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

by James M. Corkill

  Rita turned from the railing when she heard Lisa’s voice. “We can’t find him anywhere, Lisa. We’re discussing what to do next, before it gets too dark.”

  Lisa shook her head. “No, we can’t give up. He needs our help.”

  “I know, and we’re not giving up. We just need a new plan.”

  Lisa nodded and looked up at Joshua. “You still have my sample of black material, so don’t forget to give it back later.”

  Joshua gave her a blank look. “I gave it to Alex for the test.”

  “Really?” she said. “Do you think he still has it?”

  “I don’t see why,” he replied, and then it began to dawn on him. “Like a beacon!”

  “Can you track the radiation, like the stuff up north?”

  “I’m not sure if I can detect a sample that small, but it’s certainly worth a try.”

  He hurried into the bridge and turned on the sensor. Sure enough, a small dot was flashing only twenty-miles due south. He turned and opened the door. “I’ve found him!” he yelled, then entered the direction into the computer and pressed start. The Mystic immediately turned south and slowly increased speed. The crowd on deck moved back into the bridge and lined the walls, where they could have a good view of the operations. No one wanted to leave the bridge.

  *

  THE MOTORBOAT:

  Alex opened his eyes at the soft sound of a horn in the distance. He heard it once again, only this time, slightly louder. A smiled spread across his face as he recognized that horn. He stood and moved to the stern to unzip the clear rear cover, then stepped outside and waved his arms at the Mystic approaching quickly from the rear of the boat.

  Joshua stopped Mystic thirty-feet away from the motorboat and spun in a stationary circle, then backed up slowly to block the wind. Alex could see the smiles from the crew on the bridge as Joshua eased back against the motorboat. Okana reached down and pulled the smaller boat against the stern of the Mystic.

  Alex looked up at him. “What took you so long?”

  “The pirates didn’t take the hint. You know how hard it is to get rid of party crashers. What happened to your new coat?”

  “I wanted to see the spaceship, and the berry vines were in the way.”

  Alex heard a mechanical growl. Mike was operating the hoist, and stopped the straps directly over the rear of the motorboat. Alex helped Okana guide the straps under the boat, then stepped onto the deck while Mike brought it out of the water and swung it around to the storage bracket. He and Okana strapped the motorboat snugly into the brackets, while Mike put away the control box.

  Alex turned and looked at Okana. “What happened?”

  Okana told the story. “I hope Harrison and Bartram make friends easily.”

  “How is Lisa holding up?”

  “She was really worried about you,” Mike answered. “That helped to distract her from what she went through today. She’s the reason we found you, by the way. She wanted her sample of the black material back from Josh, and he said you had it.”

  Alex frowned, checked all his pockets, and found the small glass tube in the chest pocket of his coat. He held it up so the others could see it. “I’ll give it to her later. That ice is getting close to the island.”

  “We know,” Okana told him. “It’s getting bad, Alex. The weather conditions are worsening all around the world.”

  Alex turned to Mike. “We should go back to the island and find out what we’ll need.”

  “It won’t be easy getting on the island. We saw a small cyclone spiraling up out of the crater.”

  “I thought that might happen. That’s why I got away from there. I know a few smart people who might be able to help.”

  Okana looked at the stairs up to the bridge. “I’ll go relieve Josh. You can make your calls from there and keep me company.”

  “All right. I’ll get my phone.”

  As Alex went into the ship to get his sat phone, Rita and Bett were waiting just inside the walkway and gave him hugs. “Where’s Lisa?”

  “We told her to wait for you in the lounge.” Rita told him.

  “She was pretty shaken up,” Bett added. “You need to talk to her, Alex. We thought it might help her if you two were alone right now.”

  Alex walked past her lab and looked into the lounge. The sad, pleading expression in Lisa’s eyes broke his heart, and he went over to her and held out the sample. “I believe this is yours.”

  Lisa burst into tears and threw her arms around Alex’s neck. “I was so worried about you. After everything that happened, I thought I might never see you again.”

  Alex wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close, and felt her body jerk with her deep sobs. After a few moments, she let go, stepped back, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. He smiled softly. “Thanks for rescuing me. I understand it was your idea.”

  Lisa gave him a small smile. “You’re welcome. What happened to your coat?”

  “I tangled with a blackberry bush and it almost won. I need to make a few calls, so I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Okay.”

  He turned, walked over to the stairs, and down to his cabin. He grabbed the satellite phone from the charger on the dresser, and went up to the bridge.

  Okana pointed at the radar screen. “That wall of ice is still moving south. I hope we can shut that device off before it reaches the island.”

  “I know. This is going to be hard enough just dealing with the whirlwind. It seems I have a few messages.” He entered his code and turned on the speaker.

  “Alex, this is Henry. Somehow the device activated on its own again. Please give me a call.”

  “Let’s find out what happened on Discovery.”

  Alex pressed the speed dial number, and a woman answered. “This is Alex Cave. I’d like to talk to Doctor Henry Heinz.”

  He was put on hold, and looked at Okana. “You had my back again. Thanks.”

  Okana returned Alex’s smile. “You should have seen the way Blacktooth acted like we were best friends.”

