Chapter 5: Switching Things Up
Hope County Jail & Sheriff's Office
Henbane River
7:00 AM
Some very considerable changes had occurred both during the Project Eden's Gate cult's overtaking of Hope County and in the time immediately leading up to the implementation of Governor John Albertson's Martial Law order. During the initial stages of the cult's intrusion, the original Hope County Sheriff's Office in Fall's End was savagely burned down by Peggies, and likewise, the Hope County Jail in the Henbane River region suffered an extensive amount of structural damage during the two massive sieges. An entire housing unit had to be completely torn down, thus cutting the jail's overall housing capacity by fifteen cells. On the positive side of things, while new Sheriff Troy Harrison was in Japan recovering from all the Eden's Gate chaos, the space once occupied by the now wiped out housing unit had been thoroughly rebuilt and turned into the brand-new Hope County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies Michael Whitehorse and Kevin Dodd, Jr. arrived at the jail as scheduled on this particular morning. When they entered the jail's empty Main Housing Unit, they were greeted by the entirety of the Hope County Sheriff's Department: Sheriff Troy Harrison, Sergeant Abigail "Abby" Asher, Deputy Joey Hudson, Deputy Staci Pratt, Deputy Adam Xander, and Deputy Dakota Michaels. Newly appointed Sheriff Harrison was eager to give everyone his first official morning briefing.
"Good morning Michael", Harrison greeted warmly, "Good morning Kevin."
"Good morning Sheriff!" Whitehorse replied.
"Yes", Dodd said, "Good morning Sheriff."
The two deputies fell in line, standing politely beside the others. "And that 'good morning' obviously applies to the rest of you folks, too", Harrison said, "Now then, I'd like to begin my first official morning briefing as Hope County's new Sheriff by introducing our department's new Corrections Supervisor, Sergeant Abigail Asher. Sergeant, could you step up here, please?"
With that, Sergeant Asher stepped to the middle of the room and stood politely beside Harrison. "To clarify", Harrison matter-of-factly continued, "Sergeant Asher will be in charge of all the essential operations regarding the Hope County Jail. The five exterior guard towers surrounding the building, the Intake Desk by the entrance, the fifteen-cell Main Housing Unit in which we're all currently standing, and the five-bed Infirmary next door, are all her domain. Anything to add, Sergeant?"
Sergeant Asher grabbed a clipboard off a nearby table before replying. "Thank you, Sheriff," she said, "I have been assigned three deputies who will work alongside me inside this jail from seven a.m. to seven a.m. Monday through Friday." She briefly eyed the shift schedule on the clipboard before elaborating further. "Effective immediately", she went on, "The shift schedule goes as follows: Deputies Whitehorse and Dodd, I'm assigning you unit patrol on the dayshift. That means you two will be responsible for doing foot patrols of both this Main Housing Unit and the Infirmary every morning, and again as needed. Deputy Pratt, you'll be handling prisoner intake out front."
"For your information, gentlemen", Asher continued, "Meal breaks will be at noon and four p.m., respectively, and will last approximately thirty minutes. While you are on your breaks, I myself will take over the necessary foot patrols and cell checks. Any of you other deputies who aren't on active calls or handling any other urgent police business are welcome to pitch in and help with anything at any time. It would be greatly appreciated."
Sheriff Harrison then saw an opportunity to add to Sergeant Asher's comments, first nodding in agreement with what she had just said. "Furthermore, guys", Harrison said, "I'm going to require that at least once a week, those who are assigned to work Patrol swap places with those of you who work with Sergeant Asher here at the jail, and vice versa. This is so those of you on one side of the fence get a good idea of what those on the other side have to deal with."
Everyone seemed to be agreeable to that stipulation. "Does that apply to command staff too, Sheriff?" Asher asked.
Harrison gave a slight smile. "You know it, Sarge", he said.
Just then, Sheriff Harrison's cell phone buzzed, and he promptly checked it. "Okay", Harrison said as he was momentarily caught off guard, "Those of you who have not been specifically assigned to work with Sergeant Asher here at the jail, please follow me over to the Sheriff's Office for your patrol and vehicle assignments." He gave a nod to Asher. "Thanks Abby", he said, "I'll be in my office if you or the guys need anything."
Asher smiled and gave a nod of her own. "Copy that, boss. Thank you."
As Asher and the Correctional Deputies dispersed to get to work, Harrison and the remaining deputies: Hudson, Xander, and Michaels, headed toward the wing occupied by the new Sheriff's Office. He stopped at a reinforced metal security door that separated the Hope County Jail from the Sheriff's Office. A numbered security keypad with an attached keycard scanner sat just to the right of the door.
"This keypad and scanner are the best way to pass through the two sides of this complex", Harrison began to explain as he pointed to the keypad, "You can either manually punch in your personal numbered key code, which is stamped on the back of your department keycard, or…" He demonstrated how to properly run the card through the scanner, after which the security door came unlocked, "…just make it simple and scan your card through." Harrison turned the handle on the security door and held it open so the others could follow him.
