The Control Freak: A Kip and Ezra Novel

10.

I drove the car back to the precinct in silence as Carter sat next to me. Foxtrotter was right- we weren't moving fast enough. Of course, I knew Estes was here... I just didn't expect him to go on a killing spree. I don't think Carter or Fox did either. But we had to push away the shock and even small, forming anger and just focus and did what we did best. Which was why, after all the men were set straight and on their way, after statements were collected, and Foxtrotter and his officers all took them into protective custody, we both decided to head back to the precinct and just talk through it all and put our heads down to get to work.

We drove along, the lines of the highway blurring together as I kept my eyes fixed on the road.

"Marriage is hard," Carter finally said as he turned to look at me.

I adjusted my grip on the wheel and chuckled.

    "That was random."

    "Not really," Carter said, seriously. "I mean... Think of it, Gordon. You. Willow. Me. Christy. Marriage is hard. You see the absolute worst in someone. You see them go through literally every emotion when they're so unlovable they make you want to scream. But you also get to see them when they're happy and laughing and joyful. Marriage is dirty. It's hard and it's rewarding. It's not beautiful but it's one heaven of a ride. I just..."

He looked at me as I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

    "I just hope you can see why Willow wants it to work."

And then on, we drove to the precinct in silence. Me not wishing to comment on Carter's preachiness and him not wanting to talk and not get a response.

I pulled my car alongside the curb and we went in and knocked on the door of Foxtrotter's office.    

"Hey, guys. Come on in."

We walked in and I shut the door as I took a look at Fox's desk.

    "What's all this?"

    "This... is all the kinds of kill switches made since 1999."

Carter picked one up and fingered it as he looked at Fox.

    "All the ones since Estes was active?

Fox nodded.

    "Yep. And from our first meeting, you seemed like you were efficient in these switches so I thought I would dig through our archives and give you some to look at. Maybe it could help us determine what Estes is using them for. What can you tell me, Ezra?"

Fox and I stood back and watched Carter look and pick through all the switches. Carter went to one of the best trade schools and majored in Automotive Engineering and he was in love with learning how cars worked and especially kill switches. Which was why he had so much knowledge on the subject.

    "So... I'll say this," Carter began as he rounded the table and stood in front of us. "A kill switch is an IT mechanism. It's used to shut down or disable a device or program."

    "But we know that's not what Estes is using it for," Detective Fox remarked.

Carter nodded at him.    

    "The purpose of a kill switch is usually to prevent theft of a machine or data. It can also be used to shut down machinery in a hurry. God forbid something happened."

    "So, can you enlighten me as to how they work?"

    "Of course. So, I always like to say that a kill switch is a very broad term when it comes to the type of technology, software, data, and tools used to create and facilitate it. Let me give you an example. Let's say a factory. They might use the resource of a kill switch- they would call it a big red button- to shut down machinery if a worker was in danger."