The Year Without Summer: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller

by Hunt, Jack

  “Yes. We’re on the north side of Yellowstone. And Tom, hurry.”

  With that said he pushed the radio back into its holster on the side of his belt.

  “We’ve got a chopper coming.”

  “I thought you said you couldn’t get hold of SAR.”

  “It’s not them. It’s a guy who works for the forestry service. He lives out in Cody. He has forward-looking infrared camera on the helicopter and will pick us up so we can do a sweep of the surrounding area. I figure if your son has taken that truck or someone else did and he’s in it, they might be off the main roads, so there is a chance we’ll spot them using FLIR.”

  “FLIR? With all this fire? Are you kidding me?”

  “Listen, Catherine, it’s the best option we have right now. In fact it’s the only option. I can’t guarantee we’ll find him. If this gets any worse, we may have no other choice than to pull out.”

  “I won’t leave my boy behind.”

  Several miles away, Billy slammed on the brakes as the headlights illuminated a huge fissure in the road. “Go that way!” Wyatt jabbed his finger to indicate the direction, telling him to drive parallel to the gaping break in the ground in the hope of finding an area where they could go around. The closer they got to the highway that encircled the lake the brighter the glow of fire became. Thick billowing smoke made it even darker than it actually was.

  “I can’t see a damn thing,” Billy yelled before flicking on his high beams.

  “Just keep going straight.”

  Billy glanced at Jordan. “Kid, you got a phone?”

  “I did. Your buddy stomped on it.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Billy said, flashing Wyatt a glare.

  “What? You wanted him to contact the law?”

  “We could have used it.”

  “For what?”

  Billy didn’t bother to explain, the situation was getting direr by the minute and they were still a few miles from the exit to Highway 20. The truck bounced over the hilly terrain until Billy saw the fissure come to an end. He yanked the wheel a hard left and continued on. He squinted as the fire became visible and he suddenly realized the way through was blocked. “Shit!”

  Veering away from the fire, he had no other choice than to head towards a dense forest. “Billy, what are you doing?”

  “There’s no other way through.”

  “But that’s like a slalom obstacle course.”

  “You have a better idea?”

  He knew if they could make it through, it would lead out to a large open area on the other side that fed down past Indian Pond, and came out on Highway 20. Billy eased off the brakes as they got closer to the tree line. It would slow them down but they had no other choice.

  On the north side of Yellowstone, streams of specialized firefighters known as smokejumpers were making final preparations before being taken to a rendezvous point where aircraft would take them to battle the wildfire. Rebecca was waiting on the superintendent who was speaking with them before they left. After getting off the phone with Catherine she’d bundled the crew into the helicopter and headed back to Mammoth headquarters to speak with Harris.

  After landing they hurried into the building with Rebecca barking out questions.

  “Mark, what are the readings now?”

  “The seismic activity is rapidly increasing.”

  “Maria?”

  “Across the board — sulfur emissions and thermal readings are off the charts.”

  She paced back and forth regretting not listening to Catherine. When Harris came in, she immediately launched into telling him what needed to be done. “We need to evacuate the park immediately.”

  “What? This is just a fire. We had several last year. I admit this one is a little out of control but...”

  After bringing him up to date on the death of Hank, she continued. “This is not just a wildfire you are dealing with here. I just got off the phone with Catherine. Hundreds of visitors are dead after the lake flooded inland. There was a high amount of sulfur in the water. She also said that the fire was started after that last earthquake.”

  “Forgive me, but isn’t this the same lady you said cried wolf only a few years ago in California?”

  “This information came directly from a ranger of yours. James Dawson.”

  “I’m familiar with him but…”

  “Look, we are wasting time. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve made mistakes in the past and I don’t believe everything that comes out of Catherine’s mouth, but on this… the evidence is as clear as day. The caldera is unstable and if we don’t act now there is no telling what will happen.”

  “How sure are you?”

