The Yellowstone Brief

by Larry LaVoie

  “Funny,” Heather said. “Just get it over with.”

  David turned to Renfro. “Have you got the needle threaded?”

  “Quit stalling,” Renfro said. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

  Feeling the outline of the implanted tracking device with his index finger, David slit Heather’s skin where the scar was still evident from the injection. Heather gritted her teeth, but didn’t make a sound.

  “Give me something to stop the bleeding,” David said. He dug the tip of the blade in and removed the small tracking device. “Got it,” he said, taking a piece of gauze from Renfro. He placed the gauze on the wound and held it for a minute. He handed the tiny device to Renfro and whispered into Heather’s ear. “With any luck, you’ll be wearing a bikini by August. Are you ready for me to stitch you up?”

  “Couldn’t be more ready. Get it over with,” Heather said, gritting her teeth. “I’m not planning on visiting any beaches, so the bikini is out.”

  “Too bad, there’s a nice one about a mile from my house.”

  Renfro wiped the blood from the tracking device with a small piece of gauze. “What do I do with this?”

  “I think there’s an app for that,” Trick said, handing his smart phone to Renfro. “Assuming you can get access to the internet.”

  “I can handle that,” Heather said, reaching for the phone.

  “Hold still,” David said. “It’s a good thing I paid attention in Pre-med.”

  “You were in Pre-med?” Heather asked.

  “Just kidding,” David said. He pinched the skin together and poked the needle through her skin.

  “Ouch!”

  “If you keep moving, I’ll really make a mess out of this,” David said.

  “Henry, how do I access the internet?” Heather asked. “I can’t seem to get a signal.”

  “Everything is down,” Henry said. “We were told it was for operational security.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Heather said. She looked at Renfro. “How do I get out?”

  “My satellite communications have been down for the past 12 hours,” Renfro said. Unless we can find an area where we can get a signal, we’re SOL.”

  “I’ve been able to get out in short bursts with this,” Trick said, holding up his satellite phone. “Just charged it last night.”

  “Let me see that,” Heather said, reaching for the phone. “Maybe I can use it as a hot spot.”

  “Is that even possible?” Trick asked Renfro.

  Renfro shrugged his shoulders.

  “There,” Heather said, holding the two phones together. She frantically typed on the face of the smart phone. “There, now all we have to do is see who else is on this frequency.”

  “Damn it,” David said. “Do you want me to finish stitching you up, or not?”

  “Okay, okay. How much longer are you going to torture me?”

  “One more poke.” David slid the needle through her skin. He pulled the thread tight and tied it off. “Bandaid,” he said, holding out his hand. Renfro handed it to him, and David covered the wound. “There, good as new.”

  “Hand me that thing,” Heather said to Renfro. She held her phone close to the tracking device and it picked up the signal. “According to this, there are at least two other tracking devices in the area. One behind us and another up there.” She pointed toward the mountain.

  The earth shook again. “I’m glad that waited until the surgery was finished,” David said. He pointed to the cloud of ash spewing from Beehive Geyser in the distance. “That’s the source of the fallout. It’s clearing up ahead.”

  “I thought I’d never see daylight again,” Henry said. “You want me to take the road to the tunnel site or continue south?”

  Heather had her eyes fixed on the smart phone.

  “You said there was another signal behind us?” Renfro asked Heather.

  “About a mile back. They must have been tracking me.”

  “Better get rid of that thing,” Renfro said. “Any ideas?”

  “If we toss it, they’ll know we are on to them. The other signal looks like it is going in the direction of the tunnel. They must be taking the bomb to the tunnel.”

  “We need to follow the bomb,” Renfro said. “Maybe we can set a trap for them at the tunnel site. Dr. Wayne, what can we expect at the tunnel site?”

  “Colonel Mathews is moving his people to safety. As far as I know, he’s only got a skeleton crew left on the ground.”

  “Good,” Renfro said. “That will make it easier to distinguish friend from foe. What about the terrain.”

