Alex pointed at the inside bottom edge of the horseshoe. “Is this the entrance of the mine?”
“Yes. It’s at the bottom of a three hundred foot high sheer rock face. The gold played out back in 1846, and no one has tried again.”
“Who owns it now?”
“The government still owns it, I think. No one bothered to file the paper work with me, but that’s what my friend in DC told me.”
“Did your friend tell you when the government took it over?”
“It was back in 1964 during the space race. There have been rumors about what they did there, but I’ve never paid them much attention. I think too many people listen to Arty.”
Alex looked down at the map. “So the only way into the valley is here at the north end?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have a map showing the layout of the mine?”
“Several. How far back?”
“When the mine was shut down. I need to see the layout of the tunnel system they dug into the mountain.”
Spencer had worked in the office since he was ten, and knew the location of every document from memory. It only took a second to locate what Alex was looking for. “This is the last recorded drawing before the mine shut down.” Spencer spread the drawing on the desk and used the weights again. “I remember when my grandfather had to draw this. He was handed a stack of hand-drawn pictures and had to figure out a way of drawing it to scale.”
Alex watched and listened while Spencer pointed and described the different areas on the drawing. “This is the main entrance into the mine. You can see by the scale that it was only wide enough for an ore-cart until it goes into this large open area. That’s where they found the mother lode of gold. These side tunnels off the main area were exploratory shafts, but they didn’t find enough gold worth blasting out.”
Alex noticed a long thin line running from the main chamber to the outside of the mountain. He pointed it out to Spencer. “What does it mean?”
“It’s a ventilation shaft. This mark, near the main chamber, means it collapsed just before they shut it down. Anything else you’d like to see?”
“Yes, a better picture of the cavern layout. All I have is a tourist map.”
Spencer understood and pulled an old diagram from a drawer and handed it to Alex. “You can keep that one. I have more copies.”
“I found a lot of water running into the cavern after the cave-in. How deep is the water table in this area of Wyoming?”
“Let me show you.”
Alex’s phone rang and he recognized Jerry Mercer’s ID. “Hey Jerry. You had something happen in the park, correct?”
“How did you know?”
“I’m in Stillwater Wyoming. We had a major seismic event here about three hours ago. Whatever is happening here is affecting your park. How bad was it?”
“All the geysers are out of control. All indications are this volcano is becoming active, Alex. I’m evacuating the park.”
“I’m trying to find out the reason for this sudden activity. I’ll call you if I learn anything.”
“Try to learn fast, Alex. I don’t like where this is headed. If these earthquakes continue this volcano is going to explode.”
“I will.” He looked at Spencer and told him what was going on. “I’ve got to figure why this is happening.”
Spencer dragged another map from the cabinet and rolled it out on the desk. It was the layout of the western plains of the U.S. In the area southeast of Stillwater, an elongated light blue oval shape ran from North to South. “This here is the Ogallala reservoir, about three hundred feet under the Great Plains.”
Alex noticed one long slender blue arm branching off in a northwest direction. “What’s that called?”
“It’s not called anything. It’s just an extension from the reservoir. That’s where we get our water. It also drains down when it reaches Yellowstone. That’s where most of the water for the hot springs comes from.”
“Do you have some detailed maps of the rock strata between Stillwater and Yellowstone National Park?”
Spencer opened one of the lower doors in the cabinet, grabbed a flat map, and set it on the desk.
Alex’s phone rang and he turned to stare out the window. “Hi, Martin. What did you find out about this facility?”
“During the Apollo missions the government realized if they did manage to get to the moon and back, they would be able to bring back some of the rocks. They needed a place to isolate and study any organisms found in samples. In 1964, they converted the mine into the research facility and called it COBRA, and then in 1970 the facility was sealed shut. It was also the perfect place to tap into the geothermal area near Yellowstone, so they installed a steam-powered turbine generator. They used transistors for the electronic control system, which were state of the art at the time.”
“That makes sense. What happened?”
“It seems one of the samples they brought back from the moon was actually some kind of green meteor. They took it to COBRA to run tests, but once it was exposed to the atmosphere, the meteor’s temperature began to increase. Soon it was melting through every known material. Ceramic seemed to slow it down, so they built two halves of a hollow ceramic ball to encase the meteor. They knew it would melt through eventually, but it gave them enough time to find a permanent solution. Since they had an unlimited source of power, they built a large electro-magnetic force field around the meteor. After that they lowered the whole thing to the bottom of an eight hundred foot mineshaft and filled it in with concrete.”
”If the DAR company is using the facility to experiment with the device Rita took, they may have released the meteor. The device shuts down all electronics when it’s on. I have to get inside somehow.”
“I can get a squad of Marines headed in your direction.”
“I don’t have time to wait. Yellowstone is going to erupt if I don’t stop these earthquakes.”
