Impact | Book 6 | Dig

by Isherwood, E. E.

  He replied immediately. “Done.”

  She went on. “I’ll need to know more about my mission before I can say how many of your men I’m going to require.”

  “Certainly. Your mission is simple: I need someone I can trust to hold the line at our southern boundary so I can get my ore to the rail yard and onto rolling stock. From there, I can take it to my refinery in western Canada.” He waved her over to his map, which sprawled out on the table about midway between them. When she was close, he pointed. “You’ll be headquartered here, at the rail depot near Green River.”

  “And I can kill those two if they show up?”

  He turned up his palms as a symbol of openness. “You have my word. Kill whoever is necessary to do your job. We are essentially the police out here. Haven’t seen or heard about a sheriff in these parts since I arrived.”

  She studied the map. Their area of operation was inside a wide valley, which appeared as an elongated diamond. At its northern point, there was the forested narrow pass leading toward the mountains and forests of Yellowstone. The western point was the little village of Big Piney. The eastern point, fifty miles across the valley, was the even smaller town of Boulder. The southernmost tip was the industrial rail yard at a soda ash plant in remote Wyoming. The asteroid remnant was in the middle of that diamond shape.

  He went on. “As we’ve discussed, there is no way for anyone to hit us from across the mountains to the east and west, and the northern route is almost as barren after all the fires. The enemy will come at us from the south, which is why I want you to manage the defenses down there.”

  She licked her lips. “What about your guard dog, Aarons? Why don’t you have him head up this important mission?”

  Petteri enjoyed this part. Buttering up his prey, then making them think they were the special ones. He moved away from the table to give her his full attention. “This is painful for me to admit, but my operation has not been the same since Howard died. With the way we’ve lost all the other rocks in quick succession, I need to do everything I can to delay the loss of this one. Each hour I load more ore onto my trucks. Each hour the remaining rock gets smaller. Soon, we’ll have it all. That said, the person I want heading up this important defense has to be someone with experience. Someone who is a known quantity to me. Mr. Aarons has done a fine job so far, but ultimately the person I put in charge of our entire southern flank has to be someone I trust with my life.”

  Nerio absorbed what he said for about ten seconds.

  Then she smiled.

  “How many men can I have?”

  He’d snared her.

  “How many do you want?”

  Chapter 7

  Teton National Park, WY

  The tall, jagged peaks of the Teton range towered above Grace. Being a park ranger in such a beautiful wilderness had been her dream since she was a little girl, and she’d achieved that goal. There wasn’t much more she could ask for. Therefore, it made sense to listen to her boss Randy. She could unload her truck and go quietly on probation like a good girl. Her dad would eventually catch up to her, probably taking care of all the trouble with TKM by himself.

  Her defeatist attitude changed when she turned to face Candice and some of the other rangers. The redhead looked at her with anticipation.

  “What?” Grace asked.

  The woman had trouble written all over her face. “You aren’t going to take it lying down, are you?”

  She was surprised. “What do you think I should do?”

  Asher interjected. “Not listen to that guy.”

  Candy pointed to him. “Your partner knows. If people need help, we have to help.”

  Grace held up her hands. “Wait a minute. It’s not exactly like that.”

  “Tell us what it’s like,” Candy urged.

  She sighed, unsure what path she was heading down. In her heart, she wanted to ignore Randy, jump in the truck, and go fight the bad guys. But she also lived in the real world. A world where she would have bills to pay. Would need a job. Would need a clean employment record to rise in the ranks. She couldn’t throw it all away because an anonymous woman wanted her to buck the system. After a pause, she looked to the other rangers. “Do you all want to know what’s going on out there?”

  To a person, they nodded.

  Grace stood in front of her truck, to use it as a prop. “Yellowstone was destroyed by a broken asteroid soaring at treetop level above it. I’ve seen most of our beloved park from the north and east gates, by the big tourist areas, and down to the south gate. You won’t recognize it when you go back.”

  She figured they already knew the state of the park, but not the rest.

  “What you probably don’t know is Petteri Tikkanen, the head of TKM mining, deliberately brought the asteroid down to Earth so he could mine the ore and make money.”

  A few of the rangers scoffed.

  “It’s true. Over the past week I’ve dealt with him and his company. I’ve talked to members of the Crow Nation, who barely avoided being defrauded by the mining conglomerate. They’re closing in on the dig site as we speak, trying to deny its riches to the wealthiest man on Earth.”

  Asher stood next to her, ready to jump in if she needed it.

  “What I said earlier was true. I came to Yellowstone, and now the Tetons, to find help to stop a grave injustice being done in the name of money. Yeah, we’ll help avenge what happened to our park, but the fires are already done and gone. What we need to do now is stop him from cashing in further on our nation’s misfortune. We need to stop him from ruining the next park. The next city. The next state. If he’s not brought to justice, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Nothing about him suggests he regrets causing all this damage.”

  “But he’s part of the relief effort,” someone suggested from the back.

  “A lie. Everything the man says is a lie. I’ve been to downtown Denver. I’ve seen how TKM is handling their quote-unquote relief efforts. They’re killing everyone who tries to get close to their precious rock…I saw people die right in front of me for that reason.” She thought of Angela being gunned down in the tunnel.

