Chapter 12

Todd and Sam were standing in the office as the pesky reporter for one of the sleazy tabloids pumped them for details of what had happened at the Williams cabin.

"I heard Sheriff Hawkins was forced to take off her clothes, that she was raped before..."

"Where did you hear garbage like that?" asked Sam.

"Oh, there are rumors. An orderly at the hospital said she was delirious when they brought her in, that she kept saying she was naked."

"Yeah, well Sheriff Hawkins is funny that way. She always hunts armed rapists and murderers in the nude," smiled Sam.

"But the orderly also told me she said she'd been raped."

"Well you said yourself she was delirious. We had a boy friend rough up his girl friend a few days ago. She claimed rape, then changed her mind. When you're delirious you get things mixed up."

"Well what did happen?" asked the reporter.

"You have our police report."

"Yeah and the one from the Highway Patrol."

"What did they say?"

"Same thing as you. Of course they got there after it was all over. They said she was wounded and they helped give her first aid and provided escort as you guys brought her back to where the ambulance met you."

Officers and gentlemen, thought Sam and Todd simultaneously.

"But I want the real lowdown. Give me something really good. My paper will pay well."

"Let me tell you what happened," said Todd. "They got the drop on us right after we got to the cabin. While they were tying up Sam and me, the Sheriff got away, then doubled back and got the gun she had hidden when we were captured. Sheriff Hawkins took out two armed survivalists, each with a single shot. The second one got in a lucky shot with a hunting bow and wounded her severely in the leg. She lost a lot of blood before we could get her to the paramedics. That's probably why she was delirious."

"And nothing else happened? asked the incredulous reporter.

"She saved our lives in the process," added Sam.

"And nothing else?"

"Look man," said Sam, " you've got a genuine, bona fide, one hundred percent hero. What more could you ask for?"

"You don't know my editor. Maybe I'll go interview that orderly again."

"Look, there's nothing there. I tell you what, let that drop and I'll give you something your editor will love."

"Really?"

"Sure, but you've got to agree to keep your sources confidential."

"OK, what is it?"

"Well," Sam looked around conspiratorially, "last month there were strange lights reported in the sky above Falmouth Lake."

"Really?"

"Yeah," chimed in Todd, " and two days later some campers claimed they saw some kind of ape man near their camp."

"No crap?" said the reporter.

"Who knows what else is up in those mountains," added Sam. "I don't know about you, but that seems to me to beat the ramblings of a delirious woman, when the woman is the hero sheriff of a small town and when folks who read your paper aren't gonna think too highly of a paper trying to disparage her, especially when she's been wounded in the line of duty."

"You've got a point..." mused the reporter.

"You do what you want, but if I were you I'd check out Falmouth Lake."

"Yeah, I'll do that. UFOs and Bigfoot in the Colorado mountains. My editor will love it."

The reporter started for the door.

"Say," he said turning back to them, "you guys aren't gonna change your story if someone else comes along and offers more money are you?"

"We told you what happened. That's the way it was then, that's the way it is now and that's the way it's always always going to be," said Todd.

"OK, thanks for the tip," said the reporter hurrying out the door to arrange some transportation to Falmouth Lake.

Todd and Sam smiled at each other and went back to work.

(ENDING A)

Kim's eyes fluttered open. Unable to focus them at first, she struggled to make out the face hovering over her.

"Welcome back to the world kiddo. You gave us quite a scare."

As the image of the face finally sharpened, Kim realized the voice and face were one.

"... Where... ?" she struggled, the pain sharp, but manageable.

"You're in the hospital," smiled Maggie. "You've been in and out of it for the last three days. The bullet punctured a lung."

"Johnny?"

"Dead. He and the other guy, Walter Post. Todd and Sam figure the two began arguing and then a knife fight became a gun fight. That pretty much what happened?"