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STILLWATER:
The asphalt ends abruptly, but the gravel road is well maintained and Alex is able to continue at a decent speed. Barbed wire fences run parallel to the road for several more miles, until he sees two large posts supporting the dark wooden sign of the Okana Land and Cattle Company. He slows down as he enters the large open graveled area between the main house and the outbuildings. Several vehicles are parked in the center, so he stops on the end and climbs out.
He sees a small crowd of mostly Native American men, women, and children standing on the other side of the two-story house, so he quietly walks over to the outside edge of the group. Okana told him to dress casually for the funeral, and now he understands why. None of the men wears suits, only slacks or jeans and lightweight shirts, and the women are wearing patterned dresses or slacks and blouses.
The back of Okana’s tall, lean figure and shaggy blond hair stand out in the front row of people. A tall woman with long, shiny black hair stands to his right, and a smaller woman with blond hair is standing on his left. On the other side of a grave, a woman wearing a long, white-leather dress stands clutching a tan-colored bag against her chest. It’s the woman from the motel office, speaking in a Native American dialect. A moment later, she steps aside and Okana walks forward to take her place.
When Okana gets to the other side of the grave to face his family and friends, he notices Alex at the back of the crowd as he speaks to the group about his father. When he’s finished, he steps back to shake hands with everyone.
As the group breaks up, Alex steps out of the way. The dark-haired woman who was standing next to Okana is moving through the crowd in his direction. She appears to be in her mid-thirties and is attractive. She stops in front of him and holds out her hand.
“You must be Alex Cave. I’m Fala Baldwin, Okana’s cousin.”
Alex notices the resemblance to the woman from the motel. As he takes her hand, he’s nearly overwhelmed by a sense of Déjà vu. “Yes. That’s right.”
Fala notices Alex’s curious expression and wonders what he’s thinking about, but doesn’t ask. “Okana’s description was rather vague, only that you were tall with black hair. How long are you staying in Stillwater?”
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon. I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I noticed you call him Okana. Does everyone in your family call him by his last name?”
Fala smiles. “Yes, even his mother. It’s a family bet from when he was ten. Anyone who uses either of his first names has to pay him a dollar.”
Alex’s eyebrows rise up. “He has two first names?” He smirks at her. “I’d pay just to find out what they are.”
Fala returns his grin and notices Okana moving in her direction. “Sorry, but he’ll have to tell you.”
Okana walks over to Alex and gives him a quick hug. “I see you’ve met Fala.”
Alex looks at her. “Is the woman from the motel your mother?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I see the family resemblance. You’re both lovely women.” He turns to Okana. “Can we talk in private?”
Fala knows it’s her cue to leave. “I’ll see you two later.” She turns and heads toward the back porch of the large house.
Okana notices the corners of Alex’s mouth rise into a grin as he stares after Fala. “She’s divorced, in case you’re interested.”
Alex turns and grins at Okana. “Am I that obvious?”
“It’s about time you moved on, Alex. She’s the main reason I wanted you to come to the funeral.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for another relationship.”
“I’m not trying to push you into anything, Alex. I just wanted you to meet her. She’s Cherokee, in case you were wondering. Fala means crow because of her black hair.”
Alex turns and watches Fala’s trim figure climb the steps onto the back porch. When she disappears into the house, he turns back to Okana. “She is lovely. How come she’s divorced?”
“Her ex used to live here in Stillwater. He was one of the town’s bad boys during high school. I tried to talk her out of marrying the bastard, but she wouldn’t listen to me. The first time I saw her with a black eye, she said it was an accident. Even then, she wouldn’t leave him. Two years ago, she got a restraining order from our local judge and filed for a divorce, but he refused to comply. A week later, he had a change of heart and signed the papers and hasn’t come back.”
Alex notices a glimmer of satisfaction in Okana’s eyes. “A change of heart? I don’t suppose you had anything to do with it.”
“I might have made a subtle suggestion.”
Alex smirks at him. “I’ve never known you to be subtle about anything.”
“Yeah, well, you know me too well. What happened that made you arrive so late last night?” He listens as Alex tells him about the stop at Yellowstone. “Did you find out what caused the cave-in at the caverns?”
“It appears to be from the same seismic event in the park, and that’s what’s bothering me. This area of Wyoming is geologically stable, and I can’t explain the reason for the earthquake.”
Okana gives Alex a somber expression. “We felt it here, too.”
Okana introduces Alex to several people as they stroll by on the way to their vehicles. When the last one leaves, he puts his arm on Alex’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside and I’ll introduce you to my mom.”
When Alex walks into the house with Okana, he sees Fala entertaining a young girl sitting in her lap. He’s about to walk over to her when a small woman suddenly appears in the walkway from the dining room.
