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The Victoria Chronicles

**Chapter 11

A Possible Lead**

Just as Frank had described they found the car nose first in a drainage ditch with the undercarriage hung up on the lip of the ditch.

As they rolled up on the scene Vix noticed that the sheriff was already hear and asking the man questions on what had led to his predicament.

Parking the truck Frank and Vix got out to assess the situation.

"How did this happen?" Franks inquired and his typical laidback fashion.

"I just got here Frank so I haven't had a chance to find out myself." Sheila replied before she noticed Vix, "Oh, what are you doing here Victoria?" She asked noticing the coveralls.

"Victoria's just giving me a hand around the yard in exchange for some wheels." Frank said.

Vix gave a nonchalant two-fingered half wave half salute from her hat. "Where's trigger?"

"Trig--Oh, Terry? I have him checking something out nearby." Sheila said.

"Good. This way I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder to check for shotgun barrels." Vix said sarcastically.

"You're not going to forgive him for that, are you?" Sheila remarked.

"It's more that I'm not going to soon forget it rather than forgive it." Vix said pleasantly.

"If you two of you are done flirting, Victoria I could you a hand rigging this car." Frank said jokingly. No one noticed the blush on each woman's face as they both turned away from each other even though they knew frank was just jesting.

"Ah, well, yes. Cary on. Sheila said a bit flustered. "I've already checked over the vehicle for the obvious stuff and taken pictures of the scene. You can go ahead and pull the car from the ditch." Sheila said before turning to the owner to get his side of things.

Frank and Vix headed back to the back of the truck and as Frank was opening one of the side toolboxes he asked, "Have you ever pulled a car out of a ditch before?"

"I have not." Vix replied, "But I have pulled a tractor out of a heavy field with another tractor."

"Hmm, ok, well that's experience of a sort." Frank said, "But still let me show you how we pull something a bit more delicate than a bulky tractor."

Vix stood back and humored Frank as he went about his duty and explained as he went along. She already had a fairly clear idea of how things should go, but decided that maybe, just maybe, she'd been inadvertently showboating with her new knowledge and abilities. She listened and she watched as he pulled out the rigging and set to hooking the car up to the boom hoist on the tow truck. Occasionally she would jump in and give him a hand with something, but while they were recovering the car Vix kept an ear open to the conversation coming from the other end of the accident scene.

She could hear quite as well in her disguised form, but even with human shaped ears her hearing was much better than it had been when she had been a human. What she heard was that while driving down the road a small convoy of black vehicles had barreled past him in the opposite direction. There had been three vehicles, two large trucks and a SUV. All the vehicles had their windows blacked out and the lead vehicle had been driving down the middle of the road. He had to swerve to miss getting hit and had subsequently driven into the ditch. Sheila then asked for more details about the vehicles, any identifying marks and such. The man said that he hadn't been able to catch much due to the speed of the convoy and how quick everything had happened. He hadn't caught any plate numbers, but he thought he had seen some leaves and bits of branches sticking out from some of the bumpers and roofs of the larger trucks. Other than that the trucks and SUV were pretty nondescript. He didn't recognize the make of the trucks but he did give a good description of the SUV including make and model even though the badges were also blacked-out.

"Hey Frank?" Vix said keeping her voice low. "Are there any abandoned places or roads near here?"

"There's a few old trails. Nothing that a big truck could drive down. They're tight even for ATV's." Frank said, then he thought for a few seconds before adding. "However...there is the old army air corps airfield. Hasn't been used in years. I'm not even sure anyone's even been there for quite some time."

"Where is it?" Vix asked.

"Hmm, about a mile or two that-a-way." Frank said, "Not that far really."

Are there any buildings still standing there?" Vix asked. "How much of the base is still there?"

"Quite a bit surprisingly." Frank said. "When the military closed down the airfield back in the 70's they left the place mostly intact. It wasn't a high security place so they didn't have much sensitive materials to move. Just flew the last planes out, packed up anything they didn't want to leave into a few trucks and burned every scrap of paper they didn't pack out." Frank said before asking, "You think they came from there?"

"I'm thinking that a group that abducts people would want to have a base of operations close to town where nobody would expect them to be. Somewhere with building to stash their vehicles in." Vix said quietly.

Vix went quite while she mulled over this new information. She glanced over towards the sheriff and the owner of the car before stepping to the far side of the truck as a view barrier while frank winched the car out.

"Hey Percii? I got a question for you." Vix asked looking down at the AI. Percii was presently disguising himself as a smart-watch.

"Yes my lady?" the AI replied quietly, the LCD display of the smart-watch flashing in tone to his voice.

"Knock that off!" Vix chastised him. "Are you by any chance able to connect to the internet?"

"I can. Why?" Percii asked, slightly perplexed.

"I want a satellite image of the nearby area. Specifically around the airfield Frank mentioned." Vix said, "I assume you've been listening?"

"I have." Percii replied, "Give me a moment."

