They both looked into the bridge when they heard someone calling on the radio, and hurried inside. Joshua grabbed the microphone from the clip. “This is the Mystic, come in, over.”
“This is Coast Guard Search and Rescue. Can we be of further assistance?”
Joshua stared at Alex. “What do you think?”
Alex shook his head. “We can’t take the chance the electronics will go out and they’ll lose control of the helicopter. We’ll just have to make our way back as the ice wall continues to fall apart.”
Joshua gave him a nod. “That’s a negative, Coast Guard. Thanks for the assistance.”
“Understood, Mystic. Good luck.”
*
THE ISLAND:
Okana stared at the rapidly melting ice. Within only a few moments, the ice dissolved around the island, and he saw the Mystic slowly moving in his direction.
He turned and smiled, expecting everyone to be standing outside, but no one was there. He realized he was so involved watching the ice melt that he hadn’t noticed how quiet it had gotten. He walked down the steps and across the ship, down to the beach, and then over to the spaceship and stepped inside. “The ice is melted.” Stunned expressions stared at him.
Lisa hurried across the room. “Did you see the motorboat and Alex?”
Okana stopped smiling. “No, but the Mystic is coming for us. Maybe Alex is with Josh. You never know with Alex.”
*
MYSTIC:
Alex stared forward from inside the bridge. The ice was melting almost as fast as it had appeared. He noticed a blue object floating to the right of the island, and recognized the motorboat bobbing on the water. “Over there. It’s the motorboat. She’ll need a new motor before we can use her again. That one seized up when the water froze.”
“She’s useless without a motor, so we always carry a spare. It’s in the locker with rest of the deck equipment.
When they were close to the motorboat, Alex walked out of the bridge and down the steps to the stern, and Joshua backed the Mystic up so he could grab the bowline. He tied it off to the stern with a long towrope, and went up to the bridge.
Joshua checked the controls. “The interference is gone, Alex. I bet they shut down the device.”
“That would explain why the ice melted.”
Alex stared out the window as they approached the island. He decided not to call Donner until he knew more about his friends. Just like before, they did not take a portable radio to the island, so he could not call them.
The Mystic quickly closed the distance to the island, and Joshua brought her close to the dock and pressed the horn button several times. A moment later, everyone on the island began climbing over the V, smiling and waving before they climbed down the steps, to the beach.
As Joshua set the Mystic to hover, Alex shoved the sat phone into his pocket, and they both left the bridge and walked down to the stern. Alex climbed into the boat and tied it close to the deck, and Joshua handed him the new outboard motor. Once the engines were swapped, he started the engine and slowly drove across to the dock.
He was greeted with wide smiles. Okana grabbed the side to hold the boat in place, and Alex stepped out to greet his friends.
Lisa threw her arms around Alex’s neck and pulled him close, then stepped back next to David. “We thought we had lost you.”
“You have no idea.”
Alex shook hands with everyone, and gave Okana a quick hug and a slap on the back before stepping back. “I take it you shut down the device.”
“Yeah, but I was getting pretty worried about you when the ice suddenly started melting.”
Henry was still smiling as he grabbed Alex by the upper arm and gently pulled him toward the V. “Come, come, Alex. It is in far better shape than we imagined.”
“In a moment, Doc.” He looked at Okana, who had climbed into the motorboat. “Once you get everyone back on the Mystic, bring the ladder for the sub back with you. I want to check out the hatch covers on the old ship.”
“I noticed something odd about the covers, too. I’ll be back shortly.”
Alex looked down at Henry. “Lead the way, Doc.”
*
Joshua paced across the stern, watching Mike, Bett, Rita, and Lisa climb into the boat with Okana, and stopped pacing when the boat finally drove away from the dock. A moment later, the boat bumped against the stern and Bett jumped out and leapt into his arms.
Mike, Rita, and Lisa climbed out onto the deck and waited while Okana tied the boat to the stern. When Bett let go of Joshua, Rita walked up to him. “How did the Mystic hold up through all this? Is there anything I need to fix?”
Joshua shook his head. “She’s purring like a kitten.”
Okana climbed out and shook Joshua’s hand. “You did the right thing by leaving, Josh. Thanks.”
Chapter 56
CAVE RANCH:
The water began to get shallow as they rode closer to the ranch, and forty-feet ahead, the gravel road was dry all the way up to the house and barn another three-hundred-feet farther.
Derek looked over at Robert and gave him a nod, thinking so far so good, but he was still worried about the logjam.
They stopped the horses in front of the porch, where Derek slid off his saddle and looped the reins around the wood hand railing. He grabbed Kristy off the saddle and set her on the ground, then helped Jessica down from Robert’s horse.
Robert climbed down, looped the reins around the handrail, and then sighed with relief that his family was safe.
Derek noticed Kristy waiting for him, and went over to hold her hand as they walked up the steps. “Are you okay?”
Kristy smiled up at him. “I am now. I love you, Derek.”
“Yeah, love you too. You should change clothes. I’ll meet you out here when you’re done.”
“What about you? You’re pants are wet.”
“Only up to my knees. They’ll dry in a little while.”
