Night of the Aurora (Salmon Run - Book 1)

by J. A. Marlow

  Night of the Aurora

  Book 1 in the Salmon Run series

  By J.A. Marlow

  Exclusively Published By: Star Catcher Publishing

  http://starcatcherpub.com/

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE SALMON RUN SERIES

  Night of the Aurora

  Alien Winter

  The Singing Lakes

  ***Description***

  Welcome to Salmon Run, Alaska! A place of wild animals, wild land, and wild inhabitants...oh, and native legends come alive and an inter-planetary alien conflict at their backdoor.

  Zach Callahan and his father, Hawk, arrive in Alaska to begin a new life. Anxious to arrive at the lodge crazy Uncle George left them, they find the first challenge is just getting to Salmon Run.

  While still in Cordova, an old prospector declares the two greenhorns unprepared for the realities of an Alaskan winter. Sasha, a young native girl, attaches herself to Zach, much to his disgust. A failed sled-dog won't leave Hawk alone, giving rise to an old phobia. They think they have it made once they get to the Solar Express, the unique train that will take them through a dark road-less wilderness to their new home.

  The same night a massive display of the Aurora Borealis lights up the sky.

  The Solar Express shuts down, stranding its passengers in the middle of nowhere. Hidden beneath the snow and ice, and under the path of the rescuers, an alien spaceship also feels the effects of the light show.

  Cut off from the rescuers and trapped inside the spaceship, Zach and Sasha must ally themselves with a pair of aliens before either the malfunctioning security systems or the native Alaskan wildlife kills them.

  A stand-alone 37800 word, 152 page (approximate), science fiction novella in the Salmon Run series by J.A.Marlow.

  Acknowledgments

  This book dedicated to my family, who have been supportive of all my writing since I can remember. All my stories are for you.

  To Jan Sophia Grace for copious amounts of tea, lots of wonderful brainstorming sessions, and a willingness to see the ridiculous side of life.

  This book is also dedicated to all those who love to daydream.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "It's freezing."

  Hawk Callahan stopped the luggage trolley outside the door of the ferry office to find his son, Zach, trying to stick his chin down into the collar of his coat.

  A long flight to the Anchorage International Airport, a train to Whittier, a ferry to Cordova, Alaska, through bone-chilling cold and the trip wasn't even finished yet. Instead of agreeing and possibly inspire more complaints, Hawk said, "Welcome to Alaska in winter."

  He reached out to push one of the boxes back onto the luggage trolley. He could see another dock further south and a few more buildings, but they definitely weren't near the city center. He eyed the luggage. It would take a lot of work, but they might be able to carry it all.

  Zach let go of the luggage handle to stuff his hands deeper into the pockets. "It can warm up now."

  "It's only January. I think we'll have to wait a while."

  "What great weather!" a voice said from behind them. "Need a ride?"

  Hawk wanted to groan like Zach did. A seven hour ferry ride with the self-professed amateur guide 'to the wonders of Prince William Sound' was a memory he would soon forget. But no, Mr. Phinney was still lurking.

  Hawk reached out to pull at the trolley and shouted without looking in the direction of the voice, "No thank you. We have it handled."

  Zach picked up the fallen suitcase and followed as Hawk made all possible speed towards the only taxi in sight. "I thought we were trying to save money?"

  "Right now I'm trying to save sanity." Hawk grabbed tighter to the handle of the trolley as his feet started slipping out from under him.

  The driver of the cab jumped out, shuffling around the cab at a speed Hawk was sure would result in a fall. But the young man made it around still upright, helping him drag the trolley towards the trunk of the dirty taxi.

  "Good afternoon. Welcome to Cordova," the man said. "Midnight Sun Taxi Service at your service. Where can I take you?"

  Hawk passed the luggage to the man who then stuffed them in the trunk. "Mr. Regis Pelson, Attorney at Law. I understand the Chamber of Commerce isn't far away."

