The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Read online

  Bull nodded, instantly sensing a hostile attitude from Parks. “That’s right, Captain.”

  “I thought this tanker was supposed to be loaded by now? What the hell’s the hold up?” Parks demanded.

  Bull took an instant dislike to this cocky officer, and suppressed a grin, knowing he was going to screw with the man. “I’m really sorry, sir,” he said as humbly as he could. “We didn’t expect to be pumping any oil for a while, so everything was shut down. It takes time to heat the oil so it will flow through the lines.” Bull held his breath for a moment, hoping Parks was dumb enough to accept the ruse, because, in reality, they could pump immediately if he ordered it done.

  Not wanting to appear stupid, yet show his authority, Parks nodded in understanding. “I’ll have my crew assist in the loading operation as soon as you’re ready. Time is of the essence, and I insist you have your people pump the oil as quickly as possible.”

  Bull smiled and nodded assent. “I’ll stay right on top of them, Captain, don’t worry.” Bull turned and started walking up the pier. “In your ass!” he mumbled.

  Parks thought he heard the man from All Alaska say something. “What?” he asked, but when Bull didn’t look back, Parks walked across the gangway onto the tanker’s deck.

  Bull entered the distribution control center, and approached the day supervisor. “Hello, Bruce,” Bull said warmly and reached down to shake the little man’s hand.

  “Hey, Bull. Good to see you again,” Bruce said and smiled. “What brings you this far west?”

  Bull liked the feisty little gray-haired man who had worked for him when they were building the pipeline. Bruce Sullivan must be nearly sixty-five by now, he thought, and wondered why he hadn’t retired. “I need a favor, Bruce.”

  “Name it.”

  “Stall off pumping crude into the Sentry as long as possible.”

  “That Navy Captain was breathing down my neck an hour ago.”

  “I know, but I told him we had to heat the oil first. That should hold him for a few hours, but try and think of something else to delay the operation. I’ll take the flak.”

  Bruce grinned. “What the hell are you up to, Bull?”

  “Let’s just say, it’s for the Captain’s own good.”

  Bruce shrugged. “Fine by me. How long should I delay?”

  “Until I say it’s okay, if possible.”

  Bruce nodded and Bull left the control center.

  Eight hours later, Captain Parks was literally frothing at the mouth, bits of spittle splattering Bruce’s face, as he demanded the little man start pumping immediately.

  “It’ll only take a few more hours, Captain. If you hadn’t insisted we start pumping so soon, the main pump wouldn’t have seized up.”

  Parks exploded with rage and grabbed Bruce by the lapels on his coat. “Don’t you dare try to blame this on me, you sawed off little shit! I’ll break you in two. It’s been three hours since the pump went down, and that’s plenty of time to repair it. Now start pumping . . .” Suddenly, Parks’ collar tightened around his throat, and as his belt dug into his stomach, he found himself lifted into the air and thrown away from Bruce. He saw the wall rushing toward him and threw his arms up, but the force was too great and his face smashed into the wall.

  Seething with rage, Bull ignored the fire in his ribcage as he hurled Parks against the wall, but the twisting motion was more than he could stand and he released him. Parks regained his balance and turned to face him, and Bull shoved his palm into Parks’ chest, pinning him against the wall. “If you ever lay a hand on one of my people again, I’ll break you in two!” Bull growled nastily.

  Parks saw the fire in Bull’s eyes and nodded. Bull released him, and Parks gently placed his fingers on his nose. It didn’t feel broken, but he did feel a warm liquid, and stared incredulously at the blood on his fingertips. I’m an officer, he thought. How dare this civilian assault me! With his eyes glazed in bitterness, Parks glared at Bull. “You’re in big trouble, mister!”

  Bull didn’t reply and stared back coldly. Parks spun around and stormed out the door. Bull sighed deeply and held his ribs.

  “Are you all right, Bull?” Bruce asked with concern. “Should I call an ambulance?”

