Yellowstone: Hellfire: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (The Yellowstone Series Book 1)

by Bobby Akart

  Jake was looking forward to a quiet night and a cold beer, not the excavation of dead bodies. He silently cussed himself for being callous and coldhearted, but his psyche just wasn’t cut out for devastation like this.

  He was glad that emergency responders and the Guard, coordinated by the National Park Service, had been called in to handle the recovery effort. They’d practiced response to a volcanic eruption in the past, and he’d participated from the law enforcement side, which consisted mainly of traffic and crowd control.

  The scenario contemplated by the NPS was a series of minor eruptions that could be manageable by first responders. Jake thought the premise was absurd. In his opinion, when Yellowstone erupted, they’d all be toast.

  He’d learned early on that, as a government employee, it was always best to keep strong, contrary opinions to yourself. Go with the flow was his motto when dealing with any of his government colleagues. He looked toward this beautiful woman standing in front of him that he’d come to admire. For all of her positive attributes, Ashby could benefit from Jake’s laid-back, go-with-the-flow approach. At some point, something in her life had caused her to be a woman on a mission. He wondered if he’d have the opportunity to learn what it was.

  Chapter 24

  Elephant Back Mountain

  Yellowstone

  “Come on, Jake! Get in the picture with us.” Dusty was positioning Ashby and Rita to have the perfect view of Yellowstone Lake in the background. Reluctantly, Jake joined them. He was concerned about an image of him, in full uniform during the worst crisis in Yellowstone Park’s recent history, taking Facebook selfies or Instagram Stories in front of the devastation.

  “No social media, okay? This could get me fired.”

  “No worries, Marshall Jake,” replied Dusty jokingly. “We have our own scrapbook. The rule is like the one in Vegas. You know, what happens in—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” chimed in Rita. “Who hasn’t heard that saying ad nauseam?”

  Dusty laughed and tried to hug Rita, who playfully swatted him away with a slug. “Oh, Rita, I love it when you talk dirty like that.”

  “Get away from me, loser!”

  Jake shook his head and laughed. “Ashby, is it always like this?”

  She shrugged and smiled. “Yeah, pretty much. Come on, you two, it’s getting late.”

  Reassured, Jake joined the group, and Dusty, using a selfie stick that had been tucked in his field jacket, took a variety of snaps. Some were serious, and then a couple of times, the group made the silliest faces they could muster. Jake thoroughly enjoyed the moment and especially the interaction with some fun people. He didn’t have many friends to speak of, and none of them had the sense of humor these three had.

  It was now darker, and Ashby became suddenly serious. “Listen, you guys, we need to get going. In case you’ve forgotten, we don’t have a place—”

  “Holy light show, Batman,” shouted Dusty, who was pointing at the lake. “Check it out!”

  Everyone turned toward the lake. The hues of several colors were pulsating on top of the water, creating a dazzling spectacle.

  “Add that to the list of things I’ve never seen before until today,” said Jake, who was mesmerized by the display. “What’s causing it?”

  “It’s possible some hot gases are emanating from a rock fracture at the bottom of the lake,” began Ashby in response. “If I remember correctly, the lake is about four hundred feet deep.”

  “Three eighty-two,” added Jake. “Dr. Peake recently told me a bulge has been forming under the lake, which has caused the depth to change twelve feet from its previous level of three ninety-four.”

  “Dusty, make a note of—” started Ashby before being interrupted.

  “On it, Doc.”

  Jake continued. “You know, here’s something else to add to my never-ending list of weird crap going on around here. The lake usually freezes by early December and stays that way until the first of June. This year, it was thawed by the end of April.”

  “Dusty,” said Ashby.

  “I got it. I got it.”

  They continued to watch the lights as they danced across the water.

  Rita offered some suggestions. “It could also be hot phosphorous reacting with the cold water or even radioactive radon gas. Remember that study in 2010, which found radon was released from underwater cavities and into the soil prior to the 2010 Chilean earthquake.”

