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

by James M. Corkill

  She eased the Hummer into the water, and suddenly remembered the water coming up the doors. “Roll your window up, Serra.”

  She continued forward, her knuckles turning white on the steering wheel as the Hummer crawled across the river for what seemed forever, and then the water rushed off the hood and they crawled up the other side.

  Jamie released her breath and looked at Serra. “We did it.”

  She continued forward until they were on flat ground, then shut off the engine and climbed out. They were higher on this side, she shaded her eyes and stared down river, but there was no sign of Wesley. She reached inside to grab a radio, but it was no longer on the seat and she looked across at Serra. “Did you see a portable radio anywhere?”

  Serra reached down to the floor and felt around in a pool of water. She grabbed the rubber antenna on the radio and held it up as water drained out the bottom. “I guess my door wasn’t closed all the way.”

  Jamie looked over the hood, trying to maintain her cool. “That’s just great!” She told her, then climbed inside and drove up the dirt road.

  * * *

  Chapter 36

  THE ISLAND:

  Alex remained standing in the motorboat, enjoying the feel of the breeze through his hair as they slowly cruised across to the island from the stern of the Mystic. A few minutes later, Dieter nudged the bow against the narrow strip of rock-strewn beach.

  Alex held onto the bow rope, tossed the anchor onto the beach, and jumped off to pull the boat farther onto shore. He held the boat in place while Mike and Dieter climbed out, and they followed him to the V.

  Steps had been carved into the rock face leading up through the opening, and Alex began climbing up. When he reached the top, he stopped on a wide flat area and looked down into the one hundred fifty-foot-wide crater. The rusty ship from the movie was leaning against the wall directly below, a decrepit looking gangway reaching down to the beach on the far side. He looked across the dry beach at the open cave where the device was plainly visible on the ground halfway out of the entrance. Blackberry vines were nearly concealing the massive silver surface of something buried partway in the solid lava rock a short distance from the cave.

  Alex turned as Mike and Dieter stopped beside him. “It appears Colonel Dieter wasn’t fast enough. The tide must have dropped before they could get what they came for.”

  Dieter stepped around Alex. “The jewels must be in that cave,” he told him as he climbed down the rock steps, onto the rusty main deck of the ship.

  “Be careful,” Alex yelled down to him. “That ship has been deteriorating for a very long time, so the steel could be thin from all the rust.”

  Dieter stopped and looked up at Cave. “I am not one of your students, Professor. I know what I am doing.” He turned and continued walking across the deck, down the remains of the gangway, and onto the beach.

  Alex and Mike continued down the stone steps, onto the deck, as Dieter ran up the beach and into the cave. When they reached the gangway, it was in better shape than it appeared, and they continued down to the beach.

  Mike ignored the cave and walked up to the massive silver object buried partway into the side of the crater. “How about an explanation, Alex? I saw your expression when it appeared on the television.”

  Alex could not believe they had found the spaceship that had brought the devices to this planet. If it was not too severely damaged, they could use it to shut down the devices. “It all started one hundred and eighty-million years ago, Mike.”

  Mike looked into his eyes. “You’re joking.”

  Alex smiled grimly and lightly shook his head. “I won’t start that far back.”

  He told Mike the story of the Dead Energy operation, near the end, when two of these spaceships collided over the Nevada desert and Reverend Menno Simon’s extremist desire to end the cycle of burning carbon fuels nearly succeeded. “Menno’s race of humans was one of the earliest inhabitants of this planet. They were advanced enough to travel in these spaceships when they were forced to leave the earth. A super volcanic eruption sent tons of dirt and ash into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun for many years and killing all life on the planet. It’s one of the few planets capable of supporting life, so they sent a ship back with these devices to clean the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it crashed. This must be that spaceship, and it can shut down these devices. Now all we have to do is deal with the pirates.”

  “Do you think it still flies?”

  “I doubt it. In geological terms, it’s just returned from spending one-hundred and eighty-million-years in a volcanic prison. I’ll be grateful if my friends can activate the shutdown code.”

