The Slayers-Files
File Three, Luferson, Texas
By Relm Wanderer
After a little drive Lina and Zelgadis arrive at their destination, Luferson, Texas. Upon entering the very small town Zelgadis and Lina had many odd glares passed their way. It was obvious that most of the living in Luferson were paranoid and confused about what had been happening.
“So Lina where are we supposed to report to once we’re here?” Zelgadis asked while taking another sip of his coffee making a bitter face. Before when they got of the plane Lina had only been teasing when she was accusing Zelgadis of being a caffeine freak. But she soon found out that she was right about that and they needed to stop of at a place to get some coffee for Zelgadis. They only place that they could get some on the way over was a fast food restaurant and their coffee was lukewarm and tasted disgusting. Even though he complained about the coffee he still drank it anyway.
“We’re supposed to go over to the local police station so we can be debriefed about this assignment.”
“But what’s the point of that? We already know most of the information about this case in the case summaries that they sent to the government.”
“I don’t know maybe they have some more information that they can tell us.” There was a slight smile that played on Lina’s lips. Even though she complained about having to work on the Slayers-Files she did really enjoy doing parts of it. She loved getting herself into a case where no logical answers seemed to apply and the only possibilities left where supernatural in nature. She was one of those extremely open-minded people who where willing to believe in a lot of strange and wacky theories. It was the main reason why most of her fellow co-workers at the FBI called her ‘Spooky’.
Zelgadis saw that slight smile and it made him nervous. Even though he had gotten information about Lina Sculder there was still a lot that he didn’t know about his new partner.
***
Moments later they reached the police station. Inside the building there was many police officers bustling about dealing with various things. Due to the recent disappearances things had been getting a bit hectic in this small normally quiet town. If the authorities didn’t already have to deal with all the missing people reports they had the town’s crime rate increase to an all high.
Lina impatiently tapped her foot as she waited to talk to someone. She didn’t like having to wait. The police station was crowed and noisy and she wanted to get out of the station fast because she was hungry and wanted to go and eat.
“Um excuse me can you tell me-“ Lina tried to ask one of the officers walking by in a soft polite voice only he ignored her and continued walking. Lina tried again. “Excuse me, do you know where-“ Again Lina was ignored. She wasn’t happy about this situation. And her grumbling stomach wasn’t helping matters either. “Hi I’m Lina Inverse from the FB-“ Lina started to say but like before she was brushed off and ignored. “EXCUSE ME CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND OFFICER GARMEN?!?!?!?” Lina screamed out.
The once noisy and busy room was silent and everyone frozen in their tracks. They all stared at Lina with wide eyes, including Zelgadis. ‘Never thought someone so small could have such a loud voice.’ Zelgadis thought as he blinked a few times before talking.
“Ah yes does anyone of you know where officer Garmen is, we’re special agents Sculder and Mully from the FBI and we need to see him.” Zelgadis said in a very small somewhat timid and embarrassed tone.
Everyone looked back and forth between Zelgadis and Lina but still the room remained silent.
Finally a puzzled looking man came out of an office in the back of the station and went straight over to Lina and Zelgadis. “Are you special agents Mully and Sculder?”
“Yes and you are?”
“I’m Officer Garmen. Would you please come with me?” He motioned towards his office.
As soon as the three of them left the deathly quiet room became active again.
***
Inside Officer Garmen’s office Lina and Zelgadis were seated in the chairs facing Officer Garmen’s desk.
Officer Garmen cleared his throat as he sat down. “I’m sure that you are both aware of the basics of what has been happening around here. As you can see it’s been drastically changing the community environment. Everyone here is scared and confused about people going missing that they are starting to act irrationally. Many are afraid that they are going disappear like the others. Though I can’t say that I blame them.”
“Do you have any leads on who did this or why or how it’s happening?”
Officer Garmen sighed and got up and paced over to the window. “A lot of the people of this town believe that the people that have disappeared had been abducted.” His voice was tired and he shook his head at the notion.
“Abducted? By who?”
“Some think it’s alien abductions, others think it some weird supernatural force. There are even the few that think the government is up to something and his kidnapping people for experiments and such. They weren’t very happy when they heard that two FBI agents were going to be coming here.” Officer Garmen looked over to the two FBI agents and sardonically smiled.
