Footprints

by Alex Archer

  What a mess.

  Annja took a deep breath and tried to relax. But the images and thoughts swirling through her mind made that difficult. She rolled over and tried to focus on the soft drapes hanging in front of the windows.

  The day outside was bright and sunny, contrasting with the mood of how she felt. She wondered if Jenny was sound asleep. Probably. And her dreams were most likely filled with visions of David in very little clothing.

  Annja grinned. That was one of the things she loved about her friend. Jenny had two passions—her work and men. She couldn't fault her for it, either. And if she was being completely honest, Jenny might have hit a little too close to home earlier when she asked if Annja was lonely.

  It seemed odd to admit, but there were times when Annja wanted nothing more than to snuggle with someone.

  Or at least something other than a mysterious sword.

  She wondered where Roux and Garin might be at this moment. They were the only two people in the world who understood what Annja's life had become since she gained possession of the sword. They had as much at stake with the sword as she did since they'd been searching for it and piecing it together for five hundred years. Garin had a way of showing up in strange places that happened to coincide with Annja being there. Part of her wondered if the sword enabled both men to know where she was to some extent.

  But she also knew they both had untold sums of money that could buy them any information in the world that they desired. More than likely that was how they kept tabs on her.

  As strange as it sounded, Annja would have welcomed their advice on this situation. Knowing them both, they would probably advocate taking the bull by the proverbial horns and beating the truth out of everyone involved.

  Of course, they would also expect that Annja would use her sword, regardless of the consequences.

  And she didn't agree with that approach.

  Annja took another deep breath and tried to still her mind. She needed sleep in the worst way.

  Her inner eye drew her back inside of herself, melting her thoughts into a spiraling swirl that sucked her back toward the blackness. She let herself get pulled under into the unseen riptide of her subconscious.

  Annja felt sleep finally coming for her, and with the hornet's nest of questions buzzing around her head, she mercifully gave herself over to unconsciousness.

  Chapter 23

  By the time Annja woke, she felt as if she'd started to recover the level of energy she normally had. Shadows drew long across the room and the rapidly fading sunlight told her that she'd slept more than she'd intended to. But at the same time, she felt rested and that would be important given what she had to deal with.

  She almost slid her legs out of bed when something stopped her. A sudden warning from her subconscious, and there in the corner she saw why.

  "Hey."

  Annja shook her head. "Do you always show up so unexpectedly like that?"

  Joey smiled. "Not my fault you didn't sense me until it was almost too late."

  "Yeah, well, you didn't happen to see my clothes anywhere nearby, did you? Sheila promised she'd bring them up when they were done."

  "I didn't happen to pass by Sheila," Joey said.

  Annja frowned. "Then how the hell did you get into my room?"

  Joey shrugged. "The window was unlocked."

  Annja glanced at the window. It would have been about thirty feet to the ground. "We're three stories up."

  "There's a fire escape on the back of the building that leads all the way up."

  "I didn't hear you."

  Joey grinned again. "Of course you didn't."

  "I also didn't sense you."

  Joey got up from the small chair and walked to the window. "My grandfather taught me how to disguise my presence, not just physically but on other levels, as well. It helps from time to time to be able to come and go as I please with no one noticing me being around."

  Annja wrapped the covers around her. So much for door locks. "Where have you been? We've all been worried about you."

  "Who is we?"

  "Jenny. Me. The sheriff."

  Joey glanced at her. "Dave? He knew I was out there?"

  "We ran into him on the main road leading into town after you got the idea to run off on some vengeance mission." Annja narrowed her eyes. "How did that work out for you, by the way?"

  "Their camp was abandoned. But I destroyed it, anyway. I figured they'd come into town so that's why I'm here. I had to stop and get cleaned up first. No sense walking into town all camouflaged. Makes people nervous."

  "The few people that are left, huh?"

  Joey frowned. "Does seem a little less active than usual. Did Sheila mention something about it?"

  "She mentioned meteors in the area. Did you happen to see anything like that a few months back?"

  "Oh, sure. Lots of them in the sky. Nothing too unusual, except there seemed to be more of them than last year."

  "Sheila thought one of them might have actually landed out in the forest. Did you see anything in your travels to suggest she might be right?"

  Joey sat on the edge of the bed. "Sheila's a little…strange sometimes, Annja. She has a tendency to say things that aren't always true. I'd be careful of what you choose to believe if it's coming from her."

  Annja nodded. "She did seem a bit odd."

  "She told you her conspiracy theory yet? That Dave is somehow different? That he's the puppet of aliens or something like that?"

  Annja looked at him. "Actually, she did."

  Joey smirked. "I thought so. She's been telling anyone who will listen that Dave is changed since the camping accident."

