The Travelers - Chapter 1

The loud squelch of the police unit's radio abruptly cut through the silence of the night, causing the young  officer to slightly jump in her driver's seat.  With it's high pitched sound, marked with the demanding raspy voice of Frannie - the ancient police dispatcher with a love of cigarettes and cheeseburgers,  Officer Cambria Kenyon was being called into action whether she liked it or not.  Slightly annoyed with the idea she was more than likely being dispatched to the report  of a barking dog, or better yet - a drunk refusing to pay for his meal at the 24hr diner, Cambria responded to Frannie with a curt tone.

"7O6 go ahead."  Waiting for the response, she glanced back down at her mobile computer, hoping to squeak out a few more sentences prior to her time being wasted on a call she didn't really want to handle. The computer clock read 0400 hours - leaving her with three hours to handle her business and get ready for court in the morning.  She re tucked her loose blond hairs back into her pony tale and popped in another piece of mint gum to hide the coffee taste. 

Having been on the graveyard shift for the past 18 months, Cambria's patience level had rapidly decreased as her Vitamin D deficiency increased.  She was aware of this and did her best to compensate her lousy mood through the use of caffeine and chocolate.  Her reward she thought, for being forced into a vampire life.  

"7O6, request you respond to Meridian Park.  Report of a subject passed out near the picnic benches.  Reporting party is the garbage truck driver." Frannie abruptly let off of the microphone leaving Cambria to contemplate her response. 

"7O6 copy.  Do we have any description of the subject?" Cambria guessed it was a local bar patron, who had attempted to stumble home from one of the two establishments located within blocks of the park.  Either that or a teenager who had decided to binge drink him or her own self into a citation.  No matter the circumstance Cambria felt confident she could handle it without the necessity of back up.  Something, her department rarely had for officers on past the ungodly hour of 3AM.  She had worked this time period solo several times during the past five years she had been an officer.  This night was no exception.

In the middle of her contemplation, Frannie's voice broke through yet again, "Affirm, subject is wrapped up in an orange sleeping bag and had a large pitbull next to him.  He'll be the only one sleeping at the picnic tables, surrounded by trash." Frannie's voice drifted off in a snarky tone as Cambria muttered, "smart ass," under her breath and replied with a, "Copy.  Enroute." 

With this further information, it sounded to Cambria as if the subject was a transient - which, in the town of Dillon, was a true rarity.  Having a population of under 4,000, easily allowed for people to know their neighbors and for strangers to quickly become friends or enemies.  True homeless people did not stay in the town of Dillon as they were absorbed by local churches and moved on to cities where support was more plentiful.  This subject, Cambria surmised, just hadn't been appropriately welcomed and sent along. 

Cambria slowly pulled her police unit onto Main Street from the darkened parking lot she had been hiding in, writing reports.  As she did, she felt the tiny little hairs on the back of her neck, slightly stand at attention and she began to shiver under her bulletproof vest.  Cambria was a good, small town cop, with a strong finger on the pulse of her community. She rarely made mistakes and followed her gut even when her male officer counterparts did not.  She recognized the symptoms she was experiencing as being a release of adrenaline.  What she didn't understand was why.

"Jesus, body, what the hell is the matter with you?  You're freaking out on a basic call.  Chill out." She quietly told herself while rubbing her eyes and blaming the behavior on lack of sleep and too much gas station coffee. 

After all, this was the friendly, small town of Dillon.  Bad things happened in big cities.