Establishing Connections

You slept like a baby that night considering you went to bed early. Waking up refreshed, you decided that you were in desperate need for a hunt. You sent out some feelers to a few contacts, but when even Charlie had nothing on his radar, it was time to find something yourself. You spent the night on your laptop searching for weird accidents or deaths throughout the United States. The only thing slightly resembling anything interesting was a string of reports in Walla Walla, Washington (Yes. A real city) depicting several missing persons. Could just be your run of the mill serial killer, but hey, you had the time and resources to investigate. Why not? You packed your duffel and set it next to the front door before your departure the next morning.

Seven a.m. rolled around and you were itching to leave. You always got this feeling before starting a new case. It was like a clean slate. You showered quickly and wolfed down a protein bar before meeting Bobby in the living room. "Hey, so I found something in Washington I'm gonna check out. Be back in a few days, but I'll check in." Bobby grunted in response, still partially asleep with his coffee mug in hand. "You be safe, ya hear? Call if you need anything." You nodded and again gave your salute as you laced your boots, grabbed your bag, and headed out to the Jeep.

It had rained last night, but luckily the tarp was up, making your life easier. You threw your bag in the back and went to the rear of the car. You opened the small hidden compartment in the center of the spare tire and typed in the passcode. Hearing the beep, you reached and pulled the whole thing open, revealing your weapons cabinet. You added a few magazines and checked their ammunition levels before slamming the tire shut again to conceal the weapons. You stepped up to the driver's seat and started your ignition. Breathing in the morning fumes, you rolled your window down and hit the road.

The drive really wasn't awful. The trip could be done in a day, but it was a safer bet for your mental acuity to split it into two and get some more rest. You checked in with Bobby once a day and finally arrived in Walla Walla.

First thing was first; you needed a base of operation. Luckily, you had done your research the night before. The Capri motel was only a five-minute drive from the local police station. You arrived and checked in quickly. Walking through the door, bag in hand, you inhaled slowly and decompressed. Not only was it nice to be out of the car, but also having a room all to yourself with no male presence was the breath of fresh air that you needed. You always were more comfortable in isolation. You placed your bag next to the bed and quickly readied yourself for your next task; infiltrating the local police for information. The classic fed ruse would do just fine for this.

You arrived up the road and entered the station with an air of authority. A young man (clearly an intern) looked extremely flustered as he did his best to greet you. He was trying to carry several stacks of paper to the front desk when he noticed you, dropping a few stragglers. "Hi, can I help you?" You bent down to help him pick a few up and placed them on the wooden counter. Pulling out your "badge", you held it up before responding. "Just let your superiors know I'm here when you get a chance." Realization registered on the kid's face and he tensed a bit. "Oh, uh, yes ma'am, right away." He scurried off into the back and you took the time to look over some of the paperwork that he had left in the open. There were a few 'Missing' posters as well as several witness reports. Just as you were getting to the names, the man walked back out with his boss, a tall gentleman with a kind smile. He extended his hand. "Agent. Sorry I hope I didn't keep you waiting long. I'm Sheriff Jones and you've already met our newest addition, this is Jonathon Wright." You shook his hand in reciprocation before answering. "Not at all, just walked in, in fact. Nice to meet you both, I'm Agent Johnson." He gestured towards the small room in the back of the building. "Please." You nodded and lead the way to his office, taking the first seat you encountered. He sat behind his desk and leaned back in his chair, hands folded over what was a slight beer gut. You smiled slightly, as it was a position most middle aged men preferred while sitting. "What can I do ya for agent? Hope nothing's too wrong, we don't normally get visits from higher ups." His eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his fingers fidgeted, indicating that he was a bit nervous. "I assure you it's nothing to worry about. Just a routine check my boss sent me on. We've caught a whiff of your recent string of missing persons. Had a similar incident in D.C., just wanted to double check that the unsub didn't cross county lines."

"Well, if that's all you're here for, I can breath easy. Give me a minute and I'll give you everything we've got on the case."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Of course. (He pressed a button on his phone) Hey Jonathon, can you bring me those files on the missing persons?" You heard a faint "Yes sir", and some shuffling come from the other room. "We'll have those right out for you. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Not currently, but I will let you know if there is. Just keep me posted?"

"You got it. Thanks for coming in." He extended his hand once more and you shook it as a goodbye. You exited the office to meet Jonathon at the front. He stood with a wide smile, extending his grip with the files ready. You took them with a "Thank you." He smiled wider and nodded. "Anytime ma'am." You smiled back awkwardly and made your way out of the building and back to your car. Well, that was certainly easier than you expected. You started your ignition and made your way back to your room. Time to start piecing things together. You always did have a thing for the murder wall creation process. Just the idea of the organization gave you warm feelings.