Jeremy spoke up, “No disrespect, Big Mike, but that was no bear. Katie’s right. It’s some kind of, well, monster I guess is as good a thing to call it as any. I seen it plain and clear. Kind of looked like a bear and wolf mixed together. I know that sounds crazy! Man, it had these yellow, blood-shot eyes and fangs and … God, Big Mike, you must have heard the howls too.”
Big Mike didn’t answer just then, but he did nod. “Hmm … Monster, you say? Well, hell, I don’t know exactly what to say ‘bout that, but the facts are something must have jumped you, and what I hit was awful big! Maybe it was one of them Sasquatches. Friend of mine says he seen one once.”
Jeremy interrupted, “Big Mike, it wasn’t no Sasquatch, Big Foot, or whatever! I’m telling you, if I had to give a name to what I saw, I’d say it would be … I guess I’d say, uh, werewolf!”
“Werewolf? Loup-garou, hmm?” Big Mike ran his right hand through his beard.
Jeremy became confused. “What did you say? Loup-what? What the hell, that French or something?”
“Loup-garou’s what I said. It’s been a very long time since I even thought ‘bout them words. When I was a kid, my granddaddy told me of Indians around these parts that were said could shapeshift into wolves or wolf-men. He called them Loup-garou. Basically means werewolf. But say, you’re obviously Indian or at least partial. You must of heard them shapeshifting stories from your granddaddy or old man too, right?”
Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been told all kinds of stories about how in the old days some of my people had such powers, but I always figured that stuff to be sort of like fairy tales.”
Big Mike spoke up, attempting to divert the conversation which was not helping Katie to calm down. “Ah, let’s not go carrying on no more just now about monsters. You two just sit tight. I’ll get you back to Harmony Falls lickety-split. Gonna take ya to Doc’s clinic, get you all bandaged up and such!”
Both Jeremy and Katie offered up some protest to that idea, but they could tell straightaway that any further argument about it would be futile.
Chapter 17
Town Hall
Bud was heading to his Blazer. It had been one hell of an emergency town meeting at the Grange Hall regarding the discovery of the bodies and reports regarding follow-up investigations pertaining to any possible predatory threat that might exist in or near their beloved township. Bud had stayed a while after everyone had left to shut the place down and lock it up. For three hours straight, he’d been in the hot seat having to field many more questions from the town council than he had answers for. It was just past 11:00 p.m., and he was beat! As Bud climbed into his rig, door still open, he looked up in response to the roar of a big diesel that was coming through town fast on the main road. Too fast. He couldn’t help lifting his eyebrows and jumping back out of his Blazer in reaction to the logging truck, which came roaring into the parking lot, downshifting hard as air-brakes squelched and hissed. Finally, with one extended blast, the truck came to a stop. Bud was relieved at the sight. Not more than a split second earlier, the truck looked to him to be heading to completely remodel Doc Matthews’ clinic.
A moment later, the driver door of the logging truck opened. Out came a man that could not have looked more stereotypically the part of trucker. Bud began walking towards the log truck.
“Hey there. What’s got you in such a toot?” Bud called out to the trucker.
The trucker was glad to see that Bud was a sheriff. He yelled back, “Got me a couple of kids here in my rig. One looks like he could use some mending from Doc Matthews.”
The trucker walked around the front of his rig and opened the passenger door. He helped Katie out and with a little more effort helped Jeremy to climb out as well.
Bud joined the three at the side of the trucker’s rig.
“Why Jeremy, Katie, what the hell happened to you two?” It was then that Bud took in the tears and dirt smeared on Katie’s face. He then spotted the large gash and blood dripping from around the knee of Jeremy’s jeans. “Come on, you all. Follow me. Jeremy, can you walk on your own?” Jeremy nodded. “Okay then, let’s go wake Doc.”
The four of them made their way over to the front of the medical clinic. Bud pressed the buzzer below the intercom a number of times in rapid succession. A moment went by with no answer. Bud knew the buzzer was wired to buzz in the apartment that Doc had upstairs as well as inside the clinic and pushed the buzzer several times again. Bud had already taken note that Doc’s Cadillac was parked in its marked parking spot. He was there all right. Hopefully not passed out from too much medicinal tonic typically labeled Canadian Mist.