  Bull shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Better start pumping, Bruce. I guess I’ve stalled as long as I can.” Bruce nodded and picked up the phone to call the workers. “One more thing, Bruce, fill it three quarters of the way with seawater. I don’t want to lose any more crude oil than necessary.”

  * * *

  Chapter 20

  ARMY OF SURVIVAL, IDAHO:

  Blackwood stared in the bathroom mirror, at the dark circles outlining his bloodshot eyes. He kept having the same dream night after night, always waking when the Everex POW officer dropped human body pieces on him. He tried not to sleep at all, so he wouldn’t dream, but eventually he would doze off and the dreams would come. If I could just get rid of Everex, he thought, maybe the nightmares would end. However, he realized as long as Everex kept his elite guards nearby, he’d never get the chance.

  Blackwood heard a knock on his cabin door and stepped out of the bathroom. “Enter,” he shouted as he sat in a chair at his desk. John Everex stepped in and closed the door, and from the look on his face, Blackwood could tell something was wrong.

  Everex walked across the room and sat in a chair across from Blackwood. “We lost seven people last night, Colonel. The trucks are getting harder to find, and the damn drivers are armed to the teeth. They always have someone riding shotgun with them.”

  “Did you get the supplies?” Everex shook his head. “No fuel trucks?”

  “We had a chance for one, but it blew up during the gun fight.”

  “Shit!” Blackwood exploded and slammed his fist on the desk. “How could you be so stupid!” he screamed. “Don’t you realize we have to have fuel for the refrigerated trucks? If you can’t do the job, I’ll get someone who can.”

  Everex leapt from his chair and grabbed Blackwood by the throat, the force knocking the colonel over backward.

  Stunned by what had happened and unable to draw a breath because of the hand still around his throat, Blackwood could only stare into the cold, black eyes and the savage face above him.

  “Don’t push me, Colonel!” Everex hissed through clenched teeth. “Maybe it’s time the AOS had a new leader!”

  Blackwood’s eyes went wide with fear as the face above him grinned sadistically, and the hand tightened around his throat, cutting off his air. Blackwood had seen that look before, and it still sent a chill down his spine. He knew if Everex said, `Now the fun begins’, he would die. His stomach tightened into a knot of fear as the seconds dragged on, but suddenly he felt the pressure leave his throat.

  “What the hell,” Everex said in a mocking tone. “I already run this place.” Everex stood and stared down at Blackwood. “You’re just a figurehead, Colonel. The people do what I tell them. They kill if I tell them, they steal if I tell them, and they believe what I tell them. Just keep that in mind.”

  Blackwood remained on his back until Everex sat back down, then slowly sat up and massaged his aching throat. Using the chair for support, he pushed himself up and sat down across from Everex.

  Everex grinned and placed one dirty boot on the desk. “Now, Colonel, let’s talk about the new recruits.”

  Blackwood nodded. “Thirteen new arrivals last night.” his throat felt constricted and he found it hard to talk.

  “I know we decided to take in more people to build up the size of our army, but they look more like homeless families, not soldiers. Too many women and children. I think we should change the rules around here.”

  “Like what?”

  “If we let them stay, we train only the men and strong women. The kids will start doing all the domestic work, and the soft women will become camp prostitutes.”

  Blackwood’s jaw dropped slightly. “What?”

  “Let’s face it, Colonel. With the shortage o
f food and fuel in the outside world right now, we’re going to be getting more families. They have to earn their keep.”

  “How are you going to convince them to do that?”

  “They’ll volunteer on their own.”

  Blackwood laughed sarcastically. “Right.” He looked at Everex, saw the menacing grin, and stopped laughing.

  Everex stood and walked toward the door. “Come along, Colonel. I’ll show you.”

  Blackwood stood and followed Everex down the steps and across the parade ground. Everex found one of his Sergeant Majors and sent him after the special group of ten soldiers he called his elite group. They were big, mean men, with little or no morals, men looking for a fight, and each of them had the same sadistic streak as Everex did. Two of them had gang-raped and killed a thirteen year old girl, and Blackwood felt a deep sense of shame he hadn’t stood up to Everex and punished them.

