Haley chuckled as they reached the truck. “I couldn’t have gone on. The sleep I got last night was the first solid shut-eye I’ve managed to sneak in since I met you two.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “I needed the sleep, too.” If Butch was right and the highway hadn’t moved all night, they’d definitely made the right call to spend that time in a real bed.
Haley went on. “By the by, if we could get the redheaded wench to bring her helicopter back, we could hop a ride on it.”
“As her prisoners?” Butch said with surprise.
“No, you big goof,” she said good-humoredly. “She’d be our prisoner.”
He laughed as he heaved his duffel into the bed of the truck. They’d picked up a few sets of clothes, toothbrushes, and the like over the past few days on the road. Mostly stuff they’d acquired at gas stations and truck stops.
Ezra stood next to the TKM vehicle, looking back at the modern hotel. Behind it, towering above the three-story structure, a pair of massive rock spires dominated the landscape, like two stone elephants walking the ridgeline of the steep hill. Unlike the portion of Wyoming they’d already crossed, the flatlands were gone. There were still a lot of scrubby grasses and weeds, but they clung to broken hills and valleys. While he admired the beauty of the scenery, cars sped into the parking lot.
“E-Z, I think we’ve got trouble,” Butch cautioned.
Five or six pickup trucks came in through two entrances on the lot. The vehicles cut across empty parking spots and drove right for them.
“Guys, weapons.” He said it quietly, and in a level voice.
One thing that had changed in America was the carrying of weapons. Yesterday, they’d walked into the hotel with rifles slung over their shoulders. The prim woman behind the counter gave them a few sideways glances, but she didn’t try to stop them from taking the guns into the hotel. The buffet breakfast room was interesting that morning as patrons propped their shotguns and rifles next to their coffee and donuts.
He never thought he’d need a gun at a hotel.
“Be cool,” he said. It was hard to say how many men were in each truck, but if there were only drivers, they’d be outnumbered five to three. His window of initiative was all but closed when the first truck stopped directly behind their ride.
There was no backing out.
Chapter 2
Old Faithful, Yellowstone, WY
The tourists struggled on the rocks around the geyser, tripping and sliding as the shaking got worse. Once on the ground, they seemed to finally comprehend the danger they were in. Their eyes fell on Grace, and the parents warned their kids. They all got up and sprinted toward her and Asher as if they were the last lifeboats on the Titanic. As they came to her, she was glad they’d turned their back on Old Faithful; it erupted with more fizz and steam than she’d ever observed in past eruptions.
“Don’t stop!” she urged the teen boys as they sped by. She said the same thing as the mother and daughter ran by hand in hand, and she shouted the loudest when the father passed her. “Get them far away!”
She and Asher then chased them. The big-city boy still wasn’t quite as fast as her, but he’d improved his pace since their first run across the delicate shell of Mammoth Hot Springs. She was no longer worried he’d fall behind or that she’d have to drag him across the finish line. They were both in better shape, and…
The shaking turned violent, causing her to misplace her foot, fall over, and face-plant on the rocky terrain.
Asher didn’t see her for a few seconds. She was struggling to her feet when he did, then he stopped and turned around.
“No! Go!” she yelled.
The unearthly roar made it too noisy to be heard. He probably knew what she’d said, but he still ran back the ten or fifteen feet to grab her arm as she struggled upright. His eyes went to the geyser behind her, causing Grace to turn slightly.
“Oh my—”
He yanked at her arm, prompting her to move.
She was disappointed in herself for needing to be reminded of the obvious danger, but she’d entered wildly uncharted territory. The plume of water was ten times bigger than she’d ever seen it before. The geyser opening and chambers below must have been widened thanks to the nearby asteroid impact. It was the only option which made any sense.
They sprinted for the benches. The family had regrouped there, and they watched her and Asher approach. This time, they were the ones pointing and yelling at her. She knew what they were saying.
What goes up must come down.
In a flash, she knew why the benches were soaked. The geyser had gone off recently. With its greater punch, the entire walkway and the benches needed to be moved far back.
For a few seconds it was a competition in waving. They waved her in, and she waved them to go back. When she hopped onto the platform, the first drops of hot water slapped off the brim of her wide hat.
“Keep going!” she yelled, whipping off her hat and clumsily putting it on the girl’s head.
The parents struggled with their children. The kids were enthralled by the mushroom cloud of water and foam jetting several hundred feet above them. She had to physically push them backward, but even that stern guidance didn’t get them all going in the same direction. Only when more of the hot water struck their exposed skin did they let go of the sightseeing.
“Yeow!” one of the boys yelped.
“It burns!” the mother cried out.
“Go!” Asher bellowed.
The water came down in sheets. It hit the benches about a hundred feet to her left, but it moved in steady cadence toward her and the others. As she cleared the last row of seats, Grace realized they were seconds from a horrible burn. The water was over two hundred and fifty degrees right below the surface, and though it cooled as it shot in the air, she couldn’t be sure that would matter. With the greater volume looming above them, the liquid would stay hot for a lot longer. Maybe it would still be boiling when it struck the ground…
She watched the five tourists keep their feet as they ran. To their credit, they’d done a better job of escape than she had. The water smacked down on the benches directly behind her, and it crept onto the gravel at her back, but they were soon far from the splash zone.
