Legend Hunter

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  Legend Hunter

  Jennifer McKenzie

  Published 2009

  ISBN 978-1-59578-562-6

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2009, Jennifer McKenzie. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  Email:

  raven@LSbooks.com

  Editor

  Deanna Pryce

  Cover Artist

  LW Perkins

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Bigfoot is a fraud and the people who hunt for him are either fools or liars. Or so Kiera McConnel believes, and she should know since she caught her father fabricating evidence. So, when Ben Harmon, an experienced paranormal investigator shows up, she greets him with the business end of her shotgun. No matter how famous or attractive the man may be, Kiera is not going to help him.

  Ben Harmon is sure the new sightings of Bigfoot will lead to a scientific breakthrough and no gun-toting skeptic, even a sexy one, is going to stop him. He manages to convince Kiera to lead him on his quest, but she won’t reveal the secrets he knows she keeps.

  Murder intrudes and suddenly, the hunt for Bigfoot becomes the hunt for a killer. Ben and Kiera must discover the truth before the murderer strikes again.

  Dedication

  To Deanna Pryce, who has helped me get a little deeper into my craft. To Dayna Hart, Crystal Jordan, Loribelle Hunt and Melissa Blue who had to listen to my whine about edits on this one. A lot. To Gwen Hayes and Stephanie Seacrest who encouraged me to keep working on this book despite the fact that it’s about Bigfoot.

  To Deputy Hurlburt of the Trinity County Search and Rescue department. Thank you for your patience and information. This book would have been much less without you.

  Some of the places in this story are complete fiction. Though certain landmarks from this area are real, many of them are not. The trails my characters take exist only in my imagination.

  Chapter One

  God, she looked scared to death. The little girl huddled beside a dying fire, holding her knees. Kiera increased her speed and her leg muscles burned. Rocks tumbled down the trail and the little girl whirled around and peered up the path. The early morning light gave everything an eerie glow and the pebbles sounded loud in the quiet mountainside. It was too familiar. A girl, not quite a teenager, alone up here in the remote wilderness of Humboldt County, it all made old, dead feelings come back to life. For a moment, the girl in the clearing had long, stringy blonde hair, not thick brown curls. It’s all in the past. Leave it there.

  Kiera waved. “Are you Nanette?” What a dumb question. What other eleven year old kid would be sitting in the middle of the Trinity Mountains without an adult? After all, the Sheriff begged her to find the girl and avoid an all out media frenzy.

  Her little hand lifted and then her arm pumped. “I’m here,” she called and then collapsed. Kiera could hear her pathetic sobs which spurred her on faster. She barely kept her balance on the crumbling rocks and dirt.

  Too late. She’d been too late. The poor girl looked traumatized. No surprise. She’d spent the night alone at a camp near The Little Trinity miles from any civilization. The kid’s father had appeared at the trailhead twenty-four hours earlier, bruised, unconscious. The only reason they knew about his daughter was he’d checked in at the Six Rivers National Forest office before he took his seven day hike into the Trinities. What kind of an idiot would drag his young daughter into such dangerous terrain in the middle of May?

  She knew all too well. Hadn’t her father done the same thing? And probably for the same insane reason.

  Bigfoot.

  Kiera stuffed those thoughts away as she approached the little girl. Sweaty and exhausted, she knelt down and summoned a smile. “Are you okay?”

  Two thin little arms clamped around her neck and she began to sob. For a several minutes, she was completely incoherent. All Kiera could do was pat her back, hold her tight and whisper meaningless lies about how it was all going to be fine.

  “I was so scared. Daddy told me to stay here and then he left and then…” Her eyes were filled with tears. She had the most beautiful blue eyes. “Is my Dad okay?”

  Kiera stroked her hair gently. “He’s fine. He’s in the hospital but they say he’s going to recover.”

  Her lower lip trembled. “I shouldn’t have let him leave me.”

  A twist wrenched Kiera’s stomach. “He kept you safe. That’s the most important thing.”