  "Accident?"

  Joey nodded. "He went out by himself. Not the wisest thing to do unless you're truly skilled. Dave's not bad, but he hasn't been trained like some of us. Anyway, he fell and bumped his head. Probably had a minor concussion or something, and when he came back, it took him a little while to get himself right again."

  "And this was after the meteor showers?"

  "Yeah, but I don't think they're connected. According to Dave, he fell down a gravel slope by one of the streams when his feet slipped out from under him and he got a gash on the back of his head. Knocked him a little loopy, is all. Nothing to be so concerned about. I think that Sheila's just anxious for someone else to take the role of town weirdo."

  Annja smiled. "Well, that clears up that. What about the guys in the woods you were going after? How do they fit in with all of this?"

  "They killed Cheehawk. I don't much care what they're here for. They'll pay for killing my friend."

  Annja held up a hand. "Their names are Simpson and Baker. Apparently, they're with the government."

  "Feds? Why?"

  "They claim they're going to trap the Sasquatch and take it to a laboratory."

  Joey shook his head. "What the hell would they do that for?"

  "The reason they gave me is because they think that the creature can bypass border security and they view that as a threat to national security. They need to plug the leak, so to speak."

  Joey sighed. "So that's why they're out there?"

  "According to them. Whether or not they're telling the truth remains to be seen."

  "Yeah, well, I don't suppose they told you why they saw fit to kill Cheehawk, did they?"

  "They claimed they didn't do it."

  "Of course they did. Cowards. I swear, it sometimes seems that people need protecting from the government, not by the government. Biggest bunch of reckless psychos, I tell you."

  "I don't necessarily disagree with you," Annja said. "But for right now, we've got to figure out what to do about them. I've already got one obsessive person to deal with. I don't need a couple of gun-toting government lackeys obsessing over a mythical creature, as well."

  Joey stood and walked to Annja's door and opened it. Outside was a neat pile of clean clothes. He stooped and brought them over to Annja. "You should get dressed, first of all. I'll go and k
nock on Jenny's door."

  "How do you know which room she's staying in?"

  Joey smirked. "You two are the only guests here. Shouldn't be too hard to find her and, knowing Sheila, she probably put her across the hall."

  Annja smiled. "Okay, I'll see you downstairs in five?"

  "Good."

  Joey slipped out of her room, closing the door without making a sound. Annja smirked and then quickly got dressed before Joey somehow managed to get back into her room and grab a quick eyeful of her birthday suit.

  She walked toward the window. Through a gap in the curtains she could see the sun sinking toward the horizon. She took a deep breath, sucking in the last tendrils of lavender and then opened the door to the hall.

  Downstairs, she found Joey sitting at a table talking with Sheila. Sheila looked up as Annja approached. "Sleep well?"

  "Eventually, yes. The bed's incredibly comfortable."

  Sheila smiled. "Hungry?"

  Annja shrugged. "You know, not just yet. I think Jenny, Joey and I are going to take a walk around town. We'll be back later on."

  Sheila nodded. "Door stays open until ten o'clock."

  Jenny appeared behind Annja. "Wow, did I need that. I feel like a new woman."

  Joey smiled. "You look pretty good, too."

  "Thanks."

  Annja stretched and yawned. "We all set?"

  They left the hotel and wandered down the main street. Jenny walked alongside Annja. "So what's the plan?"

  "The plan is to find David and see exactly what it is he has to show you. May as well see the reason for him dragging you out here and then you dragging me out here."

  "What's he got?" Joey asked.

  "Supposedly, evidence of the Sasquatch," Annja said.

  "Is that so?" Joey chuckled. "This ought to be good."

  Jenny glanced at him. "You don't believe him?"

  Joey shook his head. "Never said that. A lot of people have thought they've found evidence over the years. As long as I've been around I've heard stories about people who claim to have found tracks and hairs and even scat. Nothing ever pans out as being authentic."

  "Well, maybe David found something real this time," Jenny said defensively.

  "Maybe he did," Joey said. "And if so, then good for him. I just hope it doesn't provoke an onslaught into this town and to these woods. I've sort of adopted them as my own and that makes me something of a caretaker."

  "Did your grandfather teach you that, too?" Annja asked.

  Joey nodded. "All woodlands are sacred. The flow of life continues even in the face of death. Cheehawk's spirit now roams those same woods as he did in life. The cycle always continues."

  "And as a caretaker you do what?"

  "I make sure nothing upsets the balance and harmony of the place. It's my job to ensure nothing threatens the creatures that live there."

  They stopped outside the police station. Annja looked at Jenny. "You okay with doing this?"

  "Why wouldn't I be?"

