Baker County Bigfoot Chronicle Read online

  “My mom is on the way to get me,” he said somewhat bitterly. “She was pretty pissed.”

  Cochran smirked at him. “I’m not surprised,” he said, amused.

  “How’s Kurt?”

  The sheriff shifted his large frame from one foot to the other. “He’s okay for the most part,” he said. “They’re gonna take him over to Walker Laboratory for further evaluation.”

  Tony scratched his head and squinted. “Evaluation for what?” he asked. “They think Kurt’s got some kind of alien virus or something?”

  Sheriff Cochran shook his head quickly. “No, of course not,” he grumbled. “And don’t you go around telling folks that either.”

  Tony looked away. “Alright,” he replied, realizing he’d said something wrong. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  Cochran eyed him and somehow doubted that Tony would indeed keep quiet. He was just about to press him on the matter when a red sedan came to a furious stop just beyond the sliding glass doors. A brunette woman, early forties, jumped out of the car and stormed through the glass doors.

  “Tony, what the hell?” she spat angrily. She then glanced at the sheriff and offered a polite smile. “Thanks for seeing after him Sheriff,” she said almost as an afterthought.

  “It was no problem,” he answered. “Good kid—just got involved in a bit of stupidity tonight. I see it all the time.”

  She nodded and forced a smile to hide the anger she was feeling toward her son. “I bet you do,” she muttered. “Well, I’m gonna get him home. Thanks again!”

  Sheriff Cochran crossed his arms. Tony glanced back over his shoulder at him and the sheriff nodded and smirked in response.

  One down, one to go, he thought. Cochran ventured back outside into the cool night air and as he reached for the car door handle, he noticed an ambulance pulling away at the far side of the building. He snatched up the radio mic and called Shelly, the Baker County dispatcher who was, to the best of his knowledge, the only other member of the sheriff’s department currently on duty. The radio crackled to life.

  “How can I help Sheriff?”

  “Shelly, I need an address for Marie Bledsoe…used to be Connie Bledsoe. I think they live somewhere near the water tower on the other end of town.”

  “Stand by,” Shelly replied all business-like.

  After a few moments of silence, the radio crackled to life again. “The address I have for Connie Bledsoe is 197 Blue Ridge Rd…does that sound right?”

  “That’s it,” Cochran replied as he started the car. “I’m headed over there to retrieve Marie. Her younger brother has been injured so I’m gonna take her to him.”

  “10-4,” Shelly answered and again the radio fell silent.

  Chapter 5

  Marie Bledsoe was known throughout Dunn for two things: First she was a beautiful woman, and secondly, she was a hell of a good mechanic. She’d had a few long-term relationships with men throughout the years, but her biggest and most steady love seemed to be with the automobile. No one in town was better when it came to diagnosing and fixing an ailing car. Marie was in her late twenties and had dark hair that fell just above her shoulders, gorgeous green eyes that always seemed to sparkle, and one couldn’t help but notice the shiny assortment of studs, diamonds and other trinkets that decorated her ears. She was stunning to look at but could be a major force to reckon with if angered.

  Sheriff Ray Cochran brought the boxy patrol car to a halt at the curb, just in front of the bright red mailbox with BLEDSOE scrawled across it in black lettering. When he stepped out, to the east he was beginning to see the slightest hint of sunrise, evidenced by a subtle hue of purple that began to overtake the black. He stepped onto the driveway and immediately noticed the garage door was open and the light was on inside. It was then he caught sight of a pair of denim covered legs protruding from underneath the driver’s side of an old sky-blue Chevy Chevelle, each foot encased in a heavy brown boot.

  “Who’s out there?” a female voice called from underneath the car. “Don’t screw around with me, I’m always armed!”

  Cochran smiled and placed both his hands on his hips. “Marie Bledsoe? This is Sheriff Ray Cochran…would you mind coming out for a second? I need to talk to you.”

  Without hesitation, the body under the car rolled out into the open. Cochran looked down at the grease-smudged pretty face and immediately noticed her concerned expression.

