The Investigators Pt. 02

Story Info
Getting the Hell out of Dodge.
11.6k words
4.74
12.1k
9
12

Part 2 of the 3 part series

Updated 06/08/2023
Created 03/10/2017
Share this Story

Font Size

Default Font Size

Font Spacing

Default Font Spacing

Font Face

Default Font Face

Reading Theme

Default Theme (White)
You need to Log In or Sign Up to have your customization saved in your Literotica profile.
PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here
WF06
WF06
191 Followers

When Mike and Lee got to their hotel room after their buffet supper, they realized that they were both super tired and that bed and immediate sleep was needed. Their usual hour or so talking was forgone in favor of the extra sleep they would get as the next day could prove to be another interesting and busy day, but would still provide them the opportunity for hours of talk about the mission while sitting and watching the mine area.

Mike tossed and turned for a bit and then fell into a deep slumber. It was Lee that had the troubled sleep this night as she had so much on her mind with the investigation and her growing feelings towards Mike. She had never in her life experienced anything like these kinds of feelings before and it scared her on one level and excited her on several others. She did not know what to do and had no one to talk to as she never had a sister and her mother had died four years ago of cancer so she felt alone and with the walls closing in on her sometimes. Maybe Mike's secretary could be of some help to her as she was just a little older than Lee and married with two children, so she had evidently had some of these same types of feelings before. She would have to ask her to lunch when they finished this job up and went home for a bit. She knew she did not want to rush into anything with anybody, but Michael was growing on her. More so every day it seemed. Then sleep overtook her.

The next morning both of them were up early and dressed and arrived in the sitting area about the same time and Mike gave her a light hug and said "Good Morning, Lee, I hope you slept well." He opened the door for her and then stopped suddenly and said "DAMMIT!!! We were so tired last night we forgot to download those photos. Let's take a minute to do it now so we can see how our camera works."

He returned to the sitting area and sat at the table and pulled his laptop out and turned it on to warm up as he retrieved the camera and pulled the memory card out of it and put it into his laptop. It did not take but a few seconds to down load the few photos that they had taken yesterday afternoon and when he pulled them up he was surprised at the clarity of them. These new high mega pixel cameras and lenses coupled with an ultra-fast SD card gave awesome results. When he looked at the images on the laptop carefully, he saw a man that he had seen before, he just could not remember where or when. Interesting to say the least.

He did not have a printer available, but that could be rectified quickly or he could just take his SD card to any one of the one-hour photo places to have the shots developed. He also decided that in the interest of security he should stop and buy several more SD memory cards just to be on the safe side and always keep a fresh one in the camera with spares on hand. The used one would need to be secured until they could transfer the information to a secure storage point. Mike also thought to check out the battery charger for the camera, which was also supposed to work in the car, as he would need fully charged batteries at all times. He thought he should also buy a spare set and keep one on the charger as long as the investigation was ongoing.

Lee had seen the look of both recognition and perplexity on Mike's face and asked, "Mike, do you recognize that man in the photo? Do you know him? I can see in your face that something is bothering you. What is it or do you want to talk about it?"

"Lee, he looks familiar and I know I have seen him somewhere before, but I just cannot place him. Not just yet, but it will happen. It will either come to me or Davis. If not someone else at the home office can maybe identify him." Mike had downloaded the photos to his laptop so he could quickly send the photo of the man as an attachment in his email to Davis to see what they might find out in the home office. He would do that this evening after supper and things were settling down and he had more time to compose his report and inquiry about the man in the photo. They locked the computers away and took the SD card with them and left for breakfast at the truck stop before going back to their mountaintop lookout.

While they were waiting for their order, Lee looked at Mike and said, "The food here is so good that I am going to be glad when we finish this investigation and go home. If we don't hurry and leave I am going to have to buy some new clothes to replace all these I have outgrown. So, how much longer are we going to go up to the mountain and watch. We have evidently found out how things are leaving and apparently who is taking them so why are we still sitting up there? We need to get down to the office and start in on the inventory issues, don't you think?"

