Ch. 29: We can hear when we are hollow

Vic woke up to the phone ringing.

That wasn't all that unusual. In their line of work, it was more common than not. Especially considering that she was at Walt's and he was the Sheriff. The first thought that pushed into her sleep fogged brain was that it was her cell phone. She pushed up onto her stomach and peered at her phone with half open eyes.

It was dark and quiet.

Beside her, Walt was sitting up and rubbing his head tiredly.

"Phone."

He mumbled the word as he turned and planted his feet on the ground. Vic flopped back down as he padded over to retrieve his phone from its cradle. Vic took a deep breath and closed her eyes. From where she lay in the bed, she could hear Walt talking. She couldn't quite make out the words. As early as it was, she assumed it was work related.

She really, really wanted to be wrong.

When Walt walked back in, she let out a groan. The look on his face told her that she was right about the call. Unfortunately. He made no move to get her up. Instead, he ambled to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans.

Vic looked up at him.

"Work?"

He nodded.

"Yep. Break in at the hardware store in town. Alarm is going off and the window is busted."

Vic started to sit up. Walt waved her off as he tugged on a denim shirt and started to work on the snaps while he faced her.

"There's no reason for both of us to get up."

She sat up and braced her hands on the bed, leaning back.

"It's probably just kids. Usually is. I have to go and check it out."

He didn't sound as though he would miss this part of the job. She didn't blame him. It was always the hardest part. Being pulled away from your life at all hours. It was part of what contributed to the problems in her marriage to Sean.

"I don't mind."

Walt grabbed his belt and started to slip it through the loops on his pants.

"Don't worry about it. Just try and go back to sleep. Be daylight soon."

She considered arguing with him. Truth be told, she didn't want to get up and go into town any more than he seemed to. If he was right, and it was just a routine situation, it wouldn't even take him all that long. He would write up a report, take a statement, and move on with his morning.

"Okay."

Vic watched as he continued to dress, pulling on socks and tucking in his shirt. He disappeared into the bathroom where she could hear him going through the motions of brushing his teeth and probably his hair. Although, his hat would press it down anyway when he put it on as he left the house.

He emerged and stopped for a minute, considering her. With a sigh, he walked over and bent down to kiss her softly on the mouth. Straightening back up, he offered her a slight smile as he started away from the bed and towards the doorway.

"I'll call you later."

"Alright."

Vic lay back down and yawned. She stayed on her back as she heard the sounds of Walt, now wearing his boots, walk through the living room. He paused long enough to grab his hat, his badge, and his holstered Colt. Seconds later, she heard the door open and close. The Bronco rumbled to life and he pulled out.

Alone, Vic rolled onto her side so that she was facing away from the door. It wasn't light out yet. She pulled the blanket up over her and exhaled as she closed her eyes. Even with him gone, she could still smell Walt all over the bed. It was comforting. It felt like he was still here with her. Were she not so sleepy, she would have rolled her eyes at herself.

Hopefully, it wouldn't take Walt too long to handle the case in town. She doubted he would come all the way home when he finished up. He would more likely just go on in to the office and wait for the rest of the day to unfold. She figured he would wait until he was sure she was awake for the day to call her. It wouldn't be anytime soon. She might just grab some breakfast on the way in herself. Walt was about as good at neglecting himself as she tended to be when she was busy.

Sleep started to creep back in on her, pushing out the thoughts she was having. Her breathing slowly evened back out as she drifted off again and gradually fell back to sleep.

xxx

It was a cool morning. Fall was making its presence known as it pushed summer out in the usual manner that they were all accustomed to. He expected Vic to argue when he suggested that she stay and get some more sleep. He was pleasantly surprised when she seemed agreeable to the idea. He was also relieved. There was so much going on, she certainly deserved the rest and some quiet.

His ride into town was as quiet as he expected. At the root of it all, Durant was still a small town in a sparsely population section of Wyoming. Least populated county in the least populated state. It was almost a joke. Probably was to tourists who came through in the summer months.

The streets of Durant were also predictably quiet. There wasn't anyone out at this hour except those who worked night shift. The town was still mostly sleeping. Except at the hardware store. Unfortunately, it was a popular target with misguided teens looking to steal. It was normally a simple smash and grab where they broke in, grabbed a few targeted items, and ran off before the law ever arrived. In cases like that one, there wasn't much he could do outside of dusting for prints and filing a report.

He would notify local pawn shops of the theft just in case it was someone who was going for money and wanted to pawn the items as quickly as possible. That was generally how this brand of so called criminal got caught. Being stupid.

