"Uh oh... Nancy, I think we have company."
"No kiddin', Reed. And here I thought we'd made it. Stuck between a rock and a hard place," muttered Nancy.
A quick glance revealed that no other possible escape routes existed. The little shops were locked, and there weren't any alleys.
Reed kicked the cobblestone in frustration. "One of these big bricks is loose," he said, and bent down. It took both hands to lift it.
"What are you going to do, kill both of us with the same stone?" mocked the man on the four wheeler.
Reed looked in back of him. The flashlight was getting closer each second. "No. I think I'll just use it to make a phone call," he replied.
An instant later there was an explosion of glass, as the display window of 108 Fine Art shattered. Almost simultaneously, an alarm went off, and motion detector lights turned on.
"Come on, Reed. Let's get in there," she urged as she jumped into the now well lit shop.
Reed looked at the two poachers, each charging towards him from opposite directions, and followed her.
The two ducked behind a sales counter, close to the window.
"If they both try to follow, let's go out the back. If only one comes in we stay here, then make a break for it through the window after he passes us," suggested Nancy.
Reed nodded. "Great strategy!" he whispered.
After several minutes, Reed peered out. "I think the alarm scared them away," he sighed in relief.
Nancy stepped out, taking the comfortable office chair with her to the middle of the room. "The police should be here any time."
Reed grinned. "I guess I get to sit up here," he said, hopping onto the sales counter.
It took longer than expected, but eventually the local authorities burst into the little shop. They found their weary suspects sitting, with hands raised high.
"Don't move. You're under arrest!" announced an older man, gun drawn but pointed towards the floor.
Soon Reed and Nancy found themselves in a small but tidy police station.
The sheriff ran his hands through his grey hair. "So you're saying that you broke into 108 to get away from poachers?!?!"
Reed grimaced. "I know it's a strange story, Sir. But if you'll please send someone out to Fixings Lake, you'll find a camouflaged boat hidden in some brush. And if you use our GPS, you'll find the tagged goose that they shot, either there or hidden close by."
"The ones farther away are the geese who escaped," Nancy added quickly.
"Alright... I'll send my forensics expert out now, but if this doesn't check out..."
"It will, as long as you get there before they can clear out," Reed assured the sheriff.
The older man reached under a mound of papers, and produced a phone. Not a cell phone, but an old fashioned model, complete with cords.
"Fritz? Yeah, I know what time it is! We had a break-in at 108. I need you to go out to Fixings Lake, ASAP. Swing by and pick up something first though. I'll explain when you get here."
Nancy smiled. "Thank you! Do you by any chance have hot coffee?" she asked hopefully, looking at the pot sitting on a card table in the corner of the room.
The sheriff grinned, and went over to flip the switch. After coffee and donuts, they were placed in protective custody. The two exhausted researchers gratefully accepted the bunks, and proceeded to get some much needed sleep.
Three hours later, Fritz returned from Fixings Lake.
"Hey, Fritz! Did you find the geese?"
"Yeah, thanks to that fancy GPS thing. The birds were about a mile out back of the old Greer place, in a huge new shed. I tell you, Jim. It was so well hidden, I never would have noticed it without the tracker!"
"How about the suspects?"
"No sign of them, or any vehicles. They could be anywhere by now..."
"Did you bring back the evidence?" asked the sheriff, noting Fritz's empty hands.
Fritz shook his head, and looked out at his patrol car. "Only what would fit in the back seat on a tarp. They've got five bear, eight deer, two elk, the geese, and I don't know how many turkeys. Oh, and they've been using the Greer's cabin too. It's a wreck."
The sheriff gasped involuntarily. "They're going to be spending a lot of time in prison. Great job, Fritz."
"Thanks. With all that meat, it's going to be the best Thanksgiving dinner ever at Nana's Soup Kitchen," Fritz replied with a huge grin.
Once Reed and Nancy awoke they were released, and given the latest news.
Just then, an old radio crackled to life. "Sheriff Sansby, this is Sheriff Conners of Bright County. We've detained the suspects. They had several bear gall bladders on them, and a few turkeys. It looked like they hoped to sell some things while on the run."
"Thanks, they won't be doing any traveling or selling for a long time," Sheriff Sansby replied.
Reed and Nancy, who were standing beside the sheriff, looked at each other and grinned.
"I wonder where our birds will take us next?" whispered Nancy.
Describe what you see:
I see a deserted street, at night. At the end of it is Hale's Bar, and a little closer there's a fine art shop. There's also a street lamp.
The street is cobblestone, and the sidewalk is not entirely smooth.
Describe what you feel:
I feel like this is either a very small town, or the picture was taken a long time ago.