“Sir, if you could just…..” the operator noted the line going dead as the caller hung up. The dispatch system correctly identified the call coming from the campus of Valdosta University.
Mrs. Wild’s class was anxious to hear from the tiny deputy that sat at the front of the lecture hall, her companion, Otis, at her feet. The shepherd eyed each student as they went from the door to their seat, occasionally wagging his tail. Natalie sat quietly waiting for the instructor to arrive, not saying anything, but nervously waiting for the task to be completed. She'd gotten little sleep the night before, Lester Cummings occupying most of her waking thoughts. As soon as she completed her morning assignment the duo would be tracking down the old farmer and taking a detailed statement.
A few minutes before class started at 10:30 a.m., a winded Seymour Wood walked through the door and stopped when he saw the officer and Otis. For a second, he thought he was in the wrong room, until he looked into the seats and saw familiar faces. As he walked passed Deputy Guest, he knelt down on one knee and allowed Otis to smell his hand, before scratching the shepherd with Natalie's permission.
'What's his name?' he asked.
'Otis, but he'll answer to Dopey too,' she said, smiling at the handsome student that looked about her age.
'Looks like you'll be speaking to us today. Ya nervous?' Seymour said, smiling back at the attractive deputy.
'No more than I am when responding to a 'shots fired' call,' Natalie joked, enjoying the opportunity to take her mind off the lecture.
'I'll bet, I'm sure you'll do fine. Bye the way, I'm Seymour and you are… Deputy Guest,' he said, looking for the nametag pinned to her uniform.
'Yeah, Natalie to my family, nice to meet you Seymour. Take it easy on me down here today, will ya?'
'I'll see what I can do,' he said, giving Otis one last pat before finding a seat among his peers.
Pink showed up a few minutes later, introduced herself to Deputy Guest, and accepted the apology on behalf of the Sheriff, understanding that he was a busy man. She brought the class to order and made some announcements in regards to final exams and marks, before introducing the speaker and her canine companion.
Natalie took center stage before the young crowd and began by explaining why she wanted to join the Sheriff's Department, the criteria and prerequisites that were necessary, and what her experience had been since joining the force. A nervous tremor altered her speech pattern, but improved as she caught her rhythm. Mrs. Wild was impressed with the young officer and opened the floor for questions once Natalie completed her prepared remarks. Otis continued to be unimpressed, however, patiently waiting at the feet of Mrs. Wild while his handler answered questions from the students.
Seymour raised his hand, and spoke, when Natalie acknowledged him. 'Can you tell us where the investigation stands with The Stalker and the recent crime wave?'
'I can't give you a lot of specifics but I can say that we are making headway. A profile is emerging of our perp, and I've been authorized to release the following details to you, in an effort to enlist your help in getting the word out. We believe our man is Caucasian, approximately six feet tall, is right handed and has access to a dirt bike styled motorcycle. He's most likely either living on, or raised on a farm, and is getting more bold and taking greater risks with each new crime.'
'There was some talk that it's somehow linked to the Manson Family, is that true?' a girl in the first row asked.
'Some of the evidence has pointed to that, as you've read in the papers, but we don't think there is a direct link with the actual followers of Charles Manson,' the deputy clarified for the young lady.
'What would you say to single women about protecting yourself against such a threat?' the same young woman asked.
'That's a perfect question for me to conclude with today and I'll turn the time back to your teacher, I understand she teaches a self-defense course and could give more details than I could about protecting yourself. I will say that buying a gun is probably not the best alternative; too many people accidentally shoot themselves, or a loved one. If you are going to own a firearm, take the necessary instruction to be able to use it wisely. Thanks for letting Otis, and I, speak with you today.'
Lester sat in the middle of the grassy area outside the library, with his camera mounted on a miniature, portable monopod, allowing him maximum flexibility and stability for using the large telephoto lens. It had been less than five minutes since he called 911 when the first Valdosta Police squad car arrived. The patrol car rolled up with lights, but no siren, and parked near the administration office. Lester began shooting pictures; he wanted to document this day to enjoy for days and years to come. Suddenly there was a buzz of activity, just under the surface, that could have easily been overlooked, but the amateur photographer knew what he was looking for. Campus Security started popping up all around the area, each armed with a nightstick and Glock 9mm at his or her hip. Two more city police cruisers rolled into the parking lot from where Lester could see them, he suspected there were others at various points around the campus, out of his view.
Before long, the first two officers that entered the administrative wing were now leaving the building, along with a couple campus security personnel. The four men split into groups of two and walked in opposite directions, each headed for a different building. The instigator could hardly contain himself, this was better than any live sporting event he had ever attended. The first pair headed the same direction that he had last seen Seymour moving. He spun and positioned himself to be prepared when they emerged with their catch.
Mrs. Wild was just taking back the lead in her room, when a Valdosta City Police Officer, stuck his head in the door and asked to speak with her. Noting the deputy in the room, he waved for her to join them as well, just outside the classroom doors. The officer was obviously running on adrenalin, he spoke in quick, short sentences; his cheeks were flush and he was sweating slightly. The accompanying security officer looked scared 'shitless', pale as a sheet, and hardly able to put together a coherent sentence.
'Mrs. Wild, we have a bit of a situation and we could use your help, and yours too deputy,' the officer said, addressing the two women. 'We received a 911 call this morning reporting a student was seen on campus with a handgun.'
'Do we know who or where?' Natalie chimed in.
'The caller identified the probable student as Seymour, but that is all. We've identified, through the school administrative office, that there are only three Seymour’s enrolled in the summer semester, and one of them is in your class, Mrs. Wild. We've sent other officers to locate the other two possibilities, but we need to talk to this Seymour Wood. We'd like to do this as calmly and securely as possible so we don't end up with anyone getting hurt,' the policeman said.
'I can't imagine that Seymour would be packing a weapon on campus. I know this young man, he is an excellent student and will, one day, very likely, be serving with one of you.' Pink found it beyond belief that Seymour could be the one they were looking for.
'I can't say I know this guy, but a Seymour did introduce himself to me before class this morning, and as a matter of fact, he was the only one to do so, he also seemed more than interested in The Stalker case. Officer, let me see if I can talk to him and get him to come out here, so we can process him without making a big scene in the classroom,' Officer Guest suggested, noting that the security guard was nodding in agreement, happy that somebody else would be assuming the risk.
'That's fine, if you think he will respond to you, I'll come in with you in case we need any extra fire power.'
'Good. Mrs. Wild do you think you should come with us?' Guest asked.
'I most certainly do! It's my class and those students and their safety are my responsibility. I don't want anybody hurt on my watch. Natalie lead the way,' Pink said, squaring her shoulders and following the deputy into the room.
The room instantly hushed when the officers and Pink returned, Otis on edge, feeling the energy from the humans. Natalie walked the distance to where Seymour sat, leaned down with her right hand on her service weapon, and whispered into his left ear.
'Seymour, I need you to come with me for a minute, we need to talk with you outside.'
He was startled, assuming the worst, 'What's happened to my mom? Is she okay? Has there been an accident?'
