Cataclysm
Page 30
“With 1,500 volcanoes scattered across the planet, yes. There are still numerous volcanoes along the Cascades in northern California, Oregon and Washington. But none are as large as the one at Yellowstone. At least of the ones we know about. There could be larger volcanoes along the ocean floor that haven’t been discovered. I don’t know enough about underwater volcanoes to hazard a guess about their destructive capabilities, but I would assume there would be substantial tidal waves.”
Casey tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I tremble at the thought. I’ve had enough of volcanoes to last a lifetime.”
“You and me both. Mother Nature can be a bitch when she wants to be.”
CHAPTER 86
Outskirts of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Virgil gently pulls his arm from beneath April and climbs out of bed. He pulls on his jeans and an old T-shirt and slips out of the bedroom, tiptoeing down the hall. He turns into the kitchen to find Andy Barlow putting on a pot of coffee. “Why are you up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Michelle and I spent most of yesterday trying to pinpoint where to move.” Michelle and Andy arrived a week after the last eruption after renting a car and driving along the West Coast to Calgary.
“You and your parents can stay here as long as you want.” Virgil’s rustic cabin was designed to sleep three and is now host to six.
“What about the Canadian government’s mandate asking all foreigners to leave?”
“Screw the government. Hell, they don’t know you’re here. And I’m sure as hell not going to tell them. It pisses me off to no end.”
“How long have you had dual citizenship?” Andy asks.
“Since I was born. My mom is Canadian.”
Ralph Barlow shuffles into the kitchen, wiping the sleep from his eyes, and takes a seat next to Virgil at the table. Andy grabs another mug from the shelf and fills all three when the coffee finishes. He carries them to the table and sits.
“Walt out hunting?” Ralph asks
“He left out well before daybreak. Hopefully we’ll be feasting this evening.”
Andy picks up his cup and blows the steam away. “Dad, Michelle and I are thinking of moving on,”
“Where are you going to go?” Ralph takes a sip of coffee.
“She wants to go somewhere along the East Coast. She thinks it’s too cold up here.”
Virgil chuckles and Ralph rolls his eyes. “I hate to tell you this, son, but I don’t think she’s going to be happy no matter where you go.”
“You may be right. Still, I wouldn’t mind heading out that way.”
“You two getting hitched?” Virgil asks.
“Maybe,” Andy says before taking a sip of coffee. “She runs hot and cold on the issue.”
Ralph arches his brow but remains silent.
“What about you and April?” Andy asks.
“Don’t know. I’ve done the marriage thing a time or two. Nothing wrong with the way things are now, if you ask me.”
Michelle saunters into the kitchen and the conversation dries up. “Andy, I thought you were bringing me a cup of coffee.”
“You’re here now. Might as well pour your own,” Andy says.
Virgil and Ralph share a look as Michelle puts her hands on her hips, in full retort mode.
“Pour yourself a cup and join us,” Virgil says, easing the sudden tension present in the room.
Michelle gives Andy a withering look before turning to pour her own coffee. She ignores the group as she hastily exits.
“She’s a firecracker,” Virgil says.
Ralph studies the wood grain of the rustic tabletop.
“That might be an understatement,” Andy says. He smiles. “Her temper is part of her attraction, I think.” Andy stands. “I better go make nice. We’ll talk later, Dad, when Mom gets up and around.”
Once Andy is out of earshot, Ralph says, “I don’t think firecracker would be the word I’d use to describe Michelle.”
Virgil laughs. “Ah hell, Ralph, nothing wrong with a little spiciness. She’ll come around. Besides, I’m not sure you have much say in the matter.”
Ralph smiles. “You’re right, Virgi. Better him than me, that’s for damn sure.”
“It takes all types to make a world,” Virgil says. “You and Junie Bug going to stay with me and April for a while? I think Walt’s planning to move on in the next week or so.”
“I guess until they run us out of the country or the park service finds me a job.”
“What’re the odds of that happening?”
“Slim to none would be my guess. So I guess you’re stuck with us for a while.”
“The more the merrier, I always say. Think Yellowstone will ever be like it was?”
“In a couple of million years she’ll be good as new.”
CHAPTER 87
50 miles east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies and overlooking the blue-green waters of Barrier Lake, J.J.’s new vacation home is tucked neatly into the landscape. Purchased for $3 million, the home is spacious, with a gourmet kitchen and five luxurious bedrooms. Stunning views of the lake and Mount Baldy are visible through the numerous floor-to-ceiling windows. J.J. hangs up the phone. “My company plane will be here later this afternoon.”
“Is it safe to fly?” Tucker asks.
“Guess so or the damn thing wouldn’t be coming. He’s flying out from my offices in Houston. Says he’s going to fly way out west and come in from the north, or something like that. I don’t really care how he gets here. I just want his ass here. I’ve got business to attend to.”