Vix waited while Percii made sort work connecting through a gauntlet of proxy servers before displaying a holographic image of the area. Apparently his current form had no effect on the AI's holo-emitters.

"Zoom in here please." Vix said looking at the area around the airfield. Percii complied and she was looking at the airfield in question. "About how old is this image Percii?"

"The site claims this view was taken about a year ago." Percii replied.

"Can you get a view that more recent?" Vix asked.

"I could, but that would require hacking in to a government server." Percii said guardedly.

"Can you do that?" Vix asked, her curiosity piqued briefly from the matter at hand.

"Easily my Lady." Percii said smugly. "Do you wish me to do so?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. this is fine." Vix said somewhat distracted.

"Hmm." Vix hummed to herself as she contemplated. That wasn't that long ago. It was hard to say for sure, but it didn't look like the airfield had seen any real activity in the image. That meant that any activity it had seen would have to be more recent than the past year. Perfect for a quick short-term base camp. I need to check this out for myself.

Vix came back around the truck and over to Frank who was just unhooking the car after pulling it back onto the road. "Hey Victoria, you disappeared on me for a moment there."

"Hmm, what? Oh, yeah, sorry. Did you need a hand with something?"

"You could start stowing the gear." Frank said. He took a better look at Vix. She seemed preoccupied with something. "You uh, you alright?"

"Mmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just got something on my mind is all." Vix replied as she started picking up the rigging and placing it back in its homes.

"You sure? You seem a bit more...distant." Frank persisted.

"I'm fine." Vix said a bit more forcibly, but not in any particularly mean way. Nonetheless Frank held up his hand placatingly.

"All right, all right. Just checking." He said before heading over to talk with the sheriff.

"Lady Vic--" Percii started but Vix quickly cut him off.

"Stop that!" she hissed at the AI smart-watch.

"Ahem, Miss Victoria." The AI corrected himself, but with a bit of a bad taste in his mouth. "If you are going to do what I think you are planning may I make a recommendation?"

"You may Percii." Vix said calming down a bit.

"I suggest that before you run headlong into anymore opposition that you take some protective measures."

"Such as what?" Vix asked with vague interest, "If you mean some sort of firearm of some kind I would prefer not to."

"No. I am quite aware of your views by now about such things." Percii said before continuing helpfully, "I recommend that you go back to your campsite. There is something there that you might find useful."

"Like what? Pops and Frank said they cleaned the area of anything left. And anything of real interest Smith like had his agents confiscate."

"All this is true. However, what I am referring to only a Vivudrosian or at least someone with enough Vivudrosian in them can access it." Percii explained.

Vix waited for Percii to continue for a short bit before it became apparent that he wasn't going to, "You're not going to tell me more than that are you?"

"Not with the present company, no." Percii replied, "Besides, I think it's about time you were introduced into your heritage."

Vix didn't reply, but her wheels were beginning to turn. What was Percii on about? What heritage? This was the first time that a possible name for Visalth's people had been mentioned. Vivudrosian? Is that what her people were called?

While Vix was contemplating this Frank came back over to the truck. "Ok, sheriff says she's done with us. Is all the gear stowed?"

"All set." Vix said.

Just as they were about to get into the truck they heard the engine of the recently pulled turn over several times but didn't catch. They both looked over to see the man getting very frustrated as he tried again. "Come on you hunk of junk, fucking start already!"

"Looks like we may still be needed." Frank said but Vix was already making her way over to the car.

"Fucking peace of shit!" the man yelled at his car as Vix walked up.

"Try again." Vix said as she passed by his window and stood next to the driver's side fender.

"What for? It's clear that the damn thing isn't going to fucking start!" the man yelled.

"I want to hear the engine. Pop the hood please and when I say so turn it over." Vix said calmly.

"Whatever. I don't see what some girl anything about it, but is makes you happy." The man said brusquely.

Vix waited for him to pop the hood and after raising it up she held her hand out into view from the hood and spun her hand around, indicating for him to turn it over. Grudgingly the man did so and after a few moments of listening to the motor Vix held her hand out for him to stop. The man couldn't see much of what she was doing, she had moved back over to the driver's side and was leaning into the engine bay. All the man could see was a good view of her shapely ass move about as she tinkered with something on the motor.

After about five minutes her upper-half reemerged from the engine compartment and she again spun her hand for him to turn the motor over again. there was no response from him so she looked over to see him starting at her ass and chest. While pulling his car out she had opened the upper part of the coveralls and had the arms tied around her waist, giving him a decent view of her chest as it pushed her tank-top out.

Vix slapped her hand of the hood making a loud bang, startling the man out of his trance, when he made eye contact she give him an impatient look and again give the hand signal to turn over the motor. He did so and this time the motor started. It was running just a bit rough and she had him give it a bit more gas to bring up the RPM's. after making a few adjustments again the motor was purring along happily. Vix then dropped the hood and came back over to the driver's door to lean down to talk to him.