Grace stopped well before the family did. She grabbed Asher when she was certain they were safe. She spoke through her heaving breaths. “Hold up. Check it out.”
“Wow,” he said, taking a moment to absorb it.
Old Faithful typically went up to one hundred fifty or two hundred feet. What she saw was a geyser that had to be every bit of five hundred. She imagined it was going to touch the clouds dotting the blue sky above.
“Yeah. Wow.”
The breeze kept the spray from coming in their direction. The drape of watery mist made it impossible to see the far end of the circle of benches or the burned trees behind Old Faithful. It was pure white in that direction, complemented by a hissing roar and the falling water slamming to the pavement and rocks around the base.
“The park has changed,” she said dryly. “This is going to draw people in from everywhere once we get the park back up and running.” The thought made her wonder about the family, so she and Asher retreated farther to meet them.
As soon as she was close, the mother handed back the hat Grace gave to the daughter. “Thank you so much for protecting my family. We owe you our lives.”
“It’s nothing,” she demurred. “We happened to be in the area when we saw you.” Her next question had to be delicately stated, so as to avoid insulting the parents. What she wanted to say was, “how stupid do you guys have to be to walk next to an active geyser?” What she actually said was, “How did you guys come to be here?”
The woman seemed to speak for her husband. “Bob and I have had this trip to Yellowstone planned for a year. We know it’s crazy on the highways and in many cities, but there’s no way we were going to cancel.”
It was what she expected. Though she didn’
t see any tourists back at Mammoth Hot Springs, she was certain someone would be along shortly. She was also positive they’d take the opportunity to walk off the pathways and get into trouble. It was the one constant she could always depend on with park visitors.
“Well, I hope you all learned a valuable lesson about Mother Nature,” she said, trying to sound both cheerful and helpful, as a park ranger always should.
The young girl spoke up. “Yeah. When Mom and Dad say they want to take you to see the coolest park in the country, tell them no.”
“We’re out of here,” the dad finally said.
“Couldn’t agree more,” she replied. “Which way are you heading?”
“South,” he stated.
“We’ll follow you to the gate,” she added. It was her polite way of saying it was her job to kick them out. On the way, she hoped to find someone in charge.
Green River, WY
“How can we help you?” Ezra said by way of a friendly greeting. The trucks had him surrounded. They could either start shooting at total strangers or try to defuse what had to be a misunderstanding.
The thin man who jumped out of the first truck was Native American. He was about Ezra’s age with black hair peeking out from under his worn leather cowboy hat. The guy also carried a huge double-barreled hunting shotgun. When he made it to the front of his truck, he aimed the shotgun at Ezra’s group. “Don’t make a move!”
Ezra put his arms up, recognizing he couldn’t shoot his way out of the encounter without spilling a lot of blood, some of it likely his own. “We won’t.”
Haley and Butch also put their hands up, though Butch seemed reluctant.
As the others got out of their trucks, they used their vehicles to shield themselves from Ezra’s party, though they also pointed weapons in his direction. A teen girl stood next to the truck closest to Ezra. He figured they were told by the leader to stay back. It was what he would have done had their positions been reversed.
The leader spoke again as soon as their hands were where he could see them. “We thought all you TKM scum were gone from Green River. Why are you still here?”
Ezra laughed. “Oh, the truck!” He lowered his arms without thinking.
“Don’t even try it!” the man bellowed.
He whipped his arms back up. “Easy! We’re on your side. We’re not with TKM. We stole this truck back in Kansas City.”
The nervous man studied them intently. “Kansas City, huh? And you drove all the way here, to the one place TKM employees seem to be gathering. Either you’re the dumbest bunch of miners I’ve ever met, or you’re trying to be clever and make us let our guard down so you can escape.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Haley added.
The man shifted his shotgun in her direction. “Quiet! I’m sure you’d back up your boss.”
Haley chuffed. “How do you know I’m not his boss?”
The leader looked taken aback. “Are you?”
She thought about it for a few seconds, then admitted the truth. “No.”
“We’re all partners,” Butch added in a calming voice. “Because we’re not part of a sadistic organization like TKM. We watched them blow up half of Kansas City when they detonated their rock there. We stole this truck mostly as a result of thinking so little of them.”
The shotgun swung toward Butch. “I think you’re the leader. I can tell by the way you carry yourself and your rifle. You’re smooth. No wasted motion. I know you’re sizing me up in your head right this moment. Waiting to see if I lower my gun so you can make your move.”
Butch smiled sheepishly. “Two years in the sandy butt crack of the Middle East has made me skittish. Sue me.”
Ezra tagged back in. “No, it’s all the truth. Why won’t you believe us? We’re not with them.”
The man came in front of his truck but didn’t lower his guard. “This is what’s going to happen. You three will set your weapons on the ground, then you’re going to back away. We’ll confiscate your truck and gear and take you to our base of operations. From there, we’ll have access to law enforcement databases, and we can validate your claims.”
