Sarah was collecting eggs in the chicken coop when Zeus alerted. His tentative bark was followed by a growl. Sarah turned and moved toward the door of the coop, stopping well inside the doorway. The shadows would conceal her from anyone standing in the bright morning sun.
"Good boy," she said to Zeus. A scattering of chickens heralded the arrival of Athena, drawn by Zeus's warning. "Good girl," Sarah said. She crouched and stared out the doorway of the coop at the clearing--and the wooded area beyond it. She didn't see anything to alarm the dog.
Sarah waited patiently, studying the cleared land around the cabin and the woods beyond. Her patience was rewarded when she spotted movement in the woods. Someone was moving around out there. Sarah couldn't tell what he was doing; his movement wasn't aimless, there was a pattern to it, but damned if she could figure out his purpose.
"Well, there's one way to find out," Sarah said to the dogs.
Sarah exited the coop and walked into the cabin long enough to place the basket of eggs in the kitchen--and to pick up a shotgun. She was wearing a handgun on her hip, but as one of her instructors had drilled into her, A pistol is what you use to fight your way back to the rifle you shouldn't have put down in the first place.
There was no way to sneak up on the man across the cleared land around the cabin, so Sarah didn't try. She walked boldly across the clearing until she was within hailing distance of the woods, the shotgun in hand but not aimed. It was a Mossberg 590 with combat grips and barrel shroud. Anyone who knew his firearms would recognize it for a serious weapon, and probably recognize that she held it like someone who knew how to use it.
"Hallo the woods! Suzanne Kriegler here. Can I ask what you're doing?"
Nick was a cop, so he knew his weapons. He turned at the call, his hand moving to his sidearm, but not pulling it. He'd never get to it before that shotgun could be fired so he moved his hand away from the sidearm and put both hands out to the side.
Nick stared at the woman and had a sudden wash of homesickness for Vegas and his team, "Please don't come any closer, you may inadvertently destroy evidence. I'm Nick Stokes. I work with the civilian police. Matt Kennedy knows I'm out here." In case she had thoughts of shooting him or something. "We're looking for a gentleman who stabbed someone and was last seen running out this way." Well maybe she saw something.
Sarah thought he'd looked vaguely familiar. But then, most people looked vaguely familiar at this point even if you never interacted with them. Gamma Town simply wasn't all that big. When he gave his name, Sarah remembered where she'd seen him.
"Nick Stokes--right," Sarah said. She safed the shotgun and slung it over her shoulder. "I remember. I was at the town meeting when they announced you were joining the police force."
She made a point of attending most of the town meetings. Gamma Town was too small for real anonymity, so the only alternative was to be one of the neighbors. Besides, it was always useful to know who was who and what the Powers That Be were thinking.
"Pleased to meet you," Sarah said. "Sorry about the shotgun, but a girl's got to be careful. I'd offer to shake hands but--" she gestured vaguely as the intervening space. "When did this stabbing happen? Do you have a description?"
Nick smiled, turning on the southern boy charm without thinking about it. That was what made him charming, was that he didn't do it consciously it just happened when he relaxed, "Nice to meet you. I hope I didn't scare you. I didn't know anyone was out here or I would have stopped in and told you I'd be snooping around before I started."
Nick thought a moment, and then decided to give what information he had. He had a date, a general description, and a direction the guy took off in, "From what I gathered General O'Neill's nephew hopped in the middle of a domestic violence situation and ended up on the wrong end of a knife. Now we just have to find the guy. Have you seen anyone lurking about? Any information you could give me would be a big help."
At this point Nick's hand has completely left the direction of his weapon. His stance is relaxed as he doesn't see you as a threat. Oh he's sure that you could shoot him, and that you could probably even kick his butt, but what he's also apparently sure of is that you won't.
"I don't think I can help you," Sarah said after listening to Nick's recitation of the facts. "I haven't seen anyone like that and I've not seen any evidence of anyone passing by."
She looked around at the forest. "I only noticed you because you were moving back and forth. If you'd just continued on, I doubt I'd have known you were here. Certainly nobody like that has been around the farm.
"I can ask John and Cameron," Sarah said. At Nick's look she added, "my son and--his girlfriend. They're in town at the moment. But if they'd noticed a stranger lurking about, they'd have said something."
