Iron Sparks

Chapter 20: Old Girlfriends

'I have compiled a Mandarin database for you sir.' Jarvis reports to dad. I've been down in the lab with him for hours now trying to gather information on the Mandarin. We have the info, we just haven't made any connections yet. Now that Jarvis has finally gathered all the data, we might be able to find some sort of comparison between the attacks. This could be the clue that we need to take the Mandarin down. I pop another blueberry in my mouth as I watch the various documents appear in front of me. Dad flicks through the different files, the holographic projections making it easy to switch and choose. We both have the same concentrated look on our faces as we read through the information. Eventually dad picks out the crime scene from last night, dragging it out then placing it in the middle of the room.

'Initialising virtual crime scene reconstruction.' Jarvis states as the blue hologram lights up the room. The virtual world grows around me and I find myself standing in the middle of the explosion, just after it had occurred. 

'Dad? What are we looking for?' I ask, unsure as to what's going through his mind.

'Anything.' He mumbles, distracted by the images around him. I begin to rummage through the explosion, trying to find something that might tell us about the Mandarin. I feel like a crime detective on a tv show. I can't deny that the adrenaline buzzing in me feels pretty good. It's been a while since I've felt like this. I explore the ground, looking for something hidden in the debris. I'm unsure what that is yet but I feel like something is here. Dad searches through more files but ultimately gives up. Jarvis's voice pops up again.

'The heat from the blast was an excessive three thousand degrees. Objects within twelve point five yards were vaporised instantly.' 

I look up from what I'm doing. 'Dad, there were no bomb parts found in the three mile radius of the Chinese theatre.'

'No, there wasn't.' 

'What could give off a heat signature as high as that?' 

He sighs, unsure as well. 'Talk to me Happy.' He whispers. Instantly Happy's body is projected onto the floor. I gulp a little because despite not being real, it's an image of something that was. Happy's body lays lifeless on the floor but his arm is stretched out and his fingers point to something. From where Happy lies, two red lines beam across the floor. Carefully, Dad walks over to were the lines meet, a red spot appearing on the floor. I jump over to were dad is as he lifts up the object from the ground. 

'When is a bomb not bomb?' He asks himself. I can see the puzzle in his eyes as he tries to figure something out. I stare at the object Happy was pointing at. It's a military tag. Dad projects the tags into the air so we can both see. I stare at them, confused and excited. This could be the clue we need. 

'Any military victims?' Dad asks. 

'Not according to public records.' I recite, remembering my research on the victims earlier. 

'Bring up the thermogenic signatures again and factor in three thousand degrees.' Dad asks Jarvis. I exit the holographic field and move up the steps in order to see the image clearly. Jarvis plots all the thermogenic occurrences in the last twelve months. Bars start showing up. 

'Jarvis, take away everywhere where there's been a mandarin attack.' I instruct. I'm trying to see if there's a comparison. Dad looks at me and smiles, realising we are finally making some progress. I scan the different bars of energy, trying to see if there's one with a similar pattern to any mandarin attacks. 

'There.' Dad points to one of the bars. 'Tennessee. Are you sure that's not one of his?' 

Images of a soldier appear. There's the connection with the military.