Legend Hunter

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  “Okay. I can’t go much more anyway and that last leg of Dead Line Trail would kill me. Let’s camp down there tonight and get Amanda airlifted tomorrow. She doesn’t have anything life threatening that I can tell but we can’t get her out.” Kiera kept her tone matter of fact and nonchalant.

  “One more night will give us a chance to rest up for the trip out. Sounds like a smart idea, Sheriff.” Ben’s tone was also mild. She shot him a grateful glance.

  Jeremy nodded and they took turns helping Amanda down the western slope of Little Trinity. Kiera’s mind tried to stay focused on keeping her feet going. She was beyond exhausted and actually had a second wind. She was almost delirious. It was amusing to see how very little sleep and twenty miles had broken her down.

  It took them several hours to get to Fanning Creek. The wonderful thing was the deputy had the campsite ready with a fire, tents, and food on simmer. Relief made Kiera giddy.

  This time when she collapsed, she didn’t move.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was all over for Ben. Not only had he told this woman he loved her, but now he was sitting and watching her sleep. It was demoralizing. It was pathetic. And he didn’t care. Kiera was still curled up in the blankets he’d piled around her the night before. She had passed out, spent, unable to move, and he had pitched a tent, removed her hiking boots, and carried her into the shelter.

  He and the deputy had made a hasty retreat in the face of a certain argument between Amanda and the Sheriff. Sparks certainly flew when the two of them spent time together.

  One knowing glance exchanged with Deputy Brad and he and Ben had disappeared into their tents to try and be oblivious to where those two were headed. Why was it so easy for him to understand the passion between Jeremy and Amanda and so difficult to understand his for Kiera?

  All his life he’d had people to support him. Oh, his parents rejected his profession, but his two sisters were fierce defenders. But even his challenging childhood filled with hauntings and loneliness didn’t prepare him for the fear of living without Kiera.

  Several times when he documented disturbances and hauntings, he’d spent hours with families in crisis. Some held up well, their love strong and determined. Other lashed out at each other and themselves, their distrust opened like a wound in response to pressure.

  Up until now, he’d found it all very interesting, just more data to be accumulated and studied. Always grateful his sisters had given him stability, Ben attempted, in some small way, to help these families move on. Some never did. Scarred by the experience, especially if it was frightening, families sometimes fractured and splintered. Those sad little pieces were always a puzzle to him.

  He stared at a sad little piece now. Kiera’s father had been caught in a maelstrom of greed and blackmail but she had found something real. The same question all of those other families dealt with faced her. Did she investigate it? Or ignore it? Sometimes, Ben had noticed people who couldn’t experience the paranormal because they didn’t want to. It wasn’t real. Until an entity or power forced the issue, many human beings didn’t want to face a power they couldn’t understand or touch.

  What would she do now? He knew the real question they faced. Kiera believed to reveal the Stones would open up the place she loved, her sanctuary, to hoards of people. Had things changed now that Amanda and Jeremy knew it existed? Could she continue to keep it a secret?

  Once, he’d documented a visitation in a house in Georgia. Mild by many standards, it was still a negative energy and mischievous at best. The woman who lived in the house was frightened. She was older and had lived in denial about many things in her life. Her husband died of alcoholism, but she insisted he died of a stroke. Her son was using drugs, but the woman insisted he just wasn’t eating enough. After two weeks there, Ben came to a firm conclusion. The energy was feeding on her repressed emotion. The woman refused to acknowledge there was any repressed emotion. So Ben told her a lie.

  He told her he could do nothing about the entity and she should move. The house would be interesting to someone who liked historical structures and the energy was connected to it. If she moved away, the disturbances would stop. And that’s all she wanted. The last he’d heard, she was happy in Florida complaining about the heat, her son, and telling everyone about the ghost that chased her out of Georgia.

  This time, he wanted Kiera to leave for selfish, personal reasons. There was no stopping the influx of people that would come. Even if the murders were revealed as the work of the McBride family, people would swarm the area to find Bigfoot. And if Amanda talked, scientists would crawl all over the area in Little Trinity with the Stones.