  “The tunnels are only 12 miles from here, but I’ll guarantee it’s the longest 12 miles you’ve ever driven in your life,” Trick said turning to address the back seat.

  “How much time?”

  “Four hours, if we’re lucky.”

  “Lucky?” Renfro looked confused.

  “If the tunnel machines don’t hit their target, or the whole damn mountain doesn’t blow up before we get there,” Trick said. “What the hell are we doing? We should let them carry out their stupid plan and get the hell out of here. It isn’t going to make a difference in the end.”

  Ignoring Trick’s moment of sanity, Heather held up Trick’s phone. “With this we can pinpoint where they are. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take them by surprise.”

  “That’s the road coming up,” David said. He looked at Heather, then at Renfro. “Once we start up that road, there is no other way out of the park. We’re pretty much committed.”

  “This is asinine!” Henry said. “If we stay on the main road it will lead us to the south entrance. I agree with Trick, we should get the hell out of here while we still have a chance.”

  There was a sudden lurch and the ground rose under them. The Humvee bounced uncontrollably for a full 20 seconds. Henry slammed on the brakes and held the wheel until it was over. “You still want me to take the road to the tunnel site?”

  “Take it!” Renfro demanded.

  Henry didn’t move. “You heard Dr. Wayne.”

  “No way out! How the hell did Colonel Mathews evacuate his crew?” Renfro asked.

  “They had a large blimp tethered near the site for the evacuation,” David said, “but he told me there was also a helicopter. Hopefully, it’s still there.”

  “Then there is a way out,” Renfro said.

  David lifted his hands in defeat. “Technically.”

  “Henry, we’re taking the road to the tunnel site.”

  Henry turned up the road.

  “How far are they ahead?” Renfro asked.

  Heather tried to hold the tiny screen steady, but the Humvee was swaying side-to-side making it difficult. “At least a mile. It’s hard to say.”

  “This road is as curvy as a snake’s spine,” Trick said. “Henry, you know how to shift this thing into 4-wheel low?”

  “Already there,” Henry said. “I thought you said this was a road.”

  “The truck with the bomb, is going to have a rougher time than we are,” David said. “Agent Martin, did you happen to notice if it was 4-wheel drive?”

  “It had dual rear wheels and I think it was a Dodge, or a Ford 3500. Diesel engine. I remember hearing the clicking sound when they fired it up.”

  “That’s heavy duty,” Trick said. “Chances are it’s got that option. These guys know what they’re doing.”

  “They were ruthless in Mexico,” David said. “They already know what to expect, if the tunnel is their goal.”

  “I don’t think there is any doubt about that, now,” Heather said. “Whoever’s behind us is catching up. Dr. Evans, can you pick up speed?”

  Henry looked back. “You want to drive this thing, or would you rather critique me from the back seat?”

  “Sorry,” Heather said.

  Henry put his foot on the gas and all four tires spun out, raising a dust cloud, and sending the rig in a fishtail toward the edge of a ravine.

  “Cool it, Henry!” Trick ye
lled. “My side is next to the cliff.”

  They crawled along for another two hours. The tracking dots on the screen seemed to stay equal distance in front and behind them.

  “Somehow, I thought this was going to be easier,” Renfro said. “How far are they ahead?”

  Heather checked the phone. “They’ve stopped. Damn, I’ve lost the signal.”

  “Keep track of the last coordinates,” David said. “It may come in useful.”

  “We still have someone behind us. It looks like they are right on our tail.”

  Henry looked nervously at the monitor in the dash that showed the rear view of the vehicle, but the image was blurred from the dust. He checked the side mirrors, but the road was so steep and twisted he couldn’t see more than a few yards behind..

  It took another hour before they approached the plateau of the tunneling site. “We’re coming up to the site,” Trick said. “Be careful, they may be waiting for us.”

  “We don’t have much of a choice, with the others behind us,” Heather said. “What do we do?”

