Chapelle." Kiefer said softly, "Go home and get changed, you've been wearing those clothes for three days."
"I'll see if I can get someone to take over. But I'll have to clear them with security." He fished out his cellphone and called CTU.
"Tony, it's Jack. What are you working on? ... Nothing much, that's good. I need you to join me at the Fox studios ASAP. ... No, there's something I have to do but I can't leave my man unguarded, I need you to cover for me. ... About an hour. ... I'll clear it with Chapelle, don't worry. ... No. Just drive up to the main gate, I'll have them call me when you get there. ... Twenty minutes? Good, I'll see you."
"Clear it with Chapelle?" Kiefer asked. "How will you pull that off without getting your head chewed off?"
"Watch me." Jack grinned, punching in Chapelle's direct number.
"Sir this is Jack Bauer." Jack said the moment an aggravated Chapelle picked up his phone.
"Sir, I've just requested agent Almeida to meet me at the studios. A new threat was delivered to mister Sutherland's home last night and I need another agent here as a decoy."
"Why?" Chapelle snapped.
"Well sir, Mr. Sutherland has a meeting across town in just over an hour and I'd like to have a second vehicle to serve as decoy so I can get him to his meeting safely."
"What about the threat? You said it was delivered to his home, I take it you apprehended the man who made the delivery."
"No sir, I did not."
"How come? You were supposed to be watching the place weren't you?" Chapelle asked, contempt drooping off him again.
"Well sir, I was inside with Mr. Sutherland, making sure the premises were secure. If there had been a back-up team on the street, we would've apprehended the hostile, but my request for a back-up team was dismissed for some reason." Jack said matter-of-factly.
Kiefer burst out laughing, making it hard for Jack to stay serious, but he bit his lip and managed to keep the smile out of his voice. The line remained silent for a moment. "Sir? Do I have your permission to use agent Almeida on this assignment?"
"Yes you do." Chapelle snapped after what he threw down the phone, refusing to acknowledge Jack's "Thank you sir."
Jack hung up with a smile and pocketed his phone.
"I think that breaks it even." he said to Kiefer.
"I take it he didn't like it?"
"No, not really." Jack chuckled. "Agent Almeida will be here in about 20 minutes, I'll pick him up at the gate when he gets here."
"Is he good?"
"He's young, but he's got potential."
Kiefer finished his cigarette and emptied the cup of coffee that seemed to have been glued to his hand since morning and went back inside. He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his neck on the way to the studio and Jack recognized the signs. He was tired and the stress was getting to him. They would have to resolve this thing quickly or he would crumble under the pressure. Suddenly something hit him and he slapped his forehead.
"Kiefer wait." He said as Kiefer reached for the doorknob.
"What?" Kiefer asked, startled by the snappy tone of voice.
"I just thought of something." Jack replied, "I can't believe I didn't think of it last night. You have a security camera above your door, is that recorded?"
"Yes it is." Kiefer replied.
"Can you access those images?"
"No, I can't. It's linked to a security company, they have it on hard disc."
"Has anybody thought of checking those recordings?"
"I don't think so. I hadn't given it a thought until now."
"Can you give me the name of the security company?"
"Sure, the company is called Octopus. Do you need their number?"
"I think it would be best if you called them to let them know I'll be coming over to check the recordings, I'll make a list of dates to check but I'll have to get back into those files."
"Linda will be happy to help you." Kiefer said, "My cell's in my dressing room, hang on a minute."
Jack didn't wait, he tagged along with Kiefer to his dressing room and stayed while he made the call. The security company had no problem with a federal agent viewing the recordings, he could come by any time he wanted, provided he could give Kiefer's personal password as proof of identity. Kiefer gave Jack his password and the address of where the company was located. Then the two of them went back into the office where Linda pulled out the pile of letters delivered to Kiefer's home. Jack took down several dates and noted an approximate time with each to narrow the search as much as possible. As he was pocketing the list, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. Tony was at the gate.
"Tony's here, I'll go get him at the gate and bring him back, then I'm heading off to check this. I can't believe I didn't think of it last night."
"Hey, the cops didn't think of it at all, and this has been going on for nearly 3 months."
"I'm not a cop." Jack replied.
"I know, but you're thinking of it aren't you?"
