Bedlam in the Badlands

By Daniel LaGrave

The American west has long been a mecca for fossil hunters the world over. The passage of the ages recorded in stone, along with the endless progression of life on earth, but the wide expanses of open land have also become a perfect avenue for traffickers, and smugglers.

On one hot, and unfortunate summer's day the two paths collide when the illicit enterprise is discovered quite by chance.

Enter a pair of retired Army Rangers turned students, Shea Chapman, and his best friend Gregory Hinks. With the odds stacked against them, outnumbered, and no back up on the way can they come to the rescue?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel LaGrave
• Release date: Jul 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476126937

Daniel LaGrave

Hello, My name is Daniel Hoover, and I am a writer of short fiction, though I plan to write full length novels in the future. In terms of my writing I tend to examine humanity, both its light, and dark aspects. I generally also like to allow the story to follow its own nature, and be unexpected. I appreciate feedback, so if you check out one of my stories, and had any thoughts on it let me know.

Book preview

Bedlam in the Badlands.

Daniel LaGrave.

Copyright © 2009 by Daniel LaGrave

Published at Smashwords.

From behind a pair of sunglasses steel blue eyes peered out at the countryside. To him the land here was anything but bad-it was beautiful! They had made camp amid some gently rolling hills that favored a feature he loved most, the myriad of colored stratagraphic layers. The layers ranged from the expected tans, beige and brown, and wandered far into ruddy reds and deep royal purples.

Out here he was a morning person; he’d risen before dawn and hiked to the top of one of the surrounding hills, the cool air gliding over the countryside and swirled around his ankles. To the east the soft glow of sunrise began to show, and as he watched the sun’s rays began to illuminate the different layers of rock one at a time. It always felt to him like they were being put down one layer at a time for the first time, as if they were brand new.

A broad expanse of blue stretched across the horizon, the state truly lived up to its motto. Montana--the big sky country, and even at eight in the morning the July sun was already beating down fiercely. Once known as the evil lands, the badlands so called for their ruggedness extended throughout a large part of the western U.S. This seemingly vacant land was devoid of anything that even came close to resembling civilization except for a small group of tents, teepees, and various dust covered vehicles.

After sun up he’d wandered back down to camp to begin getting ready for the day ahead. Something else he enjoyed was watching the members of the crew who were green get up in the mornings. Groans and mutterings for the absence of real coffee usually preceded the rising of those unaccustomed to camp life.

"Ugh…Shea, I don’t have any idea how you can be so damn