The Thunder Mountain Gang: Book Two - Thunder Mountain Gang Series

By David Townsend and Pam Townsend

This is the second book in the Thunder Mountain Gang saga. The first book was The Mysterious Red Fog on Thunder Mountain. Like the first book, the blistering action, cliff-hanging suspense, ghost stories, humor and unexplained mysteries continue. This story begins with the Thunder Mountain Gang’s third summer visit to their grandparents secluded, sometimes mysterious mountain top farm in West Virginia. Will the gang be able to avoid the mishaps of their first and second adventures that led them to extremely perilous situations? You’ll experience bravery, humor, history, survival tactics and the importance of drawing on individual strengths – for survival. The focus is on appreciation for home, family and the needs of others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781546278139

David Townsend

Dr. Townsend and his wife live in Florida with their black lab, Harley. They also have a 200 year-old cabin on a secluded mountaintop in West Virginia. This is where some of the story takes place. Papa Bear, as his seven grandchildren call him, has written about his adventures caving, rock and mountain climbing and time spent alone in the Alaskan Wilderness. He is a graduate of Alderson Broaddus University, the University of Louisville and is a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. When their grandchildren were looking for interesting books, he decided to write one and base the characters on them. His wife Pam has accompanied him on many of these adventures and contributed much to the storyline. She holds graduate certificates in Positive Behavior Support and Children’s Mental Health from the University of South Florida.

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© 2019 David and Pam Townsend. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  03/28/2019

ISBN: 978-1-5462-7811-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-7812-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-7813-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019901121

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

We

dedicate this book to our children who have encouraged a sense of self-confidence, persistence and self-motivation in our grandchildren, especially in the face of challenging circumstances. You have encouraged them to read and explore the depths of their imaginations. Thank you for giving us our amazing grandchildren who have inspired us to write this work of fiction, based on the individual personalities that we so love about them.

Other books in the Thunder Mountain Gang saga:

The Mysterious Red Fog on Thunder Mountain - 2019

CONTENTS

Preface

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

PREFACE

There was a desperate attempt by the Thunder Mountain Gang, as they are called, to stop the publication of our first book, The Mysterious Red Fog on Thunder Mountain. They were unsuccessful. They wished to keep the secret of the Red Fog strictly to themselves. However, one brave member of the gang revealed the story in secrecy to the authors. They thought the secret should be told so anyone walking along a misty creek, in strange woods, encountering an eerie red fog would be warned of the danger of going closer.

After the successful publication of The Mysterious Red Fog on Thunder Mountain, that same person revealed to the authors even more of this amazing story.

This story is written as it was told to us.

The Authors

(As in the first book, this story has been rushed to publication to avoid any attempts to stop it. Please ignore any spelling or punctuation errors that may have occurred.)

PROLOGUE

THE DISTANT PAST

Long, long ago, when the world was young and before man had ever set foot on North America, there was a great earthquake that split the ground and shook the mountains. A great darkness descended upon the land, constant lightning lit up the sky, and thunder roared through the valleys. Rivers were changed and forests destroyed. Nothing was left untouched by the upheaval.

The birds and animals hid from the fury around them, hoping it would eventually end. When the land stopped moving and rocks stopped falling, peace again came to the mountains.

During the chaos, something wonderful, strange and frightening happened. High on a mountain, in what would later be called the Appalachian Mountains, a mysterious cave had been formed ~ a cave unlike any other in the world.

CHAPTER ONE

ANOTHER SUMMER OF ADVENTURE

The members of the Thunder Mountain gang were very excited and also somewhat apprehensive about being back on their grandparent’s mountaintop farm. The previous two summers were full of unexpected surprises, mysteries and perilous adventures. Over the winter they had communicated with each other in secret, putting together an elaborate and possibly risky plan to eliminate the danger of a mysterious, unnatural cave.

