Legend Hunter

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  She glared at him. “Don’t count on it.”

  He only laughed and strode to the cashier.

  He heard Dodo’s voice say, “There’s more going on here isn’t there?”

  Kiera’s voice seemed loud. “No. There’s nothing more, Dodo. Just a Legend Hunter looking for Bigfoot.”

  Dodo snorted. “You should know better than to lie to me, angel. I know you.”

  A smile drifted across Ben’s face. Every denial she uttered brought him closer to what she knew. She’d seen something out there. And he would find out what it was somehow. If only he could prove he wasn’t a worthless drunk out for a quick buck. It should have offended him to be compared to Kiera’s father. Instead, the comparison gave him confidence. She showed she was willing to be convinced. Now, he just had to do his part. He paid the bill and suppressed the desire to rub his hands together.

  Chapter Five

  Fog drifted over the ground the next morning and Kiera gripped her coffee in two hands to warm them. Her gear packed and a cup of coffee in her hand, she could face the day. She inhaled the morning scent and cherished the unique flavor there. Santa Cruz and San Francisco had fog too, but nothing smelled like the fog here. It was home to her.

  Sunlight muted through the fog, gave off an eerie glow. Kiera sipped her coffee and let the stillness seep into her bones. This was her favorite time. In the mountains, mornings like this would be common. Peaceful. Quiet. The silence of the wilderness was the biggest draw for her.

  Dodo stirred in the cabin and she couldn’t help smiling. He hadn’t changed much. All the enthusiasm he’d had as a young man followed him into middle age. Why did she feel years older than a man who had ten years on her? When had she become the jaded grown up?

  Dodo stepped outside the front door and stretched, his wiry body cracked and snapped. “Great morning.”

  She grinned. That was Dodo. The morning was grey, foggy, damp, and he loved it. So did she, for that matter. “Yes, it is. There’s coffee.”

  “No, thanks. I quit caffeine.” He folded his thin body into the other wooden chair on the porch.

  “Well, insanity must run in your family then.” She smirked at him and he grinned.

  “It’s true. Besides, I’ve seen you without caffeine. It isn’t pretty.”

  She stared into her coffee cup and sighed. “I’ve missed you, Dodo.”

  “I know, angel. But you had to hide out here. I knew that.”

  “He really fucked me over.” She stared out at the tall pine trees that surrounded the cabin. Even Dodo didn’t know everything, but the words stuck in her throat.

  “He did. His last swipe at you. It’s too bad you never resolved stuff with him before he died.”

  Tears stung her eyelids. No, there would be no resolution with her father. That ship had sailed and left her alone with her resentments. “I don’t hate him anymore, but I don’t understand why he did the things he did. The ‘he was an alcoholic’ excuse just doesn’t cut it.”

  “That’s all I got, kiddo.” Dodo rubbed a hand over his face. “He drank his whole life and it finally killed him. He was a tornado and left a lot of wreckage behind him.”

  The trail of destruction seemed overwhelming. Beth, her mother, Dodo. “I’m still picking up the pieces.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know if I can fix it all, Dodo.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t. Stop trying. Why not live your life for you?”

  She snorted. “You sound like one of those pamphlets you used to hand me as a teenager.”

  Dodo sighed. “I know. But once I found something that worked for me, I was hoping you’d find it too.”

  Her knuckles were white around her mug of coffee. “What am I going to do?”

  Dodo leaned back in the chair. “I say show the man what you found. And stop lying to him and yourself. Here’s a chance to drop the burden, let it go.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” Doubt was she knew, all she understood. Without it, she would become just like her father. A modern day Don Quixote, tilting at windmills, a legend hunter.

  “When the time is right, you will.” His gaze sharpened and Kiera heard the sound of a vehicle roaring up the dirt road.

  “That’s Ben.”

  “Are you ready to go back?”

  Cold spread over her fingers despite the warmth of her cup. She shook her head. “No, but I have to.”

  *

  Lack of sleep must have addled his brain. Ben stopped the truck and hopped out to help Kiera and Dodo load up the last of their gear into his truck. His gaze stayed on Kiera’s face.