“Who is it? What do ya need?” a very groggy-sounding Doc Matthews spoke over the intercom.
Bud pressed the button and informed Doc of the situation. In less than a minute, Doc came downstairs, turned the lights on to the clinic, and opened the door.
“Come on in and let’s have a look at you two. Jeremy, you climb best you can up on that exam table over yonder. Katie, how ‘bout you? Anything hurt?”
Jeremy crossed the room and with a little difficulty made his way up onto the exam table.
Katie shook her head to Doc’s question. She once again began to sob. “Go, Doctor. Go help Jeremy!” she said as she headed to her boyfriend’s side.
“Okay. All right, so you took a tumble on your motorcycle, did you?” Doc spoke as he proceeded to cut Jeremy’s jean leg away.
“Now then, that’s not so bad. Could use a couple-few stitches. You just lay back. I’m gonna stick you with a needle that’ll take most of the pain away for a couple few hours anyway. Gonna numb it up good after I clean it up a bit first. So how’d your little spill happen anyway?”
Big Mike spoke up first. “Well, I found these kids pretty close to the turn-off up to Little Merwin and the falls, not too far from the Harmony Falls, Ape Caves junction. Anyways, I hit some animal with my rig. Big son-of-a-bitch bear I think. I spotted these two over on the side of the road lying in a muddy creek. I also saw what was left of Jeremy’s motorbike. It didn’t fare as well as these two. It was in pieces all over the road. I’m telling you Doc, Sheriff, these kids were plenty lucky!”
Katie spoke up just as soon as Big Mike had finished. “What Big Mike here doesn’t realize is it wasn’t no bear he hit. What he hit was after us. It made us crash! It’s a monster, plain and simple! I mean I didn’t see it. I only heard it up at the lake. But I saw it when it jumped out at us on the road. A monster, I tell you!” Katie began crying hysterically.
Jeremy spoke up immediately. “What she said is the truth. I swear it! It was no bear or cougar or whatever you may say or think. I’m telling you it was—it is—a monster! From what I saw of it, I don’t think Big Mike hitting it with his truck did much more than just piss it off!”
Big Mike spoke up once again. “Say, I think whatever it was or still is, I mean whatever’s left of it, it left some of itself on the grill of my truck. Come see, Sheriff. I’ll show you.”
Chapter 18
Grilling
Bud followed Big Mike outside to his rig to have a look at the remnant DNA evidence.
“Just a second. I’m gonna go get me a flashlight out of my Blazer,” Bud said to Big Mike. Less than a minute later, the two men stood looking at the front grill of the logging truck.
“I don’t know about you, Sheriff, but that don’t look like no fur of no bear or big cat neither. It’s kind of tough to be certain, but the hair—well, fur—it looks mostly dark grey in color.”
“Yep, I’d say that’s ‘bout right. Mister, what did you say your name was? You look mighty familiar to me. You pass this way hauling logs often, stop and have some chow now and again?”
“My name’s Mike Rousseau. And yep, I‘ve been hauling logs from operations on the east ridge for the last couple weeks straight. But that’s probably not why I look familiar to you.”
The sheriff took a long look at Big Mike. “Say, there’s a number of folks ‘round these parts with yo
ur last name. You got family around these parts?”
“That’s right, Sheriff. Grew up here. My folks moved to Woodland when I was still a kid.”
Bud smiled. “That a fact?”
“Sheriff, I remember you. You’re Bud O’Brien, right?”
Bud looked at Big Mike in surprise. “That’s right!”
Big Mike smiled. “Bud, you was just a couple years older than me when me and my folks lived just out of town down the road a ways. Hell Bud, we went to school together back in those days.”
Bud smiled ear to ear. “By God, I knew there was something ‘bout you that looked familiar. How ‘bout that? Say Mike, would you do me a favor and stick around just a little longer? I’m gonna make a couple of calls and get my deputy and another feller out here to have a look at this hair and blood on your grill. And by the way, I can’t thank you enough ‘bout what you did for those two kids. Fact is, the boy’s my deputy’s son. Yeah, the shit’s gonna hit the fan when my deputy finds out where those two were before they took that spill. Jeremy’s butt’s gonna get a bit of a tanning from his dad unless I miss my guess.”