"Yes and no. First, the one incident we saw today is enough to arouse suspicions and provide a possible path to follow, but not enough, as yet, to take much action. We need more proof and see where the materials are going so we know who all may be involved. Yes, we do need to accomplish the inventory. We need to get the shipping and receiving records and compare them and the as-built drawings, and see where we stand. Also, right now we have no proof even if we found a pile of fittings that we suspect were ours. In a day or so, we will get the receiving records and they will have a heat number recorded for each fitting and every joint of pipe received on this site."

"What in the world is a heat number?" Lee asked.

"Every piece of forging has to come from a furnace full of melted raw components and ores. Every time the furnace makes a batch of molten metal that will become a fitting or a joint of pipe or anything along that line like plate steel that comes under the authority of the ASME Code must have a complete record of every component in that batch of molten metal. That batch of melted metal is called a heat and it has a number dedicated to that particular batch called a heat number and that number is stamped on all fittings and painted on all pipe and plate. In the records for each batch it lists every particle of everything that was in that batch to include the country of origin, the supplier of the ores, the mines the ores came from, the amount of each component, and any other information needed. That heat number must be recorded on documents to satisfy the requirements of ASME, or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which is the governing body for all pressure vessels and their associated piping and components. That includes the testing to be done before a vessel or system can be put into use. There are a couple of other groups that have similar tasks and responsibilities such as the American Petroleum Institute, or API, which deals mostly with the pipelines and pump stations that run all over the US. The other is AWWA or American Water Works Association which deals with water treatment facilities. However, all the materials those entities use still fall under the rules outlined by the ASME.

Lee looked sort of astonished and smiled and said "Wow, so much knowledge for one so young." And laughed teasingly.

He replied "Yes, we do gather a lot of knowledge, or are exposed to that knowledge at least. The same is true for your line of work, too. You have so much knowledge regarding insurance laws and safety issues and assorted laws that would boggle the heck out of me. I guess that is why they pared us together. Are you about finished and ready to go hide out on the mountain? I think we need to stop on the way and refurbish our supplies on the way. I also think I need to call Davis and see about the PI's he was hiring to watch the area at night." Lee agreed and after calling Davis, getting the PI's contact number and other information, they paid their bill and left. Mike called the PI's while driving to the sporting goods store to set things up to meet that evening and gave them the locations and what information he had.

After they had made their purchases and driven to the mountaintop, Lee asked, "Mike, how do you think this will all go down?"

"I have no idea just yet, as we do not know the scope of involvement by anyone else, and depending on circumstances there is sure to be conspiracy and accessory charges to be brought to those unknown others and only time would tell how far the theft ring, for lack of a better word, reach."

Nothing at all happened that day, so Mike and Lee had long talks and brain storming sessions about different scenarios that could crop up. Disappointed at their lack of discovery that for that day's efforts, they went back to their hotel for showers and a change of clothes and then supper and bed as it would be another long day the next day.

About mid-morning the next day Mike's cell phone rang and he recognized the number as that one of the private investigators they had hired. The PI said, "We have some important information for you and we need to meet pretty soon and talk. Let me suggested the truck stop with the café a couple of miles west of the road we use to go up the mountain." Mike agreed to meet them there in an hour and he hung up and told Lee what was said and they repacked their SUV and started back down the mountain.

As they were pulling into the truck stop, Mike's phone rang again and the PI again asking how they could recognize them. Mike told him to look for a table with one of the prettiest women in the world and a guy with a dumb look on his face and that would be them. The PI laughed and said he thought he could find them with that description and disconnected.