‘I guess that would explain why everyone has been acting weird towards us.’ Zelgadis frowned. ‘But why would they think the government is behind this? The government wouldn’t do something like that…’
“Well wouldn’t that be funny if the government were.” Lina lightly chuckled. “But seriously Officer Garmen what do you think is the cause of all this?”
“Honestly, I’m just as confused as everyone else in this building. We have no cold hard facts only theories. For each victim there were no traces of anything from where they disappeared. One man, Harold Kithmat was so paranoid that something was going to happen to him that he barricaded himself in his home and in his room. It took us a few hours just to get into his room. Everything was locked from the inside, there was no way that anyone could have gotten in.”
“What made you want to get into his room?”
“His neighbors were concerned about him. He had been talking to some of them over the phone that he had in his room so they were aware he was fine. It was when Kithmat stopped answering his phone that we were called in.”
“What did you find once you got there?”
“That his room was barricaded like I said, and it took us a few hours to get in the room. Now understand this there was no way that anyone could have gotten in that room. Nor could Kithmat been able to get out.”
Lina raised an eyebrow deep in thought. “I take it that when you finally got into the room you discovered that Harold Kithmat was nowhere to be seen.”
“Yes that’s right. And I can’t think of any logical reason on how he could have gotten out of the room.” Officer Garmen fished around in his desk and pulled out a few files. “This is the personal information of everyone who has mysteriously disappeared, including Harold Kithmat.” He handed the files to Lina.
“Thank you Officer Garmen. We’ll inform you if we get any leads.” Lina nodded her head and got up to leave with Zelgadis close behind.
“Alright I’ll bite.” Zelgadis finally said after they got out of the police station.
“Excuse me?”
“You seemed a bit confident that you might know what’s happening in this town back when we were talking to Officer Garmen. So I’ll bite, what’s your theory? How are these people disappearing? How did Harold Kithmat leave his room without a trace and with no real way to do it?”
“Well because Harold Kithmat never left his room.” Lina said with a mischievous grin as she got into the car.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Just get in the car and I’ll tell you later.”
“Why were are we going now?” Zelgadis asked complying with Lina by getting into the car.
“I’m starved. We’re going to go get something to eat.” Lina’s stomach growled in agreement.
“Shouldn’t we get a start on this case?”
“Well if it makes you feel better we’ll head over to Kithmat’s home and I’ll explain my whole theory to you then.”
Feeling it pointless to argue, Zelgadis agreed.
***
Inside a seemingly normal looking diner two customers sat at a little table, with piles of dishes between them.
Zelgadis was shocked beyond belief. He had heard rumors that Lina Sculder’s appetite was larger then most women but he had no idea how much she ate. Lina had polished off three of the diner’s lunch specials, four sandwiches, two salads, three bowls of soup and was currently finishing off her third piece of pie.
“How can you eat that much…?” Zelgadis asked in a very disturbed quiet voice.
“Whadda mean?! This isn’t that much!” Lina declared finishing off her pie. “Ah! I’m stuffed!” Lina patted her stomach in content.
Zelgadis couldn’t believe that someone of Lina’s size could eat so much. ‘Where does it all go? And how can she stay that skinny?’ Zelgadis himself had only had a lunch special and a coffee for his lunch. “So who’s going to pay the check?”
Before Lina could answer that a frantic women came rushing into the dinner ranting. “They got him! They kidnapped my little boy!”
Both Lina and Zelgadis’ attention were caught by what the women had said. They both cranked their necks to get a better view of the women. She was in her early thirties and dressed rather moderately. She was currently crying on the shoulder of the owner of the diner whom was known to everyone as Dotty.
“Zelgadis?” Lina whispered softly.
Zelgadis returned his attention back to Lina. “What?”
“She said that her son has been kidnapped.”
“Do you think it might be another people who has gone missing like the others in this town?”
“Well up until now all the people who are missing had been people between the ages of thirty and forty. Not children.”
“Do you think we should go talk to her?”
Lina nodded and the two of them got up and went to approach the frantic women.
“Excuse me Miss.” Zelgadis tapped the women on the shoulder and she turned to face them with teary eyes. Zelgadis held up his badge for her to see. “I’m Special Agent Zelgadis Mully and this is my partner Special Agent Lina Sculder. Can we speak to you for a few moments?”
