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

by James M. Corkill

  When Dieter climbed out and saw Sasha, he stared at Alex. “What have you done, Alex? She’s been trying to kill me!”

  Sasha grinned. “Two for two, Alex? You really didn’t have to be so nice to me. Both of you. Get in.”

  *

  After the van drove past the turnoff, Okana climbed out of the truck and looked through the window. “Once you distract the guards, I’ll come in from the trees. Be careful. If they start acting suspicious, leave. I’ll try to take them out before it happens.”

  “Why don’t you just take them out with the rifle?”

  “I need to be close to the house when the shooting starts. I’m sure Boris will keep one guard inside, so Alex will be outnumbered. I need to get inside fast.”

  “All right. We’re running out of time, so let’s get it over with.”

  Okana tapped his fist on the door. “Be careful.” He turned and headed through the forest.

  *

  Sasha was first through the door and grinned at Boris. “Cave brought us an added guest. Your friend and mine, that swindler from Sweden, John Dieter.”

  Dieter came in next and hurried over to Boris. “I can get you the money, Boris. Just give me a few days.”

  When Alex stepped through the doorway, he shook his head in disgust seeing the way Dieter was begging for his life. Dieter was just too casual about Boris when he spoke with Blacktooth earlier. Hopefully, Dieter would be the distraction he needed.

  When the door closed behind him, Alex looked at the kids. Jessica looked frighten, but Derek had a look in his eyes as if he was ready for anything. He turned back to Boris. “So how do you want this to play out?”

  Boris sneered. “We all go for a ride and you get to watch me kill them.”

  Alex glanced over at the man standing nearby. He was the one from the van. That makes three outside for Okana and his dad to deal with.

  When a gunshot came from somewhere outside, Alex drove his fist into Mikhail’s face, sending him crashing over a table. He swung around as Sasha brought her pistol up, ready to fire.

  A curdling scream from Jessica distracted Sasha enough for Alex to twist the pistol from her hand and drive his fist into her jaw.

  Mikhail got up from the floor, reaching for his side arm. In one swift move, Alex brought Sasha’s pistol around and fired. As Mikhail soared backward through the air, his gun dropped to the floor.

  When Derek saw Boris staring at the gun, he gritted his teeth and forced his hands apart until the small cut he had made on the strap burst apart.

  When Boris noticed that Derek was about to leap for the gun, he snatched it up first, swinging it up and aiming it at Derek. “STOP!” he yelled as he looked at Alex.

  Alex didn’t hesitate, just aimed, and fired. Boris spun around and crumpled to the floor.

  “Behind you!” Derek yelled as Sasha grabbed another pistol from a drawer and swung it around toward Alex.

  Suddenly, Okana crashed through the front door. The momentary distraction allowed Alex to step close to Sasha, put his gun against her temple, and fire.

  Okana aimed his gun around the room and saw Dieter cowering in a corner. He had a strong urge to pull the trigger, but Dieter was unarmed. “Get up and cut the girl loose.”

  Derek ran over to Alex and gave him a hug. “I knew you’d find a way to save us.”

  Robert came running through the doorway, his hand over a patch of blood on his shoulder. When he saw Derek and Jessica alive and well, he released a long breath and leaned against the door jam. “Are you two all right?”

  “We’re fine, Grandpa. A little shaken up is all.” Derek looked at Alex. “So now what happens?”

  “I’ll call a friend of mine to clean up this mess. We need to go outside so we can preserve the evidence.”

  Once out in the yard, Jessica stepped up to Alex and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for saving our lives, Mister Cave.”

  “You’re welcome.” For some odd reason, Alex thought about Wesley’s relationship with Jamie Parker in this timeline. “Do you happen to know Wesley Patterson?”

  “Sure, everybody knows Wesley. He married my sister, Jamie.”

