Legend Hunter

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  “It’s going to get dark in two hours and we have three miles of steep mountain trail to get through.”

  Kiera’s gaze focused on the western horizon where the sun was beginning to dip. “I know it. We’re going to have to push through. This is a bad place to stop.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Oh?’

  She met his gaze. “There’s some…activity out here that isn’t safe to run into especially at night.”

  Ben frowned. Some of his research had included the prevalence of criminal activity but he’d thought it was contained further south. “Somehow I don’t think you’re talking about paranormal activity.”

  “No, I’m not. This valley borders some very fertile Bureau of Land Management land. There are people I’d rather not run into that cruise the area.” She peered at the thick trees that lined the trail behind them.

  Amanda joined them, less out of breath and quiet. She didn’t remove her pack but waited for the group to start again. Ben sighed with relief. She’d make it to the top and perhaps quicker than the last three miles had been. But as he gazed ahead to the shale rock on one side of the trail and the abrupt drop off on the other, he doubted speed would be their first consideration.

  Kiera and Dodo carried on a low conversation and Bobby fiddled with an expensive looking camera. Ben peered at Bobby’s work. The digital camera glowed in the waning afternoon light and he noted the photographer definitely had talent, though what his agenda was seemed unclear. Bobby snapped photographs of the trees and flowers, but oddly not the people he traveled with. The man seemed unconnected to anyone he accompanied, even Amanda.

  Dodo eventually helped Amanda to sit on a boulder and Kiera studied her map and ate a granola bar.

  What were they really doing here? He stared at Amanda. Whatever their reasons, Ben doubted they were the same ones. Dodo and Amanda didn’t speak, but sat quietly together. Amanda closed her eyes and seemed to just slump on the rock, and Dodo rubbed a finger in the dirt as he crouched beside her.

  When Ben’s gaze swerved to Kiera, her head was no longer bent over a map, but staring at him. He experienced a moment as if he’d been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “What?” he asked her.

  “Are we all fodder for your books?” she asked him, her voice only loud enough for him to hear.

  Somehow, she made it sound negative and put him on the defensive. “I think people are interesting if that’s what you mean.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” She frowned. “Do you ever feel anything for the people you study? Or is it all just more research?”

  An uncomfortable question. Especially at that moment as her blonde hair looked soft enough to touch and her lips were soft and generous. He cleared his throat. “I often feel compassion for people.”

  “Compassion.” She tried that word on for size and then her gaze slid to Amanda. “Do you feel sorry for her?”

  “Yes and no.” He studied Amanda’s disheveled hair and flushed skin. “I know that her discomfort is her own fault but I think there’s more to her than the pretty blonde hair and perfect manicure.” Definitely more. The more fatigued the reporter became, the more the mask slipped. Ben was convinced the mask covered something interesting.

  Silence greeted his answer and when he glanced back to Kiera he found her busy with her pack. Without another word, Kiera slipped the straps on and headed up the trail.

  Puzzled, Ben followed. One by one, the others straggled behind him and he wondered why they were all together on this trip. It was like a really bad joke. “A writer, an ex-druggie, a reporter, a photographer, and a nature guide all went for a hike…”

  He shook his head. It wasn’t just Bobby who wasn’t connected. None of them were. It was as if each of them existed in their own universe and no one else could enter. It wasn’t a great way to travel and often led to trouble.

  Chapter Six

  Since she slowed the pace, Kiera had too much time to think. She wished she could read Benjamin Harmon. The man confused her. It didn’t help that Amanda always made her feel like a cretin in hiking boots. She and Jeremy had been together for a while when Kiera came home. Clearly, Amanda had resented the time Jeremy spent with Kiera. What a joke. No one could have been safer. Jeremy was like a brother. The idea of romance with her friend was disgusting.

  But Amanda had protested when Jeremy helped Kiera clean up her father’s messes and get her mother to a hospital in Davis. The final straw had been, according to Jeremy, when Amanda stole police files from the Sheriff’s office using Jeremy’s password and computer.