“You’ve been working the phones since we got here.”
“Not the same. Cat’s away, mice will play and all that bullshit.”
Tucker laughs as J.J. dials another number. Tucker pours a cup of coffee and carries it out to the back deck, where Matt is leaning against the rail. “So it’s settled? You, Jess, and the kids going to Houston?”
“Yeah. J.J.’s offered us both terrific jobs. Jess can do her geology thing and I’ll work the business side. Plus, we’ll be able to transfer back to Oklahoma if that option becomes available.”
“I wouldn’t count on that happening anytime soon.”
“We could make a home in Houston. There are worse places to live. And Maddie and Mason need to be in school.” Matt takes a sip of coffee. “Why don’t you and Rachael come with us?”
“I think we’d both last about fifteen minutes in the big city.” The two brothers lean against the rail, looking out over the landscape.
“So, you’re going to Alaska?” Matt asks.
“Don’t have much choice with the Canadian government asking all foreigners to leave.”
“That’s a shitty thing for them to do.”
“Not when you stop to think about it. This is their country and they’re struggling to feed what they have.”
“Still, it’s not right. Why don’t you head south, back to the States?”
“Our only option would be out east, and that’s wall-to-wall people. Alaska sounds just fine to me.”
“What’s Ralph going to do?”
“Stay with Virgil until they work out a new Park Service position for him.”
“When’s that going to happen?”
“Who knows? Probably not going to happen for a long while. Don’t think anyone’s in the mood, or can even travel to the remaining national parks.”
“Is the Canadian government going to allow them to stay?” Matt asks.
“Apparently Virgil has dual citizenship, and he and April are talking about getting hitched. No need to tell the authorities about a few extra houseguests. I think Walt’s going to hang out with Virgil for as long as he can, too. I don’t know if he has plans to return to the Park Service or not.”
“We owe Walt our lives.”
“Walt will never acknowledge that fact. Just the type of guy he is. Think Joey is back with his wife?” Tucker asks.
“The whole state of Wyoming is a wasteland. J.J. gave Joey a standing job offer. Thinks he wants another helicopter. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joey shows up in Houston.”
Tucker glances out in the distance and spots Rachael and Jessica walking hand in hand along the lake’s shore.
* * *
“Think you and Tucker will get married?” Jess asks
“We’ve talked a little bit about it. No firm plans, though.”
“I’ll get his brother to put a little pressure on him.” The two women share a laugh. “Would you get married in Alaska?”
“Probably Houston, so we could all be together. Maybe we could get J.J. to send his plane up to get us.”
“He’d do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t be surprised if he insisted on paying for the wedding, too. There’s a big teddy bear under that gruff exterior. He’s loved back home because of his generosity. He makes a boatload of money but he’s quick to share with those less fortunate. And his wife, Beverly, is a gem. A farm girl from town who doesn’t have a pretentious bone in her body.”
“I’m glad you brought up home.” Rachael pauses while her brain runs through a list of suitable questions. “I don’t want to be nosy, and I don’t want to pry, but there’s a tenseness in Tucker when he’s around you.”
Jessica walks away, leaving Rachael to wonder if it’s all in her head. But Jess takes a seat on a large boulder and waves her over. “What happened was a long time ago.” Tears spring to her eyes. “God, I went about it all the wrong ways.” She wipes the tears away but she’s fighting a losing battle. “We grew up together. Matt was already in college when Tucker and I started dating. We were quite the item in high school. Young and in love.” She sighs and stares out over the water. “We went to college together and dated the first two years. We had all these plans. We were both going to be geologists and travel the world finding the next big thing. But I realized somewhere in that second year that wasn’t going to be the life for me. I wanted a home, kids, a stable job. Our relationship started to sour when we both realized we had completely different outlooks on what we wanted life to be.” Jess wipes her eyes and stands up, meandering farther down the shore. Rachael follows.
“We eventually broke up, and I transferred to the other state school. We still felt something for each other and I couldn’t bear to see the hurt on his face. We both graduated, and I went home to work in the oil fields while Tucker went off chasing volcanoes.”
“And you married his brother,” Rachael says with a little too much heat.
Jess grabs Rachael’s hand and holds it like it’s a lifeline. “It wasn’t like that at all. I knew Matt, but I didn’t really know him. Know what I mean?”
Rachael nods, not speaking for fear of interrupting the story.
“Matt’s a lot like Tucker. The same values. The same determination. I guess what attracted me to Tucker also attracted me to Matt. Tucker had been out of my life for four years before Matt and I went on our first date. We dated two years before getting married.”
“And what did Tucker have to say about all of this?”