  They both turned when Dieter ran out from the cave.

  “There is nothing here!” Dieter yelled.

  Alex was not surprised. “Did you really think those pirates would have left anything behind?”

  Dieter clenched his fists. “Damn you, Cave! You knew this would happen!”

  Alex grinned sarcastically. “I’m surprised you didn’t think about it.”

  He and Mike walked up to the cave entrance, and Alex knelt beside one end of the twenty-foot-long, dull grey cylinder. The rusted remains of a chain hoist and three splintered 4x4 posts lay on the ground, and he touched the rusted chain wrapped around theone-foot-diameter device. “They tried to move it, but the wood posts broke under the strain. It must be incredibly heavy.”

  Dieter waved his hand into the cave. “I found a human skeleton inside.”

  Alex stood. “The radio on Burk’s ship would not have worked, just like with us, so they didn’t have any way to call for a rescue.”

  Mike looked around the inside of the crater. “I don’t see their skiff. They must have used it to leave the island with that movie we saw earlier.”

  Alex stood and walked back over to the berry vines, then gently spread them apart, being poked in the process. He reached through and placed his palm against the cool smooth side of the spaceship, and then carefully pulled his arm back and turned to the others. “Time to go, gentlemen. No sense waiting for company.”

  A deep roar from the Mystic’s horn echoed off the walls in the crater and the trio hurried down the beach to the gangway. Alex stepped back as Dieter bumped him out of the way and ran up the gangway.

  Alex allowed Mike to go next and looked along the side of the ship. Something about the double doors over the cargo hold was out of place. Possibly the latches.

  “Ahhhh!”

  Mike and Alex hurried up the gangway when they heard Dieter scream.

  Dieter struggled to pull his left leg out of the rusted steel plating. “Damn!” he moaned. “Get me out of here!”

  Alex led the way across the deck, testing the areas near Dieter’s footprints. Most of the area was firm, and it was just Dieter’s luck to find a soft spot.

  Alex grabbed his left arm. “Easy now. Nice and slow.” Mike grabbed his right arm, and they eased him up out of the hole, then Alex bent over to check the damage to his leg. He stood back up and looked at him. “You have a few deep abrasions, but you’ll be fine. Can you climb the stairs?”

  The roar of several screaming outboard engines echoed around the crater and they looked up at the top of the opening. Dieter pushed Alex’s hand away. “Go up and tell me what is happening!”

  The roar of the engines idled down, and Alex climbed the steps and slowly peeked over the edge. Three long black inflatable boats where drifting around the front of the Mystic, and in each boat, four tough looking men held rifles across their waists. He eased back from the edge and looked down. “They want their money, Dieter.”

  Dieter grabbed Mike’s coat. “I was going to pay them with the treasure, Mike. I do not have any cash!”

  Mike shoved Dieter’s hand away. “How much do they want?”

  “Two-hundred and fifty-thousand.”

  Mike slowly shook his head. “I don’t suppose they’ll take a check.” He noticed Alex suddenly stand up and look down at him. “W
hat’s happening?”

  “You might as well come up. One of the boats is coming this way.” He reached down, grabbed Dieter’s hand, and helped him over the top. “Can you make it down?”

  Dieter looked up at Cave. “Yes. Probably to my own burial at sea, when they find out I do not have their money.” He turned and carefully eased his way down the steps to the beach.

  Alex and Mike followed him down as one rubber boat nudged against the shoreline, and Alex recognized the man standing at the bow. It was Dieter’s friend, Blacktooth.

  Dieter hobbled over to the boat and stared up at Blacktooth. “I did not find the treasure, but I promise I will pay you when we get back to port.”

  Blacktooth gave a hearty laugh. “You thought you would find treasure? I thought you are smart man, Dieter.” He stopped laughing. “Where you get money? You are only Captain.”

  Mike walked up to the boat. “I’ll pay you.”

