WHERE LEGENDS ROAM

by Lee Murphy

  Ben interjected, "There was a case just like this in Puyallup, back in the early seventies. You mentioned it in your book, George."

  "Back in '72," Kodiak said. "Some people even managed to record it. I heard it myself a couple times, and I have to admit it was unsettling. Of course, there wasn't anything to link it specifically to Sasquatch activity of any kind."

  Then Harvey continued. "That's where my story differs. For three nights this screaming goes on. It gets to where my guests finally start to pull up stakes and go home.

  "Then it stopped. For two nights there was nothing.

  "But the following Sunday night, we hear what sounds like a bear rummaging around. It gets a little upset and starts making noises I don't normally associate with bears, like grunts and screeches, even whistles. Finally, it flings a portable barbecue across the camp, and it leaves.

  "The next day we see these footprints all over the place. Big footprints."

  Kodiak asked, "Did you make any casts?"

  Harvey said, "No. The ground around here's real hard pack. The tracks were only in the surface dust. But it doesn't end there, because our mysterious visitor must have had a real bug up his hairy butt. Three nights later he comes back and attacks a Winnebago!"

  Montagna said, "We heard something about that." He sounded skeptical.

  Harvey either didn't pick up on Montagna's tone, or chose to ignore him, when he said, "Yeah, it was big news all last month. Knocked it on its side. The family that owned the camper was pretty badly shaken, but nobody was hurt, thank God. And the entire area around the camper was covered with those tracks, same as before. I measured one, and it was fifteen inches long!

  "But here, let me show you the tape from the local news." Harvey got up and took a video cassette from on top of his television and played it for them.

  The picture on the screen was a daytime shot of a local reporter standing in front of the exposed underside of the overturned Winnebago. "It looks like Bigfoot's back, and this time the Paul Bunyon Trailer Park's got him. Behind me is an overturned Winnebago camper belonging to Eric and Michelle MacDonnell, who were vacationing here in Washington from Los Angeles, when they became the recipients of a most unwelcome visitor."

  The picture cut to Eric and Michelle MacDonnell standing in front of Billy Harvey's office. MacDonnell was pale and looked very uncomfortable as his wife leaned into his shoulder and cried. Eric MacDonnell continued the story. "We were sleeping when we felt something slam into the left side of the camper. When it started rocking back and forth we thought it was an earthquake, but earthquakes don't roar.

  "Just as everything started crashing all around us, I could hear people outside hollering things like, 'Look at the size of that thing!', and 'It's a monster!'. All I remember is after the camper fell over, we had to climb out through the side windows."

  The reporter asked, "What will you do now?"

  "We're insured, and everyone's okay, so we're gonna head on home and try to forget this whole nightmare," MacDonnell said, sounding more tired than scared.

  "Do you believe in Bigfoot?"

  "Hell, yes!"

  The shot went back to the reporter standing in front of the Winnebago wreckage. "Rangers never actually saw any of the alleged footprints the animal left behind, and because it was dark, they believe what the witnesses really saw was just a large bear that had been causing some problems in this area looking for food."

  Billy Harvey shut off the tape. "Bear, my eye! Now, I didn't see it, but I did see those footprints."

  "Did you photograph them?" Kodiak asked him.

  "No, but other people did."

  Kodiak was beginning to lose faith in anything Billy Harvey had to tell them, but still asked, "Any of them still around here?"

  Harvey shook his head. "No. But I can give you their names and addresses."

  ***

  Cyrena really didn't mind doing the inventory alone, because she had gotten sick of the constant jokes about female genitalia. There were six pages of inventory to match with the equipment, and she did that in Kodiak's room, since his was the closest. He had provided her with his key that morning for this purpose before he took off with Ben and Montagna.

  When she decided to break for lunch, she knew that Norm and Dave would be in the tavern, so she took a walk down the street to the only other restaurant in town; a small corner coffee shop with lots of booths and big picture windows that looked out at the green mountains.