Nick nodded his head, "Well if you remember anything or if they do then definitely stop by Matt Kennedy's office and let someone know. And definitely make sure you keep your eyes open. If he's out here and gets desperate enough for anything you guys would be the first he hit." Frankly Nick almost felt sorry for the man if he did, but that didn't stop him from giving the warning.
Nick was definitely still missing his team at this point, "I've searched most of this area and collected what I can. I'm going to keep walking grids to see if I find anything... but I will try and stay out of your way."
Sarah smiled. "I doubt we have much to worry about. The Dogs would give us plenty of warning if he comes near the cabin. If we catch him, we'll send for someone to come collect him."
She shifted her weight, ready to turn and leave. "Good luck with the hunt," she told Nick.
Nick nodded his head, "Alright Ma'am. Enjoy the rest of your day." Nick tipped his baseball cap and then turned to begin collecting his gear up. He had already gotten everything he could from this area and it was time to move on to the next area of his search pattern. He knew most of what he collected was useless, but one never knew. Sometimes the most innocuous thing led to a break in the case.... like bleach.
"Good boy," she said to Zeus. A scattering of chickens heralded the arrival of Athena, drawn by Zeus's warning. "Good girl," Sarah said. She crouched and stared out the doorway of the coop at the clearing--and the wooded area beyond it. She didn't see anything to alarm the dog.
Sarah waited patiently, studying the cleared land around the cabin and the woods beyond. Her patience was rewarded when she spotted movement in the woods. Someone was moving around out there. Sarah couldn't tell what he was doing; his movement wasn't aimless, there was a pattern to it, but damned if she could figure out his purpose.
"Well, there's one way to find out," Sarah said to the dogs.
Sarah exited the coop and walked into the cabin long enough to place the basket of eggs in the kitchen--and to pick up a shotgun. She was wearing a handgun on her hip, but as one of her instructors had drilled into her, A pistol is what you use to fight your way back to the rifle you shouldn't have put down in the first place.
There was no way to sneak up on the man across the cleared land around the cabin, so Sarah didn't try. She walked boldly across the clearing until she was within hailing distance of the woods, the shotgun in hand but not aimed. It was a Mossberg 590 with combat grips and barrel shroud. Anyone who knew his firearms would recognize it for a serious weapon, and probably recognize that she held it like someone who knew how to use it.
"Hallo the woods! Suzanne Kriegler here. Can I ask what you're doing?"
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Nick stared at the woman and had a sudden wash of homesickness for Vegas and his team, "Please don't come any closer, you may inadvertently destroy evidence. I'm Nick Stokes. I work with the civilian police. Matt Kennedy knows I'm out here." In case she had thoughts of shooting him or something. "We're looking for a gentleman who stabbed someone and was last seen running out this way." Well maybe she saw something.
Reply
"Nick Stokes--right," Sarah said. She safed the shotgun and slung it over her shoulder. "I remember. I was at the town meeting when they announced you were joining the police force."
She made a point of attending most of the town meetings. Gamma Town was too small for real anonymity, so the only alternative was to be one of the neighbors. Besides, it was always useful to know who was who and what the Powers That Be were thinking.
"Pleased to meet you," Sarah said. "Sorry about the shotgun, but a girl's got to be careful. I'd offer to shake hands but--" she gestured vaguely as the intervening space. "When did this stabbing happen? Do you have a description?"
Reply
Nick thought a moment, and then decided to give what information he had. He had a date, a general description, and a direction the guy took off in, "From what I gathered General O'Neill's nephew hopped in the middle of a domestic violence situation and ended up on the wrong end of a knife. Now we just have to find the guy. Have you seen anyone lurking about? Any information you could give me would be a big help."
At this point Nick's hand has completely left the direction of his weapon. His stance is relaxed as he doesn't see you as a threat. Oh he's sure that you could shoot him, and that you could probably even kick his butt, but what he's also apparently sure of is that you won't.
Reply
She looked around at the forest. "I only noticed you because you were moving back and forth. If you'd just continued on, I doubt I'd have known you were here. Certainly nobody like that has been around the farm.
"I can ask John and Cameron," Sarah said. At Nick's look she added, "my son and--his girlfriend. They're in town at the moment. But if they'd noticed a stranger lurking about, they'd have said something."
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Nick was definitely still missing his team at this point, "I've searched most of this area and collected what I can. I'm going to keep walking grids to see if I find anything... but I will try and stay out of your way."
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She shifted her weight, ready to turn and leave. "Good luck with the hunt," she told Nick.
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