Once An Alpha (The S Files: Paranormal Investigation Agency – Book 1) by Callie McKenna
Authors: Callie McKenna
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confused, but she smiled at Lyndon. “Oh…of course, dear. Have a seat.”
She patted the floral-printed sofa cushion next to her, and Lyndon sat down. I sat in a chair across from them, and the nurse brought us a plate of chocolate chip cookies. “Here you go. Hope you enjoy your visit!”
Heidi looked at Lyndon, and then slowly turned her head to stare at me. “Who are you people? Now, I might be an old lady, and some days I have trouble remembering things, but other days I’m as sharp as ever. And I know that I don’t have a great nephew named Andrew.”
Lyndon tentatively patted her on the shoulder. “You’re right, Heidi. Please don’t be concerned; we just want to talk. We’re from the FBI, and we think you might be able to help us.”
She drew in a sharp breath, and her blue eyes widened slightly. “I don’t know how an old woman like me could possibly be of any help to the FBI.”
“You really don’t need to be frightened, Heidi,” I interjected, leaning forward and giving her my most sympathetic look. “We’re investigating all the disappearances in this town over the years, and we wondered if you could just look at a few pictures and see if you recognize anything.”
She slowly nodded, and I pulled out the picture of Hilda Beaugard. I passed it to her, and there was no missing the look of recognition that flitted across her face.
“Do you know that woman, Heidi?” Lyndon asked gently.
“Please show me your credentials,” she whispered. “So I know I can trust you. So I know you’re not one of them.”
We surreptitiously flashed her our badges, and she stared into my eyes, her own eyes wide. “That…that picture is of me,” she said quietly. “I used to be Hilda Beaugard.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. “What happened to the ski hiking group that night, Heidi?”
She stared into space, a slightly glazed expression crossing her face as she recalled the incident that had occurred so long ago now. “There were ten of us. Seven men and three women including myself. We all thought it would be such an adventure, hiking and camping in such a beautiful part of the world. We reached the eastern shoulder of the mountain and set up camp, and then we settled in for the night.”
She paused and tilted her head a bit, as if she were having trouble recalling exactly what happened.
“It’s okay,” Lyndon said. “Anything you can remember at all is great.”
“I think…well, I’m not certain of the time. But we all woke up sometime in the middle of the night. Bobby was the first to wake, and he told us he had been hearing strange voices around the tent for a while. But that was impossible…we hadn’t run into any other ski hikers on the trail that day, let alone anywhere near our campsite. And what kind of people would go hiking in the snow on a freezing night?”
“So Bobby woke because of the voices. Did you hear the voices?” I asked.
She hesitated again, and then nodded. “Ah. Sorry, it’s all a bit of a blur. It’s been decades, after all. Bobby woke us, and we all listened. He was right. Footsteps, voices…and they were getting closer. We were all frightened, and none of us knew what to do. Then we heard an unearthly growling sound coming from somewhere behind the tent, and it was getting closer by the second. Mitchell grabbed his pocket knife and sliced the front of the tent open from the inside because with so many layers on the tent, there were at least three zippers, and we needed to get out as fast as possible. We didn’t even have time to put shoes on. And then we ran. We ran…”
“What happened?” Lyndon asked.
“I…I’m not sure. It was so dark…so cold. Bobby and James slipped and fell into a ravine, and out of the corner of my eye I saw some…some creature jump in after them. To make sure they were dead, I presume. Then something grabbed Leanna and Trish up ahead, and I remember their screams. I tried to run to them to help, but then
She patted the floral-printed sofa cushion next to her, and Lyndon sat down. I sat in a chair across from them, and the nurse brought us a plate of chocolate chip cookies. “Here you go. Hope you enjoy your visit!”
Heidi looked at Lyndon, and then slowly turned her head to stare at me. “Who are you people? Now, I might be an old lady, and some days I have trouble remembering things, but other days I’m as sharp as ever. And I know that I don’t have a great nephew named Andrew.”
Lyndon tentatively patted her on the shoulder. “You’re right, Heidi. Please don’t be concerned; we just want to talk. We’re from the FBI, and we think you might be able to help us.”
She drew in a sharp breath, and her blue eyes widened slightly. “I don’t know how an old woman like me could possibly be of any help to the FBI.”
“You really don’t need to be frightened, Heidi,” I interjected, leaning forward and giving her my most sympathetic look. “We’re investigating all the disappearances in this town over the years, and we wondered if you could just look at a few pictures and see if you recognize anything.”
She slowly nodded, and I pulled out the picture of Hilda Beaugard. I passed it to her, and there was no missing the look of recognition that flitted across her face.
“Do you know that woman, Heidi?” Lyndon asked gently.
“Please show me your credentials,” she whispered. “So I know I can trust you. So I know you’re not one of them.”
We surreptitiously flashed her our badges, and she stared into my eyes, her own eyes wide. “That…that picture is of me,” she said quietly. “I used to be Hilda Beaugard.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. “What happened to the ski hiking group that night, Heidi?”
She stared into space, a slightly glazed expression crossing her face as she recalled the incident that had occurred so long ago now. “There were ten of us. Seven men and three women including myself. We all thought it would be such an adventure, hiking and camping in such a beautiful part of the world. We reached the eastern shoulder of the mountain and set up camp, and then we settled in for the night.”
She paused and tilted her head a bit, as if she were having trouble recalling exactly what happened.
“It’s okay,” Lyndon said. “Anything you can remember at all is great.”
“I think…well, I’m not certain of the time. But we all woke up sometime in the middle of the night. Bobby was the first to wake, and he told us he had been hearing strange voices around the tent for a while. But that was impossible…we hadn’t run into any other ski hikers on the trail that day, let alone anywhere near our campsite. And what kind of people would go hiking in the snow on a freezing night?”
“So Bobby woke because of the voices. Did you hear the voices?” I asked.
She hesitated again, and then nodded. “Ah. Sorry, it’s all a bit of a blur. It’s been decades, after all. Bobby woke us, and we all listened. He was right. Footsteps, voices…and they were getting closer. We were all frightened, and none of us knew what to do. Then we heard an unearthly growling sound coming from somewhere behind the tent, and it was getting closer by the second. Mitchell grabbed his pocket knife and sliced the front of the tent open from the inside because with so many layers on the tent, there were at least three zippers, and we needed to get out as fast as possible. We didn’t even have time to put shoes on. And then we ran. We ran…”
“What happened?” Lyndon asked.
“I…I’m not sure. It was so dark…so cold. Bobby and James slipped and fell into a ravine, and out of the corner of my eye I saw some…some creature jump in after them. To make sure they were dead, I presume. Then something grabbed Leanna and Trish up ahead, and I remember their screams. I tried to run to them to help, but then
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