  Blacktooth studied Mike. “I do not know you. How can I trust you?”

  “That’s my ship. I can give you fifty thousand in U. S. cash right now if you leave us alone.”

  Blacktooth laughed and looked at his men, then stopped laughing and turned back to Mike. “That is too far from one-quarter-million. No deal. I want what I was promised.”

  “I can get you more when we get to a port.”

  “No deal. I leave you here and take your boat. I see how fast it can go. I take it to Russia and get much more than one quarter million.”

  “How much do you want?”

  A sly grin slowly formed around his black teeth. “Five million.”

  “I can do that. You can follow us back to Prince Rupert, and I’ll get you the money.”

  Blacktooth stared at Mike for a long moment. “I go with you. Three of my men, too.”

  Mike gave him a nod. “Deal.”

  “Get in.” Blacktooth ordered.

  Alex stepped up to the rubber boat and stared up at Blacktooth. “We’ll take our boat back to our ship.”

  Blacktooth shook his head. “You go nowhere. You are hostage.”

  Alex stepped back as Mike and Dieter were hauled over the edge, into the Pirates’ boat.

  Blacktooth stared down at Alex. “No worry. I leave you small boat and one of my men to keep you company. Dieter says you are teacher. You can teach my man to speak English, yes?” He turned and laughed with his men, and then turned back to Alex. “Push us off.”

  Alex stepped forward and pushed on the hard rubber bow until it was floating away. This is very bad, he thought. He sighed and climbed the steps, up to the V, and then sat on the edge to see what would happen next. A few minutes later, one of the other rubber boats eased against the shore, and a hard looking man with a short machinegun jumped off the bow, onto the beach.

  Alex remained sitting on the edge of the crater, staring down at his new companion. This should be interesting, he thought.

  *

  Okana set the binoculars on the control console in the bridge and looked at Rita. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but they left Alex on the island with one of their men, and they’re bringing Mike and Dieter this way. As long as they have hostages, we don’t do anything.”

  “What about Lisa? I gave her a small pistol, but she’s still in her cabin.”

  “I don’t think she should hide. If the pirates find her hiding, it would only make them lustful. Take her to the lounge and wait for us to make a move. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” He turned and looked at Harrison and Bartram. “What about you two?”

  Bartram crossed his arms. “I’ll wait and see what the captain has to say.”

  Harrison nodded vigorously. “I’m on the side that doesn’t get me killed, Okana. I’m with you.”

  “All right, I’ll meet them at the stern with Bett and Joshua.”

  Okana turned and walked out of the bridge and down the outside stairs to the stern. He kept the shotgun over one shoulder and his pistol tucked into his belt as he continued over to Bett and Joshua. “The Pirates are bringing Dieter and Mike to our ship, and left Alex on the island with one of his men. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, so let’s just see what happens.”

  They all turned at the sound of an outboard motor approaching, and then a black inflatable boat pulled up to the stern.

  Okana recognized the big man standing at the bow from the meeting at the warehouse in Rupert. This may be a bit complicated, he thought.

  One of the pirates held the boat against the stern as three pirates climbed out. Mike helped Dieter up onto the deck, then stepped up behind him and looked at Okana. “We have an arrangement. We will be traveling with these fine men.”

  Blacktooth stepped onto the deck, recognized the man in front of him, and smiled. “HA! Jamison! So, you did make deal with Dieter. He will not pay you now. Did he say he would find treasure?”

  “Yeah, and I want my cut.”

  “No treasure. No cut. He is stupid man thinking treasure here.”

  Okana turned and grabbed Dieter’s coat collar. “You lying bastard! You owe me and my guys here ten thousand dollars.”

  Blacktooth laughed. “No worry, Jamison. This man over here makes deal to pay me. He is very generous, so ask him for money.”

  Mike realized what Okana was up to and stepped up to him. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Mister Jamison. Just tell your men not to hurt me, or my wife and daughter.”

  Bett stepped up to Mike and smiled. “Do as you’re told and no one gets hurt.” She turned and smiled at Blacktooth, and then spit out her gum.