  Alex smiled and looked over at his father with a look of concern. Okana was checking out his wound, so he walked over to see how bad it was. “Thanks for the help, Dad, I really didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “It’s not that bad. The bullet passed right through the meat. Is it okay if we leave now?”

  Alex smiled. “Okana and I will stay here until the police take over. I just have to make the call before the neighbors call in and report hearing gunshots.”

  Robert grinned. “Don’t you remember? Nobody around here cares about gunshots. People around here do a lot of hunting, and most of them have targets somewhere on their property.”

  “I’m sorry I got you into this, dad. I never meant for any of this to happen. Just a mistake I made a long time ago.”

  Robert stared at Alex, seeing the strong resemblance to his older brother. Before today, he could not stand even looking at a picture of Alex. It was time to be a family again. “I’m sure the kids are hungry after this ordeal. Would you have time to come over for dinner tonight?”

  Alex smiled at his father. “After all that has happened you want to cook?”

  Robert laughed. “Hell no. We’ll go to the restaurant in Sparrow Valley. I’m sure my friend Wesley will join us, too. He’s married to one of the Parker girls now. She seems a bit too young for him, in my opinion. Even made him cut his hair.”

  “That would be great, dad. Okana and I will meet you there when we’re through here.”

  * * *

  Chapter 33

  THE ISLAND:

  As Alex stared through the side window of the helicopter, he remembered the look on David’s face when he first saw the spaceship. He looked over at Henry, pressed against the window and a broad smile on his face. Lewis was trying to hide it, but Alex knew he was nervous about flying the alien craft. Okana was in the cockpit straining to see below as he slowly set down on the beach inside the crater.

  Okana shut down the engine, and once everyone was out, he walked around to the storage area to help Alex carry a heavy wooden crate over to the spaceship. After attaching a star-shaped device to the side of the alien craft, Henry had the honor of turning it on. The spaceship became transparent.

  As everyone entered, Okana noticed Alex staring into a cave. “Alex? Don‘t you want to come inside and see what it looks like?”

  “I’ll join you in a minute.”

  After Okana stepped inside, Alex walked across the beach to the cave, but hesitated to enter. If the sphere was in the cargo hold, it meant something didn’t work out the way it was supposed to and he might have to start all over. Yesterday had been the longest day he could ever imagine. He could not remember the last time he had gotten any sleep.

  He released a long sigh and entered the cave. When he looked into the cargo hold, the only thing inside was the fourth device. He began to laugh as he stepped inside. Even the silver suit was missing. He stopped smiling when he thought about Fala. Will things still be the same? Or will she still be married, or with someone else?

  He turned and headed back to the spaceship. When he stepped inside, he saw how excited his friends were over their new toy. Henry hurried over when he noticed him.

  “Oh, Alex. It is in perfect condition! Lewis is just about to insert the new power crystals, so cross your fingers.”

  Alex was excited about having a working spaceship, but he understood Paladin’s warning and felt bad he could not tell them what he had been through yesterday. Suddenly the lights came on and they all applauded in triumph.

  Okana was all smiles as he went over to Alex. “How did you know all this stuff?”

  “It’s a long story and maybe someday I can tell it to you, but for now you’ll just have to trust me. On another subject, I’ve showed you my hometown, and I’d like to see yours and meet your family.”

 
Okana just stared at Alex. “Why do I get the feeling you already have? You knew about my mom and dad. Mom said he would have had a heart attack if you hadn’t told me to get him to a hospital. I suppose you can’t tell me about that, either.”

  Alex wondered what type of paradox he might have created by saving Laughing Wolf’s life. “I’m really sorry, my friend. I can’t. I’m just glad I could help.”

  “Do you know if I’m going to have a heart attack?”

  Alex grinned. “From what I remember about your eating habits, you won’t make it to fifty unless you find a good woman and settle down.”

  “Listen Alex. I think it’s time you got over Sevi. I’d like for you to meet my cousin, Fala. I think you two would get along. I have to warn you, she’s got a little girl.”

