I giggled at that.
“I want a pizza so bad.” She sighed wistfully, licking her lips.
“Me too.”
It was a while before Leonard and Dale returned, carrying several good-sized fish. They’d already deboned them and prepared them for grilling. We ate a while later, the meat satisfying my complaining belly. After Shelly and I relieved ourselves in the forest, Leonard drew me into his arms, and I snuggled into his furry chest, as an owl hooted in the distance. I slept remarkably well with my eight-foot teddy bear, and, when I woke the next morning, I was happy to find him next to me, his breathing even and steady. Morning in the forest was noisy, yet peaceful, with the birds squawking incessantly.
Dale suddenly jumped to his feet, scaring me half to death. He growled deep in his throat, the sound absolutely terrifying. It was a cross between a bear and an African tiger, low, rumbling, and lethal. Leonard joined him, while Shelly and I stared at each other.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
I noticed a red dot moving over Dale’s hairy body, which was absolutely bizarre. No sooner had that happened then something shot through the air, making a whizzing sound and embedding in his fur with a thud. He shrieked, scaring several birds out of a nearby tree.
“Get down!” I shouted.
More whizzing sounds occurred, and Leonard was hit, making him cry out. Our apes were being shot at with what looked like enormous tranquilizer guns. Dale began stumbling around, clearly off balance, several darts protruding from the tufts of hair on his neck.
“What the fuck is going on?” screamed Shelly.
“We’re being attacked!”
We huddled together while the apes stumbled, foam coming out of their mouths, their breathing becoming hoarse and labored. Leonard fell to his knees, as another dart hit him, the fuzzy red end protruding from his arm. He grasped it and plucked it out, throwing it to the ground. He glanced at me, his eyes glazed and confused, and then he fell onto his back. Dale landed on his stomach with an enormous thud. The whizzing sounds stopped, and not caring if I were shot, I crawled over to him.
“Leonard? Oh, my God! Leonard!” I shook him. “Can you hear me?”
“Porsche…”
Tears were in my eyes. He was fading fast. “Leonard.”
“I…lo-ve…my…Po-rsche…” His eyeballs rolled into his head, and he grew still.
Overcome with emotion, I flung myself on his chest and began to cry. “Leonard…”
“Is anyone hurt?” asked a male voice.
We were surrounded by uniformed men and women; some looked like forest rangers, while others…I had no idea. Tears clouded my vision.
“I’m Dr. Dean Adams from the San Francisco Zoo. Were you shot?”
I ignored him. “Leonard?” His breathing was low and raspy. He was clearly not dead, but he had been heavily sedated.
“Could you step away from the animal, ma’am.”
I grabbed onto Leonard tighter, my fingers digging into his fur.
“Ma’am?” Firm hands were on my shoulders. “We need you to let go of the animal now.”
They pried me from my Sasquatch, and, as they dragged me away, I collapsed onto the ground in a wash of tears. The forest swam before my eyes, the vision filled with strangers and trees, everything blurring together in one gigantic nightmare.
Chapter Five
“Honey, are you going to eat that sandwich?”
I glanced at my mother. “Huh?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“You’re so thin, Porsche. You should eat your food.”
I picked it up and nibbled on the end. My mind was dull lately; a strange lethargy had gripped me since my rescue several weeks ago. The adjustment to being home had been anything but easy. I had nightmares about hairy apes, dark basements, and strange whizzing bullets. My parents and sister were overjoyed to have me back, but all I could think about were Leonard’s dazed black eyes, staring at me, his focus diminishing. Shelly was ecstatic to be back, going out with her friends, shopping at the mall, and partying up a storm all over town, her popularity on the rise.
Leslie was still with the apes. She hadn’t been discovered. Only Dale and Leonard had been taken, and I wished…I wished I were back in the mountains…where I was beginning to realize, I belonged.
“We’re going to the movies tonight. You’re coming, right?” Mom stacked several plates in the dishwasher; her shoulder length blonde hair was cut in a sassy bob.
