The stars were just starting to peak out into the night as we reached the observatory. Mt St Helens loomed ominously in the background. Intimidating, like a volatile volcano should be. She was unpredictable and her rage was great. We had been waiting for the next big one since she started smoking in 2004, but it hadn't happened yet.
The forest surrounding her was as majestic as the mountain itself, with national parks covered nearly half of the state's land. Some of the tallest mountains in the country were here as well. Most of the parks consisted of over 90% wilderness. It would be the perfect escape route if we ever needed to utilize it.
The windows hinted that the lights inside were on, but no signs of life were about. Perhaps all of the vehicles were in the ranger's garage around the back. We parked near the front door, surely someone would have seen us pulling up and come out.
"I don’t think anyone is here," Liz said. "Now what are we going to do?"
"We don’t know that for sure yet babe." I replied getting out of the car. My side arm was always on my hip and the machine gun on my shoulder. It would be many years before I let a firearm be out of arms length from me.
"Hello?" Jesse yelled into the door as he fought with it, trying to pull it open. "Helloooo? anyone there?"
"It's no good Jesse," I said, no one is here. "Let's try to find a small window we can get through."
We walked around the side of the building looking for about twenty minutes until we found a suitable way in. I shattered the glass with the butt of my rifle.
"Ok, which one of you wants to climb in?" I asked, looking at the two of them who were each about half my size.
"I can, "Liz said "In case someone's inside, it's safer that way."
"Ha, what are you going to do to 'em?" Jesse said looking at her scrupulously.
"You'd be surprised little buddy," she said as she hoisted herself in without so much as asking for a lift.
"Come on, let's go around front." I said as we walked back up front. She wasn't there when we arrived. I was starting to get worried. Just as I was ready to shatter the glass on the front doors she came walking up.
It took a few minutes, but she finally got the doors open.
"What took so long?" I asked. "I was about to break the doors open."
"Oh," she said laughing at me, "That room was locked from the outside, I had to kick the door open."
"Wow, she is a bad ass" Jesse whispered to me as we walked in.
"I'm going to see if I can find a way to get the car into the garage out here, you guys find a good room to set up camp in."
I walked through the building until I found the backdoor to the garage. It was a government building so it was nothing fancy. Just a latch on the inside. I pulled the door up and brought in the car before heading back to Jesse and Liz.
They had found a small dorm area, the guides must have lived here part of the year. It was better than anything we could have asked for.
"Alright, bed time!" Jesse exclaimed, flopping onto a bed.
"Not quite yet, bud." I said.
"huh?"
"Well we can't all just go to sleep," I replied "What happens when you wake up with a PLA soldier pointing a gun at your head? We've got to set up watches."
"Oh..."
"C'mere, I found the security room when I was looking for the garage." I said walking out of the room. Liz and Jesse followed halfheartedly, they just wanted to sleep.
"I present to you, the mother load," I said making a sweeping gesture at the high tech control room. There were security cameras, seismic monitors, maps of the entire park and other instruments which I had no clue as to what they did.
"Holy crap," Liz said laughing, "Which one fires the photon torpedoes?"
"What, we have torpedoes?" Jesse exclaimed.
"Ummm no, torpedoes are under water," I joked "That was a star trek reference."
"A what?"
"Best show ever, that's what" Liz said.
"Damn skippy," I said, amazed we could even make jokes at this point. "Four hour watches guys. Ill take first. If you see or even think you see anything moving come get us. Everything needs to be stashed under the beds and we get under them or we move, depending on the situation."
"What do you mean move?" Liz asked.
"We head for the woods and hope we don't get killed. You guys go get some sleep." I said, sitting down in the chair.
"Do you want me to make you some coffee baby?" Liz asked after Jesse left.
"yeah babe, that would be nice." I said.
"Alright, I’ll be right back, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am."
"Ok, I’ll see if I can find some real food while I make the coffee." She said as she walked off.
I was impressed with the control room. As it got too dark to see, the cameras switched into night-vision. Not many military bases were set up this well. Every square inch of the facility was covered as well as trails all the way to the crater of St Helens.
About 20 minutes later Liz came back. She had brought an entire thermos for me.
"Thanks hun," I said "Is Jesse sleeping?"
"Yeah he's out." She said pouring me a cup. "I brought some milk and sugar for you. They have a full fridge, I got you a hot pocket.”
"Thanks baby," I replied. "Make sure to take this radio back when you leave ok?" I said handing her a walkie talkie.
"You think you have enough energy for.." Liz said coyly, biting her lip.
"For what babe?" I replied, but I knew what she meant.
"For me..." She said
"I've always got energy for you sexy." I said closing the door.
I grabbed Liz's waste, pulling her toward me. Kissing her passionately. Her hands gripping my shoulders as I pulled her body against mine. I brushed my hand through her chin length hair, her hands moving down my back.
Later after she had left to get some sleep I sat watching the monitors. I had never been to this observatory, it had only been open for a few years. After St Helens had started trembling again in 2004, the original observatory at Johnston Ridge was deemed unsafe. It reopened, but the state had decided to break ground on a new one on the northeast side of the mountain this time. The view of the crater wasn't quite as good, but it had access to walking trails in either direction and a huge second floor observation deck with a retractable roof.
When we had come in we took the service door in the lobby to get to the employee only section, which itself was massive. It was set up so that scientists and park rangers could live here for months at a time.
