Dragonslayer

See how thick the walls are," He continued, holding up his hands about a foot apart, "This is no run-of-the-mill trailer."

The rookie looked confused.

"What would he be transporting that would need walls that thick, nuclear waste?"

"I doubt it," Jeff answered, shining his flashlight inside, "That looks like a pile of dung in the back."

"What kind of animal could leave a scratch in this metal, break open the back door of the trailer and match the description of a flying giant lizard?" The rookie asked, "Sounds to me like a drago-"

"I’ll be a monkey’s uncle," Jeff said, cutting him off, "you are thick, boy! Now climb back in there and collect some of that ‘evidence’ in the back and have it sent to the lab."

The rookie curled his nose and recoiled in disgust.

"It’s a pile of poop, what more can it tell us?" He asked, revolted.

"A whole lot." Jeff answered, turning and walking back toward his squad car.

That’s for later, he thought, right now I’ve got a jelly donut to answer to.

:

"Is this some kind of prank, Jeff?" The lab technician spoke into the phone, "Because if it is, I’m not laughing."

"No joke, Judy," Jeff said, his legs propped up on his desk, late that same morning, "What’d ya find?"

"A little of everything, actually" Judy paused, trying to be sure it wasn’t a joke, then she continued. "It is impossible for one animal to eat this many different things."

"What things?" Jeff asked, twirling a pen in his fingers.

"Well, it’s hard to be sure, but, it looks like: Two cows, four cats, a few odd loaves of bread, and at least one person." Judy said, letting that last item sink in.

Jeff sat up in his chair, sliding his feet off his desk.

"Pardon?" He said, starting to feel a little sick.

"It’s tough to tell, Jeff, it’s all chewed and processed. Could be just one person, could be a couple." Judy answered, hearing the concern in his voice, "What laid those droppings, Jeff?"

"I’ll have to get back to you, Judy." Jeff mumbled into the phone, and hung up.

He sat at his desk, gazing out his office door where the rookie cop had been eavesdropping.

"What’d she say?" The rookie asked, clearly curious.

Jeff just shook his head.

"It’s a dragon, isn’t it?" The rookie asked, now excited.

"Might be," Jeff said, sipping from his coffee, "it just might be."

Then Jeff’s phone rang.

"Madceno County sheriff’s office, Lieutenant Jeff Harris speaking." Jeff said.

Jeff waited, listening to the caller.

"Really?" Jeff said, skeptically.

He listened for a few more minutes, pausing to give a reply occasionally.

"Fine," He said, after a few minutes, "We’ll do what we can."

Jeff got up and left his office, the rookie cop fell in step beside him.

"So," the rookie said, "where are we going?"

"We?" Jeff asked, "Isn’t your shift over?"

"Well yeah, sorta, but I’d like to see how this all pans out though." The rookie said.

Jeff smiled, " I remember when the job was everything to me, too. We’re going to the library."

"That was the department of defense," Jeff said, darkly, "They were the ones transporting a dragon across the states. Apparently they found it in Canada and were taking it for study at a secret lab in Utah. That explains why the driver had no ID or papers with him. We are to do or best to stabilize the situation, until they arrive."

"When do they arrive?" Dean asked.

"48 hours, at the soonest." Jeff said.

:

The two police officers left the police station, they waded through the pedestrian traffic and crossed the street where the library was located.

Jeff was a black man in his forties. He kept his clothes neat and his hair shaved. His build was one of a man who was once in good shape, but had gradually deteriorated as a direct result of his donut consumption. In complete contrast, the rookie, Dean Fiengold was short, thin and white.