“Sure.”
Her attempt at a smile failed. “You’re so unhappy, Porsche. What it is?”
Tears filled my eyes. “I miss him.”
“That…ape?”
I sniffed. “Yeah.”
“Honey.” She came over and sat next to me. “It’s Post-Traumatic Stress, like Dr. Bradford said. It’ll pass in time. It’ll get better. You have to hang in there. What you experienced was traumatic and life altering.”
“I wanna know where he is. Why won’t they tell me where he is?”
“He’s in some zoo somewhere.”
“No, he isn’t. I’ve checked. He’s nowhere. They’ve hidden him. They’ve kept it all quiet. No one knows there are really Sasquatches.”
None of my friends believed Shelly or me, when we told them about being abducted by the Bigfoots. They thought we had gone crazy in the woods. Even my parents hadn’t believed me, but one of the rescuers had spoken to them about it and confessed that indeed, an eight-foot ape had kidnapped their daughter. My parents had been bribed into remaining quiet with a large sum of money given to them by the government. They’d given Shelly’s parents money as well.
“There’s a reason for the secrecy,” said my mother. “The mountains would be inundated with crazy people trying to hunt them down.”
“I have to get back. I have to see him.”
She smiled sadly. “He’s not there anymore.”
“Leslie’s still there.”
“And they’re searching for her. They’ll find her.”
I was jealous of Leslie. I longed to be in the wild with my mountain ape. “I’m tired.” I stood, scraping the chair on the floor.
“I’m here for you, honey; you know that.”
“If I wanted to go back, would you let me? I’m over eighteen. I can do what I want.”
This announcement did not please her. “Honey.”
“Never mind.”
I left the room and went upstairs, where I sat on my bed and stared at the wall. I’d taken a pregnancy test last week, and it had turned out positive. I carried Leonard’s baby inside of me, and I had yet to tell my parents. There’s an ape baby in me. Oh, my God. Shelly had suffered a miscarriage several days ago, and her response had been, “Thank the fucking Lord! It’s gone!”
If something like that had happened to me, I would be devastated. I patted my tummy. “We’re gonna find your daddy, little one. You hang in there. Don’t you go anywhere. You hear me?”
The end of summer heralded my parent’s desire to see me register for college, on which I dragged my feet. My tummy was beginning to bulge slightly, and the day drew near when I would have to confess my condition. After a trip to the mall, my cell buzzed.
“Hello?”
“Hello. Is this Porsche Delessops?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Dr. Connor Haynes from the Fallen Institute. I’m a Primatologist. I’ve…been working with your apes.”
“Oh, my God!” It felt like my heart was about to pound out of my chest. “Where’s Leonard? Where is he? What have you done to him?”
“Hang on there a second. I need you to listen to me carefully, okay? I’m calling you in secret. This conversation didn’t happen; is that clear?”
“Yes.” I paced back and forth, trying to calm down.
“I’m working with the apes, but…they aren’t responding to us. They’re uncooperative on every level. We were told they understood speech and that they could talk,
but I’ve seen no evidence of it. It doesn’t matter. Look, I don’t agree with what’s going on here. I think they should be released into the wild where they belong. This species is going to die out sooner than later anyhow, because they can’t reproduce. It’s a miracle they’ve come this far.”
“Are you letting him go?”
He sighed. “I can’t do it. The powers that be won’t let me—”
“Shit!”
“But, I have a plan. That’s why I called you. The one ape, Leonard, I’ve heard him say Porsche. He didn’t think anyone was around at the time. He’s been recorded uttering your name as well.”
Oh, my God. Poor Leonard.
“I’m having a professional and a moral dilemma here. Keeping the apes would be great for my research. There’s the possibility that they’ll eventually open up and communicate. On the other hand, I know they are intelligent beings, they understand us, and they are used to being independent, but we’re treating them like animals…it’s a huge disservice to this species. They have a tremendous amount of human DNA in them.”
