The decoy

Chapt 30

Chapter Thirty

It was past midnight when he arrived at the county sheriff's station halfway between Vegas and Nelson on 165. There were no other buildings on the highway for miles around. It was very dark and as he had been driving Cassandra was sleeping in the back seat. He pulled off the two lane road and parked out front of the station.

The station was a one story building with a front office, two side offices, a washroom, small kitchenette and a two containing cells. There was a single sheriff's car out front and a Toyota pickup. The parking lot offered spots for four other cars.

Sebastian still wasn't able to communicate very clearly but he opened the back door and pulled on Cassandra's arm and she got out of the car and allowed herself to be walked into the station. She was still in shock from the experiences of the last few days and was almost in a catatonic state. He opened the front door and still holding her arm he gently led her into the front office.

A pretty young black woman in a uniform sat at a desk watching a fourteen inch television. The laugh track of a late night talk show echoed through the lonely building. The office smelled of popcorn and Sebastian could see an open bag and a steaming mug of coffee beside the television.

The movement at the door startled the woman and she jumped to her feet. The sight of a tall young man walking a disheveled girl into the sheriff's station made her immediately suspicious and when the young man and the girl didn't speak she became concerned.

"What the hell's going on?"

Sebastian read the name "Charlotte Samuels" and the number 4356 on a brass badge on her chest.

He tried to grunt out some sort of expression but he wasn't able to make himself understood. He gestured for a pen and a pad of paper.

Holding the paper in his hand felt very foreign. He had been allowed to read and even work on a desktop computer with Hill but it had been four years since he had written something on a piece of paper. He realized there were so many simple things that he used to take for granted but he hadn't done them in so very long. This escape from Hill would be like coming out of a coma.

He wrote, "I can not speak. This girl's name is Cassandra. She was kidnapped."

The police officer starred suspiciously and wondered if any of this was for real. She was still not willing to absolve the young man of his involvement in what ever had happened to this distressed girl.

"Sit down, over there." She pointed at a wooden bench.

Sebastian didn't sit. He held the paper and pen so that he could continue to communicate and Officer Samuels began to understand. She felt that the young man was there to help.

"There is a kitchenette off Terry's office on the right there. Get yourself a coffee I'll put her down to rest."
            She walked Cassandra into another office where there was a black leather sofa and had her lie down and then found a blanket to pull over her.
            "I need to get your statement after you have some coffee," she called to Sebastian from across the hall, "I'll join you for a fresh cup myself."

Sebastian had wandered into the kitchen and realized he had never drunk a cup of coffee but he was hungry and a warm drink sounded like a good idea. He thought he might like it with lots of milk and sugar.

Then Sebastian heard the sound of tires crushing gravel as a car pulled into the parking lot out front. He looked into the cupboard at the collection of mugs and when he turned he could see another sheriff's car that had parked in the lot. 

He grabbed the largest mug. It was a big black one with red neon letters that said UNLV. Pouring a full mug of coffee, he turned towards the refrigerator and looked out into the lot again.