The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set

by James M. Corkill

  “Enlarge number four and I’ll show you what I’m trying to figure out.” The picture suddenly filled the entire screen and the device was blurry. “The ice appears to be fractured. Can you enlarge that area?”

  Joshua did, and millions of small fractures in the ice suddenly filled the screen. “That’s good. Now locate the same area on the third and fifth picture, for a comparison.”

  With the pictures side by side, it was easy to see the change in the ice, from clear to fractured, and back to clear. “I have an idea what caused the seismic event, so tell me what you think. When water re-freezes, it expands with incredible force. Enough to shatter rock, and in this case, force the crack in the sea floor apart, creating an instant seismic event.”

  Joshua leaned back in his chair. “That’s a lot of force, but wouldn’t it go up through the crack?”

  “Not if it happened that fast.”

  Okana stepped closer to the television. “So each time that device was activated, it froze the water?”

  Lisa shook her head. “Not exactly. It melted the lens on the optic cable. That means it melts the ice first, and then instantly re-freezes it to expand and force the crack open. That would also explain why we saw the bubbles. They were created when the water was flash boiled into steam for an instant before re-freezing. That expansion would also cause that pressure wave that hit the sub and nearly killed you guys.”

  Okana turned away from the television and looked at Lisa. “Twice, for me. The freezing idea makes sense. I’d better call Alex about this.”

  Lisa gave him a quick nod, and then lightly cocked her head to one side. “I should get back to the lab.”

  Okana understood her meaning. “I’ll go with you and call Alex from the stern.”

  They stepped out of the room, and Okana followed her on into the laboratory. She opened the bottom drawer and handed him the envelope.

  Okana sat in one of the chairs and removed the pages. He set the cover page aside, and began reading page two. When he was done, he looked over at Lisa. “Did you read this?”

  She shook her head. “No, but my curiosity is driving me crazy.”

  “It seems Dieter has a German relative that was the captain of a U-boat during world war two. His relative was using his sub to transport confiscated jewelry to a secret location, but the ship and its crew was never heard from again.”

  “Is that why you have suspicions about Dieter?”

  “I know there is something going on with Dieter, and I’ll bet it has to do with that lost submarine.”

  “So what? Maybe he’s on a treasure hunt. What’s that got to do with us?”

  Okana leaned back in his chair. “He would need a submarine to find a submarine, but why be so mysterious about it? I’m sure Mike would be interested in a new adventure.” He leaned forward and stood up. “I’m going to call Alex and tell him what we discovered about the freezing. Thanks for the help.”

  * * *

  Chapter 14

  CAVE RANCH:

  Derek drove the motorcycle across the bridge and stopped at the highway. He had not paid much attention to the car Alex was driving, but the vehicle in the parking lot at the grocery store looked familiar. He drove around the corner of the building; out of sight, but still able to see the car. He did not have to wait long, and watched Alex put two plastic bags of groceries into the trunk and climb into the driver’s seat. He waited until it pulled out of the parking lot, and then followed Alex up the highway.

  *

  Alex parked next to the cabin and carried the grocery bags into the kitchen. “Are you in here, Wesley?”

  Wesley turned off the television, pushed himself off the sofa, and walked into the kitchen. “That latest movement was big, Alex. It’s headline news across the country. It has got a lot of people scared about it hitting Seattle.”

  Alex set the bags on the counter, put some of the food in the refrigerator, and then closed the door and looked at Wesley. “We might be in big trouble, my friend.”

  Alex told him everything that happened on the Mystic. “The captain is up to something, but I don’t think he set off the device. For now, I can only wait for something else to happen. If that thing goes off again, it’s doing it by itself, and we had better find a way to stop it before it tears the continent apart.”

  “The volcanos will kill us first.”

  Alex felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but ignored it. “How bad?”

  “Baker was the worst, and measured three-point one on the Richter scale. Rainier registered a two point zero, but I think that will change if we have another event.”

  Alex slid his phone out of his pocket and looked at the ID. “It’s my friend on the Mystic.” He pressed the speaker button. “Did you learn anything about Dieter?”

  Okana explained about the ice and the information on Dieter. “My friend is still trying to chase down a connection between him and you.”

  “I have a friend who can do research on Dieter’s relative and we’ll see where that leads us. What was his name?”

  “It’s Eric Dieter, and he went missing near the end of world war two. That’s all I have on him. How bad was the last event, Alex?”

  “They’re becoming greater in magnitude. Nothing has happened since we returned to the surface, but we still need to get that thing out of the ice, so it won’t happen again. I think there could be another device in the Arctic, and we need to locate that one, too.”

  “Do you want me to talk to Mike Tanner about it?”

  “Yes. Find out if we can take the Mystic to the artic, but don’t tell him about Dieter and the missing treasure just yet.”

  “Got it. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, either way.”

  “Thanks.”

  Wesley waited until Alex turned off the phone. “Let’s go to the barn and I’ll show you the recording.” He opened the cabin door and stopped. “Who are you?”

  Alex looked past Wesley’s shoulder. “That’s my nephew.” He followed Wesley through the doorway and looked at Derek. “How long have you been listening?”