“Then let them go. Let Leonard go. Please let him go.”
“It’s dicey, Porsche—”
“Why did you call me then?”
“I need you. It’s you he wants. He’ll listen to you. I’m afraid, if I let him go, he’ll stomp me to death. He nearly…well, he’s dangerous. They’re incredibly strong. Getting him out of the cage safely would be the first hurdle.”
“What do you want me to do?” Hope flared eternal. My heart suddenly jumped into overdrive. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
“Do you have a pen and paper? I have some information I need you to jot down.”
The next day, Shelly and I were in my bedroom.
“You’re outta your fucking mind,” she said.
“No. I’m doing what I have to. I love him.”
“I’m not going back, Porsche. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own with this one. I got out of the damn forest, and I’m never going back. Ever.”
“You don’t feel anything for Dale?”
Her eyebrows twisted. “Um, no. I don’t know what kind of crazy water you’ve been drinking, but I’m not in love with a fucking ape.”
“I’m going back. I’m pregnant, and I think it’s gonna stick.”
“What about college? What about having a career and a boyfriend and traveling and stuff?”
“I’ll do that, but just in a different way.”
She shook her head. “You’re fucking nuts. No, I mean it, really. You’re fucking crazy. You need to see a shrink, right after you get an abortion to get that funky ape baby outta you. Seriously.”
“I’m going back. I’ve chosen that lifestyle.”
“In the fucking woods? Wearing rags? Sleeping in caves? Come on, Porsche. This can’t be for real.”
“I am.” My chin tilted upward determinedly. “There’s a plan. Friday night I’m going back.”
“It won’t last.”
“It will. I’ll find Leslie, and we’ll live with our guys.”
“Do your parents know?”
“Not yet.”
I was worried my mother would try to stop me. I had left a video message on my computer for my parents and my sister to read after I was gone. I promised that I’d return periodically to check in with them, and I would make sure that Leonard understood that. I wasn’t going back to be a hostage. I would live with the apes as an equal, and my rights would be respected, or this wouldn’t happen.
I glanced at Shelly. “I’ll come home every now and then. I might need dental care and stuff. You’ll see me.”
Her look said it all. “Well, good luck with that.”
She thought I’d lost my mind. Had I?
Dr. Connor Haynes picked me up late on Friday with the intention of driving me to the Fallen Institute in Eugene. He was by himself in a white van, which had black windows. I’d told my parents I was going out with friends, and I planned to call them later, before I disappeared into the woods with Leonard.
“This is gonna cost me my job,” he muttered.
“You’re the one who called me, dude.” I secured the seatbelt across my chest, as he pulled out onto a quiet street.
“I know.” He was in his mid-thirties with a full head of hair and a pleasing, yet slightly forgettable face. “You pack some stuff?”
“Yeah, clothes and things. I won’t need much.”
“Tell me, do they talk? Can he say anything besides your name?”
“Sure. Like basic English.”
“How do they speak; I mean, how did they learn?”
“They all have human mothers.”
“Jesus Christ!”
“They kidnap women and have babies with them.”
He stared out the windshield. “That makes sense. That explains the anomalies in the DNA. Incredible.”
“Glad you find it fascinating,” I murmured.
“You’re fond of this…ape?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly happened in the woods, if you don’t mind me asking? You were never interviewed, which I thought was a huge oversight.”
“We lived with them. We…hung out with them.”
“Did you have sex with the apes?” He eyed me sharply.
“I might’ve.”
“Did they force you?”
In the beginning it hadn’t been consensual, but that had changed. “Um, kinda, but, then not so much.”
“I see.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. I just wanna free Leonard. He shouldn’t be locked up in some fucking lab like a research rat. He was born in the wild, and that’s where he belongs.”
