by Larry LaVoie
“I wanted to ask you about your replacement.”
“I hadn’t thought about it. I figured there would be a waiting line a mile-long. It took me three years to get the assignment.”
Calvin Baker was a slender man in his early forties with a full head of dark hair combed in a pompadour like a Fifties rock and roll singer. When Cody first met him, he wore a spotty beard, but had given it up. Cody trusted him to do the right thing and had accepted the decision to remove him.
“I wanted some time off before talking to you about my next assignment,” Cody said.
Calvin pursed his lips and nodded. “Um, that’s why I’m here. When the girl’s parents found out you were still on the job, they threatened to sue again. They read about you being attacked and went ballistic when they found out you were still here. I guess their lawyer had told them you had already left.”
“I don’t understand?”
“I have to let you go, right now, today.”
“Today was going to be my last day, anyway. That was what the e-mail was about. I came in on a park snowmobile. Can I use it to get home?”
“You’re not going to fight this?”
“I feel terrible about Melissa’s death. I can’t do anything about that.”
“I have to let you go from USGS also.”
Cody gave Calvin a blank stare. He swallowed hard. “Do what you have to do.”
“I’m sorry.” Calvin said. “I’ll watch you clean out your desk.”
“What about my replacement? There is something going on in West Thumb Basin that should be watched.”
“We’ll watch it from the Menlo Park station. The YVO has people on duty over the holiday.”
“A bunch of students. I guess it’s not my problem anymore.” Cody stood and shook hands with Calvin who stood with him.
“Bring the snowmobile back to headquarters tomorrow,” Calvin said. “Leave the key with the receptionist.”
Cody choked back tears. He had spent the better part of his career as a geologist working for USGS. He hadn’t considered he would be fired from USGS, especially for something that was beyond his control. He grabbed his coat from a rack by the door. “On second thought, you take the keys. I’ll find a ride home.” He tossed the snowmobile key and the office key to Calvin. “Wish everyone at USGS a Merry Christmas for me, okay?”
Calvin didn’t respond. Cody walked out the front door of Park Headquarters and stood on the steps looking out over the landscape. I’m going to miss this, he thought. He sucked in a long breath of the frigid air. He heard the rumble of distant thunder and looked off in the distance. There was a flash of lightning. Snow thunder, how appropriate. It started snowing and the wind picked up. He pulled the hood of his parka over his head and started to walk toward the Post Office. He would say goodbye to Catherine one more time and see if Elliott could give him a ride home.
Near the entrance of the Post Office, Cody saw Chief Nelson driving in his Jeep. He waved and Nelson stopped in the middle of the road. There was no traffic and it was just before dusk. Chief Ranger Nelson rolled down his window.
“Cody, you going to be around tomorrow?” Nelson asked.
“This was my last day, why?”
“The man who attacked you, he was a bad dude. He has warrants out on him in Arizona and New Mexico. The guy is wanted for murder of an Arizona State coed. It seems Melissa wasn’t the only girl he had stalked. There may be more. The FBI wanted to extend their thanks for stopping him from doing any more harm.”
“Tell them thanks, but I’ve got to get my things packed. I’ll be moving right after Christmas.”
“Where are you headed?”
“I haven’t got a clue. Probably to the Gulf States or Alaska. I hear the oil companies are hiring geologists. I’ve even been considering Hawaii, but that may be out of the cards.”
“You’ve been around here so long I never thought you’d leave.”
The snow continued to fall and the wind was blowing it sideways.
“Eric, I’d like to stay and chat, but I need to get to the Post Office before it closes.”
“Okay, if you need anything, call 9-1-1.” Nelson gave Cody a broad smile. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Cody said. He continued his trek to the Post Office.