  She was tired from all the lifting and carrying of boxes and supplies, but the air outside refreshed her as she stretched, closing her eyes and feeling the full force of the sun on her face. The pine smell was so strong in the air that she didn't want to stop inhaling.

  There is a sound indigenous to mountain areas throughout the world: the constant rumble of far-off rivers and waterfalls that carries through the canyons like a hundred thousand voices all whispering in unison. She stretched her arms back as far as they would go and arched her back, standing on her toes for added leverage that renewed and invigorated her body.

  She took her time walking down the street, enjoying the little town of Red Fern. She lived in Washington all her life, but had never been here before. She had never even heard of Red Fern. She was enjoying the walk down Main Street smiling and waving to people who seemed equally happy to return the gesture. Naturally, some of the construction workers were very eager to get her attention with whistles and cat-calls. She was a very attractive woman, but she never gloated on it. Even though she knew their attempts to catch her eye were just good-natured fun, it still made her uncomfortable, so she picked up her pace and went into the coffee shop.

  The old guy who ran the place was standing behind a cash register at the front counter and smiled as she walked in. "Most folks are gone fishing, hiking, or some other outdoors activity, so things are a little slow. Why don't you go on ahead and take a seat wherever you please." He handed her a menu and gestured to the empty cafe.

  She took a corner booth with an unobstructed view of Main Street where she could also keep an eye on the Red Fern Tavern. She wasn't a person easily given to paranoia, but she didn't like the idea of Norm cruising down this way when she couldn't see him coming. She hated feeling like this, especially in such a beautiful part of the world where people should feel the most free. But Norm Cocke gave her the creeps like she had never known. The man was openly slimy, looking her up and down, feeling her up with those dark, beady eyes, staring at her breasts and crotch.

  The old guy came over to her table and set a glass of water down for her. "Eating alone today?"

  "Yep."

  He set a paper place mat down with some utensils. "Are you ready to order, young lady, or would you like a few more minutes?"

  "What do you recommend?"

  "My wife whipped up a heck of a beef brisket last night, and the leftovers make a terrific sandwich. That and a side of cole slaw and potato salad would sure hit the spot."

  She nodded and handed back the menu. "Tell you what, throw in a large glass of iced tea, and you've got a deal."

  "Fair enough." He winked at her and went into the kitchen.

  Cyrena looked back out the window.

  Dave Bovard was sure hung up on Norm. What could he possibly see in that walking ball of pus that he would want to emulate? She had known Dave for three years, but he was always so shy around her, at least when he wasn't acting like a punk. He could be smug, belligerent, and cocky. She'd even caught him looking at her breasts, but at least he tried to be covert about it. He was a little old to be acting like a teenager, but she always thought he'd outgrow it. But hanging around Norm, God only knew what that was going to turn him into.

  The old guy brought her a tall glass of tea with a slice of lemon floating in it. He set it down, nodded and left again.

  She poured some sugar into her tea and stirred absent-mindedly while she kept looking up the street. She thought about Kodiak. She couldn't understand what it was about the guy that had Ben and
Jamie Montagna fawning all over him, but she knew it wasn't really his fault if they wanted to make asses of themselves. He even seemed uncomfortable with the mantel they placed upon him.

  The first time she saw him wasn't in the Red Fern Tavern.

  She recognized him from the ferry out of Seattle, standing by himself on the deck. She didn't know who he was at the time, but she had to admit she was impressed by what she saw. He was very good-looking, tall and muscular, aged just right. But she wasn't the type to approach a total stranger, especially one who looked like he might knock your teeth down your throat if the mood struck him.

  Ben was quite taken with him, too, which she found odd. In the six years she had known him, Ben Tyler was a natural leader, the type of man others looked to for guidance and protection. This was a good sign, however, because Ben was good at reading people. She could trust his judgement, which meant Kodiak was probably okay.

