“Director’s office. How can I help you?”
“I’m a friend of Alex Cave and I’m trying to get a message to Mister Donner.”
“He’s in a meeting at the moment. I can give him the message when he’s done.”
“Tell him we had a setback and Alex is stranded on the ice north of my position. Here is my phone number and GPS coordinates. I would appreciate a call back so I can explain what happened, and tell him not to go north of my position. Something up there interferes with all the electronics.”
The woman wrote down the information. “I’ll make sure he gets this as soon as he comes out.”
“Thank you.”
Joshua set the phone back in its bracket and stared up at the wall of ice. It was much lower than the one he saw up north, he thought. Maybe the device was running out of juice. Even alien batteries must run out of power eventually.
He sighed and sat on the chair. For now, there was nothing he could do but wait.
*
THE ICE SHEET:
Alex brought the sat phone out of his coat pocket again and stared at the screen, still no signal. He made a mark on the ice with his foot, and then held his hand up as a visor and slowly turned in a circle. He had lost sight of the boat, and did not know if he was walking in a straight line or a circle. Without a point of reference, it was impossible to tell.
He turned back in the direction of his mark, and continued on to where he thought the Mystic might be located outside the ice. Joshua would not leave anyone behind, and he was sure to be waiting somewhere close. It was hard to distinguish the ice from the sky, and he could not see an end to the ice sheet. For now, he could only hope he was walking in the right direction.
He heard the sat phone beep and brought it up to look at the screen. Finally, he thought. The signal was weak, but he was getting close and started jogging while staring at the screen. When four bars appeared, he stopped and entered the number for the Mystic.
*
Joshua reached over the side of the console and grabbed the sat phone. When he saw it was Alex, he jumped off the chair. “Man, I’m glad you called. Where are you?”
“I’m still on the ice and trying to get to you. My GPS is working now, and I’m at these coordinates.” He read the numbers from the screen. “What’s your location?”
Joshua studied the read out on the computer monitor. “You’re only a quarter mile straight north of me. Here’s my coordinates. I should be able to nudge the Mystic close enough to the ice wall for you to jump onto the roof.”
“I don’t understand. Jump?”
“Yeah, the ice is only about forty-feet-high this time.” The line was silent for a long moment. “Alex? Are you still there?”
Alex took a moment to relax and entered the Mystic’s coordinates, seeing his destination on the screen. If the ice was only forty-feet-high, there was a good chance his friends were still alive. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Joshua set the phone down and took Mystic off automatic, then used the thrusters to spin her sideways and slowly moved closer to the ice wall. When he was within five-feet, he stopped and pressed automatic again, then waited a few moments to make sure it was working. Everything was normal so he grabbed the sat phone and binoculars as he walked out of the bridge.
He climbed the ladder onto the roof, and could see over the top of the wall. He looked through the binoculars at a shiny black ball bouncing above two blue moving objects. He remembered Alex had shiny black hair and was wearing a white coat, so he knew it was Alex running across the ice.
*
THE ISLAND:
Okana looked back inside the spaceship at the expectant faces, and shook his head. “It’s still working, Doc.”
Henry and David turned and looked down at the control pad, trying to decipher the symbols. Those early humans used a different vocabulary, and Henry was still learning the language from Norton.
Henry looked up at the people standing around him. “I am sorry, that was my mistake. It is this one.” He pressed the symbol and quickly turned to look at Okana.
Suddenly, the soft whining inside the crater was silent, and Okana looked inside. “It stopped. It stopped and the whirlwind is gone, everybody. We did it.”
Henry clasped his hands under his chin and was all smiles. “Hopefully the radios will be working, and once we upload the shutdown command through the satellite system, we will turn the other devices off as well.”
Okana heard a strange sound from outside the ship, and went out onto the beach to listen. Faint crackling sounds echoed in the crater, and he walked over to the gangway and up onto the old ship. The sound was louder, so he climbed up to the notch and looked down at the space between the ice wall and the beach. Some of the water had thawed and was lapping at the beach, but the cracking sound was not coming from below, it was coming from the opening above the ice. Something was happening up there, but he was helpless to see what was going on.
He jumped back when fracture lines began rippling through the ice, like melting spider webs, and huge pieces of ice crashed onto the beach. Within moments, the ice was dissolving around the island.
*
MYSTIC:
Joshua watched Alex getting closer, now only four-hundred yards and closing fast. With his help, they might be able to find a way to get their friends off the island. He brought up his sat phone. “I can see you coming, Alex.” He let the binoculars hang from the strap, now that he no longer needed them to see Alex.
He could hear something cracking, and then watched a massive slab of ice break free from the wall and crash into the water. More cracking sounds pierced the air, followed by huge chunks of ice slamming into the sea. A massive wave from the falling ice slammed into Mystic’s side, driving her sideways, away from the wall, and tossing Joshua off the roof.
He hit the deck rolling, jarring the sat phone from his hand as he slammed against the steel deck. He quickly sat up, crawled over to the phone, and grabbed it. “Run, Alex! Go back! The ice is falling apart. Run!”
