by Bryan Dunn
After a long moment, Nick said, “Include me out. I’m a geologist, not a radar technician.”
“I’m talking about a job, Walker. A paycheck.”
“News flash—as hard as this is going to be for you to believe, it’s not about the money for me, it’s about the work.”
“Oh, Jesus. Grow up, Walker. You sound like some wide-eyed college kid. Do you know how many people would kill for this opportunity?”
Nick stood. “Are we done here?”
Slade looked at Nick and shook his head. He took a drag on the plastic cigarette, pulled in a lungful of water vapor, exhaled, and said, “Well, you sure as hell are.”
Chapter 7
Wide-eyed college kid. Slade’s words looped through Nick’s brain as he stood at his office window, gazing out at nothing in particular.
Maybe Slade was right. Maybe he should be grateful. Maybe he should have kissed Slade’s butt and jumped at the opportunity. God knows things were bad. The economy was in the tank, and more and more jobs were evaporating every day. He didn’t have to look any further than NASA to see the future, to see how far south things had gone. And the current crop of clowns running Washington seemed to be doing their damnedest to double down on past mistakes.
Nick turned from the window, went to his computer, and logged on. He was about to cross-reference the Spur Crater moon rock sitting in his desk with the SSPL database when he noticed a letter next to his keyboard—the one Ray had given him earlier, the one from the new teacher requesting a tour of the lab. Total hottie. That was how Ray had described her.
He unfolded the letter and read the burgundy-colored logo that ran across the top: “SALT SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL.” And a line below that read, “Character Counts.”
He scanned the neat, to-the-point paragraph from the teacher requesting a tour of the lab. At the bottom it was signed, “Kylie Sinclair, Science Department.”
“Kylie,” Nick said, reading her name out loud. It was different. He liked the sound of it. Sounded kind of sexy. Then he thought to himself, Jesus, boy, you need to get out more. And that made him think about his ex-wife, Jenny. Correction—almost ex-wife. They’d been married for two years, and after that, they’d been getting divorced for two years. The problem was, Jenny kept going through lawyers. And Nick knew why. Boy, did he. Anyway, he’d just gotten word that the legal documents were on their way and the divorce would be final in a few days.
Nick picked up the phone and was about to dial Salt Springs High School to invite Kylie Sinclair and her students for a tour when there was a knock at the door.
“Knock, knock… Can we come in?” spoke a voice from the hall. Without waiting for an invitation, Lucas and Willie clumped into his office, both of them in overalls, both of them still covered with a fine layer of salt.
“How did you guys get past security?” Nick said, spinning in his chair to face them. “Hodges must be slipping.”
“Hodges,” Lucas said, his bass voice filling the office. “No flies on him. See him every Saturday for poker night.”
“Right,” Nick said. “The legendary Lucas Redmond Texas Hold ‘Em poker game.”
“Bingo.” Lucas grinned, the salt on his face making his teeth look butter yellow.
Most days, Nick would’ve been pleased to see Lucas and Willie, to exchange some friendly banter and catch up on the latest scuttlebutt. But not today. He wasn’t in the mood. Not after his meeting with Slade. He had some thinking to do. Some decisions to make.
“Look what I got, Doc.” Willie had insisted on calling Nick “Doc.” Officially, Nick was a doctor, but he preferred not to use the title. For a month after first meeting Willie, he had tried to get him to stop with the “Doc” treatment and just call him Nick. But he soon realized he was wasting his breath. Willie had made up his mind. Nick was “Doc.”
“Look what I found.” Willie dug into a pocket, removed the fossil, and handed it to Nick. “I found another one of them cool looking fossils.”
Nick took the fossil, gave it a quick look, then said, “Hey, guys, this isn’t a good time. I’m right in the middle of something.”
“What are you talking about? Me and Lucas humped straight over from the mine. I mean, heck, you was so worked up over the last one, I just thought—”
“Yeah, Nick,” Lucas said, giving him a ‘come on, you gotta help me out here’ look. “Tell Willie he found something.”