  Tears filled her blue eyes. “I knew something was wrong. He said we were going to come up and find footprints but—”

  “Go on.”

  “Daddy said we were being followed.” An icy hand gripped Kiera’s heart and she stared at Nanette. The girl continued. “That’s why he left me. He said he’d find out who was behind us and come right back.”

  “And then?” Maybe if Nanette talked about it, they’d have an easier time getting out of there. The kid seemed in good shape, well-rested. Kiera had to get home. With her mother’s health, she didn’t want to be gone long.

  “And then, it came.”

  A cold fist clutched Kiera’s chest. “What came, Nanette?”

  “The big man.” She smiled. “He brought me some berries.”

  Kiera frowned and her hands clenched on the girl’s shoulder. “What color were they?”

  “They were kind of blue, like blueberries, but tiny.”

  Kiera relaxed. “Elderberries.”

  Nanette’s noise wrinkled. “They didn’t taste very good.”

  A laugh escaped Kiera’s throat. “No, I’ll bet they didn’t.”

  “Then he stayed in the trees and watched all night.” Nanette stared at a small clump of trees. “It was the only reason I was able to sleep.

  “So, there was a man here?” She shouldn’t be asking the girl these questions. She should be getting the girl out of here. But part of her just couldn’t help it.

  “Not a man. I mean,” she frowned. “He had hair all over.”

  Kiera stared at her, her stomach clenched. Nanette’s lower lip trembled. “You don’t believe me.”

  “Of course I do.” Kiera smiled. “Now, let’s get you out of here.”

  “I did see him. It was Bigfoot. I saw Bigfoot.” The little girl’s grin lit up her whole face.

  “Where did you see him?”

  “He stood right there.” The girl pointed to a group of tall Douglas Fir. “The only time he came close to me was when he started the fire.” Her hand waved to a small, charred circle of wood.

  Kiera bit her lip. “Did it…make a sound?”

  A frown furrowed Nanette’s brow. “Oh yes. It was such a sad sound. Like crying.”

  The early morning air seemed chillier, icier. Kiera shuddered. Her gaze drifted to a spot across the valley below, where Deadman’s trail began the steep climb up The Little Trinity. When her gaze shifted to Nanette, the girl stared at the same spot.

  “Let’s go see your mom.” Kiera turned her face away so the little girl wouldn’t see her tightened lips. Damn it. Did it ever stop?

  She dropped her pack, opened her canteen, and grabbed her radio. After a refreshing swig, she contacted Sheriff Covey. “Sheriff, this
is Kiera. Come in.”

  A loud crackle and Jeremy’s voice reached her. “This is Jeremy. Is the girl okay?”

  “She’s fine. We’ll be there by nightfall.”

  “The word is out,” Jeremy’s tone seemed cautious. “You may have a welcoming committee.”

  Great. That was just fucking great. “Acknowledged. See you tonight.” She studied the sky and wondered if the girl would be up to the pace Kiera wanted to set. The last thing she wanted to do was spend a night out here. Not now.

  Non-stop for the next eight hours, Nanette told Kiera all about the hairy man, the berries he brought, the fire he built, how his eyes were a muddy brown and how she felt safe. By the time Kiera reached the trailhead, she’d had no sleep in forty-eight hours, hiked a good twenty plus miles, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

  Before they reached the bottom of the trail, Kiera stopped for a rest. Nanette’s energy had petered out and Kiera was damn near exhausted. “Listen, Nanette, when we get to the trailhead, there’s going to be a lot of people there.”

  “Why?” Her face, tired and drawn, crumpled in confusion.

  Kiera chose her words carefully. “Because your father was found hurt and people think they know what hurt him.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand”

  With a sigh, Kiera stared at the setting sun and tried to find the right words. They didn’t come. She gave up. “I don’t either, honey. But the fact is that there are going to be a lot of people there and they’re going to be asking you a lot of questions.”

  “You’ll be there right?” Her eyes silently pleaded with Kiera.