  As he stared at her face, that shock of blonde hair, her hand curled beneath her cheek, he wondered if she’d come with him. Would she leave her home, her mother, and all the memories here to chase legends all over the world? Would she understand that to reveal the Stones would free her from her father’s stipulations and allow her to move on?

  Maybe she didn’t realize that Mr. Peel had fallen irrevocably in love with her mother and vice versa. In his family, those feelings would be discussed and celebrated. But Kiera’s family hadn’t been like that at all. For the first time in his life, he faced a problem he couldn’t solve or analyze. Worst of all, he couldn’t say he “understood.” His family was close and would fight tooth and nail to help another member. Even his parents, who disapproved of his chosen profession, would stand by him in a time of trouble. Her family fractured and fell apart.

  In the past weeks, he’d seen beyond the anger and resentment she presented to the world and saw the vulnerability inside her. To lose her would kill him.

  It was up to him to keep her safe and happy.

  “Hey Ben!” Jeremy’s voice called from outside the tent. “Is Kiera awake?”

  At the sound of her name, Kiera’s eyes fluttered open. When her gaze met his, his stomach dropped. She smiled. He wanted to keep that smile, that moment, frozen in time. “She’s awake,” he called out and brushed his knuckles over her cheekbone.

  “Amanda wants to talk to both of you.”

  Ben leaned down and brushed her lips with his and then sat up to yank on his boots. Kiera’s fingers fumbled as she tied her laces. He frowned. “Are you okay? Do you need some more rest?”

  “I do, but I won’t get it out here.” She told him and stretched. “Thanks for tucking me in.”

  He grinned at her. “I thought about doing wicked things to your body, but I figured I’d wait until you were coherent.”

  She smirked back at him. “Do I thank you?”

  “You will later.”

  She laughed and hauled her body out of the tent. Ben was sore and stiff from the hike, and he knew Kiera was much worse. Somehow, she stumbled to the campfire and Jeremy shoved a cup of coffee in her hand. Amanda was awake and seemed perturbed. Brad was apparently still sleeping.

  Jeremy caught Ben’s glance to Brad’s tent. “Brad is still in bed. This is between the four of us.”

  “What is?” Kiera asked.

  “Those Stones up there, Kiera, what are they?” Amanda’s tone was quiet and soft.

  Kiera ran a hand through her hair, an action achingly familiar now. “I’m not sure.”

  “But you suspect something,” Amanda pressed.

  “I found them years ago,” Kiera admitted. “I’ve kept them a secret.” Her gaze was riveted to Little Trinity and its peak. “I think they’re graves. They’re unmarked, but hand hewn. Honestly, since I found them when I was thirteen, I’ve been up there twice. Once, when I was about to leave home when I was eighteen and then when I was running from John McBride.”

  “You moved the body.” The Sheriff glared at Ben.

  “I did,” Ben acknowledged. Jeremy would understand why. No sense in denying it.

  “He did it for me, Jeremy. After all those years of keeping it secret, Ben tried to help me keep it hidden.” Her expression pleaded with the Sheriff. She defended him. It gave Ben a little hope.
He stepped closer to her. She kept her gaze on Jeremy and Amanda. “Please don’t blame him.”

  “Are they Bigfoot graves?” Amanda demanded to know.

  “I don’t know,” Kiera’s hands twisted together and Ben fought the desire to hold her close to comfort her. “The only thing I know is they’re man made, not natural, stones. And every time I’ve been up there, something, or someone, watches me.”

  “That’s what I felt too!” Amanda’s blue eyes shone. “It wasn’t a bad thing, or dangerous, just watching. It was creepy, but I didn’t feel threatened by it. Not like—” Her face tightened. Kiera sympathized. The vision of John McBride with a shotgun would never leave her. The experience of being tied to a tree by Gavin McBride and threatened would never leave Amanda.

