51: The Series

51: The Beginning Chapter 7 Part 1

It had been a few days since Lindsay had to deal with Dillon and his friends at the Sycamore River. Dillon had been banned from all technology until further notice, and to make sure that happened, he was helping at the sheriff’s department doing a form of community service. That meant the cleaning crew would not have much to do because Dillon was doing all of it. Cody’s parents, Ken and Barbie, had called once to confirm Lindsay was punishing Dillon. She told them she was taking care of the situation but was convinced that, no matter what, she told them they would see fault in it. Lindsay did not ask them anything about Cody. The last thing she wanted to do was to make matters worse for that kid.

Thankfully, Wren had been able to find Mark Collins. Wren had asked to meet him in Lindsay’s office with her present as a witness. As soon as he introduced himself as Agent Gold, Mark went pale. He started to sweat when he looked at Lindsay and saw her uniform nametag, which also read Gold. The poor kid was terrified, which was the main goal of the interview. He swore that he had not seen anything and had only taken Dillon and Cody to the restricted area and dropped them off about a quarter of a mile from the area because he had chickened out and left. Wren made it clear that if anything appeared on the Internet, there would be repercussions.

Lindsay was now sitting at her desk, reviewing a report that had been delivered to her office. It was a summary of what the military had found during the training maneuvers at the Sycamore River. Strangely enough, it consisted of an incident involving a diver who was in the river. He had been attacked by an enormous fish while assisting with the training. The report stated the fish was a Wels catfish that was over twelve feet long. She knew the Wels catfish could be large, but not that large. However, she also knew they did not contain venom like what was found in Amber’s wounds, and they were native to Europe. She had doubts about it being in the Sycamore River but was not going to ask questions. There had to be a reason that was the story that was being used.

Things were unusually quiet in the county. They were not even taking an average of one call per shift. The schools were not back in session yet, and the weather had been beautiful. There should have been at least a few trespassing or noise complaints from kids having parties, but there had not been one. Maybe it had to do with what happened on the Sycamore River or the training maneuvers. Whatever was causing it, Lindsay had this ominous feeling that all hell was going to break loose soon, and it had her on edge. She decided to walk out to the front dispatch area and talk with Cat for a while. Lindsay had not gotten to know that much about Cat yet except for what she had read in her personnel file and what she had seen of her at work.

“Hey, Cat, anything going on?” Lindsay asked as she sat down in a chair by Cat’s desk.

“Not a thing. It’s weird, and it is starting to get on my nerves,” Cat answered her.

“I know. I hate to use the ‘Q’ word, but it has been freakishly quiet the past couple of days. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I will agree with you about it being weird,” Lindsay said. “Have you finished your list of the dispatchers yet?” Lindsay asked her.

“Oh yes,” Cat said. “I have even included the names of part-timers to take over for the ones who will no longer be employed with this department. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the former sheriff hired some of the people he hired.”

“Remember, he did hire you.”

“He did, and from what he said to me from time to time, the reason he hired me was not because of my education or abilities. The day before he resigned, he made it very clear that he fully expected me to ‘thank’ him for hiring me.” Cat wickedly smiled and continued, “I told him exactly what I would do to him if he didn’t leave me alone. He went pale, temporarily lost the ability to form words, walked out of the building, and never said another word to me. I have to admit I did do a dance of joy the next day when I heard he quit.”

“Wow. I’m sorry you had to put up with that. No one should have to deal with that, but I am glad the former sheriff hired you. I read your résumé and was amazed that someone with your education would want to work here as a dispatcher. You have to tell me why you’re here.”

“That is simple, sheriff. I like it here. I have lived in cities for most of my life. I came down here with a friend to go hiking, and I fell in love with it. I walked into some of the smaller stores and restaurants in this area, and not one person stared at me. No one judged or made comments. I asked a few questions about the law enforcement and labs in this area and found the job as a dispatcher. I didn’t think I would like it, but I love it. And it gives me time for my other jobs,” Cat explained.

Lindsay smiled at that explanation, but she also needed to know more about those other jobs.

“I have meant to ask, what exactly are the other jobs? I hate to pry, but I need to know if there would ever be a conflict between those jobs and this job.”

Cat laughed, “They are a little different than most, and you can ask whatever you want. I’m not embarrassed, and they are perfectly legal. First, I am an alternative model. It sounds weirder than it is, but because of my tattoos, that is how it is described. It is clear I am not going to be in the JC Penney catalog, but I am preferred for certain clothing and accessories as well as shoots specifically about tattoos. The other job is a little harder to explain. I am a dominatrix, but I am strictly hands-off. Some men like to be intimidated and controlled, and I just seem to have that presence.”

