The Bovine Connection (8 page)

Jack looked down at his boots as he slid them across the dry dirt, leaving a long imprint. Angelica looked intensely at Jack and patiently awaited his response.

“Look, Mr. Keller, I understand your situation, and I understand how difficult it must be to experience something so unusual. But it’s in all of our best interest to find out what is happening to these animals and why it’s happening.”

Jack nodded at Angelica and then looked at Matthew, “I like her. Yes, thank you for your sincerity. I trust you’ll keep your word. And call me Jack.”

“Thank you!” Angelica turned on the recorder. “Let’s start with the first mutilation on your ranch. In the police report, you stated that you were still in your car after returning home that evening when you noticed a bright light in the sky moving toward your pasture. Then you stated there appeared to be a spotlight shining down on your cattle, and after a few minutes, it disappeared. Is that correct?” 

“Yes, that’s correct. Actually, I heard an odd sound before I saw the light. My window was down… I was enjoying the evening air. The sound seemed to get louder as the light approached.” Jack wiped the sweat from the back of his neck and continued… “At first, I thought it was some sort of military craft. I had never heard a sound like that before though, kind of a pulsating, humming sound. Almost like a sheet of metal being shaken back and forth, but it would have had to be a large sheet of metal to make a sound like that. I don’t know how else to describe it, really. Other than it was loud… I’ll say that!” Jack shook his head.

Angelica again felt that tingling sensation emanating from the back of her neck and down to her shoulders. “Humming?” she mumbled. Observing Jack’s expression, Angelica realized Jack was also clearly uneasy talking about the incident. It was obvious he was still trying to make sense of it.

“Jack, you said a pulsating, humming type of sound?”
Was it the same sound she had heard in the middle of the night?
she wondered. A strange coincidence, she thought. She could feel the rapidness of her heart rate as it increased causing her to feel slightly faint. “Did you mention the sound to the police?”

Jack shook his head. “No.”

“And you said ‘pulsating,’ correct?” Angelica rubbed at the side of her cheek with her pen grasped tightly in her palm.

“Yes, I said ‘pulsating.’”

Angelica nodded, “Okay.”

Angelica stepped in slightly closer, careful not to invade his personal space, a pet peeve of her own. “Could it also be described as a whooshing type sound?”

“Yes, most certainly. You know, come to think about it… I can’t remember if I mentioned it or not. Heard it both nights.”

Angelica tilted her head and looked at Matthew with a curious expression, “So you heard the sound again on the night of the second mutilation?”

“Yep, sure did. At first, I thought it was a helicopter, and then I realized it was the same sound I heard on the night of the first one…”

Angelica interrupted Jack, “That’s right… I remember reading in the police report that at first you thought you heard a helicopter. And you are sure it was not a helicopter, is that correct?”

“Certain of it!” Jack raised his shoulders in confidence.

“Okay, anything else happen that first night?”

“Well, after the light moved around for a few minutes, it stopped, and after a second or two, disappeared. It wasn’t until the next morning out on the ranch that I discovered one of my cattle all sliced up. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. As I was walking up, my first thought was that it had been attacked by a coyote. We have problems with coyote around here on occasion. But… upon closer inspection, I noticed there was no blood anywhere. Then I saw the cuts… the clean, precise cuts. Nothing like you’d see if a coyote got ahold of one of your cattle. It was strange so I grabbed a stick and poked around and noticed an eye was missing and an ear was gone. You’d think well, that would be normal in an attack by a coyote, but it looked as if someone had taken scissors to the ear and cut it clean off. I didn’t feel right about it. And then it hit me… Whatever it was that caused the light and sound from the night before had something to do with it, so I jumped in my truck and drove back to the house to phone the Sheriff.”

“What do you think it was?” Angelica asked cautiously.

Clearly made uncomfortable by the question, Jack answered with a slight hesitation. “I believe it was a UFO, Ms. Bradley. I know that sounds crazy, but I’ve tried to rationalize this over and over and I know what I saw, what I heard, and what my gut is telling me.” His tone was flat. He stared Matthew straight in the eyes.