  Annja shrugged. "What we talked about earlier. David's reaction to you. That kind of thing."

  Jenny frowned. "He just doesn't realize how great I am yet. The trick is to make him see."

  "I suggest subtlety," Annja said. "Don't be so overt about it."

  "I can be subtle," Jenny said, and she marched up the steps into the office.

  Annja glanced at Joey. "She's never been subtle."

  Joey smirked. "Now there's something I never would have guessed."

  Inside, Jenny was already deep in conversation with David, who sat on the bench outside his office drinking a cup of coffee. Annja studied him and found it tough to imagine that he was anything like how Sheila had described him.

  Glancing at Ellen, who laughed from time to time as the flow of conversation slowly progressed, Annja doubted that she was in any way distressed by her boss. Like Joey had warned her, Sheila might have been a few sandwiches shy of a picnic. She was a great hostess, but still a bit crazy.

  David called out to her. "Jenny tells me you guys found the hotel okay."

  Annja nodded. "Nothing like a hot bath and a nap to make you feel almost human again."

  "I'll bet." David got up and washed his coffee mug in the sink.

  Annja looked at Ellen. "You and Sheila must be pretty tight, huh?"

  Ellen shrugged. "I don't really talk to her that much. She had some issues a few years back, and as a result of that she pretty much keeps to herself."

  "Well, thanks for calling her earlier to let her know we were coming."

  Ellen shook her head. "I never called her."

  Annja frowned. "She said you called her. Told her we would be looking for rooms."

  Ellen shook her head. "Nope. Soon as you left, I was on the horn with the state police. Been busy playing phone tag ever since. I haven't had time to take my lunch break, let alone call down to Sheila."

  Annja looked at Jenny. "Well, that's odd."

  Ellen sighed. "I wouldn't put much stock in what she says. She just hasn't been right since the breakdown. People round these parts think she's a bit loony."

  "That's not a nice thing to say," David said as he dried the mug. "Everyone's got their own troubles to deal with."

  "It might not be nice," Ellen said, "but it's a fair shade more accurate than pooh-poohing it away as if she's perfectly fine. She's not."

  David nodded. "Well, let's just hope you never go through the same thing and have to endure all the teasing she has."

  "No one teases her," Ellen said. "She makes all that stuff up just to feel better. Honestly."

  David shrugged and then turned to Joey. "I see you're back."

  "Safe and sound as always," Joey said. "I suppose Annja told you why I was out there."

  David nodded. "I'm sorry about Cheehawk. Can we do a ceremony sometime?"

  Joey nodded. "They killed him, sheriff. I know they did. He was in terrible pain when he died. Well, before Annja helped out, that is."

  David looked up. "Oh? And how did she help?"

  Annja spoke up hurriedly. "I just helped ease him over to the other side, that's all. Nothing special."

  David looked at her for a moment and then nodded. "So why don't we go and see why I asked Jenny to come out here. I suppose that's what you're anxious to do, huh?"

  Annja nodded. "Absolutely."

  David smiled. "Fine, let's all take a drive."

  Chapter 24

  Outside, David led Annja, Jenny and Joey around the back of the police station to a new black Chevy Tahoe.

  Annja whistled as they approached. "Well, this certainly is a step up from the truck you were driving earlier this morning. Did you hit the lottery right after we exploded or what?"

  David grinned. "Simpson and Baker left it behind for me, actually. They'd been using my truck for some of their backwoods tracking so they felt bad about what happened to it."

  Joey frowned. "That's a bit like sleeping with the enemy, don't you think?"

  "They're not the enemy," David said. "They have a job to do like everyone else in the world. They're simply looking for a little cooperation, is all. And I suggest we give it to them."

  "Suggest all you want," Jenny said. "But I'm not cooperating with those bastards at any point in the near future."

  David smiled. "Not even if I asked you nicely?"

  "Not even," she said, grinning.

  David sighed. "All right, then. Climb in, everyone. Let's get going. It'll be a slower ride in the dark as it is."

  Annja took a look at the sky. Unlike the previous night, there didn't seem to be any clouds looming overhead, ready to open up on them at any second. Instead, pinpoints of light dotted the heavens in every direction, producing quite a bit of ambient light. It's really beautiful here, she thought.

  "Annja, you ready?"

  She looked back at Jenny, who was already in the backseat. "Sorry. Just got caught up looking at the sky."

  Annja belted herself in as David threw the truck into gear and rolled
quietly out of the back lot. Gravel crunched underneath the tires as they hit the asphalt. David steered them onto the main road and then drove out of town.

  "You're not taking us back to where we nearly died this morning, are you?" Annja asked. "I really hate revisiting the scene of near tragedies."