“Will we stay there for a while?”
He nodded. “We stay.”
I approached him, catching a whiff of wet dog smell. “I just want our tribe to be like it was…
without visitors.” I ran my fingers through the fur on his face. He tilted his head back, staring at me with black, predatory eyes. Something warm flared in them. “When are those men leaving? They give me the creeps.”
“Soon,” he rasped.
“Can’t be soon enough.”
“They good. They trustworthy.”
“Er…if you say so.”
He grasped me, pressing his face into my chest. “You smell good.” The word good had sounded raspy, husky, and endearing.
“Thanks.”
“You my favorite smell.”
“Aw…that’s sweet. You could use about four bottles of shampoo. Then you’d be my favorite smell.” A shot rang out at that moment, startling me. “What the hell?”
Leonard sprang to his feet, as water poured off him. His instincts had taken over, his body hurtling towards the rocky shore and the forest after. He disappeared within seconds. I waded to the edge, grabbing my shoes. Another shot reverberated, shattering the peace.
Panic swept through me like an out of control fever. Why were the men shooting?
I burst through the trees moments later, finding the camp in disarray. The mountain men held their weapons, pointing them at the Sasquatches who growled their displeasure, teeth bared, and the hair standing up on top of their heads. Zelda held Daisy, Leslie had Wolfie, and the boys stood together looking bewildered.
“What’s going on?”
Carter glared at me. “You hold up there, Missy.” He pointed the end of the shotgun at me. “Stay there.”
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Dale and Kat growled, the sound rumbling in their chests. Leonard and Pooky, who looked ferocious with their teeth bared, joined them. It wasn’t wise to anger a Sasquatch. I had seen firsthand what they were capable of, and the horror of it lived in my memory to this day. I glanced at Leslie. She held Wolfie who grunted happily, unaware of the danger.
“The bastards want gold,” she said. “So much for being a friend to the
“Shut up!” snapped Doug. “You go on and get that gold then. We’ll be on our way shortly.”
“What makes you think we have it?” I asked.
“That don’t matter. Go grab it then. You know where it is.”
Leonard and Dale continued to growl, the sound rumbling in their chests. It dawned on me then that Harry was missing. Something snapped in the forest at that moment, distracting the men. A round and grey object hurtled through the air, striking Carter in the head. He fell to his knees in an instant, as a bright blotch of blood began to pour from his head.
Leslie screamed and dropped to the ground, clutching Wolfie protectively. Zelda and I crouched as well, but my knees shook so badly, I worried I might land on my stomach. Another rock crashed through the branches, hitting Doug in the arm. He’d begun firing, the sound ringing in my ears. The tribe sprang to action, grabbing him, tearing the weapon from his hands, as Pooky bit into his throat with a loud crunch. I was thankful that Zelda had turned her back to them, shielding Daisy from the violence. The skirmish was over in a matter of seconds; the mountain men had met their end at the hands of creatures they had sworn to protect.
“I’ll say it again,” murmured Zelda. “It ain’t too smart to go messin’ with Sasquatch.”
Chapter Ten
The bodies were dragged into the trees, where the Bigfoots dug out graves and buried them. Zelda and I poured dirt over the bloodstains, while Leslie began the task of packing up camp. When the boys returned, I witnessed Harry drawing Leslie into his arms, hugging her. The moment was so sweet, so unexpected, that I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. I was really starting to like that ape.
Leonard strode towards me; his look was bleak. “You good, Porsche?”
“I’m fine.”
“We walk now. Don’t like this place.”
“Me either.”
The mood shifted to something easier and pleasant, despite the fact that we had been forced to defend ourselves. The Sasquatches grunted and gestured, as we hiked, and, from what I could understand, they were agreeing that what had happened was the right course of action. They had saved the tribe from a threat, even if they had known those men for years. Pooky had summarized it nicely.
We stopped for lunch in a lovely spot on the edge of a swiftly moving river. I would have to watch the little ones here, because the rapids looked treacherous. This lowland valley teamed with wildlife, as we encountered numerous deer, several skunks, and the boys chased a chipmunk, until it vanished.
As we began to make a fire, Pooky rubbed his belly, grunting. “We stay here. This good place.”
“Really?” I was thrilled by the prospect of not having to walk further today.
Leonard nodded. “We rest now.”
This announcement spurred me on to assemble the tent. Daisy was becoming cranky, and a nap was in her future. As I began the chore, Lendal approached and helped me. He did a good job of pushing the stakes into the ground to anchor the structure. Once the task was complete, I placed our things inside and put Daisy down for a nap. Wolfie, sensing something was happening, crawled inside, joining her.
“You too?”
“Grrrr….grrrrr…”
“Well, okay. No playing. She’s tired.”
“Grrrr…”
Daisy yawned, flashing a mouthful of gums and two small teeth. Wolfie rolled onto his back with his feet in the air. I scratched his tummy, and he began to purr. “You’re a good boy.” He loved attention, as his little chest rumbled and his foot kicked rhythmically. “Now take a nap. I gotta chill out.”
I left them, joining the rest of the tribe by the fire, where Zelda had begun to grill fish. There was never a shortage of food when a river was nearby. Leonard sat with Harry and Pooky, while Dale and Kat snoozed under a tree. The boys had disappeared, but they hadn’t gone far, as the noises in the forest indicated.
Leonard drew me into his lap; his nose was in my neck. “Gggrrooaarrrr…”
I could finally relax, not having to worry about the creepy mountain men or strangers from other tribes. As I leant against Leonard, his arms went around me. Pooky touched my leg, tracing an invisible line all the way up my thigh.
“Stop that.”
Harry watched his hand carefully, as a peculiar light shone in his eye. Leonard rubbed my tummy, his hand grazing the bottoms of my breasts. These apes seemed to have something carnal in mind, and my body had begun to respond to the stimulation, although I tried to think of something else.
“Here ya go.” Zelda handed us a plate full of fish. “I found the garlic seasoning. It’s not bad.” The apes grunted in satisfaction, grabbing at the meat and eating it quickly. “For the love of God! Leave some for Porsche, you pigs.”
Harry handed me a piece. “Thanks.” His look brought a renewed bought of tingles to my nether regions. I had the distinct feeling that sex would be following lunch. Pooky continued to touch my thigh; his fingers were on an
