Baskadia

"911. "What's your emergency?" I said as I answered the phone. 

"There's a bat in my house." A loud scream came over the speaker. "Send someone to come and get it." 

"Alright ma'am, I will send animal control over as soon as possible." The caller thanked me and said she would be waiting outside. I pressed the button to dispatch the nearest unit. 

I sat in my cubicle, doodling with my ballpoint pen on a piece of blank white paper. Being a dispatcher isn't always easy. Especially in the middle of nowhere, Montana, with a population of 500, We get random calls about bobcats, bison, and bears coming into the yard, teenagers prank calling because they are bored, and of course, the regular hunting emergencies. But all of this is few and far between; sometimes we can go hours without getting a call. which makes it hard when you work the night shift alone.

"Kara?" I heard my straight-laced boss say as he came down the hallway. 

"I'm here!” I yelled back, still doodling on the white paper. I could hear his staggered footsteps coming in my direction. 

"Oh, hey," he said, popping his head around the corner. "I'm leaving. "Do you need anything before I go?"

"I think I'm good." I held up my now-cold coffee.

"I'll turn off the rest of the lights then." Have a great night.

"I heard the sound of the lights turning off down the hallway. It's those fluorescent lights that make a buzzing sound whenever you're under them. I hate when they get turned off; everything gets so silent. Being in this building at night all by yourself, the imagination can get the best of you.

I sat at my desk, looking at the seven computer screens. On one screen, I could see exactly where the emergency responders were located at any given moment. I started memorizing the street names in our designated area. At this time, nothing was going on. It had been a very quiet night.

Taking a sip of my cold coffee, I started jotting down my grocery list for the next day. At this point, the coffee was only doing so much to keep me awake at 1 a.m. "What do I need?" I asked out loud. I wrote down that I needed chicken, vegetables, toilet paper, and wine—multiple bottles of wine. I finished making my list, folding it into my jeans' pocket.

A beeping sound started coming through my

headphones, meaning someone was calling in. I

looked up as a name and number flashed on the

screen in front of me.

"911, what's your emergency?” I said clearly to

the person on the other line.

"I need help," a child's voice said.

"What's your name?" "What can I help you with?" |

said back to the frightened young girl.

"I need help," she said again.

I replied, "I can't help you unless you tell me

what's wrong," and then the phone line went

dead.

Immediately dialing the number back, I waited

for it to ring. But there was no dial tone and it

wouldn't reconnect. I decided to call one of the

responding officers to check it out.

"Jenkins, I need you to respond to 5689 Hickory

Valley Road. There could be a possible VIC. I

tried calling her back but I got no answer," I said

into my headphones.

"Thanks, Kara. Hope you are having a good night

all by your lonesome.” He started laughing.

"What are you going to do all by yourself in that

little cubicle of yours?"

"You're an asshole." As a matter of fact, I am

having a great night by myself. Keep me

updated," I said back.

"Roger that!"

I sat back in my chair looking at the right hand

screen. A red dot started moving slowly towards

the area where the young girl called from.

Watching as it got closer and closer, I wondered

if she was okay. Then the dot just stopped. This

usually means the responding officer got to the

location or close to it. Our map shows streets,

but it doesn't pinpoint the exact spot.

Waiting for Jenkins to call me back, I took

another sip of coffee. I watched the clock as it

slowly passed- second by second, minute by

minute. I was about to ring him back when the

computers lit up.

"911 dispatch, what' the exact location of your

emergency?" I looked up as the name and

phone number flashed on the screen. This time I

said the name out loud: Olivia Taylor.

"I tried calling you back but we couldn't get an

answer. A responding officer should be there

"Shortly," I said hurriedly, but in a stern manner.

"Why won't you help me?" she whimpered. I

I heard her crying on the other line.

"We are trying to help you, Olivia." Someone

They should be there any second, I promise you. Can

you stay on the line with me?" I asked while

trying to get my sh*t together.

"Closed," she replied. "You can find us in the

closet." I could hear another distant whimpering

That wasn't coming from the VIC on the line.

"Olivia, is there someone else there with you?"

My heart felt like it was going to fall out of my

Chest.

"I have to go!" "He'll hear me!" she cried out.

"Who will hear you, Olivia?" I managed to ask, a

moment before the phone went dead again.

I looked on the map and noticed Jenkins' spot

had not moved. Growing concerned, I called him

back. The phone rang and rang. Finally he

Answered.

"Jenkins," he said with authority.

"Oh, thank God!" I took a second to catch my

breath. My heart was pounding a mile per

Minute.

"What, Kara, you can't handle being in that place

by yourself? "You have to call me all the time?"

He tried to make a joke, but soon realized I

wasn't playing around. "What's going on?" Are

you okay?"

"I got another call from the VIC. What is your

ETA?" I closed my eyes and tried to stay calm.

This is part of the job requirement.

"Waiting for backup." This place is out in the

middle of nowhere. The only entrance is a path

through the woods too narrow for the cruiser to

fit through. We have to go on foot. Should only

be another couple of minutes."

I took a look at my screen. I could see two dots

moving closer to Jenkins. "Call me once you get

to the property. She is hiding in the closet. I

believe there is someone else with her," |

informed him.

"Thanks for the update. I'll call you once I reach

the site." And he hung up.

I had to take a moment to decompress. I walked

down the long hallway to the bathroom. As I

turned on the light, it flickered to the sound of

my heart beat. The familiar buzzing sound

calmed me as I splashed cold water on my face.

Looking in the mirror, I could tell that my color

changed. The normal tan hue was now pale

white, and my pupils were dilated. It's going to be

okay. It's going to be okay, I reassured my

reflection.

As I walked out of the restroom, I could hear a

beeping sound coming from my headphones

again. I ran to my cubicle thinking it was

Jenkins is giving me an update. But as I saw the

name on the screen, my stomach immediately

Dropped.

"Olivia, I know this is you. "Are you okay?" |

looked at the screen with the map. "The officers

are on their way. They should be there in less

than a minute. There was no response. "Are you

there? "Can you hear me, Olivia?"

A whimper came over the other line. "It's too

late," she finally said. "He's in the room." He heard

Me."

"Who is in the room with you?” I asked. “Please

tell me so I can let the officers know." I took a

deep breath, determined to stay calm.

"He has a gun." I heard a door open as a loud

scream came over the line. I could hear two

loud rounds of popping. Then silence.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I screamed out loud, tears

started rolling down my face. I knew what this

meant. Just then the screen started lighting up

again. This time, the name was Carlos Jenkins. I

I took a deep breath as I answered it.

"The VIC just called again," I yelled into the

phone. "We could have a DOA, Jenkins." You took

too much fucking time."

"How has anyone been calling you, Kara?” he

asked, confused.

"Don't play this game with me right now." Have

you reached the destination or not?" | Looked at

the screen in front of me.

"We reached the cabin. About a mile off the

main road. I hate to tell you this, but everyone is

gone." There was silence on his end.

"Shit," I responded, rubbing my face. The skin

began to get hot from anger.

"But I don't understand how anybody could have

called you tonight," Jenkins said. I looked up

from my desk confused."

"What do you mean?”

"We found three sets of skeletal remains. One

was a male adult, presumed to be the father, and

two young girls. The remains have to be at least

twelve months old." My chest grew tight and the

room started spinning. I was about to pass out.

"The weird thing is," Jenkins continued, "we

found the two female skeletons in the closet.

But one had a cordless phone in their hand.

Trying to get help, I guess."