  "No, not at all. You can walk it easy." He took the last suitcase and nodded towards the taxi, "I'll put this one in the back with your boy."

  Hawk slipped and slid his way back into the ferry office to return the trolley. He ran as fast as he could back to the taxi before Mr. Phinney could find him.

  Blessed warmth filled the inside of the taxi. In stark contrast to the outside, the inside was clean and well taken care of. Zach sat on the passenger side of the back seat, still looking like he was cold.

  "To Mr. Pelson's office it is." The driver turned the taxi away from the ferry office.

  Dirty snow berms lined the drive to the main road. No sidewalks along the main road, either. Hawk frowned. "Is the Solar Express train terminal very far from his office?"

  "The Solar Express? Where you heading to?"

  "We're moving to Salmon Run. I would like to be there by tonight." Hawk paused, finding that he was being studied from head to toe.

  The driver returned his attention to the road. "You moved up here in the middle of winter?"

  "Is there something wrong with that?"

  The man shrugged, "Most greenhorns don't last out their first winter, but they have a better chance of it if they can settle in before the snow flies."

  "Greenhorn?" Zach asked.

  The driver laughed. "That's what we call people new to Alaska. Get used to it. You'll be hearing it a lot."

  Hawk leaned back in the seat, not at all sure he liked the terminology. "Unfortunately, the disposition of my Uncle's Will means we move in now."

  "Which is why you need to talk to ole Regis." The man jerked up straight, almost hitting his head on the roof. "Salmon Run? Uncle? Will? Are you talking about George Callahan's place?"

  "The Salmon Run Lodge? Yes."

  "Are you nuts?"

  "Nuts?" Hawk heard Zach echo from the back seat. "Why nuts?"

  The driver glanced at him through the mirror. With a shake of his head he said, "Never mind. Look, I'll take you to BB's Bus Station. He's the shuttle out to the Solar Express. Look, see that corner? Chamber of Commerce. Two buildings down that way you will find Mr. Pelson's office."

  He pulled into a gravel yard free of snow where a big yellow school bus with peeling paint sat to one side of the main building. A fenced-in backyard held a metal-framed garage with another ancient school bus as well as several dozen vehicles of various makes and models.

  "Here we are. Better go in to see when the next run is. You can never tell when the Express is leaving. I'll bring in the luggage." The man jumped out of the seat and headed towards the trunk.

  "Nuts?" Zach said again.

  "Maybe he means Uncle George himself. We already know he was a little off-center." The explanation didn't ease Hawk's own worries about the comment, but he firmly put it out of his mind.

  He climbed out of the taxi and entered the log cabin that made up BB's Bussing and Car Rentals. A log cabin in desperate need of new paint, or sealer, or whatever. The logs were bleached a gray brown and what little paint still held on to the windowsills curled up on the edges.

  The door swung easily on the hinges revealing a hardwood interior of warm colors and an inviting fireplace in the corner. Luggage, boxes and other items lined the inside wall near the door. But what drew his attention was the wood contraption in the far corner near the main desk.

  A dark-haired older native woman turned her head to
smile at them, her hands pausing in the process of weaving a thick piece of yarn through the strung yarn held in place by the big wooden frame. "Good afternoon. What can I do for you?"

  The door slammed shut behind them. The taxi driver set down their first two pieces of luggage in the line already next to the door. "They need to be on the next Solar Express run, Sally. When does it leave?"

  "Not until seven tonight. She's making a slow run out into the boonies." She turned back to the loom long enough to finish the threading before rolling her chair back to the desk.

  "Good, they have an appointment with Mr. Pelson about Crazy George."

  "Oh dear." The woman started, a bright smile appearing. "Let's get you on the books, shall we? Name please?"

  Zach moved towards the fireplace while Hawk arranged the passage. The woman kept her smile in place, well-endowed laugh lines filling her face around the eyes and mouth.