About 10 minutes later, two men came into the café wearing casual clothes but looking like cops or former cops at least. They looked around and then came to Mike and Lee's table and the one that had been talking to Mike said that he could tell they had the right table thanks to the apt description of the dumb looking man. Then he said "the about prettiest woman" comment fell way short as she had to be the prettiest woman in the world. Lee blushed and called him a silver-tongued devil and thanked him trying to keep from laughing.

As it had only been a couple of hours since breakfast, Mike and Lee only ordered coffee and then the PI said, "Do you realize that you have kicked over a can of worms? What started off a really a minor theft of materials is going to turn out to be a legal nightmare for everyone including the prosecutors' and maybe the US Attorney and the Justice Department. The FBI will be involved and wind up having jurisdiction over the investigation because it involves organized crime and interstate law violations galore. At any rate, they will take all the credit for any positive results and pass the blame for any other back everyone else, just like they always do.

As far as we can tell, there is the one man you discovered at the mine here that is stealing expensive materials and some machinery and then dropping them off at a warehouse not too far from here. There are at least two other persons from different job sites that are also doing the same thing.

The stolen materials and equipment are put into the back of a bottled drinking water delivery truck with a false center that can hold a multitude of materials. It is then delivered to another warehouse in Salt Lake where it is then resold to other customers at discount prices and no documentation or right back to the mines the materials were stolen from. They like to do that as the documents for the materials are already on file, eliminating one potential problem. We found this out from the bugs we placed on the red pickup.

We followed the GPS signal and found it all. I do not have all the names as yet, but it gets worse. In fact, it could get really bad for all of us if and when this information gets out because the thieves are stealing this stuff as ordered by one of the mafia families' members. They get people like your man who is a compulsive gambler and a habitual loser and get him into deep debt and then offer him a way out by doing a few things for them. We have no idea how many other people that have under their thumb and working, in vain I might add, to clear their debts.

So, what started out as simple jobsite theft has grown into an organized crime situation with interstate crime laws being also broken. No one knows about any of us, but as soon as this breaks, there will contracts out on each of us, and that is not a good thing I assure you.

Mike looked shocked at this and said, "Damn, you have got to be kidding. What can we do? We or at least I cannot just walk off and leave them to their vices. At the same time, I sure don't relish the idea of walking around with a target on my back. Knowing her, I am sure that Lee feels the same way. It just isn't in our makeup. What can we do? Do you have any suggestions or ideas?"

Lee looked at each of the men and said "I agree whole heartedly. I could never live with myself or with anyone else that didn't do all they could to send these criminals to prison,"

The lead PI told them that he knew the assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake FBI office and he thought he could set up a secret meeting somewhere away from prying eyes and ears and they could discuss options and ideas without naming names or anything to cause anyone to suspect them in any way. Lee and Mike looked at each other and said to set it up somewhere safe and then asked why they needed to be so secret right then as no one even knew or suspected them of being there investigating anything in the first place.

The PI said that anytime the mafia was involved to think that if three people know a secret, then so does the mob. He said that may be a bit farfetched, but they should know up front that money talks and the mob has plenty of is and therefore has their fingers in so many pies you would lose count if you did try to count them. That is why dealing with the mafia was a never-ending task for the authorities everywhere and at every level: local, state, federal, and even Interpol or international police as their presence was felt everywhere, even in politics, so it was possible they might have ears inside the local FBI office so the meeting should a secret. The PI promised to call later that afternoon with a time and meeting place and suggested that Mike and Lee take a day off and go shopping in the big mall in Salt Lake or something, even spend the night if necessary and be ready for the meeting with the FBI guy. The two PI's left and Mike and Lee looked at each other, right in the eyes and neither of them said anything for a while and then Mike said that perhaps they did need to go to Salt Lake for the day or even two and evaluate their options. Lee agreed and they left to go back to their hotel.

One inside their room, Lee grabbed Mike's arm and when he turned to face her, she sort of fell into his arms and was holding him as tight as he was holding her. She looked up at him and then raised up on her toes and kissed him and then said "Hold me. Hold me, Please. I'm scared, Mike. I don't want to be a target or a causality of this war. I want to live to be 97 and be a burden on my grandkids and have my love with me to the end. Tell me it will be alright. I trust you."