In a small area of the woods, down by a mist-shrouded creek, was a place that for generations was known as Howling Hollow. It had been named that because of the strange noise the wind sometimes made blowing through the trees. Anyone or anything that wandered into a red fog in Howling Hollow might experience amazing, exciting and sometimes dangerous adventures.

No! I’m not going in there! exclaimed McKenna.

She and Troy were standing in the middle of the creek path looking at the tunnel-like entrance to the forest.

I know what you mean Kenna, Troy said, standing beside her, I don’t like going into this part of the woods either – it’s kind of spooky.

Meredith and Tre were behind them. She was carrying her new phone, which she would be using as a camera and Tre was carrying a compass, calculator and a pad of paper.

McKenna, I don’t even like coming here in the middle of the day, much less this early in the morning with the mist covering everything.

Meredith, It really is true. There are never any animals around, not even a bird singing.

Troy, Let’s go back to the house before YaYa and Papa Bear wake up.

Tre, We had to come this early so they wouldn’t suspect anything. We don’t want them to know about the red fog. If they knew, they might think they have to tell someone and other people could be in danger if they came looking for it. Plus, they might not let us roam around in the woods anymore.

Troy, So what are you trying to accomplish?

Tre, We have to scout the area. I need detailed photographs, measurements and compass readings in order to finalize our plans.

The uneasy gang moved quietly and reluctantly along the path by the creek into the damp, dark forest. In the eerie quietness, Troy, looking into the shadows cast by the tall trees, stepped on a branch that broke in a loud crack and echoed through the wooded hollow. The whole group jumped straight up, ready to run.

McKenna, That’s it! I’m out of here.

Troy, Right behind you.

Meredith, Pull yourselves together, we’re almost there.

Cautiously walking around a slight turn in the path, they saw the zipline was still in place and the mist cleared where they had seen the red fog appear.

Meredith, At least the red fog is not there. I’ve fallen in that cave two times already and I never want to see it again.

Tre, Don’t worry Mer, I’ve done some calculations. The red fog rarely appears and that’s the only time the cave opens. It’s a perfect morning for this.

McKenna, Two summers in a row is not rarely.

Tre, ignoring McKenna, Mer, take some pictures before the mist comes back.

Troy, Look at the creek. It’s flooded from the spring melt off.

Tre, Even after we form a final plan to keep anyone else from falling in the cave, we won’t be able to do anything until the water goes down. That could take two or three weeks.

McKenna, Look, there’s a small path on the other side of the creek. That must have been where Rachel was walking when she disappeared into the red fog.

Tre, I was really hoping Rachel would be with us this summer. She was a part of the gang for a short time. She wrote me a letter saying she would be away with her parents.

Troy, Rachel thought we should tell people about the cave. I hope she hasn’t told anyone. We should have made her a permanent member of the Thunder Mountain Gang so she would be sworn to secrecy.

Meredith, I miss Rachel too.

Tre, looking at the side of the hill above the cave, Hey! I never noticed it before, but in this light I can see that it might have been a bigger cave at one time that you could walk down into. I think a rockslide covered it and the only thing left is a smaller opening that you can fall into when it appears.

McKenna, I bet you’re right. Papa Bear told us the story of the Indians walking into a cave. I bet this is it.

Tre saw something else and started to say something, then suddenly stopped and listened.

Meredith called out, I have the picture…. then stammered, What’s that noise?

McKenna pointing across the creek with a very shaky finger, Look!

Red fog was pouring out of an opening by the zipline and the ground under their feet started shaking violently. Suddenly the wind started howling, so loud they covered their ears.

Troy, The cave is sucking air into it.

McKenna, holding on to a tree, The cave is trying to pull us in. Hold on to something!

Meredith, Help me, I don’t have anything to grab on to! It’s pulling me in!

She was slowly sliding toward the flooded creek, and the cave on the other side.

Troy, wrapping his feet around a small tree and stretching out, I’ve got you Mer. Before he could pull her back the wind abruptly stopped.

McKenna cautiously stood up and in a shaky but loud voice yelled out, Get me out of here!

