Riley's Journey Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  About the Author

  RILEY’S JOURNEY

  by

  P. L. Parker

  Riley’s Journey

  COPYRIGHT © 2007-2011 by Patsy L. Buker

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from P.L. Parker.

  Published by Amazon KDP

  Seattle, WA

  Electronic KDP Edition: October, 2011

  This book is a work of fiction and all characters exist solely in the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any references to places, events or locales are used in a fictitious manner.

  Cover Art by Sandra Edwards

  Cover Art images obtained from Fotolia.com

  This book was formatted for Kindle and Nook by Sandra Edwards.

  Dedication

  For all those who believed in me.

  My special thanks goes out to Sandra Edwards for the beautiful cover art and her help in formatting this book.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Facing the void, he cried out in anguished desperation, “Bethany! I can’t stand it anymore. I should have stayed and faced them!” His cry went unheeded, only the sound of the wind whipping through the trees answered. The quietude, once treasured, had quickly become a prison, and loneliness for his own kind overwhelmed him. He fell to his knees, despairing of ever touching another human face again.

  * * *

  “Let’s see,” Dr. Collins commented, as she shuffled through Riley’s application file. “Your qualifications are excellent. You’ve received your Ph.D. in botany, with a master’s in biology. Good, good! Now, Ms. Ames, tell me about yourself, tell me about your hobbies, that sort of thing.”

  Riley took a few moments to gather her thoughts. “Well, I’m 28, unmarried, I live by myself. I don’t even have a cat. My only hobby is reading. I love to read just about anything.”

  “Why do you think you should be the one selected?”

  “As you said, my qualifications are excellent. Besides my scholastic achievements, I am also certified in CPR, which could be an asset in the right circumstances.” She hesitated, smiling, “I am also an excellent cook and I can handle that end of the project if the need arises.”

  “Anything else you would like to share?” she questioned as she eyed Riley over her reading glasses.

  “No, I think everything else really important about me is there in my application.” Three months ago, this job had appeared on the reader-board at the university library. The flyer explained about the research project and the specialties needed to fill out a research team currently under organization. Riley jumped at the chance. She immediately submitted her application and anxiously awaited a response. Never happy about being in a lab, field work was what she had always dreamed about and this position was her best opportunity to date. After what seemed like an eternity, a letter arrived acknowledging her application and requesting that she contact the woman before her, Bethany Collins, head of the research project, for an interview.

  “You understand this project would require you to be away for an extended period of time, and at a site that is extremely primitive.” She waited, studying Riley intently.

  Her response came out in a rush, “I understand, and I would like to add that I would be perfect for the position. I don’t have any family. I’m an orphan and what few friends I have won’t miss me that much. I’m not much of a social animal and I’ve never enjoyed being in crowds. It would be wonderful to have the chance to get away from the city for awhile.” Sadly, though Riley hated to admit it, there would be no one who would really miss her if she left.

  Dr. Collins nodded her head, shuffling papers again. Finally she folded her hands and looked hard at Riley. “We have a few more applicants to interview, but I must say, you’re the most promising I’ve interviewed so far.”

  Riley’s breath expelled. “I am really excited about this research project and I know I can do the work. I just need the opportunity to prove myself.”

  Dr. Collins stood up, extending her hand, “We’ll be in touch. We should have a decision by the end of the week. If you are selected, how soon can you be prepared to leave?”

  “I can be ready any time, just let me know. Where is the research facility anyway?”

  Dr. Collins hesitated, choosing her words carefully, “The home base for the research facility is in northern Montana, but we’ll only be there for a short time before we leave for the actual site. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the right person, but it will be rigorous and there are some hardships that can’t be avoided.”

  “I can handle it and I want the opportunity to be on the team!” The interview over, Riley turned to leave.

  “One more thing,” Dr. Collins stopped her, “We will require that the selected applicant have a complete physical prior to departure. Do you have any medical problems that would hinder your ability to fulfill the duties of the position?”

  “None that I’m aware of. I haven’t had a physical for awhile, but my health has always been excellent.” Dr. Collins nodded, smiled and then waved her out.

