Pariah Lafferty, Texas Ranger Ch 9: Conspiracy Facts

0230

Jesse's Motel Room, Killeen

Her room has become a crime scene. Sherriff Duncan presides over the mess with crossed arms, his head shaking as he admits,"This is the damnedest thing ever, I admit. Fine shooting by the way."

Jesse doesn't feel like revelling in any victory, neither does Jamie. It wasn't a first kill for either of them, but they aren't the sort to celebrate killing suspects. Jamie asks,"How soon can we expect a report back on this guy?"

Duncan shrugs easily. In his mind it wasn't a matter of celebrating a kill, it was a clean kill with minimal property damage and zero collateral. His facial scar evidenced his own experience with this sort of thing,"Soon. No lack of material to work with, any idea why he'd want your laptop?"

Jesse nods curtly in response,"I got the information I was looking for from the radar data. It proves that whatever is out in that rancher's field isn't a bomb, a plane, or a sattelite."

Her partner and Duncan both exchange astonished glances, but Duncan is quick to recover from it,"I'll be damned. Well, not sure what we can do about that, or why this amigo would give two shits about it. Hopefully we'll hear back about how he got that fake room card about the time we get an ID."

Jesse's answer is as to the point as ever,"Don't hold your breath. I'm just as concerned about his body armor. He was ready for small caliber fire, like our .40s."

Duncan nods as they move the conversation out of the room, a deputy arrives with cups of coffee for Jamie and Jesse both which they graciously accept. Jesse sets hers down on the window ledge and pulls out her cigarettes to light one up before enjoying hers. Jamie exhults,"Finally, hazelnut!"

Duncan chuckles at that as Jesse asks,"What about my laptop? They think they can salvage the hard drive?"

The sherriff shrugs as he replies,"Haven't heard yet, but in my experience its pretty easy. You didn't shoot it, it didn't land on a magnet, it shouldn't be hard."

Jesse nods at that, visibly relieved. It'd been a chore separating the intercept data for the mystery object from everything else. She takes a sip from her coffee, listening for a long moment to the investigators pouring over her room. There'd be paperwork to fill on the shooting, likely a review board too going over the particulars of it. She laments,"I'd intended to interview witnesses today, guess that will have to wait. Maybe I'll have time to get back with the rancher."

Jamie asks then,"About what?"

Jesse reveals,"The object was travelling at nearly Mach 2 the whole time it was being observed, I want to know if he heard thunder. If so, we can correllate its trajectory with locals and maybe find another witness. I don't want to base everything on the radar. It could still be an experimental craft, but I want certainty."

Jamie counters,"We were sent here to rule out terrorism, I think we've done that."

Jesse exhales, not liking that her partner's right. She sips on her coffee in consideration, then replies,"Then I'll clock out and do it on my own time."

Jamie stands there for a long time in silence before her cellphone goes off, judging by her answer Jesse knows its El Paso on the line. She excuses herself to go and talk elsewhere. Jesse nods to her as she looks to Duncan,"By any chance do you know of anyone claiming to have seen it before it landed?"

Duncan chuckles deeply before answering in a friendly tone,"You really into that UFO bullshit, ain't you? As a matter of fact we did have a few calls. Think we might've noted some, I'll have my secretary email you any we got."

Jesse offers an amiable smile at that, then takes a drag from her cigarette. About that time, the desk clerk walks up with a card in hand,"Very sorry about all this, the main office wants you to know that your bill has been amended. You're welcome to stay for the next week free of charge as is your partner, and your rooms have been upgraded. As an additional courtesy, please accept these gift cards for Jack In The Box and Whataburger."

Jesse offers another smile to the clerk. His eyes were glazed over as if he'd been woken from sleep to deliver this, and at the present hour she didn't know that she could begrudge that as she offers him thanks. No doubt the fake room pass has raised a storm at their office.

Jamie returns as the clerks heads back to the front office, and presumably sleep. She waves to her partner declaring,"We've been put on admin leave until Friday. They want an incident report ASAP, and us in the office no later than Friday noon."

Jesse shrugs at that,"Well, that makes it simple for me. I've got today and tomorrow to deal with the report and track down witnesses. Let's get breakfast." With that, she hands Jamie one of the giftcards and new roompasses and they head out.

Move topic to another board