  Derek crossed his arms. “Long enough. I’m eighteen, Alex. Stop treating me like a boy. I want to know how bad this is. I’m the one who will have to take care of Kristy and Robert.”

  Alex thought about it for a moment. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. It could get bad, Derek.”

  Wesley was glad the issue was settled. “Let’s all go to the barn.” Alex and Derek followed him into the barn, and Wesley sat at his desk.

  Derek walked around Wesley’s toys. “Neat place, Mister Patterson.”

  “Thanks, and call me Wesley.”

  Alex sat in the other chair, and Derek sat on the edge of the desk. Wesley played the recordings from all three events, and explained the differences for Derek’s benefit. “These recordings are from my own seismometers on Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. They’re more sensitive than the ones the government uses. You can see the difference in magnitude by the width of the line. This last one here, on Baker, was a magnitude three-point-one.”

  Derek remembered something from school. “Okay, but those lines are from side to side, like a regular earthquake. What Kristy felt today was straight up.”

  Wesley looked at Alex and grinned. “Have you been teaching this young man too, professor?”

  Alex looked at Derek. “Pretty good.”

  Derek thought his chest would burst with pride.

  “That’s right,” Wesley continued as he brought up the recording of the latest event and magnified the break in the line. “The needle jumped off the paper.”

  Alex suddenly leaned forward when he saw the picture. “Is that the latest one?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Alex looked at Derek. “The distance of the break in the line tells us how high the ground jumped. The first two were barely measurable, but this last one indicates an increase in magnitude.”

  “Is that a lot?”

  Alex leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Yes, t
hat’s a lot. Especially if it’s not supposed to happen at all.” His phone rang and he recognized the number. “It’s Sonja.” He turned on the speaker, set the phone on the desk, and then answered. “Hi, Sonja.”

  “I am so glad you answered, Alex. The ice sheet went into another expansion five hours ago. It is freezing more of the ocean for hundreds of kilometers each time it happens. I was on the ice sheet at the time and saw a flash of blue light just before the expansion. What have you learned?”

  His suspicions were confirmed and Alex stared at Wesley. “That’s the same time the device activated while I was in the sub.”

  Alex explained everything he knew, except where he suspected the devices came from. “Now that I know it’s not a natural disturbance, I’m going to call a friend of mine for help with this. His name is Martin Donner.”

  “He is your Director of National Security, correct?”

  “That’s right. I’ll do what I can from my end. Let me know about anything new.”

  “I will. Bye, Love.”

  Derek was stunned by what he just heard and stood up from the desk. “Which ice sheet is she talking about, Alex?”

  Alex looked up at him. “The one up north. The Polar Ice sheet.”

  “Isn’t that a good sign? That means the atmosphere is starting to cool down again, right?”

  “It doesn’t happen this fast, Derek.”

  Wesley leaned back in his chair and looked at Alex. “The Director of National Security, Alex? You have some powerful friends.”

  Alex picked up his phone. “Yes, and it’s time to use them.”

  *

  OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY. WASHINGTON DC.:

  “It’s Alex Cave on line two, Mister Donner.”

  Donner picked up the phone. “I’m glad you called, Alex. I’m getting reports from FEMA about what’s happening in Puget Sound, and the USGS doesn’t know a damn thing. I Called Marcia at the College, and she said you were in the northwest to check it out. Do you know what the hell is going on?”

  “I do now. It’s bad, Martin.”

  Donner listened to Alex explain everything he knew and was not sure how to reply. “Good Lord, Alex. I had no idea they were manmade. How much time do we have until the next activation?”

  “Impossible to say, at the moment. They could be activating on their own. I’ll coordinate everything out here with Mike Tanner, to use his ship, the Discovery. It’s off the coast of Vancouver, and we can use it as a research and recovery platform. From what I’ve learned about it, they have everything needed to retrieve that device. If we’re lucky, this device won’t go off again. Even so, we need to retrieve it from under that ice.”

  “It might take some time to set things in motion, but I’ll stress the urgency and do what I can.”

  “I know you will. Just one more thing. Set things up so I can talk to Lewis Norton. I’m thinking this is one of the devices I told you about from the Dead Energy operation.”

  “I’ll make some calls right now and set it up. I know a couple of people with the right security clearance, too. I’ll send them to the Discovery to start the recovery operation. I’ll call Doctor Heinz and put him in charge of the recovery. Is this a good number to reach you?”

  “Yes, and thanks Martin.”

  Donner hung up and entered a number into the phone. “Things are never dull around you, Alex Cave.”

  *

  THE CABIN:

  Derek had no idea Alex knew so many important people. He assumed he was just a geology teacher. This must be really bad, he thought.

  Wesley noticed Derek’s troubled expression. “I want to tell you what might happen, Derek. I’ve studied this mountain all my life, and if it does become active, it won’t be like St. Helens. That one blew because of the tremendous pressure of the steam released from the magma that was trapped inside the mountain. Our seismic activity is artificial and very recent, so hopefully the mountain will begin to fracture, release any new pressure, and not explode. Even if it doesn’t erupt, there will be an increase in temperature from the rising magma, and the rapid melting of the glaciers. The water level in the reservoir could rise so fast the dam won’t be able to hold it back. Have you ever heard of a lahar?”