  “It’s perfect for an ambush,” Renfro said. “Our only advantage is we know where they are.”

  “And they know where we are,” Heather reminded him.

  “Is there any signal?” David asked.

  “The one ahead has disappeared,” Heather said.

  “What were the coordinates?” David asked.

  Heather gave them to him. He got on the radio. “Colonel Mathews, come in.” He explained they were at the site and gave the coordinates to Mathews. “Can you tell me if that’s a tunnel entrance?”

  “That’s the tunnel farthest to the north,” Mathews replied. “What’s going on?”

  “Colonel, we think that’s where they took the bomb.”

  “How the hell did you let that happen?”

  David ignored the question. “Any idea what will happen if it goes off in there?”

  “That tunnel is the farthest behind. We hit a snag and had to reprogram the machine for a fault that had a lot of water in the ground. It’s still a day from reaching its target.”

  “How about the others?”

  “The south tunnel is an hour from breaking through. The middle tunnel is about the same. You realize all hell is going to break lose when an NPTM hits magma. You need to get out of there pronto.”

  “Can you stop digging, until we see if we can catch up with the bomb?”

  “Negative. If you are at the site, you already know it’s evacuated. We have pulled back to a fifty mile safe zone. I left the helicopter and pilot behind for you, but I’ve instructed him to pull out in ten minutes. I’m not risking any more of my men, understand.”

  “Ten minutes!”

  “I would advise you to get on the helicopter and let the terrorists go. There is no escape for them if we complete the tunnel.”

  “Give me the radio,” Renfro said angrily reaching for it.

  David handed it to Renfro.

  “Colonel, this is FBI Agent Mathew Renfro. Do you realize, if that nuclear device is exploded it will send a radioactive cloud over the state of Idaho and parts of Wyoming. It will make the entire area uninhabitable?”

  “I agree it’s not the best outcome, but what would you have me do? If I stop tunneling, the entire country and a good part of the world is at risk.”

  “I’ve got my orders, Agent Renfro. I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry, shit!” Renfro said, handing the radio back to Trick.

  David glanced at the helicopter in the distance in front of them. “Something’s not right. Henry, drive over there.”

  Henry pulled the Humvee to within 20 feet of the helicopter. David got out and ran over to it. The pilot was dangling from the pilot seat with the door partly open. David checked for a pulse. “He’s dead.” He looked at the fresh blood on his hand. “Gunshot to the chest.” Anger welled up inside of him. What kind of people would target innocent women and children? He was thinking about his wife and son, of course, but the death of the helicopter pilot seemed completely unjustified. “We’ll get the ones who did this,” he said under his breath. He unbuckled the pilot and laid him on the ground.

  Renfro tapped Henry on the shoulder. “Drive into the north tunnel.”

  “What’s the plan?” David asked, climbing back into the Hummer.

  “We need to find that truck and hope the hell they haven’t activated the device.”

  “That’s the plan?” Trick asked. “It’s obvious they have guns and aren’t afraid to use force.”

  “They have automatic weapons,” Heather corrected. “AK74 automatic rifles. We haven’t got anything like that.”

  Henry looked with wide eyes at the tunnels as he passed the entrances to Tunnel One and Two. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

  “Stop here,” David said, just outside the north tunnel. “Don’t drive in there.”

  “Look, I’m in charge here,” Renfro said. “Drive in the tunnel and find that bomb.”

  “Don’t do it, Henry,” David said. “That tunnel is filled with hydrogen sulfide gas. You drive in there and we’ll all be dead in a few minutes.”

  “I suppose you have a better idea?” Renfro asked.

  “I suggest you listen to me,” David said. “There are gas masks in that container at the entrance.”

  Henry stopped at the tunnel entrance.

  “I’ll see if there are enough masks for us,” David said. “Agent Renfro, give me that tracking device. I think we can set a trap for the ones following us.”