Okana walks over and puts his arm around her shoulders. “Alex, this is my mom, Judith.”
Alex hurries over and holds out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I wish I could have met Richard. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, Alex. Okana has told me a lot about you. At least, what he’s allowed to tell us. I think Richard would have liked you.”
Alex smiles. “I’m sure he told you what’s important. I know Okana means wolf in Indian, but if you don’t mind me asking, what are his first names?”
Judith laughs. “I’ve already lost fifty dollars for saying it too often when he was a teenager.”
“It’s just one dollar each time, right? I’ll cover it for you.”
Fala stands and sets the girl down on the chair, then turns and smiles at Alex. “Judith named him Francis, after the Saint, and his second first name is Quanah, which Richard thought was funny. It means fragrant.”
Alex looks over and grins at Okana’s apparent embarrassment. “Now I know why he doesn’t use it. I bet he had fun in high school.”
Fala chuckles. “Yes, Okana would throw the first punch when the white boys called him Francine, and did the same when he was called Fragrant Wolf by the Native boys.”
Alex laughs, pulls out his wallet, and holds a dollar bill out to Okana. “It’s worth it, Francine Fragrant Wolf.”
Okana grins and takes the dollar. “And that’s the last time you call me that, right?”
Alex gives him a smirk. “Sure thing, pal.”
Fala likes the way Alex banters with her cousin and moves closer to him as if it was the natural thing to do. She doesn’t understand why, but she feels as though they have known each other for some time. She turns and looks down at the young girl in the chair, and she’s staring up at Alex. She nudges him in the side. “I think you have an admirer.”
When Alex looks down at the little girl, she holds her arms out to him, but he isn’t sure what to do and looks at Fala for an answer.
“Alex, this is my daughter, Halona.”
Alex hesitantly reaches down and grabs Halona under the arms. When he brings her close, she wraps her arms around his neck as she sits on his forearm. “Hello, Halona.” He’s surprised when she runs her fingers through his hair.
Halona lets go and leans back to look at his blue eyes. “Is your hair wavy all by itself?”
Alex looks around and notices the stunned expressions on everyone’s faces and gives Fala a questioning stare. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. It’s just that Halona is usually shy to strangers.”
Alex smiles at Halona. “Yes, it does it all by itself. Is that why yours is so curly?”
“Yes. Mom says I get it from my Dad. I’m going to be six years old in three months and fourteen days.”
Alex relaxes. He wasn’t around his niece very much when she was this young. I’ve missed so much.
When everyone moves into the dining room, Alex sets Halona down and they follow them to a large wooden table, where Halona insists on sitting between him and Fala. He leans back and stares at them with a sense of Déjà vu. It feels like I’ve done this before.
Alex is finishing a small meal with the rest of the family when a tremor rattles the pictures in a nearby cabinet. When it stops, he sees that everyone is staring at him for an explanation. “I’m still trying to figure out the cause. Do any of you know what they are doing in the old gold mine?”
Okana looks across the table at Alex. “The government set it up as a research facility during the Apollo missions. Now, a contractor leases it from the government, but no one knows what they do there.”
“I wouldn’t mind checking it out tomorrow before I leave.”
“You won’t be able to see anything. The mountain range is shaped like a narrow horseshoe, and the only way inside is at the open end. They have armed security guards at the entrance, and they won’t let you in.”
Fala has an idea. “I’ve been riding horses up the mountain range every summer since I was ten. Uncle Richard taught me where to go. I can get you up to a lookout area on the rim of the mountain where you can see the entrance to the mine. It’s only an hour’s ride from here.”
Judith reaches over and puts her hand on Alex’s arm. “If those people at the mine are causing these earthquakes, you and Okana need to shut them down. Richard and I built this ranch, Alex, and I’ll be damned if I’ll sit by and let it be destroyed by those people.”
Alex feels small fingers clasp his hand, so he smiles down at Halona. “There’s no need to be afraid.”
Halona slides off her chair and stands. “I’m not afraid.” She pulls on his hand. “We need to sit outside after eating, caveman.”
Alex gives her a short laugh. “Caveman?”
Fala looks over at her. “Why is he a caveman?”
“Because that’s what Uncle Okana calls him. He said it’s because he likes rocks and his last name is Cave.”
Okana grins when Alex looks at him. “I’d better go saddle the horses.” As he walks out onto the back porch, he burst out laughing.
Alex follows everyone out of the house and stands near the railing, staring across the grasslands at the gray mountain range. He feels someone move up beside him and looks down at Halona as she pulls on his hand. He follows her over to a two-person chair and sits down, then she climbs in and scoots over beside him. When he looks up at Fala, her eyes tell him she’s grateful for indulging Halona’s forwardness, and he gives her a small smile.
Fala walks over beside Judith at the railing. “I miss him, too.”