  “No.”

  “It’s a mixture of water, mud, and debris. If the dam breaks loose, the flooding will rush down the mountain and bury everything in the Sparrow Valley. If things start going to hell, you need to make your way up here. I picked this location to build my cabin because it’s the safest place on my mountain. I don’t want anyone else to know, son. You and your family are welcome, but I’ll shoot the first stranger who thinks this place is a safe haven. I don’t want hundreds of people camped in my front yard. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir. I understand.”

  Alex was surprised by Wesley’s offer, and it was greatly appreciated. He looked up at his nephew. “I don’t think you should tell anyone what you’ve learned today, Derek.”

  “What about grandpa?”

  “Okay, just him. Don’t tell Kristy, either. I could tell she’s scared enough right now, so she doesn’t need to know. This may be the end of it, so we don’t want to start a panic.”

  Derek nodded agreement. “It’s going to be hard, not telling Kristy. She has a way of tricking someone into a confession.”

  Wesley pushed himself out of his chair. “It’s going to be dark soon.”

  Derek understood his meaning. “I’d better head home. Thanks for telling me the truth, Alex. You too, Wesley.”

  Wesley began walking to the door, and Alex and Derek followed. When they reached the motorcycle, Wesley shook Derek’s hand. “Nice to meet you, son. Remember what I said about the lahar. It could happen without any warning, and I’ll do my best to let you know if it’s imminent.”

  “I will.”

  Alex and Wesley waited until Derek rode away, and then walked into the cabin. Alex grabbed his groceries from the refrigerator and set them on the counter. “I hope you like Italian.”

  “I don’t care what it is, as long as someone else is cooking.”

  *

  It was dark by the time Derek got home. He parked the motorcycle in a large open storage shed and carried his helmet to the back porch. He had thought about what to tell Kristy on the ride back, knowing she would hound him for information when he walked into the house. The boards creaked as he climbed the steps, and suddenly Kristy stood from the porch swing and crossed her arms.

  “It’s about time, Derek Cave. Where have you been?”

  Derek grinned and shook his head, thinking he should have realized she would be waiting outside. “I followed Uncle Alex, and he showed me all the neat equipment Mister Patterson has in his barn.”

  “I learned that Mount Baker is really a volcano. It was on the news with the stuff about Witchy Island. Are we going to have an eruption like Mount Saint Helens?”

  He sighed with relief that he would not have to lie to his sister. “No, it’s not going to explode like Saint Helens. And it’s Whidbey Island. Are there any leftovers?”

  “I wrapped it in foil and left it on the counter so it would stay warm.”

  Derek put his arm around Kristy’s shoulder. “You’re the best sister a brother could have. I’m hungry. Let’s go inside.”

  *

  POLAR ICE CAP:

  A brilliant bolt of blue lightning burst up out of the top of the pyramid, the thunderous crack raced across the frozen wasteland for a fraction of a second, and then the light blinked out. No one was around to see the frantic thrashing of the humpback whale partially trapped in ice. The ocean froze another one hundred-miles south, dragging the pyramid with it, and a moment later, the entire ice sheet rose one hundred-feet out of the water.

  * * *

  Chapter 15

  8:00 AM. CAVE RANCH:

  Kristy heard the horn from the school bus and stood from the kitchen table. She set her cereal bowl in the sink, and then grabbed her bright yellow ba
ckpack off the back of a chair and slung it over her shoulders. “Aren’t you going to school today, Derek?”

  “In a minute.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  Derek glanced over at Robert and back to Kristy. “I just need to talk to grandpa first. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  “Uncle Alex told you that something bad is going to happen, didn’t he?”

  Derek stared at his sister, wondering what to say without lying. For a ten-year-old, she was very perceptive. “Nothing you need to worry about right now.” The look in her eye’s told him she didn’t believe him, and it tore at his heart. “I’m sorry, Kristy, but I made a promise to Uncle Alex. He did say there’s nothing to worry about right now.”

  Kristy opened the screen door and then turned to look at Derek. “All right. I know Uncle Alex would never tell a lie.” She walked out onto the porch and eased the door closed.

  Derek watched her jump down the steps and run down the driveway with her little yellow backpack bouncing on her shoulders.

  “What’s going on, Derek?”

  Derek turned to face Robert and explained what he had learned last night. “Did you know that Alex is a friend of the National Security Director?”

  Robert leaned back in his chair, wondering if he should tell his grandson what he suspected about why his parents were killed. “Alex used to work for the government.” He stood, carried Derek’s bowl to the sink, and turned on the water.

  Derek stood and moved to Robert’s side. “You’re holding something back. What is it?”

  Robert continued rinsing the dishes. “That’s up to Alex. Ask him yourself.”

  Derek stared at Robert for a long moment, wanting more information. When Robert did not respond, he walked across the room and out through the screen door, slamming it closed behind him. What is Robert’s problem? He wondered. And why did he hate Alex so much?