Kathi clung to the handrails on either side of her as the truck flew perilously down the dirt path. In the back with her were seven fellow adventurers, spread evenly around three sides of the open-air truck bed, all of them clutching the handrails as if their lives depended on it. And it did.
Thirty six year old Kathi was particularly anxious for the two female college students in the group, neither of which had been on this type of excursion before. The youngest, Hannah, seemed to be taking it in stride. Her short, jet black hair whipped behind her head as she leaned out for a better view of what was approaching. Hannah's smile indicated to Kathi she was equating this to a thrill ride at an amusement park instead of what it truly was—a paleontology project.
Sitting next to her was Megan, who was a little bit older and much more mature than Hannah. That put her in the group of people somewhat fearful for their safety. The four male students bravely hung on, attempting to make light of the situation.
Douglas, a fifty two year old professor and organizer of the trip, sat next to Kathi. She saw him watching Hannah, her loose fitting top buffeted by the wind. Kathi knew from her experiences with Douglas that he would be paying extra attention to the pretty, young girl. She knew he would enjoy the occasional flash of skin and bouncing breasts this truck ride would offer him.
Twice before, Kathi and Douglas had been in this part of Germany with students. It was famous for its fossil discoveries, and lousy roads.
"Quit staring, Douglas. You're going to creep her out," Kathi said while leaning towards his ear.
He looked over at her. "What?!"
"You heard me," Kathi said. "She could almost be your granddaughter."
The truck lurched off the ground and landed roughly, the occupants in the back following suit. Amid shouts and nervous laughter, Douglas laid his hand on top of Kathi's leg; half of his hand on her bare thigh and half on the bottom of her fairly short shorts. Kathi nonchalantly moved the hand away.
"And keep your hands off her," she told her colleague.
His wry smile was the answer she expected. Not an agreement, but an answer.
Kathi Cullen and Douglas Pratt were both PhD's in paleontology, but Douglas' seniority made him the lead professor on these trips. Still, Kathi felt an obligation to protect the students, chiefly the females, and she went out of her way to rein in Douglas when necessary. Hannah and Megan were two of the better looking girls they'd had with them in a long time. Kathi expected to have her hands full.
That was especially true with nineteen year old Hannah. She had proven to be an outgoing, fun-loving girl, traveling to Europe for the first time and, overall, being the life of the party. Kathi fully expected Hannah to latch on to one of the guys before now, but it hadn't happened—at least not to her knowledge. Experience told Kathi that a month in the German countryside with a small group of people could lead to anything.
Mercifully, the truck approached the dig site and came to a screeching halt at the camp where the eight fossil experts would be housed. A dozen identical cabins were scattered around the wooded grounds. Large white numbers painted above the doors appeared to be the only means of distinguishing one from the other.
Kathi had many tales to tell of people, both students and professors, attempting to enter the wrong cabins at night; allegedly by accident.
The group quickly jumped out of the truck, trailing luggage and backpacks behind them.
"Gather in front of cabin one, please," Kathi shouted. Douglas was not into the administrative stuff very much, so Kathi gladly handled it. She enjoyed it.
Once they were assembled, she pulled out a sheet of paper and began reading: "Tom and Eric—cabin 3. Scott and Tony—cabin 4. Hannah and Megan—cabin 5. You have one hour to organize your cabins. Meet back here at," she looked at her watch. "Five o'clock."
"Can we trade cabins with anybody?" Tony asked amid mostly male-led cheers and laughter.
"Strictly prohibited," Kathi said, having heard the same question twice before. "Punishable by a free flight home."
The students grabbed their stuff and disappeared inside their assigned quarters. Kathi and Douglas headed for cabins one and two, respectively. The cabins were three-room cottages. Three fourths of the interior was taken up by a combined living/dining room and kitchen. A tiny bathroom was in the back. The only other room big enough to move in was the bedroom, and it was tiny.
Kathi threw her suitcase on the bed and opened it. She immediately searched out her hair brush. A mirror on the wall, barely big enough to show a reflection of her head, offered a chance to put her blonde hair back in place. She checked her t-shirt and shorts for any debris from the wild ride in the truck, and deemed herself dirt free.
She unpacked and checked the shower for hot water, a trick she had learned from a previous trip. If she discovered it didn't work early enough, it was fixable before the month was over, barely.
Kathi had learned a lot about herself and other people since obtaining her PhD and making the month-long expeditions. Among them: no man could be trusted, regardless of age, when you're a good-looking blonde in your mid-thirties—and single. Actually, she doubted that being single had much to do with it, except make it easier for the guys to hit on you.
She learned that she was capable of recognizing the signs of a guy about to pounce; the looks, the comments, the 'accidental' contact. Kathi always displayed her disinterest in non-threatening ways, not wanting to feel threatened herself in the backwoods of Germany.
The toughest thing she learned to deal with was her occasional interest in a guy on the trip. Temptation was an unrelenting beast. She was human, after all, and human weakness had overtaken her before. Kathi was not proud of that moment.
At five o'clock, the group gathered outside her door. Kathi carried several plastic grocery bags, which the students were very interested in.
"This is dinner," she said, holding up the bags. "Luckily, the people we work with here in Germany got the e-mail about stocking my refrigerator. There's hot dogs and, of course, brats. I think some frozen hamburgers, too. Anyway, we'll walk down to the shelter and see if we can make it edible."
"Lead the way, Doctor Pratt," Kathi said. He carried the grilling supplies and would prepare the meal, part of the agreement that had Kathi doing the clerical work.
On the way through the woods to the shelter, Kathi noticed that both girls had changed clothes already. Kathi found this typical of most female students. They over packed and went through clothes way too quickly. The girls would soon learn that the laundry facilities were less than ideal.
Kathi also noticed, from her position near the rear of the group, that the girls' change had not gone unnoticed by the guys. Their looks and covert conversations offered her no end of entertainment. But the reaction may have been warranted, as both girls were now in quite revealing running shorts and tops. If the trend continued, Kathi might have to address it with them. She made a mental note.
The shelter area was small, like most things at the camp, but functional. Picnic tables were lined up in front of a stone fireplace and a couple of iron grills. A rickety roof offered some protection, if the rain wasn't too hard.
The students found seats while Kathi and Douglas began the process of cooking. Once the fires were going, Kathi got out of the way. The rest of the evening was spent eating and discussing the overall plan for the month ahead, concentrating on the upcoming few days. Both professors described what the students could expect to find and what specific specimens they were after. Most of the information had been shared long before the trip, but Kathi knew a refresher was always helpful.
The sun was beginning to set when they finished.
"You know how to get back, right? The rest of the night you're on your own. Meet in front of Dr. Cullen's cabin at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Be on time," Douglas said. "Any questions?"
Each student shook their head. Kathi and Douglas grabbed whatever needed to go back to the cabins and left the kids in charge of the shelter. It was a troublesome exercise for the professors, but one they had to live through each trip.
A short time later, while Hannah and Megan were also on their way back, Hannah said, "Dr. Cullen told me once there's a lake nearby, down the other road we pass up here. Want to find it?"
"If you think we have time," Megan answered.
