We talk some more, mostly about dad. Then the someone that he brought in to help walks in. The fact that he had been found on the internet is less than reassuring.

“Hello, my name is Daniel,” he shakes my hand, “I’m going to guess that you are the brother that Jerry mentioned would be coming over to help.”

“Yes, unless he has any extra siblings that he has failed to mention.”

They both laugh, Daniel maybe a bit too hard, then he asks, “Has he told you why I am here?”

“He only said that you was here to help, and that he found you on the net.”

“I am, believe it or not, a paranormal investigator.”

“Like on those shows?” I say, thoroughly amused, picturing a guy running around screaming about getting his ass pinched by a ghost.

“Something like that, only I try to take things a lot more seriously. I was just walking around the area, getting some readings.”

“Readings?”

“Background radiation, magnetic anomalies, those kinds of things. I also set up a few motion activated cameras.”

“Like trail cams?” Jerry askes, sometimes he is louder than he realizes. His voice slams into my ear drums.

“The very same.”

I try not to chuckle too hard, “Well, you certainly came prepared.”

“I’ve got a whole van full of stuff. Every kind of camera you can think of, IR, thermal. I’ve got EVP readers. I brought equipment for hiking and camping, rope, paracord, flares, the works.”

“Well, at least you are prepared. Sounds like you really know what you are doing.”

“I’ve done investigations for ghosts at over a dozen sites. I’ve hunted Sasquatch three times, Jersey Devil once, even searched for the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp.”

“And let me guess, you didn’t find any of those things?” I say before thinking.

To his credit, he doesn’t get annoyed at my little jab, “If it was that easy, they wouldn’t be the stuff of legends, they would be just another group of animals in a zoo or things that you learn about in science class.”

“Okay, fine. I get that you are into this stuff and are a believer. And I get that my brother saw something that he can’t explain,” I turn to face him, “I do believe that you saw something, or at least think that you did. But for me it just aint that easy.”

He grins like the devil, “Well, if there is something going on, we will see tonight. I will set up a camera in the girl’s room, aim it at the spot where the creature was sighted. Then, we play the waiting game, as I highly doubt that it will appear in the daytime.

***

We head out to unload the cars. I get my suitcase with changes of clothes and such. More importantly, we bring in the cases that hold my guns and other gear. The paranormal guy goes out to his van to grab a few pieces of equipment.

“You got a gun?” I ask Daniel as he sits a big plastic case on the kitchen table.

“Of course,” he lifts his shirt to reveal a little handgun meant for concealed carry, “I also have a pump action that I will bring in.”

“Damn, you are ready to kill bigfoot!” Jerry cries.

He smiles evilly, “Not quite, you would need one of the big .50 cal sniper rifles that they use to hunt feral hogs to do that. But I figure that if I am going to go into a situation acting like it is real, I might as well be prepared. And besides, the dark isn’t anywhere near as scary when you’re packing heat.”

We get everything in, sating most of it in the kitchen. A put the camouflage vest that holds my spare magazines across the back of one of the chairs.

Daniel suggests that we take a look around the property before it gets dark. My brother hesitates, before agreeing. I go to take a piss first, then I go for the door and he says that I’ve forgotten my rifle and vest. I leave the vest, just grab the AR. I also have a big fat brick of a pistol that I wear on my hip. Daniel slings his pump-action over his back; Jerry has a hunting rifle and his own vest. If anything decides to screw with us, we will be ready.

We head outside, going around back to the big tree where the creature was supposedly spotted. I look at the trunk, there they are, the deep puncture marks. Daniel gives the trail cam that he has mounted on one of the branches a quick once over. We head toward the wood line.

My brother owns about a hundred square acres. The house, old barn, and surrounding things sit on about one, which is kept about as well mowed as one can manage, has a few trees here and there. The rest is wild forest, not even any trails.

We reach the thick woods, which are mostly short cedar. Daniel scans the edge of the vegetation, “Lots of places to hide out here.”

“Ya, we have to keep the dog inside at night, because coyotes sneak in under them. I was plannin’ to put up a fence, when I found the time and money,” then he looks over at me, “You didn’t take your extra ammo.”

“Ya, I figure that nothing will mess with us in the daytime,” I lie, knowing full well that this is all a bunch of BS. I am just here to ease his mind, hangout for a few days, that is all.

“Ya, but I don’t think we should underestimate it. We don’t know what it is like; we are only assuming that it is nocturnal because that is when I saw it.”

“How much firepower do you have?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“This rifle, an old double barrel, and a revolver that we keep in the nightstand.”

“You a cowboy or somethin’?” I say jokingly.

He smiles, shakes his head, “Screw you, not everyone is a soldier.”

“Ex-soldier. Besides, that don’t really mean nothing.”

“Ya right.”

The ground is mostly chalky white rock broken up by patches of short grass. It is often uneven. We negotiate steep rises and drops. A dead creek bed winds its way through the property, no more than a deep scar carved into the landscape. I spot another one of the trail cams, picture deer and coyotes walking past, eyes glowing.

A horrific odor hits us. The stench is pure death. As if we had walked into an invisible wall, we instantly stop.

“What is that smell?” Jerry exclaims.

Daniel’s expression shows worry, “Bigfoot are known to have a terrible smell.”

You have got to be kidding me.

I try to look past the masses of leaves and needles, try to pick out the shape of a face among the blur of green and brown. I can’t, I can’t see a damn thing. My mind flashes back to those stupid training exercises we used to do. Running around the forest when you are heading to a desert, whiling wearing grey camo, and the people that are pretending to be the enemy are always invincible.

We push deeper, following our noses, find what we are looking for.

It feels wrong to call it a corpse. It is more like a heap of organic matter. A thin layer of brown and white fur. On top of that, strippes of skin, pieces of muscle; maybe a few organs, or at least parts of them. And on top of that, a collection of bones.

Jerry bends down, inspecting the pile of gore, “This was a deer.”

I stare at it in amazement, “I’m glad that you can tell. I can tell that it was some sort of an animal, at least I’m pretty sure of that.”

“Definitely a dear. You can tell by the fur.”

Daniel starts taking pictures of the thing, “What do you think happened to it?”

“I have no idea. I don’t see any blood. Bones look like they were cleanly cut.”

“Reminds me of cattle mutilations.”

“What?” me and Jerry say in unison.

“Is that a Death Metal band?” I ask, getting a nervous laugh.

“No, it is where ranchers find dead cows. The thing is, the corpses are all messed up.”

“What do you mean?”

“For decades now, ranchers have been finding dead cattle. They look to have been subjected to scientific research, partially dissected. They are completely drained of blood, not even a drop left. Pieces and parts are removed, cleanly cut off, like a laser was used. It is like they are harvesting organs and stuff.”

“Who would do that?”

“A secret government program is one theory. Most people in the paranormal community think that it is ETs.”

“Dang, that is pretty creepy,” Jerry proclaims. He looks back the way that we came, “This body doesn’t have any bugs on it.”

“How can that be?” I ask.

“Maybe it got into some chemicals?” Jerry suggests.

“Enough that it would keep bugs completely clear, I would think that we would smell it,” Daniel says as he picks up a stick. Then he starts carefully poking at it, me and my brother automatically moving back. He spends a few minutes screwing with it, while Jerry glances around nervously. The stink continues to burn in my nose.

The shadows are starting to get long, the sun gets to a point where it is past the top of the trees. We decide to head back and settle in for the night.