Grissom slipped his cell phone into the hands-free dock on the Intrepid's dashboard. "Dial," he said, then said Charlene's number aloud, as per the instructions printed on the plastic sticker placed on the dash. The car dialed Charley's number, and after three rings she picked up.
"Yeah?"
"Griss here," the mercenary said. "Obviously your phone works."
"These things are fantastic!" Charley exclaimed. "I don't think I want to know how much these cars would have cost if it weren't for whatever deal Phil cut with that Chrysler guy."
"If that's the real story," Grissom said.
"What do you mean?" Charlene asked curiously.
"Phil has been quite reluctant to tell us much of anything in detail," Grissom explained. "But for an amnesiac he's got quite a few talents - and connections - that even surprise me."
"You don't think he is who he says he is?" Charlene asked. "You've been around him longer than I have."
"I don't know what to think," Grissom replied. "But for now at least, I think we can trust him. He helped out quite a bit when the hurricane came, and he's been helping me rebuild pretty consistently, so I think he's earned my trust. For now. I just don't always take everything he says at face value, that's all."
"I understand." Charlene paused. "So what all did they do to these cars?"
"This is obviously not the stock V-6 Intrepid powerplant," Grissom said. "I'm guessing it's a V-8 based on the Dodge Ram stock engine. There are quite a few electronic gadgets in here, most obviously this hands-free phone link, and I also see a GPS, some other navigational aids, and a multi-band scanner. I looked at the bodywork when I got it - particularly the edge of the open door - and the material is quite a bit thicker than standard aluminum or fiberglass panels. My guess is that there's Kevlar and possibly other synthetic-material armor incorporated into the body panels of these vehicles. There might be other modifications, but only Phil knows about those."
"Still beats walking," Charlene replied.
"Indeed." Grissom pushed a button on his steering wheel and ended the call. He turned left and followed Phil down the tunnel into the motor pool.
