Agent Swann, FBI: Fucked, Blackmailed and Impounded
Chapter 1 - Standard Procedure
It was a gray, bleak morning with an overcast sky. A damp chill hung in the air. Special Agent Natalie Swann looked out the passenger seat window of the agency-issued car, watching the mist-covered fields of last year's crop pass by. It was Ross' turn to drive, which meant no radio to lighten the mood, but that was fine with her. It was too early in the morning for music or cheery talk shows anyway. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, frowning at what she saw. She had not applied much makeup today and she looked tired from the long hours she had spent on duty. The dark circles under her large brown eyes had not been there at the start of the week and had only grown more prominent by the day. Her features seemed worn, drained. Still, she looked gorgeous as always, her natural beauty refusing to give way to the rigors of time and hard work.
Natalie had not slept well for the past few days, her subconscious working the latest case put on her desk even in her sleep. Much like her father, who had been an agent just like her, she had never been able to let go of a case before it was solved, and would dedicate every waking hour, and sleeping hour as well it seemed, toward its conclusion.
"So what are you thinking, Tali? Just another dead end, or will we find something of use this time?"
Natalie looked over to her colleague behind the wheel. Daniel Ross was ten years her senior, but still hadn't been promoted past the rank of special agent. He claimed he liked it that way, but she knew that was a lie. She didn't want to end up like him, spinning her wheels year after year before waking up one day and realizing her life was never going to change. No, she had ambitions. She was going to keep climbing the ladder and make a career rivaling that of her father, who had made Deputy chief of staff in management before he retired five years ago.
"It can't hurt to have a look around. That witness may not have been credible, but it's worth a shot. Besides, it's not like we have any better leads to go on. Makes you sick thinking about that bastard walking free."
"Yeah, there are a lot of those freaks out there, kid. Remember, Swann, we're just here to ask some questions. I want no heroics from you."
She hated it when he called her 'kid'. She may be younger than him, but at 28 she was hardly a teenager anymore, and far from the innocent choir girl he made her out to be. She had seen things, done things, that would make his puritan head swoon if she told him.
"Whatever you say, boss," she said with a smirk, watching a flock of birds take flight across another gray-misted cornfield.
* * *
Twin Pine Meadows, despite its pretty name, looked just like any other trailer park Natalie had seen, at least around this desolate area. A circular piece of flat land strewn with old rundown vehicles and rusted mobile homes, surrounded by dense dark woods and a nearby creek. Unidentifiable debris littered the muddy ground, and a broken swing dangled from a tree branch on its one remaining chain, making creaky noises in the mild breeze. Near it, a stray dog sniffed through the contents of a toppled trash can. Everything looked worn and overused, not unlike the image of a junkyard.
It was as good a place as any to live for those who preferred their privacy, she supposed, as law enforcers tended to avoid these areas if they could and let the inhabitants settle their own business. Unless suspicions arose of a serious crime, of course, like murder. But she couldn't shake the creepy sensation that crawled down her spine whenever she visited here. This morning, that feeling seemed worse than ever. With that sense of foreboding looming in the back of her mind, Natalie pulled up her coat against the early morning chill and signaled for her companion to get moving.
"You take the East side, and I'll start over here. Keep the comms open and notify me if you see anything suspicious," she said.
"Well, well, now who's the boss?" Daniel replied with a chuckle, but then gave her a serious nod and headed toward the far end of a line of shadow-shrouded buses and old trucks. Natalie turned, checked that her Glock 22 sidearm was still in its shoulder holster, as she always did for good luck, and walked up to the nearest RV. So far she hadn't seen a single soul out and about--well, except for that dog which was still nosing about the spilled trash--and she wondered how these people would appreciate a wakeup call from the law. She guessed she was about to find out.
As she neared the first group of what looked like old school buses converted into some kind of living space, a huge black rat crossed her path. She jumped back, a spike of adrenaline surging through her veins.
"OK, calm down, Tali... just stay cool and this will soon be over..." she mumbled to herself. "...can't wait to get out of here, this place gives me the creeps."
She reminded herself of what the witness had said. They were looking for a fat guy living in one of the biggest buses or mobile homes, at the edge of the trailer park, near the encroaching forest. So they would go around the place, each on their respective side, until they found something that could meet that description.
How people could live in such a squalid place was beyond her. At least, they could have cleaned up their surroundings, made it look less like a truck cemetery. But they seemed happy to dump anything they didn't need next to the place they lived in. She had to be careful not to step on trash or kick at empty beer cans as she progressed along the old vehicles. She was light-footed and made almost no sound as she walked. As she reached the farthest point from the parking lot, she noticed something that might correspond to the description. Her stomach knotted at the sight and she once again brushed her arm against her handgun.
"Ross, I think I've found it. Northwest end of the park. I'm going to investigate more closely," she whispered on the radio.
What she stood before was a complete semi, connected to an 18-wheeler with what looked like a cut-out and welded-together hole in its side functioning as a makeshift door. It was by far the largest home in the area, so chances were this was the place the witness had referred to.
Sneaking into the woods for cover, she approached the place on silent feet, moving from tree to tree, to get as close as she could, trying to spot any movement through the windows, or listen for any sound coming from inside. A flash of long hair near one of the dingy curtains caught her attention.
"Our guy's not alone, looks like a woman, or a girl, might be with him," she added on the comms before clicking it off.
* * *
"Dad... Daaad! There's someone out there!"
"Whaaat? Shut the hell up kiddo, let your old man sleep!"
"There's some guy in a suit walkin' door to door, looks like. Never seen 'im before. Wonder what he's doin' here."
"Aww, it's just some stupid sales guy, like that dumb asshole last week. Come on, kitten, get back to bed."
"No, wait, dad! There's another one behind the truck, in the woods! I think she's carrying a gun."
"What are you on abou....FUCK! Get in here, keep quiet and stay out of sight, NOW!"
"But they're comin' this way, dad! What should we do?"
"Do as I say and get the fuck down! Hide under the bed or somethin', just stay back. I'll take care of this. Shit! Those fucking Feds...can't leave an honest, hardworking man alone for one sec..."
"You never worked a day in your life, dad."
"Shut the fuck up and get under the bed!"
"Whatever."