Mike could not believe what he had just heard and did not really know what to say, so he just held her head in both hands and looked deep into her beautiful eyes and told her that he would do everything in his power and to the best of his ability to keep them both safe and secure so that her dream of reaching 97 might happen. And then gave her a huge hug and pulled back and then kissed her on the forehead and smoothed her hair and told her to pack a small overnight bag and get ready to travel as it would be another 4-hour drive to Salt Lake. They parted and each went to their own room to pack and change for the trip.

About 20 minutes later, they both met out in the sitting area and Mike asked if she was ready and she said she was and after making sure the door was locked, Mike took Lee by the elbow and escorted he to the elevator. He did not know why he did it, but it did feel right and she did not resist at all. He opened the back of the SUV and put their overnight bags in and shut the door and was ready to leave but before he did, he asked Lee if she would prefer to drive or would she rather him do it. She thanked him for the option but told him to drive and she would issue instructions. Mike laughed and asked her if she wanted to sit in the back seat. She snorted rather unladylike and smacked him on the arm then smiled and told him to get his butt into the car.

As they were getting ready to get onto the interstate to Salt Lake, Mike asked Lee if she wanted anything to drink or a snack or anything before they hit the highway. Lee reminded him that they had refilled their cooler and snack stash this morning so should be good for the trip. Mike said if he was driving he wanted some coffee, so he hit the first convenience store he passed bought a large coffee for himself even though he had a thermos in the back as he liked the travel cups when driving.

Once on the road, they settled into an easy conversation. Mike had thought she was one of the easiest women to talk to he had ever met and enjoyed each conversation they had and he really liked her voice with her slight accents and intelligent views and comments on things. He thought she was still a bit mysterious, but then weren't most women? It seemed to be a part of their DNA and was complicated enough that no mere man could ever understand them. Accept? Yes. Understand? No way in Hell.

After a few minutes of driving he realized that the traffic was light so he thought it would be a good time for them to contact Davis and bring him up to date on things and see what he might suggest. He told Lee what he was going to do and called Davis on his private cell phone number and put the hone on speaker. Margaret, Davis' PA/Secretary that had been with him since he opened the doors of the company and had to be past retirement age already and was happily married to a family law attorney, answered Davis' phone and said that he was occupied and would be available shortly. Mike told her to get off Davis' lap and hand him the phone. Margaret said "If you were here, you impertinent little boy, I would paddle your young butt for you. And Davis is in the little room and should be out in a minute. How are things going out west? Making any headway and how is your new partner? You sure could not have picked a prettier one. I bet she will make pretty babies, too. Here comes Davis. Keep us posted on things. Bye now.

Davis took his cell phone from Margaret and then asked what Mike had said to her that had her giggling like a school girl. Mike told Davis that he pleaded innocent on all charges and to say hello to Lee as they were on speaker phone on the way to Salt Lake, and then asked him if he thought his phone was secure and if he would send Margaret out of the room and shut the door behind her as she leaves. Davis said that this sounded serious and Mike told it was a serious as a heart attack and that he needed to be sitting down while they talked. Davis said hello to Lee as he sat and then said "Okay Mike, I'm sitting at my desk now. What's happened that has you worried like this??

Mike laid it all out for him: The theft of expensive alloy materials and smaller pumps and compressors that can cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars each are being stolen and then possibly being sold right back to the company. That way the items would have correct heat and item numbers. What appeared to be organized crime out of the casinos doing muscle work, the involvement of other people with gambling problems was very likely. He simply laid it all out and then said had he no idea what to do, but that both him and Lee wanted the criminals punished. They also stated that they both wanted to grow old gracefully and with all their body parts still attached in their original locations.

WF06
WF06
191 Followers