Jessica walked past Derek and sat on the porch swing, then sniffed her fingers and made a sour expression. “I smell like a horse.”
“You can change into a pair of my jeans, if you want.”
“Thanks, but the rest of me is still dry, so I’ll be fine.”
Robert unwrapped the reins from the porch railing. “I’ll take the horses to the barn.”
“Should we take the saddles off so they can dry?”
“That’s all right. I’ll take care of it.”
Derek spun around and leapt over the steps. “I’ll give you a hand.”
Jessica stood. “Does it stink over there, too, Derek?”
“It smells like a barn, Jessica.”
Jessica walked down the steps. “I already smell like a horse, so I might as well go, too. I’ve never seen the inside of a barn.”
*
RANGER STATION:
Wesley, Jamie, Larry, and Frank stared through the window at the dust billowing up from the parking lot as the bottom of a white helicopter dropped from the sky and gently touched down on the asphalt.
Carl set the engine on idle, and then climbed out and walked toward the people coming out of the building. A big man with shaggy hair stepped forward and extended his hand. Only his eyes gave the impression he was smiling. He reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Carl Gregory.”
“Wesley Patterson. I really appreciate this.” He stepped aside and introduced the others. “Let’s go inside and I’ll show you where we need to go.”
Everyone followed Wesley inside, and watched as he pointed out locations on the big wall map. “Up here is where the logjam is located, but we need to go southwest first to check the Cave ranch and find out if everyone’s okay.”
“I saw that area when I flew in from the west. Not much showing above the water on the south side of the town, but I didn’t pay attention to that area since I was headed here. Let’s go check it out.”
Larry and Frank followed the trio outside and wished them good luck. They waited while
Wesley and Jamie climbed into the rear passenger section of the helicopter, and then stepped back inside when the rotors picked up speed and the helicopter leapt off the ground.
“Keep an eye on things here, Frank. I’m going up to check the dam.”
“Give me a holler and let me know what’s going on.”
“I will.” He grabbed a portable radio and walked out the door.
*
SPARROW VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:
Just as the alarms stopped ringing, Arnie saw Tyler walking back to the bleachers and hurried over to him. “What are you doing?”
“They’re not listening to them anyway, Sheriff, so what’s the point.”
Arnie spun around when he heard the cheers from the bleachers. “Damn it!” he yelled in frustration. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head, trying to think of something else to motivate these people to leave the school, but knew until something happened, no one would leave the track meet. “Shit!”
*
It did not take long to reach Sparrow Valley by helicopter, and from the air the town was dangerously close to the vast expanse of water covering everything south. Water was lapping at the front steps of the grocery store near the bridge before following the curve of the river southwest, away from the highway.
Wesley stared down at the high school and saw the crowd watching the games. “Oh, crap!”
“I see a house and a barn up ahead,” Carl hollered over his shoulder.
Wesley leaned forward between the front seats and stared down at the ranch, but did not see anyone outside the house or the barn. “Is that area big enough to land?”
Carl shook his head. “That barn’s in the way. I’m sorry.”
Wesley leaned back and looked over at Jamie. “There isn’t anything else we can do right now.”
Jamie nodded, slumped down in her seat, and stared out the window.
Wesley leaned forward again. “Let’s go check out the logjam.”
Carl looked over his shoulder and gave Wesley a nod, then swung the helicopter back toward Mount Baker.
*
THE DAM:
Larry parked in front of the concrete building and climbed out of his SUV, walked to the fence on the outside edge of the concrete, and stared down at the water. The reservoir was not even half-empty yet. He looked to the far end of the reservoir, at the watermarks and green algae on the sides of the wide rock canyon. He had no idea how much water would be racing down the canyon, or how much the dam could handle.
*
Wesley stared out the window at the partially empty reservoir. Carl brought the helicopter up the canyon another two-miles and hovered sixty-feet above the massive tangle of logs and debris. Wesley could see water pouring over the top. More was rushing out from the bottom, but the massive body of water was still trapped behind the logs and debris.
Wesley’s heart sank when he thought about all those kids and their families enjoying the games. If the full force of that water lets loose, it would overwhelm the strength of the dam, and hundreds of people would die.
Suddenly, they heard snapping and popping as timber shattered and the pile split down the center, releasing a torrent of water, mud, and trees that tore down the canyon.
Carl didn’t wait to be asked. He swung the helicopter up above the lahar and followed it down the mountain.
*
Larry flinched when the sound of shattering timber echoed down from the canyon, and then the air was filled with a multitude of crashing sounds as the lahar tore away everything in its path, getting louder by the second. He spun around and ran back to the SUV, jumped inside, and started the engine. He slid sideways making a U-turn, and then raced down the road.
Four-hundred yards farther, he turned onto the road going back up the side of the canyon, and stopped at the lookout point above the reservoir. He shut off the engine, climbed out, walked across a few smashed aluminum cans and around a large fire pit, and stopped at the edge to look down on the dam and reservoir.
*
SPARROW VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:
The roar of the lahar got everyone’s attention. Most of them stood up on the bleachers, staring up the canyon, trying to see what was going on.