  “People are dying?” a man said from closer in the group.

  “By the hundreds,” she acknowledged. “Maybe the thousands, if you add up what went on at other dig sites.” The government had been tight-lipped about sharing news with the public about the many crash sites. She figured it was due to the fact there was nothing but bad news to report.

  Grace turned to face Asher. When their eyes locked, her resolve firmed up. After all they’d been through, he would support her no matter what choice she made. At the same time, she didn’t stick with him, fight alongside him, and bring him all the way back to Yellowstone simply to give up. She smiled at her partner, which he returned with interest.

  She reoriented on the rangers. “I don’t care if they say I’m in trouble. I don’t care if they fire me. I came out here to be a guardian for the wildlife and scenery which makes this country beautiful and natural. I signed up to care for animals when they’re in trouble. Just like I’d get out of my truck to help a turtle across the road, I’m getting in my truck to remove the biggest threat that has ever set foot in our part of the world. Me and my guns are going south to help my friends bring Tikkanen to justice.”

  Someone slow-clapped from the entrance of the ranger station.

  “Nice speech,” Randy said. He was flanked by some of the higher-ups in the park service. She didn’t recognize them, but they didn’t look like they were there to support her.

  Grace whispered to Asher, “We’re getting in the truck now.”

  They split and walked around to their respective doors.

  “You’ll see that I’m right,” she said aloud. “The park service can’t ignore its mission to conserve our wild park lands as well as the…site of the fallen asteroid piece. It should be preserved, intact, for future generations.” She tried to appeal to their sense of duty, but it didn’t seem to move
them. Even as she climbed in the driver’s seat, they remained stoic and unmoved in front of the station.

  The other rangers had made a path, so she and Randy faced each other.

  She leaned out her window. “I’ll bring what’s left of the truck back when I’m done. Then I’ll park it in a space for you.”

  Randy didn’t run out or try to stop her, which came as a bit of a surprise.

  She drove off the lot, always looking back.

  “Why isn’t he trying to stop us?” she wondered.

  Anticline Ranch, WY

  “There it is,” Ezra said with amazement, pointing to the remnant of the crashed asteroid looming above the flat terrain a few miles away. The remains of the alien-seeming black orb sat in a pile near a small homestead. Huge pieces of yellow construction equipment huddled around the mound, presumably loading it onto dump trucks.

  Dozens of cars, trucks, and RVs were parked in front of a single-story shack, as if there were a large house party taking place out in the middle of nowhere. Beyond that activity, a fleet of dump trucks stood lined up in long rows. It appeared as if an army of rock haulers was on standby, ready to carry the ore to some faraway place.

  Christian’s convoy went close to the house, but not directly up to it. Instead, the driver of his truck parked near a row of shipping containers. Fifty or more men in blue shirts loitered around the parking lot in front of them, suggesting it was a staging area for TKM guards.

  As soon as the truck stopped, the earth rumbled underneath them. Smoke rose up from the far side of the fallen asteroid as a huge excavator dumped its load into the back of a dump truck. “Looks like they’re making progress,” the driver said as he got out, talking to no one in particular.

  “Uh, yeah,” Butch replied.

  They had a few seconds alone as they gathered their weapons and whatever gear they could put in the pack. A pair of helicopters took off from behind a low ridge beyond the dig. It seemed complex and well-organized. Ezra nudged Butch. “What’s your military training tell you about this situation? What the hell have we stumbled into?”

  Butch let out a fatalistic chuckle. “E-Z, I don’t know what to tell you. This is the kind of stuff spec ops guys dream about. We’re inside the lair of the bear.”

  “And the momma bear is going to find us,” Haley said with open worry.

  “Don’t lose your cool,” he advised. “As far as anyone knows, we’re legit TKM employees. If they ask for ID, we’ll say it was all lost in the attack back in Green River. We can tell them a grenade destroyed our bags.” It was a ruse that would work for a short time, but if TKM did any serious digging, the truth would be revealed.

  “I’ll be looking for how to get us out of here,” Butch went on, probably to comfort Haley.

  “Good man. Haley, you stick with Butch. He’ll keep watch.”

  “What about you?” she replied.

  “I’m going to keep watch on Butch, who will keep watch on you.”

  She smiled weakly. “Then I’ll keep an eye on you, too.”

  “It’s a plan,” he said, straddling the side of the pickup bed. When he hopped down, Butch tossed his pack to him. By the time they all had feet on the ground, Christian strolled by.

  “You three, follow me. I’ll get you settled in.”

  They had no choice but to fall in behind him and the other guards from the convoy. On paper, those men rescued them, so he tried to smile and be friendly to avoid suspicion. At the same time, he carefully studied the camp, always mindful of how they would get out.

  The shipping containers were offices. A couple had been left open on the ends, allowing him to see cramped nooks filled with computer chairs and terminals. A generator hummed close by.

  “This reminds me of Iraq,” Butch volunteered, loud enough for Christian to hear.