Walt parked and got out, straightening up his hat as looked at the shattered window to the side of the door where the lock was. An older man ambled over to him with a disgruntled look.

"Morning, Walt."

Walt nodded.

"Technically. How you doing, Sam?"

"I would be better if I was at home and not out here to sweep up glass."

Walt glanced at the mess around the window.

"Understandable. You want to tell me what happened?"

The man, Sam, was good fifteen years older than Walt with only a fringe of gray hair left around his head. He wore tan coveralls against the chilly air.

"I was at home in bed where respectable people should be at this hour."

Sam's tone was dry as he started to relate his story to Walt.

"The alarm company called me. You know, Walt…"

He paused.

"…I can remember when I didn't even worry too much about locking up at night. We had one lock on that door for years and no alarm to speak of. No one ever bothered anything. Now, I've got a deadbolt and this new alarm system. Those don't come cheap either. Neither will a new window."

Walt waited patiently for the man to work out his frustration and continue with his story. There was no reason to attempt to rush him. It wouldn't do any good. Sam would get there when he was ready and not a minute sooner.

"Yep."

That was all he added as he waited. Sam took a breath and scratched his nose, his eyes drifting up the street towards nothing in particular. Returning his eyes to Walt, he seemed to remember what it was he was actually supposed to be talking about.

"Anyway, like I was saying…I got up and came on down. My wife wasn't exactly thrilled that she was woken up about all this. I'll hear about that later. It's the same situation as usual. Looks like they tossed a rock through the window, reached around to unlock the door, and came on in."

The man considered the large windows on either side of the door. Whoever did it obviously knew what they were doing to some degree.

"Come to think of it, maybe I should just board up those damn windows. Get a new door. A solid one. That'll teach 'em. Make them put some actual effort into it."

Walt glanced at the hardware store.

"Do you know what's missing?"

Sam made a face and took a few steps away from Walt and towards his store.

"That's just it. As near as I can tell, nothing is missing."

"Nothing at all?"

That was a surprise. He wondered if Sam actually had time to check his inventory thoroughly.

"No, nothing. Nothing obvious anyway. I did a walk through and it looks just like it did when I left last night."

"Maybe you should take another look to be sure."

Sam shrugged, not seeming overly motivated to follow through with that suggestion.

"I'll have a look later on. Pretty sure nothing is missing. Oddest thing. I've never been broken into and not had something taken."

Walt gestured at the store.

"Mind if I have a look inside?"

"Be my guest."

Walt walked into the store, careful to avoid the glass that littered the floor. It was reminiscent of the scene at the office. He glanced at the door from the inside, running his eyes up and down the edges. He didn't see anything that caught his attention. Ambling up and down the aisles, he ran his eyes over the shelves and the merchandise.

Sam wasn't wrong. Everything looked normal. Nothing looked as though it had been touched or tampered with. He could hear Sam behind him at a slight distance, his feet shuffling over the floor.

Walt looked at the counter where the cash register sat undisturbed.

"You didn't leave any money in here?"

Sam made a sound in his throat before he answered.

"Lord, no. All the cash goes into the safe in back until it gets deposited at the bank."

"You check the safe?"

"I did. No one has touched it."

"How do you know?"

Sam gave him a secretive look.

"Well…"

He dropped the volume of his voice.

"…once I lock it, I always leave it at a particular number just in case someone who's not me tries to open it. These days…you just never know about people."

"What did they break the window with."

"Piece of concrete block. I use it to prop the door when the weather is nice."

Walt looked around the small store again. Something in him felt unsettled.

"You reckon they panicked when the alarm went off?"

Sam tossed him the question. Walt glanced at the man.

"Could be. But…like you said earlier, seems like they knew what they were doing. Hard to believe they wouldn't expect there to be an alarm. Why go through all the trouble to open the door if you're not gonna take something?"

"That's what set off the alarm."

"The door?"

"The sensor is on the door."

Walt shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Just…seems odd. You ever have a break-in where something wasn't taken?"

Sam shook his head.

"First time for everything I guess."

"I guess."

"Nothing but a bother. I tell you that. All this…"

He waved his hand around.

"…for nothing."

Nothing.

"Do you have cameras?"

"No. Might after this. Cost so much to secure this place, I won't be able to afford to run it."

Walt pushed out a breath.

"All this for nothing."

Sam repeated his earlier comment and something in Walt's mind snapped. He looked at Sam.