  “That’s not evidence,” Kiera told her. “The only way to really determine what the Stones are is to dig up those graves. If they are graves. Are you willing to do that? What if it’s an Indian burial site? Do you want that kind of responsibility?”

  Ben observed Amanda’s brow furrow. She hadn’t thought beyond the proof of Bigfoot. Ben was sure Amanda believed proof of Bigfoot would clear her sister and make her suicide more bearable. He turned to the Sheriff. “Didn’t you tell her?”

  The man shifted his feet and stared into the fire. “We haven’t had the chance.”

  “Tell me what?” Amanda’s glance switched from Jeremy to Ben.

  “Doc McConnel thought Beth was murdered,” Jeremy finally told her.

  “Murdered.” Amanda seemed shell shocked.

  Kiera sat beside her and put an arm around her. “My father left letters that imply Beth didn’t commit suicide. We think someone may have killed her.”

  “Gavin?” Bewilderment widened Amanda’s eyes and she sought Jeremy’s face for confirmation.

  “We don’t know.” Jeremy frowned at Kiera. “First, we needed to find you. Then, we can find out what really happened to Beth.”

  Amanda shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “My dad said Gavin blackmailed him because of the photograph.”

  Amanda sighed. “I always believed there was something wrong about her death. She didn’t leave a note or anything. Mom was crushed. I thought if I’d only seen something was wrong, if I’d only known how to help her…”

  “You were fifteen, Amanda. It wasn’t your job,” Jeremy reminded her.

  Her head shot up. “I was her sister. We were close.”

  “You were a kid,” Jeremy insisted.

  “You were too young to have that kind of responsibility,” Ben spoke to Amanda, but stared at Kiera as he said it. “You were a kid, being a kid. You weren’t supposed to be dealing with stuff like that.”

  Amanda covered her face with her hands. “It was so awful.” She started to tremble and Kiera wrapped her arms around her. “She was swaying. Did you know that? There’s a creaking sound a ceiling makes when that much weight hangs from it. At night, I still hear it.” Tears flowed down her cheeks. Kiera held her tight.

  Ben’s thoughts turned to Bobby’s body hung by a hook and bleeding on the pine needles below. It wasn’t a vision that went away with time. And Amanda’s vision had more impact since it was so personal.

  He exchanged a glance with the Sheriff and finally, the man moved in and took Amanda into his arms. For a few moments, he seemed supremely uncomfortable as Amanda bawled, but eventually, he held her and stroked her back. It seemed to be what she needed.

  Kiera rose from her place and strode towards the creek. Ben followed. She was clearly upset. As she paced the shore, he leaned against a large rock and waited for her to work out what she needed to say.

  He was beginning to know his Kiera.

  “It’s never going to be over, is it?” Kiera stopped pacing and glared at him as if it was his fault.

  He chose his words carefully. “I think it will die down.”

  “Eventually. You left off the word ‘eventually’.” She ran a hand through her hair so hard it made him wince in sympathy for her scalp.

  “It will die down, but no, I don’t think it will be over. We should talk about what we’re going to do about the Stones, Kiera.” He tried to keep his tone even. This was going to piss her off and he knew it. But he loved her and he wasn’t going to lie to her. “Amanda knows about them and so does Jeremy. It doesn’t matter if they’re graves or not. Someone will investigate them.”

  If her eyes could have shot fire, he would have been in flames. “And you’d rather it was you than someone else.”

  Truth or lie? Truth. “Yes. Yes, I would.” He braced for the explosion.

  She only nodded and resumed her pacing. “I would, too.”

  “What?” His mouth dropped open.

  “I’d rather you investigated them, too. I’m just afraid we won’t be first.” She frowned.

  “We?” He hoped he understood what she meant. He wanted her to be a part of it. A big part of it. And he wasn’t even admitting to himself what part she’d play. He was aware of it, but he wasn’t going to think about it.

  Her gaze was serious. “We. I know I said I didn’t want to be a part of it, but I want to make up for the things my father did.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek. She leaned into his hand.