December 20
Cody drove his Jeep along the road leading to the North Entrance on the Montana - Wyoming border. He was driving behind the snowplow that was throwing snow over a seven-foot berm along the road. Today was the day his family would arrive and he would take them to his cabin for the night and then pick up Lisa and her folks the next day. Once they were all in Mammoth they would travel by snow-taxi to the interior of the park to Old Faithful Lodge. It was an ambitious plan, but he had it figured out and it would work. The drive to the Bozeman Airport took the better part of three hours in the aftermath of the storm from the day before.
With four adults and two children loaded into his Jeep along with half a dozen suitcases that had to be tied to the rack on top, they were excited about the stay in the park. “Everybody buckled in?” Cody said in a loud voice.
Wendy turned around to make sure the kids were still buckled up even though she had been the one who buckled them in in the first place.
“Okay, this drive took me three hours; I’m not planning on breaking any speed records on the way back, so I hope everyone used the restroom.”
In a few minutes they turned off I-90 and were headed south on 89, the road leading to the North Entrance of Yellowstone. The windows were fogged and the car filled with constant chatter. Cody hadn’t told any of them he was out of work. He was afraid the news would ruin everything. There was plenty of time after the holiday for reality to set in.
“Okay, this is it,” Cody said, pulling into his driveway. The suitcases were stacked up on the top of his Jeep preventing him from pulling inside. The driveway had been shoveled the day before, but the walk to the front door was under deep snow. “Go through the garage, I didn’t get a chance to shovel the front walk,” Cody said. “We’re only staying here tonight. Tomorrow I pick up Lisa and her parents and we head straight for Old Faithful.”
Inside he showed Wendy and Blake to one bedroom and his parents to another. “The kids will sleep in the living room in front of the fireplace,” Cody said. “I have sleeping bags.”
Seven-year-old Tyler hugged Cody. “This will be the best Christmas ever. I never saw so much snow in my whole life.”
“And you’re about to see even more,” Cody said.
“Where’s the Christmas tree?” five-year-old Meghan asked.
“It’s at the lodge, that’s where Santa will be showing up.”
Meghan smiled. “Does Santa live here? Is this the North Pole?”
“This is Yellowstone Park,” Tyler said. “We got a hundred miles before we reach the North Pole.”
At the dinner table Cody bowed his head while his father said the blessing.
“Amen, let’s eat,” Blake said, reaching for the spoon in the casserole dish.
“Eat up,” Susan said. “It will be a week before you get another home cooked meal from grandma.”
“Three cheers for restaurants,” George said.
Susan gave him a dirty look.
“Not that I don’t like your hamburger casserole,” George said.
“What made you think about Christmas in Yellowstone?” George asked. Cody wasn’t sure his father was completely on board with bringing the family on a trip over the holidays.
“This is my last year in Yellowstone,” Cody announced. “I couldn’t bear to leave this place without sharing with you all what a rewarding experience it has been. Every summer here hasn’t been like a vacation, but every winter has. I hope all of you enjoy the magic of this place when it’s covered in snow.”
“And you want to impress your new girlfriend,” Wendy added.
“Tell us about her,” his mother said. She had worried that Cody’s line of work would
keep him from ever finding a wife. It had taken him a year to get over his last breakup and that was before he took the job in Yellowstone. She wanted more grandchildren.
“What’s to tell? She’s beautiful.” He brought her picture up on his phone and passed the phone around. “It was taken my last day in Hawaii.” He waited while everyone got a look. “She’s intelligent. I can actually carry on a conversation with her.”
“A woman isn’t all about intelligent discussions,” Cody’s father said.
“George, your grandchildren are at the table,” Susan admonished.
“What?” George gave his wife an innocent look.
“Cody, I didn’t see a TV. How do you keep up with the games?” Blake asked.
“The bar in Mammoth. That’s the only place in the park that has TV.”
“No TV. Are you kidding me?” Wendy said. Her voice dripped with sarcasm and everyone except Blake laughed.