  “Yeah,” the leader replied over his shoulder, “the only thing we’re missing is the sandbags and berms, though we’ve had offers from some of the union guys who want to protect their men at the dig site. Boss doesn’t want anyone to get too comfortable. He wants this done, bing, bam, boom. No screwing around.”

  “Where can we stay?” Ezra asked, praying he would point them in any direction except the one he was walking.

  “I have to get you in front of my chief. We expended quite a bit of ordnance freeing you guys. I want to make sure it all gets logged properly, including all the people we rescued.” He pointed back to them.

  “Right,” Ezra replied in a dejected tone.

  Christian slowed to get a better look at him. “You don’t sound very appreciative. Should I have let them take you away? Let them possibly kill you? ’Cause your attitude makes me think I made a mistake risking my guys in an effort to bring you back.”

  Haley stepped forward, purposefully wiping her sweaty brow. “I’m grateful as hell you picked us up, as are these guys. He’s just tired. We all are. At the risk of sounding needy, we’ve spent hours in the hot, dry dust of those back roads. Is there anywhere we can go to clean up, get a drink, that sort of thing?” She smiled at the guy and brushed her hair back over one shoulder.

  It did the trick. Christian’s focus went entirely to Haley, as if he’d only noticed her. “Of course. Where are my manners? We have a temporary bunkhouse set up by the RVs. You’ll be able to splash your face and freshen up. I’ll make sure you get some food and water.”

  He eyed Butch and Ezra, as if they were less palatable than their traveling companion. Then he spun around and led them on.

  They were headed into the crowded area in front of the containers.

  There was no turning back.

  Chapter 8

  Jackson, WY

  Jackson, Wyoming was famous for its city park, which sat in the middle of the swanky ski town. The park was one tiny block, but at each corner they’d put huge archways made out of hundreds of elk antlers. Normally, tourists would stroll the sidewalks and visit the nearby shops. Grace had been there a couple of times when off duty from work. It was one of the towns closest to Yellowstone. Today, there wasn’t a person to be seen.

  Asher gestured beyond the park toward the living pine forest at the base of a nearby mountain. Patches of brown and black cinders dotted the lively green, but the burn hadn’t reached any closer to Jackson. “The fire almost made it here. I guess they evacuated to be sure.”

  It was disheartening to see. Jackson was a large population center, as Wyoming cities went. Since she’d struck out with the rangers, she’d hoped to find volunteers there. Possibly even someone from the police force. Anyone, anywhere, who could help her strike back at TKM.

  “I may have made a mistake.” She’d stopped in the middle of the street, next to the antler arch of the public park. The stoplights continued to cycle through their colors, but no other cars were around to use them.

  “Are you kidding me?” Asher replied with mock surprise. “I was led to understand you were perfect in every way. Making a mistake is not what I signed up for. At. All.”

  She recognized what he was trying to do. “Stop. You know what I mean. We came all this way while waiting for my dad to arrive. I would have been better off spending the last three days on the side of the highway in southern Wyoming, waiting for him to pass.”

  “He might not even be here, yet. Then you’d have wasted days of time, like you feared would happen if you stayed with Shawn’s people. Besides, we aren’t through with Jackson. Maybe everyone is at the southern part of town, or they’ve been cleared out. We found the evacuated rangers. Maybe we’ll find these people.”

  “And do an equally lousy job of convincing them?” She hated to get down on herself, but she’d expected—

  “Oh, crap,” she exclaimed. A park service truck drove toward them from behind.

  Asher turned in his seat to look back. “Is it your boss?”

  “That would be our luck, right?” She laughed, knowing they somehow got tangled in the worst situations. It would be a fitting end to be hunted down by the same man
who’d been with her when the rocks fell from the sky. It would certainly bookend her adventures as a ranger on the run.

  He looked at her expectantly. “Are you going to sit here? Why aren’t we gunning the engine and getting out of here?”

  She shrugged. In the mirror she counted ten or twelve trucks. Even if she wanted to do them harm, it would be an impossible escape. She’d been able to get to Jackson without a map, as she’d been there before. However, she didn’t know where to go from there. She’d have to spend some time looking at maps. Escape would be impossible when she didn’t know which way to flee. “Let’s see what he wants. If this is it…then this is it.”

  At first, he looked disappointed, but his demeanor changed. “I’m with you no matter what.”

  They locked hands for a brief moment, then got out of their doors. She’d brought her hat with her, giving her something to do while she waited for Randy to pull up.

  When the truck stopped, she was surprised to see Candy.

  “Grace!” the young woman called out, parking her truck a short way behind Grace’s battle-tested Suburban. “I have a surprise for you!”

  Did he send Candy to trick her into going back? Was that some style of management tactic she hadn’t yet learned?

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  A long line of pristine park service trucks pulled to a stop, one behind the next. As she waited for Candy to answer, rangers poured out of the doors. Most of them appeared armed, which made her realize she’d left her weapon in her ride. If they’d come to disarm her, they could get it out of the truck themselves.

  Candy hustled to get all her friends together. She waved them closer, smiling and acting excited. The other rangers also seemed relaxed and willing to have some fun. Grace couldn’t understand what was going on, but she was pleased no one pointed guns in her direction. That was a nice switch.