Annja had the distinct impression that she was flying through the air. And she found herself experiencing the worry that eventually she would have to come back to earth, thanks to the effects of gravity.
And yet she did not crash into the ground at all.
After a moment, she felt the hardness of the ground around her body, but she had no idea how she'd gotten there. She couldn't see anything, just the same blackness that had rushed at her when her world had suddenly exploded into an intense flash and concussive roar that made her ears ring.
Slowly, her senses started to return. She could taste acrid smoke in her mouth. It seemed to have singed the interior of her nostrils, as well. Something was burning and she hoped that it wasn't her flesh.
Aches suddenly invaded her joints and her bones. The back of her neck seemed to have seized up, and Annja found it difficult to move her head or neck at all.
Am I paralyzed? She tried to wiggle her toes, but she couldn't feel anything down there, either.
This is bad, she thought. What the hell happened?
Annja felt as if she'd been used to scrape barnacles off the hull of a tramp steamer. She tried to take an internal assessment of her injuries, but found she simply couldn't concentrate enough to draw her awareness throughout her body.
The blackness that surrounded her seemed absolute. She thought about the sword and imagined reaching her hands out for it in the otherwhere.
She took a breath and felt the stabbing of a thousand needles in her lungs. It felt as if shards of hot metal had lanced her through.
Fragmentation?
She couldn't be sure. She wondered if she was in some sort of catatonic limbo where she couldn't die and yet wasn't quite alive.
I need help, she thought. I've got to get some help.
But how?
She tried to move her arms.
Nothing.
Her legs refused to even twitch.
She took another breath, trying to draw some strength out of the air itself. If she could just get enough power, she might be able to shake off the darkness and get out of wherever she was.
It was no use. Her body simply wouldn't respond to her commands.
Her heart was solidly pumping. Annja willed herself to stay relaxed and calm. Panic would rob her of whatever little bit of energy she could manage to muster.
And she needed every ounce of it.
She kept breathing, concentrating on just counting her breaths over and over again all the way up to fifty and then starting back at one again. Breathe, relax, breathe, relax, she told herself.
The darkness lightened. Annja could see a bit of light flashing in her eyes.
"Annja?"
That voice. She'd heard it before.
But where?
"Annja?"
She opened her eyes. The wrecked corpse of a truck loomed over her, twisted and gnarled almost beyond recognition. She looked down and saw part of the front end was pinning her down.
She was trapped.
No wonder I couldn't feel anything down there, she thought. Still, it didn't look good, not one bit. She might have extensive damage to her limbs.
"She's awake."
Jenny's face came into blurry view. Annja had to blink several times to clear the picture.
She smiled at Annja. "Nice to have you back with us."
"Wh-what happened?"
Jenny shook her head. Annja cold see the streaks of dirt and grease across Jenny's face. "Some sort of explosion. It tossed the truck through the air and we came down pretty hard."
"You're okay?" Annja asked as everything came flooding back to her.
Jenny nodded.
"Probably got a sprain or two, but nothing too serious."
"
David?"
"He's okay, thank God. He's a pretty hardy guy. Got some cuts but nothing beyond that."
Annja frowned. "Looks as if I drew the short straw this time out, huh?"
"David says he's got a jack that must have gone flying when we exploded or whatever it was that happened. He thinks he can crank this off you and we'll be able to pull you out."
"Does it look bad from your angle?"
Jenny glanced down and then back at Annja. "I can't see your legs, so I'm not going to speculate on what it looks like."
Annja frowned. "I can't feel anything down there."
Jenny shook her head. "That doesn't mean anything. You could have no circulation right now. Sort of a pins-and-needles thing, you know? Once David gets the truck off you, we'll be in a better position to see the extent of the damage."
Annja nodded.
The darkness had vanished.
She heard movement around her and opened her eyes again. David smiled at her. "Hey."
"
Hey, yourself."
"
Found the jack. I'm going to try to get this rig off you. Don't try to move until I tell Jenny to start pulling, okay? I want to make sure you're all…connected down there before we try to move you.
Understand?"
"Yeah."