Nick glanced from Lucas to Willie. Willie’s eyes were locked onto him, boring into him like a birddog waiting for his master to command him to fetch something.
Nick dropped his eyes to the fossil. He turned the fine-grained sedimentary rock over in his hands. Then, after a short pause, he said, “Yeah. This is nice. It’s a good example of a mold fossil. Not sure what period. It’s a shame you only found half of it.”
“Guess it sort of resented the ten sticks of Emulex we used to dig it up with,” Lucas said with a chuckle.
“So it’s good, right?” Willie said, still hoping for a gold star and a pat on the head. “It’s a keeper, right?”
“Yeah, it’s good. Definitely a keeper.”
Nick reached out, flicked on a light, and held the fossil beneath it, studying its granular surface. After a long beat, he looked up and said, “You boys are kind of taking a chance, aren’t you?”
Lucas removed a John Deere cap, mopped his forehead with his shirtsleeve, and said, “How’s that?”
Nick held up the fossil. “I know where this came from. You boys are working the government side of your mine. The condemned side.”
The room fell silent. Lucas and Willie exchanged uncomfortable looks. Beneath the layers of grime that covered their faces, their guilt was plain to see.
“You know my father,” Willie said, an impish grin forming on his face, “He can’t see wasting all that salt.”
Nick smiled and shook his head. He ran a thumb across the face of the fossil, letting his finger trace the delicate mold of the long-dead fish. “You keep working that section of the mine, and one of these days, you’re going to punch right into one of those oil reserve domes, be floating your teeth in two hundred and fifty million barrels of crude.”
“Fuckin’ A!” Willie let out a whoop. “Lucas and me were just talking about that. Wouldn’t that be something. Two hundred and fifty million barrels. Whoosh!”
Chapter 8
Thirty-year-old Kylie Sinclair stood at the front of her classroom, next to a large terrarium that was the temporary home of a hungry diamondback rattlesnake. She was dressed in tan chinos and a black sleeveless top that complemented her broad shoulders, Mediterranean complexion, and dazzling green eyes. Tall and slender, she made an impression wherever she went.
Arranged in an ellipse around the terrarium, twenty fresh-faced students stared up at her, their eyes filled with anticipation at what they knew was about to come.
Kylie picked up a cage containing a small rat and placed it next to the terrarium. The few remaining students still fidgeting immediately settled, tamping down their nervous energy so as not to miss anything. The room fell silent except for the gurgling of a pump oxygenating a saltwater aquarium that sat at the rear of the classroom.
As Kylie looked out at her students, she still couldn’t believe she was actually here, in Texas, teaching science to a group of teenagers.
Four months ago, she had gotten a call from the Salt Springs High School Board of Directors telling her that their science department needed a new teacher and asking if she would be interested in the position.
The call had caught her completely off guard. At first, she’d thought it was a prank. Friends having fun, pulling her chain. She had been looking for a teaching position for over a year, but with no luck. Frustrated and with no real employment opportunities in sight, she had all but given up hope. In fact, she had just signed up for an exchange program and was literally two weeks away from shipping out to China to teach English to eager young minds in Shanghai when the call had come. Apparently,
a friend of a friend had recommended her to the school’s principal, and two days after the call, she had the job.
Kylie opened the cage, grabbed the rat by the tail, and as she lifted it out, a chorus of shrieks erupted from the girls and the boys pressed forward, licking their chops with glee at what they were about to witness.
The snake feeding had purposely been planned at the end of class. Kylie told her students that anyone who didn’t want to participate could be excused early.
All had opted to stay. Everyone was eager to see the snake in action; or, at least, no one wanted to be teased later for having chickened out.
Kylie reached over to the top of terrarium, flipped open an access panel, and dropped the rat.
The moment its feet hit the sandy floor, the classroom exploded with the loud buzz of the diamondback’s tail, its twelve rattles moving at a rate of over fifty times per second.
The students’ oohs and ahhs filled the room. One boy summed it up with a loud, “That. Was. Awesome!”