  And nothing he said could get her to answer what she meant by 'oh dear'. Hearing the trunk of the taxi close Hawk thanked the woman and motioned to Zach. Zach reluctantly left the warmth of the fireplace, following him outside.

  "Want a ride? It's a quick walk," the driver said, motioning the way they had come.

  Hawk glanced in the direction. Through a few trees he could see the back of the Chamber of Commerce building. He took out his wallet and handed over a few bills. "No, we can manage. Thank you for the ride."

  The man accepted, handing over a business card. "Call me when you come back through. I can take you back to the ferry or to the airport. It's not hard to find one or the other leaving most days. Heck, you can call me from the Solar Express terminal if you want, but I charge more than the bus. But, if you are desperate..."

  Hawk held up a hand to stop him. "What makes you think we're leaving?"

  The man grinned. "Your clothes. I know the type. From the lower 48, from a city, not prepared. And plopping down in the middle of winter in a remote town? The odds aren't on your side."

  "We're going to break the odds," Zach said, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. "I'm not giving up."

  "Keep up the great attitude, kid, especially with how things get a little strange up Salmon Run way." The driver waved at them as he drove away.

  "The people up here are weird," Zach said as they watched the taxi leave the parking lot.

  "No more than at home. Just in a different way."

  "Yeah, Dad. Keep telling yourself that."

  Hawk went to pull up the zipper on his coat only to find that it was already all the way up. The light breeze felt like a wind with the way the cold went down into his coat. Zach didn't say anything as they made their way alongside the road towards the Attorney office, preferring to keep his shoulders hunched up towards his neck with his hands firmly pushed into his pockets.

  Several times Hawk started to say something. Ever since they'd left Anchorage Zach had grown more and more quiet. Hopefully it was only the reality of their change of life causing him to go quiet. Hopefully he didn't already hate Alaska.

  They arrived at the office before he could frame a good question that could start the conversation. The strip-mall holding Mr. Pelson's office looked more promising than the bus terminal. Well maintained, conservatively painted, square corners and a boxy appearance with a low arched porch running all the way across the front.

  And that was exactly what was wrong with it. Compared to the buildings of various design and ages around them, the modern building with several offices in it didn't fit. The other buildings around it had character.

  And suddenly he found himself hoping crazy Uncle George had designed the lodge more like the locals, and not like this building.

  His left boot slipped on a patch of ice as they headed for the porch. Zach didn't wait to go inside once they found the office, moving in quickly and away from the door.

  Hawk let the door close slowly as a man looked up from setting a pile of folders on the desk at the back of the front office.

  Hawk unzipped his coat a little bit to let some of the warmth of the office inside. "Good afternoon. I'm Hawk Callahan. Is Mr. Pelson in today?"

  The man straightened up, his eyes going wide. "You're here?"

  CHAPTER TWO

  Hawk cleared his throat and reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out a letter still tucked in its original envelope. "Are you Mr. Pelson?"

  "The one and only."

  "You clearly indicate that I must appear in this office within two months of the disbursement of the estate to claim my inheritance."

  Mr. Pelson cleared his throat and straightened his tie, "Of course. Mr. Callahan, you did read all the strict terms that must be followed for you to gain clear ownership? Mr. George Callahan does provide you with a small sum should you decide not to agree."

  An amount which wouldn't cover the trip up to Alaska in the first place. Hawk saw a slight smile on Zach's face and took courage from it. "Yes sir, I am fully aware."

  "Other than a few short-duration exceptions, residency must be at the Salmon Run Lodge, regardless of the season for the next five years?"

  "Both Zach and I moved up with the full intention of making a go of it. What's next?"

  A completely business-like expression descended on Mr. Pelson's face as he turned to take the file the secretary held out. "You sign the agreement to the terms of the inheritance. I hope you are willing to take possession immediately. The time limit of the inheritance for complete ownership starts the moment you sign."