Jack hurried out to his car, knowing Kiefer wasn't going to let him take any blame for missing that step, he was taking it now. If they got anything from those recordings, they could crack this case in no time. He met Tony at the gate and cleared him with security, then drove back to the building and took him in to introduce him to Kiefer. Tony was impressed, one could tell, he knew Kiefer, knew who he was and what he had been doing in his life. He couldn't believe his luck getting assigned to his protection, even if it was just to replace Jack while he ran an errand.
Once they had been introduced and Tony was up to speed on things, Jack went out to his car and headed for Octopus security. It was a half hour drive, taking him to the outskirts of town. Jack showed his badge and stated his business, gave Kiefer's password when they asked it and was whisked through security and shown to the basement. A young lady met him as he exited the elevator, introducing herself as Valerie, team leader on duty. Jack told her what he was looking for and Valerie took him over to a vacant station, punching up the file. They wouldn't be able to do a search for multiple dates, it would be one by one which would take time.
"I'm sorry, but this system doesn't support the multiple search feature, it's the best we can do." she said apologetically, having seen Jack's disappointment.
"Can we connect to your server and search the files remotely?" Jack asked, "We do have multiple search features at CTU."
"You can't connect to our server from a remote location. You would have to bring your equipment here or take ours to CTU but you would need a warrant for that."
"I have the client's authorization." Jack replied, thinking he could bypass her objection.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the customer, you would need a warrant to take our equipment out of here, the equipment doesn't belong to the customer, it belongs to us, they rent space on it."
"I see your point." Jack sighed; barely able to hide his disappointment. "Let's get to it."
Valerie started up the search program and punched in the first date and time, giving it a half hour leeway on either side. The images came up after about 30 seconds and she hit the play-button.
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"Anyone slipping something under the front door. " Jack replied.
She hit the fast forward button, letting the images run faster. She could increase or decrease the speed using a big dial and she increased it to a speed where Jack was barely able to make anything at all out on the screen in front of him. But apparently she was much more used to it, her eyes seemed to stare blankly at the screen, but the moment someone came into view, she hit the pause button, freezing the frame only seconds after. She rewound it until she got to the point where someone stooped down and slipped an envelope under the door, stood up again and disappeared from view. She went back to the beginning of the sequence and struck a combination of keys, then she moved to the moment where the person disappeared from view, added 2 more seconds and struck another combination of keys. A red pop-up window announced the save had been successful and Jack smiled to himself. She didn't need to be told what to do every step of the way. He loved working with people who knew what they were doing and what was required from them.
It took them almost two hours to get through all the files, including the one from last night and when they were done, Valerie saved everything to a memory stick and handed it to Jack.
"Those files remain accessible, so if you need anything else, just give us a call, we'll be happy to assist."
"Thank you for your help." Jack said, following her to the elevator.
"That's what we're here for, to protect our customers. Anything we can do to help is our pleasure." She reached the elevator and pressed the button. "I sure hope you can catch those bastards."
"Bastards?" Jack asked, hoping to learn more.
"If they've been harassing him for over three months, they're nothing short of bastards." Valerie replied, not giving Jack what he was expecting.
"I'll try my best."
"If there's anything else I can do for you, feel free to call me." Valerie said, extending her hand as the elevator doors opened.
He woke at the first noise, sitting up in bed at once, gun pointed at the door, awake instantly. He slipped out of bed and inched towards the door, listening intently. He heard running water, but had that woken him up? Maybe, maybe not. He wasn't going to take any chances. A quick peek around the corner told him the hallway was empty and he stepped out into it, heading straight for Kiefer's room at the end, checking on him first. If he was okay, he could then check the rest of the apartment.
The bed was empty, the sheets rumpled. The running water came from an open door to the left and Jack made his way over there after a last look down the empty hall to make sure nobody was coming up behind him. He reached the door the moment Kiefer came out of it bathroom. They both reacted in the same split second. Jack lowering his gun and stepping back, Kiefer angling away from the gun and pulling his arm back, winding up for a punch. When he recognized Jack, his arm dropped and they both let out a shallow sigh of relief.
"You okay?" Jack asked quietly.
"Yeah." Kiefer replied, slightly aggravated by the greeting of a gun pointed at his chest. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I woke up to a noise but I don't know what it was. Did you hear anything?"