  One thing Kiera knew about Jeremy, however, he loved Amanda. Why, she never knew. The woman was pampered, dishonest, pushy. A walking cidiot without any regard for the place where she now lived. A transplant that wanted to change things and didn’t respect the people who were born and raised in Humboldt County. She shot a glance over her shoulder and spied Amanda behind Dodo grinding out step by step up that steep trail.

  Determination lined the woman’s face, and she hadn’t whined much. Maybe that’s what Jeremy saw in her. Kiera’s jaw tightened as she gritted her teeth. Why did the woman continually have to antagonize her? Why did she write articles on Bigfoot sightings no matter how outlandish and questionable they were? Why did she have to be the one woman Kiera knew Jeremy still loved even now?

  She sighed as she kept pace up that slope. Whatever her faults might be, Amanda was Kiera’s responsibility. Not just because she tagged along with an expedition Kiera led, but because she was someone Jeremy cared for deeply. As much as she disliked the woman, she was stuck with her. That was all there was to it.

  She only hoped Amanda wouldn’t go postal on them on this trip. The last thing they needed was a hysterical amateur to muck things up.

  The sun dipped lower, and Kiera’s stomach knotted in anxiety. Nighttime in this part of the woods brought out the growers. As long as they didn’t perceive the hikers as a threat, they were fine. Pot growers were a fact of life out here. Kiera didn’t have a strong opinion one way or the other. Many of the people she grew up with now grew pot to survive. And who was she to judge?

  She smiled. She and Jeremy had gone round and round about this subject. He was in law enforcement. That gave him an entirely different perspective. But Kiera admitted to herself she didn’t like some of the elements of growing that had begun to make an impact on her county. The prevalence of guns and methamphetamine use were two of the worst results of pot growing these days. She wasn’t against guns, but when they were used for cold-blooded murder in drug wars, she had an issue with it.

  Only three weeks earlier, a man had been gunned down on Federal land, allegedly by local growers because he stumbled across their hidden crop on public land. The increased violence was buried under Bigfoot sightings and as more people flocked to the woods, more deaths were likely to occur. Nate Turner had probably been the victim of drug violence. He’d been lucky to survive it. The fact that the man hadn’t seen his assailant pointed to paranoid growers, not a mythical beast, no matter what his daughter claimed.

  These were not pleasant thoughts to have out in nature, but Kiera had to face the reality of their situation. There were five of them, it was getting dark, and they were in a notorious spot for grower presence. She knew Jeremy had brought a task force to the valley just below the ridge four times in the last year where they burned five hundred thousand dollars worth of marijuana plants.

  Instinctively, she picked up speed. The trail followed the ridge east along the edge of the mountain and then inclined sharply to a clearing near the top. They could camp there safely. As the light began to fade, her anxiety increased. She had to get the group to the clearing.

  Three miles of treacherous, slippery trail passed by slowly and the sun was almost gone when Kiera spotted a familiar landmark and sign to mark a clearing ahead. She couldn’t help it. She whooped aloud.

  Ben sped to her side. “What is it?”

  She pointed to the sign. “We’re almost there. Co
me on.” Energy surged along her veins. She felt lighter, excited. The sun had faded and faint stars were out but the five of them made it to the clearing.

  They all collapsed on the logs that surrounded a pit. Amanda was beat but didn’t make a whimper. Dodo looked haggard. Bobby seemed completely drained. Only Ben had any animation, and so when Kiera stood and removed her pack, she put a hand his shoulder. “I know you’re tired, but we need a fire. I’ll cook some dinner. We need food.” Her legs burned and her body ached.

  Though eight miles wasn’t much for her to hike, the pressure and the incline kicked her butt. She dragged out the compact camp stove and heated some water. Ben shuffled around the trees for firewood.

  In no time, she made three packages of beef stroganoff from the instant packages they’d brought, and he had a roaring fire going. The other three stirred but only Dodo managed to get his body moving enough to pitch a tent. No one talked.