  Chapter 32

  “We’re in the north tunnel.” Andy Rhane heard the crackling message on his radio. He slid his gas mask aside and spoke into his handheld radio. “What took you so long. Did you take care of the girl?”

  “We are following the girl. The signal went dead at the tunnel where you are. She is in the tunnel with you.”

  “Are you sure? Never mind her. These tunneling machines are still working and no one is here. They must be on automatic pilot. I’m going to set the timer on this bomb. You better come in and get us out of here, fast.”

  “But she is in there with you.”

  “We’ll be on the look-out for her. We are a mile or so in and traveling deeper. It’s hot in here and the air is not good. Be sure to put on gas masks. The air is poison.”

  Hidden in a small grove of pine, less than a hundred feet from the north tunnel entrance, David, Heather, Henry, Trick and Renfro watched the pickup truck stop, and the two occupants retrieve gas masks, and then drive into the pitch black interior of the tunnel.

  “This better work,” Renfro said, crouched behind the door of the Hummer. His sidearm was at the ready, as was Heather’s. The others were outside the Humvee, crouched behind boulders and scrub brush.

  “What made you think they would enter the tunnel?” Heather asked.

  “Your tracking device is traveling down the tunnel on a golf cart. I don’t know how far it will go before hitting something, but they think you are in the tunnel. Either they are going to off-load the bomb or they planned for the pickup to be the rescue vehicle. Either way they don’t have time to get out of the park using a vehicle.”

  “My God,” Heather said. “How could they know all of this?”

  “They have been intercepting the radio broadcasts. Either they planned on being suicide bombers or they are planning on using the helicopter to escape.”

  “But we have no way of stopping them,” Heather said, looking at Renfro. “Colonel Mathews said we have less than an hour before the tunnel machines hit magma. It takes longer than that to get back down the road to Old Faithful, and who knows what will happen in the park once the bomb goes off.”

  “It will be all over anyway when the tunnel machines hit pay dirt,” Trick added.

  “Time for the rest of the plan,” David said. “Follow me.” He ran for the box where the masks were stored. He reached in and grabbed a box. “Trick get that golf cart.”

  “You mind telling
me what we are doing,” Renfro demanded.

  “This is a case of C-4. I figure we can send it down the tunnel on the golf cart and detonate it by radio, that is if they taught you how to do that sort of thing in spy school.”

  “Are you nuts? That could set off the bomb,” Renfro said.

  “Or it could seal the bomb in the tunnel with the terrorists. If you have a better plan, we need to know it right now.”

  A mile in the tunnel the pickup stopped beside the golf cart that had Heather’s tracking device taped to the seat. “Andy, we found the girl.”

  “Eliminate her and get your ass down here. I’ve set the timer for 30 minutes.”

  “Brother. That is a little close. How much farther are you in.”

  “Just get here, or we’ll all be toast.”

  “The girl isn’t here. It looks like her tracking device was removed and put on a golf cart.”

  “She may be in here, but you’ll have to forget her and get back in the truck and come get us.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “That looks good,” Trick said. “I should have gone to spy school.”

  “Improvised Explosive Device,” Renfro said. “I hope your phone has enough battery power to set it off.”

  “Henry’s got the Hummer fired up to get us to the helicopter,” David said. “Are you ready to send this on it’s way?”

  “Let it go,” Renfro said.

  Trick wedged a tree branch against the gas peddle and ran alongside of the golf cart for a few feet, making sure it was aimed down the center of the tunnel.”

  “That’s it,” David said. “Everybody in the Hummer.”

  They piled into the Humvee and Henry headed across the wide lot, aiming for the helicopter.

  David ran for the pilot’s seat and strapped himself in. “Trick, load up the pilot. He deserves a decent burial.”

  Trick put the pilot over his shoulder and unloaded him on the floor in front of Heather and Renfro. The rotors were already spinning as Trick jumped for the bay. Heather grabbed an arm and helped him in.