David nodded. "Good. Just stay with me while I do this and we'll have you out in no time flat."
Jenny came around and took Annja's hands in hers. "I think I'll just hold on to your hands here in case I need to tug you out fast."
Annja smiled and looked around. "We're not still on the road?"
"
Partially.
We're also on the dirt."
Annja frowned. "Where's he setting up the jack?"
"On the asphalt," David called out. "Don't worry. It wouldn't do you much good if I set it up on the dirt and gravel, would it?"
Annja smiled. "Guess not."
"Here we go."
Annja closed her eyes and let the gray mist envelop her. She calmed herself down and relaxed her breathing even as she heard David start cranking the jack. She wondered if there would be a sudden onslaught of pain once the truck was lifted. Would she scream out in agony?
Her heart started beating faster but she kept focusing on her breathing. I just need to stay relaxed, she told herself. And the gray mist that enveloped her seemed to soothe her.
Annja had the sensation of a sudden release of pressure.
Jenny's voice was quiet in her ear. "It's up."
David came around. Annja kept her eyes closed. She was afraid. The prospect of losing her legs was terrifying.
"Well, that's interesting," David said.
Jenny started to giggle.
Annja opened her eyes.
"If you two are through mocking my situation here…"
Jenny pointed and Annja glanced down as much as the pain in her neck let her.
She could see her legs. They were completely bare.
"Looks like you lost your pants, Annja," David said.
Annja flexed her toes. They responded. She slumped back. "Thank God they're all right."
"The truck wasn't actually on your legs. Your legs were pushed into the dirt but the angle of the rig was resting more on the asphalt." David got to his feet and went behind Annja. "You are really lucky."
"My neck hurts."
"I'm not surprised," David said. He looped his arms under Annja's armpits. "I've got to move you before the truck actually does come down. You okay with that?"
"Do it."
David tightened his grip and then pulled Annja out from under the truck. She felt a wave of pain lance through her upper back and neck. "Ow!"
David laid her down some feet away from the crumpled heap. "You okay?"
"Back's killing me."
David ran his hands under Annja's back. "I can't be sure, of course, but it doesn't feel like there's anything broken."
Annja frowned. "I could get up and walk two steps and sever my own spinal cord, though."
"That's true."
Jenny frowned. "That's not going to happen."
Annja smiled.
"Optimist."
David looked around. "I'll see if I can find your pants.
Kinda cold to be lying out here in your skivvies like that."
"
Thanks." Annja watched him move off and then turned to Jenny, wincing as she did. "Seems like a nice enough guy."
"He is, isn't he?"
She glanced at Jenny. "It's okay. I'm fine now." She struggled to sit up.
David came back around the side of the truck holding a pair of pants. Annja could see there were burns on the fabric. He saw Annja and stopped short.
"You shouldn't be sitting."
Annja shook her head. "I'm all right."
"We should really wait to get a medical opinion on that from someone more qualified. Like maybe after you've had an X-ray?"
"No time," Annja said. "I'll take my pants, please."
David handed them over and Annja struggled into them. Her body felt sore but she was certain there was no real damage. That was a lucky break, she thought. If the truck had landed on her, it might have spelled the end of her adventurous ways.
"We need to get out of here," Annja said, glancing into the woods.
David shook his head. "Are you kidding me? I've got to stay and figure out what happened. In case you didn't notice, my truck exploded."
"Of course I noticed," Annja said. "I was just pinned under it."
"What's going on, Annja?" Jenny asked.
"Don't you think that explosion happened for a reason? Like maybe to target someone?"
"Me?" David shrugged. "Why would anyone want to see me dead?"
"I don't know," Annja said. "Maybe we could start with what you supposedly know about the existence of the Sasquatch."
David fell silent. Annja pressed her attack. "Maybe someone thinks you know a few things that you shouldn't. Rather than shoot you, they could just blow you up."
"That would be as obvious as shooting him, though," Jenny said. "It would still be a homicide."
"Maybe not," Annja said. "It really depends on what blew up. Was it a road mine or some type of improvised explosive device? Or was it something faulty in the mechanics of the truck itself?"
