Creature at Graveyard Lakes

By Grady Lee Overstreet

SANTA BARBARA---

In a seedy bar, just south of town
A beer in my hand, I was looking around.
Four strangers a-sitting at a table nearby
Asked me to join them, so I bought them a round.
They told me a story, a horrible tale about a
Giant creature that lived at a lake.
If ever you go, to the Sierra some day
Never go camping in that out-of-way hole.
Best heed now our warning and please stay away
From that place in that mountain that goes by the
name-Graveyard lakes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 10, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462800957

Grady Lee Overstreet

Grady Overstreet was born in Whitmire, South Carolina and educated in Virginia and South Carolina. He enlisted in the United States Air Force and was part of the 15 Th Recon Squadron at March AFB. After his military service he settled in Santa Barbara where he continued his care as a geologic and civil engineering draftsman. He spends his retirement biking, walking and fishing on the central coast.

Book preview

Copyright © 2008 by Grady Lee Overstreet.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

47716

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

missing image filemissing image filemissing image file

There is no joy in the telling,

far better this tale to have gone untold

’Twas not I that did the choosing,

My hand no choice but to write,

till all be there for others to see

Cast no fly upon those waters there,

but silently pass them by

For a creature dwells at ‘Graveyard Lakes’

tis better left asleep

Acknowledgements

This is a novel of fiction. I would like to thank my friends, Ron Sickafoose, Dave Rundle, Ken Kuencer and Fred Hammadi for the use of their names. All of the events written here are purely figments of my imagination. The places shown on these pages do exist with the exception of K-61, which may or may not.

Cover photo by—Peter Scott

A special thanks to Vivian Hicks for the typing of this book.

1

A CREATURE DWELLS AT GRAVEYARD LAKES

GREENLAND—PETERMAN GLACIER-SEPTEMBER 5, 1998

The large Huey sat down on the frozen waste within sight of Peterman Glacier. The sandwich-shaped transporter lay mostly buried in the deep snow five hundred yards away. When the blades ceased their turning, Major Brinkman jumped down upon the white-lipped ice and waited while Sergeant Meyers handed him the butt ends of the two M16s.

Keep the chopper warm and ready to go in case there’s trouble, barked Brinkman to Captain Menos, as he laid the M16s upon the ice.

Don’t worry Harry, we can be out of harm’s way in a split second, if need be, replied Menos, as Meyers retrieved the two packs from the seat and jumped down beside Brinkman. Each man pulled a pack upon his back and picking up the rifles from the ice, they headed toward the transporter.

Charlie, when we get within forty feet or so, you hold back and cover me in case there’s any action.

Sure, Major, answered Meyers, as he checked the clip in his rifle. I’ll be ready; no telling what’s in that thing. Maybe they were killed from the impact.

Hope so. Too bad the mother ship got away.

Wonder why they jettisoned the smaller craft?

Haven’t got the foggiest idea, but from my reports we wouldn’t want to tangle with that big one. Hardly showed up on radar and nothing seemed to slow it down. General Mays told me it blasted two MIGs out of the sky. That’s why the AWACS kept close track of it. At least as close as they could considering it showed only as a small blip on their screen. After it jettisoned the sandwich it seemed to vanish. Colonel Jackson said he saw it headed toward space at an unreal speed. He was a test pilot at Edwards, so he means damn fast, if you get my drift?

An alien ship, you mean?

Sure wasn’t Russian, since it downed their aircraft. Don’t think it was one of their games. That thing is beyond anything we have or Russia possesses. Just hope it’s gone for good.

As they walked toward the transporter, Brinkman thought back to his briefing that morning with General Mays. According to the General’s phone call from Colonel Pavlov, the ship had touched down in Western Russia, abducted a couple of workers from a field not three miles from an airfield, then two interceptors were dispatched to follow it. One pilot got too close, rattled off a burst of gunfire and the spaceship blasted both of them from the sky. Pavlov had the strange idea that this ship, from another solar system, was collecting exotic species for their zoo or something. General Mays had laughed hard when he had told that to Brinkman. Mays didn’t think Russians were that exotic, he had implied in several rather harsh ethnic terms.