  “Is this about Kurt?” she asked, sitting up.

  “Yes, it is,” Cochran said, offering a hand to pull her up. She took it and dusted her pants off.

  “What’s wrong with him?” she asked, sounding almost as if she didn’t really want to hear the answer. “I’ve been out here waiting on him to get home all night. I was gonna give him a real talking to—”

  “He’s okay,” Cochran said, gently interrupting. “He got into something out in the forest and he’s being checked out. I came by to take you to him.”

  She nodded. “Alright, well thank God he’s okay,” she said, obvious relief in her tone. She reached into the car and grabbed a jacket. “He won’t be okay when I get through with his ass, let’s go.”

  Cochran followed her back to the car and resisted the urge to ask if she wanted something to wipe the grease smudges from her face. Had it been any other woman, he’d have thought more of it, but Marie Bledsoe couldn’t care less.

  As the car rumbled along the highway, she asked, “Sheriff what exactly did my brother get into?”

  Cochran took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Well,” he replied. “Marie, it’s pretty crazy and I’m not sure if I’m the one to tell you. Maybe you should wait and ask your brother.”

  She glared over at him, skepticism in her eyes. “Tell me Sheriff,” she said. “What happened to my brother?”

  “Alright,” he said, clearing his throat. “Here goes. Your brother was in the forest with Tony Joyner…you know him?”

  Marie nodded. “He’s Kurt’s best friend, of course I know him.”

  “Okay, well they were out there drinking,” he said, pausing to glance over at her.

  Her mouth became a tight line and her eyes narrowed. “Go on,” she urged.

  “Well, Tony told me that a meteor came down and struck the ground near them. Your brother took off to investigate and—this is where it gets crazy—Tony says something was leaking from the meteor and Kurt got whatever it was on his skin. It…did something to him…he’s not himself.”

  “What do you mean he’s not himself?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

  He gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Well, he’s not really talking to anyone. He’s not really looking at anyone. He seems fine physically but mentally something else is going on.”

  Marie slowly turned her head away and looked out the passenger window. She said nothing for a long moment and just watched the pine trees zip past. Finally, she said, “You’re right, that does sound crazy.”

  “I told you.”

  “But if Tony Joyner said that was what happened, then I assure you that is what happened,” she added. “He’s a trustworthy kid and if it weren’t for him Kurt would probably stay in trouble all the time.” She looked back over at the sheriff. “Are they gonna be able to help him?”

  He sighed. “I’m not a doctor, Marie, but I’m confident that they will.”

  The car rumbled along for a long while and as they passed by the entrance to the hospital, Marie shifted uneasily in the passenger seat. “Wait,” she said, a hint of panic in her voice. “The hospital…you just…”

  “Yeah,” Cochran replied. “Your brother isn’t at the hospital.”

  Marie turned her whole body to look at him, but before she could speak, he added, “I mean, he was at the hospital, but the doc took a look at him and thought he needed some other tests done over at the Walker Laboratory.”

  “Walker Laboratory?” Marie asked, obviously dumbfounded. “I’ve never heard of anyone going there to get medical treatment. I thou
ght that was some place where they do research on aliens—like an Area 51 kinda place.”

  Cochran laughed nervously. “Nah, there’s nothing to that,” he said, knowing full well he had no idea what it was they did there. “Whatever you’ve heard is all rumor.”

  “Okay,” she said, pausing to purse her lips as she thought, and then: “Have you ever heard of anyone receiving medical treatment there?”

  The sheriff forced a smile and nodded. “Sure, it’s happened before,” he lied.

  When they arrived at Walker Laboratory, Cochran brought the big patrol car to a halt next to the guard shack. Beyond the striped barrier (which was nothing more than a painted board that could mechanically lift up and down), a large gray structure loomed at the end of the long dark driveway. The building was three stories in height with each floor adorned with rows of mirrored glass windows. The roof was peppered with antennas and satellite dishes of various sizes.

  “Evening, Sheriff,” the slender guard said as he tossed a newspaper he’d been reading aside. He was older, probably early sixties, and looked bored out of his mind. His hair was silver, and almost as an afterthought, he reached over and put on a hat that completed his uniform.

