Escaping Yellowstone Page 9

  “Doug, we’re having an earthquake under Yellowstone Lake. How deep is it?”

  “It’s pretty minor; seven miles deep. How did you know?”

  “I’m watching it. The water is vibrating.”

  “Nothing to worry about. Are you headed back?”

  “Where was the epicenter?”

  “Right under the lake. Should I be looking for something?”

  “Just a hunch,” Cody said. “I’m headed back. Anything going on I should be concerned about?”

  “A Dr. Lisa Wilson called. She left a number.”

  “I got it. I’ll call her back. Anything else?”

  “That’s it. What’s your ETA?”

  “Crazy traffic. Probably after lunch. Doug, we need to start wrapping up our readings and get the office ready for winter. And Doug, start thinking about your paper.” He was referring to his Master thesis, titled, The Interaction of Hydrothermal Vents and Rising Magma Beneath Yellowstone. Cody was certain it would take the rest of the year for Doug to get all the data he needed for his paper and he wasn’t going to be there to guide him if it took any longer. He hung up and called Lisa.

  “I’ve got a few things that have come up,” Lisa said. “I hope you don’t think I’m bailing on your offer to see Yellowstone, but I don’t think I can make it this year.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Cody said. “I can’t give you a rain check as I won’t be here next year.”

  “You’re changing jobs?”

  “I can’t elaborate right now. Let’s just say I got fired this morning and told to be out of here by the end of the year.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

  “Lisa, can I call you back tonight. I’m on the road and cell service is spotty. I could lose you any minute.”

  “I wanted to thank you for the wake-up music.”

  Cody grinned. “I wasn’t sure you’d like it.”

  “Okay, I have to admit David Cassidy isn’t on my everyday playlist and I don’t own any of his albums, but the thought was nice.”

  “You’re welcome.” He thought about the song he had secretly replaced her alarm with; I Think I Love You. She could have taken it the wrong way, but she didn’t and that was good.

  Cody said again, “Lisa, can I call you back tonight?”

  “Sure,” Lisa said. “Don’t forget.”

  Cody pulled out of the parking area behind a giant motorhome. Ahead of it was a tour bus. He knew the ride back would give him plenty of time to decide his next move.

  He was wrong about the drive giving him time to think. The motorhome swerved to miss a person hiking along the crowded road, lost control and careened over the edge of the road. He watched it tumble repeatedly until it stopped on a rocky ledge that rested above the Yellowstone River. Cody stopped his Jeep and scrambled down the steep incline to see if he could help.

  He scooted on his butt down toward the wreck. The ground glittered like diamonds in the bright sunlight from thousands of shards of broken glass. What was left of the motor home was lying on its side. Steam hissed and rose from the rear where the engine was located. Cody peered through the opening where the front windshield had been. The driver, a man with red smudges in his white hair would not respond to his calls. The passenger appeared a bit younger and was also unconscious. Both were still strapped into their seats. Cody started to climb inside and the wreck shifted and slid closer to the edge of the cliff that dropped to the river. It rocked like a teeter-totter with every movement he made and he cautiously backed out.

  This is stupid, he thought. If this thing ends up in the river someone will be asked to risk their life to find me as well. He heard whimpering near the back and through the jumbled mess saw what he thought was a child. There was too much blood to tell whether it was a child or a small person. He called out, but they didn’t respond. This isn’t good, he thought, looking at the precarious resting spot for the wreck. One wrong move and it would slip another few feet and plunge fifty feet into the water.

  He looked up at growing crowd of people peering down at him. He tried to climb back up, but the ground was unstable. The ancient volcanic rock broke away as he tried to climb back to the top. Suddenly a rope flew down and landed near him. He looked up and saw what looked like a cowboy in a wide brimmed hat hanging onto the other end. Cody grabbed the rope and pulled himself up.

  He was near the top. “What’s your name?” Cody asked the man on the other end of the rope.

  “Dan Hunter,” the elderly man said. “Any survivors?”