Okay Charlie, let’s look the transporter over good outside, before we try to see what might be inside.

The two spent half an hour tracing around the grey-sheened object. The transporter was twenty-eight feet long, seventeen feet wide and somewhat rounded on the ends. They couldn’t tell how high it stood, but Colonel Jackson had thought it was shaped like a sandwich, so Brinkman assumed the bottom was probably flattened, since the top visible above snow level was somewhat cupped, with the middle higher than the edges.

Think I see what might be some sort of door through the snow over here, Charlie.

Wait till I come a little closer Major, and I’ll cover you from that side. The top has me blocked slightly from view.

As Sergeant Meyers walked through the crusted snow, he sank up to his knees as the surface gave way. Stomping the snow area within a three foot circle, he then assumed a ready stance with his M16.

Ready when you are Major.

Brinkman took his boot and lightly kicked the snow and ice away from the area which he thought was the entrance into the metallic object. It took ten minutes before he could see the complete opening. It was three feet wide and less than four feet high. It reminded the Major of the hatches on the sub he had toured last spring.

Not big enough to walk through easily, he mumbled to himself. The handle was indented slightly and he assumed there must be another on the inside. The door opened inward, but there was a locking pin on the outside, just to the side of the handle.

Looks like it is locked Charlie. What say I give it a try? Let me clear away more of this snow and ice so I can have a place to run if I see something I don’t like.

Several minutes passed, then Brinkman signaled to Sergeant Meyers to prepare for any surprise that might come their way.

Give it a shot Major, said Meyers as he leveled the rifle while planting his feet in a shooting stance. Brinkman slowly worked the pin out of its hole. There was a double safety catch and of course, he had never seen its likes before.

Pretty ingenious locking device, he said to Sergeant Meyers.

You say something to me Major?

Just said this locking device is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

He heard a clicking sound as the pin came out. Quickly, he pushed it back into place. The handle turned, but the locking pin stopped further movement. He felt a jerking on the handle from inside, but the door stayed shut.

Something in there Charlie, think it wanted out, Major Brinkman blurted out, as he pulled back several feet and pointed his M16 at the closed hatch.

Let’s go back to the chopper and tell General Mays to send another chopper. Don’t know what’s behind that door and I don’t want it surprising us when we go into that thing. Better safe than sorry, don’t you think so Charlie?

Well, I think we could handle it Major, but we might have to kill whatever it is. Of course, it might just be those two Russian farmers; then again, who knows. What’s your plan, if I may ask?

Gonna have that chopper haul us up one of those polar bear traps. We can put it right in front of the hatch. Wham, whatever comes out too quickly will be surprised I bet you.

Walking back to the helicopter was somewhat quicker since the snow had been packed down in their earlier trip to the transporter.

Little easier walking Major. We’ll have a regular path by the time we return to that sandwich.

As they came up to the chopper, Brinkman looked out toward the Kennedy Channel. Soon the water would be frozen and winter would be blasting across the arctic. He could see Albert Mountains off in the distance, far across the Kennedy Channel on Ellesmere Island in Canadian territories. The ice sheets clung to the mountains throughout the year. Captain Menos was eating a tuna sandwich when Major Brinkman tapped on the side of the chopper. Opening the side door, Menos leaned out to help the Major in.

"We’ll stay out awhile Willie. Toss down our lunch packs and see if you can get General Mays on the horn.

Menos handed out the two lunch packs then went forward to see if the General was available. Several minutes later, Mays was speaking with Brinkman.

Okay, Harry. You want Captain Kelly to bring Glickman with him?

Yes sir, and one of his bear traps.

But you said you don’t know if there is any bear at all.

No sir, but it’s kind of tricky to get in or out of this pod. Just hoping to minimize any danger. Something’s in there, because it tried to pull the door open when I unlocked it. Glickman speaks Russian. If it was those Russian farmers, then he can talk to them, see if everything is hunky-dory. You told me to play it safe and protect the transporter if I could.