It was better than being shot, but not ideal. He happened to turn back toward the motel. A pair of figures stood on the ridgeline next to the giant elephant spires, almost certainly with these civilians. It made him realize they weren’t dealing with novices. Someone on their side had training, so he needed to tread with caution.
Ezra got the man’s attention. “I’m on my way to meet my daughter. I can’t be delayed for too long or I’ll miss her. Can you tell me how far we have to go?”
The guy shook his head. “Seriously? You want me to tell you our plan to take down the last TKM dig site, too?”
He wanted to say yes, but his intention wasn’t to antagonize anyone. “I only want to get to my daughter.”
The men on the hillside were gone. He did a quick sweep of the rocky escarpment below the summit, but spotted nothing. However, the other drivers had crept up to within a few feet without him even noticing. It was if he were surrounded by a professional hunting party.
“I’m Calvin Tames Horse of the Crow Nation. Brother of Chairman Shawn Runs Hard. For now, you’re our prisoners. If you’re telling the truth, you’ll be on your way in no time. If you’re not…”
Ezra gulped involuntarily.
They were relieved of their weapons, patted down, then directed into the leader’s old-school blue Ford F-150. He and Haley were shoved onto the bench seat, while Butch was stuck in the cargo bed. The leader climbed into the driver’s seat, while the teen girl wedged herself into the front seat next to Haley, pistol in hand.
“This really isn’t necessary,” Haley complained, looking at how they were squished together. “We can’t fit four in the front seat of this thing. I could sit out there with him. We won’t try to escape and leave our leader.”
Calvin leaned in front of Ezra as he put the truck in gear. “So, this guy is the boss? It implies a structure in your unit. Are you sure you aren’t with TKM?”
She paused. “We aren’t a unit, but I guess he was the captain of a boat we were on. None of that matters now. I promise we aren’t with TKM, but I don’t like how you’ve got my friend alone back there. It’s not safe to ride in the bed of a truck.”
He laughed a little, but not in a mean way. “Trust me. Look around at the stopped traffic. We aren’t going to be going fast. Besides, I’m a pretty good judge of character. Have to be when you work as a mechanic next to the interstate. See all types of people, you know? And I’ve seen some characters over the past week, let me tell you.”
“So, you believe us?” Ezra suggested.
“Yeah, maybe. Had a cousin once who did some hard time for a crime he didn’t commit. Know what it’s like to profess to be innocent but not be listened to. We’ll get you to that database, check you out, and then get you on your way as fast as possible. It’s the best I can do for you.” He let Haley get out and climb in the back with Butch.
Once the girl hopped back in the cabin, she stayed near the door, giving him plenty of room.
“On we go,” Calvin remarked.
The truck rolled out of the parking lot, with the others behind, including the stolen TKM pickup with all his stuff. It wasn’t how he’d hoped to start his day, but he was thankful it was a simple misunderstanding with these civilians. If they’d been picked up by actual TKM employees, who’d presumably know what they’d done in St. Charles and Kansas City, his day would look a lot less rosy.
Anticline Ranch, WY
“I can’t believe my life has devolved into living like a hobo.” Petteri Tikkanen looked around the dusty camp. His company had brought in dozens of air-conditioned semi-trailers, a similar number of expensive recreational vehicles, as well as a hundred and fifty loaner FEMA pods, which were essentially shipping containers with a few small windows. His command center was set up in a ranch house a hundred yards northeast of the giant black asteroid. The structure, w
hich had a sign denoting the place as Anticline Ranch, had barely survived having the rock roll by.
“What was that, sir?” Mr. Aarons asked.
He coughed to cover his own misgivings. It wasn’t hard to do with all the dust flying around. His makeshift airfield over the hill on the western side of the dig site was constantly throwing up dust storms as helicopters and planes took off and landed. “Nothing. Carry on with your briefing.”
Mr. Aarons sat to his left. A second security man was next person down the conference table. An array of lawyers, dig site supervisors, and technical advisors sat in the other ten chairs. Dorothy sat to his immediate right. Nerio stood near the far end of the room, watching the discussion with eyes he was certain were cooking up the most efficient ways to kill every person at the table. She’d been disarmed, of course, but he wasn’t sure it improved his chances if she really wanted him gone.
“Thank you, sir. What we know is TKM forces have control of every town between the two mountain ranges bracketing this valley. It gives us breathing space of about fifty miles, peak to peak. To the north, Yellowstone is a smoldering wreck. The town of Jackson was devastated. The roads are barely passable. We don’t have much to worry about from that direction.”
He laughed. “You make it sound like this wretched valley is filled with towns to be taken over. How many, exactly, are there?” He knew the answer but wanted to stay on top of his security man.
“Actually, we cleared out one of the bigger towns completely. Now there are only two we have to worry about: Big Piney to the west. Boulder to the east. If all the citizens stayed after the asteroid dropped, we’re talking maybe five hundred souls between the two towns.”
“Exactly. Not much to worry about. And there’s a high pass to the north where the two mountain ranges converge. This piece of rock couldn’t have come down in a more defensible position for us. We’re inside an inverted V. Now, tell me about the direction that really matters. The south. It’s the side open to the world.”
Impact Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 101