  Sheriff Cochran glanced up at the eastern sky that was becoming brighter by the minute. “I think good morning is probably more appropriate at this hour,” he replied.

  The guard leaned out of the shack where he could get a good look. “Ah, so it is,” he said with a chuckle. He glanced back at the sheriff and his eyes moved past him to where Marie was sitting, staring at him intensely. “How can I help you this morning?”

  “Baker County just sent an ambulance over here a little while ago,” Cochran replied. “There was a teenage boy transferred here. I’m coming to check up on him.”

  The old guard nodded, but he kept watching Marie with obvious curiosity.

  “This is his sister,” Cochran added. “As you can imagine, she’s concerned and wants to see him.”

  There was a flash of a smile and another nod. “Oh yes, of course,” the guard muttered, and he reached for a button just inside the door that raised the barrier so they could pass. “I’ll alert the front desk that you’re coming.”

  “Much obliged,” the sheriff muttered as the big car eased forward.

  “Why does this feel like an episode of The Twilight Zone?” Marie asked as she stared at the ominous building.

  Though Sheriff Cochran knew what she meant—he could feel it too. There was tension in the air and it was thick and intimidating. There was a row of parking places along the front of the building—most of which were unoccupied. Cochran figured it was because of the time of day, but as most of the spaces were marked for doctors and other laboratory staff, he still had to park at the furthest end of the row. No sooner had he put the car in park did Marie bolt out of the car.

  “Hang on,” he called after her, quickly slamming his car door.

  She either didn’t hear him, or chose not to hear him, because Marie jogged to the glass door entrance that led to the lobby.

  “Where is Kurt Bledsoe?” she barked at a surprised guard that was sitting behind a massive black desk against the wall.

  He stood and moved his right hand closer to his sidearm. “Excuse me?” he asked. “Who are you?”

  Sheriff Cochran stormed in and gently grabbed Marie by the arm. “We’re here for the Bledsoe kid,” he explained. “This is his sister…the guard out there said he’d let you know we were coming.”

  The guard’s hand moved away from his weapon and the lines of his face softened. “I see,” he muttered as he stepped back to the desk. “Didn’t get the message…I was away taking a leak.” He then picked up a phone and muttered only two words to whoever was on the other end.

  “They’re here.”

  A moment later, he hung up the receiver and pressed a button on the wall beside the desk. “Through those doors,” he said, pointing to two black doors that opened across from where they were standing.

  Sheriff Cochran nodded his thanks and he and Marie briskly moved through the opening. They found themselves standing in a long hallway. There was white tile on the floors, sheetrock walls painted beige, and white fluorescent lighting set into the drop ceiling above. There were numerous wooden doors along the walls and near the end and to the right, a man in a white lab coat stood, watching them.

  “This way,” he called to them, motioning for them to approach.

  “Is my brother alright?” Marie called out worriedly.

  “Your brother is back here,” the man answered, gesturing toward the open doorway beside him.

  Marie’s pace quickened, and Sheriff Cochran jogged to keep up.

  When they finally made it to where the man was standing, he held out his hand to Marie. She in turn ignored it and peered into the room. Kurt was lying on a hospital bed with no less than four nurses standing around him, all of them wearing surgical masks over their faces. There were multiple machines surrounding him too, one of which seemed to be recording his heart rate and blood pressure on a digital screen.

  “What’s wrong with him?” she asked, approaching.

  The man grabbed her by the arm. “Wait,” he said. “Keep your distance…we’re still trying to determine what’s wrong with him.”

  Marie wrenched her arm free. “I want to speak to him,” she snapped. “You’re not going to keep me from speaking to my brother.” She looked at Cochran, her green eyes pleading with him to back her up.

  “I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced,” the sheriff said, holding out a hand to the man. “I’m Ray Cochran.”

  The man nodded and smiled, his lips parted revealing strikingly white teeth, all straight. “Of course, Sheriff,” he replied, shaking his hand. “I’m Doctor Franklin.”

