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When we got to Jim's office, Tom was already sitting in the conference room. "How are you feeling?" I asked, hugging his uninjured shoulder and kissing his cheek.
"I'm doing OK. I'll be back to work next week, just can't use this arm for some things."
"They'll be here soon, I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page," Jim said after the guys all had coffee and I had my mug of Earl Grey."
"It shouldn't be a big deal," Tom said. "Chance and I have both dealt with the LEI before when SAR rescues someone in the national forest."
"I suspect he might have Agent Murray in tow," Jim said. "I'm not sure what he's after, but I suspect he'll be the problem if there is one."
"I may be off base, but I'm wondering if the feds are involved because they think we have the coordinates for the observation point. If, like Helen's note said, these bigfoot escaped from the lab, they'd have an interest in finding them."
"You could be right," Jim said. "I guess we'll find out soon enough. I invited Sheriff Roy too."
"That's good," Chance said as the doorbell rang.
The questioning was quick and straight forward. The LEI officer knew Tom, so he let him tell the story. Then the rest of us were asked to clarify our parts in it and attest to the fact that Tom got it right. An hour later, it was back to the four us, plus Sheriff Roy in the conference room.
"Thanks for asking me here, Jim," Roy said. "Something about the feds' interest in this don't smell right to me. If I had to guess at this point, I'd say they know something about what went on out there that they don't want us finding out."
"Like mayb..." I started to say before Tom and Chance each squeezed one of my knees under the table. "Gosh, I can't think of any reason. We didn't see anything or anybody while we were hiking." I assumed Chance's pat on my knee was to let me know I'd pulled my behind out of the fire.
"Thought you'd want to know—the broken rifle is the one that was used to shoot Tom," Roy said. "I suspect they'll get around to asking me about the evidence eventually. When they do, I'll have to hand it over."
"Sure," Chance said.
"Got any idea how that gun got broken?"
Everyone shook their heads.
After Roy left, the four or us stayed at the table."
"What now?" I asked.
"Now, we talk about what really happened out there," Chance said. "Do you want to get into that now?"
Everyone agreed they had time, so Chance took over. "You all haven't heard Everly's recap of what happened, but it's essentially the same as Tom's. I've got an idea about what happened, but before I share, I want to go over a couple of things."
He questioned Tom about the time right after the shooting. I wasn't sure Tom would remember anything, but he remembered the same things I did. I returned fire. More shots came our way, there was a growl, some more shots that didn't seem to be directed at us, and then a scream.
"What have you come up with?" Jim asked Chance.
"I think someone related to the secret lab has been keeping tabs on one or all of us since the convention. Maybe longer. They think we know the location of the BFFam, as Everly calls them. I think someone followed you two into the woods hoping you'd lead them to the observation point. When the squatch appeared, they realized they had the location, so you two were no longer needed. They wanted to keep the secret, and they were willing to kill to do that."
I shivered at the thought that someone wanted to kill Tom and me. Chance put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. "Sorry, Babe. I know it's scary. I think the bigfoot took care of the shooter."
"You mean killed him?"
"Yeah. I think one of the bigfoot took the gun from the man and broke it. I think they left it for you to find so you'd know you were safe."
No one said anything for a couple of minutes. "Chance, you seem smart and sane most of the time, but you can't really believe that the bigfoot protected us," I said.
"You weren't shooting at them, sounds like maybe the other guy did."
"Why didn't the shooter come after us?" Jim asked.
"I think they would have, if they survived. They would have realized we probably knew the location too. I think the bigfoot did us all a big favor taking out that shooter or shooters."
"I know that finding proof of bigfoot would be a big deal," I said, "but if the government already knows that, would they be willing to kill people to keep the knowledge to themselves?"
"I haven't been able to figure that one out," Chance said. "Tom, what do you think?"
"You story fits the facts," Tom said. "That doesn't mean it's true, but I can't think of anything else that could explain it. I can believe a bigfoot could have broken that rifle in two. I know the government is capable of going to unimaginable lengths to protect secrets. I've seen it firsthand."