  Henry’s voice came from the phone. “Alex?”

  “I’m here, Doc. I found the spaceship and one of the devices, so we might be able to shut them down.”

  “I am afraid we have had some bad luck. The device activated again, and we have lost a robot they call Celeas.”

  “I see. I think that device activated because this one did. The blue light travels through the clear ice like a lens. The ice is already spreading deep into the Bering Sea, and I need you to convince Lewis to join me near the Aleutian Islands. Now that I’ve found the ship, we need to hurry.”

  “I will try, but it is doubtful he will leave Nevada. You should contact that young man, David. He knows the systems on those ships as well as any of us. He was most helpful in Nevada.”

  “It would be nice if you could join him. You two are our best hope of shutting down all the devices.” The phone was quiet for a moment. “Doc?”

  “Of course. I will need the crystals to power the ship.”

  “Call Lewis and make the arrangements, and I’ll meet you in Prince Rupert, Canada tonight.”

  “I will call right away.”

  Alex disconnected the call. “Sonja is next.” He played her message.

  “Hallo, Alex. The weather is becoming increasingly unstable over Western Europe. You must call me.”

  Okana noticed his puzzled expression. “It was on the news earlier. It looked pretty nasty over on that side of the planet. Something to do with a convergence zone, I think”

  Alex pressed her number, and a few moments later, she answered.

  “I am so glad you called, Alex. The weather is getting very bad, but that is not our most serious concern. The weight of all that ice on only one side of the planet is causing the earth to wobble. If we do not stop it soon, the rotation of our planet will change and will destroy everything on the surface.”

  “I might have a way to shut down the devices, Sonja.”

 
“How long?”

  “I’m getting everything in motion as we speak, but I don’t know how long it will take. I have to be honest with you. I don’t even know if we can get the shutdown command working.”

  “I appreciate your honesty, Alex. I will tell our friends what you are doing. Good luck.”

  Okana lightly shook his head. “Man, this is craziest situation I’ve ever been in. I don’t even know what I can do to help.”

  “You already have, by saving my life. Now it’s up to me.” Alex entered David’s number, and he answered on the second ring.

  “Alex. I was beginning to think you forgot about us. It’s snowing here and Marcia’s worried about the change in the weather. Have you been watching the news?”

  “No, but I was told what’s happening. Pack your cold weather gear. I need your help.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I found the crashed spaceship, and you need to get it working.”

  “Heck yeah, I’ll help. We’ll need at least one crystal.”

  “Doc Heinz is getting one. He’ll meet us tonight.”

  “Where is the ship?”

  “North of the Aleutian Islands.”

  “That’s where the ice is headed, Alex.”

  “I know. We need to hurry on this. A plane is waiting for you at the Bozeman Airport to take you to Prince Rupert, Canada. I’ll pick you up and bring you to the Mystic.”

  “Okay. What should I tell Marcia?”

  “Just tell her I need your help to fix the weather problem.”

  “Right. See you soon.”

  When Alex entered Donner’s number, his receptionist answered. “Tell him it’s Alex Cave.” A moment later, Donner came on the line.

  “I was hoping you’d call, Alex. No one has informed me of your progress and I was getting worried. The news about the ice sheet is causing a lot of panic around the world and the President is hounding me for an update from you.”

  “I had a couple of problems, but I’ve located the spaceship and one of the devices that’s not in the water. I need a jet to fly my friend David Conway from Bozeman Montana to Prince Rupert Canada.”

  “I’ll take care of it. Good luck, Alex.”

  Alex turned off the phone and stared through the front window.

  Okana had heard the conversation. “I’ll set a course for Rupert.”

  “No, we need to see how bad the conditions are for getting on the island. If we need specialized equipment, we won’t have to make two trips. I can make arrangements once we know how to proceed, and have what we need waiting for us in Rupert.”

  “The timing should be about right for filling our tanks with jet fuel. We’re down to one quarter now.”

  “How did you know I would run out of gasoline?”

  “I knew you would eventually. I just didn’t think it would be that soon.”

  “No one bothered to top it off. I smell food.”

  “No one felt like eating until we found you. Relieve me when you’re done.”

  Alex gave him a nod and walked down the stairs.”

  *

  DISCOVERY:

  Henry pressed the end button on the speakerphone and looked up. He had not even noticed his friends standing in the doorway. “I must leave soon.” He looked over at Carl. “I am so very sorry about your Celeas. Perhaps if we succeed, you will be able to bring her home again. Now if you would not mind leaving the room, I would like to place a personal call.”

  After everyone had filed out of the conference room, Henry opened his notebook. He entered a number and leaned back in his chair. A moment later, a voice came from the phone speaker.

  “Hello. I do not recognize this number. Please state your name and purpose for this call.”

  Henry grinned and lightly shook his head. “Louis, my friend. We have located the crashed spaceship.”

  “That is exceptional news, Doctor. How will you proceed?”

  “Alex said it has no power. How do we get inside?”

  “That will be the easy part. Getting the ship to function properly could be quite difficult. You must return to this establishment immediately. We have received images from the space station. The ice is continuing south, across the Bering Sea. Time is of the essence.”