"I need a phone."

xxx

She didn't sleep for very long. It was still dark out when she opened her eyes again. But, it was close enough that there was no reason for her to try and sleep any longer. Her alarm would be going off soon. She wondered if Walt was still at the hardware store. By now, there was certainly time for him to drive into town. But, he tended to be methodical in his work. Not in any real hurry.

Vic inhaled deeply and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. There were no messages and no missed calls on her screen. He hadn't tried to call her. He was probably still dealing with the break-in. She knew the old man who ran the hardware store. He was a talker.

Vic set the phone aside and pushed the blanket off. The air in the cabin was cool. That made the idea of getting up even less attractive than it already was. The wooden planks of the floor were predictably cold under her bare feet. She gathered up her work clothes so that she could dress in the bathroom and went in to shower, pulling the door closed behind her.

Vic set her clothes aside and turned on the water, giving it time to warm up. Once the spray sputtered to life, she shed her pajamas and dropped them into a small pile in the corner of the bathroom. The water was just warm enough when she stepped under it and she stood as the heat continued to build. Twice, she adjusted the temperature before she started washing. It was incredibly tempting to linger under the water and let it continue to soak through her sleepy mind. But, she forced herself to finish up and shut off the water.

Vic dried off and stepped out, the air in the bathroom pleasantly warm and humid from the water. She dressed for work and brushed her teeth before she opened the door to go back into the bedroom where she pulled on socks and her boots.

In the kitchen, she started some coffee. It only took a minute for the smell to start creeping through the cabin. Leaving the coffee to brew, she built up the fire to add some warmth to the cabin. By the time she was done with that, the coffee was ready. Vic poured herself a cup and added sugar and milk. She took a cautious sip. Vic heard her cell phone ring from the bedroom and groaned.

Setting down her mug, she retrieved her phone from the bedside table. Ferg's name lit up her screen. She answered it on her way back to the kitchen.

"Hey, wha…"

"Where have you've been? I've tried calling you three times in the last ten minutes."

His voice was loud and sharp. Vic frowned.

"I was taking a shower. Wha…"

"Is everything alright?"

"Walt, what in the hell is wrong?"

"I'm on my way back. Where's your weapon?"

He had her undivided attention at this point.

"It's in the living room. Walt…"

"Get it."

She held the phone to her ear as she walked into the living room and lifted her holster. She slipped it onto her belt, her eyes bouncing off the 9mm.

"Okay. Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or are you trying to scare me?"

"Is the door locked?"

There was mild alarm in his attempted no nonsense voice.

"I guess. I haven't been outside. Walt."

She didn't verbalize another question. There didn't seem to be any point.

"This break-in at the hardware store…they busted the window and unlocked the door to trigger the alarm. But, they didn't take anything."

"Oh-kay."

She was confused.

But, not for long.

Realization started to dawn over her and she didn't even know how her brain made the leap. Maybe Walt was somehow transmitting it through the phone. The how wasn't important.

"You don't think…"

Her words trailed off.

"I don't know."

That was when she heard a noise from outside and her eyes snapped to the front of the cabin, her senses going on high alert. The pace of her heart increased. Slowly, she started towards the front door, suddenly feeling an urge to step quickly and lightly.

The door was locked. That was a newer habit from Walt. One that came from her influence more than anything else. In her ear, Walt was saying something. But, she wasn't listening. Her attention was focused on her present situation.

She heard more noises from outside that she really couldn't place. Vic eyed the knob. It was still.

"Vic?"

She heard her name, but didn't respond.

She stepped to the side and looked out the window, unable to see anything.

"Vic?"

Vic continued to peer out the window, but there wasn't enough light to see by. The sun was just starting to come up and the land was still dark with shadows.

"Vic!"

She blinked and realized she had moved the phone away from her ear. Bringing it back, she finally answered him.

"I'm here."

"What's going on?"

Her eyes were back on the door.

"I thought I heard something outside."

"You're armed."

He didn't pose it as a question.

"Yes."

Out of habit, her hand moved to her gun. Knowing it was there gave her some measure of comfort.

"I'm about five minutes away."

Vic didn't respond. She heard three subsequent thumps. Someone on the steps. Even though Walt hadn't given a voice to his actual concerns, she didn't need for him to. She could tell what his worries were. He thought the hardware store break-in might have been staged. Maybe something to see if he would leave her alone.

"I need to put the phone down."

"Don't open the door. I'll be there in a minute."

"Walt. I'm putting the phone down."

He sighed unhappily at the determination in her voice.

"Don't hang up."

"Okay."

