The Bovine Connection (18 page)

“Go get ‘em girl! Stay in touch!”

“Will do. Talk soon.”

Angelica hung up and immediately called Matthew only to get his voicemail. “Hey Matthew, it’s Angelica. I’m meeting with Michael Anderson today and then I’m flying out tomorrow morning. I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to assist me with the story. Oh, and getting me home last night. I hope I didn’t say or do anything too ridiculous.” Angelica exhaled a loud breath as she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, let’s stay in touch. Call me. Bye.”

Angelica put her cell phone on the table and looked for Dr. Goolrick’s number. She found it along with his address at the University. It was at the top of a report he had written for the Elberton police. She dialed his number and after a few rings a baritone, assertive voice sounded off on the other end of the line.

“Hello, Walter Goolrick speaking!”

“Hello, Dr. Goolrick, my name is Angelica Bradley with the
Liberator Magazine
. I’m in Elberton doing a story on the cattle mutilations. I’ve been working alongside Matthew Tillman. I read your report and have a few questions for you. Are you available for an interview tomorrow? I would fly to you, of course.”

After a moment of silence, he responded. “Yes, I guess I could be available. I could meet you for dinner tomorrow evening. Where will you be staying?”

“I’ll be staying at the Brown Palace Hotel.”

“Beautiful place, I’ll meet you in the hotel restaurant – say, six o’clock?”

“Perfect, look forward to meeting you, Dr. Goolrick.” Angelica hung up the phone and looked out at the mountains as she relaxed back in her chair. “I almost hate to leave this place,” she thought aloud.

“Yes, it is extraordinary! Hello, ma’am. Are you ready?”

Angelica quickly turned to see the server standing beside her. “Oh, yes. I’ll have a glass of the Velante pinot grigio, a caprese salad and the straciatella soup, thank you.”

The server smiled. “Excellent choice!” He took the napkin from the table, shook it out, and placed it on Angelica’s lap. “Are you enjoying your stay at Elk Lodge?”

”Yes, very much,” Angelica looked back to the mountains. “I’m going to miss this view.”

The server looked out at the mountains. “Yes, they are stunning! You’ll have to come back when the weather is cooler. It’s very nice here that time of year, as well.”

“I look forward to it,” Angelica met the man’s eyes and smiled before he turned and walked away.

Angelica slid her laptop closer to finish making her flight and hotel arrangements for Colorado. She was able to book a flight for departure at twelve-twenty in the afternoon, giving her plenty of time to get to the airport and be in Denver in time for dinner with Dr. Goolrick.

She clicked on the “Elberton Cattle Mutilation” file in her documents and started typing her story. “Of all the places I find myself, Elberton, Montana is not one where I would have expected to end up; however, I have to say, it is quite an interesting place. Following in the footsteps of those who’ve walked this journey before me-- journalists, investigators, scientists and law enforcement-- I have pondered the very same questions in search of answers in the case surrounding the horrendous acts of mutilated cows. In the land of white elk and fly fishing, acreages give way to lush green wilderness, forest, streams and open spaces of prairie grass-- an elegant backdrop for a crime of this nature. A crime so unusual, law enforcement officials have called in help from the best scientists and experts to crack the case. However, what they’ve discovered has this quiet, Midwestern community afraid of the dark. The details of eye-witness accounts are stranger than fiction. From glowing balls of light and unfamiliar sounds coming from the sky, the story gets more extraordinary, taking us beyond the limits of the human experience and rational explanations. Are we seeing the evidence of life beyond our world? Following the path of a long, convoluted history of ET encounters and research, this strange phenomenon opens new doors into this controversial subject. A cattleman’s nightmare, the grisly mutilations of livestock have plagued farmlands worldwide for decades and perhaps longer. Described generically as cattle mutilations, these bizarre deaths happen also to horses, goats and as reported in South America, even humans, though the most common victims are cattle. Utters, ears and tongues among other organs are somehow surgically removed without a trace of blood at the scene. This story will explore through facts and eyewitness accounts, the prevailing theory that extraterrestrials may be responsible for these heinous acts. The delicate and precise manner in which these gruesome acts were committed poses the question – Who or what would be capable of performing such an operation in the dead hours of the night in the vast wildness? Does our government know who is responsible and most importantly – why? Ten years ago, this quiet, sleepy town experienced…”

“Miss… Excuse me, miss, your lunch,” Angelica looked up.

“Oh, thank you. I’m sorry, let me move my laptop.”

The server glided the fine white china down smoothly in front of Angelica. “Hard at work?” the server asked.

“Yes, working on a story.”

He nodded. “Very nice… Enjoy your lunch.”

A
ngelica turned off the road onto the drive leading to the Anderson ranch. An old red diesel truck and a black Cadillac Escalade pickup were parked close to the barn. Angelica parked beside them. She looked in the rearview mirror and fluffed her hair before checking her face.

She stepped out of the car. As she shut the car door, she heard voices coming from the barn, believing it had to be Michael; she walked toward the barn, trying to make out what they were saying.

When she stepped inside, she saw Michael standing with his back turned speaking with a short, older man. The man suddenly noticed Angelica and stopped talking. Michael turned around and met Angelica’s eyes. Her stomach sank as she returned his smile, and then Michael turned back around and told the man something Angelica couldn’t hear.

Angelica stood there awkwardly. She wasn’t sure if she should walk over to them or stay put. She anxiously straightened her blouse while looking around the barn. After a moment, they turned around and started toward her.

“Hi, I’m Sam.”

“This is Sammy!” Michael smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Sammy, I’m Angelica Bradley.”

“Very nice to meet you, ma’am.” Sammy turned back to Michael. “I’ll talk with you later.”