He scrambled onto his feet and ran into the bridge as the water around Mystic began to clog with large chunks of ice. He flipped the thrusters off auto, eased Mystic through the thick chunks until she was free to maneuver, and watched helplessly as the ice disintegrated with Alex somewhere on the surface.
* * *
Chapter 54
SPARROW VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:
The ringing of the bells got everyone’s attention, but nobody stood from the bleachers. Arnie could not believe no one seemed to be worried. “Are you people stupid or something?” he yelled. “That’s the fire alarm, damn it! Get out of here!”
A few of the men stood, looked back at the school buildings, and then turned back to look at Arnie. “I don’t see any smoke, Sheriff,” one of the men shouted down.
“What’s the matter, Sheriff?” one of the fans from Darrington shouted. “Afraid of losing this year?”
Arnie placed his hands on his hips and stared at the ground. “Damn!” he swore in frustration. They just would not listen to him.
*
CAVE RANCH:
Derek paced in front of the porch, frustrated he could not find Kristy. He climbed onto the motorcycle and put on his helmet.
Robert sat in the porch swing, feeling the same as Derek. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t stand just sitting around. I’m going back to the water and see if it’s gone down any.”
Robert knew it was a waste of time, but it would give the boy something to do. The engine roared, and he watched Derek drive away. He pushed himself in the porch swing for something to do, and waited for a call from Arnie with information about Kristy.
He heard a strange sound and looked around, but could not locate its origin. He stood from the porch swing and followed the sound through the screen door, and the muffled sound was coming from inside Derek’s backpack. He opened the zipper, saw the strange looking phone, and then reached in and grabbed it. He stu
died the key pad and saw one green button and one red, and figured green was good and pressed it. “Hello?”
Wesley didn’t recognize the voice. “I’m trying to reach Derek Cave.”
“This is his grandfather, Robert.”
“Robert, my name is Wesley Patterson. Your granddaughter and Jessica Parker are trapped between the highway and your ranch, and they’re in big trouble. We opened the dam and you’re going to be flooded soon.”
“You did what? Are you crazy?”
“I don’t have time to explain, but you need get on your horses and go get them. When this water hits, they’ll be drowned, so you had better hurry.”
“I’m on my way to the barn right now.”
“Good luck.”
Robert pressed the red button and set the satellite phone on the table, then ran out to the porch and down to the barn.
*
When Derek reached the water, it was higher than before. “Shit!”
He gunned the engine, slipped the clutch, spun the rear tire in the dirt to turn around, and drove back toward the house.
When he drove onto the driveway, he noticed Robert running across to the barn, and drove over beside him. “What’s going on?”
“Kristy and that Parker girl are trapped between here and the bridge, and we have to hurry. Some idiot named Patterson opened the dam and the water is headed our way.”
Derek shut off the engine and climbed off the motorcycle. “Tell me what to do.”
“Just watch and do what I do with another horse, and you’ll be fine.”
*
BAKER PARK:
Wesley and Jamie walked into the ranger station and stood at the counter as Larry came out of his office. “Any word from the Valley?” Wesley asked.
“The Sheriff just called. Nobody believes him, and they wouldn’t leave the track meet. When you opened the dam, it flooded the road on the other side of the main bridge. No one can get down the mountain now.”
Wesley felt helpless as he looked at the concern in Jamie’s eyes.
Jamie crossed her arms, leaned back against the counter, and stared at the floor. “What we need is a helicopter.” She heard Wesley grunt, and when she looked up he was grinning. “What?”
“Time to call in a favor. Remember that friend of Alex Cave’s, Henry Heinz?” Jamie shook her head. “He owes me a favor for nearly killing us in the ice cave, and it’s time to collect.”
He turned on his phone and found the number for the Discovery, pressed redial, and a moment later, a woman answered.
“Tanner Company. This is the Discovery. How can I help you?”
“I’d like to speak to Henry Heinz, please.”
“He’s no longer on the ship.”
“He was working with some other people who might know Alex Cave. I’m a friend of his, and I need some help.”
“Hold on please.”
A man’s voice came from the speaker. “This is Carl Gregory. Who am I speaking to?”
“I’m Wesley Patterson, Mister Gregory. I’m a volcanologist working with Alex Cave.”
“I remember Henry mentioning you. What can I do for you?”
Wesley explained what was going on. “Alex’s nephew and niece are in trouble, and we could use a helicopter ride.”
“I’m a friend of Alex, too, and I’ve got a helicopter at my disposal. Where can I meet you?”
“That’s great. The Mount Baker State Park Ranger Station has a big enough parking lot for you to land. Hang on and I’ll get you the GPS location.” Larry looked at him, shrugged, and then Frank handed a piece of paper over the counter and he read the numbers to Carl. “I really appreciate this.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.” He turned off the phone and looked at Jamie. “The helicopter is on the way.”
*
CAVE RANCH:
Derek’s feet felt like ice, and his jeans were soaked halfway up his legs as the horses sloshed through the five-foot-deep rushing water. He and Robert followed a line of fir trees along the submerged road, and their speed was limited to the footing of the horses, both acting spooked by the leaves and branches rushing past in front of them. He turned to look at Robert riding on his right side. “They could be anywhere, grandpa.”
