Drabble: "Where There's Smoke"
Title: Where There's Smoke
Keywords: Sonny, Rico, coffee
Author: oddmonster
Category: Gen
Word count: 390
Author's note: For elfinessy.
Despite their combined years of experience undercover and on the street, it took three Vice cops to figure out what exactly was on fire.
Crockett helped himself to another cup of scorched squadroom coffee and continued arguing with Lester, the department electronics guru.
"All I'm saying, is that it couldn't hurt to move the whole setup just a little closer to our target."
He took a sip of coffee and grimaced. "I'm sure those new gizmos of yours are top shelf and all, but I wanna make sure we don't lose this guy all because your bugs can't handle the range!" Lester remained unfazed, well accustomed to the histrionics.
"Trust me, Sonny," said Lester. "These babies are so good you'll hear what Cantanado says before he even opens his mouth."
"Yeah they better, or you'll be the one explaining to the D.A." Rico leaned up against the bank of mailboxes behind Crockett.
"Come on. When have I ever let you guys down? These are state-of-the-art listening devices, using short-wave technology to transmit digital sound over half a mile to the recording base. Much less susceptible to degredation than analog."
Crockett and Tubbs exchanged a look, then Tubbs burst out laughing. "Right. Whatever you just said, man. As long as you're sure we're not gonna lose this guy."
Lester frowned. "Hey. You guys smell something?"
"Yeah pal, I definitely smell something."
Lester looked around wildly. "No really. Guys. Do you smell smoke?"
Gina walked by in heels and hot pants, avidly followed by three pairs of eyes. "Coffee pot's on fire," she said without breaking stride.
The coffee pot dutifully responded by adding a barrage of electric sparks to the smell of melted plastic, and a flame began to burn steadily where the cord joined the machine, perilously close to three dozen mailboxes, most of which were full of unread memos regarding workplace safety.
Of course, a week later Lester's new crop of bugs indeed proved unusable outside an 1800-foot range. But before Crockett could say anything, Lester pointed out that perhaps it was the three feet of Everglades swamp water that was their undoing, rather than the range, and had he known that Crockett would be jumping into the swamp after Cantanado he would have chosen the T-6853 series (waterproof up to 50 feet), although even then he didn't know whether that guarantee covered swamp water or just pool and ocean. Crockett countered by offering to help Lester verify his theory by holding both him and the bugs in said swamp water, and also offered some suggestions for anatomically based bug-testing of an unusual nature.
Rico was able to get between the two of them before the discussion could go any further.
Keywords: Sonny, Rico, coffee
Author: oddmonster
Category: Gen
Word count: 390
Author's note: For elfinessy.
Despite their combined years of experience undercover and on the street, it took three Vice cops to figure out what exactly was on fire.
Crockett helped himself to another cup of scorched squadroom coffee and continued arguing with Lester, the department electronics guru.
"All I'm saying, is that it couldn't hurt to move the whole setup just a little closer to our target."
He took a sip of coffee and grimaced. "I'm sure those new gizmos of yours are top shelf and all, but I wanna make sure we don't lose this guy all because your bugs can't handle the range!" Lester remained unfazed, well accustomed to the histrionics.
"Trust me, Sonny," said Lester. "These babies are so good you'll hear what Cantanado says before he even opens his mouth."
"Yeah they better, or you'll be the one explaining to the D.A." Rico leaned up against the bank of mailboxes behind Crockett.
"Come on. When have I ever let you guys down? These are state-of-the-art listening devices, using short-wave technology to transmit digital sound over half a mile to the recording base. Much less susceptible to degredation than analog."
Crockett and Tubbs exchanged a look, then Tubbs burst out laughing. "Right. Whatever you just said, man. As long as you're sure we're not gonna lose this guy."
Lester frowned. "Hey. You guys smell something?"
"Yeah pal, I definitely smell something."
Lester looked around wildly. "No really. Guys. Do you smell smoke?"
Gina walked by in heels and hot pants, avidly followed by three pairs of eyes. "Coffee pot's on fire," she said without breaking stride.
The coffee pot dutifully responded by adding a barrage of electric sparks to the smell of melted plastic, and a flame began to burn steadily where the cord joined the machine, perilously close to three dozen mailboxes, most of which were full of unread memos regarding workplace safety.
Of course, a week later Lester's new crop of bugs indeed proved unusable outside an 1800-foot range. But before Crockett could say anything, Lester pointed out that perhaps it was the three feet of Everglades swamp water that was their undoing, rather than the range, and had he known that Crockett would be jumping into the swamp after Cantanado he would have chosen the T-6853 series (waterproof up to 50 feet), although even then he didn't know whether that guarantee covered swamp water or just pool and ocean. Crockett countered by offering to help Lester verify his theory by holding both him and the bugs in said swamp water, and also offered some suggestions for anatomically based bug-testing of an unusual nature.
Rico was able to get between the two of them before the discussion could go any further.