Watching his mouth as he finished his sentence… “Very interesting,” Angelica said, careful not to sound condescending. “When you say UFO, do you mean to say, an alien craft?”

“Look Angelica, I know it’s hard to believe, but…”

Matthew interrupted him, “Jack, it takes a lot of courage to tell your story, thank you.”

“Yes, thank you, Jack!” Angelica said smiling warmly. Jack looked at both of them and tilted his head down, looking at the ground for a moment, then looking back up… “I don’t understand why I had to be the unfortunate person to experience something like this, but it’s changed my life and my faith to some degree. Angelica, I hope you can find some answers in your investigation. I’d like to know why they’re cutting up our cattle.”

Angelica could sense the emotion in Jack’s voice. It struck her that Jack had said “faith”. She drifted off for a moment, reflecting on her childhood thoughts of the possibility of other species existing out in the universe. With the innocence of a child, she wondered if there were other life forms out there, and if there were, were they created by the same God. Angelica caught herself drifting further from the present moment with Jack and Matthew. She stopped and refocused her attention.

“When I read the police report on the second incident, you reported the same occurrences on the night of the first incident. Was there anything different that happened that you may not have mentioned to the police?”

“Yes… there was…” Jack looked around nervously and then back to Angelica. His eyes appeared worried. “I was standing on the front porch watching the light and when it stopped over the pasture and just stayed there… Well…” Jack looked visibly uncomfortable. “After a minute, I saw…” Suddenly Jack stopped in mid-sentence and looked out into the distance between Matthew and Angelica.

Angelica looked at Jack and said, “Yes, and?”

Matthew turned his head to see Jack’s wife Elizabeth walking toward them.

“I’d rather Elizabeth not know everything. She’s a fragile woman and she’s been through a lot. I don’t think it would do her any good to know the details.”

Angelica looked at Elizabeth as she approached, “I understand”.

Elizabeth was moving quickly toward them. Angelica noticed the golden highlights in Elizabeth’s short dark blonde hair.

“Hi honey, this is Angelica Bradley with the
Liberator Magazine
, and you know Matthew.”

“Yes,” Elizabeth nodded at Matthew with a kind smile and then turned to Angelica, “Hello, I’m Elizabeth Keller, nice to meet you.”

Angelica extended her hand to Elizabeth slowly, as if she were a porcelain doll, mindful of her fragility. “Hello Elizabeth, so nice to meet you,” Angelica spoke softly and smiled.

A slight build, and cachectic blue veins protruding from her emaciated looking tan arms, the frail Elizabeth looked over at the carcass, “Gruesome isn’t it? How long have you guys been out in this heat? Why don’t you come inside into the air conditioning for some iced tea?”

“That would be nice, thank you,” Angelica gleamed and looked over to Matthew, “How about some tea?” Angelica’s blouse was moist and still clung to her back.

Matthew smiled at Elizabeth and spoke to her as if he were speaking to a toddler. “That sounds wonderful. We’ll meet you back at the house after we say goodbye to Paul and the guys.”

Angelica and Matthew walked away from Jack and Elizabeth toward the RUFA crew.

“Hey Paul, we’re heading out. Are you guys gonna be around town any while you’re here?”

“Yes, we usually show up at the billiards hall around dinner time. Why don’t you come out and have a beer with us?”

“Sounds good, maybe tomorrow night I’ll stop by. I’ll touch base with you tomorrow,” Matthew said as they continued past the group.

“Great, looking forward to it… Oh, and it’s nice to meet you, Angelica.”

Angelica was distracted, watching as Jack helped Elizabeth into his truck.

“And good luck with your story. I look forward to reading it,” Paul shouted.

Angelica quickly turned around, “Thanks. It was nice to meet you, as well.” Angelica smiled warmly.

             
B
efore Angelica could knock, Elizabeth showed up at the screened door. “Come on in.”