  “Mark, care to fill him in?”

  Mark began reeling off data regarding seismic activity, deformation and gas emissions and comparing it to what was seen prior to volcanoes erupting in other parts of the world. The look on Harris’s face changed. He nodded several times and then leaned back on a table.

  “And you think NASA’s equipment is causing this?”

  “One hundred percent. These kinds of readings we are getting don’t happen overnight unless the caldera is provoked. Most eruptions happen after weeks, even months of heavy activity. This is occurring too fast. In essence, Mr. Harris, what NASA is doing could be likened to poking a wasp’s nest. You can only do that so long before what’s inside reacts.”

  “Have they stopped?” he asked.

  “They’ve been told to but the USGS does not have the final say in what they do. This is out of our hands. You need to call the governor of Wyoming and issue a state of emergency. Maybe he can reason with them or contact the powers that be to halt the activity.”

  “And if they stop. What then?”

  “There’s no telling. Quite frankly it might be too late.”

  “Best- and worst-case scenario?”

  “Best case — the eruption is small and the caldera doesn’t fully unzip. Worst case, the whole thing goes up and we don’t live to see tomorrow.”

  Rebecca knew that no one could say with confidence how much magma it would take to trigger a full eruption, and it was more likely a small eruption creating lava flows would happen than a giant explosion, but still… Thousands would die no matter how small the eruption, but if it was a smaller one, there was a greater chance of the surrounding states, and the whole country bouncing back. But the problem was there was no telling what would happen. All they could do was monitor the readings and prepare the park for a potential eruption.

  Harris pursed his lips together and stared back at her. The color in his face vanished as he reached for a phone and made the call.

  Billy expertly weaved around the trees as Wyatt guided him through.

  “Well, one thing is for sure, whatever resources the park has out searching for us, they’ll be throwing it at this fire. Maybe this is God’s way of getting us out of this mess.”

  “When did you start believing in God?” Wyatt said.

  “About ten minutes ago,” he said before laughing. He looked at Jordan who looked scared. “Hey kid, tell me about California. Is it true it’s full of sun and beach babes as far as the eye can see?” He didn’t give two shits about California but he thought it would take his mind off the situation at hand.

  “What?”

  “California. What’s it like?”

  “Uh… it’s alright. I guess.”

  “You guess?” Billy swerved at the last second to avoid a tree, and burst through bushes and over a rise. “Okay. Okay. So do you have a lady friend?”

  He didn’t reply to that.

  “C’mon. What’s she like?”

  “Dark hair, green eyes.”

  “Yeah, what’s her name?”

  “Aliyah.”

  “Aliyah? That doesn’t sound like a white gal’s name.”

  “It isn’t.”

  “So she’s African American. Nice. Nothing like some cocoa butter.”

  “Billy,” Wyatt said.

&nb
sp; Billy shrugged. “What?”

  Wyatt shook his head. “Watch out!”

  Billy looked just in time and veered around a huge boulder.

  “How about you keep your eyes ahead?” Wyatt said.

  “What about you?” Jordan asked.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “What are you doing here in Yellowstone?”

  He smiled as the truck bounced over the rocky terrain. “You ever heard of the Adrenaline Brothers?”

  “Yeah. Two crazy guys who post videos online.”

  He laughed. “We’ve got a fan boy here.”

  Jordan looked at both of them. “No way. That’s not you guys.”

  The truck soared over a rise and Billy yanked the wheel to the right. “In the flesh.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Show him the bandanna.” Wyatt pulled it from his backpack and flashed it.

  “Anyone could have bought that.”

  “We don’t sell the bandannas,” he said pulling it out and showing him the logo on the front. Jordan gripped it in both hands and looked at it.

  “No way.”

  “Unfortunately,” Wyatt said looking out the side window as they burst out of the tree line into a large open field. In the distance they could see the lights of cars on the highway. Billy fist pumped the air and smiled. “And that’s how you do it, ladies and gents.”

