"He'd better hurry-it sounds like the source of the noise is close by."

As if on cue, Joey's feet emerged into the shelter itself. Joey wriggled his body into the narrow entranceway and then he reached behind him to pull the last bit of pine boughs over the small opening.

Annja started to whisper something, but Joey put his hand over her mouth and gestured slowly outside.

It was close.

Annja held her breath and thought she could feel Jenny's body shaking nearby. She'd better keep it together, Annja thought. Otherwise, whatever is out there will know we're in here.

Annja closed her eyes and checked to make sure she could get the sword. As many times as she'd done so and knew it was usually available, it still felt good to double-check. There'd been a few instances in her past when she hadn't been able to use it for one reason or another.

Joey leaned forward and tried peering through the branches and boughs to see what was outside. Annja strained her ears and thought she could hear something rustling around on the fringes of the camp area.

Maybe it would simply pa.s.s through and leave them alone.

She glanced at Jenny and saw her friend's eyes were wide with fright, and at the same time she could detect the curiosity that drove any true adventurer. As terrified as Jenny might be, there was a part of her that desperately wanted to creep out of the shelter and see for herself if the source of the noise just might be a real Sasquatch.

Annja was curious, as well. Could this be the real thing? She almost laughed at the idea, but at that moment she heard what sounded like a heavy footstep come down on a branch that couldn't have been more than ten feet from the shelter.

Joey's body seemed tensed. He had claimed to know most of this forest, but even he with all of his skill and knowledge was concerned about the creature outside of their shelter.

Annja thought about Cheehawk and wondered if the wolf might be prowling around the area. Would it protect them? Could Joey call him in some way like he'd supposedly contacted his grandfather?

She could imagine the great wolf leaping through the forest until it could launch an attack upon the beast outside. At that point, Annja could stand and draw her sword. The distraction would give her the necessary time to decide if she should simply kill the creature or not.

Another howl erupted a few feet away and sounded so utterly dreadful that Jenny clapped her hands over her ears and choked off a scream.

Annja's eyes blazed and ran with tears, and in that second she caught a whiff of the most horrible scent she'd ever smelled in her life. Hadn't Joey mentioned something about that with regards to previous big-foot sightings? Was this the real deal just outside? Could it smell them? Would it attack?

Legends of the Sasquatch came down from the Native American tribes that used to live around these parts, and Annja tried to remember what little bit she knew. Supposedly it stood at least seven feet tall and would easily weigh more than three hundred pounds. Hair or fur covered its entire body.

Joey wouldn't necessarily have grown up with the legends since his tribe had migrated from the Southwest of the United States.

Another branch snapped outside the shelter. Annja's heart thundered in her chest. Maybe she should just leap up and try to rush it.

It was still quite dark outside and she couldn't see through any of the boughs that Joey had laid over them unless she suddenly felt like compromising their position. It was infuriating to think that she might easily know with one simple glance if the Sasquatch truly did exist or not.

Another branch snapped.

Annja tensed. Was that sound closer than before? Was the creature nearer to them now?

It would be able to smell them soon. Annja certainly hadn't been out in the forest long enough to lose her smell from the city. It would cling to her like a musk that she felt certain any type of creature like a Sasquatch would easily smell.

Jenny herself hadn't been out that long, either, and Annja knew that Jenny liked using scented soaps.

That could be trouble.

Despite his youth, Joey looked as if he was ready for a fight. Annja knew that even though he'd insisted otherwise earlier, he would fight if need be. But she also knew that Joey wouldn't purposefully look to harm something that lived in the woods around these parts. Joey considered himself a caretaker and protector. If the creature did indeed live here, then Joey would rightfully a.s.sume it had every right to protect its territory.

Just like Cheehawk.

A sudden sc.r.a.pe on the outside of the shelter made them all jump. It was like a heavy pawing at the structure. At first, nothing much happened, but then the sc.r.a.ping continued. It was trying to get inside the shelter.

Jenny backed up until she was against the trunk of the tree that Joey had built the shelter next to. Her hand gripped Annja's arm.

Joey glanced back at Annja and made a doublehanded grip.

Annja frowned. Joey wanted her to use the sword.

Great.

It was bad enough that he knew about it. But Annja wasn't crazy about pulling the sword out in front of Jenny. For one thing, it would be one more person who knew her secret.

And it might galvanize Jenny's belief that the Sasquatch did indeed exist.

Although, at just that moment, even Annja herself was considering revising her previous hard-line stance against the creature's existence.

Bits of branches and boughs came away from the shelter. The noises and sc.r.a.pes were accompanied by a low whining howl. The volume was less than it had been before.

But the fear still kept them all frozen in place.

Joey nudged Annja.

He showed her the small knife he carried and Annja knew that it would do no good if it came down to defending them against whatever was outside.

It would be up to Annja to save them.

How was she going to do this? The shelter was cramped and at close quarters. From past experience, she knew that drawing the sword required a minimum amount of s.p.a.ce. If things were too tight, it simply wouldn't materialize.

But one way or another, she was going to have do something soon. More branches and boughs came away from the shelter.

Joey frowned and then whispered, "Annja."

Annja nodded. "I need some s.p.a.ce."

The howling grew louder, as if the creature outside had heard them speak. The sc.r.a.ping sounds of more branches and boughs coming away increased to a frenzy. A constant a.s.sault on their position was under way and Annja knew that she would have to literally go through the roof.

She figured she would have about three seconds to break out and draw the blade. She would need to be quick or she'd be completely vulnerable to attack.

But what other choice was there?

She turned to Joey and mouthed, "On three."

Joey nodded.

Annja closed her eyes. This had better work or else it was going to get ugly really quick.

Joey tapped Annja's arm.