Cum For Bigfoot 13

by Virginia Wade

  “They got that last guy. He’s still alive.” Her look was bleak.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Tears were in her eyes. “Archie and Tate are dead. Leonard’s wounded really bad. I…don’t know…it’s—”

  “Can we go back to the cave? Where’s Lendal and Bubba Jr?”

  “They’re with their dads. I came to get you.” Her shoulders had slumped. She seemed defeated.

  “It’s gonna be all right, Leslie. Help’s on the way.”

  “I’ve been searching for a satellite phone all morning. It sucks that it snowed. I can’t find shit!”

  “We’ll check out the helicopter. I bet there’s equipment in there.”

  “I already thought of that. It’s on loose rock. It could slide off the mountain any second.”

  “Shit. Maybe that guy they captured has a phone?”

  “Maybe. I hope he’s still alive,” anger flared in her look, “although I’d love to kill the son of a bitch myself.”

  The hike to the cave was a nightmare; the snow hid a layer of ice, which made the journey difficult and dangerous. There were blood splatters scattered in zigzagging paths. I didn’t want to imagine to whom the blood belonged, beast or man? After we had reached our destination, what greeted me was a shock. Leonard was on his back, his tummy rising and falling with each breath. He appeared to be sleeping, but, as we approached, his eyes flew open.

  “Gggrrooaarrr…”

  “Don’t wake my daddy. He’s sick,” said Lendal.

  Bubba sat nearby; his expression seemed frozen, while a man dressed in black was tied up next to him. The stranger’s face was bloodied.

  “You have a satellite phone, mister?” asked Leslie.

  “It’s in my pack.” His voice was flat.

  “Where’s that?”

  “I can’t say exactly. We dropped our stuff behind some rocks in the ravine.”

  “Great.”

  “Where is Leonard hurt?” I knelt beside the Sasquatch, who had yet to move. Then I saw the blood. He had been injured in his side. “Did you get shot?”

  “Yes,” he rasped.

  “Shit!” I glanced at Leslie. “We need help. Somebody has to help us!”

  “I know.” She advanced on the stranger. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “I’m Nick Redfern.”

  This triggered a memory for me. My sister had mentioned being approached by someone with that name months ago. He was a Bigfoot researcher or did he run a website?

  “Great, Nick. Can you be a little more specific about where you left your bag? Is it on our side of the ravine or the other, closer to the helicopter or further away? Any information would be really helpful.”

  “It’s on the other side about…a hundred feet or so from the helicopter.”

  “Fantastic.”

  “What are they going to do with this guy?”

  “I don’t know. I say throw him off the mountain, but I want answers.” She glared at Nick. “You’re gonna answer my questions later, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How hurt is he?”

  “They might’ve broken some ribs. Who gives a shit?”

  “I can’t believe they didn’t kill him.”

  “He’s a smart one. He played dead, but when he got up to run away, they got him. I’m glad he’s still alive. We deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

  I glanced at Leonard. “Do you think he’ll make it?”

  “That bullet needs to come out. I can’t find it. I tried, but…it’s in there deep.” She picked Wolfie up, balancing him on her hip. “I’m going to get the bag. Watch over the troops.”

  “Take the boys with you.”

  “Absolutely. They’ve been awesome.” She patted Lendal on the head. “Your mamma would be so proud of you. You too, Bubba Jr.”

  “Whhooaaaarr…” Lendal grinned, flashing white teeth.

  Our hostage was keenly observant, his expression fearful, yet interested. What did he look like under all that blood? As Leslie departed, I approached him. “Where are you wounded?”

  “My chest. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m a Cryptozoologist. I study animals whose existence has not been proven. It’s a bit of a pseudoscience.” He glanced at Bubba. “I can’t tell you what it means to be here with these creatures. I just wish…it were under better circumstances.”

  “You were the ones who came in with guns blazing. You killed two of our Sasquatches. I don’t even know if Leonard is gonna make it.”