  He was no geek without a love life. Women weren’t all that complicated. They wanted pleasure and a little attention. Most of them had no problem when he moved on. Some of them wanted more from him, but he’d always been up front about what came first. His work. Relationships were too complicated and time consuming to indulge.

  Kiera pressed Dodo forward to sit in the middle of the front seat. Ben recognized the danger signals. The compassion, the wanting to help her out of her difficulties, those things were genuine. The ominous parts kept cropping up like logs on a river.

  He didn’t like to hear about other men in her life.

  He was protective of her.

  And he wanted her. Very badly.

  He liked light and easy sex with no entanglements. Somehow, he didn’t think it would be that way with Kiera. She reeked of complications. So, why was he drawn to her so strongly? He couldn’t answer that and wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  Dodo carried on a series of disconnected sentences as Ben started the truck and reversed onto the dirt road. Kiera was silent. Ben wondered if he was insane because he was beginning to fall for a woman who wanted nothing to do with him.

  And greeted him with a shotgun.

  Go figure.

  Dodo unfolded his map. “I figure we’ll start at this trailhead and head to the base of Onion Mountain.”

  Kiera nodded. “That’s the plan. Then we’ll head east from there. There are some trails used by the Forest Service in that area.” She pointed to a ridgeline along the mountain range. “It isn’t on this map, but I know it.”

  Ben shot a glance at her. Something in her tone got his full attention for a second and then he focused on the road ahead. “Isn’t that where you found the little girl?”

  It was the first time he’d mentioned the incident that began the new sightings. Kiera crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. He’d been right. She wasn’t going to discuss that trip that kicked off speculation. He sighed. “It looks like there are two streams that parallel that ridge. We’ll be good on water.”

  After a moment of silence, she answered him. “We should pack some in for this section here.” She waited until he’d glanced at where her finger pointed. “This part of the trail is very steep and dry as a bone. It will take a day, maybe two, between the trailhead and the next stream crossing.”

  Ben nodded. “Okay. We’ll have to add it to our packs. I brought collapsible jugs that won’t add too much weight.”

  “I’ve got the lightest pack.” Kiera said. “I’ll carry the jugs.”

  “We can split them up.” Ben told her.

  “I can carry them.” Kiera glared at him.

  For some reason, she just had to argue with him about everything. “It’s better if we each add a little weight than increase yours by too much.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of carrying extra weight,” she snapped.

  Dodo had sunk down in the seat between them and closed his eyes. Ben shot her a sharp glare. “I never said you weren’t. Be smart. We have a long trip ahead of us and it doesn’t have to be some masochistic marathon.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.

  “I’m not trying to make it a…whatever you just said.” She seethed at him.

  “A masochistic marathon,” he repeated. What the hell. She was already pissed at him. “If you want to punish yourself for some imagined dysfunctional bullshit, that’s fin
e. But not on one of my expeditions.”

  “You bastard,” she spat at him.

  It occurred to him that they were fighting over jugs of water. Great. He’d become as crazy as she thought he was. He sighed. Something about her made him completely unreasonable.

  With one more glance at her furious face, he shrugged. “Fine. Carry the water.” Then, he clamped his lips shut and concentrated on the road. He’d lost his temper again. Whatever happened to Mr. Easy Going? He shook his head. This trip was going to drive him nuts.

  * * * *

  The fog had burned off by the time they reached the trailhead, but the anger in Ben’s stomach hadn’t. He seethed as they unloaded the truck. He snapped at Dodo and Kiera. She didn’t snap back, which only flitted across his awareness. He was too furious to care. And all over jugs of water.

  He handed three of the jugs to her and let Dodo help hook them to her pack. The equipment he had to haul was compact, but heavy. He took a deep breath. Somewhere along the line, he’d lost his calm. Another deep breath and he’d be fine. Being out on the trail would help.