Tre stood up and ordered, Everyone run as fast as you can! Then he stopped and uttered his famous words, Oh no! Too late.

Troy, What is it? Then he heard another roar that was increasing in volume. No, no, no!

There was an explosion that knocked the gang violently to the ground, followed by a huge geyser of water that blew into the air and soaked them as it came down.

Tre, in a concerned voice asked, Is everyone okay?

Troy, helping Meredith to her feet, We’re a little freaked out, but I think we’re okay.

McKenna, sitting on the ground, shaking, Are there any more surprises? I don’t think I can handle another catastrophe today.

Troy, I’m going to go back to the cabin, take a nap and pretend this was a bad dream.

Tre standing up, touching his finger to his tongue, This water tastes salty. Isn’t that strange.

They slowly and cautiously walked out of Howling Hollow.

YaYa and Papa Bear had been watching them from the window of the cabin. They saw them enter the forest and come back out.

YaYa, Why were they going down to the zipline so early? For the last two summers they didn’t seem to want to use it. I thought maybe it was because that part of the woods always seems so menacing.

Papa Bear, I would have put the zipline somewhere else but that was the only area where the trees were spaced right. We’ll ask them about it around the fire tonight.

The day before had been fairly calm. The gang had flown in early that morning. The boys were reluctant to come because they were waiting for the arrival of their new brother or sister. Their mother said she would keep them posted. She knew Tre had a secret project he wanted to get started on and Troy didn’t want to miss the West Virginia State Fair. But the main reason she encouraged them to go was YaYa and Papa Bear needed their help. A large windstorm had swept over their farm, torn down trees and knocked down limbs.

Troy was first to drive the small lawn mower. Papa Bear had removed the blades and set it so it would only go slow and attached a small cart behind it. The rest of the team threw limbs in the back and Troy hauled them to an open area where Papa Bear was going to build a large bonfire.

Meredith, It’s my turn to drive.

Troy refused to stop, pretending not to see or hear Meredith who was walking fast beside him.

Meredith very sweetly called over to him, How would you like a skunk in your bed tonight?

Troy, knowing Meredith usually meant what she said, immediately stopped the tractor, turned the engine off and jumped down before saying, I was tired of driving anyway.

Troy and Tre were somewhat irritated with the girls. They all wanted the bedroom the boys usually slept in with all the outdoor equipment. Last year there was a pool table contest the boys won. This year their grandparents had set up a volleyball contest to see which team got the room. It had been a tight game of volleyball until McKenna spiked the ball off Tre’s head and the girls won.

Hanging on the walls and rafters and stacked in every corner of the coveted room were all the sports and outdoor gear. There were ropes and other climbing equipment, fishing rods, bows and arrows, backpacks, tents, boots, skies, binoculars, camping gear, walkie-talkies and items that still held a mystery as to their purpose.

Tre and Troy had an important decision to make. They could sleep in the room the girls usually used, which was YaYa’s music and art room, or they could sleep in a tent in the front yard.

Troy, The bed is better in YaYa’s art room.

We’re tough. I don’t want to sleep in a girlie bed with all those fluffy pillows. Tre said.

The decision was made to camp in the front yard. They carried the tent, air mattresses, sleeping bags, flashlights and most important of all - snack food, out to the yard.

Meredith and McKenna laughed, watching the boys trying to put the tent up, then having it fall on top of them.

Tre, Do you think you can put it up any better?

The girls walked over and put the tent up in about one minute.

Troy, Beginners luck.

McKenna said, Silly boys, they think they know everything.

Troy, high-fiving his brother, Good job Tre, getting the girls to put up our tent!

A few days later, the boys decided it was time to get back to their secret project. After seeing a movie about airplanes and gliders, they were determined to build one. The boys had looked at pictures of many types of flying machines, balloons, kites, hang gliders, ultra-lights and airplanes.

Tre wanted to build a glider that would fly a short distance. Troy wanted a propeller so they could keep on flying. The barn was full of all types of old farm