  Alex smiled. “I’d like to meet her.”

  Okana’s mouth opened slightly. “What’s come over you, Alex? You seem different.”

  “I’m just getting older, I guess.”

  “Fala has three days off next weekend, just like you teachers. Why don’t you come over and I’ll introduce you. We have a ranch in Stillwater, Wyoming. It’s about four hours from your place in Montana.”

  “Sounds great. Hey, it looks like Lewis is ready to start the engine.”

  *

  STILLWATER. ONE WEEK LATER:

  When Alex drove into the parking area at the Okana Ranch, he saw Fala sitting with Judith under the tree. He heard a high-pitched scream of joy as he stepped out of his SUV and walked around to the opposite side to open the door for his passenger. A moment later, Halona ran up to greet him.

  “Are you the cave man?”

  Alex smiled. “That’s right. What’s your name?”

  “My name is Halona.”

  “Halona, this is my niece, Kristy Cave.”

  Halona smiled at Kristy. “Does that mean you’re a cave girl?” Both girls giggled, and Halona pointed toward the barn. “Want to see the horses?”

  Alex smiled, watching them walking toward the barn, laughing.

  Okana came over to greet Alex. “Glad you could make it, Alex.” He nodded toward the girls. “I see you brought an icebreaker. Come on over and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the family. My dad’s still in bed recovering from the bypass surgery three days ago. The doctors said it was a good thing he got checked.”

  Alex fought hard to control his anxiety as he held out his hand to Fala, something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. When she accepted, she had a curious look in her eyes.

  “Have we met before, Alex?”

  “Oh, I’m sure I would have remembered if we had.”

  Fala smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. Who’s the girl? She and Halona seem to be getting along.”

  “That’s my niece, Kristy. She came to stay with me for a couple of weeks.”

  “We should do something together with the girls.”

  “I’d like that.”

  The End.

  I hope you enjoyed the stories. Would you mind taking a moment to write a short review? Because they really help an Independent Author like me continue writing captivating stories for your enjoyment. Thank you for your support.

  James M. Corkill.

  Here is the link.

  https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00MZANZ32

  You can contact me through my website.

  http://jamescorkill.com/

  Other books by James M. Corkill

  The Alex Cave Series Book 4. Gravity.

  The Alex Cave Series Book 4.

  Gravity

  Chapter 1

  BUFORD GLACIER, ICELAND:

  A distant noise caused Baltistan Nilsson to look up from his equipment on the northern edge of the ice sheet. There had been a larger than normal amount of ice breaking away from the face, so he was taking readings on the rate of calving, using a small quad copter with a built-in video camera. He stared in the direction of the sound, but all he could see on the other side of an ice ridge was a large, vertical white cloud against the sky blue background.

  What in God’s name was that? he thought. He climbed to the top of the ridge separating him from the steam plumes. An ominous glow reflected sporadically from his sunglasses while he peered over the ridge. As he pulled them off to get a better look, his eyes widened and his jaw sagged in disbelief. He realized no one would believe this without a video recording, so he quickly turned the copter in the direction of the steam cloud and began filming.

  *

  MONTANA STATE COLLEGE, BOZEMAN:

  Alex Cave sat on the edge of his old wooden desk, gazing out over his second year geophysics students, all of them feverishly trying to finish their final exams before time ran out on their last day of class. Each year the faces changed, yet the material remained much the same. Year after year, it was the same lectures, the same tests, and the same student performance. He grimaced, wondering silently about his chosen profession at the college. He loved the subject, and teaching paid the bills, but even with the occasional field trip to interesting formations, the work was becoming all too boring. He felt like a caged animal required to perform the same trick over and over again for a tiny bit of a reward.

  Since the highly classified Red Energy Operation last year, he would do the occasional investigation of extraordinary circumstances for his friend, Martin Donner, who was the Director of National Security. However, occasional was the optimal word, and it wasn’t enough to get him out of his monotonous rut.

