Reed me until 900 - #3

"Five minutes and twelve seconds," RK900 began speaking the moment Gavin got inside the police car, immediately getting on his nerves.

"What?! You fucking counted?! Really?!"

"Are you experiencing issues with your bladder, perhaps? Consuming excessive coffee and maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle may lead to various health complications. If you are encountering difficulties in the restroom, then—"

"It's not your fucking business, you plastic asshole!" Reed shouted, slamming the door shut and checking the GPS for their destination.

RK900 remained silent for a moment, his diode remaining blue the entire time. He might have frowned slightly, but it was barely noticeable. It seemed his partner not only led an unhealthy lifestyle but was also easily embarrassed. Unknown to him, the corner of his mouth moved up a little bit. It was a fleeting moment.

"There is no need to research the address further, Detective Reed. I have already identified our destination. I shall proceed to get us there as expeditiously as possible. It should take approximately fourteen minutes and forty-three seconds if I select the route with minimal traffic congestion."

Gavin looked at him with an annoyed expression but sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Okay... go on," he said, sitting back and letting the android drive to their destination. What was actually very creepy was that they really got there in fourteen minutes and forty-four seconds. Crazy.

There was already a police car at the site when they arrived. Several officers were speaking with witnesses. The scene was a large street, but it seemed that the police officers were guarding a small alley between the old backyard of an abandoned house and a construction site. High fences on both sides, trash bins, and lots of rubbish scattered around created a neglected and eerie atmosphere.

"What's up, Gilbert?" Gavin asked a new cop who had recently joined the force. The boy was a freshie, but he was working damn hard. Made Reed annoyed sometimes, but at least he always got something done.

"The dispatcher called us here after someone reported seeing something strange happening," Gilbert began, but then he looked past the detective, appearing surprised.

Reed turned around and jumped. Barely one step behind him stood RK900, calmly surveying the area with a serious expression. Yeah... serious as hell... He looked more plastic-like than Connor ever did. There was something very unsettling about him. Gavin often saw the yellow flicker in Connor's diode, but this guy? His diode was stagnant blue – no blinking, no yellow... or red. Nothing. If there could be an android psychopath, Gavin was sure that RK900 would give off such a feeling. Yeah... for sure.

"What the hell, you prick! Personal space!" he cursed angrily and moved away.

"Um... who's that, Detective?" Gilbert asked, but before Gavin could answer, RK900 stepped forward.

"I am RK900, a detective android assigned as Detective Reed's partner. There is no need to relay further information. I have already downloaded the recording of the phone call the witness made. From what I have gathered, an android child was seen walking here, and later, a man was observed leaving this alley with a large bag and driving away in a van. The witness was not seen, as she was sleeping in her car after getting intoxicated at a party earlier that night. She woke up upon hearing a child's voice. The child was parting ways with their parents and taking a shortcut to the playground. Am I correct, or is there additional information that should be added to my data?"

There was silence after RK900 spoke. Gilbert seemed very nervous. He just shook his head and walked away under the pretense of speaking with more people. Meanwhile, Gavin... hell, he just stood there, looking at him with a frown.

"Really? You have to steal his job? Couldn't let the boy give us the report? For fuck's sake, he's new! He's trying to be useful and do his goddamn job!" Detective Reed seemed angry. That made RK900 look at him for a while longer than he wanted. He didn't seem like someone who's friendly with others and makes friends. So why this protective behavior? It seemed he liked to look rough but was soft on the inside. That thought made RK900 squint his eyes a bit.

"What are you looking at, you plastic prick?" Reed felt a bit uneasy and moved back.

RK900 averted his eyes and looked around, completely ignoring the earlier comment and question.

"I recommend returning to work. Your statistics could improve if you did not waste time, which is what I just did. Now we should examine the area to see if the kidnapper left any clues for us to find," his bland, neutral tone made Gavin even more furious at this new partnership, but he decided not to waste energy on the plastic robot if it couldn't even converse properly. The only thing that left his mouth was a quiet mutter, "Gods, I never thought I'd miss Connor." He walked off, checking out the left side of the alley.

RK900 stood there, analyzing the ground and every piece of trash around. But the comment he heard made his brow twitch a bit... although his diode remained calm and as blue as ever. He looked up for a moment, his eyes piercing Reed's back. If he knew how predatory he looked, he might be surprised. After a moment, he went back to his search.

Soon, he saw some tire marks on the ground.

"Detective Reed," he called calmly as he kneeled. Gavin was next to him in a moment.

"You got something?" He asked, still sounding annoyed.

"Yes. Upon examining these tire tracks, I can identify the specific model of the tires used on the vehicle. These tracks belong to Michelin Agilis CrossClimate tires, which are known for their unique tread pattern and specific characteristics. Size 235/65 R16," he said calmly, finding Gavin gaping at him a bit.

"You know all of this after just looking at this barely visible trace?" Did he sound impressed?

"Indeed. These tires have a distinctive symmetrical tread pattern with large blocks and wide grooves, designed to provide excellent grip on wet and dry surfaces, as well as in winter conditions. They also feature the '3PMSF' symbol, indicating their suitability for winter driving. They are built for durability and longevity, making them a common choice for commercial vehicles such as vans."

"Okay... now we must find out which vans..." Gavin couldn't finish.

"I already have a proper list. Given the witness's description of the vehicle as a white van and the tire model identified, we can narrow down the possible models to several popular vans that commonly use these tires. These include Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, Chevrolet Express, and Nissan NV. By cross-referencing this information with our database, we should focus on these models to identify the suspect's vehicle," he said while standing up.

Gavin nodded and passed the information to other cops and the dispatcher. "Let's see if such a car was seen at other crime locations or if there is a missing car case or anything like that," he murmured, but RK900 shook his head, catching his attention.

"After the protests and uprising, there are still many abandoned houses, cars, and workplaces in Detroit. The highest probability is that the culprit acquired an abandoned vehicle. However, I am already downloading the camera footage from as many locations as possible. Many cameras are still offline or damaged," the android said while looking blankly in front of himself, his eyes focused on the videos passing by his vision.

"At least one positive side... I don't have to spend the whole night watching," Gavin sighed. "Okay, guys, check out this place thoroughly," he yelled to the cops and moved to their car.

"Let's go back. Nothing to do here for now," Gavin said, sitting in their car. RK900 was right behind him, taking his spot as the driver.

"You sure you can drive and watch?" Reed asked, unsure.

"Were I an emotional living being, I might feel offended. But as I am not, I will let you know that my brain is capable of working on multiple highly advanced tasks simultaneously. I can process the videos and pay attention to the road. If you still feel unsafe, you are welcome to ride back with other police officers," his words were calm but oh-so-annoying. Gavin just cursed under his breath.

Yes. This cooperation was proving to be difficult... for both parties, it seems.