“Watch the snake’s flicking tongue,” Kylie said, focusing the students’ attention. “It uses that plus infrared heat receptors located in pits behind its nostrils to sense the air and locate its prey.”
Saucer-eyed and utterly spellbound, the students watched as the snake’s triangular-shaped head rose from its coiled body and, bobbing and weaving, ghosted forward toward the unsuspecting rat.
Chapter 9
At the rear of Kylie’s classroom, Nick slipped into the room, pulling the door closed without making a noise. Clutched in his left hand was a plain paper bag.
He cast his eyes about the room, taking in a dazzling array of curiosities. The first word that popped into his mind was ‘fun.’ Someone had really knocked themselves out making this a special place.
The Earth’s solar system was depicted by a series of brightly colored spheres that hung from the ceiling by filament. Off to the side, he saw a room designated by a sign on the wall as “Natural Sciences.” Just inside, he could see stuffed animals—a fox with a red coat and a badger, or maybe it was a raccoon. Next to that was a room labeled “Earth Sciences,” which was filled with rocks and shells and a painting illustrating the layered walls of the Grand Canyon. A short distance from that was a large aquarium filled with exotic-looking fish being watched over by the screaming mouth of a full-sized human skeleton. Mounted high in one corner, a model of the Hubble Space Telescope soared above the room.
So far undetected, Nick inched into the room until he had a clear view of Kylie and her students, all of them crowded around the terrarium.
Kylie pointed at the terrarium. “Look—see how the snake has lowered its head? That’s a signal that it’s located its prey.”
Then everyone watched as the snake dropped to the floor of the terrarium and warped forward, its muscular body carving a lazy ‘S’ in the sand. A moment after that, it drew its body up, and wound itself into a tight coil. Then it raised its head, darted forward, and sank its fangs into the rat’s body.
At the same time, a boy grabbed the neck of the girl standing directly in front of him, digging his fingers into her flesh like make-believe fangs.
The girl jumped straight up, grabbed her neck, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
This caused everyone else to jump and scatter. All heads snapped towards the screaming girl, trying to see what was the matter. Roman, a campus jock, pointed at the girl, laughed, and held his fingers up like fangs.
Kylie gave Roman a deadly look and motioned for him to take his seat. The rest of the students watched as the rat wobbled to a corner of the terrarium, convulsed, and dropped to the floor, its body going into paralysis.
“Oh, gross!” said Molly, a 15-year-old student with a blond ponytail.
“Watch,” Kylie said, ignoring Molly. “Look at its mouth. It’s gaping. It’s stretching its specially designed jaw, preparing to eat. Later, after the snake is sure the rat is dead, it will swallow it headfirst.”
“I seen Hayes do that with a hotdog,” blurted a heavyset teen with close-cropped hair.
The other students erupted with laughter. Kylie could see she was losing them. Just as she was about to tell them to quiet down, the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
“Okay. That’s it. Everyone can go.” Kylie began gathering her notes. “Oh, and don’t forget to read chapter nine on reptiles. And yes, there will be a quiz.”
Chapter 10
With students flowing around him, Nick made his way to the front of the room, where Kylie was securing the top of the terrarium.
Nick stepped up to her and said, “Kylie Sinclair?”
“Yes, I’m Kylie,” she said, giving Nick a warm smile. “How may I help you?”
He held up Kylie’s letter. “Nick Walker, NASA Geology Department.”
“Oh right, the tour request,” she said, sounding a little caught off-guard by Nick’s sudden appearance. “I’m surprised to see you.” Kylie straightened and squared her shoulders as a flash of color spiked in her cheeks. “I mean, here…in person. I certainly didn’t expect you to come all the way out to the school. I thought you’d call.”
“Well, I can leave, if you’d like,” Nick said, a grin spreading on his face. “I can go back and call from my office.”
“Please, no.” Kylie laughed. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“My pleasure.” Boy, was that the understatement of the year. He could barely take his eyes off of her. Ray had been right: Kylie Sinclair was a total hottie. “I just figured I’d come by and welcome you to our little corner of Texas. Oh, and I would love to give you a tour of the lab.”