  “That was a big sucker,” quipped Dusty. “Eight-point-eight, baby.”

  “Good point, Rita,” said Ashby. Once again, she turned to Dusty, who held up his waterproof notepad and Sharpie. He was already scribbling check radon levels on the pad.

  The sun was almost down, and the temperatures began to drop accordingly. Jake was the first to suggest they head down the mountain. The Kawasaki Mule had headlights, but riding the trail could be treacherous, especially if there was an aftershock.

  The three scientists chattered amongst themselves all the way to the highway. The area of devastation was filled with flashing red and blue lights and tall diesel-powered light towers, which were kept at a local utility for emergencies like this one.

  Jake returned the four-wheeler and spoke with the officers managing the traffic and turning away the curious. He returned to the group to give them an update.

  “Sadly, as expected, the death toll has risen. It’s too early to officially call this a recovery mission because miracles do happen. But they don’t hold out much hope. They’re gonna work throughout the night, and our people have been supplemented by the Wyoming National Guard.”

  “Are they gonna close the park?” asked Ashby.

  “I don’t know. Right now, they’re trying to find a place for displaced visitors to stay for the night. Hundreds of hotel rooms and cabins were destroyed here in Lake. The small tsunami flooded out another hundred or so at Grant Village.”

  Ashby sighed. She turned to Dusty and Rita. “Guys, we don’t have a place to stay, and now I question whether we should be running around the park doing tests.”

  Dusty spoke up first. “Doc, I can’t think of a better time to be here. Between this seismic activity and what Jake has told us, something may be brewing underneath. This is what we’ve been trained to do—detect and warn.”

  Rita put her hand on Dusty’s shoulder. “I agree with Dusty. This is a great opportunity. I don’t care if we have to sleep in the van. I vote we stay.”

  Jake listened to them debate, and then he came up with an idea. Just as Ashby was about to render her decision, he interrupted her. “Um, I’ve got a place with extra bedrooms. It’s owned by the NPS, but it’s mine for all intents and purposes. You’re welcome to bunk with me.”

  Ashby walked closer so she could see his face in the ambient light created by the emergency vehicles. “Jake, are you sure? We don’t want to impose or invade your privacy. I mean, would your, um, any roommates object?”

  Jake smiled. “None of those and, no, I wouldn’t mind at all, which is why I offered. I’ll need to hustle up some more food, but if you don’t mind hot dogs and beer for tonight, we’ll make it work. Plus, there’s one more thing I need to tell you about, but it can wait.”

  “I’m in!” shouted Rita. “You had me at hot dogs.”

  “Beer sealed it for me,” added Dusty.

  Ashby tamped down the enthusiasm. “Now, listen up, you two. Jake, here, is not running a frat house. We can’t pile on him and drink all of the man’s beer.”

  Jake laughed and opened the passenger door for Ashby to enter. “One thing we don’t have to worry about at my place is running out of beer. Now, I’ve been known to eat leftover pizza for breakfast four days running, but the beer will always be fresh.”

  Rita and Dusty exchanged high fives and darted for their respective doors of the Expedition. Jake assisted Ashby in the front seat, and she whispered to him, “Jake, are you sure? We could drive out of the park and find a place, I’m sure.”

  He smiled and shyly responde
d, “Absolutely, Ashby. I could use the company and, well, I don’t know …” His voice trailed off.

  She gave him a reassuring smile and pulled her door closed.

  As Jake rounded the front of the truck, he could feel her watching him. Sometimes, things happen for a reason. He just wasn’t sure what the reason was, unless it was the fact that as the day went on, he was growing very fond of this new woman in his life.

  Chapter 25

  Bear Lodge at Grant Village

  Yellowstone

  Grant Village had been built in the mid-eighties and named after President Ulysses Grant, who was in office when Yellowstone became the nation’s first park in 1872. Located at the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, Grant Village contained over three hundred rooms for visitors, two full-service restaurants, and shopping.

