The Yellowstone Event: Book 1: Fire in the Sky

by Darrell Maloney

  A squat man with a balding head walked out to greet them.

  “I’m Doctor Townsend. Sorry to keep you waiting. Please, do come in.”

  Tony couldn’t help but think these people were certainly accommodating, for someone in the kidnapping and murder business.

  He and Bud sat before a massive oak desk and got comfortable while their host returned to an equally massive executive chair.

  “Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” Bud offered.

  “That’s quite all right, Mr. Avery. I never pass up the chance to tout our agency and the good work it’s doing. Lord only knows we get plenty of bad press, but never enough for the good things we do.

  “What kind of documentary did you say you were working on again?”

  “Actually, it’s about how the USGS hides troubling data from the American public, and resorts to things like abduction of scientists to keep its secrets.”

  Townsend’s face froze mid-smile. Then it changed to one with a mild look of panic.

  He stammered for a response.

  “I don’t understand. I thought you said you were working on a project that would put the Survey in a positive light.”

  “Not exactly. I said I was planning a project which would shine a bright light on your agency. You’re the one who determined that would be a positive thing. I for one think it’ll be decidedly negative.”

  Townsend looked to Tony for help and got the sense he’d get none.

  “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “I’m afraid I’m a bit remiss, Doctor Townsend. I haven’t yet introduced you to my colleague. This is Tony Carson. He is married to a woman named Hannah Carson. Your people have kidnapped her and are holding her hostage. We want her back.”

  Townsend seemed a bit dazed, but it didn’t last for long.

  He picked up his desk phone and said, “Shawn, please get security up here immediately.”

  He placed the phone back on its cradle and said, “You gentlemen can leave of your own accord. Or you can get dragged out. Your choice.”

  Bud was unmoved.

  “You don’t understand, doctor. The choice is yours. We can leave today with Hannah Carson or information on where to find her. Assuming she is still in good health, our business relationship is over.

  “Or, you can continue to refuse to help us. And when we leave here today we will hold a press conference and will announce to the world all your dirty little secrets of the Yellowstone Calderon and its pending eruption.

  “The choice, as you see, is your own. And you might want to consider it wisely. Your career, I suspect, depends on your decision.”

  Tony couldn’t help but notice the bead of sweat which suddenly appeared on Townsend’s chubby cheek and rolled slowly down his face.

  Or the look of fear that overtook his face at the words “Yellowstone Calderon.”

  His phone buzzed and he picked it up.

  “Tell them to stand by in the outer office. I might not need them after all.”

  Chapter 56

  Dr. Townsend seemed a bit more emboldened by knowing a security detail was right outside his office door and could be summoned with a shout.

  His face still reflected panic, but his voice grew a bit cocky.

  “I don’t know which asylum you idiots escaped from, but we are not in the business of harming American citizens.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ, Doc. And the problem is, you’re not smart enough to see that we hold the cards.”

  “Oh? How so, exactly?”

  “We’ve got something you’re desperate to have. Our agreement to turn over your data and keep your secret. And it’s worth much more to you than the hostage you’re holding.”

  “I’ll tell you what, Mr. Avery. You’ve piqued my curiosity. And I don’t want it said that my agency is guilty of breaking any laws or keeping any secrets.

  “Please tell me again the name of the woman you claim is being held hostage by my people.”

  “Hannah Carson. She’s a geologist employed by Geo-Dynametrics.”

  Townsend jotted the information onto a notepad on his desk.

  “Geo-Dynametrics is a contractor who does work with us from time to time. However, the name ‘Hannah Carson’ is unfamiliar to me.

  “However, to clear up whatever causes you to suspect us of wrongdoing and to clear your mind, I will have someone check into this immediately.

  “Where can I contact you? Do you live here in Washington?”

  “No. We’re staying at the Berryhill Hotel on 10th Street Northwest.”

  Townsend jotted that down as well and said, “Very well, gentlemen. I will check out your claims and get back with you forthwith.”

  He picked up his phone again and said into it, “Please send them in.”

  Before he finished the request his door burst open and three men in black suits quickly entered.

  They were the kind of suits which were specially tailored to hide a special type of hardware beneath them. Tony didn’t have a clue, but Bud knew they were armed.

  The fact that all of their jackets were unbuttoned and each was careful to leave their right hands free were other indications.

  The three took up different positions around the room, so that they had Tony and Bud in a cross fire. If they’d had to shoot their weapons at the visitors neither themselves nor Townsend would be in the line of fire.

  It was a well polished and efficient entry and Bud was impressed. It was obvious this team had done this a number of times before.

  None of them said a word. None of them took their eyes off of Tony and Bud. They simply awaited Townsend’s further instructions.

  “This is Mr. Avery and Mr. Carson,” Townsend said in a rather chilling voice. “They’ve brought a matter to my attention that I must attend to, and it will take an hour or so for me to investigate their claims. While they wait, would you gentlemen escort them to our lounge?”

