LOGINLindsay looked at all of them and saw them all begin to smile at his question. “Is that the only question anyone has?” The group nodded and said yes to her as they looked at each other, then back at her. “None of you can officially start until you graduate from the academy. However, you are all welcome to come in and ride with the deputies when you have time off from training. By doing that, you will cut down on your field training time if you do decide to work here after graduation. That will also allow you to see what happens around here before you make a final decision to work here,” Lindsay said. “After you have come in a few times and I get feedback from the deputies you work with, I will know more about scheduling and be able to tell you more about which shifts and days you would be working.” “I would like to add something to what Sheriff Gold has told you,” Max said as he walked around to stand beside Lindsay’s desk and faced the new prospective employees. “I have known Lin
Lindsay held the blank application out to the young woman. “Ma’am, after what happened on your way here, are you still interested in applying?” Lindsay asked the female cadet.“Yes, ma’am. I absolutely want to work here if that happens often,” the cadet answered, smiling.Wren stopped what he was doing and looked at the young woman sitting near Lindsay’s desk. He then turned and looked at Lindsay.“She might be crazy enough to work here,” he told Lindsay. Lindsay just shook her head as she handed an application to the young woman and took the confidentiality agreement from her. One by one, the other cadets handed Lindsay the agreements as they finished them. Lindsay quickly looked over them and put them in her desk. “Before we go any further, do any of you want to withdraw your applications?” Lindsay asked, looking at the group. To her surprise, they all shook their heads and said no. Lindsay looked over at Max, leaning against the wall near her office door. When she did, he reache
“Everyone, stop. Alright, you,” Lindsay said, pointing to one of the young men. “Tell me what happened.”“There was this…thing in the field walking around. It was weird. It looked kind of like some weird bug/human hybrid of some kind,” he said, shaking his head the entire time he spoke.“What color was it?”“Maybe greenish,” he answered.“I thought it was more of a white,” another man said.“It looked kind of silvery to me,” the young woman said.“If you didn’t catch all of that, it was some kind of insect/human hybrid that was green, white, or silver in color, just north of town in a field,” Lindsay told Wren.“OK, I will have a team head out there now. I will be at your office in a few minutes to speak with them myself,” Wren told her, then hung up.“Agent Gold wants to speak with all of you about what you saw, and he will be here shortly,” Lindsay told the group as she put her phone back in her pocket. “This is not what I was hoping for as far as all of you being introduced to this
It was Saturday morning, and Lindsay was in the office an hour early for the meeting with the cadets. She was at her computer doing a little more research into the potential new employees she would be meeting that day. She heard the door chime and looked up to see Max walking in. He smiled at the dispatcher as he strolled by him and headed straight to Lindsay’s office. He walked in and dropped into the chair across from her. Lindsay glanced at him and saw him just looking at her and grinning. “What’s wrong with you? And the better question is, why are you still here?” she asked him. “Other than what is normally wrong with me? I don’t know. Too much coffee? Saw one too many creatures? Glad I may soon not be working seven days a week? Just happy to see you? Your guess is as good as mine at this point,” he answered, still smiling at her. Lindsay stopped what she was doing. She turned and looked at him but said nothing. Max studied her for a moment, then got up and closed her office do
Little Bob and Cat sat down in the back of the room as the class continued until the next break. To their surprise, five cadets spoke with them and asked to meet with the sheriff on Saturday. When they talked about what the duties would include, they had to be careful not to mention the weirdness caused by the base. When they finished at the academy, they walked out to Little Bob’s patrol car and got in.“Should I call the sheriff and give her the good news, or should I let it be a surprise and tell her when we get back?” Little Bob asked.“I think you should call her. If her day is going the same as they have been, she could probably use some good news,” Cat answered.“I think you’re right,” Little Bob said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed.Sheriff Lindsay Gold’s desk phone rang. “Sheriff Gold,” she answered.“How are you today, sheriff?” Little Bob asked Lindsay.“I am up to my eyeballs in paperwork and reports. Please tell me you are calling to let me know you ha
Little Bob and Cat were on their way to visit the first police academy, where they had been able to schedule a time for them to recruit. It was a two-hour drive one-way, so they both hoped to find at least a couple of people who wanted to work at the sheriff’s department. “Cat, I have to say you look nice today,” Little Bob said to break the silence of the drive. “Thank you, Bob. I thought I should try to be a little professional and wear something more business-related. This is one of the few suits I have with pants that are long enough that I can still wear my favorite heels,” Cat said. “I always feel short when you wear those shoes.” “Don’t worry. You’re not short. I mean, you are shorter than Big Bob, Viktor, and Yuri, and a little shorter than I am, and Max. You know what? Maybe you are short.” “Wow, you know how to make a guy feel good,” Little Bob laughed. “I’m sorry, Bob. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.” “You didn’t make me feel bad, and you never apologize for thin
“Roy, are you alright?” Lindsay asked him. Roy looked at her with his brow creased. “I don’t know. I saw something, but I didn’t. I don’t know how to explain it,” he said with confusion. “Come into my office, and let’s talk,” Lindsay said. She waved to Wren, who had been watching, to join them.
The next thing Lindsay remembered was swinging at Wren when he touched her arm. She looked at him and could see his concern and fear. She had fallen asleep in her office. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I can’t believe I did that,” Lindsay said, leaning back again and looking at the ceiling. “It’s OK. Cat
“What are you up to, Mikey?” Little Bob asked as he walked into Lindsay’s office. “I wish I knew. I have been checking some of the game cameras in the northern part of the county, where I have been getting some reports about strange things. I can’t explain some of it, so I thought I would ask you
Wren walked into the bedroom and saw Lindsay lying on the bed. Her feet were on the floor, with the dog next to her. She had taken off her duty belt, which contained her equipment, but had fallen asleep still in her uniform. He walked over to her and carefully touched her arm. As soon as he did, sh







