by Linda Mackay
“You think the magma is rising,” I said.
“I believe after the natural hydrothermal explosion a year ago things were changing that we were not aware of,” Todd said.
“We had temperature and gas readings and nothing had changed significantly.” I’d taken those readings.
“Those readings were in May, outside the caldera.” Todd stood and moved to the coffeepot on the grill over the fire.
“I’m still skeptical.”
“Your dad was at Turbid Lake just before the blast and said he measured increased temps.”
“Would one of you please tell me what the point is,” Liz said.
Mac kicked dirt on the fire. “What they’re trying not to say is Mary Bay was wide awake before she got any help.”
Chapter 15
The mosquito plays tuba in the band.” Todd stirred powdered eggs in with the potatoes he’d picked up late yesterday afternoon on his ride back to the trucks.
“What?” Liz asked.
“How about, the monkey eats oranges at dusk?” Todd asked.
“Please tell me you aren’t making up codes.”
“I could tell you that, but it wouldn’t be true.” Todd flashed a huge smile.
I was as curious as Liz about where this was going. “Why do you think we need codes?”
Todd shook his head like we were all crazier than a bird flying into a window. “We need to be able to communicate if we’re captured by the bad guys.”
Both Liz and Mac laughed.
“Doesn’t sound like they agree,” I said.
Mac patted Todd on the back. “It’s not a matter of agreement.”
“It’s more likely they’ll pick us off like we’re fish in a barrel,” Liz said.
“The mythbusters proved that was harder than it looked.” Todd said continuing to stir the breakfast hash.
“Metaphor aside,” Mac sipped his coffee, “if they want you dead, you’ll be dead.”
“That means not even your mouth can save your butt.” Amanda yelled from her tent.
“Go back to sleep,” Todd said.
Mac pointed to the truck pulling to a stop where the road ended. Liz pulled the pistol out of her calf holster holding it partially hidden behind her thigh, while Mac removed his from his shoulder holster and flipped off the safety. That was my code to glass the intruder with the binos. “Everyone stand down. I know this guy.”
“Amanda!” Mac interrupted. “Hot guy on my 20.”
“Where’s your 20?” Amanda’s head popped out of the tent faster than Jack jumps out of the box.
Mac pointed.
“It’s a false alarm,” I said glassing the tall man getting out of the truck. “It’s Ed.”
“Ed’s pretty hot. Just too old.” Amanda flipped the pink stripe in her hair and zipped herself back inside the tent.
“If she thinks he’s old, I’d hate to guess what she thinks I am,” Liz said. “We also just lost our bet.”
“It’s down to you and me, buddy.” Mac said to Todd.
I watched as Ed walked the short distance from the roadblock to the trees we were camped near. Steam was rising from new vents created by the July explosion, and old vents either released more steam or were now dormant. Ed carefully picked his way through the thermal minefield. “He’s carrying something.”
“Better not be a bomb or the truck flies at dawn,” Todd said.
“Stop with the codes,” I said looking through the binoculars. “He’s carrying bags from the grocery store in West Yellowstone.”
The park roads may still be open, but none of the park stores were. It was one of the dumber things the park saw wisdom in, but it was also not a battle I cared to enter.
“I hope he has candy bars. I need a chocolate fix,” Amanda said.
“You need tissues, my snotty friend,” Todd said.
“Morning all.” Ed handed Todd the grocery bags. “I see my intuition you were here was correct.”
“Fruit!” Todd said emptying the bags. “Burger, buns, chips, and candy bars.”
“Jackpot!” Amanda practically fell out of the tent racing for the candy. “Desert first, please.”
“Holy sugar high! There’s enough candy for days,” Todd said.
“Thanks, Ed, you know my crew well.”
“No problem, Jorie. I had to make a run to town yesterday, and figured you could use a food drop. If I didn’t find you, I’d share it with the others at Lake. Would you mind telling those goons to holster their weapons?”
