The Network

Chapter Three

Ike looked up at the opening door when Evan made his way in. Someone seemed to have made a coffee run that morning.

"Good to have you back," Evan raised the mug in his hand, smirking at Ike's clean shaven face. "Gotta admit its weird seeing you around."

"Why," Ike remarked.

"Easy," Evan calmly replied. "It's weird because it's been a while. Six years."

"Yeah, I guess six years does a number," Ike rubbed his face. "Still jet lagged and I can't even get these files organized."

"They from your computer case?"

"Yeah," Ike tapped the file, shutting it. "I just got to a dead end... Evan, be honest with me. How's dad?"

Evan found himself sitting in the chair across the desk, picking at the coffee lid.

"He's-," Evan thought. "He's had his better days."

"Jack's death really got to him... didn't it," Ike observed Evan. He nodded.

"It was dad's first partner... of course it's going to affect him. He keeps thinking it's personal," Evan ran his hand over his face. "He thinks someone is out to get him."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't know what to think. Three cops, all friends to dad are all dead."

"Any leads?"

"They all died after receiving a dial tone phone call," Evan thought back. "No one has been able to trace it back the phone call so those have been dead leads for us."

"Were they working on any cases," Ike narrowed his eyes.

"I thought about that," Evan rubbed his head, again. "They were all studying different cases. Kelly had been investigating strange operating grounds at the docks. Kennedy had been trying to investigate smuggling and Jack seemed to be on the edge of some sort of technological software trying to make it to market but rumors said it could have been the black market. Funny though, Jack's case was a cold case. He just picked it up because he had nothing else to do."

"Pretty heavy stuff," Ike thought out-loud. "You think the three have a link besides the dial tone?"

"I don't know yet... that's what I want to figure out. Dad has been trying to find the killer and he got a pretty convincing lead. This one guy who Jack managed to put away and he happened to be around the same area where Jack was killed. He tried to catch him but Dad got side swiped."

"Dad was in an accident?"

"Yeah," Evan nodded.

"Why didn't I get a call?"

"It wasn't serious," Evan shook his head. "They only kept him overnight for observation."

"Not serious?! Evan!"

"It wasn't serious! Okay?!" Ike couldn't believe the nerve on Evan. How couldn't he have called him, telling him that their only father was hurt? Shaking his head, Ike tried logging back onto his computer but it wouldn't allow him. "What?"

"It's not letting my access my files," Ike muttered, staring up at the floor. It seemed as if all the computers had gone down.

"Evan," Chris popped his head into the office. "We've got a problem."

Stepping out, both men stared at every single computer that seemed to have frozen. None of them were letting anyone access them!

"What is going on," Sousa yelled at his officers.