  That morning, before the earthquake and its aftermath, Ella Hewitt had secured two rooms for her and Simon Browne, the photographer assigned to her from the LA bureau of the BBC. Throughout the day, Ella noticed that the front desk was frantically trying to accommodate those visitors who’d been displaced by the tsunami and the landslide at Elephant Back Mountain.

  After conferring with Simon, whom she’d just met a few days ago, Ella informed the front desk they’d give up one of their rooms for a family in need. She and Simon would occupy a room with two double beds that was more than suitable, especially since it had a refrigerator and a coffee maker. As a thank-you for their generosity, the hotel supplied the two journalists with unlimited coffee and free internet access. This worked out for Ella because, fortuitously, she was at ground zero of a breaking news story with worldwide appeal.

  Earlier, Ella and Simon had seen Jake, whom they’d met earlier, pull out of the parking lot with Dr. Ashby Donovan. For hours, she and Simon took turns staking out the parking area after determining the van and white Jeep with government tags most likely belonged to Dr. Donovan.

  After darkness set in, they gave up and left a note on the windshield for Dr. Donovan to call Ella’s cell. She and Simon had to prepare because she was going to give a live report for BBC Breakfast, on BBC One, at six a.m. in London.

  She spoke with the producers about the difficulty of investigating this story considering the time differential, and slyly mentioned that perhaps the evening broadcast would work better for her and Simon. She was over the moon with excitement when they agreed with her, but for the time being, she needed to be prepared for this first early-morning broadcast.

  Their room had a balcony overlooking West Thumb and the damaged restaurant where she and Simon had sat earlier. After wiring up her microphone and doing several sound checks, Ella was ready to give her report.

  “I am here at Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States, one of the most visited natural resources on our planet, but one that has erupted in chaos today, prompting fears of a disaster of epic and biblical proportions.

  “Yellowstone is normally a serene, vast wilderness known for its magnificent geyser eruptions at Old Faithful, pristine lakes, and secluded camping areas where millions of visitors can get back to nature.

  “Today, however, nature reminded us all that we’re sitting upon the biggest natural killer known to man—the Yellowstone supervolcano. No, the supervolcano didn’t erupt, because, frankly, I wouldn’t be standing here if it did. But several precursors happened today that might lead many scientists to a logical conclusion—this long-overdue beast is ready to rear its ugly head.

  “This morning, my photographer and I were having a casual meal in a café behind me when we overheard a local law enforcement ranger speak about unusual animal activity. Now, in deference to this gentleman, who was extremely kind to us, I will withhold his name so he doesn’t face any repercussions from his supervisors. But what he revealed to us was nothing short of astonishing.

  “In a matter of just a few hours, he witnessed a massive bison rampage, nearly two thousand beasts joining together to stampede across Yellowstone Park’s landscape. Then, while we were having coffee, a young boy revealed a die-off of hundreds, if not thousands, of frogs in Yellowstone Lake. Based upon our experience, it would follow that sulfur poisoning was the cause.

  “This, however, was only the beginning. A four-point-nine earthquake occurred soon after, followed by an immense landslide, which has killed hundreds, according to latest unconfirmed reports, not to mention the fact that it caused a tsunami across the enormous lake, resulting in heavy damage to Grant Village, where we are staying.

  “Now, my next statement will surprise our viewers. Everything I’ve just reported on is not the real news story here at Yellowstone. The Yellowstone supervolcano is a disaster waiting to happen, and mankind may be encouraging its wrath.

  “A major eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano is considered a low-probability, high-consequence event that would have life-altering societal and planetary effects. Some scientists consider the eruption to be potentially extinction level.

  “Considering the ramifications of such an eruption, it is unfathomable that the United States government has sanctioned the drilling into the massive magma chamber that some scientists believe could trigger an eruption. This undertaking, known as Project Hydro, has been on the fast track since it was approved just a few short years ago. The concerned scientists have put forward a theory that the intensive drilling into the magma chamber has upset the delicate underground structure of the supervolcano.