I hadn’t noticed the DIA troublemakers didn’t holster their firearms when I said stand down. Ed may be a geologist, but he was a ranger first, which meant he was a trained law enforcement officer. No one made any movement. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. “Ed, would you please consider laying down your gun first?”
He looked around and weighed his decision. I was grateful when I saw two fingers carefully remove his gun and set it on the ground. “Do I at least get breakfast?” Ed asked.
Todd shoved Mac out of the way and handed Ed a plate, now also bearing a helping of fruit. “You’ll also be getting an explanation from the rude spies.”
Amanda stepped in front of Liz. “Down dog.”
“Mac, this is our friend from the Grand Teton rangers. The one whose truck was kicked, and the one who secured our parking spaces,” I said. “You and the piranha can either show some respect to Ed, or the rest of us are leaving with him and taking equipment, trucks and horses with us, leaving you two to hitchhike home.”
Liz stepped around Amanda. “Don’t give me ultimatums.”
“Don’t give me your DIA shit,” I said. “You weren’t here in July, so you don’t get a voice. I’m also not convinced you aren’t one of the bad guys in disguise.”
“I never thought of that,” Todd scratched his elbow and squinted.
“I did,” Amanda said. “She’s too city-fied and too trigger happy.”
“Now that you mention it, she is very suspicious.” Todd circled Liz giving her the once over.
“Okay, that’s enough from the amateur sleuths.” Mac stuck his hand out to Ed. “I’m Don MacAlister, retired DIA. You can call me, Mac.”
Ed shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ed Owens, Geologist and Grand Teton ranger.”
“You were transferred here for the winter?” Mac asked.
“Shit duty, if you ask me. I hate this place in winter.”
“You didn’t apply for the position?”
“Not a chance. I enjoy skiing and snow machining like most folks in the area. But spending a winter in Yellowstone, where every damn road is closed, is reserved for a special kind of crazy person. And that’s no insult to those who do. They agree they’re crazy.”
Mac sat down and all but Liz followed his lead. “Why didn’t you just turn down the job?”
“Wasn’t given the option.” Ed ate a strawberry. “Said I would earn a twenty-thousand dollar bonus for taking the winter job or be fired from Grand Teton for not being a team player.”
“Definitely, not much of an option,” Todd said.
None of this made sense. Ed was a rock geologist. He started working on his master’s degree, but gave that up to be a ranger. He liked a simple life, not one full of academic papers and teaching in a cold university classroom. Talking to tourists and especially kids about the amazing Grand Teton landscape and her wildlife was his love. “Why would you be singled out to do this job?”
“I wondered the same thing, until, Bull told me my job.” Ed took another bite of his breakfast. “I’m to monitor the seismographs.”
“They can do that remotely,” Amanda said.
“The seismographs have been turned off at the northeast corner of the lake since last year. If they turn them on the public can access them online,” Todd said.
“Exactly what Bull said they don’t want.” Ed turned and looked at me. “The bay is active, they think it’s going to continue blowing.”
“They want you
to go old school, use equipment with eyes on readings, and report to Bull,” I said.
“The USGS has plenty of scientists they could position up here, why pull you?” Todd asked.
“Because, I’m dumb.”
“No you’re not,” Amanda said.
“Yes, he is,” I said.
Ed laughed, reminding me that he was my age, handsome in a softer way than Mac could ever be, and eligible. Why wasn’t I attracted to him?
“Jorie, gets it.” Ed laughed again. “Anyone the USGS sends would be highly educated, with detailed knowledge of the Yellowstone Caldera. This job needs someone who can blend in without cracking under the extreme conditions; has enough knowledge to handle the readings; yet won’t question the results.”
“Oh boy,” Todd said. “Ed knows something is wonky.”
“Wonky doesn’t begin to explain it and they made a mistake thinking I wouldn’t question it,” Ed said. “There’s more going on than increased hydrothermal activity, and whatever it is, well, it’s truly fucked up.”
