Footprints

She sensed movement farther back on the path. Was it the creature Jenny had been hunting for?

Or something else entirely?

She spotted a set of boots and relaxed somewhat. The last she’d heard, the Sasquatch didn’t wear trendy hiking boots. The feet were moving along at a casual pace. There wasn’t any sense of menace.

Annja poked her head out from under the bush and heard a shout of surprise.

The hiking boots belonged to a boy of about fourteen. His jet-black hair spiked out of his head at odd angles and he toppled back, landing on his butt as he reacted with shock to seeing Annja’s head emerge from the bush.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Annja climbed to her feet. “Sorry about that. I thought someone might be following me.”

The boy frowned. “You always go around hiding in blueberry bushes?”

Annja shrugged. “I’ve been known to hide in Dumpsters, too. Trees, sand dunes, snow caves.” You name it, I’ve done it.”

She helped him to his feet. “Who are you?”

“Joey,” he said easily.

Annja smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

He frowned. “That’s some haircut you got there. You pay someone to do that or did you hack it off yourself?”

Annja frowned. “She took too much off. I wanted a change, but not this much.”

Joey smirked. “Well, I think it looks killer.”

Annja laughed. “Thanks. So where are you heading with that backpack stuffed as it is?”

Joey pointed down the trail. “I’m spending my vacation working for an expedition that’s camped farther in. I get to hang out, run some errands and see what they’re up to.”

“That wouldn’t be Jenny Chu’s expedition, would it?”

Joey nodded. “Yeah. You know her?”

“She’s an old friend of mine. She asked me to come out here and see what she was up to.”

Joey’s eyes went wide. “You’re Annja Creed?”

“Guilty.”

Joey frowned. “Wow, you don’t look anything like you do on television.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t bother going to hair and makeup before hiking through the woods. I wasn’t expecting to run into any fans,” she said, winking. “How about you showing me exactly where the camp is? Those clouds look as if they’re going to open up any second and I don’t want to be out here when it pours.”

“No sweat, Annja. Follow me.”

Joey hefted his pack and set off. Annja followed along behind him. “You know this area well?” she asked.

Joey shrugged. “This is the land of my ancestors. We’ve been around here longer than anyone else.”

Annja nodded. “You made a lot of noise on the trail back there. Might be time to study the skills of your ancestors.”

Joey stopped walking. “What are you talking about?”

“On the trail. I heard you coming a mile away. Lots of twigs snapping, that kind of thing. Not very stealthy, huh?”

“Lady, I move pretty quiet. I don’t know what you heard, but it wasn’t me. They don’t call me Creeping Wolf for nothing.”

Annja frowned. “If I didn’t hear you, then what—”

Joey held up his hand. “Let’s not even go there, okay? No offense to your friend or anything, but she’s kind of obsessed with the whole Sasquatch thing, you know? I can dig having an interest and all, but she’s really going full speed into nut job.”

Annja smiled. “That sounds like Jenny.”

“It’s cool,” Joey said. “I get that way about things. Girls, mostly. But you have to know when to draw the line at becoming a lunatic.”

“Good advice.”

The trail started to descend into what looked like a valley. Annja could see the trees starting to part as they entered a clearing. Ahead of her, she saw the bright reds and yellows of tents.

“So there it is,” she said.

Joey nodded. “I’ve been gone all day. I had to go back to town and get some more supplies.”

“Did you drive?”

Joey looked at her. “I walked.”

“Yeah, but town’s six miles away.”

“And?”

Annja raised her eyebrows. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Joey smiled. “Like I said, I’ve been cruising these woods my whole life. I know them better than almost anyone else. And as the crow flies, the distance back to town is only three miles.”

“You fly, too?”

“Sometimes that’s exactly what it feels like.”

They broke out of the forest and into the clearing. Joey walked ahead of Annja, leaving her to take in the camp.

It was strangely quiet.

“Joey.”