amelia

"What do you mean we've had outbound video feeds from the Autobots for weeks?" Mearing asked staring down the two gentlemen before her.

"Ma'am-" Terry started but Mearing's hand hit the table in a resounding slam.

"Wrong move kid." Simmons stood cross-armed, leaning against the wall to his back. The grin on his face was enough to scare. Pressing off the wall he motioned down to the table. "Just give the answer, a straight answer."

"Look the Autobots send communications all the time we thought that's what it wasOptimus talking to the president, Ratchet to some doctor" he trailed off.

"And Sideswipe?" She asked. "Whom in the world could he be talking to huh?"

"He calls tire companies all the time he's like a woman obsessed with shoes." James interjected, and that much was true, Sideswipe had a garage just for his tires and rim sets. "He had four rim sets delivered via FedEx last week."

Mearing turned to Simmons and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What do we do now?"

"We're jamming the little buggers at the moment; they are in a containment pod." Simmons said softly looking beyond her to the nervous men who whispered between themselves. "Ratchet says they are just drones, they can take direct commands, and execute them but they don't really think for themselves."

"How was Ratchet able to find them?" Mearing pushed out the door leaving the two soldiers in the room together. "I mean I would think he would have known there were there. Going three weeks without knowing seems a bit far fetched if you'll forgive my disbelief."

Simmons stepped up beside her. "From what he explained his armor is super sensitive, he can note impurities by just touch, and from what he said once the little bugger got close enough to one of those sensors he was able to pick it up. Optimus and Sideswipe wouldn't have noticed at all. The signals they were sending looked like human chatter, we use Skype all the time in the building."

"The Autobot's didn't read any of the signals?"

"I don't think Optimus makes a habit of listening to human phone calls." Simmons defended the leader and his men with the statement.

"The Energon detectors didn't see the bugs." Mearing said firmly as they rounded a corner. Dutch met them halfway; handing both of them small leatherette cases.

"No zhey did not." Dutch said "I've made a few adjustments so zhat even ze smallest signal vill be detected." He said firmly "Ve have isolated ze primary signals for each of our own Autobots and zhey zhemselves vill not set it off."

"Thank you Dutch." Mearing knelt down pulling her heels off to walk barefoot.

"Madam." He bowed his head slightly and took up pace behind them.

"We just need to find out where they were sending the signals." Simmons said firmly. "Without that information we're screwed, I mean these were going on for at least three weekswhoever was receiving the information knows this place pretty much inside and out."

"That worries me the most." Mearing said coming up to the main conference room. "Is General Moreshower here? I want to get this meeting over with I have to speak to Optimus after."

"He's inbound Madam he vill be here soon." Dutch pushed ahead and opened the door for the two. "Go ahead zhere is coffee and doughnuts." He smiled then vanished back out the door.

"Where on earth did you find him?" Mearing asked dumbstruck slightly.

"Lucky I guess." Simmons smiled. "He's the best at everything" Simmons sat down and pulled a green coffee cup into his hands pouring the black coffee into it. "You still take it black?"

"I don't have time for cream and sugar." She smiled and sat down. He flashed her quick grin and slid the green cup into her hands grabbing a blue cup he poured another.