Amanda touched her nose with one finger and pointed at Ed with her other hand. “You said the F-word. That’s gonna cost you five dollars.”
“I don’t care how much it costs. Someone better start talking, fast.”
“Don’t.” Liz stepped forward and pointed her pistol at Ed. Mac grabbed Tata by their arms, and I stood frozen with my mouth open. “Jorie, reach under his right pants leg and get the gun attached to his calf.”
I moved quickly to relieve Ed of the gun. “Why?”
“Insurance. I’m not going to end up dead like Bull and his crew.”
Chapter 16
Jorie put Ed’s firearm next to that tree. Liz, yours too.” Mac laid his in the pile. “Todd, get everyone more coffee and then we talk.”
Amanda had fled to the trees crying. I couldn’t muster any tears. Instead, my body was filling with so much hate that it felt like my organs would rupture from it. If the new President had been standing in front of me, I would’ve pulled my Recurve and fired an arrow into her heart without an ounce of remorse. Evil eventually has no allies. And her evil could no longer ally with my integrity to keep me from reacting.
My entire conscience had imploded on one word.
Dead.
Gone was the function of my brain that kept me from responding to hate with hate. An eye for an eye. My humanity was extinguished and replaced with vengeance.
Dead.
In this body was a new Marjorie Marie Clark. Madame President, no more good people are going to die because of you. I will not let it happen. I will stop you.
Chose wisely, my daughter. Evil must be cut off at the head; otherwise it will regenerate. Remember, the wolves brought you a vision. Chose wisely, my precious child.
“Earth to Jorie.” Todd waved his hand in front of my face.
“Sorry.”
“Take the coffee mug and sit down.”
“Thanks, Todd.”
Everyone was seated around the morning campfire. I had no idea how long I’d been traveling in my head as Grampa Nus called it. I’d obviously missed part of the conversation since Amanda was here and her tears dry.
“Did I miss anything?” I whispered to Todd.
“No. Liz is being all piranha-like and Ed won’t talk till she puts her teeth away.”
“Then sit tight because I’m about to piss her off.”
“This is going to be epic!” Todd clapped his hands.
“President Wallace was assassinated.” At least the piranha would turn her teeth on me now. And, holy crap, she looked hungry. On the other side of the fire, Mac was grinning.
“What? When?” Ed asked. “Okay, I know when, but how do you know that?”
“After the quake and explosion in July we--except Liz who only arrived recently--rode up Two Ocean and the Thorofare to find my dad who was taking gas emission measurements near Turbid Lake.”
“Didn’t think he worked for the USGS anymore,” Ed said.
“He works for a private company the feds contracted with,” I said.
“That way his findings about possible short or long-term exposure hazards can be kept quiet,” Amanda said.
Ed shook his head. “Since the actual government research is too easily accessible if someone really wants it.”
“It’s not a plot,” I said. “It means the park can take precautions without unnecessarily frightening people and destroying tourism.”
Amanda scrunched her nose at me. “Brown-noser.”
Todd took over. “He saw it all go down.”
“That would be he saw it go up,” Amanda said
“Semantics, Twinkie. Joe saw the signal to detonate, and kaboom! Death and destruction ensue.”
“Marty Thomas was involved,” I decided to get right to the point before the Piranha imploded or Tata confused Ed with facts he didn’t need. “The assassins tried to kill us on several occasions. They succeeded in killing Marty to keep him from talking.”
“He didn’t die in a backcountry accident?” Ed put his head in his hands, and rocked back and forth.
“No. They snipered him out of the saddle,” Amanda said.
“And Mac shot down a helicopter!” Todd volunteered one of those unneeded facts.
“Liz, take the verbal diarrhea pair to the lake. Drown them if you need too,” Mac said.
Liz picked up her gun and marched my crew away from camp like they were prisoners of war. Amanda turned to me for help, and I shrugged my shoulders. Their brains may qualify for genius status, but their mouths were in junior high. The lesson would be beneficial for them. If anyone could scare them silent, it would be Liz.