She set the phone on the desk and pulled her Glock from the holster she wore. Vic carefully turned the lock on the door and wrapped her hand around the knob. Slowly, she turned it, steeled her nerves, and jerked the door open.

xxx

When Walt turned away from Sam, he nearly collided with Ferg who seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.

"Ferg!"

Ferg stepped back and held up his hands, clearly surprised by the suddenness of his movements.

"Sorry. I was driving by and saw you. I thought I would stop and see if you needed any help."

Walt nodded impatiently, not concerned as much as where Ferg came from as the fact that he knew Ferg would have his phone on him.

"Do you have your phone?"

Ferg gave him a mildly confused look and reached into his pocket to withdraw his phone and hold it up.

"Sure."

Walt took it and started towards the Bronco.

"See if Sam needs any help."

With that, he slid behind the wheel and pulled out, his tires squealing over the road. He steered with one hand dialed Vic with the other. He brought the phone to his ear and listened. It rang until her voicemail picked up. Walt didn't leave a message. He ended the call and redialed her familiar number.

Again, the phone went unanswered and the familiar message of her voicemail clicked on. Walt again ended the call and shook his head.

"Damn."

He muttered the word as he approached the town limits of Durant. He pressed his foot down harder on the gas, trying to narrow the distance that was spread out between them. His mind immediately started replaying the morning and how it played out. True to his nature, he second guessed the decision to convince her to stay at the cabin earlier that morning. Walt forced out the thoughts and focused on the road in front of him. He tried her cell phone number again.

Still no answer.

Had someone gotten to her?

Had she simply left the cabin?

He didn't have any way of knowing and the possibilities were numerous in why she wasn't answering the phone. None of that mattered to him in the moment. All that mattered was that he wanted to hear her voice and she wasn't answering the phone. In his mind, that wasn't a good thing. Walt tried one more time.

His heart jumped up in his chest when she answered.

Finally.

She was okay.

Everything she was telling him was exactly as it should be. She didn't answer the phone earlier because she was in the shower and getting ready for the day. She was doing exactly what she did every other morning. Getting prepared for work, drinking coffee. The Bronco continued to rumble over the road as he sped over the road. Any other time, this drive wouldn't seem anywhere near as long as it did.

He didn't let up on the gas.

Damn it, he shouldn't have left her alone.

He should have just let her get up and go with him despite the fact the break-in wasn't exactly a major crime. They could have wrapped it up and gone over to the Busy Bee for breakfast before they went in to the office.

He hadn't mean to snap at her, but it just popped out. He could tell that the force of his voice caught her off guard. He rarely spoke to her that way and her tone changed. She knew that something was wrong. Without his saying it out loud to her, she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.

The realization that dawned on him while he was standing there listening to Sam go one about how nothing was missing from his store. How odd that was. It hit Walt then like a bolt of lightning and all that he could think about in that moment was getting to her.

He wanted her to stay on the phone.

He needed her to stay on the phone.

No matter what, her voice was something that he needed to hear in his ear. As long as she was talking to him, he knew that she was okay. He knew that he might be wrong. Maybe this was all something his mind created and there was really nothing to back it up.

Then, she went quiet on him. She seemed to be still holding the phone. But, she wasn't talking to him. She wasn't acknowledging his attempts to get her to respond to him. He repeated her name with force until she finally responded. But, what she said didn't do anything for the fear that was wrapping around his insides like a snake ready to sap the life out of him.

"I thought I heard something outside."

He didn't have any way of knowing if there was someone there or if she was simply feeding off his paranoia and nervous energy.

Don't hang up the phone. He told her that and she seemed agreeable. He didn't like the idea of her confronting whatever or whoever might be waiting outside. She was armed. He confirmed that. She had her Glock and she knew how to use it.

She could take care of herself.

That was the mantra that his mind kept repeating to himself as he drove.

She would be okay.

He would get there and everything would be fine.

He tried to convince her to wait for him. But, her mind was made up. She did agree not to hang up the phone. That was something. He assumed she actually set the phone down. It sounded like the phone connected with a hard surface. Maybe his desk.

After that, everything sounded distant. He pressed the phone to his ear while he drove with his free hand. He was almost there. He applied a little more pressure to the gas and the Bronco's engine surged a little under the hood.

The cabin door squeaked as she opened it and she inhaled sharply, nearly causing his heart to freeze in his chest.

xxx

"Henry! Jesus!"

She startled Henry about as much as he started her. Maybe more. He clearly wasn't expecting the door to swing open and a gun to be leveled at his face. He raised his hands and took a step back away from her as she emerged from the cabin.

