51: The Series

51: The Storm Chapter 13 Part 1

Lindsay sat at her desk, holding her cell phone. She hoped they could find an answer to at least a few of their questions. Wren was on his way to her office with boxes of files. She was having a hard time believing there could be as many as Wren had told her, but he had no reason to lie about it. Lindsay got up, opened her office door, and walked out to where the deputies were sitting, eating, and talking. Cat and Madison both watched her from the time she opened her office door. As she neared the deputies, they all began to stop talking and looked at her.

She looked at them and asked, “What?”

“Your hair is down, and you aren’t wearing your uniform shirt, or vest, or other gear,” Annie said quickly. “You just look really, really different. I mean, not like a bad different, just a different, different.”

“I love this one,” Viktor laughed, putting his hand on Annie’s shoulder. “How do you get used to all that talking?” he asked.

“You don’t,” Little Bob and Big Bob answered.

Lindsay took a deep breath and let it out before she began speaking. “First, I want to tell all of you that I’m sorry for the way I have acted today. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I should not have done that. That being said, Agent Gold is on his way here with files, which may help us to understand this weirdness and, with luck, get rid of it and get everything as back to as normal as it ever was around here. So, in a few minutes, I will need everyone’s help on the loading dock to unload the truck.”

“Loading dock and truck? How many files is he bringing over?” Little Bob asked.

“Thousands,” she answered solemnly. “When they get here, we need to put the files in my office, against the wall, across from the map.”

“No problem, boss,” Viktor answered.

The cell phone in Lindsay’s pocket rang. She looked at it and saw it was Wren.

“Hello,” she answered.

“I wanted to let you know we will be there in about five minutes,” Wren said.

“Thanks. I will let everyone know and get everything ready. See you soon,” Lindsay said and then hung up.

“They will be here in five minutes, so let’s get headed that way,” Lindsay told everyone. She went back to her office and grabbed her coat. Lindsay thought about putting on her uniform shirt and vest but decided not to after seeing they were still damp.

She walked back out and toward the loading dock. Through the open door, she saw that Cat and the deputies who had been in the office were all waiting on the dock to see what was in the truck. When Lindsay walked out, she could hear that the rain had turned to sleet. She was just glad it was not the freezing rain that had been forecast.

“You all look happy about unloading a truck. What is wrong with all of you?” Lindsay asked them.

“Why would you ask that? You already know what’s wrong with us, and most of it is because of this stuff,” Little Bob answered without missing a beat.

“That is not true, and you know it. You, Big Bob, and Max have had things wrong with you way before now,” she said, laughing.

Big Bob laughed, saying, “You are right there with us too.”

“That is because the three of you had a part in causing me to be this way,” she told him, smiling.

While they were waiting for the truck, Annie was the only one talking, and it was all to Viktor. Viktor seemed to be delighted with Annie’s constant chatter. Little Bob and Big Bob had moved to the far side of the loading dock, away from them. It was clear they had just about had it with her talking. Lindsay pulled her phone out and looked at what time Wren had called. Just as she did, a truck that looked like a large moving truck pulled around and began to back up to the dock. It stopped a few inches away, and Lindsay saw Randy jump out of the cab.

“Ma’am,” Randy greeted Lindsay. “Agent Gold told me to pull around here. He is parking in the parking lot out front. Let me put the liftgate down so we can get started.”

Wren walked up next to Lindsay after coming through the department. He put his hand on Lindsay's back when he reached her.

“I brought you a few things that you can borrow while we deal with this,” Wren told her softly, leaning in close.

“Thank you; I can always use misappropriated government property. Is Randy OK? He is acting a little odd, even for him,” she said quietly.

“He has a crush on you,” Wren whispered in her ear.

She lowered her head and smiled. That made her day. Just when she felt like everything she had done that day was wrong, he made her feel better. She raised her head, watched Randy lower the liftgate, and open the back of the truck. Big Bob let out a low whistle.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the number of files,” Lindsay said.

“Those are just the ones that haven’t been converted to electronic files. Randy has the hard drive with the digital ones. That is why I brought you a printer, ink, paper, and everything else we might need if we need to print them, which we most likely will. I know you like to have paper copies of everything,” Wren told her.

Randy picked up the box containing the hard drive and gave it to Wren. Randy then began to help the others unload the truck and move the files into Lindsay’s office. Lindsay had started to count boxes. They were loading four boxes on each dolly, and each officer had made at least one trip. So far, that made at least 24 boxes, and there were still stacks to be moved.

“Sheriff, where would you like us to put these bulletin boards?” Viktor asked as he and Cat rolled them out of the truck.

“Now, you can get that map off your wall and get rid of that terrible blood-red paint,” Wren said.

“See, he does still love you,” Cat said.

“Maybe he just hates the color red,” Viktor said.

Cat reached across and punched Viktor in the chest. He just laughed, barely feeling it through his ballistic vest under his uniform shirt.

Lindsay laughed, “Put them wherever they will fit in my office.”

“She’s right; I do still love you. They are almost done, so let’s go see if we can even find your desk,” Wren said as he put his arm around her shoulders.

When they walked into her office, she was amazed at the number of boxes stacked against the wall even though she had helped to unload them. She walked to where the map was hanging on the wall and looked across the room at the boxes. Most were dated from the beginning of the base until now, but one box was labeled differently. It was labeled: ????-1931. That was before the base was established, and she wanted to know what was in that box.

Randy came into the office with two boxes and added them to the stack.

“That is the last of it, Agent Gold, Sheriff Gold. Is there anything else you would like me to do before I return to the base?” Randy asked.

“No, Randy, thank you for your help today,” Wren told him.

“It was my pleasure, sir,” Randy said as he turned to leave. He only took a couple of steps, then stopped and turned around.

“Sheriff Gold, may I ask you something?” Randy asked.

“Of course, Randy,” Lindsay answered, glancing at Wren.

“Ma’am, did you shoot the creature today?” Randy asked shyly.

She looked at him and answered, “I did.”

Randy continued, “And a few weeks ago, there was a report of a type of poltergeist activity at a home here in the county. I was told you made it stop and that it followed your commands.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” she answered.

“How remarkable? That is extraordinary,” Randy said, smiling.

“Randy, she did the same thing this morning with the poltergeist here in the department twice, and I watched it happen once,” Wren told him.

“Absolutely extraordinary,” Randy said, then turned and left the room.

Wren looked at the stack of boxes and asked Lindsay, “Where do you want to start?”

“I think that you should eat something. We have a lot of food that Big Bob’s wife made and sent here with him. She made venison and mushroom stew for me, but I’m sure she won’t mind me sharing with you,” Lindsay told him.

“That sounds good. In fact, it sounds wonderful. I haven’t eaten since this morning,” Wren answered.