  He looked up at the clock and felt a sense of relief. In a few more minutes, his classes would end for the summer. When he heard a knock on the door, he turned to look. A man in a US Postal Service uniform was standing on the other side, and he walked over to find out what he wanted. “Yes?”

  The man held out an envelope. “Sorry to bother you, Professor Cave, but I need your signature.”

  Alex signed for the letter and read the return address. It was from Reykjavík, Iceland, with Urgent written in red letters. “Thanks.”

  The bell rang, and Alex looked at his students. “Have a great summer, everyone.”

  He stepped aside while they left his classroom, and then sat at his desk to grab a letter opener. Inside the envelope were a round trip airline ticket from New York to Iceland and a single page note.

  Hello, Alex.

  I’m Jeffery Sliven, the Director of the Nordic Volcanological Center, and I need your help with an unusual geological discovery. Director Martin Donner said this might be of interest to you. Below you will find the time, date, and location of the symposium we will be holding with other top professionals in your field. I know this is short notice, but your expertise would be greatly appreciated.

  Sincerely, Jeffery.

  Alex felt a small adrenalin rush, thinking about the potential for a new challenge. He called the airport and managed to get a connecting flight to New York, but it would leave in two hours. As exhilarated as he was at the prospect of a new adventure, Alex knew his girlfriend, Fala, would not be happy about his having to leave again. He tucked the envelope into his briefcase and headed for the door.

  *

  Alex drove into the driveway on his small ranch and parked next to his girlfriend’s SUV. When he climbed out, he heard a familiar giggle and smiled. Halona, Fala’s eight-year-old daughter, was playing tug-of-war with his dog, Barney, a mixed-breed he had rescued from an animal shelter as a pup, and who had grown up to look more like a brown bear than a dog. When Alex knelt down, Barney let go of the thick rope, causing Halona to fall on her butt. She laughed and jumped up, running after the dog. When they both stopped in front of him, Alex ran his hand through Barney’s thick fur. “How ya doing, big fella?”

  Halona smiled and held the rope out for her friend to see. “I won, Alex.”

  Alex grinned, swept her up onto his arm, and stood. “I saw that. You’re getting stronger every day. Has your mom been giving you some kind of magic Native American growing medicine?”

  Halona laug
hed. “No, silly. I’m just growing tall, like her.”

  “You sure are, so it’s time you do your own walking.” He set her on the grass. “See if you can beat Barney again, while I go talk to your mom.”

  Halona looked up at her friend and frowned. “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

  Alex knelt down in front of her. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Will you be back for my birthday party on Sunday?”

  Alex loved Halona as much as he loved her mother, who had planned the party several weeks ago, and he dare not miss it. “I promise I’ll do my best to be here.”

  Her lower lip fell into a pout. “All right.”

  Alex stood and climbed the three steps onto the back porch, and then went into the house. He set his briefcase near the hallway, and found his girlfriend sitting in a chair in the living room. Because of her raven black hair, her parents had named her Fala, a Native American word for crow.

  Fala looked up from her laptop when she heard the door open. The moment she saw Alex, she smiled. “Somebody sure looks excited. I bet you’re pretty happy to be done with classes for the semester.”

  “Definitely, but that’s not why I’m excited. I’ve been asked to attend an urgent geological meeting in Iceland.”

  Fala’s smile was immediately replaced with a scowl. Nearly slamming her laptop on the coffee table, she stood. “Iceland? Are you kidding me, Alex?”

  “What?”

  “You just got out for the summer. I thought we might finally be able to do some traveling together. All three of us, or maybe you and I could go somewhere. Between classes and your mysterious rock excursions, I feel like we don’t see you enough. I don’t see you enough.”

  Alex walked over, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close to him. “Fala, you know I love you.”

  Fala smirked slightly and rolled her eyes, “You have a funny way of showing it, traveling around the world, leaving me here to feed your dog and bring in your mail.”