Hominid

by R. D. Brady

  Tess smiled at him. “I was hoping you’d say that. But that still leaves the bigger problem: how do I make them understand they’re in trouble?”

  Shawn considered. “Yeah, that is a problem.”

  Tess looked through the window at Missy. She looked like any other six-year-old—but she wasn’t. “Missy could get them to understand,” Tess said quietly.

  Shawn held up his hands. “Whoa. We can’t take her out there. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I know. But I also don’t have any idea how else to make them understand. She’s the only one who stands a chance of doing that.”

  Shawn looked inside at Missy as well. He blew out a breath. “There’s no good option here. If she doesn’t come with us and we can’t convince them, and then they get killed, she’ll be inconsolable.”

  “But if we take her, we place her in danger. And it’s our job to keep her safe.”

  “What do we do?” Shawn asked.

  Tess felt completely out of her depth. “I really don’t know.”

  CHAPTER 107

  Dev was emptying a few things out of his desk, and he frowned when a man in a dark suit walked past the double glass doors of the sheriff’s office. They normally didn’t get people dressed like that around here. He slid his drawer closed and stepped around his desk to get a better view. The man disappeared into Catherine’s office.

  Dev stepped back and caught the eye of the other deputy in the room.

  “What’s going on?” Becky Martin asked. Becky had been with the department for twenty years and knew all the ins and outs of the town.

  Dev shook his head. “I don’t know. Some suit just went into Catherine’s office.”

  Becky came over and leaned on the desk across from Dev’s. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me with all this going on.”

  “Sorry. But I think I’m going to be needed more elsewhere.”

  “I agree. You need to watch out for Tess and Missy. Lord knows, people will probably be fighting each other trying to get in to speak with them.”

  Dev groaned, picturing exactly that. “I know. But I am sorry to be leaving you with this mess.”

  Becky grimaced. “Hey, it’s not your fault. It’s her royal highness.” She tilted her head toward Hank’s office. “And Sir Sits-a-lot.”

  Her radio squawked and she pulled it off her belt. “Go for Martin.”

  “Becky, we’ve got a report of a fight over at Poor Richard’s.”

  Becky rolled her eyes. “Great. I’ll be right there.”

  She gave Dev a hug. “Take care of them and I’ll see you in a few days. And give me a call if I can help.”

  “Will do.”

  Just as Becky was heading out the door, Catherine came storming through it, and Becky had to step quickly aside. Becky looked from Catherine to Dev. Dev knew she wanted more than anything to stay and find out what was going on. But she blew out a resigned breath and headed down the hallway.

  Catherine stormed right past Dev to Hank’s office. She slammed the door behind her, but it didn’t catch. Dev sidled up next to the door to listen.

  “I can’t believe this!” Catherine yelled. “Finally something good happens in this town, and now this!”

  “What are you talking about?” Hank asked.

  “I just got a visit from one of the governor’s people. He told me the governor has said we cannot offer a reward for hunting down bigfoot. In fact, he’s just declared that anyone going out and searching for bigfoot should be arrested.”

  Dev smiled. Finally, cooler heads.

  “Why would he do that?” Hank asked.

  “He says he doesn’t want California looking like a bunch of idiots who believe in bigfoot, so he won’t let any public funds be used for a reward. And I’m certainly not forking over twenty grand. Instead he’s sending in a private military group. Some private donor offered their services.”

  Dev’s mouth fell open. This just kept getting worse and worse.

  “When are they arriving?” Hank asked.

  “Sometime tomorrow,” Catherine said.

  “How many of them?”

  “I don't know, but it sounds like a few dozen. And they’ve apparently got a half dozen or so helicopters as well. They’re going to turn the park into a war zone.”

  Dev had heard enough. He gathered his bag from his desk and hightailed it out of the office. He all but sprinted for his truck. He needed to warn Tess.

  And she needed to warn her friends.

  CHAPTER 108

  Dinner was finishing up, and Tess still wasn’t sure what to do. The tribe had survived for centuries without her help. They could survive this, right? Wasn’t she just being self-centered to think they needed her to look out for them? Besides, they were incredibly attuned to the sounds of the forest. They would know the hunters were coming.

  By the time the dishes were cleaned and put away, she had just about convinced herself they would be all right.

  Then Dev showed up.

  As soon as he walked into the cabin, Tess knew things were even worse than she feared.

  Pax took one look at Dev’s face and said, “Hey Missy, have you ever seen The Little Mermaid?”

  Missy shook her head.

  “Well, that needs to be rectified right now. Tess, is it okay if we use the TV in your bedroom?”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  Shawn, Dev, and Tess waited while Pax disappeared into the bedroom with Missy and closed the door behind them.

  Then Tess whirled on Dev. “What happened?”

  “There’s a private military force coming out to search for them.”

  Tess’s jaw dropped.

  “What? How the hell did that happen?” Shawn asked.

  Dev shrugged, but his eyes were hard. “The governor has some affluent friend who convinced him it was more politically advisable to allow him to conduct the search than to use public funds.”

  “Hayes,” Tess said quietly.

  “That’s my guess, too,” Dev said.