  When Kiera brought a tin cup with stroganoff to Amanda, she noted the woman winced in pain as she moved her feet. “Feet sore?” She asked.

  “I think I have blisters.” Amanda admitted.

  “You’d better let me look.” Kiera sighed. Amanda acted like she was going to pinch her or something.

  “It’s fine. Really.” Amanda’s response was stiff and unfriendly.

  “Let me see, Amanda.” Kiera began to untie the woman’s boots. At least she’d worn sensible socks. But her tender feet had still gotten some sores and Kiera rummaged through her pack for moleskin. “That should keep them from getting worse. Did you bring some antibiotic cream?”

  Amanda nodded. “In my pack.”

  “Well, tonight, before you go to bed, put some on those blisters that are open and leave your socks off. Don’t cover them until tomorrow.”

  The woman nodded and didn’t meet Kiera’s gaze.

  “You impressed me today.” Kiera managed to get the words out.

  Finally, Amanda’s head shot up and her gaze met Kiera’s. “Should this matter to me?” The bite in her tone made Kiera sigh again.

  “No, I suppose not.” She stood up and got back to work.

  As she handed Ben a cup of food, he gripped her hand. “You impressed me today, too.”

  For a moment, she wanted to respond the way Amanda had. He expected her to that was clear. Instead, she nodded and said “Thank you.”

  Perhaps, like her, he’d meant it. And it was difficult to admit, but it did matter.

  The night air was filled with soft sounds of nocturnal animals that rustled branches. The cry of an eagle echoed against the trees, and Dodo and Kiera both spoke in whispers though she didn’t know why.

  Ben seemed content to listen with his eyes closed, his body leaning on one of the logs near the fire. Amanda spoke in low tones with Bobby who responded with one-word answers. Of the five of them, Bobby seemed the most uncomfortable.

  When Kiera glanced at the two of them, she reassessed her concerns. Maybe Amanda wouldn’t be the problem. Bobby fidgeted and started at every sound from the trees. She noticed Ben dug into his pack and removed some of his equipment. Curiosity got the better of her.

  She drifted beside him. “What is that stuff?” She asked him, though much of it looked familiar.

  Even in the dark, she recognized the amusement on his face lit by the firelight. He knew she was well aware of what he’d brought with him. “This is an infrared camera. I brought it for night photos.” He brought out a small box. “And this is a digital recorder. It records several frequencies so I can filter out unwanted noise.”

  She watched him set up the recorder. “That’s much smaller than the one we had.” And immediately wanted to bite her tongue. She didn’t want to talk about those trips with her father. Or her own solitary experience that ended in disaster.

  Ben considered her for a moment before he replied. “The technology today makes it much easier to record something if it’s there. And debunk it if it isn’t.” He added. He focused on the buttons and settings of his gadget, letting her consider his words.

  “Do you think it removes the ability to fake evidence?” This was dangerous territory and she became aware that Amanda had approached them to listen. But Kiera was like a dog worrying a bone. It was a bad idea to bring it up, but she couldn’t leave it alone.

  “No, I don’t. People who fake evidence would do it no matter what. Every time a new gadget comes out, someone learns a way around it or even worse, uses it to create false evidence.” He glanced at Kiera. “There’s no way to stop it.”

  “There has to be,” she said. “How can anyone trust the scientific community as long as fraud is perpetuated?”

  “By making sure you’re part of the solution, not the problem.” Ben’s head was bent over his recorder as he spoke so he didn’t see her glare.

  “And what exactly does that mean?” She knew what he was getting at, yet she drove headlong into the argument.

  He lifted his head, and his gaze pierced through her. “Telling the truth, even if it’s painful.”

  “The truth,” she scoffed. “Even in your own books you admit that truth is a dangerous declaration. Everyone has too much subjective interference to declare what ‘truth’ is. You said it in your third book.”

  He smiled. “I still say it. But there are things that aren’t subjective. A lie, a fake, is not subjective.”

