Tagged for Terror Read Online Free
Author: Franklin W. Dixon
"I'll make sure we do."
Joe found his way from the employee lounge to the baggage claim area without any problem. There were few people near the luggage carousels, and no sign of Frank, but Joe wasn't worried. Frank knew how to take care of himself.
Where would I go if I were Frank? Joe asked himself. Although the two brothers' minds worked in radically different ways, they somehow managed to reach the same conclusion more often than not. Joe told himself he'd probably start nosing around the security system after he got bored watching suitcases go around in circles.
So he headed back to the security chiefs office, hoping that Frank might have gone there to ask Forrester some questions.
The receptionist in the lobby of the Eddings Air office suite gave Joe a dubious glance when he asked to see the head of security. "Didn't I see you in here earlier?" she asked.
"Yes," Joe responded. "But Mr. Forrester asked me to come back here at," — Joe peeked at the woman's watch — "three this afternoon." He leaned over the counter and whispered, "I don't know what this is all about. I hope he doesn't think I had anything to do with those missing hubcaps."
The receptionist pushed her chair back, putting some distance between Joe and herself. "Hubcaps?"
Joe nodded. "All those jumbo jets. Some - guy stole all the hubcaps off the landing - "
'. "Jumbo jets don't have hubcaps," the Woman responded, annoyed. '" Joe grinned broadly. "Well, then, I guess i'm In the clear. Still, I'd better find out what tHe big guy wants."
The receptionist picked up the phone. "I'll tell Mr. Forrester that you're here," she said briskly.
A few minutes later Joe was in the security chiefs office. Forrester raised his eyes from the computer terminal on his desk long enough to frown at Joe. "What do you want now?"
Joe took one look at Forrester's scowling face and decided this was probably not the best time to reveal that he was having a hard time locating his brother. "I need some background information on standard procedures for tracking lost luggage," Joe said.
"Most bags are located within a couple of days," Forrester told him. "We store all unclaimed bags in a locked storage room next to the baggage claim area. Each item is recorded in a computerized data base that includes the claim check number, any ID tag information, and a physical description of the bag."
"So most people get their luggage back right away most of the time," Joe said.
The security chief frowned again. "Most of the time—until about six months ago."
Forrester opened a drawer on the right side of his desk, glanced down, and then tapped a few keys on the computer. He turned the monitor slightly so Joe could see. "When anybody reports a bag as missing, we record that information in the data base, too. If we don't get a match, the entry shows up in yellow. If we still haven't found the bag after a week, the entry changes to red."
Joe noticed that there was a lot of red on the computer screen.
"At first we thought it was a glitch in the system," Forrester continued. "But after we ruled that out, we realized we had a serious problem. This isn't just happening here in Atlanta. Luggage is disappearing from our flights at airports all over the country."
"Do you think any Eddings employees are involved?" Joe responded.
Forrester gave him a weary look. "Since other airlines aren't having similar problems, and since Eddings employees have easy access to the luggage, I'd say it's fairly safe to assume that some of our workers have to be involved in this operation."
Joe ignored Forrester's bitter tone. At least the man was giving him answers. "Do you do any kind of screening when you hire new people?"
"A routine background check is standard procedure, but with the large numbers of people we hire, we don't have the time or the resources to get a detailed profile on each one.
"And all that information is in the computer, too?"
Forrester nodded.
"Just as an example," Joe said
Joe found his way from the employee lounge to the baggage claim area without any problem. There were few people near the luggage carousels, and no sign of Frank, but Joe wasn't worried. Frank knew how to take care of himself.
Where would I go if I were Frank? Joe asked himself. Although the two brothers' minds worked in radically different ways, they somehow managed to reach the same conclusion more often than not. Joe told himself he'd probably start nosing around the security system after he got bored watching suitcases go around in circles.
So he headed back to the security chiefs office, hoping that Frank might have gone there to ask Forrester some questions.
The receptionist in the lobby of the Eddings Air office suite gave Joe a dubious glance when he asked to see the head of security. "Didn't I see you in here earlier?" she asked.
"Yes," Joe responded. "But Mr. Forrester asked me to come back here at," — Joe peeked at the woman's watch — "three this afternoon." He leaned over the counter and whispered, "I don't know what this is all about. I hope he doesn't think I had anything to do with those missing hubcaps."
The receptionist pushed her chair back, putting some distance between Joe and herself. "Hubcaps?"
Joe nodded. "All those jumbo jets. Some - guy stole all the hubcaps off the landing - "
'. "Jumbo jets don't have hubcaps," the Woman responded, annoyed. '" Joe grinned broadly. "Well, then, I guess i'm In the clear. Still, I'd better find out what tHe big guy wants."
The receptionist picked up the phone. "I'll tell Mr. Forrester that you're here," she said briskly.
A few minutes later Joe was in the security chiefs office. Forrester raised his eyes from the computer terminal on his desk long enough to frown at Joe. "What do you want now?"
Joe took one look at Forrester's scowling face and decided this was probably not the best time to reveal that he was having a hard time locating his brother. "I need some background information on standard procedures for tracking lost luggage," Joe said.
"Most bags are located within a couple of days," Forrester told him. "We store all unclaimed bags in a locked storage room next to the baggage claim area. Each item is recorded in a computerized data base that includes the claim check number, any ID tag information, and a physical description of the bag."
"So most people get their luggage back right away most of the time," Joe said.
The security chief frowned again. "Most of the time—until about six months ago."
Forrester opened a drawer on the right side of his desk, glanced down, and then tapped a few keys on the computer. He turned the monitor slightly so Joe could see. "When anybody reports a bag as missing, we record that information in the data base, too. If we don't get a match, the entry shows up in yellow. If we still haven't found the bag after a week, the entry changes to red."
Joe noticed that there was a lot of red on the computer screen.
"At first we thought it was a glitch in the system," Forrester continued. "But after we ruled that out, we realized we had a serious problem. This isn't just happening here in Atlanta. Luggage is disappearing from our flights at airports all over the country."
"Do you think any Eddings employees are involved?" Joe responded.
Forrester gave him a weary look. "Since other airlines aren't having similar problems, and since Eddings employees have easy access to the luggage, I'd say it's fairly safe to assume that some of our workers have to be involved in this operation."
Joe ignored Forrester's bitter tone. At least the man was giving him answers. "Do you do any kind of screening when you hire new people?"
"A routine background check is standard procedure, but with the large numbers of people we hire, we don't have the time or the resources to get a detailed profile on each one.
"And all that information is in the computer, too?"
Forrester nodded.
"Just as an example," Joe said
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