  The truck was roaring across the open plain heading for the road when the earth opened, one half rising five feet in the air and creating a wall before them. Billy swerved hard but not even he could avoid the collision. The side of the truck slammed into the earth, and the engine cut out.

  He turned over the key as the earth began shaking. “C’mon!”

  The truck spluttered a few times before it kicked in and he floored the gas pedal jerking them all forward. They had traveled on for another fifty yards when another portion of the earth blocked them. It felt like they were driving in a maze with walls appearing out of nowhere. Large clumps of soil rained down, smashing against the truck and blurring the window.

  Wyatt leaned back, bracing himself as his mouth widened. “Watch out!”

  Chapter 20

  The powerful eruption shook the earth beneath them, toppling trees, and overturning vehicles. They were on the way to the helicopter rendezvous point in an open space called Bridge Creek not far from Howard Eaton Trail when a mushroom cloud of ash shot up into the air. In that instant there was no way to gauge the scope of the eruption, only that it had come from the lake far behind them. Even if it was only a small eruption, there was a possibility that it could destabilize the entire supervolcano. What followed was a series of quakes that tore the ground asunder. Like broken glass fissuring out, the ground spread throughout the park, the earth rose in some areas, and dropped in others, creating walls of soil and rock that were monolithic in size.

  Dirt rained down in heavy chunks like balls of hail striking the hood and roof of their vehicle, beating out the rhythm of death.

  Catherine glanced in the side mirror, her eyes widening in horror.

  “Oh my God!” she muttered under her breath.

  The SUV rocked from side to side, and trees collapsed around them.

  It was a chaotic scene unfolding as vehicles disappeared into the ground, and large plumes of smoke, steam and ash shot into the air.

  Logan didn’t let up for a second but drove the gas pedal home, swerving around other vehicles until he veered off the main stretch heading for the coordinates Tom had given him.

  “How long before he arrives?”

  Logan glanced at his watch. It could be another ten minutes.

  “We don’t have that,” she said. Logan skidded off the trail and over grass and slammed the brakes on. Both of them got out and looked back. A gust of hot wind blew at them bringing with it a thick wall of smoke. Flaked ash fluttered down and Logan ran to the back of the vehicle and grabbed out masks to cover their faces. He glanced at his watch and they looked to the sky. It was like being in a terrifying dream they couldn’t escape. The glow of fire, mixed with the plume of ash, surrounded them. Catherine fully expected it to be scalding hot but it wasn’t. Either the lake’s water had cooled it or what had erupted was mostly steam, and solid material.

  Several other vehicles must have seen their ranger’s SUV pull off the main stretch because they followed. Two, then three, then about six vehicles came skidding in. Windows came down and a driver shouted, “What are you doing? Get the hell out of here.”

  Logan waved them on but they must have figured out why they were waiting as several of them got out and looked towards the sky.

  “Shit,” Logan said. If these people caught wind that they were waiting for a helicopter, a riot would ensue.

  A man and his wife hurried over. “Are you waiting for search and rescue? Are they sending in helicopters?”

  “Sir, get back in your vehicle and keep heading west.”

  “What are you doing out here? You’re waiting for a ride out, aren’t you?”

  The man persisted until he grabbed hold of Logan.

  “Sir, back up.”

  “We need to get out of here. We have kids.”

  Logan stabbed his finger. “Get in your vehicle and…”

  An explosion of epic proportion shook the ground enough that all of them lost their balance. It sounded like a rocket igniting.

  The man scrambled to his feet and grabbed his wife to hurry back to their vehicle. They didn’t waste a second getting the hell out of there. Others in vehicles nearby followed suit.

  “C’mon, Tom, where are you?” Logan said looking at his watch again.

  Shock began to set in at the thought that Jordan was out there somewhere — lost, scared and liable to die if she didn’t find him fast. How far could he have got? Catherine had to push down every emotion otherwise she would have lost it right there and buckled.