Angelica felt at ease immediately with Elizabeth. A salt of the earth type of woman… kind but by appearance, feeble. Elizabeth seemed to be very open and accepting. As they stepped in, Angelica noticed Elizabeth already had two glasses of iced tea starting to sweat, sitting on the coffee table.

“Have a seat and relax, the tea is real sweet. Hope you like it that way,” she said with a southern drawl.

“Are you originally from Montana?” Angelica asked as she took a seat on the sofa.

“No, I’m from Macon, Georgia.”

“Really, what brought you to Montana?” Angelica leaned back curiously.

“Love,” Elizabeth gleamed.

Intrigued, Angelica examined Elizabeth closely. Matthew immediately felt an inquisition about to unfold so he attempted to change the subject. “This is real good tea, Elizabeth,” he announced.

Elizabeth looked over at Matthew, “Well, thank you. So, Angelica, what is your interest in the cattle mutilations here in Elberton?” Matthew watched as Elizabeth examined Angelica. He thought she was probably fascinated with Angelica’s big city appearance.

“Angelica, your name is truly fitting. You have the face of an angel. Where do you live?”

“Thank you, Elizabeth, you’re very kind… I live in Washington, D.C.” Angelica looked at Jack as he squinted to suggest that Angelica not answer all of Elizabeth’s questions. She raised her brows and peered back at Elizabeth.

“
The Liberator Magazine
is interested in what may be causing these mutilations,” Angelica continued. “I’m an investigative journalist. I was with
The Washington Post
before I decided to start my own magazine.”

Matthew eyes grew wide; he appeared impressed.

Elizabeth appeared surprised. “Wow, impressive, you look so young.” Then Elizabeth turned serious. “Well, the first one happened about eleven or twelve years ago -- shocked us all. Poor Hugh Anderson, he really had a hard time after it happened on his ranch. It was the first incident here in Elberton. The town folk were suspicious of Hugh after that, or at least I think he felt they were. They were good people, the Andersons.” Her voice was gentle.

Elizabeth continued. “Hugh’s wife was a beauty… long black hair, dark skin and hazel eyes that would stop you dead in your tracks. The men in her family were coal miners. Their family settled here from Italy. It was real sad when she passed. Tragic… her death… She died suddenly.” Elizabeth frowned.

“Hugh was never the same,” she told them. “After her passing, I’d see him in town. He looked so sad and lost. He was pitiful. I think they were deeply in love. Oh and Michael, their son, broke my heart to see him lose his mother at such a young age, and he looked so much like her. Must have made it harder on Hugh… seeing such a strong resemblance of his wife every day.”

Angelica leaned towards Matthew and whispered, “Can you set up an interview at the Anderson ranch?” Then she quickly turned back to Elizabeth. “I can’t imagine… how sad.”

Matthew got up from the sofa across from Elizabeth in her old rocking chair. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I’ll call now and see if we can stop by there on our way back to the lodge.” Matthew walked out the screen door, accidently letting it slam shut behind him startling Elizabeth and Angelica, causing them to flinch.

Angelica looked at Jack. He was leaning against the opening between the dining room and living room. “Was there anything unusual you remember? Or anything that stood out with the incidents on your ranch?” Angelica was peering at Jack, choosing her words carefully, mindful of Elizabeth.

“Well, let’s see… It was a cold day. The air was sharp and frigid since winter had set in. I awoke earlier than usual. I remember lying in bed, staring out the window. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to get on up. As I looked around for my overalls I sensed an eerie feeling in the air.” Jack was reflectively peering off into the distance as he spoke.

Angelica was struck by Jack’s detailed recollection as he recreated the scene in his mind. This story reminded her of why she loved being back in the field.

“I went downstairs to the kitchen where I found Elizabeth cooking. She’s always up at dawn cooking my favorite breakfast – fried eggs, country ham, and biscuits with a warm fire burning in the fireplace.” Jack glanced over and smiled at Elizabeth.