"Vic, I am sorry."

Vic pushed out a breath of relief as she lowered the gun to her side.

"Sorry."

She sounded breathless, her heart thumping hard in her chest and adrenaline pumping through her system. He dropped his hands and gave her a puzzled look.

"I did not mean to scare you."

Vic shook her head.

"You didn't. I just…"

She slid the gun back into her holster and glanced around.

"What are you doing?"

He gestured at a tool bag sitting by the door.

"Walt asked to borrow these. It was early and I did not want to disturb you if you were still asleep."

She nodded slowly and the Bronco came into view. Henry was still watching her closely.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just…"

She swallowed and shook her head as the Bronco rolled to a stop and Walt got out, his own expression one a mixture of confusion and alarm. He looked from her to Henry and the relief that she saw there was obvious as he crossed the yard to them.

"Henry."

Henry looked between them.

"You were expecting someone else?"

Vic huffed out a breathless laugh.

"I wasn't expecting anyone. You scared the shit out of me."

Henry gave her an apologetic look.

"I am sorry."

Vic waved off the apology as Walt seemed to relax now that he knew she was never in any danger. Henry turned to Walt.

"I was dropping these tools off for you."

Walt looked as though he had completely forgotten about that. Now that her mind was working the way it should, Vic remembered him mentioning it in passing. He wanted to do some work on the cabin and Henry had some of the tools that he would need for the job.

There was still something in Henry's dark eyes. He knew some of what was going on. Not all of it, but maybe enough to piece together an idea of why they were both so on edge.

"Right."

"Is something going on?"

Vic looked at Walt.

"Apparently not. I'm sorry for…pointing a gun at you."

She gave him a sheepish look. But, Henry dismissed her apology.

"I am sorry. I should have called first."

Vic felt her body returning to normal now that she knew there was no threat. There never had been.

"Thanks…for the tools."

Henry nodded to Walt.

"You are welcome. Let me know…"

He paused and looked at both of them.

"…if you need anything."

There was emphasis on the word anything and she knew the meaning went beyond borrowing tools. Walt returned the nod in acceptance of the offer.

"Thanks, Henry."

Henry left them alone, getting into his truck and pulling out.

Vic turned her eyes to Walt as the truck engine faded away as Henry drove off back towards town. No doubt, he was headed to the casino. She closed her eyes momentarily, opening them to find his blue eyes on her.

"I'm sorry."

The words came out low, but they weren't necessary.

Vic reached up and touched his chest.

"It's alright."

He ran his hand up her back and embraced her for only a short moment before he stepped away from her.

"I just…I thought it might be a trick to get you alone. I…I couldn't take that chance."

Vic pressed her lips together and considered him. There was no way she could be mad at him. Not when her safety was his primary motivation. Still, it rattled the hell out of her and that was a hell of a way to wake up in the morning.

"I know. Let's just…"

She gestured at the door.

"…go inside. I just…"

She shook her head and he followed her inside. In the kitchen, Vic dumped out her now cooled coffee and made herself a new cup as well as Walt. He took a sip and set it aside. She was calm now, her nerves settling down.

"What happened."

She listened as he told her about the scene at the hardware store and what unfolded in his mind. He related the story to her somewhat haltingly and she knew that he felt guilty about scaring her.

"Kind of makes sense."

That was her offering when he concluded his brief account.

She could see how he would have reached the conclusion that he did.

"It's okay, Walt."

She took a drink from her own coffee.

"It's just that…when you didn't answer the phone…"

"Walt. It's okay. I don't blame you."

He nodded, his eyes shifting away.

"I completely forgot that I asked Henry to drop off the tools."

She shrugged.

"That wouldn't have been my first thought anyway."

She drained her coffee cup and set it in the sink. Walt watched her with perceptive eyes tracking her movements around the room. She returned to where he stood near the table.

"We're gonna be late."

He didn't seem bothered by that idea. She was trying hard not to think about how scared she had been before she knew it was Henry. She was pushing herself not to get mired down in that fear. Walt seemed less anxious to move on and his hand reached out to land on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

His attention was starting to wear on her. She wasn't mad at him. She simply wanted him to move on and stop looking at her like he was.

"Yes."

She answered him quickly. Probably too much so for him to find the answer at all convincing.

"Vic."

Her name came out softly.

"It's…"

She stopped short and sighed heavily, unwanted emotions suddenly pushing up into the back of her throat, her mind completely switching gears.

"Walt, I can't…"

She shook her head, her eyes burning.

"…I can't live like this."