  Tess sank onto the couch. “It makes the most sense. He was not happy when I returned the grant money. He’s really interested in bigfoot. And then there’s the hair sample that went missing and the guy he sent after me. Obviously he’s not opposed to violence. It has to be him.”

  Shawn took a seat across from her and Dev sat beside her.

  “So what do you want to do?” Shawn asked.

  “Missy will be destroyed if something happens to them,” Tess said. “But how can I risk her out there? And without her, how can we convince them of the trouble coming their way?”

  “I’ll go with you,” Dev said.

  “Me too,” Shawn added. “And if they care about her as much as you say, they’ll help make sure nothing happens to her.”

  Tess stared at the framed picture she’d put on the mantelpiece. Missy had drawn it a few days ago. It showed Missy with Tess, Shawn, Pax, and Dev. But if you looked closely, you could also see the shadowed figures in the background. Missy was beginning to accept that this was her world now, but her other family was never far from her thoughts.

  And Tess knew that if they didn’t help the bigfoot now, Missy would forever hold it against her—and herself. “If we do this, keeping Missy safe comes above everything, right?”

  “Yes,” both men answered.

  Tess turned to Dev. “When is the force arriving?”

  “Sometime tomorrow.”

  Tess blew out a breath. “Well, I guess than means we’re leaving at first light.”

  CHAPTER 109

  Daylight hadn’t yet broken the horizon when Tess woke up the next morning. She stared at the ceiling for an hour, listening to Missy’s quiet breathing next to her. She hoped she was doing the right thing. They’d stayed up late last night getting everything together. And they had a plan. But a lot of things had to come together for that plan to work right.

  She slipped from the bed. Coffee, some eggs, and she’d be ready to face the day—she hoped.
>
  Tess pulled the blankets up to Missy’s chin and smiled as Missy snuggled deeper under them. One thing Missy had loved since she’d returned was the bed. The softness of it delighted her. And the pocket bigfoot that Pax had sent her lay snuggled in her arms.

  Tess walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind her. Dev and Shawn were already awake, sitting at the kitchen island, mugs in front of them. Dev gave Tess a hug. “How you doing?”

  Tess wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “Good. I’m ready to get this show on the road. Everything go okay last night?”

  Dev nodded. “Yeah, they’ll be there.”

  Tess sighed, feeling a little relief. “Good.”

  “Have some coffee,” Dev said. “We’ve got another hour before daylight, and then we’ll get going.”

  Shawn placed a full mug in front of her. She took a sip, reveling in the warmth, then looked up at Shawn. “You sure Pax is up for this?”

  Last night, Tess had been shocked when Pax said he was going too. Pax was not known for roughing it.

  “One of them saved his life too when you guys were little,” Shawn explained. “He’s paying a debt. Besides, he wants to be there for you and Missy.”

  “But is he up for it?”

  Shawn faked affront. “Hey. He’s married to a Navy SEAL. He knows how to take care of himself.”

  “Well, when you put it that way.”

  But her fear for Pax lay at the back of her mind, right next to her fear for Missy, Shawn, Dev, herself, and the tribe. Please let us all come home.

  She took another sip of coffee and appreciated that no one commented on how much her hands were shaking.

  CHAPTER 110

  An hour later, dawn burst out bright and beautiful. Tess stepped onto the porch with Shelby by her side. The air was a little crisp, but she knew that would burn off by mid-morning, leaving behind a beautiful day.

  Madge’s old red pickup pulled into the yard with her ATV in the back. Tess had called her yesterday to see if they could borrow it.

  Madge stepped out and Tess walked down to greet her. “Thanks for coming.”

  Madge pulled a shotgun from her truck, slung it over her shoulder, then grabbed a rifle too before closing the door.

  Tess’s eyebrows went up. “Um, you expecting trouble?”

  “Nope. But it never hurts to be prepared.” She handed the rifle to Tess. “I’ve never had a better gun than this one. It was my granddaddy’s, but I clean it and shoot it regularly to keep it in shape. I want you to take it with you today.”

  Tess looked away. “Madge, it’s—”

  Madge took Tess’s arm in a strong grip. “I know you’re not going out for a little hike.” She nodded toward the house. “And I know where that little girl’s been this last year. Don’t worry—I don’t plan on telling anyone. But I also know that our mutual friends are in trouble, and your little last-minute hike has something to do with that.”

  Tess wanted to look away from Madge’s probing gaze, but she couldn’t. So she nodded instead.

  Madge released her arm. “Well, Granddaddy’s rifle may just come in useful. Because from what I hear, there’s gonna be a lot of folks running around with their own guns.”

  Tess took the rifle. “Thanks, Madge.”

  “If I were younger, I’d insist on being out there with you. But seeing as I can’t, I’ll keep an eye on Shelby.”

  “If we’re not back by tomorrow, call Abby. She knows what to do.”

  Madge tightened her mouth but nodded.

  Tess turned toward the steps, paused, then turned back. “If I don’t make it back, can you take care of Shelby?”

  Madge opened her mouth to protest.

  Tess took Madge’s arm this time, but more gently. “Please.”

  Madge gave her an abrupt nod and pulled her into a rough hug. “Just make sure you come back. You’re supposed to bury me, not the other way round.”