  It was late morning, and the sun lit the sky. It would probably be hot when they traveled further up the trailhead. Dodo carried on a one-sided conversation with Kiera and Ben ignored them both. He wanted the high he normally felt when starting on a new adventure. Not this topsy-turvy, emotional crap. The truth was he was angry at Kiera because she wouldn’t let him help her. She kept things from him, which after only knowing him for two days wasn’t surprising. His mind scrambled back and forth. She disturbed him on so many levels.

  “Someone’s coming.” Dodo spoke.

  A black SUV squealed in behind Ben’s truck, and two people jumped out as the dust from the tires cleared.

  One of them had a pink backpack.

  Amanda Amber. He almost groaned out loud.

  “Well, if it isn’t Ben Harmon.” She smiled and stepped toward them. The last thing he needed was unwanted publicity. Or someone to put Kiera even more on edge.

  “Ms. Amber.” He said, trying to keep his voice pleasant. He shot a glance at Kiera. Her face had absolutely no expression at all. Almost as if she wasn’t surprised.

  Then, his gaze met hers. Fury swirled in their green depths. She was pissed at him. It dawned on him she thought he had invited the reporter. Unbelievable.

  “We were heading for Onion Mountain.” Amanda batted her eyelashes at him. God, he found that unattractive.

  “Were you?” He kept his voice neutral. “And your companion?”

  “Oh, Bobby is a photographer.” She waved a hand at the short, compact man with dark hair and onyx colored eyes. This man was bad news.

  “He works for your paper?” Ben asked, with a pleasant tone.

  “Oh, that and other things.” She smiled.

  “Don’t let her fool you.” Kiera’s smirk held no humor. “Robert Angelos is the head of an environmentalist group that wants Bigfoot declared an endangered species. How are the finances for E.P.A.C. these days, Bobby?” The Environmental Protection Action Center. Ben had come across some of their claims in his research. He’d been unimpressed.

  “Just fine, Kiera.” The man’s grin made Ben clench his hands into fists. “Despite your articles, we’re still in business.”

  “Business is a better word for what you do than ‘non-Profit’ which is what the government thinks you are,” Kiera snapped.

  Bobby Angelos shrugged. “We fit the criteria.”

  “And sock the money away in safe little back accounts in your name.” Kiera glared at him.

  “That’s speculation.” Bobby didn’t seem concerned. “You haven’t proven it.”

  Kiera opened her mouth and closed it. She turned to Ben. “You asked me to guide you. I will. But if they’re along for the ride, I’ll pass.”

  He stared at her. When he spoke he made sure only she could hear him. “What about your mother?” When she glared at him, he held up a hand. “I didn’t invite them. They’re here. We can turn back and do this another day if you want.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’d do that?”

  He nodded. “I would. We have to be prepared for Ms. Amber’s interpretation. It won’t be pretty.”

  “I’m not too concerned.”

  “You should be,” he said in a low tone. “She’s already implied that you and the Sheriff are covering something up. I think she’ll rake up whatever she can to make you look bad.”

  “Everyone already thinks the worst of me. What difference does it make?”

  “I think the last thing you need now is more crap to deal with.”

  Ben watched Kiera put aside her anger and consider his words. Of all people, she knew the power of negative publicity.

  She nodded. “Okay. You’re right. It would be better to get it over with.” She stepped away from him and then turned back again. “And…thank you.” The words seemed to choke her.

  For a moment, he didn’t speak. She surprised him again. He didn’t smile, but nodded. “You’re welcome. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll turn back.”

  She snorted. “I couldn’t be that lucky.”

  “No, I guess not.” He stared at the woman, amazed at the pink backpack and the long, painted nails. He’d seen women like her before but they’d always been in high-end restaurants in big cities not out in the sticks. “Who the hell has a name like Amanda Amber anyway?”

  Kiera shook her head and a faint smile crossed her face. “I have no idea.”

  “So, what do we do to start? Sing ‘Kumbaya’ or something?” Amanda quipped, and Ben heard Kiera mutter under her breath. Dodo stared at her as if she was an interesting beetle and Bobby smirked.

  Bobby smirked a lot.

