Escaping Yellowstone Page 5

  He recalled a few years back when a 23-year-old man was looking for a hot spring to soak in. He was being videoed by his sister as he reached down to test the temperature of the water, slipped and fell in. His body was dissolved beyond recovery by the acid in the near boiling water. It was a stupid and avoidable accident. Had he obeyed the warning signs and not breached the barriers, he would be alive today. The park had not been held liable for that incident, but Melissa was one of his students, a person he had personally trained in the proper procedures and safety precautions.

  Melissa was a beautiful girl, only 19 years old. There was nothing he could tell her parents. She had been put in his custody for the summer and now she wouldn’t be returning home.

  He left Doug in the care of a nurse practitioner and drove his Jeep to the Mud Volcano area. The Park Rangers had cordoned off the area and were turning visitors away. He pushed and elbowed his way through a crowd of curious onlookers and dipped below the police tape blocking the boardwalk.

  The investigators were all wearing masks to protect them from the fumes. He had left his mask at the office, but slipped under the railing anyway and walked through steaming mud toward Melissa’s blistered and reddened remains. He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to vomit, but it was too much. He wiped his mouth and approached Chief Ranger Eric Nelson.

  Nelson looked up as Cody approached. “You’re going to catch hell on this one. What was she doing this close to the pond?”

  “Doug Jennings, the student who was with her, is experienced in collecting samples. He said they were following protocol. The pool suddenly blew up. I’m sure we can verify that by seismic readings in the area. She really wasn’t that close. The mud flow must have carried her closer to the pond. Doug said he was standing on the boardwalk. See that rope and the harness. That’s to keep her from slipping as she approached the pond. This geyser isn’t known to erupt like a geyser. He didn’t have time to pull her out of the way. Her mask was blown off. This was an unusual event. It hasn’t happened before that I’m aware of.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have to make yourself available for the FBI,” Nelson said. “I called them in. We can’t rule out the possibility the boy is lying.”

  “Why would he be lying? You haven’t spoken to him yet.”

  “This is a death that’s on the Park Service. There will be lawsuits and a hell of a lot of questions concerning your procedures, and even the use of students to do this kind of work. I’m sure it will go better for the park if the FBI investigates and give us a clean bill.”

  “Politics?” Cody shook his head. “It’s bad enough we have a young woman dead, but bringing in the FBI will make things worse. I’m telling you there was no crime here.”

  Eric Nelson was a bull of a man who stood a few inches taller than Cody and outweighed him by a hundred pounds. He was a tree stump with beefy roots and limbs. He patted Cody on the back. “I’m sorry, but it’s part of the job. They’re already on site investigating the family that died two weeks ago. You might want to rein in the rest of your students until this is over.”

  Cody removed a handkerchief and placed it over his nose and mouth, but it didn’t do any good. The stench of his vomit smelled better than the breath of the dragon rising from the pond.

  “Okay if I contact her parents?” Cody asked.

  “Could you hold off until the FBI takes a look at the scene? I’m holding the body here for them.”

  “Let me know when I can call. I’ll be in my office.”

  Chapter 5

  Yellowstone Park

  It was late afternoon. Cody’s day had been filled with meetings. He made statements to the Park Rangers, the FBI, and after they had left, made the most difficult call in his life to Melissa Granger’s parents.

  When the call was over, Cody wiped tears from his eyes. The death of his cousin hadn’t affected him as much as the death of this young woman, but now both of them were tugging at his heart. The finality of death crushed him and he started to cry.

  The offices in the Park Headquarters are small and crowded, and in the case of Dr. Cody Street, cluttered. In the small space, he had three computers dedicated to monitoring all aspects of the caldera. A dozen monitors had zigzag scribbling on them resembling the life monitoring equipment in a hospital operating room, but his instruments were there to monitor the health of the Yellowstone Caldera. So many things were going on underneath the park and whether or not it was healthy could not be easily defined. Sometimes he felt like he was checking the blood pressure of a patient with an acute case of hypertension and other times, if the patient was still breathing. He was beginning to doubt he could tell whether the patient was dead or alive.

  How could he determine if the park was safe for the visitors and the staff? Over 3,000 workers returned to the park each summer to wait on, serve, and guide millions of visitors. They all depended on his ability to monitor over 3,000 square miles of park. Today he felt like he had let them down.

  When he had taken the job he hadn’t thought about the burn rate of the men who had held his job. Few had lasted more than three years. He was entering his seventh season and wondered if it was time to consider something more routine; a full time teaching job or writing a book like Brimstone and Glaciers one of his colleagues had authored and was on sale in the gift shops.

  His door opened and he turned, wiping his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, I can come back later,” Elliott Post said, sticking his head in the room.

  “No, it’s okay.” Cody wiped his eyes and cleared his throat.

  “I heard you were back,” Elliott said. “I was expecting you to call me when you landed in Bozeman.”

  “The flight arrived late. You were already in the air.” Cody checked his phone and saw it was nearly nine. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”

  “I picked up Catherine and saw your light on. With all that happened today, she asked me to check on you. You know they lock the front door of this place? I had to use the back door.”