He placed his hand on Angelica’s shoulder patting her gently as he walked past her. Moved by the warm gesture, she turned and watched him walk toward his truck.

When she turned back, Michael was standing within a foot in front of her. “Well, hello, you are beautiful,” he said. He was taller than she remembered.

Suddenly Angelica’s confidence shifted and she felt a strange sensation - shyness - as she looked down before returning his gaze. “Hi! Thank you,” she said. Her nerves were causing her to tremble slightly as she glanced back toward the trucks.

Angelica took a step back to create more space between them. “Who is Sam?”

“Sammy worked for my father,” Michael told her. They were best friends. Once my father passed away and he realized I wasn’t going anywhere, things just continued on. He takes care of the horses, cattle and the land. He doesn’t say much… but he smiles a lot.”

Angelica watched as Michael’s lips opened.

“Sammy has a small cabin at the edge of the property that he and Dad built,” Michael continued. “Dad deeded him the parcel his cabin sits on. I couldn’t imagine selling the property… and poor Sammy would be lost without the ranch to care for. My father would have wanted it this way… this is his home.”

Angelica was watching Michael’s lips as he spoke. An odd thought popped into her mind. She wondered how they would feel against her lips.

“So how about I take you around and show you the property? I can show you where it happened.”

Angelica snapped out of her infatuated gaze and looked around. For a brief moment she had forgotten why she was there.

“Oh yes, I would like to see the location.”

“Let’s get you a saddle.” Michael walked over and grabbed a brown saddle and a halter from the shelf.

“I’ll put you on Zane. He’s gentle. Have you ridden a horse before?”

Angelica followed behind Michael and walked around Zane to size him up. “He’s beautiful, and very big. Yes, I have, but it’s been a while.” She rubbed the top of Zane’s nose. “Nice to meet you, Zane. I do hope you’ll be a gentle horsy,” she said softly.

Michael smiled and turned around to get the saddle for his black horse.

Angelica watched him walk off, admired his physique for a moment. Embarrassed, she quickly turned her attention to the barn.

Smiling, Michael looked over at Angelica inquisitively while walking over to saddle his horse.

“So, when are you going back to D.C.?”

“I’m flying to Denver tomorrow and then I’ll head back.”

“Oh… so soon?” Michael sounded surprised.

“Yes, I’ll miss the mountains,” she said softly, as she noted the smell of fresh hay mixed with manure. 

“Let’s get you up on that horse.” Michael walked over and stood beside Zane. Angelica put one foot into the stirrup. Michael put his hands on Angelica’s waist and swiftly lifted her up. Angelica blushed, startled by his forcefulness, but she kind of liked it at the same time.

Angelica adjusted herself comfortably on her saddle and watched as Michael got up onto his shiny black Stallion. The beautiful beast pulled his head back and let out a snort as Michael pulled on the bridle to lead them out of the barn. Angelica patted the side of Zane’s neck as he followed closely behind.

Angelica squeezed Zane between her legs feeling slightly uneasy. Michael led them to a trail between the tall evergreens behind the barn. The sky matched Angelica’s pale blue eyes. There were only a few clouds scattered about like cotton balls.

“What an amazing day!” Angelica mused, as she put her head back and admired the sky.

“Yes, a perfect day!” Michael looked back with a sneaky smile and then looked up to the sky to notice several hawks gliding above. They both watched as the hawks gracefully and effortlessly glided along the northerly wind.

The gentle swaying of Zane’s hind quarters and the sound of the clump, clump of his hooves was putting Angelica in a blissful trance. She had loosened her grip on Zane and felt more relaxed. Angelica peered off into the distance, becoming mesmerized by a small cabin, but then forced herself to snap back into relative coherence. She needed to focus, she thought.

“Was Sammy around on the evening of the mutilation?” she asked Michael. “You said he lives on the property. Did he hear or see anything?”

Michael, still looking ahead while leading, answered, “No, he said he never saw or heard a thing. By the appearance of the cow, he agreed with my father that it wasn’t a coyote or any other animal. He’s seen a lot of coyote and bear attacks in his day. He never said much else about it. He’s like that… stays to himself and doesn’t have much of an opinion on things… easy going.”

“I’ve heard some bizarre things in the last few days. Do you think it was ETs, Michael? I talked to Paul at the billiard hall last night and he seems to think so, and Matthew does too. Well, as a matter of fact, that seems to be the general consensus, except for your sheriff.”

“Believe it or not, I lean toward the ET theory too, but who knows.” Michael glanced back to observe Angelica’s expression. She was completely unaware she was chewing on her bottom lip.

“My father seemed to believe it, and what he said he experienced on the craft”… Michael paused for a moment then stuttered, “…like I told you the other day.” Michael shook his head.

Angelica turned towards him, trying to stay balanced on the saddle. “Did you mention this during our interview the other day? I don’t recall you saying anything about him being on a craft.” Angelica appeared confused.

“Maybe I didn’t mention that part.” Michael clearer his throat. “He said some strange things. He confided in me a lot before he passed away, almost like he needed to get it all out so he could move on.”

“What were some of the things he told you?”

“Look Angelica, once he started taking the meds, I’m not certain he knew what he was saying anymore,” Michael said.

“Like, the night he woke up on the ground in front of the barn. That was before the medication and chemo, right?” Angelica asked curiously.

Michael narrowed his eyes. “He did have high blood pressure. Maybe the wound was from landing on something and he didn’t notice it until he took his shirt off to shower. I don’t know, Angelica.” Michael shook his head. “I questioned him a lot. He said he understood it was all hard to believe. Initially, he wasn’t going to tell me. He said he wanted to put it away and forget about all of it. But over time the memories wouldn’t go away. They were coming back like a speeding train.”

“Okay… So he was recalling events from when he was supposedly unconscious? Events such as being on a craft?”