Chapter Six
We arrived at the Fallen Institute, which was nothing more than a non-descript warehouse in the industrial section of Eugene. We were about to enter a secured facility with cameras and sensors and every possible alarm invented. Dr. Haynes had me wear a black wig, while he hid under a baseball cap. Luckily, the facility did not employ nighttime staff, although a security guard made the rounds every hour.
“Here we go.” He pressed several buttons into a keypad at a side door. “We gotta be out in ten minutes, no more.”
“Got it.” Excitement raced through me. I was about to see Leonard!
I followed him down a hallway passing cages of animals that barked and screeched at us. There were hundreds of different breeds of monkeys.
“What happens here?”
“Research.”
“Oh.”
“I can’t tell you more than that.”
“Fine.” I could have cared less, actually. I only wanted to free Leonard.
He swiped his badge next to an inner door, and it clicked open. “They’re down the end in the other room.”
I craned my neck, but I saw nothing but cages and examination tables. “You haven’t performed any weird experiments on them, have you?”
“Basic tests.”
Poor Leonard.
The cages were small and filled with screeching monkeys. They grew in size, the ones in the corner reaching floor to ceiling in height. A familiar smell teased me, but, being in a closed space, it stank horribly. It was the overwhelming stench of Sasquatch. I heard growling, the low, deep timber of warning that either Leonard or Dale uttered long before we reached the cages.
“P-Porsche,” rumbled a raspy voice.
It was my ape! He had smelled me. I ran to the cage. “Leonard!” He stood tall and wide, a hulking figure behind the bars. There was a pile of feces in the corner and a bowl of what looked like dry dog food on the floor. I’d never been so disgusted in my life. “Oh, my God!” I glanced at Dr. Haynes. “Let them out! Get them out now!” Dale was in the next cage with his black fingers wrapped around the bars, watching us eagerly.
“I will, but they can’t hurt me. That’s the deal.”
I met Leonard’s gaze. “You understand that, don’t you? He’s letting you free. He’s gonna take you to the woods. You ca
n’t hurt him. Okay?”
“No hurt doctor.”
“Jesus Christ,” uttered Connor. “Why wouldn’t they talk before?”
Irritation pricked me. “Probably cause they hate being locked up, asshole! Now let them out!”
He took a set of keys out of his pocket. “All right. Here goes. I hope I don’t end up regretting this.”
Leonard was the first released, and he stood nearly to the ceiling, hunching over slightly. Dale joined him seconds later. These creatures looked huge in a closed environment, completely out of their element. If I didn’t know their true nature, I’d be absolutely terrified.
The doctor eyed them warily, uncertainty etched into his features. “Let’s go. Follow me.”
The apes were on their best behavior, clearly understanding the importance of obeying the doctor. Once we had cleared the building, we approached the van. Leonard and Dale were reluctant to enter the tiny space, and they had to be coaxed inside, never having been in a vehicle before, other than the one that had taken them to the institute. They hardly remembered it, having been sedated. Dr. Haynes slammed the door, the two Sasquatch’s hiding inside.
I sat up front and turned to gaze at Leonard. I gave him my hand, and he grabbed it. His tongue flicked out, licking me. “My Porsche.”
A grin split my face. “Did you miss me?”
He growled deep in his lungs, the sound reverberating inside the van. Then he began purring, the soothing quality familiar and welcoming.
“We’re heading for the national park. I’ll take you as far as I can. All right?”
“Good,” purred Leonard. “Good.”
“Why wouldn’t you talk to us, Leonard?” Dr. Hayne’s glanced at him in the rear-view mirror, as we drove away from the building.
“You bad people.”
He exhaled. “I see. You understand everything, don’t you?”
“Yes, Leonard understands.”
The doctor scratched the back of his neck. “Wow. We missed an incredible opportunity. We fucked up.”
“You poked and prodded them. Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s the social interaction that I find fascinating. How they behave in groups, how they structure their families, and what roles they play in their tribes. These are the questions I most wanted answered.”
Cum 4 Bigfoot, Book 4 Page 3