  “You could have called.”

  “Your line was busy. I thought I’d brave the walk in the dark and check on you personally. Anything I can do to help?”

  “I appreciate the offer, but it’s just been one of those days. I just got off the phone with Melissa’s parents. God, they took it rough. What do you say to someone who has lost a child?” He shook his head. “I didn’t know what to say to my aunt and uncle and… I hope I never have to make a call like that again.”

  Elliott grimaced and shook his head. “Catherine and I are going over to the Lodge and have a drink. Why don’t you join us? It will be good for you. Drinks are on me.”

  “Tell Catherine I appreciate the thought. You two have fun. I’m going to my cabin and crashing.”

  Before he left his office, Cody checked the satellite data that measured ground movement. He noticed an area that had been swelling upward for the past year had subsided. Only bit of good news I’ve had in a week, he thought. He skimmed a report that one of his students had placed on his desk while he was gone. It was a maintenance report on the seismographs placed throughout the park. Since switching from analog to digital equipment his first year on the job, they had encountered far fewer problems. The past week one of the stations had failed due to a small mudslide wiping out the antenna. He pondered the changes in equipment and technology since he had been monitoring volcanoes. Major changes had been made since the monitoring of St. Helens back in the 1980. He had worked with the old and the new. The use of satellite and wireless information transfer allowed more time to analyze the data.

  He thought about the upcoming trial. One of the questions he would be asked in court would be if there was any way of collecting the data without putting humans at risk. There was, but it was expensive, something he had been told not to mention in court. It might have saved the family that succumbed to carbon dioxide gas, but it certainly couldn’t have predicted the sudden eruption of Black Dragon’s Caldron. He couldn’t have prevented
Melissa’s death, but he knew he would have to answer the question at some point.

  Another hour had passed by. His phone rang and he glanced at the caller I.D. It was a number he didn’t recognize. He felt so low he couldn’t bring himself to talking to anyone right now. He sent the call to voicemail. He waited a few minutes and listened to the message. It was Lisa Wilson. He didn’t finish listening to the message. Instead he called her back.

  “Dr. Wilson, sorry I missed your call. I’m glad you called.”

  “Dr. Street, my father said you were a geologist he met on his way back from Montana. How can I help you?”

  “Please call me Cody. I saw your interview on CBS a few days ago. I think you already answered my question, so I don’t want to waste your valuable time.”

  “I’m curious what question a geologist would want to ask me,” Lisa said. “You know our fields are related quite closely.”

  “It was concerning the tidal effect. I have a theory that the moon causes greater land tides in some areas than we first thought.’

  “I’m pretty certain the science is already set on this. We established there is about a two-foot swell in the diameter of the earth due to the moon’s proximity and mass. It’s been measured and verified.”

  “I know that, but you mentioned the moon had a greater effect on the oceans because they were liquid. I’m paraphrasing, so bear with me a moment. Would you anticipate a greater effect on a pool of magma?”

  “That should be easy to figure out if you have the size of the magma pool and its mass.”

  “I’m talking about a liquid volume the size of Lake Michigan. Its density is about two-point-five grams per cc.”

  “You’re talking about a tidal effect on a lake of magma. We’ve seen tidal effects on large bodies of water.”

  “But isn’t the effect greater on higher density liquids?”

  “I see where you are going with this, but it’s all hypothetical. The only place we have that much liquid rock is in the earth’s core.”

  “Dr. Wilson─”

  “You can call me Lisa; we tend to be less formal with our colleagues.”

  “Lisa, have you ever been to Yellowstone?”

  “When I was a kid.”

  “About two miles under my feet there is a magma pool the size of a great lake. It tends to ebb and flow periodically. I was wondering if you thought the moon might be influencing my numbers.”

  “You have GPS stations in place, of course.”

  “We’ve had them in place for twenty years, but I haven’t ever matched the movement with the phases of the moon. You can save me a lot of time if you just tell me to set my theory aside.”

  “I’d like to help you, but I have my hands full right now. With that kind of history you can probably get an answer pretty quickly.”

  “Just off the top of your head, do you think the earth tides have any influence on volcanic eruptions?”

  “My guess is they might if the magma is as close to the surface as you say. The ground over the liquid mass moves and if the movement is enough to cause cracks, then… again this is a lot of speculation. You’re not recording this are you?”

  Cody could sense a touch of humor in her voice. “No hidden mike here.”

  “I’m just getting off work here,” Lisa said. “I’m hopping in my plane and flying back to Honolulu. I have to catch a plane to Portland. I’ve enjoyed talking to you Cody, but I really do have to go.”

  “You’re a pilot?”

  “I have an older Cessna 182.”

  “A Skylane, that’s a great little plane. Lycoming or Continental engine?”

  “Turbocharged Lycoming; two-thirty-five horsepower.”

  “I’m impressed. I’ve never talked horsepower with a girl before.”

  Lisa laughed. “You did get that I am a scientist. You don’t think I know what makes an airplane work?”

  “If you knew me better, you’d forgive me for the error,” Cody said.