  “I’m not sure, Dan, That’s my Jeep. I’m going to grab a pair of gloves from it and go back down, but here’s what I need you to do…”

  Cody scrambled back down holding on to the winch cable. He threaded the cable through the front towing lugs on the motor home and secured it with the hook on the end. He motioned for Dan to start reeling in the cable. Once the cable was taut he motioned for Dan to stop. He knew the Jeep couldn’t pull up the large motorhome. He just hoped it would keep it from finishing its journey to the bottom. He climbed back inside and released the driver from his seatbelt. Another man climbed down using the cable for support and reached inside to help pull the driver free. “He’s alive,” Cody said. “See if you can revive him.”

  Cody checked the woman in the passenger seat. From her injuries, he was certain she was dead. Still he felt for a pulse. He released her and lifted her toward a pair of helping hands.

  “I’m going to the rear,” Cody said. “I heard a noise earlier and thought I saw someone.” As he moved clutter out of his way and moved toward the back, the motorhome shifted again.

  He stopped. If the motorhome dropped over the cliff, his Jeep would follow. There would be no stopping the bus from taking it all the way down with it. He heard a whimper and decided he needed to take the risk. He gingerly took another step toward the rear. One more step and he would be in the portion of the motorhome that was hanging over the edge of the cliff. He looked down through a shattered window and saw the river flowing below. That river has seen a lot worse than this in its lifetime, he thought. He grimaced and gingerly stepped over the blown-out window. He held his breath, trying to locate the source of the noise. He heard it again and his eyes went to the bedroom at the very rear. The door to the room had been ripped from its hinges. The bed was at an angle blocking the doorway. Steam was rising through a gap in the floor. A strong smell of diesel and propane gas filled the air. He took another step knowing at any moment he might plunge to the river. The motor home rocked and the end where he was dipped down at a steeper angle. It was becoming difficult to stand up. Then he saw it. “It’s okay boy. I’m going to get you out of here.” He reached for the handle of a cage containing a small dog. The motorhome slipped again and Cody flew past the dog and landed on the rear deck where the headboard of the bed was still attached to the wall. Too late to be gentle anymore, he thought. He climbed over pillows, a crumpled mattress, and dresser drawers that had lost their contents. He grabbed the handle on the cage and pushed it up in front of him. The dog started to growl. “I don’t blame you, boy” Cody said. “I feel like biting somebody, too.”

  He pushed the cage ahead of him while he climbed out searching for a foothold against a shifting pile of rubbish. Finally, the helping hands grabbed the cage and then grabbed his arms helping him through the front window. For the moment the motor home appeared to have reached equilibrium. It no longer teetered back and forth. If he released the cable now, the motor home would crash into the river making it even more difficult to retrieve.

  Cody climbed back up the ravine behind the man who had helped him out of the wreck. He introduced himself to the man.

  “I’m Cody. I work at the park,” Cody said.

  “Bill Owing,” the man said. “I thought you could use a hand.”

  “You’re sure you aren’t an angel,” Cody said. “What’s their condition.”

  “The woman didn’t survive,” Bill said. “We cal
led for help.”

  “Good,” Cody said. He was inspecting the cable attached to the winch on his Jeep, wondering how he was going to separate the two vehicles without losing the motorhome.

  “Not many people would risk their life for a pet,” Bill said. “Takes a real hero to do that.”

  “I’m no hero,” Cody said. “I honestly thought it was a child. By the time I figured it out I was already committed.”

  “You didn’t leave it once you found out, now did you?”

  Okay, okay. I had a dog when I was a kid. I couldn’t see it taking a plunge into the river.”

  “How are they going to clear this mess up?”

  “You mean the motorhome? Once they clear traffic they’ll bring in some heavy equipment.” He heard the beat of a helicopter in the distance. “Looks like the first responders are due to arrive. I’m not sure how they are going to handle this; there’s no place for them to land.”

