Part 44 (1/2)
Annja wrapped the covers around her. So much for door locks. ”Where have you been? We've all been worried about you.”
”Who is we?”
”Jenny. Me. The sheriff.”
Joey glanced at her. ”Dave? He knew I was out there?”
”We ran into him on the main road leading into town after you got the idea to run off on some vengeance mission.” Annja narrowed her eyes. ”How did that work out for you, by the way?”
”Their camp was abandoned. But I destroyed it, anyway. I figured they'd come into town so that's why I'm here. I had to stop and get cleaned up first. No sense walking into town all camouflaged. Makes people nervous.”
”The few people that are left, huh?”
Joey frowned. ”Does seem a little less active than usual. Did Sheila mention something about it?”
”She mentioned meteors in the area. Did you happen to see anything like that a few months back?”
”Oh, sure. Lots of them in the sky. Nothing too unusual, except there seemed to be more of them than last year.”
”Sheila thought one of them might have actually landed out in the forest. Did you see anything in your travels to suggest she might be right?”
Joey sat on the edge of the bed. ”Sheila's a little...strange sometimes, Annja. She has a tendency to say things that aren't always true. I'd be careful of what you choose to believe if it's coming from her.”
Annja nodded. ”She did seem a bit odd.”
”She told you her conspiracy theory yet? That Dave is somehow different? That he's the puppet of aliens or something like that?”
Annja looked at him. ”Actually, she did.”
Joey smirked. ”I thought so. She's been telling anyone who will listen that Dave is changed since the camping accident.”
”Accident?”
Joey nodded. ”He went out by himself. Not the wisest thing to do unless you're truly skilled. Dave's not bad, but he hasn't been trained like some of us. Anyway, he fell and b.u.mped his head. Probably had a minor concussion or something, and when he came back, it took him a little while to get himself right again.”
”And this was after the meteor showers?”
”Yeah, but I don't think they're connected. According to Dave, he fell down a gravel slope by one of the streams when his feet slipped out from under him and he got a gash on the back of his head. Knocked him a little loopy, is all. Nothing to be so concerned about. I think that Sheila's just anxious for someone else to take the role of town weirdo.”
Annja smiled. ”Well, that clears up that. What about the guys in the woods you were going after? How do they fit in with all of this?”
”They killed Cheehawk. I don't much care what they're here for. They'll pay for killing my friend.”
Annja held up a hand. ”Their names are Simpson and Baker. Apparently, they're with the government.”
”Feds? Why?”
”They claim they're going to trap the Sasquatch and take it to a laboratory.”
Joey shook his head. ”What the h.e.l.l would they do that for?”