  Blacktooth stopped grinning, looked down at the gum, and then back up at the smiling blond woman.

  Dieter was confused by what just happened, but whatever Okana was up to seemed to be working. He looked up when Harrison and Bartram stepped up to the railing behind the bridge, and shook his head, no.

  Blacktooth noticed. “Those are your men, Dieter?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Tell them to come down.”

  Dieter nodded and looked up. “Come down here.”

  Harrison had a bad feeling about this, but turned and walked down the stairs, with Bartram right behind him. He continued over and stood next to Dieter. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know,” Dieter answered.

  Blacktooth pointed at his boat. “Too many to guard. You both go with him in boat.”

  Bartram stepped back. “Captain?”

  “Just do what he says, Leroy. He will not harm you.”

  Harrison put his hand on Bartram’s shoulder. “Let’s do what he wants. Once he gets his money, he’ll let us go.”

  Bartram reluctantly followed Harrison to the rubber boat and they climbed in. He looked back at Dieter with an imploring stare, but Dieter turned away.

  Blacktooth shoved Dieter toward the stairs up to the bridge. “Start engines.”

  Dieter looked over at Joshua. “Can we leave?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dieter turned to Blacktooth. “Where are we going?”

  “Seward.”

  Dieter gave Blacktooth a nod, then turned and hobbled across the deck and up the steps to the bridge.

  Okana smiled at Blacktooth. “You should see the inside of this ship, my friend. Follow me and I’ll get you a beer.”

  Blacktooth sent one of his men to the bridge, and then he and the other two men followed Okana and the others into the ship.

  *

  Alex watched the Mystic and the three-rubber boats leave the island. He had looked at the charts when they set a course to this GPS location, and even with the boat, he would never make it to another island. If something went wrong on the Mystic, he would be stranded on this rock.

  “Hey, teacher.”

  When Alex looked down, the Russian motioned him down to the beach with his small machinegun. He smiled and waved down at him, and then walked down the steps to the beach. “Did you bring any vodka? We should celebrate.”

  The Russian grinned sadis
tically through yellowed teeth. “You funny man. I speak little English, teacher. Move to water.”

  “Are we going for a swim?”

  “Blacktooth say get rid of you and take boat.”

  Alex hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his blue jeans, and felt the butt of his .38 caliber featherweight pistol. He knew he would meet up with the Russians eventually, and had taken it with him to the island. “I didn’t bring my swim suit. I don’t want to ruin my new jeans.”

  The Russian gave him a quizzical stare. “What you mean? You not go swimming. You be dead before you get in water.”

  “Tell you what.” He slipped his hand into his pocket. “Let’s both get naked and swim together. I hear you Russian boys like to play with each other in the water where no one can see what you’re doing.”

  When the Russian cocked his head, trying to understand the meaning, Alex slipped the .38 out of his pocket and pointed it at him. The Russian’s eyes went wide and he tried to bring up his machine gun, Alex calmly aimed and fired. The Russian flew back onto the beach, Alex strolled over and stared down at the red hole in the center of his forehead. “Das vi Dania, comrade.” He looked across the empty ocean and thought about his options, but the only option was to wait for Okana and the Mystic to return.

  * * *

  Chapter 37

  MYSTIC:

  Okana watched the island shrinking into the distance behind the Mystic, and the three black boats quickly falling behind. He wasn’t worried about Alex dealing with the Russian, his only concern was being able to go back and pick him up. The motorboat could never reach another island, much less the mainland. He turned and looked at Joshua, and nodded his head toward the bridge.

  Joshua understood his meaning. When Okana made his move, Dieter would be useless against Blacktooth’s man. He walked across the deck and up the stairs.

  Okana led Blacktooth and his two men into the ship, Mike and Bett followed close behind and into the lounge.

  Mike saw Lisa and Rita standing on the other side of the table. He held his arms out and hurried across the room, and then wrapped them around Rita.