  “I’ll be there,” she said firmly. “I promise I won’t go anywhere until you’re with your mom.”

  Abruptly, Nanette asked, “You’ve seen him, haven’t you?”

  Kiera’s heart stuttered. “Who?”

  “You know what I saw. You’ve seen him.”

  A lump jammed Kiera’s throat and she swallowed hard. “Once. When I was a kid.”

  She stood and hefted her pack. Nanette didn’t ask her any more questions and they finished the last leg in silence.

  Instead of the Sheriff and an ambulance, a fucking circus awaited her. Where was the kid’s mother? Crammed into every available space at the small dirt clearing were cars and people. Lights from cameras and flashlights stung her eyes. Tired, dirty and hungry, Kiera definitely didn’t feel up to dealing with curiosity.

  Luckily, Nanette was the center of attention.

  However, she couldn’t stop a heartfelt groan when Amanda Amber appeared at the forefront of the crowd. Pink was the woman’s signature color and her long, predatory nails clutched a Pepto Bismal colored notebook that matched her completely ridiculous carnation heels. Amanda was well known to anyone who lived in Humboldt County. A reporter who was less concerned with facts than headlines, she led the charge for investigation into the Bigfoot sightings. Though she wrote articles that played fast and loose with reality, Kiera knew she was widely read and, unfortunately, often believed. Of course, that was not the only reason Kiera found her annoying. The Pink Monster was certainly on the ball today and thrust a small digital recorder in Nanette’s face. “Nanette, how do you feel knowing that your father was attacked by Bigfoot?”

  Nanette’s eyes widened. “He wasn’t—“

  Another reporter shoved forward. “Did your father say anything before he was attacked?” Two more people surged toward the little girl who stumbled back against Kiera.

  Unable to take another minute, Kiera stepped in front of Nanette. “That’s enough.”

  “Trying to debunk another sighting, Kiera?” Amanda said at her elbow.

  “Everyone back away. We need to make sure Ms. Turner is okay.” Jeremy, the local sheriff and her best friend, pushed the reporters back. Amanda and Jeremy stared at each other for a moment. The moment was broken by Nanette’s cry of joy when her mother finally pushed through the crowd and reached her.

  “Oh baby!”

  “Mama! I was so scared!” Nanette’s tears streamed down her face and cameras intruded as her mother led her away from the crowd to a Sheriff’s vehicle. Kiera watched with satisfaction as the little girl left safely. Nanette even stuck her hand out and waved ‘goodbye’.

  Unfortunately, not all the reporters followed Nanette. Amanda still hung around them. “Sheriff, can you tell me why you sent a cartographer up to find the little girl?” She jammed the recorder in Jeremy’s face.

  He spoke slowly and carefully. “Kiera McConnel knows the terrain better than anyone. I asked her to find Nanette because I knew she’d do it quickly.”

  “Was it because she’s Doc McConnel’s daughter? Because you knew there’d been another Bigfoot sighting? You can’t cover up what happened, Sheriff Covey.” Amanda glared at the Sheriff with her cornflower blue eyes. Considering their past, Kiera wondered why they even spoke to each other at all.

  “I would prefer to have all the facts,” Jeremy answered her and Kiera noted a small twitch of his left eyelid.

  “You can’t deny that this is physical evidence of the existence of Bigfoot.” Amanda and the others crowded around Jeremy and Kiera as he pushed through the crowd. “What about the claw marks?”

  Amanda’s voice was cut off suddenly as Jeremy slammed the passenger door of the Sheriff’s SUV and shut Kiera inside the vehicle. She slid down in the seat and relief that the ordeal was over washed over her.

  “How’s the father?” she asked Jeremy when he slid into the driver’s seat.

  “He’s still unconscious. I have no idea what happened to him.” The Sheriff glared at the crowd who moved slowly out of the way of the official vehicle.

  “Did he really have claw marks?”