  “We were on a rescue mission. We lost contact with our group during Operation GrabBear, and the signal led us here.”

  “What the hell are you trying to do anyway?”

  “Obtain proof that Sasquatches exist. Pictures or videos don’t cut it nowadays. Anyone can fake them. We need a live specimen.”

  “So you go commando and shoot at everything.”

  “We were attacked as soon as we rappelled from the helicopter. It wasn’t my call…what’s your name?”

  “Lena.”

  “I thought you were Porsche. You look just like her.”

  “I’m her sister.”

  “Ah.” He grimaced.

  “Your chest hurts?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Your commando team forced us from the other cave. We had to split up afterwards. Zelda has the medicine. Sorry I can’t offer you anything.”

  “If your friend finds my bag, she can call for help.”

  “You have an accent. Where are you from?”

  “Originally England. Staffordshire. I live here now.”

  “So you guys wanted to steal Wolfie?”

  “That was the plan. It was supposed to be easy.”

  “How did you even find us?”

  “We followed the signal.”

  The apes had transmission devices embedded in their fur, but only the government and trusted scientists had access to this information. “Do you work with Dr. Haynes or something?”

  “No.” He exhaled audibly. “We have an inside source. He’s…helped us.”

  “That fucking sucks!”

  “None of this was supposed to happen, Lena. We underestimated the Cryptids. They’re stronger than we thought. Our guys went in with minimal weapons. We weren’t declaring war on them. After what I’ve seen here, I suspect none of them made it. There was a woman with them.”

  “A couple people survived. She survived. They’re at the other cave. I thought they’d be rescued by now. I thought I’d be rescued by now.”

  “They kidnapped you?”

  “I was taken from my sister’s house over Christmas. I don’t want to get into the details, but it’s been a disaster. I have to get outta here.”

  “Me too.” He chuckled ruefully, but then coughed, groaning. “Oh, shit.”

  “Is it bad enough that you’re gonna die?”

  “You won’t get that lucky.”

  “If you wanted to see Bigfoots so bad, why didn’t you get your source to get you a tour? Porsche said other researchers have been here in the past.”

  “I tried, believe me. I didn’t assemble the team. I’m not in charge of this mess. It’s not how I would’ve done things. We were funded by an outside source. They had all the control. I was brought in because of my expertise, but, honestly, I didn’t realize they were going to be so bold. I…this has been shameful.”

  “A lotta guys died.”

  “Where are they?”

  “They were buried at the other cave.”

  His look was regretful. “Someone’s in a lot of trouble, and they damn well should be.”

  Unease settled on me. “What’ll happen now?”

  “It won’t be a secret anymore, Lena. Too many people know. The families of the victims will want answers. There could be media.”

  I bristled. “You attacked us! I was there! Arrows flew far and wide. Leslie and Zelda and I could’ve been killed. They didn’t care who they shot, t
he bastards!” My hands were on my hips. “I might be a temporary hostage, but they’ve been really sweet to me. They’re the most gentle, caring creatures ever. They love their families…they love their women. All they want is to live in peace.”

  He had nothing to say to that, and, in my frustration, I picked up Wolfie, stomping out of the cave.

  Chapter Five

  Leonard had been moved to the greenhouse, while Leslie was out searching for the satellite phone. He was now resting on the grass. Bubba had tied Nick to a tree. I’d washed his face, finding a handsome-looking man with a shaved head, although he had sustained several gashes in his scalp, one that would probably require stitches. He was in pain as well; his broken ribs were bothering him.

  A short while later, Leslie returned with Lendal and Bubba Jr., who had snow stuck to their fur. She held a black backpack. “I called Dr. Haynes. They’re trying to get a team together. There’s another storm on the way. It’s gonna hold ‘em up.”

  “Ah, crap.”

  “How’s Leonard?”

  “Still sleeping.”

  She took her jacket off, draping it over a rock. “That bullet needs to come out. He needs medicine. We gotta find Zelda…and soon.”

