Chapter 11 · Continued
The Choice
The manager ended the call and moved on to the next problem in his inbox.
For the moment, the truck was only a damaged vehicle, an insurance claim, and a repair expense.
The cargo slipped from his mind again.
Elsewhere in RCAM’s warehouse-administration offices, a shipping clerk frowned at his monitor.
Something didn’t match.
He clicked through the inventory screens again.
Beta Unit Return Status: Pending.
According to the transport records, the unit had been collected from the participant on Friday morning.
The pickup signature had been verified. The transport assignment had been confirmed.
But there was no warehouse-intake record.
“Huh.”
The clerk called logistics.
The tired manager answered. “Yeah?”
“I’m checking the return inventory for one of the beta units. The system says it was collected, but I’m not seeing warehouse confirmation.”
The manager rubbed his forehead. “That transport truck was involved in an accident.”
“The whole truck?”
“DUI driver. It’s in an impound yard awaiting recovery.”
The clerk looked back at his monitor. “Then someone should retrieve the unit before the truck is sent for repair. It shouldn’t remain unsecured at an impound lot.”
The manager nodded even though no one could see him.
“Already arranged,” he lied. “There’s a delay with the towing contractor, but someone will remove the cargo first.”
“Perfect. I’ll update the file.”
The call ended.
The manager sat motionless for three seconds.
“Shit.”
He grabbed the phone and called the shipping dock.
A warehouse employee answered over the noise of forklifts and reversing alarms.
“Dock operations.”
“I need someone to go to the impound yard this afternoon and retrieve cargo from the damaged transport truck.”
“What cargo?”
The manager flipped through the paperwork. “One of the beta units.”
A pause followed.
“The expensive one?”
“Yes.”
“Probably should’ve led with that.”
The manager ignored him. “Can someone get there today?”
“Yeah. We’ll send a crew this afternoon.”
The manager ended the call and slowly leaned back in his chair.
For the first time since the accident, an uncomfortable thought crossed his mind.
What if the unit was no longer inside the truck?
The possibility hit the logistics manager hard enough to stop him from typing.
What if the unit wasn’t still inside the truck?
Almost immediately, he dismissed the thought.
That was ridiculous.
Where else would it go?
The wooden transport crate alone weighed hundreds of pounds. The unit had probably shifted during the collision or become buried beneath the other cargo.
Still, the sooner they recovered it, the better.
The manager spent the remainder of the afternoon buried in paperwork and conference calls. When his desk phone rang again, he answered without looking away from his computer.