Dinosaur Lake Read online

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  Eventually, Henry confided to Ann the fate of Sam Cutler’s boat, calling it an accident. Cause unknown. Sam Cutler was missing and had not, as yet, resurfaced. She was shocked and, for once, speechless. She wrote up the story and Zeke ran it on the second page, per Henry’s request. He didn’t want a panic.

  And Justin reluctantly divulged the fossil discovery to John Day’s.

  Henry was afraid it’d only take a few days until the park was swarming with more paleontologists and the curious. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but on the other hand, he was curious about what the experts and the world would say. Just like a kid on his birthday waited to see under the wrapping of his presents, he wondered what the dig would ultimately unearth.

  It wasn’t until a week or so later, long after the Seabird’s loss had been reported and investigated with no results that Willie Sander’s boat also went missing. As with the Seabird, Willie Sander had been alone on the water after dark when he and his boat disappeared.

  Henry and his rangers scoured the lake, filed more reports and expressed growing concern over the situation. But, as before, they found nothing except bits of floating debris. Henry still resisted initiating an ICS Team, which would have meant calling in specialists to help him investigate the situation, because he wasn’t sure what the problem was. But he knew one more incident would moot that line of thinking altogether. Something was wrong in his park and he couldn’t allow things to go on as they were if it meant people would keep vanishing.

  The Klamath Falls Journal ran a front-page story on the two boats, their destruction, and their missing captains.

  Henry notified the proper park authorities of the situation. He made public what Sam Cutler had been saying about a covert creature in the lake; what had been reported to Ann and Zeke; about the dead animals the rangers had found. Henry didn’t think the National Park Service believed most of it, which didn’t surprise him.

  In the worst way, he wanted to admit his own suspicions about the bizarre animal tracks and the other sightings; but liked his job too much to take the chance. He wasn’t a fool. They’d think he was certifiable if he started yakking about monsters in the lake. So he said nothing.

  Justin hung around, pestering Ann and him and spending more time with Laura. He told everyone he was staying in the park so he could monitor the dig. He wanted to be there when history was uncovered. He wanted to protect the find.

  Ann thought he also wanted to be with Laura.

  Henry knew another reason Justin was staying–their night patrols on Crater Lake had resumed.