Last Chance

By Jim Elik

Two friends search for mastodon bones high in the Andes Mountains of Chile and are caught up in an International mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257458684

Book preview

general.

Chapter One

The faint drone of the inbound single engine DeHavilland Beaver broke the week long silence that had engulfed the barren landscape of Grizzly Ridge. The small bush plane dropped below the surrounding mountain peaks and leveled off fifty feet above Prospector Creek, following it as it wound its way across the valley floor.

Without breaking his concentration, Chance Decker carefully grasped the small unidentified bone fragment with his rusty tweezers and placed it into the plastic bag at his side. Slipping the tattered wool gloves back on his hands he finally looked down the slope and saw the yellow plane send up a spray of water as its pontoons skimmed across the surface of the stream near his campsite.

Better get a move on or Skeeter will just turn around and leave without dropping off the supplies, he said as he rose to his feet and headed down the talus slope towards the now taxiing float plane.

There was no one around to hear his comment and except for the supply runs made by his long time friend and pilot, Skeeter Anderson, there was no other human being within a hundred miles of him. Chance Decker had spent the entire summer by himself, excavating an area on a small shelf just below the crest of Grizzly Ridge in the Brooks Range of Alaska. He was hopeful that the twenty four hours of sunlight found above the Arctic Circle during the short summers would provide him with an opportunity to get his career and reputation back on track again.

As the sound of the radial engine diminished and the propeller came to a halt, Chance was once again thrust into the habitual world of silence that was so prevalent in the Arctic.

Skeeter was busy with a rope, anchoring the plane to a large boulder on the bank when Chance arrived at camp.

What’s the weather forecast for next week? he asked as he walked up to give his friend a hand.

Skeeter Anderson looked up as he finished tieing the bowline knot and replied, It’s good to see you too. I’m fine, thanks for asking, and yes my flight was smooth, and yes it was another beautiful landing on a treacherous river.

Alright, I’m sorry, Chance said as he realized that he had taken his friend for granted once again. I’m just concerned that I’ll get stranded out here with an early snowstorm. It’s late August and that’s almost winter in these mountains.

I’ve got the weather report and some other news that might concern you, but it will cost you a cup of coffee if you want me to share it with you, Skeeter said as he gave Chance a pat on the back.

The two men followed the narrow trail, established by marauding brown bears, through the low scrub brush until they reached the lone orange tent and firepit that served as home on the lonely tundra. The smoldering fire was brought back to life again and a pot of coffee was put on as the men sat down on the only two luxury items that had been placed in the camp; folding canvas chairs that sat on aluminum frames.

First of all, Skeeter began, I want to know if you’ve found anything of importance since you’ve been here?

Chance didn’t have to respond as the look on his face and his downcast eyes spoke volumes of the frustration that had kept him company during the past three months.

I’ll take that as a no, Skeeter said as he continued. The weather report isn’t very promising either. There’s a major storm coming off of the Beaufort Sea that should be arriving here by midweek, so you might want to think about what your options are. You can stay here and I can switch the plane over from floats to skis, or you can pack up this pitiful excuse for a camp and fly out with me in the morning. Keep in mind that even with skis, I may not be able to get to you for a long while.

The coffee was done simmering and Chance got up to pour two cups.

Ouch, that’s hot! he said as he burned his hand on the handle of the blackened tin pot.

Let me think about it for awhile, he responded.

As the two friends sat sipping their black coffee and staring out over the valley, Chance began to have doubts about his career and his chances of ever being a respected paleontologist again. Years ago he was on top of his profession when he found three new species of dinosaurs in one year. He made the lecture circuit to the various universities and scientific institutions and had even written a research paper that was published around the world. But as with professions in all walks of life, fame is fleeting and if you can’t keep the discoveries coming in to the paleontology community you are soon forgotten. Money and grants to support your efforts dry up and leave you begging for anyone to back your cause and believe in what you are doing. This was the point in his life that Chance now found himself. Without a major discovery soon, he would fade into oblivion and become one of the many people who scientists only refer to as, whatever happened to so and so.

