Second Chance

New Leads New Questions

None of this makes sense. I've been going over all the files for the last few weeks and something isn't adding up. Kelley isn't in yet so I can't bounce ideas off him. I need to hear them out loud sometimes, this being one of them. It helps having someone else in the room but fuck it, I'm stuck. "What am I missing? Twelve bodies, that's two too many. Only eight have been identified. Had to run their chips to do so. The other four bodies had their chips wiped. What would cause chips to be wiped? Let's look up reasons for wiped chips. Chips being wiped to hide victims. Maybe to hide from DHP. Maybe nothing was ever on their chips to begin with. No there would be a name at least. Maybe it's a new chip. Just put in. That happens right? No. What happened to the chips? That's the key to figuring this out." My rambling is rudely interrupted when I hear my partner coming into our office.

"Talking to yourself again Remington?" Kelley laughs at me and I just know he's shaking his head.

"Just thinking out loud." I turn around in my chair to face him. "You know what could wipe a chip?"

"No. Aren't those things hack proof? Check with Holden." He sits at his desk across from mine and starts to pull out files.

We're lucky, most cops don't have their own office. I mean it's small and we share it with two other guys but it's an office. The other guys work night shift so it's like having it all to ourselves. Best thing about having an office is the door. Well that and the walls. I tend to pin up whatever case we're working on. I'm not fond of murder boards. Apparently seeing bloody crime scenes all over the walls make some people sick. I mean it's not like I have them in the break room and this is homicide. Whatever the reason it got Dad to give us an office. Perks of being the Sheriff's kid. That and having the highest closing rate at the precinct.

You would think with population dwindling like it is crime would too. You're wrong. It seems like crimes, especially homicide, are at an all time high. Which doesn't really help with the low pop count. Could be why murderers get harsher punishment than they use to. We did get rid of the death penalty at least. Never did like it anyways. I remember reading about it in history class. They got rid of it about 20 years after the Virus spread. Right around the time they noticed the infertility issues popping up around the world.

Now they spend time sitting in a cell using up taxpayers money until they can prove themselves under control and reformed. Those that do spend the day working. Most of the bigger companies use inmates as a source or cheaper labor. I mean it's something I guess they get paid crap wages but at least they can do something and a guaranteed job when they're released. Death rows guys, which we really need a new name maybe something like lifers or whatever not the point, they get the chance to work and send the money to their families. It's been working so far and the overcrowding issues haven't come up yet like everyone was afraid of. It also helps that we no longer have private prisons as well.

Kelley throws something at my head. "Still with me?"

"Yeah. Just got lost in thought. So, chips. What can wipe them or cause a glitch?"

"Holden would know. He should have something for us by now off those drives anyways."

"Sounds good. Let's head down there." We both get up and head down to the tech lab.

Walking through the squad room I can hear bits and pieces of other officers caseloads, complains about spouses and girlfriends and even a few about boyfriends, It's always a sea of chaos out here. It's a muted chaos though. Not nearly as bad as it's going to be in the tech lab. At least here you can still concentrate on what going on in front of you.

"So how's Brooke doing? She's what eight months old now?"

"Yeah and she's getting better. Our case worker from DHP stopped by last week. Michael Jensen. Seems like a good guy. Brooke didn't care for him though. I'm going to run a background check on him later when I have some freetime."