Big Mike replied, “Suppose they be in double deep cause of all them posted ‘do not enter’ warning signs I been seeing all ‘round those parts. Still, hope his old man, nor the young gal’s folks for that matter, they don’t be too hard on them two. Those two seem like real nice kids. And well, kids will be kids. Anyhow, we done worse’n that back in the day. Right, Bud?” The two men laughed.
Bud called up both Charlie and Ian. The two arrived at Doc Matthews’ clinic just minutes after receiving their calls, both wondering what was so important that they gather here of all places, this late at night. Bud hadn’t said anything to them on the phone other than it was very important for them to get to Doc Matthews’ clinic as fast as they could.
Before Charlie or Ian could ask any questions, Bud orchestrated all of the polite introductions. He then told Charlie a bit of what had taken place. Charlie raced inside to check on Jeremy and Katie. Bud called Katie’s parents, and soon her dad was on his way to pick her up.
After watching Doc thread the last of fourteen stitches into Jeremy’s knee, Charlie rejoined Bud, Big Mike, and Ian outside at the front of the truck to discuss what type of big animal would have dark grey fur.
Bud looked at Ian. “Looks an awful lot like that fur we seen back at the cave, don’t it?”
“It sure does! I’ll get a sample of this blood and fur.” Ian leaned over and bowed his head slightly. “Oh, by the way, I must confess, I collected some samples back at the cave. I mean extra ones that neither you or Charlie knew I did.” Both Bud and Charlie frowned a bit. Ian continued. “Sorry about that. But believe me, I collected the samples for all the right reasons. Now looking at what we got here, I’m damn glad I did. Just at cursory glance, both samples look to be the same in both color and general texture, but we’ll get my other samples of blood and fur along with what we got here and get it all to an expert I know. The guy, Matt Larsen, is a Ph.D. in genetics. He and his partner specialize in this sort of thing. Tops in their field of DNA research and all that. And believe me, he knows how to keep things discreet. His lab, Helix-Tech I believe it’s called, is not far. It’s up in Vancouver, B.C. We can send the samples tomorrow via overnight express. Should get the results in just a few days! They’ll do all the necessary tests and sample comparisons. Of course, it’s gonna cost …”
“Cost, yeah right,” Bud interrupted. “Of course it will cost. Don’t worry, Ian, we’ll get the costs covered. I was told in no uncertain terms at the town council meeting a few hours ago that I better do whatever it takes to get this all sorted out and fast or I’ll be out on the bricks, if you get my meaning. I may even have to go up north to Seattle tomorrow. I was asked to be prepared for that. Might just take the train then taxi it from there. Don’t know my way around up there. So far, they haven’t demanded it, just strongly recommended it. Maybe I’ll go, maybe I’ll wait and see if I got to. Might have to answer some questions rapid fired at me by some fancy lawyers about the deaths of them hikers. Don’t know why exactly. They’ve got my reports. They know ‘bout as much as I do.”
Ian changed the subject back to the DNA evidence he wanted to send off to have examined. He assured Bud and Charlie that the scientist he spoke of would get them the answers they needed.
Ian skillfully collected some samples from Big Mike’s grill. Soon after, Big Mike said his goodbyes and was off on his way.
Chapter 19
The Parting
Still standing in Doc Matthews’ portion of the parking lot, Bud, Charlie, and Ian finally said their goodnights.
“Okay, you two. We’ll get back on this first thing tomorrow morning at the office.”
“Sounds good, Bud,” Ian said. “I’ll have the samples properly labeled and ready to send up to my guy up north.”