Judith takes Fala’s arm around her own. “Okana will stay with me for a while. At least until I decide what to do with the ranch. Without Richard, I might have to sell it.”
When Judith cries, Fala wraps her arm around her shoulders. “There’s no hurry. You just need some time to think about things. I’ll stay here for a few more days, too.”
Judith brings a tissue from her pocket and dabs her eyes. Fala is like a daughter to her and Richard. “What do you think about Alex? Halona sure likes him.”
“It’s kind of strange, actually. It’s as though I’ve known him for a while, but we’ve never met.”
“Maybe it’s because Okana speaks so highly about him. Why don’t you go sit with him for a while? Maybe you have met him before and just don’t remember.”
Fala walks back across the porch and sits down on the chair facing Alex and Halona. She can’t understand why her daughter has taken to Alex so quickly. “I know you and Okana used to work for the CIA together, and I was wondering what made you decide to become a teacher?”
“I had some personal issues to deal with and needed a change of occupation. I’ve always loved geology, and it seemed to be the right thing to do, at the time.”
“It sounds like you’re having second thoughts.”
“To be honest, I’m bored to death. Where do you work?”
“I’m a veterinarian. I spend the majority of my time working with the animals in the park. That’s why Halona and I live in West Yellowstone.”
“That’s not too far from where I live. Have you ever been to Bozeman, Montana?”
“No, I’ve never needed to go there.”
“Perhaps I could show you and Halona the highlights sometime.”
“That sounds nice. Thanks.”
“What’s the story with Okana’s hair? He doesn’t look like a Native American.”
“Judith was already pregnant when she fell in love with Richard. Okana’s natural father, Jim Westmont, was a young Navy officer. He was killed in a training accident his second year out of the academy. Judith and Jim were best friends with my parents and Richard here in Stillwater long before Okana and I were born. Richard adopted my cousin and was a good father for him. They loved each other immensely.”
“Uncle Richard was funny.” Halona pipes in.
Okana walks up the steps. “The horses are saddled, so whenever you two are ready we can get going.”
Alex walks beside Fala as they follow Okana down the steps and around the house toward the barn, and he stops at his truck to grab a set of binoculars. When they enter the large wooden structure, the aroma of hay and manure remind him of home.
Okana indicates a large brown mare with a black mane to Alex. “I set the stirrup height the same as mine, so it should be close enough.” He strokes the long jaw of his own dark brown stallion. “I raised this stud from a colt. He’s a handsome devil, just like me.”
Alex steps into the stirrup and swings up onto the mare. “This works for me.”
Once Okana and Fala are ready, they ride out of the barn at a lope to let the horses get warmed up. A few minutes later, they are galloping across the desert.
When they reach the base of the mountains, Alex sees a few sparse areas of vegetation on the steep sides, but there are no trees, only ragged cliffs. Fala leads them past an old rock quarry, where broken remnants of gray blocks lay scattered in discarded heaps.
Fala reins her horse to a stop. “The trail starts here where they hauled drills and explosives to the top of the quarry to break up the rock.”
Alex stares up at the side of the mountain. The stone appears to be nearly vertical as it rises toward the sky, and if there is a way to the top, he can’t see it.
When Fala begins the assent, Alex follows behind her, with Okana bringing up the rear. Some sections of the trail are solid rock and barely wide enough for the horses, with a vertical wall on one side, and a sheer drop off on the other.
Fifteen minutes later, they are forced to stop by a ten-foot tall, chain-link fence. Holes have been drilled into the rock, then filled with concrete to anchor the support posts. Alex raises his binoculars and stares down into what appears to be an old crater. From his vantage point on top of the horse, he sees down into the tree-filled valley below, and the entrance into the mine appears to be small. “Are you sure this place is occupied? I don’t see any vehicles, and the open area in front of the mine looks like it hasn’t been driven on in years.”
Fala turns her horse around to look at Alex. “This is as close as we’re going to get. We should head back to the ranch.”
“I’ll try to find out what they might be doing here.”
There is only enough room for the horses to turn around, so they descend in reverse order, with Okana leading the way.
***
COBRA:
Rita agreed to stop her experiments, and so far the seismic events have ceased, which gives credence to Henry’s theory that their tests are the cause. The problem is until the other device arrives, there is little to occupy her time.
Henry keeps thinking about the laboratory below and the massive steel door at the entrance. He looks across the dining table at Chris, who is reading a magazine. “Do you have the key for the elevator that will allow us to go down to the lowest level of the facility?”
Chris looks up at Henry. “Yeah, but there isn’t anything down there. Just a big safe in the floor.”
That gets Rita’s attention and she looks up from her laptop computer. “I’d like to see it.”
Chris shrugs and stands from the table. “I’ll go get the key.”