The administrative quarters were pretty plain, long drearily lit halls with green and white walls for what seemed like miles. There was probably more space in the quarters than the actual observatory area. This was as much as research facility as a tourist destination.
In the last decade or so air traffic had been crippled by volcanic ash spewing through the air, so the government had stepped up the funding for research of our country's most active volcano in the lower 48. For a long time volcano watchers had been sure St Helens would blow her top again, but she hadn't yet. For years it had emitted plumes here and there and rumbled a bit. The cone had even started rebuilding, in a century it might look like a normal mountain once more.
The only major difference between the observatory's admin area and a drab office building was the skylights. They were huge and all over. Every 15 yards down the main halls and half of the roof in small rooms. It allowed not only for natural light but also a beautiful view of the uninterrupted night sky. It was one of the few places in the northwest where the stars came out night after night.
Sitting there was a calming almost spiritual feeling. I was unafraid of what was to come and able to withdraw myself from what had taken place in the last two days. Even after a few hours the coffee was still hot, it was strong but a little stale. I still liked it, it had that flavor you only get from industrial brewers like at the convenience store
. Bold and a slightly woody flavor because it was brewed so hot.
I had decided to take the first two shifts, letting them sleep a little longer. They would probably be irritated about it, but fire watches came natural to me given my military experience. In fact we could probably stay here all day and leave tomorrow night. That would give us a chance to take a much needed shower and to figure out what to do next.
I didn't think it was a coincidence that the PLA had found us on that abandoned stretch of road. I knew, even then, that the chase had already begun. This hunt was primal and cruel, tracking other men down for no other reason than to kill them. There was nothing of material value to be gained, only to break the spirits of others who would, one day, themselves be hunted down and killed. This was a vicious game of chess upon which we had embarked.
Around 2:30 in the morning I thought I caught something on the cameras, it was too quick to be sure though. Perhaps I was just a little sleep deprived, After all, i had only had 4 hours of sleep in the last two days. I had been running solely on adrenaline since the attacks began.
During the last few hours I had been messing with various pieces of equipment out of boredom, so I had pretty much figured the camera system out. I pulled up the monitor I thought I had seen the movement on and started to rewind the tape, just to be safe.
I hadn't been imagining things, there was a brief flash of light in front of the building only moments before. It was too dark to be certain what was actually out there, but it could have been anything. Even with the night-vision on I couldn't find anything. Warning the others was a dangerous task in itself. There was no cell service here so I couldn't call them and if I left the room who knows what would happen next? If I tried to reach them on the radio, anyone on the same frequency might hear us. I had no idea if these park services walkie talkies were using an encrypted frequency.
I watched for a few more moments, looking for any sign of activity. Nothing was there, but I wanted to check it out myself. I put the dorms on the main screen to see if Liz had the walkie near her. Smart girl, she had it on the pillow.
"Liz... Liz... Wake up.." I said softly into the radio. "Hey, wake up.."
"Hungh, wha?" she mumbled back at me.
"I need you to get in here as quickly and quietly as possible," I said. "Don't turn on any lights, ok?"
"Unngh ok" She said grumpily "I’m coming"
It only took her a few moments to find her way to the security office, but I could see her trying the wrong doors a few times.
"What's going on?" she asked as she walked in, "Is everything ok?"
"I’m not sure," I replied " I saw a flash of movement a few minutes ago, just outside but I can't make out what it is. I’m going to climb up to the observatory to get a better view. If you see or even think you saw something, tell me where, ok?"
"Yeah," She said "but how are you going to know where it is if I’m in here?"
"Oh, yeah" I said seeing her point. "Ok see the screens? they’re marked with different areas. The way we came from was west, the mountain is south."
"Oh i get it." she said "ok go see what's happening"
I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as i left the room. I remembered seeing an access ladder to the roof when I had come back through from the garage. It was a lot harder to find at night, but the skylights made seeing much easier.
This place was huge, it took me almost 5 minutes to get to the access ladder. I had taken the keys from the security room just in case, but the panel was unlocked. The observation deck was massive, nearly the size of the entire building with statues of wooly mammoths, Native Americans, and other life that used to inhabit the area strewn about. There was also a huge glass panel with a transparent forest painted on it, illustrating what the area looked like before St Helens blew in the 1980s.
I would definitely have to come back up here when it was light outside so I could appreciate the view, but for now I was busy looking for a ghost. I had seen the light on the south side of the building near the road. I did my best to make my way across quietly in case anyone was out there.
As I peered over the edge, I spotted the one thing I was most afraid to see. It was a PLA convoy sitting near the road, they were searching the perimeter of the building. Their camouflage concealed them from the cameras. Surely they would be listening, waiting to see if we tried to contact each other. So I sat there in silence, for what seemed like an eternity. Hidden behind a pillar, watching my enemies scour, looking for me.
I moved toward a security camera hoping Liz would see me. It was far enough inside to where no one from the ground would be able to tell I was there. I made a silence motion holding my finger over my mouth trying to let her know not to contact me. After a few moments the camera bobbed up and down, she must have understood.
I made my way back to my vantage point, it was well over an hour before I saw about a dozen PLA members heading back to their vehicles, they must have been satisfied no one was there. Slowly they got back into their jeeps and started to head off back toward the main interstate. We were safe for now, but they would have to return this way eventually because trying to go too far north was a suicide mission for them. The military would have had guards set up outside of Seattle and any major road as far down as they could.
Once I was satisfied they were completely gone I made my way back down to the security room, where I found Jesse and Liz waiting for me.