Charlie finally spoke. “Yeah, that sounds good. Ian, don’t you ever hold out anything on us again. But me and Bud, we’ll let you slide on this one, 'specially since it looks like you’re gonna make it worthwhile. We got to know what the hell we’re gonna be dealing with. Or maybe better said, what we’re gonna be hunting before someone else gets hurt. Oh, and Bud, when I left you guys to check on the boy, he told me it was him that called in the anonymous tip about the bodies. Seems he’s been sneaking around near the outskirts of the reservation near the falls more than once! Don’t worry; he ain’t gonna be doing nothing like that again. Me and the boy aren’t finished about this. Not by a long shot. And as far as him continuing to see his gal-friend Katie, well, her old man, he chewed the boy and me out and good. Said in no uncertain terms that my boy wasn’t good enough for his daughter. He then threatened my boy, told him to never see his daughter again or else. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Went so far as to threaten suing me ‘bout the accident. Know what I think about that? Know what I told him about that? I told him he could kiss my ass. As far as them two kids, nobody gonna keep them apart. They got love in their hearts. Harder you try and keep two with love in their hearts apart, more they gonna sneak around to be with each other. Me, I like Katie, and I love my son. Like I said, her old man can kiss my ass! And that’s all I have to say about that!”
Both Bud and Ian smiled at Charlie’s words. Bud was compelled to add his two cents.
“Charlie, Jeremy’s a good kid. Hell, I don’t have to tell you how I feel about him and you and your wife. Why, up till a couple years ago, Jeremy used to call me Uncle Bud, and tell you the truth, I kinda liked it. And Katie, well now, she’s a good kid too! I’m behind you and those two young kids one hundred and fifty percent!”
Those words touched Charlie. He immediately smiled and shook Bud’s hand.
Ian could see the bond between those two men was indivisible, and he was touched by it. Charlie’s family was probably the closest thing that Bud had to family of his own. Suddenly, Ian felt a rock-hard pit form in his stomach. At that instant, he felt more alone than he could handle. Thankfully for Ian, the two men before him couldn’t see in the darkness the tears that had instantly welled up in his eyes.
Bud looked at both Charlie and Ian and smiled. “Well, we best stop a jawing out here in the cold night air. Let’s call it a night and put our heads together on this thing first thing in the morning.”
Charlie and Ian nodded. What they didn’t know was that Bud had one more task on his agenda.
The three men said their goodnights and began walking to their vehicles, but then Bud turned around towards both Charlie and Ian.
“Say, you two go on now. I’m just going back inside for a moment and jaw with Doc. I won’t be but a moment. We’ll all meet up at the office around eight. Charlie, stop off at your store first thing before you come in. Grab us some of them famous doughnuts of Elaine’s.” Bud turned to Ian. “Ian, you ain’t lived till you’ve tasted Elaine’s fresh baked doughnuts.”
Charlie smiled. He and Ian waved goodnight to Bud, climbed into their rides, and
left to their awaiting beds.
Bud walked around towards the front of the medical clinic until both Charlie and Ian were long gone. He then walked briskly back to his Blazer, climbed in, fired it up, and headed out of town towards the mountain.
Can’t leave motor-bike parts laying all over the road. Could get someone killed, Bud thought as he attempted to rationalize why he was about to do what he had his mind set on. One thing Bud had never had was a lack of curiosity, a trait that had served him well in his career.
Bud wanted to look around the area while it was fresh for any additional animal tracks. He just had to know if they would resemble the very strange tracks that he and Ian had seen up at the cave.
Chapter 20
Alone In The Dark
Bud spotted bike wreckage here and there strewn all around on the roadway just ahead of him as it shimmered from his headlights. The remains were exactly where Big Mike had said they’d be. Bud even spotted big-rig skid marks no doubt created by Mike slamming on his rig’s brakes when he’d hit whatever he hit.
Bud pulled his Blazer over to the side of the road and turned his vehicle’s law-lights on. They spun around and around, flashing red, amber, and blue. The last thing he wanted was to get run over as he pulled the bike’s remains well off the roadway over into the side ditch.
Bud returned to his Blazer and went around to its rear. He opened the hatchback and unlocked a gun case that was bolted to the floor of his rig. Inside the case, he grabbed a beautiful assault-style, carbon-fiber stock, twelve-gauge pump shotgun that he and Charlie had only ever fired a couple of times on the gun range. It was fully-loaded with Magnum, double ought buck-n-slugs for maximum stopping power. Bud always figured if a situation ever arose that would necessitate bringing out the big gun, this was the gun for the job.
Loup-Garou: The Beast of Harmony Falls (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 1) Page 8