  Outside in the waiting room, Riley took a deep breath and relaxed. That went well! She was somewhat mystified by the job parameters, but what she did know seemed reasonable, although vague. Now all she had to do was wait to see whether or not she would triumph over the other applicants. Feeling confident, her mood lifted, and she sauntered out.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you’re actually going to go through with this,” Miles strongly objected. “And how do you really expect to cover it up?”

  “I have to! I can’t let him stay there alone anymore. He won’t make it if I don’t do something soon!” A spasm of guilt washed through her, but Bethany quickly contained it. Nathan was the only thing she really cared about. She had to do something.

  “Have you given any of the applicants any idea what the research is?”

  “Somewhat, but not everything!” she snapped at him.

  “Do you think that’s fair? I don’t!” His myopic eyes studied h
er through the pop-bottle lenses of his glasses.

  “When has life ever been fair, and why do you care anyway? It’s no skin off your nose if anyone finds out about it. I’ll be the one who shoulders the blame for my actions, not you!”

  His face darkened, “Maybe so, but part of this project is my baby and it’s my butt that’ll be in a sling right along with yours if something goes wrong. What, if anything, have you told the applicants anyway?”

  “I told them the job entails a number of hardships and they would be away for an extended period.”

  “Do you think forever comes under the category of ‘extended period’?” His mouth tightened. Bethany had gone too far this time! Even though he really couldn’t care less, these young women deserved the right to make a decision based on the facts. Where they were going, there was no return, and it was criminal not to advise them of that one small detail.

  “Besides,” she defended herself, “I made sure that every girl I interviewed had no family and nothing to hold them here.”

  “That’s not the point, and you know it!” He was growing angrier by the moment. “You don’t have the right to do this! What you are planning to do could ruin the whole project, and if you can’t understand that, then you need help!” He turned and stalked out, his back stiff with anger.

  No, she didn’t have the right, but it wouldn’t stop her. Nathan deserved better than what life had dealt him and she was just the one to make that happen. She picked up the applicant folders and leafed through them again. Of the two left to interview, only one was vaguely interesting, but a quick look at the enclosed picture dampened her limited enthusiasm. She looked too much like somebody’s grandmother.

  The young woman who was just here, Riley, would be perfect. She was alone and unfettered, by her own admission. Bethany pulled her file and leafed through it. The photo caught her attention. Physically, Riley was very attractive—taller than most, slim in the right places, and voluptuous where it counted. Her best features were her large emerald green eyes and long, thick auburn hair, which she had pulled back into a braid. She didn’t appear to wear cosmetics of any sort and didn’t need them in any event. She was intelligent (which was one of Bethany’s foremost prerequisites), and possessed the right education and skills to aid her survival in the environment to which she would be thrust. Better yet, nothing about Riley Ames even slightly hinted at any similarities between her and Emily. Another spasm of guilt assailed Bethany. She knew it wasn’t fair, but life hadn’t been fair to Nathan either, and this was her chance to make things right.

  * * *

  Riley spent the next few days waiting anxiously for the phone to ring. Each time it did, she jumped, her heart pounding, praying it was Dr. Collins. On the morning of the third day, the call finally came. The job was hers!

  Elated, she rushed around packing and doing last minute preparations. She was told that an appointment had been set up with the university medical facility for a routine physical later that day and as soon as the results came in, she would be on her way.

  She looked around the small apartment that she had called home for the past year. Nothing set it apart from any of the others she had lived in over the years. There just didn’t seem to be any reason to make it homey—she hadn’t planned on staying very long and, in any event, it was just an apartment and she was happy to leave it behind. Other than her clothes and a few of her most treasured books, everything else could be stored until she returned.

  By the time the medical appointment rolled around, her bags were packed and the rest of her personal items readied for storage. One last item remained—a small photograph of her parents, the only thing she had left of her early years. Both her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was very young; this was the only treasured memento she had, and she was never without it.

  After their deaths, her life changed drastically as she moved into a series of foster homes. Most of the homes were good ones and she was treated well, and since she was an excellent student, ultimately, she received a scholarship to the nearby university. She studied hard, both in undergraduate and graduate classes and now it was time to put those long years of schooling to use. She was excited at the prospect and looked forward to making a name for herself in her chosen field. Wrapping the photograph, she put it in a side pocket of her luggage, securing it carefully for the trip.