  He turned to Avery for the second half of his instructions.

  “Mr. Avery, you and your friend will be much more comfortable there, while I check into your claims. I’ll have my people bring you back after I’ve checked to see if your claims have merit.”

  If Townsend expected to see fear or worry on Bud’s face he’d have been disappointed.

  Bud, for his part, took the whole thing in stride.

  Tony, on the other hand, was just confused.

  He didn’t know he was now a piece in a real-life chess game.

  But he followed Bud’s lead. When Bud stood up without a further word, so did Tony.

  The security agent closest to the door opened it and walked through. Bud followed him, then Tony. The other two agents followed behind, seemingly ready to draw and fire at any sign of trouble.

  Nobody said a word.

  The five men walked single file down the corridor and into what appeared to be a waiting area.

  A waiting area full of couches, ceiling cameras, and no doubt listening devices.

  The taller of the men in black spoke for the first time.

  “Can I get you gentlemen some coffee?”

  Tony said, "Sure. I’d love some.”

  Bud quickly corrected him.

  “No you wouldn’t.”

  “I wouldn’t?”

  “No. You wouldn’t.”

  Tony didn’t understand why, exactly, he wouldn’t love some coffee. But he dutifully turned back to the man who’d offered and said, “Never mind. I guess I wouldn’t.”

  He plopped down on a couch and sulked just a tiny bit.

  The men exited the room as quietly and efficiently as they’d entered Townsend’s office, seemingly without a signal from any of them to do so.

  Once they were gone, Tony started to ask, “Would you mind telling me what in hell…”

  He never finished his question.

  Bud placed his finger against his closed lips, a universal signal to shush.

  He followed up with two other hand signals. The firs
t was a finger in the air, running a wide circle around the entire room.

  The second was using both his forefingers and pointing toward both of his own ears.

  He was trying to convey to Tony that the entire room was bugged; fitted with hidden listening devices.

  Tony seemed to understand they were being monitored. His look of confusion and annoyance adapted just a bit of a third emotion: fear.

  But Bud smiled and didn’t seem to be too concerned. That eased Tony’s mind just a bit.

  Bud arose from the couch and walked to the doorway, where he peered down the hallway.

  As he’d suspected, the security detail hadn’t gone far.

  On the opposite wall, twenty feet down the hallway where they’d walked, two of the men leaned. They studied Bud as closely as he studied them, as though they instinctively knew that Bud was the one they had to worry about.

  Because Bud was the one who’d seemingly played their game before. He was the one who showed neither surprise nor fear.

  Up the hallway in the other direction was the third man, doing the same thing.

  At least, Bud noticed, their jackets were now buttoned. They’d sized Bud and Tony up and assessed them as being harmless.

  Tony suddenly appeared at Bud’s side, curious to find out what his friend was looking at.

  He whispered, “Should we leave?”

  “Can’t. Not yet.”

  “Should we be worried?”

  “Nope. Not at all. It’s just a cat and mouse game.”

  “Are we the cat or the mouse?”

  “We, my friend, are most certainly the mice. But don’t worry. They won’t eat us.”

  Tony relaxed just a bit.

  Then Bud added, “Not yet anyway.”

  The men returned to their respective couches, situated directly across from one another yet several feet away from each other. Bud knew they were arranged that way to require people conversing to have to speak louder. Which of course made it easier for the bugs to pick up and record their words.

  From that perspective, whoever was in a secret room somewhere monitoring their words and movements was undoubtedly disappointed. For they sat there more or less silent for roughly an hour.

  Chapter 57

  Finally the men reappeared in the doorway. The same one who’d offered coffee before was obviously the leader of the pack. He said simply, “Dr. Townsend will see you now.”

  It wasn’t a request or even a statement.

  It was a command.

  Bud got up, Tony right behind him.

  As before, they followed one man down the hall with two others trailing behind.

  Bud noticed their suit jackets were again unbuttoned.

  Tony wondered why, although they passed several office doors along the way, they were all closed and no one had come or gone from them during their entire visit.

  Bud knew that was because they were locked long before they were escorted to the lounge, their occupants no doubt told to use other exits or to stay put.

  Dr. Townsend was leaned back in his chair, looking rather smug, when the men in black led Bud and Tony back into his office.

  They didn’t leave, but rather took up the same positions they’d been in before.

  By this time Tony had begun to realize at least some of what was going on. He, like Bud, was very careful not to make any sudden movements. The visit had been stressful enough already. He didn’t want to do anything which would cause three guns to be quickly drawn and aimed at him.

  Townsend waited until they were seated before smiling and saying, “I’ve had an opportunity to make some inquiries regarding your wild claims, gentlemen. I’ve found they are totally divorced from reality. Pure fantasy. It seems you’ve wasted a good portion of my morning. I do not appreciate it, and I plan to have harsh words with the people at Geo-Dynametrics who sent you on this wild goose chase.”