“Great.” Then she quickly added, “Me and my students, right?”
“Definitely. Kids, too. When Nick Walker agrees to a tour, he goes all out.”
Nick moved to the terrarium, looked at the snake, and said, “Live snakes…impressive.” Then he motioned to the classroom. “Just like the rest of the room.”
Kylie smiled, nodded, and said, “If you only give it to them out of a book, you’ll lose them.”
Nick leaned in for a better view of the snake. “Oh wow, that’s a big boy.” Then he asked, “Diamondback, right?”
“Crotalus atrox,” Kylie said, stepping up next to him. She glanced at his hands. Nice, she thought to herself. She had a thing for hands. And Nick’s rated right up there. “Western Diamondback.”
Nick watched as the rattlesnake’s mouth gaped, preparing to swallow its meal. He turned to Kylie and said, “Old Emmett Clayton—the guy who owns the Clayton Salt Mine—he likes to tell about a diamondback that got rousted by a pickup truck, hung its fangs into a tire, got stuck, and then as the tire went slowly flat, the snake blew up as the air passed through its hollow fangs.”
Kylie rolled her eyes and gave him a ‘yeah, right’ look. “Okay, I may be a city girl, but give me a break. That sounds like some country myth or something.”
“Any other state, yeah, but this is Texas.”
Kylie shook her head, obviously not buying it. “I don’t care if you’re talking about Texas or Timbuktu—BS is BS the world over.”
“Fine.” Nick smiled. “Be cynical.”
“I’m not being cynical,” she said, giving him a playful look. “I’m just not being naïve.”
Nick held up his hands, signaling his surrender. “Okay. You’re definitely not cynical.”
Kylie moved back to the front of the room, picked up a teaching model of a pit viper’s head, and placed it on a shelf next to the terrarium.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Nick said. “This really is a great room. Did you do all this?”
“I did some major rearranging of what was already here, then added a few touches. But thanks for noticing.”
“Well, it’s great. I bet the kids love it. Speaking of which…” Nick held up the paper bag he’d been holding and removed the fossil that Willie had given him, then handed it to Kylie. “I thought your students might like to see this.”
Kylie studied the fossil. She ran a finger over the ferocious-looking fish preserved in the leaf-shaped rock. Then, after a moment, she said, “This is fantastic. My students will love it.”
“Great.” Nick stared at Kylie, thinking how lovely she was. “Please consider it a gift.” Then he added, “Sorry it’s only half of it.”
“Yeah, it’s a shame.” Kylie nodded in agreement. “Such a great piece. Any idea where the other half is?”
Nick was thinking he should ask her out. Then he realized it might be inappropriate, that she might think he was taking advantage of the situation. Just before he chickened out completely, he said, “Yes. Yes I do. Agree to have a glass of wine with me; I’ll tell you the whole fascinating story.”
“Excuse me…Miss Sinclair…”
They turned and saw Mitch O’Dell, one of Kylie’s ninth grade students, approaching. His face was flushed and he had an open textbook clutched in his hand.
“Mitch?” Kylie said, greeting the boy as he walked up.
“I was wondering,” Mitch said, stealing a nervous glance at Nick. “I was wondering if you could help me with yesterday’s assignment?”
Nick had to stop himself from laughing out loud, thinking, The kid’s got it bad. Big time crush on Miss Sinclair…and angling hard for teacher’s pet. It was so obvious it was almost painful. And then he thought, Well, at least the kid’s got good taste.
“Just a moment, Mitch.” Kylie looked at Nick, shrugged her shoulders apologetically, and said, “Sorry about this.”
“Not at all. Duty calls. I’ll leave you to it.” Nick dug out his wallet, removed a card, and handed it to Kylie. “That’s my cell phone. Call anytime. We’ll arrange that tour.”
Nick took a step toward the door, but then stopped and called to Mitch, “Hey kid, you forgot the apple.”