Harrison led his deputies into the department garage and stood by a huge wall unit that contained all the keys to the department vehicles, with each key hanging on their own associated hook in the unit. The sheriff tossed one set of keys to Adam Xander. "Adam", he said, "You and Dakota have Dodd and Whitehorse's old patrol route in the Holland Valley today. You guys will be in vehicle number two-fourteen, the white and green Chevy Tahoe cruiser. Just a reminder, your vehicle number is also your radio call sign."
"Got it", Xander said as he and Michaels headed out.
Harrison grabbed another set of keys from the wall unit and handed them to Joey Hudson. "You and I have the Henbane River region today Joey", he told her, "We'll be in vehicle two-twelve, the Expedition cruiser. You all good?"
Hudson pocketed the keys. "Yes sir", she said, "I'm hope I'm not speaking out of turn or anything, Sheriff, but can I ask you a question?"
Harrison momentarily snapped out of his "eager-to-hit-the-streets" mood, realizing that his deputy seemed troubled. "Always", he said, "What's up?"
Hudson sighed deeply as she was trying to figure out how to properly ask the particular question. "Why did you pull Staci Pratt off Patrol?" she asked, "Earl had he and I paired up since you went away. Why all of a sudden are you sticking him indoors?"
"Because Earl expressed concern to me that Pratt was still struggling with the trauma he felt since the Seeds kidnapped you guys a while back", he replied, "The whole reason he paired you guys up is because he was uneasy about letting him ride alone after that car accident he had."
"I guess I'm just worried that he'll go stir crazy working twelve hour shifts in that cold, spooky-ass jail", Hudson said, "Staci earned his stripes on the streets."
Harrison nodded. "We all have, kid", he replied, "Look, remember when you promised me that you'd follow my lead after I rescued you from that bunker?"
"Of course," Hudson replied.
"Alright then", Harrison said very matter-of-factly, "I'm asking you to follow my lead with this. Staci will be okay. Asher, Dodd, and Whitehorse will keep a good eye on him for now. They're all well aware of what we all went through with the Peggies, and if anything happens, Asher will let us know."
A now re-assured Hudson managed a slight smile. "Okay", she said.
Harrison nodded. "Okay", he said, "I have a visitor in my office. Would you mind collecting all our equipment? I shouldn't be more than ten minutes or so, I'll meet you at the car."
With that, Hudson went to the supply locker to gather the necessary equipment for their patrol car. Harrison, meanwhile, headed to the small dispatch center where dayshift dispatcher Betty Adams sat at her console, a microphone headset on her head. Betty Adams was a heavyset white woman appearing to be in her mid-fifties, dressed in a very stylish crimson red sweater and a long skirt that matched the color of her sweater.
"You must be Betty Adams", he said.
Betty turned around in her wheeled desk chair to address the sheriff. "I am", she said as she warmly extended a hand, "It's an immense pleasure and honor to finally meet you, Sheriff Harrison."
Harrison smiled politely as he accepted and reciprocated her kindly handshake. "It's very nice to meet you too Betty", he replied, "I got the text message you sent me. So, who's in my office?"
"Her name is Sharon Stanley", Betty said, "She's apparently the State Representative for Hope County. She came down from Helena and wanted to talk to you about something. I'm assuming it's some kind of urgent matter."
Harrison nodded. "Got it", he said, "Again, it's great to meet you, and thanks for the heads up."
Betty smiled. "Not a problem, sir", she said, "I'm here from seven a.m. to seven p.m. Monday through Friday if you need anything. My son, Evan, is the dispatcher after that."
"Great", Harrison replied, "Thanks again, Betty."
Harrison headed down the hall to his new spacious office. A woman was sitting in a chair in front of his desk, working on a cell phone.
"Miss Stanley?" Harrison inquired as he stepped inside his office.
Sharon Stanley put her phone away momentarily and stood up out of her seat, extending a hand to Harrison. "Yes", she said, "Sharon Stanley. It's so nice to finally meet you, Sheriff."
Harrison politely shook her hand before taking a seat behind his desk. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting ma'am", he said, "but Deputy Hudson and I were about to go out on patrol, so I only have limited time here."
Stanley returned to her chair and collected herself. "I'll cut to the chase", she said, "I don't know if Sheriff Whitehorse told you, but my office has been conducting a concurrent investigation into Project Eden's Gate along with the local, state, and federal authorities."
"I was made aware of that when I returned to Hope County, yes", he replied.
Stanley presented him with a file folder, the front of which bared the official seal of the State of Montana. "I just wanted to let you know that the State Attorney General has ruled the deaths of all the cult members, including those who you yourself took down, as justifiable under state law. There's the official report signed by the AG himself."
Harrison sighed deeply before opening the folder and glancing over the report. "So basically, we've all been cleared of any wrongdoing", he said, trying to sum up the report's conclusions out loud for himself.
Stanley nodded in a reassuring kind of way. "You have", she said, "And the U.S. Attorney's Office concurs at the federal level as well. Our investigation into the cult isn't entirely done just yet, but you and your deputies can rest easy."