  He turned slightly in his chair and addressed Tony directly.

  “I would venture a guess that when you do find your wife, sir, she won’t be happy that your little exercise in futility today has cost her her job.

  “Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned here today. I hope you learn it.”

  He returned his gaze to Bud, but Bud wasn’t quite sure what he expected.

  Perhaps he expected Bud to apologize for wasting his time, and to leave with his tail tucked between his legs.

  Perhaps he was hoping Bud would be outraged, so he could have the pleasure of watching him forcefully removed from his office.

  Regardless of what he was hoping would happen, it was easy to see the look of surprise and disappointment on his face when Bud did neither.

  Bud merely rose and extended his hand.

  “Well then, Dr. Townsend. I guess our business here is finished. Until we see each other again, have a good day.”

  Townsend ignored Bud’s outstretched hand, and didn’t rise when Tony stood as well.

  He had a genuine look of disappointment on his face.

  And perhaps a tiny bit of confusion as well.

  As though he finally realized he’d been had.

  That Bud really did, as he’d contended earlier, “hold all the cards.”

  Or at least a better hand.

  As before, the five men left in single file order, the same man taking the point position and the rest following.

  This time they walked directly to an elevator which seemed to be waiting specifically for them. The door was in the open and locked position, and as the men stepped aboard the lead man pulled a red “Emergency Stop” button to place it back in operation.

  He pushed the button for the first floor and stepped to the rear of the car, where he joined his other black-clad storm troopers in watching the backs of Tony and Bud’s heads.

  Tony had bitten his lip during the entire process and was now about ready to explode.

  “What in hell did he mean, they didn’t have her, that this is all a wild goose chase?”

  Instead of answering, Bud simply repeated his gesture from earlier. He placed his forefinger over his lips and made a shushing sound.

  It was a reminder they were still being watched, and most likely recorded as well.

  Chapter 58

  Once the door opened on the first floor the lead man led them through the lobby, where they were assisted by other men in black. The others did a very good job of moving all the other visitors to one side or the other to give them wide berth.

  Tony equated the sight to be similar to a Biblical depiction he’d once seen of Moses parting the Red Sea.

  Bud just marveled at the security team’s efficiency.

  At that moment the cell phone rang in Bud’s pocket. He pulled it out and answered it.

  It was his brother Roger, two thousand miles away in Portland, Oregon.

  “What in hell are you involved in?” Roger demanded before they’d even exchanged pleasantries. “The FBI just came pounding on my door, asking all kinds of questions about you. They implied you’re some kind of terrorist or something.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Bud said in a calm voice. “I expected that. Sorry I didn’t warn you ahead of time. Everything’s fine. I’ll call you back and explain when I can.”

  He hung up the phone as he and his entourage walked down the steps in front of the building.

  The men in black escorted them all the way to the sidewalk and then stood with crossed arms waiting for them to walk away.

  And they did just that.

  Bud led Tony a full block away before they paused in front of a bus stop.

  “What in hell just happened,” Tony demanded.

  “Calm down. We just had to cool our heels long enough for them to do a quick background check on us and to search our hotel room.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Search our hotel room. Why did you think they were making us sit there for an hour while they said they were looking into Hannah’s disappearance? You didn’t really think he was checki
ng into Hannah’s disappearance, did you?”

  “Well… yeah. I kinda did.”

  “Let me tell you something about government agencies, Tony. Most of them are involved in shady activities of one kind or another. That’s why I wasn’t really very surprised when you told me you suspected them of kidnapping Hannah.

  “Something else you should know about them is that they have each other’s backs. When the Department of the Interior, or the Department of Defense, or some other department has someone they think is a threat to them, they’ll call out the cavalry in a heartbeat.

  “The cavalry is the FBI, the CIA or the Department of Homeland Security. They’ve all got heavy-handed forces that deploy at the drop of a hat to help the government keep its secrets. They’re very quick and very efficient.”

  “I thought the CIA wasn’t supposed to operate inside the United States.”

  “The CIA does all kinds of things they’re not supposed to do. I’m not gonna call them on it, are you?”

  “No, I guess I’d better not.”

  “The point is, Tony, they had to check us out to find out what we know. Also whether we were working alone. They’ve already called our families and asked if we’re part of a network of people trying to bring down the government. They’ve already asked our families, and some of our friends, whether we’re working alone and who else might be helping us.

  “They’ve already searched our hotel room and already found your thumb drive. Hopefully they didn’t leave too much of a mess behind.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I’m deadly serious.”

  “But we were only in there for a little over an hour.”

  “Plenty of time.”

  “So this has all been a big game?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a game, Tony. Not when lives are at stake.”

  “And that’s why Townsend was so cocky and threw us out? Because they found the thumb drive?”

  “Exactly. They knew whatever we had on them we wouldn’t bring with us. Therefore the logical conclusion was it had to be in the hotel room. They found it, so they think they’ve neutered us.

  “But we’re just beginning.”