Arnie spun around to the crowd. “Everyone out!” he yelled.
The valley people had heard about the possibility and began running down the bleachers, trampling the stunned visitors from Darrington. Panic erupted on the school grounds as people desperately tried to reach their vehicles, knocking each other to the ground in an attempt to escape. The visitors had no idea what was going on, but were caught up in the throng of people running around the bleachers and the parking lot.
The crackling and snapping sounds filled the air as the lahar raced down the canyon, only adding to the panic as car horns blared from frustrated drivers trying to get out of the parking lot.
Arnie knew it was too late, and did not try to enforce any type of organized exit from the school grounds. He resigned himself to the inevitable destruction that would soon destroy Sparrow valley, and just stared up the canyon.
*
THE DAM:
The roar of the lahar drew closer and Larry watched a twenty-foot-high mass of mud and debris plunge into the reservoir. He could see the churning mass of sludge driving the clear water toward the dam, causing it to rise like a tsunami as it was compressed against the concrete. He held his breath, waiting for the dam to give way to the massive torrent of debris, and then water sloshed over the rim of the dam and over the banks of the reservoir. Trees were tossed around like toothpicks on the surface as it slowly calmed down and the water going over the dam began to slow until only a trickle ran down the face of the concrete.
Larry did not realize he was holding his breath, and let out a long, slow sigh of relief. The road along side of the reservoir was blocked by a tangled mess of branches and vegetation, but only a small section near the water was washed away. An accumulation of vegetation began rising to the surface of the thick brown water. Near the bottom outside of the dam, a small stream of water gushed out from the lower part of the opening beneath the sliding block of concrete, as the debris temporarily clogged the outflow.
He looked up at the helicopter as it flew down the canyon and hovered above the dam. He smiled and waved at Jamie staring out the window. When the helicopter continued down the mountain, he went back to his SUV and headed for the station.
*
SPARROW VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:
The roar of the lahar was suddenly gone, but Arnie continued to stare up the canyon for several moments. The cars had stopped honking, and as he turned around, he saw that crowds of panicked people had started to settle down. He began helping the injured get up from the ground. His shoulders slumped as he realized it was over, that the valley was safe.
*
RANGER STATION:
Wesley and Jamie thanked Carl for his help and stepped out of the helicopter onto the station parking lot. Once they were inside the building, they watched through the window as the helicopter took off.
Larry watched the helicopter leave and parked in front of the building. As he climbed out of the SUV, Wesley, Jamie, and Frank walked outside, and he closed the door and leaned back against the hood. “That’ll be something I’ll always remember.”
Wesley gave him a nod. “How does the dam look up close?”
“It’s a lot tougher than we thought. We’ll need a little roadwork done, but everything looks okay. The outflow has slowed down a lot, too, but it’s only temporarily blocked by debris. I’ll take Frank back with me to close the dam before the blockage is washed through the opening. The water in the valley should start draining in a little while.” He looked at Jamie. “Did you find your sister and the Cave family?”
Jamie shook her head. “We couldn’t tell from the helicopter.”
Wesley held his hand out to Jamie. “I need my keys so I can get my boat.”
Jamie looked over at Larry. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about it. Go take care of your family.”
Jamie wrapped her arm around Wesley’s, and they walked to his Hummer.
*
DISCOVERY:
Carl set the helicopter down on the landing pad and shut down the systems. When he climbed out of the helicopter, Janice and Victor came running up the stairs, both smiling.
Janice ran up to Carl and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close, then stepped back and smiled up at him. “We got a signal from Celeas a short time ago!”
Victor shook his hand. “I asked one of the other operators about it when I heard a beeping, and he said only the camera was damaged. It was amazing, Carl. We were watching the video from another rover and the ice just melted. They’re bringing Celeas on board right now. Let’s go watch.”
Carl did not know if he could smile any wider as he followed them down the stairs.
*
CAVE RANCH:
Kristy walked through the kitchen and noticed Derek’s fancy phone on the table. She picked it up and stared at the buttons on the front. Uncle Alex said it could reach all the way to Alaska, she remembered. One button said power, she pressed it, and the small screen came on. She wished she knew Uncle Alex’s phone number, and remembered something he had said about speed dial. She pressed number two and held it to her ear, heard it ringing, and then heard a click.
“Uncle Alex?”
“No, this is Wesley. Who are you?”
“I’m Kristy Cave, Derek Cave’s sister. Are you with my uncle Alex?”
“No, I’m up near Mount Baker. Is everyone all right?”
“Yeah. We got wet, but we got out of the water. I’m at my grandpa’s house.”
“Tell everyone that Wesley and Jamie are coming to get you, okay?”
“Okay. Bye.”
*
THE CABIN:
Wesley turned off his phone and looked across the seat at Jamie. “They’re okay. They made it to the ranch, and will be waiting for us.”
Jamie had been sitting on the edge of the seat, now she leaned back and sighed with relief. “Thank goodness.”
They were near his cabin, and when they approached the barn, Wesley backed up to the doors, shut off the engine, and then looked over at Jamie. “Once we get your sister and the Cave’s back on dry land, how about letting me cook dinner for you tonight.”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 61