  The old guy brought her lunch over and set it down. "Here you go. I gave you two pickles. Enjoy."

  She returned his smile. "Thank you." She wasn't sure she could eat all the food he had piled upon her plate, but she was willing to try.

  The bell over the coffee shop door jingled, and Cyrena looked up to see an old woman come in. She had to be the strangest-looking person Cyrena had ever seen. She appeared to be Native American, and she could have been over a hundred years old. Her skin was very dark, and her eyes were difficult to see under the precipice of wrinkles that formed upon her forehead. She had no lips, as age had drawn them back over toothless gums, like a mummified cadaver. She had long, dark gray hair that cascaded well past her shoulders from under a dirty red bandanna, and she wore a loose-fitting work shirt that hung oddly from her bony, humped frame. Her arms looked like weathered twigs, all angles, that ended in long, dirty claws that were her hands.

  The old guy offered her a greeting, but the hag ignored him and took a seat at the counter. After several seconds she sensed Cyrena's eyes upon her, and she turned to stare back.

  The old woman's scowl was extremely menacing, so much so that it made Norm seem like a harmless clown in comparison. Cyrena continued to look at the hag, embarrassed to be staring, but unable to look away. She noticed several peculiar-looking pelts that were hanging from the old woman's belt, each with a hand-crafted silver tag attached to it. Next to the pelts she wore a formidable Bowie knife in a leather sheath.

  Cyrena finally forced herself to look out the window and eat her lunch. But she could still feel the old woman's menacing gaze like warm, greasy fingers running through her hair on the back of her head. God, she thought, what is this trip turning into?

  ***

  Three men were standing at Mildred Hunnicut's front door asking her about the report she had made to the Red Fern Ranger Station regarding her Sasquatch sighting. She regretted making that call the day after the first encounter, especially after her visit by the two mysterious lumbermen, and she was reluctant to talk. Her initial impression of these three did not help loosen her tongue, either. The one in the front looked like Kris Kringle's evil twin, the second one looked like one of those wimps with a chip on his shoulder and a taste for persecuting the less fortunates of the world, and the third one looked like a fugitive from America's Most Wanted.

  "I was mistaken. What I saw was a bear. I couldn't see it very well, because I didn't have my glasses. But it came back the next night, and I saw that it was just a bear."

  Ben nodded. He didn't want to be aggressive, because he knew what they must look like to her, but he could also tell she was hoping to get rid of them quick. "You didn't let them know at the ranger station that it was just a bear?"

  "Young man, those rangers didn't believe me when I called the first night, so I just didn't bother."

  Montagna spoke up. "Which direction did the bear come from?"

  Still anxious to get them to leave, she pointed to the woods on the far side of the house, where she kept the garbage cans. "There. Both nights."

  Montagna nodded and headed in that direction.

  Kodiak knew she was lying. He could pretty much guess that Ben knew, as well. He respected Mildred's desire not to subject the animal to outside interference, but she made two major mistakes. The first was letting them know that the animal had come back the following night. The second was pointing out from where it entered her property. Ben was no dummy, but Kodiak had to try. "We're sorry to have wasted your time, ma'am. Should anything come up, please contact us at the Red Fern Lodge. You can ask for George Kodiak or Ben Tyler."

  She nodded and closed the door.

  Ben was completely dumbfounded. "Are you crazy? If she wasn't lying through her acrylic teeth, then I'm going on a liquid diet!"

  "Take it easy, Jabba. I know she's lying."

  "Then why'd you cut it short?"

  "Ben, I know you have the same appreciation for these animals as I do. I know more than anything that you'd be perfectly happy just to see one in action, maybe get some film, or something to capture the moment. But that's not Montagna's trip. You know as well as I that fool's in this for the long green, and I hate him for it. Him and that idiot Cocke."

  He was getting through to Ben. But Ben was still vacillating. His desire to actually see a living Sasquatch, even to be involved in a capture... But he was willing to listen. "What do you suggest, then?"