  Bubba nodded, understanding her perfectly. He gestured towards the youngsters, grunting. Then he glanced at Leslie, rasping, “We get them.”

  “You better hurry. It’s already snowing.”

  He snorted in reply and then patted Bubba Jr. on the back. “You boys be big help.” Needing no further encouragement, they bounded for the exit.

  “We have fish, if you’re hungry. There’s a fillet left over. You want it?”

  “Yeah, thanks. How’s our hostage?”

  “His name is Nick Redfern. He’s a crypto-something or other. He studies weird creatures.” I drew nearer to her. “There’s a traitor, Leslie. Someone is giving them information about where the Bigfoots are. They know how to track them.”

  “Well that explains a lot. Shit.”

  Leslie and I had wandered into the greenhouse; the heat and humidity was considerable. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Nick. “Well, aren’t you pretty as a picture?”

  He had dozed off, but, upon hearing her voice, he met her gaze. “Did you find the phone?”

  “I did. Help is coming, but a storm’s on the way. The Bigfoots are out trying to find Zelda. She has antibiotics. That gash on your head looks nasty. You got a nice shiner too.”

  “Indeed. I’m a mess. Not to alarm anyone, but…I need to use the facilities. You don’t have to keep me tied up. I’m not going anywhere. I’d be eternally grateful, if you undid the binds.”

  “I just bet.” Her expression was sour.

  “You’ve every reason to hate me. You’ve every reason to be angry. The operation was bungled from the start, beginning with poor intelligence. Our approach was wrong.” He muttered, “To say the least.”

  “Because of you there are two Sasquatches that need to be buried. Bungled doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

  “And there are a dozen men dead, if not more. Both sides lost. No one was the winner here.”

  “Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you came in with guns blazing, huh?”

  “I agree, but it doesn’t change anything right now. I really need to get my hands free. It’s killing me having my arms behind my back. I’ll beg, if I have to.”

  Leslie stared at me. “If I let him go, he’ll run off.”

  Inspiration struck. “Were there any weapons in his backpack?”

  “I left it near the entrance.”

  Wolfie had crawled behind Nick. I had assumed he was playing with the grass, but a moment later, our hostage was free! The baby ape had untied his binds. He held the rope, flinging it in the air like a toy.

  “Wolfie!” Leslie sounded exasperated. “No, Wolfie.”

  Nick grimaced, while bringing his hands together, rubbing them. “I’m not in any condition to do anything. You needn’t worry about me.”

  “You little craphead!” Leslie picked up her son, shaking him gently, which made him squeal with delight. “You weren’t supposed to untie our hostage. He’s a bad man, Wolfie. Do you understand? He’s a horrible person. He killed Archie and Tate. He hurt your daddy. Bad, bad, bad.”

  “Grrooaarrr…” he screeched, sounding like a baby tiger.

  Nick hadn’t moved an inch, remaining seated before the tree. “For an infant, his intelligence is astounding.”

  “Well, lucky for you, isn’t it?”

  “There’s a gun in my bag. It’s loaded, the safety’s on.”

  “Go get it, Lena.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I hurried into the next cavern, and, seeing the black backpack near the exit, I grabbed it. Upon my return, I dropped the bundle on the grass. “It would be amazing, if there was food in here.”

  “There are supplies for three days.”

  “Any medicine?” asked Leslie.

  “Gauze, disinfectant, and perhaps a butterfly Band-Aid, which would work wonders for my head.” He struggled to his feet.

  I’d found the gun, which felt heavy in my hand. “I don’t know anything about weapons.”

  Leslie shrugged. “Me either. The end with the hole is dangerous.”

  I pointed it at Nick, and his eyes widened. “Awesome! I’ll take him out, if he tries to escape. First I have to…aha! Got it.” I had released the small latch on the side. “We’re good to go.” Never in a million years had I ever envisioned myself holding a gun on someone. Nick was slightly wary of me, which I found amusing. I really wouldn’t shoot him, but he wasn’t privy to this information, since he was not able to read my mind. “Let’s go, dude.” As we ventured into the next cave, his attention shifted to the ceiling, which was hundreds of feet in height and a marvel of stalactites, which hung like spiky, crystal chandeliers.