  “I’ll forgive you this time. I decided if I was going to fly it I’d better know what makes it tick. Do you fly?”

  “I don’t have my own plane,” Cody said, “but I have a USGS helicopter at my disposal.”

  “If you’re ever in Hawaii, we can grab a cup of coffee and trade flying stories,” Lisa said. “I did mention I have a plane to catch in the morning.

  “Me, too. Fourth of July Weekend. I promised Dad I’d return home for a few days and try out his new boat.”

  “Where are you headed?”

  “Portland. My sister’s birthday, too. She’ll be twenty-nine.”

  “This is spooky. I’m going to be in Portland.”

  “Any chance we can have that cup of coffee while you’re there?”

  “I doubt it. My parents are having a party. You can call, but I’m not promising I’ll be able to get away.”

  “I know what you mean. Give me your number and─”

  “You have my dad’s number. Try that. Bye. Nice talking to you.”

  The phone went dead.

  Portland Oregon, July 4

  It was late in the afternoon when Cody slipped away from his sister’s birthday party and called Nathan Wilson.

  After a brief interrogation, Nathan said, “Lisa hasn’t returned from an interview with a reporter at the studio in Portland.”

  “Look,” Cody said, “Lisa and I have already talked on the phone. She knows I’m in Portland and we talked about meeting. I have to return to Yellowstone tomorrow and I would like to meet her in person.”

  Lisa’s father capitulated. “We’re having a little fireworks party tonight. She’s has to leave in the morning too, so I guess you can drop by around eight.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I recall you had some pretty strong opinions about her profession. She may have the same about yours. It should make for some interesting dialogue.”

  “I think we avoided that part of the discussion when we talked. I think we have a lot in common.”

  “I’ll leave that for her to decide.”

  “Okay, I’ll come see you at eight.”

  Crap, he thought after hanging up the phone, I don’t have a thing to wear to a party. He rummaged through his suitcase and then checked the closet and found an old navy-blue blazer from his college years. He had a black polo shirt and a clean pair of Levi’s; it would have to do. He slipped on the black T-shirt and the sport coat. “Rugged casual,” he said, looking in the mirror. He rubbed the dark stubble on his face. “It’s not a date. She could give a damn if you’ve shaved or not.” Still, he couldn’t get the picture of her at the airport out of his mind. He decided to shave.

  He stopped at the gate and used the intercom to contact the house. The gate opened and he proceeded through and up a long drive. He parked beside several other cars and rang the doorbell. Nathan’s house was located in the West Hills area overlooking Mt. Hood and the Willamette River. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited, not aware he was on camera and being watched from the inside. He kept picturing the young woman he had seen for the first time with her father and later on TV. She was beautiful and, even though it wasn’t a date, he was very uneasy. He kept telling himself there was no way they were going to develop a relationship, yet from the only time they had talked on the phone, it was all he thought about. He knew they were near the same age, both were single, but they lived in very different worlds, and worked 3,000 miles from each other. It was never going to happen, so why was he so worried about making a good impression? In fact, she hadn’t inquired about his marital status. For all she knew he was married with a dozen kids. He’d have to find a way to bring up his availability to start a new relationship.

  The door opened and Lisa stood looking at him. For a moment he couldn’t think of a thing to say. “You’re more beautiful in person than you are on the phone,” he blurted out.

  She slammed the door in his face. He rang the bell again. This time, Nathan answered.

  “Oh, it’s you
,” Nathan said. “Lisa told me there was a stalker at our door.” He laughed.

  “I called from the gate. I thought she was expecting me.”

  “Hilda must have let you in. Come in, I’ll introduce you to our guests.”

  “Sorry if I upset her,” Cody said. “Your daughter is beautiful.”

  Nathan stopped and put his hand on Cody’s shoulder. He pulled him close to him and spoke in a low voice. “I’ll tell you a secret; Lisa never has paid much attention to anyone who chased after her for her looks.” He winked at Cody.

  “Of course,” Cody said. “Introduce me as Dr. Dakoda Street. It might break the ice.”

  “Only if you address her as Dr. Lisa Wilson. I can’t guarantee it will get you anywhere, but right now you’re on her shit list. Mine too. When she heard I invited you over, she was a little upset. She thinks I’m trying to play matchmaker, and your phone conversation must not of impressed her that much.”

  “Yes sir, I understand,” Cody said.

  Nathan stepped aside. “Follow me and don’t say a thing until I speak.” He was having a hard time holding the laughter in. It reminded him of the days when Lisa was in high school and her date picked her up for a dance. He was sitting in the living room with his shotgun on his lap. “When I say she’s to be in by midnight, you don’t want me having to hunt you down, understand?” Lisa hated it, but the boy brought her home before midnight. Today, they laughed about it and now he was setting Cody up.

  There was a small gathering of people, no children, and mostly twenty to thirty years older than Cody. The evening air was warm and the party was in the backyard. From the yard Cody could see East Portland and several bridges that spanned the Willamette River.

  “You have a beautiful place,” Cody said. “I don’t see Lisa.” They were approaching an older version of Lisa that must be her mother. They stopped in front of her.