“Tomorrow morning I’m going to pick up Lisa and her parents. On the way I’m going to drop all of you off at the hotel in Mammoth. You can have lunch there and we’ll meet you back there shortly after lunch. If anyone needs exercise, there’s a snow shovel in the garage” He looked at his father and Blake. “Or we can go out and build a snowman,” Cody said in a loud voice.
“Snowman,” Tyler said.
“It’s dark outside,” Wendy said.
“I have yard lights,” Cody said. “Who’s in?”
“What about bears?” Wendy asked.
Cody laughed. “They went to sleep a month ago. The only thing you have to fear is disappearing in a snowdrift.”
“I better come and watch,” Wendy said.
“Let’s make it a family project,” George said looking at Blake.
The snow was waist high to the kids. It was too deep to build a conventional snowman and didn’t pack very well. After lifting the kids onto their shoulders, they decided a snowball fight might be better. Even that ended soon. The wind was blowing and the temperature was well below freezing.
“Okay, I declare a truce. The family feud is over,” George said.
“Who want’s hot chocolate?” Wendy called from the garage.
Inside, in front of a roaring fireplace, they sat and sipped cocoa with marshmallows.
“Cody, this was a wonderful idea,” his mother said. She looked around the room. The grandkids were snuggled up to Blake and Wendy under a blanket. George was sitting beside her with his arm around her. She leaned on his shoulder and looked at Cody, down on one knee poking the logs in the fireplace. “I can’t wait to meet Lisa. I’m sure she’s a lovely girl”
At the airport in Bozeman, Montana, Nathan grabbed two suitcases and Cody picked up two more.
“It’s hard to travel light when you’re preparing for freezing weather,” Lisa explained.
“You did well,” Cody said, hefting the largest suitcase in the back of his Jeep. “Cold is only bad if you aren’t dressed for it. I’m surprised you had any winter gear after living on the island.”
“I went shopping,” Lisa said.
She sat in the front next to Cody. They exchanged small talk and were an hour down the road when Nathan finally spoke up. “I understand this is your last year in Yellowstone?”
“That’s right. I finished up two days ago. This week is my farewell party.”
“I’m sure you have plans. Where are you going?”
“I’m weighing my options,” Cody said, hoping to change the subject.
“Well, it’s been a few years since I’ve seen this much snow. I’m looking forward to some great sightseeing. I brought my camera and telephoto lens along. I’m hoping to get lots of wildlife photos.”
“You came to the right place,” Cody said. “How about you, Hilda. What do you think about Christmas in the wilderness?”
“As long as they have a warm bed at night and a fireplace like you showed me in the e-mail, I will be happy.”
Lisa reached over and touched Cody’s arm. He glanced over at her. He was having a hard time keeping the silly grin off his face. When he saw her walk into the terminal, his heart jumped. He was certain he was in love. He hoped she felt it too. They had embraced and kissed, but it had been a little awkward with her father standing there and they broke it off early.
“Maybe you can work at Kilauea?” Lisa said.
“Maybe,” Cody said. “I’m not employed by USGS any more. Maybe another branch office would reinstate me.”
“What happened?”
“It’s a long story. I wasn’t going to say anything until after Christmas. I don’t want my farewell party to turn into a pity party. Besides, my family doesn’t know anything except I’m leaving Yellowstone.”
Cody pulled the car off the road, got out and snapped the ice from the windshield wipers. He got back in. “It’s starting to snow again. My family is waiting at the Mammoth Hotel. We can grab a quick bite there and catch the snow taxi to Old Faithful. “We should reach the lodge before dark.”
“You think this storm will pass by tomorrow?” Lisa asked.
“No guarantee. We can catch the weather at the hotel, why?”
“You know.”
“Oh. I thought you weren’t worried about that.”
“I’m not, but I’d like to be looking up when it passes by. It should be dark enough we can see it with the naked eye.”
“What are you two talking about?” Nathan asked.
“Lisa wants to watch her asteroid kiss the moon tomorrow night,” Cody said. “Maybe we can make it a family event. Any idea what time?”