  “That’s not been determined.” He shot her a glance and sighed. “I don’t know. The doctor says Nate Turner has four deep scratches on his thigh. He wouldn’t say if they were animal claw marks or not.”

  “Nanette says he told her to wait and left her at the camp above Fanning Creek. That’s where I found her.” Kiera shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “She also said she saw a hairy man.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Exactly,” Kiera’s nose wrinkled. “You know what comes next.”

  “Kiera,” Jeremy’s voice held a warning. “Try not to do anything stupid.”

  “Hey, I warn them,” she snapped and opened her eyes to glare at him. “It’s not my fault most of those wackos can’t read.”

  “Damn it, Kiera.” Jeremy’s muscle in his jaw pulsed. “It only adds to the circus.”

  She crossed her arms, the vision of Nanette’s confused expression and the sensation of her thin, little muscles when she hugged Kiera still fresh. “I’m not going to contribute to the insanity.”

  Jeremy shook his head. “I can’t believe we have to go through this again.”

  “Believe it,” she said firmly. She stared out at the thick forest. “It’s only going to get worse.”

  Silence filled the cab for a few moments before Jeremy spoke again. “I swear, Kiera, if there had been anyone else to send—”

  “Skip it.”

  “I know how it must have felt—”

  A lump in her throat choked her. “I said, skip it, Jeremy.” She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. “I’ll be fine if everyone would just leave me alone.”

  The words rang hollow. They were going to come out of the woodwork. Everyone would start searching for Doc McConnel’s only daughter, the one who was there when he discovered the picture of Bigfoot.

  Tears burned her eyes. She was just tired. That was it. It couldn’t be anything else.

  *

  Maybe the gun wouldn’t be loaded. Maybe she’d just maim him. Ben could see the headlines now. Paranormal author, in search of Bigfoot, crippled by buckshot from crazy recluse. Finding Bigfoot, that was going to be the easy part. Getting Kiera McConnel to help him before she shot him, now that was going to be a royal pain in the ass. The closer he got to his destination, the
more Ben felt restless, like bugs crawling under his skin.

  Rain pelted his window and a gust of wind spattered the drops sideways. The inside of the cab fogged up and obscured his vision, but he managed to spot the turn off and eased on to the road. Trust him to not only head out into bum fuck Egypt to get his head shot off, but do it just in time for a heavy rain storm. His wheels spun in the mud and rocks whacked the undercarriage. This wasn’t a good place to get stranded.

  Of course, he’d take a risk like this for kicks, Reb and Lena just shook their heads when he announced he was going to see Kiera McConnel. They thought he was nuts. But then, his family always had thought he was one fry short of a Happy Meal.

  His old truck rattled along the dirt road towards another puzzle, another mystery, this one more intriguing than most. After her rescue of Nanette Turner, she’d been approached by every newshound and Bigfoot enthusiast for miles. That reporter, Drew, told him the woman had blown away his satellite dish on the T.V. van when he’d tried to interview her. When Drew complained, he said the Sheriff’s office laughed and pointed out she had “No Trespassing” signs everywhere. It was definitely a risk to confront her. Still, she hadn’t actually killed anyone. Yet.

  Whatever Kiera McConnel issues might be, he’d deal with them. The road meandered toward a small, well-kept cabin surrounded by wild flowers that splashed color along the front of the house. In the heavy May rain, the color contrasted with the dark surrounding trees that spread a canopy behind the residence. Puddles gathered in a vegetable garden and droplets of water clung to the tall, wire fences surrounding the yard. He studied the cabin closely. She’d grown up here. The details all screamed self sufficient and remote. He wondered if her home reflected her personality or the other way around?

  He parked the truck and hopped out, rain instantly soaking his boots and his jeans.

  The door opened with a bang and Ben froze. All he could see were two long barrels of a shotgun aimed directly at his head. Even expecting it, his heart still jumped into his throat. The only sound was the slap of the rain on his jacket. His gaze narrowed on her face to register every twitch, every movement. If she was going to shoot him, he wanted to see it coming.