"The fuel cut--" She started when she saw he wasn't paying her much attention. Or rather he was paying too much attention to a certain part of her. She snapped her fingers impatiently in from of his face impatiently, "Hey! Eyes up here!" she growled, and it was a growl. She hadn't been that bad when she had still been a guy. Had she? This gender swapping thing was getting a bit annoying she was noticing things she had never even thought about before. She really hoped this wasn't going to become a regular thing.

"As I was saying, you fuel cutoff tripped when your car hit the ditch. Also a few fuses were knocked loose and your car is in need of a tune-up. I've got it working pretty good now but I highly recommend that you make an appointment with whoever does your auto repair and get it worked on. But it should get you home." She said.

"Oh, uh, thanks. Hey listen, about what I said." The man started to apologies.

Vix just waved it off. "Forget about it. You were mad that after that convoy ran you off the road. I get it."

"Er, right." The man stammered. "But hey, let me make it up to you. Would you like to go out sometime?"

"Thanks but no thanks." Vix said as she turned back to make her way back to the tow truck.

"Coffee?" The man persisted.

"Still not interested." Vix replied.

"Bitch!" The man said under his breath.

"Heard that." Vix said over her shoulder. "And you have no idea."

Vix got into the truck and closed the door. Frank was already behind the wheel. "Good job getting his car going." Frank said before glancing at the man and noticing that he seemed a bit upset. "What's his problem?"

"Bad day and rejection issues." Vix said simply as frank put the truck into gear and drove around the man's car and pulled up where Sheila was standing next to her patrol SUV.

"Hey, thanks for the assist Frank." Sheila said leaning on the passenger door. "Victoria, your just full of surprises aren't you?"

"How do you mean?"

"The way you got that man's car running. After it failed to start I was afraid that Frank was going to have to tow it into town." Sheila said complimenting her before adding, "Where did you learn to work on cars? Did you used to work in a garage?"

"Funnily enough that is one of the few jobs I haven't had before." Vix said excepting the compliment. "But it was something I learned in school and on a few farms I used to work on. But that was a past life." She replied.

Sheila was about to say something else but was cut off by the man revving his motor and tearing past them and heading down the road in a huff.

"What's his problem?" Sheila asked as she watched the man drive off. She was debating going after him, but aside from spinning the tires on the dirt road in front of them in anger he wasn't actually doing anything other than being rude. He wasn't even speeding once he got the car up to speed.

"He made a pass at me and I shut him down." Vix simply said. "I guess he has rejection issues."

"Yeah, I did see how he was staring at your ass." Sheila said. "Guess that's the cross us women have to bear sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess." Vix said despondently.

Sheila picked up on Vix's change in tone but decided not to press it. "Well you two it's been fun, but I have to get back to work. Frank thanks again for coming out. and thank you too Victoria."

"No problem Sheila. Catch you next time around." Frank said putting the truck into gear again before pulling away. They drove down the road for a bit before Vix said anything.

"Hey Frank, where is this airfield you were talking about?"

"The old Army field? It's not far." Frank said, "Just down the next cross road."

"Can we drive by?" Vix asked.

"Uhm, sure. Won't see much though. The trees surrounding the base have grown in with brush and it is set off the road quite a bit." Frank said. "But if you like we can drive by the gates."

"Thanks." Vix said, her mind going thoughtful again. Could this be the lead she was looking for?

After a few miles and a few turns frank said they were getting close.

"No, don't slow down. Just keep driving as if we were heading somewhere." Vix cautioned.

"Why? What do you suspect?" Frank asked.

"I don't want it to seem like we are checking the place." Vix explained. "There could be a guard. I don't want anyone getting suspicious."

"Alright. We are just two people in a tow truck driving along." Frank said.

They drove on, and as they approached the main gate Vix stared out the window with her chin in her hand while he elbow rested on the window frame giving the appearance of someone who was bored and just staring into space. But as she seemed to be staring at nothing she was watching things perfectly as they sped past the window. She noticed the overgrown gate and abandoned guard house next to it. The guard house was nearly buried in overgrowth but she could just make it out as they passed by. The place looked well and truly abandoned.

But as they turned down another cross street that ran perpendicular from the main road she did notice something. An old access road that had overgrown to the point of being more of a trail into the woods. But what caught her eye were several broken branches up in the trees and what looked like fresh tracks along the dirt road. This had to be the place. She needed to get a better look. But Percii was right, she need to be prepared.

"Hey Frank? You got time to bring me up to my campsite?" Vix asked, "There's something there that I need to pick up."

"Uhm, sure." Frank said as he turned onto another main road around the back side of the airfield and started making his way back to the yard. "But there's nothing left there."

"Percii says that there's more than anyone knows about." Vix replied.

"Ok. I guess it's a good thing that I don't have any other appointments today then." Frank said with a wry smirk.

As they headed away from the airfield and off to the site where all this had started Vix wondered what else she was about to learn about.