  “Following today’s events, we are left to wonder if this theory is more than just scientific speculation. Are we, in fact, inviting doomsday and the potential extinction of mankind?”

  Ella remained stoic until the camera light went off and the report ended. She closed her eyes and exhaled. “Simon, what do you think?”

  “Ella, you were great. Your delivery was flawless. You never—”

  “No, I mean about the possibility of an eruption,” interrupted Ella as she stepped back inside and shut the sliding glass door.

  “Listen, I live day to day. Since I lost my wife and kids to the car accident in Glasgow, I’ve taken life as it comes. If we’re awakened tonight and shot into space by a supervolcano, so be it. But I would like to have a pint or two before we go, if that’s okay.”

  Ella started laughing. She looked into the refrigerator, and there was nothing inside except bottled water and soda.

  “Sorry, my friend. We’re out of ale, but tomorrow we’ll remedy that. In the meantime, let’s get some sleep and hope Dr. Donovan sees my note or the report I just gave. Maybe she’ll give us an interview. Tomorrow might be a big day.”

  Chapter 26

  Jake’s Cabin

  Yellowstone

  “Be it ever so humble,” quipped Dusty as Jake flipped on the lights and stood to the side as his guests hauled in their gear. “I gotta say, this is me. Cabin in the woods, peace, serenity, and no neighbors.”

  Jake laughed. “Yeah, all of that and more, Dusty. Actually, this used to be a quiet neighborhood before you three showed up.”

  Everyone had a good laugh as Jake took them on a tour of the twelve-hundred-square-foot cabin, the largest within the park, as he was the longest-serving ranger in residence.

  At the start of the twentieth century, the U.S. Army constructed backwoods cabins every sixteen to twenty miles throughout Yellowstone. They were designed to house troops who were preventing poaching. Four of these cabins were built to act as both residences and patrol lodges to coordinate the rangers’ activities.

  Rectangular in shape, they exemplified the Rocky Mountain style of a covered porch at the gable end of the building. Initially, the floors were packed dirt, but eventually concrete and pine plank flooring was installed. Otherwise, from the cedar shake shingles to the post and beam construction, the cabin remained in its original condition other than some repairs that had been made after the 1959 earthquake, including a modified look when a wraparound deck was installed.

  Jake showed each of them to their rooms, and after a brief skirmish be
tween Dusty and Rita as to who got stuck with the top bunk, everyone found their way back to the living area, where Jake had a fire under way.

  “There’s no heat or air in the cabin,” Jake began. “Temperatures are mild in the summer, and usually I open the windows when I’m here. In the winter, I keep the fire goin’ and wear a lot of layers of clothes under a lot of blankets. I’ll be honest, it’s a challenge here in mid-January.”

  “How long have you been here, Jake?” asked Ashby as she accepted the beer he offered her.

  “I’ve been a law enforcement ranger for thirteen years. The park is divided into seven ranger districts and thirteen subdistricts. We are right about the point where the Mammoth, Canyon, and Old Faithful districts intersect. For that reason, I act as a floater, responding to calls and patrolling all three.”

  Everyone settled into a seat either in front of the fire or on the single leather sofa facing it. Jake had a leather chair, which was well-worn with age, which was his preferred spot. The space was not decorated other than a television mounted on a wall next to the fireplace. The only semblance of décor was the variety of outdoor equipment strewn about. Cross-country skis were propped in a corner. Snowshoes hung from a nail on a wall. Two backpacks and a couple of sleeping bags were nestled under a dining table. A large standing gun safe with its doors open, revealing several hunting rifles and shotguns, was located near the front door. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition were stacked on the top shelf.

  Ashby asked, “What brought you to Yellowstone? Obviously, you love the outdoors.”

  Jake took a swig of beer and chuckled. “Do you guys really want to hear this story? It’s kinda boring, if you ask me.”

  “Come on, Jake,” said Rita. “Nobody’s story is boring.”