Alex Archer - Footprints

Or did they?

One thing was certain—if Annja didn’t make some progress and reach the campsite, she was going to get soaked to the bone and face the threat of hypothermia. Even though the day was relatively warm, it was still early spring and she knew that temperatures could fluctuate rapidly. In the space of a few hours, alone, wet and cold, Annja could easily become disoriented and disappear. Unfortuately, she knew such things happened all the time.

Not the best way to start off the trip, she decided.

Ahead of her, she spotted what looked like a redwood tree, its massive trunk almost too large to even attempt to hug. It’s been here for hundreds upon hundreds of years, Annja thought. Too bad Jenny can’t ask the tree what lives here. I’ll bet it could clear up the whole big-foot mystery right quick.

She walked around the tree, marveling at the sheer size of it, its branches reaching toward the heavens.

Fantastic, she thought. This alone was worth the trip.

She heard the noise as a twig snapped again, about thirty yards back.

Annja whirled. I need cover, she thought.

Another twig cracked. She spotted a clump of bushes and ducked toward it, squeezing her tall frame under the overhang until she could just about peer out from under the foliage.

She sensed movement farther back on the path. Was it the creature Jenny had been hunting for?

Or something else entirely?

She spotted a set of boots and relaxed somewhat. The last she’d heard, the Sasquatch didn’t wear trendy hiking boots. The feet were moving along at a casual pace. There wasn’t any sense of menace.

Annja poked her head out from under the bush and heard a shout of surprise.

The hiking boots belonged to a boy of about fourteen. His jet-black hair spiked out of his head at odd angles and he toppled back, landing on his butt as he reacted with shock to seeing Annja’s head emerge from the bush.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Annja climbed to her feet. “Sorry about that. I thought someone might be following me.”

The boy frowned. “You always go around hiding in blueberry bushes?”

Annja shrugged. “I’ve been known to hide in Dumpsters, too. Trees, sand dunes, snow caves.” You name it, I’ve done it.”

She helped him to his feet. “Who are you?”

“Joey,” he said easily.

Annja smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

He frowned. “That’s some haircut you got there. You pay someone to do that or did you hack it off yourself?”

Annja frowned. “She took too much off. I wanted a change, but not this much.”

Joey smirked. “Well, I think it looks killer.”

Annja laughed. “Thanks. So where are you heading with that backpack stuffed as it is?”

Joey pointed down the trail. “I’m spending my vacation working for an expedition that’s camped farther in. I get to hang out, run some errands and see what they’re up to.”

“That wouldn’t be Jenny Chu’s expedition, would it?”

Joey nodded. “Yeah. You know her?”

“She’s an old friend of mine. She asked me to come out here and see what she was up to.”

Joey’s eyes went wide. “You’re Annja Creed?”

“Guilty.”

Joey frowned. “Wow, you don’t look anything like you do on television.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t bother going to hair and makeup before hiking through the woods. I wasn’t expecting to run into any fans,” she said, winking. “How about you showing me exactly where the camp is? Those clouds look as if they’re going to open up any second and I don’t want to be out here when it pours.”

“No sweat, Annja. Follow me.”

Joey hefted his pack and set off. Annja followed along behind him. “You know this area well?” she asked.

Joey shrugged. “This is the land of my ancestors. We’ve been around here longer than anyone else.”

Annja nodded. “You made a lot of noise on the trail back there. Might be time to study the skills of your ancestors.”

Joey stopped walking. “What are you talking about?”

“On the trail. I heard you coming a mile away. Lots of twigs snapping, that kind of thing. Not very stealthy, huh?”

“Lady, I move pretty quiet. I don’t know what you heard, but it wasn’t me. They don’t call me Creeping Wolf for nothing.”

Annja frowned. “If I didn’t hear you, then what—”

Joey held up his hand. “Let’s not even go there, okay? No offense to your friend or anything, but she’s kind of obsessed with the whole Sasquatch thing, you know? I can dig having an interest and all, but she’s really going full speed into nut job.”

Annja smiled. “That sounds like Jenny.”

“It’s cool,” Joey said. “I get that way about things. Girls, mostly. But you have to know when to draw the line at becoming a lunatic.”

“Good advice.”

The trail started to descend into what looked like a valley. Annja could see the trees starting to part as they entered a clearing. Ahead of her, she saw the bright reds and yellows of tents.

“So there it is,” she said.

Joey nodded. “I’ve been gone all day. I had to go back to town and get some more supplies.”

“Did you drive?”

Joey looked at her. “I walked.”

“Yeah, but town’s six miles away.”

“And?”

Annja raised her eyebrows. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Joey smiled. “Like I said, I’ve been cruising these woods my whole life. I know them better than almost anyone else. And as the crow flies, the distance back to town is only three miles.”

“You fly, too?”

“Sometimes that’s exactly what it feels like.”

They broke out of the forest and into the clearing. Joey walked ahead of Annja, leaving her to take in the camp.

It was strangely quiet.

“Joey.”

He stopped. “What?”

Annja frowned. “Where is everyone?”

Joey turned and glanced around. They both stood for a moment, taking in the fact that there seemed to be absolutely no noise anywhere in the camp. Overhead, the clouds jostled together and Annja felt the first few drops of rain starting to flick down at her.

She felt uneasy and turned to see the barrel of a gun aiming at her.

The man standing behind the rifle did not look very friendly.

“How nice. Another guest,” he said.

Annja turned to warn Joey, but he had vanished.

Startled, Annja turned back to the man. He was looking her up and down and then he nodded. “Walk that way. Try anything funny and I’ll be more than happy to put a couple of holes into you.”

Annja turned and started moving. One of these days, she thought, I’m going to have to find a deserted island. Maybe then I can get away from everyone who wants to kill me.

Annja felt the rifle barrel jab into her spine for the third time. She risked a glance back at the man standing behind her. “That’s not necessary. I’m perfectly capable of walking without you stabbing me with your gun every few seconds,” she said angrily.

“Shut up and walk.”

Annja glanced around the camp as he escorted her past the tents. Everything seemed to be in good order and there wasn’t an air of chaos. Annja wondered if the guy with the rifle had surprised Jenny’s camp. She also wondered if he was alone.

She found the answer to that question when they turned the corner and she saw two other men similarly armed. One of them looked at Annja’s escort.

“Where’d she come from?”

“She’s been on the trail leading here. I followed her for a few miles.”

“Noisily, I might add,” Annja said.

“Sit her down with the others.”

Annja felt the jab of the rifle barrel again and sat down. Jenny’s expedition consisted of a number of college students—an even mix of boys and girls who looked quite frightened.