  The physical proved to be embarrassing but uneventful and other than waiting for the results of a few blood tests, everything looked good. The tests would be back by tomorrow and, if everything went according to plan, by tomorrow evening she would be on her way to Montana and the start of her new life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Dr. Collins met her at the small airport in Kalispell, Montana. She rushed Riley out of the airport and into a battered SUV, her attitude barely civil. A short, but beautiful drive followed to the research station north of Glacier National Park. Though it was the end of summer, the temperature in Kalispell was considerably lower than Helena, where the first leg of her flight ended—the crisp mountain air surprising her with its briskness. Dr. Collins seemed nervous and rarely spoke to her, answering in short, terse sentences if Riley asked a question; leaving Riley to wonder whether she was regretting her choice.

  Electrical fences surrounded the research station, which sat in the middle of a high valley. Vicious looking dogs patrolled the fenced enclosure and a guard station at the entrance kept unwelcome visitors at bay. Dr. Collins barely flashed her ID card as she sped through the gate, careening around corners and coming to a skidding stop in front of a building identified as staff quarters.

  “We’ll put you up here until the rest of the team arrives,” she pulled Riley’s luggage from the SUV and dropped it unceremoniously on the steps. A heavyset man exited the building and as he did so, he noticed them and stopped. His demeanor was not welcoming and Riley’s confusion deepened. She felt like an uninvited intruder.

  “When do the rest arrive?” The concourse was empty and the whole facility was too quiet.

  “Most of them won’t be here until next week sometime. Make yourself at home. There’s a small cafeteria in back, and you can use any of the rooms that are unoccupied at present. I’ll be back in the morning to give you a short tour of the facility.” With that, Dr. Collins jumped back in the SUV and sped off, leaving Riley standing by herself. The heavyset man watched for a few minutes and then walked over.

  “My name’s Miles…Anderson. I’m the head of research here.” His pompous tone of voice and the small hesitation before extending his pudgy hand was downright rude.

  “I thought Dr. Collins was the head?” Confused, she returned his handshake, his hostile attitude setting off warning bells.

  “She is, for her part, we sort of share that responsibility. She’s more the development end, I’m pure research.” Riley felt like he was assessing her.

  “Well, I’m really excited to be here and I’m anxious to start,” she responded warmly.

  “Don’t get too excited. I’m against this, as Bethany well knows.” He withdrew his hand as though in distaste and turned to leave. “Watch yourself. Bethany’s known for her rash behavior and quite often acts before she thinks things through.”

  As he walked away, Riley’s confusion deepened. What an odd thing to say. She was getting the distinct impression that her presence here wasn’t exactly wanted.

  Gathering her bags, she hauled them up the remainder of the steps and into the building. The interior was dark and even cooler than outside. Little effort had been made to make the inside welcoming; brown tile floors, tan walls and a few run down furnishings were all that graced the main room. It reminded her of a mental institution or hospital. Doors intersected the hallway to the left and it was down that one she ventured. Not wanting to be too near the main door, she chose a door halfway down and opened it cautiously, ready to make her apology in the event it was already occupied.

  The door swung open easily into a partially furnished room.
A rolled up mattress sat on a military-style cot near a small metal night stand. The only other furniture was a small dresser which doubled as a desk, and a small swivel desk chair.

  At best, it was bleak and uninviting. Shrugging, she put her luggage down. She had been told conditions were less than appealing and in any event, she didn’t plan on spending a lot of time in this room—she was here to do research.

  Stomach growling hungrily, she followed the hallway to the back of the building. As Dr. Collins had indicated, a small cafeteria ran the entire length of the rear. Several dark complexioned individuals worked at cleaning up.

  “Is it too late to get something to eat?” she asked the nearest attendant.

  He grinned, “There’s always something in the refrigerator. Help yourself.” She smiled back and moved around him, heading to the kitchen.

  The attendant looked quizzically at the others nearby. “Wonder what she’s doing here? Isn’t this facility supposed to be totally closed down pretty soon?” They shrugged indifferently. All they knew was that their jobs were finished and they had two weeks to find another position somewhere. He thought it was strange, but since it didn’t affect him one way or the other, he forgot about it.