  They all gathered in front of the large, temporary tents at the edge of the woods. Most of the new people were sitting around campfires. About two thirds were family groups, the others a mixture of young to middle aged men and women. Blackwood estimated there were about eighty people gathered in front of them.

  Everex sent a man down to get the people in the RV camp and, when he saw them approaching, nodded to Sergeant Major Davis, who blew a loud shrill from a whistle. The newcomers left their fires and tents and stood in front of the soldiers.

  Everex stepped forward and folded his arms across his chest as he stared at the new people. “Now, listen up,” he barked harshly. “These are the new rules. All children under thirteen years of age will report to Sergeant Major Chapman for work details.”

  Everex grinned in satisfaction as he saw several children move closer to their parents, their faces masks of fear as the parents tried to comfort them.

  “The men will meet in the parade ground in one hour. The women will go with Sergeant Major Davis. Those women physically able to become soldiers will start training. Those not physically able to be soldiers will be assigned to cooking and cleaning, and several of the attractive women will be assigned to the special services tents.”

  The family groups erupted in mumbled conversations. Calli and Harold looked at each other, and Chuck Berry stepped past his attractive wife to address Everex. “What do you mean by special services?” he asked, a wary expression on his face.

  Everex grinned at him. “The special services tents are where any of the men,” Everex’s grinned widened, “or women, if they like, can satisfy their needs.”

  Berry’s face became a mask of incredulous disbelief. “What?” he mumbled. “You can’t order our wives to become prostitutes!” he blurted.

  Everex shrugged indifferently. “That’s the way it is. Take it or leave it.”

  Berry stared in stunned disbelief for a moment, then spun around and grabbed Joyce by the hand. “We don’t have to put up with this!” he snarled over his shoulder. “We’re leaving!”

  Everex shot a look at Sergeant Major Davis, who blew a short blast from the whistle. Chuck and Joyce Berry stopped and looked back at Everex, whose expression was as cold as a deep freeze.

  “No one leaves this camp!” Everex hissed viciously.

  Berry hesitated for a moment, then turned and started walking away with Joyce, while the rest of the group watched. Everyone flinched at the sudden explosion, and watched Berry pitch forward and tumble to the ground. Joyce stood in numbed shock for a moment as she stared at the lifeless body of her husband, then screamed and dropped down beside him, sobbing hysterically. Calli bent down to comfort Joyce.

  Blackwood stared at Everex in stunned disbelief as the man slowly put his gun back in his holster. This wasn’t what he expected, he thought, but he realized he should have.

  Everex turned to Davis and nodded, and Davis blew on the whistle again. When he had everyone’s attention, Everex continued. “Is there anyone who doesn’t understand the rules?” he shouted ominously.

  Most of the women looked at their husbands with an imploring look, as if the men could stop this nightmare. The men looked at the dead man on the ground, and the woman sobbing over him, his lifeless body in a growing pool of blood. They glanced at their wives for understanding before staring at the ground in shame. They had to accept this harsh fate or die.

  Everex grinned in satisfaction. “Dismissed!” he hollered and turned to Blackwood. “I told you they’d volunteer,” he said as he watched Blackwood’s face flush with rage. He let out a short laugh, and walked back across the parade ground.

  Blackwood turned and stared after Everex for a moment, then shook his head in disgust. He was losing control of his army, he thought, but as the ten men from the elite group followed Everex, he realized it was too late to stop this insane course of events. He turned back to the group of newcomers and saw a woman trying to comfort the grieving wife.

  Harold Woolly and Jerry Monroe exchanged worried looks. Jerry knew his best chance of getting out of here alive was to play the game with this Colonel and his perverted Major. He decided to tell the Colonel about his career and status in the Air Force, and hope he’d have some kind of status in this crazy army. He decided if he had to stay here, he might as well get some kind of creature comforts out of it. He thought about Joyce and Calli, and wondered what was going to happen to them. There wasn’t much he could do right now, but if he managed to get some kind of high rank out of all this, he might be able to help them.

