Read Online The Archangel Drones by Joe Nobody - Free Book Online Page A

jail.”
    The two parents agreed to keep in touch and disconnected the call.
    After contacting his supervisor and being granted a last minute request for a vacation day, Gabe began getting dressed.
    “Where are you going?” asked Sandy.
    “I’ve got to do something. I’m going down to the local precinct and find some sort of supervisor.”
    “Be nice,” came the quick reply. “We’ve already got enough family members in trouble with the law. I don’t know what I’d do if they locked you up, too.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll be as warm as a pair of fuzzy, bunny slippers.”
    It wasn’t a long drive to the combination police station and courthouse. Finding a parking spot, however, was a completely different matter.
    Gabe entered the surprisingly small complex, realizing he’d never been inside the building and had no idea what to expect. After following several signs, he wound his way to the police section of the facility.
    Half expecting some burly, no-nonsense sergeant behind thick, bulletproof glass, Gabe was surprised to find a middle-aged woman in civilian clothing sitting at a reception desk.
    “How can I help you?” she asked in a neutral tone.
    “My son was arrested about 2 AM this morning by officers from this station, and now no one seems to know where he is. I’ve called every jail and phone number listed on the web, and there’s no record of him anywhere.”
    “Hold on one moment, Mister…”
    “Chase, Gabriel Chase. My son’s name is Jacob Chase.”
    She reached for the phone, punching in three numbers from memory. After a brief pause, she said, “Do you have an arrest record from this morning for one Jacob Chase?”
    She listened for a few moments, scratching a series of numbers on a pad of paper. “Thank you,” she said, ending the call.
    “Your son was taken to the Harris County Jail downtown, Mr. Chase. I have his file ID number, and you should be able to track his progress through the system via the online interface.”
    Gabe reached to take the scrap of paper from the helpful woman, but wasn’t satisfied. “I’ve called and talked to them, and they say he isn’t in their facility. Could there be some mistake?”
    The woman smiled, trying to reassure the obviously stressed parent. “Sometimes it can take several hours for them to process incoming prisoners. I’ve seen six to ten hours go by before they have his information uploaded into the computer system. Relax, Mr. Chase; we’re in the business of catching people, not losing them.”
    “But he’s only 17,” Gabe pleaded. “He’s never been in any trouble before, and this is all quite a shock.”
    “Take that number and go home, sir. I wrote down the web address for the jail’s public information system. As soon as they have your son processed, he’ll be allowed to call you.”
    “Thank you,” he said, pivoting to exit the area.
    His next stop was to see Chip, and find out what the hell had happened the night before.
    Manny answered the front door, her bleary-eyed, disheveled appearance making it obvious no one had gotten any sleep in the Denton household. After a brief hug, she invited Gabe in. “Dad’s in the shower, mumbling something about never being able to wash all the pig shit off his body,” she said, trying to maintain a smile.
    Amanda appeared, the two sharing a quick embrace, the question on her face requiring no words.
    “We still don’t know where Jacob is,” he announced. “I do have his file number and was just told it might take a few hours before he is processed into the system. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to come over here and see if I could figure out what the hell happened last night.”
    “I’ll tell you what happened,” an angry voice boomed from the doorway, “Jacob smarted off or said something wrong to one of those cops, and they beat the shit out of him. That’s what happened.”
    Everybody looked up to see Chip standing with a towel around his waist. Purple splotches