Henry slides his chair back and gets up. “I believe we may find an answer why this facility was sealed.”
Rita closes the laptop. “I was searching the Internet for any information about this place, but I can’t find anything except it was a gold mine. Either the people that worked here are all sworn to secrecy, or they’re all dead.”
Chris walks into the lounge from the living quarters. “Let’s go.”
Rita gets up, and the trio walks across the main room and enters the elevator. Chris inserts the key and gives it a quarter turn, then presses the button for the fourth floor.
Once the indicator light for the third floor blinks off, Henry notices it’s taking much longer to reach the bottom. When he feels the pressure against his eardrums increase, his anxiety level also rises. It seems to take an hour before the elevator car slows to a stop and the door opens, and he releases a deep sigh of relief.
Chris steps out first and flips the light switch. Three rows of eight-foot long fluorescent lights on the ceiling flutter in the darkness before bursting into bright white light.
When Henry and Rita step out, Chris waves his hand down at the three-foot square steel vault door in the concrete floor. “They welded the door closed. Whatever is in the vault must be top-secret.” He points up at a large metal hook secured to the concrete ceiling. “That’s directly over the vault, so they must have used it for hauling something in and out of the hole.”
When Henry looks at Rita, he sees the concern in her eyes. “You must allow me to call Director Donner. We must find out what is buried down there.”
Rita stares at Henry and crosses her arms. “As I explained to you before, once he knows where we are, he’ll storm this facility. I’m not looking forward to being locked in a cell.”
“I will not press charges against you, Rita. Just get me out of this bomb shelter.”
“This isn’t a bomb shelter, Henry.”
Henry sighs. “Of course. My mistake.”
From the tone of Henry’s voice, she can tell he’s extremely agitated. “What happened to you?”
Henry is about to explain when the concrete seems to lurch up beneath them, throwing them off balance. He topples over, crashing onto the floor as Rita and Chris drop onto their hands and knees. It’s over quickly and everything is still, then alarm horns blare in the room from the elevator shaft.
Rita and Chris haul Henry onto his feet and drag him into the car. Chris stabs his finger against the button for the top floor hoping it still works. When the doors close, they feel the car rising up the shaft and the alarms increase in volume as they pass the second floor. When the doors finally open on the main floor, the first thing they see straight across the room is the massive steel door closing.
Chris reaches down and grabs Henry up into his arms as he and Rita run for the opening. The ever-narrowing gap seems miles away, then a deep thud echoes across the room as the door slams shut. They continue running, desperately hoping the locking bolts have not slid into place, but before they arrive, the green light above the door blinks out and the red light comes on.
“Shit!” Chris yells as he stops and sets Henry down.
Henry stares at the door and up at the ceiling. His lower lip trembles as he slowly lowers himself onto the floor.
Rita notices that Henry is shaking and kneels down beside him. When he looks up at her, the fear in his eyes breaks her heart. Something terrible must have happened to him. She gently wraps her arms over his shoulders and pulls him close against her chest. She feels him shaking with fear as she listens to his deep sobs. This is my fault. She gently rocks him in her arms.
***
Fala’s horse rears up, as the mountain seems to lurch into the air. She manages to hang on to the horn, but as the horse comes down, its front legs slide over the edge of the trail, dragging her down the mountain.
Alex catches the movement in his peripheral vision and jerks his head around. When he sees Fala and the horse toppling down the side of the mountain, he leaps off his horse and jumps over the edge. His shoe heals slide across the flat gray stone as he leans back against the surface for balance.
Fala’s foot becomes trapped in the stirrup and she struggles to get free as the horse drags her down the mountain. The horse suddenly bounces into the air, her foot slips out, and she sees the animal fly over a cliff and disappear. She rolls over onto her stomach and digs her fingers along the rock, desperate for something to grab before slipping over the edge.
Alex continues sliding down the rock, staring in numbed silence as the horse vanishes from sight. When Fala suddenly disappears, his heart nearly stops. “No!” He yells as he continues sliding down the mountain.
When her torso slides over the edge, Fala’s right fingers suddenly dig into a crack in the rock. The searing pain in her knuckles from the sudden weight brings tears to her eyes, yet somehow she manages to hang on. When Halona’s smiling face flashes through her mind, she grits her teeth, forcing all her willpower to the tips of her fingers lose strength. She knows it’s only a matter of seconds before she can no longer hang on.
Alex notices the flesh color on the edge of the cliff and presses his palms hard against the surface to slow down. He slides to a stop at the edge, rolls over on his side, and reaches out to grab the set of fingers clinging to the edge of a small crack. When he sees the fingers loosing their grip, he lurches forward over the edge.
When Fala feels her fingers slipping, she knows she’s going to die and whispers an Indian prayer for Halona.