  “The road is completely blocked by traffic,” Bill said, looking around. Everyone was out of their vehicles.

  “We might as well stay and see if we can help,” Bill said, hearing the helicopter hovering over the river.

  The helicopter hovered at eye level to the onlookers on the road. Two paramedics descended by rope and introduced themselves. Cody and Bill gave them a rundown on the situation and helped load the victims onto stretchers that were lowered on cables. Cody held up the small cage. “The survivor might want this,” Cody said.

  “We don’t have room,” the paramedic who had introduced himself as Hank said.

  “Come on, Hank. That mutt doesn’t weigh anything,” Marie said. “I’ll stay. You take the dog.”

  “Jesus, Marie,” Hank said. “You’ve got a soft spot for anything with four legs and fur. Bring it along, but if it starts barking, I’m throwing it out.”

  “Big talk for a little man,” Marie said. She took the cage from Cody and winked at him.

  ***

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” Doug said, when Cody walked in his office.

  “Sorry, I forgot to check my phone,” Cody said.

  “You look like hell,” Doug said. “Say, did you hear about that accident. The lifeline helicopter came in a few hours ago with two people; one was dead.”

  Cody lifted up his hand to stop him. “You got time for a drink? I’ll tell you all about it.”

  In the Mammoth Hotel bar, Cody brought Doug up to date on his meeting with Jerry Adams and the motorhome accident. Now he sipped on his beer and, for the first time in his life he felt like he didn’t have a clue what was in his future. He hadn’t taken a vacation in years. Where do you go on vacation when you work in the most beautiful place on earth? He had six weeks accumulated and he could use it. He considered cutting his stay at the park short and leaving six weeks early with pay, but there were so many things left to do. He didn’t want to leave the office in a mess like he had found it. Doug was a good student. Well organized and on top of things. He really didn’t need his help in finishing his paper. What he needed was for Cody to sign off on it.

  Cody took another sip of beer. He had stayed in the bar with Doug too long and the beer had become flat. He sat it on a small table next to his chair. “I’m turning in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You’re sure taking this well. I would be pissed,” Doug said.

  “A waste of energy,” Cody said. “Like Jerry said, ‘it is what it is’.” He walked out of the bar. Doug was still seated at the table with a half-finished glass of beer.

  It was ten when Cody made it back to his cabin. The house felt cold. He wondered if it was the sign of an early winter or because there was no one there to share his life with. He admitted he was feeling sorry for himself. Lisa was 2500 miles away. He felt they had a connection, could even be closer than casual friends, but the timing wasn’t right. He was an out of work USGS scientist. She worked on an island in the Pacific. There was no way to grow their relationship and now she had backed out on his invitation to visit Yellowstone. He had hoped she would accept his invitation to visit and they could get to know each other better. He thought about it for a minute and decided he must be pretty pathetic if he couldn’t develop a crush on someone closer to home. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and sat in the dark looking out the window into the night.

  He felt his phone vibrate and slipped it out of his pocket. It was Lisa. He had forgotten to call her, but Hawaii was four hours earlier. She was probably just getting to work.

  “Hi Lisa, I was about to call you,” Cody lied.

  “I thought you might have forgotten.”

  “Honestly, I’ve had a rough day. I did forget, but I would have remembered before going to bed.”

  “I was thinking,” Lisa said. “I know you have a lot on your plate, but since I can’t get away to see you, maybe you could come to Hawaii and I’ll show you what I do.”

  “You’re sure I wouldn’t be in the way?”

  “I work nights. I can show you around during the day. I felt bad about cancelling plans. The truth is, I enjoyed our evening in Portland together and would like to see you again.”

  “I was just thinking about how much vacation time I have accumulated. Can I have a day to consider it?”

  “You know where I’ll be. Take whatever time you need. Now what is this you said about you losing your job?”

  “One of my students was killed in a tragic accident,” Cody said. “I’m the scapegoat, or sacrificial lamb, whatever you want to call it. The Government settled with the family.”