The thought had him thoroughly depressed and his lonely surroundings here in this Arctic valley mirrored his feelings exactly.

Skeeter broke his train of thought as he handed him a small brown box.

You remember my brother-in-law, Max, the geologist, don’t you? Skeeter asked.

Chance nodded a yes back to him.

Well he’s been down in South America, an area known as Patagonia, for the past couple of years looking for signs of oil for a client and he stumbled across the items in that box. He thought they might be of interest to you and said to tell you that if you want to meet him in Tierra del Fuego, he’ll take you to the area where he found those things.

Chance fumbled in the cold to remove the lid on the box and then picked up the first of two items that sat inside.

This is the base of a Clovis point, he said as he held the broken flint up to the sun to see the opaque edges of the thin artifact. It’s a beauty even though it’s broken, but there’s no way he could have found this thing in South America. These were the spears that brought down the mastodons and mammoths by the people that came across the Bering Land Bridge. These artifacts have never been found that far south before. Are you sure he has his story straight?

Before Skeeter could respond, Chance picked up the remaining item in the box and examined it closely.

This appears to be part of a mastadon tooth, he said cautiously. Don’t tell me your brother-in-law found this down there too.

Hey, you’re the scientist, not me! Skeeter said with a smile as he held up his hands defensively. I’m only delivering the package and the information. What you do with it is no concern of mine, unless you want to get out of here and fly down to meet Max. Then of course, it becomes my concern because I won’t let you fly with anyone but me. If you want to head south, as in South America, then you’re stuck with me and I have to warn you, I’m going to get real grouchy if I have to drink coffee as bad as this for the next few months!

Skeeter Anderson and Chance Decker had been friends for most of their thirty eight years and had lived only three houses from each other while growing up. Both of them had a sense of adventure from the very beginning and would go on extended camping trips together where they learned to live off the land instead of packing groceries in with them. Cave exploring, rock climbing and white water rafting filled their adrenalin needs for a while, but Skeeter got bored and took up flying when he was in high school and had his private pilot’s license before he turned eighteen.

After graduation the two lost track of each other for a few years, as Chance went off to college to pursue a degree in paleontology and archaeology and Skeeter set about starting his own flying service. Northwest Montana was a great place to grow up in if adventure was what you sought and it fit the two perfectly.

After receiving his degrees, Chance teamed up with Skeeter and made his three new dinosaur discoveries on a barren plateau in the badlands area near the Montana and Wyoming border. Skeeter flew in supplies and flew out the precious bones while Chance enjoyed the limelight that surrounded the discoveries. The two were inseparable ever since and had enjoyed the highs and now the lows together.

Both men were lean and muscular and sported matching moustaches, although Chance now had a new crop of whiskers sprouting from his face in the form of a ragged beard. The isolated area he was in didn’t seem to warrant a straight razor since sheep, bears and an occasional caribou were his only visitors. He enjoyed the brief time he had with his friend once a week and looked forward to seeing the old bush plane as it made its appearance coming in low across the valley.

Now, as the two sat there drinking the bitter coffee together, Skeeter saw this offer from his brother-in-law as a possible way to jump start his friend’s career and spirit and hoped that Chance would accept the proposal.

Without saying a word, Chance set his cup down and picked up the two artifacts to examine them once more.

Are you sure Max found these in Patagonia? he asked again. I’d hate to pull up stakes and go several thousand miles on a wild goose chase!

Skeeter gave him a quizzical look and asked, Well what do you call this adventure you’re on up here? You’ve been digging all summer and so far what you’ve found wouldn’t even fill up the box those two artifacts came in.

Skeeter got up, grabbed the coffee pot and topped off both mugs.

I don’t know why you chose this area to dig in, but it’s a miracle you haven’t been injured or eaten by a bear out here by yourself.

Chance lifted up a corner of his jacket to reveal a Smith and Wesson .44 magnum in a leather holster on his hip.

You don’t have to worry about me, he said as he patted the gun with his hand. I never go anywhere up here without this baby!

Skeeter shook his head and laughed. "I’ve seen