"That was probably me, I knocked something down in there."
"I'd rather make sure, stay here and keep the door closed."
"You close it, I'm not up yet." Kiefer grumbled, getting back between the sheets. "I've got half an hour left, don't try to take it."
"Roger that boss." Jack joked. Kiefer wasn't awake yet, but he was. Wide awake and fully alert.
He left the room and closed the door behind him. He stopped after the first step he took and opened the door again. "Where's Molly?"
Kiefer lifted his head and checked the clock again. "Polly comes around to walk her in the morning. If she's not here, she's out with Polly. That's probably what you heard."
Jack closed the door again and levelled his gun, going from room to room, checking the premises, finding nothing.
Either he had awoken to the sound of whatever Kiefer had knocked down in the bathroom, or to the sound of the door closing as Polly took Molly for a walk. A smile folded around his mouth as he thought that and he wondered if Kiefer had done it on purpose, hire Polly to walk Molly. He went back to let Kiefer know everything was safe and got a low growl in response.
"Twenty five minutes."
"Copy that." Jack replied, closing the door again.
It gave him plenty of time to take a shower and be ready to start the day. It bothered him to have to change back into the clothes he had been wearing for 2 days now, but he didn't have a choice, so he took a quick shower and dressed again. He came out of the bathroom when Kiefer stumbled out into the hall. It wasn't a good morning and Jack wisely refrained from any comment. Kiefer went into the kitchen and started the coffeemaker. Polly prepared it when she came in to get Molly and all he had to do was start it.
It didn't look like he had slept well at all and Jack wondered if the newest threat had found its way into his dreams. It probably had.
Minutes later, they were seated at the kitchen table, sipping on a pretty strong cup of coffee, Kiefer desperately trying to wake up, Jack feeling uncomfortable for being so damn fit already. Kiefer checked the clock a few times, sighing on each occasion. The time to leave was drawing nearer and he couldn't be bothered to lift his butt off that chair, take a shower and get ready to go to work. He lit another cigarette, offered Jack in a reflex and dropped the pack when Jack declined.
He took another sip of his coffee, sighed again as his eyes caught the clock on the wall and rubbed his eyes with the butt of his hand, trying to force sleep out of them. It had been pretty late last night and it was an early day now, so Jack understood his difficulty to slip out from under the blanket of sleep, it could be pretty hard at times. He said nothing and waited, sipping on his coffee. He had no idea what time they had to leave or what time Kiefer had to be at the studio, he didn't even know if he was going to the studio today. Kiefer finally heaved himself off the chair, put out the cigarette and stretched out, stifling a yawn.
"Give me twenty minutes."
Jack nodded but said nothing and Kiefer went back to his room to get ready. His timing was good, not perfect but almost. He came back, ready to go, 23 minutes later. Jack got Kiefer into the car and turned back to lock up, coming around the car and climbing in behind the wheel.
"Where to?" he asked.
"To the studios."
He put the car in gear and pulled out into traffic, sensing Kiefer's tension. "What's wrong?"
"I should've been there ten minutes ago." Kiefer sighed. "How long will it take to get there? Forty minutes or so?"
"Make that about ten minutes." Jack replied, throwing a switch and turning on his emergency beacon and siren. He stomped the accelerator and the big car leapt forward. He guided it through traffic with steady hand, getting them to the main gate in just over ten minutes. Security was better but since they both had their badges, they cleared it in no time and Jack parked the car at the studio entrance not even fifteen minutes after they had left Kiefer's apartment.
They went into the building and almost ran into Jon who was talking on the phone, his voice tense and loaded with worry. He looked up from his phonecall and saw Kiefer. The sigh of relief was genuine.
"It's okay, he just walked in."
Jack took his cue, jumping in before Kiefer could say anything. "I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again." He felt Kiefer's gaze on his back, but ignored it and continued. "I'm not used to chauffeuring and I ran out of gas. I know I should've checked last night, but I'll make sure it's filled up from now on." Jon gave him a killer look and Jack played the guilt-trip to perfection
"Make sure you get him here on time in the future, we have a schedule to stick to." Jon snapped taking Kiefer by the arm and walking him to make-up. He wasn't even listening when Jack apologized again but walked off briskly, pulling Kiefer along.