“The modeling would explain why you can have two hours of sleep in three days and still look perfect. I’m happy if I remember to brush my teeth, and I am wearing clean clothes,” Lindsay said.

“I keep a toothbrush here. It saves time,” Cat said with a smile.

Just then, the phone rang, and Cat answered it using a headset. She began both typing and writing notes at the same time. It seemed as though the quiet had ended. Lindsay could hear that whoever was on the other end was frantic. Cat handed Lindsay a note that said “large creature in yard,” plus the address of the call. Cat reassured the caller that someone would be there as soon as possible as she hung up.

“Large creature?” Lindsay asked her.

“That was Matt Wilson. He said there is a large creature walking in his backyard, and he doesn’t know what it is. He said it is not a bear or anything he has ever seen before,” Cat told her.

“Who is the closest officer that can respond right now?”

“Little Bob is the closest. Keith is also nearby,” Cat said.

“Have Little Bob and Keith both respond and let them know I am also headed that way,” Lindsay instructed.

Cat quickly notified the two deputies of the situation and location and turned back to Lindsay, who was still looking at the address Cat had given her. It was only a couple of miles from her own home.

“Cat, I know that you have heard rumors about things that have happened and have heard a few people refer to ‘him’ and ‘it.’ You were born in Russia, and I do recognize your last name. I need to ask you a question. If I told you that ‘him’ or ‘it’ could be a menk, what would you say?” Lindsay asked.

Cat stood up and looked at Lindsay. “If that is true, then all of you need to be very, very careful because it will kill you,” she said.

“I thought you might say something like that, and don’t worry. We are always careful with these calls,” Lindsay said. “I am out of here and on my way to the call.”

As Lindsay drove to the location of the sighting, she kept thinking about the reaction Cat had to her question. Cat seemed unnerved by the thought of a creature in the area. For those who grew up in the Ozarks, stories about strange creatures and the supernatural were just something that you also grew up with. Lindsay had heard about ghosts, witches, strange animals, and happenings her whole life. She even enjoyed hearing new ones about different areas. That did not mean she believed all of them. She had seen and experienced things that she could not explain using traditional means. Lindsay still could not fully explain the call she had over six months earlier, which had led to her being injured and fired. She did know she wanted to ask Cat a few more questions about her answer.

Lindsay could see the patrol cars belonging to Little Bob and Keith parked in the driveway as she neared the address. As she turned and pulled in, she realized they were both sitting in their cars. She looked toward the house and saw a man watching them out the window. This all made her very uneasy. She looked around very carefully and rolled down her window slightly. As soon as she did, the smell hit her like a wall. Whatever it was, it was there and very close. There was no breeze. Everything was perfectly still. It had to be very, very close. Instead of getting out of the car or using her radio, she picked up her cell phone and called Little Bob and Keith on a conference call.

“Gentlemen, I’m going to take a wild guess here and say there is a reason you have not gotten out of your cars,” she said. She waited for an answer, but there was only silence. “Bob? Would you like to tell me?”

“We saw it, and whatever it is, it can do whatever it wants as long as it leaves us alone. It is huge. I have no idea what it is, and I really don’t want to know,” Little Bob said, somewhat rattled.

“Keith, what about you?” she asked.

“Sheriff, I will do what you tell me to do, but I can tell you I have never been this scared in my life. What is that thing?” Keith said.

“We usually refer to it as ‘it’ or ‘him.’ As for what it is, we are still working on that. I can tell you that it can and will hurt you. I do speak from experience on that. We do need to get out and take a look. If you see it, do not engage it unless it is a threat to someone. It lives in these woods. I hope that even if we see it, if we leave it alone, it will leave us alone and go on its way. Understood?” Lindsay said.

“Understood,” said Little Bob and Keith in unison.

“I do recommend you both grab your shotguns just in case,” Lindsay told them.

“Sheriff, I don’t have a shotgun. The vehicle mount is broken, so the old sheriff told me to lock it up in the office,” Keith said.

“Keith, I don’t even know what to say about that,” Lindsay said, frustrated. “You will take mine for this call. Bob, you do have yours right, and it is loaded?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Little Bob answered her.

“Fine, then. Let’s go,” Lindsay said as she hung up her phone.

Lindsay got out of her car with her shotgun in hand. She handed it to Deputy Keith Abernathy and gave him a look of frustration and annoyance that he could not miss.

“I will go talk to the homeowner real quick just to make sure we know what he saw, where it was, and what it was doing,” Lindsay told them as she began to walk toward the house. “Stay together and be alert.”

As Lindsay stepped onto the porch, the man who had been watching through the window moved to the door that he did not open.

“Sir, did you report a large creature in your yard?” Lindsay asked him through the still closed door.

“Yes. Whatever it is, get rid of it,” the man said. He stood looking at Lindsay for a moment, then turned and walked back into the house.