  “This is limestone.” He nodded upwards. “Minerals in the water made those. Each drop forms a ring of calcite. They grow into hollow tubes. They’re quite fragile.”

  “Fascinating.”

  “The entire ceiling is dripping.”

  “Yeah, whatever. Please, tell me you don’t have to do number two.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “I hope you only have to pee.”

  “It’s not number two.” He grinned, but then grimaced.

  There were questions I wanted to ask him. “What happened yesterday?”

  “I was the fifth man out of the helicopter. The plan was to ambush the Sasquatches, but the signal was off. We came in too close. They knew we were coming. Then they threw rocks at us, and someone started shooting. Five minutes later, the helicopter was down.”

  I snatched my jacket from the rock, wrapping it around my shoulders. “Keep going. Let’s get this done with. It’s freezing out there. Here.” I handed him his coat, which he struggled to put on. We stood just outside the cave on a shallow ledge, while he relieved himself, and, a moment later, we were inside again, cocooned in the warmth of the tropical cave. “Then what happened?”

  “I took up a defensive position and stayed at it all night. I was on the side of the mountain, freezing actually. It was a good spot, but they were smarter.”

  “How’s that?”

  “They came down from above.”

  “Oh.”

  “I suffered a shower of rocks, hence my mangled head. I might have some frostbite as well, I’m not quite sure.”

  “Keep moving.” I pointed the gun at him.

  “You say you’re a hostage?”

  “Sorta.”

  “Your sister has lived amongst the tribe for years.”

  “Yep.”

  “She had a Sasquatch baby.”

  “Lendal.”

  “I find it remarkable that a human can carry a hominidae to term.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “A great ape.”

  “It’s not easy. Porsche’s had miscarriages.”

  “That
doesn’t surprise me.”

  We returned to the greenhouse moments later to find Leslie with Wolfie in her lap. I waved the gun at him, and he flinched slightly. “Go sit down.”

  “Thank you.”

  “He’s from England. He’s very polite, isn’t he?”

  She looked unimpressed. “I’m taking a nap. Wake me, if Bubba shows up.”

  Nick resumed his spot before the tree, crossing his arms over his chest and rocking back and forth slightly, looking miserable.

  “Is there aspirin or something in your bag?”

  “Possibly.”

  “I’ll get it.”

  “Thank you.”

  I found a small container with first aid equipment, and, while Wolfie watched, I cleaned the wound on his forehead, applying antiseptic. Then I peeled the backing off the Band-Aid and placed it over the gash.

  “That’s the best I can do for now.” Wolfie sniffed Nick, licking his hand, which amused our hostage. He crawled into his lap, settling in happily. “He’s a bad man, Wolfie.” The baby ape grunted, not understanding me in the least.

  “I haven’t eaten in a day.”

  I shoved the backpack at him. “You know where the food is. Help yourself.”

  Nick withdrew an individually wrapped package of what looked like beef stew. He ripped the end off, swallowing the contents bit by bit. Wolfie stared at him, as if mesmerized.

  “That looks disgusting.”

  “It would be better heated, but it’s fine.” He tore through a smaller bag, pouring fluid into his mouth.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Water.”

  “You have enough of that stuff for three days?”

  “Yes.”

  “We better be rescued before then.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” He petted Wolfie, the little ape grunting in response. “He’s charming. What a happy fellow.”

  “Don’t get too friendly. Once he realizes you’re the bad guy, he might just bite your finger off—” A noise caught my attention, and I jumped to my feet. “Someone’s coming!”

  Chapter Six

  I snatched the gun from the grass, holding it in front of me, hearing shuffling sounds in the next cavern. A patch of brown darted towards me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was Lendal. He snorted, his nostrils flaring.