Page 15 of Surge of Fire

But before I get a chance to ask, more students come out of the gate, and then there’s a round of introductions. There are eleven of us in total, and he immediately splits us into groups. Six of the students are told to head back to the laboratory, where his assistant is waiting to show them some, apparently, groundbreaking research they look eager to explore as they head back to campus.

The five of us that remain are Granger, Aydan, me, and two men. He partners Granger up with a man named Fred. He’s a redhead, like me, who is tall and friendly, and Dr. Duncan says is more equipped than the rest of us with specialized tools. Then he puts Aydan and I with the other man.

“Will,” he introduces himself to me, although he’d already introduced himself to the group.

“Samantha,” I tell him, taking his outstretched hand.

We shake, and his eyes lock onto mine. They’re brown, like his hair, both a dark shade that suits him. The man is tanned as hell, in good shape, and reminds me more of a Fire Science major than anyone in Geoscience, but I don’t say that, of course. Like Aydan and I, he’s likely been chosen by Dr. Duncan for a reason, so I won’t discount him just because he’s handsome.

The doctor turns to the plastic container he was leaning against and opens the lid. Without looking back at us, he starts to hand out thick plastic bags. “These are tools you’ll need for your field work. Each bag contains binoculars, a height gauge, a crack hammer, a rock pick with a chisel-edge, a rock pick with a pointed tip, a headlamp, a global positioning system, glass hardness plates, a compass, and streak plates. Get everything in your backpacks, and let's get going!”

We all take a bag and put them carefully into our backpacks, although I keep the global positioning system and put it on my belt, along with the rock pick with the pointed tip.

This isn’t my first rodeo, after all.

“Follow me,” Dr. Duncan says, and he begins leading us down a path, off the main road in the back of the institute, while speaking over his shoulder. “Phoenix Mountain is unique for a number of reasons, some of which are actually classified.” This surprises me. I knew we weren’t allowed to speak about our time at the Phoenix Institute, but I didn’t know that. “It also contains a unique ecosystem, with some animals only found on the mountain, and a lot of seismic activity. Which, in turn, has a unique impact on the mountain region itself.”

The mountain doesn’t look any different from any other I’ve explored with Granger and Aydan, but I’ll trust that the doctor knows what he’s talking about. I’m also aware that there are several unique creatures here, including the phoenix itself. The phoenix being an orange bird that’s nearly extinct, and not the mythological one described in fantasy books. But what other unique things? I have no idea.

But I have a feeling I’m going to learn a lot and quickly.

We’re hiking uphill for over an hour, sweating bullets and breathing hard from the high altitude and the dangerous terrain, when Dr. Duncan pauses. I want to sit down on a boulder near our path, but I know better. If I sit on that thing, I’m going to get hurt. Nearly everything on this mountain seems to be loose, meaning it’s fallen from somewhere above. I’d noticed it almost the instant we hit the path.

The earthquakes we’ve been hearing about? They’re definitely a problem. And they’ve created an unsafe environment up here. Good thing we signed all those release forms, because this is already unlike any school situation I’d encountered before.

I see Granger glance at the boulder too, huffing and puffing, and then our eyes meet. He grins and moves closer to me. “Wherever we’re heading, it’s going to be good!”

“Here’s hoping!”

The doctor seems to have only been giving us a break because he says, “Good? Okay, good. Now, we’re on to the interesting part. Everyone put on your headlamps.”

We do as he says, but I’m getting even more curious. Are we going into a cave? Is that the best place to learn about earthquakes? Or is there something unique about this cave?

When we all have our headlamps on, we continue, wrapping around the mountain until… I gasp. One side of the mountain has completely collapsed. Beneath it is chaos, fallen debris, knocked over trees… it looks like a giant has been ten-pin bowling, using rocks for balls and trees for pins, only I know it’s what’s left from a massive earthquake.

Dr. Duncan leads us carefully over the debris while saying, “The quake that did this was quite a while ago. This area is safer than it was, but you still need to watch where you’re stepping and what you’re touching, or you’ll end up sliding down the mountain.”

The next fifteen minutes are spent carefully picking our way over the dangerous terrain until we reach a hole in the side of the mountain. Outside of it, several large, plastic containers have been tied to trees. But Dr. Duncan ignores the containers.

Our entire group walks to the edge of the hole and looks down. There’s a clear path winding around the inside of the cavern on the outer walls. It’s not a path exactly, but as someone used to mountain climbing, it looks well used and like the safest way down.

It leads down to the cavern beneath. Some light still touches the center area, but the rest of the cavern is dark. Just looking at it makes my pulse pick up. I’m not nearly as much of anadrenaline junky as Aydan, but I love this feeling. I love knowing I’m about to do something dangerous, something that most people would be too smart to do.

“I’ll lead the way. Pay attention, and you’ll be fine,” the professor says, and then, without looking back to see if we’re following, he starts into the cavern.

“I’m pretty good at climbing,” Will says, leaning in close with a smile. “You know, if you want to stay close to me.”

“She’s fine,” Aydan says, even though I hadn’t realized he’d moved close enough to me to hear him.

Will lifts a brow and glances at me. “Boyfriend?”

Aydan starts to say something coated with assholeness, judging by the look on his face, but I interrupt. “No, just a friend.”

“Okay,” Will draws out the word, grinning. “So, the offer stands.”

Aydan shifts so he’s literally standing between us, but he’s staring at me, like the other man has ceased to exist. “The red-head is already off, and Granger is going to freak the fuck out if we don’t get going too.”

I give Aydan an annoyed look, promising myself to handle his protectiveness later, then follow Granger to where he’s standing. The professor had started walking down the circular path. The red-head, Fred, was just behind him, and I follow behind Granger. It isn’t lost on me that Aydan puts himself between Will and I, which is eye-rollingly annoying.

---