  Hawk hung up his coat on the old-fashioned wrought iron coat stand. "We understand."

  "Winter. Hm. I should mention that you have two months to decide to take the smaller inheritance and leave. After two months you must complete the terms of the Will or you will forfeit all of your inheritance."

  "We've already reserved space on the bus," Zach said. He settled into the back of the chair. "We're going no matter what. And we're staying."

  Hawk grinned. "What my son said goes for both of us."

  Mr. Pelson gave a faint smile, "Shall we go into my office?"

  #

  Zach settled himself in a chair on the other side of the room from the secretary as the two men disappeared. After a thorough freezing on the walk to the office he was content to sit still and let the warmth of the office seep down into his bones. Back home he could expect warmer weather by March, even in later February. He studied a calendar on the wall next to the secretary's desk. January 15. How much longer would the cold last?

  His father's voice drifted out from the office, muffled by the walls. Zach had read the letter and the copy of the will. Simple wording, dictating crazy Uncle George's odd demands for various members of the extended family.

  Like making Aunt Gretchen live at the old broken-down family home in Ireland and help in its restoration for two years before claiming a small fortune in jewelry. Or cousin Finn, given a generous trust fund if he survived working with disadvantaged kids for three years. Or all the other big gifts to the rest of the family.

  If they agreed to the terms.

  For years the name "Uncle George" had been quietly whispered about or laughed at. Not now. The entire family was in upheaval thanks to the machinations of the old man's Will.

  The sound of something sounding suspiciously like laughter came from the secretary desk. The woman tucked a strand of black hair back behind her ear, a wide grin on her face as she worked on a yellow tablet.

  "Did you know Uncle George?" Zach asked.

  The smile grew wider. "Everyone knew Uncle George, even if they hadn't met him."

  As her smile grew bigger, his eyes narrowed. "Uncle George might have been a little crazy, but he was still nice."

  She looked up at him with a surprised expression, "Of course he was nice. I didn't say he wasn't. A lot of people around here will miss the old coot. And the lodge? Nice place, even if a little strange, but don't let that bother you."

  Before he could ask her what she meant, the front door slammed open, lett
ing in a wall of cold air that had Zach clutching his coat closed.

  "That's it, I've had it!" a red-faced older man yelled into the room.

  The secretary sighed, her wide eyes settling into exasperation. She straightened her sweater, nodding at the man. "Good afternoon, Mr. Goodwin."

  The door settled shut behind the man as he started to pace in front of the desk without bothering to take off his coat. Bits of melting snow and gravel fell off his boots, littering the floor. "First she changes my breakfast saying I'm not eating healthy enough. Then tells me when I can be with the boys. And now my pants aren't right? What am I? A New York fashion model?"

  Not with those worn out and patched pants, Zach thought to himself. Even the big coat that puffed out around him looked worn out, with patches of different colors on the elbows. Zach moved his feet out of the way as the route of his pacing grew to encompass the entire room.

  Arms and hand punctuated each point of contention as the list continued. "My food. My hobbies. But she's gone too far with my coffee. No one touches my coffee."

  The corner of his coat caught one of the neatly piled stacks on the edge of the desk. The secretary reached out to prevent a collapse, pulling the pile closer to her. "And you would like Mr. Pelson to do what for you?"

  "I want a divorce!"

  Zach noticed the secretary didn't even flinch or react to the loud pronouncement. She pressed her lips together, and pressed a finger to her temple. "Again?"

  "This time I mean it." Mr. Goodwin stated, starting his pacing again. "Give me freedom or give me death!"

  "Are you really sure you want to start the filing process again..."

  "Give me the papers," he interrupted, almost knocking down the pen holder on the front of the desk with a gesture of his left hand. The secretary reached grabbed it before it could tumble over the edge of the desk.

  "You do not give him a thing until the two of them meet with Ms. Simpson," Mr. Pelson shouted from somewhere down the hall.