by R. D. Brady
“Mr. Hayes wants to know about this girl and where she was found. More importantly, he wants to know if there’s any chance she was actually with a bigfoot.”
Abe rolled his eyes. These shirts never understood what it took to get that kind of information. What did they think? The woman wrote down an entire accounting of where they’d been and with who and that Abe just needed to steal it?
“We need to find a way to find out what actually happened,” Thaddeus continued. “Do you have any way of doing that?”
Abe pushed his plate to the side. “I may, but it’ll cost extra.”
“You have been paid. The amount for the job was agreed on before you even began.”
Abe could picture Thaddeus’s face getting redder by the second. “True, but the job is evolving. The risk to me is evolving, and what you want is changing.”
Abe could sense Thaddeus seething on the other end of the line. Abe smiled. Sometimes I just love this job. “What if I could find proof that she had indeed found bigfoot?” he said.
Thaddeus spoke slowly. “Proof? What kind of proof?”
“A hair sample.”
Thaddeus paused. “If the hair sample bore fruit, Mr. Hayes would be very appreciative.”
“Well, why don’t you put a dollar amount on his appreciation and we’ll talk.”
“You’re sure you can get a hair sample?”
“I saw one in her display case. I can get to it.” Abe pulled the little packet from his pocket. He hadn’t let it out of his possession since he’d taken it from the cabin. He’d had a feeling it was going to be worth a nice chunk of change, and apparently he was right.
“But how will you get to it with the media and everyone else camped outside?”
Abe smiled. He’d let them stew for a few days and then overnight it to them. “Well, that’s why it’ll be extra. And why you’ll pay me for the extra work and risk required.”
CHAPTER 80
Tess sat in her chair in the camp. Shawn was sitting in the lean-to reading a book, and Missy was leaning against the log, coloring in a coloring book. It had been a peaceful day. In fact, since Tess had returned from the bigfoot’s valley, this had been the most peace she had experienced. There was no ringing telephone, nobody driving by just to get a peek.
She closed her eyes. I should have done this sooner.
So far there had been no sign of their bigfoot friends, but Tess had seen footprints that told her they’d been here recently. Her smiled faded a little as she watched Missy. Missy hadn’t said anything, but Tess knew she was disappointed that they hadn’t shown up. Tess wasn’t sure what to do about that.
She sat on the ground next to Missy, throwing an arm around her and hugging her in to her side. Missy’s coloring had really improved. “That’s beautiful,” she said.
“Thanks,” Missy said shyly.
A shadow passed over them, and Tess looked up. Mary was standing there, a mere ten feet away. She met Tess’s gaze and then gazed at Missy. Tess could read the love in that look.
With a catch in the back of her throat, Tess nudged Missy. “Someone’s here to see you.”
Missy looked up—and went still. And then she was a flurry of movement, sprinting across the space and throwing herself at Mary. Mary caught her, hugged her, and twirled her around.
Then Mary froze. Her eyes narrowed, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she emitted a growl from deep in her throat.
Tess whirled around in alarm. She’d forgotten about Shawn. He sat inside the lean-to, staring at Mary, his mouth hanging open.
Tess got to her feet and put her hands up toward Mary. “It’s okay. He’s a friend.”
Missy chattered something in Mary’s ear. The hair on the back of Mary’s neck lowered.
“Shawn, why don’t you come out here?” Tess said. “And move slowly.”
“You sure it’s safe?” he asked.
“Um… no? But I think it’s probably the right move.”
“You are not filling me with confidence, Tess.”
“Sorry.”
Shawn slowly crawled out of the lean-to and stood, keeping his empty hands in front of him. Missy clambered down from Mary’s arms and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Shawn ran a hand gently over the little girl’s hair, but he kept his eyes on the large bigfoot.
Tess felt the air crackle with tension, but then, like a popped bubble, it was gone. Missy hurried back to Mary and wrapped her arms around the bigfoot’s leg.