  “Logan.”

  He wasn’t looking at her but focused on the sky.

  “Logan!”

  “What?”

  “If we don’t make it out of this. I just wanted to thank you.”

  “For what”

  “For trying.”

  She knew he could have just left her. He could have told her there was no point searching for her son but he didn’t. He was risking his own life and his friend’s life.

  All the tension in his face disappeared for a second, and his lip curled before they heard the sweet sound of the chopper’s blades thumping in the distance.

  “All right. Listen up. As soon as we get on we’ll do a couple of sweeps through areas where I think he might have gone but if we don’t see him we are going to have to leave, you understand?”

  Catherine nodded. This was all her fault. She shouldn’t have left him behind. Hell, she shouldn’t have brought him here. Inwardly she berated herself as the chopper emerged from the thick cloud and came down. Wind whipped at her clothes, as it got closer to touching down.

  Right then three vehicles came barreling towards them.

  “Logan!”

  He pulled his firearm in preparation.

  As the helicopter set down, Logan motioned for her to get in as he raked his gun in front of him. Drivers jumped out and bolted for the helicopter. She heard the crack of the gun, once, twice, then a third time before Logan hopped in and yelled at Tom.

  “Get this bird in the air, now.”

  Chapter 21

  The world came back into view in fragments, like a kaleidoscope of images. Foreign sounds bombarded his brain. Billy coughed hard, his eyes fluttering. He could hear someone speaking but couldn’t make out who it was. He felt a warm trickle of something on his face. The taste of iron was in his mouth and it felt like someone was pressing down on his shoulders. Different sounds, crackling, popping and a brash voice dominated.

  “Billy! Wake up!”

  His eyes snapped open but he couldn’t make sense of the world around him. He could smell burning plastic and hear it bubb
ling away. Slowly the memory of what just happened came back to him, and he realized he was hanging upside down, with his shoulders against the top of the truck. He was still buckled into his seat and Wyatt was trying desperately to get him out.

  He saw flames outside, and the kid beside him still strapped in but unconscious.

  “The truck’s on fire,” Wyatt said. “Where did you put your knife?”

  He reached to his side but the blade wasn’t in the sheath. He groaned in pain. It felt like he’d broken a rib or two. Wyatt began looking around for the knife. He was panicking. Beyond the truck, Billy couldn’t see much, just fire, and soil and hissing steam. The last memory he had was of yanking the wheel hard as large sections of the earth rose up before them. It had all happened so suddenly.

  “Found it.”

  Wyatt scrambled over and began hacking away at the seatbelt until his body jerked free. Wyatt looped his arms around Billy and dragged him out through the passenger side window. He brought him about fifty yards from the truck, then collapsed on the ground.

  In that moment all he could hear was the fire crackling away.

  Both of them breathed hard as they tried to catch their breaths.

  “The kid,” Billy muttered, motioning to the truck.

  Wyatt shook his head. “There’s not enough time.”

  Billy grabbed him by the collar. “Get the kid out.”

  “But.” Wyatt stared back, fear ruling his every thought. Reluctantly he nodded and hurried away. Billy rolled onto his side to watch but had to move to his back, as it was just too painful. He gripped his side and let out a cry. It had been one bad thing after another. Although he wasn’t a churchgoing man he knew the danger of the situation and the need for some divine intervention.

  “God. If you are out there, please help us.”

  In the few minutes he was waiting for Wyatt, he thought about his mother who had passed away when he was nine years old. She’d been a churchgoing woman, and someone who didn’t mince words when it came to spirituality. Was there any validity to it? He didn’t know as he’d lost his faith after she died. But was it really lost? Another explosion and he felt the ground shake. It was like lying on a vibrating bed in a sleazy motel. Within minutes, Wyatt returned with the kid in his arms. He was out cold. He laid him down and Wyatt checked his pulse and put his ear up to his mouth. “He’s alive,” Wyatt said.