“I know exactly,” Lisa said, “but to anyone but an astronomer nerd, it will be pretty boring, especially if you don’t have a telescope.”
Chapter 16
The snow-taxi pulled up to the covered entrance at Old Faithful Lodge. There were two snow-cats and several snowmobiles parked out front. Cody helped Lisa down to the packed snow on the ground.
Lisa looked around in awe. “I feel like I’m in the middle of Thomas Kinkade’s Village Christmas,” she said. “This place takes your breath away.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Cody said. “Tomorrow we can watch the ice crystals fall from geysers and become regular tourists. I rarely had time to relax and enjoy the sights when I was working here. Strangely, I feel relaxed. This place isn’t my problem anymore.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Lisa said.
In the fading light of day, the lights from the hotel came on and cast a magical golden glow on the surrounding snow. A rack of cross country skis sat on the left of the doorway. They checked in and retired to their rooms to freshen up, agreeing to meet for dinner by the huge Christmas tree standing in the lobby.
“Cody, can I see you a minute,” Lisa said, standing with the door open to her room.
Cody dropped his duffle bag and walked across the hall. He followed her into her room.
She rolled her suitcase against a wall and went to the window. He walked up to her. She turned and kissed him on the lips. “You don’t know how much I missed you,” she said. “I love this place.”
“I’m glad.”
They kissed again.
Lisa said, “I can’t believe we finally did this. I love Wendy... and your mom; she’s a real hometown girl, isn’t she. I can see where you get your charm.”
He grimaced. “I’m not sure she would consider that a compliment.”
“When can we see the sights?”
“Right after breakfast. I have a snow-taxi chartered to take us on our own personal tour.”
Lisa’s cell phone chimed and she reached for her pocket. “It’s Ashlar.” She answered it. “Hi Ashlar, were you getting bored without me?”
“I just thought I’d give you a heads up, are you somewhere where you can talk.”
“Yeah, go ahead. I’m in my room in Yellowstone Park. Cody is here with me. I’m going to put you on speaker.” She held her phone out so Cody could listen in.
“I’m not certain
this is a big deal or not,” Ashlar said. “So, I called you before I call and let Dr. Downing know.”
“Now you have my attention. What is it?”
“Another asteroid, kind of like a Demon Two.”
“Dark Angel has two companions?”
“It was hiding in the shadow. It’s not visible on the optical scope but it showed up on radar as soon as Demon moved closer to Dark Angel. Are you able to get online? I can send you a picture.”
“Send it and don’t call Martin until I get back to you. Is there anything else?”
“If anyone else is tracking Dark Angel, they should be able to verify.”
“Okay, I’ll open my e-mail and call you back… no stay on the line. I’m handing the phone to Cody.” She gave the phone to Cody and pulled her laptop from a pocket in her suitcase. She set it up on the desk by the window and logged into her account.
“I got it.” She opened the picture and enlarged it. “That’s really close. Maybe it was part of Demon and split off,” Lisa said into her phone.
“It’s a few kilometers away and moving at the exact same speed as Demon.”
“Meaning?” Lisa asked.
“Meaning if Demon crashes into Dark Angel then this one will also crash into the moon.”
“But NASA and JPL both verified that isn’t going to happen until Dark Angel passes by the moon. Go ahead and call it in. Chances are they are already on top of this, but it doesn’t hurt. And, Ashlar, I don’t want to talk to Martin. As far as he’s concerned I’m in an area where I can’t get a signal, understand. If he asks, you didn’t talk to me. You’re in charge, understand?”
“Your secret is safe with me, Dr. Wilson.”
“Call me if you learn anymore.” She looked at Cody. “I really am on vacation. Got that?”
“Got it. Enjoy the snow.”
She ended the call. “You know what it’s like leaving students in charge. He’s an excellent student and a good scientist, but he still has a lot to learn.”
“Don’t we all,” Cody said. “You’re not worried about that, are you?”