Mac sat across from Ed. “I can give you one chance to walk away. But, if you choose to stay you are in all the way. That means you could end up dead.”
Ed took a deep breath and shook his head like it was covered with sawdust. “I don’t believe an accident killed Bull and his crew. Now you tell me the President was assassinated, which means all those people that died in July were innocent victims in a mass murder. I don’t have a wife and kids, my dad passed away two years ago, and my mom is in an Alzheimer’s home. Looks like I’m in.”
“Good. You can help me corral the talkative twins and the battling babes,” Mac said.
“Not sure I’m qualified for that, but it sounds fun to watch,” Ed said.
“It has its moments.”
I should really be arguing with Mac, but I was becoming a sucker for him thinking I was a babe. Also, I didn’t want to end up a prisoner with the other two, so keeping my mouth shut seemed wise.
“Tell me why you don’t believe Bull’s death was an accident,” Mac said.
“The night before Bull and his team left he was nervous. Like not only was something wrong, but something seriously wrong. I wondered if the USGS and park service were trying to hide Mary Bay had become dangerously active. The morning they left he shook my hand and emphatically said, take care. He squeezed my hand closed between both his, looked me in the eyes, and I could feel he’d put something in my hand. I knew from the look on his face, he didn’t want anyone else to know.”
“A thumb drive, right?” Mac asked.
“Yes. But I can’t open it. It’s password protected. So, I put it in my desk drawer and forgot about it, until yesterday morning when another ranger stopped in for coffee. He said when a crew of geologists failed to return home, he’d been asked to check for accidents on the road south. He discovered a van had gone off the road in the Lewis River Canyon and landed upside down in the river.”
“And I’ll bet it happened at one of the steepest drop-offs on the road where there is no possibility of anyone surviving the crash into the river,” I said.
“Any skid marks on the road?” Mac asked.
“Ranger didn’t say, and honestly, I didn’t think to ask,” Ed said.
“Did you tell him you thought it was suspicious?”
“No, at the time I was too startled to say much of anyth
ing.”
“Good,” Mac said. “Until we’re safely out of the park, it’s better for us if no one is investigating too closely.”
“I agree,” Ed said. “But, I’m still not clear on who the bad guys are or if they’re still here.”
“The man who kicked your truck, was he small, bureaucratic looking and didn’t fit in with the others?” Mac asked.
“Yeah. Dark hair, one eye distinctly higher than the other.”
“That’s the president’s aide, Tom Bass. I’d like to believe after he assured Bull’s van ran off the road, he hurried home to the comfort of his DC apartment. It’s also possible he’s still in the area.”
“Can I change my mind and enter the witness protection program?” Ed asked.
“Not unless you take me with you,” I said. Mac and Ed’s eyebrows rose. What is it with men, turning every situation into a sexual come-on? “Forget it, I’d rather walk off a cliff than be stuck with either one of you.”
“Big talk from someone carrying a little bow and arrow,” Ed said.
“Please, don’t get her started on the efficacy of the bow over a firearm.” Standing behind me, Mac squeezed my shoulders.
By the look in Ed’s eyes, it was obvious he understood the possessive gesture Mac was making. “How about we get started by giving the newcomer a definitive answer on who assassinated all those people in July.”
“I wish I could,” Mac said. “We’d ascertained it was a plot inside our own government. But it wasn’t until a couple days ago we verified the new President was a part of the conspiracy.”
Ed scratched his side, and I watched Mac’s eyes follow his hand to be sure Ed wasn’t reaching for a gun. Those that began this heinous journey in July built a bond of complete trust. Anyone joining from the outside would never be a part of the inner circle. Liz mistrusted us as much as we did her, and now we’d added another outsider. It was going to be a long road to change any of those dynamics.
“You’re going out to far!” Ed yelled to Mac and Todd.
“We’re nowhere near the grid we are working,” I said.
“Then you’ll still be searching long after the park closes,” Ed said.