Shawn stood next to Tess. “I know you already told me about this, but seeing it with my own eyes, that’s something altogether different.”
Sugar appeared from the trees behind Mary. She, too, kept her eyes on Shawn as she hurried over to pull Missy into a hug. And then, surprise of surprises, Frank appeared. Missy went still, and with a cry, she ran for the eight-foot-tall bigfoot. He lifted her quickly but gently, hugging her to him.
Shawn gasped, and his voice was filled with awe. “Oh my God.”
Tears in her eyes, Tess slipped her hand into Shawn’s. “Now you understand why we need to keep them safe.”
Shawn spoke softly. “Yes, I do.”
CHAPTER 81
High Desert State Prison
Susanville, California
The sound of inmates could be heard from the cafeteria down the hall. Tyler straightened his shoulders, keeping a scowl on his face while trying to ignore the fear racing through him. Next to him, Seth looked completely unconcerned as they followed the corrections officer down the hall. And for a moment, Tyler felt jealous, because he was pretty sure Seth’s confidence wasn’t faked.
At the end of the hall, the officer ran his card through the scanner next to a locked door. A loud buzz filled the air, and the door slid open. Tyler and Seth stepped through, accompanied by prison guard Nate Holmsfeld.
Nate, a skinny, nervous man with acne scars, shifted his feet. “Now, I could really get in trouble for letting you guys speak with him outside of visiting hours.”
Tyler nodded at Seth, who reached out to shake Nate’s hand, passing him a hundred-dollar bill in the process. “We appreciate you making the exception,” Seth said.
Nate slid the money into his shirt pocket. “I do love your show.” He smiled, showing off teeth in desperate need of a dentist’s cleaning. He led Seth and Nate to a small visiting room where inmates spoke with their lawyers.
Tyler straightened his shoulders, liking the respect he was being shown. Nate opened the door and ushered them in. “I’ll be back with Dale in a little bit. You guys will have to wait here.”
Tyler flashed him the Haven smile. “No problem.”
Nate straightened up. “Great. Thank you.” He disappeared through the door, locking it behind him.
Seth pulled out a chair and took a seat. But Tyler was too keyed up to sit. He paced. The room was gray like the rest of the prison. The walls were solid cinderblock. An old scarred metal table sat in the middle of the room, a chain lopped across the middle. Tyler nudged his chin toward the chain. “What do you think that’s for?”
“To attach handcuffs.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Tyler said, as if he’d also realized that. He imagined himself in a movie, role-playing the street-hardened cop who came to the prison to interrogate a witness. He could see his name in neon lights.
And if he could just get this witness to cooperate, Hollywood really would take notice.
As if on cue, the lock rattled. Tyler placed himself on the side of the room away from the door, with Seth in between. Seth took notice of the move and gave Tyler an exasperated look. But Tyler knew it was the right move. After all, he was the face of the show. He couldn’t get hurt, now could he?
Nate stepped through the doorway with Dale Hargrove in tow. The man was smaller than he appeared on TV, only about five foot five. And the orange prison uniform dwarfed him. In fact, he’d had to roll up the bottoms of his pants to keep them from dragging on the ground.
Tyl
er pushed off from the wall, his hand extended. “Mr. Hargrove, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Tyler Haven.”
Dale looked at his own cuffed hand and then shook Tyler’s hand awkwardly. “Nice to meet you. We get your show in here. I’m a big fan.”
“Of course. Oh, and this is my producer, Seth Hruby.”
Seth nodded at Dale from the table but didn’t get up.
Nate escorted Dale over to the table and helped him sit. “You want him cuffed to the table?”
“Of course not.” Tyler grinned at Dale. “We’re all friends here.”
Dale smiled back.
“I’ve got rounds. You guys okay for about thirty minutes?” Nate asked.
Tyler’s heart rate picked up. He’d thought the guard was going to stay.