“How can the park be reacting to the earthquakes? It’s hundreds of miles away.”
Alex felt a hand on his arm and looked down at Spencer. “Yes?”
Spencer pointed at the map on the desk showing the rock strata. “This is the best one I have.”
Alex studied the map for several moments before he spoke to Martin. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
“What’s that?”
“Steam, Martin. If the meteor cracked through its ceramic prison, it could be superheating the underground aquifer system. A spur branch of the Ogallala underground reservoir runs directly under Stillwater toward Yellowstone. If the meteor is superheating the water, it will flash boil into steam and begin fracturing the surrounding rock strata. That’s what causing the earthquakes.”
“I still don’t get the connection.”
“There is a fifty mile diameter pocket of magma below Yellowstone. If enough steam pressure is forced against the pocket, the magma will have only one place to go, and that is up. Yellowstone National Park will turn into the largest volcanic eruption mankind has ever seen.”
“I read something about it.” Martin told him. “The last time it happened was about seven-hundred and fifty thousand years ago. From what the scientists have been able to determine, the ash cloud will circle the earth and kill every living thing on the planet within a year.”
“That’s right. No one will be able to escape its force. It will be ten times worse than the eruption that blew the side out of Mount Saint Helens. That eruption sent a cloud of ash twenty miles into the air with a shock wave radiating out for two hundred miles. If Yellowstone erupts, the ash cloud will reach forty miles into the atmosphere and everything within a five hundred mile radius of the eruption will be destroyed instantly.”
“I’ll make some calls and get you some support, Alex.”
“I can’t wait, Martin. I might have a way to get inside. I’ll get Okana to help me.”
“You two be careful, Alex. I’ll get reinforcements heading in your direction.”
“Thanks.” When Alex looked up, Spencer was grinning at him.
“Need any help?”
Alex knew Spencer would just be another person to worry about once he found a way into the mine. “You could show me how to open up the ventilation shaft.” Alex watched a sly grin form on Spencer’s face.
“I know where I can get a few sticks of dynamite. I’ve been hankering to blow something up. There’s an old road on this side of the mountain below the shaft. I’ll lead the way.”
“I’ll call Okana and have him meet us someplace. What should I tell him?”
“Have him meet us at the sheriff’s office. We’ll leave from there.”
Spencer’s cell phone rang and he answered. “Hello, Helen. Yes, he’s here. I will.” He looked at Alex. “The sheriff wants to talk to you. He’s waiting for you in the municipal building. I’ll go get the dynamite.”
“All right. I’ll meet you there.”
* * *
Chapter 13
YELLOWSTONE:
As Jerry drove into the parking lot at the Thumb Geyser Basin, one of the park rangers ran up to his car as he climbed out. “What’s going on?” Jerry asked.
“I’ve never seen so many of these geysers erupting at the same time, Jerry. It’s as if they are synchronized to erupt at the same instant. What the hell is happening to the park?”
“Didn’t you get the word to evacuate? The caldera is becoming active.”
“I just did. I hollered at the tourists through the bullhorn, but I didn’t want to start a panic.”
The ground suddenly heaved up and car alarms began blaring in the parking lot. They both turned to look when they heard screams of agony and panic. They could only stare helplessly as scalding water rained down on the tourists running along the wooden walkways.
Jerry heard Vivian’s voice yelling his name and grabbed the portable radio. “I’m here.”
“The GPS alarms are going off all over the park!” She yelled. “The seismic detectors are showing four-point-seven magnitude earthquakes covering a fifty mile radius outside the park. All indications are an eruption is imminent. What do you want me to do?”
“Where is Paul?”
“He’s here with me.”
“Call the director and tell him to activate the emergency broadcast system. If Yellowstone erupts, thirteen hundred square miles of the surface will be vaporized instantly. Tell him to start organizing mass rescue operations outside the park.”
“I will. What are you going to do?”
Jerry lowered his head and stared at the ground for a moment. It might already be too late for Vivian and Paul to reach a safe distance from the eruption, he thought. He looked up into the imploring eyes of the ranger, and then spoke into the microphone. “You and Paul get out of there right now. Call the Director from your cellphones. We have too many injured people here, so I’m staying to lend a hand. Call me after you talk to the director.”
“I will.”
Jerry looked up at the ranger. “Let’s organize the people who can still drive into an ambulance service. Have them take the injured with them before they drive away.”
As the ranger began stopping the people running to their vehicles, Jerry moved to the back of his car to retrieve his emergency medical supplies. Even though he knew within a year it wouldn’t matter who he saved today, he would try to ease their suffering.
*
STILLWATER:
Alex left Spencer’s office and called Okana before driving down to the municipal building and parking in the visitor section. When he walked through the swinging double doors, he saw a grey haired woman sitting at the front desk, talking on the phone. She smiled and pointed to his right, so he walked down the hallway. At the end of the hall, COUNTY SHERIFF was painted in black letters on the frosted glass window in the door. He was about to knock when he heard the sheriff holler to come in, so he stepped through the doorway.