  “So, what’s the story with the kid?” Cochran asked. “And what do we need to do to get Marie close enough to talk to him?”

  Doctor Franklin bit his lip and looked at Marie. His gaze slowly moved to Kurt, lying motionless in the hospital bed. “Well,” he said, his mind wandering, “I suppose it may do him good to hear from his sister.”

  “Of course, it would,” she said, taking a step forward.

  Dr. Franklin grabbed her arm again. “But, you need to take precautions,” he said quickly. He looked toward the nurse nearest him. “Take her down the hall and get her into a mask, gloves and gown,” he said. He paused and looked at the grease smudges on her face. “And wash her hands and face.”

  The nurse nodded and beckoned Marie to follow. She glanced at Cochran, who smiled to reassure her. “I’ll be right here finding out what I can,” he said.

  She nodded and followed the nurse out of the room, eventually disappearing further down the hallway.

  “What kind of tests are you running on him?” Cochran asked when he was certain Marie was out of earshot.

  Dr. Franklin had a thick head of brown hair which he was now running his fingers through. The gesture seemed to be a product of nervousness. Something about Franklin seemed off. He looked to be mid-thirties, tall and slim. There was quite a bit of stubble on his face and the dark circles under his eyes suggested exhaustion.

  The doctor sighed and said, “Sheriff, I’m not really at liberty to say at the moment.”

  Sheriff Cochran shifted his weight from one foot to the other and placed both his hands on his hips. His brown eyes narrowed as he stared hard into Franklin’s hazel ones.

  Doctor Franklin, clearly sensing Cochran’s building frustration, quickly said, “Sheriff, you know we are a federally funded operation and a lot of what we do here is top secret. I could be thrown in prison for saying something I legally am not allowed to say.”

  Cochran shook his head. “Don’t give me that government bullshit,” he spat. “Tell me what the hell is wrong with the kid. Is this something to do with aliens…U.F.O.’s…what?”

  Franklin smirked slightly. “I can talk about the boy’s condition,” he said. “Though I don’t know how mu
ch I can add to what you probably already know. There is a foreign substance in his bloodstream—something I’ve never seen before. It’s spreading throughout his body and his cells and genetic makeup seem to be…changing.”

  “Changing?” Cochran asked, glancing past the doctor and to Kurt. “Does this have something to do with the meteor?”

  Doctor Franklin’s eyes widened. “The meteor! Yes, tell me about the meteor,” he said. “Dr. White said that there was a substance reported to be seeping from it?”

  “Yeah,” Cochran replied. “Kurt’s friend was there…witnessed the whole thing. He says something leaked from a large crack in the meteor. Some sort of glowing goo. It got onto Kurt and his friend seems to believe that it may have done something to him.”

  “Interesting,” Franklin said, stroking his chin. “Did you believe him?”

  Cochran looked at him, obviously taken aback. “About the glowing goo? Hell no,” he quipped. “The boys were out there drinking. I saw no traces of anything like that when I examined the meteor for myself.”

  Suddenly, Marie reappeared, now adorning a mask, surgical cap, gloves, and disposable scrubs.

  “Go over to him,” Doctor Franklin said. “But please don’t touch him. See if he will respond to your voice.”

  Marie nodded and quickly moved to Kurt’s bedside. His eyes were open, but he was staring at the ceiling…seemingly at nothing. She leaned in close and said, “Hey Kurt, it’s Marie. I’m here now. Can you hear me?”

  Sheriff Cochran looked on and noticed Kurt blink once. The boy’s eyes shifted slightly, as if he were trying to look over at his sister. It seemed that he was unable to move his head. Marie noticed it too and moved so that he could see her better.

  “What happened to you, Kurt?” she asked. “Can you talk?”

  Kurt stared at his sister, his eyes widening slightly. The monitor beside him displayed an increase in his heart rate.

  “He can’t talk,” she said, looking back at Doctor Franklin. “He hears me, and he understands me…I can see it in his eyes. He just can’t talk to me.”