Chapter 34

 

 

“Doc, you gotta minute?”

“Sure, Oscar, come in.” Ben got up to clear a stack of folders from a chair in front of his desk. “What can I help you with?”

“I’d like to volunteer—be a part of the chief’s search and rescue teams. Not a lot of people know the reservation as well as I do. Seems like that know-how could be useful.”

“I agree. Would you be able to find someone to take over the grocery and errand runs?”

“That would be easy. I got a cousin just waiting on me to give up that job. So, no problem. He’s ready to go tomorrow. Think you could put in a good word for me with the chief?”

“Not a problem; I’d be glad to. How’s the hangar coming?”

“Last delivery of steel trusses is due in today. The joists got here day before yesterday—all that’s left is putting it together. But it’s a big one, all right. Too bad there wasn’t time to pour a cement floor.”

“I agree but need outweighed ‘nice to have.’ There’ll be time later to add a floor and maybe some partitioning inside. For the time being a two thousand square foot structure for storage is going to be a great help.”

“I’m hearing that there’ll be a warehouse foreman’s job open when the building’s done. Somebody said it was going to pay twenty an hour for the night shift.”

Ben laughed. “You hear more than I do, but that sounds about right. I know the chief talked about three shifts. How are your computer skills?”

“Miss Otter offered to tutor me. Help me with bookkeeping and spread sheets and things like that—tips on how to keep up with inventory and submit reports.”

“Chief’s going to be tied up appointing teams today. I’ll be meeting with him this afternoon; I’ll tell him you’re interested in a warehouse position. Better yet, walk over to the parking lot with me. You can volunteer as a team leader for the search and rescue operation. I think the chief will be glad to have you.”

 

** *

 

The parking lot was filling up. Several port-a-potties lined the south edge. Tables containing bottled water were arranged along the northern parameter. In one month’s time the place had gone from being a wide spot in the road to a bustling mini-city. Four more contained septic tanks were going in behind the last row of ten trailers, which had been delivered Saturday. Hospital tents now numbered fourteen and the triage tent had been expanded to hold twenty separate examination cubicles. The newest well was providing good drinking water and another well was planned. It had been two days since Ben had lost Wi-Fi service and then only for an hour. Twenty-five miles down the road, another tower was going in. And the Two Sisters had just hired a dishwasher, a sous chef, and five wait-people. Menu items numbered over thirty dishes divided between breakfast, lunch and dinner. Outside seating now circled the main tent and was covered. Julie’s ‘couple hours in the afternoon’ to relieve Trini in the office had turned into an eight-hour-plus daily stint. But her help was invaluable.

Today Trini and Julie each were manning a table offering gas and food vouchers, maps, and schedules for the week. Parking for search and rescue volunteers was in a field behind the last row of trailers. Ben counted thirty-one trucks and SUVs. The chief had gotten the number of volunteers that he’d hoped for. And with that number, the chief estimated connections with even the most outlying clusters of residents could be completed in two to three weeks. One round was planned, with two more possible follow-ups.

“Looks like everything is ready to go. Nice crowd.” Ben had walked up to stand by the chief. “Oscar would like to help—maybe head up a team? Or just be on stand-by to step in wherever he can?”

“What do you say, Chief? Got room for me?”

“You bet. Right now, I need someone to help those needing to put up tents. Most folks are sleeping in their trucks or cars, but about fifteen individuals brought tents. I’d like to put them on the other side of the port-a-potties. Think you could organize that group? Keep them all to the south of the toilets and make sure they’re ten feet apart—more distance if there’s room.”

“You got it, Chief.” Oscar took off at a trot.

“I’ve assigned five deputies to work the group, so to speak. We’ll organize this afternoon in order to head out in the morning. I’ve asked the Two Sisters to put out a spread about five o’clock this evening and then we’re going to show a movie starting at seven. The idea is to keep everyone fed and entertained.”

“That’s always a good plan.” And it was. Ben wasn’t just brown-nosing the boss. He watched as people interacted. Those who had already been tested were lining up at the café, grabbing a soft drink or bottle of water, then a sandwich before sitting outside with friends. Lunch, pitching a tent, setting up their bed, getting tested, and going over their orders made up a busy afternoon. Ben walked around Julie’s table and whispered in her ear.

“Mutton stew? I’m in heaven. I think I’ll be finished here by five.” The line to Julie’s table was finally getting shorter. The stack of paper masks had been reduced to just one box, and the movie tickets that were good for one bag of popcorn had disappeared.

“Looks like they’ve planned a double-feature.” Ben had pulled a chair up to the table after sharing the highlight of the dinner menu. “I don’t know any titles, but one starts at seven and the other at nine-thirty.”

“I’m not particular. I’ll probably fall asleep in the middle anyway.”

“That’s what happens when you start work at six.” Ben was impressed with Julie’s ability and willingness to throw herself into work, but there was a part of him that thought she might need to ease up. Or maybe he was just being selfish. Three days in a row she hadn’t left work before nine in the evening. Watching a movie together in a parking lot on a reservation was the most exciting thing they’d done together in a week. Well, almost.

The movies were just all right. Not anything he’d want to pay money for, but both were rated as family-approved. One was an animated, action movie and the other a sports movie with a young protagonist overcoming a handicap to go on and eventually earn a spot on a professional football team. The audience was vocal—cheering the good guys, booing the bad. Ben idly wondered if they’d gone through a bushel of popping corn. The treat had disappeared early. And he’d noticed two empty, one-gallon containers of butter-flavored cooking oil in the trash bin.

“Showing movies was a great idea.” Julie slipped an arm through his on the walk back to their trailer. “Perfect for the families that had to bring kids.”

“Most, if not all, of the activities have been planned by the chief. I don’t think this is his first time organizing large groups around a community task.”

“Oh, damn.” Julie had been looking for a flashlight in the tote bag slung over her shoulder but instead pulled out several pieces of paper. “I forgot to take these sign-in sheets to the office earlier. I know Trini plans to start on a master list early—earlier than I plan on getting in. I’ll just be a minute or two. Go on ahead; I’ll meet you at the trailer.”

Julie rounded the office trailer and even with a flashlight almost stumbled over the edge of the slab that had been poured to extend the porch and connect it with the parking lot. The office was shrouded in utter darkness. No one had thought to leave on the perimeter lights—even the motion sensors were turned off. And another oddity—the front door was unlocked and open about six inches.

She and Trini had been manning the sign-up desks all afternoon. Could Trini have forgotten to lock up? Or worse yet, left the door ajar? Maybe she had given the keys to someone, like the chief? Or a deputy who got called away before making certain the building was secure. Well, she wouldn’t forget. Once she’d left the sheets on Trini’s desk, she was out of there—after she locked up.

But two steps into the waiting area she knew she wouldn’t be getting home anytime soon. By the somewhat restricted beam of the flashlight, she saw the safe that was usually under Trini’s desk had been dragged out of her office and was now open and laying on its side. Banded stacks of bills were scattered in a half circle, with a trail of packets leading to the back door.

Had she walked in on a burglary? Was there someone still inside the office? Julie fumbled for the wall switch and flipped on both banks of fluorescent ceiling lights—just as she heard the back door bang shut. She stood rooted next to the safe and called Ben.