Nate nudged his chin toward the table. “There’s a panic button there if anything goes wrong. It’ll go right to the main guard station. But, try not to push it, okay? Or I’ll get in a lot of trouble.”
Tyler puffed up his chest. “I’m sure we won’t need it.”
Nate looked between the three of them before letting himself out the room and once again locking it behind him.
Silence fell in the room. Dale broke it. “So, I guess you guys want to hear about Missy?”
Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s an interesting story.”
Dale leaned back in his chair. “What’s in it for me?”
Tyler smiled. “We can include an interview with you on the show.”
Dale shook his head. “I’ve already been on TV. I want out of here.”
Tyler stared at him. Was he crazy? There was no way—
“That might be possible,” Seth said, “but we’ll need to hear what you’ve got first. If it’s worthwhile, we’ll see what we can do to help you. You know what they say, you scratch my back…”
Dale shifted his gaze between the two of them, then nodded at Seth. Tyler bristled at the insult. So, Dale thought Seth was the power here. Well that just—
Dale started to speak again before Tyler could do anything to correct his misconception. “It started when we moved out to the cabin, after my wife died.”
Tyler stowed his annoyance and tried to look sympathetic. He’d practiced the look in the mirror plenty of times, and he was pretty sure he pulled it off. “I’m sorry about that.”
Dale shrugged. “She wasn’t much to look at, but she took care of the house, so I guess that was something. Anyway, after she died we moved to the cabin. Rent was cheaper.”
“How long ago was this?” Seth asked.
“Maybe three years? Anyway, Missy liked to play in the woods. She’d be gone for hours at a time.”
“How old was she then?” Seth asked.
“Around four, I think. I asked her about it, and she said she played with some friends. I thought she was crazy. Her mom was, you know. But then I started finding these footprints around the place. I mean, these were giant-sized and not human, I don’t care what anybody says. And Missy, she starts drawing these pictures of her and these giant bigfoot. So I knew she’d seen them.”
“Did you ever see them?” Tyler asked.
“Once. I’d been away for a few days and drove up to the cabin. Caught one in the headlights, peering in the windows of the cabin.”
“Was Missy in the car with you?” Seth asked.
Dale looked surprised. “Nah, she was home.”
Tyler didn’t like how Seth was taking over his interview. “What makes you think she was with them this last year?” he asked.
“Before she disappeared, they started coming around more often, yelling, banging trees.”
“Any idea why?” Seth asked.
Dale shifted his gaze away. “Nah. But anytime Missy cried, they’d show up. And that girl was a crier. And as soon as she was gone, they were gone too.”
“Why would they take her?” Seth asked.
Dale shrugged. “Who knows? Now, when do you think you can get me out?”
“We’ll see what we can do,” Tyler replied. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell us a little more about where your cabin was located.”
Tyler and Seth peppered Dale with questions until Nate returned. Dale got up from his chair as Nate stepped over to him. “So, when will you guys be able to get me out?” Dale asked.
“We’ll be in touch,” Seth said.
Nate eyed Seth and Tyler. “Hang tight for a few minutes while I drop him off. Then I’ll escort you guys back out.”
“Will do,” Tyler said.
The door closed behind Nate and Dale, and immediately the smile dropped from Tyler’s face. He turned to Seth. “So what do you think?”
“I think that guy is a piece of garbage the world would be better off without.”
Tyler stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
Seth’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding, right?”
Tyler raised his hands. “What?”
Seth’s mouth slammed shut and he shook his head. “He let his four-year-old daughter wander around the woods alone for hours. He left her for days at a time. And have you read the report on him? The girl had cigarette burns on her body.”
Tyler shrugged. “So? That’s got nothing to do with us.”
Seth’s mouth became a tight line. “I keep forgetting how little you care about anything not directly related to you.”
Tyler glared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Seth let out a breath. “Nothing. Let’s just focus on the story.”
“I was. Now, if Dale is right, this is the story of a lifetime.”
“True.”
“So we need to just get verification.”