  “Please send the plane to Bellingham, Washington. I will be there within the hour.”

  “Very good. Good bye.”

  Henry pressed end, then stood and walked down the hallway. He looked into the dining room and saw his friends sitting around a table, so he went over to join them. “Whenever you are ready, Carl, they will pick me up in Bellingham.”

  Carl stood. “Go pack your bags, Doc. I’ll meet you at the helicopter.”

  After Carl had left, Henry looked at Janice and Victor. “It has been a pleasure working with you both.”

  Janice stood and came around the table to face him. “You make that sound so final, Henry. You’ll be back to help with the recovery, won’t you?”

  “Perhaps. You should continue with the melting process. We shall see what develops.”

  Janice threw her arms around him. “Keep us informed on what will happen.” She kissed him on the cheek and let go.

  Victor stood and held out his hand. “Good luck, Henry.”

  Henry smiled and accepted. “I will call when I can.” He turned and walked out of the room, and continued to his cabin.

  * * *

  Chapter 41

  MOUNT BAKER:

  Jamie stared through the windshield and was grateful the children were being quiet on the drive down the mountain. At one point, Serra tried to reassure her that Wesley would be okay, but Jamie knew the rough ride down the river could have driven his fractured rib into his lungs. She fought hard to hold back her tears, thinking all they would find was Wesley’s limp body.

  She parked in front of the ranger station and shut down the engine, then leaned her arms over the steering wheel. She stared at the station door, hoping by some miracle Wesley would walk out of the building.

  “What should we do now, Jamie?” Serra asked

  Jamie leaned back and looked over at her. “You and your children should wait here until Larry comes back. He can make arrangements to take you someplace safe.”

  “What if he doesn’t come back?”

  “Let’s go inside and you can call someone to come and get you.”

  “I don’t have anyone to call.”

  Jamie’s frustration reached the breaking point. “So what do you want me to do about it?” she snapped. “Wesley is dead because you had to get your precious junk!”

  Serra stared at Jamie, not knowing what to say. She turned and opened the door. “Come on, kids.”

  Jamie regretted her outburst. “Look, I’m sorry I yelled.”

  “That junk is all we have. What would you have done?”

  Jamie realized she would have done the same thing. “I’ll take you down to the store and you can get a ride from there. Miss Sorenson knows a lot of people who could help you.”

  Serra closed the door. “Thanks.”

  Jamie started the engine, backed away from the building, and then drove out of the park. When she returned from the grocery store, she saw Larry’s SUV parked in front of the station. She parked, shut off the engine, and threw open the door to climb out, hoping Wesley was alive and waiting inside. She ran into the station and found Larry staring at the map on the wall. She glanced around, but did not see Wesley.

  Larry noticed the desperation in Jamie’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

  Jamie tried to hold back her tears. “We had an accident. Wesley was washed downstream, and I don’t know what happened to him. I was hoping he came here.”

  “I’ve been driving around the park checking the damage, and I didn’t see anyone.” He watched Jamie’s desperate look change to determination, and she grabbed the doorknob. “Where are you going?”

  “To find him.”

  “Just hang on a second. I’ll call Frank and we’ll do a proper search.
Wesley is a resourceful man, Jamie. I’m sure we’ll find him.”

  Jamie let go of the doorknob and stepped over to the map. “Show me an area and I’ll get started.”

  Larry grabbed a red erasable marker and divided the map into three sections. “Where did he get washed downstream?”

  Jamie grabbed a blue marker and circled a spot on the map. “This is where the water tore out the road above the campground, and he was going in this direction before he disappeared.”

  “All right. You search that area below the campground, I’ll take this area to the east, and Frank can search the area to the west.”

  “Got it.”

  Jamie grabbed a fresh radio from the charger and walked out the door.

  * * *

  Chapter 42

  MYSTIC:

  After a quick meal, Alex climbed the stairs to relieve Okana. “Josh is waiting for you. He said you have to eat it while it’s hot.”

  Okana grinned. “Now why does that worry me a little?”

  “It’s really good. I’ll take over.”

  When Okana stood from the chair and went down the stairs, Alex took his place in front of the control console, and a moment later, he heard footsteps coming up.

  Mike stepped into the bridge. “Lisa seems to be handling things better since you came back, Alex. Who would have guessed little Lisa would save the crew.”

  Alex nodded. “She saved all of us.”

  They heard a click from the radio.

  “Calling Mystic. Calling Mystic. This is the Canadian Coast Guard. Please come in.”

  Alex nodded toward the radio. “It’s still your ship.”

  Mike reached up and grabbed the microphone from its clip. “This is the Mystic. Go ahead.”

  “We understand you have a Mister F Okana on board. He is being charged with murder on the high seas. We want you to bring him to Vancouver, British Columbia as soon as possible.”

  “Who’s filing the charges?”

  “Captain Montego, of the merchant ship, CONDOR.”

  Alex looked at Mike. “He’s a friend of Blacktooth. I saw him in Prince Rupert. One of Blacktooth’s men must have told him about the botched hijacking.”

  “We can’t just turn Okana over. We know he’s innocent, but he’ll be stuck in jail until they straighten things out.”