David leaned against a nearby tree. "You really think someone wants to see me dead?"
Annja shrugged. "Look, this is what I know. There are armed men in those woods who seem determined to run off everyone in this area. I have no idea what their game is. All I know is they've been making life hell. And this explosion seems to fit in with their plans."
Jenny stood close to David. "So what do we do?"
"
Right now?
I'd suggest we vanish. I think that explosion will probably act like chum for these guys and we can count on them making an appearance sooner than later," Annja replied.
David unholstered his gun. "In that case, I can arrest them."
Annja shook her head. "They'd kill you before you got the chance. There are three of them, remember? And I don't think they'll come out nice and neat for you to order them to drop the guns and put their hands up."
David frowned. "I suppose you're right."
"We need to regroup. Find our way into town and call for backup. That's the best thing to do right now."
David nodded. "Let's do it. We aren't much more than a mile or two from town. We were cruising along pretty quick when we blew up."
Annja wiped her hands on her pants and then carefully stood. She took a few steps and decided she felt fine, all things considered. "We need to go now."
David started walking down the road but Annja stopped him. "Is there a path we can use through the woods? Staying on the road probably isn't the smartest thing to do right now. Those guys will be looking for us here."
David pointed. "There's a footpath that runs alongside a stream and tracks back to town. But do you think you can do it?"
"I'm good," Annja said.
David led them into the woods on the opposite side of the road. He kept his gun out, which Annja appreciated. No telling if those three goons would make a sudden appearance. Better safe than sorry.
They followed the footpath, and the stream that flowed to their right ran brisk with cold water coming down from the mountains that surrounded the area. Tall pines stretched up toward the sky, their branches extending to the warm rays just beginning to reach down from the sun.
As hard as she tried to wrap her head around it, Annja couldn't quite fathom the explosion. Why take a chance that someone else would trigger the bomb? If it even was a bomb at all. Was it mechanical failure? Had they sabotaged David's fuel tank?
She frowned. "Is your truck usually in good condition, David?"
He glanced back with a grin. "Not currently."
"
Before the explosion."
He nodded.
"Absolutely.
Not much good being the sheriff if your vehicle isn't in top condition. I took care of that thing like it was my baby."
"Poor truck," Jenny said.
Annja rolled her eyes. "So do you think this was an actual bomb in the road?"
David shrugged. "Who knows? I'm not exactly a forensic specialist. I can call one of the state crime lab guys to come down and take a look at the wreckage. They can get swabs and send them to the lab for analysis. That should give us an idea of what we're dealing with."
"That'll take a long time," Annja said.
"Probably."
"
Was that the route you drove every single day?"
"Any day I was working, which is…yeah, every day."
"That's the main road into town, right?"
"
Yep."
David stopped and checked on Jenny before looking back at Annja. "There's a couple of other ways to get into town by back roads and whatnot, but the road is what we all use."
Annja frowned.
"How many people in town?"
"Only about two hundred.
We're small. We like it that way. Everyone knows one another. Even folks who leave somehow seem to find their way back after a few years. There's about a thousand more people scattered around the area that I have jurisdiction over."
David moved off again and they followed him. Annja could feel the sun's rays starting to warm her through her shirt. The day promised to be rather hot, which in contrast to the cold of the night before, was a welcome change.
The stream bubbled along beside them, running over moss-slicked rocks. Annja could smell the water and the sweet fragrance of the pines around her. She inhaled deeply and felt her body relax as the beauty of the surrounding woods enveloped her.
I'd almost failed to notice how beautiful it is here, she thought. All this stuff with bombs and guns and big foot completely took my awareness away.
She stopped and squatted near the stream, watching bits of leaf debris flow quickly past her. By the edge of the stream, the mud glistened in the moisture. She spotted rabbit tracks and what looked like those of a fox. Had the rabbit escaped the fox or wound up being a meal? She smiled at the flow of life and how it continued, oblivious to the machinations of mankind. In a way, it was almost reassuring. Whatever they were going through, nature took little heed of it and continued doing what it did best.
"Annja?"
She glanced up. Jenny and David were staring at her.
"Sorry. I just got caught up being here.