Seth narrowed his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”
Tyler smiled. “I think it’s time Missy had her close-up.”
CHAPTER 82
They had stayed at the camp as long as Tess had dared. She didn’t want to head back to the cabin in the dark, but she also hated taking Missy away from her family again. The bigfoot had stayed with them right until the end. In fact, for the first time, it was Tess who left first.
When Tess had at last told Missy it was time to go, Missy had looked at her with big, sad eyes before turning to hug her other family. Tess felt the sadness at their goodbyes. Mary had even hugged Tess, much to Tess’s shock.
The walk back to the ATVs was a subdued one. Missy looked asleep on her feet, so after a while, Shawn picked her up and carried her. She fell asleep a few minutes later.
Tess put a hand on Missy’s back. “She didn’t sleep much last night. She was too excited at the thought of seeing them.”
“I still can’t believe they’re real. But I could see how much they love this little girl.”
“They entrusted me to take care of her. I can’t let them down.”
“You won’t,” Shawn said.
Hours later, back at the cabin, Tess was curled up on the couch, not really thinking about anything. In fact, she was intentionally trying to keep her mind blank. There were just too many weighty topics for her to focus on.
A sound came from the bedroom. Tess tilted her head, straining to hear. It was Missy; her cries were muffled, but Tess could just make them out. She hurried into the room and knelt down next to the bed. “Missy, honey? Are you all right?”
Missy shook her head, burrowing deeper under the blankets. Tess rested her hand on the trembling girl’s head. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
Missy shook her head again. Tess looked around as if somehow there was an answer in the dark bedroom. She turned on the small light next to the bed and took a seat beside Missy, nudging her over. “Make some room, kiddo. Do you think you could tell me why you’re crying?”
Missy sniffled. “I miss them.”
Tess sighed. “I know, honey. And I know they miss you too.”
“I don’t understand why can’t I live with them.”
Tess let out a breath. “The bigfoot are amazing people. But their life is suited f
or people like them. It would be too hard for you. And they’re worried that one of these days you would get really hurt, and they would be unable to save you.”
Missy nodded, but didn’t stop sniffling. “I know.” Tess held her close, rocking a little.
Missy looked up after a few minutes. “Could they come live with us?”
Tess smiled at the image of Frank and Mary sitting on her couch and Sugar raiding her fridge. But then the smile dimmed. “I wish they could. But not everybody understands what kind of people they are. Some people would try to hurt them or put them in a cage. It wouldn’t be fair to them. They live in nature. They’re part of nature.”
“I wish I could live like that too.”
“You know, I think humans would be better people if we lived a little more like them as well. The bigfoot take nothing from nature but what they need. They have no possessions. I’m not a very materialistic person, yet compared to them…” She sighed. “Not everyone will see it that way. And in order to protect the bigfoot, we need to make sure that nobody knows they exist.”
“But they do exist.”
“They do. And they love you, just like you love them. And it doesn’t matter if you can see them or not see them, they will always love you.”
Missy’s voice was small. “What if they forget about me?”
“Oh, honey, I saw how much you mean to them. They will never, ever forget you.”
Fresh tears appeared in Missy’s eyes. “It’s not fair.”
Tess pushed back Missy’s hair. “No. It really isn’t. And sometimes, that’s how life is—unfair.”
“It shouldn’t be that way.”
“No, it shouldn’t.”
Missy lowered her head. Sobs shook her shoulders. Tess rubbed them, and she felt like her own heart was breaking. She hugged Missy to her.
“Go ahead and cry. I’ll be right here.”
CHAPTER 83
Seth put the car in park just past the cabin. Tyler looked around him with distaste. They were in the middle of nowhere. They’d arrived in town this morning and had learned where Tess Brannick lived as well as a few things about her just by asking around town. But they had wanted to wait until Tess’s brother and brother-in-law were gone before approaching the cabin. Apparently the brother-in law was huge; no need to deal with that if they could avoid it.