The sheriff stood from behind his desk when he walked in. “I got your message, Sheriff.”
“I didn’t get your phone number earlier, so I had our dispatcher call around town to find you. I have people calling in from all over the county wondering what’s going on, but I don’t know what to tell them.”
“Yellowstone Park is registering increased seismic activity since early this morning, and I think I know why.” He told Bruce everything he knew so far and his plan to get into the facility. “Okana’s on his way to help me.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, all you have is a theory that they have the device you mentioned.”
Alex stared at Bruce for a moment. “Perhaps, but I am positive the mine is the epicenter for these seismic events. One way or another I have to get inside the facility.”
“All right, but no sense blowing things up just yet. Let me call George and we’ll check out the entrance from a helicopter first.”
“That works for me. How long until he can get over here?”
“We can be at his office in a couple of minutes by car. Spencer lets him use the movie theatre as an office and landing pad.”
“It will take Okana at least an hour to get here.”
“Like I said this morning, I’ve met a couple of the guards. They might let us in if I’m with you.”
“It’s worth a try.”
Bruce made the call to George while Alex called Spencer and Okana to let them know what they were doing. Bruce gave Alex a ride to the theatre, and when they pulled into the parking lot, George Whitley was standing next to his metallic green Bell helicopter. Bruce parked next to the building and they climbed out.
Alex heard the familiar whine of the turbine engine as they walked over. Bruce introduced him to George.
“That’s a nice bird you have.” Alex told him. “I’ve flown one of these, myself.”
George shook hands. “Always nice to meet a fellow pilot. Let’s go.”
They all climbed in and within a few moment the helicopter leapt off the ground and George swung it around on a northerly heading. Ten minutes later, they flew over the southern rim of the mountain range.
Now he was getting an aerial view, and Alex could clearly see the outline of a volcanic crater. A few minutes later, they could barely see the two green rooftops of the guard shack and a small barrack hidden in the trees. Once past the tree line, George kept the helicopter hovering above the turnaround area of the clearing. A few moments later, three men with holstered pistols walked out from the trees and waved them down in a friendly manner.
George looked over at Alex for approval. “It’s your call.”
“They might be able to help us get inside, so go ahead and land in the clearing.”
George touched down and set the engine to idle, and Alex and Bruce climbed out.
Bruce recognized one of the men. “I’m Bruce Roswell and this is Alex Cave, a geologist. We think something inside the facility is causing these earthquakes. Can you tell us what they’re doing in there?”
“I’m Rick Denials, head of security. Right after the earthquake I sent one of my men down the tunnel to the entrance and the door was shut. I told him the entry code, but it didn’t work.”
“Do you know what they took into the facility?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, but I can’t tell you for security reasons.”
“I understand your reluctance,” Alex told him. “If I’m correct about what’s inside that place, it’s causing these seismic events and things will get much worse. Yellowstone could erupt.”
“All right. Last weekend this red-haired woman and an old man arrived and we unloaded this big ass torpedo and took it inside. The owner stops by once in a while, but that’s all I know about it.”
Damn her! Alex swore silently. “Why would they shut the door?”
“That’s just it. They wouldn’t. That door is never closed.”
“Is it okay if we fly in and check it out?”
“I’ll go with you. I know the code.”
George waited while
Bruce and the stranger climbed into the back seat, and then looked over at Alex as he climbed into the co-pilots seat. “A new friend?”
“For now. I really appreciate your help with this, George. Could you take us to the mine entrance?”
“All right. The area in front looked like it was made for a helicopter to land.”
George shoved the throttle forward, took off from the field, and headed in the direction of the entrance. “What’s this all about, Alex?”
Alex turned in his seat so Rick could hear him too, and gave a brief description of the purpose of the facility and the device. When George asked him who had built the device, Alex knew he couldn’t tell him the truth and simply answered it was top secret. “Right now our biggest concern is getting inside the facility and shutting down the device.”
A few minutes later, George brought the helicopter over the clear area in front of the entrance and dropped it down gently on the painted landing area. He and Alex were the first to notice that no dust bellowed up from the ground as they touched down.
Alex opened his door and stepped out. “It’s no wonder we didn’t see any vehicle tracks when we flew over earlier. It’s painted concrete.”
Once the others climbed out, Rick led the way to the entrance. The overhead lights were off, casting the interior in a gloomy darkness.
“I’ve got a lantern.” George said and ran back to the helicopter.
Once George returned, they headed down the tunnel. No one spoke until they arrived at the door.
“This touch pad should be illuminated.” Rick informed them and entered the code. When nothing happened, he tried again with the same result so he turned to look at the others. “We can’t get in.”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 70