The make-up ladies did a good job in getting him ready to go in less than 40 minutes, making up for some of the time that had been lost but Jon stayed with him throughout, so Kiefer didn't get a chance to thank Jack for taking the blame. By the time they took their first break, Jon's foul mood had passed because everybody was giving it their best. Even Kiefer, despite the fact he still wasn't fully awake. It was just one of those days he got through on auto pilot. It happened sometimes. The moment they were alone, Kiefer extended his hand to Jack.
"Thank you."
"What for?" Jack asked, pretending to already have forgotten about it.
"For taking the blame this morning. I owe you one."
"I'll be able to tell Chapelle I already saved your butt once." Jack chuckled, "Get him off my back."
"Talking about your back." Kiefer said, "Wouldn't you want to get some clean clothes on it?"
"Can't leave you alone," Jack replied, "and I live on the other side of town."
"That's bull. Get someone to take over for you for a while."
"Chapelle won't have it."
"Screw Chapelle." Kiefer said softly, "Go home and get changed, you've been wearing those clothes for three days."
"I'll see if I can get someone to take over. But I'll have to clear them with security." He fished out his cellphone and called CTU.
"Tony, it's Jack. What are you working on? ... Nothing much, that's good. I need you to join me at the Fox studios ASAP. ... No, there's something I have to do but I can't leave my man unguarded, I need you to cover for me. ... About an hour. ... I'll clear it with Chapelle, don't worry. ... No. Just drive up to the main gate, I'll have them call me when you get there. ... Twenty minutes? Good, I'll see you."
"Clear it with Chapelle?" Kiefer asked. "How will you pull that off without getting your head chewed off?"
"Watch me." Jack grinned, punching in Chapelle's direct number.
"Sir this is Jack Bauer." Jack said the moment an aggravated Chapelle picked up his phone.
"Sir, I've just requested agent Almeida to meet me at the studios. A new threat was delivered to mister Sutherland's home last night and I need another agent here as a decoy."
"Why?" Chapelle snapped.
"Well sir, Mr. Sutherland has a meeting across town in just over an hour and I'd like to have a second vehicle to serve as decoy so I can get him to his meeting safely."
"What about the threat? You said it was delivered to his home, I take it you apprehended the man who made the delivery."
"No sir, I did not."
"How come? You were supposed to be watching the place weren't you?" Chapelle asked, contempt drooping off him again.
"Well sir, I was inside with Mr. Sutherland, making sure the premises were secure. If there had been a back-up team on the street, we would've apprehended the hostile, but my request for a back-up team was dismissed for some reason." Jack said matter-of-factly.
Kiefer burst out laughing, making it hard for Jack to stay serious, but he bit his lip and managed to keep the smile out of his voice. The line remained silent for a moment. "Sir? Do I have your permission to use agent Almeida on this assignment?"
"Yes you do." Chapelle snapped after what he threw down the phone, refusing to acknowledge Jack's "Thank you sir."
Jack hung up with a smile and pocketed his phone.
"I think that breaks it even." he said to Kiefer.
"I take it he didn't like it?"
"No, not really." Jack chuckled. "Agent Almeida will be here in about 20 minutes, I'll pick him up at the gate when he gets here."
"Is he good?"
"He's young, but he's got potential."
Kiefer finished his cigarette and emptied the cup of coffee that seemed to have been glued to his hand since morning and went back inside. He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his neck on the way to the studio and Jack recognized the signs. He was tired and the stress was getting to him. They would have to resolve this thing quickly or he would crumble under the pressure. Suddenly something hit him and he slapped his forehead.
"Kiefer wait." He said as Kiefer reached for the doorknob.
"What?" Kiefer asked, startled by the snappy tone of voice.
"I just thought of something." Jack replied, "I can't believe I didn't think of it last night. You have a security camera above your door, is that recorded?"
"Yes it is." Kiefer replied.
"Can you access those images?"
"No, I can't. It's linked to a security company, they have it on hard disc."
"Has anybody thought of checking those recordings?"
"I don't think so. I hadn't given it a thought until now."
"Can you give me the name of the security company?"
"Sure, the company is called Octopus. Do you need their number?"