  "We may have a repeat visitation going on here. Maybe the old lady's gotten to where she doesn't want anybody screwing with it so she can enjoy it. So I say we get Montagna and Cocke lost on some wild goose chase, then you, Cyrena, Dave and I can come back and convince her that we just want to observe it without interference."

  Ben stroked his beard, thinking it over. "Think we can convince her?"

  Kodiak smiled and said, "With your natural charm? It'll be a piece of cake."

  Montagna went around the back of the house and scrutinized the soft dirt where the lawn stopped and the forest started. He found what he was looking for: a partial footprint. He couldn't tell how long it was, but it belonged to an animal about the same size as a man, probably a juvenile Sasquatch.

  He figured the old bag lost her fear of the thing and started feeding it so it would keep coming around. As he stared at the footprint something on the lawn caught his eye, and he saw Mildred's gray cat cleaning itself.

  Mildred watched Kodiak and Ben from inside her living room as they continued to debate the matter. They finally turned and headed back towards their car. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  Her cat let out a sudden cry of pain, and Mildred ran for the kitchen. Midway through the dining room she saw the other man, the balding wimp, standing in her kitchen, holding her cat by its tail, threatening to smash it against the wall. His hand was bleeding from where the cat had scratched him.

  "Let's talk turkey, Mama."

  "You!" She started for the kitchen, but Montagna drew back to swing, and the cat howled. She stopped. She was shaking as she debated screaming for help, but the only people who would hear were those two men he came with.

  "Tell me about the Sasquatch."

  "It was a bear."

  "Mama..." He gestured to the cat with his head.

  She hesitated.

  The cat mewed in pain.

  She relented. "You're right."

  "Uh-huh..."

  When Kodiak and Ben got to the jeep, they looked around for Montagna. There was no sign of him, so Kodiak said, "Piss on him. It's a nice day for a walk."

  "You know, George, I get the impression you don't think too highly of Jamie."

  "You're a perceptive guy, Ben." They both laughed and headed back to the lodge without Montagna.

  ***

  Cyrena was almost finished with lunch. She had no idea whether or not she liked it, because her attention was on the street outside. Not so much to keep an eye out for Norm, but it was the only way she could keep from looking at the mysterious hag who she knew was watching her.

  The entire time the old bat was in the coffee shop all sh
e had to eat were three hard-boiled eggs dipped in horseradish, and she had to put her dentures in her mouth to eat them. Cyrena watched as she took a bottle from her baggy shirt and struggled with the cap until it finally came off. She took a single white pill from the bottle and shoved it under her tongue. Probably nitroglycerin for a heart condition.

  When she was finished, Cyrena left a tip for the old man and left as quickly as she could without seeming too eager to get away from there, even though she was. Ten yards outside the coffee shop she heard the bell jingle over the front door, and she knew the old woman had come out behind her.

  In spite of the hag's appearance of infirmity she kept up with Cyrena, who stepped up her pace. She made her way up Main Street trying to figure out who this old woman was and what she was going to do if the old hag followed her all the way to the lodge. Of course, she could also have had a room there, but what were the odds of that? Then there was the business of those pelts, and the very large knife. God, she felt like such a wimp, scared of a hunch-backed old woman who was probably crippled with arthritis and osteoporosis. But Cyrena couldn't shake the feeling of danger that came from the old witch, and that was enough to make her want to stay well away from her.

  As she got within the vicinity of the lodge, she saw old Norm standing out front, leaning against a wooden railing and sipping a beer. Her heart sank at the sight of him. He was looking right at her and smiling, and it was not a "hello, how ya' doing" kind of smile, either. Great, she thought, now I'm trapped between two of them.

  Norm started walking toward her, still smiling...

  Cyrena stopped cold, frozen with shock and dread as Norm walked right up to her... and brushed past, ignoring her completely. Relief washed over her as she turned to watch Norm walk to the hag and grab her in a bear hug.