  He gave her a short version of the event and finished by saying, “Of course, you’re only getting my side of it. I can’t blame the parents. Melissa was a bright girl with a promising future ahead of her.”

  “Still it doesn’t seem fair,” Lisa said, sympathetically. “I’m being selfish, but I think a little time in the sun will do you good. Give you a chance to look at things from a distance. You still have your teaching job, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I’m on sabbatical until next spring. This time at Yellowstone was supposed to be the basis for a book on volcanoes.”

  “Well, there you go,” Lisa said cheerfully. “You’re not out of a job; you’re researching a textbook. Still I hope you consider coming to Hawaii. There’s a lot going on here and I think you’d find it interesting. All geology doesn’t happen on earth.”

  “Now you’ve piqued my interest. You want to pick my brain.”

  “If my charm isn’t enough to get you here, I’m willing to try whatever means necessary.”

  “Okay, I promise to look at my schedule and get back with you.”

  “You’re coming then?”

  “I said I’ll get back to you. I’ll take a day to look at it and I’ll let you know.”

  “Good. I can’t wait.”

  “I’m going now.”

  “Good night. Sleep well.”

  Cody hung up the phone. He chuckled. “She is sure doing a number on you,” he said to the dark room. Is there any doubt I’m going? I don’t think so. I just need to let Doug know when and for how long.

  Chapter 10

  Honolulu International Airport, September 27

  “Grab your things and toss them in the cart,” Lisa said after hugging Cody in a warm embrace.

  Cody couldn’t get the grin off his face. He was so excited to see Lisa. She was every bit as lovely as he remembered her. He would make sure he took lots of pictures to remember her by.

  “Before we do that,” Cody said. “I want a picture of us. I’m documenting the trip.”

  He reached out and pulling her close to him and snapped a selfie.

  Afterward Lisa said, “But you’ve been to Hawaii before.”

  “As a student, a geologist specializing in the study of volcanoes can’t earn his wings without spending some time with Kilauea.”

  “This is a vacation. I promise to keep you away from any volcanoes. I may have to work while you’re here, but you can kick back and f
orget about work for a change. Come on, grab your things, my plane is waiting.”

  “Plane? Where are we going?” Cody asked, as they rode an electric cart to the general aviation terminal.

  “We’re flying to Hilo. I want to show you where I spend most of my nights and some of my days.”

  He loaded his things into the cargo area on the Cessna 182 and secured the hatch. “What year is it?” he asked, admiring the white plane with blue accent paint. It looked in perfect condition.

  “Nineteen ninety-one. It’s old, but I’ve given it most of the upgrades through the years. My parents gave it to me when I got my BS in Physics.”

  “How long have you been flying?”

  “I soloed when I was sixteen. You know my dad is in real estate. We used to fly around checking out property. When I was a kid, he would let me sit in the copilot seat and take the controls. It’s a skill that comes in handy. I have a condo in Honolulu and an apartment in Hilo. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in Hilo, but I can get back and forth whenever I want.”

  “Wow. I didn’t start flying until I was at U of I. I wanted to come home and the flights out of Moscow to Portland were too expensive or didn’t run at convenient times, or so I convinced my parents. I had to promise I’d make it home for all the holidays if they bought me a plane; and keep my grades up, of course. After graduation, my dad sold the plane. Said I could save and buy my own if I wanted one. I was upset for a while, but he was right. I haven’t found the need for a plane since then and he’s looking at retirement. Although, he did buy a new boat.”

  The flight from Honolulu to Hilo took less than two hours in the small plane. They loaded Cody’s luggage into the back seat of her Mini Cooper convertible and drove to her apartment in the city.

  “This is it,” Lisa said, pulling her car into a parking space in front of the three-story apartment building. “I’m up there,” she pointed to the top row of apartments. “I wanted the view, not that I use it much. I have a guest room you are welcome to use.”

  “I was planning on a hotel, but I haven’t got a reservation.”