Rogue Angel - Footprints Part 43

Annja frowned. Ellen hadn't seemed particularly upset or concerned back at the station. "And what does Ellen think you should be doing?"

"We need help."

Someone does, Annja thought. "And?"

"We're hoping you might help us."

"How in the world could I ever do that?"

"You and Jenny, you could let the outside world know what's going on here. You could get help for us."

Annja shook her head. "Look, Sheila, you're talking like you're trapped here. I don't see any gates or fences keeping you in town. I'm sure you could easily hop into your car and drive far away from this place. Both you and Ellen for that matter. If you're as concerned about this as you seem to be, then maybe that's exactly what you should be doing."

"You don't believe me." Sheila stood. "I knew this was a mistake. I told Ellen there was no way you'd believe me but she insisted. And now you think I'm just as crazy as everyone else in town does. Don't you?"

Annja shook her head. "I don't think you're crazy, Sheila. But honestly, this is all a bit much for me to handle right now. I'm exhausted. I'm supposed to be looking for big foot. And all this extra stuff keeps popping up, turning my world upside down. Truthfully, I don't know what to think about your story."

"Will you at least do me a favor and think about what I've told you?"

Annja nodded. "Absolutely. I promise."

Sheila grinned. "Thanks. I really appreciate that." She started for the door and then turned around, her body bathed in a sunbeam. "I'll bring your clothes up when they're finished. I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep."

"It's okay."

Sheila nodded once, turned and let herself out of the room again. Annja heard the lock engage and then slumped back down onto the mattress.

Good grief.

David was apparently an alien of some type or at least under the control of evil beings from another planet. She smirked. This was one for the books. Somewhere out in the woods there was potentially a Sasquatch or a family of them. Joey was still out there, as well, doing who knew what. Probably he was going to make Simpson's and Baker's lives a living h.e.l.l.

Simpson and Baker. Annja frowned. What were they really doing in this area? Surely they didn't think they were actually going to trap big foot and bring it to some laboratory, did they?

And if they didn't, then why were they here?

I need a computer and Internet access, she thought. She could at least investigate the meteor shower. And if that was confirmed, then perhaps there might be some shred of truth to Sheila's story that David was somehow different now.

Not that Annja believed for one moment that he was under the control of aliens. But perhaps Simpson and Baker were exerting more control than they'd let on earlier. And perhaps it had something more to do with the meteors and less to do with big foot.

What a mess.

Annja took a deep breath and tried to relax. But the images and thoughts swirling through her mind made that difficult. She rolled over and tried to focus on the soft drapes hanging in front of the windows.

The day outside was bright and sunny, contrasting with the mood of how she felt. She wondered if Jenny was sound asleep. Probably. And her dreams were most likely filled with visions of David in very little clothing.

Annja grinned. That was one of the things she loved about her friend. Jenny had two pa.s.sions-her work and men. She couldn't fault her for it, either. And if she was being completely honest, Jenny might have hit a little too close to home earlier when she asked if Annja was lonely.

It seemed odd to admit, but there were times when Annja wanted nothing more than to snuggle with someone.

Or at least something other than a mysterious sword.

She wondered where Roux and Garin might be at this moment. They were the only two people in the world who understood what Annja's life had become since she gained possession of the sword. They had as much at stake with the sword as she did since they'd been searching for it and piecing it together for five hundred years. Garin had a way of showing up in strange places that happened to coincide with Annja being there. Part of her wondered if the sword enabled both men to know where she was to some extent.

But she also knew they both had untold sums of money that could buy them any information in the world that they desired. More than likely that was how they kept tabs on her.

As strange as it sounded, Annja would have welcomed their advice on this situation. Knowing them both, they would probably advocate taking the bull by the proverbial horns and beating the truth out of everyone involved.

Of course, they would also expect that Annja would use her sword, regardless of the consequences.

And she didn't agree with that approach.

Annja took another deep breath and tried to still her mind. She needed sleep in the worst way.

Her inner eye drew her back inside of herself, melting her thoughts into a spiraling swirl that sucked her back toward the blackness. She let herself get pulled under into the unseen riptide of her subconscious.

Annja felt sleep finally coming for her, and with the hornet's nest of questions buzzing around her head, she mercifully gave herself over to unconsciousness.

Chapter 23.

By the time Annja woke, she felt as if she'd started to recover the level of energy she normally had. Shadows drew long across the room and the rapidly fading sunlight told her that she'd slept more than she'd intended to. But at the same time, she felt rested and that would be important given what she had to deal with.

She almost slid her legs out of bed when something stopped her. A sudden warning from her subconscious, and there in the corner she saw why.

"Hey."

Annja shook her head. "Do you always show up so unexpectedly like that?"

Joey smiled. "Not my fault you didn't sense me until it was almost too late."

"Yeah, well, you didn't happen to see my clothes anywhere nearby, did you? Sheila promised she'd bring them up when they were done."

"I didn't happen to pa.s.s by Sheila," Joey said.

Annja frowned. "Then how the h.e.l.l did you get into my room?"

Joey shrugged. "The window was unlocked."

Annja glanced at the window. It would have been about thirty feet to the ground. "We're three stories up."

"There's a fire escape on the back of the building that leads all the way up."

"I didn't hear you."

Joey grinned again. "Of course you didn't."

"I also didn't sense you."

Joey got up from the small chair and walked to the window. "My grandfather taught me how to disguise my presence, not just physically but on other levels, as well. It helps from time to time to be able to come and go as I please with no one noticing me being around."