"I think it would be best if you called them to let them know I'll be coming over to check the recordings, I'll make a list of dates to check but I'll have to get back into those files."
"Linda will be happy to help you." Kiefer said, "My cell's in my dressing room, hang on a minute."
Jack didn't wait, he tagged along with Kiefer to his dressing room and stayed while he made the call. The security company had no problem with a federal agent viewing the recordings, he could come by any time he wanted, provided he could give Kiefer's personal password as proof of identity. Kiefer gave Jack his password and the address of where the company was located. Then the two of them went back into the office where Linda pulled out the pile of letters delivered to Kiefer's home. Jack took down several dates and noted an approximate time with each to narrow the search as much as possible. As he was pocketing the list, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. Tony was at the gate.
"Tony's here, I'll go get him at the gate and bring him back, then I'm heading off to check this. I can't believe I didn't think of it last night."
"Hey, the cops didn't think of it at all, and this has been going on for nearly 3 months."
"I'm not a cop." Jack replied.
"I know, but you're thinking of it aren't you?"
Jack hurried out to his car, knowing Kiefer wasn't going to let him take any blame for missing that step, he was taking it now. If they got anything from those recordings, they could crack this case in no time. He met Tony at the gate and cleared him with security, then drove back to the building and took him in to introduce him to Kiefer. Tony was impressed, one could tell, he knew Kiefer, knew who he was and what he had been doing in his life. He couldn't believe his luck getting assigned to his protection, even if it was just to replace Jack while he ran an errand.
Once they had been introduced and Tony was up to speed on things, Jack went out to his car and headed for Octopus security. It was a half hour drive, taking him to the outskirts of town. Jack showed his badge and stated his business, gave Kiefer's password when they asked it and was whisked through security and shown to the basement. A young lady met him as he exited the elevator, introducing herself as Valerie, team leader on duty. Jack told her what he was looking for and Valerie took him over to a vacant station, punching up the file. They wouldn't be able to do a search for multiple dates, it would be one by one which would take time.
"I'm sorry, but this system doesn't support the multiple search feature, it's the best we can do." she said apologetically, having seen Jack's disappointment.
"Can we connect to your server and search the files remotely?" Jack asked, "We do have multiple search features at CTU."
"You can't connect to our server from a remote location. You would have to bring your equipment here or take ours to CTU but you would need a warrant for that."
"I have the client's authorization." Jack replied, thinking he could bypass her objection.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the customer, you would need a warrant to take our equipment out of here, the equipment doesn't belong to the customer, it belongs to us, they rent space on it."
"I see your point." Jack sighed; barely able to hide his disappointment. "Let's get to it."
Valerie started up the search program and punched in the first date and time, giving it a half hour leeway on either side. The images came up after about 30 seconds and she hit the play-button.
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"Anyone slipping something under the front door. " Jack replied.
She hit the fast forward button, letting the images run faster. She could increase or decrease the speed using a big dial and she increased it to a speed where Jack was barely able to make anything at all out on the screen in front of him. But apparently she was much more used to it, her eyes seemed to stare blankly at the screen, but the moment someone came into view, she hit the pause button, freezing the frame only seconds after. She rewound it until she got to the point where someone stooped down and slipped an envelope under the door, stood up again and disappeared from view. She went back to the beginning of the sequence and struck a combination of keys, then she moved to the moment where the person disappeared from view, added 2 more seconds and struck another combination of keys. A red pop-up window announced the save had been successful and Jack smiled to himself. She didn't need to be told what to do every step of the way. He loved working with people who knew what they were doing and what was required from them.
It took them almost two hours to get through all the files, including the one from last night and when they were done, Valerie saved everything to a memory stick and handed it to Jack.
"Those files remain accessible, so if you need anything else, just give us a call, we'll be happy to assist."
"Thank you for your help." Jack said, following her to the elevator.
"That's what we're here for, to protect our customers. Anything we can do to help is our pleasure." She reached the elevator and pressed the button. "I sure hope you can catch those bastards."
"Bastards?" Jack asked, hoping to learn more.
"If they've been harassing him for over three months, they're nothing short of bastards." Valerie replied, not giving Jack what he was expecting.
"I'll try my best."
"If there's anything else I can do for you, feel free to call me." Valerie said, extending her hand as the elevator doors opened.
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