“Nothing. He came to the wedding. Had a good time. And over the years we’ve spent a lot of time together as a family. He’s a wonderful uncle to the kids. They think the world of him.”
“Did you and Tucker ever sit down and have a frank discussion about what happened?”
“Not really. As time stretched on we both kind of brushed it aside.”
“How did Matt feel about all of this?”
“It was hard, at first. Tucker and Matt were . . . are close. They didn’t have the best childhood. Did Tucker tell you about his dad?”
“He told me. Is he as bad as Tucker portrays him to be?”
“He wasn’t while the boy’s mother was alive. After that he went off the deep end. But to answer your question, yes, he’s a bigoted, opinionated, rude man. He’s incoherent most of the time now, but that mean streak still exists.”
“I hope I never have to meet him,” Rachael says.
“Count yourself lucky if you don’t.”
“So, back to you and Matt?”
Jess dries the last of her tears. “We both struggled with the Tucker situation. Even after we were married. But life goes on. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do.” They turn back toward the house, hands still clasped together. “Will you do me one favor before leaving?” Rachael asks.
“Of course. What?”
“Have that discussion with Tucker.”
* * *
The two women climb up the stairs of the back deck, and Rachael slips inside to pour a cup of coffee for them. She returns to the deck and hands a steaming mug to Jessica, who takes a few tentative sips before placing the cup on the rail. She steps over to Tucker and takes his hand. “Can we talk before Matt and I leave?”
Tucker’s eyebrows arch with surprise. “Yeah, I guess.”
Rachael and Tucker disappear down the steps and Rachael steps over to stand next to Matt.
“What’s that about?”
“I thought maybe they should clear the air.”
“I think you’re a wise woman, Rachael. Want to help me finish packing up the kids?”
“Absolutely. I’m going to miss those two.”
Matt and Rachael return inside and start filling suitcases. There’s not much to pack other than a few clothes. Matt makes the decision that the heavy winter coats will serve no purpose in Houston, so he hangs them up in the closet for J.J.’s grandkids in case they get the opportunity to come up here. Once the packing is done, Matt wheels the cases over to the front door and Rachael dives between Maddie and Mason on the couch. She drapes her arms around both.
“You two get to go back to school.”
“Don’t remind me,” Mason says.
A long while later, Tucker and Jessica return, their eyes red. Both faces are still damp, but there’s easiness between them that didn’t exist before.
J.J. barrels out of his office. “Van’s here to pick us up.” He tosses the keys to the new Range Rover Tucker’s way. “A little going-away present. Sure you two don’t want to come? I could always use a couple more geologists.”
“Houston’s not my type of place,” Tucker says. The entire group descends the front steps to the waiting van. After a round of tearful hugs and good-byes, the departing group piles into the van. Tucker and Rachael watch as it disappears down the road. As they turn back for the house, Tucker wraps an arm around Rachael. “Alaska, here we come. Ready for more volcanoes?”
“Not really, but I guess it’s what we do.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks go first to you, the reader. Without you, books wouldn’t exist. I’m eternally grateful for Gary Goldstein, my editor at Kensington. Gary, you’re a rock star! Many thanks to the other hardworking people at Kensington: Elizabeth May, Morgan Elwell, Lauren Jernigan, Kimberly Richardson, Vida Engstrand, Alexandra Nicolajsen, Randie Lipkin, Arthur Maisel, and Lou Malcangi. Please know your work is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to my agent, Jim Donovan. When Jim isn’t wearing his agenting hat, he’s busy working on his own material. Check out some of Jim’s terrific nonfiction work.
A special thanks to my brother, Daniel Washburn, and his wife, Nancy. Thanks also to Justin Washburn, Jared Champlin, and Andrea Chandler and her husband, Deke. You are my favorite niece and nephews.
Thanks, Kelsey, and husband, Andrew Snider, Nickolas, and Karley for supporting your old man as he chases his dream.
Finally, to the love of my life, Tonya: thank you for being you.
Keep Reading for an Exciting Excerpt!
NOTHING CAN PREPARE YOU . . .
It strikes without warning. A massive geomagnetic solar storm
that destroys every power grid in the Northern
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NOTHING CAN SAVE YOU . . .
In Boulder, Colorado, weather technicians watch in horror as
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skies. Cars are dead. Pandemonium and terror grip the
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every man for himself . . . and it will only get worse.
SURVIVAL IS EVERYTHING.
Only one man—army veteran Zeke Marshall—is
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“Washburn brings us a fresh voice and a new
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“Like a nuclear reactor, this story heats up fast! The
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—Anderson Harp, author of Retribution and
Born of War
When the lights go out, the end of the world begins.
POWERLESS
A Novel
TIM WASHBURN
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CHAPTER 1
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder, Colorado