  “I do. He produced a fraud, and I spent my whole life hiding it. He did it for money, for fame. And he may have cost Beth her life.” She stepped closer to him and brushed her lips over his. “I understand a little better now. I would do almost anything for you.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You’d perpetuate a fraud?”

  She smiled. “I said ‘almost’.”

  He laughed and yanked her closer. “I love you, Kiera. Promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “Promise me that you’ll talk to me before you protect me from something. Especially a lie. I think your father was a fool. He could have told the truth.” Ben brushed a strand of hair from her face.

  Kiera shook her head. “I don’t know. It was all pretty murky and complicated.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m glad things aren’t so confusing for us.”

  He leaned back. “They aren’t? I’m a Legend Hunter and you hate Legend Hunters.”

  “I used to hate Legend Hunters.”

  “I fly all over the country recording hauntings and you think that stuff is bullshit.”

  “You’ll prove me wrong. You always do.” She kissed his neck, and he had trouble thinking.

  “I’m going to be investigating those graves and all the wackos will come out of the woodwork.” He was a little breathless as she nibbled on his skin.

  “Yes, but you’ll publish the truth,” she murmured.

  He set her away from him and stared at her nose to nose. “Do you really believe that?”

  She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “With all my heart.”

  He shook his head in wonder and then gave up trying to find reasons to fight it. They had a lot to get through, but they’d make it. He clasped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

  “Mmmmm.” Her lips hummed from her purr of approval and he growled in response. He shifted her in his arms and deepened the kiss. Passion took over and heat exploded from him. He’d never get enough of her.

  “Ahem.” Someone cleared his throat behind them. Kiera jumped back, a charming flush creeping up her face. “The Sheriff says the helicopter will be here in twenty minutes.” Deputy Brad was beet red. “He said to tell you.”

  “Right. Okay.” Ben nodded and dismissed him. When he went to get back to what he and Kiera had been doing, she stiff-armed him. “Hey!”

  She laughed. “We’ll finish that discussion when we get home.”

  He went past her stiff-arm like it was paper. “But honey,” his hands crept up her back and cupped her neck. “It’s the great outdoors. Think of the memories we could make.”

  She melted as his mouth came within a whisper away from hers.
Then, she jerked away from him. “You perv.” She poked him in the chest with a sharp jab.

  He grinned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  She shook her head. “You’re crazy if you think I’m getting naked out here. There are mosquitoes.”

  “They’re not that bad this time of year.” He took a step towards her and she stepped back.

  “It’s too cold.”

  “It’s warm enough now.” He stalked her and she backed up more.

  “Jeremy and Amanda are right over there.” She frowned at him and stumbled backwards.

  “They won’t mind.”

  “I’m not getting naked with you out here.” She put a hand out to stop him.

  He nodded. “You’re right. We shouldn’t.”

  Her gaze snapped to his. “We shouldn’t?”

  He grinned at her. “Nope. Your feet are wet.”

  She glanced down at her feet now ankle deep in the creek and then glared at him. “You—You bastard!” She took a swing at him and he hopped back.

  “You’d better get those boots and socks off or you won’t make it home.”

  “I’m going to get you for this.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” He turned and strode back towards the campsite.

  *

  As it turned out, Kiera didn’t have to hike in her soggy socks since Ben insisted that she ride with Amanda in the helicopter. She didn’t want to. Now that she had Ben, she didn’t want to lose him. But the rational part of her realized she should be airlifted out. She hadn’t been a hundred percent when they’d begun the hike and the breakneck pace Jeremy set had sapped her of all her strength.

  The helicopter ride, her first, was an exhilarating experience. Amanda, in worse condition and with an emergency tech hovering over her, didn’t enjoy it as much. They arrived at the Willow Creek Clinic once it was determined Amanda’s injuries were not life threatening.

  “I’m getting very tired of this place,” Amanda stated as they unloaded her onto a gurney and into the clinic. Kiera followed behind on foot. The EMT had told her she needed to rest, but otherwise, was fine.

  Amanda gripped her arm. “Don’t go anywhere. I want to read those letters.”