that were littered all over; blue-taped to walls and draped over the large table. Along one wall was a series of monitors which were all conspicuously switched off, with the exception of the one that apparently carried the main gate surveillance. Alex noticed a coffee maker and a five gallon water dispenser in another corner and…. Were her eyes playing tricks on her, or was that someone sitting in the back of the room?
“What are you doing here Alex?”
“No, Tom, I think the far more pertinent question is what the hell are you doing here? I’ve spent a good part of my life here,” Alex replied, looking around the room. “What is this place anyway? I thought it was a mining operation when I first spotted it, but clearly it’s something more than that.”
“This is a classified location , Al. I cannot tell you.” Tom slowly replied, spreading his hands, knowing that his answer was not going to fly with Alex. He glanced nervously at the back of the room.
“Can’t tell me, huh?” Calling her Al might have been OK when they were married, but now it made her bristle. “Classified? What kind of bullshit is this, Tom? Military guards about to shoot me —and you can’t tell me what is going on?” She paused, trying to compose herself, now fully aware of the strange presence behind her. To hell with him, she thought. If he wants to be all cloak-and-dagger, so be it.
Alex leaned forward towards Tom. “Well, this is what I can tell you then : about an hour ago one of your blasts launched a sizable landslide that happened to cover up one of the most magnificent finds of my career, and almost killed me. So I am not so sure, Tom, that I am the one who should be doing the explaining about why I am here. And by the way, who the hell is that?” She nodded towards the stranger. “And don’t you have any lights in this place?” she continued, totally annoyed.
Alex heard a switch and florescent tubes began to flicker as they came to full power. The stranger in the back had his hands pressed together to his mouth, as if deep in thought or prayer. Alex glanced at him as she waited for some response. The man was staring at her, studying her. His look gave Alex the creeps. He was fifty or so, balding, and looked like he had just stepped off a golf course. His face was red from too much sun like one of those poor guys who could never achieve a healthy tan, but continually tried anyway. She imagined that he probably had those goofy sock lines on his legs that ended abruptly at white ankles. Alex hadn’t seen him do it, but it was obvious that he had turned on the lights since the controls were right behind him.
OK, Tom, not going to introduce me? Fine, she thought, growing more and more perturbed. She turned back towards her former husband and continued her rant, ignoring the stranger. “I don’t really care if you tell me or not, Tom, because you can just bet that I won’t rest until I find out. Not only did your guys kill my dinosaur for a second time in 60 million years, but my computer, all of my photos, and the rest of my notes went with it. Suffice it to say that I am more than a little pissed.” Alex let her last statement hang in the air. She looked at Tom, then the stranger. The room stayed silent for some time. “Not to mention the fact that then you tried to shoot me,” she added as an afterthought.
“Alex,” Tom pleaded, “no one had any intention of shooting you.”
“Oh yeah, let’s ask that kid out front.”
The mystery man finally adjusted himself in his seat as if he had just finished a great thought. “Go ahead , Tom, you can tell Ms. Moss.”
“That’s Dr. Moss ,” Alex said over her shoulder, now even more annoyed. “I’m sorry,” she continued sarcastically, “my ex-husband seems to have forgotten to introduce you.”
“Ex-husband, hum, very interesting,” the man said quietly. “That’s very interesting , Tom.” He gave Tom a look that Alex couldn’t read. “So, Dr.
“What are you doing here Alex?”
“No, Tom, I think the far more pertinent question is what the hell are you doing here? I’ve spent a good part of my life here,” Alex replied, looking around the room. “What is this place anyway? I thought it was a mining operation when I first spotted it, but clearly it’s something more than that.”
“This is a classified location , Al. I cannot tell you.” Tom slowly replied, spreading his hands, knowing that his answer was not going to fly with Alex. He glanced nervously at the back of the room.
“Can’t tell me, huh?” Calling her Al might have been OK when they were married, but now it made her bristle. “Classified? What kind of bullshit is this, Tom? Military guards about to shoot me —and you can’t tell me what is going on?” She paused, trying to compose herself, now fully aware of the strange presence behind her. To hell with him, she thought. If he wants to be all cloak-and-dagger, so be it.
Alex leaned forward towards Tom. “Well, this is what I can tell you then : about an hour ago one of your blasts launched a sizable landslide that happened to cover up one of the most magnificent finds of my career, and almost killed me. So I am not so sure, Tom, that I am the one who should be doing the explaining about why I am here. And by the way, who the hell is that?” She nodded towards the stranger. “And don’t you have any lights in this place?” she continued, totally annoyed.
Alex heard a switch and florescent tubes began to flicker as they came to full power. The stranger in the back had his hands pressed together to his mouth, as if deep in thought or prayer. Alex glanced at him as she waited for some response. The man was staring at her, studying her. His look gave Alex the creeps. He was fifty or so, balding, and looked like he had just stepped off a golf course. His face was red from too much sun like one of those poor guys who could never achieve a healthy tan, but continually tried anyway. She imagined that he probably had those goofy sock lines on his legs that ended abruptly at white ankles. Alex hadn’t seen him do it, but it was obvious that he had turned on the lights since the controls were right behind him.
OK, Tom, not going to introduce me? Fine, she thought, growing more and more perturbed. She turned back towards her former husband and continued her rant, ignoring the stranger. “I don’t really care if you tell me or not, Tom, because you can just bet that I won’t rest until I find out. Not only did your guys kill my dinosaur for a second time in 60 million years, but my computer, all of my photos, and the rest of my notes went with it. Suffice it to say that I am more than a little pissed.” Alex let her last statement hang in the air. She looked at Tom, then the stranger. The room stayed silent for some time. “Not to mention the fact that then you tried to shoot me,” she added as an afterthought.
“Alex,” Tom pleaded, “no one had any intention of shooting you.”
“Oh yeah, let’s ask that kid out front.”
The mystery man finally adjusted himself in his seat as if he had just finished a great thought. “Go ahead , Tom, you can tell Ms. Moss.”
“That’s Dr. Moss ,” Alex said over her shoulder, now even more annoyed. “I’m sorry,” she continued sarcastically, “my ex-husband seems to have forgotten to introduce you.”
“Ex-husband, hum, very interesting,” the man said quietly. “That’s very interesting , Tom.” He gave Tom a look that Alex couldn’t read. “So, Dr.
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