  No one answered her, and Ben followed Kiera as she headed for the beginning of the trail. Dodo trailed behind him with Amanda at his heels. She fired questions at the poor man as they began the first mile of their eight-mile day. He shook his head. This trip suddenly got a lot more complicated.

  After about an hour, Amanda stopped talking and Ben could hear her panting behind him. He stifled a grin. Maybe she’d wash out the first day. Kiera set a moderate pace but it would be grueling for someone unused to hiking. Ben and Dodo both kept pace easily and Bobby seemed slightly winded. Amanda, however, was clearly struggling to keep up.

  Three miles and Kiera stopped for a rest. Ben saw her glance back and catch sight of Amanda and Bobby far behind and obviously tired. And she stopped. He was surprised. The fact that Amanda was uninvited and unwanted didn’t deter Kiera from showing compassion.

  When he plopped down on a rock off the trail, he stared at her. Flushed, relaxed and not strained at all, Kiera seemed in her element. Her green eyes glittered as she scanned the tree line and studied the trail ahead. Her blond hair was springy and looked soft. A little sweat beaded her temples, but not very much.

  He turned and observed Amanda huffing and puffing up the trail. Quite a contrast. The reporter’s blonde hair tied back in a ponytail was escaping in limp strands and sweat plastered her bangs to her skin. Her face was a bright red from exertion and she hunched over the trail like a weird blonde troll. He wanted to feel sorry for her, but he just couldn’t. He did bite his lip to keep from laughing.

  When he turned away, he caught Kiera’s glance as she too had been staring at Amanda’s progress. Her eyes danced and one side of her generous lips lifted. One of her shoulders tipped up in a very small shrug.

  Amanda collapsed on the ground and flung off her pack. “What are you trying to do? Kill me?” She gasped out.

  Kiera’s gaze hardened. “Why in the world would you come out here if you’re not in condition for it? You have to know it’s dangerous.”

  “It’s been a while.” Amanda tipped her water bottle but nothing came out. Kiera made an impatient sound and handed her a canister of water.

  “When’s the last time you were out here?” Kiera asked her.

  Amanda’s blue eyes sharpened with resentment. “With Jer
emy. Two years ago.”

  Kiera sighed. “Well, you’ll have to keep up. I’ll do what I can and take breaks.”

  The reporter stared at her. “Why?” she asked Kiera bluntly. Ben leaned forward. He wanted to know too.

  “As long as you’ve come with us, you’re my responsibility. I didn’t ask you here. I don’t want you here. But you are here. That makes you my job.” Kiera rose and hefted her pack onto her back. “I may not like it, but I can deal with it.” And that revealed a lot. Kiera’s philosophy made him rethink his initial impression of her. At first, she seemed bitter, as if she didn’t want to accept the hand she’d been dealt. Out here, she adapted. She shaded her eyes as she studied the trail ahead. “We’ll take another break in two miles. Bobby, will you stay behind Amanda? If she needs more breaks, I’ll need to know.”

  “I can do that.” Bobby nodded and leered at Amanda’s ass as she bent over to pick up her pink pack.

  Kiera rolled her eyes and turned to the north. “This next two miles is pretty flat with a slow incline. After that, we’ll be on a steep ridge. We’ll be camping at a clearing near the top of the first mountain.” She met Dodo’s steady gaze with one of her own, and Ben noted he nodded slightly. She’d given him a message. Ben observed Dodo went to Amanda and helped her with the pack.

  “Let me help you, Ms. Amber.”

  “Thank you, Rupert.” Amanda managed a smile.

  “Call me Dodo.”

  After that, as Kiera kept the pace up the trail, Dodo hung back behind Ben and kept a watchful eye on Amanda Amber. Ben studied Kiera’s back and wondered. Where was the kick ass chick who aimed a gun barrel at his face? As he stretched his legs to keep up with her easy strides, he tried to fit Kiera into a category and realized he couldn’t.

  It took longer than they had planned to reach the steep part of the trail, and Ben knew night was going to close in before they reached the top of the ridge. When they stopped after two miles at the base of the incline, he spoke to Kiera.