  Madge pulled away and disappeared into the cabin. Tess watched her with a heavy heart, hoping that nobody was going to have to bury anybody anytime soon.

  CHAPTER 111

  The three ATVs roared down the path. Tess had Missy snuggled in front of her, and although she knew the stakes were high, she let herself enjoy the ride. It had been too long since she’d been out here, and it felt good to be back. And judging by Missy’s smile, the girl felt the same way.

  She had told Missy that they were going to see her family—and that her family was in danger. Missy had taken it surprisingly well. Tess supposed that perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised to find that Missy so easily accepted that the world was full of evil people.

  Tess led the way and stopped her ATV at the usual spot. Her legs felt a little numb from the continuous vibration of the bike, and she shook them out when she dismounted. Then she turned and helped Missy dismount.

  The boys gathered near. “About a forty-minute walk from here to your camp, right?” Dev asked.

  “Yeah,” Tess said. “And then it’s about another three hours from there to the valley.”

  “You don’t sound so sure about that,” Pax said.

  “Well, I was following Kong last time and didn’t look at my watch.”

  “Kong?” Pax asked.

  “He’s one of the big ones,” Tess said.

  “I thought his name was Frank,” Shawn said.

  “The one you met was Frank,” Tess explained. “Kong’s the one who brought me back. He’s much bigger.”

  Shawn paled a little.

  “Come on, guys,” Missy called.

  “You heard the boss,” Pax said. “Let’s go.” He hurried after Missy, who smiled and ran ahead. Shawn started after them.

  Dev took Tess’s hand. “We’ll be okay. We’ll get there in time.”

  “Promise?”

  Dev didn’t answer her; he just kissed her softly on the lips. Tess wished he had answered her, though, even if it had been a lie. Because right now, she needed to believe the lie.

  CHAPTER 112

  Abe sat at the table outside the coffee shop across from city hall. He took a bite from his egg sandwich as he waited for the show to begin.

  Five minutes later, a black jeep pulled up and a gray-haired man in green fatigues stepped out. Abe shook his head. Private army assholes. The man strode up the steps of city hall and disappeared through the double doors. Abe took one last sip of coffee before throwing a twenty on the table and crossing the street. Two younger men in fatigues stood waiting next to the Jeep.

  Abe schooled his features and headed for them with a giant smile on his face. “Hey, you the guys going to track down bigfoot?”

  Neither of the men responded.

  “Man, what a sight that’s going to be. I know a lot of people around these parts who’d love to be going with you.” He paused. “But not me. No sirree, I’ll leave that to you young hero-types.”

  One of the men smirked.

  “Yup, you guys are genuine American heroes. Say, could I shake your hand?”

  One of the guys shrugged and extended his hand. Abe gripped it and placed his other hand on the man’s shoulder. “Be careful out there, and good luck.”

  Abe nodded at the other man still keeping his smile big. Then he headed down the street and around the corner. He dropped his smile as soon as he was out of view.

  He made his way to his rented SUV and opened the back. After scanning the street to make sure no one was around, he pulled over his duffel, pulled out the receiver, and flipped it on. The light glowed green, and the screen displayed GPS coordinates. Yup, the tracer he’d placed was working fine.

  It wasn’t long before the light started to move. Abe patted the big gun case next to the duffel. Time to go bag me a bigfoot.

  CHAPTER 113

  They made good time to Tess’s camp. Tess looked around—it was already beginning to look abandoned. She glanced at the log where she and Charlie had first sat, and immediately a vision of Frank holding Charlie’s bo
dy appeared in her mind.

  Tess took a deep breath. She promised to take care of them. She needed to do that.

  Pax pointed to the sky. “What’s that?”

  Tess looked up. A black speck to their east was heading in their direction.

  “A chopper,” Dev answered, reaching for his binoculars. He watched it for a few seconds, then lowered them. “It’s not a county one. Maybe news?”

  “Maybe,” Tess said, knowing occasionally they flew over the area when there was a news story. And a private military force tracking through a national forest was definitely a news story.

  Shawn pulled out his own binoculars and focused on the target. He went still and then lowered them. “That’s an older military chopper.”

  “Well, I guess they’ve arrived,” Dev said. “How many people can that chopper hold?”

  “Maybe four or five, plus the pilot. Not enough for an invasion force. But that’s not the problem.”

  “What’s the problem?” Pax asked.

  “It’s not unusual for those choppers to be fit with heat signature cameras. They’re looking for your friends from the air.”

  Tess looked again at the chopper. If it stayed on course, it would come awfully close to the valley. “We need to move faster.”

  Shawn shifted his pack to his front and then lifted Missy onto his back. “Come on, little girl, time for a piggyback ride.”

  Miss squealed and wrapped her arms around Shawn’s neck. There was a giant grin in her face. Tess only saw it for a split second, though, because she was already hurrying off into the trees.

  CHAPTER 114

  They moved at a fast pace, and they only took one short break for water and a snack during the first hour. And during that time they saw three more choppers. They didn’t run into any of the military on the ground, but with the air getting as crowded as it was, she knew it was only a matter of time.