Free Plugs

Boston, Massachusetts

Natalie left the rehabilitation hospital's main door carrying a small bag. The hospital's P.R. team wanted her to be wheeled out of the main entrance, but Natalie was not having any of that. Yesterday's phone photos of her shopping on Newbury Street started a worldwide feeding frenzy in which the press would participate.

Natalie Leuze was out of the hospital, and the world saw her looking good, vibrant, and ready for work, whatever came her way.

A gang of reporters holding microphones in Natalie's face started firing questions at her, and she said, "I'll take time for some questions in a minute, but I would like to thank my recovery team here at The Rehabilitation Hospital. I am on the road going home." A crowd cheered. "These remarkable, dedicated professionals have cared for me since I arrived, and how I am is very different from how I was when I got here. They put me back together." "I will always be grateful for their dedicated professionalism."

The crowd and reporters are getting what they want. Nat had been "Under wraps" since the day she was stabbed, and now everyone was seeing Natalie Freaking Idiot Leuze, being cheery, smiling, and cracking jokes with reporters.

A reporter with a microphone and a sleeve identifying the network as a large cable company asked her, "Do you feel that you are in danger from the madman who is killing the cast of Stanley's Girls?"

She said, "I believe that person will be caught soon." she added, "No, I am not afraid." "You would have to be a Freaking Idiot to let your life be controlled by a madman at large."

Nat read in the tabloids stories of remaining cast members hiring personal security while the police did their jobs. 

Another reporter from a major news network, a legitimate newser, asked her, "What will you be doing now?"

The actress promoted her charity without sounding pushy: "She was going to get back to work because kids needed school clothes and supplies." "I can't wait to get back to work." The first day, I'll brew a pot of coffee from The Cardinal and The Jack over in Cambridge, and then I'll start calling corporations asking for their help. Good corporations like...

Nat mentioned three well-known companies that are large donors to her foundation.

The next reporter from a U.K. Tabloid jammed a microphone ahead of the others, causing Natalie to step backward. "Easy with that thing, Mister, what's your question?" "Will you ever go back to The Breakfast Bee?" "If you have ever been to The Breakfast Bee and had their pancakes, you would not be asking that question." Of course, I'll go back."

She continued taking questions from six more reporters and then told them she had to leave.

A limo with an open door was waiting, and she started moving toward it. The reporters moved with her but formed a circle around her, preventing her from getting to the car.

Natalie looked around and started to feel crowded and surrounded. She was uncomfortable.

A man stepped forward, bulled his way into the circle of reporters, and moved toward the limo. He pushed two reporters to the side, causing one to fall, but he had cleared the path. Natalie walked toward the clearing and got into the limo. The man who cleared the path then entered and closed the door.

Natalie said, "Thank you, Allston." she leaned in and kissed his cheek. 

The reporter's cameras caught all of that.

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology - Cambridge, Massachusetts - The Office Of Ben Mason

Tina signaled Ben on his phone that the visitors were coming in.  

Mason was ready for them.

Ben stood up. Two beyond-clean-cut individuals walked in. They didn't look like Latter-day Saints on a Missionary sabbatical, but their hair was perfect, and their clothes could only be "dress code," he thought.

He broke protocol and shook the hand of the woman first and then the man's.

"Good afternoon "I'm Professor Ben Mason."

"What can I do for the F.B.I. today?"

The two had just started pulling their credentials, and each wondered how he knew their affiliation.

They looked at each other; he took the lead.

TEXT EVE: Allston's Got A Girlfriend. TEXT ALLSTON: I do honey. TEXT EVE: Did You Read The Daily Mail yet? 

Hi Professor, "I'm Special Agent Canderstock, and this is Special Agent Tanaka. And yes, we are from the F.B.I."

"We are here to talk to you about some recent reverse engineering you did on an item with your team."

Ben said, "That's what we do here. We figure out how technology works when we are a little mystified," We do that daily. Have you seen how complex things are getting? "I would hate to be in an electric vehicle when the system bricks and you cannot open a door or window."

"That sounds like it could be a modern Three Stooges bit," he added.

"Do you like The Stooges?" Ben asked.

The Professor knew that something like The Three Stooges, a comedic historical anomaly, was beyond the two tight asses in front of him. Ben had learned long ago that there is no gray area in how people like this think. They seek only right or wrong, and there is nothing bendable.

Ben looked at Canderstock and knew that he was doing the job he had promised to do when he stood up in 3rd grade. He announced to the class that he wanted to be an F.B.I. agent when he grew up. 

He looked at Tanaka, who was put off by Ben's gaze as he pegged her as a person deeply moved by a movie featuring a serial killer in the basement of some home. She wanted to be a special agent just like Agent Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah.

Tanaka most likely lived a little more than Canderstock Ben thought. Good for her.

Tanaka picked up the ball and answered Ben's question about the Stooges. She said, "I had to use The Stooge Block; she then held her palm to the bridge of her nose in the Academy to prevent a hand-to-hand Combat Instructor from gouging my eyes.

Ben laughed, He like Tanaka.

Canderstock sat there mystified, thinking about a pack of gummy bears in his pocket.

Tanaka continued, "We are told that you and your team reverse-engineered a surveillance camera."

"A camera, A camera, oh, there was a surveillance device constructed using restricted American parts. A "need to know" level of clearance is attached to the item due to the parts used in its construction."

"I can't comment about it." "I know you guys know how that works."

The Gummy Bear then spoke,

"Where did the camera come from?"

Ben looked at Canderstock, Then Tanaka looked at him; Tanaka interjected, "He can't say, of course." She added, "Nice to meet you, and thank you for your time, Professor Mason."

Somewhere On The New England Coast

My investigation of "Super Apple Trucking" continues. Two brothers, Steve and Bradley Falter, formed the L.L.C. and met all the State of Ohio and Department Of Transportation health and background investigation guidelines. They were cleared to transport refrigerated items across state lines and enjoyed a reciprocity agreement with multiple states.

State background checks and the Department Of Transportation backgrounder is pretty useless I have been told.

In this case, that statement is true. The backgrounder I ordered revealed many more items that caused my eyebrows to arch. Eve was right; I may have to apply for workman's compensation.

I'm waiting on photos of the Falter brothers to show Natalie.