You’re right Harry. That’s what I want all right. If there’s any chance Pavlov was right, then there could be a polar bear in there, and if it’s a Russian bear, it will for sure speak Russian.

Mays began to laugh uncontrollably. Brinkman shook his head. Looking at Meyers and Menos, the Major twirled his finger in circles around his left ear. Mays stopped laughing long enough to announce that Glickman was now at headquarters.

Harry, just tell Glickman what you need and I’ll okay it. Take some measurements on that transporter before you leave the area. Take some pictures also, so that we can figure out someplace to set up camp, till we get the transporter out of there. Don’t want anyone stealing it now, do we?

Glickman here.

Brinkman could hear Mays laughing again in the background. Major Brinkman relayed all that he thought Glickman should haul up to the site.

See you all in a couple hours, said Glickman, as he signed off.

Thule Air Base lay about three hundred miles to the south; therefore, Brinkman knew if they were going to get back to the base today, it would be well after dark. Probably have to have someone spend the night since Mays didn’t want the transporter left alone.

2

GREENLAND—SEPTEMBER 5, 1998

An hour later Major Brinkman and Sergeant Meyers had measured the craft as best they could. While taking the measurements, Brinkman, whose hearing was very acute, swore that he heard some growls within the transporter.

Probably the Russians, spouted Meyers. Guess they don’t like their accommo-dations. Suppose I wouldn’t either. Get claustrophobic in there myself.

The two had then walked back to the chopper, taken out a large canvas tarp, which they spread out on the ice, and had lain down upon it.

Nice in the sun; should do this more often, shouldn’t we Charlie?

Yes Sir, Major. Kind of nice all right. You say Glickman is bringing a polar bear trap up with him. If it is a bear, he’ll just want to let him loose, don’t you think?

Sure, but it might be a brown bear; then he will want to study it and fly it back to Alaska, I would think. His helper is coming also.

Don’t think Glickman ever goes anywhere without him now.

Like two peas in a pod, replied Meyers.

Looking up at the dark-blue sky, Brinkman began thinking of the two men: Glickman, a professor from Cambridge University, and Brave Man, a Yupik from Alaska. Quite a pair. Both of them thinking they can speak to the wild creatures. Glickman once told Brinkman the Indian’s name in Yupik and what it meant. Glickman pronounced it, but Brinkman only remembered its meaning: ‘One-Who-Is-Not-Afraid’.

Since the Major couldn’t repeat it in Yupik, he began calling the Indian, ‘Brave Man’.

Brave Man didn’t seem to mind, even said he ‘liked it’. Glickman still called him by his Yupik name, but occasionally even he referred to the Indian as Brave Man. The Indian spoke several languages, including English, so he didn’t mind Meyers or Brinkman calling him that at all. Brinkman couldn’t remember how Brave Man lost his right ear. Luckily he hadn’t lost his life, running around with Glickman. Brinkman laughed out loud as he thought about them.

You say something Major? asked Meyers.

No, just thinking Charlie.

Several months back Glickman told the Major how he could speak with polar bears.

Brinkman again laughed out loud.

Meyers, half-asleep, moved his cap from his face.

What you laughing at Major? Bet it’s something to do with Glickman?

It is. Just thinking how he told me once that he could converse with bears. I asked him how it was that the bear mauled him.

Mis-communication, that’s what he called it. I called it stupidity. He didn’t like that too much.

"Yeah, the bear probably said, ‘I’d like to eat you’ and Glickman thought he said, ‘I’d like to eat with you’.

Both men roared with laughter.

And then the dummy lets him out of the cage to share his meal.

Yes, thought Brinkman, Glickman is one strange man. Wants to follow in Darwin’s footsteps. Makes too many mistakes trying to talk to dangerous animals. He won’t be around long enough to follow anyone, if he doesn’t change his ways.

Another hour passed and Captain Menos leaned out of the chopper.

Got a whirley bird coming in Major, he shouted.

Getting