  Jerry hurried across the tent camp and walked beside Blackwood. “Excuse me, Colonel. I’m Captain Jerry Monroe, retired. Maybe I can be of assistance to your army.”

  * * *

  Chapter 21

  9:48 PM. UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA:

  Marcia looked up from the electron microscope monitor. “This is incredible. As near as I can tell, these particles from the ampule are a form of microorganism, but unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

  “Could they be some type of enzyme?” Christa asked. “Similar to what the oil companies developed to consume raw crude oil?”

  “Nothing I’m familiar with, but it’s an interesting observation. What if these organisms consume the crude oil and become a crystal like the one you found in the tanker?”

  “Only one way to find out,” said Christa.

  “I agree,” Marcia told her, but shook her head. “The problem is, I don’t have any crude oil to experiment with.”

  Christa turned to Alex. “I’ll take the ampoule to my facility in Valdez. I’m sure Bull can bring me some crude from one of the facilities on the Kenai Peninsula.”

  Alex noticed how red her eyes were. “All right. You all look exhausted, so why don’t we get some sleep, and we’ll make arrangements in the morning.”

  Both women nodded agreement, and Marcia placed the ampoule in a padded container and handed it to Christa.

  David shook his head. “I’m too excited to sleep. There’s an experiment I want to try, so I’ll stay a while longer.”

  Alex nodded. “We’ll be back in the morning.”

  The three of them left the building, and Marcia climbed into her old blue Cadillac, while Alex and Christa climbed into his Blazer and drove to his ranch.

  Barney was standing on the porch, and when he saw Alex, he leapt down the steps and loped down the sidewalk, his tail wagging furiously.

  “Hello, Barney,” Alex said as he knelt beside the huge animal and wrapped his arms around the dog’s thick neck.

  When Barney laid his head over Alex’s shoulder, Christa could have sworn the dog was smiling, and did the same.

  After a few moments, Alex stood and grabbed his bags from the back seat, and led Christa up the sidewalk. “I’m going to take a shower. Make yourself at home.” Alex told her as he walked down the hall to his bedroom.

  Christa had just opened a bottle of wine when Alex walked into the living room and sat at the counter. She smiled and sat across from him, and they sat in silence for a few moments as they sipped the wine.

  Christa’s c
uriosity became aroused. “I met Judy yesterday. She helped me settle in. She seems like a, ah, nice girl.”

  Alex smiled. “Yes, she is. A little rough around the edges, but she’s a big help around here.”

  “She gave me the impression you two are . . . well, I mean . . .”

  “A couple?” Christa nodded, and Alex shook his head. “Oh, we’ve gone out together a couple of times, but there’s nothing serious between us, if that’s what you wanted to know.”

  Christa felt both relieved and upset at the same time. Relieved by what Alex had just said, and upset with herself for being so obvious.

  When the wine was gone, Alex stood. “Well, I think we both could use some sleep.”

  Christa nodded and followed Alex down the hallway. He stopped and turned to her when they reached the bedroom doors. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said and smiled.

  As he started to turn, Christa suddenly grabbed his neck and pulled down with gentle pressure until he bent over slightly. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the lips. She felt his arms slowly wrap around her back, but he suddenly stopped and gently pushed her away. She looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”

  Alex sighed deeply and looked at different parts of the walls as he tried to figure out how to tell her what he felt. Suddenly, the door chimes sounded, interrupting his thoughts. The chimes sounded again, then again. He turned and went to the door, and Christa followed.

  The door suddenly opened and Judy stepped in. “You’re back!” she said and put her arms out to hug him. Judy saw Christa standing behind him, and she suddenly gave Alex a passionate kiss. Alex didn’t respond, but she didn’t care. She wanted Christa to see he was hers.

  It was all Christa could do not to show the seething jealously she felt. When Judy stopped kissing Alex and looked at her with a smug grin, she forced a smile.

  Alex noticed the women exchange glances. “So what brings you by this late at night?” he asked, trying to ease the situation.

  Judy turned to him. “I didn’t know you were back and I came over to see if Christa saw the news tonight.”