For the first time, actually.
It's kind of nice forgetting for a minute that there are dangerous people out there looking for us."
David smiled. "We get this stuff all settled, I'll take you two to some really amazing vistas around here. You won't believe your eyes."
Annja smiled.
"Sounds great."
"
It's a date," Jenny said, squeezing David's arm.
"Let's keep going. We shouldn't be much more than ten minutes away from town," he said.
The footpath widened and Annja walked next to Jenny behind David. Jenny smiled at her. "It is nice here, isn't it?"
"
Definitely."
"
Makes all the rest of the world seem, I don't know, somehow unimportant, doesn't it?"
Annja knew what she was getting at. The thought of leaving the stress behind and just hiding out in a place like this that seemed immune from all the chaos of the modern world was very appealing. The problem was
,
could Annja ever do that? Could she ever escape?
With my luck, she thought, I'd move out to someplace like this, only to have the chaos follow me.
"Maybe someday," Annja said.
"Someday what?"
"
Maybe someday a place like this will be possible. But for now, I don't belong here. I've got other things to do first."
Jenny frowned. "Is that you talking or the sword?"
"Both," Annja said. "I don't think I can separate myself from it if I tried."
Jenny shook her head. "I don't envy you."
David stopped. "What's this about a sword?"
Jenny glanced quickly at Annja.
"Nothing.
Just two history fanatics talking about our past digs."
"
That archaeology stuff?"
"Yeah."
David nodded. "We're almost there."
Annja looked up ahead and could see small breaks in the trees. The footpath itself seemed a lot more worn, as well. There was evidence of more human traffic than animal. But the stream kept bubbling along next to them.
Jenny pointed. "Look at the bridge."
David nodded. "We had it built. It's not much, but a few of us got together and put it up, figuring it would make for a nice place to walk with that special someone." He smiled. "You like it?"
"Definitely," she said.
"We cross that bridge and we're in town."
Annja looked at the bridge as they approached. Rough-hewn beams created a neat archway and they'd covered it like the old-style bridges. It was just wide enough for two people to walk through abreast.
"Nice work," Annja said.
David nodded. "We have many craftsmen in town.
The kind of people who take a lot of pride in their work."
On the other side of the bridge, the footpath changed to gravel and then a bit of asphalt led up to the main road. The three of them stepped out onto the street.
About a dozen buildings lined the street on both sides. She spotted four cars in total and there were even a few places where you could tie up a horse if you had ridden into town.
"You weren't kidding. This place is a bit old-fashioned."
David pointed. "My office is over there."
They crossed the street and headed toward the police building. Annja felt a twinge in her gut and decided that a hot cup of coffee would be just the thing to make her feel worlds better.
David held the door open for them. "Come on in."
Annja and Jenny stepped into the station and David came in behind them.
"Coffee?"
"
That's the magic word," Jenny said.
"Annja?"
"
Please."
A side door opened and a trim woman in her forties walked out. She smiled at David. "I wondered when you might be in."
David grinned. "That's it?"
"What?"
"That's all you have to say?"
The woman eyed him up and down. "Well, you look like hell, if that's what you're angling for."
David smiled. "Annja, Jenny, this is Ellen. She helps me out on the admin side."
"And dispatch, and occasionally I strap on a pistol and back him up. But you know, don't let that keep him from making me seem like his personal secretary."
David held up his hands. "Hey, we've got guests. Is the coffee hot?"
"
Scalding.
I burned my tongue on it."
"
Great.
You guys help yourselves."
Ellen stopped him. "Speaking of guests, you've got some waiting in your office."
"
Really?"
Ellen nodded. "They seemed anxious to see you."
"All right," David said. "In the meantime, can you raise the State Police in Southville? Someone tried to blow us up on the way in this morning."
Ellen's eyebrows jumped. "You're serious?"
"
Absolutely."
Ellen busied herself with the phone while David winked at Jenny. "This shouldn't take too long. You guys relax and I'll be out soon." He stepped into his office and, as he did so, Annja caught a glimpse of the two men sitting there.
One of them looked exactly like the lead gunman who'd terrorized the camp.