Robert did not reply and stared straight ahead. He kept thinking he could have done something earlier, like keeping Kristy home this morning. He had plenty of warning, but he did not know they would open the dam. Damn it! he thought. I should have realized that would be the only option to keep the dam from being destroyed.
Derek saw a flash of bright yellow in one of the trees and pointed. “There they are!”
*
Jessica and Kristy clung to the branches, watching snags of vegetation and small trees sweep past beneath their feet. Kristy looked over at Jessica standing on another thick tree limb next to hers. “I, can’t, stop, shivering,” she said through chattering teeth.
Jessica realized her jeans were wet, but her jacket and shirt were still dry. She carefully shuffled along the tree limb and stepped around the trunk to stand behind Kristy, and wrapped her arms around Kristy’s shoulders to pull her back tight against her body. “Derek should get here soon. We just have to be patient for a little while longer.”
“Derek. Likes you. Jessica.”
Jessica could feel Kristy shivering and looked down at the top of her head, then Kristy suddenly turned her head toward the ranch.
“Do you hear that, Jessica? I can’t see around the trunk, but it sounded like a horse snorting.”
Jessica leaned around the trunk. “It’s Derek and your grandfather! They’re almost here!”
“Kristy! Jessica! Just hang on,” they heard Derek holler.
Kristy saw the face of a horse and smiled up at Jessica. “I told you he’d rescue us.”
Derek waited until his saddle was close to Kristy’s feet, pulled back on the rains, and then slid back on the saddle as he held his hand out to her. “You look cold. Get on in front of me and I’ll warm you up.”
Kristy leapt off the tree limb, onto the saddle, and felt Derek’s warm arm wrap around her waist. “I knew you’d find us,” she told him as he moved the horse out of the way.
Robert looked up at Jessica. “We’ve never really met. I’m Robert. Jump down behind me.”
“I’ve never been on a horse before. Won’t he move away? I saw that in a movie.”
Robert shook his head. “No, he won’t move. Go ahead and jump.”
Jessica jumped from the limb, grabbing Robert’s shoulders for balance and nearly throwing him off the horse as she flopped down behind the saddle. “Wow. That was intense. Sorry about that.”
Robert turned his horse back toward the ranch and rode up beside Derek, then smiled and reached over to put his hand on Derek’s shoulder. “Good job, son.”
Derek looked over and smiled, but it quickly slipped away. “We’re not safe yet, grandpa. Wesley said even with the dam open, it may not be able to hold back the water if that logjam tears loose. I think we should head up to his place. It’s up past the park and away from the water.”
“That’s too far for the horses. We’d never make it out of the flooded areas. Our best option is to get back to the house and barn. Please just trust me that we’ll be safe there.”
Derek knew it was the only option and gave him a nod, then stared ahead as they made their way back to the ranch.
* * *
Chapter 55
THE ICE SHEET:
Alex slid to a stop when he heard Joshua’s warning, and stared in the direction of the Mystic. He could not see what he was talking about, but then he recognized the crackling and popping sound of fracturing ice, and saw the zigzagged edge of the ice sheet quickly moving in his direction. “Ah, shit!
He spun around, slipping on the surface and crashing onto the ice as it began to melt. He quickly got back on his feet and shuffle-skated across the slippery surface.
&nbs
p; He glanced back over his shoulder as the snapping and crackling grew louder, and saw the zigzagged edge only twenty yards behind him. “Damn!”
He struggled to gain traction, but the ice water just got deeper. It was difficult keeping his balance, but he desperately fought for every inch.
*
Joshua heard the thumping only seconds before an orange and white Coast Guard helicopter raced past overhead. He reset the autopilot, ran outside the bridge, and climbed up onto the roof. He saw Alex sliding on the surface, only seconds from being swallowed by the crumbling ice sheet and being crushed by the slabs of ice. He held his breath. The helicopter seemed to be taking forever.
*
The deep thumping of helicopter blades drew his attention, and Alex looked back over his shoulder. He saw the helicopter, but knew they couldn’t land and pick him. There just wasn’t enough time. He gritted his teeth and kept running.
Suddenly, Joshua’s voice yelled from the sat phone in his coat pocket. “Behind you! Behind you!”
He lost his footing when he turned to look, started to fall, and then a rope ladder was swinging across the ice and smacked his head. He grabbed the rungs and felt the pressure through his hands as the helicopter gained altitude. He stepped onto a rung, taking the strain off his arms, and sighed with relief as he was swung around, back toward the Mystic.
*
Joshua saw Alex suddenly swinging below the helicopter, and raised one arm and made a fist. “Yes! Way to go, Alex!”
When the helicopter began moving in his direction, Joshua climbed down and waited outside the bridge. A few moments later, he was grinning as he grabbed Alex from the swinging ladder. He set him on the deck, wrapped his arms around him for a quick hug, and then stepped back. “You are one lucky son of a bitch, Alex.”
“A few moments ago, I was wondering about my luck.”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 60