“Sir, will you please open the door and talk to me for a minute? I need you to tell me what you saw and where it was if you can,” Lindsay said.

“I’m not opening the door. If that door opens, it can come in. Nope, not going to happen,” the man yelled from his chair through the closed door.

Lindsay turned and walked toward where her deputies were standing. Both had their shotguns raised and pointed toward the woods near the house.

“That guy is scared so bad he won’t even open the door,” Lindsay said. “Have you two seen or heard anything?”

“No, but that smell is so strong it has to be here,” Little Bob said.

“It could be. But remember, it is also a still day, which means that smell may linger for quite a while,” Lindsay told him.

She started to walk carefully along the side of the house, watching the woods, but she saw and heard nothing. Absolutely nothing, not even a bird. They heard footsteps among the trees. They could not see anything, but something was there, and it was watching them. Lindsay listened carefully, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Then she saw it. It was a squirrel. Keith and Little Bob saw it at almost the same time as she did and began to chuckle. Suddenly, they heard a part roar and part scream coming from deep into the woods in front of them. They looked at each other and then heard another one that was closer and in the woods behind them. They then listened to a third come from deep in the trees across the road.

“Sheriff, this may not be the time, but I just want you to know that I quit,” Keith said, his voice shaking.

“I think we need to call the game warden about this one. Let’s go back to the cars, and I will give him a call,” Lindsay said.

They carefully made their way back to the cars. Whatever these things were, they outmatched them. Calling Game Warden Sims was the best thing they could do at that moment. They just were not prepared for what they were encountering.

Lindsay dialed the number for the game warden and waited for him to answer. She had parked behind the other patrol cars and could see what was taking place in both of them right then. Keith was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car, holding the steering wheel and rocking back and forth. He may have been serious when he told Lindsay that he quit just moments earlier. Little Bob had gotten something out of the trunk of his car before he got back in. Lindsay could see that he was now unloading and reloading his shotgun. Warden Sims finally answered.

“Warden Sims,” he said.

“Mike, this is Lindsay. We have a problem on the north side of the county,” she told him.

“What kind of problem? I still haven’t even figured out what the Sycamore River problem is yet,” Warden Sims said.

“Mike, we have at least three large creatures in the woods around an individual’s house. We have not seen them, but they are very loud and seem to be calling to each other. The man who reported it would not even open his door and talk to me. He talked to me through the door,” she said.

There was a pause before he asked, “What is the address?”

Lindsay gave him the address and the phone number of the man who called. “Mike, whatever these things are, come heavily armed. We will wait here, and we will help you if you like,” Lindsay told him.

“That depends on who is with you,” Mike laughed.

“Little Bob and Keith, but I’m not sure about Keith right now. Something seems to have snapped in his brain, so he may not be much help.”

“Bob is good. Keith is not good. I think you may need to call Agent Gold. I have never called him, but I have been told that he needs to be notified if something like this were ever to happen. Do you know how to reach him by chance?” Mike said.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I will call Agent Gold now. Thanks, Mike,” Lindsay said.

She quickly hung up with Mike and called Wren. She briefed him as to what was going on and where it was, giving him all the information she had. He said he would be there in a few minutes and for her to stay safe.

Lindsay picked up the mic for her radio and said, “Just to let everyone know, we will continue to be on scene and are waiting for the game warden and Agent Gold.” She waited for a response and was beginning to wonder if her radio was working when she heard a reply.

“10-4,” Cat said.

They all just sat and waited. They could hear an occasional yell from different areas, and Lindsay listened to what she thought was a tree breaking and falling to the ground. Every time there was a sound, she could see Keith shudder and start rocking again. Little Bob would start looking around and using the car mirrors to look everywhere he could not see from the driver’s seat. She was almost positive that he was still holding the shotgun.

They had only been waiting a few minutes when Game Warden Sims pulled into the driveway in his truck. He and Lindsay both began to get out of their vehicles at the same time when one of the creatures let out a yell.

“Holy crap! What was that?” Mike yelled as he almost fell out of his truck.

“That would be what we are trying to locate and identify to make sure they are not a threat to any,” Lindsay said. “After that, though, do you need to take a moment and change your pants?”

“I don’t think so, but if that happens again, any closer, I might,” Mike told her as he looked around. “When will Agent Gold be here?”

“He should be here any moment,” Lindsay said as she saw his car approaching the driveway. “Speak of the devil; there he is now.”

“From what I’ve heard, he may be the devil or at least have a direct line of communication.”

“Why would you say that, Mike?” Lindsay asked with a little bit of a smile.

“Just things I’ve heard. Why do you know him?” Mike asked.

“You could say that. I am married to him,” Lindsay said. She saw Mike’s jaw drop open as soon as he heard those words.