  Kiera had brought the subject up and now wanted nothing more than to stop it. “How do you know?” She said through clenched teeth. “Have you ever had feelings to interfere with something? Nothing ever got in your way, did it, Ben? Truth was all black and white,” she snapped. “Easy, isn’t it? When you’re not around to see the hurt you leave behind.” She stomped away. It was so easy for him to be smug. After all, he wasn’t responsible for careers ending or an alcoholic father. Safe and detached, he didn’t have to worry about whether the truth would open new vistas of ideas or cause death and destruction.

  She’d run away too. Fat lot of good it had done her. She glanced at the canopy of trees black against the dark sky. She was right back where it all started. Running away hadn’t done her any good at all.

  *

  “What was that all about?” Amanda stared after Kiera’s stiff exit.

  Ben had a feeling he knew, but the last person he wanted to discuss it with was this reporter. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?” His tone was mild.

  She snorted. “We don’t talk.”

  Ben sat back on his heels. “And why is that?”

  Amanda brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I’m sure Kiera told you.”

  “She told me she disputes your facts.” He kept his attention on his recorder as if he wasn’t dying to know what Amanda would say.

  “That’s all?” Amanda sounded surprised. When she didn’t speak, Ben glanced up at her. She frowned and had her thumbnail between her teeth.

  “Why don’t you tell me?” He encouraged her.

  Amanda’s head shot up, and she smiled a brilliant smile. “I think if Kiera didn’t say, I won’t. Call it an estrogen thing.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about Jeremy?” he pressed. He didn’t know why, but he wanted information. Personal information. Amanda’s relationship with Jeremy had nothing to do with Bigfoot but everything to do with Kiera McConnel. Her words wouldn’t stop ringing in his ear. “Have you ever had feelings to interfere with something?…Easy isn’t it? When you’re not around to see the hurt you leave behind.”

  “So she did tell you.” Amanda’s gaze narrowed on his face.

  “She told me you dated her best friend, and it didn’t work out.” He chose his words carefully.

  Amanda was silent for a moment and stared at him. “What else did she say?”

  “Nothing. Why do you think I’m pumping you for information?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. Why are you pumping me for information? I mean, what do Jeremy and I have to do with Bigfoot?”

  “It involves Kiera, doesn’t it?”
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  “Is that what she told you?”

  He shrugged, trying to feign indifference he didn’t feel. “Jeremy is one of her oldest friends. You dated him. It didn’t work out. What conclusions would you come to with that information?”

  Again, Amanda’s smile was over-bright. “That it didn’t work out. Jeremy and I just weren’t right for each other.”

  Ben stared at her. Could she hear the lie in her own voice? “Keep telling yourself that. It might work.”

  The smile dropped from her face, and she stood up and whirled away. Ben sighed. He was definitely unpopular tonight.

  Dodo dropped down next to him with a faint smile. “Dude, maybe you just shouldn’t talk anymore. You’ve pissed everybody off.”

  “Not you though, right?” Ben’s voice was sharp and angry. Why did these people think lies were normal.

  “No, man. I’ve been called a child molester, an attempted murderer, and a fraud. You can’t get mad every time someone says something ugly.” Dodo leaned back against the log and closed his eyes.

  Ben sighed and stared at the spot where Kiera had disappeared into the trees. “I’m usually not this…fragmented.”

  Dodo’s eyes flew open and he grinned. “Well, Kiera will do that to a sane man. But she’s usually a little calmer as well. So I guess you can take comfort in the fact you screw her all up too.”

  “That’s great. If we don’t kill each other, we can be best friends forever,” he muttered.

  Dodo stared at him. “Best friends? No,” he said slowly. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, dude.”

  At that moment, a cry pierced the air. It was mournful sound filled with agony and despair. No animal could make a sound like that. Not one Ben had ever heard. Dodo was instantly alert and pointed to Ben’s recorder.

  Ben started recording the sound and glanced up to find Kiera at the tree line frozen in place. Absolute terror lined her face, her eyes wide in the muted firelight and her body stiff. Her head cocked at the sound and when it came again, she shuddered as if the sound ripped through her.