BULLET-CITY

Part-18

"Shhh, it's ringing...and ringing...and ringing...aND RINGING! Hey Franklin, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up...Okay, so you're not going to pick up. Just so you know, this call is costing me 40 cents a minute to leave this pointless message. Just call me back when you get this, need I remind you that I only have one 1/2-hour battery life per hour, so call me back...oh yeah, and if the FBI is listening, good luck picking up analog in under 30 seconds. I'm out!"

Vince went silent for a moment. "Psych! Now I'm out!"

"Well, that went exactly as I expected. Now, if you're done teasing the FBI, I am going to take a relaxing shower, said Laura.

She gathered some clothes out of her bag and walked into the bathroom while Vince took another puff from the cigar. A light gradient of green flushed over his face. After a minute the nausea passed and his face turned to normal again.

"Now that's the stuff," he said with another cough.

--

The FBI communications room was dark except for the hundreds of tiny LED lights that glowed from the computers surrounding Frank, Diana, and several other agents. Diana put down the transceiver from her ear that she was holding. She turned to Frank, who was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his cell phone in the other.

"Analog?" said Diana.

Diana seemed both annoyed and amused. Although she didn't show it, Diana liked the thrill of the game and the hunt. Most people were phony around her to get on her good side, but this Vince guy straight up just didn't care. She couldn't help but be a little intrigued by that.

Frank shrugged his shoulders, just as thrown off, but not as surprised, as she was. Diana turned to the men at the computers.

"Call every news station and public broadcasting company. Send them photos with full descriptions of the suspects. Do not leave any stone unturned. I want everyone to know what they look like. Also, I want you to monitor any movement in arms trade. If they sold the weapon, we can work in reverse to track it back to them. We need to find the locations of the towers that still transmit analog. They can't be far if he is calling with such clear reception."

Diana put her cell phone to her ear and signaled one of the men to start the Escort. Frank quickly unplugged his cell phone and followed behind them. Diana turned to him and put one hand over the cell phone mouth piece.

"Uh, we can take it from here, you've done a great job, detective. I want you to lay low in case he tries to contact you again."

When Frank tried to object he was cut off by whomever picked up on Diana's other line.

"It looks like Drake is awake in the hospital. Maybe he will have more information," said Diana, leaving the control room.

Both Diana and the man screeched away in the car, leaving Frank in the dust.

"I hope you know what you're doing, buddy," whispered Frank.

Frank slowly shook his head and got into his car.

--

Vince turned on the TV and laid on the bed with his feet crossed and one hand behind his head. One of the only perks of their magnificent honeymoon suite was general cable. And Vince had 50 channels to choose from. He decided it was a toss-up between Columbo and Miami Vice.

After finally making a decision Vince laughed to himself. "Uh, that Columbo, he always acts like the fool or all clumsy, but in the end he always knows who did it and why by leading the police right to them." Vince took the cigar and put it in the side of his mouth again. He squinted his right eye in a pretty bad impression of Columbo.