Harrison placed the folder containing the official report in a desk drawer and rose from his seat, again extending a hand to Sharon Stanley. "Thank you", he said, "I'll make sure we do just that."
Stanley shook the sheriff's hand once again. "If there's anything else you need from any of us at the State Capital", she said, "Don't be a stranger."
Harrison reciprocated the State Representative's gesture by walking her out to her vehicle. He then got into his and Deputy Hudson's assigned patrol vehicle, a brand new four-wheel-drive Ford Expedition SUV, wherein Deputy Hudson was behind the wheel and ready to go.
"You all good now, Sheriff?" Hudson asked.
"Yes ma'am", he said, "Let's roll."
Henbane River Bridge
3 Hours Later
By now, Sheriff Harrison and Deputy Hudson had their patrol SUV parked beside the entrance of the Henbane River Bridge that lead to the nearby Holland Valley region of Hope County. They had spent the last few hours sitting in the vehicle searching for speeders, aiming their radar gun at any and every car that passed by. However, pretty much every motorist that passed by them seemed to be driving within the posted speed limit, so the speed trap they had set up seemed to be quite the fruitless endeavor so far.
"You, Earl, and the others have met State Representative Stanley before, right?" Harrison finally asked Hudson, wanting to break up the monotony of the last few hours.
Joey Hudson took off her campaign hat and wiped sweat from her forehead before replying. "Yeah", she said, "While you were at that hospital in Missoula, we met with her and Governor Albertson in Helena. Why?"
"That's who came to see me at this office this morning", Harrison said, "She said that the State Attorney General has personally cleared the Hope County Sheriff's Department of any criminal wrongdoing in the deaths of the cult members." He gave his deputy a relieved smile.
Hudson gave a pleased smile of her own. "So, we're all in the clear?" she asked.
Harrison nodded. "Right as rain", he said before putting his hand up for a high-five.
Hudson high-fived her boss happily and took a moment to just laugh with relief. "Oh man", she said after taking a deep breath and collecting herself, "That's freaking awesome, man. Freaking awesome."
"Tell me about it, kid", Harrison replied, "What a great way to start my term as Sheriff, right?"
Hudson nodded. "Absolutely", she said, "So, tell me more about those new folks you brought in. You've known and worked with all of them for a while, right?"
"One way or another, yes", Harrison said, "Abby Asher and I grew up together back in Vermont and then we worked out of the same Chicago PD district station for a while. Adam and Dakota worked with me out West for four and half years. In fact, they were my subordinates when I was Chief Detective."
"Asher seems pretty tough", Hudson said.
"She is", Harrison replied, "But she's had to be. She was an undercover detective for CPD Narcotics for about two years. She sometimes had to use drugs to prove to the dealers that she wasn't a cop or a snitch, and it got away from her after a while."
"'Got away from her'?" a confused Hudson asked.
Harrison sighed deeply, almost apprehensive to approach the subject. "A certain percentage of the drug trade in Chicago is made via opioid pills", he began to explain, "Most of the cases Asher and her squad handled involved what we called 'pill mills', manufacturing bootleg painkillers that were almost always either cut wrong or poorly made, upping the chances for people to overdose."
Hudson put two and two together. "...and Abby used to maintain her cover one too many times and got hooked, right?" she asked.
Harrison nodded, almost tearful. "Yeah", he said, "About six months before I left Chicago, I got a call from her one night while I was in the middle of working a homicide scene. She apparently had the bright idea to crush and snort a few pills off the steering wheel of her own unmarked detective car. Little did she realize, there was a CPD patrol car stopped at a red light not twenty feet away from where she was parked. They charged her with a DUI."
"What happened after that?" Hudson asked.
"The State Attorney and the police union let her cut a deal in exchange for no jail time", Harrison continued, "She was put on so-called 'sick leave' and the judge sent her to rehab for three months, after which I begged our Police Superintendent to let her keep her badge once she cleaned up. It worked and she made Sergeant sometime after that, but they parked her on desk duty at CPD Headquarters, or 'the Ivory Tower' as we called it."
"They threw her a bone", Hudson said.
Harrison nodded once again. "I guess I threw her a bigger one to come and work with us out here", he said, "At least here she'll hopefully be able to be the cop that she originally set out to be."
"Still", Hudson replied, "That's one hell of a risk to take for an old friend."
"I'm well aware of that, Joey", Harrison said, "But you don't know Abby. She's much more than just a tough, mouthy cop with a damaged reputation. She has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known, but she is a fighter. It just seems like I'm one of the few people in her life that's willing to look beyond the latter."
Just then, Harrison's cell phone buzzed once again. He promptly checked it, and his face was overcome by a very perplexed look.
"Is that Betty Adams again?" Hudson asked.
"No", Harrison replied, "It's a text from Willis Huntley, that CIA dweeb I dealt with while we were fighting the Peggies. He wants you, me, and Abby to meet him out at Sunrise Farm tonight at seven-thirty."
"What the hell would that numb-nuts want from us now?" an equally baffled Hudson asked, "And why ask for Abby?"
"I have no idea", Harrison said, "but it can't mean anything good."